High Moon Ch. 40:

Of Talks and Hearts

“So,” Veil started as she and Frost finally made it to the building where the archives were located. The journey was an informative one as the two females took the time alone to get to know each other. As it turned out, Veil and Frost had plenty in common, such as both enjoying the moon’s light over the sun’s heat.

One conversation they had was of each other’s plans. Veil honestly didn’t have one, as she just thought of calling High Moon her and Cyclone’s new home. Admittedly, Veil never was one to think about what the future held for her. The way she looked at it was, if she still breathing, and the ones that she cared for were alright, then she was happy.

Frost shared her sympathy with the diamond hound, knowing the feeling of losing a home. However, Frost had better plans for herself and High Moon. When Veil asked what Frost meant by this, the changeling then went on to say that she and Quill were looking for a way to get stronger to take her mother’s throne.

Veil wasn’t too sure about the changeling’s ambitions, as it seemed like an impossible task from what Frost had said about her mother, but that didn’t mean she disliked Frost’s goals. The idea of taking power away from those that would abuse it wasn’t new for Veil.

However, this wasn’t like a den of diamond dogs trying to take on an alpha. This was a half-breed mare and a younger dragoness taking on an army. This was something of pure suicide.

That’s when Frost said she and Quill were trying to get stronger, so they wouldn’t have to fight that army. Their only target was her mother, anyone else was collateral damage. In fact, Frost truly wanted to avoid any unnecessary fighting.

There wasn’t a need to take on the entire Everfree army along with her mother. If that was the case, then Frost and Quill would face defeat without a single hope of winning. All they needed was a way to strike at Frost’s mother. And if it truly did come down to it, Frost had one more plan up her sleeve. However, as a backup plan, it would take far longer and cause far more bloodshed.

So that was one of the reasons Frost brought Veil to the archives, to look for something that Frost could use as an ace in the hole. A secret hand that Frost could lay on the table to achieve her goals. If her guess was correct, such a thing would be found inside of the archives.

Even with the run-down building in sight, Veil still wasn’t so sure about Frost’s dreams. From the sound of it, Frost definitely had quite some time to plan it out, and that was without adding Quill into the equation. That said, it wasn’t Veil’s place to question the mare’s ambitions, especially since she had already spoken about it with Wolf. So if the mare had Alpha’s approval, Veil figured that there wasn’t any harm with helping her.

Pushing the twin doors open, Veil and Frost walked into the ancient library, taking in the sight of the the vast rows of books. Dust collected on many of the tomes, all weathered by time, but still somehow standing. Frost was impressed with the resilience of the books, while Veil still didn’t know what to make of it.

“Frost,” Veil said as she looked around the archives, eyeing the many tomes and old bookshelves that held the leather bound books. When Veil looked back to Frost, all she saw was the mare dragging her hand across the backs of the books, as if she was looking for a specific one. “What are we looking for? I mean, you gotta have something in mind, right?”

For a moment, Frost didn’t answer the hound as her eyes continued to sift through the rows of ancient texts. Veil was correct that Frost had an idea of what she was looking for. But Frost seemed to have not found it with the first shelf she was looking at. So she continued to move through the rows of books with Veil following behind.

“It’s nothing really,” Frost finally answered the hound’s question as she moved over to another bookshelf that was being eaten by small thin vines. However, Frost didn’t mind the vegetation there. In fact, she welcomed it as it was a true testament towards Mother Nature's resolve. “There’s a...spell, for lack of better terms, that was created by the changelings a long time ago. However, unicorns saw better use of the spell once they learned it.”

Veil tilted her head and ears as she was slightly confused by the mare’s words. She may not have the same kind of knowledge when it came to magic, but she knew enough to know that unicorn and changeling magic were two different things...right?

“Hold on,” Veil began, still with a look of confusion while Frost continued to search through the rows of books. “I thought that unicorn magic and changeling are different?” she half-asked, only going by what she guessed.

