//------------------------------// // Cold as Ice // Story: Tales of the Battle Foals // by Sirdubya //------------------------------// With the cold chills shaken off and everything once again calm in the cavernous chamber, the Battle Foals mentally prepared themselves for something they never thought they’d have to do- converse with a dragon. Frostbite didn’t exactly look ready to talk seeing as his pride must have taken a blow, and he had no real obligation to talk to the foals, but he wanted them out of his cave above all else, and it looked like conversation was his only option. “So….you live here?” Fire Fight asked, trying to break the ice in more ways than one. Frostbite glared down at him. “I did say this was my cave, didn’t I?” he growled. “What are you even doing here?” “W-We’re terribly sorry, Frostbite. We had no idea that anyone had taken up residence in this cave. We were under the impression that it had all been abandoned.” Quantum Tech said. “It used to belong to us Griffons in the past.” Valkyrie added. “Well, it’s mine now. So there! Now answer my question, or get out!” Frostbite demanded. “We can just kick your a** again, you know!” Bullseye growled. “Bullseye!” Fire Fight said sternly as he leered authoritatively at her, causing her to reluctantly calm down. He then looked back at Frostbite. “We’re trying to get to the other side of this mountain range from Griffonstone, and we thought we could use one of these old mines to get through more easily.” Frostbite cocked his eyebrow. “Umm….why?” Fire Fight explained what he did to Valkyrie, knowing that a dragon wouldn’t care about the finer details of a pony’s plight. “Okay, cool. Spare me your sob story. I get it.” He said. “But why over there? There’s like….nothing.” “Huh?” Spiral Galaxy and the others were confused. “But Valkyrie said there were all kinds of dangerous monsters living there.” “Pfft! Well, I don’t know what mountains she was talking about, because over there, it’s about as dry as a bone.” Frostbite said. Valkyrie was befuddled. “You sure, dude? I’ve heard all kinds of weird roaring coming from over there from Griffonstone.” Frostbite cocked his head. “Well, it definitely wasn’t me.” He said. “What about these…robots?” Tidal Wave asked, pointing to the heap of mechanical debris. “Are we to presume it was you who destroyed them?” Greensprout asked. “Of course I trashed ‘em! They keep trying to take my gems!” Frostbite scoffed. “They ‘keep’ trying?” Shadow Shroud inquired. “Yeah! A dragon’s gotta eat, you know. I don’t know what they want my gems with, but I don’t care. They’re taking my food!” Frostbite said. “And….this had been going recently?” Air Slash inquired further. Frostbite huffed, clearly frustrated that questions were being fired at him. “Yeah. I’d say for about two weeks now, and I’ve lived here for about two months, so I don’t think this is a regular occurrence.” “Do you know where they have been coming from?” Zebota asked. Frostbite turned his head in such a way that he meant to present something. “There’s a big hole down another few tunnels that they must have dug up to get in here. I finally got the idea to block it up with a boulder so they’d stop. I guess they’re coming from where you guys are trying to get to.” “You ain’t just froze it shut?” Turf War asked, pointing to the wall of ice barring their first exit to this chamber. “Ice melts dude.” Frostbite growled. “Speaking o’ which, Ah don’t rightly recall ever hearin’ about a dragon that breathed ice b’fore.” Kickback said. “Oh, yes! I’ve had my theories as to how your kind breathes fire, but ice? Now that’s going to be quite the brainteaser.” Quantum commented. Frostbite suddenly looked very frustrated, even anxious. “Tch! Look, I don’t know how it happened, but it did, okay? Yeah, I might be a bit different from the others, but like I care! It’s not like they….made fun of me for not being able to do one simple thing or anything…. ARGH! Why am I even bothering with you guys!?” He turned around in a fuss and started walking away. “Just go plant your little pony farm or whatever and….a-and just leave me alone!!” The foals realized that they’d struck a raw nerve. They weren’t sure whether to leave the issue be so to not risk angering him, or to lightly press the issue, seeing as he might be important to their progression. Based on the notion of their latter choice, they decided to take the risk. “Umm…. Frostbite?” Fire Fight stammered. “WHAT!?!?” Frostbite’s voice echoed blown speakers throughout his chamber, and the foals suddenly felt everything get cold again. Fire Fight gulped, not wanting to be frozen alive again. “Could you maybe take us to that boulder so we can….get over there…..please?” Frostbite glared at them for a tense moment as the air around only seemed get colder, and Shadow Shroud was even readying herself to draw her kunai. However, the icy drake seemed to calm down some as his facial expression got slightly less tense, and he sighed. “This way.” He began walking towards the tunnel he’d just pointed to and motioned for them to follow. Just before Fire Fight could lead his pack, Shadow Shroud stopped him for