Chapter 1
A long, long time ago, when magic was first created, it was divided up into 36 Elemental tribes, each tribe serving as the guardians of their respective elements. These guardians soon took on new physical appearances, with Channeling Rods protruding from the backs of their hooves as a way of directly drawing their elemental power from the planet and use it to their will. These beings became known as Trossels, or magic benders, due to their powers. As the tribes began to slowly diverge apart, they relied on the other tribes, thus leading to subsequent generations inheriting the powers of their ancestors. The Trossels, who once lived all across Equestria freely, diverged in a central location close to all 36 elements, which would soon become known as Seldreinia. It became a sanctuary for all, and ponies from all over the world would come and go. Ultimately, though, the Trossels numbers faded into obscurity, ponies stopped going to Seldreinia and settled in other places, and the Trossels were never heard from or seen again by anypony. Most believe them to be extinct, still others claim that—without solid evidence otherwise—they never existed, but there are very, very few that know that they ever existed. Belief, however, is not the same as fact...
Frostburn woke up to the sound of screaming. She ran to a door and walked outside to see most of her town engulfed in flames. She tried to focus and put the fires out, but she saw the bodies of her parents crawling out of the flames.
"Why," they groaned, their bodies decomposing and smoldering. Frostburn looked up at a black-cloaked figure landed in front of her.
"How do you like it," the figure asked. The figure lifts off its hood and reveals itself as Frostburn herself.
"Frosty," a voice outside called. "Frosty! Frosty, you up?" Frostburn rolled out of bed, prying open her bright yellow eyes. Frostburn had a pale red and blue mane, tied back in a small pair of ponytails on either side her head. Her tail was divided into bright red and light blue with a large pink bow tied around it. Frostburn's coat, a shade of blue so pale and faint it was practically white, was adored with dozens of freckles across her face.
"I just got up," she moaned. "Don't you think it's a little early?" She opened her eyes a little wider and noticed who was calling her. A pale teal Trossel with a fluffy mane and tail covered with various shades of salmon, taupe, and sky blue.
"Zephyroak," Frostburn said. "Let me just go get Stonebolt. I think she's still asleep."
"I can wait," she said, flicking her mane out of her salmon-colored eyes. Frostburn looked over at her twin sister, a pale tan Trossel with a brown and shining yellow mane with a single orange bow in it. Just like Frostburn, she had freckles all over her face. Frostburn carefully nudged at her, persisting until Stonebolt rolled over and opened one of her green eyes.
"You had that dream again," she asked groggily.
"Well, yes," Frostburn said, thinking back to her recurring dream of their parents dying at her own hooves. "Zephyroak wants you for something, but I didn't really ask what." Stonebolt groaned and rolled out of bed.
"Stone, my cousin's in town and I need an excuse on why I can't hang around her," Zephyroak said.
"I could babysit her," Frostburn chimed in. "Leafwind seems to like me anyway, and I like hanging around her."
"Yeah," Stonebolt added, building up her sister to mask her desire to just go back to sleep. "Leafwind practically worships Frostburn. It works out great!" Zephyroak pondered this for a moment before finally nodding. Within the exact pinpoint moment Zephyroak signified her approval, Frostburn leaped out the window in excitement only to plummet to the ground. Just before the impact, she landed on a cloud Zephyroak had made from the water molecules in the air.
"Frostburn, you do know you can fly, right," Zephyroak asked with the same level of frustration as somepony dealing with a foal. Frostburn nodded. "Then why didn't you?" Frostburn thought for a minute, tapping a hoof rhythmically on the ground shortly after the cloud vanished before finally shrugging. Zephyroak sighed in frustration, glancing up at the window and turning the conversation back to Stonebolt. "You coming or what?"
"Just give a minute to get dressed," Stonebolt said dismissively before falling back to sleep. Zephyroak looked down at her body out of confusion.
"But, we don't even...never mind, I'll catch up with you in another hour or so. Frosty, just keep my cousin occupied."
