//------------------------------// // Chapter 27: Blurse is Best // Story: Frozen Equestria // by Flashburn37 //------------------------------// Chapter 27: Blurse is best "I have a plan!" Celestia began. She sat there staring at those before her. "And that plan would be?" Luna asked her. "I'm still finalizing the details, but what I have is simple. Using the caves beneath Cantorlot we sneak in and ambush Evandra to gain the Element of Magic. Then, after finding Twilight, by using the Elements of Harmony we banish the evil in the hearts of the Freezers and drive them away using the help from with the reinforcements from the Crystal Empire, the Misty Isles and... well... the other kingdoms have just walled us off... No other help will be coming. Flash we need you to help with the Windigos this time for real. I fear we may not enough talent amongst us. If any of you have allies in Equestria that have yet to be called upon, now is the time." "We could ask Daring Do!" Rainbowdash yelled. "She's too busy with other things. I'm sure you'll read about it very soon." Flashburn had an idea pop into his head, "I may know somepony... But I'd rather she not get involved." "Flash, if you know somepony then you must speak up! Imagine how this pony will live in a Frozen Equestria?" "Ohhhh! She said it!" Pinkie jumped up, "They've been close to it earlier but now they actually said it!" "Pinkie! This is serious!" Twilight scolded her. "Oh... sorry..." Flashburn coughed, "Well, her name... Her name... She's Boomie. We kinda have a thing... but it never ends well... Similar to me, when she gets overly emotional, she loses control. For some reason I also seem to lose control around her and the results are... well... kinda... imagine a wonderful forest. Now imagine it on fire. That's me. Now imagine the ground randomly exploding. That's her. I always leave because... I'm afraid she'll get hurt. I don't want her to get hurt." "It is a war. I cannot guarantee her safety but if we lose I can guarantee that she will suffer." Celestia told him. "She lives in Fillydelphia... as a miner at a quarry. If you send a letter to Fillydelphia Rock and Granite Counter Tops Co. Then you should be able to reach her." "Thank you Flashburn, any others?" "Maybe one or two more." Auto began, "In my search for talent... I refused a few... Well I refused one, and never gave the option to another." "You refused somepony!?" Celestia guffawed. "I had assumed you just took all you could!" Flashburn raised an eyebrow, "Excuse me, but some of those ponies are no longer with us." "Sorry. What were their names?" "One, was this ground pony that is supposedly the strongest in Equestria. He went by the name Pwnicus. The second was a unicorn by the name of The Great and Powerful Trix..." "You can stop right there!" Rainbowdash interrupted him. "We do not want her help. She can't really do anything, she just brags!" "Hush Rainbow, any pony can be of use. Even her." Rarity calmed Rainbow. "Do you know how we can reach them?" Celestia asked. "Pwnicus should be in the construction district in Manehatten, I don't know where Trixie is." Auto admitted. "Very well, luckily the garrison in Fillydelphia and the garrison in Manehatten both stand. Spike, send a letter to them, we wish for all troops to mass here in the Everfree and tell each city to contact those ponies, respectively. Flash you may want to write the letter to Sparkboom yourself." Fluttershy had a weird feeling about Celestia. She had just lost her home where she had lived for over a thousand years, yet she was handling everything calm and collected, as if nothing had happened. "Umm, Princess... Can I talk to you... in private? You know, if that's okay." "Of course Fluttershy, come outside with me." Celestia got up from Rogue's dining room table and led Fluttershy outside. "What do you wish to discuss?" "I know it's not my place but... well... you've lost a lot recently but appear completely fine. Are you okay? If you need to talk about it I will listen." Fluttershy said with compassion dripping from her voice. "Thank you Fluttershy, it is your place to offer such a thing and even though I don't need grief counseling some of the others might. Especially that Flashburn..." "But you've been through so much recently. How are you able to bear losing your home and friends?" "Fluttershy... You must understand, I come from a different time and have lost a millennium of memory. I am only now regaining some memories. To tell the truth I only remember living in Cantorlot a few years and most of my dear friends are now strangers. I see now why Luna told me the Element of Kindness chose you. As of yet the