The following day did the company wake up as they would have done every other day. The whole group prepared themselves to hit the day once more. They changed their nightly attire for a more appropriate one. Everypony still wore almost the same outfits as when they left Appleloosa, with the exception of Rarity of course. Both of her maroon trench coat and hat had been placed back in the storage. There was no need for her to walk incognito anymore with so few other anthronies around.
It was actually something that felt like a massive relief to the unicorn. It meant that she was free to do what she wanted to do. She wasn’t restricted by the fabric of the clothing anymore. Only the attire which she normally wore could become a hinder if they would got in trouble.
The mares all had a bit of a conversation with one another as Fluttershy rose herself up from her bed. The shy and timid pegasus stretched her arms a little bit before her lips were smacked a couple of times. Only to then be still followed up by a massive yawn.
Yet the appearance of Fluttershy also meant something else to the company. Something that they hadn’t really been expecting to happen nor could they have ever thought it. With all of them present in the tent, it meant that Applejack had been standing on watch for almost all of the night.
The eyes of Twilight went wide. She realized the fact and just rushed out of the tent like that. She wasn’t even halfway done with preparing herself for the day to come when she did it. With her hair still being a literal mess she appeared in the outside world. Her eyes glanced from right to left in the hope to find the earth anthrony still sitting there.
Luck was on her side once more for a change. Leaning against the tree she sat, with the dried up strains of tears that went across both of her cheeks and appearing to be deeply asleep. Applejack had cried herself to sleep that night. Twilight seemed to be knowing the reasons behind it. She calmly walked over to the mare and began to stroke one of her cheeks lightly.
The admiral shocked up from her sleep when she felt something touching her during the rest. The body went from sleeping to awake in literally a split second as the eyes widened themselves. The pupils inside of them looked all over the place until they noticed how Twilight was standing right next to her. Or better said, sitting next to her on her knees.
“Good morning to you as well,” the soothsayer said with a gentle smile upon her face. She was relieved that the mare was still among them and not had either just left them or anything else. “How are you feeling today?”
The first thing that came out of the orange mare was a deep groan. Her head placed itself a bit more against the tree. “Ah feel terrible. Mah body just cries for a drink but mah mind says no,” said Applejack as she was honest. The tones in which the words were spoken already told more than enough for Twilight.
Even though she shouldn’t have been all too happy in the situation, she just was it. Because with Applejack sobering up did they had a much more focused admiral who could be taking the place of the drunken mare. Though the process of getting from one to the other was a rather painful one.
“It’s alright, Applejack, I think you’re on the right road. Every day without alcohol is a victory for you,” answered Twilight. The smile was being cracked upon her face a bit further. The words couldn’t be denied by the admiral as she knew exactly what was meant with them.
She nodded her head calmly as the rest of the company left the tent. None of them actually greeted her as they saw her as a letdown or they just didn’t had the simple desire to speak to her. Either way, it was once again something that the mare could be understanding completely. “Ah think Ah owe them all an apology, don’t Ah?” she asked in a whisper to Twilight. Who on her own turn had a look over all of the other mares before she gave a nod to the admiral.
“Yes you do.”
Fluttershy still couldn’t be found outside of the tent when both the admiral and the soothsayer stood up from their location. Her absence sort of confirmed the suspicion that the admiral had about the timid pegasus. Everything about the whole events from the night before made sense to her. It all just fit the picture so well in her own eyes despite sounding insane.
But when the doctor did finally appear, the two of them had glanced into each other’s eyes by pure accident. The blue rims of the pegasus met the green ones of the earth anthrony. For them did the seconds just melt right into hours, they burrowed themselves deep into the soul of the other.
Not even Fluttershy was daring enough to break the stare. Breaking it meant that she would then confirm the thoughts of the earth anthrony. All that she could be doing was to just stand there and keep on standing there while their eyes were locked.
