> The Coltic Prince
>  by Keldeo de Sol
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Prologue
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        Once, there was a pony. A little pony, mind you. Then again, little is what generally describing the inhabitants of the nation of Equestria, for ponies were smaller in comparison to the inhabitants of the rest of the world. Buffalo, minotaurs, donkeys. Zebras, deer, yaks. Even horses, the cousin race to that of the ponies, which look similar but with a taller stance and wider strides of gallop. So perhaps our pony of which we speak of isn’t so little amongst kin, but is to the rest of the world.

The pony lives in the capital city of Equestria, known as Canterlot. For near one thousand years, Canterlot has resided high in the mountains, above the clouds, overlooking the land bellow.  For near one thousand years, peace as reigned over the land of Equestria. And for near one thousand years, a sole pony has sat on the throne, keeping order in her kingdom. Her name is Celestia de Sol, princess of the ponies of Equestria. In spite of her age, Celestia retains a youthful face and a stance so tall, one may find it difficult to believe that she’s a pony and not a horse. She had regal, beautiful ivory wings, a magnificent and narrow horn. Her mane and tail flowed with the birthing hours of the rising sun, and the sun itself mounted on her flank, a pony trait called a cutie mark.

        But why not queen? It is hard to say for certain. There are several rumors that buzz around Celestia, some nothing more than gossip and wives’ tales. But popular theory suggests that due to her unusually long life, her royal majesty suffers from fits of unspeakable loneliness. Naturally, ponies don’t live to such an age of one-thousand, as one hundred is a number that few even manage to claw their way to. Having lived for over one millennia, Celestia knew of her unnatural longevity. She has seen countless friends and family be consumed by the slow passage of time. She was once even a wife and mother, long ago. It is difficult to comprehend the feeling in the heart to watch your children grow old and for your king to fall victim to the ever flowing river of time. Upon the king’s passing, Celestia renounced her title of queen. “What is a queen without her king?” is what ponies say quoted by Celestia as they pass toasted treats around the fire. With a chuckle on their breath, it is joked that “queen” doesn’t sound as youthful as “princess” as well.

        The rumors aren’t entirely wrong, however. Shortly after Celestia’s one thousandth birthday, the princess brought into her kingdom a young colt. Not “brought” as in “birth,” mind you. The princess may have retained her youthful look, but her proverbial garden has long, long been barren and fruitless. All mares only have so many years to bring about life before growing too old and Celestia was no exception to this way of the world. No, she brought a little prince to the kingdom by means of adoption.

        The decision was quite sudden, really. The one-thousandth dawning year of the princess’s entrance to the world, she had felt her age creeping in on her. She had several birthdays before, course, and she had for a very long time. But there is just something that the thought of hitting the quadruple digits that really begins to sink into the mind how much things have changed. Flowing, heated water delivered to every household? Electricity? Music pumped through speakers, read from black, rotating discs? For a world where magic, spells, and mystical creatures exist, even these things become difficult to follow for one who is so outsourced from these advances. But for all the modern marvels, her majesty missed her family.

        The king’s name was Deo, a majestic and gentle unicorn was he. Together with his queen, they bore three foals. Their first and oldest child and daughter was the princess Aurora. Their second, a son named Meridie. And the youngest of them was the princess Luna, graced with the namesake of the aunt she was never meant to meet. The aunt, of course, being Celestia’s sister, Luna de Sol, whom was banished to the moon less than a millennium before and tales says she remains to this day.

        It was after the good princess Celestia’s thousandth birthday party that she took some solemn refuge to the ancient royal tombs of the royal family for the past one thousand or so years. Her dear family, from husband and bore children, all the way down to where the blood of the royal family has changed so much, there is hardly any more relation left that connected back to Celestia herself. Still, she knew them all. After a few generations, titles of “grandmother” and the like were dropped in favor of simply being called “aunt,” as to help save a mouthful of countless “great” tagged on, as well as to not remind the princess of her ongoing age. Regardless of these, she knew all the ponies that were entombed here well. She had been to every birth, every event, every graduation, and even personally pronounced them as husband and wife. Dozens if not more ponies of the royal family have found their eternal rest in this tomb and each one Celestia knew by name.

        “It was a lovely ceremony,” she spoke aloud, her voice echoing quietly through the catacombs of the royals. There was no reply, no voice, that communicated back to her. Just the empty clip clop echoes of her hooves against the polished marble floors. “Everypony from Las Pegasus to Manehattan had to have been there. The music and the cheer was beautiful and the cake, sweet and rich. They had competitions of sword and spells, games and booths to entertain mare and filly. Did the fireworks disturb any of you? They lit off one thousand fireworks… one for each year I’ve lived. For the centuries of peace we provided our subjects, they threw the most spectacular celebration in honor of our work. I might’ve been the one who have held the throne for so many years, but I couldn’t have done it without your support… all of your support.”

        Again, no response. Celestia’s words faded softly into the deafening silence of the royal tomb.

        “…but each passing generation, I feel I lose time with you. My days and nights, it becomes hard to keep track of. You’ve all brought me so much joy, but you all also took a piece of my heart with you. I feel old. I’m long overdue for my rest… but you know I can’t. Not yet. Not until the dawn of the thousandth year has come to pass of the banishment and my sister… by all goodness willing, she has returned to normal.” Celestia stopped at the end of the tomb, where her husband and children sleep within stone caskets, sealed with figures depicting their once youthful selves. “No, not even then. It’d be thoughtless of me to pass right as she returned. The world has changed so much since we were fillies. She deserves at least one familiar face to welcome her home. It was heartless enough that I banished her to the moon, little choice that I had. The irony that the power of the elements bound me to that banishment as well.  Oh… but you heard this many times. I apologize.”

        Moonlight gently filtered in through the stained glass of the tomb. It didn’t light up the whole place, but did permit the king and his immediate line to glow in a dim majesty.

        “Aurora, Meri, Luna; do you still think fondly of your aunt? You never got to meet her, I know… but I know you would’ve loved her if everything just had gone a different way. And she’d have loved you, too. Deo, what if we had met sooner and had our children then? My sister always had a soft spot for foals… do you think the darkness in her heart could’ve been stayed if she was looking out for them? I find new things to regret every day about that day. It is so long in the past; our subjects think it a fairy tale rather than history.”

        Her eyes turned to the tombs of her children. They all passed hundreds of years ago, peacefully in their sleep from age. It was difficult for Celestia then, to be have such a youthful look while her children that she bore we wrinkled, crusty, and lived a full life. For some time, Celestia found it difficult to appear publicly as an uncanny eternal youth. Now here her family lay in stone boxes, even far crustier than they ever were before. A pile of dust may be all that remained of them anymore. Celestia struggled to keep the thought from her mind.

        “I’ll never forget the days you three rays of sunshine entered my life. It was difficult and looking back, I wish we had the medicine then to ease that pain that they provide now. But it was a good pain, one worth having. Your first steps, your first words… my panic at the first mess drenched cloth. I miss those days. I’ve seen my nieces and nephews bring more nieces and nephews, but they were never mine to raise. Do you think…”

        The moonlight drawn in by the stained class faded as cloud cover hide the mare on the moon, hiding her face from the world bellow. The tomb was dark, lit only by the constant light flickers of candlelight. Candlelight that has been burning and added to each new tomb through each era. The detail of the window was of sisterly princess Luna, guardian of the moon. A gentle, loving gaze silently watched over the royal family.

        “…is it selfish to wish to relive the joys of motherhood once more when I’ve robbed you of so much, my sister? Believe me, I’ve suffered with you. I’ve suffered more farewells than what any pony should ever be put through. I’ll be here for your return. But the waiting… I wish only for a piece of comfort. A bit of joy. It is difficult to smile for our subjects after so much loss. It is my duty to, and I will. But…”

        The cloud cover passed, returning the soft light of the moon. Again, the tombs of king Deo and line sparkle gently in the sleeping halls.

        Celestia stands silently, thinking to herself. She barely breathed up till a long sigh. That’s right. A duty. Tomorrow, the sun will need to rise again and life for every pony in Equestria will continue on, just as it always has. And after the rising of the sun, Celestia will need to see to other business. Tax discussions, budget balances, foreign relations, busy, busy, busy. She is responsible for maintaining the peace of the kingdom and it has certainly grown a lot since her legitimate youth. It has become second nature to her at this point, she could probably do it in her sleep. Well, not really. Even a millennial princess needs to get her rest. She spent too long in this dusty tomb already, but it was a special occasion. Celestia gave the busts of Deo, Aurora, Meri, and daughter Luna a kiss with a whisper of “I love you” and “sweet dreams” before exiting the tombs.

