Snow and Wind

by Princess OtakuGeek

Alright! An Expedition!

The ponies were severely lost as Flower Dance broke down and began crying into Celestia's chest. The Solar Diarch just sat there and let the filly release her tears as she gently rubbed a hoof up and down her withers in a comforting manner. It was only when Flower Dance's cries began to fade that Princess Luna asked the question that was hanging in the air.

"Little one, what do you mean by that?"

"It's a bit of a long explanation, and I should start with home." Flower Dance sniffed as she wiped her tears from her face. "See, our homes are located in the mountains to the far north of here. Just beyond the Crystal Empire to be exact."

"You can't mean the North Mountains can you?" Celestia asked with a look of shock. Flower Dance nodded.

"Mom says that's what the ponies call our mountains." She said.

"That's impossible!" Twilight exclaimed. Aside from the princesses and Twilight, everypony else in the room were a little lost.

"Uh, excuse me, but what's so special about these North Mountains?" Rainbow asked. "Their just mountains, right?"

"Not just any mountains Rainbow Dash." Twilight said. "The North Mountains are well known as a place where ponies have no control over the seasons or weather. It's like the Everfree forest, only its much bigger and spans the entire mountain range. When the Three Tribes first arrived here, the leaders deemed the mountains too harsh and unlivable." Twilight then turned to Flower Dance. "And your kind have been living there for a thousand years?"

"Mmhm." Flower Dance nodded. "We can't control the seasons or weather like ponies can, so we rely on the Warm season and the Cold season. The Cold season is when the mountains are covered in snow and everything is at its harshest. During the Warm season, the snow melts and we're able to plant our crops and do other things to prepare for the next Cold season. And that's how I ended up here.

Over the past few years, the Cold season has been lasting a little longer and blizzards have been leveling entire towns. This year has been the longest so far and its reached a point where we've been rationing the food stores. The last time I saw my family, was in the town Cold Shelter before a huge blizzard hit."

"What's a Cold Shelter?" Twilight instantly picked up on and raised her notebook and pen at the ready.

"A Cold Shelter is a huge building built to house the entire population of a town during the Cold season." Flower Dance said. "Small towns and farming settlements mostly use them. Not so much in larger towns or the Capital. We could see that a storm was building and were packed and prepared to leave when we'd lose the Shelter. When the roof was pulled off however, I was in my Snow Form."

"Is that what ya call yer windigo-like form?" Applebloom asked and Flower Dance nodded.

"Yes, and in our Snow Forms, we can fly alongside the winds. However, windigoes at my age tend to have little control over our flight in the wind. Before I knew what was happening, the winds picked me up and by the time I was able to stop myself, I was outside of the mountains and unable to return."

"What do you mean?" Sweetie Belle asked. "Just fly back in right?"

Flower Dance shook her head. "The winds surrounding the peaks are too strong and dangerous for me to fly alone. I'd need at least one adult with me to assist and guide."

"So, y'all will just have ta hoof it." Applebloom said. Once again, Flower shook her head.

"At this time of year and with out the necessary supplies? I may as well just throw myself into a Ice Wraith den. At least that way I'd die quickly." Flower Dance remarked dryly and the Crusaders glanced at each other. They didn't know what exactly she was referring to, but the message was clear.

"Point taken." Applebloom conceded. "So what made y'all wanna come here?"

"Well, from my point of view I was stranded with no way home." Flower said. "Further more, my home was slowly being destroyed by the mountains themselves and I was scared. For myself and my kind. I'd heard about Celestia and Luna and I figured that if anyone could help, it would be them. So I flew as far as the Everfree and the rest you know."

Flower Dance then turned to look at the princess cradling her in her hooves. "Please Princess Celestia." Then she turned her pleading gaze at Luna. "Princess Luna. Can you help us? Please?"

The Celestial Sisters were silent and glanced at each other, their eyes conveying messages in a way that only close siblings could. It was Luna who answered the question.

"Fret no more young one." She said gently. "For we shall do everything within our power to aid your home, your family and your kind."

Flower Dance's eyes brightened with joy and hope and in a swift movement, she rushed over and wrapped her legs around Luna's leg in a hug.

"Oh thank you! Thank you so much!" She cried. Luna smiled and patted her back gently.

"Of course, such an undertaking will be no small feat." Celestia said as she gracefully stood up. "There are preparations to be made."

"Indeed." Luna said with a nod then looked down at Flower Dance. "Tell me young one, what sort of leader do you have?"

"Well, I don't know much about her personally, but I do know that she's called the Keeper. Short for her full title, Keeper of the Hearth Fire. She leads and protects us."

"Well then, our first move should be to send an expedition to make contact with this Keeper." Luna concluded.

"I'll go!" Twilight exclaimed a bit too loudly and she blushed when she garnered the sudden attention of everyone in the room. She coughed into a hoof and continued. "Well um, I think it would be a good idea, diplomatically speaking, to send at least one of our princesses to make contact with this Keeper. Plus it could be an excellent lesson for me for when I become a leader myself."

"And...?" Celestia prompted gently, though she already guessed the reason for Twilight's outburst. Twilight blushed in embarrassment once more.

"And I really really really really REALLY want to study windigoes." She finished. Celestia smiled a motherly smile with a slight twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

"Of course you may go." She said. "In fact, I can think of nopony better to head such an expedition. And I do fully expect you to study what you can about this new culture. After all, ignorance breeds misunderstanding which breeds the worst sorts of incidents."

Twilight fixed her mentor with a serious look. "You can count on me Princess Celestia."

