//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Cold Embrace // Story: The Crystal Vanguard // by Skarner //------------------------------// "Impressive." Evelynn commented silently. They all managed to slay the mighty Vilemaw and survive! Well, most of them that is. Without the feeling of intimidation, she carefully stalked the peculier group. Dragons were definitely not known to work with ponies. Sure they were buff and looked knowledgeable in the art of combat, but she must study them further to find their weakness; she'd usually just take her chances and confront them, but she decided to play passively. If she were to ruin this, they'll surely get their hands on the dragon relic. Her father has worked hard to obtain it, she won't let it slip from her again! For hours, they treaded. When Little Strongheart gave him the information to lead home, he just nodded and moved towards west of their position. The forest was lush, but fading. They can feel the void's corruption reaching further in. She worried for the creatures that lived near; they could be turned into those creatures that Malzahar talked about. Or perhaps they were already corrupted. If that were to be true, they have not seen any so far. The dawn was rising and Little Strongheart had no will to sleep after what she has been through. Her eyes fought otherwise. Gradually her pace started to slow. Kassadin took notice and motioned to stop. "We'll rest here. No need to strain yourself for now." he said "Okay." she replied, then slumped herself down on a patch of soft grass. Her eyes closed shut and very soon, her mind kicked into sleep. Kassadin only took a moments glance at her, then looked into the distance; he kept guard for both his and her sake. Earlier that night, he answered most of the little buffalo's questions. They had successfully traveled more than half of the distance to Canterlot, presumably the pony capitol. She found that he too, was a civilian from Canterlot, before he mysteriously disappeared. He sought, far and wide, for his daughter. With not much luck, he resorted to the final areas he has yet to search in: the Void. He also wanted to discover deep secrets that he has been studying for most of his life. The option benefited him both ways. At first, he feared the nightmares it brought, the risk of his death within a realm he knew nothing of. With only his blade that has been provided by an earlier confrontation with the void. Reluctantly, he was able to repel the devious traits it brought if he were to accept the Void. However, with his sane mind, he had to venture once more. The more time he spent in the Void, the more horrific it came to him. He was lucky to have kept his sanity once he survived for more than an hour. Finally meeting Malzahar, he demanded his daughter; she was being used as a sacrifice to the void. Through tough fighting and fears, he failed. The environment around him crumbled and shattered with his daughter inside the temple which was where the ritual was taking place. Forlorn, he retreated back into his own world, but because he was wandering around in the void for so long, it transformed him. He used the spell that Ryze held dearly, which unfortunately allowed the other void creatures to follow. He brought the monstrosities into this world. In addition, this world neither deserved or perhaps handle the threat that is now upon them. Nor did his daughter took her fate. A courier knocked on Luio's chamber doors; asking for entry. He awaited patiently and hummed a little tune he knew from his younger years. He took the time to notice the finer details of his door; it was smooth and gale, it was nice to stare at. At this point, he doubted that Luio heard his first knock. So he tried again. Once again, no immediate answer. He decided to peek through the door just to see if he was even there. He pressed open the knob and pushed gently on the door. It let out a small creek, indicating that it needed tending. The door slowly revealed Luio's chamber; a lot of clutter was visible from his point. When he finally got a view of the whole room, he saw Luio head down on his desk. At first his heart almost stopped, but then he heard his soft breathing. He let out a small giggle and strutted over to his side. He hesitated to prod him awake, but it was necessary; he was summoned by Shining Armour, knowing he doesn't like tardy calls. "Pst!