The Seasons of Equestria

by Lucaro

Chapter 3: The Transition

Starlight was still shocked at the gryphon’s revelation, but he had expected such. In a war between the dragons and gryphons, he would definitely put all his bits on the dragons. According to the gryphon, the declaration of war was based on resources. But Starlight knew that was a lie.

The dragons were always looking for opportunities for conquest and warfare, but it had been many centuries since such an opportunity had arisen. Until tonight, of course. Now everyone would start declaring war on one another and all hell would break loose.

Though resources were still an issue; both nations had rising populations, both required more food, and with Snowhoof’s return, the amount of land suitable for agriculture would decrease by sixteen percent at the least.

Starlight had failed to see the impact that this climate shift would have on the food market, but the lush equatorial regions of Equestria could easily fill in the gap. Though it did make a great excuse to start things up, it was evidence of how bad international relationships had gotten of late. Everybody was out for blood, whether it was out of bloodlust like the dragons, or desperation like the gryphons, greed, revenge, whatever it was, the end result was the same…All because of the paranoia of what could happen this winter. It was all speculation, nothing was for certain, but everyone was making desperate, foolhardy decisions as a result of it.

The water in the bucket of war had been slowly accumulating with every territorial dispute, power struggle, and competition for resources, and now Snowhoof’s return would cause the bucket to spill over. It was bound to happen sooner or later….

The gryphon was still crying, and Luna looked over at Starlight, wanting his counsel. The gryphon began to wail. “Please just send Snowhoof back! I beg of you…”

Luna rolled her eyes, but Snowhoof howled and leapt out of his corner. The gryphon flinched as Snowhoof landed in front of him and there was a blast of cold. Starlight looked away as they were all blasted with a freezing mist.

Starlight looked back over and the cloud of ice crystals slowly dissipated, revealing Snowhoof’s hooves wrapped around the gryphon’s frozen neck. “I’m never going back to prison!” The Keeper of Winter screamed at the frozen gryphon. “I’d rather die!” Snowhoof struck the gryphon, and his body shattered into a thousand fragments of frozen flesh. Amberleaf gasped, and Luna put her hoof on his shoulder. Snowhoof looked up at Luna. “Mother, what you told me about the state of the world…It’s true, it really is. How could Celestia have allowed things to become like this?”

Starlight managed to stand up, his hindlegs trembling with the effort. “It is true.” Snowhoof, Luna, and Amberleaf looked at him. “Yes, people complain about how the power structure will become imbalanced with Luna’s return. Well, they’re wrong. It’s been imbalanced ever since Luna was banished. Luna was the cool, rational sister who preferred justice over mercy; while Celestia was the warm, emotional sister who preferred mercy over justice. Now with Luna’s return, balance will be restored and people will be able to think clearly again.” Starlight sighed, “Hopefully.”

Snowhoof looked down at the ground, crestfallen. “Yeah, right.” The alicorn knelt down on all fours, looking heavenward. Starlight gasped. That look. It reminded Starlight of someone he used to be. The way Snowhoof was now…Starlight had looked exactly like that way when he had first made the noose. A look of surrender, desperation, a cry for help…the solidification of the resolve to do something terrible to alleviate the pain…Anything to stop the pain.

Snowhoof stood back up, that vulnerable moment where his soul had been laid bare now far gone behind the deadly resolve in those cold eyes. He stomped his hoof, huffing. “I promise…” Everyone looked back at Snowhoof. “I promise that this winter and every one henceforth will be an easy one. It’ll be as if I never returned.”

There was something bitter in his tone, but Starlight appreciated the gesture of peace. Luna approached Snowhoof, nuzzling him. “Well said, we will declare your peaceful intentions before Celestia and the rest of the council. Everyone should know there is nothing to fear, and will you join us in the meantime?”

“No.” Snowhoof shook his head, and Luna stepped back. “No, after tonight I return to the arctic. I am disgusted and disheartened by all this, it just makes me so….” There was a flare of hostility from Snowhoof that surprised Starlight, but it was gone as quickly as it came. Snowhoof groaned, and looked up hopefully, scanning the crowd. “Where is she? Where is my sweet Alandra?”

