The Fairy Tale Fiasco

by LaWombat


Chapter 6: A Frozen Heart (Part 2)

Twilight could see nothing through the darkness that surrounded her. She frantically galloped over a black surface, stirring up a frigid mist that drifted past her fur and chilled her to the bone. She was in a panic, desperate to reach the urgent cries for help that she could hear somewhere in the distance. It sounded like Spike, and she needed to get to him, but she simply couldn’t reach him. Her hooves only slipped over the frozen ground of solid ice.

She couldn’t see him, and she didn’t even know where he was, but Chrysalis’ cruel, disembodied laughter drowned out his shouts and only spurred her on as she desperately tried to escape the endless void. Ripples of strange, almost musical cracking echoed in her ears with every pounding hoofstep. She looked down to see the icy surface laced with delicate fissures. If she wasn’t careful, the ground might fall out beneath her.

Something heavy bumped her from behind, pushing her over the slippery floor. Twilight fell with a thud, and the ice beneath her fractured, continuing to creak and groan, but still holding up. Carefully turning her head, she had to strain her neck to peer up at a gigantic Sombra towering over her. He wore a frilly vest with a large, ruffled collar. Frowning deeply, he leaned over and said in a bored tone, “You shouldn’t break the fourth wall...”

The ice beneath her shattered, plunging Twilight into a bottomless abyss, hearing Sombra’s voice fade into the growing distance. “It was holding you up.” He disappeared as she was swallowed by nothing, and then overwhelmed by the sensation of falling before everything came to a sudden and jarring stop.

With a start, Twilight jerked her head up, her breath coming out in quick gasps while her heart raced in terror. The gentle glow of the lava pools lit up her vision, and she noticed Rainbow Dash sitting off to the side, watching her with concern. Applejack breathed quietly in sleep nearby, appearing to have switched with one another at some point.

“Bad dream?” Rainbow asked.

“A… nightmare,” Twilight answered after a time, finally able to sort out the difference between… well, not reality, but at least she wasn’t asleep. Her nerves still jittered from the disturbance that nightmares usually left behind, giving her an uncomfortable feeling. She could almost hear Spike’s voice calling out for help, her brain latching onto the memory of it and endlessly replaying it through her thoughts in a cruel taunt.

Twilight briefly wondered how anypony ever stayed sane in a time where Princess Luna hadn’t been around to pacify their dreams, while remembering all too well the vivid night-terrors she had experienced as a filly.

Another cry, exactly like the one from her nightmare, split the air and caused her to jump to her hooves. Twilight stood alert as her gaze shot around the cavern. There was no doubt that this was the same voice from her dream. “Rainbow Dash,” Twilight asked uneasily. “Did you… hear that?”

Rainbow nodded. “It sounds like a bird.”

Twilight almost collapsed with relief, not knowing whether to be happy or disappointed, but at least she knew she wasn’t losing her mind. “It’s shouting for help,” Twilight simply said before starting in the direction she thought it had come from. Rainbow Dash diligently followed after her, the both of them moving down a tunnel that split away from the cavern. Not wanting to wake Applejack, they left her peacefully sleeping by the saddlebags.

The cry echoed more clearly through the smaller passage, and Twilight soon spotted a stout brown dragon ambling along ahead of them. Clutched tightly in his claws, a bird was attempting to struggle his way free.

“Hey!” Twilight shouted, and sprinted to move in front of the dragon, blocking his way. “Can you let go of that bird? You’re hurting him!”

“He’s going to eat me!” the poor creature shrieked from between the dragon’s claws, which only squeezed tighter in response to Twilight’s request.

“This is my breakfast,” the dragon hissed, flicking his tongue at her in a reptilian way when he leaned closer. She could smell the sulfur on his breath from the dragon fire in his throat. “And I’m not letting it go for some pathetic pony, even if Ember did order us to leave you alone.”

Twilight wracked her brain to think of something. Obviously, she had to help the bird. Rainbow Dash stood at attention beside her, looking ready and willing to fight, but she wasn’t going to order her friend to simply throw herself into battle like that. Maybe if she was fast enough, Twilight could distract him and they could just take it from him.

“What about a trade?” Twilight glanced back at Rainbow, suddenly thinking of a better way to utilize her friend’s speed. “Something that’s more filling than a scrawny bird?”

“Hey!” the bird squawked indignantly.

