Lost in the Frost
“Punctual as always, Tall Tale,” a powerful voice bellowed.
The group, with the exception of the Professor, all jumped at the deep voice. As they cautiously entered the cave, the found it well lit by the light filtering through several small holes along the sides of the large cave. In the middle of the room, a large dragon sat on an impressive hoard of jewels. It was larger than any dragon they had previously seen. Its head alone was easily as large as Spike. Its scales were a pale blue and its underbelly an immaculate white. As it saw the group, a toothy grin spread across its face and it slowly laid its head on the ground, as close to eye level that this behemoth could get to its visitors.
“I’ll... wait outside,” Cloud Slider declared as his shaking legs gave way under his weight.
“You come with guests, I see,” the dragon bellowed, her booming voice echoing off the cave’s walls.
“Good morning, Sapphire,” the Professor greeted her. “Sorry to not have given you any warning.”
“No, no. Do not apologize,” she said calmly, lowering her volume to a mere whisper of what originally was. “This is truly a treat. To see each of the races that you described with my own eyes. It is a rich experience.” She paused, looking at the group. “We have the pegasi, the ponies with wings and magic of weather control, the unicorns, the ponies with horns and the ability to manifest their magic in multiple ways, and the earth ponies, the ones that lack the special appendages but masters with the magic of nature and the land. But wait, this one…” she said, narrowing her gaze at Twilight Sparkle, “she is special, is she not? To have both the appendages. Is she what you told me is an ‘alicorn?’ One of the rulers of your lands? Perhaps she is Celestia, or the younger sister, Luna.”
“Actually, Sapphire, she is our newest princess,” the Professor politely corrected her. “Her name is Twilight Sparkle.”
“Ah, yes! I remember now,” Sapphire said with a smile. “She is even more special. She is the one not born an alicorn but ascended to one.”
“I’m not that special,” Twilight said, a small blush forming on her cheeks. “I could not have done it without my friends.”
“You and your friends, you are the Elements of Harmony, am I correct?” the dragon asked.
“Yes…” Twilight nodded nervously. “I don’t mean to sound rude, but how do you know all this?”
“I apologize, Twilight Sparkle,” the dragon said, closing her eyes and giving Twilight what appeared to be a bow. “I have been rude. My name is Sapphire, eldest dragon of the frostkin. Like the good professor here, my own curiousity gets the better of me. Just as he has been learning about my kind, so have I about his. It is a simple exchange of information,” she said, quickly glancing over at the Professor. “When I had first met him, it had been such a surprise. I had only heard of ponies from stories told to me by the previous elder. I never imagined that I would ever see one in the flesh. So in exchange for the knowledge I pass on to him, he tells me about the lives of you ponies. They shall make excellent stories to pass onto my successor.
“You see, very few things can live up here in the mountains. Even fewer are brave enough to enter our caves. It gets rather… dull,” she said as she stared at the silent wilderness outside her cave with half-lidded eyes. “Getting visitors such as yourselves puts me in such an excited mood. The last time my kind had any contact with ponies, the different clans were still waging war against each other. I honestly found it hard to believe when Tall Tale told me about their unification. However, seeing all of you here together, I can see that he was not trying to deceive me. But I am sure you did not come here to answer all these questions of mine—”
“Wait, what is this? You brought a dragon with you,” she interrupted herself as she pushed her head forward. The group parted, allowing her a straight path to Spike. She briefly sniffed him and narrowed her gaze, slowly scanning his entire being. “You are not of the frost dragons. You’re calm demeanor means you are not part of those brutish migratory dragons. You are definitely no water dragon, they would not risk freezing here in the north. A desert dragon? No. You’re much too colorful. Who are you…?”
“I-I’m Spike…” Spike stuttered, taking a step away from the larger dragon.
“Spike… Not a strange name for a dragon. Where do come from, fledgling?” Sapphire asked.
“Well, I was born in Canterlot—”
“Canterlot… That is one of your cities, is it not?” she said, looking towards Professor Tall Tale.
