The Kiss of Winter

by Skyblitz

Chapter 2: Forth into Darkness

Chapter 2: Forth into Darkness

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"Guess we were a bit unprepared..."

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Shining huffed loudly as the spring dug into his back yet again for what seemed like the thousandth time that night. It seemed as if White Lance's doubts and rather obvious feelings about the place were justified. This damned spring had ripped through the poorly made mattress as soon as Shining had laid his body down, stabbing him in the back and scratching his coat every time he moved. This place was, bluntly put, was a shithole.

The bathroom adjoined to their room was filthy, and Cadence had avoided even taking a shower in the dilapidated alcove at the sight of some colossal spider. The room was cold too, the thin windows failing to keep out the winter chill; the wind howled outside eerily like a mournful spirit, almost sounding as if it was beckoning Shining to walk out into its icy embrace to die. But despite the abysmal accommodation and tiresome journey, the unicorn had every intention of seeing it through to the end. Celestia needed him, and he would be damned to Tartarus if he didn't uphold his duty to his monarch.

Yet his great sense of duty and pride was already growing heavy upon his shoulders. 'The Crystal Prince' they called him, co-ruler and lord of the wondrous Crystal Empire and vassal to the Sun Goddess, guardian of Equestria and protector of the northern provinces. It was all so much. He shuddered in his bed thinking about it, even with Cadence beside him to keep him steady. The mantle of leadership was something he'd never shied away from, being Captain of the Royal Guard for over five years, but this was something else entirely. Shining's thoughts wandered away from the painful spring in his back, instead drifting to the Two Princesses.

Celestia and Luna had ruled for over a thousand years, seemingly immortal and almighty. Leadership they had since they were born, or so some said, and they had never backed down from what needed to be done to protect their subjects and to govern all that were beneath their care and rule. Two grand Goddesses, raisers of the sun and moon, queens of the Earth... and then there was Shining; a middle class unicorn colt who climbed up the political ladder too fast and too soon, a ladder which he never even imagined climbing in the first place. Oh, how Fate twisted and turned in its infinite paths.

The sharp pain of the spring came back to Shining immediately as he turned over, finally causing the white unicorn to huff in frustration before sweeping away the mildewed covers. Opening the door as quietly as he could, Shining Armour crept out into the narrow hallway as stealthily as he could to avoid waking Cadence, who mumbled some half sentence as she too repositioned herself to move away from the cursed loose spring. The hallway was bathed in a soft magenta light as Shining shut the door, a sharp creak slicing through the silence like a dagger. Once a satisfying click came from the knob, he turned and raised a hoof to the opposing door behind him.

Shining waited after he gave three quiet knocks, looking around himself feverishly as a disgruntled groan came from within the room. White Lance opened the door to his room with some force, showing his irritation at being rudely awoken.

"This better be good Shiny, or Celestia help me, the Crystal Empire may need to find itself a new Prince in the next ten seconds"

"I can't sleep, and I kinda need a talk with somepony other than Cadence"

"You mean it’s time for a Bro Talk?"

"Yeah..."

White lance's face cracked into a thin smile as he stepped aside, ushering Shining in with a over exaggerated wave of his hoof. The thing which Shining first became aware of once inside was that the strange musky smell that permeated his own room was much stronger here, and the unicorn wondered how in Equestria his friend could sleep with the foul odour. A quick glance at White Lance's crumpled covers told him.

"You haven't slept?"

"Only a little" White Lance replied. "The cold and smell get to you in here, not to mention your snoring from across the hall"

"Oh ha ha" said Shining as he rolled his eyes, setting his haunches down on his friend's low mattress. "So...it’s been awhile since we've had a proper catch up. I haven't seen you for like more than an hour since before the wedding. You've been avoiding me Lancey, my heart is weeping inside"

"Who wouldn't want to avoid you?" The pair shared a chuckle before the azure maned pony continued. "I know it’s been ages, but Summer and I have our own life now, and that translates to me waiting on her every need. She may not be a real Princess but she may as well be"

"And that stops you from seeing your friends?"

"I wish it didn't, Shining. You know that I don't. I've wanted to see you and Cadence for weeks, but the wedding planning took up so much time it was unbelievable!" He sat down beside Shining, a pang of guilt in his voice. "We both wanted to see you, but we never found time. Either we were busy arranging flowers and dresses or you and Cadence were doing whatever you two do to run the Empire"

"None of that could have been avoided, so why not indulge me with all I've missed right now" Shining smiled, leaning back and throwing his forehooves behind his head. White Lance propped his body against the black carved headboard, reminding Shining of the first time he'd met his best friend when they were attending their first year of the Canterlot Andromeda High School.

"What would you like to know first, the training of stubborn crystal ponies or my mother constantly sending letters telling me to visit soon?"

"I'd like to know what you've been up to. Ya know, like, normal stuff"

White Lance chuckled heartily. "Normal stuff? No such thing with friends and family like me"

"Well, have a go" Shining replied.

"Err, what is there to say? I'm married!" White Lance exclaimed, raising both his forelegs to his sides. "I've finally gone and got hitched with the most beautiful mare I've ever seen, finally got me parents off my back about 'having a full life', and I'm taking an early retirement to spend time with a new family... what else can you say to that?"

