Season's Greetings and a preemptive Happy New Year, dear readers. A bit of a short chapter this time around (I was trying to transition, and any attempts at lengthening it just didn't feel right), but as always I've put the time into it. Plus, Christmas and all that. Playing with a bluetooth speaker is fun.
Kevin Lapse: I will admit, there will be something about Tyr's mother in the coming chapters. Particularly something that belongs to her will show up.
cadenceheart117: Very accurate guess, lol. And the Heart is Order based, but has a different use. Since the magic is so old, it has a sort of conscience, which Tyr and Fenrir felt. It was sort of probing them to determine if they were a threat. Really, I see the Heart amplifying Cadance's magic. It itself can be corrupted, and after being exposed to Sombra, it might put safeguards in place. That being said, the nature of the Heart is going to be a little different than normal. And I appreciate you reading into it! I'm happy you are an avid fan, and if you ever need more clarification, I'm always willing to respond!
Dragonlord Ryukizoku: Once Tyr finds out, there will be hell to pay.
Chaddmychal: No kidding.
Well! Onto the Chapter!
Chapter 49: Snow Place for Worrying
Tyr had to admit, crystal beds were pretty cool. Although they were a bit shinier than stone beds, they were still firm under all the sheets and whatnot the Crystal Ponies supplied them. Apparently, all the stops had been pulled out for the 'Princess of Friendship and her party' as they were constantly referred to as. Tyr didn't mind—it meant less ponies looked at him as a creature. He shifted slightly, pulling a mumble of discontent from the Changeling curled up on his side. He smirked, gently reaching up to pull her head closer to him so he could kiss her forehead. "Wake up, Chrissy."
"M…Master?" She mumbled, slowly waking up. She got up far enough to let Tyr sit up straight. "I apologize for sleeping on you…"
"It's fine. I've gotten used to not having a bed to myself."
Chrys yawned slightly. "So? What will we do today? I am aware I must stay with you while we stay here."
"I might have to actually have you on a leash," Tyr pointed out, gently stroking her head. "Otherwise we'll have guards following us all day."
She pouted, huffing slightly. "I am no threat, unless provoked."
"I know, I know. But Shining doesn't want any trouble."
"…Very well… Just… May I request one thing?"
Tyr frowned, a little confused at how she was acting. "Er… what is it?"
Chrys lowered her head shyly, not making eye contact. "I… I don't want Cori to see…"
"…Of course, Chrissy." He smiled, understanding her desire to not be seen in that way by her daughter. "I'm sure Cori's going to be with Goldie, so we can wait until she leaves."
She smiled happily up at him. "Thank you so much, Master."
"Don't mention it."
There was a knock at the door, and a moment later Twilight's head appeared at the doorway. "Hey, Tyr? You up?"
The man and Changeling grinned, both minds momentarily in perfect sync. "I am," Tyr answered, giving Chrys a nod.
She giggled. "And he is currently half naked."
Twilight blinked. Her eyes drifted to Tyr's uncovered chest for a moment before she realized what the Changeling meant. "Half… Oh dear Celestia!" She dashed back out into the hall, cheeks burning red. "Ah… w-when you're dressed, Shining and Cadance wanted to speak with us in the castle!"
Tyr frowned. "…Us?"
"You, me, the girls, and Celestia and Luna."
"Well, Chrys has to come along—Shining says I have to keep her close."
"Uh… what? I guess that's fine… Just hurry—I don't want to keep them waiting!"
They heard her hoofsteps along the floor then, as she hurried away. "She's very fun to tease," Chrys said with a grin.
"Just don't overdo it."
"And yourself?" Chrys eyed him curiously. "You chose not to bring up your… issue with the Crystal Heart. How will we get into the castle?"
"Easy. We can fly, right?"
"I can. You cannot—oh. You can."
Tyr grinned. "Seems you get to be my eyes."
–v–
Twilight and the Elements of Harmony trotted into the Crystal Empire throne room, finding Shining, Cadance, and the sister Princesses waiting on them. Cadance was holding her baby, "Now this is a royal welcome!" Pinkie said, giggling.
"Pinkie…" Twilight sighed, shaking her head. Luna laughed, and Celestia smirked.
Cadance giggled. "Oh, it's fine, Twilight."
"What did ya need us for, Princess?" Applejack asked once they were in front of the throne.