~ Dr. Lucious!" he whispered, "Wake up!" It didn't seem to do the job, so he jabbed at his side. He reacted by jerking awake with a scream. The courier remained calm and simply spoke. "Captain Shining is awaiting your arrival at the barracks Docter." He adjusted himself upright and packed up his papers. he set them aside and nodded. "Just call me Luio please." "Will do." And so they went down to the Crystal Empire's barracks, leaving Luio's notes behind. Once again, he nagged Zargonath about the same topic in the past day. "I thought you have ridden Shyvana away!" his voice boomed over the poor drake in bed, "It is against the dragon code to defy the high commands! Especially when you are the 'high command'!" He sighed, "I had no idea that she would dare come close. It was beyond my will to bring her back too. What made you think that I summoned her while im here?" he gestured to himself, He snarled, "You're lucky that no other drake has heard about this, or we'll have another uproar." he stated. "I doubt they ever will anyways. Now could you please stop bothering me?" "This is very crucial Zarg!" "Don't you have duties to tend to?!" he raised his voice, making his stubborn advisor falter. He frowned in response, then turned to leave. Zargonath sighed once again and said, "Finally." He shed a tear, stricken by the memories brought back with his dear daughter. He wished upon a star that he could escape with her; they could live a new life together and perhaps find home with other friendly drakes. He shook his head, disbelieving the fact that other drakes would even consider to be neighbours with Shyvana. The dragonkind needed their former ruler of the Western Kingdom again, so they will no longer live in conflict. He shouldn't let his personal feelings become an obstacle in his life, it would prove to be most unwise. "Incoming!!" a scout hollered at the outer-guard tower. He nodded and ignited the fire beacon, indicated to Canterlot that they were coming. The guards and Skarner quickly took notice of the sudden flame that flickered in the distance. The guards sprinted towards other stations, alerting others, while Skarner broke into a gallop towards the north outer-guard tower. They were prepared for this, but they feared they wouldn't succeed in defending the kingdom. Only few have seen the true power of the Void. Of course they were nervous, but it didn't cause them to doubt. They have been through many invasions, and won. When Skarner reached the tower, he witnessed what the scout reported. At dusk, it was difficult to determine what they were. However, they were definitely large in numbers. The tower was evacuated and the guards stood behind Skarner, urging him to retreat with them, but he stood still and continued to gaze off into the distance. As they got closer, their features became more clearer. Then surprisingly, a large figure landed hard beside Skarner. "Do not fear Brackern." her gentle but loud voice brought him to remember, "We do not come in harm." "It's alright Anivia." he turned to his friend he met in the mountains, then to the scout who was trembling before the frost griffon, "Bring news to the others that it is nothing to fear of. The ponies of Freljord has come." "Right away s-sir!" he stammered and galloped away. "Please, tell me what brings you all here on our way to Canterlot." "Of course." she replied. Just then, Ashe entered the scene, assisted by another armoured pony who had a very large sword strapped to his side. She seemed to be limping, possibly a minor injury because Skarner could not locate the injury at first glance. "Its not only the ponies of Freljord who fled." she gestured to the pony at her side, "This is Tryndamere, he hails from a small clan located between IronSpike mountains and the Howling Marsh." He only nodded with a tear streaming down his left eye. Skarner was wise enough not to question what happened until later. Once they got a move on, Ashe spoke. "As foreseen, our enemies has overpowered us. Our lands were desecrated but most of our civilians were evacuated in time. My sister Sejuani, surprisingly made no presence since she holds cold hate against me. But my other sister, Lissandra, has brought destruction upon us. She has gone mad and has interacted with the watchers... The Frozen Watchers. Powerful council of unicorns who sought a world of frost and despair. Reluctantly we thought we vanquished them long ago... but little did I know that she was the last one. She brought an army of trolls and a horrific blizzard which swept the kingdom of Freljord." A large bear has entered the group. He nodded at Skarner who nodded back. And so, Ashe continued. "I just know it in my heart