There is a great immortal known only as the Winter Goddess who rules the Frozen Empire, far north. The four Princesses have good relations with her, but only through a messenger who makes the journey south to Canterlot to commune with the Princesses.
In Equestria, there are four princesses: Princess Celestia the Wise, Bringer of the Day and Protector of the Light; Princess Luna the Brave, Bringer of the Night and Protector of Dreams; Princess Cadence the Just, Bringer of Love and Protecter of the Crystal Heart; and Princess Chrysalis the Resourceful, Bringer of Peace and Protector of the Library of Wisdom. All four of them have proven time and time again their worthiness of the titles of Wise, Brave, Just, and Resourceful.
But rumors exist of a fifth princess: Princess Twilight the Kind, Bringer of Friendship and Protector of Magic itself. The rumors tell that Princess Twilight had five loyal friends, who together represented the fabled Elements of Harmony, using them to heal Luna the Brave, Chrysalis the Resourceful, and fabled mage Starlight the Powerful, along with many others.
But one day, Princess Twilight’s five friends and Princess Twilight herself disappeared, never to be seen again.
Now, the only clue as to her whereabouts lay in The Frozen Empire and it’s empress, the mysterious Winter Goddess, who communicates only by messenger even in times of dire need. The four Princesses have tried time and time again to talk to the Winter Goddess directly, but have made no progress.
And then, the Winter Goddess herself appears in the Throne Room, intent to call a Council of Royalty to discuss a new movement called the Eastern Ring.
It was a beautiful night. The star were gleaming, the moon shone with silver-blue light, illuminating all the land in sleepy shades of midnight blue, and Princess Celestia was getting ready to enjoy a good night’s rest after a long day of statecraft. Celestia sighed and smiled a content smile. She took a relaxed sip of Jasmine Tea and looked out at the beautiful night sky that Luna had created.
“Luna, you did such a good job tonight…” Celestia took a long sip of tea. She pulled off her Regalia with her magic. With a clink, they landed in their appropriate place in her wardrobe, to be left until the morning. She then levitated the letter Twilight had sent her over to read it.
“It’s always refreshing to read a letter from Twilight.” Celestia opened the letter and began to read.
Dear Princess Celestia,
Hello! It’s been such a long time since I wrote to you like this! I’M excited to hear from you! Anyways, I’m LEAVING for the Crystal Empire in two days to attend the Royal Festival. It’s going to be so much fun! MY friends are coming with me. They seem excited too. I’m not surprised; after all, it’s not everyday you get invited to the royal festival.
“Hmm, that’s odd…” there were words on the paper that were in all-caps. Celestia sighed. Twilight must have been writing in her sleep again.
Anyways, afterwards, my FRIENDS and I are going to my aunt’s funeral. It’s sad that my aunt DIED.
…No, she was definitely awake. Celestia stopped reading. She looked at the words that were in all-caps. There was a pattern here, she knew it. Twilight wouldn’t be so foolish as to mis-write several words. When she found it and the phrase written, she could only stare at the paper.
I’m leaving
My friends died
“What…?” Celestia skimmed the paper. She found several more hidden messages:
I’m sorry
Don’t follow me
Goodbye
“Twilight…” Celestia quickly stood up. She put her regalia back on.
“GUARDS!”
“Twilight, where are you!?” it was a dreadful night. “TWILIGHT! ANSWER ME!” Many were searching. They looked all over Equestria, in the forests, in the mountains, in the clouds, and in the bogs for their missing princess. They searched all the cities, from the great Capital Canterlot to the brightly lit metropolis Manehatten, to the majestic sky cty of Cloudsdale, even to the little hamlet of Trottingham.
“TWILIGHT! WHERE ARE YOU!?” Celestia herself was looking in the Everfree Forest along with an entire troop of guards. She had been shouting at the top of her lungs with the Royal Canterlot Voice for over 5 hours now, but had made no progress in finding her dearest Princess Twilight. On top of that, her latest shout had knocked down some trees, putting them in the way of the search.
“TWILIG--” Celestia was cut off by Princess Luna landing next to her.
“Sister, if you continue to carry on like this, the only thing you’ll accomplish is losing your voice. You’re already raspy.”
“Aren’t you calling too?”
“Yes, I suppose I am calling for her. I concede. Still, though.”
“Yes, yes, I understand.” Celestia let out a shaky sigh. “I just don’t want to lose Twilight.”
“I know. I too wish for Twilight to be found safe.” Luna nuzzled her older sister. Celestia hugged back.
“I wish I’d never sent them out on this mission, Luna…” Luna sighed.
“You couldn’t have known what was waiting there for them. It’s not your fault.”
“But it makes me feel guilty to see Twilight disappearing like this even after her friends…” Celestia shook her head and sighed.
“I know.”
“How will we find her, Luna? If she’s really gone, then…”
“Cadence and Chrysalis are both searching for her. We’ll find her, I promise.” a guard came up to the sisters.
“Princess, we’ve found a new area to search through, but it’s covered in a highly acidic bog. Shall we proceed?” Celestia sighed.
“Yes, but use caution and proceed only with Pegasi and Unicorns who can levitate themselves.”
“Of course, Princess.” the guard nodded once and left. Celestia looked down.
“We have to find her.”
“Of course we do, sister. She is the fourth in our rank. I also know how dear to you she is.”
“She’s like a daughter to me, Luna. I love her… and I can’t lose her. Not now, of all times, just when she’s ready to take our place!” Celestia squinted her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead. Luna nodded.
“Indeed. To lose such a precious mare would mean not only the ruin of all Equestria, but of ourselves as well.”
“Oh, Luna… she’s your friend too. I shouldn’t rub my friendship with her in your face.”
“I am fine, sister. That you see her as a daughter is no surprise to me. It only makes it even more important that we find her. We’ll find her, I promise. I won’t stop until we’ve found her.” Celestia smiled.
“Thank you, sister.” a guard came up to the princesses once more.
“Princesses! We’ve found something!”
“What is it?”
“This.” the guard levitated a small crown over to Celestia.
“Twilight!” Celestia took the crown and held it close.
“We also found this note.” the guard gave Celestia a note. Celestia took it and read it.
Let me go Celestia
please
Celestia dropped the crown. With a thud, it landed and cracked. She watched as splinters spat themselves away from the crown and landed on the dirt. The world disappeared in an instant. Everything went silent for Celestia. It was pin-drop silence. While there were noises, Celestia didn’t hear them. She could only stare at the broken crown, devastation on her face. Nothing else mattered. Not her sister, not the search, not even her own health. Celestia had shut down.
“Sister…” Luna looked at the guard. “We thank you for finding this. Do a full sweep of the surrounding area and bring back anything else you find.” the guard nodded and left.
“Sister, we will find her.” Celestia didn’t respond. “Sister?” Celestia
“Call off the search.” Luna did a double-take.
“Sister, wh--”
“Call all the guards back. And Cadence and Chrysalis.”
“Sister, you can’t possibly--” Celestia shook her head.
“We have to let her go, Luna.” Luna looked at Celestia.
“Sister, this is absurd. We can’t just let her go!” Celestia sat down.
“We have to let her go.” Luna sighed. she could see this was going nowhere. She sat down next to Celestia.
“Thank you.” Luna nodded and flew off to cancel the search. Celestia sighed once Luna was gone and she was alone. She was finally able to let the tears flow.
“I’m sorry, Twilight…” Celestia sighed a shaky sigh. She stood up when Luna returned.
“It is done, sister. Let us go home.” Celestia nodded. She walked over to a budding tree and put the crown down upon it.
“Goodbye, Twilight…” Celestia flew away with her sister. She took one last look at the crown before leaving it there forever. As she flew she could barely whisper the two words she wished she’d had the ability to tell her former pupil.
“I’m sorry…”
Celestia sat in her royal chambers once more, staring out at the stars. She looked at the letter, sighed, and went to bed after saying goodbye to Twilight for the last time.
It was a gorgeous day outside. Birds were singing, flowers were blooming, and there were no clouds in the sky. It was the perfect day for a field trip to the Royal Memorial. It was for this reason that the Ponyville Elementary class had come up to Canterlot to view the Statue garden and the Royal Memorial.
Miss Bloom led her students up to the Memorial. She smiled.
“Class, do you know what this is?” a sky blue filly raised her hoof.
“Blueberry?”
“It’s the Royal Memorial, ma’am.”
“Correct. Can anyone tell me why it was built?”
“It was built in memory of Princess Twilight the Kind, ma’am!” a silver colt grinned.