"That I'm happy as hell and extremely pissed with you for leaving!" Shining laughed. "I mean, Flash Sentry is a good guard, but he's got nothing on you"

"Shining Armour, are you finally confessing your feelings for me?"

"Why yes White Lance, you are the only one for me"

The pair burst out laughing a little longer and louder than they meant too. It was good to finally get together; it had been far too long since the two friends had shared a laugh together, the weights of life dragging them along at an agonising slow pace. The pair had been as thick as thieves for over fifteen years, battling through high school, scary parents, filly problems and more recently, battle and marriage.

"You sure you're not serious? 'Cause I remember that holiday to Manehatten very clearly, even if you don't"

"Don't even bring that up! I was drunk!"

"'Oh Lancey, you've been so good to me, and I want you to know that more than anything'"

"Don't!"

"'You are the best thing that's happened to me for a long time. I love you, Lancey!'"

"Don't take it out of context like that!" said Shining, levitating a pillow before swatting his best friend playfully around the head multiple times.

"Does Cadence know about your hidden feelings for me?"

Shining cast aside the pillow and leapt upon White Lance, knocking both of them off the bed and rolling onto the floor, laughing hysterically. The pair of full grown stallions shoved each other like foals, forgetting all cares in the world if just for a moment. White Lance finally managed to push Shining off him, giving him enough time to smack a pillow into the other pony's face. Shining returned the strike with an assault of his own, a wave of magic wriggling up White Lance's sides. Thus the tickle torture began.

"You two are the most immature stallions I've ever met" came an amused feminine voice from the door. Both ponies looked up in surprise to be presented with Cadence, her lips shaped into a smile and a look of complete and utter bemusement. "You disappear, Shining; I guessed you would have come here, but I've seen eight year old foals act more adult that you!" she giggled.

"He started it!" Shining protested. White Lance facehoofed.

"It’s four in the morning Shining Armour!" Cadence moaned. "Couldn't you have saved playtime with your buddy till tomorrow, or at least kept it down a bit?" She was trying to sound assertive, by the laughter in her voice took away all force, and Shining stood up to take advantage. Sweeping his wife up in his hooves he began to plant dozens of little butterfly kisses on her cheek and neck.

"Oh no, no no no no no, Shining, st-HA-stop it, r-right now!"

"Now don't be a spoilsport" he replied, pushing Cadence over onto the bed before letting her go. "Me and Lancey were in the middle of a deep and meaningful conversation about our lives."

"Says a lot about him if he thinks pillow fights are 'deep and meaningful', if you ask me" White Lance quipped to Cadence.

"Quiet you" she said. "Now in all seriousness guys, what's up? I know that you wouldn't have a 'serious' Bro Talk if something wasn't right."

"She knows about Bro Talks?" said the azure maned unicorn, a look of playful outrage on his face. "Shining, how could you? I thought we had something, and you had to go blab about our most intimate moments together with her!"

"Now who's coming onto who?" the Prince beamed.

"Guys!"

Both ponies fell silent, though all three in the room her struggling to maintain their composure at the whole situation. Finally Cadence broke the silence. "If our subjects could see us now..."

"They would think we're the best rulers in all of Equestrian history."

"Maybe. Now! Tell me, what's going on? How can your Princess help you today?"

"You seem very generous tonight" remarked White Lance, a cocky smile tugging on the corners of his mouth.

"That's because my husband and his child of a best friend won't be quiet long enough for me to get any sleep!"

"That hurt, Cadence..."

Shining had finally come around to some level of normality and he shut the bedroom door with his magic, creating a somewhat more sombre yet intimate atmosphere over the trio. The icy winds outside rattled ominously on the curtainless window pane, dimming the mood of the three friends, but not enough for their fire to die. After much fumbling around in the dark White Lance beheld a large unused candle and brought it to life with a flicker of magic. The orange glow burst across the room, creating sharp and ominous shadows in the corners. Yet the warmth was greatly felt in the cold, and all three ponies gathered round in a circle upon a dusty rug in the middle of the floor.

Shining was the first to voice his mind after snuggling up close to his wife. "Um, I guess I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything that's happened over the last year. I was going to tell Lancey all about it before we got, sidetracked."

"Oh, so that's why you woke me at some ungodly hour?"

"Yeah, sorry. I guess I just needed somepony to talk to other than Cadence, no offense."

"Lots taken."

Shining chuckled, but his face soon dropped as he continued. "With all that's gone on: our wedding, the Empire, Twilight's coronation, and now this situation with Cervidas... it's all so big and new, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for all that yet. I mean, I know Celestia and Luna have done this sort of thing for centuries and they seem as bright as ever. But I don't know if it's for me..."

"What do you mean, honey?"

"I mean that I'm just a unicorn from Canterlot. i come from no special background or family, but luck has seen me become Captain of the Royal Guard to the new Crystal Prince in less than five years. It's kinda scary..."

"Scary? Says the one who charged headlong into a line of armoured griffins before beating them all whilst I just sat and watched. You're probably one of the most fearless ponies I know"

"It's a different kind of scary, Lancey. I'm scared of failing, of letting everypony down"

Cadence draped a wing over him, and she snuggled up closer and gave an affectionate nuzzle. "You have nothing to worry about, dear. Being in a position of authority like we are is scary. But I know you can do it! I'm nervous about all this too; Celestia is relying on us both, but if we concentrate on the task at hoof I know we can do this"

"Love conquers all and all that" chuckled White Lance.