only pony that I have lost that I even remember is Rogue and... well... I remember the time before ponies united. The constant wars. Maybe after I recall a few more centuries I will need your help, but as of right now... My subjects need you more." "Alright... sorry for bothering you." Celestia laughed, "You were no bother, I'm glad you spoke to me. I am truly and deeply thankful." She smiled at Fluttershy who smiled back then trotted back inside. Celestia wondered where those feelings had come from. She felt like a parent speaking to a child. She got a splitting head ache. "Ugh... May this confounded headache and war find an end!" *** "Sparkboom!" The forepony called her name as she sat down in the quarry. "Always on my break... Yeah boss!?" She got up and trotted toward his voice. He was standing next to a guard. "This stallion wants to see you. Remember Sparky, I can't employ anypony with a record! This had better be just a misdemeanor!" "I don't recall doing anything illegal... Hello Sir!" "Sparkboom?" He asked impatiently. "That's my name." She confirmed. He nodded and handed her a scroll. It had the Royal Seal on it! She sat at a nearby table and unrolled it. She recognized Flashburn's messy penponyship! The note read, Dear Boomie, Remember how I joined the military? Of course you do! :D Well to get you caught up... I fought a bunch of Freezers and saved the Princess Twilight! She's cool in person, but not as cool as you! Don't get any ideas... Then we went to get the Elements back! I got left behind to defend against Windigos but... Well... I was Bamboozled! Tricked! Made a foal of! They used an illusion on me and a weird Artifact... Oh! Back on topic! I kinda screwed over Cantorlot, but Twilight saved me! Now we are planning on something big, but... we need help. They asked if I knew anypony that was very talented and... I thought of you... I... I don't know if I want you to risk your safety but... we need you. I know you have doubts about "Celery" (see how clever I am? Now they don't know who I'm talking about!) but tr- ust me! She's really nice in person. Follow the pony who gave you this scroll if you want to help out. See you soon, or maybe not. Up to you! :D Signed, Flash ô̧ô She put down the letter and thought for a while. She could finally she him again... sure it would be in a war... She wasn't really a joiner. She looked around her, snow had come early. It had confounded the pegasi in her crew, now she knew why. Cantorlot had fallen. She couldn't pretend it wasn't happening anymore. "Oi! Soldier boy! In this letter it says to follow you! Boss, I request a leave." "We're under quota as is, you'd better a have a good excuse!" He barked at her. She was about to respond with a snarky comeback but the soldier beat her to it, "With all due respect sir, she is leaving to save the world. Unless of course your granite is more important?" His jaw dropped he struggled to regain his composure at hearing a soldier say something like that about her so he just said, "Well, what're you still doing here? Get out, now!" "Aye sir! Away we go!" She ran off in the direction of town. "That way Miss!" The soldier called out to her. "I have something to get first!" *** "What... did you do to us?" Twilight asked. "Wouldn't you like to know?" Discord taunted. "None will see you escape now, I swear you must be more grateful it wasn't easy!" "Ponies! We make for Ponyville! Follow me!" "Where are you?" Somepony asked. "Oh sweet Celestia... Discord how can they follow me if they can't see me?" Twilight asked. "That's your problem. Now if you don't mind, I need to go create chaos in the Freezers ranks." He snapped his fingers and Twilight assumed he vanished. Twilight thought for a few seconds before an idea popped into her head, she picked up a rock but it vanished in her hoof. She levitated it away in anger. She heard a voice behind her go, "Did you see that? That light?" She knew what she must do. She channeled her magic to levitate a stone and the glow from her horn lit up a small section of the cavern, "Eureka! Follow the light my little ponies!" She led her army and refugees to the relative safety of Ponyville. *** Discord hovered through the streets of Cantorlot, the ice clung to the buildings and he thought fondly of the time he had created a frozen lake in Applejack's farm. He went to the walls where Freezers patrolled and had an idea. The Freezers had no idea what had befallen them until they had already fallen. They stared up at the top of the wall that turned into pop corn leaving an angle that was too steep for them to stand on. He then looked for some ants. Upon finding some he increased their