//------------------------------// // Armor of Heroes Part 11: A Cold Reception // Story: Dragonfire 🐲 Enter The Dragon Hero 🐲 // by Phantom-Dragon //------------------------------// Ember was twisting and turning the Fucanglong box, until it clicked. The box floated in the air, before it projected a beam of blue magic, displaying the image of a pair of boots, with wings at the sides, "The Boots of Courage rests within the land, that is now Yayakistan, guarded by the mountains of the Frozen North." The Next Morning Prince Blueblood was at a restaurant, enjoying himself with some fancy cuisine, when Rarity was passing by, humming a song, while carrying a rolled up cape on her back. "Morning Rarity!" a random mare greeted. "Good morning, darling," Rarity returned the greeting. "Where are you off to?" the mare asked. "I'm off to see my prince, of course," Rarity replied. "I have a special gift for him, on his journey!" the unicorn said, while gesturing to the cape on her back. "That's my cue line!" Blueblood smiled to himself, as he fixes his tie, and licked his hoof, which he used to smooth his mane back, before he trotted over to Rarity, "Hello, Ms. Rarity. So nice to see you again," he greeted. "Blueblood?!" Rarity exclaimed in a mix of shock and disgusts. "What are you-" "No, no," Blueblood interrupted, still smiling, and flicked his mane for some drama, much to Rarity's annoyance. "No need to say it. You're surprised to see me again, and in Ponyville, of all places. And I'm awfully flattered you had a gift, planned for me," he said, trying to reach for the cape, only for Rarity to project a shield. "Keep your hooves, off Blueblood!" Rarity snarled. "This cape is for Spike!" "Oh, forget about him already!" Blueblood groaned. "Why would you waste your time with him, when you have some pony like me?!" "Some pony who's greedy and very, very un-prince like?" Rarity asked. "I think not!" "Exactly!" Blueblood smiled. "Now be reasonable, and come with me!" "I was referring to you!" Rarity frowned, resulting a gasp from Blueblood. "Spikey-Wikey!" Rarity exclaimed happily, as she zipped past Blueblood, and ran up to the Dragon Prince, who was on his way to the train. Blublood galloped after Rarity, before he ducked behind a barrel, and eavesdrop on her conversation with the young dragon. "Hey Rarity," Spike greeted, before the marshmallow unicorn presented to him, his new and improve cape. "Hey, I was wondering where it went," he joked. Rarity giggled affectionately like a schoolgirl, "Forgive me, Spike. I borrowed it again for further improvements, back when we were still in New York," Rarity showed off the new features on the dragon's cape. "Now, it's further enhanced with dark magic repelling fabric, a whole array of inner pockets to provide you the excessive convenience of carrying a range of necessities you'll need, and guaranteed protections from the bitter cold, or intensive heatwaves." "Wow," Spike marveled, accepting the cape. "All those efforts and troubles for me?" Rarity smiled, while nodding her head, "Remind me to come over and repay you some favors, when this whole armor mission blows over." Rarity squealed in delight, while Spike covered his mouth, realizing too late at what he said. Blueblood in the meantime, was more irked than before. "Oh, look at you, Spike!" Blueblood said in disgust. "Offering to give service to a mare, like Rarity. Why you're more of a servant than you are a prince! Unlike me!" Blueblood don a smug grin. Spike was about to say something, when Rarity beat him to it, "Oh get over yourself, Blueblood! Spike's just being considerate," Rarity spatted. "I'm considerate," Blueblood replied. "Don't you mean conceited?" a voice asked. Blueblood turned his head, but was puzzled to see no pony, "Who said that?" he didn't have time to figure it out, when hears the sound of pigeons, and looked up to see a pigeon flapping overhead. "Oh no! Get away from me! Shoo! Leave me alone!" With that, Blueblood took off, running like a scared filly. If he hadn't been in such a hurry, who would've looked back to see the pigeon, changing itself into Thorax. "Well played, Thor," Spike smirked, giving his Changeling friend a thumbs up. "My pleasure," Thorax smiled. Just then, the train blew a whistle, "Spike! Hurry up!" Ember called, from the train. "I'm coming!" Spike zipped off, leaving a Spike shaped dust cloud, and the cape which was defying gravity, and a bewildered Rarity. It wasn't long, until Spike zipped back, and took the cape, "ThanksagainforthecapeRarity.I'llcherishit.Goodbye!" He