//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: A Frozen Heart (Part 1) // Story: The Fairy Tale Fiasco // by LaWombat //------------------------------// Twilight slowly opened her eyes, blinking to adjust her vision in the dimly lit room, and awakening in a way that was like any other peaceful morning. A warm touch of sheets wrapped around her, and a soft pillow supported her head. The hazy light of a brand new day peeked in from behind a shaded window. For a moment, Twilight felt as if the previous adventure had been nothing more than a dream. She might have continued to believe that, if her body didn’t ache all over from a stiff pain. With a grunt, she stretched her wings and eased herself from beneath the covers, taking in a sharp breath when she lifted her hind leg. A painful throb shot down her ankle, and she nearly collapsed back into the bed. Even though they were clearly in a new story setting, her wounds had obviously moved with her. The gentle sound of snoring made her ears perk, and Twilight scooted to the end of the bed to peek over the footboard. Spike was curled up into a tiny ball, lying in a large, fancy basket below. She climbed to the edge of the sheets and carefully slipped to the floor before nudging him with her hoof. “Spike? Wake up.” “Huh?” Spike lazily turned his head and blinked slowly. After squinting at her for a brief moment, he flopped back into a sleeping position and mumbled softly, “Five more minutes…” Twilight huffed with annoyance and shook him more forcefully. “Get up! We’re still inside the storybook.” Spike rolled over and rubbed at his eyes. “Could have fooled me. This place almost looks normal.” His back popped loudly when he stretched his arms above his head. “I thought everything was just a bad dream.” Twilight limped towards the door and pushed it open, cautiously peeking down the wide hallway. There was a muted murmur in the distance, the sound of many ponies moving about. Some kind of work getting done further in the… castle? “Are you still hurt?” She felt Spike’s claw against her side and looked back to see his concerned expression. “It’s not so painful, but…” She tried to smile reassuringly. “Can you help me walk?” Spike gave no complaint as he pressed against Twilight’s shoulder, letting her lean on him while she opened the door wider and stepped out, shuffling down the hall towards the source of noise. “Do you know where we are?” Spike asked, his eyes wandering over the tall, elegant windows that almost looked like a section of Canterlot castle. Outside, Twilight could see a vibrant courtyard bustling with activity. A pair of pegasi hung bright decorations from the rooftops while smartly dressed ponies trimmed the hedges below and arranged flowery decorations. “I can’t tell in the slightest.” Twilight shook her head. “It might be a new story that I’ve never read before. I didn’t have time to go through the entire book, so I never got to this one.” “Well, one thing’s for sure, you’re definitely a princess here.” “What makes you think that, Spike?” Twilight smiled at him curiously. “Because of that.” He pointed ahead, and she followed his claw to see a large, exquisitely framed painting taking up most of the wall at the end of the corridor. Presented in the artwork were a regal pair dressed in noble regalia. Twilight immediately recognized herself and her brother smiling back from the image, with Spike standing dutifully by her side and clothed in his own established attire. “I look pretty good,” he said with a smug grin. “Twily!” Twilight’s ears perked when she heard the familiar voice, and she immediately turned at the sound of hoof steps running toward them in the hallway. “Shining Armor!” Twilight flared her wings and flitted off the ground, briefly forgetting about her injuries. She practically fell into his open hug and pulled a laugh from him when she squeezed his chest. “Somepony seems excited,” he chuckled and leaned back. “Which is completely understandable. Everything’s coming together smoothly for the ceremony.” “Ceremony?” Twilight pulled away with a startled look. “You didn’t forget already?” Shining smiled coyly. “I’m marrying Cadence!” “Uh, aren’t you already married to Cadence?” Spike pointed out. Shining laughed. “Not yet. We’re still setting up.” He turned to Twilight. “I need you to do me a favor, sis. The doves in the aviary are supposed to fly up behind the proceeding after we kiss. Can you check to make sure they know what to do?” Shining gave her a pleading grin. “I’ll feel better knowing they're all set.” “Uh, sure, but—” Twilight began before Shining hugged her. She tried to hold in the quiet gasp when he squeezed her a bit too tightly. “Thanks, little sis! I knew everything would be perfect with you around.” And before she could ask anything more, he was already galloping off down the hallway. “I… guess he wants me to check with Fluttershy?” Twilight looked down at Spike while rubbing at a sore spot on her neck. Spike only shrugged. “Wedding jitters probably made him forget a few details. It’s not like