Chapter 13

“Aireal! Aireal!” Twilight screams down the deep dark fissure that swallowed him whole.

Twilight’s eyes are locked in the never ending drop into the abyss as her calls of his name reverberate within its jagged icy walls. She doesn’t realize it but her hoof is still reaching down into the dark in shock of not reaching him in time. The wind pushes Twilight’s hair over her still eyes without a single blink. Wick Flame puts his hoof on her shoulder to try and snap her out of her trance, but she sits calmly and still without a jolt. She can still see him falling as anger begins to build inside her, but is shunned away by sadness. She clenches her hoof as her eyes begins to fill to their lids with tears. She clenches her teeth and stomps her hoof into the snow. Wick Flame is unsure of what to do or say; he only looks on with grief and chills as he too stares down into the dark eyes of the abyss. The two sisters are afraid to release each other especially after what they had witnessed. The other two ponies: the mare and Nuts-n-Bolts, are looking on with mixed emotions as they stand motionless glancing back and forth to each other. Suddenly the ground begins to shake once again, and Wick Flame fears the worst. Seeing as how Twilight is still peering over the edge he pulls her away as quickly as possible.

“Twilight be careful!” He shouts dragging her away from the edge.

But soon he notices that the ground isn’t splitting apart, it instead is coming back together. All the pieces of the frozen land slowly come back together fitting snuggly with one another like a jigsaw puzzle.

“W-What’s happening?!” Wick Flame asks in distress.

“No. . . No, no, no!” Twilight shouts as she breaks away from Wick Flame.

The plates of frozen earth conjoin together to close the fissures as Twilight stomps and digs at the snow. Wick Flame watches as she desperately tries to get through the ice without any success. Eventually she tires out and gives up stomping her hooves into the snow one more time before running out of energy.

“. . . Miss Twilight?” Wick Flame asks.

“I could have saved him; I could have. . .” Twilight mutters.

“You had to make a choice; I’m sure. . . I’m sure he would understand.”

“We were supposed to get through this together . . . all of us. Now. . . Now look what’s happened! There’s only six of us left out of our whole group! And who knows how long it’ll be before the rest of us are taken!” Twilight begins to raise her voice angrily. “Everypony I know is disappearing right before my eyes! Aireal, Adarrell, all of those innocent ponies-just taken away! Who knows what’s happened to them?! They’re all probably de—!”

“Twilight enough!” Wick Flame shouts at the top of his voice to overpower Twilight’s.

She holds her voice in and gives him her full attention. She is surprised by his outburst, and also a bit frightened.

“Now look, I understand we’ve lost much, but that doesn’t mean this fight is over. We still have a chance. All we have to do is keep ourselves together and work as a team. Just look over there.” Wick Flame then points out to the snowy horizon. “I can see a building from here that must be the train station Adarrell was talking about. All we have to do is get there . . . Twilight!” He shouts noticing that Twilight is losing focus and gazing up into the sky.

Twilight jolts awake with her tears drying on her cheeks as calmly falling snow collects in her mane and on her face.

“I need you to focus Miss Twilight. Help us figure out what to do. You are going to have to lead us now, I know you have it in you.”

“Right, okay . . . okay.” Twilight says now coming to her senses. “First, we all need to stay as close to each other as possible.”

“Right.”

Twilight and Wick Flame trot over to the other four other ponies whom are still in a state of shock.

“Strange . . . I’ve just noticed how calm it’s gotten. Don’t you find that strange?” Says Wick Flame.

“. . . No.” Says Twilight.

“No? You don’t find it strange? Well, why is that?”

“Because I already know why.”

Wick Flame watches Twilight in bewilderment as she walks over towards the two sisters. She takes away their bagged tent and reaches around inside. After seconds of fumbling around she pulls out her hoof clenched around a peculiar yet hypnotizing translucent stone that glows of green.

“’This’ is why we are safe, because of this.”

“A-And what . . . what is that?” Wick Flame asks entranced by the stone’s light.

“This is what’s going to keep us safe. I feel that whatever ‘force’ is out there that is causing all of these events to occur is weakened by this. I may be deprived of my magic abilities but I can still feel a magical presence about this stone. However . . . it doesn’t feel as strong as the first time I held it.” Twilight then turns to the two sisters. “This is what cured your sister, this is what kept you two safe during the earthquake. Whoever wasn’t nearby the two of you at the time . . . was taken.” The two sisters listen attentively to Twilight speechless with a slight sense of guilt. “Now, we’re all going to stay together. Nopony separates from the group. Understood?”

They all nod their heads in understanding as Twilight tries to figure out what to say next.

“Okay, now we’re just . . . just going to move straight ahead to the train station, and soon, we’ll be free from this nightmare.”

Valiari has lost the will to believe in anything anymore. He sits slouched over staring at his reflection in the icy floor. He brushes his hoof over it to wipe away the frost that obstructs his view. His own reflection doesn’t even remind him of himself. It only reminds him of the failure he’s become. Everything that’s happened draws back to him. It all started with him, and he knows that the utter destruction of Equestria and the creation of this ghastly abomination is all connected to him. When he looks down at his reflection he doesn’t see Valiari, the talented painter who sought to end evil and save the one he loved; but instead he sees the creator of his own nightmare. Valiari no longer feels angry at himself as he realizes that it won’t fix anything. As he no longer wishes to see himself in the reflection he leans up against the wall and pulls the brim of his hat down over his face.

“. . . Mister Valiari?” Candle Light’s Mother asks.

“Yes Madam, what is it?” He asks with a sigh.