Shining and Cadance shared a short look. "We have… a issue."
"I hope nothing is going wrong with the Crystalling," Rarity said, worried.
Shining shook his head. "No, but we still haven't found a Crystaller for the ceremony."
"Which we will," Cadance assured them. "But that's not why we called you all here."
"Speaking of which…" Shining frowned. "Where's Tyr?"
There was a soft knocking at the window, and they all turned to see Chrysalis standing there. She knocked on the window again, gesturing to the inside lock. Pinkie bounced over and opened it for her, grinning all the while. "Hi Chrissy!"
"Hello, Pinkie," Chrys replied, entering through the window.
A cold wind blew through behind her, quickly coalescing into the familiar form of Tyr. "Sorry we're late," He said, pulling out a leash and attaching it to Chrys's collar. The two of them walked over to join the group. "Took a bit because I had to eat breakfast."
"And then he had to feed me," Chrys said happily.
"Oh, ew," Rainbow muttered. "Do you guys have to talk like that?"
"All I did was let her sit in my lap while I ate," Tyr said, holding his arm out the window. A moment later and Valor alighted on it. "There you are."
The Ice Phoenix chirped happily, hopping over to his shoulder. Cadance cleared her throat. "Thank you for coming, Tyr. And nice to see you again, Chrysalis."
"As always," The Changeling replied.
Twilight frowned. "So? What's going on anyway?"
"Well," Shining moved forward, horn lighting up. A table-like section of crystal rose up from the floor, forming what looked to be a map of the Crystal Empire and the Frozen North. He gestured to a section of the map far to the north of the representation of the city. "Our climatologists detected a massive ice storm to the north of us. It's currently here."
Rainbow immediately spoke up. "Uh, an ice storm? Why in Equestria would Cloudsdale put an ice storm up here?"
"There in is the problem," Cadance said. She frowned, adjusting her little foal in her lap. "That storm is not Pegasus made."
That made the room fall silent, as everypony present let the weight of that statement sink in. However, there was one present that didn't get the seriousness of the situation. "I'm not following," Tyr spoke up, breaking the sudden silence. "Why is that such a serious thing?"
"Because all weather in Equestria is managed by the Pegasii of Cloudsdale," Celestia explained. "Such a storm would not—no, could not—have been made without Pegasus involvement. All weather in Equestria is overseen by the weather ponies in Cloudsdale, even out here."
"That just… sounds wrong," Tyr muttered, but he shook his head. He looked over at Cadance. "So this storm… what's so bad about it? Living in the north no doubt clued you in to this sort of thing happening. It shouldn't be that hard to deal with."
"That may be true, but this storm has been growing in size for some time now," She explained. "And we've received word that it's moving towards the city."
Twilight gasped. "Towards the city?"
"The whole Crystal City will be buried in snow!" Pinkie exclaimed.
Shining shook his head. "Worse. A storm of that magnitude and that size could demolish who knows how many buildings and hurt a number of ponies. We have to find a way to stop it."
Applejack frowned. "Won't the Crystal Heart protect y'all from it? It keeps the cold out already, right?"
"That's normal storms," Shining pointed out. "This one is no doubt magical in nature."
Cadance nodded. "So we were hoping you could help us, Twilight."
Twilight was quiet for a bit. "Well, if it's magical, I might be able to dispel it or something. But if not…"
"Guess that's where I come in," Tyr said, picking up the train of thought. "AS an Ice Elemental, I'm probably the best bet at getting rid of this thing."
"Exactly," Shining said with a short nod. "I know you weren't expecting to be dealing with something like this…"
Tyr waved a hand. "It's fine. I honestly don't mind helping."
Cadance smiled. "Thank you Tyr. I'm glad we have a friend like you."
"We'll get a group ready to investigate," Shining said. "I and a few of our guards will be coming."
"We can use the Ranger to get there quicker," Tyr offered.
"I'd like to go talk to Sunset about getting her to come," Twilight said, catching their attention. When she noticed the confused looks the others were giving her, she hurried to explain. "Sunset's just as good with magic as myself or Starlight. She'd be able to help if we needed another magic user."
"Why don't one of the Princesses come along?" Applejack asked.
"We're needed here," Celestia said solemnly. "The storm is throwing the surrounding area's weather patterns off. For now the Crystal Heart is holding it back, but if it gets any worse we will be needed."
