Cold. Why was it so cold here? And the snow, why was there so much of it? There wasn't snow before. If Vaetir had anything to do with this, I would… Would what? It was so cold I couldn't do much of anything. My hooves were barely warm, not nearly hot enough to be flaming. A glimmer of silver in the distance caught my eye as I looked around for anything I remembered from before. It was better than nothing. I started toward it. Walking would warm me up a bit.

A lone unicorn stood at the edge of the force field that checked the raging blizzard outside. He checked his headscarf once more and then ventured out. His sister and her friends would be arriving today, and he needed to be sure that nothing would endanger them. More than just the Empire had returned, and none of it had been friendly.

Embers glowed in my nostrils as I breathed and more ran down the back of my neck. Snow melded underhoof with every step, but there was no ground beneath it, only hard-frozen ice. The sliver of silver was still distant, but it was definitely closer. I could also see a soft glow and a shadow, but they were further away from me. Also, I had an idea as to what this was, and wanted to be sure.

The unicorn checked the perimeter for a two mile radius and found it safe, so he started toward the station. He didn't know what time it was because of the storm, but it had to be almost time for their train to arrive. As it occurred to him that they could already be here and standing in the storm, he broke into a trot.

The sliver was just before me now, and the ghost of fire liked at the embers that had formed earlier, as well as one forming my tail. Their warmth was a welcome comfort, and the snow sublimed around me. A vaguely equine shape emerging from above me called out "Hail oh flamed one! Enjoying the weather?"

"Vaetir! If thou and thy kin have caused this, thine hooves shall be in thy ears!"

"I see a thousand years of the Voidcold has not cooled you, so what effect does this small snowfall have upon thou?"

"So hast thou?"

"Neigh, but thine temper is not a helping this. Thine mane has improved with thine anger however."

It was true. Though not back to its full splendor, it was true flame. "Agreed! Thou hast best keep thine distance then. Ken thou our location?"

"Aside from paradise? None. Over yonder is a promising glow however. It looks of powerful magic." He gestured toward the glow I had seen earlier.

"The shadow to the opposite of it demands more attention I believe. It has drawn abreast of us and the glow, while the former has remained stationary."

"Thou speak true. Onward we go then Seth!" We struck off toward the shadow, Vaetir scouting ahead and me following. Even with the expanse of storm between us and the shadow, it had an intimidating presence. "Hold!" Vaetir cried, circling back to me. "Ponies approach."

"What be they?" I queried, slowing my pace to near a stop.

"Three unicorns, 2 pegasi and earth ponies, and a sizable amount of baggage moved by an unknown force."
"Direction?"

"Toward the glow, beside the shadow."

"Flank their path. Be prepared to intercede as needed."

"Understood." The storm swallowed him as he moved off. I moved so as to be in a better position for the given trajectory and waited. A minute passed. Then another. Then a further minute passed, separate from the first two. Then a minute seemed to last an hour, but it was only a minute. Then there came the glow of a unicorn horn. It was moving quickly, and soon was beside me, though far enough away so as for me to remain hidden. Falling in pace with the group, I surveyed them. Strangely, only the one stallion among them seemed prepared for the weather. The mares were unadorned, as if they had planned on a warmed climate. From where I was, I could tell that the baggage was under the power of a diminutive dragon. Had the equine races enslaved the draconic ones? Capall would be displeased if this was true.

They were nearing the line of the glow, which I could now tell was a forcefield. Uneventful was good. Once we were sure they posed no threat, we could return to investigating the shadow. It had moved to the convenient location of just behind the ponies, but they didn't notice it until the stallion turned to look at his mares. A command out of my earshot must have been given, for they began to run toward the shield. The gap before it shortened, but so did the already small one between them and the shadow. As the mares crossed the line, the stallion turned to face the shadow. Purple eyes inside it gazed maleficly at him. I galloped toward them, as did Vaetir across from me. The stallion fired a beam of light, but missed, then lunged at the shadow and was engulfed by it. The taint of Mythrion was upon this shadow. That was something I hadn't seen in centuries. Of course, I hadn't really seen anything in centuries. I laughed, and my mane flared as I flung myself into darkness.