“Do you have a plan?”

“A plan? . . . Oh, right. A plan. I . . . I suppose I don’t.”

“W-What?”

“I kept saying that we would all be okay, and that we’d find a way out of here soon. But I think it’s time the truth be told.”

“Th-The truth? Just what are you saying?”

“Just look around. We’re bound by these icy bars and watched by the eyes of these horrid beings. Everything I said was a lie all along. We really aren’t going to find a way out, we are going to rot in these cells. This, is check and mate. We’ve lost. Maybe it’s time we accept that. . . I’m sorry Miss, but there is nothing I can do. I . . . I wish I didn’t have to speak these words, but, it’s over. It’s been over since the first flake of snow touched the grass.”

Valiari tugs at the brim of his hat and leans his head back against the icy wall without even a glance at Candle Light’s Mother. He knows he doesn’t have to for he already knows what her face looks like. He can imagine the shock and sadness about her. He almost instantly regrets telling her the truth, he feels he should have just kept giving her false hope, but as it always does the truth would have found its way out eventually. Without anything to say she turns away from him. Struck with the awful truth she clutches her daughter tightly, but she feels that the truth isn’t something she didn’t already know. She knew, she knew that it wouldn’t end happily for her or her daughter, but to hear it from another pony fills her heart with dread.

Valiari is then overcome by a strange feeling, perhaps it’s just his heart growing heavy. He can feel as if another presence is with them in the room, maybe it’s those two monsters on their way back. Still he keeps his face hidden by the brim of his hat and the sides of his collar. A quiet giggling fills his ears. Sure of himself that it’s just that cursed spirit just playing more mind games with him he chooses to ignore the sound. But it continues, and a slight glow of a teal light shimmers over the icy floor. Valiari lifts up his head confused by the light, and finds that the source is emanating from nearby his cell. A little filly sits before the icicle bars as the teal light shines from her little horn. Her coat, almost like the light, is richly teal; and her mane is styled in swirls of white and pine green. She smiles at Valiari, and he stares in awe.

“. . . It’s you again.” He whispers.

The filly looks up at him with her big innocent eyes and joyous smile. She tilts her head as Valiari is left without any other response.

“Y-You helped us that day. . . I will never forget that moment. Since that day I’ve wondered if I’ve gone completely bonkers, seeing you again kind of sets me firm on that belief. Still, I must thank you as I never got the chance to, but there’s nothing that can be done now. It’s over . . . everything.”

Valiari again lowers his hat and hides his face from the filly. The filly’s smile turns to a frown as her tiny lips pout. She scratches at the ice with her hoof unsure of what to do as he still hides himself. Her face lights back up as she is struck with an idea. She reaches through the bars of ice and tugs at Valiari’s jacket. At first he chooses to ignore her, but after several continues pulls at his sleeves he finally gives in and turns her way. He sees how unusually happy she appears and is confused by it. The filly waves about her little horn and out from the thin air several white sparkles of light appear and join together to form a uniform ball of light. The ball begins to take a cylinder shape, and before Valiari’s eyes he realizes it’s the shape of a wax crayon she has created. Valiari raises an eyebrow at this as he is still confused, but intrigued at the same time. Using her magic she glides the crayon-like object across the ice and creates a child-like drawing of a pony. The drawing is being composed of thick lines of a bright white light as Valiari watches with awe.

“Hm, that’s a very nice drawing. You’re pretty good.” He says.

The filly finishes her drawing as the last detail she adds to it is the shape of a long-brimmed hat at the top of the pony’s head.

“Hey, is that . . . is that me?” He asks.

The little filly doesn’t respond and continues on another drawing. It’s the shape of another pony, but this time the light has changed to a more reddish color. The final touches she adds to her drawing is a horn at the base of the pony’s forehead, and a semi-long mane that curves upwards at the ends.

“And . . . who is that?” He asks.

The filly still refuses to respond to him, and instead looks up at him with a smile. She points down at the two drawings, and as he lowers his head to look at the drawings once more he feels that his mind must be playing tricks on him. The stick-like legs of the two ponies begin to move, and they both start turning their heads. The drawings lift up from the ice and gallop in the air leaving behind trails of light. The little filly starts to draw again on the ice. This time the light has changed to a pink color as she glides the crayon-shaped mass of light over the ice. It comes out to be the shape of a heart and it too peels from the ice and floats up into the air waving like a piece of paper in the wind. Valiari watches the two pony drawings galloping around in the air as the heart shape continues to rise and stops in mid-air. The drawings meet up in the two halves of the heart, and they both touch their snouts together. Immediately Valiari is struck with the realization of what is being depicted.

“Is that . . . ?” Valiari mumbles and trails off still mesmerized by the drawings.

As his eyes are still focused on the spectacle of light the filly created he can feel a tear drip down the side of his cheek. He understands; how could he have forgotten? He realizes now that he can’t just give up. There’s somepony that he’s holding onto in his heart and he cannot let her go. He even feels guilty for what he’s said and what he’s thought. He feels foolish for even accepting defeat by these monsters. He shuts his eyes and clenches his hoof as the tears fall from his chin.

“Aria . . . I won’t give up. I promise.” He takes a deep breath to calm himself down, and then he looks up at the filly. “Thank you.” He says.

The filly smiles, and with that her body and the drawings begin to fade away. Once the last spec of teal light vanishes Valiari puts his mind to work. He starts to carefully analyze his surroundings and the current situation. There is no way for him to squeeze through the bars of ice, and there is nothing around the room that can help get him out of his cage. The icicles are impervious to his magic, and from what he can tell they seem to be unbreakable.

