The Origins of Winterhoofen

Chapter 2 - The Building of Winterhoofen

A few long years passed, the changelings having taken over their sweet Manebrook and claiming it as their new hive. The pony citizens spent their new lives as nomads, travelling from city to city to exchange goods. Some would find new places to settle, opting to stay behind in a city they've just stumbled upon, or others finding family or friends to move in with. Midnight roamed for a while, his large herd decreasing in numbers the longer they continued this lifestyle, both those who decided to leave, and those who were lost from illness or injury.

Midnight had wandered long enough and was certain that they should begin rebuilding their kingdom. They had been settled near the base of a large, steep mountain for just over two weeks at this point. It was cold, but the mountain wall kept them safe from the wind chill, making the freezing temperatures at least bearable. 

"My loyal subjects." he would announce, hovering just overhead of the ponies. "I have decided that this is where we will settle. We can rebuild our walls from the ground up, just as the ancestors of Manebrook had done long ago. We will fortify our walls, creating them stronger than ever in the wake of our beloved kingdom's demise. I shall be your king, like my mother and my father before me, I will rule with great nobility and protect you all with my heart and soul." He glances around his audience and grits his teeth, holding back the tears that threatened to pour out of him. With a heavy heart, he lowers himself back to the ground, bowing his head in grief. "I know how devastating this has been for all of you, and I can't say I would be able to take away that pain, but I can offer hope, courage, and strength." His head raises again, his horn pointed toward the sky with a soft glow. A beacon of light emits through that horn and fans out in the sky, creating a large shield around the limits of where their new kingdom would be settled. With a determined furrow in his brow, he eyes the ponies, his hoof stamping on the ground. Murmurs and whispers can be heard from the crowd, this audience finally able to speak, turning to their neighbors and bantering amongst themselves. "Ponies! This will be our new home! We shall rebuild this kingdom into something glorious, and we shall call it Winterhoofen! We will stand tall! We will not be defeated!" 

At these words, there is a wonderous uproar. Earth pony hooves stamp the ground in applause, pegasi fly overhead, their wingbeats strong in unison, the unicorns send sparks like fireworks into the sky. These subjects are rejuvenated with a brilliant new hope, their celebration shaking the ground below. Midnight can't help but smile proudly in that moment, he felt stronger than ever. 

It wasn't long before he had to turn away from this celebration, the gut-wrenching memory of his parents flooding his mind, bringing those stinging tears to his eyes. He hides away around the side of the mountain and sobs, the salty tears staining his cheeks until there were no more to cry. He gathers himself, finally, and makes his way back to the crowd. They begin making plans and drawing out blueprints to their new kingdom.

With help from Princess Cadance and the Crystal Empire nearby, they were able to get the supplies they needed. They started with the walls, their protection most significant to start with. The walls were built much taller and thicker than before, with plenty of magical bindings and wards for protection. Sat atop these walls were guard posts. From there, homes were built. Each pony had a hoof in designing and then building their new home, then a school and a hospital were established, then the shops, then finally, once all was settled and neatly in place, work was started on the castle. It wasn't such a grand towering castle as before, but it was much larger than even the largest homes of Winterhoofen, and stood a good deal taller than any other building. It was also nestled the closest upon the mountain's base, part of said castle actually leading into a tunnel within the earth. 

A shrine was built in the park, in memory of his parents who fought so bravely for these ponies. It was a large statue that depicted both of them in armor, fighting beside each other. Below, there was a plaque that read "Nova Drift and Shadow Wing, In Memoriam. Long Live Manebrook" Often times, there would be flowers, bread, candy, or other offerings placed on the marble base of the statue. Some would leave notes and letters to their former rulers. It seemed everypony was grieving their loss.