"Hey! Whoa whoa, wait." Rainbow Dash said as she dropped right in front of Twilight. "So you're just going to go tromping around some super dangerous mountain all by yourself?"

"Not entirely." Twilight said. "Obviously I'll need to bring Flower Dance since she knows the mountains better than I do. Not to mention I need to help her get home to her family." Flower Dance's face lit up like a Hearthswarming tree.

"And that's it?" Rainbow pressed. "No offense meant to Flower Dance, but she's just a kid. You're going to need more than a filly with you in case something goes wrong. Which is why I'm coming with you."

Twilight smiled at her friend's declaration. "I wouldn't expect any less from the Element of Loyalty."

Rainbow Dash grinned. "Hey, how'd you think I earned that title?" She asked rhetorically.

"Course Dash here ain't yer only friend." Applejack added. "The rest of us are comin' too." The others nodded.

"While I am very aware that long journies of this nature tend to wreak havoc on ones appearance, I am willing to over look it for the sake of this little one and my friend." Rarity said confidently and without hesitation.

"I'd also like to help in any way I can." Fluttershy said softly.

"Me too!" Pinkie exclaimed with a leap and a toss of confetti. "Plus, my Pinkie Sense tells me that these windigoes need some Pinkie cheer!" Nopony could tell if she was joking or not, but Pinkie's eagerness to help was genuine and that was enough for them.

"Also, considering how the nearest pony settlement is the Crystal Empire, it may be wise to include Princess Cadence in on this journey." Luna said and Celestia nodded.

"Indeed. I can send a letter to her and you can start your journey from the Empire." Celestia said.

Twilight gasped and stars actually twirled in her eyes. "That's a wonderful idea! It's been so long since we hung out! And this time she can get to know my best friends better!"

"Yay! It'd be great if we earned a cutiemark for 'helping windigoes'." Sweetie Belle cheered.

"Totally! I wonder what such a cutiemark would look like?" Scootaloo asked.

"Whoa whoa whoa, what makes you think that you're coming?" Rainbow Dash asked with a firm frown.

"Well Flower Dance is our friend and fellow Cutiemark Crusader." Sweetie Belle answered.

"Yeah. An' Crusaders don't abandon any of their fellow Crusaders when they need help." Applebloom said.

"Plus, if we didn't find her, you probably wouldn't be planning this expedition in the first place." Scootaloo concluded confidently.

"I must admit that I probably wouldn't have plucked up my courage to come here if it wasn't for them." Flower Dance admitted.

"All very valid and commendable points." Twilight admitted. "But that doesn't change the fact that you went tromping around the Everfree forest when you've been told repeatedly that you aren't allowed near there. Do you have any idea-" Twilight halted her scolding when Celestia placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"If you don't mind, may I try?" She asked.

"Of course Princess." Twilight conceded and stepped aside to let Celestia step forward. In an instant, her expression went from her usual pleasant visage to the look of a motherly scolding expression.

"Now then young fillies, you should know by now that the Everfree isn't a place for little ones like you." She said in a firm tone that made the Crusaders bow their heads like they were being scolded. "While I am thankful that you found and brought Flower Dance, that doesn't change the fact that what you did was dangerous and reckless."

"We're powerful sorry Princess." Applebloom apologized.

"Yeah, we won't do it again." Scootaloo said.

"Just please let us come on this expedition." Sweetie pleaded.

Celestia maintained her mask of stern disapproval as she gave the matter a moments thought. Then her expression softened.

"If you will stay near the group and listen to what your sisters tell you, than I don't see why not." She answered. "Of course, that is if they agree."

As she spoke the last part of her sentence, she directed her attention to the mares in question. There was a tense silence as the three mares looked between Princess Celestai and the pleading expressions of their sisters. They looked like they wanted to say no, by in the end they relented.

"Alright fine. Y'all can come if ya behave." Applejack said.

"You also have to help ue get ready." Rarity added. The Crusaders nodded vigorously.

"We promise ya that we'll be real good." Applebloom promised.

"So good that you won't even know that we're there." Scootaloo added.

"Well then, now that that's settled, I think a week is a good amount of time to prepare." Luna said.

"Indeed. You can all return to Ponyville to pack and prepare." Celestia agreed. "Then, within a week, you all can catch the first train to the Crystal Empire. I also advise the inclusion of Spike as his fire would most definitely be of use during your journey."

"And I can send reports directly to you!" Twilight concluded. Celestia nodded. Twilight puffed her chest out and gave her former mentor a smile and look of determination. "C'mon girls, we've got an expedition to get ready for!"

As Twilight turned and ran out of the room, the others let out a cheer of agreement and followed her. The Crusaders were close behind and added their own cheer.

"CUTIEMARK CRUSADERS MOUTAIN EXPLORERS! YAY!" They cried out simultaneously. The last to leave was Flower Dance, who glanced back at the Celestial Sisters before following her new friends. Now that they were on their own, Luna flopped down a cushion, looking ready to sleep even though she was still wearing her regalia.

"The younger generation truly is energetic. She commented tiredly. Celestia laughed and nodded.

"Indeed, but I have faith that I can place the future in their hooves." She said as she settled next to her sister.

Luna smiled tiredly. "Indeed."

Author's Note:

Hey, I finally finished! Whoo! This is a shorter chapter than I usually like to make, but it was also a little tough. I really hope you enjoyed. I hope I can get the next chapter out much sooner.

Comments

[Windy0]

6482142 I like wind. My author name reflects that.