you can talk to animals.” “We can look for the aviary in a moment, but first…” Twilight gingerly lifted her hurt leg. “We might be able to find a doctor in the castle.” If only the rest of the fairy tales had been as easy to complete as it was to find a healer. Twilight didn’t get very far before a servant noticed her limping past. He immediately alerted a number of staff that came rushing at her like an overly concerned mob and quickly carried her to the infirmary. In no time at all, she found herself sitting on a cot with a lollipop in her mouth while Nurse Redheart applied a cooling ointment to her scratches and wrapped her hoof in sturdy gauze. “No need to be too concerned, Princess Twilight.” Nurse Redheart expertly attached small fasteners to hold the bandage in place. “It’s a light sprain, and it should heal in a few days, as long as you take it easy and don’t walk on it too much.” “What about her burns?” Spike asked with concern; Twilight popped the candy out of her mouth to give him a proper look of annoyance. “A little singed here and there, and some slight bruising, but otherwise, most of the damage was on that leg. I applied a cream to help it along.” Nurse Redheart then gave them both a stern look. “I don’t know what you two were up to, but you should be more careful!” “Yes, ma’am,” Twilight automatically answered, appreciative of the help, but eager to move the story along. “I was careless, it won’t happen again. In fact, we’re going to the aviary to safely check on something.” Twilight pointed her hoof in a random direction with an apologetic grin. Nurse Redheart lifted an eyebrow, and pushed Twilight’s hoof another way, presumably where the aviary was actually located. “It’s in the south gardens, Your Highness?” She leaned closer to Twilight with a look of scrutiny. “Maybe I should check for a concussion while you’re here.” “Nope! I’m fine!” Twilight leapt from the cot, swinging her bandaged leg with an awkward gait to keep the weight off. “Just testing! Come on, Spike!” She managed to levitate Spike away from the candy dish he had his claw stuck into, spilling lollipops onto the floor while dashing out of the infirmary as quickly as she could. Once out on the castle grounds, the aviary was easy enough to spot. Gold statues of various bird species sat atop the peaks of four domed roofs held up by elegant pillars wrapped in leafy vines. Open corridors connected each dome, forming a circle around the garden they protected, which housed many colorful plants and numerous trees to give the birds within plenty of perches to rest on. It was a place Fluttershy was certain to feel at home in. Twilight stopped at one of the archways that led inside and peered around, but she saw no sign of her friend. “Hello?” Twilight tried. “Fluttershy? Are you here?” “Hello?” a soft voice answered back. “Aha!” Twilight smiled with triumph. “‘Aha’, what?” Spike gave her a confused look in return. “Fluttershy’s inside, didn’t you hear her?” “I didn’t hear anypony.” Spike squinted to see through the bushes. “Well, this is Fluttershy. She’s not very loud.” Twilight stepped forward, looking around for the pale yellow fur of her friend. “Where are you?” Twilight called out. “Back here,” the faint voice almost cooed. Twilight trotted in the direction where the voice had come from, but when she reached the other side of the aviary, all she saw was a flock of doves quietly sitting among the trees. “Hello?” “Hello!” One of the birds fluttered down and landed on the ground at her hooves. It turned its head to the side, and almost appeared to be looking at her. Twilight stared back, and the animal blinked slowly in response. “Princess?” “Did you just—?” Twilight jabbed her hoof at the bird and stumbled backward. “You did—!?” The dove regarded Twilight with curiosity and tilted his head, but didn’t seem all that perturbed by her reaction. “Was there something you needed, Princess?” Twilight shook her head to clear her thoughts, and laid a hoof on her forehead. “I’m talking to a dove,” she murmured quietly. “Wait, you can understand it?” Spike pointed to the bird then back at Twilight. “Is he talking right now?” Spike lifted his claws to his ear fins and stared intently at the bird, but it only bobbed its head and stared right back. It cooed, a response that Spike only heard as noise, while Twilight made out the words, “He’s a funny thing.” “It must be part of my character,” Twilight realized, looking down at the dove and giving him a hesitant smile. “I can talk to animals.” She briefly wondered if this was what Fluttershy’s talent was like. “At least… birds, definitely.” After getting used to the fact that she could speak with them, all it took was a quick conversation with the doves about proceedings for the ceremony. Twilight gave them a rundown of their duties by simply relaying what Shining had told her. They understood, and were more than happy to perform when the time came. The rest of their morning was spent reliving some strange, alternate loop of familiarity while getting ready for a fictional