“I’m helping,” Twilight hissed in a whisper, only to glance up at the dragon when he glared down at her. She gave him a nervous grin. Since he didn’t appear to be in a hurry to leave, she must have said the right thing. “How about some tastier gems instead?”

This appeared to pique the dragon’s interest, as Twilight noticed his eyes twitch in surprise. “What kind of gems?” Though he tried to sound disinterested, he couldn’t hide a hint of eagerness in his expression. He may have been hungry, but he was also greedy—a combination that worked in her favor.

“Oh, some sapphires, garnets and even—” Twilight paused for dramatic effect “—rubies.” She smiled when he appeared to involuntarily lick his snout. If Spike’s eating habits were anything to go by, then the dragon shouldn’t be able to resist her offer. “Rainbow Dash,” Twilight whispered to her friend and waved her closer. “Can you quickly get to the sleigh and pry the gems off the side?”

“Oooh, I gotcha.” Rainbow grinned and nodded. “Be back in a second,” she promised, and hopped away to take flight down the tunnel, leaving Twilight to watch the dragon nervously while his tail twitched impatiently over the stone floor. Luckily, right as she was getting antsy about whether he looked to be deciding on having a snack before his breakfast, Rainbow was already zipping back down the tunnel with a small pouch in her mouth.

When she landed, Rainbow spat the package onto her hoof and opened the bag, showing the dragon the gemstones inside. Even though they had been used as decorations and wrenched out of the sockets of the golden trim, the masterful cuts remained resilient, sparkling and gleaming in the soft light. Rainbow lifted the bag closer, and the dragon immediately dropped the bird with a pleased grin.

“You have yourself a trade, pony.” He snatched up the pouch and turned to waddle down the tunnel, munching contentedly on the gemstones until he disappeared from sight.

“Are you alright?” Twilight asked the bird as he righted himself, fluffing out his feathers and immediately preening the ones that had been pulled askew by the dragon’s claws.

“Thanks to you! You saved my life!” He shook out his straightened plumage and hopped up and down excitedly. Now that she could see him fully, Twilight noted that his white coloration was unusual, because he wasn’t just any bird: he was a raven. “How is it you can understand me?”

“I can speak with animals; it’s my talent,” Twilight answered. “I’m Twilight Sparkle—” she then pointed at Rainbow next to her “—and this is Rainbow Dash.”

Rainbow squinted at the raven. “Never seen a white crow before.”

“Raven!” the bird cawed while ruffling the feathers of his crest.

“You should stay with us,” Twilight suggested, wondering what kind of role he would play in the story. There had been a raven in the original, and while he had brought the main character to a helpful prince and princess, she obviously didn’t need introductions to her own brother for this one. “The dragons will ignore you if you stick close.”

He gave her a nod before waddling closer to inspect her. “How is it you are safe around them?” He sounded impressed, turning an unusually colored purple eye on her. She briefly wondered if his strange coloration meant anything significant. “Dragons don’t listen to ponies. I would normally steer clear of them myself, but I was trying to keep warm from the blizzard.”

Seeing as how he appeared to be an important character, Twilight quickly and efficiently relayed their situation to him so far, with only a few interruptions from Rainbow Dash as she excitedly interjected with extra details of the fight against Chrysalis.

“Twilight Sparkle,” the raven repeated once she had finished her story, as if testing it. “Princess Twilight.” He unfurled his wings and bent his body forward in a low bow. “You should consider traveling on quickly; this place isn’t safe.”

“I know it might sound dangerous to trust them,” Twilight said, huffing a little and wondering if he had even listened to her explanation, “but I’m confident that they’ll follow Ember’s orders. They won’t hurt us.”

“The dragons aren’t what I meant.” The raven shook his head and held one of his wings aloft. His feathers rustled softly in a quiet breeze. “The Snow Queen’s storm is reaching deeper. Not even the heat of the dragon’s home can stave off the cold for much longer.”

“You… think they might be in danger?” Twilight’s eyes widened while Rainbow Dash appeared to perk up from a nap, even though she had been sitting upright. Twilight didn’t blame her for zoning out, since she could only follow one side of the conversation.

“I know they are,” the raven stated, fanning his wings out. “I have seen the blizzard she controls farther in the north. Unless the dragons can create a ward against it, her magic will only creep further into the caves until they are all frozen, and pose no threat against her!”

As if on cue, the faint sound of roaring echoed down the tunnel. From Twilight’s experience, a dragon only raised their voice like that when they were upset… very upset.