What? Luna’s ears drooped and she approached Snowhoof with tears brimming in her eyes. “She’s not here. I’m so sorry.”

Amberleaf looked down at her hooves, shyly glancing at Snowhoof. The stallion looked confused, hurt. “The Keeper of Spring promised that she would see me when I was liberated from prison.” Everyone was quiet, and Snowhoof looked around confused. “Exactly how many years has it been since I was away?”

Had Luna not told him? Starlight saw a tear fall from Luna’s eyes. “It’s been a thousand years, Snowhoof.”

He gasped, backing away from her. “A thousand years? How…How could have so much time have passed? Alandra told me…”

Luna nodded sadly. “Yes, she told you that you would be in prison until they figured out whether or not you were involved in my coup.” Luna cast her eyes to the ground again. “I’m so sorry, but Alandra betrayed you.”

Snowhoof froze for a moment. “Liar,” he whispered. “Liar!” He yelled, and Luna withered at her son’s anger. “Alandra told me she loved me, and I…I loved her! I went through all that pain and humiliation of losing my wings and horn, of enduring the chains and torture without resisting, because she promised me that we would get married on the eve of my return.”

Spring and Winter were once lovers? Starlight hadn’t expected all this drama when he had signed up for this. Luna sighed. “You were never meant to return, as I was never meant to return from banishment.”

“What? I don’t understand…” Snowhoof struggled against his emotions. “I don’t understand. I was innocent, and Alandra believed me when I told her. I wasn’t involved in any way! I hadn’t even known what you had tried to do to your sister until a month after the fact. What do you mean I was never meant to return? Alandra told me—”

“Alandra lied!” Luna cut him off. Snowhoof stared at her in shock, speechless. “Alandra told you that so you wouldn’t fight when they put you in chains and stripped you of your dignity. Alandra and everyone else thought you were guilty, and they still do! You were supposed to remain in that icy tomb for the rest of eternity!”

Snowhoof shook his head, tears in his eyes. “No…no, Alandra and I were in love. We were meant to be together from the moment of our creation, and she would never lie to me.” He gave a shuddering gasp, and looked up at Luna. “I still love her with all my heart.”

“If she loved you the way you love her, why isn’t she here now? She promised you that she would marry you, then why hasn’t she planned a wedding? She was heartbroken when I betrayed Celestia, and since it was during wintertime…I am are sorry, but she doesn’t love you anymore. She hasn’t for a thousand years.”

Starlight could see the anguish in Snowhoof’s eyes, and he saw all that anguish turn to rage. He huffed, looking up at Luna with fury. “This is all your fault. She hates me now because of you. The world is so messed up today because you had to be selfish!”

Luna’s tears were now flowing like streams. “I’m so sorry! I made a mistake! Please, please forgive me! You are my son, the stallion closest to my heart. I made you from my own blood….”

Snowhoof turned away from her. “You should have stayed on the moon.” Luna collapsed onto her knees, sobbing. Snowhoof looked right at Amberleaf then, and she gasped at the cold fury in his eyes. “Come,” he said softly. “Make winter come again for old time’s sake.”

She was unsettled by his demeanor, but Amberleaf submissively got up and followed Snowhoof as he led her into the bedroom. “Starlight, tell everyone that winter will be no harsher than it was for the past thousand years.”

Starlight nodded and Snowhoof slammed the door behind him. Everyone dispersed then, and Starlight helped Luna to her bedroom. She was sobbing uncontrollably, and he kissed her gently. “My queen.” Starlight lay down on the floor next to her bed. “This too, shall come to pass. He will forgive you in time. Until then, I will try my best to serve you.”

Starlight and Luna fell asleep and later on in the night, frost overtook the window and the first flurries began to fall….

Comments

[Raistlin]

Luna doesn´t give a fuck about gryphons, does she?