Nine-Hundred and Ninety-Eight Years Ago…
Year Two of the Post Nightmare Era
Celestia gritted her teeth and flexed her magic as the pure force of chaotic nature tore at the shield she held around the castle. Her subjects and soldiers alike could do nothing against the deadly gale of razor sharp snow that focused itself towards the gates, intent on destroying everything held within.
She did not know what she had done to anger the vast forest around her small kingdom, and at this point she did not care. The onslaught had suddenly begun about five days ago, on the night of the full moon in the midst of winter, and only halted upon daybreak, when she was at her strongest.
Despite this bizarre turn of events, Celestia smiled, because she had made up her mind to finally confront this force face-to-face.
With her horn still shining brightly, she spread her wings and glided down to just outside of the gates, where her shield ended. She landed gracefully with all the majesty and power a God can present in such an action. She opened her mouth, and with the full power of the Royal Voice called into the storm as loud as she could.
“CEASE THIS AT ONCE!”
To her pleasant surprise, the storm actually froze before falling gracefully downward in thick flurries. Her ears twitched as the slow, deliberate crunching of steps in the snow approached her from beyond the shield.
Finally, in the fog of the blizzard a form materialized as it walked forward until it stood just a few feet away from her.
Celestia gulped as she took in the beast’s form; thick and coarse grey fur, a thick and muscular tail, and four disproportionately long legs, with long claws protruding from each, though it raised itself onto the back two, increasing it’s already massive height to about twice her own. The most off-putting thing about it was its face, or lack thereof. Instead of the wolf head she expected, given the rest of its body, a bare and bloody wolf skull sat in its place. There was only darkness in its eye sockets, blood on its teeth, and a pair of wickedly sharp antlers, like a deer’s, sprouted from the skull naturally.
Unlike its undead appearance, however, Celestia was glad to see the fog of warm breath periodically leave its mouth, proving the creature was indeed alive.
“Speak.”
Celestia blinked in surprise but retained her composure.
“Why do you attack our kingdom and our subjects? We have kept the damage to the forest to a minimum even despite its dangerous wildlife.”
The being chuckled, an eerie, echoing sound in the snow, and began stalking back and forth as it spoke.
“A minimum? I have tolerated your entire existence in this place for a long time. The magic here, which you call chaos, is natural to me. You are the trespasser here, bending magic to do your bidding with the force of your own “harmony” is an affront to the natural way of things. I let you live before because you kept to yourselves, but now you must perish, for the cycle of life and death is not to be trifled with. Especially not in this Everfree forest.”
Celestia screwed up her face in confusion.
“But isn’t there supposed to be a balance? Of Harmony and Chaos? And what cycle? I did not realize we had tampered with it.”
“It is unwise to lie to a Wendigo.”
“A Wendigo? What’s a Wendigo?” Celestia thought to herself.
“I have seen your Pegasi tamper with the seasons, and your Unicorns protect trees from the elements, and the Earth ones causing trees to bloom too soon just on selfish whims. The cycle of life, death and rebirth must continue, Celestia.”
“How do you know- no. That is not important. What if we leave? Travel to a land far from here? From your forest?”
“Too little, too late. You have enraged the forest. If I do not eliminate you here, the forest will do everything it can to restore the balance. For it is nature itself, and nature must cause, and heal entropy to survive. It will spread beyond its borders in its rage, and the cycle will truly be out of balance. I must save as many lives outside of the forest as I can.”
Celestia sighed and closed her eyes for a moment.
“So there is naught we can do?”
The Wendigo said nothing.
“Then you leave us no choice.”
In a flash of light, six glowing gems appeared floating about her. The Wendigo dropped to all fours and snarled.
“We will protect our ponies, and their short lives, with our own, for as long as we live. We will have to live with our consequences, no matter how severe, and we will take full responsibility for what happens after.”
“Why? What have you done?! What is this!?”
Celestia’s eyes turned a glowing, brilliant white like the sun itself, and the gems circled her with glittering sparks and harmonic energy growing by the moment.
The Wendigo turned and bolted into the night, but his flight was useless.
In a brilliant beam of color that split the night, the Wendigo was stuck in place, it’s legs already turning to stone. He turned his head back and snarled his last words to her.
“FLEE! FLEE YOU FOOLISH PONY! SAVE YOUR KIND-IF YOU CAN! THE FOREST WILL NOT BE SO MERCIF-“
And thus, the Wendigo was stone.
Celestia settled her hooves back to the ground and breathed a sigh of relief. Her respite was short lived as she dropped the shield and flew back into the Castle, bellowing as she went.
“GENERAL, PREPARE THE PONYFOLK! WE MUST LEAVE AT ONCE!”
And in the descending fog, wreathed in the light of the moon, the Wendigo stood, mid stride, one massive, clawed paw outstretched in the air, it’s head turned back in a silent snarl of warning that would last for a millennia, and the trees quivering and groaning around it, grieving for their messenger.
Year Two of the Lunar Return Era…
Twilight mumbled to herself as she reread the passage over and over.
She had recently been granted access to the deeper levels of the Canterlot Archives simply because she had read all of the rest available to her.