"Not to mention another possible problem we'd be needed for," Luna pointed out, catching Cadance's baby just as she teleported away from her mother. "This little one is almost as rowdy as Aurora was at this age…"
Cadance and Shining stared at her in shock. "…Aurora was worse!?"
"Oh dear, yes. I was simply lucky my little crescent moon grew up to be a daddy's girl. She always does what Tyr tells her."
Tyr grinned. "I do love my daughter."
Fluttershy tapped Twilight's shoulder. "Um… Twilight? Why aren't you bringing Starlight? You said you need Sunset for her magic, but isn't Starlight good at it too?"
"Hey, yeah!" Pinkie agreed. "Starlight's always using magic for stuff!"
Twilight frowned. "Starlight's busy at the moment with a task I gave her. And to be honest… I don't fully trust that Starlight wouldn't accidentally make it worse."
Chrys frowned. "And Sunset would not?"
"Sunset tends to think her plans through," Twilight pointed out. Then, she winced. "At least, I can trust her to come up with a practical solution before resorting to magical means."
"So you want her for her brain," Tyr simplified.
"I guess you could say that. Starlight is very smart, but she might be a bit distracted with the task I gave her."
"Well, if anything we'll figure out how to fix this," Shining said. "It might take a bit to get all our provisions for the trip, so I'll give you the rest of the day. We'll leave in the morning."
A murmur of assent went through the room, and the meeting adjourned. Luna was busy struggling with keeping the baby Alicorn filly from flying off, so Tyr followed Twilight and his friends out of the castle throne room. "This is so exciting!" Pinkie squealed, doing cartwheels about as they walked.
"How in the world is this exciting?" Applejack asked. "We're about to go trudging out into the snow to find a storm, for Celestia sake."
"Oh, I am so glad I packed cold weather clothing," Rarity mumbled.
Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I mean, who knows what we could find out there! Could be some sort of magical artifact or something!" She grinned. "It's like right out of a Daring Do book!"
Twilight chuckled softly. "If anything, this shouldn't be too hard. Maybe there really is some artifact out there that's causing this! Wouldn't that be amazing?"
The group exited the castle, passing through the city square. "I just hope there's some supervillain out there for us to bash," Rainbow said, grinning widely.
"Ooh, villain bashing?" Ace and Flash suddenly appeared, with Bright Soul and Grace in tow. The white pegasus grinned. "Count me in!"
"You have a one track mind," Bright mumbled.
Flash grinned. "You'd be surprised." He turned to the group that had just come out of the castle. "So, Shining filled you all in?"
Twilight frowned. "You already know?"
"Well, yeah. The four of us technically reported in when we got here. Shining filled us in on the details."
Ace nodded. "Crazy super storm, yeah? Would hate to live out here—never been a fan of cold places."
"Seconded," Grace said. She glanced over at Tyr. "No offense."
"None taken," The Elemental said with a smile. Valor suddenly trilled loudly, and flew over to Grace. The Ice Phoenix began pecking around in her mane.
"H-Hey! Quit it—that is not for you!" Within moments, the red haired knight was trying to fend off a particularly hungry bird that had located her bag of seeds. "Tyr!"
Tyr chuckled, pulling out his own bag of seeds. "I got him, Grace. Come here, Valor."
Seeing the easier target, the blue feathered bird flew back to his owner, landing on the offered arm. Grace huffed. "Why do birds always attack me…?"
"You're the one keeping birdseed in her mane," Flash pointed out.
"…Shut up."
"What are you all doing here anyway?" Rainbow asked, nuzzling her husband.
"Wanted to see the Crystal Heart," Bright pointed out, gesturing to the artifact in question. "Flash used to be stationed here, so he brought us."
"It radiates with love and magic!" Ace said, before getting smacked in the chest by Rainbow. "Ow."
Tyr glanced over at the Heart, shock on his features. How had he gotten this close without… his train of thought trailed off as he sensed the difference in the aura surrounding the Heart. Instead of like a weight on his body that made him feel like he was walking through a swamp, it seemed more welcoming. Like it had determined that he wasn't a threat. Almost without thinking about it, he walked closer. "Something the matter, Tyr?" He heard Applejack ask.
