//------------------------------// // Episode 20: Awaken Blazing Courage! // Story: Elements of Heroism: Season 1 // by Bahamut0 //------------------------------// Ice had just teleported into Ace's house. Needless to say, Ace was pretty shocked. "Ice?!" Ace fell out of his chair! "What the heck are you doing here?!" Ice scratched his head. "I kinda need a place to stay.....plus I wanted to apologize to your friends for...you know, trying to waste them on multiple occassions." Ace sighed. "Well you'd better apologize to the girls first. Come on." Ace walked over to Twilight's house and knocked on the door. "Hey Twilight! I'm sure you've met my-" Ace ducked as a blast of magic struck Ice and he was imprisoned in crystal. "...What was that for?!" "Ace! That's the same guy who's tried to kill you and the other guys! Not to mention the same one who sent that swarm of nightmare insects to try and kill me and the girls!" Twilight said with a scowl. "Why are you so calm?!" "He's my brother. Dark Ice. And he came to apologize." Ace said flatly. "So would you mind releasing him?" "Actually, I think this is better." Ice noted. "Chances are the rest of the Elements of Harmony would probably clobber me if you introduced me to them individually." Ice then looked at Twilight with a nervous smile. "So...could you please not shoot me with a rainbow of magic?" "I'll think about it..." Twilight said flatly as she left to gather the girls. Soon enough they arrived and each was pretty cross with Ice. "Well? What were you thinking when you joined the Nightmare Forces?" "Yeah...I kinda wasn't thinking." Ice said nervously. "In fact, I rarely think things through. At all. I just go in head-first." Twilight face-palmed. "You mean you just did it without considering the fact they might be lying?!" "If it makes you feel any better, I realize my mistake." Ice said with a nervous smile! He then recoiled his head when Applejack came up to inspect him right in the eye. "Hmmm. He ain't lyin'." Applejack said with a nod. She then punched Ice in the face. "But Ah still owe ya for all the trouble you've caused!" "Arguement...valid...." Ice groaned before his head was shaken by Rainbow Dash! "Alright creep!" Rainbow Dash growled! "What's your game?! What secrets are you after!" Ice was visibly terrified! "TALK!" "...Please get away from me..." Ice begged. "I'm asking nicely..." Applejack hauled Rainbow Dash away, and Ice breathed a sigh of relief. "I apologize for Rainbow Dash's bluntness." Rarity said. "Still. I must say Applejack voiced our initial desire." Ice gulped. "...Point taken...." Pinkie Pie then raced up to Ice's face. "Uh...hi?" "Hi!" Pinkie chirped. "So you're Ace's brother?" "Um, yes?" "Sweet! I gotta get to work on your party!" And with that Pinkie left to plan Ice's party leaving Fluttershy to speak with him next. "Um, I believe that you've come to apologize." Fluttershy said with a small smile. "Finally someone believes me." Ice said with a sigh of relief before looking at Ace. "Quite the bunch of friends you've got." Ace nodded. "I'll be back with the guys. See you then." Ace left, and Ice felt Twilight's gaze piercing his soul. "So, uh, what're you gonna do with me?" Ice asked nervously. "I'm going to lecture you on thinking things out." Twilight said proudly as she pulled out a black board and began to ramble on. All the while, Ice was struggling to keep his sanity together. "And THAT'S why-" "ENOUGH!" Ice screamed! "Make it stop! PLEASE make it stop! UGH!" Twilight frowned. "What's your problem?!" "My problem?!" Ice asked with an annoyed look on his face. "My problem is with all your over-thinking, you're NEVER going to get anything done! Haven't you ever heard of the phrase: 'Don't fuss with the small stuff?' You obviously haven't!" "Oh? Does 'small stuff' include leaving your family behind and joining a bunch of evil monsters?!" Twilight spat back! "If you HAD thought things through, you wouldn't have fought Ace and the guys!" Ice and Twilight glared at each other. "You know? I know what your problem is. You're reckless. That's why you've messed up so much." Ice rolled his eyes. "Little tip? Nobody's perfect. But they can get better by realizing they messed up." Twilight was about to counter, but then smiled as she ran off to write a letter to the princess. She soon returned with a satisfied look on her face. "Look. The point is, I'm sorry and I'm trying to fix my screw-up." Twilight sighed as her hand glowed and Ice's crystal prison was undone. "Fine. Just don't go anywhere." Ice was left alone in the library, and decided to take a nap. Meanwhile, Night Terror had created a new monster to eliminate the Elements of Harmony and Elements of of Heroism. "You shall do nicely." Night Terror said with a wicked smile. "Now go forth Executor!" A warrior clad in pitch black