"Exactly" Cadence agreed. "And so does confidence"

Shining gave a slow smile to the two ponies in front of him; truly he was the luckiest stallion in the world to have such a pair in his life. Nodding weakly, he laughed. "I just hope its all worth it in the end."

A loud crash from outside caused all three ponies to dart their heads towards the window. Scrambling to his hooves first, White Lance peered curiously into the howling blizzard beyond, his sharp eyes trying to pick out the source of the disturbance. The night revealed little, the silver light of the mountains only reaching a small part of the steep ravine around Bridgetown. The central avenue was silent and abandoned save for the royal carriage and supply cart.

"What was that?" Cadence queried.

The sound came again, only louder. And closer.

Shining joined his friend by the window, both sets of eyes directed towards the high mountain looming above the village. The ominous peak was not crowned with the reflective crystal of Heaven's Tear, and so the shadow it cast was grim and eerie indeed. The boom came again, this time definitely sounding from the slopes of the mountain.

"Err guys, we may want to wake the others..." White Lance muttered.

"Why? What in Equestria is it?" Cadence asked, backing away from the window towards the door, ready to raise the alarm if need be. Shining turned also, beating his wife to chase and cantered out into hallway. "What's out there White Lance?" she implored.

The azure maned guard didn't answer as he levitated his silver gemmed armour onto his body, fastening the multitude of straps and buckles with deft magical control. As he finally placed the plumed helmet upon his head did he give a response.

"Something big, something loud, and at my guess, something dangerous. You have to get out of here, Your Highness"

The pair exited the cramped room as dashed towards the flight of stairs. Shining had already thrust open the doors of the lower corridors with a single spell, awakening all those in their company still slumbering. Several had already sensed the same danger and thus followed the white stallion out of the building, their multicoloured bed robes flapping behind them like pennants caught in a strong breeze.

"Let's move it, ponies!" came a single booming shout from White Lance as he rounded up the stragglers with a bit more force than he intended. Another rumble came from outside the inn. Cadence followed as the last of the delegates evacuated their rooms, filling Bridgetown with the largest collection of spoken voices it had witnessed for a long time.

As the pair of high ranking ponies arrived at the entrance, they were greeted by the rest of the Paragon Guard company, all eight adorned in the silvered armour of the Empire. One of them trotted towards his commander as he approached, shoving past the panicking politicians.

"Commander, the company is all accounted for, but our supplies are still outside in the wagons. I didn't send anypony outside to get them. Should I ord-"

"No, Steel Charge. Don't send anypony outside. Whatever's out there sounds big and pretty damn strong. I don't want any of the delegation or the unit harmed tonight. Round everypony up and take them to the cellar."

"Yes sir, His Highness the Prince already went down there to find the landpony" said the guard with a firm salute before turning his attention to the crowd. White Lance swivelled his own gaze to Cadence.

"I would join the others down below, Your Highness. I cannot guarantee your safety."

"Seriously, Lancey? Not that I doubt your judgement, but I can take care of myself well enough. Now, I'll be getting those supplies. Celestia knows what's out there. We can't afford to lose them."

White Lance blocked the door with an armoured foreleg. "That's precisely why you're not going outside."

"Commander" said Cadence sternly, gaining a raised eyebrow from the unicorn. "Let me through."

And yet still he stood firm, even whilst all the ponies around him were circling everywhere in a panicked frenzy. Cadence had to hand it to him; he really was a dedicated friend and protector. "You have to understand, Shining would literally murder me if anything happened to you under my care. And I kinda want a few more years before I start pushing daisies."

The pink alicorn smiled, but one followed by a very obvious raised eyebrow. Reluctantly, White Lance stepped aside. "You be careful Cadence."

"I'm always careful" she chirped. And with a friendly wink and a flap of her wings, Cadence cantered into the freezing night beyond.

The wind whipped at her mane and tail mercilessly, ripping the neatly curled strands from their state of voluminous perfection into one of wiry disarray. The air far above Bridgetown screamed like a wailing foal as the blizzard flew through the jagged slopes and crevices of the high peaks, the silver blades of the moon's rays cutting through the cloud walls erratically. With the wintery tempest came white snowflakes, so cold that their crystalline forms felt like razors against Cadence's fur. Shielding herself with a foreleg, the young Princess strained in the darkness to locate the supply wagon.

No lamps had withstood the might of the storm, and thus all the village was plunged into an eerie darkness. The lights of the mountains had been extinguished by the clouds, with no aid coming from the celestial bodies above. Steeling her body, Cadence ventured forth into the main avenue of the lonely, ice-bound town. Flaring her magic, she created a great pillar of blue fire along her horn to guide her way, ignoring the oddly beautiful spectacle of snowflakes falling to become water as they passed it.

All around the pony, Bridgetown creaked and shook, and Cadence marvelled at how the inhabitants could bear the wrath of the untamed elements. Here at the roof of the world, no pegasi were present to keep order in the skies, leaving the wild heavens to their own devices. Ice raced across the cobbled road, forcing the pink Princess to tread carefully lest she risk injury. But at last, Cadence's gaze found the much welcome sight of the white wooden supply cart. It looked as if the sorry looking contraption was being assaulted by the winds like a castle about to be overrun. The canvas cover had been ripped from its hooks, nowhere to be seen, and the metal frames binding the planks together were beginning to bend and creak in the extraordinary arctic temperatures.