that it wasn't the true Lissandra i knew. She betrayed her tribe, The ice dervish, which is now extinct and replaced with the capitol of Freljord. She has corrupted her newest and strongest tribe, The Frostguard. They were an ancient group of elite soldiers from Freljord. They have protected Freljord since, and my sister formerly was in charge of them before she became corrupted. She managed to convince them that they were the only beings in Equestria who are sentients and pure. But they do not see that they are the opposite." Skarner lowered his head. This all happened after that day they met at the mountains. "Despite the chaos, Sejuani has made an appearance. I had an alliance forged between her tribe, The Winter's Claw, and my people, The Ursine. Fortunately, she agreed to ally with Ashe upon neutral grounds; their personal problems were not resolved however. She trails behind the ponies to ensure they are safe." "Hey! Don't forget me!" an unknown voice was heard behind them. "Oh yes. Skarner, meet Nunu; he is a well-respected pony in Freljord." He turned to greet the new one and was taken surprise. Nunu mounted a very large yeti who towered 3 times higher than Skarner. He had a white mane, and a tanned coat. He wore a red jacket above it though. His cutie mark was a ball of ice surrounded with some fragments of ice. His yeti had a slightly blue-er coat. "Nice to meet ya!" he implied with glee, "Likewise." said Skarner. The yeti huffed in response. He slowed down when he saw the scout he sent earlier, return. He panted and galloped. As soon as he was close to Skarner, he spoke of his report. "Princess Celestia awaits and welcomes the ponies of Freljord to Canterlot." They all smiled in the news and continued on in silence. He wondered more about this Lissandra, if she was more than Ashe knew. He decided he'd push aside that thought for now. The dark sky became brighter as Celestia raised it to glorify it's light across Equestria. The morning light warmed their hearts. But deep down, they knew it will not break the oncoming chaos. The island bore more than just drifting spirits... Ryze swerved to his left, nerved by the possible threat that lurked behind the shadows. It seemed like the more time they spent on the island, the more fearsome the environment grew. This was also beginning to cause the others to become nervous. They haven't run into anything besides their encounter with Vilemaw... yet. The air was musty and chilled. For hours now, they trotted through the twisted trees and eery fogs. The Shadow Isles is a very mysterious place; barely anypony knows it's true purpose. Yes, it provided land for the dead. But the legends have foretold that there were beings who walked the lands. Of course, at this point, they are not hard to believe. They have encountered many other strange creatures with just as strange purposes: such as Shaco, the demon jester. He roams the slums of Canterlot, also having a very high bounty above his head. However, the jester can not be contained as the guardponys say; he is simply a master of deception. Shaco has been caught numerous times, but is known to escape 'when he feels like it'. "We're almost there!" ,Quinn announced, "Just over the clearing." The group enhanced their pace, eager to witness the dragon relic. "Careful my little ponies. We do not want to stumble upon any more traps." Sarhoth warned, They nodded in agreement and ventured on. With caution of course. The fog shrouded their pathway, creating suspense for what laid ahead. At last, they overcame the clearing but to their surprise... "Where is it?" said Krypt, Quinn shook her head, then pulled out the map provided. She double-checked the details, wondering what they did wrong. She wore a frustrated expression which only grew more intense as the time lingered on. Then it came to her: who would be idiotic enough to mark where their relic was?! Rather, a stolen relic! They must've set a trap in the area when they lured explorers. She jumped back, which startled the others. "Whats wrong?" asked Ryze "The map lead us to a trap. The relic was never here... it is somewhere else." she replied. Ryze pondered her words for a moment. "Zargonath gave us a map leading to a trap?" "Yes, but doubt he knew it was phony. It was his only piece of information he had on it." "Then how do we find the relic now?" he turned to the drakes who gave him a shrug. "Purhaps I can help yer with that." a grudgy voice sounded behind them, They all turned to see the new pony. He wore mangy clothing, tattered and