a moment. “Keep your distance. He’s cranky, and…..I don’t want you to get frozen again.” Her tone was legitimately sincere and concerned this time. Fire Fight nodded. “Right.” The moment the foals began following Frostbite down the long, rocky tunnel, they felt a tension that made the compressed space only feel more claustrophobic. At any given moment, their new acquaintance might decide that he was done with them and just freeze them on the spot. They eyed him simply to monitor his behavior, which was made all the more difficult as he would occasionally rip a random gem out of the wall and gobble it down, which was a bit awkward. Bullseye resisted the urge to lash out at him again for nearly freezing her to death. Quantum Tech couldn’t help but to take the opportunity to run some scans on the oddball dragon. While little was known among ponies about the dragons, one that could breathe ice was definitely news to them, and based on Frostbite’s reaction to their inquisition about his unique ability, it was probably news to his own kind as well. She had suspected for a long time that fire-breathing was a biological function of dragons rather than anything magic based, though any scenario she could have theorized about how they did it was structured around some of her own conjecture about their anatomy and physiology. Oddly, Frostbite’s body seemed to be blocking the signals emitted by Quantum’s mech and she couldn’t get her scanners to get a read on him. Dragons were certainly known for having thick scales that protected them from any manner of extreme environments, but it seemed that they were so well-fortified that even x-ray scanners couldn’t pierce through them. She’d need to run a blood test or two at best, but she wasn’t expecting much, if any cooperation. The foals silently agreed to not speak a word for the risk of provoking Frostbite again. They just followed him through the winding tunnels that once belonged to the griffons of old. Valkyrie took this opportunity to wonder what all her people must have endured in this dreadful environment. Eventually, they were led to the end of a tunnel that had been sealed shut by a huge boulder that had obviously been placed there by their host. Frostbite stood before his handy work and let out a frustrated sigh. “Prepare to be disappointed.” With the amazing strength known to dragon, Frostbite easily lifted the rocky obstacle into his arms and carried it over to the side where he set it down. “Well, there it is. Hope you’re happy.” He said insincerely. Fire Fight and the other foals gave him an annoyed glare as they passed by him to see what he was talking about. Much to everyone, namely Valkyrie’s shock, the land beyond the mountains was virtually a barren desert. A small handful of trees that were few and far between made it look like a dried and withered savanna where red sand blew in the hot winds across its thirsty ground. Skeletal corpses of ferocious-looking beasts sometimes peeked out of the ground and rock walls around areas of higher elevation, and the foals could swear that the world was ending, starting with this location. “Wh-What the?.... But I could swear this place was filled to the brim with all kinds of huge plants and monsters and stuff!” Valkyrie exclaimed. “What gives!?” “Perhaps your information was out of date?” Air Slash suggested. “At least it’s better than a forest of gnashing teeth and claws. ” Tidal Wave said. Shrapnel started whimpering as his master looked out into the desolate landscape in complete horror. His expression looked as though he were watching his parents be mauled again, and he looked like he was about to cry. “This place….” He muttered. “It was……ravaged…..destroyed! The spirits here are so weak that……they have lost their dominion over these lands…..” He lowered his head in solemn despair. “What you mean, dog?” Turf War asked. “He’s right!” Quantum interjected. “I’m detecting exceedingly high levels of residual radiation that has the same signature as the plasma fired by those strange robots. They must have razed this entire ecosystem trying to search for something.” Zebota’s sorrow quickly turned to anger that was telegraphed when Shrapnel started viciously growling as his master lifted his head. “Then…..they will pay for this desecration!!” he growled. Shrapnel let out a powerful howl that echoed throughout the dusty wind as Zebota’s brooch gleamed fiercely in the setting sunlight. The foals couldn’t help but to quiver at the sight of Zebota and Shrapnel so infuriated. While he had firmly established his reverence for Nature when they first met, he always seemed so calm, even he threatened to throw them into a river. “T-Take it easy, Zebota. We’ll do something about them.” Quantum Tech stepped out her mech and trotted up to her mystic friend. “Calm down, darling. It’s clear that these machines pose some sort of threat. I certainly despise the misuse of technology like this, and it seems we’ll having a run-in or two with them anyhow. Conserve your fury for when you need it. My own mech will stand ready to punish them.” Zebota noticeably calmed down at his friend’s words, and he looked