        For the following few months, it was business as usual. Much of this blurred together as once you’ve done this for so long, it really is a simple matter. Second nature, it was. Disasters, though, were always something never desired to hear news of. Not even for nations far away. On the far side of the world, the nation of the Colitc Republic (with history going back so far, this may have been the true homeland of the ponies) was struck by a slew of terrible rain storms. The land is often covered in gray clouds with frequent rains, far from being any desert. But this particular spell was terrible. It flooded so many homes, villages, and farms. Keeping good tidings with the political powers of the nation, Celestia went to visit the nation as a symbol of good fortune. Naturally, she brought with her much charity. Food, clean water, warm blankets, and several Equestrian ponies who volunteered to show their brethren the magic of friendship.

        Now, something that was neglected to be mentioned is that Celestia has developed a sort of sixth sense. Clairvoyance, it can be called. She would here and there have dreams of events in the future. Certainly, things wouldn’t always play out exactly as she witnessed, but it was always a sure bet to say that she would be well within the ball park of what is to be. Seemingly off topic, as things have been, but it serves purpose here as she had a dream about some sort of discovery she’d find while in the Coltic Republic. A muddy side road, leading deep into the woods. A clear pond at the end of a long trek in an uninhabited portion of the countryside. There, she dreamt, that she would discover something that would change her life.

She wasn’t wrong. After she finished her tidings with some officials and political figure heads, coupled with some public appearances to help boost moral of the citizens of the Coltic Republic, Princess Celestia in company of her escort of guards found that dirty path, leading off to the side and heading nowhere in particular into the woods. Unremarkable in every single way, but familiar to Celestia only from her dream, like a long lost nostalgic feeling. Their next order of business was only to prepare to go home, yet she found it almost dire to schedule this odd detour. They continued in until the murky path stuck the carriage. Refusing from being deterred, Celestia insisted that she continued further into the woodland. Some of her guards stayed behind to dig out the carriage, while the remaining escorted their crown leader. It was hours into the day when that pond afore mentioned appeared. Picturesque, a little known treasure of the beauty the Repulic had to offer. Though beautiful, the guards whispered to themselves of why this seemingly beautiful part of the world was left untouched.

“Kelpies,” they bantered. “Ponies lost to the rivers and lakes of the woods. Heard some of the locals talk about them last night after my shift. They claimed that they roam the forest watersides after dark, dragging their victims to the bottom of lakes, adding to their number.” Another rolled his eyes. “Kelpies? The water ponies that is used like a boogeypony to keep foals from staying up past their bedtimes? Next, you’re going to claim wendigoes are real, too.”

Almost like on cue, there came a splashing sound from the small pond before them. The more superstitious of the guards nearly jumped out of their armor, while the more realist ones laughed. The splishing peaked Celestia’s interest, advancing to see what it was. She didn’t see in her dream exactly what it is she would find, only that something would be here. That’s when she found him; the littlest of unicorns. Drenched from horn to tail, a small foal shivering and coming out of the water. He was filthy, but it was clear to see his mane was the color orange (or ginger, if you prefer). Interestingly, his tail was a separate color all together, being aqua in color. Or perhaps, a sky blue? A rather uncommon trait. Regardless, the little thing was cold and shivering.

This is the little pony mentioned in the beginning. His name was to be Keldeo. Prince Keldeo Aquarius de Sol, Princess Celestia’s adopted son. She gave him the name in tribute to the mythological “kelpies”, being water ponies of the Coltic Republic, and after her late king husband, Deo. Unlike the creatures, Celestia wished that her son would be kind and gentle, just like his “father.”

The years that followed seemed to flow at a much different momentum. What once seemed like a rushing blur, every moment with this new foal in her life was something to be cherished. The kingdom was ecstatic to welcome the new little crown to the royal family and Celestia herself felt hundreds of years younger. The young prince, she felt, was her answered prayers and wish to relive past experiences. The changing of the soiled cloths, the squeals of delight and the aching heart of every stubbed hoof or banged forehead. Celestia felt alive. It did take some getting used to, however. She was insistent on caring for the foal as her own and it brought many sleepless nights caused by an uneasy baby stomach or a cold. But deep was the love for this colt, Celestia even took to cooking meals, something she hadn’t acted in doing for many long years. And to describe the overflow of emotions she felt for the first time in centuries to hear first spoken words, directed to her. “Mawmie.” She choked back tears of bliss.

Princess Celestia couldn’t have been happier to have a son once more, but there came one day where the prince grew curious to the whereabouts of his father. His mother had kept Keldeo in the dark about his adoption. While he understood that he was named in honor of the long late King Deo, it made little sense of how he came to be. Celestia could feel her heart rip apart in two upon giving in to give the truth to her son, for secret insecurities arose and weighed heavy upon the young prince. I’m not really a prince? She’s not my mother? Who am I?

Keldeo was unable to cope with the feelings surging through his head. He was always taught that being a prince was a heavy responsibility, that countless ponies would look his way for guidance. How long has everyone known? Why didn’t I know? Do they even like me as prince? When his mother, filled with remorse, went to bed, Keldeo snuck out of the castle (having diligently learned the breaks in the routes of patrolling guards in many late night cookie heists). He took sanctum in one of the few places he felt welcome, in the household of his best friend, Twilight Sparkle.

Twilight Sparkle is a purple unicorn filly, one that you’re sure to be familiar with. Shortly after being accepted into her school of magic, Princess Celestia assigned her son as a guide to Twilight, helping her become accustomed to the school and serve as a tutor. When Keldeo arrived on their doorstep on that stormy, wet evening, it was Twilight’s mother who answered the door. The prince feigned a smile, lying that he happened to be in the area and wished to drop off a world’s record book that Twilight had let him borrow. The façade crumbled quickly as he broke into tears that was at first disguised by rainfall. They took the vulnerable little prince in, contacting his mother once they put him to bed. Princess Celestia grieved further to find that her son ran away, but thankful of Twilight’s family for letting her know of his whereabouts. For a few days more, Keldeo stayed over and given time to get it all out of his system. Upon his return home, the prince profusely apologized and cried in the embrace of his mother. Celestia coddled him, reminding him of her love and that he always was and will be her little sunshine.

        It was difficult to convey to Keldeo of his odd origins, being found washed up on the shoreline of some little pond in the middle of uninhabited Coltic Republic woodland. It sounded as surreal as storks delivering foals through a chimney or sprouting up from a head of cabbage, yet it seemed to be the truth. He asked if Celestia had ever tried to find his real family, to which she replied that no trace was found. A colt that matched his description was never reported lost and not even the most exclusive privileged resource at her disposal could Celestia locate the family of the foal she stumbled upon. Years of searching have turned up nothing. Keldeo looked away and frowned, but Celestia pulled his face towards hers.

        “The world is filled with mysteries, my son. There’s even questions that I’ve got that remain unanswered. But a question without a doubt in my heart that I know to be true is that you are my sunshine. You’ve been my blessing ever since you came into my life, no matter the entry. You are my son. Irreplaceable and worth more to me than anything else. I love you and that is something that will never change.”

        It was a comforting feeling, knowing that he always had a home. But the questions regarding how he washed up in that little pond were still a mystery. Keldeo didn’t believed he was just simply abandoned and left for dead, but what became of his parents? Were they still out there or had they progressed on to the next world? Attempts to deter himself from thinking the worst, he would remind himself of what he has now. After all, the likelihood that he was found were small. Smaller still that a seemingly very unfortunate event turned out to be what could be debated as one of the best things to have happened. To be adopted into the royal family of Equestria, taken in and be considered son to her princess. And with no regard for Keldeo’s quiet insecurities, the civilians of Equestria continued to pledge support. When he walked the streets, all continued to bow to his presence. Letters would be written, asking him of what life was like as royalty, what his favorite hobbies were, and some were written with little hearts that were used in place of dotting letters.

         The years passed and the prince would only continue to grow and learn as he advanced into his teens. He looked towards one of the royal family’s generals for fatherly guidance, an earth pony by the name of Dust. While any conflict was scarcely ever needed, Dust was still an expert at combat and strategy, argued as one of the best (but then again, he’d have to be to earn his position). A gentle stallion he was, he found it an honor to teach the prince the art of swordsmanship. Dust never had much opportunity in his life to establish a family, taking great pride in the safety of not only the royal family, but the citizens of Equestria. Keldeo was even to him the son he never had.