wedding. Twilight should have been more troubled by the possibility of something terrible looming in the background, ready to spring its trap, but she found herself too busy helping with the preparations. Of course, she had her suspicions at first, but the Cadence in this story behaved like the real one she knew from home. When Twilight visited her in the Bride’s suite, Cadence had given her a warm welcome, and even recited their shared 'ladybugs awake' greeting. Nopony appeared to be brainwashed, and there didn’t seem to be any evil stand-in trying to take the bride’s place. Maybe this story was simply one that began with a little romance, and nothing more. While some fairy tales were famous for their dark twists or fantastic adventures, there were also those short but sweet ones that weren’t as widely known, but that didn’t mean Twilight wasn’t still curious as to which one. There had to be more to this tale than she was seeing, because she had yet to run into Flurry Heart or Sombra. As the time for the ceremony drew nearer, Twilight couldn’t even get a quiet moment to herself to figure out where they were. She had tried to visit the castle library for research, but being the sister of the groom—and his best mare—had kept her far too busy to investigate. She had a wedding to help with. Fictional or not, it was still exciting to get swept up in when she was called upon to organize the seating, appraise decorations, and direct palace guards to their stations. It wasn’t long before all the guests were situated, and Twilight finally stood at the top of the dais next to her brother, dressed in an exquisite silver gown while Spike got ready with Cadence to carry her train for when she walked down the aisle. Twilight’s crown sparkled in the candles that she had helped set up, and the heavy tone of the organ pipes reverberated in the grand hall as they announced the bride’s entrance. A pair of guards stepped up and opened the doors for their princess-to-be. There was a hushed rustling of numerous ponies when every head turned, awaiting the arrival of the bride… but moments passed, and Cadence did not enter. The music played on, and Twilight glanced nervously at Shining, who returned her awkward smile. She couldn’t help the familiar feeling of dread, and shuffled her hooves to move toward the stairs. Her hoof hadn’t even touched the first step before a freezing wind burst in through the open doorway, causing all of the guests to cry out in panic and surprise. The organ fell silent when wicked laughter echoed through the grand hall, and Twilight flared her wings when a figure that was not Cadence strolled casually through the entrance. With a confident gaze, the wedding crasher smirked at the surprised looks from the guards, and her wicked horn glowed a deep blue to freeze their hooves to the floor before they could tackle her. “Was I not invited?” Chrysalis grinned maliciously while she stepped between the rows of seating, eyeing the shivering guests with a cold hunger. Twilight could only stare with wide eyes and a slack jaw at what appeared to be the changeling queen, but it looked as though the storybook had worked its magic to fit her into her new role. Chrysalis’ shell had been changed from black into a shimmering white that sparkled with a rainbow of shades beneath the sunlight streaming in from the windows. She couldn’t have been considered a true changeling anymore, for she lacked the holes in her limbs caused by the constant starvation of love. Glittering, transparent wings fluttered on her backside, while long, pale locks flowed down her neck in its usual length. If she hadn’t been a villain bent on harming them, Twilight might have considered her transformation beautiful. “I don’t appreciate being given the cold shoulder, unless I’m the one doing it,” Chrysalis continued with an amused chuckle. “Where is Cadence!?” Shining yelled with fury in his tone. “She got cold feet,” Chrysalis snipped, before a beam of magic shot from her horn and billowed around Shining Armor in a cloudy haze of white. When it cleared, his hooves were trapped in ice. “Same as you!” She laughed at her own twisted humor. Twilight made a move to help her brother, but the glow of another spell caused her to jump away before the floor beneath her turned cold from a layer of ice. She glared up at Chrysalis’ pale form as she rose into the air with a soft hum of her wings. “What do you want?” “Why, I only wanted an invitation!” Chrysalis said with an exaggerated whine. “A royal wedding doesn’t happen everyday, you know. Unless you have any suitors lined up.” She gave Twilight a cheeky grin. “I have a son you might like. He’s a complete bird-brain.” Chrysalis clapped her hooves together beneath her chin. “It would be a perfect match!” Unimpressed with the offer, Twilight leapt into the air and flew at her, but Chrysalis simply buzzed to the side, causing Twilight to shoot past. While she pulled up short and tried to quickly flip around, a flurry of wings through the doorway announced the arrival of a pegasi squadron as