Frozen Equestria

by Flashburn37

Chapter 16: Alone

Chapter 16: Alone

Spike walked into back into Ponyville after walking all the way to Cantorlot because his train hit a fake cow. The package wasn't too heavy though, Twilight must've gotten back by now. He walked into the library and called out, "Twilight I'm home!" There was no reply. Huh, maybe it took longer than she thought, or she's just out. He continued inside and decided to read his favorite book, How to bake with Gems for the Dragon in your life, he walked over by where it should have been. Something was wrong. He looked at all the books... They were all in the wrong places! What happened? There is no way Twilight has gotten home yet, she'd have organized it by now... Wait if she wasn't in here who was?

"Who?"

Exactly... who could it be?

"Who?"

Yes that is the question.

"Who?"

"Oh, it's you Owlicous, thought I was thinking to myself for a second. Where's Twilight?"

"Who?"

"Twilight, you know, pretty purple princess of platonic relationships , good at magic... An Alicorn..."

"Who?"

"Okay then, do you know who reorganized the library?"

"Who?"

"Owlicous you are truly useless, you know that?"

"Who?"

"Gah!"

***

"I still think we should've continue straight to Cantorlot." Anti grumbled.

"Twilight says she "Needs Spike" so we have to stop here, beside, now we get to try some of Applejack's Apples fresh from the tree." James told her. "Might as well enjoy the one day supply stop."

"I guess you're right, HEY SHADOW!!! WHAT'S FOR BREAKFAST TOMMOROW!?" Anti yelled across the trail to Shadow who was all the way in the back.

"OH IS IT MY TURN!? I THOUGHT IT WAS PINKIE'S!?" Shadow called back.

"WHAT!?" Pinkie yelled.

"IS IT YOUR TURN TO COOK BREAKFAST!?" Anti yelled.

"YES! WE ARE HAVING CUPCAKES!" She yelled back.

"Well that answers that." Shadow shrugged.

"No wait a second... WHAT KIND OF CUPCAKES!?" James yelled.

"VANILLA AND CHOCOLATE!!! I'M SO EXCITED!!!" Pinkie yelled back.

"FROM NOW ON IF YOU WANT TO TALK TO SOMEPONY WALK UP TO THEM FOR THE SAKE OF SANITY!!!" Twilight screamed.

Flash trotted up to them, "Don't mind Twilight, she's having difficulty coping."

"Coping with what?" Applejack, who was right next to James this whole time, asked.

"That I'm from over a thousand years in the past but was sent to this time by Discord when I was just a wee little colt."

"What in the hay? You're from the past?" She scoffed.

"Yeah, pretty much." Flash affirmed. James nodded as did Anti.

"It's not that hard to believe!" Pinkie appeared beside them.

"Oh my goodness!" Flash rapidly inhaled, "Pinkie... You snuck up on me. How long have you been there?"

"Few seconds." She giggled. They heard shouting ahead. "Oooooo we should be close to Ponyville!"

"What's all the shouting about?" James asked. The answer to the question became apparent when the source was discovered. A small Purple Green Dragon jumped on Twilight and wrapped her in a huge hug.

"Twilight! How'd the search for the Staff go?" Spike asked, his excitement beaming from his cheery face. Then he saw Captain Auto Tomaton, "Who's the Guard? One of Shining Armor's friends?"

"Greetings Spike, I am Captain Auto Tomaton. You haven't seen much of current events, have you?"

"Well, no... I've been on the road for a long while..."

"Oh my Celestia, Luna, Mi Amore Cadenza, Rogue, and Twilight Sparkle! IS THAT A DRAGON!?" Flash screamed as he bowled over Auto Tomaton to get a better look. "Another Master of the Flame! Just like me! I often felt an attunement to Dragons! Well, I've never met one... but still! How do you control your fire!? I have difficulty with mine... Oh this is so cool! I'm Flash!"