size to that of a small dog and set them upon the food stores. Soon all the windows in the city were made of hard candy and the houseplants grew to become aggressive predators. "I love this new freedom! I'm just getting started Evandra! Wait for my full might!" *** "Do we have any word on the location of the Equestrians?" Princess Nightwarden Evandra asked her brother Absol. "I have just received a report. It would appear they have camped in the Forest outside of Ponyville. But we have more pressing concerns." "There is nothing more pressing!" She screamed at him. "With all due respect Nightwarden, the incidents are continuing! Our food stores are dangerously low and our supply line has been compromised! Only a few carts have made it and soon our troops will go hungry!" "They can have their fill of hard candy and pop corn, after we march on that forest! Send word, we will empty the city of all but two hundred who will remain here, to guard me." "Why are you not accompanying us?" "All of the Elements of Harmony are now back in their hooves. All but the one I wear. I cannot risk them regaining it and I cannot entrust it unto another. You will lead this mission. I will accept nothing less than complete victory, do not fail me again General." "Yes Princess Nightwarden Evandra. Your will be done." He exited the room and sighed in depression as soon as he was out of sight. Why couldn't she be happy? *** "Princess!" A guard ran up to her command tent in a panic. "There is something strange coming!" "What is it?" Luna asked calmly. "A small light that seems to crush all behind it! The snow looks nice and fluffy before the light arrives then after it passes the snow gets packed down. The light itself is purple... I don't know of anything else that may be of importance. Is it a threat?" "Take me to it, I will observe and determine if it is a threat." "Yes Milady. This way. He lead her from the camp out to the edge of the forest and, sure as day, there was a light only a few hundred feet away. "Hmm... Let me see just what this is..." She hunched over and turned into shadow, taking the form of a Timber Wolf. "Let's see how it will react to this..." She said in a low growl. She prowled towards it before showing herself to it. The light bobbed and went out. Then a blast of purple energy rocketed toward Luna, quickly she turned back to her form that could use magic and deflected it with a shield. "Show thyself!" "Princess Luna!" A voice that sounded shockingly like Twilight Sparkle emanated from... somewhere. "I would if I knew how..." "Twilight? Where are you?" The light reappeared and her voice called from it, "I'm right here! Discord snuck us out of the city by making us invisible." She explained. "Well, you are safe now. Reveal yourselves and come to the camp!" "I... don't know how..." "Oh great... How many do you have?" "Two hundred and thirteen soldiers or volunteers and around three hundred civilians." "We will need more tents... wait... so around six hundred ponies who are invisible? Can we use this?" "I'm afraid not, walking alone is incredibly difficult. We need to cure this as soon as possible." "Alright. Ponies! Follow me!" Luna led them into the forest, but right after she cleared the boundaries she heard a kerfuffle behind her and a call of joy. "I can see me again! And I can see you!" Luna spun in place and saw several ponies standing there. Another appeared as soon as it crossed into the Everfree. "Ponies! Once you enter the Everfree you are cured of your invisibility!" Luna called out in her Royal Cantorlot Voice. She smiled to herself as more and more of her subjects strode into the Forest and freed from Discord's... Blessing? Curse? Blurse? Cussing? Blurse... Blurse is best. *** "Oh finally I'll be able to see myself again! Do you know how many times I've stubbed my hoof?" Sweetie sighed in relief, "A lot if you hadn't guessed it!" "I know! I guess you never really notice how important sight is 'till it's taken away!" Applebloom laughed. "I knows what ya mean! Seriously I think Sweetie has jabbed me with that horn a hers enuff for one outing!" Babs joked. "I don't know what you guys are talking about! Being invisible ruled!" Scootaloo smirked, "I guess maybe I'm just better at it than you are." She laughed. "Huh," Sweetie had a sudden realization and pulled Babs and Applebloom closer to whisper to them, "What if Scootaloo already has her Cutiemark? But she's really good at hiding and being invisible so the cutie mark is invisible?" "I have the strangest feeling you meant to pull in Applebloom or Babs instead of me." Scootaloo coughed. "Pony feathers!" Sweetie cursed. "Curb your tongue