they burst into the room. In a tight attack formation, they soared towards the ceiling, charging without any hesitation at the changeling-turned-Ice Queen. Wait… Ice Queen? “Shining!” Twilight spun to see Cadence at the front of the hall, where she stood panting and out of breath. Her wedding dress had been torn into shredded ribbons, while flecks of melting ice crumbled away from her fur. While her back was turned, a chilling wave of magic knocked Twilight out of the air, and the room briefly disappeared in a blinding flash that tossed her to the floor. She hit the tiles with a pained grunt, sliding only a short distance before a cold grip of frozen crystal stopped her, growing to encase her legs and inch across her flanks. When the haze cleared, she could see that the pegasi guards were also frozen where they had landed, with their limbs stuck in the same icy spell. Chrysalis twisted to the doorway with a sneer. “How did y—” She started, but blinked in surprise when she realized Cadence was already gone. She had sprinted to Shining Armor’s side while Chrysalis dealt with Twilight and the guards. Hidden behind her wings, Spike had hopped down from Cadence’s shoulders and breathed out a carefully-aimed flame at Shining’s trapped hooves. “So that’s how you escaped.” Chrysalis smiled slyly, staring intently at the trio below her. “You have a pet dragon.” “He’s not a pet!” Twilight shouted, gritting her teeth and tugging her legs against the ice that held them. Chrysalis turned her head with a cold expression, before her horn ignited with another spell that was slower this time in building up power. Twilight still hadn’t managed to free herself before the bolt of magic lanced towards her. “Twilight!!!” Spike jumped in front of her without hesitation, landing on his feet with his chest puffed out. When he released his breath, the scorching flames met with Chrysalis’ magic and exploded into a huge cloud of fire and frost. Fragments of the eruption shattered around them, and Spike let out a startled cry as he stumbled back into Twilight, his claws snapping up to cover a part of his face. “Spike!?” Twilight yelped, finally able to crack the ice from the heat that the blaze had created. She struggled to her hooves, kicked away the frozen shell and rushed to his side. With a careful hoof, she tapped his shoulder to get him to turn towards her. “What’s wrong?” “Nothing!” Without warning, Spike swiped at her while shielding his eyes beneath his arm, and Twilight fell back in surprise, narrowly missing being raked by his claws. Though she hadn’t been hit, she could only stare at him in a daze, her mind working to comprehend what he had just tried to do. She didn’t even notice the buzz of wings fast approaching. She briefly registered Cadence call out to her in warning, but she understood it too late. Spike let out a guttural snarl when Chrysalis suddenly dove from above. He spat out green flames, strangely tinged with unusual flecks of blue and white. Chrysalis took the blast right to her face, but from the cloud of smoke, she appeared unmarred, her pristine shell sparkling in the flickering glow. Ignoring the fire, she simply scooped him up in her hooves, unafraid of his attempts to roast her. “HEY!” Twilight jumped after them and tried to follow as Chrysalis shot up towards the ceiling with Spike in tow, but her wings were too heavy with frost. “Interesting.” Chrysalis hovered above their heads and turned Spike about like she were inspecting a new toy. “For slighting me on my invitation, I’ve decided to take your dragon as an apology gift.” Chrysalis’ horn glowed bright as an energetic beam of magic swept across the window. A thick layer of ice instantly froze over the wall, and she flew at it, shattering the frozen glass before escaping through the new opening and into the bright sky. “Spike!!!” Twilight squeezed her eyes shut and summoned a quick burst of warmth around her, melting away the remaining ice stuck to her. All of it instantly disappeared in quick puffs of steam. With a leap, she launched herself into the air and pumped her wings furiously, shooting through the gaping hole in the wall and following after Chrysalis as quickly as she could. “Let him go!” Twilight demanded breathlessly, trailing behind Chrysalis by only a few yards. Her small reserve of magic was nearly spent, and her muscles were already exhausted from the effort of taking on more drag, but she wasn’t going to quit, not while Chrysalis had Spike. “I’ve grown quite attached to him already.” Chrysalis grinned smugly. “Besides, I don’t think he suits you any longer.” Twilight panted as she tried to lunge at them, but Chrysalis easily rolled out of the way. In her grip, Spike growled menacingly and let loose another flame, this one lighting the area with a pale blue glow. It hit the patch of clouds that they were flying into, and when Twilight dove through it, she felt a shock of cold blow against her fur. “You should bundle up, princess!” Chrysalis laughed as she flipped on her backside, squeezing Spike against her chest