//------------------------------// // Chapter 17 // Story: Magic Paint Brushes 3: This Ice Life... // by Ugly-Duckling123 //------------------------------// Running as fast as he could, wondering just how exactly four ball of snow can be so fast, Scarab made it to the throne room and flung open the doors panting trying to see what was wrong eyes going wide at what he was seeing. The Windego's, almost ALL of the Windego's were trying to get around Jack and Suzy, showing affection and being... playful. "SCARAB!" Suzy cried breaking free and running over to him "Did you know Windego's had this kind and loving side just like us?" "No... I did not know that," Scarab said staying in the doorway "But the snowbabies were acting as if something was wrong..." Scarab said nodding to where the baby was, or had been as she was now over with Jack trying to fight off the Windego's and get them to leave her papa alone. "Oh Snowfalke they're only thanking him and me," Suzy said coming over and picking the baby up showing her to the Alpha of the herd who was the one thanking Jack at the moment. "How do you know?" a rapsy voice came up from over where the ponies and Discord were some looking scared, some looking surprised but ready to attack just in case. "Changelings need to know every single Insectiva-damb-it language there has ever been or is," Suzy said rolling her eyes at how dumb the rainbow maned Pegasus was. "Winters Ice, the language Windego's and all winter spirits Equestria has, speak may not be used as much as other languages, but we still need to learn it." "Hey I got an idea," Jack said snapping his fingers, making the headphones from earlier pop back up but this time set them to Winters Ice. "Please continue Ombric..." he said to the Alpha. 'Thank you Student of Discord,' the Alpha said stomping his hooves happily 'This will make this much easier when we are explaining ourselves.' "You're welcome," Jack said bowing then getting an idea "But first please may we invite the Princesses of Equestria to hear the story as well and Snowflake's brother to keep him happy?" he asked smiling gesturing to the snowbaby in Suzy's arms who looked like she was pouting. 'You may,' Ombric said nodding 'I believe they deserve to know why we've been attacking their kingdom for so many centuries.' With that Pinkie rushed off to get Blizzard, and Discord poofed away for a few seconds coming back with Celestia and Luna both wearing headphones and looking surprised, obviously having had the rundown back in Canterlot. As soon as the pink pony returned, the other snowbaby on her back who like his sibling began to charge at the Windego's only to be stopped and calmed down by Jack, the story began... ~*~ 'We were not always the frightful, hatred eating winter spirits your history books speak of... Once there was a time where we helped bring the snow and frost to the land helping put it to sleep and rest' Ombric began speaking to a silent room avoiding everyone's eyes. Then looked up at the frozen Old Stallion Winter. 'But then we met him,' he said narrowing his eyes 'Somehow, he gave us the idea that He alone should be in charge of the herd, and that if we use our magic we may take over the land of Equestria and by freezing it, let us be seen throughout the whole year instead of just a few moons. Some of our ancestors and friends told him that was a stupid idea and we wanted nothing to do with him, but he would not listen.' "So... So he scared you into following him?" Fluttershy asked getting the idea and upset at Winter that he thinks he could do something like this. 'You could say that,' Ombric said nodding along with the others. 'All we did, was tell him we wanted nothing to do with him, and for him to leave us be. But then he began to fight back. The first blizzard on of your ponies first 'Hearths Warming' was not us trying to invade or attack you,' Ombric explained looking from surprised face to surprised face 'It was us trying to defend our home, our lives, our families from Him. Sadly by the time turned to the ponies being in the cave, Winter had us under his iron hoof saying 'We do what he says, or we will be killed' and that's the nice way of saying it...' Ombric said looking to the snowbabies who were both wearing headphones now too and were just as surprised, if not a bit less than the adults. 'Clover the Clever was right on what Starswirl the Bearded said. We are winter spirits who feed of fighting and hatred, but it was not to become stronger to make things colder. We used to feast of them so when the season was ours and all this cold and harshness was around, the ponies would see past that, and see the fun in it instead of being afraid of it and what it may do. The Heart of Friendship that the helpers ignited together did not, and has never gotten rid of us, it only lowered Winter's hold on us, making us strong enough to fight back against him for a few nights,' Ombric explained looking around to his herd then the Princesses 'But unless he was stopped stopped, or killed, he always had a hold on us. So once again Jackson Jones, Suzy Changeling, everyone... Thank you.' "So all this time... History and the books recording the events of the First Hearths Warming, have been wrong?" Twilight asked taking the headphones off, eyes wide looking scared. "Twi they were not wrong," Applejack said, taking her set off, looking to her close to hyperventilating friend "All we know about was there... But us ponies don't know how to speak or understand this 'Winters Ice' and until he came out of the blue apart from Discord, nopony knew who