Stone Mind and a Heart of Ice

by Zeekis Reek

Cascade

The dark crystal walls shook, items clattered around in drawers and display cases. An amulet clattered to the ground, having fallen from its decorative perch. Its diamond shaped sapphire glowed even in the low light, silver antlers spiraling from each side shining in its glow. Another boom, another round of quakes. The battle was quickly coming to an end, and not in a way the amulet wanted. Its master was yet to waken, but this empire was soon to disappear. A vile curse it had helped weave. No, it needed to be far from here, someplace where it would be discovered and cared for. Without a host, a movement of that distance and specificity would take almost all of its power. The amulet would need to be dormant for quite some time to regain its lost charge. But as purple bolts of energy began dancing across its surface, and a puddle of similar looking sludge pooled beneath it, a teal shimmer ran throughout the entire room. The amulets magic was dispelled, and its gem went dark. A door slammed open, letting in dim torch light. Several thin, elegant figures entered with antlers glowing with a similar teal color. A slightly panicked search began, items being roughly tossed about as everything was scrutinized.

“Here!” An alert was sent in a hushed whisper. The amulet was held aloft, illuminated by torches. Two deer approached the one who found it and procured two halves of a hollow metal sphere. Each glowed with a golden light and floated up to the dormant amulet with a hum. They came together, enclosing their quarry inside. A pair of antlers was suddenly wreathed in fire, the sphere began to glow red-hot. The connective seam melted away, and once cooled off the sphere was one complete orb. A white magic enveloped, and the newly fashioned seal floated over to what seemed to be the leader of the group.

“The Dion will guard this. Our vault in the Verdancy Wild is already built and enchanted, the rest of you,” Silver eyes stared down every other pair, “The events of this day will remain secret. A secret you will take to the grave and beyond. Only Dion will remember our race’s greatest failure, our burden will not plague the rest of the Deer.” His antlers lit up brightly, and in a flash the group of deer were gone.

---

A pair of ponies trotted through Ponyville, a common sight on such a fair-weather day. A unicorn mare with a silver coloration maintained a brisk pace next to a brown and black pegasus stallion. The pair moved through the farmers market, dragging a decently sized wagon behind them. The mare put a sweet smile on her face as they approached an older looking stall.

“Root! You in there?” She called out. There was some shuffling and rustling, and old earth pony popped out from under the counter. He saw the pair and returned the unicorn’s smile.

“Silver Spark! I was wondering when you and your brother would come up, I was getting worried!” The farmer turned to look at the pegasus, who wore a neutral expression. Root raised an eyebrow, a knowing glint in his eye. “Still as sociable as ever, Quicksand.” After meeting the old ponies gaze for a moment, Quicksand let a small smile appear on his muzzle.

“I only talk to those I want to, Root.” Root let out a raspy cackle.

“Then aren’t I just lucky to hear your voice?” The earth pony turned back to Silver Spark. “I’m assuming it’s the same order as last week?” The mare let out a giggle as she pulled out a pouch of bits and laid them on the stall.

“You know us too well Root. Nopony grows daisies tastier than you.”

“Of course, ya’ll two are my most loyal customers! Those darn apple farmers usually eat up most of my potential clientele. C’mon Quicksand, help an old farmer out with these bundles.” The pegasus gave a snort in response, but unattached from the wagon and followed Root to the back of the stall to grab their order. It took a few minutes to get everything nestled among the other items in the wagon. “Ya know, if you two just moved into town you wouldn’t have to bust yer chops draggin’ this old thing around.”

“We have a pretty good set up where we live already.” Quicksand said as he reached himself. “The journey isn’t too bad anyway.” Root nodded his head.

“Fair enough. Just know if ya ever need to stay, I got a few empty rooms ya’ll could—” Root was cut off as wave of cold wind rushed through the market. It left all three ponies shivering for a moment before the sun warmed them up once more. “Damn, that was chillier than a Windigo’s behind! Where in tarnation did that come from?” Silver Sparked looked around for a rouge snow cloud or guilty looking unicorn, but the confusion was evident everywhere.