She had started at the very beginning, as was most efficient to get a full understanding of all that had transpired in the past. But she, as detail-oriented as she was, could not stand loose ends. And she had come across one that was particularly troubling to her.
A small passage, barely a page long, that told of an unexpectedly harsh winter that forced Celestia and Ponykind out of the Castle of the Two Sisters. It was said to have lasted less than a week, but as soon as it ended, all of Ponykind fled at top speed from the forest. There was no solid reasoning given, only a single snippet from a captain stating that a “statue” was taken with them along with the imprisoned Discord at Celestia’s order.
All royal orders were recorded in the archives, but this one was the least detailed one Twilight had come across. Grumbling under her breath, she picked up the book with her magic, saving her place, and walking up the long staircase from the deep archives.
She needed Celestia’s input on this.
…
Celestia sighed at the rather slow day court. There had been practically nopony there that day, and she was almost ready to hire a court jester for these dull hours when she must sit on her throne for hours on end with nothing to do.
She smiled instantly as she heard the quick steps of her favorite student approaching the throne room.
With a bang, the doors burst open and Twilight hurried through, yet another book floating behind her.
Celestia rolled her eyes and beckoned her forward before she could say anything.
“Well then, Twilight. What new mistake have you discovered in the history books today?”
“A minor thing, at best Princess, but there is simply a lack of information in what should be a more detailed royal order.”
Celestia raised an eyebrow as Twilight presented the book to her. She smiled grimly as she recognized the passage.
“Ah, yes. The Wendigo.”
Twilight smiled instantly.
“Oh! That would explain the harsh winter the-“
“Not so fast, Twilight. This was not the cruel frost spirit you know from the Hearth’s Warming story. Though it is where they got their name. The Wendigo is much stranger and much more dangerous.”
Twilight promptly sat down like a little foal, expecting a story with big eyes.
Secretly laughing to herself, Celestia told the bizarre tale of her experience with the Wendigo.
Twilight dutifully recorded the entire event as she listened attentively, her eyes widening as Celestia told of the creature’s strange spell craft, if it could even be considered as such.
“... Its statue is still here, though hidden on the other side of the gardens. Would you like to see it, Twilight? I am sure you would seek it out yourself just to make a detailed sketch for the records.”
Twilight blushed and nodded, she had been planning to correct the record as quickly as possible.
Celestia chuckled and turned to a guard.
“Day Court is officially adjourned, thank you for your services.”
The guard saluted and made his way out of the room, followed by the rest shortly after. Celestia beckoned Twilight after her and walked towards the gardens at a regal pace.
“So, are the spirit variety of wendigos actually related to this one? Or was it just a misunderstanding?”
“I do not believe we ever found out. My own encounter was the only documented time one of them spoke, so we could not exactly ask. They had similar powers and appearances, so it seemed natural.”
Twilight fell silent for awhile, lost in thought until Celestia suddenly stopped. She nearly ran into her but stumbled back.
She glanced about as Celestia glanced back at her.
“There’s only hedges here. Where are we going?”
Celestia only smiled and lit her horn, parting the hedge in front of her, revealing a secret covered glade. Twilight was amazed she had never noticed the perfect cube of hedges before, and realized it was quite an effective disguise.
“Behold, Twilight, The Wendigo.”
Twilight instinctively gulped as she caught sight of the intimidating creature in all of its frozen glory.
It was still half-turned around, mid-roar with long teeth bared savagely, and it’s entire body flexed in an eternal primal display of power.
“Have you checked the seal upon it recently?”
Celestia nodded. After Discord had been released, she had promptly checked the statue for signs of decay or weakening, but had found nothing.
“We have nothing to fear, unless somepony has the misfortune to discover what frees him, much like Discord’s innate ability even when sealed to escalate a simple argument into enough chaos to loosen his bonds.”
“What do you suppose might free him?”
“If I had to make a guess Twilight, it would likely be deep feelings of bitterness or anger, but who knows? It might be as simple as wanting to free him.”
They continued to look over the statue, Twilight bringing out her sketchbook to get a rough draft.
After a good ten minutes of looking at it, Twilight suddenly gasped as whispers began fading into the back of her mind, telling her things she could not quite hear.
Celestia was immediately by her side and ushered her out of the enclosed space, closing the entrance behind them.
“Are you alright? I nearly forgot about that. Prolonged exposure to the statue causes mental whispers to appear. I’m afraid they will linger for a short while. I apologize, Twilight, that was foolish of me.”
Twilight smiled and waved a hoof.
“No, no, it’s fine. They’re already quieter.”
As Princess and student made their way back into the castle, a bush in the hidden space shifted, revealing a small bunny rabbit.
It already seemed dazed, and as it caught sight of the statue, it only confused it more. Quickly growing whispers were overtaking its small mind, seeming to emanate from the still face of the statue in front of it.
Many voices growled, snarled, howled, roared, purred, and whispered into its small and unexpecting mind.
Telling it, demanding of it, begging, crying, screaming in agony, whimpering in despair, alluring, manipulative, intimidating, all calling for one act.
”FREE HIM.”
With shaky little hops, it made its way closer and closer before laying a paw on a single claw.
*CRACK*
With a hiss, frosty air escaped the open mouth, and the bunny scampered away, squeezing into the hedges and outside.
And the statue breathed.