“Yes, it is.” The Professor nodded.
“A dragon born among ponies,” she thought aloud, withdrawing her head. “I have honestly never heard of such a thing.”
“He is actually why we came to see you,” Twilight said. “He was artificially aged and we need to find a way to reverse it.”
“Hmm… While he is no longer a hatchling, he should not have matured enough to become impervious to your magics,” Sapphire said as she examined Spike again. “But if you came all the way out here, it must not be that simple.”
“I tried to use a spell on him, but nothing happened,” Twilight said, lowering her head.
“Just as we frost dragon have grown a resistance to any magics dealing with the cold, it might be the case that he has grown a unique resistance to the magic of you ponies. It is a wonderful adaptation that all dragons have. Depending on our surroundings, our bodies adjust to dominate our territory. Usually this adaptation takes a few generations in order to develop,” Sapphire said, taking an even closer look at Spike. “Yet he seems much different from any dragon I have ever seen. That does not say much. The only dragons I have seen are frost dragons.”
“Well, he wasn’t born the usual way, I guess,” Twilight replied. “I was the one who hatched him using my magic.”
“That may have had something to do with his appearance and his resistance… perhaps even his magic… But as far reversing his age, it seems that you are out of options,” Sapphire said, frowning as she saw the dejected faces of the group. “However, as you were so patient with me, I will reveal a secret that I even kept from Tall Tale. The previous elder may have been angry if she had known what I was about to reveal, but even so, you ponies appear to be peaceful enough. Not to mention, even with this information, you would still be no match for any matured dragon. While we dragons stand supreme among the lesser creatures of this world, we are not without our weakness. There is a spot on our bodies that is especially vulnerable to all attacks, including magic. This spot is our underbelly. While an adult dragon will still be able to resist your magics, perhaps if you aim at this spot, you may penetrate this fledgling’s defenses.”
“Really?” Twilight said, a ray of hope shining in her eyes.
“Do not be so quick to celebrate, young Twilight Sparkle,” the elder dragon replied. “It may take more power than what you currently have to do so. I can sense your magic. It is… questionable if you can do this by your power alone.”
“There is a way to boost my magic,” Twilight said. “And now with what you gave us, I’m sure we can help Spike get back to his right age.”
“Thank you for your wisdom, Sapphire,” Tall Tale said, bowing at the dragon. “Unfortunately, I believe that we will have to make this a short visit. They may still be able to return to the Crystal Empire by the end of the day if they leave now. As you might imagine, they have much to do.”
“Yes, I understand,” Sapphire answer. “I had some more questions about this dragon, but they can be answered by one simple request.” She turned her gaze at Spike again. “Fledgling, show me your breath. Show me the magic that burns inside you, a dragon born among ponies.”
“Umm… what do you mean?” Spike asked with a large gulp.
“As I’ve said before, the different dragon clans are all rather unique in certain aspects, including their magic,” she said. “Just as the ponies can manifest their magics, we manifest ours, through our breaths.”
“My breath is my magic?” Spike asked himself in a whisper.
“Perhaps you require a demonstration,” she said, taking a deep inhale through her nose. “As our name suggests, we frost dragon have control over ice magics.”
With a relatively small exhale, Sapphire released a white mist of breath. Though she seemed very relaxed, her breath was strong enough to frost the ground along its path. Though most of the group moved out of the way as it neared them, they all still shivered as they felt the icy breeze pass by, none more than Cloud Slider.
Just as Sapphire’s breath reached the entrance of her cave, the courier cautiously walked on in. “Are you almost done in there? It’s getting kinda cold out her—” was all he was able to say before the chilly breath touched him, immediately encasing him in ice.
“Oh, that is truly unfortunate,” Sapphire said with a small chuckle, much the horror of the group. “Do not fret. It was not strong enough kill him. He is simply frozen. It can easily be reversed. Perhaps even by you, fledgling. Go on now.”
