> Yesteryear's Tomorrow > by ponybird21 > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Start > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- What does it mean, to transcend? Does it mean to rise up, to better oneself? Does it mean to evolve into something more perfect? Something beautiful and almost godlike? Or does it mean to simply take the next evolutionary step? Not perfect, but getting a little closer? It is a process that goes on, but it usually can only be observed in the beliefs of a society. Very rarely is it witnessed via a physical transcendence. A rarity that is possessed by The Windigos. Fantastical creatures of legends, these were of a mighty Empire. They transcended the laws of nature, shifting their forms from one of matter to one of energy. Achieving an incorporeal form was one of great sacrifice, but also of great reward. Windflight belonged to an ancient species of Equus, the Crystalline. The ancestors to the Crystal Ponies, but unlike them where their coats glistened a pretty shine, the Crystalline were crystal itself. The most telltale sign was easily the crystals that would jut out of the bodies. The hooves, the chest, the head. One might suppose that they were painful, but for the Crystalline, they were as natural as the horn of a unicorn. In addition, the Crystalline were the embodiment of great magic. Unlike the Alicorns of the the neighboring Kingdom Ellysia, they were not wielders of magic, they were conduits for it. No horn needed, just focus and will, plus strength. So... Was it any wonder that one would discover how to have his body altered by the magic? Some say he made a deal with demons. Others believed it was sheer will alone. Regardless, Windflight's transformation was of great success, and could not have come at a better time. War ravaged Ellysia, and was affecting the neighboring lands. Starvation ravaged the Crystalline's home, but the King was too stubborn, or perhaps afraid, of the change that lead them down a dark path. But others would rather risk the unknown than the sure death of continuing on their present state. Henceforth, Windflight made his cult, his tribe, his empire itself. When the ash settled, and few survivors from the wrath of war were left standing, they gazed with terror at who had ultimately managed to survive in the end. A new species, of wind itself, of ice and crystals themselves. Cold to the touch, impossible to hurt, immune to everything except the hottest of flames, and that too could be withstood by the strongest of them all. The Windigo Empire had emerged in a bountiful world, just ripe for the taking. > Storm > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Welcome Aboard the Express! Estimated time of arrival at the Crystal Empire will in eight hours! Please take your seats, and thank you for your trust in us! Rarity paid no attention to the standard greeting, instead just handing her ticket over to be clicked by the train master, before making her way to her cabin to settle in, and prepare for a quick sleep under Luna's moon. The evening express was always the quietest, and of the few that would be riding, many less would be awake during the journey. The snow battered at the windows outside, making Rarity sigh as she leaned closer to lower the shades. What a storm indeed, she could hardly see anything beyond a few feet. Hopefully the conductor would be okay. The unicorn mare was getting older, but despite the greying hairs at the roots, she still was a Guardian of Equestria. And Guardians did have to answer the call of the Cutie Map. But this time, it was... Exceedingly strange. Her diamonds were called up north. FAR up north. Far beyond the Crystal Empire, beyond Mount Everhoof. No pony, no yak even, had gone that far up. It was just a desolate wasteland. It was why Twilight advised her to stay in the Crystal Empire for a few days. Receive aid, and a guide, and most preferably a safe way beyond the mountain. Oh, and she had so many dress orders to complete! She was not looking forward to going on such an adventure, and by herself as well! Things had been too quiet lately, for the last few years since the fiasco with Tirek, Chrysalis, and Cozy Glow. A few friendship spats here and there, but that was about it. Otherwise, the Six were ready to settle down and begin their comfortable retirement. Already Applejack and Rainbow Dash had gotten engaged, Pinkie was ready to have a foal with Cheese Sandwich, and dear Fluttershy was quite comfortable being the Lady of Chaos. Even Twilight was doing well, settling into her role as Ruler of Equestria. And then there was Rarity. She was... Fine with being a most successful business mare. But now that she was at the top of the fashion industry, she couldn't help but wonder if that was really it. Just... Settle down with her successes. She wasn't ungrateful, in fact she most certainly understood that she was beyond blessed but... Sometimes she could swear there was just