        This brings us up to the present. It is the third era, the year 995. The beginning of winter is closing in quick, but Equestria has already been blanketed in several layers of snow. The sun is rising on this December morning, behind veiled cloud cover. It would seem to start out like any other day for Prince Keldeo Aquarius de Sol, but events beyond his comprehension have already started to roll forward…

> Chapter I: Snow Day
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

        “Have at you, you oversized furnace! You have robbed my citizens of wealth and home! That means you’re going to answer to me!” Keldeo finds himself staring down the barrel of a gun by the name of Scales, a massive fire breathing dragon. His sword honed directly at the beast, perched atop a throne decorated with golden bit coins, precious gems, and fresh fruit. The wyrm sputtered out flickering embers with a snake-like hiss. “This bounty is mine, prince! All that is missing from collection is the crown on your head!”
        “Not even in death will you take the crown away from Equestria! Taste my steel!”

        Scales discharged a pillar of flames from his mouth that was hot enough to melt the gold around it into a puddle, engulfing the prince completely from behind his shield. It briefly looked as though the story has already come to an end, but the firebrand was only getting started. A magical discharge dispelled the flame and Scales flinched as Keldeo lunged into the airspace above his head. The prince took a swing, a prideful glint in his eye as he was ready to cleave the head of the menacing dragon in two. The beast only had time to gasp before the sword was already at it’s destination. When suddenly…


Bingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbing


        Keldeo’s sword didn’t even leave a scratch in Scales’s scales. The blade resonated, wobbling like it was made of rubber! It shook so violently, it traveled up the hilt, into his forelegs, ending within the whole of his body. His teeth clattered together and eyes shaking in their sockets like a freshly made gelatin snack with fruit bits inside.


bingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbing


He fought to regain control and plunge the blade into the forehead of Scales, but it was no use. He couldn’t stop this unnatural shaking. He dropped the sword and it shattered to tiny bits, like a window with a swift encounter with a kickball. Hooves to his head, Keldeo could still hear the loud, clear ringing of his sword. The bits still continued to resonate, defying logic.


bingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbing


        “No! Not now! Why does this have to happen now?!” Keldeo pleaded, lefting his head up. The dragon was now at eye level, with a wicked, manure eating grin streaked across his face, drawing a deep breath. “It is time for you to rise… and… SHINE.”


bingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingbi- THRUMB


        The ringing sound halted as the world darkened around Keldeo. All ended, right there. The only sensation he felt now was of warmth and comfort. A very soft and plush bedding lay beneath him. Now light started to filter in, stinging his eyes as he awakened to a familiar scene. A pale purple gradient, dipping off into a sky blue. Intricate bobs and strokes in the painting gave birth to soft, breezy clouds. To his right, drawn curtains overlooked a somber, snowy city of Canterlot in the midst of a soft blizzard. To his left, a dresser with a vanity. At its rest, a pillow lay on the floor alongside a gold brass alarm clock with two bells.

        “Hmmgh… always at the best part…”

        Arching his back and propping himself slightly with his ginger head, Keldeo let out a mighty yawn as he stretched out his hooves. Reclining back, he swiveled back and forth on top of his comforter. He felt quite at peace, and so unbelievably cozy in his warm room. He fought with the idea in his head to just pretend his alarm had never gone off and to sneak in an extra ten minutes of sleep. He was up half the night before, trying to pen down the incarnation of how to cast a brand new spell. He had been working on it for a big project in school, utilizing a valuable resource that had rarely before been experimented with; dragon fire. Perhaps that was the fuel that conjured up his heroic flub of a dream…

        “Mother would kill me if I overslept… and double that for Twilight…” Muttering to himself under his breath, the little prince toppled his way out bed. Another series of stretches, first with his forelegs and then with his rear, like a cat that has awoken from its nap. He trotted across his tidy prince room, heading for the private bath in the distant corner. The scent of smoked wood hung subtlety in their air, wafting in gently from the fireplace stationed central in the room along the northern wall. The coals inside were completely cool, husked, and dusty; they had burned out hours ago the night before and were about due for a cleaning. Stockings also hung as well across the mantle, a holiday tradition. While these wouldn’t be the royal family’s stockings to be filled with goodies, these ones Keldeo had prepared himself to distribute to his friends and family. Each one had a name written on the top brim with a glittery substance; Mom, Dust, Cadi, Twilight, Spike, Blue, Barris, Trebble…

        The private bathroom of a prince is about as regal as one might expect. The primary color theme is pastel yellow, white, and hints of woodland brown. The floor looked to be a white marble tile, with slip resistant plush rugs at key spots (toilet, sink, and surrounding the tub). The tub itself was situated in the corner with two steps leading up to it. It was large, with jets that have been witness to a disastrous bubble bath or three during Keldeo’s years growing up. The handles of the faucet glowed a light blue, turning to release a torrent of hot water rushing out, willed to do so by the prince’s magic. A thermometer built into the side of the tub indicated the temperature so those who could afford this luxury didn’t have to second guess temperatures; 105 degrees, perfect for soaking out the morning groggies.

        Hopping in while the water was still heating up, Keldeo submerged his head right under the running tap. He wasn’t afraid of embracing the water and the sudden temperature always helped him feel awake. He knew he didn’t always have a lot of time on these school days. Wake up, wash up, pack his bags for school, head down for breakfast, then tack on the extra step of bundling up for the winter cold outside. This year, it has just been dreadfully cold. Sure, every winter is cold, as it should, but it would seem the weather ponies have really been slacking on the job lately. There is too much snow and too cold of winds blowing. Looks like nature is just being stubborn and has other plans. Bound to happen.

        Easy in and easy out. Already fully cleaned up before the tub finished filling, Keldeo hopped out, splashing water that ran down the two steps like a miniature sudsy waterfall. The towels in his bathroom rarely saw any use and served more as a novelty item for the prince than anything else, just something to fill up empty space. He had no intention of pouring water everywhere he went or leave it to be cleaned up by any cleaners. He just had himself a more unique way to dry off that has thus far been known to be exclusive to him. He plumped his rear down, drawing a slow breath through his mouth and exhaling through his nose. He crossed his forelegs across his chest before stretching them out before him. Simultaneously, he elevated himself on his back legs while bring up his front above his head, controlling the water around his body. The water that had soaked the floor and filled the small rug beneath him like a dish sponge was leeched dry of any moisture as it as rose up above his head in a floating water bubble, along with any water that drench Keldeo’s own being. Flicking his carpus to gesture towards the tub, the water gently streamed back into the soapy soup, leaving him completely dry and clean.

        Water artes. A unique and once believed to be dead form of magic, used long before recorded history. Little is known about these abilities or to what extent that they could’ve been used to. Few scriptures have ever been uncovered that detailed these or how they were used, but this much has been concluded. First, the artes were elemental based. Water wasn’t the sole subject of the field as fire, the air, or even solid rock could be carved and manipulated at will. Second, the magic didn’t belong solely to those who could use standard magic, such as unicorns. A pegasus or even an earth pony could learn how to control the elements if they had the aptitude. To distinguish it from traditional magical abilities, they have been given the name of “artes” based off the translations of the ancient scripts. The third thing known is that the reason any race or species could use the elemental artes is because it doesn’t need to be cast with the aid of a magical catalyst. Through ways of body movements and will, a sort of interpretative dance is performed in order to convey the wielder’s desire on where to send an element and in the manner it is sent. A more lethargic series of movements will cause an element to be slow, while powerful and fast movements will hasten the process. At least, it is in theory. The fourth and final thing that is understood about this is that not just anyone can pick it up and learn it. It doesn’t matter how well one may try to master the techniques scrounged together from rotting paper plagued with holes from rat nibbles or what else happened over time. You seemingly have to be born with the ability to control an element to begin with. Nobody in record has been known to control an element in quite the same way that Keldeo could, completely free of standard everyday magic. The prince of Equestria seems to fill that niche of being special, though it really does stop with being able to float water around and dry things off. He also seems to be able to control water only. Attempts to study his skills with being able to manipulate fire or wind have turned up completely fruitless. Suppose that is why Keldeo’s cutie mark is that of the Coltic symbol representing water.

        His majesty rarely ever bothers with styling his mane. He’s got tangled curls that become nothing less than a chore to work with, requiring more time than that which he’d be willing to invest for a standard day. Vanity just wasn’t his style as his preference was to never wear his circlet symbolizing his nobility outside of special occasions. Occasions like a foreign prime minister visiting or public events where he makes an appearance. It made him easy enough to blend into a crowd as looking at Keldeo otherwise, the thought of him being Celestia’s heir is hard to conceive by first looks alone.