"This one reminds me of when I first met Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie... but kinda mixed..." Spike whispered to Twilight, who giggled at the comparison. "Hi I'm Spike! I never have had problems controlling my fire... it has always seemed natural to me..." Twilight coughed subtly, "Well okay maybe not... I did ruin a book once but that was because I sneezed! Wait... I thought Flash was a pegasus..."

Twilight blushed, "Different Flash..." She whispered.

"I've had the same problem! Only instead of a book... it was a hou... nevermind!" After a small awkward pause, "Okay, this is gonna bug me for some time if I don't ask... Where are your wings?"

"I can't believe you just asked that..." James groaned.

"We have more important things to discuss, Flash. Spike, have you heard of the rumors of War in the North?" He nodded, "They are not rumors, we are soon to be attacked and with Twilight and her friends busy beyond the Everfree Celestia commissioned me to allocate other talented individuals. Who you see around you are either already known to you, or those chosen by me and tested by Celestia. I shall introduce them." He pointed to each in turn. "Flashburn, an eccentric Unicorn who has incredible Pyromancy, Rogue, an Alicorn who was a recluse until I found her, she has mastered the nature of the Everfree and has the best aim with a bow I have ever seen, James, a ground pony of exceptional cunning, you may have seen a few wanted posters with one of his names on them, Shadowfax, a ground pony that has the quickest blade I have ever seen and a mind to match, Anti-Freeze, a ground pony and one of the Princesses intelligence officers, she has better knowledge of the enemy than anypony else and the training to infiltrate and monitor any enemy force, Last of all, there is I, a Pegasi, Captain Auto Tomaton of the Royal Cantorlot Guard, at your service. Now we must hurry to Cantorlot to inform Celestia of Twilight's escape and get orders."

"Wait... You want to walk all the way to Cantorlot to tell Celestia that and get orders?" Spike asked.

Auto replied, "Of course. I was told to rescue Twilight and return to Cantorlot for further instructions."

"You're not used to having a Dragon around are you?" Spike chuckled. "Write a letter and I'll send it, then she'll reply with new orders. We'll probably just zap them with the Elements of Harmony and leave. Where's Rarity?"

"Well we would... If we still had them..." Flash mumbled.

"Th-th-the Elemen... the Elemen... THE ELEMENTS ARE GONE!?" Spike guffawed.

"Yep." Pinkie chirped. Spike wobbled a bit, looked from pony to pony before finally his eyes glossed over and he fell unconscious.

Spike awoke to an angelic voice calling his name..."...ikey Wikey okay? He's been out for too long! He should get Nurse Redheart over here to check him out!" The sweet Rarity worriedly complained. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself back in the tree house in his own bed.

"He'll be fine, he was just shocked is all! He'll wake up in a few hours, or even minutes, and be embarrassed that he fainted in front of all of us!" Auto assured her.

Spike looked around the room without moving, and that guard was right! He felt terrible because he fainted, but not because it was in front of them! What does Rarity think? He pondered.

"Is somepony watching me? I feel like I'm being watched. More than usual that is. Somepony is watching me I know it!" Flash twitched. "Who's watching me!? Is it you!?"

"What are you talking about, Flash?" Rogue asked, nervous now herself. "Surely you're mistaken!"

At this Pinkies left forehoof began to wobble and her right third eyelash made a small curl. "No, no! He's right! Somepony is watching us!" Pinkie panicked. "Oh, it's Spike!" The eyelash remained curled and her left forehoof kept wobbling, unbeknownst to her, or any in her company as they are busy with Spike.

"Spikey Wikey! You're okay! Thank Celestia!"

"And Luna, Mi Amore Cadenza, Rogue, as well as Twilight... there are more than one Alicorn Princess you know..." Flashburn whispered under his breath.

Rogue heard this and pulled him aside and whispered. "Shh, it is a common expression caused by mine and Luna's absence, you aren't one of those New Lunar Republic wakos are you Flashburn? Who think Luna should have divided the kingdom during the resulting crisis's after Discord was removed from power? I understand it would have prevented a lot of heartache but you must realize how much weaker the resulting kingdoms would be."

