//------------------------------//
// Chapter 7: white 
// Story: Pepper heart 
// by Hestrir 
//------------------------------//

Two ponies are standing on the hill under an ivy tree. They look at the sunset before them. It is an unusual sight. It feels weird watching the sunset with just two of them. 

Pepper is no longer happy up that hill. She is sad. So is a stallion beside her. Although dad tries to not show it, he has changed. He started to return late from his work. He rarely talks and eats less than before. He became thinner. Less fluffy. Every time Pepper tries to talk to him she feels as if he is not present in the same room. 

Dad's mind is always away. Even now, looking at the sunset, his eyes are akin of glass. Pepper looks up worried. She wants to ask dad what is wrong, but can't. She already knows the answer. She shifts her eyes back at the sunset. It feels wrong now. Like it has lost some of its color. It feels pale for the two of them.

'Pepper.' says dad gently. 'You have to get in that school.'

'I know.' answers Pepper. She already made up her mind. No matter what, no matter how, she will get there. She will become a great wizard.

'You need to do your best.' says dad. His mind is far away.

'Yeah.' says Pepper quietly. 'That what mom wanted...'

They stand on the hill, looking at sunset. Even though two of them do not enjoy it. Not anymore. But they still stand there. Relieving a memory of a moment which nothing can take away.

Pepper woke up from her half-asleep state. It was cold. Both inside and outside. She found herself on Starlight's back, hugging tightly. Marveling on how she managed to keep her grasp while being asleep, Pepper has evaluated her condition. The fever was still there, but it felt lessened. Pepper's mind was clear, but the cold has started to cloud it. Pepper has summoned an appropriate memory. The cold has went away. She opened her eyes.

Everything around her was white, covered in snow. The same snow was whirling in the air wildly. Cold snow. Sharp snow. The winds were howling. The floor underneath was covered by frosty patterns. Pepper has raised her gaze and gasped. Not too far away stood Merrylight. Or was it Merrylight? He stood up in an awkward position, his eyes colorless and cold. His head on his side. Surrounded by a white vortex. Pepper has felt a familiar presence. Then she heard a voice. A cold voice, not belonging to a bullying colt, but rather to a monster.

'Found you' it said. Merrylight's face, which was showing no emotion up to this point, has twisted into a grin. Pepper felt cold shivers on her back.

'What do you even want with her? Why are you so focused on that filly?' asked Starlight in a demanding tone. Her body was shaking slightly.

'She have something that belongs to us.' answered the voice. Merrylight has made a few steps forward. Each step he made was followed by a new patterns of frost underneath his hooves.

'What have you done with that colt?' asked Starlight. 'Were you got your butt kicked so badly that you  needed to possess a child or something? This is really low! Even for monsters like you!'

The voice chuckled.

'I did not chose to possess that child. This child chose to be possessed. Because of you.'

'What?!' 

Starlight was shaking. Pepper was thinking on what she could do to help her out. She felt weak, but she felt able to use at least some dark magic. If only a good opportunity should arrive... But suddenly she looked in Merrylight's eyes. The eyes were cold end empty, but for a second Pepper could've swore she saw pleading in them.

"No. I can hurt him. Even though he probably deserves it, I can't do it" she thought bitterly.

Meanwhile a possessed colt was making more frost-followed steps forward.

'He apparently was so humiliated by your actions that he sought power to defeat you. He found me, weak and drained. He helped me recover. Now I am helping him get his revenge.'

'And using him as a shield against magic, right?' asked Starlight angrily. 'Pathetic.'

The voice just laughed.

'I am afraid that this is the end of the line for you. Time to take back what is ours!' 

He made a shrieking cry. The sound was filled with the roaring of northern winds. It has pierced Pepper's ears like a knife. A horrifying white figure has emerged from one of the windows and flew towards Merrylight, stopping in the air as if awaiting orders. A minute has passed. Then another one. Merrylight seemed to be waiting for something. But nothing came.

'Just one?' asked the voice in a rather annoyed tone. 'They are better than we thought. No matter. Two of us is enough.'

'Make that one!' shouted a familiar voice. 

Suddenly a bright purple beam has struck the underling windigo. It has shrieked in terror, unable to withstand its radiance. Merrylight looked shocked, albeit for a second. The windigo has evaporated in the light, leaving naught but a thin cloud of mist behind. Merrylight has made a sudden jump backwards, avoiding another beam, light blue in color. The beam has melted the frost patterns in a huge area, leaving a large warm circle on the floor. Pepper's mind has filled with glee. Princess Twilight has landed in front of them, sweating and panting heavily. She was surrounded with a warm purple glow. Professor Cosmos has landed near her, covered in a light-blue aura. He looked highly exhausted as well. And just as determined as Twilight was.