Applejack needed to know whether or not Fluttershy was in fact the thing that she thought she was. But the longer she stared into the eyes of the mare, the more she began to realize the fact that the pegasus wouldn’t be letting anything go. Nothing about her was revealed, for it constantly shifted between the monster and the timid mare.
Whichever happened to be the truth, Applejack had to face the reality of the situation. So it was her who first broke the eye contact and turned over to the rest of them. Fluttershy was relieved by the fact that the admiral had torn her attention away from her as it was shown by a deep exhale.
The admiral herself walked over to the breakfast table that Twilight had conjured up and simply stood at the head of it. “If Ah may get y’all’s attention,” she said. The eyes of all the other mares looked over to her with a questioning gaze in them. “Ah, Ah want to apologize for mah behavior most of the trip so far. Life, ain’t kind to me as Ah would have hoped. Ah drown mah sorrows with a couple of drinks every night to hit the next day.”
“Get to the point already,” growled Rainbow to her. Her stomach rumbled. She was hungry while the food stood before her. And it was the admiral who prevented her from eating anything.
“All Ah want to say, is that Ah’m sorry. Ah’m sober now and intent to keep it that way. That’s all.” After the words had been spoken did the mare lower herself upon a chair as she began to prepare her own breakfast.
“Finally,” the major muttered in response. She could finally return to her breakfast. But even though Applejack was once again actually and properly sober, it troubled Rarity. How much more ruthless could the admiral become when she was placed against the unicorn? How much more troubles could arise if those two were alone?
Caution had to be executed by Rarity in the hope to stay on the admiral’s good side. She had to make certain that the treaty that was made up by the both of them, actually remained that way. Even if it would have been impossible at one point or the other. Hopes were needed to be kept high, hopes that perhaps weren’t even present anymore for any of them.
~~~~
The day progressed as usual. The mares had walked through the savannah and noticed just how slow but steady it turned into a bit of tundra like. They were leaving the one extreme behind and would be making their way over to the next. They left the warmth behind them, only to step right into Equestria’s natural freezer.
Hills became more and more frequent while the whole of the company wanted to go around them instead of constantly going over the very tops they carried. Even Twilight realized that it was something that couldn’t be happening. If they would be going over the top constantly, they would have been worn out quicker than anything.
So the decision had been made in unison that they would be wandering around each of the hills even if it would be taking them just so long. Yet as the trek was going into its full speed did Twilight received an arcane letter. It was the first time in a very long time that she had received something like it. So naturally it surprised her.
The rolled up parchment was opened and the eyes of the mare began to read through it. Of course was the rest of the company curious as to what was actually standing into the letter, but they made the decision to not ask anything about it. So they would just continue as if nothing happened.
Before Twilight realized it in that moment. It was her who had formed the rearguard of the company while her eyes continued to gaze over the letter. At one point or another was it lowered from her eyes and they turned up towards the skies. The lips of the mare moved up and down as if she was talking right into nopony else but herself.
It scared the others a little bit but they knew that deep in their mind, she wouldn’t be the one hurting them. They all thought that some form of revelation had come to the unicorn. A revelation that perhaps wasn’t as nice or bright as they would have hoped it to be.
They were more than right upon the matter. For the soothsayer couldn’t believe the words that were written within the very letter. It wasn’t even a letter, it was a downright report. A report on the most recent amount of earthquakes and tremors that had plagued their land. Ever since they left had the rumbling of the ground increased itself in both power and times. Equestria was suffering from them a whole lot more than Twilight would have originally expected.
The coordinates that were given in the report once again all pointed to random area’s on the map. Sometimes inhabited and other time just on plains or at the foot of mountains. “I can’t make anything of this,” the mare muttered. Twilight felt the grass just disappearing below her hooves and realized just where they had entered.
Finally she dared to look up and put the report in one of her side pouches. The purple rimmed eyes of the mare glanced over the scene that laid in front of them. They had made it, they had actually made it. Each of them were staring in awe at the horror itself. A horror that none of them had wanting to see for years to come.