        The royal family’s living quarters were located in some of the highest parts of the castle. This luxury home has been featured in many magazines detailing the sweet and elite life of the rich and noble. Though Canterlot Castle itself was very expansive, the personal living space was actually quite modest… in comparison. The bedrooms were all in the largest tower. Naturally, Princess Celestia’s private quarters were at the top, with Keldeo’s being directly bellow hers. While some may think it romantic and beautiful to see all of Equestria from so high up, the prince found it more than a chore at times. He lacked the ability to fly, so he had to take the long way up by passage of the stairs. Easier down than up, it was a gruesome climb up from the complete bottom. It certainly taught him to make sure he had everything he needed for the day just so he could avoid any additional trips back up. At least the dining area was just an additional two floors down.

        “Good morning, my sunshine.” Princess Celestia was at the table. Sunshine was her pet name for her son. She was had on the table before her several scrolls; running a nation always kept her busy. “I ordered in breakfast this morning. I’m afraid I have my hooves occupied with things that I didn’t think I could cook this morning.” On the counter, a box of freshly baked donuts sat opened with two out of the baker’s dozen missing as a coffee kettle simmered next to it. That was mother’s idea of a quick breakfast.

        “Thanks, but I’ll pass. Want to lay off the sweets. What are the reports about?” Keldeo’s blue magic glow opened up two cupboards and a drawer, summoning a bowl, a box of cereal, and a spoon from them. He went to the fridge himself to get the milk.

        “Just the snow. All of Equestria is getting buried and it is causing trouble in some places. Applewood has declared a state of emergency after receiving a quarter inch of snow last night.”

        “Oh no. A quarter inch. It might not melt away until noon and the highs are expected to be fifty. Now they have to wear a scarf for comfort and not style.” His cereal crackles as it becomes drenched in milk.

        Celestia smiles gently. “As for Canterlot, the storm that continues to blow has given the weather team plenty of trouble. But you’ll be pleased to know that I have called in a snow day for all students.”

        Setting the bowl on the table across from his mother, Keldeo slices bits of banana into his breakfast. “Oh, really? I just knew you were going to do that! I was up half the night last night working on my project for school and then you decide to call it all off. Thanks, Princess.” He takes a bite of a big spoonful of wheat and oat grains, sided with two slices of banana gleefully.

        “I thought you’d like that,” said Celestia. “But I’ve got more good news for you. I received a letter from Princess Cadance yesterday and she said that she’ll be returning to Equestria once her winter break begins. She’ll be staying here through the start of the new year before returning to Germaney.”

        “Cadi is coming home? That is awesome! I’ve always wanted to visit Germaney.”

        “I’m aware. Maybe you’ll get a chance to accompany me next time I have business there. But unfortunately, Prince Blue Blood won’t be coming back to Canterlot. He chose instead to visit the Ballamas with his friends.”

        “Lucky him.” Keldeo said, reading the back of the cereal box with disinterest. Free prize inside! “Drinking hard cider on the beach and wasting time in hot tubs… I mean, you know he’s not even going to go diving and see the reefs. That’d be too much work for him. He doesn’t know how lucky he is to get to do stuff like that, but he instead wastes the chance to really do something exciting.” Keldeo had always gotten along well with his cousin, Princess Cadance. She was always welcoming of Keldeo ever since he was brought into the family and she often foalsat him growing up. The nickname of “Cadi” was introduced when he was first learning how to talk. He used to get so excited seeing his cousin that he tried yelling out her name, but it always came out as “Cadi.” The name just stuck ever since. The same relationship couldn’t have been shared between he and his other cousin, Prince Blue Blood. He was distant enough that he wouldn’t ever hold much political power, but close enough to still be considered part of the royal family and he grew spoiled from it. And since Keldeo was adopted as opposed to being born in the family (with a higher rank to boot), Blue Blood always held his nose up in the clouds when in his cousin’s presence. This got Keldeo to believe that the reason why his cousin was so odd was due to the lack of air in the upper atmosphere.

        “My son, you mustn’t speak of your cousin like that. I know that he’s perhaps… too pampered, but he’s still family,” said Celestia, looking up from her work. “You’re not planning on ‘forgetting’ to gift him this year, are you?”

        “No, mother, I am not. I’ve already prepared a stocking stuffer for him,” replied the prince, annoyed that his mother seems to enjoy digging up accidents that happened in the past. It wasn’t his fault Spike set fire to that bottle of cologne!

        “Good. Now, as for your day ahead, I was thinking,” Celestia was always thinking, always planning ahead. She’s had a lot of time to do so. “You should pick Spike up from the nursery and take him for a visit to see Twilight. You know how much he loves to see her, and it really means a lot to him to be involved with your school project.”

        Finishing his breakfast, Keldeo peeked into the cereal box to see if there was any sign of the prize. It was a silly thing, some novelty spoon that change color when in milk, but he was curious which one it was. With no sight of it inside, he wondered if the prize was already removed or if it was at the very bottom of the box. “I guess I can do that. I’m not too sure on the spell I crafted last night. It all really rides on her potion to help stabilize the dragon fire. One tweek in her formula and I’ll have to redo my spell from scratch.” Prizeless, Keldeo used his magic to put away his cereal and put his dishes in the sink. “Besides, knowing her, Twilight isn’t going to be happy over school being canceled.”


        “Snow day? A SNOW DAY?! But I’ve got assignments due! And what am I going to do this weekend with all my homework already finish?!”

        Twilight Sparkle was in the midst of a mid-morning panic upon being told by her mother about school being canceled. While most ponies would be excited for a snow day to happen on the last school day of the week, Twilight was not like other ponies. While some tried to fake being sick to miss out on school, Twilight Sparkle would fake being healthy on days she was sick just to go. To her, attending Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns would only be compared to if anyone else was able to attend a theme park five days a week.

“Why so worked up, Twily?” said Shining Armor, Twilight’s older brother. Their mother helped him put on a suit of armor, preparing him for his day of training ahead. “You’ll still get to have the day added on at the end of the year for makeup. Besides, you can do whatever you want today!”

“That’s true, honey,” chimed Twilight and Shining’s mother, whose name also happens to be Twilight. “You’ve got that big, big project you and His Royal Highness have. I’m really so proud that you’re venturing into a new magical medium to benefit everypony in Equestria.”

“Not really,” said Twilight. “It’s just using the enchanted properties of the chemicals found within the combustion compounds of dragon fire, the alatum draco ignis, to transmute the magical frequencies and deliver parcels and other commodities instantly to destinations far away, fabricating the very world of postal delivery.”

“In other words, snail mail will be a thing of the past. We know, Twiliy. This project has been your pride and joy for the past two weeks.” Shining Armor put on a gold colored helmet, adjusting it snugly and comfortably. He headed for the front door, where a spear stood propped against the trim of the door. “Just try not to burn yourself out on this and enjoy your day off. Believe me, I wish the academy would’ve given us a snow day. Goodbye, mom! Wish me luck in this weather!”

“Keep safe, sweetheart. Don’t catch a cold,” his mother replied.

Opening the door, a cold gust of air and several snowflakes rushed their way into the household and nearly slammed the door against the wall. Fighting his way out and needing more effort than what is normally required to close the door behind him, Shining Armor marched out and followed in the hoofprints of his father (literally) who left tracks in the snow when he left for work earlier that morning. The freezing gale caused Twilight and Twilight to both shiver, cold the bite.

“I’m not sure if today is good to work on the project, mom,” the purple unicorn said, turning to her mother. “The wind is really cold. I don’t think that Keldeo will come. But there isn’t anything I can without his spell! I made my potion last night, but we can’t do anything to it until we test it! It’s driving me crazy just thinking about it! And what if he didn’t even start the spell yet?!”

“Honey, don’t worry. The project isn’t due until after the holidays are over,” the white unicorn said, comforting her daughter. “His Royal Highness knows how much this means to you and he’s pretty excited about it, too. You’re both working on it as equals and both want it to work out. You’re doing something completely brand new, never tested before. If your theory is right, it’ll be worth more than just a grade. The prince wouldn’t do this to you. He’s reliable.”