'So, you two has took out all of my brethren? Not bad for a naive little princess and...' Merrylight's irises shrunk as he looked at Cosmos. 'You!'

'Long time no see, Frosty.' said professor Cosmos calmly, as if greeting a friend. 'I'd imagine our last meeting ended with you in my chest?' He then pulled out a tea bag from insides of his torn and frosted mantle and started chewing on it.

'Last time you've got me tricked.' said the voice spitefully. 'But you will not trick me again. I can no longer be caught.'
'We'll see.' Cosmos has cracked a smile.

'Pepper, can you hear me?' he whispered to his side. Pepper has nodded. She slowly let Starlight go and landed on the cold ground. Her hooves were shaking, but she could stand. Starlight did not seem to notice her actions, focused on an enemy before her.

'We will make the windigo leave that body. When it emerges, fry it good. With all you've got. Your magic is like a poison food for it.' whispered Cosmos quietly. Pepper has nodded. 

'What are you two going to do?' asked the voice confidently. 'If you want to get to me, you will need to get through this child. And even then, your magic will have a little effect. I am ancient!'

'Yeah. Perhaps the oldest of the windigos.' nodded Cosmos calmly. 'But old doesn't necessarily mean good. In fact, it means quite the contrary most of the time.' he beamed at Merrylight.

'Don't you two understand?' asked the voice angrily. 'Your magic is what made us appear in the first place! When there is a light, there is a shadow! Did I not made you think about it, little princess?'

'You did' nodded Twilight calmly. 'And you may be right. perhaps the evil will keep coming as long as we use the magic of friendship. Perhaps it will never end this way. But you know what?' she looked up triumphantly 'Keep it coming! We have saved princess Luna, reformed a spirit of chaos, freed an entire nation from a thousand-year long nightmare and helped a lot of ponies in the process' she winked at Starlight. 

Starlight beamed back. 'So if those things are destined to keep happening, it can only mean good things to come! More people to help, more friendships to make! And each new friendship gives me even more power. A kind of which we shall demonstrate you right now!'

'Do your worst!' shouted the voice. Merrylight has suddenly lunged forward, surrounded by a blanket of roaring winds. But suddenly he stopped mid-lunge. 

Two flexible rope-like beams were enveloping his body. One blue and one purple. The shimmering ropes were connected with two unicorn horns. Merrylight watched in terror as the ropes completely covered his body. The foal looked like he was trapped in a blue and purple cocoon, suspended in midair. Then Twilight and Cosmos simultaneously pulled  their heads back. The coccoon has shrunk and violently ripped a white formless matter out of Merrylight's body, catapulting it towards the ceiling. Starlight has gasped in amazement. 

The cloud has formed into a familiar menacing shape. Pepper has prepared herself. She focused all of her bottled up rage. She remembered Merrylight in the portrait hall. She remembered Ash Cauldron's face. She remembered all the traps she was caught in. She remembered a burned down hill. A stump in the place of an ivy tree. Her soul has filled with rage. 

She saw the world through a green veil. Then her vision was covered by a stream of darkness. It was wide and massive, but miraculously avoided all the ponies in front of Pepper, making its way towards the specter. It did so because Pepper told it to. The cloud has enveloped the windigo, covering it completely. A shriek full of pain and hatred has followed...

A new life is born. A new existence. The creature is small and hungry. It looks at itself, reflected in the nearby wall of ice. It sees a tiny cloud  formed into an unfamiliar shape. Two hooves, one head. Two eyes full of wonder. 

The creature wonders what it is, flying around the cold and empty ice-covered space. It feels hunger. It tries to remember what hunger is, and memory comes. And with it comes the knowledge. It now knows what it is. And it knows what it hates. And it knows what it loves to eat. 
'But why do I exist?' it asks the cold and empty room. 'Why am I here?'

'Because you're a shadow.' answers its reflection in the ice. 'And shadows exist because of the light.'
'That's right.' realizes the child. 'I am a shadow. But am I alone' The child shivers. ' It feels scary facing the light on my own...'
The answer has followed shortly. The plethora of shapes appears  around the child. Shapes similar to its own. The child sighs with relief. Now it is not alone.

'Not alone...'


Pepper has found herself standing on the cold floor. The weird vision she had was gone. She was no longer a child, born out of ice and snow. She was Pepper Heart. A filly who just defeated a windigo. 

The monster was nowhere to be seen. Gone without a trace. Pepper looked around. Twilight Sparkle, Starlight Glimmer and professor Cosmos stood there, all looking at her with amazement in their eyes. Pepper has smiled meekly. She didn't feel cold anymore. Even the slightest. But her legs has buckled. She fell into oblivion.


***


'Pepper!' shouted Starlight as the filly fell on the cold floor. Twilight has rushed towards her.