They had arrived in the Frozen North and they were looking straight that massive maw-like structure that stood between two massive mountains. It was a reminder of a dark king that once ruled the frozen wastelands with an iron something. The Maw was the passage that gave the most easy access to the North and the rest of Equestria, but also was one of the most feared.
“Are ya really planning to guide us through the Maw?” Applejack asked before another realization just kicked right in. A realization of which none of them hadn’t really thought about. “Ah mean, Ah wonder yar bravery, but going inside of that is like suicide.”
“I do intent to travel through the Maw, Applejack. It’s the only place easily accessible and can give us a clear lead towards the location of soothsayer Cadence. I almost dare to say she resides on the spot where the castle once stood,” answered Twilight. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the Maw for a single second. The mountains that edged on either side were just as threatening, but a whole lot more dangerous for those who didn’t knew.
“Well, here goes nothing,” said Rarity before she shook her head from side to side with a chuckle. It was funny for her in one way or the other. None of them even wanted to know actually why. None of them even wanted to know, Rarity was just strange in their eyes. A fact she loved.
“Did any of y’all brought any winter clothing with ya? For it ain’t gonna be the desert out there. It’s merciless up there, the most northern tip of Equestria lays just beyond that gate. It’s waiting to cover your frozen flanks in the snow,” said Applejack while taking a step or two forwards.
But that was the very thing they all hadn’t thought about. Their given information was that they would be travelling downwards, into the crust of the earth they walked upon. They didn’t expected it to be in the frozen wasteland. So none of them actually had any kind of protective winter gear ready. “As Ah thought…” Applejack muttered before her eyes glanced over to Twilight.
The soothsayer understood right away what was asked from her and she stepped forward. Applejack then returned to her original place, Twilight was the leader of it all. She must have had a plan of some sort, or so they desperately hoped. “Since none of you brought any winter clothing and I had forgotten about it myself, there’s only one thing that I can do to make us get into the snow without either walking or teleporting back to Canterlot first,” said Twilight to them all.
Feelings of relief went through all of the anthronies as there was still something what could be done. The only problem was the thing that would have been done. For none of them knew just what exactly was being planned inside of the head of the mare. They could only be guessing what would be happening next.
Returning wasn’t an option though. They had to push on and conquer both of the snow and ice. Twilight stretched out her arm a little bit before the hand engulfed itself into the arcane aura. Only seconds later was there a tiny little flame seen right inside of her palm. All of them had to tilt their heads just a little bit to actually see it and they began to wonder how that little flame could be keeping them safe. It didn’t make that much sense to them in the moment.
“I hope you intend to make that flame bigger, Twilight, otherwise we will still freeze to death,” commented Rainbow before anything else could have been said. The quick reaction was given a stern glare from the soothsayer in return. For the mare wasn’t done yet, far from it actually. The explanation from her side still had to come.
The unicorn soothsayer released a deep and slow exhale. The flame only became more intense in its color. Yet it never seemed to have been growing or decreasing. Its purple color only became either brighter or weaker with both the exhale and the inhale. None of the other mares knew what Twilight was doing, but they knew it was better to keep silent for the time being. They were rather safe than sorry when it came down to the magical powers of the mare.
Once the flame had reached a certain depth level of purple did the mare turn herself around. Twilight had turned towards the Maw and the land that laid behind it. For just a couple of seconds she remained standing there before her body turned back around. All of the questions would be answered through time. And that time was right there, in that very moment.
“This, is a little arcane flame. This is what is going to keep us warm as we wander through the Frozen North. How, you might ask. That is an excellent question. But I think a demonstration would be better,” said Twilight before she brought her hand with the flame closer towards her chest.
The closer it came, the more it began to rage and flicker. Almost as if there was more fuel around her. Then it just disappeared before their eyes. It vanished right into the body of the soothsayer who began to dance a like she had been eating something that was a little too hot.
All of the other mares had no idea of just what to make out of the madness they saw as only Rarity could be tying the knots together. Or at least she hoped that she could have been doing it. Eventually stood Twilight still again and coughed a couple of times. Out of her mouth appeared a couple of grayish to black clouds that traveled up into the skies.
