//------------------------------// // Breathing by Fuzzyfurvert // Story: Magic of Love: A Twidance Prompt Collab // by ArguingPizza //------------------------------// by Fuzzyfurvert My Little Dynamite: Book Two Part Six The cold and the wind made it harder and harder to breathe.  Even with the heavy cloaks and yakfur wraps that caribou had traded them for a hoof-ful of the young drake’s snack gems, it was difficult.  The walk through the knee deep snow was bad enough, but now they were starting to climb low hills.  Her legs ached and she was getting winded quicker.  The group of them and their caribou guide had to keep stopping because of her and it was turning the already tough travel into something hellish. “Want me to carry you?”  Spike’s sudden question shocked her out of her thoughts, her legs coming to a stop in the snow. “No.  T‘ank you, Spike.  I can keep up...for now.” The dragon nodded, but he didn’t look convinced under the thick parka hood that protected him from the worst of the wind.  She didn’t sound convincing to her own ears.  If they did not stop for rest soon, the choice to keep walking was likely be out of her hooves.  They both started moving again and she looked up to the two ponies and their guide, off a short way from them.  The guide was saying something to the Princess again.  The mare spoke back in the same language and then turned and translated for her guardian. Zecora shook her head.  The alicorn was an amazing creature.  She spoke the caribou’s tongue as fluently as she spoke Equish and Swayhili.  It would not surprise her to learn that the mare knew the languages of every ally that Equestria had.  Princess Cadance not only knew how to communicate, but fight like a demon too, if the experience in the ancient Sun temple was any indication. Cadance and the unicorn, Twilight, shared some words and the Princess laughed at whatever passed between them.  The Princess leaned in and they smiled at each other, their horns touching gently.  Even in this horrible cold and weather, that small show of affection warmed her old bones.  Oh to be young, so talented and so very much in love.  It was a shame that they were being forced into an uncertain future by the events around them. “How much farther do you think it is, Zecora?” She looked at Spike and shrugged, but his eyes were focused on the couple in front of them.  “I canna tell t‘at, Spike.  T‘e Nort’ is unfamiliar me.  I’ve walked t‘e Everfree for a long time, studying all it teach me.  T‘is place is alien to me.” “I know.  I’m just worried that the storm is making us walk in circles.  I feel like we should have seen something by now.”  Spike grunted and shrugged.  “But all there is, is snow and ice and lichen and rocks.  The caribou tribe said there was a forest and then we’d come to the place they say this storm is coming from.” “‘T’ey also say t‘ere be ‘ills before t‘e forest and t‘ese already kill me knees.” “The offer still stands to carry you.”  Spike gave her a thumbs up.  “I’m pretty strong.” “I know.  You ‘ave me t’anks, but I can go for a bit more.  I t’ink.”  She bit down a pained grunt, lifting her legs to dig her hooves out of the fresh snow.  “W’at you t’ink ‘bout da legend t’e Princess translate for us from t’em?  T’at t’ey slaves long ago until some goddess come an’ save t’em from a crystal devil?” The dragon shrugged again, stomping his way through the drifts next to her.  “I dunno.  But I’ve seen and heard a lot of weirder things.  We did see those ponies that looked like they were made from crystals dragging the changeling off.  Why do you suppose that was anyway?  We were all laying there around it, but they only bothered with her.” Zecora shook her head.  It puzzled her, but now that they knew about the caribou tribe’s origin legends, it did oddly mesh with the legends of the peoples of the Everfree.  From what she understood, the changeling started out as a foreign-born pony, possibly named Crystal.  And the Moon Priestess had gone to the far north when she stepped down from her position of rulership.  Could she be the same ‘Goddess’ that freed the ancient caribou? “I wonder t’at, same.  Maybe t’ere is connections we don’t see.  Makes me want to know more ‘bout t’is place though.”  