'She's okay. Just fainted. Her fever seems to be gone.' she said with relief. Starlight felt as if a heavy boulder has been  lifted from her back. The door behind her was swung open, unleashing a number of ponies. Dean Quasar Quark walked in front of the crowd hastily with Ash Cauldron following tightly.

'What has happened?' asked the dean, looking around. Why is Pepper Heart on the floor? The amount of dark magic that has been released just now beats all the written records!'

Starlight winced. She remembered the feeling she felt when Pepper has fired her spell. Acute, almost animistic terror.

'We have defeated the windigos!' proclaimed Twilight happily. She was still sweating. 'We couldn't do it without Pepper!'

'What? So that dark magic was used to defeat those horrible things?!' exclaimed professor Mandrake. 'But... Is this right? I mean...'

Ash Cauldron walked forward. He threw a long, deep stare first on Twilight, comforting unconscious Pepper, then on Starlight.

'This was a clear violation of the taboo. So much dark magic was not only a gigantic security risk, but can have massive side effects on health and well-being of the students!'

A pause has ensued. Cauldron took another long look at Pepper and sighed.

'But the side effects of the windigo attack could mean much worse things. Thus every contribution towards defeating those monsters must be praised.' he bit his lip hard. 'I think...' he looked decisively unwilling to continue, 'I... think... we need to re-examine the... the taboo.' he looked almost physically pained by his last phrase.
The dean has smiled at him warmly.

'Couldn't put it better myself.'

He turned around towards the crowd.

'The four ponies in front of us has saved the Celestia's school for gifted unicorns from a terrible disaster! Let us cheer them for the heroism they have demonstrated today!'

Everypony has busted with cheers. Some ponies were whistling, some yelling, some clapping. Starlight has looked back to see her friend's reaction. Twilight was beaming happily. Even Pepper was smiling weekly in her dreams. Only professor Cosmos didn't. The old stallion stood there with a grim and rather guilty expression on his face. Starlight found it strange. Then she remembered that he was ready to tell them something. She looked Cosmos in the eyes demandingly. The stallion has caught her gaze and sighed.

'Dean. Please take care of Pepper Hearts and Merrylight. The filly needs some rest and best hot chocolate you can get, the colt may need some medical aid. I need to discuss something with those girls.' he said in a determined voice.

'Can't it wait? I think we're going to throw a celebration!' said he dean, but Cosmos shook his head. Twilight looked on Cosmos with wonder.
'Oh well. Off you go then.' sighed the dean. Cosmos nodded and beckoned Starlight and Twilight. They have approached the stallion and formed a triangle.

They have appeared in Cosmos' room. It was more of a mess than usual. It looked rummaged through. Starlight has noticed remnants of an accursed treasure chest she smashed, lying scattered the room's corner. Cosmos approached his rocking chair, looked at it for a minute then kicked it away. He turned around and faced the two mares. Starlight has never seen his face bearing such a honest expression. Twilight has uneasily shifted her hooves.

'The story begins twelve and a half years ago.' started the old stallion. His voice was emotionless. 'Back then some knew me as a specter hunter. I have been capturing, repelling and disposing of a number of types of creatures who fed on emotions. I sort of specialized in that back then. Windigos consisted around seventy percent of my targets.'

'But I thought that windigos have left Equestria ages ago!' said Starlight. The image of young Cosmos fighting the windgos looked unbelievable to say the least.

'So right now we were attacked by a swarm of really big white flies?' remarked Cosmos sarcastically. 'Windigos never left. They are everywhere. They bide the time. Waiting for a moment to strike. To ruin Equestria once again. These creatures can't be destroyed.'
'What?' asked Starlight.

'Yes. Even those windigos we vanquished today will one day completely recover and will come back to haunt other ponies.' said Twilight sadly. Starlight bit her lip. Her achievements today seemed lessened by the latest information.

'This is a problem with windigos. They never end. They never go away. I was searching for a way to get rid of them for good. And then the idea came to me. Dark magic!'

Starlight has cocked her brow in confusion. How are windigoes linked with dark magic?

'They feed on negative emotions. Siphon the negativity. But dark magic is their food weaponized! Imagine it with pancakes. You love to eat a pancake or four from time to time, right?'

Twilight has licked her lips.

'But if you'll thirty at a time, you'll get sick. And if you'll somehow eat three hundred - you will probably explode. Same principle is used here.'
Twilight's stomach has growled meekly.

'Dark magic is a concentrated bad emotions given form. Like hundreds of pancakes in a single pint-sized serving, having the same mass as a hundred pancakes on a plate. I have gathered plenty of dark artifacts over the years. The kind that held dark magic inside. I was ready and willing to test my theory.'

