All the Queen's Horses

by Bluespectre

Chapter Twenty - Wendigo

CHAPTER TWENTY

WENDIGO

“Duplicitous Confundum!”

“Eh?”

Twilight rolled her eyes, “Duplicitous Confundum? The spell Trixie used to make the pegasi think they’d shot the real her? Oh, come on Rinse, don’t tell me you don’t know that one, it’s a highschool grade spell!”

Rinse frowned, “Well pardon me for not having a god as my personal patron, smarty pants.”

The lavender unicorn sniffed, “Firstly, Princess Celestia is not a god and in any case she’s a girl – mare rather – so the correct pronoun would be goddess. Now some ponies do worship her as a deity of course, that’s another word for god or goddess by the way, albeit the original function of the monastic order of the church of the two princesses was-”

“Twilight please!” Rinse felt like screaming, “I know, I know! Can we just, you know, focus on what we’re doing right now?” Hell fire, she’d going on like this for bloody hours! If she’d known what an insufferable chatterbox the young unicorn mare was she’d have sent her home ages ago. Not that she had any clue where to go other than ‘north’ of course and she had to admit that Twilight did seem to have an almost sixth sense when it came to tracking, but if only she wouldn’t keep bloody well yapping all the time!

Spike adjusted his goggles as he selected another screwdriver, “I wish you two would shush, you’re throwing off my concentration...”

“Well pardon us!” the two mares echoed.

The little dragon sighed; they’d been like this ever since they’d left Trixie to hoof it across the broken and increasingly desolate terrain trying to find some trace of the missing fillies. As for Trixie, she’d gone on her way after begrudgingly sharing her evening meal with the three of them and had even stretched to providing them with some spare blankets. Naturally the promise of a reward had ‘eased the wheels’ so to speak, but to drag her north with them was something neither she nor Rinse was willing to entertain. In any case, the caravan was designed for roads and they could make much better time this way. Of course it didn’t help that Princess Celestia hadn’t responded to their correspondence yet, and after Twilight had nearly gone into conniptions when he’d torn a page out of her note pad too! Instead he’d taken to seeing if he could fix the peculiar brass device Rinse had brought with her. Sadly, it looked like it may be beyond help…

“...and if you’d warned me about that bloody portal in the first place, I may not have put the damned thing in my pocket where it could get broken, miss magic pants!”

Spike groaned; they were at it again…

“There is no need to call me names, thank you very much, Rinse. If that is your real name of course.” Twilight sniffed indignantly, “I prefer honestly to hiding things, but I suppose that’s de rigueur for spies.” She raised an eyebrow, “By the way, that means-”

“I know what it means!” Rinse snapped, “And I am not a bloody spy either!”

“Well what else would you call a maid who carries firearms?” Twilight replied, “Normal issue with the mops in the Spoon household is it? I expect the cockroaches must be quite large if you need to use focused energy weapons on them.” Twilight couldn’t help but smile smugly behind her hoof.

“Why you…!” Rinse’s cheeks went bright red, luminous even in the encroaching darkness.

“Will you two pack it in!” Spike yelled, “Luna’s arse, you’re giving me a bloody headache!”

“Spike! Watch your language! I didn’t raise you to be so foul mouthed, it must be...” Twilight frowned, “What are you doing with that thing anyway?”

“I’m trying to make it work?” Spike moved the lantern nearer to where he was working and tried adjusting one of the crystals, but the casing was bent inward at a sharp angle preventing access to the inner workings of the device.

“Oh, is that more of your spy equipment?” Twilight asked Rinse innocently.

Rinse closed her eyes, “It’s a personal communicator, issued to CBI and Equus personnel.” She snorted, “I’d give up on it Spike if I were you. Even if it wasn’t broken we’re miles out of range from Equus headquarters.” Rinse raised an eyebrow, “Apparently they’re not magic portal proof.”

“They’re not rump proof either,” Twilight muttered under her breath.

Rinse’s mane bristled, “What was that? Do you want a thick lip, missy?”

“No need to get upset, Rinse,” Twilight replied calmly, “I don’t think it matters how large your bottom is. The communicator seems to be quiet fragile and-”

“THAT DOES IT!” Rinse leaped to her hooves, “I’ve had enough of your snarky attitude, you toffy nosed, stuck up, smart arsed-”

...combined team charlie two niner seven four bravo…

…negative on the south eastern contact. Heavies are thirty minutes out from rendezvous tango alpha six…

Spike pressed the green gem on the device, “Hello? Can anypony hear me?”