“Raise your hoof next time, Cobalt, and no. It was built in memory of the Bearers of Harmony some three hundred years ago. Princess Twilight the Kind is a legend and nothing more.”
“But Princess Twilight healed Princess Luna and Princess Chrysalis!”
“No more of that, now. Princess Luna and Princess Chrysalis were both healed by the Bearers of Harmony. Focus on the lesson please.”
“Aw.” Cobalt groaned. Miss Bloom smiled.
“Now, who knows the names of the five Bearers of Harmony?”
Princess Celestia watched the Ponyville Elementary class as they viewed the Royal Memorial from a window facing the statue. She sighed. It was unfortunate, how her own student had become nothing more than a legend for foals to tell.
“Twilight Sparkle…” the name sounded strange on Celestia’s tongue. She had not said it in over 297 years. How Celestia missed Twilight. So many good memories had been made all those years ago, and Celestia missed making them. Yes, she had Luna, but Twilight… Celestia had a special connection with Twilight. A connection she missed very much.
Celestia could still remember the days when Twilight was just a filly and they both had gotten into trouble. The freshest memory was that of a pie fight in the dining hall. They’d both ended up covered in whipped cream.
“Reminiscing again?” Celestia was startled out of her reverie by Princess Luna.
“I was just watching the Ponyville Elementary. They took a field trip to the memorial today.” Luna came up beside Celestia.
“Ah, I see. Sister, you cannot dwell on the past like this. It is unhealthy.” Celestia sighed.
“I know, I just… I miss her, Luna. how could I not? She was like a daughter to me.”
“I know, sister. I understand. I miss her as well. I miss her everyday, and so do Cadence and Chrysalis. She was responsible for saving us both and Equestria multiple times, after all.” Celestia looked down.
“It just doesn’t feel the same without her here. Before, I could talk to her and play games with her and write letters to her. I could spend nights having tea and reading to her like when she was a filly. Now, she’s gone. I don’t know where she is, what she’s doing, or if she’s even alive at all… I’m worried for her, Luna.” Luna nodded.
“And that is perfectly fine. It is okay to be worried about her. But dwelling on the past and not focusing on the present is unhealthy. Mother knows I spent one too many a day thinking of ways to get rid of you while on the moon for all that time.” Luna smiled. “The best thing to do is to continue on, sister. Remember her as you wish, but continue on with life. To stay in the past is to bring yourself to ruin.”
“I will try, Luna. I’m not entirely sure I can, but I will try my best.”
“And that is all I ask of you. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, Luna.” Celestia smiled.
“Now, what is it that you’ve come to tell me about?”
“Ah, yes. The delegates are here. It is time for the Council of Nations.”
“Good. thank you for telling me.” Celestia and Luna walked gracefully to the Council room.
“Has the one from far north come?”
“Yes. they have sent a messenger on behalf of the empress.”
“Good. I shall send him back with a message for the empress.” the sisters gracefully walked into the Council room. They both took their seats. Celestia gazed serenely over the delegates from the neighboring countries. She picked out one specific delegate, a snow-white unicorn stallion, with her eyes.
“Welcome, my friends, to this latest Council of Nations. I assume everyone has arrived?” the delegates all nodded.
“Good. let the Council commence.”
Celestia and Luna, along with all the delegate from the other countries, walked out of the Council room. Several long hours had been spent in that room, discussing all sorts of state matters. Now, it was time to lower the sun and raise the moon.
“Well, that was long and tiring, don’t you think, sister?” Luna looked at Celestia. Celestia sighed.
“I’m glad to be rid of that pointless debacle for another year.”
“Entire nations rise and fall behind those doors.”
“I know, Luna. I just can’t help but think that we’ve been stagnant in our relations with other countries.” Celestia and Luna walked into Celestia’s chambers.
“You mean the Frozen Empire, correct?”
“Yes, Luna, I do.” Celestia sighed again and walked into her room. “I feel as if she’s been cutting me off, Luna, and it concerns me to have such a powerful country giving us the cold shoulder. I’ve tried to reach out to her, but she only ignores me.”
“We both have tried, and we both have failed. That is nothing to fret about. We simply keep trying until she responds.”
“Yes, yes, I know, but we’ve tried for so long that I’m beginning to wonder if she wants any contact at all. We’ve barely had any contact over the 3 centuries of communication, and she hasn’t appeared at all.” Luna was taken aback. She’d never heard anything like this from her sister before! Well, not about an ally at least.
“You know very well that the Winter Goddess has been nothing but accepting and kind since we first contacted her!” Celestia nodded.
“I know that, but… oh, Mother help me… I just-- I have a bad feeling, okay, Luna? I can’t help but feel as if something is terribly wrong up there… and it unnerves me that I don’t know what.” Celestia looked down.
There was a knock at the door. Celestia sighed.
“Come in.” the delegate from the Frozen Empire entered.
“Am I interrupting something?” Celestia shook her head and put on the serene smile that she held whenever dealing with foreign delegates.
“Of course not, Ambassador Snow. Please, come in. What is it that you need?” Ambassador Snow smiled.
“I wish to have a private conversation with you about our neighborly relations, if that is alright with you.” Luna nodded.
“I shall take my leave, sister.”
“Of course, Luna. See you later for dinner?” Celestia smiled.
“As always, dear sister.” Luna smiled back.
“Very well. Until then, sister.” Luna smiled, nodded, and left the room, closing the door behind her. Ambassador Snow watched her. Celestia gave a chuckle.
“Ah, always so good to spend time with my sister. Now, what is it that you wished to speak to me about?”
“A certain object of interest you may be inclined to accept from the Winter Goddess…”
Princess Luna gracefully strode down the halls of Canterlot Castle, heading to her Royal Chambers to read a few books while she waited to eat dinner with her sister. Luna sighed when she thought about Celestia. The Sun Goddess was likely still talking with Ambassador Snow about the relations between the Frozen Empire and Equestria.
Luna scoffed. She had never cared for the nuances of diplomacy. She had always preferred to let her sister deal with those things in the past. But, as she’d grown used to the modern world, so too had she grown used to dealing with other nations. By now, it had all but become practice to attend the Council of Nations with her sister every year.
Still, Luna smiled all the same. Even though she had far less practice with diplomatic relations, it was still nice to spend time with Celestia.
Luna’s smile only grew when she reached her quarters. She had been looking forward to reading a nice long novel all day. She went over to vanity, where she kept her supply of reading snacks and was about to open the drawer where she kept them, when she saw an old letter that had been on her desk for quite some time now.
“A letter from Twilight Sparkle?” Luna sat down. She glossed over the letter’s contents and sighed. “It’s the last one she wrote me before she disappeared…”
Luna sighed. She didn’t like to think about Twilight’s disappearance. While she understood that Twilight had been devastated by her friends’ death, she never could understand why Twilight would run away. When she’d heard of what had happened she had wondered why Twilight hadn’t come to Celestia for help and advice. The entire situation had only confused and disoriented her.
“It appears that I’ll be getting no answers from this letter…”
Luna scoffed. The more she thought about that day, the more confused she became. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more Twilight’s disappearance became impossibly out of character for her. Twilight would never run away, not when she had just lost her friends. The much more likely thing was that she’d come to her parents, loved ones, and her mentor for advice in how to overcome it.
And then there was the case of the missing emblem… Luna shook her head. There was no possible way those two separate incidents could be connected. For one, the emblem had been lost months before Twilight disappeared. Two, shortly before the search the emblem had been recovered…
Or so Celestia had said. Luna had no reason to distrust her sister, unlike 1300 years ago, and Celestia herself had confirmed its identity, but she still had a bad feeling that said she should make sure. Luna knew when she had a feeling like this that she could not ignore it. It was already making her skin tingle with anxiety.
So, instead of reading like she’d hoped to, Luna strode out of her chambers and to the nearest Night Guard.
“Lt. Swift!” Lt. Swift looked up at Luna.
“Yes, your highness!”
“Fetch me the emblem that was lost 300 years ago. I have a suspicion that I would like to disprove.”
“Yes, your highness.” Lt. Swift quickly trotted down the hall to retrieve the emblem. Once he was gone, Luna let out a breath of air she hadn’t noticed she had been holding. She was more nervous than she had originally thought, it seemed.
Luna took a deep breath. She let the breath out and rubbed her forehead with a hoof.
“So it’s going to be one of these times…” Luna smiled. She wondered what had caused this. It certainly wasn’t anything she’d caused, this she knew. And she hadn’t eaten or drank anything different in the last few days. Her sleeping patterns hadn’t changed either…
But then, she had read that letter. Luna took a look at the letter. She wondered what was different about it from Twilight’s other letters that had set her off. She sat down and began to read…
Princesses Celestia and Luna sat across the table from one another in the Royal Dining Room, eating their dinner. Celestia ate happily, and Luna ate slower, more distractedly. Celestia looked over at her younger sister. She swallowed her latest bite and smiled at Luna.