However, Frost started to giggle a little before moving on towards another bookshelf. “You would only be half right,” she began, gaining Veil’s full attention as she continued her search for the tome she was hoping to be here. “Changelings may be different from ponies, yet we are still equines none-the-less. Therefore, we both are able to do the same thing.”

It took a moment, but soon Frost’s words started to click inside of Veil’s head. “So, you mean that unicorns can do what you can do…”

“And I can do what they can, and then some,” Frost finished for Veil as she pulled out a tome that caught her eye. Frost was only able to read the book thanks to Ancient Equine being the same thing as modern day changeling text; one of the few benefits of being a princess was she could read the ancient text as if it was in fact modern day literature.

“However, that’s not what I’m here for,” she continued, closing the book, placing it back on the shelf, and turning to Veil to answer her worries. “There is a spell, think of it like a...’trap.’” When Frost felt Veil’s emotions become further lost, she waved the hound to continue to follow her while she explained.

“Okay, so trap isn’t the word I was looking for,” Frost corrected, still scanning over the many books that somehow managed to survive throughout the centuries. “Alright, you’ve heard the saying ‘as thin as a spider's web,’ right?”

“Er, no, not really,” Veil said with a shake of the head, never having heard anything like that before. Then again, being a runaway beta hound from a traditional diamond dog den, Veil wasn’t too...educated in things such as that. “But it does have something to do with a spider’s web?”

Frost gave a small shake of her head with a soft giggle following after as the two of them started to climb the stairs to the second floor. “Yes, and no,” she started, turning her back to the rail, and gently leaning against it. “Yes, it is using a spider’s webbing as a comparison. No, I’m not directly speaking about one, though.”

Another moment passed as Frost could feel that Veil was starting to get it, however, Veil was still quite unsure of what Frost was speaking of. “Here, I think it’s better if I just show you.” Frost quickly shifted her weight off of the railing and held out her left hand towards Veil.

At first, there was nothing for the hound to see aside from the black fur on the changeling’s hand, but that soon changed. It was small at first, but Veil began to notice the fine, shimmering lines coming off of Frost’s hand.

“What in Cadjo’s name is that?” Veil asked as the lines of shimmering light streamed further up from Frost’s hand. From what she could tell, it looked as if the lines were something like a spider's web, but further observation revealed them to be thin lines of ice.

Upon sensing the hound’s slow change of emotions, Frost quickly moved to put them to rest. “Don’t worry,” she said to get Veil to calm down before she began to panic even further. “It’s just my ice-magic mixed with a little changeling magic,” Frost continued, sparking her horn in the ice-blue aura, moving the threads of ice around in a small dance.

“H-heh, I knew that.” Frost didn’t even need her changeling ability to tell that the hound was lying, just the cheesy smile and cocked head was enough to give her away. “So, if you can already do that, then what would you need from this spell?”

“Well,” Frost started, now just playing around with the threads of ice, forming a variety of shapes and other creations. “To be honest, I could go without this spell, and just hope that everything works out.”

While Frost continued to speak, Veil was deeply impressed with the mare’s flexibility with her magic. She wondered if Cyclone would be able to do something like it when she got her magic under control. It would be cool to see the dragoness do so much more with her magic.

Heck, after the six years they had been friends, Veil would be happy to see Cyclone smile. The more Veil thought about it, the more she wondered what Cyclone was going to do once she was done with her training; what would be left for her to do?

“However, I would rather not leave it to chance,” Frost stated firmly as she continued her trivial flexing of her magic while she had an attentive ear to lean on for the moment. And really, Frost did need to use as much time as she could to plan every single step out. If she did find this spell, that was only still a small, and extra, part of it. Frost would still need a means of getting close to her mother. “See, the spell would allow me to drain the magic of my opponents, and add it to my own.”

“So, you’re after more power?” Veil bluntly asked, as she was still thinking about her friend more than the mare’s words. “That’s what you really want? Power?”

Frost quickly frowned at the thought of having meaningless power on her side and shook her head. “No, never,” she spat with a sound of pure disgust in her voice. Right as she finish saying this, the threads of ice took the shape of heart. “I would never look for power without a reason to hold it. That’s a waste of time and energy.”

