Tartarus is guarded by the three headed dog Cerberus. But an ancient evil is on its' way back to the surface. And only a pony older then Equestria can stop it.
The bell rung above the school yard, and all the little children and fillies filed in from the schoolyard. They took their seats and looked around, talking and laughing like the little kids they were. A rose colored mare walked in and took her place behind a desk in front of the classroom.
"Good afternoon class!" All the little children turned their heads. "Good afternoon, Ms. Cheerilee!" Cheerilee smiled. "Thank you. Now, you all know what time it is right?" The children looked back and forth at each other, and one by one they shook their heads.
"No? It's Friday! Just after recess!" A skinny pegasus colt raised his hoof. "Story Time!" Cheerilee smiled. "That's right Featherweight! It's story time!"
The class cheered as Cheerilee took out a book. "Today I am going to read a legend! Can anyone tell me what a legend is?" A young filly pegasus waved her hoof eagerly. "Yes Scootaloo?" The filly sat forward excitedly. "A legend is a story about a mythical power that do awesome things!" An earth pony looked over smugly. "What're you, a dictionary?" The pegasus looked over indignantly. "Be quiet Applebloom!"
Cheerilee shook her head. "Alright class! I chose a story that has been translated from pre-Equestrian history! It's very entertaining! At least, it is too me. So sit back, and enjoy!" The class sat back in their seat as Cheerilee cleared her throat.
~~~~
Cyroxim was the third son of a sick mother and a dying father. He was kicked out when he was just three. His mother couldn't support a third child, and his father saw no use in what little magic he did. His siblings could do nothing as they watched him get thrown far from the place he called home. It was the time of eternal winter, and he was cold. His ate the snow off rocks, and drank the ice from lakes.
He traveled far and high, reaching for a welcome meal and a roof over his head, but his efforts bore no fruit. He met the pegasi and the earth ponies, and they shared nothing with him, what little they had was only enough for them, and no pony else.
Slowly, his warm heart became as cold as the snow around him. He could not dwell in that place anymore. Had he lingered any longer, his heart would freeze his soul.
So he left. He traveled anywhere, just not the place behind him. The more he walked, the more he thought, and the more he thought his heart grew ever colder. Hatred boiled in his frozen heart. Ponies who claim to have saw him are plagued with the hellish blizzards of the Windigoes that flocked to him like birds to bread.
Many say he was the first of pony kind to ever see green grass and blue skies, but he could never reach them. The cold of his heart froze the ground beneath his hooves, and the Windigoes above him plagued the place with ice and hail. And so sadly he wandered on.
But one day, he stopped by a cave, and noticed. Only there was there no snow. Only there could he stand on the ground, and not on any layer of snow. For a fraction of a second, his heart flickered with hope.
The three headed dog Cerberus came up and confronted him, preventing him from reaching whatever place of warmth was behind it. In rage, the unicorn called upon a deep magic from within and in a blast of blizzard ice and solid hail, blew the beast away.
Left without a guard, evils untold came out from the depths of the cave. Demons and imps, burning with hate and anger came out. One by one they stopped by him, and one by one they began to laugh. Jeers and taunts unlike any ever screamed.
He didn't like that. He fought back the demons, and threw them back into the caves from whence they came.
When Cerberus awoke, he ran away in fear. It is unclear of what. Whether it was the ice that grew over the heart of the unicorn, or the great inferno titan that came up from the cave.
Cronus, he called himself, and his goal was to conquer the land for the burning demons from within the dark recesses of Tartarus.
The cold of his heart couldn't bear the sight of a land ruled by demons. So for thirteen days and thirteen nights, the lone unicorn fought Cronus. Like fire set on ice, so Chronus was set on him. The titan was bested, and he, all but dead.
The demons watched in horror as their great ruler was bested, and as one they fled, bringing the inferno of Tartarus with them. He laid there, as the ground around him was soon layered in snow, and his own body, frozen from the cold within his heart.
It is said that when Cerberus flees from his post as guard of Tartarus, the world will be warm enough again to melt the ice that imprisons the Frozen Gate of Tartarus.
~~~~
Cheerilee looked up from the story book. She looked around the classroom to find the awestruck eyes of the children.
Scootaloo raised her hoof. "Ms. Cheerilee?" The teacher nodded her head. "Was that a true story?"
The teacher only smiled. "It's only a legend, Scootaloo. It probably isn't real."
A purple unicorn was trotting down the road. She was extremely frustrated. Whenever the ponies of Ponyville had a problem, they would go to the Mayor. When the Mayor couldn't solve it, she went to her.
"Twilight Sparkle this and Twilight Sparkle that. Honestly, I should be Mayor."
The Mayor had recently come by with a complaint about noise pollution coming from Fluttershys' house. She couldn't possibly imagine why except for a new pet or another one of her cooking attempts. She also noticed some of the houses were wet, even though it hadn't rained in the past few days.
Twilight walked up to the house and knocked on the door. "Fluttershy! It's me, Twilight! I need to talk to you!" She heard a small voice from behind the house. "I'm in the yard!" Twilight rolled her eyes. She walked around back. "Fluttershy, what are you doing-"
Twilight looked up in surprise at the giant dog.
The giant three-headed dog.
"FLUTTERSHY! What are you doing?" The yellow pegasus didn't bother looking up. She was busy rubbing the guard dogs tummy. "I'm just comforting this poor creature." Twilight shook off the amazement. "Does Princess Celestia know?" Fluttershy shrugged. "If she did, she's not complaining." Twilight looked around frantically. "WHY is it HERE, and not at TARTARUS?" Suddenly Cerberus growled lowly. "He says it was getting too hot." Twilight put her hoof on her face. "Tell him he should be GUARDING TARTARUS even if it was HIGH NOON during the SUMMER!" Fluttershy relayed the message slowly. Twilight slowly listened at what she thought was a response.
Fluttershy turned to Twilight. "He says it wasn't that kind of hot. He says it was coming from Tartarus itself." Twilight groaned. "How?" Fluttershy again relayed the message. Twilight tapped her hoof impatiently for its' response.
"I'm not sure what he just said." Twilight sighed. "Tell me." Fluttershy tapped her chin. "He said 'Its' never been so hot. I can't stop it. Only the Frozen Gate can.'"
Twilight stood there. "Frozen Gate?" She began to pace back and forth. "Frozen Gate, Frozen Gate. Where have I heard of that before?" She stopped.
Twilight Sparkle was walking through the large expanse that was the Royal Library. Books were lined up neatly, organized right down to the authors name. Twilight drove down her urge to dust the books.
"Are you aware that Cerberus is away from Tartarus, and that he is currently at Fluttershy's abode?" The white alicorn who was walking along side the unicorn went wide eyed. "Really? Why wasn't I informed of this?" Suddenly a gray pegasus flew up beside her. She was flying upside down, holding her hat on her head. "Princess! Cerberus-" The Princess stopped her. "I know Derpy. Could you fly a little faster next time?" The wall-eyed pegasus flipped and sat on the ground. "Okay..." She trotted slowly towards the training hall.
"The most interesting part is, when Fluttershy asked what it was doing there, he said the most peculiar thing." The Princess listened intently. "He said, 'I can't stop it. Only the Frozen Gate can.'"
The Princess stopped in her tracks. Twilight turned back to the Princess. "What is it? Does that mean anything to you?" The Princess simply turned the corner. "If you want to know about the Frozen Gate, you'd best come with me."
As Twilight followed the Princess further down the aisle, she couldn't help but to notice there were less and less books and more and more scrolls. She also couldn't help but to notice all the scrolls were getting more dusty too.
"Do you know who the Frozen Gate is?" Twilight shook her head and watched intently as the Princess looked up and down the shelves. "These scrolls are all original. That's why we have gemstones here. They're enchanted to keep time off of them." The Princess pulled out a scroll yellow with age.
"I can read that. I don't expect you to be able to." Twilight Sparkle looked it over. "I've seen some of these symbols on Starswirl the Bearded spells. These are all very powerful magics." The Princess nodded. "I'm impressed you can recognize some of the symbols. That scroll is from pre-Equestrian history, and contains the story of the Frozen Gate." Twilight looked it over again. The Princess looked at the scroll. "Give it to me, I will translate for you." Twilight handed it over as the Princess cleared her throat.