“So, how’s your evening been?” Luna looked up from her plate.
“I spent it carefully scanning Twilight’s last letter to me. I believe I’ve found something rather interesting embedded in her writing.” Celestia gave an interested grin.
“Oh? Do tell.”
“It’s too early to say anything in detail, sister, but I will say that it may, and I mean MAY, be a clue as to why Twilight left.” Luna took a bite.
“Oh my.” Celestia put a hoof up to her mouth.
“Indeed. I have made some progress towards deciphering the clue, but not much.”
“What have you found?” Celestia took bite.
“A few words, nothing more. I’ll have to keep looking to find something important.”
“Well, you have my approval. If there’s something that can give me a clue as to why, then I would like to see it.”
“Thank you, sister.” Luna finished up her dinner and smiled. “I will be going now. The more time spent deciphering the clue, the better.” Celestia nodded.
“Go ahead, Luna.” Luna smiled and stood up.
“I will see you tomorrow morning.” Luna left the dining room. Celestia’s smile faded away.
“Good luck, Luna…”
Princess Luna sighed. She looked up from squinting at the letter from Twilight. It had been a few hours since she’d left the dining hall and since then had been examining the letter and writing down the things she found. So far she’d only found a few more words. Luna stood up, blinked a few times, and went to the shelf full of books.
Luna could still recognize many of the books she’d collected, some she’d bought, and some that Twilight Sparkle had gifted to her. Luna smiled and took out a book. She looked down at it and sighed once more. This book was the first book Twilight had given her, right after Nightmare Night.
It was the very first book she’d gotten after returning from the moon. Because of that, Luna kept it close to her heart. When others suggested she replace it, Luna always refused, giving the reason of “this book was a gift”.
Luna bit her lip. She remembered just how much both she and her sister missed Twilight. Without the lavender mare writing letters to them, there was a hole in both their hearts. Luna nodded. It was time to get back to work.
Luna put the book back and went back to her vanity. There was a Royal Emblem on the vanity beside the letter from Twilight. The Emblem was made of gold and glinted in the moonlight. Luna picked the emblem up. Luna lightly tossed it. It was heavy for its size. Too heavy.
While gold in general was heavy, the Emblem was too heavy. Royal Emblems were always made to be exactly two pounds in weight. This one was more like three or four pounds. On top of that, the Emblem was just slightly too thick to be a true Royal Emblem.
Luna let out a quiet growl. Just as she’d suspected. This was not the real Emblem. This one was fake, likely planted by a group of bandits.
“Just another piece in the puzzle…” Luna put the Emblem down. She looked down at it. “I shall investigate you in the morning. For now, it is time to do my duties.” Luna went out onto the balcony to do her nightly duty of tending to ponies’ dreams.
“Pull him out of there.” The day so far had been troublesome. A snow storm had rolled in from west, covering the land in white. The nobles had been pressing to see her for hours now, and there were numerous bandits trying to ransack her little ponies’ homes. Ah, well. Such was the way of the Monarchy.
“Yes, your majesty.” This bandit in particular had been quite annoying. The squad of guards she brought with her pulled the bandit out of the pile of snow and ice. The bandit coughed and took in a breath. He looked up at the goddess standing before him. She looked disdainfully down at the bandit.
“Ah, Empress Winter… you’re more intimidating in person than up on that balcony of yours.” the Winter Goddess shook her head.
“Not more than you are to my beloved subjects. Take him away.” the guards nodded and cuffed the bandit. They roughly escorted the bandit away. Empress Winter sighed. That was another in a long chain of bandits who had decided to ransack her little ponies’ homes. It was becoming increasingly common for these bandits to attempt to ransack her little ponies’ homes and businesses.
“Another day, another string of bandits to subdue…” Empress Winter sighed. She opened her icey wings and took off towards her grand palace. She flew over the country she had built over the past 300 years. She smiled. She was truly proud of the achievements of her subjects.
Over the past 300 years they’d not only recovered from the Hundred Year Blizzard that had ravaged their crops, towns, and homes, but they’d built a metropolis to live in as well as other, smaller towns. It was a feat to see and Empress Winter had been there for all of it. And now, with the Winter Ball coming up, she was prouder than she’d ever been.
But now that these bandits were here? The Winter Goddess couldn’t bear to see the country she’d saved, built, and grown to love be destroyed by them.
Empress Winter landed on the balcony of her personal chambers in the highest tower and sighed. She looked out on the Capital City. from up here, on the balcony, she could see the entirety of the city that surrounded her palace home. The icey buildings and snowy rooftops glistened in the Moonlight.
The Empress smiled. Everything was as it should’ve been. The ponies below were relaxing at home after a long day at work. Empress glanced behind her when the door opened.
“Empress?” Empress Winter knew that voice. She turned around and put of her best kind smile.
“Come in, Cloudy. What is it you need?” the royal advisor, Cloudy Sky entered.
“You have a letter from Ambassador Snow.” Cloudy held out a letter.
“Ah, thank you, Cloudy. You may go.” Empress Winter took the scroll in her magic and opened it. Cloudy left. Empress Winter read the letter. It was a shorthand note:
To Great Empress:
Urgent information regarding “The Plan”. Meet in Relic Hall.
Ambassador Snow
Empress Winter gave a low growl. She’d told Ambassador Snow not to speak about the plan in letters. Empress Winter put the letter down. She strode out of her chambers and down several flights of stairs into the Relic Hall. Empress Winter closed the doors behind her and stood in the middle of the room.
Empress Winter looked up when she heard buzzing. The source of said buzzing was her horn.
“Alright, Ambassador… let’s see what you have to say.” Empress Winter lit her horn. The Ambassador appeared in a puff of magic.
“Ah, hello, Empress. You got my message, I see.”
“Indeed I did. Care to explain the content?” the Empress raised an eyebrow.
“Ah, yes. Apologies for that, but it was rather important.”
“As I can tell. What is so important as to break protocol?” the Empress tapped her hoof impatiently on the ground.
“Well, as I said briefly in the letter, I have urgent information regarding our… heh, little plan.”
“what happened?”
“We have succeeded.” With a flicker of magic, all the windows, curtains, and doors in the Hall were shut.
“She accepted it?”
“Yes, your majesty. At the moment, it is sitting in her room.”
“Good, this means she thinks we trust her. If I am correct, then Princess Celestia will move negotiations up by two weeks at least. She’ll want to move as fast as possible to build a relationship with us. It will be your job to prevent her from doing so until I can intervene.”
“Of course, Empress. Your bidding is my command.” Empress Winter smiled.
“Thank you, Ambassador Snow. Your loyalty is invaluable to me in this plan.”
“Before you go, Ambassador Snow, one thing: do be careful. The country we are working is built on lies.” Empress Winter hissed out the last sentence.
“Thank you for the warning. Until next time, Empress.” Ambassador Snow disappeared in a puff of magic. Empress Winter sighed and walked out of the Relic Hall. She strode down a few more flights of stairs into an unused portion of the palace. She then walked into a small room with a mirror on it. In the mirror, instead of her reflection, was Ambassador Snow going about his duties as Ambassador.
The only word that could describe the past several weeks was waiting. Waiting for court to end, waiting for Luna to finish deciphering the message, and waiting for the Winter Goddess to finally agree to negotiations. Celestia gave a perturbed sigh as she strode down the hall.
So far, her attempts to invite the empress had failed. Ambassador Snow had told excuse after excuse, none of which she bought, but all of which let him get out of negotiations for another day. Celestia couldn’t fathom why he was making so many excuses, but she knew the reason couldn’t be good. She could only wonder what exactly was going on, and it seemed like she would be left in the dark for quite some time.
“Princess, are you okay?” Celestia was shaken out of her thoughts by her personal Assistant, Ivory Quill.
“Mm? Oh, yes, what is it, Ivory?”
“I’ve been trying to talk to you for the last five minutes, Princess. Are you okay?”
“I assure you, Ivory, I am fine. I was just thinking about something.” Celestia smiled.
“Then you know Luna wants to speak with you?” Ivory smiled.
“Oh!” Celestia giggled. “I am sorry, Ivory. I had completely forgotten! Let’s go talk to my sister.”
Princess Luna sighed a perturbed sigh. She waited in her study for her sister to finish whatever she was doing. She tapped her hoof on top of the notes she’d written down. After several minutes, she sighed again.