Another crash sounded, shaking Cadence to the bone as she quickly searched above for the source, yet her pink eyes were met with nothing but the wind and the snow. Thinking quickly, the young Princess located the crate carrying the largest portion of food supplies and began to levitate it from the doomed cart, a task which was greatly slowed by the weather. With an almighty effort, Cadence hurled the box expertly through the open doors of The Frosty Diamond, smirking a little to herself when a strained "thank you" came from inside.

With the grace and skill of an artisan magic user, the Princess raised all the food supplies from the cart and thrust them through the doors, praying that nopony was in the way. Next, Cadence turned her attention to general supplies like blankets, medicines and rope. But her progress was disturbed by a single great boom.

The alicorn fell to the street cobbles, so great was the force of the crash. And thus Cadence saw what it was which terrorised her and her companions.

***

"You did what?" Shining yelled as White Lance finished his explanation.

"There was no stopping her! You know as well as I do how stubborn she can be, and she can handle herself."

"That's not the point! She's my wife! And you let her go out there by herself?"

White Lance bristled. "Well, you weren't exactly there to stop me were you?"

"I shouldn't have too! Goddess-dammit!" The white unicorn shoved past his armoured friend and threw himself out into the freezing blizzard. The temperature change assaulted Shining like a sledgehammer, freezing his coat and whipping his mane and tail with such ferocity he thought that they would both disappear. His eyes scanned the storm for any sign of his wife, and he breathed a sigh of relief upon sighting a bright pink form in the midst of the grey and black tempest.

But that wasn't what drew his gaze next...

"Celestia help us..."

Towering above the Crystal Princess stood a colossal dark figure, so large that Shining at first mistook it for the mountain. But this mountain moved. It loomed into the heights of the snowstorm, its monstrous yet stunningly majestic head swaying back and forth. The white unicorn could see now that this mountain was armoured in scales of the brightest silver instead of rock, and that the snow clung to every joint and hold across the scaly hide.

If Shining's memory served him correctly, then all the company would need to escape. Fast.

"A Frost Leviathan..." he breathed.

Such creatures were known by many names across the legends of the world, from Ice Dragons to Cold Drakes, to Winterbringers to Rime Behemoths. But these creatures were just that, legend. Until the fateful day when the Crystal Empire returned to the waking world. With it came King Sombra, and all the other terrors that he wielded in that dark time. This creature must have come back as well, and it now stood before his wife.

"Cadence!"

The Princess didn't move, her body transfixed by the mighty manifestation of the untamed winter's wrath. The dragon was wingless, but made up for its lack of flight with sheer mass. It was massive, a gigantic reptile of ice-armoured scales and frost crowned horns. Its head was strewn with razor spines longer than Shining's body, and its eyes blazed with a fire which bore no heat. Freezing saliva rained from its maw of needle sharp teeth, solidifying as it came into contact with the cobbles of Bridgetown, creating marvellously shaped frozen waves.

Its feet could crush three ponies at once, and were edged with claws thicker than the walls of the Crystal Palace. A sweeping tail thrashed back and forth behind it, smashing against the mountainside. Small avalanches tumbled behind the dragon, yet it didn't seem to notice.

"Cadence!" Shining called again, but his call was drowned out by a ground-shaking roar issued by the terrible creature, almost in a challenge. If those inside the inn were under any doubt of the real danger, Shining was certain that that was all they needed to be convinced. The Prince called again, but again to no avail. Desperate, Shining ran towards his wife.

And the dragon locked eyes upon him.

"Cadence! For pony's sake, get away!" Shining grabbed her and hoisted her away from the monstrous reptile. Just in time. The great jugular of the dragon raced downwards, fangs glinting as it bit down into the stone path, sending blocks of rubble and dirt flying into the air. "For Celestia's sake Cadence, what were you doing?"

"We needed the things in the cart. We'd never survive the journey otherwise!"

"We won't survive now if this thing is still here!"

The ice dragon roared again in outrage to find its mouth empty of prey. Its huge nostrils flared violently, and it fixed its blue flaming eyes upon the two ponies. Shining thrust himself between the predator and his wife, but Cadence defiantly cast him aside.
"You're not facing this thing alone" she declared, her wings flaring into ready position as her horn glowed with a powerful spell. Shining turned quickly to the open doors of the inn.

"White Lance! Get the party into the basement and wait for our return. If we aren't back soon, get everypony to safety, however long it takes!"

"Yes sir"

Shining knew his friend would gladly stand at his side, but he knew that his first loyalty was to the Crystal Crown, and thus Shining found great relief in knowing that the rest of the group would be in good hooves. The combined power of the Crystal Prince and Princess would have to be enough to contend with the great dragon.

The beast growled angrily at the pair of powerful ponies standing before it, a shield against the bridge. Cadence and Shining dug their hooves into the snow, the latter smirking as he noticed their synchronisation, and charged their magical might through their horns. Cadence raised her wings aggressively. The dragon smashed its tail upon the mountainside like a drumbeat. Shining gulped.