"The Frozen Gate. Tamer of Windigoes. Master of Ice. He lived in solitude. He lived for himself and yet, he lived not for himself. He lived in hopes of one day they may reach the fields of green and the skies of blue which he could never seem to reach. He alone bested the Guard Dog Cerberus, and single hoovedly defeated the demons of Tartarus, including the mighty titan Cronos. When the heat of the evils of Tartarus left the surface, the world was left too cold. His heart froze him over, and he remained trapped in ice ever since."
Twilight took the scroll back and looked at the crude illustration. There was a single unicorn frozen within a glacier. Twilight put the scroll back as she turned to follow the Princess.
The Princess walked quickly. "Twilight, I will warn Ponyville and your friends of the demons that may come out of Tartarus. I will advise them to evacuate and hide here in Canterlot while your friends fight them off. You will go out to seek the Frozen Gate." Twilight stopped. "How?" The Princess took several scrolls from down the aisle. "Take these scrolls, and teach him. He no doubt has gotten weak from being imprisoned in the ice for over a century." Twilight took the scrolls hesitantly. "But where is he?" The Princess sat down and began to write. "He's in the mountainous regions of Baltimare. Find him in the highest peak. There should be a cave there."
Twilight nodded slowly. "I'm on my way."
"Twilight." The unicorn turned back to the Princess. "Yes?" "I know you can teleport and everything, but please. Don't teleport him back here. We cannot risk losing him if he is unprepared for battle. Teach him, and maybe learn a few tricks on the way back." Twilight nodded.
"Will do Princess." And with that, she disappeared in a purple flash.
The mayor stood at the podium in front of an enormous population. The crowd was chatting among themselves, but fairly quickly quieted down.
"Now, our kindly neighborhood dragon Spike here, has recently received a letter from Princess Celestia about an incoming disaster. He will now read it out loud for you to hear."
The small purple dragon walked across the stage as ponies mumbled among themselves.
"Disaster?"
"Does it have to do with that dog Fluttershy has?"
"Oh no. Not another one."
"Ahem." Spike was standing atop the podium, and he cleared his throat as he took out the letter.
"Citizens of Ponyville,
You may have noticed that Cerberus is not at his usual post at the gates of Tartarus. I have recently discovered that He is currently staying at Fluttershys' place. That is not important. The important thing is that you must evacuate Ponyville immediately. If my historians are correct, Cerberus has provided us with a sign that all of Tartarus and the ancient evils contained within may break out and destroy Equestria.
I have chosen Ponyville to be our first and hopefully final stand against these monsters. My student, Twilight Sparkle, is on a quest to bring back the one who fought back these monsters before. I advise you, citizens of Ponyville, to escape to Canterlot while the Elements of Harmony defend your town. Hopefully they can keep them back long enough For Twilight to return.
Those of you who wish to stay and fight, I have sent several imperial guards to provide you with weapons. Those of you wish to escape, The guards will escort you to Canterlot.
At most, you have the rest of the afternoon to decide.
Good luck, my little ponies
Princess Celestia"
Spike looked up from the letter to see fear striken faces. The mayor walked back to the podium.
"You have heard the word of Princess Celestia. Make your choice, you have by nightfall to decide."
The crowd began to depart, murmurs flying everywhere.
Fluttershy quickly trotted over to an orange Earth pony. "Applejack, the Princess told us specifically to stay." Applejack simply nodded. "I know that, sugar cube. I'm willing to stay." She looked up to the sky to see a rainbow maned pegasus.
"Rainbow! Get your Element. This is gonna be one heck of a fight."
A purple colored mare trotted over. "I hear you're gonna fight the demons." Applejack looked over. "Oh, howdy Berry. Yes, you heard right." Berry shuffled through her bags. "I've been experimenting with gun powder, I think I can help." Applejack smiled. "Thanks Berry. I think we're gonna need all the help we can get."
Twilight Sparkle was shivering. She just teleported to the place Princess Celestia mentioned. It was the highest peak of the Balitmare mounts. The air was thin, and the temperature colder then any winter she had ever experienced.
"There's the cave, hopefully it's a little warmer in there." She trotted quickly and rushed inside to escape the wind.
"It's so dark in here." Twilight Sparkle concentrated for a little bit. Her horn lit up with a light pink glow. She looked about the cave and gasped.
The cave was covered from ceiling to floor with brilliant ice crystals. They reflected the light from her horn majestically, and the ice sparkled like a diamond. Light was everywhere, and there was no shadow. Twilight continued into the cave, looking back and forth in awe at the beauty of the ice cave.
She entered into a larger expanse, and she looked up. There was a large flat face of ice, practically frozen into the wall.
She could just barely make out the body of a unicorn frozen in its center.
She rushed quickly towards the ice. "How do I get him out?" She first considered breaking it open. "No, I could probably break the body as well." She thought about a fire spell. "That would take too long, and the fire would die out ten times before he was even half way out." She was dumbfounded. She looked up and put her hoof on the ice face.
A loud splintering crack resounded through the cave. Twilight looked down towards her hoof. Several fractures grew from around it. Twilight lifted her hoof away. Too late she realized, as the ice began to fracture even more. The cracks raced across the ice wall until the ice fell away with a loud crack.
As Twilight put her hoof down, she saw a single unicorn laying on the ground. She quickly rushed over.
"Hello? Wake up! Are you okay?" Twilight tried to shake him, but his body was so cold it felt like fire. Her eyes fell upon a strange chunk of ice that somehow clung to him. She tried to push it off, but it was somehow frozen onto him.
"ugh..." Twilight quickly turned to the unicorn. "Hello? Wake up! Wake up!" Twilight urged the unicorn as much as she could without touching him. His eyes fluttered, and slowly he sat up.
"Where...where am I?" Twilight smiled. At least he didn't speak another language. "Your in a cave, high above the peaks of Equestria." He looked at Twilight strangely. "Equestria? Never heard of it." Twilight suddenly remembered he was pre-Equestrian. "Sorry, I forgot." He got up. "Don't be." Twilight stared after him as he started to walk out of the cave.
"Hey! I need your help! The demons are loose from Tartarus again!" That stopped him. "The demons? Didn't learn their lesson last time? I need to get going." He left Twilight dumbfounded. "H-Hey! Wait up!"
She found him outside sitting in the cold. Twilight stopped at the entrance. She was amazed to find him sitting still, without shivering. She suddenly remembered he was also the master of Ice.
"The earth is so... different. These mountains weren't here before..." He looked around. Twilight cringed as he suddenly he let loose an unearthly howl. Twilight stared into the sky as blue beings flew from all around the mountain towards him. "Windigoes..." She whispered softly to herself. The blue horse-like ghost that fed off the hate between pony kind.
They flocked to him like birds to bread, and they howled joyously. At least, it sounded joyful. The Windigoes turned to Twilight. "No, she freed me. Don't freeze her." He turned to Twilight.
"I am Cyroxim. Who are you?" Twilight stammered as she looked nervously at the Windigoes. "Don't worry. The worst they'll do is give you frost bite." His laugh was a cold one.
"I am Twilight Sparkle. You are the Frozen Gate?" Cyroxim looked surprised. "Frozen Gate?" The Windigoes suddenly began to howl. He listened intently. "Is that what they're calling me?" He stood up. "Is it just me, or is it kind of warm here?" Twilight blinked in surprise. "Are you crazy? It's freezing out here!" Cyroxim simply shrugged. "Then it's just me."
He suddenly jumped off the side to the cliff. "Wha- WHAT?" Twilight rushed out of the cave and looked down. She saw Cyroxim floating gently in a flock of Windigoes. She teleported down.
She reappeared just as he was set down. "What are you, CRAZY? You could've killed yourself!" He looked at the ground. "That's strange." He looked at his hoof. "I usually don't need assistance going down hill." He turned to Twilight. "How long was I frozen?" Twilight shivered in the blizzard. "A little over a century."
He blinked in surprise. "That explains the 'Equestria' you speak of." Twilight lifted some scrolls out of her saddlebag. "That's what Princess Celestia figured." He stopped. "You know Celestia?" Twilight nodded. "Here are some magic scrolls from around your time. She figured you could read them." The gray-blue unicorn took the scrolls with his magic and read it over." He sighed.