There was a hissing, crackling delay before:

...this is a military channel. Identify yourself immediately…

“I’m Spike,” Spike said smiling at Twilight and Rinse, “And this is-”

Rinse rushed forward, lunging for the communicator and pressed the green gem trying to keep her heart rate under control, “Control, this is Cream Cleanser, repeat this is Cream Cleanser. Are you receiving?”

...This is a military channel. Remove yourself from this frequency or… stand by one…

Rinse’s heart was in her mouth. She glanced at Spike who’s green eyes gleamed in the darkness as he smiled up at her comically. Goddesses, she could kiss him!

...Go to channel D…

“What’s that mean?” Spike asked.

Rinse pressed the purple gem, “This one. Shhh, listen...”

“Rinse? This is Brandy, where are you and why were calling on a military channel?” The voice of ‘Brandy’ sounded official, but to Rinse it was like the voice of an angel.

“Chief? Oh, thank the goddesses.” The blue mare sunk down to her knees beside the small campfire, “We’re… I don’t know for certain, but we’re north of the northern forests at the foot of the crystal mountain range. Chief, the parcel has been taken.”

There was a delay before the voice of Brandy came back once again, “We’re aware of the situation, Rinse. Your orders are to hold position and send up a purple flare every five minutes. We’ll try and triangulate your position, so keep this channel open. Sit tight, help is on the way.”

“Received and understood.” Rinse sat back and let out a loud sigh, “Oh, thank Celestia for that.”

“Apparently we’re not out of range after all,” Twilight observed drily, “Do you want to send up the first flare, or do you want me to?”

Rinse chuckled with relief, “You may have the honour of that Miss Sparkle. Personally, I feel like I could sleep for a week.”

“I’m not surprised, we’ve barely stopped since we got here.” Twilight nodded towards the fire, “Thank goodness Trixie gave us these cloaks.”

“Sold us the cloaks, you mean,” Spike noted, raising a claw, “And I think somepony deserves a little thank you?”

Rinse and Twilight chuckled. “Of course, Spike” Twilight smiled, “You came to the rescue just in the nick of time.”

“For once I’m inclined to agree with Miss Sparkle,” Rinse said begrudgingly. “But… yeah, thanks little guy, I can’t believe you’re so gifted with things like this.”

“I have a good teacher,” Spike replied and gave Twilight a grin who beamed back at him.

“So… um...” Spike scrubbed at his scales, “What now, we just sit here and wait?”

“Guess so.” Rinse leaned back on her pack and nodded to Twilight, “Time to make with the magic, Miss Sparkle.”

“Of course!” Twilight raised an eyebrow, “Spike?”

Spike adjusted his goggles and gave her a thumbs up, “Ready here.”

“Ready…?” Rinse furrowed her brow, “Why? What are you… ARGH!!” The purple flash flooded the land for miles around in blinding light, slowly fading away to a single point that winked out in absolute silence. “OH GODDESSES! MY EYES! I CAN’T SEE!” Rinse flailed around trying to-

“Hold still!” Spike caught hold of her and put a damp cloth over her eyes, “It’s fine, you’ll be okay in a second.”

Rinse gasped in shock. Dear Luna, what the hell was that?! She took a breath, trying to steady her heart until she could shake the vivid after image from her eyes. “You… you IMBECILE!” Rinse shrieked, “You nearly blinded me!”

Twilight clucked her tongue, “What in Equestria possessed you to stare right at a flare?” she admonished, “Do you normally do things like that?”

“NO! I… my flares are… that is… GAH!” Rinse flopped onto her pack again and folded her forelegs, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you? Have a good laugh did you?”

“It’s not my fault if you do childish things,” Twilight sniffed, “didn’t anypony tell you not to stare at the sun when you were a foal?”

“Don’t be so damned condescending!” Rinse snapped.

“So much for the ‘cream’ of the equestrian spy network. More like the ‘cream cleanser’...” Twilight snickered, “Oh yeah…!”

“Right, you little…!”

“What is wrong with you two?!” Spike pushed in between the two mares, his green eyes catching the firelight and flashing angrily, “You’re supposed to be the adults here!”

“It’s her! She’s deliberately trying to provoke me all the time with her ‘I’m the princess’s favourite’ shtick.” Rinse took a step back and lifted her head threateningly as her tail lashed from side to side.

Twilight snorted, “I am not trying to provoke you at all! You’re just sensitive because you didn’t get a decent education.”

“I...” Rinse neighed loudly and spat on the ground, “Look, I don’t care if you don’t like me, but whether you like it or not we have to get on with one another so we can find those two fillies, okay?”

Twilight raised and eyebrow, “Fine by me.”

“Good! Well then, now that’s settle I’m going for a piss.”