something left she needed to do. Something to finish. Was, perhaps, this mysterious errand up north her last mission? Her last hurrah, her last adventure? But who would need generosity up north? Nothing lived up there, nothing needed her help. Nothing- The train jostled. Hard. Rarity gasped as she was shaken out of her thoughts, and out of her bed. With an undignified yelp she hit the floor, and rubbed at her poor head. Oh that was so unprofessional, what in the world was going on? She stumbled to her hooves, but definitely had to use the walls to regain her balance. "Attendant, what's going on??" She called out when she managed to open the sliding door, asking the staff on duty. "Ice on the tracks ma'am, please return back to your cabin!" The poor attendant hurriedly said, trying to yell this at any ponies who were also peeking out of their cabins. There were some sobs from the foals shaken from their sleep, and worried eyes all around. "Attention everypony! Please, remain calm and remain inside your rooms! Try to keep yourselves buckled in! Try- OH CELESTIA!!!" There was a screech of the wheels, as the train tilted. And kept tilting. Screams and the horrible crunch of metal filled Rarity's ears, her voice joining into the terror and chaos. It was horrible, as she hit her head and blacked out... It was so cold. ///////////// "How many?" "Out of the fifty, your majesty... Eight survived. Barely. But I suspect half of them won't survive much longer, the frostbite got to them, and they nearly looked dead. It's only because we actually put our hooves on their pulse could we detect otherwise." Twilight looked on with sadness in the early morning light. It was a tragedy, such a tragedy. The snow still covered several bodies, but thankfully search and rescue were using their magic to melt the snow as fast as they could. They made good progress. But not good enough. Twilight was still desperately searching for the body of one of her dearest friends. Body for worst case scenario, but hopefully she was still alive. Somehow... In someway... Oh why did she let Rarity go on her own??? She should have just teleported her directly to the Empire... Oh but she knew Rarity liked her own independence.... "Your Majesty?" Twilight was brought out of her train of thought, and noticed her vision was blurry. Quickly she brought a hoof up and wiped at her eyes. Just as she suspected, tears. She really, really needed to get a better hold of her emotions. She no longer was a princess, she was now The Princess. "Y-yes? I mean.." she coughed away the scratchiness in her throat, and took a cleaning breath. "Yes?" "You're majesty... T-there were only forty nine ponies we found. Guardian R-rarity.... Is missing." The pony said nervously, ears flat and voice quiet. Twilight could swear her entire world had just stopped as she heard those words. "She's... What?" Twilight asked in a very, very small voice. Now facing a third possibility that was terrifying her very soul. The unknown. Rarity could either be dead... Or... Alive. And the fact that Twilight did not know was now wrecking her mind. No peace either way, no chance to grieve. There was only constant fear and stress now. "She's... Missing." The pony again said. Worried for his Princess. Was she... okay? She looked so still, like she was not even alive. Right. Time for her to be a princess. Not only for a subject, her little pony... But for her best friend. Twilight now had to take control of the situation. "Thank you. Keep searching. And please, be ready. We need to find her, no matter the cost. For she is not only our Guardian, but she is also my little pony." Twilight said with surefire authority. I will not fail you Rarity. I swear it. > Flame > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Are you coming to the festival this evening?" "Me? Not so, my wife is too close to labor. I'm not going to leave her side for the three weeks after this last patrol." "There's no way you got approved for that, Zephyr!" "Aye I did, we can thank our good ole Commander said so herself!" "Is it true she's the daughter of the Emperor?" "Just a bastard from one of his concubines, but ye. Can't ye tell from the crystals? Only royalty has em." "Tough luck. At least she got an easy way up the ranks." "Easy? I'll not have ye spitting on our lady's good name! She worked hard, gained respect. Smart, but also brave. A pity she is not a proper princess, she would have been a good ruler. Now don't ye look at me like that, Artic, I'm not saying nothing against the prince. I'm just saying that she would have been a great one." "Does the Emperor pay you to gossip about your Commander, or does he pay you to stay alert on patrol of the southern borders?" A voice said, bemused in tone. Making the two windigoes turn around in shock. "C-Commander!" Exclaimed Zephyr and Artic Shine. Their eyes worried, but relaxed when the Commander merely laughed merrily. "At ease. You act as though this is the first