"I guess I'm going to have to start from scratch. Weak as I am." He turned and walked away. Twilight stared after him. "Hey! Wait!" Cyroxim turned his head. "Yes, Twilight?" "I'm supposed to travel with you! Princesses orders."
He raised an eyebrow. "Alright then. Just don't keep me waiting." Twilight stared as he suddenly conjured a large slab of ice. He waved at Twilight before sliding down the mountain side.
Twilight stared down after him. Twilight shivered as she conjured a magical board. She hesitantly edged over.
Applejack, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash stood firmly in front of the cave. Tartarus was but five yards away from their hooves. They stood ready, holding weapons at the front.
Applejack was wearing her necklace, the Element of Honesty. She stood ready, weilding a pair of heavy red guantlets, engraved with three apples on each side. They clinked with the sound of metal.
Fluttershy wore her necklace, the Element of Kindness. She held her staff unsteadily. It was golden, with a pair of wings floating about the top. Three glass butterflies orbited around a center magic orb.
Rainbow Dash was also wearing her necklace, the Element of Loyalty. She was leaning on her blade, yawning. She was bored, and she made it quite obvious. Her pole-axe was dug into the ground, but you could plainly see the brilliant colors of the blade and the golden staff that held it.
Applejack looked around. "Where's Pinkie Pie? I thought she said she'd be here."
Something struck the ground next to Applejack, and she had to cover her eyes from the dirt. When the dust cleared, there stood Pinkie Pie. She was holding onto a pair of chakrams, each as sharp as a butchers blade. "Hey Applejack!" Applejack smiled. "Where's the other you?"
Pinkie Pie turned around and looked at her shadow. She reached a hoof down towards the ground. Suddenly another, darker hoof came up from her shadow. Pinkie Pie stood back up as her shadow disappeared off the ground and onto the surface. It was Pinkie Pie, but it was a shade blacker, and the mane was down.
"I can't get over that Pinkie. Makes me sick everytime." Pinkie Pie simply giggled. "I find it very interesting." Her shadow picked up a pair of blades that had somehow appeared in the ground. The shadow whipped its' mane back. "Tartarus huh? This might be fun."
Rainbow Dash looked around. "When are they coming?" Applejack smiled. "Berry and Rarity, or the demons?" Rainbow Dash shrugged. "Either."
"Speak of the devil, will you?" They all turned their heads to find Rarity walking in wearing her Element, Generosity. She rubbed it lightly, and suddenly three purple gems burst out of the ground. White magic laced in between them, and Rarity took hold of her new bow.
Berry Punch was fiddling around with a strange contraption. Applejack smiled. "Berry, what is that?" The earth pony smiled. "It's a grenade launcher!" "A what now?" Berry sighed. "A bomb shooter." Applejack was surprised. "Interesting."
Rarity walked close to the edge of the cave. "Are they even aware that Cereberus is away?" Applejack shrugged. "I don't think so. They would've come out by now." Rarity took a second look. "Oh my."
She could see various demons trudging their way up the cave depths. They were all on fire, burning shoulders and heads. Many of them were on foot, but she could clearly see some of them were riding manticores. She wasn't entirely sure how far back the demon army reached.
"Let's give them a heads up, shall we?" Rarity pulled on the string of her bow. A white arrow topped with a drill point formed upon the frame of her bow. She took aim, and let loose. She looked down to see what she hit. Her eyes widened with surprise as suddenly the cave was lit up with a humongous inferno.
"DRAGON!" Rarity turned and fell to the ground as the largest column of fire exited the cave.
Applejack stood still as the fire blew past her. "Rainbow. Get your weapon out of the ground." Rainbow Dash complied quickly. She held it at ready, sparking with electricity.
Rarity rushed back to the treeline as the rumbling grew louder. She readied her bow with a large arrow. She had a clear view of the battlefield. There was a decent plain, but everything past that was a forest.
The rumbling grew ever louder. The Dragon roared, and the wind knocked down several trees. Rarity let down her bow to cover her nose. "They've never heard of hygiene, have they?"
The dragon finally emerged from the cave. It shook the ground with each step of its heavy claws. It looked almost like a burning house, the way it was on fire. Smoke billowed out of its nostril like a chimney. It looked around at the ponies. They were trying their best to look brave, but it wasn't working. The Dragon threw back its' head and released an enraged roar.
A white arrow pierced its skull. The dragon began to choke on the white projectile. It roared weakly, and then it fell to the ground, dead.
Applejack wiped her brow. "Nice shot Rarity." The unicorn smiled an unsure smile. "It was nothing. Nothing compared to whatever's left down there." Applejack turned back to the cave. She swallowed as two more enraged dragon roars echoed from the cave.
Twilight was shivering. Not because of the cold. She had gotten used to that. The constant flock of Windigoes that flocked around Cyroxim had created a miniature winter that was complete with its' own snow storm. Twilight Sparkle didn't expect something like this. She had to walk off to the side to avoid being frost bitten.
She was shivering at the thoughts that ran through her mind. She kept staring at the unicorn who called himself Cyroxim. Twilight had read about Windigoes once. They were an ancient race, dating back to pre-Equestria. They were the sole cause of the mistrust between the ancient tribes. They fed off the bitterness and hatred of any pony. She looked at Cyroxim again.
She read that there were only four Windigoes that plagued all three tribes at once. They were gone, vanquished when Equestria was created. She could clearly see at least five of the ghostly spirits flying about Cyroxim. Who knew how many more were flying above the clouds? Twilight looked down to the ground. Even while she could see him as a small plaything, she could still hear the crunch of ice and snow under her hooves.
Twilight looked over again. He was reading the spells she gave her. She was still very bothered by what stuck onto his chest. She thought the frozen block of ice would've fallen off when he had gotten down from the mountain, but it stuck there, as if it was attached to him. It grew over his left side and shoulder, which she happened to remember was also the same side as the heart was in the body.
She looked over again. He was staring intently at the text on the scroll. Twilight tried to give him the gemstone to keep time off, as Celestia said, but he shrugged and froze the ancient scrolls. Surprisingly enough, it was still legible. She couldn't help but to notice he looked confused. She slowly made her way towards him, trying her best to ignore the cold.
Cyroxim noticed, but he simply looked back to the scroll. Twilight stretched over to read the scroll. He continued ignore her. Twilight smiled, she understood the spell well enough. Twilight decided to try the spell out. She closed her eyes and tried cast the spell. Immediately a column of flame shot out of her horn and scattered the flying Windigoes. They whinnied, clearly annoyed by the heat. She looked over to Cyroxim. He simply stared, unimpressed. He cast a spell of his own.
A great column of ice broke the frozen ground and shot into the air. Twilight looked up. She shrieked as she saw it come down towards her. She held her hooves to brace for the impact. Twilight heard a loud thud. She fell backward when she saw that the column of ice had come down just centimeters from her face.
Cyroxim simply sighed. He continued walking, reading the scroll. Twilight sat there, dumbfounded, and quickly ran up to him.
"What was that for?" He glanced back. "It was for my pleasure." Twilight was extremely ticked off. "You didn't have to drop it right in front of me!" Cyroxim simply turned back to the scroll and kept on walking.
Twilight stopped in front of him. "What do you think you're doing?" He looked up. "The demons are loose again, aren't they? I'm trying to save time." He walked around her. That simply pushed her off her stool. She ran in front of him again.
"My friends are holding them at Tartarus. I want to know why exactly you did that." Cyroxim didn't even bother to look up. "The demons won't stop until they see their leader fall. Trust me when I say that." He walked around her again. Twilight couldn't take it. Her horn lit up in purple magic. "Get BACK here!" The purple magic surrounded Cyroxim. Twilight was ready to drag him back to her.
She was knocked back when her magic suddenly back fired on her. She sat in the snow, stunned. Cyroxim walked up to her. "If there's one thing I hate, it's arrogance." He lifted her back to her feet, and continued walking. Twilight simply stood there. How did he break through her magic?