Just then, the front door once again swung open, this time with Keldeo entering with Spike riding on his back, heavily layered with snow gear to the point that his little arms stuck out straight to the sides, unable to anything more than just wiggle them. The prince himself was frosted with a layer of snow, wearing little more than his saddlebag and a soft baby blue scarf wrapped around his neck and muzzle, a posh letter R embroidered on the ends.

“Good morning, Mrs. Twilight. Good morning, Twilight,” said Keldeo. “I’m sorry to come in without knocking, but I ran into Shining Armor out front. He said I could come right in.”

“Heavens, we were just speaking of you, Your Highness,” replied Mrs. Twilight. “You know you’re welcome any time. It is dreadfully cold out. We don’t mind.”

Twilight’s family was very accustomed to having the prince of Equestria over as a guest. Ever since Twilight’s first day at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, it had become difficult to keep the two separated. Originally assigned as a tutor to Twilight and to introduce her to the school, Keldeo has since fostered a powerful friendship as well. They were the best of friends, even. It seemed even deliberate on Princess Celestia’s part to pair the two together. And since the start of the school year, Keldeo has started to walk down every morning to meet with Twilight, escorting her to school. It goes without saying that there has been plenty gossip in between classes about them, though Twilight often has her nose deep in a book to take notice.

“Twilight! Twilight! Twilight!” The little purple dragon on Keldeo’s back stood up, wiggling his arms up and down frantically and energetically. “There’s so much snow! Did you see all the snow?! And guess what I had for breakfast! A donut with sapphires sprinkled on top! Princess Celestia had it made for me! It was yummy!”

 Twilight was always happy to see the young little dragon. She was the first pony he saw ever since he hatched from that egg seven years before, so he’s taken to seeing Twilight like his mother. However, he stays within the castle, under watch of the royal family. Domesticated dragons are, after all, a rarity in Equestria with very little known about them. Spike has grown to be very affectionate and playful, but also expensive to feed. Turns out that baby dragons require a steady diet of gems in order to grow hard scales.
“Really, Spike? Did you remember to say thank you?” asked Twilight.

“Mother wasn’t there to give it to herself,” Keldeo said, drying off his scarf and pelt with his water abilities. “She had one there when she got donuts this morning and asked me to bring it to him when I picked him up for a visit today.”

“Oh, so that’s it. Princess Celestia ordered you to come down?”

“She suggested it, but I knew better. If I didn’t bring you what my half of the project, you’d spend the three day weekend tanning my hide over it.”

Twilight’s interest was piqued. “So you brought it?” she asked. “Yeah,” replied the prince.

“Looks like the three of you have your plans set,” said Twilight’s mother, who has started removing the countless layers of snow gear that made Spike look like a giant, warm marshmallow with legs. She was relieved that she didn’t have to further deal with her daughter’s anxiety over books. “I’ll put a kettle on and make us some nice cocoa.”

“May I have tea, Mrs. Twilight?” asked Keldeo. “The dentist said I needed to lay off the sweets.”

“I’ll have a hot cocoa! With sprinkles!” said Spike.

“’With sprinkles,’ what?” Twilight eyed.

“Oh… with sprinkles, please!” Spike corrected himself.

The wind outside continued to howl on this dreary December morning. Most Canterlot citizens have taken to remaining indoors, retreating back to the comforts of their beds for another hour or two of sweet dreams. Within the castle walls, Princess Celestia has called upon her three imperial generals for their council. The reports she had reviewed at breakfast this morning suggests that the winter storms plaguing Equestria is more than just a cold front blowing in.

> Chapter II: Cold Front
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

	Rushing inside the towering castle gates, slamming the doors behind him, Keldeo shivered as he put his hooves up to his face, heaving deeply as he tried to warm himself up. He was thankful to be within the walls of what he called home, but the chill couldn’t be removed from his bones quick enough. The blizzard hadn’t let up through the entire day, even though overhead the pegasus ponies of the weather team could be seen skittering about, trying to redirect the clouds. Any time they removed one, two more just took its place. Mother Nature was being quite adamant with her decision to drown Canterlot in a deafening white plush. Though the wind bit harshly, plenty of ponies were still found outside, playing. Namely, the ponies that got the day off from school to go sled riding, build forts, and organize snowball fights. Keldeo spent most of the morning going over their project, early afternoon attempting to drag Twilight around outside after some friends invited them to some team based snowball fights, and then part of the later evening back to Twilight’s to test their hypothesis. Results were mostly positive, though still needed fine tuning when the letter they sent came out in a burst of flames through the wrong end of Spike. Twilight wished to continue working out the kinks and asked to watch Spike for the night, which of course just meant she wanted to continue testing her potion and her partner’s spell until it was just perfect. Keldeo preferred to try and get home as the sun had already set and it wasn’t getting any balmier outside.

Off to the side, a couple of guards stood by a large wooden door. Inside was one of the many conference rooms, frequently used for meetings throughout the day. On either side of the door, a soldier stands, clad in golden armor, spears by their sides, and looking stone faced. In their minds, it is difficult to imagine what they are thinking, but most claim it is normally along the lines of how much longer remains on their shift so they may take a load off. Standing motionless for hours is rough on the legs.

As Keldeo continued to heave into his hooves, that door off to the side opened and the guards stepped aside, facing one another. Trotting out were various advisors in company of the Imperial Three, Equestria’s commanding generals. We’re already familiar with General Dust, commanding officer of the bulk of armed forces in Equestria. With him were Generals Ena and Cumulus, whom were responsible for the battle mages and magical lore, and intelligence gathering and air forces respectively. Between the three, they each represented the trinity of ponykind; earth, unicorn, and pegasus ponies. Following up the rear was Princess Celestia. She spoke to her generals a moment more before sending them away. From the corner of her eye, she spots the prince and approaches him.

“You’re home,” Celestia said, feigning a smile as she approached her son. “Sunshine, you look near frozen. Are you alright?”

“Yes. Yes, mother. I’m fine. Hindsight tells me I should’ve worn more than just a scarf today is all,” said Keldeo. “So, what’s going on? You were meeting with all the Imperials. I don’t think you’ve ever had to meet with all three of them at once before.”

The weak smile faded from Celestia’s face. Pausing a moment to think, she averted her gaze over towards the two soldiers who were standing guard outside the conference room. A quick tilt of her head gave order that the two may be excused. Taking Keldeo under her wing, holding him close to help him warm up, Celestia proceeded to walk forward and up a flight of stairs in the great hall, proceeding up a path to the right until they were out of earshot of the guards.

“My Sunshine… tell me, how well do know the story of Hearth’s Warming Eve?”

Keldeo raised a brow at the question. “What, the story of the founding of Equestria? Well, it happened over thirteen hundred years ago and was caused by the windigos. They fed off the negativity of the ponies back when and tried to drown the world in blizzards.” Pausing for a moment, something in his head clicked. “You’re not saying the windigos are responsible the recent storms, are you?”

Celestia shook her head. “No. That’s only what the stories say. The truth is that the blizzards from when were only a front to hide the windigos as they did their assigned tasks. The source came from their master.”

The windigos’ master? “You mean they were working for someone?” Keldeo asked.

“A powerful entity, my son. Vacuus, a mighty dragon capable of plunging the world into eternal darkness. Born of nothing, embodiment of the void, Vacuus is something to take very seriously.” The tone of Celestia’s voice gave way to how heavy her heart sank. “And what we know about him is limited.”

To call Vacuus a “dragon” would be inaccurate, as the truth of the being has no true form. Having existed hundreds of years before Celestia was born, prior to the foundation of Equestria, he existed in a time where history was recorded in detail and often left the telling of such things to an oral tradition, warping and tarnishing the truth based on the teller. Master of the windigos, Vacuus harvested the feast of negativity to grow ever stronger, expanding his influence. He was only stopped when a unicorn by the name of Clover the Clever befriended the pegasus Pansy and the earth pony, Smart Cookie.

Indeed, while Clover and company stopped the windigos as the stories of Hearth Warming Eve suggests, it was only because they conquered their master, Vacuus. The triumph was only possible due to a mysterious set of artifacts that was stumbled upon whilst exploring the newly discovered lands that became Equestria. From a tree, shining fruits that resembled gemstones, possessing the ability to amplify the positive feelings and the bonds of friendships. Taking the fruits for themselves and wielding them against Vacuus, they were able to split the monster’s spirit into two shards and seal the body deep within a forbidden mountain, henceforth name “Vacuus Rest.”

“Reports of powerful quakes spiked from Vacuus Rest last month and recent scout reports say there are landslides and avalanches within the region of the mountain. Unnatural looking destruction, like as if something broke free,” said Celestia.