Hesitantly, Spike walked up to the “ponysicle.” He swallowed hard before looking back at the group, their eyes egging him on. Taking a few shallow breaths, he felt his body relax. Again, he looked at the frozen courier and took a deep breath. A second later, he released his pent-up fire. Though at first it seemed like the ice was winning over his emerald fire, but he held fast and continued his efforts. Suddenly, the ice began to melt. It was merely a few droplets, but it was enough to renew Spike’s vigor.
As Spike and the other busied himself with defrosting the courier, Twilight cautiously walked up to the elder dragon. “Um, Sapphire,” she said in a whisper.
“Yes?” Sapphire answered, craning her long, slender neck around the lone pony. Though she tried to keep her voice to a down, it was still loud enough to be heard by anyone nearby. Luckily, the group was more preoccupied with Spike and his efforts to defrost the courier.
“There’s… another issue I wanted to talk you about,” Twilight said, taking a deep breath before continuing. “I-I need to know about how old I should make Spike.”
“I take it that he does not want to return to his original age,” the dragon said as she looked towards the dragon working diligently to melt the ice surrounding the frozen pony. “Naturally, I’m a little curious why he would not.”
“He’s… in love with a pony,” Twilight replied. “But at his real age, he’s too young to actually, well, be with her. Professor Tall Tale told me there would be an age where he would be the size of a pony, but I need to know how far back to age him once we get back home.”
“That really is a shame...“ Sapphire said with a frown. “He’d make such a interesting mate for his fellow dragons. His breath is quite unique, even… adaptable. He may be able to emulate the breaths of the different dragonkin. I would make him mate with one of my clan, but I doubt he would pass on his magic in just a single generation. If he were a female, I would have made him my replacement perhaps.” She paused, letting out a long sigh. “So many ‘ifs,’ but it seems fate has a different path for him. However, returning to your question, I would place him around 220 years of age. To be the size of one of you ponies, I would say to age him to around 60 years.”
“Are you…”
“I am very sure,” Sapphire interrupted. “I have lived for nearly two millennia now. I have seen many males born and parish. I am quite sure.”
“Thank you,” Twilight said, hugging the dragon’s snout, much to her surprise. “I don’t know how to repay you for all the help you’ve given us.”
“I do,” the dragon said in between a toothy grin. “If he ever has children, if it is not possible to bring them, then please come and tell me of them. They will certainly be interesting. The union of dragon and a pony, what children might they bring?”
“Of course!” Twilight said, nodding her head ecstatically.
“It seems that he is done…” the dragon said, turning her head towards Spike.
Sure enough, Spike finished melting the last of the ice that held Cloud Slider prisoner. While Spike stood proud that he was able to defrost him without harm, the courier himself was a complete mess. His teeth were clattering. He was soaked to the bone. His whole body was trembling uncontrollably.
“T-t-th-that’s it!” Cloud Slider said in a shaky voice. “I-I-I’m d-done!”
“Wait, Cloud Slider!” Twilight running towards the stallion storming out of the cave.
“N-n-no! Royal Courier or no, I-I’m done!” he shouted, stomping his hoof against the rocky floor. “Since I’ve met you guys, I’ve lost my hat, I’ve been kidnapped by pirates, my tail’s been burned off, and I’ve been FROZEN! Professor Tall Tale can lead you down the mountain, but I’m gone!” With that, the courier stormed out of the cave.
“Oh-ho-ho! I’ve been waiting for this!” Rainbow Dash said, rushing out of the cave after him. She met him just outside the entrance, tackling him into the powdery snow against the side of the mountain, loosening the snow above. “You’re not going anywhere, buddy!”
Cloud Slider gave no verbal response, but rather violently pushed her off of him.
“I’ve been waiting for this since I met you,” Rainbow Dash said as she gave him a satisfied smirk, digging into the ground with one of her hooves.
“Everypony just settle down!” Twilight yelled, to no avail.
Cloud Slider took flight straight towards Rainbow Dash, as did she. However, just as they were about to meet, he took a sharp turn to avoid colliding with her and flew off, nearly out of sight.
