//------------------------------// // Chapter 3 // Story: The Exegesis of Frozen Waters // by HolyJunkie //------------------------------// [PAGE 0230 - CHAPTER 3] All this rambling on all the nice gryphons I've ever known and I haven't even got into any real specifics on the Rhino War. The Unicorns were the real dealers of damage in that time. Rhinos outmatched us in almost every way. Well, the pegasi were useful. They reigned terror from the skies. Poor us Earth ponies. We got little to no action aside from whenever our supply convoys were attacked. That was when I died... wait, that doesn't sound right... Anyway, Kurgan Indrik personally saw to the ambush on my convoy. You've heard the stories if you're a pony who paid attention to these modern history classes. He's a humongous rhinocerous with a different anatomy to his bretheren. He had massive tree trunks for legs with similar joint structure to a pony's, and that colossal blade of a horn was bigger than any of us. I wondered how one would be able to kill such a hate-filled beast. He came along and ran through me like those banners at a football game. You know, the banners the teams blast through? Does anyone remember those? Man, I'm getting old. He told me the reason he was leading this war was because that was what he was born to do. He wanted to do it because he had to. I didn't understand then. I still don't really understand. I didn't have my cutie mark at the time. I was a latecomer in the cutie mark game. I didn't want to do anything because I had to. I laid there with a hole through my abdomen. Somehow I hadn't lost consciousness. I watched as the carriages we meticulously built got smashed into splinters in a matter of seconds. The much-needed supplies were taken. I didn't die. I couldn't die. Even when I had given up and closed my eyes for what I thought was the last time, I woke up the following morning with my wound completely healed. My body- interior and exterior- was as good as new. I lived on, unlike my comrades- who all laid around me with wounds that paled in comparison to what I had received the night before. Everything was gone. My tags, the supplies, the tags of other ponies. Another convoy must have found us and get all they could get before moving on. I didn't blame them. Stop the monster from destroying your house before you make it neat and tidy again. Easy logic to get behind, right? Wait... I wrote this before... The air smelled rancid. No pony's land, they later called the area. In another thousand years, that road would become the foundation for a small town called Fillydelphia. I returned to barracks, and reported that the Rhinos had slain the convoy with little effort. They asked how I lived to tell the tale. In all honesty, I didn't know. I now believe it's just an activation of my immortality, but nopony's ever believed in immortality before. Queen Galaxia was still young, only about two years younger than myself. No one really had a concept of longevity. I was brought back to the convoy game, despite my niggling fear of being ambushed like that again. Then it happened again; not even a month later. Kurgan wasn't there this time. I got my flank handed to me once more. I still didn't die. At this point, some ponies would think that my surviving two ambushes would make me a spy. After I awoke among what was left of my comrades, I ran away. I never looked back. I had since been declared missing, as they had never found my body. My tags were still with them. The war ended, and I finally returned home after what felt like a year of scavenging grass from what later became Whitetail Wood. They stood in silence as I entered. Turns out they got a letter announcing my death months ago. It was so awkward. They later realised that I was in fact, not at all dead. They celebrated like a new pony was born. They celebrated like the war was over. And it was over. Kurgan Indrik was forced back after being incapacitated by the supreme power of Galaxia. I attended the execution of that terrible monster. He didn't die. I watched as multiple ponies stabbed Kurgan in vital areas while being hung from a chain around his burly neck. The bastard wouldn't die. He just wouldn't. Strangely enough, I felt as if a brother was being wounded. After that "mild punishment", (As he called it in that massive, boastful voice he has) Galaxia struck a deal: Try an attack again, and all of Elasmotheria would burn. This caused Kurgan Indrik to laugh. Even now, I'm not sure why. I wish Kurgan told me... Maybe he knew that eventually, pony society would grow in relative peace. Ponies never had a war anywhere near that level again. We evolved... We degenerated... --- Silver left