“That’s it?” Keldeo seemed almost relieved, thinking he’s already solved the mystery. “Something broke out of the mountain? Nothing unnatural there. Lava. Gases. Volcano. It was only a volcanic eruption. …right?”

Celestia let out a long sigh with a grimace. “If only that were the case. But very few know of Vacuus Rest and what lies within. If that wasn’t enough, there have been sightings of something that resembles the description of Vacuus and nothing of the likes we know today fit it. And he is on the move.” From an envelope of papers kept under her opposite wing, Celestia presents Keldeo with a letter.


Your Majesty,


It is difficult to assess exact visual confirmation. We followed the trail from Vacuus Rest eastbound, encountering blizzards that only get worse the more we travel in pursuit. The tracks show two large claw marks on either side of a slithering stroke in the snow, like as if made by a gigantic snake or serpent dragging itself across the land, no legs. When at last we reached the source of the markings, the wind was billowing, the snow in the air heavy and thick, and temperatures well below zero. We could only gaze upon brief moments of a silhouette before we had to turn back, or else we’d never be able to get you these reports alive. From what little we were able to see, the physicality has confirmed suspicions of a serpent-like body, but there may also be wings. Length estimated between 18 to 21 meters, approximate width between two to three meters. Prints in the snow, however, are inconsistent with the general size, suggesting the target is less than one ton in weight. Accuracy is lost as snow quickly fills in the tracks, making more acute estimates nearly impossible. Target continues heading due east. Currently no towns or other recorded areas of residency are in immediate vicinity, but will be on the watch for any changes that may put civilians at risk. We will continue our mission by your order.


                                Long Live Equestria

                                        -X

“That’s… vague,” Keldeo said, returning the letter with the stamp “CLASSIFIED” to it.

“But it is enough for me to confirm the identity of such a beast. He matches the description just as my great mother has told me. And I have seen him in my dreams as of late. I trust what I see in these visions and do not wish to waste any time. Vacuus put the world at risk before and he must be stopped before winter is over.” Celestia removed her wing from Keldeo, marching forward with a sense of determination.

But winter hasn’t technically started…

“Wait a moment, mother!” Keldeo galloped briefly to catch up with his mother, her longer legs able to take greater strides with less effort. “I’m just throwing this out there, but we don’t need to involve the Imperials, do we? If this Vacuus is such a big threat, why don’t we just get out the Elements? You said you used them on… Dissonance? Now look. He’s just a posing, laughing goat sculpture out there in the rose garden! And that time, when you used it on-”

“Do not remind me of that memory,” Celestia butted in, stopping. She looked down at her son. “Even so, it is exactly the reason why since the last time I used the Elements of Harmony that we cannot use them. Until your aunt has returned, they are inert. Even if we wanted to use them, we can’t.” Suppressing thoughts of Luna as best she could so she may remain focused on the current threat, her tone turned sympathetic. “…so our best hope right now rests on the shoulders of our great generals, which includes Dust. He’s got a sworn duty.”

Silence took the hallway. On the otherside of the windows, jack frost nipped at the windows, chilling condensation to decorative little snowflake patterns as the snow continued to blow about outside in a wintery fairyland. Knowing he offended his mother by speaking of Luna like a villain, he adverted his gaze away. Her tone she took when speaking of General Dust also left a pit feeling Keldeo’s stomach. Maybe it was an emotion brought up by her sister, but how she spoke sounded like she reluctantly had to give an order for the generals to march to their death.

“I’m… I’m sorry, mother. I got ahead of myself again,” he said.        

“No, it’s fine. It wasn’t your fault. It was mine,” Celestia replied, standing next to the prince and gazing out the window with him. “I shouldn’t have worried you with this. We’re not without any good fortune by our side, at least. I had mentioned that upon his defeat, Vacuus’s spirit was expelled from his body and split in two. That means his body right now is an empty, discarded husk. No thought, no intelligence. And without much of his former power. The Imperials are skilled at what they do. Working together, I don’t have any doubts they’ll come up with a plan.” A warm, soft smile returns to Celestia’s face as she lowers her had to meet side by side with Keldeo’s. “After all, I also still dream of when you’ll get to meet your aunt at long last. I still believe that this is a vision and the sun is warm in them.”

“And the Imperials… they’ll all return home.” Keldeo knew already what his mother was implying.

“I do not think General Dust would dare miss on that camping trip you two embark on every spring. He thinks of you as much his son as I do.”

Keldeo smirked. “Yeah… you’re right. A thousand years on the throne and you’ve had nothing but peace all this time. Vacuus feeds on negativity, right? Bad time to come back, during the jolliest time of year. And in Equestria? The Nation of Friendship? There isn’t a way the Imperials will lose to this thing.”

A mischievous grin splashed across Celestia’s face. “Oh, I wouldn’t be too sure. If Vacuus goes to Applewood, he could very well feed on the frustrations of the ponies there who have to wear scarves for warmth and not fashion.”

“Make sure you keep him away from ol’ Blue Blood, then! If he were to miss a hooficure, Vacuus would have enough raw negative emotion to freeze the oceans solid!”

The hallway, lit only with holiday lights and festive candles, echoed with the soft chuckles of the princess and prince of Equestria. It even looked like Discord, outside upon his pedestal, was howling with laughter as well. Keldeo could only hope that his mother was telling the truth. She keeps a good face when speaking to subjects, but was always willing to be a bit more sincere of how she felt when in company of her son.

“Now don’t let it trouble you any more, my sunshine. You just leave this issue to us and we’ll make sure that spring will still arrive right on time.” Celestia moved in and gave Keldeo a soft kiss on the cheek, followed with a comforting embrace as she held him close. A thought then quickly crossed her mind as she noticed something was amiss. “Where’s Spike?”

“Oh, he’s staying with Twilight tonight,” said Keldeo.

“Poor guy. He’s going to be subjected to your project testing all night, isn’t he?”

“When it comes to research, I don’t think even Vacuus could stand in her way.”

Mother and son shared an exchange of giggles before an awkward silence fell between them. As much as they tried to entertain and lighten the mood, Celestia wasn’t able to keep some level of worry hidden. Just knowing how much General Dust meant to Keldeo, she feared most to what he was feeling. She wasn’t heartless, but it has been such a long while since she felt such emotions. It has been nearly a thousand years since she personally raised a foal as her own.

“When are they leaving?” he asked,

“We’ve been talking this over since yesterday and they’ll be departing at sunrise tomorrow, along with some of our finest,” replied Celestia.

“And when will they be back?”

“If I could have it my way, everyone would be home in time to unwrap gifts Hearth’s Warming Morning. But weather will only worsen the closer they get to their target, so probably won’t be set to return until past the new year.” If Celestia could truly have had it her way, she’d have preferred if this whole ordeal were to have never happened in the first place.

“If it is acceptable, would you be willing if I delivered General Dust the present I got for him tonight?” Keldeo asked modestly. “I’ve really been wanting to give it to him and since he won’t be here Hearth’s Warming morn… better early than late for this, right?”

Celestia smiled. “I do not see why not. I’m certain that your gift will be a much needed lift for his spirits. Why don’t you run ahead and get that to him? And when you’ve finished, return back for dinner. We’re having it in about an hour.”

At the thought of the reaction General Dust would give in response to what he’d give him, Keldeo beamed. “Thank you, mother! I’ll try not to take long!” Taking anything he can get to keep thoughts refrained of what Dust’s mission has in store for him, the Prince of Equestria bolted down the hall, making a mad dash for the residential quarters of the castle.

His first stop was the den. Decked out with tinsel and lights, Keldeo went directly for the monster of a pine tree with several presents boxed up and packed with ribbons and bows. Leaning up against the wall next to the tree, a slim, rectangular box rest. Nabbing it with magic, he held it parallel to himself and went to exit the room. As he was about to leave, he passed the hearth and caught eye of the stockings there. This reminded him that he had prepped a stocking stuffer for Dust as well, but Keldeo had left it up in his room. What was inside the stocking was just as important to give, as the two gifts were meant be given together. Setting the box down outside the den so he wouldn’t have to haul it upstairs with him, Keldeo ran up the stairs, invaded his room for the stocking labeled “Dust” that hung by his own fireplace, and hastened the pace back downstairs, picking back up his package. He had everything he wanted to gift to General Dust.

