“Stay back!” Luna ordered as she swooped down over Lyra and Twilight, quick as an eagle and loud as a lion.

The alicorn landed with violent impact, but her body hardly seemed shaken at all. Body prepared to launch at the ghost standing before her, Luna only glanced to capture a glimpse of the students she protected. Twilight spotted Pokey Pierce nearby, his head hanging low and his eyes wide open with a certain curiosity that Lyra displayed as well. Twilight could not help but fall into a similar state of stupefaction.

The spectral creature standing before them was like nothing Twilight had ever seen. Its body matched the shape and size of a pony – a stallion, in specific. There was no horn on its head but there were wings attached to its side, their feathery flow forming a strong, broad set of wings. His build was narrow like a racer's except for his chest, bulging like a royal guard's. His silvery eyes, the only part of his body not navy or violet, held an imperceptible mix of emotion like a potion with many foreign ingredients.

His eyes were not the only peculiarity about him, though. His translucent body, its texture like a slow-flowing liquid of violet and navy, had a golden glitter throughout its figure. The sparkling skin flickered in the sunlight as though it were made of a mysterious, dark flame. Everything, mane to tail, blended into one singular, uniform figure, whose eyes focused on those examining it.

“What is thy business, apparition?” Princess Luna asked coldly.

The chilly tone was a cover of sorts, for Twilight could sense a hotness burning in the headmare’s teal eyes. The same power that had not long ago defeated a dragon burned as though warning that the fire of might had not been extinguished. The ghost responded to the alicorn’s authority with a shaken bow.

“I-I only thought you were merely a legend,” the stallion said, utterly amazed. His eyes raised to observe the great figure standing before him. “You... you're an alicorn!”

“Indeed, I am,” Princess Luna responded, lifting her nose while casting a threatening gaze downward, as though skeptical of the phantom’s reverence. “What, strange being, art thou?”

“All I know is no longer a dragon,” the ghost replied after a quick circle and self-examination. “Liberation may finally come...”

The ghost’s form began to glow, but its azure radiance quickly died down to a mere shimmer. The convulsion of color pulsated like a heartbeat, its burst of light coming and going numerous times. The apparition's ears lifted attentively.

“It seems this freedom comes with fate,” commented the ghost with sadness, though a sigh of relief freed itself from his lungs as well.

Twilight dared to step forward and whisper, “Princess Luna, shouldn't we ask him about the storm?”

The ghost gasped. “Princess Luna? Could it be..?”

The alicorn stared down the ghost once more, but this time the creature did not back down in fear; it only looked on with narrow eyes and mouth agape.

“I am she,” the princess declared.

The ghost stumbled as its glowing came and went slightly quicker. Its phantasmal form looked like a dark, dying candlelight being drowned out by an increasingly powerful wind. With such a dainty appearance, the ghost seemed ready to be carried away even by the slightest breeze.

“I would flee this island if I were you,” the ghost suddenly warned, “you and everypony else. He is watching.”

“‘He’?”Twilight stepped back. “You mean... Discord?”

The very name made the ghost shudder. “You know this name-? No, no, nevermind him. The one whom you must flee... his name is Tempest.”

“Tempest,” Princess Luna repeated with a grim tone. “What is he?”

“Even I do not know anymore,” the phantom replied. “He once was a pony, then became an amalgamation of beasts. He may as well be the very storms that strike this island; with his mystical magic, he is nothing short of a berserk creature wielding immense power.”

Princess Luna looked to the sky with her emotionless gaze as the ghost stood seething, irises shrunk at the memories that haunted his mind. Twilight watched as the beaming sunlight made the alicorn's eyes gleam white as they passed through the sky, and she - along with the specter - stepped back in reactionary fear, prepared for some form of fury.

But the princess's voice came calmly, “I thank thee for thy token, specter. The thought of leaving has most certainly crossed my mind most recently.”

Twilight gasped.

So she was planning on moving the school to Canterlot for good...

The ghost began to fade, his brightest colors of dark blue giving way to the sunlight that started to spread.