“Oh, I sincerely hope my sister isn’t busy with another delegation…” Luna rubbed her forehead with a hoof. “This is important…”
Luna looked up when Celestia entered.
“Oh, sister! You’re here!” Celestia smiled.
“Indeed I am. I am sorry for taking so long, Luna. I, heh… may have gotten caught up in my thoughts for too long.” Celestia grinned embarrassedly.
“I certainly know that feeling.”
“Thank you. Now, I believe you had something to talk to me about.” Luna nodded.
“Yes, I do.” Luna lifted the notes in her magic. “I finished deciphering the message in the letter.”
“What does it say?” Celestia looked at Luna.
“levis est aurea clavis.”
“That would be Old Equish for ‘golden light is the key’... But why would Twilight put that in her letter?”
“I do not know, sister, but I will find out. I have already been searching the archives for the answer these past several weeks, although I haven’t gotten very far.”
“Good. If anything good comes of this search, I hope it will be the answer to where Twilight went and why she left.” Celestia sighed. “It has been far too long since I saw her…”
“I know, sister, and I promise to find out where this goes.”
“Thank you, Luna.” Celestia smiled.
“You’re welcome, Sister.” Luna smiled. “Now, I believe it’s time for us to continue our days, correct?” Celestia nodded and smiled.
“Yes, I do as well. I will see you tonight for dinner, Luna.” Luna nodded and smiled.
“Until tonight, sister.”
Hours later, Princess Celestia sat in her room after dinner, reading the latest in a series of increasingly panicked letters from the Crystal Empire. Specifically, Cadence and her husband, Shining Armor. All of letters told of an increasingly dangerous snowstorm near the Crystal Heart’s protective shield. The latest was the most disturbing:
Dear Princess Celestia,
PLEASE HELP US! This storm is the most concerning and distressing thing the Crystal Ponies have seen since the Mad King Sombra. I’m beginning to wonder if isn’t magical in nature…? Normally the Crystal Heart would protect us from it, but the blizzard isn’t affected by it. It’s almost discordian in nature, pardon my insulting the Lord of Chaos himself. Please send somepony to help us! A magician, a weather team, something to stop this awful storm from ruining our livelihoods!
Your desperate friend,
Princess Cadence
Celestia sighed. She put the letter down and looked out the window of her balcony, towards the Crystal Empire. It would be a long night, it seemed. While there was no apparent sign of distress in the direction of the Empire, Celestia knew Cadence’s words were truth. After all, Cadence was not the only pony sending panicked letters from the Crystal Empire.
Many of the subjects had, in panic and fear, turned to Celestia and Luna for help. Some had even made the long and arduous journey to Canterlot to ask the Princesses in pony. Celestia, of course, had assured all those who came that she was doing everything she could, and assistance would be on it’s way soon.
At least part of that was true. She was doing everything she could, but with so many foreign dignitaries and diplomats all here at the same time, it was all she could do to keep them content. Even just getting them all here for the Council of Nations had been a grossly overcomplicated task.
Celestia sighed once more. The stubbornness of the delegates from other nations was something she would never be able to comprehend. It had gotten better over the years, and the new delegates had been more willing to come than the previous set, but it was a task, all the same.
Even so, that was no excuse. Something had to be done about that treacherous storm before it hurt innocent ponies. It just couldn’t be postponed anymore. But what could she do? It sounded as if this storm would take the power of an alicorn to dispel…?
Celestia froze. That was it! Neither she nor Luna could travel up north to fix it, mostly due to the stress and busyness of the Council of Nations, but there was somepony else who could! The Goddess of Winter! Celestia laughed. She turned to walk out of her quarters and then froze.
“Oh, but what if she doesn’t want to help me? We’ve only just begun talking, after all…” Celestia sighed. “No. For the sake of my ponies, I will contact her!” Celestia took a piece of parchment and quill from her desk and began writing.
Dear Empress Winter...
Princess Luna sighed. It had been several hours, and she had found nothing so far. She currently sat in the Royal Archives, and was looking through yet another book that related to golden light. With an irritated huff, she set the book down and stood up.
“Another dead end…” Luna went over to the bookshelf and looked through the many different books with a reproachful stare. None of them had anything to do with the clue that Twilight had left for Luna. “If only Twilight had been more clear!” Luna resisted the urge to pull her cheeks out of frustration. She sighed again and went to the next shelf. And for several minutes she kept looking.
After several more minutes of nothing but frustration, Luna went back to her table and sat down, planting her cheek on her hoof. She wished Twilight had made it clearer.
Luna looked at Twilight’s letter. She looked at the phrase that she’d written down in the margins. What did this phrase have to do with Twilight’s disappearance, she wondered. Why did Twilight write it down? She looked at the phrase, and then the books she’d looked through. The phrase, and then the book. And then back to the phrase. And then, she had an idea.
“I should be looking at books with the entire phrase as the name! Why didn’t I think of that before?” Luna quickly put the books she was reading away and went to get the appropriate books. When she had found them, she opened them before she had even gone back to the table.
When Luna was once again sitting at the table, she proceeded to carefully scan the pages of the first book. She stopped when she found what she was looking for. It was a clue in the form of a poem, written about her sister.
Golden Light is the Key
By Ink Pen
Light of the blazing sun
How brightly it shines
Golden rays abright
Will be a glowing sign
We find the sun’s light
However giving and kind
Will burn us to ground
And render us blind
And Moon's subtle glow
Will bring us down low
Lest she find the hidden path
To reveal the Sun's wrath
And Sun's angry fire
Will have us on the burnt pyre
And Moon, though ashine
Will be all too unkind
But still we all try
To find our place in the sky
As we burn in the might
Of the Sun's Golden Light
Golden Light is the Key
To end that which we flee
Silver Light is the Spark
To bring us out of the dark
“The hidden path…” Luna put a hoof up to her chin. “Why does that sound so familiar?” Luna put the book down and wrote the poem down on a piece of parchment, underlining the phrase “The Hidden Path” for emphasis. “The hidden path… it almost seems like I know this poem, somehow…” Luna sighed and decided to try to figure out the clue later.
The portion about the moon, though-- that could’ve been referencing her. But why would it portray her in such a negative light? She would have to ask Celestia, later-- Celestia had always been more knowledgeable about poems like this.
Luna’s thoughts were interrupted by a rather loud yawn coming from herself. She sighed.
“I suppose it’s time to turn in, then.” Luna stood up, put her books away, and left the Royal Archives. On her way down the hall towards her room, Luna saw Celestia. Celestia smiled and walked up to Luna.
“Hello, sister! Turning in for the day?” Luna nodded and smiled.
“Yes. I am very tired and wish to rest.” Celestia smiled.
“I can understand that. There are times I wish to do nothing but sleep the day away.”
“I can imagine. I never did understand you deal with all those pesky nobles day after day.”
“It just takes practice, Luna. anyway, I shall see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow! Oh! When you have a free moment, I would like to speak to you about what I found in the archives.”
“Of course! I’ll talk to you when you wake up.” Luna smiled.
“Thank you, sister. Good night.” The sisters hugged each other.
“Good night, Luna.” Celestia walked off to deal with paperwork.
Luna sighed a tired sigh and continued walking. She went up to her room, put her personal notes down, and took off her regalia. She didn’t bother to pull the curtains shut. Darkness had the opposite effect on her that it did most ponies. The day was what lulled her to sleep.
Luna then pulled down the covers, and got into bed, pulling the covers up once she was comfortable. Luna then drifted off, not noticing the barely visible throb of magenta magic coming from her notes.
Nopony noticed, but the poem that had been written down seemed to change ever so slightly.
It was late morning when Empress Winter received the letter. It was late morning and it was time for the morning session of public court. Winter was currently listening to an overly pretentious Baron named Frozen Lake make yet another demand for increased tax benefits for nobles.
“…And that is why I believe the nobles should receive increased tax benefits every year.” Winter sighed and nearly let her impassive mask fade. She had been… trying very hard not to simply send him away… or to lock him in the deepest dungeon cell she could find.
“Mr. Lake. While I do appreciate you finally taking every point of view into account --including, somehow, my own-- I cannot grant your request. Doing so at such a vulnerable state in our economic evolution would set us back the decades we used just to get to this point. I do thank you for preparing such a thorough presentation though.” Winter bit back the urge to growl, replacing the urge with a gracious smile aimed at the Baron.
“Of course, your majesty. I will be seeing you in several weeks for the upcoming Spring Gala.” Frozen Lake smiled.