said in a fast pace, before he gave Rarity a quick peck on the cheek, before he resumes taking off, on the train. Rarity just stood on the platform, blushing as she placed her hoof over where Spike had kissed her, and turned herself human, as she swoons. Frozen North It wasn't long, before the heroes arrived to their destination. Spike was the first to get off the train and onto the platform, with Fleur, Peewee, Ember, Gabby, Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer, and the Knights following. Pinkie Pie, Sunset Shimmer, and the Knights were all clad in their winter gears, with Button still wearing the Helmet of Wisdom, and Rumble carrying the Sword of Honor around his waist. Spike, Fleur, and Ember continue to wear their armors, with Spike wearing his cape. "Wow, Spike!" Gabby smiled. "That cape looks good on you!" "Like a superhero!" Button added. "Although, you should be careful with your cape. Remember what happened to all the other good super heroes, who've had capes?" "I'm sure that only happens in the movies," Spike replied, before he turned to see Ember, still don up in her hooded figure persona. "Ember, we're off the train. You can take your cloak off, now." "Don't be so sure, Spike," Ember replied. "Way may be far from pony eyes, but there are still some other creatures out there that I'd prefer to hide myself from." "Don't be silly, Ember!" Pinkie beamed. "Both me and the yaks have moved on from your biggest failure then! I'm sure Prince Rutherford would be happy to see you again!" "It's not the yaks I'm worried about," Ember replied, before changing the topic. "Can we just get going now? The sooner we get the boot! The sooner we can leave!" The heroes looked confused, at the sapphire dragon's anxiety. Knowing better than to question her further, Spike replied, "Then lead the way, my lord." Ember frowned slightly, while reaching into her cloak, and pulled out the Fucanglong box, showing that it's still glowing in the same blue, fiery aura. Sensing a pull, through the box, Ember guided the heroes in a specific direction. Little did they know, they were being watched from afar. Prince Blueblood was in a sleigh, pulled by his dog, Bunny, "Mush Bunny! Mush!" Blueblood shouted. "We must beat my cousin and his friend to those legendary boots first. And then I'll show to all the little ponies back home that there's no other pony, or dragon, who is as heroic as me! Mush!" Blueblood continued. However, Bunny could only go as far as his little legs could carry, that suddenly, the rope snapped, and Blueblood, still in his carriage, slides down the snow, before he fell out, rolled down in the blanket of snows, becoming a giant snow ball, and rolled down a hill, up a mountain, and into a yeti's cave. Disturbed from his nap, the yeti broke a piece of icicles, and swatted the misfortunate unicorn stallion away. Prince Blueblood went flying off into the distance, screaming, "Yaaah-hoo-hoo-hoo-hooey!!!" Bunny in the meantime, give off a trollish grin, before he spins into a tornado, and there stood, Discord, Snips, and Snails. "Hello every pony!" Discord greeted, before he and the boys began walking away, with a fanfare playing in the background. "We are number one!" the boys said together. Meanwhile, with the heroes Spike and the gang, hadn't gone far, when suddenly..... "LOOK OUT!" Spike shouted, shoving Ember out of the way, when an arrow came flying towards them. Reacting fast, Spike swatted the arrow away, and into a tree. The heroes watched, as icy structures began to form around the tree, from where the arrow had impacted. "Whoa!" Button exclaimed. "That could've been us!" "THERE'S MORE!!" Rumble shouted. The heroes looked up to see more arrows raining down on them. [14. Mulan OST - Save the Cannons!] Spike didn't hesitate to dragon up, as he and Ember fought alongside, fending off the arrows, "GET OUT OF RANGE!" the two dragons shouted together. The Knights were quick to dart off into some nearby trees, while avoiding the arrows raining on them. "AAAAH!!" Button yelped, just an ice arrow landed close to his toe, and froze into a huge, sharp icicle from impact. Suddenly, jumping out of the snow, surrounding the Knights, were a group of penguins. The thing odd about these penguin, was the fact that they stood up, around Pipsqueak's height, and they were clad in fur coats, with suits of armors over them. For weapons, the penguins carry bows, and ice arrows, spears, and they even wear sharp blades on their feet, wings, and even on