“Wait!” Twilight blurted as her brain tried to process all that her ears were perceiving. “If Tempest was a pony... what was his name? What happened to him?”

The ghost narrowed his eyes in thought as he looked at the ground.

“I've known him as Tempest for so many years now,” the ghost lamented, when suddenly his eyes shot open to display a strong sense of determination. “Wait! I can tell you that there is one place on this island that may hold the answers you seek. Yes, it was not long after the incident, while our minds still controlled our bodies, that we wrote of our past. It must have been in a cave; exactly where, I cannot recall.”

Suddenly the blue flames of his body began to go out, starting from his tail and rear hooves. The ghost glanced over his shoulder and knew his time was coming to an end as the flames of his body began to dissipate. The unexpected smile on his face hardly reflected any hint of sadness.

“If only you had come sooner, Princess Luna,” the ghost said, his body fading until only his head remained, “then everypony could have been saved.”

Princess Luna raised an eyebrow.

“I thought I had,” she said, perplexed, “one thousand years ago.”

The ghost's eyes went wide. The expression on his face was one Twilight could not make out entirely; there were a number of things within it, from acute shock to utter relief. As the fading reached the stallion's neck, the specter looked to the sky, then out to the sea, and smiled, until the rest of his head vanished.

Sunlight shot from behind the clouds, embellishing the entire island with warmth and brilliance. Twilight hadn't felt such a glorious warmth in her entire life. The shivers of shock and fidgets of fear melted away like the ice around her hooves, and soon the entire ground began to clear of the ever-present whiteness. Faded green grass popped into view as the stone path back to the academy showed itself through growing puddles across the earth.

Icicles clinked against stone as the thick layers of frost broke off from the academy buildings. The dazzle of the sun brought back the familiar sight of the dark castle, its facade no longer locked in the grips of snow and ice. Windows broke free of the glaze as walls dripped with the melting waters. Pools formed all around the grounds, reflecting the sun's rays like mirrors of light.

The beauty of it all granted Twilight a renewed spirit, as though she had just eaten after a week of starvation. Something strange made her insides churn, however, as she contemplated the final words exchanged between Princess Luna and the ghost.

“Princess, if I may ask, what was that thing you said at the end?” Twilight inquired. “What happened a thousand years ago?”

The headmare raised her head as a look of contemplation overtook the alicorn. With a swift turn to face the academy, Princess Luna sat and motioned with a hoof out at the academy as an old storyteller does to begin laying out a scene.

Gracefully, she began, “Many years ago, not long before I was banished by my sister, I once saved a colony on this island from a number of monsters that were reportedly lurking about. As you may know, Twilight Sparkle, that colony was known as Pony Relic.”

Twilight felt her head tilting on its own, a sign of exhaustion and of curiosity. “Did you know about that place before the others and I had found it?”

“I did, Twilight Sparkle,” Luna admitted, though her tone was more of an unabashed, and firm, statement. “There were many that lived here long ago. Their settlement began some time between the establishment of my first school on Crescent Island and the time of Discord's reign.”

“Where does Discord fit into all this?” Twilight asked, puzzled. “I remember the Tigbalan being surprised that I knew of him; was he the reason you had to save all the ponies here long ago?”

“No. As I said, Twilight Sparkle, I saved the townsponies here from a number of monsters they said were skulking about. All I remember was that a search party had left looking for a few heroes that had gone to ensure protection of the settlement, but only one of both groups returned. This caused panic, which resulted in a number of ponies called for me, and I came to their aid as soon as I could.”

“So, was this after Discord?”

“Yes, and consequently there is a period of time of which I know none of its happenings,” Luna stated. “Whatever happened on this island during Discord’s reign is unknown to me. I tried to ask the citizens of Pony Relic upon arriving in Canterlot about what all had occurred, but none seemed able to answer. It was as though they were too frightened to recall anything.”

“What about that other monster, Tempest?” Twilight asked. “Was he the one that was scaring the townsponies?”