“And I will look forward to seeing you there, Baron. Until then.” with that, the Baron left, and Winter leaned back on her chair and sighed. “Finally, he’s gone…” Winter rubbed her eyes with both hooves and stretched her wings. Hopefully, the next petitioner would not be so incredibly persistent as the Baron. Putting on her best smile, Empress Winter sat back up. She then held her hoof out to the door, and then watched as a scroll appeared in her hooves.
“A scroll?” Winter levitated the scroll in her magic. “From Celestia… I wonder what she could be asking me for.” Winter opened the scroll and read it. “Hmm… the Crystal Empire trapped in a storm only I can dispell…” Winter put the scroll down. “Well, Celestia. Today’s your lucky day, because I just happen to have some free time.” Winter quickly wrote a reply and sent it to Celestia. “I’ve been meaning to talk to Princess Cadence, anyways… perhaps I can convince her of a few things.” Winter stood up and opened her wings.
“Cloudy, cancel court for today. I have a few things to do in the Crystal Empire.” Cloudy nodded.
“Yes, your majesty. Good luck!” Winter nodded and flew out the window of the throne room, towards the Crystal Empire.
In the middle of a meeting with the captains of the Crystal Empire weather team, Cadence sighed. It had been a long several weeks, and it appeared that it was going to be a long several more until they could get this storm under control, if they could get it under control. She was just so tired…
“Your Highness? Your highness!” Cadence blinked a few times and looked up at Stormy Sky.
“Yes, Stormy? What is it?”
“We were just discussing whether you should try and buck the clouds yourself.”
“Oh… I apologize. It’s been a rather long several weeks, hasn’t it?” Cadence sighed and smiled. “But yes, that is something I would be willing to try. We’ve tried everything else, haven’t we?”
“Well, then. We only need your signature on this line, and we can get started.” There was a knock on the door. The door opened to reveal a guard. Cadence looked up at the guard.
“Yes?” the guard looked around nervously.
“Princess, there is something I believe you should see. It, ah… has to do with the storm.” Cadence stood up and nodded.
“Let me see.” Cadence looked towards the weather team captains. “Continue without me. I’ll be back in a moment.” Cadence walked over to the guard.
“Lead the way.” the guard lead Cadence out of the room, down several hallways, and onto the balcony. Cadence almost gasped at what she saw.
“The storm just… stopped? But the weather team told me it would only get worse!” Cadence watched for several minutes. The storm seemed as if frozen in time. It wasn’t even snowing anymore. The clouds just hung there, on the border of the crystal empire, lifelessly.
“Oh, this is such a relief… I was beginning to think we might have to evacuate.” Cadence put a hoof up to her chin. “But… why did it stop? Did somepony do that to it? If so, who?”
“That would be my doing.” Cadence spun around. The Winter Goddess stood before her, wings flared. Winter smiled. “Hello, Princess Cadence.” Winter folded her wings.
“You’re…” Cadence stood, speechless. “You’re Empress Winter, of the Frozen Empire! Why are you here of all places? Shouldn’t you be in your own kingdom, ruling your ponies?”
“You are correct. I am here because your dear aunt Celestia sent me a letter requesting that I clear the storm that’s been ravaging your crops. Because winter storms are in my domain, I decided to come and help.” Cadence narrowed her eyes.
Cadence, for some unfathomable reason, couldn’t help but suspect Winter to be untrustworthy. She had from when she had first heard about Empress Winter. She didn’t quite know why. Perhaps it was because of her powerful magic, or because Cadence couldn’t sense Winter’s emotions, or the fact that the alicorn had simply come out of nowhere, claiming to be a Goddess. But for some reason, she didn’t trust Winter. So when the alicorn had said she wished to help, she wondered why.
“You don’t seem like the type of pony to help out of the goodness of your heart.” Winter sighed.
“I thought you would say that. I do admit, I have an alternate reason to be here. If you have time when we’re done here, I would like to discuss a few things with you.”
“What kind of things?”
“Simple matters of state, I assure you. I would, however, like to wait until this storm is taken care of and we are in a…” Winter’s eyes darted towards the guards for a minute. “Less public place to discuss it.”
“Okay…”
Winter looked at the storm. “This particular storm is too strong for me to dispel on my own. I managed to stop it, but it will not answer solely to me, it seems.”
“And…?”
“And, I would like for you to assist me in getting rid of the foul thing.”
“Of course I will! I would do anything for my ponies.”
“Good. But let’s not talk here. Time is of the essence when dealing with a storm like this.”
“Of course. Should we fly?”
“We shall.” Cadence and Winter took flight towards the storm.
“When we get there, I will need your assistance in keeping it back so I can dispel it.”
“But how? It seems to be magical in nature…” Winter looked at the now lifeless storm.
“On that assumption you are correct. Magic, I have learned, has a habit of getting hopelessly stuck up here, where there are no currents to move it. When that magic gets stuck, it begins to coalesce to form dangerous magical storms, like this one here.”
Winter and Cadence landed in thick, heavy snow. The storm seemed to be frozen in time. Snowflakes were frozen in air, and the clouds weren’t even moving. The wind of the Frozen North howled, threatening to blow the alicorns away and sending snowflakes into their faces. Winter cast a grounding spell to keep the pair safe.
“But most of those are harmless, right? So why is this one so bad?”
“Yes, most northern storms are harmless. This one, however, seems to have picked up the smallest amount of Chaotic Magic.”
“Okay… how do we get rid of it?”
“Simple. We remove the Chaotic Magic. Once it’s gone, I should be able to dispel it with no issue. I will be the one to remove it, of course.”
“Okay. So all I need to do is keep it back so you can remove the magic and dispel the storm, right?”
“Correct. And it looks like you’ll need to do it… now!” the storm began to move again. The snowflakes that were previously suspended in air began to fall again. Cadence nodded and began blasting the storm with her magic, managing to keep the storm back, but only barely. Cadence grunted.
“I… I got it! AGH!”
“Good! Keep going for as long as you can!” Winter opened her wings and flew up into the storm. Inside the cloud, snow blew around in menacing gales, and the wind’s violent howls were deafening. The clouds thundered as brilliantly lit rods of lightning flashed from one cloud to another, intensifying the storm.
Snow and ice brushed past Winter’s cheeks, nearly causing her to startle. The powerful winds threatened to throw her back down to the ground. Winter shook her head.
“Where’s the Eye of the Storm?” She looked around for the telltale sign of chaos magic. It would be more violent than the rest of the storm. Her eyes darted around, looking for the Eye. for minutes, she found nothing. For seconds, she saw white. Then her eyes caught a glimpse of something. A little patch of cloud that seemed to be more violent than the rest. Winter grinned almost wickedly. “There you are.”
Cadence watched as the icey winged alicorn known as Empress Winter disappeared into the clouds. Winter’s vigorous wingbeats faded as she entered the storm. Cadence grunted again. It seemed that she was on her own now. Cadence attempted a sigh, but only managed a grunt due to the magic coming from her horn.
The storm furiously tried to push against Cadence’s magic. Cadence refused to relent. She braced herself as the storm began pushing against her magic even harder than it had before. Her eyes squinted shut as she pushed back against the storm. When the storm pushed back even more violently, her magic flickered and she slid back. Cadence heaved a heavy sigh and continued blasting the storm with renewed strength.
For but a moment, the storm seemed to falter. Cadence felt her horn begin to burn.
Winter pushed herself forward with her wings, towards the tiny spot of violence she’d seen. The wind pushed her back as she flew. When Winter reached it, she immediately shot a blast of magic at it, weaving it into the center of the storm. She made her magic tie into a knot around and inside the storm’s magic.
Winter then yanked the magic out and towards her. It fought her. It threw her back, and her magic with her. Winter growled. “I’m not letting you get away.” Winter flew back towards the Eye. she quickly wrapped her magic around it and in it. It tried to throw her back, again. Winter stood her ground.
It struggled to escape, but the magic was just too tight. Winter took the storm’s magic into her hooves. Winter began to squeeze her magic, dissolving and crushing the storm’s magic. When the magic had completely dissipated, she sighed. She watched as the storm seemed to calm. She then sent her magic into the storm, and dispelled it.
Winter sighed and watched as the storm dissolved. She nodded, and flew down to Cadence.
Cadence nearly fainted when the storm finally dissipated. She could feel from the burning pain in her horn and her freezing fur that her magical reserves were nearly empty. She heaved heavy breaths, her weak legs barely able to support her. Cadence couldn’t help but smile when she was Winter flying down to her.