“Oh, s-sorry,” Veil started, mentally kicking herself for what she said and thought about the mare until now. “It’s just that...there’s no good in craving only power, my old den learned that the hard way.”

As Frost looked at the hound, she saw her biting down on her lips and holding her left arm with a look of discomfort. Whatever thoughts, or memories, Veil had of her old den must have not been good ones, and Frost made a note not to bring it up as much as she could.

“Do not worry,” Frost smiled reassuringly as the threads of ice quickly melted into water. “I already know that no good come from wanting nothing but power. Trust me,” she paused to walk towards Veil and place hand on her shoulder to get her attention. “I’ve already lived through that with my mother, and Wolf has already spoken with me about it.”

“Alright,” Veil started, returning Frost’s smile before continuing their stroll through the archives. “So, what would you really need from this spell if not just power?” Veil asked as she was now helping Frost look through books, even if she couldn’t read any of the text. “You said it yourself, power without meaning is a waste of time. So, what will you be gaining with this spell?”

Again, Frost giggled at the hound for her ability to learn quickly, and nodded her head as she went through another book that appeared to be a journal of some kind. “An edge,” she started as she placed the book back and turned towards Veil. “I’m looking for an edge over my mother, something that would place the odds somewhat in our favor.”

“By what?” Veil asked, not getting Frost’s plan, and not able to make the quick connection. However, after a few more moments of thought, she soon came to an idea herself. “You don’t mean to drain your mother’s magic and add it to your own, do you?”

“Well...” Frost paused for a moment, as if she had to think about her answer before telling Veil. “No, not entirely. Just enough to be able to beat her, but not to where I lose sight of what is important.” Frost already knew that with power came risk, so there wasn’t a need to take all of her mother’s magic, but just enough to where would be possible to defeat her.

Veil thought for a moment. She knew she didn’t have much of a right to question Frost about how she was going to achieve her goals, but she couldn’t just allow her to do everything while turning a blind eye. “So what will you do with the excess?” she asked as she placed her hands on the bookshelf in an absent minded manner. “You’re not gonna still leave your mother with magic right? I mean, that would give her the chance of coming back to haunt you, unless you plan on killing her.”

Again, Frost merely shook her head with a long sigh. “N-no, I hadn’t planned on killing my own mother, especially since she did raise me until I turned fifteen.” The two paused for a moment, a mutual remembering of a past that they didn’t want to, ending with their families breaking apart. “However, I can not allow someone like her hold a single drop of magic within her body. Not a mare like my mother.”

“Then what are you going to do?” Veil asked as the matter was becoming quite dire-sounding. She knew that she wouldn’t play any part in overthrowing Frost’s mother, however, she didn’t think it was right to let the changeling charge into battle like that. “There has to be away to stop her from using magic, right?”

Frost turned her head towards Veil as she was feeling concern and worry from her, along with a small ping of hope that was telling Frost that Veil was trying to help her be fully prepared. “You’re right Veil, there is more than one way,” Frost replied, moving towards another bookshelf next to the one she realized was a shelf of journals. “However, each way is...less desirable than the next.”

“Well let’s hear them,” Veil suggested as she turned her back to the bookshelf and picked a random book up. “Maybe it’ll help you plan stuff out more. You know,” Veil paused, waving her free hand and the book around as if she was trying to fight an idea out. “Give you more options or something like that. Something more to work with, you know?”

Frost giggled as she read an interesting entry that she believed was left by another changeling. “Yes, that would help, wouldn’t it?” She placed the book back on the shelf and turned her back to rest on it. “Well, there are a number of ways I can do that. One, I could find some way to seal her magic, so she couldn’t use it.”

“And that’s the safest way?” Veil asked quickly, wanting to help Frost to fully plan this out. However, much to the hound’s dismay, Frost shook her head, sighing. “Oh, I see, but that’s a clean way of doing it? Like, without having to kill someone.”

