I can hear it. The pounding, the rhythmic drumming that echoes from the ground. Hundreds of feet hitting the ground. The sounds of crackling, crunching leaves falling to the ground. I hear the bird song waning from the once mighty chorus that lulled me to sleep. I feel warmth heading towards me as it fades from lands far away. This is my summons from slumber. I must begin my journey soon. She is on her way, traveling with great fanfare as usual. She bounces and flies as she moves towards me, bringing color and noise. She will not be pleased if stay and shorten her time. I will leave this time. They are preparing my way.
I stand, stretching and popping joints as I move for the first time in months. Spreading my wings with a loud crack, I rise above my place of slumber and look down. Weak and watery sunlight glitters off the white mountains and empty plains spreading around me. An ocean far in the distance crashes and rages as it bears my floating toys to new homes. My home is beautiful as always, but I must leave it for now. For she can reach even here. I spread my wings and fly away from my hidden home and towards the place where the younger journeys. He is readying for my arrival even now. I fly low, grazing the great, cold mirrors of my home and causing puffs of snow to swirl in the air with each slow beat of my wings. The creatures of this domain quickly scatter before me, never sure why they do so. As I climb to the sky, sailing above the mountains, I bring the howling winds with me, setting them loose to play among the peaks and canyons. Their shrill voices delight my ears as I spiral higher into the clear blue sky. I stop and look over the place where my work will begin.
For off in the distance I can see the faint shine of a city that I used to know so well. It pleases me to see that shine once more. The way it reflected the light into rainbows upon my domain was truly a display worthy of the most beautiful of my siblings. Spiraling higher and higher, I luxuriate in the feel of the fierce wind freezing my bones. I smile to myself as I think of the work to come. I shall begin with my long missing crown jewel. I will decorate it with the utmost care, leaving nothing untouched by my gentling brush of white. Such a treasure should be polished properly, not surrounded with blinding colors that take away from its perfection. Farther away, a mountain stands. I know that on this mountain is the city of white and gold. I will do my work quickly here. I will use my heaviest whites and grays and release the raging winds. The dark will be cruel and unforgiving. After all, the Princess of the Melting Sun lives there. It is only right as she destroys my careful work! I snort and shake my head. Such childish nonsense! More fitting of oldest brother or youngest sister, not I, the oldest sibling! I will bring it overnight. It will not be my most lighthearted work but I will not paint a picture so dark. There will be a time for such things soon enough. And after that... I will go where I will. But first I must head to the kingdom built on clouds. They must know of my plans.
With a single beat of my mighty wings, I sail off into the sky, the chill warning of my presence lingering in the air. I fly ever faster, eager o begin my work, as I pass over my sparkling city and over the endless plains. They have turned brownish yellow and brittle with youngest brother's work. I shall soon cover them with colors and textures far more pleasing. I watch the long rivers glitter as I race by. Occasionally, I catch a glimpse of the little ones. Sometimes they are the little fliers of hoof and feather, or the fliers of beak and claw, other times they of the walkers that labor so hard for oldest brother and youngest sister. I smile as I think of the rest I will give them. Such small things should not labor so much.
I soon find myself arriving at the kingdom of cloud. Its falls of rainbow color add a lovely touch to the kingdom. The rest is a beautiful white. The creator of this city at least had some taste! I land upon the cloud that held my objective. The largest cloud formed the place where the little ones would work to make my vision true. I walk down the paths formed of cloud, passing the colorful little ones who scurried around me. They were always so busy these little fliers. Finally Ir reached the door I had been seeking. It was a door that I'm sure the little ones thought nothing of, but this door was for my siblings and I. Painted in the four sections with our colors and our marks placed within, it was a sign of our contract with the little ones. If this door were to ever be removed, the contract would be destroyed. I place my horn upon my mark, causing the door to shimmer and fade. Quickly, I walk through and into the hallway. My hooves make no sound as I walk along, not even the usual crackling I had grown accustomed to. The hallway was long and silent, not particularly pretty but saved from being uninteresting by the sculptures lining the walls. There was one of youngest sister playing with her colorful and tiny flower-fliers, the was one of oldest brother sleeping, and even one of youngest brother surrounded by food! It's amusing how they managed to portray the siblings. So very life like. I giggle a bit as I look at one of oldest brother balancing apples on his tail. It reminds me of how long it has been since the four of us were together. But now that we are grown, we cannot meet. Sighing I turn away and continue down the hall passing more sculptures of my siblings and myself. Turning left at the end of the hallway, I face another door. This one is once again marked with our symbols but there is no magic in it. I open the door and proceed inside.