this guy was neither," she said pointing to Winter "So how were we meant to ask 'em if everything was alright?" "I guess you're right AJ," Twilight said smiling. "Of course I'm right," Applejack said happily "Now come on. No offense to you or your kind Ombric, but Ponies were not made to stay in place this cold for so long..." she said getting a smile and a nod of understanding. "Wait everypony," Fluttershy spoke up "Um... Two... two things, One what about Winter?" she asked getting 'Good question' from everyone "And two... What about Brenda?" "Who?" Luna and Celestia asked confused. While the princesses were being taken by Scarab, Fluttershy, and Discord to see the dragoness and her finally returned to her eggs, Jack and Suzy dealt with Winter. "So... What are we going to do with him?" Jack asked putting Blizzard down and flexing his fingers "Put him in a cadge? Send him to Tartars? Ooo how about dropping him into a volcano?" "All three seem fine with me?" Suzy said giving Snowflake to Pinkie Pie for a bit, then snapping her fingers poofing up some strange looking scissors, they were red, with a diamond as the pin and looking like they came right out of the box. Then twirling around smiling she snipped through the air making a rift to open where it showed Tartars and Cerberus guarding the gate. After snapping his fingers, and iron cadge was around Winter, then together he and Suzy lifted it up and brought it to the rift. 'This is for everything you've done...' they both said in Changelingese before throwing it in to the rift. "Right then... lets go see what the plan is with Brenda shall we?" Jack said taking Suzy's hand smiling and they together snapped their fingers transporting everyone to her room. When they got there, the cries of twelve baby dragons were heard, and they all had to duck to avoid blasts of ice coming from them. Looking around they saw the Princesses, Discord, and Brenda getting to know one another, and Fluttershy and Scarab looking after babies. o0o "Ha they're kind of cute once they stop shooting ice all over the place..." Scarab said gently tickling one on the tummy, making it squirm an wriggle trying to get away. ~~~ "Oh I really wish I had a camera right now..." Jack whispered biting his knuckles to stop him from laughing. "Here you go Honey Bee..." Suzy said poofing one up and giving it to him. Quickly so not to loose the moment, Jack took the camera and began filming while Suzy walked up to them to say hi, after a few minutes when Jack said he had enough. ~~~ "And here I thought you were a Replacemeniee Scarab Beetle," Suzy said behind him, making him turn to see all the ponies and the humans watching him big smiles on their faces. "Well... Re... Replacementiee's could of taken the place of anypony or thing, and... and children give off more love than adults so we had to learn who to interact with them didn't we," he explained his cheeks growing green at the ponies laughter and his stammering. "When did they hatch?" Pinkie asked checking to see if any were toothless so she could take one home so Gummy can have a friend "They weren't here when I came to get Blizzard." "Well then it must of been when we were listening to Ombric's story," Fluttershy said checking gently if each baby dragon was in perfect health. "They were all here when we came back in with the Princesses." 'Can we keep them Papa?' the snowbabies asked beaming up to Jack. "I don't think their mummy would like that kids," Jack said saying 'Hi' to one himself, getting frost in his hair turning it white. "Like what?" Sarah asked worried slightly. "What do kids always ask their parents when something cute or exciting comes up?" Jack asked looking to his cousin a smirk on his face. "So that means we can't keep them..." Pinkie asked her hair drooping a bit as she finished checking the fifth hatchling. "Pinks... I think Brenda wouln't be happy if we take her babies away from her, right just after they hatch after they had been separated of hundreds of years..." Eric said rolling his eyes slowly. " 'Aww...' " the babies whined, then being shocked when two baby dragons came and got under them and went flying around the room. "Well if we can't keep them," Rainbow said ducking some more "What can we do?" "We should send them home," Luna said saying she heard the question, coming over. "You're right sister, but we do not know where that may be," Celestia said sighing a bit coming over, with Discord, too. Looking up, slowly Suzy moved to be in front of Brenda holding her hand out. "Wait what it she..." Rainbow began to ask before she was cut of by Jack. Slowly, Brenda sniffed the girls hand and after a bit pressed up against the palm, opening her mind to tell the Changeling about her home. After a few minutes Suzy pulled away and poofed up the scissors from before again. After cutting through mid-air, she used more of her chaos magic to make the opening wider, showing an almost forest like scenery other types of dragons all over the place a waterfall to the left and a rock tower in the middle they were all flying around. "Is this the place?" Suzy asked looking to Brenda. Getting close to the rift, Brenda looked in and sniffed the air her long lost memories coming back to her mind. In what could only be a smile, she nodded and called her children to come over. Hearing their mummy call them all twelve hatchling's stopped playing and came over after saying good-bye to their friends. After a final goodbye roar, Brenda scooted her hatchlings through and then went in herself. Once the tip of her tail was through Suzy closed up the rift.