their beaks. One of the penguins squawked, before it pointed its blade at the Knights, before the rest of the penguins all slid on their bellies, charging fast towards the boys. Back with the other heroes, Spike, Ember, and Peewee, all took flight, with the penguins firing their arrows after the dragons. Reaching into her cloak, Ember pulls out her bow, and fires more of her own arrows at the penguins on the mountainsides, exploding into purple smokes upon impact. Spike concentrated into his hands, as he projected some fire shurikens, and hurled them at the penguins. The penguins quickly ducked their heads, behind some rocks, taking shelters from the dragons' fires, before they got up and tried to fire their arrows again. It wasn't long, before some penguins hauled in a huge cannon, and aimed the barrel at the dragons, when suddenly, Peewee appeared in a flash of fire, and jumpscared the penguins behind the cannon. "SURPRISED!!" Pinkie and Gabby shouted, jumpscaring more of the penguins. Distracted, the penguins all quickly beat their beating hearts, while Gabby and Pinkie fought them off. Gabby, in her MMDW persona, thrusted her legs, kicking the penguins off the mountain, and into the soft snows below, while using her wings to shield herself from their arrows, and fought off some more that were trying to pile up on her. "Meanie pants!" Pinkie growled, while throwing some sprinkle bombs at the penguins. "Take this, arctic dodos!" "Oy!" one of the penguins grunted. "We resemble that remark!" Pinkie continues to throw more sprinkle bombs at the penguins, "Stop it!" one of the penguins tried to warn the pony. "You're gonna start an avalanche!" But too late, one of Pinkie's sprinkle bombs went flying, and exploded at one of the snow banks overhead, causing the snows to come loose, as they washed the the pink pony, griffon, and the penguins off the mountain, and back into the field below, where Fleur and Sunset Shimmer, were fighting off the rest of the penguins. "WHEEE!" Pinkie cheered, as she rode on Gabby, down the mountain. Spike and Ember quickly flew down, and saved their friends, while the penguins crashed into the snows below, before they poked their heads up, looking around, seeing the rest of their comrades. "What's with these penguins?" Spike asked, while breathing a jet of fire. "I don't know," Ember replied. "They're usually not this violent the last time I was here." "And just what were you doing here, pray tell?" Fleur asked, as she and Sunset shot some fireballs at the penguins. Ember, knowing that Spike and friends would have to know sooner or later, was about to say something, when jumping out of nowhere, from the snow, was a great big, ferocious monster that resembles a baboon with white fur, and a red star on its forehead. Riding on its back, is another penguin. In appearance, the penguin appears bigger, compared to the rest of the penguins, with cold, icy blue eyes, with a penetrating stare, and matching mists the flowed from his eyes, to add the ferocity of his appearance. For attires, the penguin wears an even heavier fur coat, with pads of armor that protruded long sharp icicles over. His head gear appears to be a simple nomadic helmet, with curled horns made of ice. [I Will Not Bow - Breaking Benjamin] "Well, well, well," the penguin said in a low voice, that almost sounded like ices creaking, while eyeing his cold stare on the heroes, Ember mostly. "If it isn't Dragon Lord Ember!" the penguin cackled. "I was wondering when you would recover your precious Bloodstone Scepter. The yaks haven't been putting up a fight, without their life-long dragon allies to aid them!" "Well we're here and-wait what?!" Spike flabbergasted, as he looked to Ember. "What was that about the Bloodstone Scepter?" "Tell him, Ember," the penguin began. "Tell your fellow dragon what happened. Tell him how you lost the scepter! TELL HIM THE TRUTH!!!" "Enough!" Ember roared. "I may not be Dragon Lord without the scepter! But I'll still give it my all for my allies! Starting with beating you, Charlatan!" "I'd like to see you try!" Charlatan sneered, as he breathes a mist of ice from his beak, and into his flippers, forming a long trident of ice. With a kick, the yeti went charging after the heroes, who all jumped out of the way. The yeti made a turn, as it resumes charging after the heroes. Ember took her cloak off, and threw it at the yeti, blinding the creature slightly. After the yeti took the ragged cloak off, it and Charlatan turned to see Ember flying towards them, with Spike