Then, the more worried voice of Rarity. "Darling? Is everything alright?
"It's fine, just…" He stopped within arm's reach of the Heart, the gentle pulse of its magic washing over him like Cadance's magic always did.
"Alpha…" Fenrir muttered warningly.
"It's fine," Tyr said, reaching out with one hand. "Worst thing that could happen is I get blasted—"
His fingers brushed the Heart, and then he was no longer in the Crystal City. Instead, he stood in a vast, endless field that seemed to be covered in white sand. His eyes opened wide, and he blinked once. "…What."
"Hello, Tyr Winter."
Tyr turned quickly, stopping in place when he saw the speaker. Seated at a white wooden table was a woman, her friendly gaze turned to him. She was smiling at him, a curious sparkle in her bright blue eyes. Long, sky blue hair cascaded down the woman's back, pooling about her on the sand below. Her skin was perfect, a soft slightly pale color, and she wore an elegant blue and white dress with designs of hourglasses along the bottom half. Tyr blinked. "…Hello?"
"Oh, you don't know who I am. Take a scoop of the sand—that'll help."
"Scoop of the…" Tyr glanced down, looking at the sand below him. He knelt down and took a handful up to look at it. Each grain of sand was like a tiny sphere, with what looked to be pictures moving in them. "…What is this place?"
"This is what I like to call the Repository," The woman said. "But you'll get everything once you drink those."
Tyr looked back down, finding that the handful he had picked up had quickly slipped out of his hand to leave about a spoonful in his palm. "Er…" He shrugged, and lifted the tiny amount to his lips. Almost immediately, he felt a sudden rush of information reach his mind. The shock of it drove him to his knees. "W-What the…"
Harmony smiled. "It's a bit of a shock, so I'm told."
"Yeah… a shock…" Tyr picked himself back up, shaking his head slightly. "That was… not what I expected."
"Take a seat?" Harmony gestured to the other chair, which slid a few inches out for him. Tyr took the offered chair gratefully.
"Thank you," He said."
"Of course. Tea?" A pair of cups appeared full of a sweet smelling drink.
Tyr frowned slightly before picking up the cup. Not accepting the hospitality of a Caretaker could possibly end in disaster. He took a sip, finding the taste quite pleasant. Not a bad drink to share. He glanced up at Harmony. "How am I… how do I know all these things about you now, Lady Harmony?"
"Because the Repository is where all memories end up," Harmony explained, sipping at her tea. "What you drank are memories I picked out for you."
"And that's… fine?"
"Oh, yes. It's not like they go away forever. They've become your memories, so they're here somewhere."
"So… Why am I here?"
"I needed to speak to you, Tyr." Her eyes were serious. "You carry a powerful legacy, and you are walking a path I am very much interested in."
"…I am?"
"I want you to be prepared."
Tyr's eyes narrowed. "…Prepared for what?"
"For what you will find." Harmony smiled, and there was nothing gentle about it. "I cannot interfere in your path, Tyr, for I am Guide of all Observers. But I can grant you a blessing, of sorts."
"A blessing?"
"All who work for the Caretakers are blessed with a Brand. It will grant you powers according to which Caretaker they follow. Your friend Vanna was blessed by my sister, so her life belongs to my sister Terminus. Those who follow my sister Genesis are blessed with the power to help the world around them grow."
"And those who are blessed by you?"
Harmony smirked. "The mind is my domain, and Time my kingdom. You bear my mark, and your already impressive mental prowess will increase."
"And my prior allegiance to Jehu?"
"Boo. My half-brother only told you that because he like making a big deal out of things. As a Chaos Mage, you do technically fall under him, but as a Dreamer, you answer to me."
Tyr nodded. "Very well… I'll accept anything you wish to give, Lady Harmony."
The blue-haired woman smiled. "Good! Hold out your arm." Tyr did so, and Harmony took hold of his arm. She pressed her finger to his bare skin on the back of his hand, drawing an hourglass shape into his flesh with burning blue light. "Tuum fatum meum."
Blue light traveled up his veins, glowing brightly for a moment before fading away. "That… actually hurt less than I thought it would," Tyr murmured once Harmony released his arm.
"Ah, it's not supposed to hurt." She smiled warmly. "The mark won't go away, no matter what you do."
"As I expected…" He looked up, finding a sad look in her eyes. "…What is it?"