"That shouldn't be too hard, Zeph," Frostburn said. Zephyroak sighed, and trotted off as Frostburn skipped off to Zephyroak's house to pick up the teal Trossel's cousin.
After a while, Stonebolt opened her eyes to see her older brother's icy blue eyes staring back at her. Infernalo was a dark grey—practically black—Trossel with a spiked dark red mane, with both his mane and white tail bearing thick pale yellow streaks. Hovering above his head was a black halo which seemed to give off a fairly faint glow to it.
"Morning, Infernalo," she said, getting out of bed.
"Where's your sister," he asked, his tone lacking actual concern or anger, but more curiosity with a small undertone of annoyance.
"She's babysitting Zephyroak's cousin while she's in town," Stonebolt said coolly. Infernalo nodded.
"As long as you know where she is," he said, this time with less annoyance and more compassion. "I'm assuming you'll be with Zephyroak?" His sister nodded, and walked out without another word. Infernalo sighed contently, and levitated over a thick book with the words Interrogation for a Soldier written in thin silver letters.
Frostburn walked along, Leafwind bouncing eagerly right next to her. Leafwind was a pale green Trossel filly with a puffy pink mane and a long lilac tail. Her large tangerine eyes constantly staring at Frostburn in wonder as though being in the presence of Princess Celestia herself. Leafwind was going off on one of her many tangents, doing nothing but gushing about how much she loved just being in the same breathing space as Frostburn. With most ponies, Leafwind's hyperactivity was unwelcome and often annoying, but Frostburn trotted along listening intently to every word; not because of the praise, but because Leafwind saw her as an adult.
"This is SOOO exciting," the little filly squealed. "Just you and me together all day. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my visit, except maybe meeting somepony who wasn't a Trossel. My brother says he once met a Pegasus, but I could tell he was lying because he blinks twice every time he's lying about something. I can't believe I get to spend an entire day with you, Frostburn. You're the coolest, bestest Trossel in all of Seldreinia, even cooler than my cousin; maybe even cooler than your sister." Frostburn smiled, happy to see Leafwind enjoying herself. As the little Trossel continued, she failed to pay attention to where she was going and smacked head first into a tree.
"Leafwind," Frostburn said with notable alarm in her tone as she lifted Leafwind back up. "Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Leafwind shook her head wildly and giggled.
"Frostburn, I'm fine," Leafwind said reassuringly, giggling a bit at how borderline hysterical Frostburn had gotten in such a short and almost instantaneous moment over such a minor incident. Frostburn sighed with relief before seeing somepony very familiar. He was bright yellow, had maroon hair, and thick dark blue glasses. At just the sight of him, Frostburn practically tackled him to the ground.
"Snowflake," he asked in a brief state of delirium. "Is that you?" Frostburn nodded enthusiastically, squeezing him tightly before helping him back up.
"Steelmind," she said overjoyed. "I haven't seen you all day, or most of the week for that matter. What have you been up to? Are you seeing another pony behind my back?"
"N-no, never," he protested quickly. "Why would there ever be anypony else for me but you, Snowflake?" Frostburn smiled, not because of his response but his reaction.
"I'm just joking," she assured him. "I know you'd never do something like that! Most ponies are saying you're lucky you even got me." Steelmind chuckled nervously, unsure if that was a joke too but soon died down. "Leafwind, you remember my bestiest-bestest-best boyfriend in forever, right? Steelmind, you remember Leafwind, Zephyroak's cousin?" he nodded.
"You've certainly grown a lot since last time," he remarked. Leafwind nodded, her ramblings sparking up all over again.
Zephyroak and Stonebolt wandered around town when a pair of stallions whistled at them.
"Hi boys," Zephyroak called, causing them to start issuing catcalls.
"Zeph, don't get them started," Stonebolt warned sternly.
"C'mon, Stonebolt," she said. "It's not like we're serious about this or anything. I'm just teasing them. Besides, if you maybe did something with that mane, you could turn some heads." Stonebolt thought about it for a while, looking over her mane, before galloping off to catch up to her friend.