Twilight clucked her tongue, receiving a warning glance from Spike as the blue mare stalked away from the camp fire. Spike watched her go before addressing his friend, “Twi, look, I don’t know what’s gotten into you today, but let’s just cool things down, okay?”

“Uhhh, fine!” Twilight rolled her eyes and flopped onto her cloak, “Oh… I don’t know Spike, she just rubs me up the wrong way, that’s all.”

The little dragon sniffed loudly, “Hmm, I seem to remember the princess wanting you to research something regarding, what was it now… ‘friendship’?”

Twilight sighed, “I know, I know...” She lifted a hoof, “I’m sorry, Spike, I’ll… I’ll apologise, alright?”

Spike closed his eyes and snuggled into his blanket, “Please, Twi, it’s bad enough being out here in the middle of nowhere without...” He looked round suddenly, “Did you hear that?”

“There’s something there!” Twilight concentrated a beam of magical light, illuminating the edge of a nearby small copse. In the darkness the light hi-lighted the peeling white bark of the tall thin trees, the low sparse bushes, and… movement. She was right, there was something moving!

Spike stood up and narrowed his eyes, staring into the pool of light, “Twi, there’s… ponies. Lots and lots of ponies!”

“Ponies?” Twilight took a step forward, readying another spell, “Rinse? RINSE! Are you okay?”

“It’s alright, they’re friendly,” Rinses voice called back from the darkness, “You can turn off the searchlight now, thank you.” And steadily, from the shadowy darkness, the great mass of equines pressed forward.

Twilight shook her head in amazement, and no small amount of alarm, “Who… who are you all?”

The ponies all looked at one another, seemingly unsure of how to respond until a darker, taller one moved forward into the light, “Miss Sparkle, isn’t it?”

“Lord Runcy!” Twilight’s eyes went as wide as dinner plates, “What are you… Silver Spoon? And Diamond Tiara! You found them!”

“They found me, actually.” Runcy shook his head, nodding to the sleeping girls being carried by two of the mares, “I’m sorry, but do you mind if we share your fire? Everypony is absolutely exhausted.”

“No, no of course not.” Twilight dropped to her haunches and shook her head, “You’re alright though? And you found… all these mares...”

“It’s a long story, Miss Sparkle,” Runcy yawned, “Please, we have food and drink, but a rest would
be nice.”

“Please...” Twilight held out a hoof. Lost in a miasma of excitement and confusion she looked to Spike for help but was met with only a shrug of his shoulders. It looked like they were in for quite an evening. “Spike?”

“Yes, Twi?”

“I’m going to need note pads, ink, and quills.” Twilight thought for a moment, “Lots of them.”

“Just as well I always pack spares,” Spike muttered, and trotted over to his packs, trying to ignore the gathering mass of ponies.

If only they’d brought more biscuits…

**************************

Beneath the eerie light of the purple flares, the strange band listened to the tale Lord Runcy wove: of a lost city, a people forgotten in time, a living legend who had survived the war only to give her long life for a child she had never met before. Twilight’s quill was a blur as Runcy spoke. In the background, the occasional glow of magic illuminated some of the extraordinary number of unicorns, or, as Twilight had discovered to her surprise – wendigo. This was the find of a lifetime! This discovery of the lost tribe, the remnants of a conflict that had now been reduced in common memory to no more than an annual festival where equestrians would dress up in fancy costumes, playing tricks on each other and enjoying games in the town square, would be the discovery of a lifetime! Twilight’s hooves tingled at just the thought it. She’d always believed that the festivities of Nightmare Night paid little homage to the true history behind the events, and perhaps it was just as well considering the reaction Princess Luna had received when she’d come to Ponyville. Nightmare Night, the night where the self styled goddess Nightmare Moon prowled the midnight sky with her ghosts and demons from the realm of nightmares was the modern day sugar coating that disguised the bitter truth of their past. Somehow, bobbing for apples didn’t seem to have that much in common with fearing for your life when the thestrals came knocking on your door. Now, all it took to ‘send them away’ was a hoofful of treats and a happy smile. If only it could have been so back then. Runcy gazed up at the latest flare as it burst high above, “You are certain these people will not come to any harm, Miss Sparkle? I have given them my word, and as well as I know the princess, I still cannot say for certain how she would react to this situation.”