Zecora sighed, watching her breath mist for a moment before the wind ripped it away.  Up ahead she could make out a dark line that separated the snow covered tundra from the snow-filled mass of clouds in the sky.  “Wendigos take me...is t’at...the forest?” Spike held up a claw to block the wan light and squinted.  “I think so.” “T’en I’ll take you up on t’at offer.” Several hours previous Luna shook her head, looking at her sister with tired eyes.  “You can keep the details to yourself.  But…I understand the feeling, Tia.  You have my support in rescuing your bug, if she is even there.  Sombra, however, comes first.  He was a psychopath and he wielded power like I’ve never seen in a non-alicorn.  He is dangerous, Tia.  Strong, fast, and when he fought me, he wasted not a thought on sacrificing his people if it led to a benefit.” She looked away for a moment, her eyes searching the room until they returned to Celestia.  “He will make us kill to defend ourselves.  Are you ready for that?” Celestia nodded, her horn sparking and her eponymous warmug appearing beside her, steam wafting off the Foalgers blended coffee inside it.  “It’s been a long time since we’ve had to do that, but I am ready.  I will protect my peoples and my country with my life.”  She smiled ruefully.  “I am Equestria’s Sword.” “And I, Her Shield.”  Luna’s smile matched her sister’s and she held out her hoof.  Celestia met her and they bumped their hooves together.  “Together we will prevail.  Stop the evil, save the kingdom.” “Get the mare.”  Celestia finished for her sister.  “Just like old times, eh Lulu?” “I suppose so.  When was the last time we did this?” “The War of Endless Plains, wasn’t it?”  Celestia took a sip of her coffee, brows narrowed in thought. “Was it?  We put down the mustang barbarians over a century ago.”  Luna frowned, tapping her hoof as she wracked her mind for any more recent conflict where either of them had taken the field.  “Wow, has it really been that long?  I hope you’ve been staying sharp.” Now Celestia rolled her eyes.  “Not as much as I would like, honestly.  I haven’t sparred with a serious opponent since I sent Sunset out to deal with that issue down in Seavannah.” “What about Twilight?  She’s easily as skilled as Sunset.”  Luna smirked.  “I should know.” “Exactly!”  Celestia gestured at her sister’s wheeled harness.  “I want a serious opponent, not someone that might have a powersurge and accidentally put my rear in a sling!” The dark alicorn snorted, her face serious.  “This was no accident, Celestia.  Twilight broke me, in a single blast.  That level of power is just as insane as what Sombra wielded.  It is a shame she is not with us.” “Personally, I’m glad she’s not.”  Celestia took another slow sip from her warmug.  “She’s protecting Cadance.  This way, neither of them will see me like this.  I’ve wanted to keep war as far from their lives as possible, Luna.  Part of the reason I had Cadance spying on our allies was to prevent the kinds of conflicts that destabilize whole regions of the world.  I want this world to be safe and beautiful for them and for all ponies.” “So you want them to see your war face only in paintings then?  Never the reality?”  Luna shrugged.  “A noble pursuit.” “Ultimately, it’s why I fight.  To make the world a better place.” “Using force to create peace tastes bittersweet to me, Celestia.  But I understand how you feel about it.  I see it as penance for our great arrogance...but that’s me.”  Luna shrugged again.  She opened her mouth to say something more, when she paused and looked back at the door behind her.  Luna canceled her silence spell and the tiny cabin was suddenly filled with loud banging. Luna opened the door and both sisters regarded the pony that had interrupted them.  The pegasus ensign wore a uniform that placed him with the helm command structure.  “Yes?” “Pardon me ma’am...ma’am’s...I was sent to inform you that Navigation has our current location.”  The stallion swallowed nervously.  “We’ve also sighted another airship.  It’s too far to make clear identification, but it looks Minotuaran.  It changed course to intercept us almost as soon as we spotted it.” “Thank you.”  Celestia sighed, climbing to her hooves.  “Why is nothing ever easy, Luna?”