“Yes, that is the ‘clean’ way of doing it,” Frost sighed again, sadness in her voice. Veil was right. That was the easiest way to defeat her mother without having to kill her. However, just allowing the mare to live could have repercussions. “Although, it’s not a favorable one, but…it’s a way.”

It was easy for Veil to tell that Frost didn’t want to allow her mother any chance of coming back for revenge, but she still didn’t want to kill her own mother. “Okay...so what’s another way?”

“Yes, right,” Frost said shaking herself out of her thoughts so it would be easier to think about her future moves against her mother. “One other way is to simply get rid of her horn.” The flat answer was again followed by a sigh, as that plan was almost as undesirable as killing her mother. “There are means to do so without the bone growing again, however, even that would eventually kill her of starvation.”

“How’s that?” Frost looked over towards Veil as she was displaying honest confusion. For a moment, Frost was confused as well--then she realized what it was. Veil probably didn’t know much about changeling biology. Frost couldn’t fault her on this, as most information about changelings was kept secret from any non-changeling, at least within Equestria.. “Changelings don’t need magic to digest food, do they?”

“No, hardly,” Frost laughed and shake of her head, again unable to fault Veil for guessing this, but still finding it funny none-the-less. “No, that’s not the case, yet it is somewhat the truth. See, changelings draw our strength from the emotions around others, and we use that like it’s food, but really we can live by normal means.”

“So...if you weren’t able to feed off emotions,” Veil began slowly, still trying to piece together what Frost was telling her. “You wouldn’t be able to use magic?”

“Not entirely, because thanks to my dragon-blood, I’d still be able to use magic, but I wouldn’t be too happy about it,” Frost paused for a moment, thinking back to times where her dragon-blood had made itself known when she went too long without feeding on some kind of ‘healthy’ emotion.

“Anyway, my mother is a full-blood changeling, meaning her very life-force would drain if she went too long without being able to feed on some kind of emotions.” Upon saying this, Frost suddenly realized that sealing her mother’s magic would also have the same effect, only quicker.

“This pains me to say, but,” she again paused, swallowing the pain that was going to come with these next words. “But, either way I look at it now, the outcome will be the same.” Frost didn’t have to acknowledge the confused look on Veil’s face, as she could sense every drop of it coming from her. “Veil, no matter what I do, there’s just no way I can defeat my mother without her dying as a result, and I fear that my father will have to follow as well.”

Moments passed as Veil was trying to understand what Frost was telling her. Frost had already just told her that without her mother’s magic, she couldn’t feed off emotions, which would slowly kill her. As opposed to ending it on the spot so she didn’t suffer, or have the chance to haunt Frost. No telling what was up with her father.

“I-I see,” she started, unable to think of a way for Frost to not have to spill her mother’s blood in some form or fashion. “So, how do you want to do it?” The question got Frost to slowly turn her head towards Veil, a look of pure disgust and sickness on it. “Like, I know either way she is going to feel pain, but at least there is one way for her not to be in too much pain...r-right?”

“You’re right,” Frost started, turning around to the bookshelf again to resume looking for the spell she needed. “I can’t allow that mare to live, but I refuse to allow her to suffer.” Frost began to quickly shift through the many books, even using her magic to help assist her search.

Veil looked towards the changeling with a sense of worry. Sure, she didn’t have the happiest of lives, but Frost barely had one, from what she had told her. ‘And now, it must feel like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders,’ Veil frowned to herself, feeling bad there wasn’t much she could do to help Frost.

Frost’s mother was a dangerous mare, so dangerous that she could plunge all of Equestria into the dark ages if she wanted. If the mare was so powerful that it forced Frost to look for a way to end her existence, then all Veil could do was support her.

The two continued to search around the archives, looking for anything that Frost could use to tip the edge against her mother. However, this task proved to be difficult for Veil, as she couldn’t read the ancient text. Instead, she began running around the archives to bring as many books as she could.

However, this still proved to be useless as Frost couldn’t find anything that would come close to helping her. At most, she found one cloaking spell that she guessed would come in handy, but it still wasn’t the spell she was looking for.