greenish brown. His cutie mark was a shovel that match the shovel he held on his back. His mane was hidden by the cloak that covered only his head and neck. His tail was cut-off though. His coat is dark green and dirty. He hung a ghoulish lantern attached to his neck, illuminating the path before him. With quick reactions, the drakes took up their arms and dashed at the strange pony but was stopped by Ryze's runic cages. Quinn had her weapon pointed at the pony, ready to fire. All awhile Ryze stepped up to the pony with a smug smile. "It has been a long time Yorick." "It haz indeed! Now I be hearin' about yer 'relic' that ye seek." "Correct, the dragon relic. Do you know where it is?" He tisked twice, "If ye want to find yerself that relic, I can guide yer and ye friends to it. But be warned: it's current possessor ain't easy to talk to." Now released and calm, the drakes looked at eachother in questioning glances. "Please take us. We need that relic." He nodded and waved them to follow. Crippled, the bear laid waitingly for his impending death. He was doomed the moment the dragon saw him. It was unusual for dragons to hunt large bears such as him, but today must've been an exception. Shyvana approached the bear slowly but confidently. She turned back into her pony-form and leaned into the bear's torso and whispered. "I thank you, for giving up your life. Your death will serve purpose and I am forlorn grateful." she jabbed at the bear's neck, making quick death. He flinched and eventually resided. She shed a tear and turned back into her dragon-form, only to carry the large bear to her usual spot. She enjoyed her "spot", it was peaceful, isolated, and warm. Her spot was specifically located under a mossy cliff that had a large overhang. She lifted the bear with her claws, and took off into the air. She took this time to cruise through the day since it was so lovely today, but what caught her attention lurked beyond the cliff she was heading to. A large bestial figure that is very peculier to her, was walking the desert gap between the forest and her father's tribe. Now that she has flown closer, it wasn't large as she assumed. In fact, it was more of a skirmish group accompanied by another dragon. Now closer, nothing was wrong about the scene except for the fact that ponies were escorting a dragon. She flew lower to avoid attention. She observed the dragon's features, dark purple and black scales, with blue armour. Unfortunately they noticed her, but ignored her. She ignored them as well and continued her way to her home. The swerved around the over-growth that melded her home from others and gently laid the bear beside her firepit. She tore into the bear's flesh, taking a slab of meat from his flank. She scored it with a stick and placed it upon her firepit. She blew fire as she slowly turned the stick to thoroughly cook the meat. She figured, it would be best to get comfy now. bear meat is very tough and dense. She sat and continued to blow fire. It would've been easier to ignite wood underneath it, but she felt too lazy to scavenge firewood today. This gave her time to reflect about her day today. Nothing really excited besides her sighting in the desert. Earlier that day, she spent some time near the shore. She was spotted by a pirate ship so she had to bail out and retreat before they chased her. Dragons are worth a lot of bounty. But something unsettled her about that dragon. As if she recognized him... or her... but probably him. He was familiar in a way, but she couldn't quite put a claw on it. Weird how the memory brought her a distinct smell of ashes. Tsst! A sound interrupted her thinking. She was back into reality but she still smelled ashes? Her bear meat was blackened; she burnt her food. Quickly, she shook off the excess flames that lingered on the flesh and brought it away from the heat. She sighed and chipped away at the burnt meat, hoping that the inside is well cooked. Hah! Burnt... Burny burny... Burning... Bird... Burd... Burden... she gasped to herself at her sudden realization. Burdac! I have to tell father that he has returned! "Captain? You wanted to see me?" said Luio as he entered his office, "Oh!" ,he looked up from the map he was studying, "Just wanted to see if everything is okay. You seemed pretty bummed lately." "I really don't want to talk about it Captain." Shining placed his hoof on his shoulder, "I don't want to talk with formality. Im just Shining, and you're just my pal. Now come on, talk to me." He sighed,Was it essential to tell your captain