"Still glad you married me?" he suddenly laughed.

"Wouldn't have it any other way" Cadence chimed.

The dragon lunged forwards.

Immediately, the night storm was lit up by two great arcs of blue and magenta lightning bolts, both rocketing towards the leviathan and striking true. The sky and earth trembled as the huge lizard flinched, hissing in outrage at the two great black streaks marking its chest.

Cadence took to the air whilst Shining dashed forwards beneath the serpent's tree-thick legs, The pink alicorn swirled around expertly, seemingly unaffected by the roaring wind and snow, and fired a great blue torrent of flame at the dragon's eyes, hoping to blind the creature. Yet the fire fell short before it could strike, and the leviathan unleashed an attack of its own. The Princess was forced to dive sharply as a huge blast of super-frozen air spiralled towards her, the wake numbing her triple toned tail. Seeing the danger, Shining assaulted the beast's underbelly.

A lance of pink energy impaled the soft scales beneath the icy armoured plates, causing a cry of pain so loud that an avalanche fell in the distance. The white unicorn ran before he was trampled beneath the mammoth paws of the dragon, turning to fire one final blast of fire at the wound before rolling into the snow.

The ground shook again as the dragon repositioned itself, a river of freezing blood pouring from the scar in its belly. Shining barely had time to flee from where he was when a mighty set of jaws attempted to clamp around his body. Another lightning bolt struck the beast in the side of the head as Cadence swooped over on the wind currents.

"Finish it off, honey" came Shining's call, tempered with a very forced laugh. "It's getting a bit rowdy!"

Whether or not Cadence heard him was unknown, but she seemed to respond with the launching of yet another bright blue lightning bolt to the dragon's scarred visage. The roar echoed around the valley, prompting Shining to slide away as the colossal tail swirled around, smashing the street asunder in a shower of debris. He shot another beam of light across the underbelly of the beast, searing scale and sinew in a single deadly arc of colour.

But Shining failed to see the great clawed paw as it swiped around to his right.

The iron hard foot thudded into the white unicorn with the force of a pony at full gallop, hurling Shining across the torn streets of Bridgetown and into the wall of one of the crooked houses. He crashed through completely, tumbling head over hooves into the dark and dreary home, knocking a table and various other items of furniture everywhere.

For a moment everything was black, and the howling of the wind and thundering rumbles of the battle were less than whispers, but soon all of Shining's senses began to reappear. Shaking his head roughly, the white stallion huffed in annoyance. He was getting rusty. He hauled himself up, wincing at the pain shooting up and down his right side, the impact marked with a great red gash across the otherwise white fur.

A great flash came from outside, and Shining turned quickly enough to witness the sight of the great ice dragon belching forth a tide of pure winter from its maw, heading straight for Cadence. But as Shining began to move forwards, the pink alicorn summoned a bubble of radiant rosen light to envelop her, and the Crystal Prince gasped as the razor sharp ice shards and numbing air were turned to blossom petals as they came into contact with it.

"Shining, a little help might be appreciated right now!"

He didn't need telling twice. Shining Armour galloped back into the cold, horn flaring in preparation for another spell, but was forced to roll to the left as the leviathan's head raced down to meet the street, fangs glinting menacingly. Cadence landed regally next to her husband, a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"You okay, honey?" Shining coughed, the pain down his shoulder forcing the words to become pained.

"All things considering, I could be better" Cadence quipped. "Shouldn't we rally the Paragon Guard? This beast isn't going down easily."

"Are you kidding, this is great! I haven't had this much fun in ages!"

"Oh really? Well, thanks very much Shining Armour. I'm only your wife!" Cadence laughed.

The dragon growled, almost frustrated that the pair of ponies had relented. That thought made the pair smirk, but all amusement vanished when the mighty horned tail began thumping on the bridge, cracking and buckling the ancient stonework to the point where Shining could feel the cobbles start to shift beneath his hooves.

To their horror, both Cadence and Shining realised that the dragon was going to sever the entire bridge.

"White Lance!" bellowed the unicorn stallion. "Get everypony over the bridge, now! We have to get to Cervidas!"

The guard captain poked his head out from the doors of the inn, and froze at the sight of the gigantic monster that threatened to doom them all. "What in Celestia's name is that?"

"It doesn't matter; just get everypony out of the basement. The whole bridge is going down!"

That managed to snap White Lance from his awe.

"Let's move it, ponies!" he roared before galloping outside, the great plume on his silver helmet flying violently in the wind.
With the party hopefully secured under his best friend's protection, Shining once again turned his attention to the immediate threat.

"Any ideas?"

"Nothing we've done seems to have slowed it down. I don't know what to do know but distract it from the rest of the group."
With a grim nod, the royal couple began to canter forwards again, horns charged and ready...

"Aeria!"

A thundering command shook through the night, silencing the storm and dragon alike with its sheer volume, and indeed, it seemed as if the weather relented for a moment. Yet more avalanches tumbled down the mountain valleys, and even the houses of Bridgetown shook. The great ice dragon ceased its attack upon the bridge and glared angrily at the source. Shining, Cadence, and all the pony delegation looked in unison behind them, and silently gasped.

"Enni aeriu yi iras mörvannél. Elnii ei manioná caraná falyana yi ámuna!"