As Frost and Veil were placing the books back, Frost started to worry that she’d never be able to stop her mother, and that Equestria could fall because of it. “What about Alpha-Mother?” Veil asked as she placed the last of the books back and faced Frost before they started to leave. “I’m sure she would know something about what you’re looking for, or at least where you should look.”

Frost took a moment to think about what the hound was saying as she was out of ideas. It was true, Blaze would know what kind of spell she would be looking for, however she knew someone that would be able to show her more. “Hm...actually, I think Isis would be able to help me with this,” Frost said as she and Veil made their way through the rubble lying on the floor and out the twin doors.

“Heh, yeah that does make more sense,” Veil chuckled, scratching the back of her head. All she been able to gather about Isis was that she was some kind of immortal guardian, and that she been around High Moon since it was built.

With that settled, Veil wanted to move the conversation towards something she been meaning to ask Frost. “Hey Frost,” she started, getting her attention as they made their way up a hill where an apple tree provided them a place to rest. “Can I ask you something?”

Frost, using her magic to pick out several ripe apples, turned towards Veil with a questioning look on her face. “Alright Veil, what is it? I owe you for helping me today,” she said with a grateful smile on her face as she was able to get through to the hound, who had allowed her to whine about her old life.

“Yeah, don’t worry about it, what are pack-mates for anyways?” Veil joked, waving off any of the mare’s sense of debt as she was doing it because she wanted to. “But there is something I wanted to ask you about. It’s about Cyclone.”

Frost quickly understood what the hound was going to ask her, gesturing towards the base of the tree so they could sit and speak. Frost knew that this conversation would come up, since she had offered to help Cyclone gain control of her dragon-magic.

Veil quickly took Frost’s offer, taking a seat on the ground next to her as they both took an apple out of the icy-blue magical orbit Frost had them in. A moment went by as Frost sensed that Veil was fighting herself to get her question out, and she allowed her to work up to it.

“Frost, p-please tell the the truth,” Veil finally managed, her hand trembling with the bright red apple clenched inside of it. “I know that Alpha-Mother already said that she would be fine, but I need to know,” she paused again, still fighting to get her question out. “I-is Cyclone really going to be alright? Is e-everything going to be fine? Frost, I need to know...p-please.”

Frost looked over towards the shaking gray hound as she was gave off something that was worse than worry: fear. Fear of losing her only friend, fear of losing everything that got her going each day, fear of losing someone that got her smiling. It was the fear of losing a loved one.

And all of this was making the changeling physically sick.

“Veil, calm down,” Frost commanded in a stern voice so she wouldn’t feel like she was going to throw up. It took a few moments, a few moments more than Frost would have liked, but soon Veil managed to calm herself down. Not a lot, but at least enough to where she wasn’t shaking and Frost wasn’t feeling sick. “Now Veil, I know you’re concerned for your friend, but Cyclone is going to be fine.”

Frost allowed a moment to pass, as she could feel Veil’s fear change into doubt and worry. “Listen, I know Cyclone isn’t the...strongest of dragonesses, but that’s okay,” she said, scooting closer towards Veil. She put a calming hand on Veil’s shoulder before softly speaking, “Yes it is true, Cyclone is weak, far too weak for her age, but that doesn’t mean she going to die.”

“I know that,” Veil spat out, having once thought the same thing herself. “It’s just that...I-I look towards Quill or even Spike and I see how much of a difference there is between them and Cyclone. It just worries me is all,” Veil admitted with a sigh as the two younger dragons made Cyclone look like a newly born hatchling.

Frost took a second to observe the diamond hound before turning her head up to the skies while she leaned against the tree. Another moment passed as a gentle breeze passed through the fields, forcing a sigh out of the both of them in discomfort.

“That is very unfair to Cyclone, Veil,” Frost started, keeping her eyes dead-locked onto a moving white cloud, and sighing at the slight confusion that was coming from Veil. “To compare the twins and Cyclone as though they they lived the same lives.”