all of your secrets? "Im working on a plan to get rid of the Void once they come." he lied terribly, "We have already discussed this Luio." "Oh! But this is an extravagant plan! We can dismiss our old one and instead use mine." he beamed, "Uh huh." he said with sarcasm, "I know that you're hiding something. Come on man." He hung his head lower and looked between his hooves. "Fine." ... "So? Whats wrong?" Shining shifted impatiently, "Its just that... I really am sad about the whole buffalo thing. It must've been really hard on them; I mean, they had a lot of losses!" The captain edged closer, as if he wanted nopony to hear. "I know you have an eye for Gears..." "Gears?" he lied, "A.k.a Caitlyn?" "Oh her!" he recoiled at the memory of her as images flashed through his mind, "Really a big, sad thing that she gone missing huh." "We'll find her Luio." he simply said. It made a full-grown pony such as Luio tear up. But he wouldn't let himself falter. "Thanks." he smiled warmly, "I needed that... Im going to check out the Freljord people." "Alright, see you around!" They waved goodbye as Luio parted from the barracks. He tucked in his map which is one of the most valuable in Equestria. Phase 1:check! He smiled wickedly. The guards politely opened the door for them. The mares then stepped into a hall filled with many ponies from Freljord. "Oh my gosh! So many ponies!" Pinkie instantly jumped and smiled, then got into a serious tone, "So little time...". She zipped up to the nearest pony who had a light blue coat and a more vibrant shade of blue for her mane. She wore light but chunky armour, a frosty helmet that had a horn sticking out on one side, and furry boots. Her cutiemark was a claw encased with ice. Overall, she didn't look friendly with her flail and large shield. "Hi there! Im Pinkie Pie! Oh but you can just call me Pinkie because thats what all my friends call me. Hey what does your cutie mark mean? Whats it like in uh... Fellyord?" Twilight has never seen a dirtier look than Gilda until now. "Look. Im not in my brightest mood. How about you dawdle off before i show you what my cutiemark REALLY means." she spoke through her teeth. "But I want to know what it means!" She whistled, and soon the ground was rumbling. Behind her, the crowd parted to the sides of the wall to allow passage for the creature. A large and angry boar stormed to the pony's side and got nose-to-nose close with PInkie, bellowing a loud snarl. "Heh heh... nice piggy~" Pinkie slowly backed off, sane enough to not mess with the pony. She ended up laughing uncontrollably. Pinkie can only trade a sheepish smile. Her friends came to her side, staring down the boar. "But seriously... get lost." she said when she regained herself, "Sejjy! Thats no way to greet ponies in Canterlot!" a new po-- Yeti came into the scene, although the pony mounted on it's shoulders was talking, "Hey im Nunu, and he's Wilump" he raised his hoofs over his head in enthusiasm. Wilump towered over them by at least 3 times their size. Rarity fainted while the others stared, gawking at such large creatures. "Rarity!" they all said in unison, and helped her up. Once she was able to stand on her own, Nunu's yeti striked a pose in humour. "Uh... howdy Newnew." Applejack was the first to say, "Ahm Applejack, and this here are ma best friends, Twilight, Fluttershy, Pinkiepie, Rarity, and Rainbowdash." she managed a convincing smile. "Hi" meeked Fluttershy, "Well?" he gestured to the pony, "Go on, introduce yourself!" She scuffed and crossed her hooves while leaning against her boar. "Call me Sejuani. And that's Bristle." she nudged her boar who softened his look. "Well it's very nice meeting you Sejuani." Twilight raised a hoof for her, but was stopped by Bristle who got in her way. Twilight retreated back and laughed nervously. "I have no time for this. Come on Bristy." they both exited the hall behind them. "Don't mind her, she's a very stubborn mare but she can be quite a hearty one when shes in a good mood." said Nunu, "Without a doubt! Sheesh!" said Pinkie, Sejuani reminded her and Rainbowdash about the whole Gilda day. "Yer okay Rainbow?" asked Applejack, noticing shes blowing a fume. "Can't wait to get my hooves on her! Who does she think she is?!" she replied, "Only a warlord, a princess, and a very powerful ally." remarked Nunu, who only made Rainbow's temper worsen. "Now now girls," said Rarity, "We must see Princess Celestia as she does want to see us immediately." They all nodded in agreement and began their way towards her studies.