Twilight nodded, “Everything will be fine, sir. I’ve just had a message back from her saying she’s aware of what’s happened and that provisions have been made available to ensure your… erm, ‘friends’ will be well cared for.” She’d noticed a terracotta coated mare talking with Rinse and motioning towards the south. Apparently they knew each other, although in what capacity she wasn’t sure. She closed her eyes and sighed; she still had to apologise to Rinse after her rude behaviour earlier too. What in Equestria had gotten into her today? Spike was right, this wasn’t like her at all. Perhaps it was something to do with that magical radiation, or… had those diaries done something to her? Carefully, she lifted the flap on her pack and took out her aetherscope. With a quiet click, it hummed into life. It was a fascinating device, and one that she’d initially been excited to buy from ‘Magic Shack Supplies’ in Fillydelphia. Excited that was before she realised its limitations. Fortunately the ever industrious Spike had come to the rescue once again, and together with her own knowledge of thaumaturgical dynamics and some theoretical applied energy alliances, the small scaly creature had worked wonders. Her friend Rarity had provided the pure gemstones that helped with the harmonic and magical wavelength limiters, and before you knew it they had the finest detection device in the land. Maybe she should market it one day? She shrugged; perhaps. Twilight stared at the readout; the background reading was a lot higher than usual, but that wasn’t really that surprising with such a mass of unicorns surrounding them, and wendigo apparently had an unusual signature that- “Oops! Sorry about that.” Twilight smiled a quick apology to the mare she’d bumped into.

“Quite alright.” The grey mare waved off the young ones clumsiness and settled herself back down with the others.

“Miss Sparkle, is everything alright?” Lord Runcy asked, looking concernedly at the aetherscope.

“Um, this?” Twilight shook her head, “No, no everything’s fine, sir, I’m just checking the magic levels in the area for any anomalies.”

“I… see...” Runcy frowned, “And… are there any? Anomalies that is?”

“I’m not sure, but...” The aetherscope needle jumped as Twilight moved it past where Silver Spoon was sleeping, “There’s something...”

Runcy followed the lavender unicorn’s gaze, “Silver?”

Twilight shook her head, “No, not her, it’s her panniers, or rather something in them.”

Runcy nodded to Terra who floated up the embroidered packs in the glow of her magic and opened them for Spike to peer into. “Twi, there’s another diary!” The little dragon took out a small book emblazoned with a golden spoon on its faded red cover. “Oh, boy, here we go again.”

“Is it dangerous?” Runcy huffed and nodded warily towards the diary, “I’ve had quite enough of those things to last a lifetime already, and I like the fact my daughter has one even less.”

Twilight furrowed her brow in thought as she held the aetherscope over the diary, “Hmm, this one doesn’t have the more recent spell matrix addition that the others had.” She scratched her chin in thought, “The spell woven into it is old; I’d suggest that judging by its structure, It will most probably be from around the time the book was originally written.” She nodded to Runcy, “With a nullification field, I’ll be able to make sure it’s safe.”

“I’ll have to take your word for that,” Runcy replied as he watched the diary warily, “I’m regretting ever getting those damnable things.” He looked down at the hoof on his knee and smiled. Terra’s yellow eyes gazed into his with a gentleness that made Twilight’s ears twitch and Spike raise his eyebrows in surprise. The two exchanged a glance as the wendigo mare spoke, “Runcy? If it hadn’t been for the diaries you may never have found us, and our people could have been lost beneath the rock and ice… forever.”

The grey stallion patted her hoof, “I think you’re crediting me with far more than I deserve, Terra. It was you, Golden and your own people who opened the door to freedom, mine and my daughters included.” He smiled, “I was no more than a pawn in some warped game, and only the goddesses know what damage my ignorance has done to our world.” He closed his eyes and sighed sadly, “You may think me selfish, but in the end, all I really wanted was to go home.”

“Lord Runcy?” Twilight lifted her hoof, “Do you want to read it?”

Runcy glanced at the grey mare, “Terra?” She nodded in response. “Very well, miss Sparkle,” Runcy agreed levelly, “Provided I can have your assurance none of us will be put at risk, I will put my faith in your knowledge of magic.”

Twilight beamed happily, “No time like the present, then.” And with that, she carefully opened the old red bound cover, adjusted the spectacles on her nose, and in the light of a dozen wendigo, she began:

Twenty third day of the season of the evening song.

It has been years since I wrote in one of my diaries, and there is a part of me that wonders why I ever bothered in the first place. Initially it was because I wanted to document my career in the army of course, after all many of my predecessors had done just that, and I suppose I enjoyed it too if I’m being completely honest with myself. It was almost… liberating. Being able to write down my thoughts and feelings felt like I was emptying them out of myself – lightening the load on my heart so to speak. It was a routine that became especially important to me with the more troubling thoughts and experiences I have had over the years. Now, more out of desperation than any real practical consideration, I’ve decided to try once more. Goddesses, if I can just get one nights sleep out of this it would have been worth it. So, where do I start? Well, the war is over at least. I still can’t believe it even now. It has been what, ten years since that horrible day in the mountains when I nearly lost Feather and… Vane too. I don’t think I’ve slept soundly even a single night since then and every time I close my eyes it’s like I’m still there amongst the ice, rocks and snow fighting those dreadful beasts, listening to the screams of the wounded and the moans of the dying as we fought for our lives.