Upon a high rocky ridge looming above the miserable town, stood a mighty and regal stag, his stunning antlers reaching into the stormy sky gracefully. He stood at least a full head taller than either Shining or White Lance, his dark coat of mahogany making him seem like a shadow against the eerie trees behind him, yet glowed with a power the likes of which nopony had witnessed before.

And then the impossible occurred.

The monstrous dragon, simply turned away.

"W-What?" Shining gasped. "What happened? Who is that?" The great lumbering reptile hissed in irritation as it clambered back up the ruined mountainside, giving the bridge one final smack of spite with its mace-like tail. And as it fled, the wind and blizzard seemed to calm, fading gradually until nothing remained but a breeze, laced with soft and delicate snowflakes. The clouds cracked and collapsed, releasing a tide of moonlight. The ruins of the Ironfrost Glacier were illuminated once again by the celestial light of the mountains, and all was calm again.

The party of ponies gaped in awe at their apparent saviour, the mountain lights laying a shining halo above his magnificent antlers, which in themselves glowed faintly, and Shining's senses could detect that he was a magic-wielder. The stag snorted powerfully, exhaling a jet of vapour before stamping his great forehoof upon the ice. His calm, dark eyes regarded the assembled ponies carefully, as if deciding whether to call the beast back to finish them or not.

Now that the light of moon and mountain shone once again, Shining could see now that the stag's coat was in fact a lighter shade than he originally thought, and that great swirls of white fur decorated his body. His antlers too had the same inscription marked upon them, and suddenly Shining realised that this was a very powerful being indeed.

The stag leapt gracefully from the ridge, landing directly before the stunned group of freezing ponies. His hooves didn't even slip upon the frozen street of Bridgetown, and he raised his handsome face as he brought himself to his full, imposing height.
"Who are you, outlanders?" he boomed, frightening some of the politicians with the sheer power that his voice commanded. "The borders to the Deer-Realm are not open trespassers or the weak. Only the invited and the strong can survive beyond these woods."

"Did he just call us 'weak'?" muttered White Lance to Shining, raising an eyebrow beneath his silver helmet.

"You mishear me, unicorn."

White Lance froze. The great stag gave a sarcastic lean of the head, before letting out a deep, throaty chuckle, stunning all present with its existence.

"Of course I do not take you for being 'weak,' good ponies. I know who you are, Your Highnesses" he bowed curtly before continuing. "It's fortunate indeed that Princess Celestia sent you to come to us this night. Although I'd be rude not to apologise for the dragon. Terrible creatures; many a stag, doe and fawn have fallen to such things. Heavens know why they exist."

"B-But, what did you do to send it away like that?" Shining spluttered. "We tried everything and we couldn't get it to -"
The great stag hushed him with a raised hoof. "Be at ease young Prince. We deer have our secrets, but suffice to say that our magic is different from what you ponies use. We feel the world more so than any unicorn or earth pony, and we listen to the sky unlike any pegasus."

"How wonderfully lucky for you" White Lance chuckled. "Who are you, by the way?"

Shining and Cadence shot him incredulous looks, terrified that the young unicorn might have insulted their saviour and emissary to the Deer-Realm. But the buck simply smiled warmly.

"That is unimportant at the present time. But for now, if a name is truly what you desire, you may call me Ebon Horn."

***

"No! I will not give back what's mine!" screamed the landpony, her elderly frame shaking with frightening intensity. Shining was surprised that she didn't keel over or simply fall apart. Flustered, both White Lance and Cadence raised their forehooves to their heads in frustration, though for different reasons. "Why should I return what was honest payment for the use of my house and home? You have no right to steal from me!"

It had been Ebon Horn's idea to retrieve Cadence's necklace , especially after the whole incident with the ice dragon, yet the tiny old mare was more than hesitant to relinquish it. The tall imposing deer stood just outside the doors of the inn, his expansive rack and height making it impossible for him to enter alongside his new companions.

"Look, we've all been through hell tonight, albeit a pretty cold one. But you can't seriously expect us to walk away from here leaving that necklace with you!" White Lance snapped. "It's virtually thievery!"

"White Lance, please" hushed Cadence. She had never been keen on the idea. If it were up to her, the party would already be on their way into Cervidas. Ebon Horn had offered to take the group of ponies to a new refuge for the night in the form of a small deer hamlet along the shadowed forest path. "I already said that I have another just like it back home. We're wasting our time here."

"You heard your Princess, now shoo!"

Shining sighed heavily. "Look, we'll leave once we have our compensation."

"NO!"

White Lance stormed outside, muttering a great many profanities under his breath. The pair of royals kept their eyes fixed on the stubborn mule of a landpony. Only after Cadence turned to leave did a booming voice come from outside.

"You there, unicorn! Heed my voice well" Ebon Horn said. "I would suggest that you return the Princess' treasure soon, lest weary travellers suddenly hear of how the Frosty Diamond disappeared into the ravine."

"Ebon Horn!" Shining gasped. "That's a bit much isn't it?"

The dark stag shook his head slowly. "This old mare has been swindling travellers coming into Cervidas for decades, yet we deer haven't been able to do anything about it due to Bridgetown falling under Equestrian law. I'm positive that if you look hard enough you'll find the proof."

Shining raised an eyebrow in thought before turning back to the old unicorn. "Is this true?"