time I've got my fellows wondering about me." The commander smiled. Standing at easily twice the height of normal windigoes, she automatically seized control and respect from her fellows under her command. Her lanky body was strong, and always sure of itself. The crystals jutting out of her chest and hooves served as a reminder of her lineage, but only a fool would think that her lineage aided her to becoming a Commander. Certainly she was let into the Academy quite easily, but she proved herself that she had earned every scar, every victory, and every promotion. "Well, any action? If not, why don't you two go relax for a few? I can cover this shift." She offered. Her voice always was comforting. The right amount of power and sternest mixed with kindness and generosity. "Thank ye very much! If the baby foal be a filly, might we name her after ye?" Zephyr asked, smile wide with unprofessionalism, which the Commander did not mind. "If you want a true troublemaker, who will cause you all sorts of headaches and annoyance, and get thrown in jail for shoplifting before deciding to join the military, then by all means." She laughed warmly. "But in all seriousness, I would be most honored. Go on then, Zephyr and Artic. Rested soldiers are efficient soldiers. For the Glory of the Emperor." "For the Glory of the Emperor." The two saluted before leaving their post, ready to relax and laugh merrily with their fellows. The commander smiled before again looking out of the horizon. Everyone was accounted for except for three soldiers, who were sent out to gain a sense on the state of the ponies fleeing from their home after the fall. Ah, the bickering and hatefulness really made for prosperous times for the Empire. More land was conquered, more ponies captured to be fed on, it was an elegant cycle that seemed to have no land. It wasn't as if the races would ever unite, not with how foolish and short sighted they were. However, not all of them had been successfully captured, their hate harvested. Quite a few had managed to flee for another land, an unknown land. The Commander figured that this would be just a little nuisance that they could have wrapped up in time for the Festival of the Ancestors. Besides, she did so look forward to coming home to praise and showers of gifts for her successful endeavors. Who knows, maybe she could even see Mother again. She sighed in content, already could practically taste the foam from the mead, before noticing something in the Paradise of white, blue, and purple. Something... Pink. Pink, wild... And very, very hot. > Waking > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was terribly cold. Horrendously cold, in fact. The pony shivered in her sleep, moving this way and that. Pain wracked her limbs, and especially her head. The cold definitely did not help. Limbs, lungs, head, eyes, horn. It hurt, it was pain, it was cold. Rarity opened her eyes slowly, grimacing at the pain of the light hitting her eyes. The curtains did little to block it out, they were so irregular in the fabric, little splotches easily piercing where the material was thin. The bed was painfully hard. Certainly there were furs aplenty, and she was resting on something as soft as a cotton ball, but she could feel the bedframe on the edges. It was freezing to the touch, and felt as smooth as glass. Was... Was she in the Crystal Empire? Did a search - and - rescue team find her and the other ponies, and took them to the hospital? But she was in a room, a very large room too. Beautifully decorated, but everything appeared to be made out of glass. Crystals, which added up to her suspicions, but it would be so dangerous to have patients in such a cold room. Rarity opened her eyes wider, the blue gleaming as she looked around in a daze. No, this most definitely was not a hospital, was it the castle? But again, the castle was never this cold. Her very teeth were chattering and clicking. While the furs did provide ample warmth, the head sticking out of the warmth was so cold. Terrible, indeed. She didn't turn her head, or even attempted to move a muscle. Too much pain, despite her desperately wanting to call for a nurse. Someone, anyone, to come to her, give her water, and perhaps explain what was going on. And most definitely to turn the heat up. ... To Tartarus with it, if no one was going to fix an immediate problem, then she would put herself through more pain just so she could drift back to sleep. She finally managed to sit up, vision blurry, and called out "Nurse!" In a raspy voice. All was quiet for about.... Three seconds. The doors opened, and before Rarity could appreciate the punctuality, in trotted a mare. A very, VERY tall and slim mare, with soft powdery fur, and a gentle sea-green mane and tail. "Please Miss, you must lay down! Oh dear, the heating spell must have worn off. Lie down dearie!" The mare said sweetly, as she lifted up a hoof, a blue aura surrounding it. This wasn't right. Why did she