Terran remembered vaguely his first snow fall, it had been a time of not only wonder, but joy as he and his younger siblings romped about in the white landscape. This, however, had quickly started to lose its charm when the melted snow had soaked him through his fur, chilling him to the bone. Much like the current winters had. Of course, this had also come with being warmed up by his mother and sisters, as well as a gently burning fire within their home's fireplace.
This night, he sat facing his mother as an unnaturally strong blizzard blew outside of their home. Faust herself had looked...sad, though Terran felt he knew why. The three tribes had stopped truly communicating, the pegasi making claims on the earth ponies food stocks while the unicorns demanded much the same tribute. Both of the tribes threatened to take away what they provided to the other ponies: stable weather to grow crops and the sunlight respectfully.
Terran had been taken aback by the second the most. The sun had been under his mother's care for as long as he had known, with his sister being trained in by their mother, yet she had taught the unicorns first?
He felt unease cross his being as he thought on what it had meant. He'd seen his mother growing tired, taking naps nearly as often as he himself. For now, however, the young colt simply shrugged it off. If his mother had done this, she had done it for a good reason.
Faust turned away from the window to take in the sight of her oldest son. He was growing, likely he was already at the size of one of the average height ponies, and he still had time to grow. Much like his sisters, Faust knew, they would grow until they were at the pique of their health. Then, they would age no more. The jobs she had known they were destined for were too important to risk a pony being born whom could do their jobs in the span of any natural life.
Even she, with her long life and seemingly unlimited power, was beginning to tire. Having the three immediate celestial bodies had taken far more out of her than she would first have suspected it would. Her fears had grown as, one day, she had risen the sun and went to take a nap, only to wake hours later to worried, hungry daughters and son, having to reassure them that she was fine had hurt.
It had also left her with a daunting question, how long could she live with things as they had been. She knew the answer would have been far from long enough to truly make sure her family was ready for their work. Thus, her hoof had been forced in teaching the mortal unicorns on the magic of the sun and moon. It took dozens of unicorns to raise and lower either, but Faust felt that the sacrifice was worth it.
At least, until the 'negotiations' had happened. The negotiations had been little more than the unicorns declaring themselves to be the superior species, demanding tributes of food from the earth ponies whom grew the crops. The pegasi, not to be outdone by the unicorns, declared themselves superior in turn, demanding part of the crops to ensure the weather remained productive for all.
And in the middle of it all, the earth ponies were unable to talk them down, to show that threats were not needed. It had, instead, made the taxes forced upon them to become unbearable. The amount of food sure to leave little for them to survive upon.
Since then, there had been two winters where things had nearly not worked out for the starving earth ponies. Yet, the toll never slacked. Hard feelings had begun to form in the earth ponies hearts, and that had been when Faust had first felt the presence of the Windigo's. It had begun her near frantic project of clearing land, making a home, and being sure that they were educated well.
She blinked as Terran rose from his spot, crossing over to her nigh silently as his sisters, in a growing rare occurrence, slept beside one another in front of the fire.
"Terran, what is wrong?" The concerned mother asked.
"You seem...restless, mother." Terran replied, a frown upon his features, "What is it that troubles you?"
Faust frowned at this, unwilling to meet Terran's gaze. How long he had known, she knew not, but that she could not hide it from him bothered her. "'Tis nothing you should worry about, please, put yourself at ease my child."
"How can I do so when you are obviously disturbed, mother? You do not sleep well, and when you have, we've worried for you." Terran replied, his ears folding slightly back.
"I...I am simply tired," Faust sighed, shaking her head morosely, "nothing more."
Terran's gaze hardened, though he did not argue. Instead, he looked towards his two sleeping sisters and nodded, moving to join them and even curling up partially at their side, "Perhaps we should simply rest." He suggested, to which his mother gave a hesitant nod.
She knew, one day, she would have to tell them, but she still felt them to be too immature to handle the truth. Yet, here she was, moving to her son and daughters and feeling them shift tiredly to make room before she settled in, spreading her wings to embrace them. She could practically feel their love as they nestled closer to her. It made it hurt all the more to be hiding something from them.
She found herself nearing unconsciousness within moments of the embrace, a calm washing over her within the bundle of warmth. Perhaps, just maybe, she had been hasty in teaching the unicorns. That, however, did not, no, she would not be able to change it now. Nor did she see it being easy to get the unicorns to relent their newfound power.
It wasn't something she was looking forward to, and wasn't sure she could, really, wrestle it free if she tried. Which left her with the only option being to train Celestia and Luna so that they, in turn, could take back the sun and moon. As well as keep the two balanced together.
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The blizzard wouldn't stop. For three long days the formless crystals of ice slammed against the windows and doors of the cabin that Faust had built for herself, her son, and her daughters. She could hear the Winidigo's brae in the skies above, and though the effect was lessened by the love of their home, the fact that not even this warded away the Windigo's completely served only to reinforce that things were growing worse.
She hadn't thought they would make up, but to know, even now, that the ponies were suffering both angered and saddened Faust. It was, she supposed, how she would have felt had any of her children fought. With the three tribes having come to be by her own hoof, it was understandable. The anger, however, stemmed from them refusing still to work out a way for them to live in relative comfort.
But still, the bickering went on! Fausts hopes dwindled with the weather, and then the earth ponies began to move, away from the tyranny and fighting. The journey away was followed by the pegasi and unicorns. Inadvertently following behind the tracks of the fleeing earth ponies. The solitude, as well, for her son and daughters had her worried as well.
Though her offspring were perfect, physically and genetically, they were not immune to loneliness. After all, even though they had one another, she knew that they wanted and needed friendship with those outside. Faust could only hope that the windigo's would be driven off somehow.
The question she found herself asking was, how long would it take?