//------------------------------// // Chapter 4: It's a Doozy // Story: Memories of the Stone // by WanderingPony //------------------------------// It wasn't quite up there with Discord breaking loose, but having ghostly ice ponies terrorizing your day comes close enough for the average Equestrian. Thankfully, most ponies couldn't actually SEE what was going on above and the fleeing pegasi weren't hanging around to tell them. "EVERYPONY, PLEASE REMAIN CALM AND SEATED WHILE THE ROYAL GUARD DEALS WITH THE DISTURBANCE. LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE PROBLEM WITH THE CLOUD CONDITIONERS, THE WEATHER PONIES ARE ON THEIR WAY TO FIX THAT THUNDERSNOW." Sweating a bit despite the sudden cold, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza had a very clear view of exactly what WAS going on. "How, by Auntie's pastel patootie are windigos flying around the biggest collection of love and friendship in Equestria?", ran through her head before she shook the stunned fit of silly filly out of her horn and lit up the skies. Celestia is powerful enough to move the Sun. Luna, the Moon. But Cadence was the mistress of the power of love itself, and for a pack of windigos, nothing could be a more potent defense. Like a searchlight, a rosy pink glow blasted upwards from her horn into the clouds and snow, painting a heart across the heights as she borrowed the goodwill of her subjects. Ghostly horses vanished with wails of despair as the light passed over them. Chilled guardponies and spectators that had been caught in the assault relaxed as frosted manes and frozen wings thawed, feeling like Cadence had managed to hug each and every one of them at the same time. As the windigoes either melted away or fled, a cheer began in the stands, hooves clomping in a steady patter of applause while the flakes of ice faded away to nothing more than random sprinkles of warm rain. Blue suited pegasi moved in to corral the wayward cloud seating as Royal Guardponies untangled the flock and either escorted them to a cloud, the aid stations below, or the exits for those for which the Games had gotten a little TOO exciting. Meanwhile, two alicorns furled their wings, leaving considerably more room for everyone else in the Royal Box as their horns ceased to glow. On their bellies, Shining Armor, Twilight and Rarity looked at each other in a mix of disbelief and satisfaction. "That's my special pony!", said Shining with a grin. He'd deflected a few falling weapons and such shielding the crowd, along with the sisters alicorn. "They shouldn't have been able to BE here!", said his sister. She'd caught a few falling pegasi, with some help from Rarity. "That was absolutely DREADFUL!", finished the third (no relation). "Darling Twilight, what ever do you mean by that? Oh, no no NO!" Briefly, six pairs of eyes looked at Rarity. "IT RUINED MY MAKEUP! TORE A STITCH IN MY CAPE! SWEET CELESTIA, I NEED A MIRROR AND A SEWING NEEDLE!" Applejack looked over as Rarity frantically scattered a powder puff, three spools of thread and a small topaz out of her bags, mining for her Emergency Fashion Disaster Kit. "Eeyup. Them troubles have been a-verted." Finally able to move after being plastered against the wall by two pairs of alicorn wings, Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked back at the undisturbed table with bowls of punch...and barrels of cider still stacked nearly to the top. Yeah. it's Filler Time. (tm Sweet Apple Acres brewery, used by permission) "OK, those ghost ponies? Kinda lame. Didn't even need to move a wing there. Anyone want another cider?" "My little pony, please get me four and one of Pinkie's straws, and thank you.", spoke Celestia. "THOU HAST NO IDEA. Two of the reds, should any be left. And one of the golden.", added her sister. "Whoa! You two? No way!" as Dash tried to figure out how to balance that many mugs at once without looking totally not cool in the process. Plus hers. Seeing the result, Applejack snagged a serving plate off the table and waited for the pegasus to notice. The two Princesses bobbed their heads almost as one. "Twilight, Shining Armor- speak with Us a moment in private." The foursome sidled over to the one corner of the room not occupied by Dash's acrobatics, Rarity's hysterics, or snack food. As one, the sisters bent their heads low and whispered: "We do not wish to cause a panic, but turn about very slowly and look to the ground...and then go to Princess Cadence as swiftly as you can without teleporting, quietly inform her as to what is happening and be ready for the worst." "ohmyohmyOWohmyumHELPohmyohgoshohdearohmyOUCHohmy..." Under the refreshment table and un-noticed by the rest, Fluttershy was holding Pinkie Pie and suffering quietly. A blackening eye showed where one of the earth pony's hooves had smacked her in the face, but the pegasus was too busy trying to keep her charge from thrashing about. Anyone who didn't know Pinkie would have thought she was having an epileptic seizure. Her eyes rolled. The edges of her nostrils foamed. If she wasn't being restrained, she'd probably have clopped holes into the walls as one leg and then another jerked to unseen strings. Her tail spun around like a whirligig, occupied with slowly shredding it's way through the tablecloth and scourging Fluttershy's flank like a whip. Her face warped like silly putty as spasms radiated down the length of her body... Well, at least she'd finally topped that clone for the craziest face ever. "The Elements are at the train station in the Guard barracks, locked in the closet with a horn-seal you are keyed to open, Twilight. The Heart is about to be used at the final part of the ceremonies.", intoned Celestia sotto voce. "I fear we shall need both..." "...for that is one real Doozy.", finished Luna. "excusemehavetousethelittlefillyfoalsroomthatciderreallygetsthroughyoufastrightberightbackBYE!" came out of Twilight and Shining's mouth in perfect unison as they collided trying to get through the door. Three steps later, Twilight vanished in a flash of magic and Shining had accelerated to a bulldozing pace most minotaurs would be proud of, random ponies finding themselves abruptly tossed aside by his horn as he galloped for the ramp to the stadium floor. The audience continued to cheer and stomp their hooves, unaware...