As they fought for theirs.

But that became a very different battle from the one at River Valley. Dear goddesses, was ever a place more aptly named? Only it wasn’t water that had flowed across that hallowed ground, but the life blood of our people. And that of our enemy. Even now, so long after the last of us was laid to rest beneath Equestria’s precious soil, after the last song had been sung, the bugles call faded and the finalcamp fire snuffed out, I still cannot put the faces of those we lost from my mind. Night after night I see them, calling to me: some accusing, others in kindness, but it is the faces of the foals I see the most – the true innocence that was lost in the terrible war.

In my dreams I walk the mountain path, taking my beloved daughter back to our waiting chariots to carry us back home, leaving the remains of the wendigo fortress to the forces of nature to consign to the annals of history. At that time, for me at least, walking amongst the dead of the wendigo meant nothing. They were not people, they were not ponies, they were the enemy, the ones who had murdered their way across my homeland and deserved nothing but the fate they’d had exacted upon them. It mattered not that many amongst the dead looked just like us, and were unarmed, fleeing the destruction and death that the Celestian army brought from the skies. It mattered not that there were old, the sick, wounded and weak, as well as… as well as… foals. It hurts me even to write this now, but to see it, to look into the chill dead eyes of a child barely a few weeks old in her mother’s embrace… Oh, Celestia, why? Why had we done this? Wasn’t there some other way? Couldn’t we have done something, anything, other than slaughter them to a pony? I ask myself this every day and I am still no nearer to an answer. In truth, I wonder if there even is one to be found. In my despair I turned to Starswirl for answers and even that most wisest of ponies was unable to help ease my troubled heart, although his kindness and gentle words were something of a balm to my soul. Selfishly, I focussed on myself and my own grief, ignoring the pain the great mage himself was experiencing from what had happened that dark day. He doesn’t say it, but we all know it, I can see it in his eyes.

Eleventh day of the Waxing Moon

Starswirl has finished the work in the manor’s cellar and shown me how to operate the portal. I don’t know why I let him talk me into allowing him to build such a frightening thing beneath my home but I suspect it was my own way of defying Celestia and showing her I wasn’t just some mindless drone for her to use as a tool to kill and… oh, I don’t know! I just don’t know any more! I’m just glad I resigned my commission and used my bounty and royal guard pension to build Spoon Manor.

Celestia’s face when I gave her my resignation wasn’t quite the reaction I’d expected though; she’d seemed… accepting, calm, as though it was something that she’d anticipated all along. Damn her, damn that bloody self righteous mare and the rest of her blasted upper crust yes-ponies! Good goddesses, even Colonel Dray resigned, the old bugger going off to plough his fields like some back
woods farm hoof. Still, as much as he was derided by the nobles for doing so, I have to say I have would have done exactly the same in his position. And in truth, I did. My family have worked quarries for generations and now that our homeland has to rebuild, our fortunes are bright indeed. But even as the battlefields lie silent and nature has begun repairing the scars we wrought upon her, the war has irrevocably changed us, all of us, forever. Dray, Celestia, myself, Feather, even my beloved Vane. And here I am, still haunted by my memories and selfishly complaining of my life when my beautiful pegasus is lying in bed with another of his ‘spells’. He’s been having a lot of these lately, and the doctors have been about as much use as a cauldron full of holes. Celestia’s own physician came to see him and even he was unable to tell me much beyond ‘it’s just his age’ or some such rot. Dear goddesses, how old is Vane? Forty six? Hardly an old fart is he?! Silly sod’s probably just been overdoing it with his blasted ‘flight training’ again. I keep telling him about that, yet he keeps insisting on teaching Feather all his tricks. Ah, Feather, my magnificent daughter! I have three beautiful grandfoals from her now and they have brought more joy to our lives than I thought would ever be possible, but even in our happiness the insidious horror of that dreadful war still reaches out to touch those I love.

Starswirl said that Feather’s little ones are… ‘tainted’, somehow. The spirit of that wendigo, the warrior who gave the last of his life to save my daughter has affected us… my family bloodline. They suffer from fainting fits, falling into near catatonic states that can take them to within a mere breath of the next world. Starswirl believes there is something that may help them, a treatment that may at least alleviate the symptoms, but even that will not be enough to purge this evil from us. Still, at least there is some hope. He will be leaving on a journey tonight through that portal. I don’t like the thing at all and I’ve had Starswirl set up protective wards to allow only himself and blood relatives of mine to activate it.