"You've got a rough road ahead of you," Harmony said, suddenly reaching up to touch his face. Her eyes suddenly glowed bright blue, and her voice took on a second tone. "…Do not fear the storm, for it is a familiar embrace for you. The Pack follows, but requires a new leader. Gather the threads, shatter the crystal, and reclaim what is rightfully yours. Tame the thunder. The Flame will be by your side through it all."
Tyr blinked. "Huh…?"
Harmony's eyes returned to normal, and she sat back in her seat. "I have a habit of seeing the future. But I've got a special Rule for myself to make it as vague as possible."
"Why. It would be so much nicer if you just told me right out!"
"But then I'd be interfering, and I can't do that unless a Plane is in danger." She sighed, before a tiny smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "But I have faith in you. You have what it takes to defend this world."
Tyr blinked. "Well… thank you. But… am I going to go back and find out I've been standing in one spot for like ten minutes or something?"
Harmony giggled. "What? Of course not! Your Patron is known as the Overseer of Time for a reason! It hasn't even been a full second yet."
"…Really?"
"Yup!" The Caretaker's smile faltered then, and she looked sad. "…You're going to suffer through a lot of pain soon, Tyr. Be strong."
Suddenly, Tyr found himself back in the Crystal City, his hand slightly away from the Heart. Harmony's Brand burned softly on the back of his hand. He blinked several times, examining the hourglass shaped mark. "…Huh."
"Tyr?" The man glanced around to see all his friends looking at him, confusion on all their faces. Twilight was the one who had spoken, and she came forward a step. "…Are you alright?"
"You touched the Heart and tensed up something fierce," Applejack added. She frowned, no doubt concerned for him. "You okay?"
"…I'm fine," the Elemental said, shoving his hand into his pocket. It would have to stay there until the glow went away. "Just… missing Sherry, is all."
"Well, miss her on the move!" Rainbow declared. "We got a storm to investigate!"
Tyr gave her a smile, before noting the confused look on Chrys's face. No doubt she had felt whatever had occurred between Tyr and the mysterious Caretaker, but since it had happened within the span of a fraction of a second, she had no idea what to make of it. She simply walked over, leaned against him, and sighed. "…My head hurts all of a sudden," She informed him.
"I know, Chrissy." Tyr gently stroked her head. "Mine kinda does too."
–x–
Sherry had to admit, being tossed into a dungeon had been expected. But having a massive quantity of blood drawn from her and then being tossed into said dungeon had been very unusual. As the metal gate was slammed shut behind her, she weakly pushed herself up to a seated position. The Cult of the Sun had been mostly gentle with her up until they had reached… wherever this was. Once they had her inside this stone fortress thing, she had been bundled off to what seemed to be a medical facility and had a large amount of her blood drawn and put into vials. She was near delirious and feeling weak, but they had left her with enough to recover. And at least not pass out immediately.
"Princess?"
Sherry turned and slumped against a wall, her eyes glancing out to the hall. There were a number of other gates across from her, no doubt leading to other cells. The worried face of Capstone was at the bars of one of the cells. "Cap… stone?" Sherry breathed weakly. "Are you… are you okay?"
"Am I okay? Princess, you look terrible! What did they do to you?"
"They… drew blood. A lot of it."
"Why would they do that…?"
Sherry shook her head. "I don't know. I just… feel really tired…"
"That's the blood loss. Don't go to sleep, Princess…"
"Where's Obi? Is she okay?"
"Princess?" The tiny voice of the young Shaper echoed down the hall. "Are you… you're alright?"
"I'm fine, Obi." Sherry smiled, although she knew the Shaper couldn't see her. "Are you okay?"
"They… they bound my legs and hung me from the ceiling…"
Sherry's smile went away immediately. No doubt the Cult had done some research into how the Stone Ponies used their powers, and had established the best way to keep her from simply tearing apart their prison was to keep her from touching the floor or walls. Clever. "Are you hurt?"
"No, they roughed me up a little bit, but I can take it."
"You're really tough, huh?" Capstone remarked.
Sherry heard Obsidian sniff. "Well, part of Shaper training is being able to shatter a boulder with your forehead…"
"…Ouch."
Sherry giggled softly. "You two… I'm glad you're both alright. I couldn't live with myself if they hurt you because of me."