“Come on there has to be ‘some’ way out! Something, there has to be something that I’m just not seeing!” He whispers frustrated.

His thoughts bring him around in circles and with no solution. He starts to study the floor and its ice-covered tiles. His thoughts bring him back to just moments ago with the filly and her drawings. How hypnotizing it was to just watch her compose such simple yet beautiful drawings along the ice. Valiari hits himself in the forehead almost knocking off his hat as an idea pops into his head. He cannot believe he hadn’t realized it before. Her visit had another meaning, not just to remind him of why he can’t give up, but the key to his escape.

“That’s it! That’s it! I’ve got it!” He shouts with joy. “Ma’am I’ve got it!”

“G-Got what?” She asks nervously.

“We are going to get out of here!”

“But I thought you said—”

“Never mind what I said! I have the answer! These bars, we can’t destroy them no matter how hard we try, and magic cannot melt or not even scratch them either.”

“So, what’s the answer?”

“Well, it’s true we cannot destroy them, but what if the answer isn’t destroying them at all? I can’t use magic to break them, but what if I just used magic upon its surface? Like a sort of a um . . . like a canvas! I could use my paints to create a doorway for us to escape!”

“Do you have paint?”

“Of course! Every good painter has his paints and brush with him at all times in case of an emergency.”

Valiari digs in the pockets of his jacket and pants and brings out three old tubes of paint and a brush with a chipped wooden handle. He scatters the tubes of paint to be sure he has all the colors he needs.

“Let’s see. . . Blue, white, black, red, yellow-these are all that I need! Just hold on Miss I’ll get you out of there! I just have to . . . um. . .”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“I-I don’t have enough paint! The tube of blue is running out, and I would have to paint two paintings. One to get you two out and one for us to escape. And since blue is all around us it is the most predominant color! But it only looks like I have enough paint for one painting! What can I do? What can I do? Uh-maybe I can try to even it out and make two, but I don’t know if it’ll be enough—”

“Just go.”

“I mean maybe if it gets darker I could utilize black, but they’ll be watching us at night-there’s no way I’d have the time—”

“. . . Just go.”

“We could wait it out and maybe they’ll leave us alone again, but we might not have another shot at this—”

“Mister Valiari!”

“Huh? What?”

“Just go!”

“No I . . . I can’t-I. . . Miss there’s no way I’m going to leave you and your daughter here. Who knows what those two might do to you?!”

“But if you escape then we might have a chance.”

“No Miss I won’t do it! All of us are getting out of here!”

“Mister Valiari there is no time. They’ll be back any minute now. Besides I don’t want to be a dead weight, we’ll just slow you down.”

“But Miss I-I can’t I. . .”

“I heard you whispering to yourself. . . You miss someone, someone close to you. I know how that feels, and I may never see mine again. But, if you go, we both might have a chance.”

Valiari can feel his heart sinking down to the bottom of his chest. She and he stare at each other through the spaces between the icy bars of their cold prison, Valiari almost can’t believe his ears. As opposed to Valiari’s sudden depression she looks on at him with a smile.

“Go on, please.” She says.

As Valiari opens up the lids to the tubes of paint and readies his brush he looks back up to her one last time before he begins.

“I will come back for you, I promise.”

“. . . You don’t have to keep every promise you make, because sometimes . . . you just can’t.”

Valiari pauses just before his brush touches the ice as her words shoot through him like a sharp arrow. He tries to put them out of his mind, because he knows he will come back, and she along with her daughter will be saved. They won’t suffer, he won’t let that happen. She will be reunited with her husband, and her daughter will have her father back. Determined he lets the brush take over his mind as he begins to create his escape. As quickly as he can and with sweat starting to form at his forehead his hoof is starting to tremble, but he tries to ignore it and focus on the details. He can’t stop glancing up at the stained glass window expecting to see the two monsters arrive. Even the smallest flake of snow drifting in the air sets his heart rate on a marathon. He can feel them coming closer, and his work of art is not even close to completion.

The air is cold, my lungs feel as though they’ve turned into ice. Everything is black, but I realize that my eyes are indeed open. The dark; not the dark. I try to move my hands but I can barely feel them. I dig them down into the snow below and try to push myself up, but my back stiffens as pain fires up my spine. I groan in agony and almost drop back down into the snow face down, but my numb hands and locked elbows keep me up. I dig my feet into the snow to try and find solid ground to stand. I feel around and my fingers are jabbed by something jagged under the snow. I feel no pain, but I can feel it cut at the skin. I pull my hand out from the snow afraid to keep it under and hold it to my stomach afraid it might be bleeding for it’s too dark to tell. I plant both my feet down onto an uneven surface under the snow and force myself to stand despite the weariness. I feel too afraid to walk forward without my sight, I feel too afraid to even move a single muscle.

“Twilight?” I whisper with my weak voice. “Wick? . . . Anyone?”

Without any answer except my own voice bouncing back at me I shuffle my legs through the snow struggling to keep my balance. Occasionally I’ll stumble over something rough under the snow, or I’ll find myself walking into a rigid wall. Everything hurts, everything is too dark; I need someone with me. Please, someone, anyone. I don’t want to be alone; I don’t want to be alone. I’m scared; I’m so scared. I feel blind, I feel mute. The only sound I hear is the sound of snow brushing against more snow every step I take. Suddenly my foot gets caught under something and I plummet down face first into the snow. Something blunt and solid jabs me in the side of my body. I try to scream but I can’t. I choose not even try to stand up as I lay in cold misery. I can feel myself starting to cry as I try to roll my body off the object. Make it stop; someone make it all stop. The pain, the dark, someone make it all stop please!