“I do not know, but it is quite possible,” Princess Luna stated. “The complication in all this is that the denizens of Pony Relic spoke of multiple monsters when I arrived to save them. My primary concern was to save the citizens, and so I escorted them all to Canterlot without facing the enemy. When I returned to the island not a day later, I searched for monsters across the island, much like I did before re-establishing my school for this winter. Strangely, both times I found nothing.”

The shroud of darkness that covered the issue seemed to fade, only to suddenly grow even larger. Twilight could see the puzzlement on the princess's face and saw a concentration far deeper than her own.

“What about the cave it spoke of?” Twilight asked. “Will you be-?”

“Those are matters which we must set aside for the moment. First, we must check on your peers and your professors,” Princess Luna stated. “I would much rather ask questions after we have safely left this island-”

“I'm afraid I cannot allow that... Luna.”

Twilight turned in every direction. In her swaying and surveying she could see the others moving to look around as well, even Princess Luna. The princess, however, all of a sudden had her eyes locked on the trees and vegetation standing on the hills nearby to the north. Twilight slowed her turning about and directed her sights to match that of the headmare's. She noticed something strange that made her freeze.

The entire scene had paused.

“Tempest, I assume,” Princess Luna said with a coolness that seemed as cold and powerful as the storm that had passed.

“Yes, yes, I do apologize for overhearing your little conversation,” came the mysterious voice. “I couldn't help myself; after all, your voices do carry rather well in this clear, undisturbed air.”

“State thy business!” Princess Luna barked.

“Now, now, don't let what my... ahem... 'servant', alarm you. He was not one for words, after all, and it is worth noting that he failed to follow my command when I needed him most. After all these years...”

“‘Servant’?” Twilight uttered, her words barely audible. “The dragon?”

However, the voice seemed to hear as it laughed. “'Yes, yes, my little dragon which is no more. I forgot that you had learned his weakness... that accursed song!” A terrible growl made Twilight’s head shake. “My patience in dealing with you all has grown terribly thin, ponies of Equestria.”

“Then we shall leave your island immediately,” Princess Luna announced. “We shall be gone before the moon rises.”

“Oh, predictable, you would measure time by the rise and fall of your precious celestial body,” came the swift reply. “But there is much to learn about me: first, that I control the time on this island.”

All of a sudden the sun retreated in the west and the moon followed quickly on its heels. Light faded to the night's shading blackness, leaving the scenery lit by only the pale light of the moon. A wave of cold began anew though hardly a breeze could even be felt. Stars glistened above between thick billows that stood still in the sky.

“The second thing you must learn, Luna, is that I'm not planning on letting you leave.”

Princess Luna's eyes narrowed, and Twilight saw the white flash once again. “Why keep us here, Tempest? State thy motive!”

“Why, haven't you figured it out yet? You and I have unfinished business,” Tempest hissed. “I'm especially disgusted now that I've heard the lies you fed dear Blizzard. Telling him you saved the ponies of Pony Relic... disgraceful!”

“My words were true, but if thou wishest to challenge me regardless, then let us settle this score here and now,” Princess Luna challenged. “But leave my students out of this conflict.”

“Oh, on the contrary, Luna: I have a special use for them. I know the pain of losing those I loved, those I cherished and whose company I enjoyed... I wonder, though, ‘Princess’ Luna... do you!?”

Princess Luna growled as she bared her teeth.

“As I thought, 'your majesty'!” Temptest guffawed. “I've waited years and years for this chance to come! I finally have you here, trapped on my island!”

Not with Princess Luna, we can't be-

“Who do you think you're fooling, young one!?” the voice exclaimed, which promptly wiped Twilight's mind clean of any thought. “I know of your tactics; the dragon wasn't lying when he told you that I have been watching you all. Every storm, every snowfall, every thunder that tolled in the sky has been my doing. I’ve been watching since you returned. For now, I shall let you think, let you writhe in fear at the thought of your impending doom. Just remember: there’s no way out, not for you or for your students, Luna.”