The tears were wiped out of her eyes before she looked again over the company of mares. “Wow, that, that’s a bit intense actually.” She shook her head from side to side before another moan left her body.
“But, what is it now?” Fluttershy asked. She wanted to know the finer details of the little trick that was done. “Where, where did that little flame go?”
Twilight’s eyes then looked back up and focused their attention upon Fluttershy before the words left her mouth. “That little flame, is now inside of me. As we speak, it is coating my heart in a warm, pleasant and little fiery coat. It should be keeping the blood at a normal temperature as it passes through the four chambers.”
“Meaning there will only be warm blood flowing through the body, which as a result prevents hypothermia through the direct cold?” Fluttershy then not only asked, but in fact reasoned by tying the ropes together as they were given to her.
“Exactly doctor,” the soothsayer said before she coughed another time. “Oh my, that’s, that’s a powerful little fire that’s going inside of me. A-Anywho, who’s next?”
Not many volunteers took a step forward afterwards. The trouble in which they had seen Twilight was a thing they didn’t wanted to go through. But if they would have any chance up in the frozen wastelands of the North, that flame needed to be coating their heart. And if it meant that they had to wander around the place with near boiling blood in their bodies before plunging themselves into sub-zero degrees, the question was out the picture.
Slow but sure did all of them walk up to Twilight. The soothsayer conjured up flame after flame and allowed it to coat their very hearts. They all would be safe from the cold but the massive amounts of arcane energy that were surging through the soothsayer could have been just enough to make her go haywire. Not to mention the fact that her own flame was still not for the full one hundred percent under control.
A lot of magic was being consumed by Twilight as she coated each heart of the company’s members within the fire. “This is the furthest I have ever gone with my arcane arts, then I have ever done by another anthrony,” said Twilight while she looked over to the prepared team. “Here goes nothing.”
With those three words did she turn herself around to face the massive and horrifying Maw once again. But that time, they were prepared to take it head on. They were more than ready to tackle the whole of the Frozen North. They were ready for the cold, harsh nature of the place.
With the location of the old castle written inside of her memory was it the most likable place for Cadence to have been going to when she moved. It was the only structure with something of a foundation and which wasn’t covered in tons and tons of snow and ice. They all just walked at a normal pacing towards the massive Maw as the flames in their hearts did their work. Even with the icy winds rushing themselves against their faces, it felt like a summer’s breeze upon their cheeks.
The Maw itself was the dangerous passage between the North and Equestria. The thing thanked its name due to the near hundreds of icicles that hung there. Icicles couldn’t only be found on the ground, but on the sides as well. Dozens of razor sharp icicles that hung threateningly on the covered ceiling of the place. All ready to just drop right down upon the unsuspecting anthrony.
Fluttershy was of course scared to death when they came closer and closer. But Rainbow made a rather wise observation. “Hey Twilight, you think that the Maw is actually responsible for all the cold wind that blows through Equestria?” she asked with a strange curiosity in her voice. Her legs were kicked in a higher gears to walk next to the soothsayer.
“The Maw isn’t called like it for nothing. Researchers have discovered a long time ago that not only wind was blowing out of it from the North to Equestria, but at certain parts of the year it goes vice versa,” explained Twilight to the best of her abilities, without going all too techy on the major. “You can see the Maw as the giant mouth of the North, it devours everything that enters. But it also breathes air both in and out.”
Those words caused a little bit of a shudder to travel down the body of the pegasus as she didn’t feel comfortable all of the sudden. “Well, that’s good to know,” she then mumbled up. Though as she kept on walking next to Twilight.
Below their hooves did the rocky ground of the tundra gave way to the snowy field of the icy plains. They were close enough to the Maw to actually see just how enormous the thing happened to be and the levels of caution were increased by a terrible lot. One wrong move and all of the icicles could come crashing down on top of them. Or even worse, cause an avalanche.