His eyes has clouded with memories.

'I have tracked a windigo. A strong one. I have released an insurmountable amounts of dark magic at it. The theory has proven success. The windigo was no more. But then begun my mistakes.'

Twilight was looking at Cosmos with terror in her eyes. Starlight did not understand the reason behind this emotion on alicorn's face. Sure, dark magic is bad and all, but the windigo was defeated, wasn't it?

'After a windigo was defeated, the dark magic persisted. It often does. Especially this amount. I did not pay any attention to it lingering back then, as I've been inspired by my sucess. But the remaining dark magic soon proven to be a disaster.

I thought I have picked a relatively remote place for our battle. A hill deep in the forest. But I was mistaken. Apparently a mare liked to spend time in that remote location with her husband.'

Starlight's irises has shrunk. Her mind was constricted by a grim realization.

'The mare was pregnant. Dark magic was too weak to attach to a grown heart. A heart filled with positive memories and emotions. So it has found another way to linger. It has fused with the child. A blank slate, having no good memories to repel it. The child has absorbed the darkness and bacame one with it. At least that is my theory.'

A silence has ensued. Cosmos looked down, unable to look either of the mares in the eyes. Twilight stood there with a terrified expression frozen on her face. Soon Cosmos has continued.

'All of this I have realized relatively recently. I was blind. I thought of nothing but my success, not realizing that a catastrophe has arose from it.
I was not there when Pepper has passed her entrance exam, but I saw its consequences. I did not thought too hard about it back then. I did not relate her state with the aftermath of my battle with a windigo. Only thing I had was a mild curiosity.'

His voice sounded disgusted. 

'I have completely ignored her. I've been ignoring her for most of her time in the school. Until I have noticed a windigo hunting her. This windigo is the one who we defeated today. I tricked it. I caught it. I interrogated it. It told me everything. It told me that the girl has literal darkness inside her. Darkness that should belong to them. It wanted to extract it and make it its own. And there was something else. He feared Pepper. Feared her because he knew that she can destroy them. I have sealed it in the enchanted chest.

Soon after my conscience has struck me. I have realized that her life has been ruined at birth. And because of me. She had no friends. She was too afraid and protective to even speak to other ponies. So I have called you, Twilight. I hoped you can help her. But then.... Then I had an another bad idea.'

Cosmos looked at his side, avoiding to make any eye contacts.

'I have realized that windigos can't be reliably defeated by dark magic. At least not one by one. And innocent bystanders could get hurt. So I have decided to strike at their nest. A place that must exist, I thought. They had to go somewhere to heal! My plan was simple. To have you, Twilight, defeat a windigo and then to follow its signatures. Then I wanted to... Destroy their nest. If there was such a thing as their nest. And for that I needed Pepper's help.'

'That is why you told me that only I can help Pepper? Because yoyu knew that I will want her to keep her magic?!' Starlight was mad. She wanted to hit the old stallion. To do something bad to him.

'You wanted to use us. All three of us!'

Twilight put a hoof on Starlight's shoulder calmingly, but the mare has brushed it away.

'Yes. And for that I am sorry. I have realized my mistakes when you let the creature free. Nothing ever goes as planned.'

The old stallion looked much older and weaker than he ever been. His sight has somewhat quelled Starlight's rage.

'I thought that Pepper has destroyed the windigo back then. But then I saw Merrylight. It took me some time to realize that something was wrong with him. His soul was overrun with negative emotion, and he must've been close to the windigo when it was nearly vanquished. If a heart is bound with darkness, a windigo can always find a way inside. When I have realized it, I've made some preparations. I wanted to tell everypony, but just didn't made it in time. When I saw numerous windigo signatures around the school, I knew that the time is up. I have arrived to help and the rest you know. We used conventional methods to banish the windigos away, and Pepper has finished their leader off. I hope that this time for good.'

A silence has ensued once again. Cosmos stood there with a lowered head. Twilight bore a sad expression on her face and Starlight was analyzing the information. Everything made sense for her now. Cosmos' confession has made her despise a stallion a bit less. "Maybe he is acting. If this is the case, then he's a good actor." she thought, looking at Cosmos. They stood there in silence for quite some time.

'So, what now?' finally asked Starlight, unable to bear the silence any longer. 'Let's go find Pepper and get her rid of that magic? Can you do it, Twilight.'

The princess has nodded, but then shook head.

'This is not my choice. Pepper was born with it. Faced tribulations with it. But it made it part of her. Part of her... self. Maybe she can learn to keep it in check? To use it for good? This way it will not be different from the magic we use. After all... Our magic can be used for evil too. I'll give her a choice. And I will follow through with it. Either way I will help her with her friendship problem as much as I can!' she smiled widely. Starlight has returned the smile.