Curiosity took a hold of her. Twilight walked back up to him. "How did you do that? I've never seen anything like it!" Cyroxim looked over with a glance. "You're a strange one." Twilight stared in disapproval. Cyroxim didn't seem to hold any respect for her. "When you're like me, you have to break yourself out of a glacier from time to time."
Twilight stopped in her tracks. She simply stared after the unicorn. Master of Ice? Having to break himself out of glaciers? She looked again at the icy crest he bore.
Princess Celestia walked slowly through the Royal Statue Garden. The statues had been cleared away and temporary homes had been set up all over. The tents were large enough for a family of six each, and they were scattered all over the place.
A Royal Guard flew down to the Princess. "Did you do a head check?" The pegasus nodded. "We've counted heads at least five times." The Princess nodded. "Did anyone else request to stay at Ponyville?" The Pegasus nodded. "A one 'Berry Punch.' She was an earth pony with an affinity for bombs and booze apparently." The Princess sighed. "I don't know whether I should be happy or worried. That's a terrible combination." The pegasus shrugged. "The explosives that I've seen are potent, and made with highly reactive materials. I haven't seen a bomb better handled. Not to mention while being drunk." The Princess sighed. "Let's hope for the better."
The Royal Cook, Gustave le Grand the Griffon, was busy cooking a dinner for all the residents of the Ponyville. Doughnut Joe was passing out doughnuts to help sooth tense atmospheres. The ponies of Ponyville were busy chatting away, talking and worrying about their hometown.
"Devils? Demons?"
"I left my favorite book back there..."
"I wish I brought my guitar..."
The Princess looked down to see a small orange pegasus poking at her leg. "Hey, Princess?" The Princess looked down. "Yes, Scootaloo?" Scootaloo pulled out a book from her saddlebag. She flipped through the pages excitedly. "You said ancient evils and things would come out of Tartarus, right?" The Princess nodded. "That's why you're here, little one." Scootaloo held the book up to the Princess. It had a short passage and a picture of a glacier. The Princess could recognize a figure frozen in the ice.
"Ms. Cheerilee read us this legend yesterday. Is it possible it might be real?" The Princess held up the book with her magic, scanning the words. "Why... this is..." The Princess looked down to the filly. "Where did you find this book?" She closed it and read the title, Stories of Equestria and that which was Before. Scootaloo jumped up and down excitedly. "It's Ms. Cheerilees'. She let me borrow, but only if I don't lose it." The Princess handed the book back to Scootaloo. "I don't know why Ms. Cheerilee read that story to you, but yes. That is exactly why you're here."
She watched as Scootaloo smiled and bounced off, presumably to tell her friends. She sighed. "I hope they realize the situation is much more serious then it looks."
Celestia was suddenly startled by a loud crashing noise from behind her. She turned to find Derpy, wearing a light set of armor and carrying a small bag. "Derpy, please. If you would just let me fix your eyes..." The pegasus sprang back to her feet. "No need Princess! I don't lose mail! Even if it is late!" The Princess just sighed. She was more worried with the cross-eyed pegasus' well being.
"I hope I didn't come with this too late!" The Princess watched as Derpy took out a small scroll out of her bag. "Here oh go!" Derpy spoke through her muffled mouth. The Princess lifted the scroll out of her mouth with her magic. "Thank you Derpy. Why don't you help yourself to some muffins? I'll call for you when I need you." Derpy smiled broadly and raised her hoof in salute. "No problem Princess! Always happy to help!" The Princess rolled her eyes as Derpy crashed into the food stands. She unrolled the scroll.
Dear Princess Celestia,
The demons have stopped coming out of Tartarus. We have no idea why, but we're tired out. It's night time, and we're looking for an hour or two of rest. Pinkie Pie got the twitches, and insisted that we take your call on it. We managed to get to Derpy and send this report to you.
Please hurry with your reply. Pinkie Pie's got me worried about a midnight ambush.
Doing our best,
The Elements of Harmony and Berry Punch.
The Princess was alarmed. Why would the demons retreat? Did they see Cronus? Did he show his face at all?
"Derpy!" Another crash, and another face full of dirt. The pegasus recovered immediately. "Yes Princess?" Celestia sighed. "Do you happen to have a quill and a sheet of paper?" Derpy smiled. "I knew it! All the other Mailponies laughed at me! But I knew it!" She took out a small box out of her saddlebag. She opened it to find an unusually organized writing kit. "I knew I wouldn't need it, but a convenient service means another satisfied customer!" The Princess smiled. Derpy never seemed smart, but she always had the right things, just on time. The Princess started to write.
My Little Ponies,
Simply because the Demons have retreated for now, does not mean that they're not coming back. If Cronus has yet to show his face, then do not back down. If you must rest, I will send some of my best guards to keep guard through the night. At this point, we can only hope Twilight can bring The Frozen Gate of Tartarus back to us ready and able to fend off the ancient evils.
Stand strong, strike back, and we will win this conflict.
Your Princess,
Celestia.
The Princess rolled up the scroll and gave it to Derpy. "Take this to Applejack. Round up my fastest pegasus guards and bring them to the field of battle. Tell them to stand guard through the night. If they don't believe you, tell them it's on my orders." Derpy gave another salute. "Will do Princess! You can count on me!" The Princess sighed as Derpy crashed yet again. "Remember!" She shouted after her, "The sooner it gets there, the better!"
A pegasus flew down to the Princess. "Princess Celestia?" The royalty turned around. "Yes? BlitzBolt?" The Royal Guard knelt in front of her. "You asked us to check on the weather around Baltimare?" The Princess nodded. "I did, yes." The guard continued. "We've received reports of an unscheduled blizzard coming slowly in our direction." The Princess nodded. "That's good." The guard did not look up. "Good, your majesty?" The Princess tapped the pegasus on the shoulder. "I will send you off to Ponyville to accompany the Elements of Harmony during the night. Before I do, send a small group of pegasi to keep watch on the blizzard. I want detailed reports on its' strength." The Pegasus nodded. "Will do, your majesty." He flew off.
The Princess looked off to the snowy mountains of the Baltimare. The sunset had turned the sky a shade of pink and blue. She sighed.
"I can only hope that you come back prepared, Cyro. We are doing whatever what we can to hold them back, but only you can beat them back."
The Princess walked back to the castle to oversee the night time preparations.
Twilight woke up in the middle of the night shivering. She looked around the dark expanse. She yawned and slowly rose to her hooves. She ducked again after hitting her head on a low ceiling. She was confused. The unicorn remembered falling asleep under a tree, not in a house.
Her horn lit up with purple magic, and she looked around. She was standing in a small room, made entirely out of ice. There was a small opening in the top, bent to presumably keep the snow and anything else from falling in. She looked down to see the remains of a small campfire. The trunk of the tree was visible through on one side of the room, and the exit directly opposite. Twilight stepped outside.
It was still as cold as ever. The snow was blowing hard at Twilights face, and she had to conjure a small magical barrier to keep the frost bite off. A loud thud startled her, and she walked slowly to the source of the noise.
Twilight Sparkle walked out to a small clearing in the forest. There was nothing but snow and ice, all around the place. Twilight scanned the clearing to find a large icicle stuck into the ground. Twilight looked to the left to find Cyroxim. He was slightly out of breath, but it was hard to tell. His breath didn't steam in the cold like Twilights'.
She stepped out. Cyroxim turned his head. "Morning." Twilight nodded in response. She just woke up, and the cold didn't help. Twilight watched as the unicorn slammed his front hoof into the icicle.
The icicle shattered into a million shards, leaving behind a large weapon. Twilight recognized it as an executioners' blade. She could tell because of it's flat tip. But the one he wielded was easily thrice as broad, and Twilight guessed about three times as heavy.
The unicorn held his sword down. His horn lit up a frosty blue, and the ice shards flew into the earth. Twilight could imagine an easy twenty deaths. Cyroxim swung his blade up from resting position, cleaving the area in front. Another enemy split in half. Expertly manipulating the momentum from his first swing, he propelled himself a few inches in the air, spinning like a tornado. Ten opponents decapitated.
He swung his sword in midair, taking advantage of the blades' weight to gain a few more inches. He slammed his blade into the ground, tip first. With the blade at such a width, it made a great guillotine.