and forcing him to spit out another patch of blue flames. “Winter is coming!” Twilight ducked as the fire shot over her head, leaving behind a wake of frozen air to disappear into the sky. The temperature suddenly dropped, and clouds began to grow around them with a thickening fog. Even as she tried to stay with them, a blast of chilling wind blew her off course, causing her to tumble through the sky. “Spike!” Twilight cried out in desperation, huffing from the effort to right herself. Her view of them kept spinning in and out of sight before she was able to gain some semblance of control. But the cold gale only grew stronger and continued to toss her about. At this rate, she would never be able to catch up with Chrysalis. “Princess!” a voice called to her through the relentless currents; Twilight felt the storm ease up as a pair of hooves wrapped around her middle. She turned her head to see Rainbow Dash grinning back at her through the helmet of a royal guard. Small particles of frost clung to Dash’s feathers, but she didn’t appear too concerned. “Don’t worry, we can do this!” “She’s right ahead of y’all!” Another voice called out from below, and Twilight looked down to see Applejack running along a road that was quickly disappearing beneath a layer of snow. Despite wearing a full set of armor, she powered on, her frosted breaths escaping like steam in the frigid air. Figments of the story as they were, Twilight thought she might have a chance to catch Chrysalis with their help, but she should have known better. She had finally figured out which story they were in, and she knew that Spike’s rescue would not be a simple task. Even with Rainbow Dash flying ahead to act as a shield, the forceful winds still kept hammering her down. She could see the small bursts of blue flame in the distance, but after a while, there was no sign of them through the growing flurries of snow. “Spike?!?” Twilight screamed, frantically flapping her wings, but the world around her was becoming hazy and frozen. Large snowflakes and hailstones whipped around her while a particularly strong gust buffeted her through the sky. “SPIIIIKE!!!” A sudden blast of wind tossed her into a dizzying spin, and Twilight immediately lost sight of everything as a field of white filled her vision. Not knowing which way was up, she could only flutter her wings uselessly against the unforgiving weather until she landed with a cushioned thud into a relatively soft mound of snow. Another muted crash nearby suggested that Rainbow Dash had met the same fate as her. Twilight broke through the snowpile, sputtering and spitting up flecks of ice while trying to wrap her wings around herself to keep away the chill. All around her the trees and rooftops had been turned into a winter wonderland, buried beneath a thick coating of snow. “Are you alright?” She looked up at the sound of her friend’s voice, and Applejack stepped up through the cloud of white that fell around them. “S-she still has S-S-Spike!” Twilight’s teeth chattered as she tried to explain. “We ha-have t-t-to—” “We have to get you back to the castle!” Applejack shouted to be heard over the howling of the wind. “You’ll freeze if you try chasing her in this mess!” Twilight shivered silently and found that she didn’t have the energy to argue. She only turned her head when Rainbow Dash popped out of the snowbank next to her with a loud gasp, spitting out a mouthful of dirt. Applejack had a point, just not in the way she knew. Twilight wasn’t sure if the story would actually let her freeze in a blizzard like this, but she was certain that it wouldn’t simply let her get Spike back so easily. Twilight nodded slowly, allowing Applejack and Rainbow Dash to lead her towards the castle for the time being. Once back in the courtyard, they passed shivering guards that were forced to stand at attention while ponies in thick winter clothes chipped away at the ice frozen around their hooves—a remnant of Chrysalis’ surprise visit. Twilight noted that crews were already working to repair the damage done to the wedding hall, so servants directed her to a spacious foyer where the wedding guests milled about nervously and chattered anxiously among themselves about the dreadful events. The second she stepped through the doorway, Shining Armor was there with a concerned frown. “What happened!? Twily, are you alright?” “I-I’m fine.” Twilight shivered, shaking off the clumps of snow that had collected over her fur. “But Chrysalis still has Spike!” “What would she want with a dragon?” Cadence asked, while Shining armor waved over a few servants. They bowed, and quickly helped to remove Twilight’s dress, which had become wet from the melted ice. One of them draped a thick blanket over her shoulders, and her shivering began to subside. “You think it has anything to do with the storm?” Rainbow Dash asked. “These snow clouds came out of nowhere, and it doesn’t look like the pegasi are even making a dent in clearing them!” “I’ll take my best soldiers and go after her.” Shining nodded at a pair of guards