far less like he was about to go on a rampage worthy of the Blood Cupid, as did Shrapnel. He glanced up at her. “Yes….you are right. I am sorry Quantum Tech. That was not proper of me.” “We all have our moments, darling.” Quantum said. Frostbite killed the mood upon speaking up. “You dweebs satisfied?” “Well, have y’all actually been out yonder before, partner?” Kickback asked. Frostbite impatiently rolled his eyes. “Only once or twice just to see where those stupid robots were coming from.” “And?” Spiral Galaxy asked. “And there was some kind of…..city or something that was glowing red for some reason. I don’t freakin’ know.” Frostbite scoffed. This obviously caught the foals attention. “CITY!?” They all said in unison. “Ok, ok. It looked like one. It was a bunch of like…..towering black rocks that sometimes glowed red like these things sometimes do.” Frostbite said as he picked a stray robot part and tossed it to the side. “I didn’t get very close, because….” He started to angrily pout. “Because…..you were scared?” Fire Fight asked. “What!? NO WAY!” Frostbite exclaimed. “I could totally trash that whole place with my claws plugged up and…..a-and blindfolded! Yeah.” “Then why haven’t you done so yet, O mighty dragon of the ice?” Shadow Shroud asked. “And why does it matter if your claws are ‘plugged’ up?” Greensprout asked. Frostbite gritted his teeth. “Because…..b-because I haven’t prepared yet. I-I’ve been trying to come up with a…a…a strategy! You think I’m stupid enough to just waltz in there thinking I could blow on them and be done with it!?” “That’s exactly what y’all just implied a second ago.” Kickback said. “SHUT UP!” Frostbite interjected. “Now Frostbite, if you think they’re a mite tough fer ya, just say so. No need to go hootin’ and hollerin’ at us. Nopony’s judgin’ ya.” Kickback said. “Yeah! In fact, why don’t we help each other out?” Fire Fight suggested. “WHAT!?” Everyone exclaimed. “We want basically the same thing, right? Why not work together with Frostbite to investigate these weird robots and that red light that Valkyrie mentioned?” Fire Fight said. “Tch! I don’t need any help, least of all from some stupid little ponies.” Frostbite scoffed. “Ponies that kicked your a**, in case you forgot.” Bullseye hissed. “Yeah. Barely.” Frostbite growled. “Well, alright then. I suppose my friends and I will be cheering you on as you face that ‘city’ all by yourself. What’s the worst that could possibly happen to such a mighty, invincible creature such as yourself?” Shadow Shroud teased. Her words caused Frostbite to glance nervously out at the barren landscape, and he recalled the foreboding sight of the anomaly when he first happened upon it. He had never been so intimidated in his life. However reluctantly, he gave in to logic. “Fine…” he muttered. “Oh! I’m sorry. I couldn’t hear you.” Shroud teased. “WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, OK!?!?” Frostbite exclaimed. “But….b-but only because I know you little dweebs are gonna need a powerhouse like me to protect- I-I mean….help…..you guys….” He stammered. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, dude.” Valkyrie said. “Speakin’ o’ which, we should probably hit the hay about now y’all. Ah reckon if we set off at first dawn, we can get a mighty fine head start in scoutin’ that settlement out.” Kickback said. “You read my mind, Kickback!” Fire Fight said. “Of course he did, because he’s just a dream!” Quantum cooed, prompting Kickback to angrily lower his hat over his face. Frostbite suddenly remembered something as they made their back to the tunnel. “Oh! You asked about my claws. Well, you see, they can ooze this like…..venom that causes anything I claw with them to freeze on the inside a little.” Bullseye glared at him. “So that’s what happened!” she growled, remembering her ordeal from earlier. “Really!?” Quantum said in curiosity. “Would you mind if I took a sample?” “Hooves off the claws, pony.” Frostbite said. Quantum sighed. “Thought so…” Suddenly, they heard a powerful roar akin to that of a manticore, but bigger echo from the desolate land before them. Something about it sounded….wrong. It reminded the foals that fought it of the crystal golem beneath Canterlot. “Cave. Inside. Now.” Fire Fight ordered. They all hurried inside, and Frostbite barred the opening with an exhaled wall of ice followed by the boulder. “I thought y’all said that ice wasn’t gonna do nuttin’, bruh.” Turf War said. “Insurance.” Frostbite replied. ??? “Hmm….. So the only reason the scouts haven’t been able to mine as much gems as I’d like is because of a dragon living there. How inconvenient. Although, the fact that it breathes ice is quite peculiar. Definitely warrants further observation. But these foals….. They’re the real specimens, namely the one that can change her physiology at will, or that vitality staff that the robed one carries, this zebra that has somehow bent the will of an alpha timberwolf. Ooh! I’d feel far more threatened if not for my little servants. I’m sure they’ll appreciate more than just these simple beasts. You’ve always had a keen eye for the extraordinary, haven’t you…..Valkyrie?”