“Ah! Over here!” A voice shouts far above.

I hold back my sobbing and groaning just for a moment listening for the voice. I hear pebbles crumbling down from a mile above down to the ground. I hear something . . . several of them walking. The sound of hooves hitting solid stone are coming closer. There must be at least three of them, maybe they can help me. If only I could call out to them loud enough for them to hear me. I hear them drop down and moving closer. I feel confused as I do not hear them pushing through snow, but instead through tall grass. Through the horrible dark a small shimmer of blue light breaks the shadows apart. I watch as it comes even closer to reveal its orb-like shape. As it passes by me I catch a glimpse of a mare’s face. Her coat is a cobalt blue, and her eyes are lightly violet. Her mane is a mixture of white and pale blue. At that moment I realize who it is, and find it difficult to believe my eyes. It’s Trixie, I know it’s her. She and the light leave as other steps through grass follow behind her and pass right by me.

“Trixie . . . wait.” I struggle to say.

As she trots farther away I set aside all the pain and crawl to the light. I know I will never catch up unless I stand and run. I hold in my breath and clench my teeth as I throw myself up and limp towards the light.

“. . . Here. . . Here is where I found them.” Says Trixie as the light finally stops, but I am still very far away.

“. . . There’s more of them. They’re everywhere.”

I know that voice too. It’s Valiari’s! But how? How could he be here? Knowing he is here as well pushes me to move faster. I can feel my side pinching painfully, and my legs are about to give out.

“V-Valiari! Valiari it’s me!” I say slightly louder.

“This is the place where I would always find them. I came here nearly every night because . . . I would always get this strange feeling. . . Valiari? Are you alright?” Trixie asks.

I am getting closer as I continue to call out to them, but neither of them answer my calls for help.

“This. . . This is it. . . This is where. . .” For some reason his voice quiets.

“This is what? What do you mean?!” I ask hopelessly.

Suddenly the blue light disappears, as well as the ground beneath me. I land on something solid and my body sprawls across the cold frosty surface. Before I can even pass a single thought I hear the sound of crackling and splitting. The chilling ground beneath me is coming apart, and without any time to react I plunge into what I believe to be ice cold water. In a panic I thrash about as water finds its way into my mouth and nose as it freezes my entire body. I feel too weak and tired to continue flailing about, and thus I begin to sink deeper to the bottom. I hold my head up high to try and grab whatever amount of air I can before the water shrouds my face. Up above I can see wavy mists of light, and as they glow I reach up to them, but with my body sinking further and further the lights only become smaller and invisible as the water clouds my vision. My lungs begin to plea for air, but I am afraid to gasp and fill them instead with water.

I feel my back touch the bottom of this pool of water and I can no longer fight the urge to gasp. I can feel something touch my arm, perhaps a fish, but I then feel something touch my back. Whatever it is it grips me and lifts up my body. I am brought out through the water’s surface and layed onto the ground. Finally I can breathe in, and with that wondrous breath I choke on the water that has found its way into my throat. But soon, the pain stops; the agony stops. The pain in my back and legs is slowly disappearing. I open my eyes and wipe away the water to see the stone ground as drops of water fall from my hair and face. The ground is lighted with colors of orange, green, and pink. I look up, and the lights are emanating from these big translucent stones embedded into the ceiling of this cave. I can barely see a yard ahead of me as the lights cannot illuminate past that length. I am beginning to fill with a familiar feeling; it reminds me of what I felt when I . . . held that stone. Maybe, this is where it came from. I still do not know what to call this feeling, but it feels like a heightened sense of happiness and relief.

“That was a close one. For a minute there I thought you would have been done for.” A mare’s voice speaks.

With a jolt I turn my head and see something that startles, but at the same time, amazes me. Laying atop the pool of water with floating shards of ice around her body is a mare with her hooves layed atop one another. Her body is what captures my eyes as it is completely transparent like glass. Her horn and her mane both are just like her body. Her eyes stare at me calmly as I fill with anxiety and confusion. Her appearance is just so gorgeous, it even gives me a sense of peace the longer I stare.

“I never thought I’d be able to see you again. You do remember me, don’t you?” She asks.

Still mesmerized I simply shake my drenched head no.

“Hm, I do hope this isn’t just a dream of mine. Please, tell me this isn’t a dream.”

‘ As I cannot muster to speak she sighs with sadness, and lowers her head down.

“I knew it, this couldn’t possibly be real. My . . . what has happened? Is there anything, anything at all that can be done? When will these dreams of false hope end?”

“. . . Who-Who are you?” I ask.

“What does it matter? Soon all of our names will be forgotten, lost. And there will be nopony left to hear them. . . It shouldn’t have had to end this way, it shouldn’t have.”

“What do you mean?”

“Everything was supposed to be peaceful after the cleansing of that evil, but instead a new one has taken its place. It was unavoidable, he and I both knew. But he thought he could hide it long enough before it happened.”

“What are you talking about? Who is ‘he’?”

“Are you trying to bring back those horrid memories? I suppose this is more of a nightmare than a dream.”