at her side. The evil penguin's eyes pulsed with snowy mists, before he fired beams of ice at the dragons, who retaliated with combined blasts of fires, before they thrusted their claws out at the penguin. However, Charlatan evaded their attacks with a swing of his trident, before he kicked his yeti again, causing the beast to leap at a tremendous height, and onto the side of a mountain. "Penguins! To me!" Charlatan shouted, while making a donkey-like sound. On cue, more penguins popped out of the snow, as they fired more arrows at the heroes. Spike focused his powers into his claws, projecting some fire katanas, which he used to fend off against ice arrows, along with Ember who breathed a jet of purple fires, melting the arrows before they could hit her and Spike. In the meantime, Gabby, Pinkie, Sunset, and Fleur were left to deal with the penguins. Gabby, having acute sense of hearings, heard movements in the snow, allowing her to pounce on her hidden targets, right before they could pop out of the snow. "Hey, check it out, every pony!" Pinkie exclaimed cheerfully. "Pounce-a-Penguin!" Sunset was breathing streams of fires from her mouth, while stamping her hoof in the ground, causing a strong wall of fire to erupt, between her and the attacking penguins. Fleur was firing several magic bolts, blinding, and stunning the penguins, before she used her signature flare kicks, to knock them away. Suddenly, Charlatan, still on the back of his yeti, jumped off the mountain, and landed behind Fleur. With a thrust of its leg, the yeti kicked Fleur away, and into a tree. Fleur tries to get up, but the yeti was already towering over her, as Charlatan prepared to thrust his trident at the armored unicorn. "NO!!" Spike shouted, as he flew in the neck of time, and shielded Fleur from the attack, with his katanas in claws. With a screech, Peewee swooped down from the air, and knocked Charlatan off of the yeti. Charlatan looked, and his eyes widen, as Spike leapt in the air, and stomped his foot down on the penguin. "You've got some nerve, Charlatan!" Spike growled. "Nobody does that to my friend!" "What can I say?" Charlatan sneered. "I've got a cold hearted!" With that, the penguin blasted Spike off of him, before he conjured an ice shield and an ice sword with his breath, as he lunges forward on the Dragon Prince. Spike rolled to the side, as he parries his katana with the penguin's ice sword. "Foolish dragon! Not even your own kind can stand up against the Ice King!" "Haven't your heard the stories?" Spike asked. "I'm not some dragon! I'm the Dragon Prince!" With a grunt, Spike kicked Charlatan away, as he and the penguin king resumed fighting. "Spike!" Ember called. "Save some beatdown for me!" With that, Ember too, joined the fight, as both she and Spike, fought the penguin king, who is clearly showing no sign of struggles against the two dragons. "Foolish dragon!" Charlatan sneered. "You forget who you're dealing with! I am Charlatan! Emperor of all penguins! King of the Windigos! Master of the Frozen North! I am the Frozen North!" Ember fired an explosive arrow at the penguin, who stomped his foot, forming a huge icicle from the ground, shielding himself from the arrow as it explode upon impact. "Too fight me is to give me strength! To hate me is to give me breath! All creatures who dared to stand in my way, shall face eternal, freezing, oblivion!" With that, Charlatan blasted a beam of ice at Spike, who quickly countered with a blast of fire. "Not unless we dragons have anything to say about it!" Ember grunted, as she grabbed Charlatan, and flew him up into the air. "Cause unlike you penguins! Some of us dragons can fly!" With that, Ember released her grip on Charlatan, allowing the penguin to plummet towards the ground. However, much to her surprise, a ghostly apparition of a horse-like being caught Charlatan, before they flew circles around the bewilder sapphire dragon. "Did you really think I'd let you win that easily?!" Charlatan growled, as he fired rays of freezing magics at Ember, encasing her in a block of ice. The sapphire dragon started to plummet, back towards the ground, "Hang on, Ember!" Spike shouted, as he leapt to the air, and landed a flying kick to the ice, breaking the dragoness free from her icy imprisonment. "Th-th-thanks, Sp-Spi-Spike!" Ember shivered. Just then, both dragons heard a scream, and looked to see Sunset, with her back leg frozen. Worse still, more penguins were readying more ice arrows on the fiery unicorn, "SUNSET!!" Spike screamed, as he jumped