the manor with several trunks full of books being pulled behind him. The books themselves consisted of his favourites and all the ones he hadn't read yet. The massive tome was included in the bunch. For every other book left behind, he planned to return and carry them across Equestria. He planned to donate them to every library he could. Mum would've liked it that way. Despite his skinny appearance, Silver was a perfectly able-bodied pony. He certainly didn't know anypony who wasn't in this day and age. The next train back to Trottingham was loaded swiftly, and the playwright once more began to sleep through the ridiculously long ride back home. At least, he would, except he was reading the massive book. The writing looked modern, but the entirety of the book looked ancient. It was as if a pony bought the materials a century ago and wrote it all yesterday. That could be attributed to the air-tight seal of the safe that imprisoned this eight thousand pages worth of lost knowledge. "Frozen Waters," Silver muttered, "Waters... Where have I seen that name before?" On the back of his mind, he had his inspiration at work. The typewriter in his brain was working around the clock, getting something basic ready to be written down on real paper. The scriptwriter had something nopony can reject. That pompous Sydney will never know what hit him. --- Silver had reached the hundredth page by the time he dozed off. He awoke after a couple of hours later when the train whistle blowed during its stop at Dodge Junction. Feeling his stomach rumble, the scriptwriter marked his page with a thin cloth bookmark, and hid the tome under the blankets of his cot. He passed by several carts until he reached the on-board cafeteria. He ordered a petunia sandwich and apple juice in a sealed carton. As he waited for his order, the horn blew again. The cars lurched back into motion, almost throwing the scriptwriter off of his hooves. Pretty soon, he got his order, and he consumed it quickly in the designated eating area. Bolted down tables and chairs to match. Any manner of pony also sat in the area. Among them was a young cyan mare in a purple cloak. The cloak, along with a matching hat on the mare's table, was riddled with colourful dots and stars. Silver assumed the unicorn mare was a stage performer. He merely noticed the mare because she looked depressed, and was the only pony aside from the playwright who wasn't talking to anyone. It was also the only table with an empty spot. Seeing as the train showed no signs of stopping anytime soon, Silver filtered through the conversation-laden air and asked if a seat was taken at the mare's table. "You wish to sit at the same table as the Great and Powerful Trixie?" The mare asked. Silver immediately regretted this attempt to pass the time, but responded positively anyway. "Well, everypony else is talking." The Great and Powerful Trixie stared at the relatively skinny indigo stallion before sighing and gesturing toward the open seat. As Silver placed his plate on the table, he noticed the mare had barely touched her own food. "Sometimes I wonder if we'll improve these things," Silver commented. "What's that?" The cyan mare asked. "The train. It's a lot slower than booking a flight with Pegasi Airlines." The other unicorn didn't seem to know how to respond to that. "Of course, trains can carry more than a charriot ever could, and the slowness makes everything outside look more appealing," Silver continued before taking a bite from his sandwich. "I never liked flying, so a train is my only remaining option for moving around Equestria... You know, a longer train ride gives ample opportunity to really appreciate something, like a good book-" "I'm sorry, but who in the world are you?" The Great and Powerful Trixie asked. "Oh," Silver stammered, "I'm Silver. Silver Screen." "Silver Screen, the writer of The Last Earth Pony?" Trixie asked. Silver didn't expect a relatively young mare to immediately know some aspects of the cast and crew of some random movie. A well-received movie by most critics, granted. The playwright actually hoped this mare wouldn't actually know of his work. He nodded. "And The Wonderbolt, among others." "The Last Earth Pony was so inspiring," Trixie said with the voice of a pony who had been reminded of an excellent memory. Silver blinked, and asked "Inspiring?" "It has one of my-" She paused for a split second, almost as if she wasn't used to using first-person pronouns. "favourite life lessons," the mare replied, "Even when you're rendered powerless by the unfair, you always will have options in Equestria." Silver had a blank expression on his face. That wasn't one of the themes he had in mind