Becoming frustrated with how I am not getting any answers and how she is completely convinced that this is a dream I give up and turn away. However, I can’t blame this mysterious mare. I myself don’t know whether or not this is a dream, but it feels like reality. I feel around my chest for the rope of my bag, thankfully it’s still tied around me. I lift the bag around my shoulder and hold it in my lap. Hoping that everything isn’t too soaked in water I untie the rope and open up the bag. I find that the wilted flower has been flattened out and has lost a few pedals. I am saddened to see it so destroyed. I still have the book, and thankfully it doesn’t seem the water has gotten to it. The cover and edges of the pages feel wet, but the inside still feels dry. I find Trixie’s note, and am horrified to see it soaked. I feel too afraid to even try and grab it as I fear it might break apart in my hands. Depressed with having lost two precious items to me I am left with one more, Trixie’s hat. It is wet, but is still very sturdy and in good shape. I pull the hat out from the bag and stare at the wonderful starry and spotted design as the lights above brighten it up while I try to flatten it out to get rid of any wrinkles.

“. . . What is that you’ve got there?” The mare asks. “Where did you get that?”

“A friend of mine gave it to me, it belonged to someone . . . I think was important to me.”

“May I see it?”

I feel a bit reluctant to relinquish the hat and hesitate.

“Do not worry, I will be careful.”

With that I give in and hand over the hat to her. She uses her magic to levitate it over towards her and inspects it.

“. . . You don’t remember who this belongs to?”

“Well yes I-I do but. . .”

“If you do then why would you say you ‘think’ this pony is important? It’s either yes or no.”

“I-I don’t know! . . . I don’t know.” I say filling with stress under the pressure of her questions. “What does it matter? I’ll never find her, never. It’s all over. . . I’ve let them all down. I don’t even think we had a chance.”

“You really are confused aren’t you? My, this all is starting to feel . . . real. Can you really be . . . ?”

“I don’t know who I am, or what I am. I don’t know; I don’t know.” I repeat still stressful and grasping my head with my hands as a headache ensues.

“Now now just relax, breathe deep. It’ll calm your nerves.”

I do so and she tries to get my attention once again.

“Now look at me, please.”

I turn to her, and I’m not quite sure if tears are dripping down my face, or if they are simply drops of water. I hadn’t noticed before but I have been slightly rocking my body back and forth as to calm myself down. Clearly it hasn’t helped.

“Do not cry, just relax. Alright? Now, do you remember this pony’s name?”

“T-Trixie. I’ve been looking for her but-but I can’t find her. I’ll never find her.”

“You’re just going to give up? Why? Don’t you remember what you two have been through together?”

“N-No. Sometimes I see things, b-but I don’t know if it’s real.”

“. . . What else do you have in that bag? Can I see?”

Afraid to damage the flower even further I pull it out regardless and show it to her. She uses her magic to take it from my hand and brings it closer to her face.

“Oh, I remember this. This was one of the many beautiful flowers you gave to Trixie that one morning. Such a sweet thing you did.” She says with a smile.

“I wish I could’ve been there.” I say.

“What do you mean? You ‘were’ there.”

“It doesn’t feel like I was.”

“I see now, you refuse to believe what your mind is trying to show you. Perhaps if you see it, your view will change.”

“I’ve already seen it.”

“Everything?”

“Yes I . . . I-I think so.”

“My, there is so much you have forgotten. So much more that you are missing.”

“What do you mean? What else?”

“I’ll show you.”

The mare hovers her hoof over the pool of water in a circular motion. She hasn’t even touched the water yet somehow the ripples form in the area if she actually was. She stops, but the ripples continue to flow about the water. She beckons me to come closer, and so I do.

“Look into the water, look into your past.” She says.

I look down into the pool, and before my eyes upon the surface of the disturbed water an image begins to appear. I can feel the warmth of a light shine upon my face as I stare into the pool of water. It’s as if I was looking right through my own eyes at the scene the water portrays. I see the room of Trixie’s carriage. Rays of sunlight are peeping through the cracks and holes in the wooden walls. Most of the room is covered in shadows, but I nearly recognize everything in it. The pile of cloth sheets, chopped logs of wood stacked against the wall, and the little table with a mirror and make-up kit. Trixie is standing near the table staring at the vase filled with flowers I had just given to her. I see that she’s talking, but I do not hear her voice.

“W-Why can’t I hear anything?” I ask.

“My magic isn’t strong enough to project sound, but you only need to see. Go on, look.”

Back down in the water I see that Trixie has her hoof over her mouth, and after a glance at me she leaves the room.

“She just . . . left? I guess they didn’t really mean much to her after all.” I say.

“Well, let’s look at it from another perspective. Look again.”

Looking back the ripples in the water wave a bit more violently. Soon the image is changed to a completely different place. I’m not too sure where this is, but the room is very dark. I can see, however, a wooden door. Trixie hurries through the door and closes it behind her with her back against it. She looks so overwhelmed as she covers her face with her hooves. As she slowly lowers them down I see that her eyes are overflowing with tears as she tries to wipe them away.

“Why is she crying?” I ask.

“She’s crying because she’s touched. Nopony has ever given her a gift as wonderful as yours, in fact, nopony has ever given her a gift at all. Her heart was filled with such a feeling that made her eyes cry tears of joy. She hid from you because she didn’t understand what she was feeling. She didn’t want you to see her cry. It was at that very moment that something changed within Trixie.”

I notice in the image Trixie gets up from the door and leaves out of view.

“What? Wh-Where did she go?” I ask.

“You’ll see.”

The image changes back to my point of view back in the slightly lit trailer room. Trixie comes back in and starts showing off her hat and cape. If only I could understand what she was saying, but I’ll do as the mare says and just watch. She reaches back behind the doorway and brings forth something in her hoof. She holds up a long black jacket outlined in white at the base, cuffs, and collar. The cuffs are pointed, and the collar stands tall. . . I grab the chest of my jacket and clench at the wet cloth.

