Luna Wants a Windigo

by Lazauya

Interlude: Meeting

It was another three days before the colt and the windigo reached thier destination. The colt felt a new, completely unnerving chill creep over him as he made the final steps of his journey to the cave in front of him. It looked like any other glacial cave in the vast frozen wastelands around him, but this,for whatever reason, was where the windigos had decided to take refuge since thier apparent dissapearance. Every step closer made his now cold heart race faster and faster, sending his icy blood through his veins.

Finally, leaving a path of treaded snow behind him, he reached the mouth of the cave. It swallowed him whole as he delve deeper and deeper.

The ever present little beast pestering him followed behind, nonchalantly floating into the cave. The colt was sure he could feel her excitement.

The air felt more and more blisteringly cold the deeper the two went; eventually the light from outside vanished, leaving the two with only the faint glow of light fighting its way through thick layers of ice.

And then, suddenly, they came upon them. A pile of still windigos, stacked in like an unorganized pile of firewood.

The colt was stunned. "A-are they dead?" he said out loud.

In an instant, the windigos all stood up flying into a whirlwind around the unsuspecting colt and his companion. He looked around him, eyes splayed in awe, and then over to his friend to see her face contorted with glee.

She joined them in their flying, for what seemed to the colt like an hour.

And then, they dropped, huddling in a circle around the stunned colt. They dug at the ground, whinnying and sniffing at him.

The ones in front of him stepped aside allowing for one to stand out. This windigo, this stallion the boy thought, was the largest pony he had ever seen, a head over Princess Celestia; not to mention he had an air about him that felt more regal than the princess raising the sun during the thousandth year of the Summer Sun Celebration. Everything about him said "I am king, submit to me."

So Astatine bowed, for he knew not what else to do.

"What is it that you have come here for, boy?" the voice rung in Astatine's head.

The colt was taken aback, at first not being able to understand where the voice was coming from. And once he put the pieces together, he realized that it wad probably coming from his head.

"I... I don't know... S-she brought me here," he said pointing at filly beside him.

The little windigo flew to the king and placed her unbitten hoof on his forehead. He only remained stoic as the information was conveyed.

"Yes, little one, I see," he said to the filly, "So you, boy, are a friend of the Windigos, and you have come to train in our ways."

"I-I have?"

"Have you not? You breathe the essence of the windigo. You are cold and frail. What else could you be here for? I do not wish for games."

"I-I don't know! I just listened to her! She told me to come here! I don't know what I'm doing!"

"Do not yell at me, or I will cast you out."

"I-I'm sorry, please forgive me," Astatine hung his head in submission.

"You are excused. And now, I have decided your fate for you. You will learn the ways of us, and will join us in our struggle for revenge."

---

Weeks past, and the natural hunger for food had subsided. He grew colder and colder, paler and paler, until he almost did not recognize his own two hooves. The king taught him the ways of the windigos: how to fly without wings, cast magic without a horn, and how to thrive in the cold. And slowly, the hoof his friend regrew.

One day, he was confronted by the king once more.

"Hello, boy. I wish to share with you the history of our kind. I believe you are ready."

"I would be honored," Astatine said without hesitation.

"The windigos were once ponies: ponies who found no love in the company of others, and who wanted only to see their fellow ponies in misery. Over time, their hearts grew cold. These cold-hearted creatures found each other, and created a clan. Or so the story of our origin goes. No one truly knows how windigos came to be. Perhaps we were put here with all the other races. Perhaps not.

"But my story, our story starts long afterwards. I was an ordinary windigo; listless, only following my instincts of feeding. My brothers and sisters and I that had followed a group of ponies from the North. They were nobles, traveling to find a new land for their people. We had them surrounded, filling their hearts with ice, freezing them. But that was before she, the witch princess, Celestia froze me in the ice and killed my brethren. I did not understand why I was spared. But it mattered not. Over the centuries of being trapped, I gained an understanding for many things. I understood that it was only natural for ponies and Windigos to be enemies. I understood that there was no reconciling between us. I was not angry with Celestia for freezing me. I knew that she was only doing her duty as princess, protecting her people. Years passed, and one summer, my cage thawed, and I was unleashed into the world. I sought my brethren, hoping desperately that they were still alive. It was luck that I found some of my kind over the hundreds of years. Eventually, we delegated to live here, far outside of the prying eyes of ponies, living only off those who hated only themselves for the things they had done. In this way, we could achieve symbiosis. We could be safe, and we would not have to harm those who were content. It was, as I saw it, the best possible outcome.