Instinct took over and a flame sword sprung from a forehoof, the weight that leg bore shifting to the others. Vaetir crossed before me. "Aid the unicorn!" I called as we neared. No Mythrion was a friend of mine. I saw the unicorn, pinned under one who looked to be a ponification of the shadow. I could feedl dark magic flowing out of the latter into the former's horn, and black crystals broke out of it. Flames shot from my mane toward the evil one, breaking his attention long enough for the unicorn to run away. I swung my blade diagonally toward his neck, but he melded into the shadow and re-emerged behind me as I balanced myself. I wasn't ready for this. Already my flames had dimmed from where they were when I entered the shadow, but danger waited not for preparedness. Dark crystals rose from the ground and flew toward me, guided by the horn of my adversary. Most I dodged easily, but one passed through my mane, grazing my neck. Ichor oozed out, but my flames quickly cauterized the wound. "Hold!" I yelled. "Shall we cease this battlefield play and have a proper duel?"

"Let it be so." His voice sounded like demons digging in the depths of the earth. We both walked forward and crossed blades, mine a flame longsword and his a black crystal claymore.

"What be your name?"

"Surely you remember me Seth."

"I ken thine clan, but not thou."

"A pity. Then let us begin as we did centuries before. I am Sombra Mythrion, Overlord of the Crystal Empire, Helltouched Ruler."

Words I spoke lifetimes before sprang to my tongue. "I am Seth Kinslayer, Vanguard of the Praetoris Nocis, Vengeance of the Night."

Our swords locked and we tested each other's strength. He was powerful, and black crystal sapped energy, but he wasn't completely there. Defense was my best option, and I allowed him to take the first swing. It was badly aimed, and I dodged easily, following up with a quick thrust at his heart. Though I clearly penetrated him, there was nothing there and his backswing caught me in the side. Black ichor flowed from the wound and with it went my strength. My vision faded and the shadow swallowed him and spat him out behind me. I struggled to turn, but his blade bit into me, knocking me to the ground.

"How does it feel to lose to the last of your clan Hellspawn? The one colt you didn't kill. I ran that night. I ran to our fathers in the Abyss and they blessed me for one purpose. To kill you. And now I've-" He was cut off by a wedge of ice that formed in his throat, followed by spectral forehooves that made a resounding thud as they collided with his head. He was knocked to the side and the snowstorm from outside formed around us.

"Arise Seth!" Vaetir's voice was urgent as he hovered beside my head. "I doubt this shall delay him long." I tried to stand, but a groan was all that happened. I was a day-old colt. "I had hoped thou would not require this of me." His form shimmered, then melted into the shape of a pegasus. He pulled me to a standing position and I leaned on him heavily as we limped away.

"To whence did he disappear?" I asked as soon as I could talk.

"The shield flickered and he advanced upon it. I believe it is keeping such as him out."

"Let us rest here. I know solidity tires you, and I am not myself currently." I sank to the ground and felt the spirit of a breeze pass over me. A windigo once again floated before me.

"The first watch is mine. Rest well comrade."

I did rest well. At half hour intervals we swapped positions until we both felt ready to investigate the shield. As we neared it, its glow faltered, and then failed completely. Darkness rushed in ahead of us as we ran to see what was happening. A glowing object fell from the tallest tower and Sombra rose up on a jag of crystal to take it, but a pink alicorn intercepted it. More alicorns had been born since my departure? A dome of light erupted from the base of the tower. Too late, I realized that this was the Renewal of the Heart ceremony that spread goodness throughout the kingdom, with the side effect of removing that nearby which was not of this world. The light hit me and I blacked out.

Hopefully you all liked the change in style. This chapter was written by Seth, my co-writer on this story. So, now we have two more OC ponies. Any thoughts on Seth and Vaetir?

As always, I do not own MLPFIM, it is the property of Hasbro. Let the official version be praised, or thou shalt suffer thine hooves within thine ears!