“I’m not sure, the skies look clear…”

An old, raspy voice came hollering from the central plaza of the marketplace. “IT’S THE ICE SPIRITS, THE WINDIGOS! THEY RETURN TO FEAST UPON OUR SINS! PRAY, YA HEATHENS! THE SILENT WINTER IS UPON US!” Root rolled his eyes and hollered back in more controlled tone.

“Quit yer yapping Fossil, before yer voice gives out like yer knees! The Windigos don’t exist, stop riling up young folk!” The earth pony shook his head, chuckling as he went to check on the produce at the back of his stall. “That old Fossil Flower, every Tuesday is the end of the world to her. Prolly just some Pegasus pranking us hardworking farmers, the damn featherbrains. What do you two think?” There was no answer. Root turned around to find the pair of siblings gone. Lingering for a moment, he just shrugged and went back to work. They must’ve been in a hurry.

---

The pair trotted towards the Ever-Free Forest, faster than most would expect when dragging a fully loaded wagon. Once they were on a trail leading into the heart of the forest, and surrounded by dense vegetation, a shimmer ran over their bodies. Their pony form disappeared as they grew taller and thinner. Their coat colors were replaced by brown, black, and white fur. Antlers revealed themselves, though “Silver Spark’s” pair were obviously made of a silver-colored metal, whereas her brothers were a naturally formed pair. Now in their true forms as Deer, they ventured ever deeper.

“Ailia, any word?” The brother asked.

“No Bandlyst, nothing.” Ailia answered worriedly. She glanced at her brother then refocused on the path. “I just hope mother is alright.” Ailia heard Bandlyst snort in annoyance.

“She’d be just fine if we stopped trying these pony remedies and actually used our people’s technology.”

“You know how dangerous it can be!” Ailia chastised the buck, “The Deer fell from dominance for a reason. We have to use the artifacts sparingly. Besides, Dion never had any of the real healing tech.”

“I can think of one…” Bandlyst muttered under his breath. Before the argument could go any further, the pair of deer arrived at their destination. A timber wolf den. The wooden predators growled at their approach, green eyes leering out from the darkness. Ailia raised her right forelimb to her snout, brandishing a circlet with a slew of multicolored runes. The doe pressed her snout against a green one, and the bottom of her hoof shone with the same symbol. Stamping her hoof to the ground, her silver antlers lit up with a green aura. The timber wolves went silent and disappeared into the surrounding forest.

“Good to see your new Focus is working.” The buck said as they walked into the den.

“The Forge Masters uphold the tradition well.” The den goes much deeper than it should, and dirt is soon replaced by craved stone. A pair of ornately carved stone door open as the siblings draw near, artificial light spilling into the cavern. As they enter through the gateway, it was evident their home was in a state of emergency. The normally empty hallway to the greater Vault, was now lined with heavily armored bucks. Their silver armor flowed naturally along their bodies, teal lights running along underneath. The largest buck of the squad stepped in front of Ailia and Bandlyst, his significance made clear by the full-body armor.

“Stop there. Noreen’s twins I assume?” The bucks voice was scratchy, like he spoke through a radio. “Need to scan your wagon there. It’ll take a sec, then you’re free to go. The boys here will take the supplies you got; you’re wanted in the Inner Vault.”

Ailia nodded. “Of course, Warden Grail.” The Warden’s antlers glow white, and a screen of magic covered the wagon. A moment passes, and its dispelled.

“All right, you’re good to go. Like I said, Inner Vault.” The siblings nodded, unattached themselves from the wagon, and quickly made their way deeper into their subterranean home. The Inner Vault was an impenetrable fortress, from deer Honor Guard to rune-forged defense golems and every kind of trap the Forge Masters could craft. All to guard one thing. As the siblings crossed through yet another set of thick stone doors, the entered the observatory. Groups of deer frantically milled about checking and writing down glyph sequences appearing on glass panes. One noticed the twins and rushed over to them.

“Finally, you’re here! Bandlyst, we need your magic to suppress the Amulet, it’s gone completely rouge.” Not one to stop for a chat during a crisis, the buck nodded his head and followed the researcher toward the entry hatch. Ailia was left alone, so she decided to try and figure out what in the world was going on. She stepped in front of a doe who was rushing about with a scroll of notes.