He landed on the ground next to his blade, and with his hoof, shattered the hilt of the blade into icicle shards. They flew out with devastating speed, completely leveling the distant treeline. Twilight could tell his technique was to deal as much damage as possible, to as many enemies as possible. She could see why he could handle the armies of Tartarus alone.
Twilight watched as he slammed the remains of the blade into the ground. A large glacier suddenly broke through the ground, spewing dirt and grass everywhere. Cyroxim twisted his hoof, and three dozen lethal frozen pikes instantly branched off the large ice formation. Whatever enemy launched by the glacier would be skewered like a marshmallow on a stick.
He wasn't done yet. Twilight watched as he rushed towards the glacier and lifted it up by one of the sharp protrusions. Twilight gasped as he lifted it out of the ground with little effort. "The tip of the iceberg..." Twilight was amazed to find it was actually three times as large as what she originally thought. He swung it like a large hammer. The sheer force of the impact would have killed anything. Anything close enough to the hammer would be ripped to shreds.
He lifted himself into the air with another swing of the giant improvised hammer. After flying ten feet into the air, he launched the icicle towards the earth. Twilight was literally shaken down to the ground from the impact it made.
Cyroxim landed on the ground like a snowflake. Twilight stared in awe at what she just witnessed. His skill was unparalleled, even if his magic wasn't involved most of the time. She walked out to the plain.
"Wow! That was brilliant! How did you learn to do that?" Cyroxim walked past Twilight and placed his hoof gently on the large icicle that jutted from the ground. A soft crackling could be heard, and it blew away like snowflakes. "I've had my fair share of encounters with dragons and hydras on my travels. Wasn't too hard."
Twilight stared in amazement. Dragons and Hydras? He didn't look like one who had any ability to engage the monsters in combat, let alone one on one.
Then again, he never looked like anything he seemed. He was always so distant. The entire time they were traveling, she didn't hear a single word except for responses to her questions. He was always looking to the sky or to the horizon. Occasionally Twilight would find him staring at her thoughtfully, only to have him turn back quickly. Whenever he answered a question, he was often vague, enough to be misunderstood. And he was misunderstood often. He often had to clarify when Twilight asked about something.
"Why are you up so late?" Cyroxim stood up straight. "I could ask the same thing." Twilight looked back to where the igloo was. "Well it was getting kind of cold, and I woke up in an igloo..." Cyroxim looked over. "I noticed that you were shivering. I decided to build a small igloo over you to keep the cold off. Apparently you're not used to it." Twilight smiled. At least he wasn't apathetic.
"You haven't slept a wink, have you?" Cyroxim didn't respond. He looked into the sky, staring at the Windigoes flying close by. "I haven't slept except for that time in the ice. I was afraid I'd freeze over." He tapped the ice chunk on the left side of his chest. "I think this froze over my heart."
Twilight smiled. "If it helps, you could sleep next to me." The colt looked over in surprise. "What? Please, I could never-" Twilight smiled. "I'm a little more used to the cold now. I think I'll be fine with you." Cyroxim shook his head. "No, it's too dangerous. I could freeze us both." Twilight giggled. "Aw, don't worry about it, Cyro." Her hoof flew to her mouth. She just called him Cyro.
Cyroxim just shook his head. "Never heard that nickname before. Don't worry about it." He sighed as he walked towards the igloo. "If you insist, Twilight..."
Twilight Sparkle stared for a while, and began to smile. Maybe that cold heart of his wasn't so cold after all.
The burning Hydra fell to the ground, molten rock pouring from its' wounds. Rainbow Dash looked down at her kill. She watched as its' allies simply climbed over the corpse of their comrade. The pegasus grimaced and gripped her foreleg. There was a deep wound where the hydra had almost taken her leg off. She flew quickly, avoiding flying demons and succubi. She quickly retreated back to the treeline where Fluttershy and Rarity were giving support from the back.
"Fluttershy, a little help here?" The other pegasus turned and gasped at the bleeding wound. Quickly Fluttershy waved her staff over the wound, and slowly, it healed. Rainbow tested her recovered arm. "Thanks. If we didn't have you, we probably would've lost a long time ago." Fluttershy blushed. Rainbow Dash swept up her pole-ax and flew back into the battlefield.
The weight of her weapon did not hinder her agility. If anything, it helped. The sheer weight of the mighty weapon could propel her forward while in midair, catching flying demons off guard with unprecedented speed and accuracy. If that wasn't enough, the weapon itself sparked with life and electricity. She could generate a large static explosion at will.
But even that wasn't enough for the seemingly endless amount of demons pouring out of the cave of Tartarus. They came in all shapes and sizes, ranging from a small hell hound to a mighty dragon. She could never handle them on her own.
All sorts of strange and evil creatures came out of the seemingly bottomless pit that was Tartarus. Demons and imps were the least of their worries. Anything and everything that came out of the cave were either on fire or setting something on fire. Gremlins riding burning manticores came pouncing out. Minotaur three times her own size carried huge hell steel axes and wearing bony shoulder plates marched out. Dragons and Hydras came out relatively often, and always pushed the Elements of Harmony back closer towards the treeline.
Applejack was busy knocking gremlins and imps off their mounts, and smashing skulls into the ground. Pinkie Pie and her shadow, however that worked, were busy cutting and ripping open the enemy, spilling out the molten rock that pumped through their body. Rarity stood far from the front lines, in the tree lines, picking off the aerial enemies with deadly accurate arrows of pure magic. Fluttershy provided replenishment from the back of Cerberus, the three headed guard dog. She managed to convince the dog to stay and help keep the demons back.
A loud explosion caught Rainbow by surprise. She turned to find a small area cleared out with the ground blackened by the explosion. Something was flying towards her. Rainbow stared in surprise as Berry Punch soared slowly over her. "Oh hey, Rainbow! Come on! These things aren't gonna kill themselves!" The Pegasus stared as the earth pony fired her 'bomb shooter,' and watched as several demons blew up. Berry pulled a bottle off her belt and took a drink. "Ka-BOOOOM!" The strangest battle cry Rainbow had ever heard.
But despite all the effort that they were putting in, they were still being pushed back towards the treeline. If they lost that, the demons could scatter throughout the forest and wreak havoc on all of Equestria.
Rainbow Dash swung her pole-ax in time to down another succubus. "These things just don't stop, do they?" She held out her pole ax as it began to crackle to life. Lightning sparked down from the night sky and struck the blade. With a powerful swing, she sent a bolt of powerful lightning towards the mouth of the cave, illuminating the battlefield for a split second.
She knew what little she did wasn't going to help.
"Hurry up Twilight. I don't know how much longer we're going to last out here..."
Twilight and Cyroxim walked through the dark and dank paths of the forest. The mud had long frozen before the pair ever stepped there. The unusually cold weather chased away the terrifying creatures that lived there. Twilight had long since grown used to the cold and snow that came with the company of Cyro, and she hung by his side, with guaranteed safety.
"Twilight, do you have any idea where we are?" Twilight looked around. She could hardly recognize anything with the snow around her. "I don't think so but..." A peculiar motion caught her eye. She turned quickly to a hooded creature rushing off to the right. She recognized the striped legs and golden bracelets of the zebra. Smiling, she turned to Cyro. "Follow me!"
The pair chased after the hooded figure. They ducked under branches and across gorges. Twilight turned the corner to catch the figure closing the door to a tree. Twilight smiled. "Wait right here, Cyro." Twilight walked quickly towards the door and knocked. The zebra opened the door. "Twilight! you find me in surprise! Quickly; out of the cold and inside!"
Twilight closed the door behind her. "What were you doing outdoors Zecora? You know it's dangerous." The zebra hung her cloak, revealing a variety of golden accessories about the zebras body. "I could ask you! What have you to do? The Everfree forest, with no open doors. Especially now, colder than ever before?" Twilight smiled. "I was just bringing the Frozeen Gate back to Tartarus." Zecora gasped. "The Frozen gate of Tartarus? Oh no, Celestia help us!" Twilight smiled. "You know of him too?" Zecora nodded. "Is that the reason for this cold? This one unicorn, as legend foretold?" Twilight nodded. Zecora sighed. "If he is here, then he best be going. Else the demons of Tartarus will be showing." Twilight smiled as she opened the door. Zecora stared in amazement as the unicorn stood undaunted by the cold. "Wish us luck!"