Another sigh left Veil’s lips at the truthfulness behind Frost’s words, she was right. Cyclone and her had to fight for a good portion of their lives to make it while the twins onced lived with ponies, who acted as if they were family. And while the twins and Cyclone both had little knowledge of their dragon heritage, the twins at least had some control over their magic.

For six years, Cyclone had lived a fairly docile life. So she was bound to lose control of her magic, especially after being forced to remove a chunk of her dragon’s soul. “I know, I know,” Veil muttered, taking hold of the golden necklace around her neck, remembering the day Cyclone went through a greed-growth and all Cyclone suffered through for her. “It’s just that...why won’t she do it? Why won’t Cyclone take back what is rightfully hers?”

Frost turned her attention away from the cloudy skies to look down to find that Veil was holding the fragment of Cyclone’s dragon’s soul in her hands with a pained expression on her face. “Everything would be better if she just took this back. So why...why won’t she do it Frost?” Veil continued to ask, almost pleading for an answer of why her friend was putting herself through so much.

“It’s because she loves you,” Frost answered, getting Veil to jump slightly from the revelation, her eyes shooting open wide with signs of tears in them. “It took me longer to realize than I would have liked to admit, however, she loves you Veil. Not the same love that I hold for Quill, or even the same love that Wolf and Blaze have, but something different.”

“S-something different like…” Veil paused, unable to fill in the missing blanks for the changeling mare. “What Frost, you’re a changeling, you should be able to tell me.” Quickly, Veil looked for a way to take back what she had said. “S-sorry, I didn’t mean it like that.”

Frost shook her head, already knowing that Veil was feeling remorseful for what she just said. “No offense taken, Veil,” she waved off Veil’s worries, fixing her blue mane into place behind her ear. “You’re right, I may be only half changeling, but I still should’ve been able to tell how Cyclone truly felt about you by now, but I can’t.”

“But you say she loves me right?” Veil asked with a hint of desperation in her voice, and an even larger feeling of desperation coming from her that made Frost feel uneasy. “Not the same way you love Quill, but still love right?”

“Well...yes,” Frost said slowly as if she didn’t want to answer the question, having good reason. With desperation came misjudgement, with misjudgement came regretful decisions. That’s when Frost realized what Veil was thinking. “No Veil, don’t even dare think that you can trick Cyclone like that!”

“Why not?!” Veil shouted, standing up from the ground with an angry look on her face. However, Frost didn’t take it seriously, as Veil had tears swelling up in her eyes. “I-it doesn’t belong to me, so why should I let Cyclone suffer? Do you really think I can take seeing her push herself like this?”

Frost closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, yelling back at the hound would make things worse than they already were so she restrained herself. “So, that justifies you forcing her to do something that she doesn’t want to do?” Frost questioned with a sharp tone in her voice, knowing the beta hound was highly responsive to authoritative tones.

As expected, Veil’s shoulders dropped along with her head. It was then Frost softened her tone, knowing that there wasn’t a point in acting in such a way. “Does that really give you the right to turn your back on everything she gave you these past six years? Don’t you think that she’d be more heart broken by taking back the very thing that she suffered so much for?”

Words failed Veil as she opened her mouth several times to say something, anything, that would give her justifiable reason not to listen to Frost. However, each time she did, she could only to close it moments after realizing her own faults. “N-no, I-I can’t,” Veil said, sitting back down to the ground, and leaning against the tree; the same kind she used to cut down in anger.“Cadjo forsake me, I can’t,” Veil repeated again, letting the apple in her hand go, only to be caught by Frost’s ice-blue magical aura.

With skills that came from using the same levitation spell since her fillyhood, Frost floated the apple back up to Veil, and kept it there until she held out her hands to catch it. “Then don’t,” Frost said as Veil slowly looked at her with a blank expression. “If you can’t stand to see her upset, then make her smile any chance you get.”