“I am prepared to face you, Tempest,” Princess Luna demanded. “Art thou a coward who dares not show his face? Your talk lacks power given your lack of presence.”

The foe laughed. “Oh, Luna, you must sense that I am a being of rage; I applaud your sharpened senses. However, your teasing will not work; I am comfortable in my current form and have no need to face you now.”

“Thou cannot remain in thy present form for long; otherwise, thou wouldst not depart so swiftly. The rain doth come and go in a similar manner. How long until thou rearest thine ugly head?”

Tempest growled. “I shall enjoy watching you suffer, Luna. You and all your subjects here. Think twice before planning to escape, for the sea is my companion, and the clouds my very heart. Every spell that passes beyond the island, every cry for help that you send out will not go unnoticed, and therefore will not work. I’ll dash your hopes with lightning, blind your weakened eyes with fog! Should you or your students dare face one of my storms... that soul can expect to never be seen again.”

The voice departed with an evil laugh, his last words a terrible omen. Twilight could only listen in shock. For some time she continued to stare at the air, for her eyes had lifted as though Tempest were in fact in the clouds themselves. The billows, however, were clearing, and fast, soon enough long gone except for those floating in the east, painting a silhouette of solid black against the late night sky. A single flash inside of them revealed a horrendous outline of a monstrous face – one with enormous fangs and beady eyes – smiling, staring.

The image was imprinted in Twilight’s eyes.

It was then that the mare realized that time had returned to its original flow. Winds started up again, beating a chilly breeze against her face. Normally it would have felt refreshing, especially after such a strenuous struggle, but at the thought of Tempest lingering in the winds, hearing everything that they said and thought, there was no revelry in the feeling.

Twilight could only watch as Princess Luna started towards the academy, her steps slow but full of purpose. Her head did not droop in the slightest.

“W-What do we do now?” asked Lyra, who had suddenly burst from her shell shock only to be met with the cold.

“For now, we recover,” Princess Luna replied. “Then, we prepare.”

“Prepare for what?” Lyra inquired.

The headmare turned and faced her students, a most serious look on her face.

“For the very worst, whatever it be.”

---

A chill continued to linger in the air, but there the hint of the nerve-racking, bone-chilling fear that had accompanied it had died down. Light shone through the foyer windows, pale but stronger than during the storm, and every inch of ice inside had disappeared. Ponies moved throughout the great chamber, their eyes filled with confusion, one by one lighting up in relief as Princess Luna graced the scene with her powerful presence.

“Princess Luna! You're safe!” cried a professor nearby, Madame Lonsdaleite, as she ran to the alicorn and bowed. Her steps were weak and her motion slow, but Princess Luna looked grateful and satisfied nonetheless.

“In what conditions are all staff and students, Madame Lonsdaleite?”

“Drained, but well,” the professor replied. “From the sound of it, no students were seriously harmed. Bastion has informed me that all is well on his end, and Ingrid has indicated the same.” She paused and lifted her eyes to look into those of Luna's. “What happened? Is it all over? All I can remember was a terrible cold bursting into the dining...”

Her voice trailed off until her mouth simply hung open. Twilight could only assume she was remembering what all had happened to her and others within the dining hall. She herself shivered at the thought of the dragon when it rushed her and Lyra. The mere of sight of it had stolen her breath away.

Princess Luna answered after a pause, “I wish to summon the entire academy into the foyer, here. I shall explain everything promptly.”

“Very well,” Lonsdaleite said with another bow, and without further explanation headed off to the dormitory building as quickly as she could.

Princess Luna closed her eyes and shook her head, swaying her smooth, starry mane like a gentle river down to the floor. “Such misfortune has befallen this island. Had I never thought to revive this school - at least not here - we would not be facing such an inauspicious situation.”

Twilight stepped forward meekly. “Don't feel bad, Princess Luna. No pony could have anticipated all this.”

“It is not regret that I feel, Twilight Sparkle,” Princess Luna stated, “not yet. No student has been injured, it seems, and as far as I am concerned we are not doomed to suffer the fate that Tempest foresees.”