Swiftly through the halls and down several flights of stairs, Keldeo made way to the facilities closest to the mountain itself, for this is where the city of Canterlot’s militia took up space. Most of this place was restricted without special permission, but Keldeo found himself here quite frequently. He was never trained to be a soldier specifically, but he was often here for various activities. Studying, fencing lessons, and of course the occasional tour to meet with the guards and raise moral. New recruits who have come from far to train in the royal Canterlot guard are honored when in the presence of royalty, so it was a duty not even Princess Celestia dared neglect. It wasn’t long before Keldeo stood outside the chambers of General Stoic Dust.

“Knock knock!” Keldeo said in sync with his rapping on the door. From the other side the bolt unfastened and the old, wooden door creaked on it hinges as it opened. General Dust stood towering over the prince, a bushy brown beard hanging half way down his tan pelt chest.

“Ah, Your Royal Highness. To what do I owe this honor?” Dust opened the door further, stepping further into the doorway.

“At ease, General. This is a social call, not business,” Keldeo said with a chipper tone and a teasing salute. Caught between being bated and anxious, Keldeo held his gift and stocking stuffer behind himself. “So, mother told me of your mission. About… y’know.”

“Yes, I about figured you’d know by now. I appreciate your keeping the details of my business trip mum,” Dust shared a common living quarter with plenty of other soldiers, most of which know nothing of what Keldeo was only just recently brought up to speed on. “I’d like more time to visit, I honestly would. I do not wish to be rude, but I must finish my packing my council meeting.”

“Of course, General. I figured since your… meeting will keep you busy all through the holidays, I’d pay you a quick visit to surprise you with your gift this year!” His horn glowing a light blue, Keldeo summoned forth the stocking and slender gift box. General Dust’s beard couldn’t do a worse job at hiding a smile.

“I suppose it would be impolite to not accept, wouldn’t you agree?” Dust stepped partially behind his door, inviting the prince in and closing the door behind him. A duffel bag sat opened by Dust’s bed and a large box behind the door, housing no doubt the general’s specialized body armor.

“I want you to open the big one first,” Keldeo said, offering the up the slim, four-foot box. General Dust grinned as he silently took the box, removing the snowpony wrapping paper. A quaint wooden box, made of cherry wood and stained, closed tight with a copper buckle. The wood had burned into its surface emblems of the sun and moon, orbiting one another in synchronized orbits with one another. Loosening the buckle, inside the box was a red velvet fabric, cushioning a beautifully designed, yet practical scabbard for a sword.

“I had this planned for a long time, y’know?” Keldeo said wide-eyed, watching closely as Dust picked up the blade, removing it from its scabbard to examine the quality. “I wanted to return the favor when you got me that sword to commemorate my win of my fencing tournament last summer. I know you always have that sword you got when you were promoted to general forever ago, but I also know you like to collect these, so…”

“S7 shock steel, isn’t it?” Dust held up the blade, closely examining its craftsmanship against a light fixture overhead. Flawless.

“Yes, it is! I remember when you told me about the different types of steel and how to avoid cheap and brittle blades. A broken sword is of no use, right?”

“Well, in most instances, but I’ve read a scenario or two where a shattered sword won the day.” Stoic inserted the sword back into its holding and set it down next to him. “Here I was, debating which arm to take with me for my trip and you’ve just gone ahead and made the choice for me. She’s beautiful.”

“Absolutely perfect for that political assassination on your trip.”

Dust slapped himself in the forehead. “The cat is out of the bag! And here I thought you were smart enough not to speak aloud top secret information!”

“Well hey, let’s just pretend I didn’t say that and open up your stocking now!” With the big gift out of the way, Keldeo wasn’t as hyped about the over sized novelty sock, but still enjoying himself all the same. Dust reached inside to pull out a fresh new whetstone, no doubt a bundle to keep his no sword nice and sharp. A small bag of various candies, almost childish in the idea, put a harmless joke that will still be eaten. And lastly, something more befitting to Dust’s pallet; a fine bottle of blueberry whiskey. His favorite.

“Pray tell, how did you manage to get your hooves on this? You might be prince, but you’re still a minor,” suspiciously jested Dust.

“Hey, I only get one sip of wine on special occasions. That is actually from my mother,” Keldeo replied, almost defensively.

“At ease yourself, Your Royal Highness. I was only asking.” For one with a first name like Stoic, he is anything but true to his name, grinning like madman.

Digging a hoof into the woodwork bellow, Keldeo glanced off to the job, acting coy. “Soooo… do you have anything for me?”

“You’ll get your gift from me on the twenty-fifth, just like everypony else,” replied Dust all matter of fact.

“Oh, come on! After all this great stuff I just gave you?”

“With all due respect, Your Royal Highness, the only way I’d give you your gift early would be if you went through parliament, changed the date of the holiday to right now, and in turn make it right on time. Best of luck getting them to move to make that happen.”

“You’re absolutely no fun,” pouted the prince, folding his forelegs across one another.

“Didn’t work when you were six. Still not the case for sixteen. Nice try,” chuckled Dust.

“Worth a shot. I’m just glad I got the chance to see you before you left,” Keldeo said, slight worry spreading across his face. “Mother was a little nervous telling me this. But you’ve got this under control, right?”

Without a second wasted, Dust put down his gift from the princess and put a hoof on Keldeo’s shoulder, looking him in the eye. “Prince, I’d drag myself out from Tartarus if you gave the order. The other two generals you know would also do the same. And we are also going to return everyone home who accompanies us in time to savor that piece of pie left over and preserved for them. To that, I swear upon my honor.”

Keldeo put a hoof on top of Dust’s hoof that lay upon his shoulder. “Good. Because if you don’t make it back, I will be expecting you to crawl back out of Tartarus, like some sort of freakish P-800 robot.”

The two gave one another a hug, not letting go for about ten, fifteen seconds. It wasn’t a fun idea having someone miss out on the holiday festivities, but it is even less fun with the thought knowing just exactly what kind of mess the Imperials would be getting themselves into. Yet through the hug, Prince Keldeo felt better from the words spoken by General Dust. Perhaps Stoic really was stoic after all.

“Thank you for visiting, Your Royal Highness,” Dust said, escorting Keldeo to the door. “I must finish getting packing for the trip. Behave yourself and don’t give Her Majesty any grief, you hear?”

“Yes sir, General Dust, sir,” replied Keldeo, shooting off another little sassy salute. Keldeo exited the room and paced back down the hall, trying not to look back with a mild sulk. He inevitably did when Stoic called to him before turning a bend.

“Prince Keldeo,” he shouted.

“What?”

“I’ll be back.”

Keldeo looked a Stoic Dust with a smile. It was bittersweet, his father figure forcing to look back one more time. This wasn’t a funeral, but the worry his mother voiced was still weighing in his heart. But General Dust didn’t seem bothered. He seemed absolutely normal. Perhaps they were just over reacting to it all. With one last wave, Keldeo left. He had dinner to catch.

The following week, Keldeo and Twilight presented their letter delivery system using Spike’s dragon fire. It took a lot of work, but the two were able to finalize their system right in time and receive an A+ on their work before excused for holiday break. It is only a shame that the letters could only be calibrated to be be sent to one individual, but it is a great bit of research for a couple high school students and a baby dragon. Hearth’s Warming Eve arrived and Keldeo spent it visiting with Princess Cadance, home for the holidays from Germaney. The next day, Keldeo paid a visit to Twilight’s household to deliver the stocking stuffer he had for Twilight and to deliver a parcel from Cadance last minute to Shining Armor. One week later, the year changed to 996. Even through the constant snowy weather, Canterlot was as festive as ever, setting off fire works.

        One month passes by quickly as the ponies of Equestria occupied their wintery, frozen world with the festive holidays and cheer. For Keldeo, however, he had to hold quietly onto the nagging feeling of how General Dust and the rest of the Imperials were doing. He was adamant about attending as many of the meetings involving any news updates, relieved upon hearing positive news. First the Imperials arrived safely at the rendezvous point, followed up shortly with the pursuit of Vacuus. For the next three updates, it detailed how piercing cold it would get as they tried to intercept the hulking, slithering mass. By the fourth report to come into the castle had ran behind by several days. The pit feeling that a deadline was missed left a pit in the stomachs of the Royal Family.

        Keldeo had attempted to assure himself that things were going well. The previous report said that they were going to attempt to intercept the beast in a mountain pass. They just need some time, is what he told himself. These things take time. They’ll be home by next week. That was his hope, until he returned home after another day of school. The court steward awaited the prince, ready to direct him toward the same meeting room where the Imperials were given their briefings just about one month prior. Princess Celestia sat at the long, mahogany table, in a seat closest to the door. Her eyes were filled with grief. The steward saw herself out, closing the door to leave the prince and his mother alone. The soundproof room guarded well the silence the room held. So quiet was Celestia, it felt like Keldeo was in the presence of a ghost. Mustering her courage, Celestia spoke.