“Look behind you one last time,” said Twilight when the Maw was leading the company of mares up a hill. “Behind you lies the last glimpse of Equestria as we know it. Green, lively and wonderful. After this hill, all we will be seeing are rocks and ice for who knows how long.”
The members of the company had one last look behind them as they realized that Twilight wasn’t lying. Even though the ‘teeth’ of the Maw they could still be seeing the green fields of the savanna and the occasional bush that sprung up on the tundra. “May the goddesses be with us,” the mulberry unicorn said to herself. The arcane symbols of the moon and the sun were then drawn into the air. Only to have them fall back into the snow.
They were ready to tackle the second leg of their journey, they must have been ready if they wanted to actually accomplish what they had set out to do. Whining and complaining could be done all they wanted but it wouldn’t be stopping Twilight at all. For she hurried herself up the hill to see just that what laid behind it.
The falling snow was the only sign for them all to leave the place and follow the unicorn upwards to the top. Each of their hooves only sank perhaps up to their ankles into the snow, which was a little bit unusual. As they would have expected to be dropped down right into their middles. Perhaps it was a layer of fresh snow they stood on and below their ankles could only the iced snow be found.
They didn’t care about it, the company had another mission to keep up. And that mission was to actually stick to Twilight while climbing the slopes of snow.
The unicorn soothsayer was the first one who got at the top of the hill. She had to cover her eyes with her hands. The burning sun and the white snow made it pretty much the land’s biggest mirror for sunlight. “Oh this ain’t going to be good,” she mumbled to herself. With her eyes she looked over into every direction she could see.
When the rest of the company arrived and had their own fair share of the view, there was only one conclusion that could be drawn from it. It was amazing to look at, but it also was terribly dangerous. Their eyes were looking at a near never-ending plain of ice and snow while the mountains left and right emerged and spiked to the clouds.
“Beautiful,” the doctor said when she got a faint smile upon her face. The others could only agree to the spoken word but they also knew that the danger would be lurking around. Dangers from creatures that none of them had ever seen in their lives. Not to mention the fact that the flames in their hearts actually worked.
Their hooves were standing right into the cold, cold snow but they didn’t felt a single thing from it. Their hooves were nice and warm as Twilight took once again the word. “Across the fields before you lays the route towards the remains of the castle. A route long gone in snow that went past the glaciers hidden below. The desert heat is nothing compared to the depth of an icy glacier.”
“But, what about setting up camp? The sun’s already setting,” stated Rarity while she pointed towards the lowering sun. Twilight released a little giggle in response as she shook her head from side to side.
“Rarity, it’s the Frozen North. The sun never sets here, only in winter and autumn does it that. We’re in spring right now. It might lower a little bit, but never to its full. It should create a nice looking, reddish icy plain though,” stated Twilight before she gave the go signal again. They had to walk the plains of ice and snow, whether it was a thing that would be liked or not.
The pirate captain released a little grumble left and right as she was the last one to leave. Thus it was her who formed the rearguard.
~~~~
Hours had gone by as the sun had stopped setting itself and remained in the position that it stood. The red light that it gave off was something nice for a change. The dreaded reflection upon the snow itself had finally been gone as it seemed they were wandering through the depth of Tartarus itself. With the orange orb being something of a flame and the red light its cast light.
As beautiful as it seemed to be, that distracting it also was. For when Applejack was trying to fix her frozen up leg by surging boiling hot water through its system could she hear the screech of Rarity. Yet the pirate captain wasn’t be seen anywhere. “W-What?” she questioned to herself.
Of course didn’t the sound go unnoticed to the rest of them. All of the anthronies turned themselves around and looked over to the location where Rarity could have been. But none of them saw the pirate walking with them anymore. There was only one other solution that could be done and that was to call out for her.
