Frozen Equestria

by Flashburn37

Chapter 23: Twilight's Crown

Chapter23: Twilight's Crown

Auto sat before it, the city of the Freezers. Even though the frozen north had never been very wealthy the castle that served as their capital now was beautiful in a terrifying way. The that wall encircled the city was tall and hewn from the obsidian of the mountain, it's ramparts were jagged and menacing. At the gate of the city were two large statues of creatures Auto had never heard of. They looked similar to centipedes but had the maw of a crocodile under a large spike that auto assumed was for bashing through ice. The walls were decorated with ice, beautiful and fragile sculptures sat upon them. All were of the same figure, Night Mare Moon. The gate, which stood open as a steady traffic of old farmers slowly dredged into the city to sell their wares, had an insignia emblazoned upon it. It depicted the moon shining bright and the sun covered in ice. This truly was the dragons den. Auto looked at his two companions, Snowchaser, a former Freezer and a stout ally but still Auto had difficulty trusting him, and Wildpaw, the niece of Rogue, he feared for her safety more than usual as she was a forest hopper and they never took to the same company and often dodged out on storms and winter by moving. She looked like she was taking the cold well, but her eyes told another tale. One of misery. He hoped they could find the crown and be done with it as soon as possible. He wish he had Flash with him, he'd make them all comfortable. He kept his head down as they passed under the gate.

"Psst!" Snow whispered to Auto, "Modify your trot... Military ponies have a serious gait about them and these guards will recognize it. Try being a bit more light hearted. Smile, chat with me about how our crops are doing, but don't overdo it."

Auto nodded and straightened himself and said just loud enough to be overheard, "I don't know, sometimes having the Frost Plum harvest later in the year means more."

Wildpaw interjected with a scoff and, "You say that now, but in a few weeks when we don't have any because they all rotted on the branch you'll see I was right! Sometimes I think the boss is dense! We should've harvested a week ago!"

An old farmer in front of them turned and scolded her, "Now listen here Missy, you keep quiet about your boss bein' dense! He must know something you don't and you ought to respect that! I swear the youth of today have no concept of experience and wisdom."

His friend laughed and replied, "Ah common, you know we were the same when we were youngsters! In fact, I remember you getting in a shouting match with RussetBranch about the Winterberry harvest!" The two farmers turned left and Auto and his group found themselves alone on an empty street.

"Most are away to war, you see, the Queen imposed a draft. All Mares and Stallions able to fight were sent away to train. Only the young and the old were left to keep the farms going. Now follow me to the keep, Evandra and the crown will be there."

"I may have never been here before so correct me if I'm wrong... but... would the keep happen to be the giant dome atop the hill?" Wildpaw raised an eyebrow.

"Well... Yes..." Snow laughed. "Come, we must hurry!"

They galloped through narrow alleys and over frozen bridges through the nearly empty town. Everywhere they looked signs of decay and neglect greeted them. They finally reached their destination. An abandoned house at the foot of the hill. Snow slid to a stop before the door, lifted up a loose stone in the road and removed a hidden key. He unlocked the door and the three bustled in. The door now shut behind them, Auto and Wildpaw began to take in their surroundings. It was run down but at one point must have been very nice. Snow opened an empty closet and lifted up a loose floorboard and removed a package of smokeless firewood.

Snow sighed, "There's not as much here as I remember, but it will do for now. Auto, would you please get a fire going? I have other supplies hidden around the house. The fireplace is in the sitting room off to the left."

"This is more than I was expecting. Why do you have all this hidden away?" Auto asked as he set to warming the building.

"When you live in a harsh land of eternal winter where food can be scarce and warmth is the difference between life and death... you spend some time preparing. Especially when you know many do not prepare and are willing to go to great lengths to procure yours." Snow explained. He returned a few minutes later holding several small crates with his magic. Alright, we have a survival suit, enough food to last the three of us a week, a few daggers, enough smokeless wood to last us three days, and blankets. I also found a coupon for 4 bits off our next purchase at Sofas and Quills. But it expired a month ago. Other than that, we have a bed, a couch, a very comfy chair, some cooking utensils and some medical supplies... Basically all we'll need for our stay."

"Why only one survival suit?" Wildpaw asked.

"Well... I lived alone after my family passed. I never thought I'd need another. Unfortunately for you though, neither of you can wear it."

"And why is that?" Wildpaw huffed.

"Well, I bought it for me."

"So?"

"So it doesn't have a place for wings... Although it does have a nice horn cozy..." He explained rather passive aggressively.

"Oh..."