The raven ruffled his feathers before taking flight, circling slowly above their heads. “Come see!” And with a twist, he flew off down the passage. Twilight took off after him, with Rainbow Dash galloping alongside her.

“Where’s he going?” Rainbow huffed.

“Apparently, something’s happening with the dragons…” Twilight couldn’t help but worry. She could have easily created a ward on her own if the storybook weren’t still sapping her magic. The best spell she could manage would only warm a single dragon with a quick burst of heat before needing to wait some time for it to replenish.

The raven circled back above them when they exited the tunnel into the large cavern. The air was still, while the light was significantly more difficult to see by. The brightness of the lava appeared to have faded to a dim glow, but at least the comfortable temperature hadn't dropped to freezing. While nothing really looked out of place, something tickled in the back of Twilight’s mind as she tried to figure out what else was off.

“There you are!”

Applejack galloped over and let out a relieved breath when she stopped before them. “I was gettin’ worried when I woke up alone. I thought you were both in danger!”

“We didn’t want to wake you,” Twilight apologized, looking around and realizing what the problem was. Unlike before, where dragons lounged on almost every surface, now there was not a single scale to be seen. “What’s going on?”

A furious shout from across the cavern interrupted whatever Applejack had been about to say. The raven flapped above their heads and flew in the direction with a cry. “This way!”

When Twilight and her friends arrived, she spotted Ember with the rest of the dragons. All of them stood in a scattered ring around an area where one of the molten lakes should have been located, except the surface was nothing but a solid mass of black stone with cracks that glowed faintly from the lava trapped below. Ember was yelling at a smaller group standing close to the rim.

“Breathe from your gut! Make your flames as hot as possible!” Ember hollered, directing them by pointing to the rocks.

They shuffled awkwardly before following her directions, taking in a hefty gulp of air and letting it loose in columns of flame that swirled around one another. The stone began to glow white, but after a moment, they all eventually fell back in coughing fits, wheezing and spouting nothing but thick clouds of smoke. When the flames died down, the soft glow faded with them and left behind nothing but a scorched surface.

Without waiting for an invitation, Twilight nosed her way through the crowd and called out, “Ember!” The dragons all turned to her, including Ember, who only gave her an annoyed look as she trotted up. “You can’t say that the Snow Queen isn’t your problem anymore. Look at what her magic has done to your home!”

“This?” Ember pointed a thumb over her shoulder at the solidified lake. “This is nothing!” She waved her claw to the other dragons gathered around. They looked reluctant, but still managed to stand themselves in a line around the edge of the pool. At her signal, they tried again as the previous group had, but failed in the same fantastic way as the surface remained unchanged. Ember scowled at the rocks in fury.

“Please…” Twilight tried with a pleading voice. “If we work together, we can stop her! We can—”

Ember rounded on her with a furious shout. “We’re NOT getting help from some LAME PONIES!!!” Twilight fell back from the force of her voice while Applejack and Rainbow Dash jumped between her and Ember. Twin trails of smoke drifted from her flared nostrils. “What do you think you can do against her!? An alliance with you wouldn’t benefit us at all!”

“We could… help one another…” Twilight’s voice wavered, whatever speech she had prepared dying in her throat as she became uncertain of her own answer. What was she supposed to do to prove that their friendship might be the key to defeating Chrysalis?

Her hesitation only made Ember scoff before she turned back to the dragons standing around the cold rocks. “Well? Get back to work! That lava’s not going to heat itself!”

Amidst the shouting of Ember’s fury, Twilight felt a soft touch against her side. “I don’t think you’re lame.” She lowered her gaze to see the raven looking up at her, one of his wings pressed against her fur in reassurance. “You helped me.”

“Thanks.” Twilight sighed, genuinely grateful for his encouragement. Spike was usually the one to morally support her when she needed it most, but even that thought was enough to make her feel worse. “I’m just not certain what I’m supposed to do. I have to convince them that ponies aren’t weak like they believe.”

The raven nodded in agreement. “If you could restore the lava… maybe use a spell? To protect it?” he suggested.

Twilight shook her head in defeat. “I wouldn’t be able to work anything strong enough, not now…”

“There may be another way. Wait here!” The raven suddenly hopped excitedly, taking to the air before she could ask him to clarify. His white feathers faded into the shadows before he slipped from sight.

“Did you two have a fight?” Rainbow Dash asked, watching the direction in which the bird had flown.