The name of Rarity echoed over the plains. Three out of the four anthronies spoke it up in three different directions. Only Applejack didn’t say a word as she felt a chapter of her life closing off. If Rarity Brittenburg would have died, she could finally take that off of her list. Of course she knew that their treaty was still going and she wouldn’t be breaking it. But if Rarity had fallen into a glacier, that would have made all the difference in the world.
Yet the moment of relief was destroyed as the voice of the mare came from under the ground. “I’m right here! Into this nasty, nasty icy hole with… N-Nevermind!” The unthinkable had happened. Somepony had fallen right into a glacier. Twilight rushed herself over towards the hole where the sound came from. She approached it with caution in the hope to not fall right after her. The last thing they needed was a double rescue mission.
Only when she knew that it was safe did she drop herself on both hands and knees. The eyes looked down into the hole itself in the hope to see Rarity somewhere. But the mare was consumed by the darkness. Though her voice still could be heard. “Oh Twilight, what am I glad to see your face. If, if it isn’t too much asked, can you get me out of here? My conversation partner is, uhm, well, kinda, frozen.”
“Conversation partner?” questioned Twilight down the hole. She didn’t have a clue on what was being said to her. “What are you talking about?”
“Long story! Now get me out of here if you please!” snarled Rarity upwards.
“Alright, alright, give me a moment,” commented the soothsayer. She then removed herself from the hole. “Hang in there!”
"As if I have nothing better to do…” Rarity muttered to herself as she charged up her horn a bit more. The darkness of the glacier was suddenly lightened up even further as another revelation came. Rarity had luckily managed to shoot off the wrist mounted harpoon into the ice and she was literally hanging at its threat.
She could hoist herself up, but that meant that she would run out of rope at one moment. The other reason of why it wasn’t done was that it could actually destroy the connection between the metal and the ice. Resulting in a fate she really didn’t wanted to think about.
Back on the topside was Applejack grumbling to herself. The admiral was so close to getting rid of Rarity once and for all. But fate itself wouldn’t allow her the victory that she wanted. She was angry about it, so angry even that she simply refused to help Twilight when it was being asked. That of course infuriated the soothsayer again who exploded right on the spot.
“You are just such a dense mare, you know that?! You can help her, to get in her right book but no, what does missy do? Simply refuse because of an ancient old grudge. A grudge that doesn’t even make a whole lot of sense to begin with! You don’t hold the right to decide who lives or dies on this quest Applejack,” yelled Twilight to her. Her anger was justified, but it wasn’t the right time.
Twilight stopped then for a little moment in order to calm herself down as well as to catch up with her breath before she continued. “You aren’t the leader of this group, but I am. I only got you first of everypony else, because you were the closest one I could have gotten! And even with the knowledge of Rarity coming with us, you still made the decision to come along. Why? Because of the promise you made to me?”
Twilight was just furious in the moment. It was a thing that each of the mares could be telling that right there and then. Not only was she angry to Applejack, she was also disappointed in the other mare. Disappointed that she couldn’t set her feelings aside to help another anthrony. “Fluttershy, if the enemy knocks at the door of your hospital, do you allow him entrance and do you try to fix him up as best as you can even though you hate him?”
With the sudden mix of Fluttershy into it, the pegasus looked at all of the other mares as she didn’t fully understood that what was happening. “Um, well, y-yes. Of course I’d help him. He’s in the need of medical assistance.”
“That’s all I needed to know,” the soothsayer said before she turned back to Applejack, “now it’s your turn.”
It took the company a good set of minutes, but finally was Rarity back on the snowy ground they all had beneath their hooves. With the combined effort of all the mares and some magical solutions of Twilight, had they saved the other unicorn. Even the admiral did help them to get Rarity out of there. The unicorn was relieved that she was finally out of the hole and hugged everypony to thank them.
But when she came to Applejack, she stuck out her hand to shake it as a token of goodwill. Yet it was the admiral who simply turned herself around and began to continue forward again. She left behind a group of confused beings. Beings that didn’t understand the decision in any way.
“Who is actually the bad anthrony here?” the pirate mumbled to herself afterwards. After which she shook her head from left to right.