“That jacket it’s . . . it’s mine.”

“That’s right, but that isn’t all.”

Trixie also brings out a pair of black pants of the same style as the jacket, as well as a pair of shoes with pointed tips and silver buckles. . . The same pants and shoes I wear upon my person.

“You see? The very clothes on your back came from her. The night before she went to the market on her own and stayed awake all night sewing them together just for you."

“For . . . For me?” My voice starting to crackle.

“That is right, go on take a look.”

Back in the image it has changed yet again to a very familiar looking room. It’s lined with levers and pulleys, curtains waving in the air, and Trixie sitting in the middle of the room trying to keep her eyes open. Around her are stacks of black and white cloth as she works with an old sewing machine weaving the batch of cloth through the fast moving needle attached to the machine.

“Hours upon hours she spent at this machine weaving her gift to you. Not only time, but the bits she had earned were spent to pay for the supplies. She used not a single one on herself.”

Suddenly the image falls apart and disappears into the water. I am left speechless and still, in shock from what I had just learned. Now, the clothes on my back have a whole new meaning to me. From now and on whenever I grasp onto the slick cloth of my jacket I will only see her in my mind, just as I do now. I can feel my eyes beginning to ache the harder I clench the cloth.

“What else do you have in that bag of yours? Go on, show me.”

I pull the bag by the ropes and look inside. I could show her the note, but I do not know if it will even be legible anymore. Carefully I peel it from the cloth of the bag and hold it out to the mare. She uses her magic to take it from my hand and opens the soggy paper.

“Ah yes, this. This brings back sour memories of the past. Do you know who wrote this letter?”

“I . . . no, I don’t know.”

“It was a letter from her Mother. Trixie’s childhood wasn’t a pleasant one. Her Mother was plagued with a deathly illness, and no cure has been found to treat such a disease.”

It feels like a hammer just smashed my heart at the sound of those words. I don’t know what to say or what to do, but to just listen.

“So, day by day she sat at her Mother’s bedside hoping that one day she would recover. Instead, it got worse with each passing day. Soon, the poor girl was left without a Mother. She passed away one night right before her eyes. It was then that she would never be the same again.”

“Th-Then what happened?” I ask curiously.

“. . . You know, I always heard voices echo against these walls. They were always voices of sorrow and pain, but I only hear those that wish. The stars channel their calls for help to me, and I could hear them as if they were right here next to me. And all I could do was sit here, powerless, and hope that their wish will be answered. But, out of every voice I heard during every night there was only one voice that kept calling for help, and that was Trixie’s. For several nights I could hear her voice, and she would always ask for the same thing every time.”

“W-What was it?”

“. . . She wished to see her Mother just one last time. She continued to plea for the same thing every single night. Even after the passing of several years. But then, she grew bitter, and her heart turned darker. It hurt just to watch this sweet little filly turn into somepony else. I could just feel her pain thrashing about in my own heart. . . And then, one lonely night, you came along. You gave her something that she never thought she ever would have obtained in her life.”

“I did?”

“Yes, you did. Companionship, a friend. Soon she realized that, with you in her life that was all she ever needed.”

I feel something warm run down my cheeks. With a trembling hand I brush it along my face, and feel that streams of tears have been running down my cheeks. Something touches the bottom of my chin and gently raises my head. The mare has her cold transparent hoof under my chin and she’s staring straight into my eyes.

“She needed you then, and she needs you now. Don’t give up on her, don’t let it all drift away into the dark.”

“I . . . I won’t.” I say while choking on my own breath.

“Promise me.”

“. . . I promise.”

“Good. . . Now, there is something I have for you. I have held onto this since that horrible day.”

From behind the mare she levitates a small brown bag with a small rope tied around the top. She lets it hover near me waiting for me to take hold of it.

“Go on, take it.” She says.

I grab the bag and she releases it from her magic. I feel so confused just staring at it. I pry apart an opening at the top of the bag and look inside. It’s too dark so see anything inside, but I can feel the bag does have some weight to it. I tip it and shake it a bit until something falls out into the palm of my hand. A little white sphere rolls out from the bag into my hand. At first I feel even more confused by it, but then I begin to feel dizzy. I can hear the voices coming back. I can see everything happening as I drift off from reality just for a moment. I see Trixie, and we’re sitting outside near her wagon. It feels strange to see the ground not covered in snow, but at the same time it feels wonderful. The grass is a healthy state of green, and the flowers around us feel so real that I can almost smell their sweet scent.

“I know that you seem to have a handle on just standing around and looking good for the audience, but why don’t we make it a bit more . . . fun?” Says Trixie. “I was thinking you could. . . I don’t know. . . Move around a bit. Get more involved with the audience! I could cast a few spells around you so you can improvise. Here, I found these in my little trunk I keep stashed away in the trailer.”

She then hands me the same little brown sack, and as I peer inside I can see she has given me quite a bundle of the little white spheres.

“These are smoke balls. All you have to do is take one. . .” She reaches over and pulls one from the bag. “And just throw it to the ground!”

She slams it down onto the dry soil and it explodes creating a thick white cloud of smoke that masks everything around us. Once the smoke clears I see Trixie standing with her hooves outstretched and a smile on her face.

“And that’s not all!” She adds.

Trixie brings out another bag identical to the one she had just given me.

“I’ve had these for quite some time now; I used to collect these from a certain spot in the forest. I would just stare at these because of how beautiful they are. . . And every time I would watch them I felt something strange. . . It’s hard to explain. Here take a look.”