With that finished, Frost took a bite of her own apple to quell the hunger that’d been growing over the past couple of hours. “She’s your friend right?” Frost asked after swallowing the chewed bits of apple in her mouth. “So, what’s the trouble? Cyclone gave you that necklace because she wanted to, she stood by your side for six years, and she happily called you her home.”

Veil looked up from the apple and at Frost to find her still eating her own apple while she held an aura of...wisdom that Veil didn’t have. It was this same wisdom that many of the other members of High Moon had, as well. It was this same lack of wisdom that made her a beta hound.

“I don’t know why though,” Veil broke out with a weary sigh, finally taking a bite of her apple. Not the best, but out here, one couldn’t be picky. “I’m nothing but a screw up, Frost,” Veil bitterly shook her head as she thought back to the mockery of a life she had lived so far. “I’m just a beta hound with nothing to her name. I don’t have any-”

“Veil, stop it,” Frost suddenly snapped, looking at the hound with a deadly glare that could freeze stone. Frost wasn’t going to allow the hound to dive deeper into the pit that she was digging herself in, unable to stomach the depressing emotions that she was giving off. “You are more than just a beta hound, you mean more than that to Cyclone. So, don’t you owe it to her to act like you are?”

A moment flew by as another thought entered in Frost’s head. “Better yet, become better than that,” she challenged, crossing her arms underneath her chest, and using her magic to levitate the dull-red apple so she could continue eating it. “Why don’t you try bettering yourself? Why don’t you find some ways to help her out instead of pitying yourself. Surely, you owe her that much.”

Suddenly, Veil broke out in a fit of laughter that caught Frost off-guard, as she was expecting something different. The laughter got to the point where Veil would’ve doubled over if she hadn’t put her arm on Frost’s shoulder to keep from touching the ground.

“Hah, you know something Frost?” Veil chuckled, as she slid her arm around Frost’s neck, waves of cheer and hope emanating from her. “I like you, you’re not like any other mare I’ve met before, and that makes you cool in my book.”

Frost blushed from the honesty and the close contact with the hound. “Th-thanks Veil, that’s um...good to hear?” she said with a mildly questioning tone while Veil munched down on the apple, no longer caring about its slightly off-taste. “And, you’re okay in my book too,” Frost said again with the same tone that got a giggle out of Veil. “So, um...oh right, there’s something I wanted to talk with you about.”

“Sure, what is it?” Veil asked in a nonchalant tone of voice while she continued to munch down on the apple as if it was the greatest one she ever had.

Frost giggled at the hound’s lighthearted mood. Now that the more serious matter of their talk was over, they could simply enjoy one another’s company. “It is concerning Spike,” she finally managed, toying with her mane a little in a slightly nervous manner.

Veil raised an eyebrow towards the mare, not seeing how Spike was any of her concern, as she barely knew him or Quill. “What about Drake, Frost?” The question only seemed to get Frost to act more nervous, as if she wasn’t sure of what would happen if she asked. “Come on Frost, you can ask me.”

“Guh, by the threads,” Frost muttered underneath her breath as she didn’t know why she was acting this way. Maybe it was because she had never ‘gossiped’ before, but still, she should’ve been able to simply ask the question. “Veil, I know you haven’t been here very long, but what do you think of him?”

Veil though for a moment as she continued to eat away at the apple until she reached the core. “I dunno,” she said, tossing the apple behind her head and reaching out for another one that was still being suspended in the air by Frost’s magic. “Yeah sure, he risked his life for my necklace, and tried to help Cyclone,” Veil paused, giving off a sense of admiration before continuing. “B-but I don’t know him well enough to say much. Why you ask anyway?”

“Well, it is just that I’ve been sensing something between Spike and Cyclone,” Frost confided in a less nervous manner, however, still having a hint of hesitation. “Mind you that I’ve haven’t had the time to think fully on this. But I do think that there is something between them.” Veil began eating her apple slower, giving off a vibe of thought of her own. “It could just be that they are going to be really close friends, or perhaps...”