Damnable thing.

Twenty eighth day of the Waxing Moon

Starswirl has returned with medicine that can help with the wendigo taint. He calls them ‘wendigo tears’ due to their teardrop shape and the strange way they reflect the light. To me they feel… evil. I can’t explain it, they just feel wrong somehow, as though we are poisoning our own family to counteract another, and yet even if I am right what choice do we have? Nothing has helped, and only this ‘medicine’ can. Starswirl has given me a jar full of them, and told me of a place where I can get more. I’m not sure if I understood what he meant properly, but if what he is saying is even partially true then I don’t know what to think anymore. My world feels as though it has been turned upside down and I’m sat in a pile of thoughts and feelings that I thought I’d long buried and forgotten. Damn this world, and damn me too for thinking like this when what I have sought for so long is in my hooves. I’ll have to sign off here as I can hear the nurse calling.

Twelfth day of Hearths Warming.

I don’t know what to write. I don’t know if I even can. Do I want to? What does it matter anyway? Who will read these words or understand them, let alone care?

It’s over. My life, my world, my heart. It’s all dead, all of it, gone and lost forever. I screamed until my voice gave out, I cried until my eyes burned, and I… I wanted nothing more than to die. What is left of the once proud colonel of the royal guard, what I see in the mirror, sickens me. Why am I here when I have nothing left to carry on for? All those years of suffering and striving, the pain and hardship, the fleeting glimpses of joy and happiness that were so cruelly snatched away when they were dangled so tantalisingly before me – what was it all for? It doesn’t matter now, none of it matters. I don’t want to say it, I don’t even want to write it. If I do, if I inscribe here what happened, it will make it true, won’t it? But I don’t want it to be true! I DON’T! How come that bitch can live forever in her damned ivory tower when all I love is dying around my like leaves falling from the trees in autumn?

Well to hell with her! To hell with everything! The first chance I get I’m signing everything over to Feather and getting out of this dung pile and this dung hole of a world can burn, BURN!!! TO HELL WITH YOU ALL!

Ninth day of the Wheat’s Ear Festival

I’m here. I did it, I actually did it. Starswirl, goddesses bless him, was right. This place, this incredible place, is like a time capsule of the empire, forgotten and locked away from the rest of the world. But I found out very soon that I was not alone; the people I had fought, those I had helped kill with my own hooves, had also found their way here through the caves and tunnels beneath the mountains. These were the lucky ones, those who had managed to escape before the real butchery began and the last vestiges of the wendigo were erased from Equestria. I thought at first they would kill me, and in some dark way I suppose I didn’t really care if they did, but no, whether due to Starswirl’s words or their own sense of honour they welcomed me as one of their own. Perhaps they simply saw me as just another pony, another victim of the war. Who can say.

As a people they are leaderless, with the exception of some elders and ‘spirit guides’ as their priests are called, but in truth they are a lost people and although none of them will say it, they live in constant fear of being found out by the ‘white witch’ - Celestia. The wendigo, the children of the goddess of the night and the harbingers of the winter winds, sit with me now and share their new home, their meals, their kindness and the stories of their tribe with a mare who once lead the royal guard that carried the banner of the one who destroyed everything they knew. I have hidden nothing from them, and they simply sat and listened to my tale as though it was no more than an interesting story of something from a time that had passed like rain on the mountainside. To them, what had been had been, and every day should be lived as best as you could, for yourself but mostly for the tribe. Here the tribe is everything, brought together by the love of their own history and the memory of who they are, but also… because they have hope. Throughout my time here I have found the wendigo, or ‘windigo’ as they are sometimes called by the equestrians, have focussed on what they have called ‘the promise’, that is the hope that one day the lord of their tribe, the ‘four winds’, will return to them and bring them home. Where this home is exactly, nopony here knows, as it surely cannot be back to their fortress. From what I saw of it when I left, that once magnificent jewel of the mountains had been slighted and left in ruin. I fear that what the wendigo believe in, what they hope for, is no more than a forlorn hope for something that cannot be. What home there is now is no more than a broken pile of rock and snow. And who would offer a new home to a people whose existence was synonymous with war? Now their link to the spirits of the wither world has been lost, then perhaps with time they will become merely ponies like the rest of those they once saw as their enemies. This, I pray, will one day come to fruition.