As she opens up the bag a bright yellowish light explodes through the top filling the whole area as she tries to show me what’s inside. The light becomes so blinding that I can no longer see anything around me, instead, once the light clears I am brought back to the cave with the mysterious mare. She lays atop the pool of water staring at me patiently waiting for a response from me. I remember now, that was the moment she gave to me the bag of strange stones.

“Please, keep it safe.” Says the mare.

“I will. . . I will.” I say holding it close to my chest.

“Now, I’m afraid time is running out. It will be time for me to go soon.”

“W-What? No d-don’t go! Please!” I beg.

“I’m sorry, I wish I could stay; but I can feel my energy lessening.”

“Is there something I can do? Anything?”

“It cannot be stopped. The stones that line this cave are what keep me here, but their energy has been dying. I thought that they died out quite some time ago, but somehow they’ve gained a glimmer of energy. But . . . there is, one thing.”

“Anything! Tell me!” I say with the need to help her in any way I can.

This mare has shown me things that I never would have remembered. She has shown me something that I had lost by reinvigorating my very spirit. I feel like I am in her debt; I am ready to listen to whatever she has to say. Whatever it may be that she needs I will follow.

“Do you remember . . . Valiari?”

“Y-Yes I do!”

“Have you seen him?”

“I was with him just days ago.”

The mare sighs with relief and rests her hoof on her chest.

“I knew I heard his voice, I just knew. Where is he now? Is he okay?”

“I . . . I don’t know-but I’m going to find him! I will-I promise!” I assure her.

The mare closes her eyes, and tears fall from the corners of her eyes. She must have some kind of connection with him. I feel like she believes that hope is lost for him. I want to assure her that I will find him and he’ll be alright, I know he is-he just has to be. I’m not even going to consider that he might be . . . gone. I’m not ready to accept that, not after this.

“Oh, Vali . . . Why?” She whispers. “. . . Time is running thin, it is time for you to go.”

“B-But wait! I-I want to help you, what about Valiari? He’s alive-I know he is! What did you need me to do?”

“I was going to ask you, that if you find him, will you tell him that I . . . I love him?”

“Yes, of course I will.”

“Thank you.” She says now smiling but tears still leaking out of her eyes. “He truly was right, you really are something special.”

The mare stands and circles her hoof over the pool of water once again. The waves are much more violent than the last as some of the water is pushed out from the pool and onto the rocky floor. A bright light peaks through the waves illuminating more of the cave that hadn’t been seen due to the shadows.

“Now go, find your friends, and rid this land of its curse.”

“W-Wait! You never told me your name.”

“My name is Aria.”

“Aria . . . I won’t let you down.”

“I know you won’t. Now, I know that this is no dream, nor nightmare.”

“Why?”

“Because dreams don’t give you a high sense of hope like this.”

With my face still coated in tears I smile as she bears the same expression. She’s right, never have I felt a sense of hope quite as strong as this one. I stand, and she gives me back the wet wilted flower and soggy letter as she uses her magic to put them all back in my bag. I fit Trixie’s hat back in my bag after giving it one last look, and I put the small brown bag of smoke balls in my left jacket pocket. Aria and I give each other one last glance before she bids me farewell.

“Goodbye, Aireal.”

As her body begins to fade away I realize that I had never told her my name, yet she somehow knew. As she completely disappears and with the feeling of little time remaining I hold my breath and jump into the pool of water. After I break through the pool’s surface I feel no cold, I feel no water. The light envelops my body, and the sounds of those horrid winter winds are caught by my ears.

Through the stained glass window comes the breeze of snow and freezing air and all the flakes of snow come together to form the figure of the mare from earlier. Another breeze fazes through the window and hides in the shadows in the far corner of the room. Valiari, leaning back against the icy wall, tips his hat to the mare and happily greets her.

“Well hello again! Back so soon?” He asks.

“Sorry to keep you waiting dear, but we were just having a little fun with our guests. And as I promised, Miss, I made sure your husband was spared.”

“Th-Thank you.” Says Candle Light’s Mother.

“Yes well, I am a mare of my word. However, as for ‘your’ little friend Valiari I’m afraid the same can’t be said for him.”

“What do you mean?” He asks trying to contain his anger.

“Well, a little mishap took place. My friend and I decided to just shake them up a bit, but sadly he took a plunge down into the darkness beneath the ice.”

“He what?” Valiari asks in shock.

“It was just a little accident Mister Valiari. That purple coated mare Twilight needed to make a choice, so I helped her make the right one. Oh well, it’s no big deal right?” The mare then starts to giggle. “Well, I must say I am glad that there was plenty of them to go around. My birds have been getting hungry.”

Valiari wants to attack the mare with words, but he knows he must stay calm. He cannot give the mare any sort of pleasure via his suffering. He is tired of giving her the gratification she desires through his pain. He hates to admit it to himself, but he needs to accept that Aireal is . . . gone, finished. He and the others never stood a chance against this monstrosity, and he will make sure that he gets vengeance for everything she’s done.

“I suppose so.” He says.

“I’m surprised at you Mister Valiari! I was expecting some sort of  retaliation out of you.”

“Why argue when you’re right?”

“Mister Valiari I think the cold has finally gotten to your head. I almost miss your threats and name-calling. Your cries of hope, your anger. But, I suppose this’ll have to do.” She says with a sigh.

The mare is about to turn and look out the window when she notices something strange about Valiari. Not only is she thrown off by his awkward and sudden change in behavior, but he doesn’t have his jacket on him. Instead it’s layed out on the floor as he sits with his tattered white scarf and shirt without a single shiver. With a raised eyebrow she walks over to his cell and questions him.