Cyroxim watched as Twilight came out of the tree. "Who was that?" Twilight smiled. "An old friend. I know where we are now though. It's that way!"
~~~~
Twilight sighed. Ponyville was going to need another Winter Wrap Up when they get out of town. The Windigoes had absolutely covered everything with snow and ice. The leaves on the trees were frozen onto their branches, and the river going through town square had frozen over.
Twilight looked around. She smiled as she saw the town library, her home in Ponyville. That was also where she kept her Element, the Element of Magic. Twilight quickly rushed over and opened the door. "Come on Cyro! Come in!" The icicle crested unicorn howled to the Windigoes above, and went into the house.
Twilight started to look around. "Where did I keep it..." She was startled by a voice. She turned to find Spike coming down the steps. "Wow. Who turned on the air conditioning?" Spike froze in place ass his eyes fell upon the Frozen Gate of Tartarus. "Hey Spike!" The dragon turned to Twilight. "Uhm... Twilight? Who's that?" Twilight smiled. "He's the one who's going to save us all. The Frozen Gate of Tartarus!" Spike ran back up stairs. Twilight stared confusingly after the dragon.
"Twilight? If you have nothing to find here, we must get going." Twilight nodded as she pulled out her tiara, the Element of Magic. It was golden topped with a beautiful purple star. "Let's get going."
"I've been waiting for you, Cyroxim, Frozen Gate of Tartarus." They both turned their heads to find a white alicorn looking at them. Twilight looked up in amazement. "Princess?" Cyroxim had a different reaction.
"Celestia? After a whole century, you're still alive?" Twilight stared back at Cyroxim. "You know her?" The Princess smiled. "Of course I'm still alive, Cyro. I'm an alicorn." Celestia smiled. "I trust that my student has brought you back to strength?" Cyroxim nodded. "Yes, she has." He looked back to her. "How you've grown, Celestia. I remember when you were just a little taller than my knee." Celestia laughed. "Things change in a thousand years, Cyro. Now go get those demons." Cyroxim nodded as he left the library.
Twilight looked back to the Princess. "You know him? How?" Celestia stared after him. "I was like him, an outcast of society. I remember the first time I saw him. The poor colt was busy scraping snow off a rock. I was surprised when he stuffed it in his mouth. I always found a decent patch of grass to eat." Twilight sat there in amazement. "You know those records in the royal library?" Twilight nodded.
"I wrote them. I was the only one who dared follow him. He was cold as the ice on the lakes; literally and figuratively. Everypony else just adjusted their coat and kept walking. They never noticed the Windigoes that flew above him, or how ice grew where ever he stepped. I was somehow used to it, and kept writing about him." Twilight gasped. Just like how she grew used to his cold.
"I was also there when he defeated the demons of Tartarus. I watched as Cronus fell to the ground, and how the demons retreated. I was there when Cerberus returned to the cave entrance to guard Tartarus. When I finally worked up the nerve to go up to him, he was beginning to freeze over. I stood next to him as the ice covered his eyes. I think he was the last living thing that I saw." Twilight looked out the window. Cyroxim was waiting for her.
"I was the one who put him into the cave. That way I was sure to know where he was in case it ever happened again. I didn't expect to see it happen again." She chuckled. "Good thing I was prepared."
Twilight looked out the window. The Princess spoke up again. "That's enough. I think you should get going. I have full confidence in him and in you and in the others. I know you'll take Cronus down, once and for all."
Twilight smiled at the Princess. "We'll make you proud! You can count on us!" The Princess smiled. "I'm sure you will." But before she left, Twilight asked one last question.
"Has Cyroxim ever smiled?" The Princess thought for a moment. "No, I don't think so." Twilight looked back to Cyroxim. What a pony he must be.
The Princess watched as Twilight met up with Cyro. As they walked away, the Princess looked to the ceiling.
"I don't know whether it is my memory, or just time, but I remember it being colder than this."
Pinkie Pie was blown back with another great battering of a golem. She turned on her back, covered in cuts and bruises. She hopelessly stared up as the great burning hulk lifted his spiked club. Desperately she tried to escape, but the wounds on her legs were too great. "HELP!" She called out in vain as she saw Applejack getting flipped head over heels by a mighty dragon.
The earth pony stared back up at the demon of Tartarus. Its' burning backside would be the last thing she saw so it seemed. She closed her eyes and looked back on her life. What joy, what pleasure she had in planning parties, only to have it end on the battlefield. She opened her eyes again in woe, and wished the burning demon would just get it over with. She did not notice a single snowflake fall past her vision.
Little did she know her savior had arrived.
A great blue apparition blew past her, whisking up her mane and blowing snow and hail past her face. She watched as the great demon was suddenly skewered by a great icicle, and was blown a few yards away. Pinkie Pie stared in amazement, and looked to the sky.
Windigoes came raining down like hail, setting upon the burning army of Tartarus. The demons screeched as the blue ghosts of hate flew in a great circle around them, herding them closer and closer together.
"Pinkie!" The earth pony turned to find a familiar unicorn. "Twilight! There you are! We were getting worried!" The horn of the unicorn sparked once with magic, and Element of Magic responded. Shards of pure energy began to fly off of the tiara, collecting in a staff. A star fell from the heavens, and the staff was complete. Golden and silver, glowing majestically, topped with a lethally sharp star from the sky, Twilight stood ready for battle.
With a flick of Twilights' wrist, Pinkie Pie was restored. "Help me get the others off the field, Cyroxim is back." Pinkie Pie nodded, and quickly dashed off. The earth pony couldn't help looking to the sky.
With the demons rounded up in a tight circle, a great howl echoed through out the field. Out of the sky dropped icicles, deadly daggers of icy cold. The demons had nowhere to run as they were skewered through and through. The unrelenting rain of ice and hail continued until not a demon of Tartarus remained.
Pinkie Pie dragged Applejack away from the field. Her leg was twisted unnaturally, and blood flowed down her face. Pinkie Pie lifted her up onto her back, and quickly galloped through towards Fluttershy.
Fluttershy was busy helping Rainbow Dash. Her right wing had lost nearly all its feathers, and her shoulder was crushed into her body from the impact. Pinkie Pie laid Applejack carefully onto the ground next to Rainbow Dash. "Please Fluttershy. Hurry." The pegasus was worn out after all the healing magic was casting. Pinkie Pie felt a bump on her back, and she went frigid. Pinkie Pie looked over, her teeth chattering like a wind up toy.
She saw a frozen unicorn, armored with crystalline ice. He walked slowly and deliberately towards the battlefield. Pinkie Pie watched in horror as he walked undaunted into the oncoming wave of demons. "WAIT!"
Twilight put her hoof on Pinkies' back. "He can handle them. Stay here and recover. Watch him." Pinkie Pie felt a sense of dread as she witnessed the demons fell onto the unicorn. Pinkie Pie was near tears when they began to pile up.
A sharp and sudden noise caused Pinkie to flinch. Icicles and frozen pikes suddenly skewered out of the center of the pile. Pinkie Pie watched as the burning demons were frozen over and shattered. The unicorn stood almost god like in the reflected light of the ice that had shattered. Pinkie Pie's eyes fell upon his frozen crest. It was large, almost substituting a chest plate.
The ice reformed itself into a large blade. Pinkie Pie got up to take a closer look. It was literally three times his size, and easily heavier than him. The demons pounced him again, ready to take the kill.
Pinkie stared in amazement as he disappeared in his speed. The demons were split in two while they hovered in midair. The demons looked back and forth stupidly as icicles began to shoot out of the ground, skewering anything in its way.
Words cannot describe the speed of the massacre. Demons fell on Minotaur, and Hydras atop of them. Slowly but steadily, the burning light of the demonic army was extinguished. The unicorn froze as he watched the demons begin to retreat back into Tartarus. The field was littered with the bodies of fallen evils, and he walked among them as if they never existed. Pinkie Pie shivered from the thought of how cold a soul had to be to walk unfazed after killing so many.
