Rainbow Dash groaned loudly, adding yet another layer of blankets over herself. “It’s worse than the basement of a weather factory at the height of blizzard production. If I die of hypothermia, AJ’s going to kill both of us.”

Twilight looked down at her friend sympathetically, wrapping a wing around her and holding her close to her body. The cold was barely a presence to her, not with the power of the sun and stars burning in her chest. “That better, Dashie?”

The pegasus made a non-committal snort. This sort of affection still embarrassed her after all these years, even after getting into a serious relationship with Applejack. Or maybe she was just put off by the size difference. Having the power of multiple Alicorns didn’t just make her resistant to the elements. She had grown nearly as tall as Cadance.

She was about to say more words of comfort when their carriage jolted suddenly. Twilight’s horn abruptly went dark as she winced from the magical feedback. The carriage slowed to a stop.

Rainbow was out from under her wing and the pile of blankets before Twilight had even fully processed what happened. “There’s… something out there,” she said quietly, staring out the window.

Twilight joined her. This far north, past the Crystal Empire, even further than Yakyakistan, the weather grew colder and more inhospitable. But outside the carriage indistinct shadows were moving, swirling around their meager shelter.

“Twi, are those what I…”

“Windigoes,” she confirmed. We’re here.

The pegasus shivered, but quickly resolved herself. “Well, we’ve stopped them before! We just need to show them we aren’t afraid!” Rainbow kicked the door open with her forehooves.

“Rainbow, no!” She reached out to stop her, but even her level of power couldn’t compete with the fastest flier in Equestria.

A brief streak of rainbow dashed into the swirling forms of ice and snow. A piercing howling came from the windigoes, then an all too recognizable scream.

Twilight tried to get out of the carriage, but she was blasted back by freezing wind as a windigo charged into the carriage. It burst open the door on the other side, depositing something heavy and shivering into Twilight’s hooves. Rainbow!

Her wings were splayed out, covered in ice and feathers frozen together in an unhealthy way. The rest of her wasn’t much better, frost through her fur and breath barely making a cloud in front of her muzzle.

“No no no…” Twilight muttered, instantly conjuring a light to her horn. Not just the aura of her magic, this light brought the light and heat of the sun itself, distilled down to the life-giving warmth that her friend most needed.

The windigoes shrieked again, backing away. One stopped in its stampeding, though, turning to face her through the open door. “Mortals of such disunity do not belong in the domain of Winter. Turn back now!”

The princess shook her head, not looking up from Rainbow’s unconscious body, tears in her eyes. “I am the Ruler of Equestria, representative of the Radiant Sun of Celestia, the Placid Night of Luna, Element of Magic and Princess of Friendship. I come seeking to renegotiate the Gubernatorial Right over Winter. This is Rainbow Dash, representative of those who currently hold that right in Equestria.”

Only then did she look up, glaring at the spirit in front of her. “Now take me to your princess.”

***

Even with her magic driving it, the carriage couldn’t go any further. That left Twilight trekking through the snow without assistance. She could be thankful for her longer legs here, though it was still unpleasant.

Stranger was her guide, one of the ancient spirits that had driven the founders of Equestria from their forgotten homeland. And who had threatened the skies of modern Equestria already under occupation from its worst enemies.

Yet, she followed obediently, as a castle that glittered softly in the midnight sun rose up on the horizon.

“T-Twi?” Rainbow muttered. She poked her head out from the pile of blankets on Twilight’s back, where she held the pegasus between her wings. The steady chill coming off the Windigo ahead of them quickly drove her back underneath, pressing her still hypothermic body to the warmth of Twilight.

“Easy, Rainbow,” she said quietly back. “I did what I could for you to keep off the frostbite, but you’ll need some time to recover still.”

“Where are we?” the muffled voice asked.

Twilight looked up at the arches of ice overhead as they entered the castle’s antechamber. “In the heart of Winter.”

“Next time you need a pegasus for Alicorn-level diplomacy, bring Fluttershy…”

Twilight smiled weakly. The lecture she got from AJ for putting Rainbow in this kind of danger would be nothing compared to what Discord would have done. But ultimately nothing would be worse than what she would feel about herself if she let something serious happen to any of her friends.

Their guide stopped in front of a large doubledoor, briefly losing form before reforming on the side of the door. “Go in,” it said, in that terrible voice of howling wind. “And show no disrespect to the Queen of Winter.”

The Alicorn nodded, mustering all her courage and strength. Then with a light push of magic, she opened the doors.

The inside was nothing like the throne room in Canterlot Castle. There was no long hallway allowing for a procession of suitors and nobles. Simply a room barely wide enough for five ponies and three across, with a raised platform against the back wall.