“Mister Valiari I couldn’t help but notice your jacket, it’s on the floor.”

“Hm, so it is.” He says in surprise. “I hadn’t noticed.”

“You hadn’t noticed? I think you’ve finally lost it you old colt. I knew it was only a matter of time.”

Valiari smiles and looks the mare in the eyes with the shadow from the brim of his hat covering his face.

“You know, there’s so much I hate about you. You’re cold, wicked, a monster.” He says calmly.

“Oh do go on!” She says flattered.

“But, despite all that, there is one quality that I love about you.”

“Really? And what would that be dear?”

“Your stupidity.”

Valiari lets himself fall back onto the floor where his jacket is sprawled out, but along with his jacket he falls right through the floor. She notices the floor has been painted over with an image of the room, and not a trace of Valiari has been left. The mare, in a panic, starts glancing all around the room for him.

“Where did you go?!” She shouts. “I will find you Valiari! And when I do you will regret what you’ve just done!”

The mare starts floating around the room checking every corner for him. But what she doesn’t know is that he’s hiding near Candle Light and her Mother’s cell. As he peaks at them through the bars the Mother almost gasps at the sight of him. Valiari holds his hoof in front of his mouth signaling her to keep quiet.

“What are you doing? You have to go!” She whispers.

“Not yet, there’s just one more thing. . .”

With his jacket in his hooves he pushes it through a gap between the icy bars and into their cell.

“What are you doing-you need this!”

“You need it more. Keep yourselves warm with it, and I’ll be back soon.”

“Thank you.” Says Candle Light’s Mother on the verge of tears.

“Don’t mention it.”

“Goodbye Mister.” Candle Light mutters.

“. . . No problem kiddo. Now just wait with Mommy, I’ll be back before you know it.” Valiari assures her.

“Be careful.” Says her Mother.

“I will.”

Valiari sticks to the shadows paying close attention to the mare as she investigates the room. He tries to keep the sound of his hooves touching the ice as quiet as possible, so he must go slowly and carefully. He can see the door coming closer and the mare is off on the other side of the room checking around for him. This is it, he’s almost free.

“Where do you think you’re going, Valiari?” Asks a distorted voice behind the shadows and into his ear.

Frightened he decides to gallop out of the dark and towards the door. He felt something try to grab as his shirt, but he was able to move away just in time. The mare turns around and spots him trotting away.

“Get him! Don’t let him escape! I will stay and watch these two!” She shouts.

Valiari can hear the sound of hooves trotting after him, so with his heart pounding crazily he rips open the door and gallops out of the room with whoever was chasing him right on his tail. Valiari realizes that this is his only chance at hope, and is not ready to let his lungs and legs hold him back by exhaustion.

I drop into a pile of freezing snow as it stuns my body from the warmth of the cave and now the sudden cold. The light lingers in my eyes, but after a bit of rubbing and waiting I can now see clearly. I take in the beautiful sense of sight. The thick white snow surrounds me, but doesn’t reach up to my knees. Through the surface of the snow stretches out the branches of bushes and small trees without their leaves and scattered about the ground. Behind me is a big puddle of water surrounded by shattered ice and slush. I bend down and touch the cold water remembering the mysterious glassy mare, Aria. She freed me from that dark chasm, and now it is time for me to press on. After checking to make sure I still have all of my things I trek through the snow as it has become hard like ice.

I lift up the branches of trees that block my path and I soon notice that every single tree is horribly tilted in the same direction. I follow the trees by the way they are tilted and come to a cliff. As the wind brushes aside my hair I can see the pure white horizon. It looks like a far drop down, and the fear of possibly slipping causes me to step away from the edge. Still staring out at the barren snowy wasteland I am reminded about Twilight and Wick Flame. I can only wonder where they might be and whether or not they are okay. I hope the cold hasn't gotten to them, maybe I'll meet up with them soon . . . maybe. I choose to turn around and walk against the trees, and up ahead past the milky clouds my eyes are blessed with a sight I thought I would never see. The castle of Canterlot, this is the closest I’ve ever been to it. Seeing it this close and being able to actually make out the finely decorated towers and windows is remarkable. It is just out of my reach, all I have to do is keep walking.

Walking through the snow I notice something peculiar about the ground. Embedded in the snow are two parallel indentations that lead up the hill ahead. I find that in the snow are two parallel long pieces of metal nailed to several consecutive pieces of wood that lead up the hill ahead towards the castle. These must be the train tracks, if I follow them it should take me right to the castle’s front gate. With this plan I choose to follow the tracks for the rest of the way. The cold is already turning my ears numb and my cheeks are starting to burn, but I push passed it. I’ve come too far to let the cold stop me now.

Continuing up the hill I notice a break in the tracks. The trail no longer follows a smooth curved path, instead it skews off to the side. Curious I follow the trail, and in the snow I notice there are oddly shaped objects dug into the surface. I pull one out of the snow and find that it is very thin and sharp and nearly cut myself while holding it. It’s . . . a piece of metal. Where could this have come from? Determined to find the answer I follow the broken pieces of metal, and the longer I follow, the bigger the chunks of metal lie ahead. Until finally I am met with something horrific. Up ahead is a large object tipped over and crashed into the side of the mountain. Its windows are all smashed or cracked, and its body is horribly dented. It’s a train, and along its side I can read big white letters written along a blue stripe that stretches across the whole body of the train. It reads: Blue Line Trains.