There was a moment of silence. After a thoughtful moment, Capstone spoke up. "Princess… as your personal guard, I'm willing to lay my life down for yours, no hesitation."
"Same here, Princess Sherry," Obsidian pointed out. "You are my friend, and in addition to that, you are my Princess. I would gladly shake this prison to the ground in order to get you out of here."
"You two…" Sherry felt a small surge of pride—these two were loyal to her. "Thank you. Both of you. I promise you, I will find a way to get us all out of this—alive."
"No doubt in my mind," Capstone said.
"I know you will, Princess," Obsidian agreed. "We believe in you."
Sherry smiled. "…Thank you. I'm gonna get some rest…" She slumped against the wall again, letting out a soft breath. For now, she'd sleep. Then, she'd figure out how to get them out of here. "…I wish my dad was here."
"Considering your father could bust us out no problem, I wish he was here too," Capstone mumbled.
–x–
"You're going on another mission?" Aurora asked, glaring at her father as the Winter family shared dinner. They had found a particularly well known restaurant that was willing to cater to their unusually large family. Tyr and Luna had explained to the kids what was going on, and the female half of the twins had spoken up first.
Tyr winced slightly at his daughter's accusatory tone. "Well, yes sweetie. Since it's a massive blizzard that's being investigated, they figure I'm the best suited for the job."
"If that's true," Aleron spoke up. "Why are Aunt Rarity and Aunt Pinkie going?"
"Er…" Rarity frowned. "Twilight believes the Rainbow Magic might be needed if the storm is magical in nature…"
Ancè frowned. "But that would require this storm to be 'evil', or something like that, right?"
"Yeah!" Jubilee piped up. "You told us the Rainbow Magic was for defeating evil!"
Rarity thought for a moment. "Well… that is true…"
"It is also the most powerful magic we have access to," Luna said solemnly. "Although considering the thought, perhaps it is best we do not send you all."
"What? Why not?"
"Truly, the Rainbow Magic is useful when it comes to dealing with evil beings, but perhaps not with a force of nature. Twilight's magic should be sufficient, and if not Sunset will be going along. That should be good enough to dispel any magic. If not, my sister and I will go personally."
"I suppose that makes sense," Rarity murmured. She sighed. "Although explaining that to Twilight might be difficult. You know how she is about this sort of thing."
Luna nodded. "I will convince her. Besides—someone must stay behind to watch the young ones."
"We're good!" Aurora complained. "We don't need a babysitter!"
"I disagree," Tyr said, fixing his daughter with an even gaze. The filly blanched immediately at the look. "You're still young, and you're in a place you don't know very well. If Rarity and Pinkie stay, you all are going to be with them. No questions asked."
"O-Okay daddy…"
Rarity glanced over at Luna, who met her look with a smirk. "Daddy's little girl," The Princess of Dreams reminded her with a giggle.
Tyr smiled, reaching out to muss his daughter's mane. "I just don't want you to get lost around town or something. I don't want to be worrying about you while I'm taming a storm, okay?"
Aurora nodded gently. "Just… Come back safe, okay?"
"Of course, sweetie. Your father's tough—nothing's gonna keep me from coming home to my family."
"Considering you crossed dimensions for us, I don't doubt it," Aleron said with a small smile. "We'll be good, father."
Luna smiled. "Well, no doubt Cadance and Shining Armor will need help getting ready for the Crystalling. You all might be able to participate."
"That sounds like fun," Cori said softly. "I'd like to be helpful."
Tyr leaned back, gently scratching at the spot behind Aurora's ear. "Well, that's a worry for tomorrow. For tonight, let's just enjoy ourselves, okay?"
He was met with a round of agreement, especially from Aurora who leapt into his lap. Dinner went quite well, especially since they avoided talking about the superstorm that was out in the wastes. Once it got late, they adjourned to their rooms—the kids off to theirs and the adults to their own. Tyr was alone in his room for a moment, since no doubt his four mares were arguing about who got to spend the night in his bed with him.
"Alpha."
Tyr glanced over, finding Fenrir in her true form seated beside him. One thing Tyr always noticed was that whenever she shifted between forms, Fenrir's clothes always shifted with her. Probably due to being a Spirit of Chaos, and bending reality just by existing. "What's up?" He asked noting that, oddly enough, she was concerned about something.