"What? New Lunar... I'm from over a thousand years ago I hope you realize! Besides, I just think that ponies need to remember that other Princesses exist is all. New Lunar Republic," Flashburn scoffed, "That sounds like a load of garbage! Luna may be a tad bit more rash than her level headed sister, but come on. Seriously?"

"Do you not recall when she, as Nightmare Moon, tried such a thing?"

"Say what now?"

"You cannot honestly have not heard about that!"

"I've lived the majority of my life on a boat in agony at the fact that everypony I have ever known has died, literally running from the past, and you are surprised I wasn't caught up in current events!? Literally one week before my recruitment I found out that Luna was banished! I had no idea why!"

"Seriously Flash, you confuse me. You can know so much random knowledge about so many things, yet know next to nothing about common knowledge." Rogue shook her head in bewilderment.

Pinkie appeared from nowhere, "Wait! How old were you on the boat!?"

"Gah!!!!" Flash screamed in shock as a burst of flame shot from his horn striking a chandelier lighting each and every candle. "Pinkie, please promise me you'll avoid doing that in the future."

"I promise not to sneak up on you. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye!" She Pinkie Promised.

"To answer your question I was no older than a colt, the memories are kinda blurred... I don't even remember my birthday." Flash shrugged.

"You don't remember your own birthday!?" Pinkie gasped. "When do you party!?"

"Well, I used to have a teleported into the future party, but Nopony usually knew what to do at them, so I kinda stopped."

"That sounds terrible! Alone on a boat barely tolerated and unable to celebrate even the smallest thing while being crushed on the inside by an intangible guilt that Nopony around you could ever comprehend? On top of that, the age of a colt." Pinkie frowned.

Flash frowned as well, "I guess that's why I'm so happy all the time. I know it can't get any worse." He slowly walked out the door.

Pinkies hair seemed slightly flatter when Twilight, who had heard the whole thing patted her on the shoulder. "He seemed so happy, until now." Pinkie sniffled.

"That's because he is either stronger than we can understand, or on the verge of insanity. Unfortunately I think there isn't much hope for the former. Being raised in that environment? Let alone with what else he lived through." Twilight sighed. "The best we can do for him is help him find a new home in this time. Cheer up Pinkie, things may seem dark now but, we are all together. And as I said when we entered the maze with Discord, "Together, we are unstoppable!" It's still true you know." Slowly Pinkie's eyelash uncurled and her left forehoof became still.

***

"I... I never knew that others could know what it feels like to be utterly alone." Luna cried as she viewed the monitor before her. Data Core tried to move the Satellite toward the next target as Luna contemplated this new information. A thousand years in exile and all I did was grow angrier. He lives in exile every day and yet faces the world fresh with hope... How foolish I was. I'm glad one so driven is with us.

***

The Element of Magic's crackling energy slowly ceased as Evendra closed the viewing portal. "I never knew that another could understand what being truly alone could mean. He is strong, I'd be glad to have one so driven with us, make it so Absol. Do not fail me in this. Using the Element of Magic I shall grant unto you the powers of the Changelings. Win him over and bring him here and you shall be forgiven for your oversight with the Element of Kindness."

"Yes, Nightwarden." Absol stepped forward into the swirling light as his pelt grew darker, his skin crawled as it moved to form holes in his arms and legs. The excess flesh became wings and a horn. A thirst grew in him. I thirst for love. "Thank you, Nightwarden." Absol hissed as he exited the chamber morphing to assume his old appearance. He leaned heavily against the wall by the now shut door. "You were never alone Eve..." He sobbed. "Why will you never notice all I have done for you?" He straightened himself and wiped away his tears. He hardened his exterior as he readied to brave his own troops. He walked forward. Now not only my strength is an illusion, but my entire being. Eve, when this is finally over... can we be a family again? Or will it be too late?

Author's Note:

Thank you for reading :D! Critiques and Comments yo, do 'em.