Seventh day of the Winter Cycle

They set the watch on me! Can you believe it! My own home, my own bloody home and those idiot relatives of mine thought I was some crazy old bag lady despite my cutie mark! Well sod the bloody lot of them, the ungrateful wretches. I’ve been sneaking in the wendigo tears for years, topping up that old jar and this is how they repay my kindness? I don’t suppose any of those morons actually wondered how the jar magically replenished itself eh? Oh no, of course not! Well damn the lot of them! I can’t believe I’ve been reduced to breaking into my own home through the bloody coal cellar of all places just so I can get back to the tribe. You know, even now I’m still fuming over this and so what if it’s been a few years, it’s still my bloody HOME!!! ARGH!!!

Spring – I don’t know when

Hello diary. How long has it been now? I feel like a thief, sneaking into my old home in the dead of night, slipping into the study to leave what will be the last lot of tears for my ‘other’ family. Is this how I think of them now? Yes, I suppose it is, isn’t it. The tribe, the wendigo, they are my family now. Everypony else, all those I loved in the ‘outside’ world, were buried a long time ago. My beloved Vane, Feather, and all my grandchildren, are with the herd now. I still see Vane and Feather from time to time in the grove of course, but we all know all it’s really doing is prolonging the pain of our separation. Besides, the royal family strictly control contact between the planes meaning that their visits are now, roughly, only once a month. It’s not enough. I miss him, I miss them all, and as much as I love the tribe, I want to go home so, so much. But how can I leave my people? They have made me their elder and look to me for guidance in all things, but what right do I have to do this after everything I did? I know they have put the war behind them and treat me as one of their own, but there is still something so alien about them that I feel I have to at least try, try as hard as I can, to break them away from this love affair they have with the past and some day bring them back to the sun and moon of Equestria. Perhaps some day, perhaps soon who can say, my prayers will be answered and we can all find our true homes once again.

And so, I have decided to leave Equestria forever. This house, this building of brick, stone, tile and wood, is my home no more. The happiness, the sadness, the love and joy that I experienced here now lives on only in my memories and my heart. This place belongs to ponies I don’t know now, and as much as they are my descendants, they don’t know me, and my appearance would only give cause to frighten and confuse them unnecessarily. Thus, I have made alternative arrangements for deliveries of the tears, and as small as it is, I would like to keep at least this small modicum of contact with the outside world if for no other reason than to remind me that hope still exists. Somewhere. Indulgently perhaps, I have left clues for future generations who I hope, when the time is right, will come to find my people, bringing the prophesy to fulfilment. The seers believe that salvation shall come from my own bloodline, if you can believe that. Personally, I don’t know what to believe. It all seems very far fetched, but if there is one thing I have learned in my long life, it is that there is always hope, and that magic, true magic, can make miracles happen.

May the goddesses bless us all, whichever path we take in life.

Colonel Golden Spoon.

Twilight leaned back and stretched, “It ends there.” Almost reverently, she closed the book and slipped it back into Silver’s panniers, “If we’d used the magic we could have seen it a little more vividly of course, but this way we could all hear her words.”

“Golden...” Runcy closed his eyes, “She stayed with the wendigo to help guide them so that one day, they could come home.” He shook his head, “I hope the princess is true to her word, Miss Sparkle. I have faith in her, despite my… ‘reservations’ on certain topics, but...”

Terra gave him a nuzzle, “We must put our faith in the wisdom of our elder, Runcy. The lord has returned, and our people, all of us, are going home.”

Spike shuffled up to Twilight and whispered in her ear, “Twi, these guys are wendigo, right? You know the stories about them and what they could do. What about the legends of the three tribes and the eternal winter?” He swallowed, “They seem friendly enough, but look how many of them there are! If they got upset they could-”

“Spike, shush!” Twilight put her hoof on his muzzle, “For goodness sake, we don’t know how much of that is legend and how much is true. Just…. let’s see what happens, okay?”

Spike sniffed, “Hmph! I never thought I’d hear you say that! What happened to the scientific method and all that ?”

“We weren’t surrounded by wendigo when I said that, were we?” Twilight drew down her brow and
fixed Spike with a hard look, “Now shhh!”

With a snort, Spike slumped to his haunches and folded his arms, “It wouldn’t be so bad if we had some biscuits, and we’ve no cocoa either. You can’t camp out properly without cocoa, it’s uncivilised.” A general chuckling arose amongst the wendigo making his scales shiver. Had they… had they heard everything he’d said?! A slight crackling sound distracted him,

…we have a visual on the camp fire. Send up another flare so we can locate a landing site for the wagons. ETA two minutes…

Rinse and Barbary gave Runcy a nod.

“Twilight?” Rinse grimaced, “Time for one of your, er… ‘special’ flares.”

Twilight smiled, “Of course, Rinse, it would be my pleasure.”

