Disclaimer: I do not own and did not create My Little Ponies: Friendship is Magic. It belongs to the Hub cable TV network and Hasbro. My congratulations to Lauren Faust for taking what would have been nothing more than a blatant toy commercial and turning it into a truly epic series, one worth viewing by all ages.

I didn’t write this story for profit. It is merely intended to entertain any reader who stumbles upon it. I hope my poor attempt has some merit in the eyes of those who read it, and if not, well at least I tried. :)

Author’s Note: I’d like to thank GoldenGriffiness for being my beta-reader. As always, her input was critically important for improving the quality of the story. And of course, any remaining errors are, alas, mine and mine alone.

GoldenGriffiness was also responsible for prodding the creation of this story in the first place, she supplied the initial metric ton of plot bunnies, the story’s villain and sufficient motivation (read begging) that this sequel was born. Thus it’s completely her fault, I was just an innocent author hijacked for the ride!

I took the liberty of incorporating places mentioned on a map of Equestria created by Hlissner over on Deviant Art. It really is an amazing piece of artwork. It’s hosted on Equestria Daily and is the first entry on Google for “Map of Equestria” if you’re curious.

Finally, a shout-out to Admiral-Tigerclaw and his Equestrian Land Survey Group, which I took the liberty of borrowing. And another shout out to the Ask The Pie Sisters Tumblr by Atlur, it’s a nice place!

Oh, and Laoise is pronounced LEE-sha. Gotta love Gaelic… Tišina is pronounced TI-shi-na. Somebody really needs to take those linguistic translators aside and explain how phonemes should be spelled!

In which we meet the villain, and learn yet again one should never pay attention to trolls.

In the stillness of the ice cavern something stirred and opened ebon eyes, eyes that stared into darkness but saw beyond the veil of the world. The eyes gazed about in curiosity, seeking the agent that had roused them from dormancy.

Something had changed. Something was missing. The primordial ache that had always been there was there no longer. As intimate as a lover, as certain as death, the ache had always been, and yet now was gone. Dispassionate eyes narrowed as they considered the implications of that unforgivable theft.

In the darkness hints of motion surrounded the eyes, the slow sinuous movements of boneless limbs.

The calm methodical search continued as the eyes traversed places that did not exist, traveling in directions no sane mind could tread.

Those eyes would not tire, would not stop until they found the thief. And when they had…

Na pogrešno ḱe da se napravat pravo

The soft words broke the silence of the cave, clicking and hissing like the crack and slither of falling ice.

Blue slit pupils continued their painstaking observation of the realms beyond rational thought, the hints of motion in the blackness calm and unhurried. Vast wings unfurled soundlessly in the darkness, then folded again, all without stirring a wind.

In the lightless cavern Tišina continued her hunt.

“We demand the return of Mountain Heart.” The troll growled as he stood in the throne room of Canterlot Castle. “You have kept it from its rightful place long enough. It will not serve ponies, why keep it any longer?”

The troll stood before the dais, speaking to Princess Celestia. He was an imposing member of his species, standing nearly eight feet tall. He had thick legs and long dangling arms tipped with massive claws that could (and normally did) cleave stone. He weighed nearly as much as Celestia herself, almost half a ton.

The troll was furless and an ugly shade of gray-green, wearing only a loin cloth and a jewel encrusted harness. The harness included an empty axe scabbard across the troll’s enormous back.

“Snøskred Bevis Mot Lyn,” Celestia said in a firm but kind voice. “As I have told you many times before, Mountain Heart is no longer in Equestria. I do not have it to give to you.”

“The Troll King finds your explanation—implausible, Princess.” The troll replied in a gravelly voice. “First, because we trolls know there is no world save this one and second, even if there were, no such creature as this “Lady Teagan” could even lift the King’s Wrath much less wield it against foes. Nor does the king find it reasonable that Mountain Heart would serve any but the true King of the World Below.”

“Honored Snøskred, does the Troll King actually believe I would lie to him concerning a sacred matter such as this?” Celestia’s tone was cool. “I had hoped relations between our lands had moved beyond such cynicism and distrust.”

“A pony slew his father, Princess.” Bevis replied stonily. “Or had you forgotten this? A pony, if I understand correctly, that you still call friend.”

“His father was about to kill me, Snøskred, or had you forgotten that?” Celestia replied, unperturbed. “As for Sun Hammer, he lost his life that day.”

“You ask us to trust you and then lie to my face?” The troll roared. “Sun Hammer yet lives!” The rest of the troll delegation growled from their position several yards behind their ambassador. The ponies of the royal court recoiled from the ambassador’s anger.

“You speak of things you cannot know, Snøskred.” Celestia said, eyes narrowing. “It is true that Sun Hammer survived his battle with the Troll King. He survives even as we speak. And that is all he does!” There was the slightest hint of bitterness in her voice.

“How dare you stand before my throne, in the light of the sun I brought forth this day and accuse me of lying to you? The old king nearly betrayed us all! Had he managed to slay me the sun would never have risen again! If it wasn’t for Sun Hammer every creature in the world would be frozen stiff and dead by now—even you, Bevis Mot Lyn. You should get down on your knees and thank Sun Hammer for the deed he did that day! He saved your life and the lives of everyone you hold dear!”

Celestia glared at the troll, who glowered back.

“So say you, Princess of Ponies. But that is what you would say regardless, is it not? The trolls have never believed you raise the sun. Our legends tell us of a time before ponies came, and yet the sun still rose.”

The court erupted into an angry storm of voices, the ponies surging toward the trolls, ready to drive them out.

“SILENCE” Celestia’s magically amplified voice slammed into everyone present, a wall of sound that froze pony and troll alike in shock. She stood and spread her wings.

“Summon Princess Luna immediately.” She snapped to a gray earth pony with dark green mane and tail. The pony bowed to the floor, almost cringing, and bolted, running at full gallop for the doors. Members of the court fell over themselves to scramble out of his way. The doors of the throne room burst open just before he reached them.

He didn’t even notice, his hooves skidding on the marble as he turned hard and lunged frantically, accelerating again as he vanished from sight.

The doors slammed behind him with a hollow boom that shook the throne room. Celestia’s horn stopped glowing and she shook her head sadly.

“Snøskred Mot Lyn, hear me. In this place, at this time, you are the voice of the Troll King. I hear his words and I hear his doubt, and I understand his pain. You accuse me of lying, and it is true if I were lying I would say the same as I have said. Therefore, as an act of good faith and to prove my good will to the Troll King I will give him proof within the hour that I am not lying.”

“And how will you do this, Princess?” The troll asked warily.

“I will lower the sun at noon and have Princess Luna raise the moon. The moon shall ride the sky for precisely one hour, and then it will lower and I will raise the sun again. If the Troll King doubts me after that—well trolls are renowned for their unyielding adherence to their beliefs, are they not, Snøskred?”

“If you can do as you say, Princess Celestia, then we will accept Mountain Heart is no longer in the world.” Bevis replied. “But until that time, we stand resolute in our demand.”

“That is your nature.” Celestia replied, sitting back down on the throne cushion. “I expect nothing less from you.”

Princess Luna suddenly appeared on her own throne cushion, bringing her head close to her sister’s so the two could speak privately. The troll ambassador stood with crossed arms, clearly ready to wait for as long as it took.

The court was awash with uneasy whispers as every pony watched the royal sisters confer on the dais.

In the darkness of the ice cavern all motion ceased as Tišina suddenly relaxed in satisfaction.

Jas, ti najde

The hissing words echoed around the cavern, cold, implacable and filled with promise.