A very smug White Lance smiled with grim satisfaction as the wrinkly pony began to quake slightly under the Crystal Prince's iron stare. Her words came out in shallow rasps as she struggled to find the words to defend herself. Shining nodded to his best friend. "Search everywhere."

The platoon of crystal pony guards entered the inn once more, this time throwing caution to the winter air as they conducted their search, forcing open locked doors and cupboards, cabinets and dressers. Nowhere was left unscathed; the basement to the attic, every room and corner, compartment and passage, and it didn't take nearly as long as Shining expected for them to find what they were looking for.

The guards returned in twos, their hooves laden with mounds of glittering gold coins, necklaces, rings, horseshoes and even a tiara. gems were here too, multitudes of them, ranging from small fire rubies to snow diamonds the size of a pony's hoof. Pearls soon followed, along with three bolts of fine silk, a crate of exotic spices from Shanghay, and even marble bust of Princess Celestia gilded with white gold. After the final pile of precious good was dumped before Shining's hooves, he looked up at the mare.

"Fine..."

She levitated the beautiful wrought necklace over to the Prince, her face contorting with disappointment as Shining snatched it from her magical grasp. "Pleasure doing business with you" he quipped. As he turned to leave, he nodded to the guards. "Take a gem each." The eight crystal ponies stood still for a moment until Shining pointed at the mounds of sparkling stones directly. "Go on. It's not as if we can return them to their original owners, is it? You all deserve it after tonight."

The faces of the armoured ponies beamed immediately, each racing to the treasure hoard like a pony possessed as they reached and took eight great jewels of tremendous size and value. The old unicorn mare opened her mouth in protest, but a sharp look from the blue maned Prince told her otherwise.

He kissed Cadence on the forehead as he clasped her neck-piece back on. "You know, you still look beautiful even without it"

"Oh you" she giggled before nuzzling him tenderly. "Thank you, honey. Although it wasn't necessary" she emphasised for what seemed like the dozenth time that night.

"Don't I get a kiss?" White Lance smirked.

"You get nothing" laughed Shining.

"I call friendism!"

"What in Celestia's name is 'friendism'?" asked Cadence.

White Lance gave her a look of mock outrage. "Why, it's the form of discrimination that a pony displays when depriving their best buddy affection, just because he's his best buddy, of course"

"That is by far, the most stupid thing I've heard all week" Shining grinned. Ebon Horn shook his head slowly, a deep chuckle rumbling in his throat.

"We'd best be going, ponies" he said softly. "The morning will be far yet in this region of the world, and you have a long journey still ahead of you. Gather your supplies and companions, and I'll lead you on a safe path through the woods."

---

The party set off in earnest immediately, with makeshift repairs made to the supply cart. The light of the blessed Crystalpeak Mountains began to slowly fall away as Ebon Horn lead the ponies deeper and deeper into the darkened woodlands of Cervidas. The great stag walked ahead of the company of crystal guards, White Lance close behind him. The Royal Carriage, miraculously undamaged in the dragon attack, rattled along, yet this time holding the number of terrified and shivering ambassadors. Shining and Cadence walked abroad, wrapped in woollen clothes and scarfs.

The forests of Cervidas, as far as the royals could tell, were not like those of Equestria. The trees here were tall, broad and eerily grasping with their branches. A vast number of evergreen spruces and firs dotted the landscape, which slowly ascended along a beaten, icy road. The eaves of the woods were black and devoid of all life, the snow unmarked by any animal tracks, and the winter wind whistled through the hidden groves with sinister voices. The moonlight offered some comfort, yet also made the deep woods look unnatural and enchanted, which Shining suspected was the case.

The chiming of bells could be heard every so often around the young unicorn, but his eyes found no source when he searched for one. Cadence too could feel the magical touch of the woodland. Her feathers kept ruffling every time a tree creaked or moaned in the cold breeze, and like Shining, she too could hear the faint dancing of bells.

The only members of the company who seemed immune to the charms around them were White Lance and Ebon Horn. The latter Shining could understand not to show any fear, being a native resident of such a place, but White Lance's stoic pace and lack of reaction to his surroundings surprised Shining a little, and he smirked with jealousy at his friend's bravery.

Little did Shining know that White Lance's eyes were darting all over the place, petrified of another encounter with some other terror of the north.

The path wound through the trees for another two miles at least, and Shining began to worry. The forest seemed to be closing in on him, the great boughs of the trees leaning ever closer together to form wicked looking arches of thorn and bramble. The undergrowth began to thicken as the company marched onwards. The cold hung all around them like waiting talons, and soon every crack and snap of twig send shivers running down everypony's spines.

"How much further to the village? You said we'd be there way before the dawn, but I can see light on the horizon" Shining called to the dark deer ahead, who responded with a slight chuckle.

"That is not the sun, good Prince. And we are close to our destination now; just over this next rise and into the valley below. i do believe you'll be in for quite the surprise."

They proceeded as told, with the royal couple anxious to see what lay beyond the confines of the bleak forest. the mysterious light continued to shimmer on the horizon, something which caused many a furrowed brow to form on everypony's face, even the resolute White Lance. But as the clouds began to clear, all the breath that the company had taken since the start of their journey was robbed from them.