that weren’t trapped in ice, and they saluted before stepping up to their commander. “We won’t let her escape, Twilight.” “N-no, Shining.” Her shaking lessened while she pulled the blanket closer around her, defrosting in its warmth. “Most of your soldiers are still stuck from Chrysalis’ attack. Besides, you need to stay here and keep your guests safe and calm.” She looked at Cadence as well. “Both of you. I'll rescue Spike.” “I can’t let you go alone,” Shining argued, putting his hoof down. “Chrysalis is the Snow Queen! She has an entire army at her command!” “I won’t be alone.” Twilight looked back at her two friends. “Rainbow Dash and Applejack can come with me. We won’t have to carry as much with just the three of us.” “You can count on us, Princess!” Rainbow Dash saluted proudly. “Yes ma’am!” Applejack nodded. “Don’t you worry none, princess. We’ll make sure to keep you safe from Chrysalis,” Applejack reassured her while trotting beside Rainbow Dash. The two of them pulled an elegant sleigh with paint that matched the ivory snow and golden trim garnered in small, sparkling gemstones. “Mmhmm…” Twilight absentmindedly answered, sitting in the front seat with her face hidden behind a large map her brother had given her. “If we can even find her castle. All we know is she’s somewhere up north.” She lowered the parchment to look at Applejack with a curious expression. “And Applejack, just call me Twilight.” “Oh, uh, alright, prin—” Applejack wrinkled her snout with a quick expression of panic, catching herself. “—Twilight.” “Nopony really knows where she is,” Rainbow Dash added. “The north is too cold, even for pegasi. And the entire land surrounding her castle is protected by blizzards, so marching an army up there is nearly impossible.” Twilight gave a muffled shout when a gust of wind slapped the map against her face. She pulled it away and slammed it on the front of the sleigh. “It’s not just around her castle anymore. It’s frozen throughout the entire kingdom—” A brisk chill caused her to shiver. “And it’s only getting worse!” “We should start lookin’ for a warm place to set up camp,” Applejack suggested, glancing around the frigid woods. “Can’t very well sleep in the snow. You’ll wake up frozen!” “You won’t ‘wake up’ at all,” Rainbow muttered. “You’d be frozen alive while you slept!” “There!” Applejack pointed her hoof somewhere ahead, ignoring Rainbow’s remark. Twilight couldn’t see what she had found, even after squinting her eyes through all the white. “There’s a cave up ahead!” “Go for it!” Twilight answered, pulling the heavy wool cloak tighter around her and ducking into the sleigh as it bounced with a burst of speed from her two friends. They appeared just as eager to get out of the snow as she was. Once the sleigh had made it inside, she immediately felt the chill in the air ease up, and her shivering slowed. While the winds whistled beyond the stony entrance, it was significantly warmer inside the cavern and well protected from the blizzard. Applejack managed to gather some wood and started a fire in a small alcove, far away from the mouth of the cave. While she kept Twilight company near the warm flames, Rainbow Dash quickly disappeared to explore the cavern for any possible danger. A serene quiet settled over the pair as they enjoyed the comfort of the crackling bonfire. In the peace of their camp, it was the perfect time for Twilight to figure out a plan. She retrieved the map Shining had given her and rolled it out over the stone floor. A quill hovered above the parchment while circling important details and scribbling notes about the novel she had gleaned from her friends. As with Robin Hood, the characters either ignored her or didn’t understand talk about their world being anything but an illusion. That didn’t mean they had any problems explaining common exposition that she was missing from her own memory. Once Twilight realized Chrysalis was the Snow Queen, and not an Ice Queen, it was obvious they were inside the famous fairy tale of that same name. So far, this world had played out significantly different from the actual story she knew, which was why she couldn’t place where they were at first. The original hadn’t begun with any princes or princesses, and certainly didn’t start out with a wedding. Instead, it focused on a pair of friends and a shattered magic mirror. When the young colt is taken by the Snow Queen, his friend embarks on a perilous quest to rescue him from her clutches. But since she hadn’t read this particular storybook, she wasn’t sure if the alterations were by the author’s choice, or because of the magical influence of her and Sombra’s corrupted spells. Even though, if she stripped it down to simpler terms, it did follow a relatively similar flow. A peaceful introduction, the villain’s appearance, and a friend taken by the queen. And snow. Lots and lots of snow. Now she simply had to embark on that perilous quest, and Spike would be rescued. Despite her vast knowledge, this one would be difficult to map out. While there were characters and events