“You…” Cadence heaved again. Her legs threatened to buckle under her weight. “You did it…” Winter nodded and smiled. “Yes. and it was thanks to your help that I could.” For a moment, Cadence seemed to lose her balance. She looked at Winter. In that moment, when she looked at Winter, Cadence couldn’t help but be grateful. “…Thank you…” and Cadence was already halfway to the ground, plummeting into the darkness of unconsciousness as the world faded and blurred.
Princess Luna sighed. It had been a little more than a day since she’d found the last clue, and she hadn’t had the chance to talk to her sister about it. She currently sat in her Royal Study, waiting for Celestia to arrive and looking through the poem again. She had been writing down possible meanings ever since she’d woken up. She was currently wondering if the “hidden path” the poem mentioned was literal.
Luna looked up when her sister entered the room.
“Hello, sister! You wanted to talk to me about something?” Celestia smiled. Luna nodded and stood up.
“Yes, sister. I have made a discovery in searching for clues to Twilight’s disappearance.” Celestia nodded.
“And what would that be?”
“This.” Luna showed Celestia the poem. “It’s a poem I found in a book in the Archives. I was hoping you would be able to decipher it. You’re better than I am at these things.” Celestia took the poem and read it.
“Mmm…” Celestia sighed. “Well, I don’t know exactly what it’s talking about…” Celestia hummed again. “But I do know what a few things mean.” Luna nodded.
“What is it?”
“It seems to be talking about us both in a negative light, although me more than you. You seem to be some sort of anti-heroic savior.”
“Of course. That was one of the things I figured out, as well.”
“The part about rendering us blind I assume means that I will, in some way, forsake Equestria. Which, followed by the part about you and revealing the sun’s --my-- wrath, means that you and I will fight.”
“Okay…”
“Golden Light is the Key… You told me about that phrase a while ago. I’m wondering whether that actually might lead to something other than this poem.”
“But what?”
“What about that fake Royal Emblem you looked at? There might be something on it.”
“There may be… that will have to be investigated.” Celestia nodded.
“Indeed it will. I will trust you to find out where this leads.”
“I will do my best. I must go look at that now.”
“Luna! There’s one last thing. This part about the ‘hidden path’… It seems to be literal.”
“What?”
“This seems to be a reference to a tunnel in the dungeons of the castle, which was called the ‘hidden path’ by prisoners who would use it to escape. Supposedly it led to a place where nopony would find the prisoners. If not, then it at least is talking about a way to supposedly defeat me.”
“Well, they were certainly creative.” Celestia smiled.
“Yes, well, thieves often do not have the time to think up a proper name for a tunnel. I do, however, admit that I was surprised by the name myself when I found out about it.” Luna giggled a bit. “Of course, the tunnel’s since been sealed to prevent escape.”
“Do you know where the entrance to this tunnel is located?”
“Yes, I do. It’s down in the lowest layer of the dungeons, hidden behind a blank tapestry.”
“Thank you, sister. I will be going now. I am going to see where exactly this clue is leading me.”
“You’re welcome, Luna. Oh! You’ll need to break through the wall of the dungeons to get to the tunnel.”
“Of course. I will hire a contractor and then spend a while looking into the royal Emblem. I will tell you if and when I find anything.”
“Then I will see you if and when you find something. Until then, sister.” Celestia smiled.
“Until then.” Both sisters walked out of Luna’s study. Luna towards the archives, and Celestia to talk to Ambassador Snow.
When Cadence awoke, she almost had no idea what was going on. As she groaned and slowly opened her eyes, she could see a glimpse of someone sitting by her bed, waiting for her. When she had opened them fully, she was not at all surprised by who was waiting for her, although she was rather unsure of why they were. Said pony was Empress Winter.
“Hello, Cadence. I assume you rested well?”
“Empress Winter? I didn’t think you would stick around while I was asleep.” Winter smiled.
“Hmm. Well, I do still have those things I would like to talk to you about. And I can’t just leave without making sure you’re okay. If I left a new friend like that, what would I be? If that’s okay with you,of course.”
“A new…” Cadence smiled. She still didn’t trust Winter, but under the circumstances, with Winter having saved her Empire, Cadence could accept a new friend. Celestia knew (quite literally, she and Cadence had discussed this over tea some time ago) that she needed a friend after Twilight’s disappearance. “Of course I would like to be your friend. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to call anypony that.” Winter smiled.
“Well, you will have me to call a friend from now on.”
“Thank you, Winter, If I may call you that.”
“Of course you may.”
“Thank you. May I ask what time it is? I could do with some food right about now.”
“I could, as well. And it’s around five, I think.”
“Let's go get something to eat then.” Cadence stood up.
“Yes, let’s do that.” Winter followed Cadence out of the room, and down the hall.
When Cadence and Winter arrived in the dining room, food was already set out for them. Both sat down at their respective places and began eating. Minutes of silence passed, with neither of them saying anything. Winter sighed.
“So, Cadence.”
“Hmm?” Cadence looked up at Winter.
“I was hoping I could ask you about Princess Celestia while we’re here.”
“What do you mean?”
“Recently, I have… come into the possession of some dangerous knowledge concerning her that I would like to disprove, if at all possible.”
“What do you need to know?”
“I, among other things, would like to know what Celestia is trying to accomplish. She has been fruitlessly trying to become allies with my country for months now, even though I’ve given her no hint of acceptance of this. That determination, that unwillingness to give up… I have to admit it’s ever-so-slightly disturbing to me.”
“Yes, Celestia can be rather stubborn at times, especially when cake is involved… you have to admit that she’s helping at least in minimal amounts, though!” Winter sighed.
“I do admit that she has been somewhat helpful in my recent dealings with her. But that is not what I want to know. I would like to know what she's hiding from me.”
“Hiding from you? I don’t think-- Why would she be--”
“She is. Ambassador Snow has told me as much. He has informed me that she has been waiting to invite me to Canterlot. Now, this could be an innocent invitation to a banquet, or worse yet, the Grand Galloping Gala--” Both mares shuddered. That Gala was so boring! “And I am sure that is what she is inviting me to, but given the nature of our two nations’ relationship with each other, I am wondering if there is an ulterior motive to her invitation.” Winter watched Cadence’s uncomfortable shifts. It seemed to winter as if Cadence was hiding something as well.
“After all, I have not spoken to her. I have not come to any of her balls or banquets. I have not even arrived for the yearly Council of Nations that she has invited me to year after year. I have done nothing to give her even the slightest hint that I wish to pursue a national relationship with her and Equestria as a whole. I have only ever put in the barest minimum of effort to appease her.” Cadence’s eyes shifted. Winter couldn’t help but wonder what it was that Cadence was hiding. Or if she wasn't hiding anything, then why was she so uncomfortable? Perhaps Winter could convince her to say why.
“And yet she continues to pursue my approval of her attempts, despite my being indifferent, so I must assume she is either a blind optimistic fool who thinks the world is made of rainbows and butterflies, or, and this is the more likely case, she is baiting me to come to her, so that she may dispatch me and finally be rid of another threat to her nation.” Cadence seemed to wilt under Winter’s suspicious gaze.
“I-I don’t know anything about--”
“And when I ask you about this, you become so incredibly uncomfortable that I am beginning to wonder if she has not informed you of this plan, as well.” Cadence seemed taken aback. Winter almost smiled. The bait had been set.
“What-- you think that I--”
“I have suspicions as to your part in all this, and I do suspect that you may be collaborating with Celestia in some way, but I do not know in what way you are. You seem unaware of Celestia’s bait. But then again, I cannot be certain until you have acted, can I? I suppose I shall have to wait and see.”
“I-I… I suppose.” Cadence took in a breath. “What would Celestia even have to gain? I don’t think getting rid of you would benefit Equestria in any way.” Hook.
“There are many things she has to gain. A potential threat would be gone, she could take my citizens and use them in future wars, she could even take my land for her own. Which motive is causing her to bait me will need to be investigated, though, something that I will take care of.”
“But what about the benefits of having an ally like you? Why would Celestia just ignore those?”
“Perhaps she doesn't see them, or she considers them worthless in the face of such a powerful threat, or perhaps she simply doesn’t want those benefits. Either way, she is ignoring them, and either way, she is baiting me.” Winter looked up at Cadence. “And now that you know about this, it is likely that she will begin to bait you, as well. So aren’t you wondering what she is hiding from both of us?”
Cadence couldn’t meet Winter’s gaze any longer. This alicorn that she had never met before was insinuating that Celestia was baiting her, and Cadence knew Celestia would never do such a thing. But Cadence couldn’t help but wonder… what was Celestia hiding? It couldn’t be anything bad, but… Cadence didn’t know what to think. After a minute, she sighed and nodded.