I survey the empty room, it is rather large and circular. A wall made of glass that overlooks where the little ones work while the rest seem to be covered in pictures of what appears to be one of the hoof fliers families. There is a brown coated and white maned hoof flier with a female hoof flier of white coat and black mane in many. In others, there seem to be a younger one with black coat and white mane and a tiny hoof flier as well! Turning away from the walls, I cast my attention to the rest of the room. It seemed to be fairly well filled. There was a rather large green cushion on the floor, some chairs, several cabinets, and a desk. Quite an impressive desk it was too. It was large and made from a wood almost as dark as the bark on the pines in midwinter. More pictures were placed upon the desk, as well as an assortment of quills and stacks of papers. Having completed my survey, I arranged myself upon the green cushion. I folded my pale leathery wings neatly, making sure the sparkling white claw adorning each looked both beautiful and only slightly threatening. I folded my tail just so, until it looked like a frozen river upon the floor and shifted my body until each of my tiny scales glittered in the weak light. Once I was perfect, I cast my spell, letting the commander of these ponies know that I had come. I set my head to a regal tilt and waited, motionless as my mane flowed gently down and around my neck.
I had not been waiting for long when the little one burst in, his short mane looking ruffled and his brown coat unbrushed. A scarf hung crookedly from his neck. He stopped suddenly staring. It was most amusing when the little ones finally saw me. I waited silently as he pulled himself together. Finally he trotted over to me and bowed.
“Star Lane, your highness. It is an honor to assist you.”
I acknowledge this with a simple incline of my head, “There is no need to address my as your highness. I am no princess. I am oldest sibling, the Cold Sleep, no more.”
The little one in front of me seemed even more nervous now. He fidgeted his wings and adjusted his scarf. Of course he could just be cold.
“I wish to tell of my plans for the winter, as per the contract. You shall build my tools according to my will and I will hold to my plans. You are aware of your duty?”
“Yes, ma'am!” He replied smartly, “please allow me to get my things together,” he crossed behind his desk, clearing it of clutter. Then he began pulling out papers and quills,and ink from the cabinets around him. He spread them over the the desk and raised his quill, “Well then, ma'am where would you like to us to start? From the north as usual?”
Smiling, I began to tell of my plans, “We will begin in the north. The winter will be fierce there, but that is normal. But I have plans for the city that that shines in the plains.”
Star Lane paused at that,“the city that shines, ma'am?”
“The one in the plains of the north. Made from the rock that shines like ice,” I explain, annoyed at the interruption.
“Ah, the Crystal Empire,” Star Lane smiled nervously, “I'll make sure to notify their pegasi.”
“Good. Now, then if I may have your ear for the rest? I have many plans and little time, so we must work quickly. I will answer your questions at the end. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes, ma'am!” He replied enthusiastically, “but wouldn't it be easier for you to come and show me?”
I couldn't help it. I laughed. The little one was so eager to be helpful but he didn't realize! I brought myself under control before I hurt the little one's feelings, “I cannot come over there. I am Cold Sleep. To come nearer to me would be to freeze. Or at the very least go a bit numb, “ I watched his eyes widen at the thought, “ Besides I do not know the names of your kingdoms and homes. There are many and they often change, what good would it be to learn them? The best way for us to prepare is as it's always been. I will sit here and tell you of my vision. If there are questions I will explain at the end. I find that you little ones figure out my meanings soon enough.”
The little one reflected upon my words before nodding, “As you wish.”
I smiled, glad that we could really begin. “Then get comfortable,” I said floating a blanket out from a cabinet, “this will be a long night, my little hoof and feather flier.” I covered him with the blanket as I continued to speak, “The crystal city is just one of my artworks, my gallery shall be at its largest this time." My gaze become unfocused as I spoke of my glorious and serene art that would soon cover half the world. My foolish little siblings could never compete.