look so... Translucent? Why was it now even colder then before? Rarity rubbed at her eyes, her mind screaming that something was wrong, she needed to wake up more. She needed to find out just what was going on here. The mare's eyes were a glowing purple. No pupils. The bed and walls were made of crystal... But also something far more colder. Ice. Ice and crystal entwined by a foreign looking magic. It was so cold because outside of her windows was pure white, with snow piling up around the windows. The Crystal Empire wouldn't allow snow in to that amount. Adrenaline was starting to mask the pain, as Rarity again focused on her Nurse. The aura had surrounded her body, and she was instantly warmed again. But she hardly noticed, as she instead stared at her nurse. This was no pony. She was like a ghost, translucent, and just being near her was freezing Rarity's skin, despite the heat spell. Her snoot was far too long, her markings on her body were in fact swirls. Her mane and tail eternally moved in a still wind, much like Celestia and Luna's. No. No it could'nt be... But... "What are you?" Rarity whispered, but the nurse heard it. "Oh! I'm a windigo!" She giggled. Her voice far too sweet, far too innocent, far too naive. No one thought the night shift nurse would have to talk to the pony, so of course she would speak as she would please. And this was all the confirmation Rarity needed to know that she was in a den of monsters. "Stay away! Don't freeze me!" She cried out, and tried to light up her horn in a moment of fight-or-flight. Tried to was the key phrase, as she could only cry out in the splitting headache ensuing. Right then. Flight it is. "Miss please! S-security, I need you in here, our guest is running away!!" The nurse called out, but Rarity didn't care. White hooves pounding against the floor, running so fast her lungs were burning. She was in so much pain, but this was a matter of survival. Pain meant nothing compared to death itself. Running, running, she saw more of the horrendous creatures. Some with the intent to catch her, others watching in fascination. All of them looking like demons to the fashionista. She was trying to hide whenever she could, but ultimately she wanted out. She was certain she was running in circles at this point, but she couldn't help it. The castle she was in was massive, and she was too nervous to try bursting through any doors. But her luck was about to run out. "Look here little pony, just come with us back to your room. Empress' orders, we just want to help you." Coaxed one, his voice soothing. "Really, we haven't seen a pony here for centuries, no one is going to eat you." Said another one, her voice a bit gruffer. Prompting her to get smacked on the head by her co-guard. "You idiot! Can't you see how scared she is??? Why'd you have to go and say that!?" "Who's an idiot, you idiot!!" Rarity backed up, ears flattened, as her flank soon hit a door. And went through. She burst into the hall, and was in the process of running again when she skidded to a stop. She was in the throne room. There were very few windigos in here, due to it being so late at night. A multiple of colors, but they all were distinctly the same of the nurse. Save for one. On the raised dais were two thrones. One had a regular sized windigo, her color pallet of a lavender mane and tail, fur a very pale blue that ombre into white near the hooves, wearing a small crystal crown. She was older then most of the others, but still quite young. Especially compared to the one next to her. This windigo commander respect just by her presence alone. Her aura was ancient, belonging to another time, having seen at least a thousand years, but most probably more. She truly was the leader, due to her much taller height, and the crystals growing out of her legs and chest. She needed no jewelry to signified her status, her confidence was enough. The younger one gasped. "Oh, she's awake! I... C-calm down Miss, I know this is a lot to take in, and we were going to ease you in a little more gently-" "Stay away, monsters!" Rarity yelled back, shaking with animalistic terror. The older one held up a hoof, before getting up and walking down towards the frightened pony. Everything about her was terrifying, and unlike with the younger one, Rarity could not dare to even breath, yet alone yell, yet alone move. "Peace." Was all she said. Rarity was not calmed by this... But she did listen a bit more. The simpler the sentence, the more powerful the meaning. "Peace, little pony. You were found among the wreckage of a train heading for our neighbors to the south. Patrol found you, but only you alive. Now please, you need rest so we can return to you Celestia and Luna's kingdom." That voice was still so commanding, but no hostility or malice perverted the kind words. Rarity began to shiver a bit less, but now her pain had returned in full force. "Who... Oh no..." Her eyes rolled back, and she fell back into the black.