Fluttershy looked at the unconscious body of Freeze with increasing worry. She had been sitting by his side for the past three hours, taking care of him after the attack from the timberwolves. They had rushed him to his house to keep him from anymore harm. Bottles of medicine stood on a table next to the bed Freeze was laying on. His front right hoof had a few bandages on it, but other than that there were no major injuries that she could see. His breathing was soft and even, which was a good sign. A knock at the door broke the silence, and Twilight entered the room.
“How is he doing?” she asked, uncertainty and worry in her voice.
“He still hasn’t woken up yet, but he’s breathing normally, so I think he’s just in a deep sleep,” Fluttershy said, turning towards Twilight. “I’m not too surprised. He’s probably not used to his new power yet. It must have drained him quite a bit.” She turned back to Freeze, putting another bandage on his hoof. “His hoof is the only thing that had taken damage, thankfully,” she continued. “It’s only a sprain, so it should recover in about a week or so.”
Twilight breathed out a sigh of relief. She had been worried about him ever since they carried him back from the Everfree. “How long do you think he’ll be out for?” she asked her friend.
“I’m not sure, but it could be between a few hours to a few days,” Fluttershy sighed. “I’m hoping it’s the former…”
Suddenly, the two mares heard a groan from Freeze. He rubbed his head and began to sit up, before grabbing his right hoof in pain. Fluttershy quickly placed a hoof on his chest. “It’s alright,” she said calmly. “You sprained your hoof, but luckily it was the only injury you have.”
“How long was I out for?” Freeze asked, lying back down onto the bed.
“About a few hours,” Twilight told him, walking up to the bed. “Nothing has really happened since the attack. It’s about four in the morning right now.”
“Really?” he said. “Well, I’m sorry if I kept you guys up for so long.”
“Oh, it’s alright,” Fluttershy said. “We’re just happy that you’re doing ok.”
“Yeah,” said Twilight. “You’re our friend, and friends take care of each other until the very end, no matter what.”
Freeze couldn’t help but smile, but it soon turned into a frown. “I’m sorry that I put all of you in so much danger,” he told them remorsefully.
“It’s alright,” Twilight said, giving a small chuckle. “We’re used to it by now. What’s important now, though, is that you rest. We’ll handle all of the stuff you need to do around the house for you, so don’t worry about it.”
“R-really?” he asked, surprised by this.
“Of course. Just think of it as a thanks for saving us,” said Twilight. “Now get some rest. Your wounds will heal faster if you do.” With that, she turned and walked out of the room. Freeze nodded and, closing his eyes. he soon fell asleep, softs breaths emanating from his nose. Fluttershy sat there for a while, before she too fell asleep on the floor next to his bed.
Four days had passed since the incident in the Everfree. Freeze’s hoof was well enough that he could start walking again, so he decided to visit Sugarcube Corner for a milkshake. Opening the door, he walked up to the counter to see a very familiar pink mare.
“Hey there, Freeze!” Pinkie said as she spotted him. “I’m so, so, so glad that you’re feeling better! I was thinking about throwing you a ‘Glad You’re Feeling Better’ party, but Fluttershy said that you’re not fully recovered and that I should wait until you are.” She took a deep breath. “So, what brings you here?”
“It’s great to see you too, Pinkie,” he said, giving a small chuckle. “I just came by to get a milkshake. You guys have vanilla here?”
“Of course we do, silly!” she said. “I’ll be right back.” She went into the back room to make the milkshake, when the door of the shop opened again. Rarity walked through the door, a small smile on her face. However, it changed to an expression of shock as she saw Freeze.
“Oh, hello there Freeze!” she said to him. “I didn’t expect to see you here. How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling pretty good, actually,” he said. “Still not fully recovered, but pretty close to it. Fluttershy said it would be about a few more days, and my hoof will be back to normal.”