“N-nah,” Veil broke in with a dismissive wave of her hand towards the changeling. “There’s no way Cyclone would be into a guy like Drake,” she continued, reaching out for another apple, but missing when Frost pulled it away. Veil turned towards the changeling to question her about denying her of the apple. “Hey, what the-” With the flat look on Frost’s face, Veil was able to tell that Frost wasn’t going to let her slide on this topic.

“Okay, fine, I’ll talk if you give me that apple,” she said with a displeased tone of voice that showed her defeat above her annoyance. Frost smiled at the hound, and gave her the greenish apple after she got Veil to agree to talk about Spike.

Veil snatched the apple out of Frost’s magical grip and took a large bite from it. “Look,” she started with a mouth still full of the apple, swallowing it before continuing on with explaining herself. “I got nothing against Drake, he risked his life to save the second most important thing to me, but I dunno. There’s just something...off about him, I guess it just ‘cause I’m thinking he should be something like Wolf. He doesn't seem anything like what an alpha should be. He seems...I dunno, weak.”

“Or you just need to spend more time with him.” Veil rolled her eyes at Frost’s statement, still not seeing anything special when it came to Spike. “At least give him a chance Veil,” Frost continued to push for Spike’s sake. “He is an honest worker, and fairly smart as well. I mean, he is the one that suggested the greenhouse, and had plans for it.”

Veil opened her mouth to say something against what Frost was claiming, only to close it when nothing came to her. She couldn’t say anything bad about Spike, because he hadn’t done anything bad. That said, it still didn’t mean she saw any good in him.

“Yeah well...I still need something a bit more than that Frost,” Veil said, taking another large bite out of the apple in defeat. “Just cause he’s nice,” she paused to again swallow the chewed bits of apple in her mouth so she would be able to speak clearly. “Just cause Drake is nice, doesn't mean I can trust him.”

“So is that the trouble? You don’t trust him?” Frost asked with her head tilted slightly towards the hound while she continued to use her magic to feed herself. “Well Veil, let me ask this: Did you trust Wolf when he offered you and Cyclone a place to say?” Veil opened her mouth to answer the changeling's question when she continued, “Did you trust me when you saw I was a changeling?”

“No, I didn’t,” Veil groaned with a slight snarl, knowing lying to Frost at this point was just a waste of breath. “To be honest, no, I didn’t trust either one of you. I didn’t trust you, ‘cause of what happened in Canterlot three years ago. I didn’t trust Wolf, ‘cause I didn’t want to go back to being under the control of an alpha...again.”

Frost nodded her head, knowing that what her sister did in Canterlot three years ago had made it hard for any to show any willing kindness to a changeling. “I understand what happened shouldn’t have, but that was the past, and I assure you all parties involved have been dealt with.” Frost could only inwardly smile at the punishment that her sister was dealt after her failure.

“Anyway,” she continued, forcing herself out of her rather cruel thoughts. “I just think that you need to spend some time with him. I’m sure that you’ll become close friends, like we have?”

Veil giggled a little at Frost, undoubtedly, one of the coolest mares she had met before, and happy to call her friend. “Yeah, friend,” she started with a playful nudge of Frost’s shoulder with her hand. “I’ll see what I can do,” Veil said with a sense of pure honesty and truth behind her words, as she did want to get to know everyone a bit better, especially Spike, since Cyclone seemed to be fond of him.

Frost giggled from the hound’s playfulness and went back to enjoying the peace of the fields. As she closed her eyes, the softness of the fall breeze seemed to blow away any of her worries regarding the coming future, while the shade from the tree kept her cool. Veil’s company was especially welcome, as loneliness was something Frost never wanted to deal with again.

However, this peaceful moment was quickly broken by Veil.

“So,” she started with a smug on her face, getting Frost to open her eyes towards her in curiosity. “You and Quill, huh?” Frost dropped her head with a fake sigh, knowing that the hound had many questions for her.

However, Frost didn’t mind. She was more than happy to reveal to Veil why she loved her dragoness. It was only fair. Frost could see right through to everyone’s heart, and they trusted her not to cross lines that had been drawn.