There was one way in which the two were similar, natural light that streamed in from the sides. Instead of through intricate stained glass, however, this light just permeated the translucent walls.

Curiosities of architecture were soon outweighed by the presence across from her. Sitting in a throne of ice, was a pony that looked much the same. Like a crystal pony, but clearly made of frozen water, with the proportions of a Saddle Arabian.

The creature’s eyes, glowing a pure white, settled on Twilight. The pony, horse, or whatever she was smiled. Her teeth were not like a pony’s. They were sharp like icicles, and chilled Twilight to her core.

She shivered, the first time she had felt the cold penetrate her body. She fell into a bow, careful not to let Rainbow slip off her back. “Greetings Winter Queen, from Equestria, I am—”

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, appointed heir of the Equestrian throne. You were not summoned by Winter.” The voice was soft, as gentle as Fluttershy could be. But there was a confidence there, a permanence that even her other pegasus friend couldn’t muster all the time. And regardless of how kind she sounded, her smile continued to unnerve Twilight.

“I was not,” she agreed, standing up straight again. “I am here because I recently learned of the contract that Equestria made with you eons ago.”

“Me and my sisters,” the ice pony added.

Twilight nodded. “And I may yet seek an audience with them, but yours seemed most pressing.”

“I’m flattered,” the creature said, flashing that far too wide, far too sharp smile once again. “But, my dear little pony, you wouldn’t be attempting to weasel your way out of my contract, would you? The terms were very clear. The Equestrians proved themselves to be a united people, and I granted them my right to govern the season of Winter.”

Twilight dug at the ice at her hooves gently. “Until the end of the contract, when the Gubernatorial Right of Winter reverts back to you.”

“As it should be,” the queen said, rising to her hooves.

“And this happens only a few years from now,” Twilight continued. “Thing is… we’ve figured out a system that works for us. We would like to continue doing things our way.”

“As I said, you have come to weasel out of your contract. What was a grace granted to your people, you have the hubris to believe is something you can do better than the Queen of Winter herself.”

“I wouldn’t say we were weaseling out…” Twilight said, her own voice growing softer as the ice pony’s grew more fierce. “Just a renegotiation to extend the terms…”

“How dare you insult me, in my own domain, after the generosity—”

“Oh come on!”

Twilight winced. Rainbow, don’t…

The pegasus burst from the pile of blankets, landing in front of Twilight. Her hooves slipped on the ice, and she looked barely able to keep herself standing. But she didn’t back down, unsurprisingly.

“I don’t care if you were Princess Celestia herself. No one is perfect, especially no one on their own!” Her wings stretched out to either side, and Twilight could see the frost condensing once again.

“You dare—”

“Yeah, I do!” Rainbow grunted, then was up on her wings, flying closer to the literal force of nature. “We came here peacefully to open up negotiations. Instead, we get attacked, threatened, and nearly killed! Look, you’re the Queen of Winter, I get that you’d be protective of that. Just like Twilight cares about her friends. But have you seen what we’ve done? You said something about unity, right? Well, nothing brings ponies together more than getting ready for winter, or wrapping it up at the end of the season. And that seems way better than… what? Just letting it happen when you want? Yeah right!”

Twilight finally snapped out of her shock, reaching out with her magic and tugging Rainbow Dash back down next to her. “Rainbow, what are you doing?”

“What I do best!” she replied with a grin, before suddenly collapsing against Twilight with heavy breathing.

Twilight wrapped her wing around her looking back to the Queen of Winter.

To her surprise, she was smiling. As much as it pained her to look at, it seemed… genuine?

“Well well well… I forgot how tenacious the pegasi of Equestria could be. You remind me much of… Well, no matter, you can see me and still you don’t cower. Very well, Rainbow Dash. You have convinced me. I will listen to your proposal. With one caveat effective immediately.”

Suddenly wind swirled through the throne room, strong enough that it ripped Rainbow out from under her wing. “No, what are you doing!”

“I will need someone to make sure Equestria continues to use my power responsibly. And besides, your friend won’t last much longer in Winter like this.”

Twilight watched powerlessly as she felt magic surge through the wind, all directed at Rainbow Dash. Her blue fur faded to the white of snow, and her mane… Her mane grew longer, flowing like Celestia’s, and the colors… They reminded her a little of hers too, turning from the colors of the rainbow, to the colors of the northern light.

As abruptly as the wind had started, it stopped, and Rainbow touched down gently on the ground. She no longer looked exhausted or in pain. But as Twilight got close, she could still feel the cold radiating off her body. She wasn’t an Alicorn, but she had clearly been empowered.

As the two friends hugged, the Queen of Winter smiled. “Now then. Let’s discuss our new contract.”