Auto got up from the fire that was now lighting the room, the windows were boarded up and covered with a thick cloth so no light, or heat, would escape. "Alright," Auto began, "We should rest up. We will have a long day tomorrow and will need all our strength about us." He yawned. "Besides, we've been marching over three days. I wish we could have just gotten teleported here."

"You heard Luna, the greater the distance, the more the strain. We couldn't risk even one of our Unicorns being unable to use magic for a while. But I do agree with about the sleeping part." Wildpaw yawned as well.

***

Auto observed the keep from a crack the upstairs window. It would be hard to get in. The roof was electrified so Pegasi couldn't just fly in a window and the hill offered no cover all the way up. He saw what appeared to be a flaw though. A single drain leading from the castle to the base of the hill, where it joined the rest of the city's main sewer. It appeared guarded though. He spent an entire day memorizing the guard's shifts and he found a gap. No longer than a few minutes when one guard passed paperwork to the other, but maybe enough time to slip in. He re-evaluated the hill. It yielded no better results. Auto hurried down the stairs and informed them of his plan.

Snow shook his head, "It's risky but... I can't think of an alternative. I'm not skilled enough to teleport all three of us in there without losing my magic for a few days and there is no other way in."

"How soon can we go?" Wildpaw asked.

"Tonight. We can't afford a delay."

***

Auto watched the guard from the shadow of the sewer. It smelled terrible. The pipeline was big enough for maintenance ponies to go in and out and this section was open air. Still set ten feet under ground level but a half pipe and surrounded by a catwalk where the guards would patrol with lanterns. He saw the guard get up grab a stack of papers and walk toward the gate where the next shift was waiting to receive. "Go, go, go!" Auto whispered to Wildpaw and Snow. The hurried down the pathway and into the depths of the castle sewers.

"Alright Snow, which way to the throne room?" Auto asked Snow.

"This way."

"Do we even know what we are walking into?" Wildpaw asked.

"There is no way to know, but as a wild guess maybe you'll know. What can be there Snow?" Auto inquired.

"Absol might be there as well as Evandra and her head advisor Levity. He is a diehard Nightmare Moon worshiper and a powerful Unicorn. When I met Evandra she had only four guards with her but each are rumored to be amongst the best fighters in the world. If we hope to succeed then I recommend we grab the crown and sneak out quietly."

"Her elite guards, what are they?"

"All ground, she found that the ground ponies natural resilience to magic made them more useful in a castle where hallways limit a pegasus's mobility."

"True, how much further?"

"I've never been down here before. It's like a maze. I feel we should try to get topside as soon as possible."

"Aye. Look, over there... a ladder. Maybe it goes to a servants quarters?"

"Maybe..."

***

Auto pushed against a stone slab at the top of the ladder and it budged slightly. He slowly lifted it a crack and peered through. He saw... A wall. He peered the other way and saw what appeared to be a tapestry. He set the stone to the side and climbed up. He stopped halfway up. He heard breathing! He slowly continued and looked around. By Celestia! I'm behind the Throne! He realized in a panic that the breathing would be none other than Evandra! He silently moved up the back of the stone seat and looked down upon her. She was looking over a report and wearing the element of magic! Auto slunk back down and climbed back down into the sewer.

After sealing it and going a few feet away he finally whispered to Snow and Wildpaw, "This is no servant's entrance. This is the royal escape route. That ladder puts us right behind the throne! Evandra is there and wearing the Element!"

"What do we do now?" Wildpaw panicked.

Auto drew a dagger from his belt. "End this war. One blow may not do it. We need to strike together." They all nodded. The slunk one at a time up the ladder and slowly moved around the throne. Auto above with his mace and a dagger. Snow to the right with his spells and a short sword and Wildpaw to the left with an arrow notched. Auto gave the signal and brought his mace down with his dagger upon her head. Snow spun around and stabbed while blasting with ice and Wildpaw flew up and shot. Auto's mace clanged against the stone of the throne as would his dagger, if it were it not frozen to it. Wildpaw's arrow bounced off stone and Snow's sword bounced off Auto's mace. Evandra continued reading as if nothing had happened. Then she turned red... bright red. Auto heard a scratching noise and spun about to see the tunnel sealed itself!

"Oh no... We've been bamboozled! She's an illusion!" Auto told them as he smashed free of the ice.

"And a good one at that, if I don't say so myself." A voice laughed as a door slammed open. "I knew that somepony would come looking for the crown," They looked up and saw a green unicorn in a black starry robe flanked by four heavily armored guards, "So I convinced Evandra to lead the armies herself so I could set this little trap for Celestia's precious little student. It appears I was wrong about who she would send though. I don't recognize any of you to tell the truth. Except maybe the one on the left... he looks familiar." He laughed. "But who cares!? I've won! Oh, but how rude of me! I haven't introduced myself!"