Before them lay a wide, sweeping valley of stunning white slopes: the foothills of a series of mighty and majestic mountains enough to rival those of the Crystalpeak range in their beauty. Gone was the menacing and unwelcoming woods, replaced with legions of tall and proud pine trees rich in the colours of evergreen. Three crystalline brooks, long since frozen over, shone like the silver veins of the living cradle of life, pooling in the centre of the valley at a glimmering ice bound lake. And far above the star crowned mountains was revealed the source of the magical glow. Auroras the likes of which neither Shining nor Cadence had ever witnessed before danced gracefully and merrily across the indigo sky like flames of green, blue and gold.

Ebon Horn smiled proudly to himself. "This, weary travellers," he began, "is the valley that we deer call the Ronariá Laoraná, the Vale of Twilight. And the lights above you are the Ćeruniá Évaliá, the Fires of Heaven, the lights of the sky which guide many a pilgrim home in this dense forestland."

"It's beautiful..." Cadence breathed, he breath returning in great plumes of vapour. "Nothing in Equestria can compare to such natural beauty!"

"This is our hidden treasure" Ebon Horn beamed.

"It's so wonderful!" White Lance suddenly exclaimed, startling all present with his pitch. The unicorn looked around at his companions incredulously for a moment before pointing a hoof to what he had spotted. "Look!"

Nestled on the banks of the glacial pool set a tiny cluster of small wooden lodges, arranged sweetly along the snowy shoreline like in a foal's tale storybook. Thin wisps of smoke trailed lazily into the night sky, and the flicker of less than a dozen candles glowed in the cold.

"Ah, your residence for tonight" announced the tall buck. "Welcome to the charming village of Roe Brook, my friends. I'm sure that the folk here would be more than willing to find beds for you."

"But surely everypo - deer is asleep?" Cadence queried.

"Not all. We deer don't mind the night as much as you ponies do."

After a shrug of indifference from both Shining and White Lance, the group of ponies began to make their way down the hillside. Yet as the rickety supply wagon wobbled downhill, Cadence stopped. Ebon Horn stood at the summit of the ridge and watched as the party departed the dense woodlands, but did not lift a hoof to follow.

"Aren't you coming with us?" Cadence asked, confused.

"Oh no, dear Princess. I wouldn't want to impose on your privacy."

"What are you talking about? You saved us from an ice dragon! I think that warrants our thanks more than you can imagine. You're always welcome to be with us, and you wouldn't be imposing."

Yet the stag shook his head. "I'm afraid not. My duty lies behind us, far from the path we took, and yours lies ahead. Far past these peaks of white and through the vast pine woods of Cervidas. The White Hart awaits you and yours tomorrow sunset, and you would do well not to disappoint him."

Cadence looked unconvinced, but finally relented and made her way down to join the others. But as she began to walk, an odd thought suddenly flickered in her mind.

"Wait, how did you even know we were coming h-"

But her only answer was silence, for Ebon Horn was no longer there.

Comments

[SolidFire]

Oh hey, it's this story! I've honestly been wondering when this was going to be posted up. Glad to finally see it.

~SolidFire

[Soulful Ginger 17]

Cool story, so far!

[Gherkin]

Well, this is good. I'll be keeping track as this goes along.

[solocitizen]

On behalf of Author's Helping Authors, I'm here with your review, just as we discussed over PM. I'm sorry it took me so long to get to it (at least it took me longer than I had originally intended to).
I've just read through everything that you've posted here thus far, and I must say you have quite the entertaining tale here! I've taken a particular interest to the 'voice' you've been writing in and your approach to narrative descriptions, as it reminds me of a great meaning other fantasy writers in terms of it's philosophy of detail and style. Not many writers have an eye or hear like that.
I don't feel too right listing three pros and three cons, as I'm sensing that there's a lot more of the story that's left to be posted, so instead I'm going to do a very basic version of the pros and cons.
Aside from the 'voice', I'd like to count the characters among the pros. There's a lot of chemistry between Cadence, Shining, and White Lance, so it's a real delight seeing them interact with each other.
I say 'I'd like' because in addition to the occasional point of view slip and missing punctuation, their characterization is also a weakness that I feel could use some revisiting. The Kiss of Winter was very clearly inspired by Star Trek: Nemesis, which in itself isn't a crime as we all take inspiration from the stories around us, and I wouldn't have known except for one detail: the speech Shining Armor gives at the wedding. By clinging onto the material that inspired this work I feel you passed up a huge opportunity to get really give us, the readers, a solid introduction to just who your interpretation of Shining Armor is. The speech he gave at the wedding was Captain Picard's speech from Riker's wedding, and let me remind you just who Captain Picard was: he was more or less the Philosopher King of the Enterprise. He was not only a military man, but Starfleet's go-to man for diplomatic missions because he was just that good under pressure during big important speeches. That speech we see during White Lance's wedding was written by that man's character, not the Shining Armor who was moved to shaking at the thought of public speaking.
The best moments of this fic, I feel, come during chapter two, when I felt that you really gave the characters the chance to be themselves and play off each other's personalities. I want more moments like that, and I felt that Shining Armor's speech would benefit greatly by reflecting more of the unicorn frightened by duties such as speech-giving that is, and less of the Captain Picard that he's not.
Anyway, I hope that helps and have an excellent day!