In moments the night sky was lit for miles around with a bright purple light which illuminated the fleet of carriages that quickly, and with a surprising degree of precision, came in to land nearby. The wendigo began to stir and rise to their hooves, exchanging glances that Twilight could only describe as a mix of both hope and resignation. Now that irritated her to no end! Didn’t they trust the word of Celestia? Didn’t they believe that she would honour her promise to help them? She’d even had it in writing for goodness sake! And… oh… Fairlight. She could still remember what he’d said to her the last time she’d seen him, and although she hadn’t entirely believed him at first, her research in the forbidden library had shown her more than enough to realise that the princess had a certain ‘side’ to her that she had to admit she hadn’t seen. Naturally Twilight’s teacher had corrected her on occasion and even disciplined her when necessary, but it was still hard to come to terms with a princess who would… who was capable of…

“Barbary?”

Twilight flinched as a stallion in a black suit trotted up flanked by two of his similarly attired colleagues, all of them wearing… sunglasses? But it was the middle of the night!

“Brandy...” Barbary sighed deeply, “Oh, thank Celestia you’re here.”

The stallion looked around at the mass of ponies and blinked in surprise, “I see you weren’t exaggerating.” He nodded to his colleagues, “There’s hot tea and rations waiting back at the rendezvous point. We’ve managed to acquire the army’s transport corps for moving our guests and sent word to our ‘other friends’ to expect company. Unfortunately I think we may have to resort to tents until we can get the engineering lads out there to get some more accommodation built.”

Runcy caught the newcomers attention, “Excuse me, I don’t believe we’ve met?”

“Oh, my apologies. My name’s Brandy,” the newcomer announced pleasantly, “I’m the co-ordinator for the Equus division of the Celestian Bureau of Investigation.”

“Runcible Spoon. Runcy, if you please.” Runcy nodded towards the grey mare, “This is Terra, who is acting as spokesmare and elder for the tribe.”

Terra blinked, “I am? I...” She cleared her throat, “Yes, I am.”

Brandy smiled, “It is a pleasure to meet more of the tribe, Miss. I believe you are from the four winds, yes?”

“You know of us?” Terra glanced to Barbary and back, “Ah, you have been told of us previously of course.”

Brandy nodded, giving a slight shrug of his shoulders, “Well, that’s true, but we also have what you could call ‘mutual friends’. Once we’ve got everypony fed, watered and checked over by our medics we’ll have you on your way.”

“Where to?” Runcy asked.

Brandy noted the defensiveness in Runcy’s voice. Ah, so they’d affected him too had they? There was definitely something indefinable about these creatures that drew you to them - a sort of magnetism that was in equal measures frightening and alluring at the same time. He’d often thought of discussions with Fairlight as a conversational rollercoaster and by the look on Lord Runcy’s face, he’d been drawn into that same world as surely as he had been, maybe more so. The female standing by his side, the one called Terra… she would be interesting to watch. Perhaps, she could be enticed to work with Equus? He smiled, “We’ll be taking your friends to the tribe’s village in Smiling Borders. As for the others, the ones who’ve worked with Veritas, we’ll be taking them back to headquarters for debriefing before we-”

“Smiling Borders?!” Spike shot to his feet, “But… hang on...” He began pulling open his pack and withdrew a crumpled and rather dog eared brochure, “That’s the place I wanted to go on holiday!” He quickly thumbed through the pages before reading out the caption beneath a stylised picture of happy bathers waving at the artist, “Famous for its hot springs, local tavern and local crafts...”

“-And descendants of the four winds tribe.” Brandy, shook his head, “Fairlight, your erm… ‘lord’, is helping us with our operation.” As if on cue, a flare of blue and white burst on the horizon. “I believe that will be him now. Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have matters to attend to.” He turned to one of his colleagues, “Bingo, I’ll want a full update when we have our new friends back home. The tents should be there already but if they’re not, contact control and they’ll make it happen.”

The orange coated stallion nodded, “Take care, boss.”

“You too.” Brandy clopped him on the shoulder before turning back to the massed equines, “I suppose I should give you ponies an official welcome on behalf of the princesses,” he grinned, “Welcome to Equestria.”

Comments

[Kiwaiti]

Beneath the eerie light of the purple flares, the strange band listened to the tale Lord Runcy wove: of a lost city, a people forgotten in time, a living legend who had survived the war only to give her long life for a child she had never met before.

"survived all the time since the war"? (A thousand years, a timespan known as a millennium, not a millennia, that would be the plural form you use instead of the correct singular one all the time.)
(Did I mention you keep writing "lead" when it should be "led"?)
(I love the story, by the way, and I hope you're still adding to it!)