"Sir, shouldn't we arrest them?" One of the guards interjected.

"And ruin the moment!?" He snapped back. "No! Now where was I? Ah yes... I am none other than her majesties Royal Advisor! Lord Levity! The most powerful Unicorn in the north!"

"But Sir, what if they try to escape?"

"Shut up! How could they escape!? The path is sealed and if that unicorn tries to teleport out I'll just interrupt his casting! Now no more interruptions! Wait by the door. That's an order!" He readjusted his robe, "Ah yes, there is no hope for you! I have taken the simplest of spells that any unicorn can cast and honed it into the most powerful of magic!" He spun about and barked at his guards, "No interfering! Evandra would never let me push the limits of my magic and now I can finally test my limits!" He spun back around and caught an arrow with magic only an inch from his head. "Foolish Pegasi and ground ponies. It can take you years or even lifetimes to master the bow or throwing knife. With my powers I can be more accurate and launch them far faster and it took me a week!" He laughed in delight and looked around the room. "Evandra sure can decorate... cobblestone walls..." He ripped a stone from the wall and flung it at Snow who barely rolled out of the way fast enough. "...and suits of armor." A suit of armor stood almost by itself and charged Auto it's glaive swinging. "Now how to deal with you?" He stared at Wildpaw. "Ah yes... You bring your own death." He grinned.

"Pony Feathers!" Wildpaw screamed as she threw her quiver to the ground as arrows tore through it in pursuit.

Auto caught the glaive with his shield, after dropping his dagger, and knocked the armor's head clean off with a side swipe. It flew across the room before floating back as the rest continued to fight Auto.

Snow ducked and dived as stones of varying size rained down upon him. The ground itself impeded his movement as a stone jumped up to block his path. He spun about and shot an ice spike that deflected the boulder. He dived and rolled to get a better view of Levity. He shot a blast of cold that would pin him to the floor but the floor rose up and absorbed the blast. "Drat! I can't hit him!"

Levity was laughing at the top of his lungs. "You can't defeat me! Evandra will cure Nightmare Moon of Luna and we shall rise to claim all of Equestria! Finally you in the Equestria will experience the crushing winters and long night of the North!" His horn was sparking and Snow knew what that meant.

"Hold on Auto, Hold on Wildpaw! He can't keep this up much longer!" If a Unicorn let out too much magical energy over too long of a period their horn will begin to heat up until it begins to sear the flesh around it. Snow jumped on top of a boulder and fired multiple blasts at the Advisor. Stone wrenched from the walls intercepted each one. But it meant more strain.

"I WILL NOT FALTER! YOU WILL DIE HERE!" Lord Levity laughed maniacally. As he sent more stones to pursue Snow and sped up the arrows that followed Wildpaw. He turned and saw another suit of armor, which he brought to life and sent after Auto, who was pressed to defend against even just one. Auto dropped his mace and was in dire straits with just a shield. He pulled another stone from the wall and section of the roof fell towards him. He coughed in surprise and the armor the fought Auto ceased movement as he redirected his energy to getting the roof from above him. Auto flew like a bullet towards Levity but the floor stopped him as it jutted up in front of him. "Back away knave!" Levity threw the massive section of roof at Auto and the room was filled with a terrible screaming. Auto took cover behind a pillar and the roof shattered around it. When the dust cleared nothing moved, Rogue stood panting above still arrows and Snow was pinned by his own ice as it held up a large rock.

Auto picked up a glaive and flew towards the Advisor who laid upon the ground writhing in pain, "You have lost."

"So..." Levity panted, "Have you..." His horn glowed for a split second. And Auto heard a grunt behind him. He turned and saw Wildpaw fall to the ground punctured by several arrows. Levity slowly stood as he laughed through the pain.

Auto screamed in rage and pain and spun about bringing the edge of his shield across Levity's horn, shattering it. Levity backed against the wall screaming. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"

"You will not harm anypony else!" Auto screamed as he drove the glaive into the heart of the Royal Advisor Levity, lifting him off the ground. Auto released and the glaive but it stayed there, pinning Levity to the wall. Auto fell to the floor crying in rage, frustration and grief.

"Get help! The Royal Advisors been killed!" One of the guards yelled as they charged in. A guard approached Auto from behind and lifted his sword to end the life before him. The Captain Auto Tomaton screamed in rage grabbed a splinter of horn and drove it through the armor around the guards neck. The guard fell to ground as Auto ran to Wildpaw. He picked her up as well as his mace and shattered the ice that pinned Snow.

"We have to get out! Now!" Snow nodded and they disappeared in a flash of light.