in, pulled his cape, over himself and Sunset, shielding them from the arrows, while receiving a few grazes on one of his wings. "WHY YOU!!" Pinkie growled, before she throws some more sprinkle bombs at the penguins, blowing them away. Just then, the Knights came running out of the trees, "Don't worry, Spike!" Button called out. "We got your back!" Suddenly, without warning, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew through the battle, picking up powders of snows, and blinding the heroes. Worse still, more snows had been given away, resulting in an avalanche. "AVALANCHE!!" one of the penguins cried. "RETREAT!!" Button screamed, as he and the Knights turned tail, back into the trees, with some penguins following. Charlatan got back on his yeti, "I'll see you again, Dragon Prince!" he sneered, as he kicked his yeti's side, and the beast leaped into the air, and climbed over some cliffs, disappearing out of sight. Fleur broke into a gallop, with Pinkie, and Gabby following, while Spike flew back to pick up, Sunset, and Ember. "Hold on tight, girls!" Spike said, as he heated his wings and flew like he never flew before, when suddenly, he crashed back down to the snows. Ember and Spike were sent, tumbling in the snows, "Hey! What-" Ember then took notice of Spike, hissing in pain. "Spike? What's wrong?" Sunset asked, before she took notice of his wings. "Oh no! Spike! Your wing!" she exclaimed, seeing bits of ice, frozen on the wing, along with how bent it looked. "Don't worry about me," Spike hissed. "Let's go!" Picking up Sunset in his arms, Spike broke into a run, along with Ember, as they raced away from the incoming snows. "We'll never get away!" Ember shouted. "No we will!" Spike relied. "We just gotta go faster!" Looking around, Spike noticed some huge chucks of tree barks, which he quickly used to slide, faster down the mountain. Seeing the efficiency of Spike's method, Ember followed his example, as she too started to slide down, on a tree bark. "Whoa!" Ember exclaimed. "This is kinda fun!" Ember laughed, before she quickly caught herself, almost felling off. "Don't laugh, Ember!" Spike replied. "We have to go fast!" Both dragons kept on kicking the snows with their tails, as they went faster, before they started making sharp turns, and dodges, avoiding low branches of trees, and stray boulders. Suddenly, Ember slid over a rock, resulting in a slight jolt, and the Fucanglong Box flew out of her cloak, "NO!" Ember cried. "THE BOX!" "Never mind the box!" Sunset screamed. "Mind that cliff!" "WHOA!!" the three screamed, as they slid off the cliff. Meanwhile Fleur, Pinkie, and Gabby came to a stop, taking a moment to catch their breath. "That was close," Fleur panted. "I thought for sure, as you say, our goose were cooked." "No kidding!" Pinkie panted. "That's nothing compared to the roller coaster ride I had in Las Pegasus!" "Glad that's over," Gabby replied. "Right guys? Guys?" Hearing no response, the griffon turned her head, to see Spike, Ember, Sunset, and the Knights are gone. "Hey! Where is everyone?!" Pinkie asked in bewilderment. "Spike? Ember? Sunset? Boys? Where are you?" "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Gabby added. Just then, more penguins appeared from the snows. However, the penguins quickly turned tail, as they dove back into the snows, and disappeared out of sight. "That was weird," Pinkie commented. "And I know weird." "Did we scare them?" Gabby asked. "Was it something I said?" the griffon inquired, before she let out a playful growl. Skeptical, Fleur turned around, to find her answer, "I don't think it's us they're afraid of." The girls looked in Fleur's direction, to see they were surrounded by yaks. "Oh look!" Pinkie exclaimed happily. "Yaks! We're saved! WHOOOOO!!!" "Pink pony!" one of the yaks greeted, as he walked over to greet Pinkie Pie. In appearance, the yak has moderate tangelo locks that covers his eyes, and long grayish gamboge, and dark tangelo coats of hairs. For attires, the yak wore a black crown, adorned with emerald and gold jewels, blue and gold paddings on his back, gold rings on his long bluish, gray horns, hooves, and on his ears. "Hi Prince Rutherford!" Pinkie returned the greeting. "It's so good to see you again!" "Wow!" Gabby exclaimed. "Thank Grover you yaks came! If you hadn't shown up, those penguins would've gotten us!" "Though, if I may," Fleur began. "Just, what's going on around here? Why did those penguins attacked us, like that?" "Yaks and penguins at war!" Prince Rutherford answered.