Twilight tilted her head. “No. He’s helping… I think?”

“Well, least you made a friend.” Applejack glanced back at the dragons. The previous group had already collapsed while another stepped up to take their place. “More than we can say about them.”

Ember let off another frustrated shout, stomping her feet in a fit of rage. “This HAS to WORK!!! Why isn’t it working!?” She then grabbed one of the other dragons by his shoulders and shook him. “This should be working!!!”

“It’s the Snow Queen’s magic!” Twilight tried again, getting a mixture of looks from the dragons. They appeared to become unsettled as a murmur slowly spread through the crowd.

“Enough!” Ember yelled, and the whispers quieted down. “We are stronger than her! Our flames cannot be extinguished! We just have to be tougher!”

“That won’t work; she has a dragon helping her.” Twilight's ears flopped at the thought. “She might have found a way to use his magic, whether he wants to or not. Couldn’t that make her storms strong enough to be a danger, even down here?”

Ember was quiet for a moment, and the muttering started up again while the dragons began to speculate about the possibility. Twilight felt a faint glimmer of hope. It appeared that they were beginning to understand that they weren’t as safe as they believed.

“If what you say is true—” Ember took a step forward “—and the Snow Queen really is using a dragon’s magic… then…” She wrinkled her snout. “Maybe it’s possible… that she’s a threat to us after all.”

Twilight almost let out a relieved sigh, but held it in considering the circumstances. While the menace looming over them wasn’t thrilling news, it was an improvement that the dragons were at least coming to terms with their potential doom.

“But we still don’t know where she is,” Ember amended. "So, much good it will do dragging a thunder of dragons—" Rainbow Dash let out an abrupt laugh "—to the north if we can't find anything to attack."

A loud cawing echoed throughout the cavern, and they all swiveled their heads to find the source. The white raven flew in a slow circle above before coming in for a careful landing. He awkwardly hovered to keep himself upright while he held up a single claw. The other tapped against the ground, and he wobbled as he tried to balance himself before Twilight, lifting his foot closer to her. She stared at him curiously, because it didn’t look like he was carrying anything.

“On the tip of my claw.” He nodded towards his foot. “Do you see it?” Twilight squinted her eyes and leaned in closer, finally able to spot a tiny shimmer of white on the pale tip of his talon.

A snowflake. He was actually holding a snowflake.

Twilight couldn’t help but think that this was the type of ridiculous absurdity that she had come to be familiar with in the happenings of the actual fairy tale, but she still hadn’t expected it. She simply blinked at him.

“If you wish to help the dragons, then touch your horn to it.” The raven motioned towards the tiny flake. “However, there will be a price. Your magic can protect their home, but it will connect you to the heart of the Snow Queen’s blizzard. If you cannot keep warm, her spell will begin to freeze you from the inside out. Do you still wish to try?”

Twilight took a quick breath in through her nose. This was it. This was her solution for helping them and saving Spike.

She nodded and lowered her horn to the raven’s claw without hesitation. The dragons and her friends watched her with confused curiosity, uncertain of what she was doing.

The moment her horn touched the snowflake that he held, a painful chill shot along her spine. Twilight cried out in shock, feeling like she had been dropped into a frozen lake as all the warmth suddenly left her body. She immediately crumpled to the floor, curling into as small a ball as possible and shivering uncontrollably.

“Princess!?” Rainbow Dash and Applejack cried in unison and were immediately at her side. Their hooves frantically stomped around her in a panic before she felt the weight of another cloak added to her own.

“What’s wrong? What did you do, you dumb crow!?” Rainbow looked up to glare at the bird, but he was already hopping towards the edge of the solidified pool. In a numb confusion, the dragons backed away from him, though not appearing to understand why.

With a flick of his claw, the raven tossed the snowflake, and it drifted lazily to land atop the rocks. There was a flash of light, and a white glow spread out before fading to reveal the bright, bubbling surface. Rainbow and Applejack had to shield their eyes from the sudden and intense heat.

Ember and the other dragons stared in awe at the sight, before turning to look at Twilight. Ember asked incredulously, “How... did you do that?”

“T-t-the s-s-sp-sp-spell—” Twilight stammered, her trembling only lessening slightly at the change in temperature. “My m-magic is p-p-protecting it.”

Ember stared back at the lava for a brief moment and blinked slowly, pursing her lips as she appeared to be considering something. With a small grunt, she then returned her attention to Twilight. “Why? We’re not even allies.”