“Yes. I don't know what she’s hiding from me, but I would like to find out. Well, if you’d be willing to help me.”
“Good, I was hoping you’d say that. I will inform you of the things she is keeping from you, and I will assist you in keeping the winter storms away. But…” Cadence knew there was going to be a but. There was always a but in national relations. “You must do something for me. When the time comes, I will need your assistance. Assistance with what, I will inform you when the time comes. But you must promise to assist me. Do we have an accord?” Cadence nodded.
“Yes. I promise to uphold my portion of it, as long as you uphold yours.”
“Of course I will. The first part of it will have to wait until I can travel to Canterlot and look into Celestia’s secrets. But the second portion I can show you after we finish eating, if you like. It is a simple spell that I can teach you so that you can dispel the storms should they threaten you.” Cadence smiled and nodded.
“It would be wonderful if you could.” Winter smiled.
“Then I will show you when we are finished.” Winter sighed again and finished up her plate. Cadence did the same. When they were both done, Winter moved to put her plate in the kitchen. She then turned towards the hallway doors and-- stopped when a letter dropped onto the floor floor in front of her.
“Hmm…” Winter lifted the letter in her magic. Cadence tilted her head to the side.
“What’s that?”
“It seems to be a letter from Celestia. This is the second time in two days that I’ve gotten a letter from her.” Winter opened the letter and scanned through it. “This is the invitation I was informed of. I will have to leave for Canterlot tomorrow morning. Unfortunate, I had hoped that you and I could talk more.” Winter sighed and put the letter in her pocket dimension. “Now, I do believe I was going to show you that spell of mine, wasn’t I?”
Cadence and Winter left the room and headed down the hall towards the balcony.
The very next morning, Winter stood on the balcony of the Crystal Palace with Cadence, looking out at the Frozen north.
“You remember the spell I taught you, yes?”
“Yes, I do. I’ll practice it daily, just in case.”
“Good. Remember: in order to cast it, you must focus on the center of the storm.” Winter looked out at the tundra again. “I must go now. I will be in contact with you when I arrive in Canterlot."
“Thank you. Good luck!” Winter nodded and flew off. Cadence watched Winter fly. As she watched she couldn’t help but notice that something seemed vaguely familiar about the alicorn…
Ambassador Snow sat in his personal suite in the castle, waiting for a message from Winter. It had been several weeks and he hadn’t had any contact with Winter at all. He’d given up trying to come with excuses three days ago, after he’d run out of ideas. Since then, he’d just waited for the letter from Winter to come and hoped that she wouldn’t be as mad at him as he thought she would.
When he heard the telltale flash of magic that preceded a letter being dropped on his lap, Snow looked up from his book and caught the scroll of parchment with magic. It had the Empress’ Royal Seal. Now both excited and nervous, Snow opened the scroll and looked at it.
To Ambassador Snow,
I’m coming.
Empress Winter
Snow’s eyes shrunk into pinpricks.
“She’s coming here? Now!? Oh, my… But I haven’t even prepared Celestia and Luna yet! I’ve got to do something before she gets here!” Snow hurried off to inform Celestia and Luna of several things which he’d neglected earlier.
As banners were being hung from the rafters of Canterlot Castle, Celestia let out a sigh. It was time for yet another Grand Galloping Gala. The Gala wasn’t for another week, but even a week before Celestia could tell that this year was to be just like all the other years: boring, stagnant, and rife with noble and political agendas.
Celestia turned to Luna, standing next to her.
“So…” Celestia took in a breath. “Do you think the nobles will have something actually interesting to show this year? Or do you think it’s another year of smiling and waving?” Luna looked at the banners.
“This year’s gala will be an interesting one, to say the least. The Winter Goddess did say she was coming, yes?”
“She did. I just got her letter in reply.”
“Hmm. Perhaps she’ll be able to finally add a bit of class to the gala for once.”
“I certainly hope so, Luna. Honestly, can these Nobles be any less boring and impolite?” Luna smiled.
“If they could, we would not be having this conversation, I do not think. Besides, don’t you like trolling them every year?”
“Oh, you’re right. I can’t help watching them all gawk speechlessly every year.”
“You do seem to have a penchant for making the nobility think twice about their haughty opinions, although I have to admit we both have our moments.”
“Remember almost ten years ago when I wore a fruit hat to the Gala?” Luna smiled.
“That was certainly something. Everypony including, to my chagrin, myself, was barely holding either snickers or scandalized gasps. I still do not understand why. That hat was absolutely genius.”
“Oh, it was perfect! I still have that hat, you know. It’s in my closet, preserved with a spell so I can use it again. Perhaps I will, someday…”
“Hmm. I seem to remember Baroness Sweet Duet destroying that hat.”
“Ah, yes. She destroyed it after I told everypony I was going to wear it permanently. I then recreated it and put it in my closet.” Celestia and Luna looked at the throne room doors when they opened. Ambassador Snow entered. Luna and Celestia looked at him. He had a look of anxiety in his eyes.
“Hello, Princesses. May I ask how your day has been?” Celestia smiled.
“Hello, Ambassador. My day has been fine. What do you wish to speak to us about?”
“I would like to have a word with you both in private, please. I… have something important to inform you of.” Celestia nodded.
“Of course you can. Let us find a more private setting.” Ambassador Snow nodded. He and the Royal Sisters left the throne room. As they were walking down the hall, Luna looked at Snow. For some reason, she felt like he was hiding something.
“Ambassador?”
“Hmm?”
“May we ask out of curiosity what it is you wish to speak with us about? You seem… anxious.” Snow took in several breaths.
“Am I? My apologies. These past few weeks have been stressful.” Luna nodded.
“Ah.” But Luna just couldn’t shake the feeling that Snow was hiding something.
When the three reached their destination --Celestia’s personal study-- they all stood in the middle of the room. Celestia and Luna faced Snow. Luna closed the door with her magic.
“So, Ambassador. What do you wish to say?”
“I… Celestia, first allow me to apologize. I have neglected saying several things to both of you, important things. Before I say what those things are, I must inform you that they are not pleasant things.” Luna raised an eyebrow. Celestia’s face didn’t change.
“We understand. Go on, Ambassador.” Snow sighed. Everypony froze when they felt a chill coming from seemingly nowhere.
“What was that?” Snow looked around nervously.
“I-I…” Snow sighed. Luna looked at Snow.
“Go on, Ambassador.”
“Okay… first off, Celestia. Empress Winter is on her way here right now, and by the way she wrote the letter to me, I don’t think she’s in a particularly happy mood.” Celestia’s eyes widened and her mouth hung open ever-so-slightly. Celestia and Luna shared a concerned glance.
“Why didn’t you inform me of this before?”
“I only just found out about it today. Empress Winter is not one to inform others beforehoof.”
“Ah. Well, if Winter is as angry you are implying she is, we may very well need to raise troops to protect Canterlot. Luna, when we are done here, would you mind?”
“Of course.”
“We’ll also need to prepare a suite for Empress Winter.”
“Princess-- the other things I needed to tell you are more important.”
“What other things?”
“It’s about Winter-- She’s-- She’s not who you--” Luna looked over to the study doors when they slammed open. A royal guard came in, panting.
“Your highnesses!” The guard heaved in several breaths. After several minutes, he stood up fully. “There’s… there’s somepony outside the castle, waiting for entry.” Luna cocked her head. Celestia’s mouth opened ever-so-slightly.
“What did they say their name was?”
“They didn’t say.”
“I’ll go investigate this. Luna, Ambassador, I am sorry, but I shall have to end this meeting early. Perhaps we could have this meeting at another time.” Snow smiled. Celestia noticed that it was strained. She wondered why.
“Or course, of course. Take all the time you need.”
“Of course, sister. I wish you luck.” Celestia left the study. She followed the guard who had notified her out to the main courtyard. As she walked down the alabaster marble hallways, she wondered who could possibly be putting up such a fuss about entering the castle. Anypony who lived in Canterlot would just come in, and no one from outside Equestria would come to Canterlot without announcing their arrival, including Cadence.
Celestia walked out the door to see who was waiting. She almost couldn’t move when she saw who it was.
“I-It’s…” Celestia stood there, unable to feel anything but shock. “You…” The Winter goddess stood there, emotionless. Winter smiled.
“Hello, Celestia. You didn’t expect to see me here, did you?”
In the Royal dining room, sitting across from Empress Winter, Celestia and Luna watched Winter in complete and utter silence as she took a thorough sip of her tea. It had been almost forty-five minutes since a word had been said, and the silence was beginning to irritate Celestia. It was so quiet that one could hear the clock ticking, and a pin dropping at the same time.
