The Shadow's Edge

by Centurion Pike-Wall

19~Whistle in the Blizzard

Twilight grunted, bracing behind her magical shield as another buffet of wind slammed into it. Behind her, the shivering of her friends and the Royal Guards with them reached her ears even over the roaring of the wind. She looked back up, only to once again be met by the merciless glare of the icy fog.

That same visage had been a constant companion since they had set off from the Crystal Empire in search of the ancient Umbrum fortress they had identified. While all three of the Princesses had objected, Twilight had insisted on leading the search; this was her brother, after all. She would find him.

That hadn't made the trip easy by any stretch of the imagination, however. Snow and sleet pounded at them like artillery, while a constant assault by whipping cold winds slowed their progress to a crawl in places. Even the weather-manipulation skill of Rainbow Dash and the Pegasus Royal Guards did little to stop it.

The only way that Twilight knew where they were going was an enchantment placed upon the map that tracked their location. Ever since they had left, the distance between them and the fortress grew less and less. They had actually made somewhat decent progress; they would be there in a few days, by her best estimate.

She was drawn from her thoughts by another flare in the chilly wind. This time, it caught her off guard and forced her to drop it, allowing it to race through the group unimpeded.

As the others practically ground to a halt, Lieutenant En Garde forced himself to the front. "Miss Twilight!", he yelled over the howling wind. "We need to stop!"

Twilight felt a brief pang of guilt, not wanting to stop her search for even a moment, but looking past the burly guard to her friends, she nodded. "Alright!", she bellowed back, lighting up her horn. This time, she sent out a brief pulse, looking for any irregularities in the terrain. A clump of boulders, a few bushes that somehow grew, a frozen river... There!

"There's a cave ahead!", she called. "Follow me!"

She swore she almost heard Rainbow Dash say, "Like we have a choice." If she did or not, she brushed the thought aside and led them towards the cave. Soon, the ever-present shroud of fog gave way to a roughly-hewn cave entrance, emerging from it like a beast from the darkness.

The expedition quickly surged forward and took shelter within, dropping their heavy packs and shedding a few of the piled on cloaks. Rarity practically purred as she removed her several scarves, exclaiming, "Oh, I can't believe I'm happy to be out of any kind of clothing. But I think I'll make an exception in this case."

"I'll drink ta that", Applejack agreed, slumping against her heavy pack.

Lieutenant En Garde immediately went to organizing his soldiers, saying, "Sergeant Lucerne, you're on first watch. Corporal Sentry, Private Envelopment, get a fire started."

While the Royal Guards went about their duties, Twilight and her friends gathered together. "How close are we?", Fluttershy asked.

"Not too far", Twilight said, unfurling the map and laying it in front of them. "We're about here. If we keep this pace, we should be there in a few days."

"And what then?", Applejack asked.

Twilight said, "Well, that's what the Elements are for." She gestured to her own pack, the blue and gold case just barely sticking out the top of it. "If Sombra is there, then we can use them on him. If Umbrum are vulnerable to Love, I don't see why the Elements shouldn't affect him."

"But what if he ain't?", Applejack pressed. "Ah get it, Twi. Ah'd do anythin' fer mah brother too. But... Well, what if he ain't there?"

"Well...", Twilight said, a lump forming in her throat. "Then, we'll head back to the Crystal Empire, and consider what to do next. We've got enough food for the return trip."

"Plus, even if we run out", Rainbow Dash snickered. "Pinkie's probably got enough marshmellows, chocolate, and grahm crackers to last us until we get back there."

"Hey", Pinkie said, nonchalantly pulling a few of the aforementioned ingredients out of her back. "You never go camping without them."

"You do realize that this isn't camping, right darling?", Rarity said.

Pinkie frowned a bit, before perking back up. "Of course I do. But that doesn't mean we can't make the most out of it. Plus, when we do find Shining, he'll probably want a s'more! S'mores always cheer me up!"

"Can't argue with that", Corporal Sentry said, looking over from the fire. "Ow! What?"

Lieutenant En Garde, quietly rubbing his hoof, said, "Stay focused, Corporal!"

At that moment, something suddenly began to whistle louder than the wind outside. Literally shooting out of the fog came a iron-tipped javelin, slamming into one of the Royal Guard's packs. At the same time, figures began to appear from the frozen exterior, accompanied by the fierce barking of dogs.

"Defensive positions!", Lieutenant En Garde yelled, stirring the Royal Guard into action. They grabbed their spears, coming together by the entrance to form a defensive line. Twilight looked out past the line to their attackers.

As they drew closer, Twilight could make out more of their assailants. They wore heavy coats underneath somewhat sparse armor, as well as fur-lined helmets, thick boots, and face-concealing masks and goggles. Most were armed with some kind of strange lance, while others hefted javelins and two held back the leashes of large, baying dogs. However, one details suddenly came to her attention: Their horns. Horns that resembled her brothers.

"Wait!", she yelled, running up to and past the Lieutenant.

En Garde almost slammed her back, asking, "What do you think you're doing?"

"They're Umbrum", she said, pointing towards their horns. The Umbrum soldiers also stopped their advance, assuming a defensive posture of their own. She stepped forward, careful to make no sudden moves. As she moved forward, one of the Umbrum also stepped forward, distinguished from the others by a red feather attached to his helmet. "Can you understand me?"

"Yes", the Umbrum said, his voice even and measured. "How do you know of us? What is your purpose here?"

"We're looking for my brother", she said. "He-"

"Is none of my concern", the Umbrum said. "If he got lost this far north, he is dead. I suggest you turn back now, lest you meet the same fate."

"No!", she said, before composing herself under the officer's stiff glare. "I mean, he's an Umbrum too! He was adopted by my family, and-"

The officer held up a hoof, silencing her instantly. He turned away, seeming to contemplate what she said. Twilight could swear she saw a brief flare of green light beneath his goggles, before he turned back to her. "I think I know who you're talking about. However, I still can't let you-"

"Please", she said. "I... I just want to make sure he's ok."

The officer turned back to his soldiers, seeming to consult with them nonverbally. Finally, he turned back to Twilight, and gave her a slight nod. "Alright. We'll see what the Magistrates have to say about it. However, we're taking your escort's weapons."

"Deal", Twilight said instantly, turning back to the Royal Guards. "Give them your weapons. They can take us to where Shining is."

The Lieutenant looked too his Guards and them to him, before finally lowering their spears. As two of the Umbrum came into the cave to secure them, En Garde said, "I hope you know what you're doing, Miss Twilight."

Comments

[SirCarrot]

Reunion time soon