that seemed to share a common link, such as her brother and Cadence, there were others that didn’t make any sense compared to the original. The main difference being that the protagonist hadn’t been a princess herself, and couldn’t really speak to animals. Well… animals in that story could talk, but it had been a vaguely unexplained charm of the original where rose bushes spoke, rivers manipulated their own currents and sunshine provided words of encouragement— The Snow Queen was an unusual, but untimely classic. And if the world they were in now was anything like it, then she was bound to face many trials and dangers. As much as she loved the fairy tale, Twilight didn’t look forward to actually experiencing any of it. It was a fantastically whimsical tale of magic and romance, and her original plan for the enchanted storybook would have focused on those simpler aspects, allowing her and Flurry to act things out as if they were in a play. This corrupted version made everything feel like a gritty, tiring nightmare. It only meant that Spike was suffering as Chrysalis’ prisoner, and she still had no idea where Flurry Heart or Sombra were. Her eyes slid over the notes she had scrawled, a list of possible characters she could remember and some that she had managed to get from questioning Applejack. She’d drawn two small circles with Flurry Heart and Sombra’s names inside and connected the bubbles of various possibilities with a diagram of lines. Twilight gave a quiet sigh, which didn’t go unnoticed by her friend. “Now, don’t you fret, prr—” Applejack caught herself with an apologetic look. “Twilight, we’ll find that Snow Queen and rescue Spike.” Though that hadn’t been the only reason for her concern, Twilight gave her friend a smile, regardless. “Thank you, Applejack, I know you—” “Twilight!” Rainbow Dash’s frantic voice echoed loudly through the cavern, her wing beats excited as she raced in from the darkness. “I found something awesome!” She landed next to the fire with an ecstatic expression, dancing lightly on her hooves. “What is it?” Twilight rolled up the map and stood, following after Rainbow Dash as she took to the air again. “It’s a bunch of dragons!” Rainbow exclaimed while moving down a smaller tunnel. Applejack and Twilight exchanged a worried glance, but followed quietly, unwilling to let their friend go on her own. They traveled down a ways before the tunnel suddenly expanded, widening into an area that practically boiled with warmth. Rainbow Dash ducked behind a copse of rocks, and Twilight followed her example, peeking around the cover to peer into the brightly lit area below. A huge chamber opened up before them, the air shimmering with heat from great lakes of lava stretching across the colossal cavern. And swimming along the surface of those pools or lounging about the stone floor, were a large number of dragons simply going about their day. “Well I’ll be,” Applejack marveled in a quiet whisper. “It’s a whole herd of dragons!” “Wouldn’t they be a flock?” Rainbow Dash asked. “Flight, actually.” Twilight squinted down at the group, trying to get a better look at a familiar figure across the cave. “What are they all doing down here?” “Probably trying to get out of the snow. Even dragons steer clear of the Snow Queen’s ice storms in the north,” Applejack answered. “When they get together like this, lots’a ponies think they can resist the cold.” “Wouldn’t they be able to take on the Snow Queen?” Rainbow Dash threw her legs out towards the dragons. “It’s not like they’re scared of her!” “They just don’t care,” Applejack responded with a snort. “The queen only threatens pony lands, and they don’t like us enough to lend a hoof—er, claw.” “I’ll bet they like the Snow Queen even less,” Twilight surmised, taking a cautious step out from behind the rocks. “If we could make friends with them, maybe we can fight against her together!” She fluttered her wings to take flight, but before she could get very far, Applejack pulled her to a halt when she grabbed her tail. “Hold on there, missy!” Applejack dragged her back behind the boulders before the dragons could spot them. “Your brother’s already tried making an alliance with them!” She stepped in front of Twilight and blocked her path. “And those fancy representatives just came back with all their fur burned off!” Twilight gulped, but steeled herself. “We can’t just let the Snow Queen win,” she argued. “The dragons could be the key to saving Spike! They wouldn’t let one of their own kind remain her prisoner!” “Well…” Applejack pondered with a shared glance at Rainbow Dash. “We may consider Spike one of us, but I suppose they might be willin’ to help another dragon…” “Dragon allies would be pretty awesome.” Rainbow Dash grinned. “Agreed!” Twilight smiled. “And I already know just which dragon to talk to!” Before Applejack or Rainbow could object, Twilight hopped up the rocks and jumped out into the cavern, making her way towards the familiar dragon lounging atop a surface of smooth black obsidian. The blast of hot air billowed beneath