Twilight rushed out to the battlefield. She trotted fearlessly through the corpses of her dead enemies. Cyroxim stood there, unfazed, at the entrance to Tartarus. Twilight looked out with him. "Wow! That was impressive! You're amazing!" Cyroxim shrugged. "I'm not sure if I've gotten stronger or weaker, but it seems like they've been expecting me." Twilight was confused. "Why is that?"
"I could hear them shriek. 'Fall back! Call upon the master! Call upon Cronus!'"
Speak of the devil, they did, as heavy thuds raced across the ground. The louder they became, the more fear grew in their hearts. The bright flickering light became ever so brighter. And the fear grew near irrepressible. And yet, Twilight could feel it in the air.
The cold got ever much colder.
A hideous roar, and Cronus was at the surface. The master of all demons had finally arrived.
Twice as large as the Ursa minor, burning with anger and hate, Cronus did stand. His hands were the claws of dragons, and twisted horns grew from his blood red head. His eyes were not eyes, but more furnaces of hate, burning red and evil. A tooth from his mouth was more a sword then anything else. A dragon tail grew from his backside, and it was tipped with a solid obsidian mace head.
"Cronus..." Twilight stood by Cyroxim. She knew the cold would keep her from the heat. One by one, the Elements of Harmony walked up towards Cyroxim, the warmth of the Elements shielding them from the cold. They stood alongside each other, ready for battle.
The great titan Cronus glanced about. "What's this? Eight ponies instead of one?" His laugh was dark and twisted. "Have you gotten weaker? HA! I will be so happy when you fall to your death!"
Fire erupted from his body, and the Windigoes scattered, alarmed with such heat. Cyroxim howled. Instantly the Windigoes scattered at his command. Once again Cyroxim froze himself over, creating an icy armor.
"I should feel bad, but then I'd be happy all over again!" He laughed again. "Oh it's so good to be bad!"
A small object flew towards the titans face. "What the..." Berry punch took another swig of her bottle. "Kaboom." The bomb exploded.
Only to reveal nothing had happened. "Oh you little pony. You are so naive." Cronus flicked a finger, and a fire ball came shooting out. Berry Punch was blown far away towards the treeline from the explosion. The group gasped. "One down, seven to go."
"Not if I have anything to do with it." Cyroxim suddenly launched himself towards the great titan. Cronus laughed and swung his fist. Icicles shot out of the frozen armor, tearing the skin on the titans claw to ribbons. "Agh!" Cronus lashed out with his hand and shattered his armor. Cyroxim was knocked back to the ground. Slowly he got up.
"Away girls. You'll only get in the way." Cyroxim suddenly slammed his hooves into the ground. A pillar of ice, half the height of Cronus, shot out of the ground. Twilight gasped as he hefted it out of the ground. "Come on girls, we'll only slow him down." Cyroxim waited a little while until the girls were safely back at the treeline.
"You never learn Cronus! You know you fear me! Flee while you can, else I take your head!" Cronus laughed. "You were lucky. You will fall in seconds." Cronus' hand erupted in flames, and he stepped into position.
Cyro slammed his hooves again into the ground, and ice shot up from the ground, rising to Cronus' chin. He laughed. "That all you can muster?" The pillar shattered as the Cyros' blade slit the stomach of Cronus with a light cut. "HA!"
Claws became flamethrowers as fire shot towards Cyroxim. His icy crest grew into a barrier as the fire hit him. When the flame subsided, Cyroxim stood unfazed, sweating at the brow.
The great pillar of ice suddenly shattered into a million pieces, invisible to the naked eye. Cronus held his arm up as Cyroxim flexed. Instantly molten rock spewed from the arm of Cronus as ice pierced his skin. A claw flew up to meet the icy blade of Cyroxim as he flew over. Cronus was in clear pain from the frost against his flame. Cyroxim knew he had to get away, for the heat of Cronus was too much for even him to be close for too long.
Too late he realized, as Cronus snapped his blade in two, and with his other claw, brought his claw down to Cyros' crown. To the ground he soared, the impact heard by all. As Cyroxim stood up, he staggered ever so slightly. "Aw.. tired already? Give up. My army will conquer this land and the next when you fall."
Many things raced through Cyroxims' mind. "You speak as if I will fall." Although in his mind he knew, he would not make it this time. The icy crest he bore sported a crack.
The unicorn sped away as Cronus fired again with his fiery wrath. "Run! See how much good it will do you!" Cronus fired again, and a wall of flame blocked his way. Cyroxim turned to find Cronus bringing his fist down upon him. A great glacier blew up from the ground, launching Cyroxim into the air. Cronus stared up in fury. "WHY DENY YOUR FATE? IT IS INEVITABLE!"
"Because it isn't." The Glacier flew up towards him, and he grasped it as a hammer. With a powerful swing, he brought it down upon Cronus' head. The strike was quick, but the titans' recovery even quicker as Cyroxim swung a second time. Cronus deflected a swing with his claw, and a swift foot met Cyroxim in his gut. Cyroxim dropped his weapon in his pain, unable to react as the great titan lifted him into the air.
With a twist of his neck, Cronus broke the icy crest of Cyroxim and skewered the Frozen Gate of Tartarus.
Cyroxim could do nothing as he fell to the ground, everything but dead. And even that, he neared.
He could hear Twilight screaming. He could hear the cruel laugh of Cronus. He could feel the pain of the wound in his chest and the blood he lost from it. The cold of his heart had slowed his blood, anyone else would have died already.
He was too weak to move, or talk for that matter. He could not comfort the unicorn that stood over him, tears mixing with his blood. He could only will the ice over his body. He would live, and he would return, but not today. He was still too weak.
But why did he fail? He had bested Cronus once before, what could be the reason he would fail now? He was stuck inside the ice for a century, if not more. That must have been it, time had worn his skills to near nothing. He would need to work much harder next time.
He looked back to Twilight. He could not hear her screaming at him. He couldn't feel the tears that fell upon him. He could only wonder.
Why? Why do you cry? He meant nothing to you. He stood only as the Frozen Gate of Tartarus in your mind. I represent nothing except hope that Cronus will not succeed. Do you cry because he had failed? Then you cry for yourself. But then why do you not appear angry? Could it be possible you cared for him?
No. It couldn't be. No one has ever cared for him. Only one has ever bothered to follow him. And even then, she could not come near. How could you? Twilight Sparkle, a unicorn, student of the Princess herself, who had only known him for two days, care about him?
His strength derived from his indifference. The hatred in his heart had brought the Windigoes to him, and with them came power over ice and cold. His heart froze over from the hatred he felt towards everyone else.
But why did he hate them? They had done nothing to him. They simply refused to help him when he wanted it. That was why. He hated them for not giving him what he wanted. He never needed the help, he could have eaten snow and ice all the same. It was his fault all this happened.
It was all his fault his father kicked him out. He was weak, when he could have been stronger. He could have showed his true power, when he hid it. His family was the only that cared to keep him. He knew full well why they kicked them out. What he didn't know was that his mother would've have kept him, even if it cost her life.
He didn't know that, but now that he thought about it, he could imagine it. He could vaguely remember the moment when he was kicked out. He could see his fathers' face, disapproving and disappointed. But then he looked over to the left. Were those tears of sadness coming from his mother? How?
His mother cared for him, he realized, and losing him meant losing a piece of her heart. A loving heart that he never learned to have. Love, what a strange thing.
Was that what Twilight was feeling? Could it be love? No, it wasn't love, but it was something close to that. It was enough to cause pain when he left. He cared for no one, and the only one who cared to stop and watch, he failed.
He looked up at Twilight. He could feel his eyes water up. Could it be possible he cared for her too? He blinked the moisture away. Twilight was looking around him. He could feel the ice closing around his neck and crown. When Twilight looked back in his eyes, he struggled. With his few final moments with her, he mouthed two words.
The ice closed over the dying body of Cyroxim, the Frozen Gate of Tartarus. Twilight stood there wide-eyed. Their only hope of defeating Cronus was frozen in a coffin of ice. Twilight couldn't stop shuddering. Her tears flowed as her disbelief slowly broke down.