Celestia felt her left eye just barely twitching due to the utter lack of conversation. Luna saw her sister’s ever-so-slightly exasperated expression and couldn’t help but put a hoof up to her sister’s wing. Celestia looked at Luna. Luna motioned for Celestia to take a deep breath. Celestia did so, making sure to keep it subtle so as not to alert Winter to her distress. After several more minutes, Celestia couldn’t help but speak.
“So…” Princess Celestia took a sip of her tea. “What brings you here, Empress Winter?” Celestia smiled gracefully. Winter sighed.
“I am here for the Gala, Princess. The Gala that you sent me an invite for?” Winter raised an eyebrow. Celestia blanched.
“Ah, right. I… forgot.” Luna cleared her throat.
“Yes, well. While you’re here, we have a room prepared for you, if you would like to use it.” Winter smiled.
“Thank you for that, Princesses. I appreciate your hospitality on such short notice.” Luna smiled.
“It’s our pleasure.” Celestia nodded.
“Indeed.” Celestia hummed. “Out of curiosity, why is it that you’re here so early? Surely you could’ve waited a week.” Winter raised an eyebrow.
“I never took you for the mistrusting kind, Princess Celestia. I must admit, though, the Gala is not the main reason why I’m here. I have questions that can only be answered here, in your Royal Archives, and I was hoping to look through the books there.”
“What kind of questions? I’m sure we can help you with answering them.” Winter hummed.
“There are many questions I would like answered, Princess, but the one I am most curious about is this: What do your soldiers have to do with the Eastern Ring?”
“The Eastern Ring?” Celestia tapped a hoof to her chin. “I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with that. Perhaps you could inform me of what that means?”
“The Eastern Ring is a group of bandits that have been plaguing my citizens for quite some time, now. Until recently, I was quite sure that they were acting independently. But a few months ago, I was informed that several of your guards were collaborating with them. I do not believe that they are doing so under your orders, but I would like to know what their part is in this, if you will oblige.” Celestia raised a hoof to her mouth. Luna did the same. They shared a look of concern.
“Royal guards collaborating with a group of bandits?”
“This is concerning. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Empress Winter. We will get to the bottom of this, and, if necessary, arrest those guards.”
“You’re welcome, and thank you. I do not appreciate bandits ransacking my ponies’ homes, but I can handle them. Royal guards, I cannot without risking a potential relationship. That said, I would’ve dispatched them myself if I could.” Celestia smiled.
“Of course not. I appreciate you coming to us first. I had no idea that any Equestrian Guards were gone!”
“Perhaps you should conduct an investigation.” Winter sighed. “I would like to see my quarters now. I am tired from the long journey and wish to turn in.” Celestia nodded.
“Of course. Luna and I can show you your suite.” Celestia and Luna stood up. Winter followed suit. She walked with the royal sisters out of the throne room, and down the grand hallways. As the three walked, Luna couldn’t help but notice that Winter was gazing at a particular stained glass window. Winter noticed Luna.
“Interesting window. The mare it depicts must have been flattered when you made it.” Winter gestured towards the window with a wing.
“Yes. It is of Princess Twilight Sparkle, one of our fellow rulers. She was one of six mares who helped to heal me.” Winter raised an eyebrow.
“Interesting. I’ve never heard of this ‘Princess Twilight Sparkle’.” Luna sighed.
“No, you wouldn’t have. She disappeared, three hundred years ago. We have been unable to find her. Still, we know she is alive, because somehow, when I’m asleep, her dreams find their way to me.”
“That is unfortunate. I am sorry for your loss. You seem as if you were close to her.”
“She was the first mare to trust me. I will forever be grateful for my friendship with her. Even now, I miss her dearly. Still, though, one must continue on.”
“Indeed. If you cannot move on from your loss, you will be consumed by it. I imagine that she would miss you, though, if your description of her rings true.” Luna smiled. Even through her smile, Winter could see barely unshed glistening tears.
“I certainly hope so, Empress.” Winter and Luna continued walking. Luna wiped the tears away. “Excuse me. My sister and I tend to become emotional when speaking of her. She was very dear to us both, Celestia especially.” Winter nodded.
“It is understandable. You both seem to have lost a very special mare.” Luna nodded.
“Indeed she was.” Luna and Winter stopped when Celestia did.
“We are here, Empress Winter. I hope it is to your liking.” Winter smiled and nodded.
“I am sure that it will be quite fine, Princess Celestia. I am going to turn in, now.” Winter walked into her suite.
“Until tomorrow, then, Empress.”
“Until tomorrow indeed…” as Winter closed the door behind her, Luna and Celestia couldn’t help but let out a sigh. They had much to discuss concerning their unexpected guest.
Within the privacy of her suite, Empress Winter sighed. Even after hundreds of years of practice with national relations, talking to other rulers was tiring for her. Even just that short hour of conversation had exhausted her. She did have to admit that was because she had flown all the way here from the Crystal Empire, though.
Now that she had at least a moment to rest, Winter let out a breath and calmed herself. However exhausting the conversation had been, Winter had to admit that she had learned quite a few things through it. Talking with Luna in particular had been enlightening. She would have to learn more about what Luna had said.
“Hmm… Perhaps I will ask for more information. For now, though… Perhaps I shall simply observe.” Winter tapped a hoof to her chin and went over to her bed. She laid down and drifted off to sleep.
As Celestia walked down the hall with her sister, she couldn’t help but be concerned. She was unsure as to exactly why, but she, for some reason, knew that it had something to do with Empress Winter. Perhaps it was the way she had talked with Luna about Twilight, or how she had spent almost forty-five minutes without talking at all. It could also be that her general demeanor was rather guarded. Celestia sighed, and looked at Luna.
“Luna, what do you think of Empress Winter?” Luna looked up at Celestia.
“Hmm?” Luna looked back towards Winter’s suite and then up at Celestia. The Sun princess’ face enlightened her as to the nature of the question. “Oh… you’re worried about how the Empress acted, aren’t you?” Celestia nodded and sighed.
“Yes. despite how friendly she seemed, I cannot help but wonder about her intentions…”
“I am wondering the same thing, sister. She seemed pleasant enough, although somewhat guarded, but I cannot help but wonder if she is being entirely truthful about her early arrival here.”
“You feel it too?” Luna nodded.
“Yes. As I spoke with her about Twilight’s window, I couldn’t help but feel something almost familiar about her, and not in the good way. And the Eastern Ring-- our soldiers all the way up there, partaking in thievery no less? That is a rather long stretch, even for disloyal soldiers.”
“That is concerning. I will observe and we will get to the bottom of this. Did you hear anything about her that may be concerning?”
“I overheard her talking with Ambassador Snow, and, while I didn’t understand what she was saying to him, it did not sound any similar to what she said in the dining hall. I cannot say for certain, though… I only heard muffled voices.” Celestia put a hoof up to her chin.
“Hmm... what concerns me the most about winter is that she's actually here."
"How so?"
"I've been asking her to come here for so long that I had thought she wasn't going to at all, and yet... here she is. it makes me wonder why she is here..."
"Hmm. Perhaps she got tired of all the letters you were sending her." Celestia stifled a laugh.
"Pfft-- Luna!"
"Well, it could happen."
"I know. but for now, we shall have to observe and see.” Luna nodded again.
“Yes. In the meantime, I will continue my research of Twilight’s disappearance.” Celestia looked at Luna.
“How is that going?” Luna sighed.
“It is going as one would expect: slowly. I have managed to find an inscription on the fake Emblem. It is three letters, each followed by a number. S5, B2, P20. I do not know what it means as of yet.” Celestia nodded.
“Hmm. Perhaps an abbreviation of some sort. Each letter could stand for a word.”
“But where would they lead?”
“That depends on the words. It could either lead to one single place or three; we will have to see.” Luna nodded.
“Yes, of course. I will have to look at the Emblem for more information. There is still half of it that I haven’t yet scoured.” Celestia smiled.
“I do appreciate you doing this for me, sister. After Twilight left…” Luna nuzzled her sister.
“I know. It was hard for us both, losing her. But you took it the hardest, I think. Finding out why she left would help us all reconcile.” Celestia looked at Luna.
“Thank you. Now, I do believe it is time for me to turn in. Until tomorrow, sister.”
“Until tomorrow, sister.” Celestia and Luna split ways. Luna towards her quarters to oversee the dream realm, and Celestia to her quarters to sleep. Celestia entered her quarters and sighed. She stretched her wings, sighed, and laid down in her bed. And as she let her mind slip into the bliss of unconsciousness, a thought fluttered through her mind: What is Winter doing here?