ruffian!" Randomly generated Cantorlot Noble number three scolded them. "Just because we can't see each other doesn't mean we can't act civilized and seeing as how you are speaking of getting your Cutie Mark I think you are too young for that kind of language anyways! Now unhoof me!" "Sorry! And sorry to you Scootaloo, I shouldn't have said anything." "Do I care? I have a cutiemark now! Take that Diamond Spoon, or Silver Tiara, or whatever your names are!" "You have a cutiemark!?" Babs and Applebloom guffawed. *** A day past and everypony had finally settled down when word first reached them. The Freezers had found them. The armies were marching this way and the Windigos led the way. Help from the Empire was still a day away as was help from the Isles. A panic set in before Twilight, Celestia, and Luna rose to quell the crowds. Twilight glanced nervously at Celestia who looked nervously at Luna who smiled and nodded. Celestia, reassured put her faith in Twilight, as she was told she would normally. Twilight looked out unto the crowds of ponies, her friends amongst them. "My friends. I would like to put your minds at rest. The rumor that spread like a wildfire through this camp, that the Freezers are marching this way, is completely true. They march to end any chance of resistance. We will meet them in the fields of honor as we must, even though it pains us to have to fight fellow ponies. I now lay down a temporary law, that will override a previous law. I am lifting any all and punishments for desertion. Both regular citizen and soldier alike may leave now or at any time and never be punished or thought less of. But now I plead you, stay. We may have lost Cantorlot, but I'll be damned if I lose Equestria to the forces of evil. I beg of you, stand and fight with Princess Celestia and Princess Luna. We need only delay the enemy forces for one day, one day and then reinforcements will arrive and we will expel this darkness from our lands as we do our hearts. I will be honest with you, those who choose to stay risk everything. And I will not hide the truth either. I will not be standing beside you. I ask you to stay so I may infiltrate Cantorlot with the other bearers of the Elements of Harmony and an elite team to defeat Evandra and reclaim the Element of Magic. I wish I could stand beside you and if at all possible would. Many will die, but if we manage to win, if we manage to survive this winter of hate, we will live in peace and plenty once more. Think of yourselves now, think of your life in the frozen wastes that Equestria may become. Is it a long life? Is it a happy life? Now think of your families, your friends. Will they survive? Will they ever feel joy again? Is that worth fighting for? Is that worth bleeding for? Is that worth dying for? Those who stay will be remembered as the heroes of Equestria, who fought for love, friendship, peace, and you. Equestria will always live on in our hearts, and will eventually fall and be rebuilt as a new nation. Eventually it will fade from memory, an old ponies tale like Unicornia or Pegasopolis. But let it not fall today! Look into the eyes of those around you! You can see their doubt, their fear, their absolute desire to flee! But look deeper... You will see their courage! Their hope! Their will to fight! If you do not wish to fight for Equestria, fight for them! For our friends! For truth! For justice! For yourselves!" She floated down to earth and walked among the ponies she had just asked to die with her. She stopped by a young colt, and put a hoof on his shoulder. "The choice, is yours." She then walked into her tent and prepared her armor. Discord was inside waiting for her. "Marvelous speech Princess, I'll be staying as you could probably be guessing. Such a rousing monologue from our newest member in royalty," He snapped his finger and she was once more wearing her fur robes and holding her Twilicane. "I wonder how many who were going to flee now feel as I do? How many will now stay?" She sighed and tossed her cane aside and threw the robes at Discord who put them on. "Alright! I guess I'll wear the robes but you may want to take the Scepter." "The... what?" "Celestia asked me to give you your Alicorn Scepter awhile ago, but every time I try you throw it away, really ungrateful if you ask me. It's a really powerful weapon in your hooves at least." She snatched it up and he snapped his fingers, she was wearing her armor and it fit better than ever. "Good luck, and... Twilight..." She raised an eyebrow at being called something other than Princess from Discord. "Please... make sure Fluttershy makes it back safe and sound." She nodded as she left.