Twilight felt Rainbow Dash lean closer as her friend’s wings wrapped around her for extra warmth. She sighed and accepted the embrace, relieved to feel her shuddering ease up a bit. Rainbow's hug seemed to be doing the trick. “I couldn’t just leave without doing something. Even if you aren’t our allies, that doesn’t mean we c-can’t help each other.”

Ember was quiet at that, looking to the lake and appearing to relish the renewed heat radiating from it. It almost felt stronger than it had before, as if it were trying to make up for the chill it momentarily allowed to enter. With a sigh, she scratched her head. “Well, maybe you’re not so lame after all...” Ember pointed into the crowd, managing to pick out Garble, and he jumped to attention at her order. “Find me a heating rock! And be quick about it!” she roared as he took flight. She then knelt down in front of Twilight to be even with her eye level.

“Maybe dragon’s don’t do friends, but this one can if it means you’d be willing to go so far to help us.” Despite the confident statement, Ember's snout wrinkled and she frowned uncertainly, reaching out with a hesitant claw to poke at Twilight's leg. Twilight couldn't help her giggle, but she reciprocated the gesture by moving the flat of her hoof to Ember's palm and shaking it slowly.

The flutter of Garble's wings announced his return when he landed beside them, holding a glowing orange boulder about the size of Twilight’s head in his claws. Ember motioned for him to set it down nearby. “This will retain the heat of the cave and give you some warmth on your journey. And this—” While he lowered the stone, she reached towards Garble’s tail and plucked a scale without warning, causing him to jump up with a yelp “—when you find the Snow Queen’s castle, burn it with dragon fire, and we’ll know the location.”

“Does this mean we have a dragon army?” Rainbow whispered excitedly.

“Yes,” Ember answered, a hint of a smile twitching at her lips on seeing their surprise. “We will fight with you against the Snow Queen.” She waved an arm at all the others standing around them. “Because friends should help each other, right?”

The cavern reverberated with the sound of dragons roaring in agreement.


The blizzard raging outside had become nothing more than a pleasant flurry. While the landscape was still buried beneath a layer of ice and snow, it made travel much less difficult. This was especially helpful, since Rainbow Dash was now pulling the sleigh by herself.

Applejack had left on her own trek back to the castle, bringing with her the news of their alliance with the dragons, as well as the status of Twilight’s journey. She would leave it up to Shining Armor to work out any other plans about attacking the Snow Queen.

“The sky’s pretty clear now,” Rainbow Dash noted, squinting up through the treetops. “But it looks like more snow clouds are gathering to the north for another wave. We might have to find shelter later, if that’s the case.”

“We c-c-could move f-faster—” Twilight tried to respond.

“You stay where you are.” Rainbow Dash huffed, tired of repeating what appeared to be a continued argument. “I can pull the sleigh on my own.”

“S-s-sor—”

“Don’t apologize again!” Rainbow Dash shouted back at her before she could finish. “It’s thanks to you we have a whole dragon army backing us against the Snow Queen! She’s going down once we find her castle!”

Twilight gave a tired nod, snuggling against the thick sheets tucked around her. She hadn’t been able to see much of anything since she practically cocooned herself in blankets that the dragons had generously scrounged up for her. Her snout was the only thing poking out beneath the covers while she hugged the warming stone against her stomach, which provided a much-needed source of heat. Even so, it still felt as if there were a lump of ice sitting heavily in her chest.

“It’s not your fault.” She heard a flutter of wings as the raven landed close by. “The Snow Queen’s magic is stuck inside of you. You need to keep warm to stave off the chill.”

“I just wish I c-could do more…” Twilight sighed, peeking out from beneath her shelter. “I didn’t have much magic left to begin with, but now I can’t even levitate anything, and I’m too cold to write any notes!”

Twilight had tried to read the map. Maybe she could have triangulated a location or decoded some sort of clue, but every time she exposed herself, she shivered too much to accomplish anything. It was almost impossible to hold a quill when your teeth wouldn’t stop chattering!

She had, instead, tried to de-stress herself by running through similarities and possibilities in her head. But that only caused her to worry all the more. She couldn’t help but feel anxious, knowing full-well where Spike was but having no knowledge of where Flurry might even wind up. Combine that with how alone she felt…

Of course, she still had Rainbow Dash and the Raven for company, but they weren’t exactly the best companions when it came to her growing concerns about the storybook. It was enough to make her miss even Sombra. Granted, he was stubborn, hard-headed... and rude, but at least he didn’t give her a blank look whenever she tried to discuss the intricacies of what kind of changes had been made to the plot line.