        “We found why the report was running late. The scout… his name is Fancy Quill. He was admitted to a hospital after being halfway frozen. He was unconscious for several days, suffering from frostbite and hypothermia. When he woke up, it took eight ponies to keep him pinned to his bed. He had to have… amputations. But he was insistent to return to Canterlot and deliver his report. We only got word hours ago. The Imperials and most of their soldiers… they’ve been reported missing in action.”

        Since stepping into the room, Keldeo knew whatever this was about wasn’t good news. His mother to completely avoid all eye contact; the silence wasn’t even broken by the beating of his own heart. It felt more like he had gone completely into cardiac arrest caused by the tension in the environment. In the following befuddling silence, Keldeo had to mentally tell himself to start breathing, for he held it since walking into the room. Panting quickly, but softly to regain his breathing patterns, his eyes darted about, trying to catch imaginary figments of his mind that darted on the carpet. To find a mental grounding, he asked.

        “How… is he doing? Uh, Fancy Quill. He’s… he’ll get to return home. Eventually. To… to his family. Yes?”

        Celestia grimaced a smile, one that looked much more like an inverted frown, for it held no joy. She just knew that her son was trying to find any kind of silver lining to grasp. “He will need plenty of time to recover. But… yes. Eventually, he’ll get to return home. I’ve already charted for his kin to be there for him. I won’t permit him to be alone.”

        “Good. Good… that’s at least one pony.” At a thought rate trying to rationalize what he’s just heard, Keldeo just couldn’t contain his emotions any longer. “Mom, what happened?! Stoic… what in the founding fathers has happened to him?! You promised me he’d be back! That they’d all be back!”

        He charged the princess, losing the fight to hold back his tears. For the past month, Celestia knew of the worry that grew in her son’s heart. She dared not speak in his presence the nightmares she had to endure. She wanted to spare her life’s pride from any sort of hardship that she herself has had to cooperate with for one thousand years. Head first, Keldeo dove into his mother’s ribcage, his horn poking uncomfortably into her chest. No wound was made, but her heart still bled.

        “We’re going to find them. We’re going to bring back every single soul.” Holding tightly to her son, with forelegs and wings she sheltered Keldeo close. She stroked his mane, dampening it with her own tears. For an eternity of suffering that followed through as one of the pinnacle worst moments of her long life, her son was reduced to nothing but strong, incoherent cries that explained all too well of a heart breaking. It was something that Celestia knew all too well, but never once has she ever become accustomed of. “I want you to know, I will not stand for this. I will put this matter to rest myself. I need you to be strong for me…”

        “NO!” Keldeo broke from his mother’s embrace, taking a standoffish stance. He trembled heavily on his weakened legs, tears streaming down his face. “Vacuus will only kill you, too! Don’t go!”

        Celestia herself trembled, nearly choking on her words. “We don’t have any other choice…! If Vacuus is permitted to roam freely, he’ll only recollect his broken essence! Even with just one half of it, he may very well be out of my strength. We don’t have any other means to take him on… not now. We don’t have the time! Equestria may very well perish by the time the Elements of Harmony are active again!”

        “Yeah, and if you’re killed by Vacuus, what then?! When Nightmare Moon eventually returns, what happens then?! The Elements would still be a bunch of garbage if you’re not here, won’t they?!” Just raw, without any pause to even think anymore, Keldeo rages on. “Mom, you’re just too important! What are we supposed to do if you leave?! I don’t know how to run Equestria! Cadi isn’t ready, either! And don’t even get me started about how useless Blueblood is!”

        “Keldeo, don’t you dare speak of your family as such!”

“Or else what, mom?! Do you really think Blueblood could do your job?! For the love of the sun, he can’t even trouble himself starting his own bath water without messing it up royally! And too many ponies in Equestria depend on you! I can’t lose you, too!”

I can’t lose you, too.

How often those words have haunted Celestia’s mind. There hasn’t been a single time through the centuries that this exact phase didn’t reemerge as she accompanied dearly beloved friends and family to the verge of death, only to watch that ship once more set sail without her. Every fiber of her being was put into fostering new relationships, always fearing the day she’d again be once more be left behind. She never did regret loving new friends and family, but nobody else understands better why immortality is nothing short of a curse. The only thing that got her out of bed every morning was the commitment to make it up to Luna, who forcibly must spend a millennia isolated from the world. Everything Celestia has done was to one day atone for her sins. Thinking of what may happen to herself was inconsequential, for she’d give her life to protect Equestria. It was this thought of making her son, something she hadn’t held so closely to her in nearly a thousand years, suffer from losing both parental figures in his life. She already knows he suffered this once before, that day she found him washed up on the waterfront of that pond…

“What are we going to do?” Celestia said. “This couldn’t have happened after the Elements have been rekindled… we don’t have any other choice. Our best have went missing. This is a threat that nopony is armed to confront…”

Keldeo held up his head, flicking his wrist to try and remove whatever tears lingered on his face. Unfocused, the pelt still showed streams that flowed down his face. His legs were still weak and trembling, but he did what he could to embody determination. “I want to go. Mom, I want to go find Stoic- General Dust. Not just him, not just the Imperials, but all of them. If we’re sending anyone, send me.”

“Keldeo, no!” Celestia tried to grab the prince and hold onto him for dear life, but the prince defied her approach and stepped away when she tried. Her hoof outstretched before her, Keldeo had his head lowered, horn forward, and retaining strong eye contact. His blue eyes did not tremble, though they were welling up. He looked almost primal, a creature pushed to a moment of fight or flight. And Keldeo wanted to fight.

“Mother… let me do this. I know you always tried to treat it like King Deo was my father. But… he’s not here. I’ve never met him and we know I never will. General Dust, as far as I feel, is my father. He’s taught me so much… and he might still be out there.”

Celestia’s breathing hastened, fearing debate. “But you don’t have the power to fight him! You’re gifted, but you don’t have what it takes to fight Vacuus!”

“Then I won’t fight him! I don’t even care to! But we can’t send you! If the Imperials are still alive… maybe we don’t have to send you yet! Just send me to find them and… and…” Keldeo was barely even able to focus his thoughts correctly. He knew what he wanted to say, but he didn’t want to say it. He struggled to even think of what he’d do if he came across the cold, cold bodies of Equestria’s defense forces.

“My Sunshine… what will it take to change your mind?”

“The Imperials to kick down that door, that’s what.”

Celestia held her breath. Keldeo pointed behind him at the door, but kept his eyes fixated forward. His glare was intense, so much so that Celestia looked towards the door, trying to strike up some mental bargain that her wish would be fulfilled and the Imperials would proudly march in, announcing that their mission was accomplished. Hell, she would settle to just have some aid interrupt and bring word that everyone is being hospitalized; anything to just deter Keldeo’s teary eyes away. But the doors remained shut tight and budged not for any wistful desire to end the tension. She caved.

“If I do this…” Celestia choked, already deeply regretting the choice. “You… you’re to strictly follow through with what I tell you. You’ll have a small extraction force. Just enough to perform a rescue. I don’t want any heroics. And regardless of what you discover, you’re going to come home. Do I make myself clear?”

The prince quivered, embracing his mother once more with a siege of bittersweet cries of gratitude. Again, Celestia sheltered her son with her wings and held him close, stroking his curly ginger mane. But her eye’s stared off beyond the horizon, seeing only how this would soon be another regret to plague her for the rest of her life. Yet if her son wasn’t permitted to at least try to do something, he’d suffer from his own series of regrets. She only could pray that Keldeo’s hopeful dream of finding the Imperials and their team comes to fruition, that they’d have something to share. That they were still well and unharmed. But for them to go missing in the first place, Celestia already feared the worst.

Heavens, forgive me. I’ve committed another irredeemable sin.

At long last, Celestia pulled to bring herself to look down, to take in one of the last times she felt she’d get to view her bundle of sunshine. One way or another, sacrifices of some sort were going to need to be made. To her, this was just Nightmare Moon all over again. Celestia hugged Keldeo tight, giving him a kiss on his forehead. Quietly into his ear, she sang a lullaby she had many times throughout his life.


You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
You make me happy when skies are grey
You’ll never know, dear, how much I love you
Please don’t take my sunshine away