when he wrote the screenplay. He knew the story was utter trite. The kind of feel-good story a colt would watch as an excuse to cook up some popcorn. It was also very lame. The kind of movie Sydney always green-lights, regardless of originality. "And this helps in your line of work?" The scriptwriter asked. "More recently, yes." Silver remained silent to allow the mare to elaborate. "More recently, yes," She repeated. Silver assumed she was expecting him to actually ask. "I'm listening," Silver replied. "The Great and Powerful Trixie is a powerful magician, and Trixie put on shows for ponies to display my immense power." "So a street magician," Silver said. Trixie gave the scriptwriter a sort of death glare, but continued regardless. "Trixie had defeated the Ursa Major, but the citizens of Ponyville wouldn't believe such an impossible feat had ever been done!" Silver blinked. He had worked on a story about an Ursa Major before. A beast that was the size of Manehattan's tallest skyscraper, and a measly pony in a cape could take it on? "I'd say that's hot air," the playwright said, "No it isn't!" Trixie snapped back. "I've seen the Ursa Major before," Silver replied candidly, "Also, if you're all great and powerful, why aren't you in the military?" Trixie appeared to have a response, but she shut her mouth as soon as she opened it. "That's... a very specific question to ask," she said. "Ah jeez, I'm sorry," Silver shook his head, "It's just what I do. I ask questions to make sure a good story makes sense, even if it is trite." Trixie nodded. "So Ponyville didn't believe you," Silver continued, "What happened from there?" "A couple of months ago, these little colts foolishly went into the Everfree Forest and brought the Ursa Major to Ponyville." In his mind, Silver could tell that was totally hot air. If it were an Ursa Major, it'd have been in the papers, or Ponyville would be removed from the maps entirely. However, he decide to entertain this story until the end. "This meek unicorn defeated the Ursa Major, and said it was merely a baby." Silver smiled. It all made sense now. Ursa Minors were merely the size of a house or two. A small team could take one on. "Why didn't you defeat the Ursa Minor?" Trixie didn't reply. She took a bite from her own meal. With her mouth full of food, she disguised her unwillingness to respond into an inability. "Sounds like the moral of a short story," Silver commented before doing the same. "What are you writing now?" Trixie asked. "Currently, nothing," Silver lied. He was certainly writing something in his mind. "The last script I wrote was rejected." "Rejected?" Trixie asked in hammed-up surprise, "A story by the writer of The Last Earth Pony?" "Yeah. It was about a unicorn mother befriending a gryphon to escape from a faraway kingdom full of beasts." "Sounds like a real adventure." "Yeah, 'cept my Exec Producer hates gryphons as anything other than irredeemably evil monsters." "To be fair, ponies did have a conflict with them recently," Trixie commented. "Ninety years isn't recent," Silver corrected. Trixie sighed, "My Grandpa was there. He always talked about the horrors the gryphons inflicted." Silver suddenly thought about the book he had left back on his bunk. This Frozen Waters character had mentioned that gryphons were "Child's play" compared to the Rhinos. Gryphons may have kept some ponies prisoner during the war, but they did that to try to claim an advantage in the conflict more than for later sport. The descriptions of what Rhinos did truly disturbed the scriptwriter. Inflicted horrors beyond Silver's wildest imagination. The bottom of the barrel for cruelty. It was perfect for a new movie to create and expose to the peace-loving masses. The scriptwriter hadn't noticed that Trixie looked deep in thought. "Something wrong?" Silver asked. She shook her head out of her trance. "Yeah," the unicorn mare said, "Trixie is fine." Silver blinked, but let her be. "Anyway, it's been nice talking to you," the scriptwriter said as he stood from his now-empty plate and carton. "Yeah, likewise," Trixie replied. Silver properly discarded the plate and carton and returned to his cot. The book was still under the blanket, fortunately. Unfortunately, there were some ponies in suits and shades waiting for the playwright. The two turned as Silver entered the car- which was suddenly empty save for the three ponies. "Silver Screen?" One asked. "Is something wrong?" Silver immediately asked, skipping the formalities. "Yes, the safe had been broken into." "The safe?" "That's right." "I opened it," the scriptwriter explained, "My brother and I did." "Do you understand what's in there?" One mystery pony