“It’s important to focus on keeping yourself warm,” the raven continued. “You’ve done more than enough to help them—”

Twilight peeked out from beneath the blankets when the raven fell silent, then jumped in surprise when he launched himself into the air in a flurry of feathers with an ear-splitting cry.

“Danger!” He swooped above Rainbow’s head and shrieked in alarm, mimicking a word that even she could understand. “DANGER!!!”

Rainbow Dash planted her hooves, skidding over the ground and jarring Twilight in the sleigh as it slid to follow her. Rainbow’s eyes shifted about the area, peering into the trees as her ears swiveled, alert to any sounds. Twilight shivered as she lowered the blanket a hair to listen for herself, but the landscape was muted and quiet. There was only the eerie creak of trees weighed down by the snow collecting over them.

The raven cawed from somewhere in the canopy, and Rainbow suddenly jerked to the side. A slim bolt pinged off her armor and buried itself into the snow. She took off at full speed, yanking the sleigh in a sharp motion that sent Twilight tumbling into the back seat.

The cold wind rushed around them, and Twilight climbed up from the floor, lifting up a loose flap of fabric and looking back to see a pair of ponies pursuing them. They had a rough, grizzled appearance, wearing heavy furs and clothing to protect against the cold. Other shapes and shadows darted among the trees, but she couldn’t see them all clearly to count how many there actually were.

“Bandits…” Twilight breathed. Finally, the story was throwing something familiar at her as she recalled one of the crucial arcs from the original. Twilight found herself getting giddy before she remembered the danger they were in. If this moment was anything like the fairy tale, then the thieves would end up taking more than just their money.

“You wouldn’t be willing to leave us alone, would you?” Twilight called out to them. The pair that she could see exchanged a confused look, before sneering at her. Twilight yelped, and ducked when one of them hurled a bola her way. “That's a definite no!” she shouted as the stones thudded uselessly against the back of the seat.

The sleigh slammed to a sudden stop, and the force threw Twilight into the wooden banister, dazing her momentarily while sounds of a scuffle reached her ears. When she managed to right herself and crawl to the side, she saw Rainbow Dash tossing another pony into the snow, snorting angrily at two more ambushers and wearing an expression that dared them to try and approach her again. Rainbow looked capable of keeping them at bay, but more were quickly spilling out of the woods. They would soon be outnumbered.

“Rainbow!” Twilight called out, scrambling to her hooves in an attempt to help.

“Stay in the sleigh!” Rainbow Dash shouted back.

“Hold up!” One of the thieves jumped forward, raising his leg in a silent signal. The others surrounding Rainbow suddenly retreated, giving her a wide berth, but not entirely leaving the area. She glared at them suspiciously, not letting down her guard, even though everything had gone quiet. Even the raven made no noise, or… Twilight’s eyes darted to the trees, but she saw no sign of him. Was he hiding from them?

The stallion that spoke stepped closer, and Twilight turned her attention back to him. Something about him felt familiar, but she couldn’t place where she had seen him before. He wore a simple red scarf, but she could still see the shadow of darker brown fur around his muzzle that suggested a groomed beard. His black mane was covered with a woolen cap and a heavy winter cape obscured his cutie mark.

“No need to fight us,” the stallion said in a soothing tone. “We just want your valuables. Give them up, and we’ll leave in peace.”

“We don’t have anything,” Rainbow answered through grit teeth.

“We’ll take the sleigh then; we’re not picky.” He eyed it appreciatively. While it was missing some of its gemstones after their encounter with the dragons, the gold finish was still fancy enough on its own to look costly.

“You can’t take it!” Rainbow Dash blocked the thug’s way when he moved towards it. “My friend is sick; she can’t travel on her own.”

Twilight faked a quick cough to try and sway their conscience, but the thieves didn’t look at all sympathetic to her plight. She made a show of easing herself carefully to the snowy ground. “It’s alright, Rainbow. If we can go safely, they can have it.”

With the blankets slipping over her eyes, she didn’t know that a pony was standing in front of her until she bumped her nose against his chest. She looked up to see a brutish face smirking down at her.

“Whatcha hiding under there, missy?”