her feathers and helped her glide high across the bubbling surface, ensuring that the dragons saw her when she approached. They made no move to attack her, but their slitted eyes followed her even after she landed and took a few cautious steps forward with her wings raised. “I am Princess Twilight Sparkle!” She announced herself, bowing to the dragons before her. “And I have come to bridge the gap between ponies and dragons with friendship!” The group was quiet for a brief moment, while a few of them exchanged shrugs and confused glances. A snicker broke out among them and turned into quiet, chortling laughter. “Friendship?” The dragon Twilight had been aiming for pushed herself into a standing position. Ember’s claws clicked on the glassy surface when she stepped closer. “Dragons don’t do friendship.” “And we don’t even like ponies!” Garble’s red scales shimmered in the lava’s light when he sauntered over to glare at her. Twilight heard a flurry of feathers land nearby and Rainbow Dash was suddenly standing at attention beside her. She could hear the gallop of hooves through the cavern announce Applejack’s arrival. “But we’re both against the Snow Queen!” Twilight insisted. “Spike is a dragon, just like you! And he’s been captured by her! He needs your help!” Ember’s response to this was to blink slowly, as if trying to absorb news of a dragon’s capture at the hooves of the Snow Queen. With a heated snort, she appeared to have made her decision on how to react. “If this Spike really is a dragon, then he’s worthless.” Ember pointed a threatening claw their way. “If he can’t save himself, then he’s too weak to be called a real dragon.” “So you’re just going to leave him!?” Twilight shouted, stomping around Rainbow Dash. She didn’t appreciate Spike essentially being called worthless. “He’s not my concern.” Ember shrugged. “We don’t even know where the Snow Queen is anyway. If we had a reason to fight her, then it would be pointless since we can’t even find her. We’re not afraid of her snow storms, but we’re not stupid enough to freeze our scales off wandering around in her blizzard.” “But—” Twilight started, only to find herself beneath the shadow of a very heated-looking Garble. “Don’t need ponies telling us what to do.” He took a deep breath— “STOP.” Ember’s voice was calm but powerful enough to echo around the cavern and freeze Garble in his tracks. His jaws snapped shut, and his cheeks puffed out with the sound of a muffled explosion being snuffed out from within. “But they’re just ponies!” Garble rasped in argument, smoke rising between his fangs in a thick cloud, but a glare from Ember silenced his protests. “She’s one of their princesses. We’re not about to start a war with them, even if they are puny and—” Ember wrinkled her snout in disgust “—cute.” She shoved Garble aside and stepped past him. “You can stay here and keep shelter out of the storm, but don’t expect any help from us. We’re not your friends.” With that, Ember flared her wings and took flight, gliding out over the lava and disappearing down a glowing ravine deeper into the cave system. The other dragons promptly ignored them, suggesting that the meeting was over and that there would be no more discussion. “That went well,” Rainbow Dash said flatly. “Could’a gone worse.” Applejack scratched her head. “What do you want us to do, Twilight?” Twilight slumped over with a sigh, suddenly aware of how tired of this she already felt. If the dragons weren’t going to comply, why did the story bring them here in the first place? “We can rest and keep warm while we see if the storm gets any better. At least they didn’t kick us out into the cold.” Her friends nodded and followed her diligently to a lower area of the cavern. The other dragons scattered about occasionally glanced at them, but otherwise completely ignored their presence. It appeared that they were to be left in peace, but Twilight wouldn’t push their luck by trying to talk again anytime soon. Weary from another day trapped in what felt like a never-ending adventure, Twilight settled down beneath a stony alcove at a safe distance from one of the large pools of lava, only close enough for the heat to stave off any unwanted cold. Rainbow Dash and Applejack sat themselves around her, and she pulled out her map to try and work on her diagram, but the temperature eventually got to her. After only a short time of staring at the parchment, she felt her eyelids droop, and it became more difficult to concentrate on her own writing. Returning the map to her saddlebags, Twilight removed the plush cloak from her back and set it on the ground while arranging her bags to create a makeshift pillow. When she was ready, Rainbow Dash laid down next to her like a sentry to watch out while she dreamed. Applejack remained sitting a few feet away, diligently keeping her eyes on the dragons that smartly kept their distance. In the warmth of the cavern and the company of her protective friends, Twilight had no trouble falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the saddlebags.