"And then, one day, the witch Celestia decided to upset the balance of things; to undo the progress I had made. She committed a sin; slaying windigos without ryhme or reason. Bryte, Shyne, Hyde, all slain at the hands of the foul witch. We were enraged. One of our kind, the noble Lyble, went to avenge us. Celestia had to know the pain we felt. She had to understand it, so we attempted to kill one of her own, the Princess of the Crystal Empire. But we failed, killing her husband instead. It was... a disappointment. But we remember Lyble honorably, so his actions were not in vain. And now, we are here, waiting for our chance to again strike fear into the witch's dark little heart."

"Sir, I have only one question," Astatine said with a face full of amazement.

"You may ask."

"What is her name, my friend, I mean to say."

"Ah, yes, the little one. It is Blythe. I find it... amusing that you were not aware."

"Thank you, sir."

---

"Hello, Blythe."

The windigo's ears perked up. She turned her head with a look of astonishment.

"I learned your name from the King."

She flew over to him, putting her hoof on his forehead. Blythe had been learning new things as well. "That... good. Have you learn many thing from him. We leave if ready."

"Leave? What? Why? I like it here."

"We need leave. That is plan always. More see in world. You and I."

"But... but... Blythe.... What if the king needs us...?"

"King is..." She paused, looking around. "King is not good as seem. Please trust I. King wants you die for Windigos because you is Pony. I want you alive for I. I saw you bad place. I want you have good skill. If good skill no bad place anywhere. If have enough skill we leave."

"I... I don't know about this.... I thought.... I thought you wanted this to be my... our... my home...."

"I left before. King want brother Lyble die because he is Pony. He make Lyble do impossible, hard thing. Thing easier for normal Windigo. King not like Pony. He think Pony is worse than Windigo. He not say. I know he think. He mean Windigo. He think Pony is worse than Windigo. I think they is same. I want you alive. I like Astatine. You is good friend. Please not die for king. Not die for anyone."

"But aren't you mad that Celestia killed your brothers and sisters? How can you not be?"

"Celestia mean pony too. But Celestia sister nice. Princess Cadenza nice. You nice. They not want thing happen. Celestia not punished, only other. Not fair. King not fair make decision. He hate pony because one pony. I know pony is nice. Not all pony is bad. Only Celestia mean. I know because I see pony like you. I see Celestia and she evil. King only want you do bad work and die."

"I... I don't know what to say.... I...."

"I not lie you. You is friend. I hurt self you if bad thing happen you. I want you safe. Please know what I mean. Please leave and me soon. We is happy together."

Astatine had nothing to say, and only smiled, looking into her eyes.

"Please."

"Okay. Okay, I will. I trust you.... But...."

Blythe gave a questioning look to the colt.

"But surely the king... surely he knows that not all ponies are bad! I mean, he taught me all this magic. I can fly. I can fade through stuff. And... and he taught you how to talk, right? He knows that you're my friend, so he wouldn't hurt you by doing something... like that to me. Right? How could he be evil...."

"Astatine, you know I not lie. I no want you hurt. You think you is food, but you is friend. King teach us thing we make good use. He old windigo. He not know what pony like. He see pony like how pony see dog. He not do thing for you, he do thing for he. Please know what I mean."

"I... I just..." he paused, thinking about how to phrase his next statement. "I just thought I had found... the place where I belong...."

"You belong me. Do not matter where go. Always us is good."

"I... Okay.... I... I... want to stay with you too. I will. I will! But... when do we go?"

"Soon. Is one thing king not teach you. Is one thing you need know. I think it is important. Maybe you not need to know, but I think you do. Is how to change pony emotion. Good for life with pony."

"W-what? I'm going to learn that?"

"Yes."

"O-okay. And then... we leave? Won't he be angry?"

"Yes. But he not know until too late. He not leave ever. We leave and he not go."

"Okay."

Author's Note:

We're nearing the ultimate battle! Be prepared!

Comments

[Biglulu]

I'm greatly enjoying these chapters with the actual windigo in them.