“Don’t touch her!” Rainbow yelled and tried to leap to her aid, only to be intercepted when several thieves closed in around her. Twilight yelped as the stallion took the sheet in his mouth and began to pull. She grabbed another clump in her own grip and tried to wrench the blankets free. While some of the others began to laugh at the spectacle of their tug-of-war, a loud rip split through the noise, and Twilight tumbled backward in a spray of snow and fluttering cloth.

The laughter quickly died as Twilight struggled to right herself, finally sitting up and shaking away the snow to see a bunch of wide-eyed stares. The sheets were gone, her cloak was askew, and her wings were flared for all to see.

In the moment of stunned silence that followed, the leader among them looked back and forth at his followers. “Well? We wanted their valuables.” He pointed his hoof at Twilight. “What’s more valuable than a princess?”

The group of thugs all exchanged thoughtful glances before shaking their heads and muttering quietly, actually trying to figure out the answer to his question.

“GET HER!!!” he roared, startling them from their stupor.

The ponies charged, and as they galloped through the snow towards her, Twilight picked up the only weapon she had.

She chucked the warming stone at the first pony, and it fell against his head with a heavy thud. Quite literally, he dropped like a rock, and the others stumbled over him, toppling like dominoes into a messy pile-up. In the chaos, Rainbow Dash leapt over the group blocking her way and soared towards Twilight, grabbing a bit of her mane and yanking her to her hooves. Twilight immediately bolted after her, glancing back quickly, only to be spurred on by the sight of the mob of angry faces chasing them.

The chill in the air immediately set upon her, and Twilight felt her hooves go numb as she ran through the deep snow. Rainbow Dash was only a few feet ahead, but she felt miles away as her breath came out in ragged gasps. The frigid feeling in her chest began to spread, causing her fur to stand on end as she tried to ignore it. Fear spurred her on despite the cold pain coursing through her.

A whirring sound made her ears perk, and Twilight only caught sight of a dark blur sailing over her head before the object collided with Rainbow Dash, sending her tumbling in a spray of powdery snow. Twilight hopped over the small ditch Rainbow’s crash had created to help her friend, finding a web of ropes tangled around her legs. She grabbed a hold of one of the cords in her teeth, but Rainbow turned to her with a fierce look.

“Leave me and run!!!” she shouted, right before the first pony caught up to them. Twilight spun to face him, and his expression shifted from triumph to fear when her horn lit up in a bright glow.

The aura immediately sputtered and shorted out, but not before a tiny puff of magic shot up to hit the thief in the face and caused him to balk. His nose wrinkled, and he crossed his eyes and let out a loud sneeze that threw his head forward. As more of the thugs spilled out of the trees to circle around them, several of them laughed.

“What’s she tryin’ to do? Give us the sniffles?” one of the mares taunted her with a grin.

“RUN!!!” Rainbow Dash shouted right before a group of thugs rushed at them. Some remained standing among the trees to block off any possible escape routes before she could turn and flee—not that she would have left Rainbow alone to defend herself. Even with the bola caught around her hooves, she continued fighting and resisting the mob as she kicked out and nearly walloped a stallion in the snout.

Twilight wanted to fight back as well, but they were drastically outnumbered, and it was becoming harder for her to move from the numb feeling in her limbs. The cold was spreading, affecting her movements. Her sad attempts to kick the bandits away kept getting dodged or blocked.

One of the ponies in the crowd suddenly lunged at her, and she instinctively jumped away, only to slam into another from behind. He shoved her roughly, and Twilight fell face-first into the snow. Like a cat hunting its prey, the others saw their opportunity and pounced.

Their hooves pushed against her, holding her to the cold ground and having no trouble ignoring her weak struggles to break free. She heard Rainbow Dash shout something, but her words were garbled, then suddenly cut off when a loud thump reached her ears.

“Rainbow!?” Twilight coughed out, digging her hooves beneath the snow and scraping at the frozen dirt in an attempt to lift her body, but her attackers only pushed more painfully against her. “Let—us—GO!!!”

“Don’t worry, princess.” Her gaze shot up as the ponies standing in front of her scrambled away to reveal the familiar-looking stallion that she still couldn’t place. Despite the situation, this only irritated her more. He simply smirked at her, appearing to be entertained by her struggles. “We need you both alive.”

Twilight didn’t find his words at all reassuring, since the next thing she saw was his hoof rapidly descending into view. Her vision exploded into white, and she only felt a brief moment of pain before her world went black.