***

Auto shook his head and took in his surroundings. Realizing he was back in the house he scooped up Wildpaw and rushed her to the bed. He grabbed the medical supplies and carefully began extracting arrows and applying bandages. "You'll make it Wildpaw! You're strong!"

Snow limped up and looked for a pulse, "Auto..."

"Don't you worry Wildpaw you will be just fine."

"Auto..."

"After you get better we can journey back to Equestria and you can see Rogue again."

"Auto..."

"We will win the war and you can go back to your fores..."

"Auto Tomaton!" Auto stopped moving. "She has no pulse. She's gone. You and me are alive, but maybe not for long. My leg may be broken, I can't use magic, and your shield leg seems shattered! She's dead. We have to think of a plan! Or we might as well just go out there and fight Freezers until one strikes us down!"

"I know... here, let me check your leg..."

***

They prepared for travel. They knew that they couldn't stay long, the guard was busting down doors and dragging inhabitants out into the street to try to find them. Auto wouldn't leave Wildpaw's body for the rats or Freezers to find so they made a stretcher out of the bed. Auto's foreleg was broken in seven places and Snow's hind leg in three, but they carried her still. Snow led Auto to the wall and upon seeing the gate shut and guarded they knew they needed another way out. Auto could risk flying but he couldn't carry Snow and Wildpaw.

"It is without hope." Snow sighed.

"Never give up my friend there must be a way. If we could fly over the wall we'd have a chance."

"Well, there may be a way." Snow began, "It's a long shot but maybe... just maybe... a blimp enthusiast used to live here. Maybe he left one in his ware house?"

"It'd be slow... and any Unicorn or Pegasus could try to stop us... But it's our best option! Lead on Snow."

They hurried through back alleys and back gardens until they reached a large abandoned building. They creaked the door open and slinked in. They saws two ponies in armor standing impatiently in front of a door. Auto nodded to Snow and the slowly put down the stretcher. Auto with his mace, Snow with a beam of wood snuck up behind them. "How long will that pony be!?" One coughed. *Crack!* *Smash!* The two slumped down unconscious.

"What are they doing here?" Snow whispered to Auto.

Auto rifled through their bags and found a seal. "They are... Equipment Inspectors? Wait, this one is a pilot... They must be here to check on a blimp! This could luck out! If they were scheduled to test fly a blimp Nopony will try to stop us!"

"What about the third? They mentioned a third."

A voice emanated from the dark. "That'd be me! Are you the liberators! I knew you'd save me from this corrupt government!"

Auto and Snow spun about and saw a ground pony wearing goggles and wearing a heavy coat. "What are the "Liberators?" Auto whispered to Snow.

"An anarchist group in the north... They hate secrets... This must be the Blimp enthusiast..."

Auto straightened up and addressed the pony, "I am Captain Auto Tomaton of the Royal Equestrian Armed Forces. I was sent to retrieve an artifact of power from this city with my two squad mates Snowchaser and Wildpaw. We discovered it was not here, at the cost of Wildpaw's life, and are now attempting to escape. Maybe we can aid each other?"

"Wow... You do realize that if I were A Freezer at heart I'd only need call out and this building would be filled with guards, right?" He blinked.

"Yes." Auto said without even the slightest waiver in his voice.

"Follow me to my pride and joy... these two wanted to use it to carry supplies from here to the fight... like a beast of burden!" He scoffed indignantly. "Any how, they wanted to take a test flight today. Nopony will doubt us!"

He went through a door and beckoned them to follow. They picked up the stretcher and followed in.

***

It was magnificent. Even only half inflated it looked beautiful. The balloon looked like a whale and the ship underneath was a masterpiece of interwoven wood. It was large enough to carry thousands of pounds, no wonder they wanted to make use of it. The sky blue Blimp enthusiast turned and smiled at them, "Isn't it beaut... oh my Evandra what is that!?" He panicked as he saw Wildpaw.

"She is our comrade who fell today. Once we return to Equestria she will receive a proper burial." Auto explained.

"Alright... well... I'm Airmane... and welcome to Freedom Air... We will be taking off in a few minutes so please take your seats." He laughed as he pulled a lever that opened up the roof.

***

Auto stared in horror at the debacle before him. Smoke rose from Cantorlot and the solar and lunar banners were replaced with Freezer Flags. Half the city was frozen and the other, burnt to a crisp. "What happened to cause such devastation?" Auto breathed. "Redirect us Airmane! Take us to the river! There is a ship I wish to intercept!"

"Aye Captain!"

"Celestia's speed, my friends. May you have reached the Everfree rendezvous point..."

Author's Note:

Sorry about that last Chapter You know Chapter 22?... Discord can be a pain, anyways thanks for reading and please leave a critique and comment!