"What did the Blue Overseer want with you?"
"…You knew?"
"I am a Spirit of Chaos, Alpha. Contracted with you. Even with such a miniscule amount of time spent in her domain, I would be aware of your spirit leaving your body."
Tyr blinked, that bit of information confusing him. "My spirit left my body?"
"Momentarily." Fenrir snorted. "It happened so quickly I almost didn't catch it. The ways of the Caretakers are strange even to me. When you touched the Heart, I knew the Blue Overseer had called you away. What did she wish to discuss?"
"A warning," Tyr explained, frowning and looking at the hourglass on the back of his hand. The blazing glow was gone, but it was still a stark blue color against his darker skin. "And a blessing."
"What was the warning?"
Tyr frowned, letting his perfect recall kick in. "She said 'Do not fear the storm, for it is a familiar embrace for you. The Pack follows, but requires a new leader. Gather the threads, shatter the crystal, and reclaim what is rightfully yours. Tame the thunder. The Flame will be by your side through it all'. What do you think it means?"
Fenrir snorted derisively. "I'm not one for prophecies, Alpha. For all I can figure, this trip north will not be pleasant. We may be walking into danger, but that simply serves to make me all the more excited."
Her tail wagged excitedly, making Tyr chuckle and gently pat her head. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to it myself."
"But… something still troubles you."
Tyr nodded. "Not counting that weird feeling that's been nagging at the back of my mind, there was one other thing Lady Harmony told me."
Fenrir frowned. "What was it? Any hint or clue from someone who can see all Time is useful."
"She said I was going to suffer a lot in the coming days. That's when she sent me back I guess."
"Then be prepared for your resolve to be tested," Fenrir warned him. "But you are my Contractor, so I know you will be fine. You have me to look out for you anyway!"
"Always the prideful wolf," Tyr joked, scratching behind her ears harder. She growled happily, moving to a spot in his lap so that he had better access.
The wolf spirit chuckled. "Wolves have reason to be prideful."
There was a soft knocking at the door, and they both turned to look. "Darling? I do believe I've won the privilege for tonight…"
Tyr had to admit, Rarity did seem proud of herself. Fenrir hopped out of his lap and shifted into her wolf form, curling up on a cushion in the corner of the room. The door opened to allow Rarity access. "You won?" Tyr asked, amused at the thought of democracy popping up among his mares. "How did that work out anyway?"
"We rolled a dice. Although it was a rather… barbaric way to decide, it is effective." She moved over to sit beside him, smiling warmly as he automatically pulled her to his side. "I count myself lucky."
"I'm guessing Chrissy was disqualified?"
"Of course. She was with you last night."
"Understandable."
"…Darling?"
"Hm?" He looked down at her, noting the concerned look on her face. "What is it?"
"It's… well, I just feel like something is bothering you."
Tyr sighed. "I know what you mean. Something is, but I can't figure out what. I'm hoping I just have a nagging feeling about this storm."
"I do hope you will be proven wrong, my love."
The man simply nodded, not wanting to bring up the prediction Harmony had given him. There was no need to worry Rarity over it, especially when telling her would no doubt mean the next thing to happen would be Luna, Pinkie and Chrys would be in his room demanding an explanation. Best thing to do would be to simply look forward to the future and steel himself for whatever came up.
No jinxing it though.
–v–
Considering how many things were being prepared and worked on in the Crystal Empire this week, it was a very quiet affair on the airship dock as the expedition group assembled. Twilight, Luna and Celestia were deep in discussion, with Tyr, Chrysalis, the Crystal Guards and the other Elements of Harmony standing off to one side. Tyr was seated on the ramp of the Ranger, gently running his fingers through Chrys's mane while they waited. "What are they even talking about?" Rainbow asked, landing beside him.
"If the rest of you are going," Tyr explained, glancing over at her. He was pleasantly surprised to see her in what looked to be light armor, complete with a cloak of sorts. "You're in uniform?"
"I got promoted," The cyan pegasus replied. She grinned. "I'm officially a Sergeant now."
"Oh, nice. Congrats."
"Thanks! Means I gotta wear this when going on missions like this, but it doesn't get in the way of my flying."
"And I'm a fan of my Dashie in uniform," Ace said, landing beside his wife. He nuzzled her. "Hey honey. I figured you all would be gone by now."