asked. "It's just some book." "It must not see the light of day," the second mystery pony said. "Why not?" Silver asked as he inched toward his cot. The two strangers approached at the speed of snails. "It holds Equestrian secrets your parents have been tasked to never let loose." "If that's the case, why didn't they write that in either will?" Silver asked. "It would pique your curiosity. You would have still opened it-" "Yeah- no it wouldn't!" Silver retorted. He was calling a bluff, and he knew he called one. The two strangers did not falter in their steady approach. "If that were explained in full, I'd have taken the effort to make sure it's locked away for good! Why the heck would you hide a safe in a ridiculously expensive place?" "Shut up, Silver," the first stranger growled. "We're taking that book!" "Another question: If you're so scared of the book, why not burn it?" "Shut. UP!" The two lunged. A streak of burgundy and navy blue flashed past Silver's vision. Both strangers were launched across the train car, impacting against each other and the air-tight door leading to the next car. "At last," the third stranger said as he turned to face the playwright, "Frozen Water's legacy." Silver leaped onto his cot and got to work packing the book in some saddlebags. He kept an eye on the humongous pony who just crashed through the suited strangers. Scarred slash marks on the left side of his dullish red hide, navy blue mane and tail ragged and unkept. There were highlights that matched the pony's coat, but they looked neglected- as if they were applied for a purpose, and the purpose was achieved a long time ago. The cutie mark was a simple kite shield. Silver saw this look before: the look of a mad pony fallen from a previous glory. The Last Earth Pony had such a character with a similar look. However, the actor in The Last Earth Pony had nowhere near a physique such as this stranger's. The eyes alone were menacing; the kind that screams jaded. They appeared focused on the playwright... no... they were focused on the book. "Where was it all this time?" the giant asked. Silver decided it wasn't a good time to play dumb. If those ponies in suits knew about it, this stranger who knew the ponies in suits would know. "It's mine," Silver said, "I inherited it." The burgundy one huffed and sat onto one cot. Despite the immense stature and mass of the pony, the cot did not buckle. The giant sighed. "Would you mind being Doctor Exposition?" Silver asked. "Doctor what?" the burgundy one asked. He then fully absorbed the question. "Oh, right." Silver didn't dare take his eyes off the one who threw two strangers across the train car. "Where are you headed?" He asked. "Like I'm telling a stranger," Silver spat. "I'm... My name's Mitts," the giant replied. Silver flattened his brows. He knew a fake name when he heard it. Especially when coupled with that simple kiteshield cutie mark. Mitts felt too much like a proper name for a pony like that. The situation played out exactly like a Daring Do adaptation serial. He let it slide, however. "Alright. Why are you interested in my property?" The giant glanced at the strangers, then back to the scriptwriter. Despite the stallion's size, Silver noticed the lack of wrinkles. The giant looked to be in his early twenties. "I was told that Frozen Waters would show me the way. Some zebra legend talked about a pony-" Silver held a hoof up, gesturing for silence. "Don't spoil it for me," he said. Mitts gave a confused look as Silver opened the book. "I need it," Mitts said. "So do I," Silver whispered as the words captured his attention. "Well, we're at a stalemate," the burgundy one commented, "I don't like being a thief, and you can't hold your own against those two." He gestured toward the unconscious strangers. Silver didn't respond. "We're headed for Trottingham, aren't we?" he asked. Silver reluctantly nodded. "Not anymore," Mitts replied as he stood up and approached the two strangers- who were starting to come to. Silver broke his gaze and looked at the giant- who shoved the strangers into two trunks underneath the cots. "Take the book and anything you need!" Silver blinked before shoving the book into his saddlebags. "What about the rest of my books?" "They're not Frozen Waters' legacy," Mitts replied. Silver gave the giant an annoyed look when the blue maned one's head was turned. "That tome is worth more than every book in Equestria. Come on, we're jumping this train." Silver had half a mind to sigh. The imposing figure of this pony told the playwright that there was no way he had the choice. Securing his saddlebags tightly and getting his hat atop his head, the indigo pony galloped after Mitts.