“What’s going on?! Where’s Noreen?” The doe was startled, obviously not in the mood for chatting.

“A-A magical surge came from the north, and then the Amulet just went berserk. We think it might actually be fully awake. Noreen, she…” The doe trailed off, not looking Ailia in the eye. “Her condition worsened severely. The Amulet’s awakening might have strengthened her sickness. I’m sorry, now please I need to get these notes to the analyst.” The researcher brushed past a wide-eyed Ailia. After a moment she rushed to the observatory window. From there she could see Bandlyst, along with a cadre of deer no doubt providing magical support. His horn glowed a bright gold as he fought against some formless blob of dark magic. Deep inside, Ailia could see the sphere that had contained the cursed artifact their family had spent a thousand years guarding. Bright cracks ran along its surface, more of the vile looking magic pouring from it. Bandlyst was keeping it contained in a golden dome, and it was working. So far, at least. The doe knew she shouldn’t bother him, but he deserved to know. Messing with her rune circlet, she made her selection and stomper her hoof. Her antlers lit up with a green light.

“Bandlyst?”

“What?” Came the curt reply. Ailia could feel his annoyance in his thoughts.

“The amulet did something to Mother. I don’t know what yet, but I’m going to go see her.” Waves of anxiety and concern came from Bandlyst.

“Be there for her, I got this handled. Thanks for telling me.”

“I know you do. Good luck.”

---

Bandlyst felt Ailia leave his mind. He refocused on the monster before him, using his boosted magic to keep it trapped while the eggheads upstairs figured out a solution. Then they could focus on his mother. The curse of the Dion had existed since they put the cursed thing in the vault, you think they’d come up with a cure by now.

“It can never be broken.”

The buck nearly buckled under the weight of the presence that just entered his mind, speaking with waves of untold hatred and malice and power. He gasped as his dome flickered, the air being driven from his lungs like he’d been kicked.

“What… who…”

The amulet. Bandlyst struggled to keep an even gaze at it, his golden hues blurred in their vision.

“How can… you speak? How are you…”

“Typical deer arrogance. Still using the same tricks as all those eons ago. Comes with all the problems as well.” Bandlyst heard its mocking laughter ring in his ears. The buck gritted his teeth, sweat dripped down his snout.

“What did you do to my mother?”

“Nothing she wouldn’t have wanted. Isn’t that what you Dion’s are all about, suffering so others don’t have to? Isn’t that why you ‘Keepers’ choose to bear a curse that halves your life span and cripples you with nightmarish pains and phantoms? All to contain a mere Echo. She’s chosen to be the nexus of all my… collateral energies. Without her, you and your little gang of batteries would be rolling in agony right now.” The buck took a minute to process and think, all the while he struggled to keep his dome up.

“What will it take for you to stop?”

“Oh? No heroic speech of defiance?”

“Just… tell me.”

“I wish to be set free. From there all I can guarantee is a battle of wills. Mine against yours. I win, I use your body as a little meat puppet. You win, and you can finally end the curse killing your bloodline.”

“…”

“Do we have a deal?”

---

The Royal Gardens were a beautiful display of almost every floral species in Equestria, a labor of love maintained by the Royal Gardeners for a thousand years. They carefully trimmed each and every plant and cared for the statues that resided amongst the plants. Every stone figure was clear of roots, weeds and shone like the day they were made. Except for one. A single statue that resided in the heart of the Royal Labyrinth, far from any of the well-traveled paths. An unconscious tradition of neglect from the first generation of Royal Gardeners that refused to come near the gangly figure. Vines and moss-covered antlers were all that was truly visible. Brush and overgrown trees obscured everything else. Expect today, something new could be seen. As the chilling pulse of wind swept over Canterlot, a cold white frost began seeping out like a deathly fog.

Author's Note:

Hello! Thank you for taking the time to read my story! I'm relatively new to this whole pony thing, but the story and lore of the show just really got my creative gears grinding. Please let me know if you have any feedback!

Comments

[Dark starlight]

Seems like a good start, can't wait to see more.

[Zeekis Reek]

10946346
Thank you very much!