"We're waiting on Twilight," Rainbow informed him, smiling a little at the affection. "Apparently the princesses had something they wanted to discuss with her. What are you doing here?"
"Thought to see you all off. Grace got asked to help in the Crystal Hospital, and Bright Soul is at the library. Flash is watching over Evie. What are they talking about anyway?"
"Tyr says we might not all be going."
"Oh? So then the Rainbow Magic won't be needed?"
"I'd like to think not," Rarity said from her spot beside Pinkie. "I do detest going on such risky ventures."
"Well, Twilight might need us," Applejack pointed out, Fluttershy nodding in agreement. "Y'all ain't gonna leave her high and dry, are ya?"
Rarity huffed. "Of course not! I am willing to support my friends through any risk or undertaking!"
"Although she may complain about it as we go," Tyr joked, getting a flat look from the fashionista.
"I am not that bad!"
Applejack chuckled. "Rarity, you complain more than a pig waiting on dinner."
Rarity continued grumbling, but Pinkie nuzzled her to cheer her up. "Come on, Rare-bear. AJ doesn't mean anything mean by it…"
"I know," The violet maned mare mumbled. "But that doesn't mean it doesn't bother me…"
Twilight and the other Royals adjourned their meeting, walking over to where Tyr and the other ponies were waiting. "We've decided that all of us are going, but we're going to try and find a spot close by and leave the majority of our group with the Ranger."
"So who's going up to the storm?" Rainbow asked.
"Myself, Tyr, Sunset, Shining and you, Rainbow. If we need the rainbow magic, we can easily just bubble with Shining's shield and we should be able to get close. Hopefully it doesn't come to that."
Celestia nodded. "We have faith that Tyr will be able to tame this storm."
"Hopefully I won't let you down," Tyr admitted with a little smile. The Solar Diarch simply smiled back at him.
"I have full confidence in you."
"Good, cause you get to be an aunt while I'm gone."
"…What?"
"Ooh!" Pinkie giggled. "Princess Celestia is going to take care of the kids?"
"That is a good point," Luna said, looking to her elder sister. "You have not spent time with all of your nieces yet."
Celestia blinked. "…Oh dear."
Tyr grinned. "Hope you enjoy. Jubilee and Aurora are a handful."
"I can imagine…"
"Um…" Fluttershy held up a hoof. "You said Sunset was coming along, right? She's… not here yet."
"Did you remember to tell her when we were meeting?" Rainbow asked Twilight.
The Princess of Friendship frowned. "Er… I'm sure I did…"
"I'm here!" Sunset's voice called out. Every eye turned to see the mare in question galloping towards them, saddlebags bouncing with every stride. Just as she reached them, something caught her hoof and she tripped, almost falling face first into the ground if not for Tyr's quick reflexes. He caught her just shy of shattering her nose. "…Oof. Thanks Tyr."
The man chuckled and set her back on her hooves. "No problem, Sunset. Did you oversleep?"
"I got lost," Sunset said bitterly. "No one was around the hotel to tell me where we were meeting. It wasn't until Aurora told me where you all were than I managed to find my way."
"Sorry Sunset," Twilight said sheepishly. "That's kinda my fault."
"It's fine, it's fine. So are we going now?"
Shining frowned. "Do you have everything you need?"
Sunset shrugged. "I tend to over prepare. I get it from my dad."
"Oh?" Celestia seemed thoughtful.
"Well, I'm good to go. Was I the last one to show?"
"Pretty much," Applejack pointed out. She glanced over at Tyr. "Ready to fly again, sugarcube?"
Tyr shrugged. "I had a restful night. And this isn't that far of a flight, so I should be fine."
"Wonderful!" Twilight smiled widely and turned to the group. "Let's get going and find out what made this storm!"
–x–
Well, as I said, a little shorter than usual. But still good! A bit of insight into Harmony's motivations, and the beginning of the Storm crisis. It's no doubt going to be a bit more than they all expect, in a number of different ways. The kids express their displeasure at their parents running off to 'save the world', or so they say. They might still get into some shenanigans while they're in the Crystal Empire, though. But that's another chapter.
As always, thanks for Reading, leave a Review or comment if you like, and Return for the next chapter, where something may or may not be struck by lightning or frozen solid.
Until Next Time, Readers!