Lyra's ears perked up. “You mean... you have a plan?”

“My plan for now is to hope, Lyra Heartstrings,” Princess Luna replied. “Such ambition is essential to facing a great evil. Should we simply give in to despair, we would be better off falling into an eternal sleep, never to look forward to a new morning.”

She gave the three following her a brief look-over, one deep as though peering into their hearts.

“Thank you, Twilight Sparkle. Once again, thy quick thinking and actions have surely helped save the academy from the clutches of this mysterious monster.”

Twilight looked to Luna, who gave a complementary nod, and then to her friends, who also had looks of entrancement on their faces.

Princess Luna added, “See to thy peers and gather here when ready. As I have stated, I wish to inform all of our situation.”

She parted and headed off into the sea of students and staff, helping those that were lost or in panic while otherwise giving orders to the able-bodied. As she drifted further into the thickening crowd, a number of familiar faces emerged and took Twilight's immediate attention.

“Twilight! Good to see you're safe,” said Vinyl with a tired grin as she approached. Beside her was Windchaser, his platinum eyes searching the foyer with caution.

“Vinyl! Windchaser! You're all right!” Twilight called.

Just the thought of seeing them trapped within the magic ice put a chill down her spine, but a warming sensation ran through her body upon seeing them move again.

“What happened?” Windchaser asked in his usual quiet tone. “Are we safe again?”

“Yeah, what's the deal?” Vinyl added, “last I remember we were just chattin' with Madam Lion about plans for hidin' and stuff. Next thing we knew, BAM! Bunch of snow just blew in. That's all I can think of.”

Windchaser simply nodded in agreement.

“We found out it was an Ice Drake,” Twilight explained. “It froze the entire academy over. I think it was breaking windows so that it could enter inside and freeze everypony up.”

“Whoa, seriously!?” Vinyl exclaimed. “That's straight-up creepy. But what happened to you three? You look pretty exhausted, more so than anypony else here.”

Twilight rubbed her head as though comforting herself at the recollection of her recent battle.

“Well, we got outside to try and hide, but we eventually had to face it-”

“You faced that monster?” came the voice of Gallant as his large figure entered the scene.

Along with the strong stallion strolled in Starlight and Quirky, their faces bearing weak smiles. The total strength of their delight meant little – the fact that they had some kind of happiness on display was what overwhelmed Twilight with joy.

Lyra nodded as she leaped into action. “We did indeed face that beast! I headed the charge, of course, but Twilight provided me with some support. It was all thanks to my singing that the beast went down!”

“Don't forget Princess Luna,” Twilight growled, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, well, of course. She's always part of our most dangerous adventures nowadays, it seems-”

“I heard ADVENTURE!”

A blue mare stormed onto the scene, no sign of feebleness apparent in her volume. Twilight backed away as a blue blur zipped through the crowd to stand face-to-face with Lyra, her eyes filled with shining stars.

Soon enough, however, her tremendous smile began to fade. Lyra, unable to move away due to her surprise, simply stared as her prideful grin from earlier slowly turned upside-down. Colgate's eyes suddenly narrowed and her own smile went from joyous to mischievous.

“Well... well... well,” Colgate remarked, “look who happened to cross my path.”

Lyra snarled, “For your information, I was here before you decided to storm on in.”

“Funny, last thing I remember was you “storming” around, taking my thunder and all,” Colgate growled, twitching. “You and Twilight have fun? I sure enjoyed getting stuck inside the performance hall and freezing for Celestia-knows-how-long!”

Lyra harrumphed. “Actually, Colgate, Twilight ended up needing me to fight-”

“Oh I'm sure that you were just the perfect pony to be there, as usual-”

“Everypony, if I may have your full attention!” Princess Luna declared, her voice echoing through the hall. All voices came to an immediate stop, even those of Lyra and Colgate. “Students of the Winter Magic Academy... we have important matters to discuss.”

Next Chapter: Chapter 36.5 (Interlude): Assembly Estimated time remaining: 1 Hour, 26 Minutes