“Oh no, you don’t!” Rainbow Dash yelled as she shook off the initial surprise and gave chase. She easily managed to catch him with her speed, tackling him from above and driving him into the ground. “You can’t get away from me! I’m the fastest pony in Equestria, remember!?”
“Why can’t you just leave me alone!?” Cloud Slider said, half-buried in the snow.
“Why would you just leave us alone!?” she replied, meeting her narrowed eyes with his. “You don’t just abandon friends!”
He kicked her off of him and stood back up. “Since when are you my ‘friends!’”
“Since we saved your sorry flank from the pirates!” she yelled, pointing her hoof at him as the snow on top of the mountain shook the volume of her voice.
“The only reason you saved me because you needed me to take you here!” he cried, the snow shaking even more violently. “You said it yourself. If you knew the other couriers could have taken you, you would have just left me there.”
“I didn’t mean it! You were just being a jerk,” Rainbow Dash said as they slowly circled each other. “I would never leave a pony behind. Unlike you!”
“I guess we’re just two different ponies,” Cloud Slider said as they both slowed to a halt.
“I guess we are...” she said, readying herself for another charge.
However, the courier once again feigned a tackle and bolted away, but Rainbow Dash was prepared. She immediately caught him in a powerful tackle against the mountainside, causing the snow to rumble precariously. “Not this time, pal!”
Both pegasi began tossing and turning in the snow as they rolled down the mountain, landing a few hooves to each other’s faces. As the tumble and blows wore them down, they separated from each other, panting hard as they stared each other down.
After catching his breath, Cloud Slider charged again. Though Rainbow Dash expected another fake tackle, she was met with a very real one, tumbling onto the ground from its force.
“Okay, you’re asking for it now!” Rainbow Dash said, shaking off the snow that caked onto to her. She took flight and flew off, making room for her next move.
As she did so, Twilight Sparkle finally caught up to the two pegasi. She watched Rainbow Dash pause in the air, setting her sights on the stallion attempting to escape and winding up for another powerful tackle. However, Twilight also caught sight of the trembling, loose snow on the face of the mountain above, just a small quake away from toppling over. She attempted to catch the two pegasi before they could collide, but she was no match for the experienced flyers’ speeds.
Moments later, Rainbow Dash crashed into the fleeing stallion, directly into the mountainside, with enough force to cause perceivable tremor on the snow above. After a small tremble, what looked to be years of snow buildup began to collapse and slide down towards the ponies below. Twilight could only stare as the huge wave of snow devoured both pegasi in front her.
Thinking quickly, Twilight magically flashed towards the rest of the group, who just managed to catch up in time to find themselves in the path of the incoming avalanche. Twilight immediately surrounded the group with a large, purple bubble. However, not even her magic could stand up to the fearsome power of mother nature. The shield promptly began to crack under the intense pressure of the crashing snow, even as Twilight poured all her strength into her spell. All too soon, it gave way completely, knocking the Alicorn unconscious as her shield was shattered to pieces.
Try as they might, the rest of the group found themselves at the mercy of the snow’s current, oddly, except for Pinkie, who rode through the avalanche on her pink surfboard, carrying Twilight along with her. The rest soon became scattered among the vast mountain. falling off cliffs and parted by some sturdy trees. They found themselves separated in groups, hanging on to the closest pony they could get their hooves on. The momentum of the avalanche finally died down, but not before each smaller group completely lost sight of the others.
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oops
horse apples!
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
pre09.deviantart.net/17a3/th/pre/i/2015/318/a/0/color_family_run2_by_hillbe-d9gpigs.jpg
6910783
I just wanted to thank you. You've been a very loyal fan, with all your commenting. Honestly, it's fans like you that help me continue the story, even when the story isn't receiving the attention (I believe) it deserves. Of course, I'm not exactly an unbiased party. Heh.
6914379 good Spike stories are hard to dig up
cool new chapters!!!!