armor stomped through a portal to Ponyville. "Where the others failed, you shall not." Back in Ponyville, Ice's eyes snapped open! Because he still had his nightmare form, he could sense other nightmare creatures. And right now, he had just sensed Executor's presence! "Not good. Really not good!" Ice bolted out the door, and arrived just in time to see Executor step out of a portal. "Dark Ice." Executor boomed. "Lord Night Terror has one last offer for you to return to our side. He hopes you'll make the wise choice." Ice smirked at the armored behemoth. "Sorry. I never was the smart one out of my brothers!" "Very well fool. PERISH!" Executor sent Ice flying into a wall with a swing of his arm! Burst and Inferno were flying over head and noticed the fight! The two landed and summoned their Duelist Arms! Burst and Inferno charged at Executor, but his gauntlet blocked their strikes! "Let me show you two a true blade..." Executor drew his sword and slashed at Burst and Inferno! Sending them flying! "And to think you lot caused Lord Night Terror so much trouble. I'll take great joy in eliminating you!" Executor was caught off-guard when a wave of magic knocked him back! Ace stood with his Duelist Arms ready! "So. It appears there is yet another fool who wishes to be eliminated." The girls had just arrived on the scene, and watched in horror as the rest of the guys showed up to take on Executor! But their attacks did little to no damage! Tyrannus fired off a Raptor Slash, but it made little to no damage! "Fool!" Executor flung Tyrannus towards Burst and Inferno! The two caught him, and noticed that Steel had snuck up on Executor! But Executor grabbed Steel and smashed him into the ground! He then dragged Steel as he made a run at the others! The girls tried to jump in, but Executor fired off a blast of dark magic! Knocking them all to the ground! Ace slowly rose, and mounted one last desperate charge at Executor! Ace leaped into the air, and brought his sword down on Executor! But when his sword clanged agaisnt Executor's armor, there was no damage! Ace was in shock! "What?!" Executor chuckled as he grabbed Ace by the throat! "My armor was made to be impervious to attack as long as I stay in a defensive position. It's enchantment allows me to form a defensive barrier around myself. Your attacks are useless!" Executor then saw Ice slowly rising. "Are you watching Dark Ice? Watch as I snuff out your brother's life!" Executor began to slowly squeeze Ace's throat as Ice watched in horror! It was then that Ice heard the voice and saw the source. It was a dragon spirit that looked like it held the entire fury of Tartarus in its eyes! "Will you let fear keep you from saving Ace?" Red Dragon Archfiend's spirit asked. "WILL YOU LET YOUR FEARS COME TO PASS?!" "No...NO." Ice mentally said to the dragon spirit as he rose to his feet! "NOOOOOOOOO!" Ice rushed at Night Terror and flames began to gather in his hands and seemed to burn away his nightmare form! Ice swung his arms down as he leaped at Executor! Ace gasped for breath as the arm of Executor was incinerated as black essence poured from where Executor's arm once was! Ice stood as the flames on him died down. He was back to his old self, but now his jacket had turned crimson! And in his hands,he held a claymore modelled after a dragon! Ice then turned to Ace and the others. "You guys alright?" "Ice...you've got a Duelist Arm!" Ace noted in awe! Ice inspected his new weapon and smirked. "Time to put it to good use!" Ice turned to Executor and saw him clutching the cut where his arm once stood as black essence leaked out! "Looks like you're not as invinceible if you choose to fight." The blade of Ice's claymore was soon wrapped in flames as he leaped into the air! Executor got into a defensive position as a black aura surrounded his armor! Ice brought down his claymore with a mighty slash! Smashing through the barrier and slashing down Executor's center! "Power Force Slash!" Executor exploded as soon as Ice sheathed his claymore! "I'm not chained by fear anymore." A crimson aura then shot up around Ice before fading! The dragon spirit appeared before Ice. "You have finally awakened Ice. Element of Courage." The dragon spirit said proudly before fading away. Ice was then approached by the guys and girls. Ice took a deep breath as he looked them in the eye. "I know I made some pretty big mistakes. But I want to fix what I've done." Ice set his claymore in the ground. "My fate's in your hands." Burst put a hand on Ice's shoulder. "I'd say you've more than made up for your mistakes. Your nightmare's over Ice. Welcome to the Elements of Heroism." Burst said with a smile. "And with you, Night Terror's days are numbered!" The guys brought their hands in. They had gained a new friend, and Ace had regained a brother in the process.