“Well, I’m glad that you’re feeling better,” she said. “The rest of the girls and I were so worried about you after you fainted. I’m sorry that I couldn’t really visit you, I really am, but I’ve just been so busy with orders for dresses lately I hadn’t had time to get out of the house.”
“It’s alright,” he said, completely understanding. “How’s the business doing, anyway?”
“Going good, as always,” she said. “Although I wish that I could have more breaks in between projects.” Just then, Pinkie came out from the back with a vanilla milkshake.
“Here you go Freeze!” she said. “One vanilla milkshake! And don’t worry, it’s on the house. Think of it as a glad you’re feeling better present.”
“Thanks a lot, Pinkie,” he said, taking the glass in his hooves. He made his way over to a nearby table and took a sip. His face immediately lit up. “Wow, this is the best milkshake I have ever tasted!” he exclaimed.
“Well, that’s Pinkie for you!” Rarity said, giving a small laugh. “When it comes to sweets, she always makes a perfect product.”
Freeze continued to drink the milkshake while Rarity and Pinkie talked for a bit, before Rarity made her way to the door.
“Well, it was nice too see you, Freeze, but I must be getting back to my work,” she said with a sigh. “Hope your hoof feels better soon!”
“Thanks Rarity,” he called out. “See ya!” He then continued to drink his milkshake. After he finished it, he thanked Pinkie once again and headed out, deciding to walk around for a bit.
The Canterlot Caverns were a location of mystery, since it was very easy to get lost inside. All sorts of ancient treasures were hidden deep in the twisting tunnels, but one of these ancient relics was something that should never see the light of day again. It stood in a highly protected part of the caverns; a part that was so well protected that only the princesses could go in or out of it. Huge, steel gates guarded the entrance way, and even if somepony managed to get inside, there were hundreds of magical traps to ward off intruders. This is to ensure that no one reaches the center of the cavern, for in the center lay an ancient being that was nothing short of a true monster.
The beast in question was trapped in stone, just like the infamous Discord was many years ago. In fact, it looked a lot like him, but with some differences. He was a draconequus, with more ragged animal parts than Discord, and his parts were in the opposite places. A small scar cut down his right eye, and a fierce expression was on his face, as if he was resisting containment. Large chains grappled the arms, legs, wings, neck, and tail. There was something off about him, however. Small cracks dotted the surface of the beast, indicating that he was close to breaking free from his confinement. The power of the Elements was weakening, since the bearers were transferred.
Suddenly, there was a loud crack from inside of the chamber, followed by a slow rumbling. The cracks on the petrified creature grew bigger, until they covered the whole body. Then, the stone broke off. First on the arms, then the legs, the chest, wings, the tail, and finally the head. Eyes that hadn’t moved in millenia suddenly blinked, before narrowing. The creature fell to the ground, the chains still connected to him, but they soon disappeared with a snap of his talons. Slowly getting up, he gazed at his surroundings.
“How long…,” he said, his voice low and menacing. “How long have I been contained? This place looks very different from when I was last here..” There was a sudden sound coming from behind a rock behind him. Turning around, he moved towards the sound, a small ball of energy in his hand. Peeking behind the rock, he saw something that surprised even him.
What he had found was a small, dark ball, roughly the size of his eye. It had a small protrusion on the top of its head, and what looked like three jagged legs. Suddenly, two red circles appeared, apparently being its eyes. The beast reeled back in surprise, before coming down to its level.
“What are you… Some sort of strange parasprite?” he asked, confused. The dark ball looked up at him, a devious smile on its face.
“Honestly, I do not know anymore,” it said, its voice high but creepy at the same time. “But what I do know it this. I can sense the darkness inside of you, wanting to be unleashed. If you help me to regain my true power, I will help you unleash your inner darkness.”
The creature thought for a moment, before coming to an agreement. “Alright, but you must uphold to your end of the bargain.”
“Of course,” the dark ball said. “Now then, what am I to call you? You have a name, do you not?”
The creature blinked, narrowing his eyes. “My name..,” he said, “is Havoc.