"HA! He is DONE! Now my Army of Demons can CONQUER THIS LAND AND THE NEXT!" Cronus turned back to Tartarus. "COME, MY MINIONS! IT IS TIME TO TAKE WHAT IS OURS!"
Seconds became minutes as nothing happened. No demons came out of the cave. Not even the smallest imp. Cronus was angered. "DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? COME OUT! AND CONQUER THIS LAND!" shrieking from the demon army echoed. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S TOO COLD?" Cronus did not realize the Windigoes had returned from where ever they went. And it was true, there was more snow and ice on the ground than when Cyroxim had been fighting.
Cronus turned back around. "Maybe I'll have to kill you all before I can get my army out. Prepare for your death!" Cronus raised his claw. He was struck in the face with a large chunk of ice. "What!? Who dares-" His eyes fell upon Twilight.
She had turned to face him. Her horn was glowing a sharp, frosty blue. The Windigoes circled high above her head, colder than ever before. When Twilight looked up, Cronus himself flinched in fear.
Her eyes had turned from a deep purple to a cold blue-black. The anger on her face was just a mask for what she truly felt.
Twilight snarled as ice began to crawl up her hooves. Her voice stuttered. "How dare you..." Cronus watched as the ground behind her began to crack. Twilight screamed in rage.
"HOW DARE YOU!?"
The ground exploded behind Twilight. Cronus watched as it rebuilt itself into a great frost golem, made of pure ice and hail. It looked up at Cronus. Its' eyes had the same frosted blue eyes as Twilight, filled and fueled with the same hatred that Twilight had.
Cronus was too stunned to react as the golem quickly drew a blade out of the ground and severed his legs. Twilight smiled as cries of agony rang in her ears. She reached out with a hoof frozen over. The golem mimicked the movement, grabbing Cronus. She tossed him into the air, and butchered his body into several pieces.
But she wasn't done. No, she wasn't through. She flipped her hoof. The golem flicked his hand out, sending a freezing wind, turning each piece of Cronus into a humongous ice cube. She let them fall to the floor, each of them shattering into a million pieces.
With that, Twilight fell, her magic wearing out. The golem fell apart, icy remains of a great power. "TWILIGHT!" Pinkie Pie quickly rushed over, followed by Fluttershy and the rest. Berry Punch had been revived by Fluttershy. Sober, most of all.
Twilight slowly got to her feet. She staggered, and Pinkie Pie reached forward to catch Twilight. The unicorn smiled, but it quickly turned back into a frown as her eyes fell back to Cyroxim.
The others watched as she fell over the frozen pony and cried.
Twilight sat there in the plains, looking up at the sky. It was a bright day, and clouds floated by carefree. Green fields faded into deep green forest. The light blue sky was scheduled to be clear all afternoon that day. Twilight sighed. She looked around.
It had been at least a week since the Tartarus incident. All the ponies in Canterlot had been moved back to Ponyville, and the snow left behind by Cyroxim and the Windigoes had been removed and melted.
Cyroxim. How she missed him. She looked around. The remains of her own golem of frost was still there, as big as it was back then.
"Heh. Goes to show how much hate I had after all." Twilight looked over to Cerberus, who stared at her curiously. "No, I don't expect you to remember me. You weren't here for it anyway." Twilight sighed again. "Why..." Her brow twisted in anger. A howl echoed through the sky. Twilight looked up and howled a long, pained cry. Twilight sighed. "No, there's no hate here. Go away."
Twilight was suddenly alerted of a small flapping sound. She turned to find the Princess standing there. "Hello Princess Celestia..." The Princess smiled. "Why so gloomy today? It's beautiful out, thanks to you!" Twilight sighed. "That's the problem. I know I should be happy and yet..." She couldn't continue.
The Princess sat down next to Twilight. "Is it about Cyroxim?" Twilight hesitated, but slowly nodded. The Princess looked out to Tartarus. "You know the story of Cyroxim right?" Twilight nodded. "He was kicked out when he was just three, and his heart froze over from his hate. He kept Windigoes like pets, and with their help defeated Cronus." Celestia nodded. "That's true." The Princess looked over to the icy ruins. "That was me, a week ago." The Princess stared in disbelief. "Yeah. I still don't believe it either."
Celestia looked back to her student. Twilight was so sad over losing Cyroxim. "You know, when you live for as long as I do, you can see anything about anypony." Twilight looked up indifferently to the Princess. "I look back at Cyroxim now and I say, wow, this stallion is amazing. Do you know why?" Twilight shook her head. "His mind was so dark and down to earth. Anything that happened, he'd be blaming himself. He firmly believed that what goes around, comes around." Twilight knew that already. She could tell, even if she was only with him for two days. "He resented love and others." That made Twilight turn her head.
"That changed from his hate of others into the hate for himself. He hated himself for being so foolish as to love in the first place. He saw his mother had cried for him, and he shed a few tears as well. He led himself to believe that if you have nothing to lose, then no pain will come to you." Celestia looked down to the ground. "I've heard him myself. 'Suffer, and let no one suffer with you. Live, so that no one will miss you.'"
Twilight Sparkle looked back to the icy ruins of the frost golem. Whatever his life motto was, it hadn't worked. She missed him, and he was frozen in ice with a gaping hole where his heart was. Maybe he'll live, like in the legends, but it wasn't likely unless he had help. Twilight had moved him to the peaks of the nearby mountain. She looked out over the Everfree Forest. She remembered it as the peak to the left of the river that ran through Ponyville. She held her own hoof against her heart, and wondered what it felt like to be skewered through the heart. She surely felt that way.
The Princess put her hoof around Twilight. "Hey. I've had my fair share of that. Unfair share, actually. Cheer up." Twilight stared after the Princess as she flew away.
Twilight sat there, alone. She looked again to the mountain where she had left Cyroxim. Her vision began to blur, and the mountain began to wave, as if it were just a dream. Twilight broke out into a sob. She began to think to herself. Why hadn't she stepped in sooner? Why did she trust him to finish the job? She had felt in her heart that he wasn't ready. So why? Why did she let him go?
The howl of a Windigo cut into Twilights' thoughts. Her brows furrowed, and she lifted her head. A howl from beyond the depths of Tartarus echoed through the plains. Cerberus cowered in fear from the pure hate and pain. Twilight breathed heavily, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't stop shuddering.
Another howl. But this time, Twilight stopped. It wasn't a Windigo this time. It was a mimic, even if was near perfect.
It was a howl from a pony.
Twilight looked up to find dark clouds of blizzards coming ever nearer. She stared up in wonder, completely ignoring the freezing tears on her face. Twilight sat there, numb not in cold, but in amazement, as a twister touched down to the ground in front of her. She stared intently as the tornado of wind and ice slowly lost power.
Twilight began to recognize the pony. A unicorn. With white and frosty blue mane and a deep blue coat. Eyes as cold as the blizzard in which he came. It was clear it was Cyroxim, but how?
Twilight looked down to his chest. The gaping hole was gone, and in its place was a bare chest, free of any ice shards.
Twilight looked back up to Cyroxim. He looked back at her. They stared at each other in the freezing wind that would've shooed any other pony away.
"Funny. I thought you called for me." Cyroxim looked up to the Windigoes that had brought him there. Twilight looked also. She noticed the blizzard was noticeably weaker than when she last saw them. With a short growl from Cyroxim, they departed, leaving them in a bright sunny day filled with snow.
They looked at each other again. Twilight just sat there. She couldn't believe it. Her mouth quivered.
"How?"
For the first time since Twilight saw him, he smiled. It was a soft smile, welcoming and warm. "Don't worry about the how. I'm here again, sooner than I would've ever thought possible."
The numb expression on Twilight face began to turn up. She ran to him and fell into his arms, sobbing into his shoulder. Cyroxim chuckled. "What were you doing out here all alone?" Twilight sniffled. "I was busy trying to get over you." She sobbed, Cyroxim patting her on the back. "Well, you don't have to now."
He looked up to the sky to a lone cloud. There, atop the cloud, sat Princess Celestia. Cyroxim smiled again. He mouthed slowly.
"Thank you."
The Princess simply smiled, and flew away. Cyroxim looked back at Twilight and smiled.
The Frozen Gate of Tartarus had melted, and in its place stood:
