The Fairy Tale Fiasco

by LaWombat


Chapter 9: A Frozen Heart (Part 5)

When Twilight woke, she was relieved to find herself in the same bed that she had fallen asleep in, rather than the den of another storybook villain. Her body felt warm, almost uncomfortably so, but it was understandable when she remembered the potion Sunburst had given her the night before.

But in her sleep-addled mind, it took her a moment to realize that the heat wasn’t completely from herself. Something heavy had been tucked around her that didn’t feel like a normal blanket. When she turned her head groggily and blinked away the sleep in her eyes, she came face-to-face with Sombra’s relaxed expression.

“AAAAAHH!!!” Twilight jumped up and stumbled over his legs, tangling her hooves in the sheets while trying to scramble away. With a yelp, she wobbled toward the edge before toppling over and pulling the blankets with her when she dropped to the floor with a heavy thud.

Twilight wrestled with the sheets and tugged them away to see Sombra’s head appear over the footboard, frowning down at her. “Do you have to be so loud?”

“LOUD!?” Twilight shouted while trying to untangle herself from the bedspread. “Why are you in my bed!? Where’s Flurry?”

“Your charge woke up earlier and flew into the hallway. And technically, it’s not just your bed,” Sombra explained with a yawn while Twilight blinked in confusion. “I realized I could push them together and fit on top. Of course, that meant sharing with you, but we are friends now.” He gave her a toothy grin. “I figured you wouldn’t mind sharing. You were like my own personal heater.”

“I am not your personal heater,” Twilight spat, kicking the sheet away before getting to her hooves. “And you don’t just huddle up to a pony while they’re sleeping.”

“You didn’t seem against it when riding through the blizzard,” Sombra teased. “Or when we were defrosting in front of the fire?”

With a wrinkling of her snout, Twilight’s face felt hot in a way that wasn’t related to the potion. She hurried out into the main room where Flurry dove for her with a happy squeal as soon as she entered. Twilight hugged her with a smile, eager to move her attention on to more important things.

“Good morning!” Sunburst cheerfully sang from the kitchen, piling a plate high with pancakes from the stove top. “Did you sleep well?”

Before she could answer, the raven dove down from the rafters with an excited caw. “You’re up! How are you feeling, princess?”

“Perfectly fine,” Twilight responded in answer to both questions. “Just a bit hot though.”

“That will help you in the cold,” Sunburst stated, floating the stack of pancakes her way when she sat down at the table. “You probably won’t even need that scarf while you’re out there.”

Twilight patted the scarf that Starlight had given her, forgetting that she had fallen asleep with it. While Flurry Heart crawled onto the table and nibbled at a pancake with baby-sized bites, Twilight unwound the scarf from her neck, an idea hitting her.

“Can you return this for me?” Twilight asked, and Sunburst looked her way while she neatly folded it on the table. “I borrowed it from a friend, and I don’t want to bring it where we’re going.”

“Of course.” Sunburst nodded. “Are they close by?”

“East through the fields, but you’ve probably met before. Starlight said you helped her with a spell.”

“Yes, I remember her!” Sunburst grinned and picked up the scarf up in his magic. “I’ll return this to her later.”

“And…” Twilight paused, giving him a hopeful smile. “I think you should stay for cocoa… or tea. Maybe some coffee?” Twilight suggested. “I think you and Starlight have a lot in common.”

“Oh, uh… alright.” Sunburst smiled hesitantly, but still tucked the scarf in his cloak for safe keeping.

Sombra finally sauntered into the room and made a beeline for the plate of pancakes. He didn’t wait for an invitation and simply sat himself in front of the stack, scarfing down the remainder without asking if anypony else even wanted some.

“Hey!” Twilight shouted as he practically inhaled the rest of the plate.

“I neef mff enerfuf,” Sombra said around a mouthful of pancake. He swallowed the entire chunk whole with a gulp. “If I am going to be carrying us to the castle, I’ll need all I can get.”

“Not this time,” Twilight said with a smug grin. “I can travel on my own.” She demonstrated this by waltzing out the door into the snow. The wind was nothing more than a gentle breeze with patches of blue sky poking through soft white clouds, but the landscape was still muted and white as it sparkled in the sun.

Sombra followed her outside with a frown while she stomped over mounds of snow, leaving a small trail of hoof holes in her wake. “I’m not even cold!”

“Good!” The raven dove through the air and landed on her back with a flutter of wings. “You’re in no danger of freezing,” he practically chirped.

“Flurry Heart,” Twilight called, and her niece flew through the doorway with a giggle, landing in the crook of Twilight’s elbow and giving her a big hug. “Be good for Sunburst, alright?” Twilight sighed, giving Flurry a quick peck on the nose. Though she dreaded leaving her behind, Flurry had fared well enough with the storybook Sunburst so far, and it was a safer place to stay than where Twilight was going.

“Are you leaving for the castle now?” Sunburst asked as he moved to the railing and Sombra strolled down the front steps.

“We shouldn’t stay any longer,” Twilight said and bowed her head. “Thank you for everything.”

As they parted, and Flurry fluttered away to sit atop Sunburst’s head, Twilight couldn’t help herself from turning back while Sombra stepped ahead of her over the white landscape. Flurry giggled and waved, and Twilight didn’t stop stealing quick glances until the sight of the comfortable cottage had completely disappeared over the distance.

It wasn’t long into their journey when the winds began to pick up, and Twilight found herself hunkered down near Sombra’s legs, using him as a shield to avoid getting thrown around by the blizzard. Even if the potion was protecting her from the cold, that didn’t stop the ice and frost from hitting her face and shoving her about.

“Do you know where you’re going?” Sombra shouted over the roar of the storm. “I can’t see anything through this mess!”

“I can’t tell!” Twilight stopped when she felt him come to a halt. She was tempted to bring out the map, but as she stared out through the thick fog of ice, she couldn’t make out any significant landmarks to compare.

“Keep moving!” the raven cried from her back. “This blizzard means we’re getting close! She uses it to protect the castle!”

Without much choice, Twilight trudged ahead, pushing on through the terrible winds and making her way carefully over the deep snow.

After a time, the storm felt like it was letting up, and Twilight thought she could almost see sunlight ahead. With her heart pounding in excitement, she hopped over the ground and bounced her way toward the lighter patches of sky.

Like breaking through a curtain, Twilight burst into a landscape drenched in sunlight. Snow-covered fields and hilly passes unraveled before her, with the castle they sought rising gloriously in the center of the calm. Spires of crystal blue sparkled in the afternoon glow, reaching higher than the mountains as it dominated the frozen expanse before them.

The thin spires and reflective surface of the ice, while much grander in scale, reminded Twilight of her own castle. Once, she had been terrified by the loneliness it had offered her, but thanks to her friends, the resemblance only made her ache to be back home with them.

“Why would the storm clear before reaching the castle?” Sombra complained after shaking off the icicles hanging from his antlers. “This only ensures that their enemies can easily find them.”

“Like us?” Twilight gave Sombra a playful smirk.

If you make it through the blizzard, this just ensures that the Snow Queen can see you coming.” The raven fluffed out his feathers and tried to shake away the clumps of snow that stuck to him. “Her soldiers will descend upon us the moment we get close.”

“You seem awfully knowledgeable for a bird.” Sombra eyed the raven with a look of disdain.

Twilight gave Sombra an incredulous look and leaned closer with a soft whisper, “He’s the raven from the original story; he’s only helping.”

“He knows too much,” Sombra growled, not bothering to lower his voice. “Are you not the least bit suspicious?”

Twilight glanced at the raven, but he only watched them quietly with his head tilted, somehow not at all wary about the fact that they were discussing his character. “Without him, we wouldn’t have the dragons as reinforcement, and I couldn’t have gotten the key from Caballeron to free you. We only made it this far because of his help.”

“Exactly,” Sombra sneered. “How did he know all that plus the information about the castle? If you aren't careful, you're going to drag us both into the same situation as before. Do you want to be captured a third time?”

Twilight opened her mouth to reply, but couldn’t find the words to argue. She hadn’t really questioned the raven’s role; she’d simply been satisfied in believing that he had been a vital element of the original story to help them along. But that had also been the way she’d felt about Starlight’s part...

Twilight took a deep breath. “Okay… I’ll admit that it is a little strange...”

“A little?” Sombra darkly chuckled. “A creature that has no relation to the Snow Queen is able to offer ‘help’ by using something that would potentially freeze you if you aren’t careful and eliminating the threat you pose.”

Twilight blinked at him, surprised by his conclusion, but more so by the fact that the possibility hadn’t occurred to her. Sombra grinned at her expression. “Not used to plotting against your enemies?”

“I don’t plot…” Twilight huffed, deciding to give his concerns a chance. “So… what do we do?”

“We interrogate.” Sombra snorted with an amused look. “Bird!” he called to the raven, who obediently hopped over. Before Twilight could ask Sombra what he had planned, he jumped up and knocked the raven onto his back in the snow. While he flapped his wings in a panic, Sombra held him down with a hoof.

“What are you—!?” the raven squawked while Sombra leaned forward.

“We know you’re hiding something,” Sombra growled. Even though he had been turned into an animal known for being friendly, Sombra managed to make his fluffy exterior look darkly menacing. “You are not a normal bird.”

“I…” The raven trailed off with a look at Twilight, his eyes wide. She tried not to show her concern, but couldn’t help a worried glance at Sombra, hoping he wouldn’t take it too far.

“Can you tell us who you really are?” she gently questioned.

The raven’s feathers fluffed, a visible sign of his growing panic before he finally relented in a somber tone, “I… I would never betray you, honest! You saved my life, but I thought you wouldn’t trust me if I… if you knew… what I was.”

Twilight stared at him, understanding dawning over her. “You’re a changeling?”

“I was trapped in this form by the queen…” the raven continued. “She banished me and… distorted my memories so that I couldn’t find the castle. I wasn’t like one of her drones anymore, and I couldn’t ask for help. That’s… how I knew of a way to protect the dragons… that we could make it through the snow storm...” He looked up at her with sorrowful eyes. “Bits and pieces started to return after...” His voice trailed away, and he gazed at Twilight with a strange look. “It was after you saved me. I felt… something that I’ve never known before.”

“If you’re like the changelings I know, then it’s love.” Twilight leaned closer and pushed against Sombra’s hoof. To her surprise, he relented and pulled away, but looked down at the raven with a deep frown. “The affection of friendship; a compassion and concern for somepony—or creature—that you care for.”

“Bleh.” Sombra made a face. “Love breaks the spell? What an overused tripe.”

“T-the dungeons!” the raven suddenly blurted and flipped himself over on the snow. “We can sneak into the dungeons without being seen! There aren’t any soldiers guarding the passages!”

“Why would there be no guards patrolling? That seems inefficient… and suspicious,” Sombra muttered.

The raven opened his beak, but froze with a blank look before clicking it shut. “I… can’t remember, but it’s probably not good.”

“If it’s the best way to get in without being seen, we should use it,” Twilight urged. “Once we rescue Spike, he can burn the scale, and the dragons will be able to find the castle.”

“And what of us until then?” Sombra frowned at her. “Are we to be imprisoned as well? Or worse yet, executed in some way before they arrive?”

“That won’t happen.” Twilight tried to sound confident, but she couldn’t help the slight wavering in her voice. They were supposed to be fairytales aimed at children, but with all the twists and dark moments she had already experienced, she began to question what kind of storybook she had really picked up.

They waited until the sun had set and darkness had rolled over the land. The clouds drifted across the moon, and the world was blustery and dark as they set out over the frozen fields. Despite the lack of cover, the changelings in the castle didn’t show any signs of alarm while they snuck around the frozen hills. Soon enough, Twilight found herself wedged between Sombra and the base of the castle.

“This way,” the raven whispered, hopping over the ground toward a section of crystal wall. With a flurry of his wings, he dove into the snow and eventually unveiled a small window with slanted bars blocking the way. “The dungeon should be through here.”

Twilight wrapped her leg around one of the bars and tried to slip it out, recalling her previous break-in from Robin Hood, but it didn’t budge; they were frozen in place.

“Move,” Sombra commanded, pushing her with his hoof and rolling her out of the way. He stuck his antlers through and, with a twist of his head, the bars shattered into splintered fragments. “This is why you don’t build a castle out of ice.”

Twilight dusted herself off and stalked around him, sticking her head through to make sure the way was clear. As the raven had mentioned, there were no guards patrolling the hallways. Her eyes eventually adjusted to the dim light, and she saw that she was hanging over what looked to be a huge tunnel, with ice blue bricks arching over the enormous corridor. Spaced out along the floor were wide holes that led into deep pits of darkness.

“Will you hurry it up?” Twilight felt Sombra’s head push against her as he tried to cram in next to her.

“You stay outside,” Twilight whispered. “You won’t be able to fit.”

She heard Sombra grumble something as she squeezed herself inside, pulling her wings through to flare them open and catch herself as she popped through the hole. Twilight only managed to take a single step after she landed before there was a loud crash from behind. Jumping up in fright, she spun around to see Sombra’s dark shape fall to the floor. His hooves landed with a heavy thud and cracked the fragile ice beneath them.

“Sombra!?” Twilight hissed through clenched teeth.

“What are you riled up about?” Sombra shook out his ruff. “There are no guards around to hear.”

Twilight’s ears perked up to listen, but Sombra was right. There were no sounds of alarm and no hooves galloping over the hard floor. She didn’t even hear the distinct buzzing of changeling wings approaching. The castle was eerily quiet.

“See?” Sombra smirked as he passed her with a leisurely stroll.

Twilight rolled her eyes and followed, looking down into the pits built into the floor. “What kind of dungeon is this? There aren’t any cells.”

“There don’t have to be…” The raven landed on her shoulder and shrunk himself into the cranny behind her neck. “Now I remember why there are no guards. The pits are deep enough to keep her prisoners captive. It’s too cold to fly and too slippery to climb out.”

"Is Spike... trapped in one of these?” Twilight whispered urgently, jumping up and scurrying closer to the nearest pit to stare into it. When she saw nothing but a pile of bones lying at the bottom, Twilight squeaked from a terrible thought as she jumped to conclusions.

“Here he is,” Sombra announced a ways ahead, peering into another hole. Twilight immediately galloped over, her heart pounding in both excitement and fear. When she looked down, she flared her wings at the sorry sight huddled against the floor.

“Spike!” She tried to keep her voice down, but it carried loudly along the smooth walls. The tiny form at the bottom didn’t respond; he didn’t even move. Twilight didn’t care about the cold or the slick ice; her only concern was getting to Spike as soon as possible. Without hesitating, she spread her wings and launched herself so quickly off the edge that the raven squawked when the force threw him to the floor.

Twilight dove toward the smooth walls of the hole and pushed off against the ice, flapping her wings to slow her fall rather than simply glide down in an easy spiral; that method would have been too slow. With her heart racing in her chest, Twilight landed with a hop against the floor of the chamber and trotted toward the small form of scales curled up on the floor. “Spike! I’ve been so—”

His glossy eyes narrowed with a hiss, and Twilight’s voice faltered into a surprised gasp when a burst of blue flames engulfed her. Though it was pointless, she dropped to the floor with her hooves covering her head and her eyes squeezed shut, feeling the lick of flames like a breeze of cold air blowing over her.

When the chill died down, Twilight could hear a low growling in front of her. She peeked through her legs to see Spike standing on all fours with his spine arched, his lips pulled back in a snarl and tiny wisps of fire escaping between his fangs.

“S-Spike… what’s wrong?” Twilight breathed softly, crawling towards him cautiously along the floor. She had seen the change to his flames when Chrysalis had first taken him, but his unusual aggression? What had Chrysalis done to him in the time they were apart?

“RAH!!” Spike spit out another flare with a guttural bark, and Twilight flinched away from the cold fire even though it couldn’t hurt her.

“Spike…” Twilight pleaded, getting into a crouch and creeping closer. “You know me…”

Spike hissed at her and backed away, stepping his hind claws into a small pile of blue, frozen crystals she hadn’t noticed before. When she moved closer, his growling grew louder.

“I don’t want your treasure…” she tried, reaching slowly towards him with a careful hoof. “I want to help you.”

His low growl continued to drone on as she inched closer, the terrifying snarl frozen on his face. When Twilight was only a few inches away, he snapped and spit out another jet of flame. She lunged at him before the fire dissipated, and Spike let out a grating cry when she managed to catch him in a tight embrace.

“I just... have to get through…” Twilight nearly sobbed, feeling the sting of tears forming as Spike flailed against her, trying to swipe at her with his claws. “Just like the story, remember?” Spike only responded with a snarl. “Just like… the story...” Twilight’s voice broke as she searched her memory for the answer, but she found her thoughts too jumbled in her growing panic and concern. “You can’t… you can’t forget me like this…”

Spike suddenly twisted in her grip, and Twilight let out a strangled cry when his fangs dug into the base of her neck. She screamed when he wrenched his teeth with a shake of his head, and a burst of blue flared at the corner of her vision. A searing pain shot through her shoulder, but Twilight only curled her body around him protectively, gasping and squeezing her eyes shut. Tears rolled freely over her cheeks and down her snout to splash against Spike’s scales.

He pulled away with a grunt and batted at his eyes, but Twilight was in too much pain to notice the change in aggression. She could feel a familiar chill creep through her, as if her veins were slowly icing over. Whatever magic had been protecting her couldn’t stand up to the direct attack of an enchanted dragon’s frozen flame.

Spike’s movements had strangely become less erratic, and his arms waved more delicately to swipe at the tears. When she felt his claws gently squeeze her fur, Twilight managed to open her eyes and see Spike looking at her with a bewildered expression.

“T-Twilight?” He reached a hesitant claw out to her neck, but flinched and pulled it away with a horrified look. “I… I did that!?”

Twilight couldn’t find a voice to answer him with, but she simply cradled him gently against her and nuzzled his head in relief. He had been freed from the snow queen’s magic, and that was all that mattered to her. She shook her head while soundlessly trying to reassure him that this wasn’t his fault. She couldn’t see the damage, but the fur above her shoulder felt matted and sticky, and her neck throbbed painfully around the bite.

“I… I remember…” Spike pulled away and scrambled to his feet, looking at her with fear as tears formed in his eyes. “I hurt you, Twilight!”

“It w-wasn’t you,” Twilight tried to explain, but when she moved her legs to stand, her balance shifted, and she collapsed to the floor. Her body shook with terrible tremors, and through the pain she barely noticed when the raven crashed into the pile of gems nearby. His talons clicked furiously over the ice as he scrambled closer.

“The cold is spreading again!" the raven exclaimed. “The potion is no longer protecting you from the Snow Queen’s magic! What happened!?”

Twilight grunted with irritation, her hooves shaking while she dragged her saddlebags forward and thrust them at Spike, trying to dig out the scale buried somewhere inside. “Just b-b-burn this—” she started, but a clamor of noise turned their attentions above. The hum of changeling drones buzzed overhead, and the raven let out a shriek when several of them dove into the pit. Their shells, like Chrysalis’, had been changed by the story to be stark-white like snow.

“Spike! B-burn the s-s-scale!” Twilight yelled over the noise, but before she could pull it out, two pairs of legs reached out and wrapped around her barrel, while another grabbed her neck and unwittingly squeezed painfully against her wound. Twilight cried out as more drones dove at Spike and caught the raven, lifting them all up in a hum of noise.

When the changelings rose over the side of the pit, Twilight was shocked by the sight of soldiers splayed out all over the floor, groaning and struggling to stand while Sombra fought off a hoard of them further down the hallway. A cloud of drones surrounded him from all sides, taking turns to distract him while another dove in for an attack. Sombra was covered in what looked like patches of ice. Another drone lunged at him and spat, splattering his shoulder with a slick gel that sparkled when it quickly froze over.

“Is that… Sombra?” Spike choked out, clawing at the changeling’s leg that held him.

“Surrender!” one of the drones carrying Twilight shouted. “We have captured your friends!”

Sombra briefly paused to regard them before charging through the swarm of changelings and galloping towards them. The drones yelped and zipped over him, buzzing down the hallway and escaping into a tunnel that led up through the castle. Twilight could hear Sombra’s hooves pounding on the ice, the slick surface not appearing to slow him down as he bolted after them.

“Lead him through the castle,” one of the drones commanded as they ascended into a more decorated hallway with ice carved columns lining the walls. “We’ll take them all to the queen.”

Twilight would have shouted a warning to let Sombra know of their plan, but she only managed to get out a strangled rasp between the drone clinging to her neck and the freezing pain that throbbed at her shoulder. Whether it was the chill of the castle, or the low temperature of the drones, Twilight could feel a crackling and numbing sensation slowly spreading around her fur from the wound.

The drones carried them into a grand hallway that widened into an enormous chamber. When they passed beneath the huge archway, one of the changelings shouted, “We bring prisoners! And another is… uh… chasing us.” He bowed low to the figure sitting in the throne at the back of the room, and they brought Twilight closer to see Chrysalis giving them a bored look as she silently raised an eyebrow at their news.

Without any care, the drones tossed Twilight, Spike, and the raven to the floor. When she tried to shift her legs to stand, the ice beneath her appeared to warp on its own before tendrils of it wrapped around her hooves to harden into restraints. Twilight glanced beside her to see Spike and the raven stuck in the same way.

“And who dares—” Chrysalis started before Sombra’s hooves echoed in the hallway and he burst into the throne room, charging full force toward them with his head down and puffs of frost streaming from his nostrils.

“Ugh…” Chrysalis groaned and waved her hoof. Twilight could only watch as a pillar of ice jutted up right in Sombra’s path. He slammed his hooves against the slippery floor, but he only slid and rammed the structure head-on. The pillar splintered with cracks, but held strong as Sombra shouted out obscenities that were enough to make Twilight blush. While he thrashed and kicked, his antlers appeared to be completely stuck in the ice.

“Finally.” Chrysalis smirked, moving her gaze back to Twilight. “Now, just how did you all manage to wind up here, hmm?” Her eyes slid over to the raven, and he started shivering beneath her stare. “I know it couldn’t be this traitor, because I made sure he wouldn’t remember anything about this place.”

Twilight shifted her gaze over to Spike, who stood right next to her in their small line-up. She adjusted her wings ever-so-slightly, trying to nudge her saddlebags his way. If she could just get his attention without Chrysalis noticing...

“How did you do it?” Twilight heard Chrysalis hiss, and turned to see her stepping down from the throne. Once Chrysalis was close enough, she slid her hoof over Twilight’s shoulder. The touch was light, but Twilight flinched away, shivering at the shock of cold that seared through her. Crystals of frost crackled to life and spread along her back. The joints of her wings began to ache and stiffen.

Chrysalis peered closer with a triumphant smile. “I see you tried to trifle with my magic. Is that how you found my castle?” Her eyes shifted to the side, and Twilight saw them light up. “Or was it this?”

Chrysalis snatched up her saddlebags, and Twilight could see the map poking out from beneath the flaps. With a startled shout, she lunged forward and grabbed the bags in her mouth while crying out between her teeth, “Spffike!!!”

Spike acted quickly, as if they had planned it from the very start. When his green flame lit up her vision, Twilight leaned back and released the bags. Chrysalis leapt into the air with a hiss, and the fire consumed the saddlebags in a puff of emerald smoke. The charred ashes drifted to the cold floor, and Twilight watched a thin sliver of soot glitter when it rose up to the ceiling and disappeared.

“Was that aimed at me?” Chrysalis laughed, landing before Twilight again with her horn glowing. She heard Spike cry out and spun to see that Chrysalis had trapped his snout with a band of ice. “It’s a pity that you’ve saved him from a frozen heart...” Chrysalis stepped closer and forced Twilight’s gaze up as she scrutinized the wound on her neck. “But at what cost? You have no dragon fire in your core to keep the ice at bay.”

Twilight opened her mouth to retort, but Chrysalis drew her hoof away only to painfully slap it across her face. Twilight reeled back with a grunt, dropping her head and covering her cheek with her wings.

“That’s for stealing my dragon,” Chrysalis sneered. “I had hoped to trigger his greed and create a ferocious guard, but perhaps it is for the best, since he only tried to attack me. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have needed to drop him into the dungeons.” She then slowly strolled over to the raven. “Now, as for you...” Chrysalis glared down at him with a menacing expression. “I should turn you into something worse for what you’ve done. Maybe you can join your princess as a statue.”

“W… wait!” Twilight winced from the movement of her jaw, and Chrysalis only gave her a sideways glance as she hesitated. Twilight wracked her brain for anything, trying to stall for time until the dragons might arrive, even though she knew they were too far away to help. “H-he’s one of you! How can you do that to him?”

Chrysalis hissed and lunged at Twilight, hovering above her with a fierce expression. “One of us!? This traitor abandoned his queen! If he wants friends so badly, whatever fate you meet, he will share!” As suddenly as her anger had reared itself, it seemed to dissipate when Chrysalis stepped away with a curious look in her eyes.

“Are you… stalling? You’re actually trying to save him, aren’t you?” Chrysalis jerked her hoof at the raven with each word she spoke. “That. Little. Cretin?” Chrysalis let out a cackling laugh and wiped at her eyes. “How noble of you, princess. But at least this makes things more fun.” Chrysalis stalked back up to her throne to smirk down at them. “I can just wait until you freeze. The expressions on their faces as you succumb to your fate...”

Twilight flinched when a shard of ice crackled and shot down her shoulder like a break appearing in a broken sheet of glass. Chrysalis smirked as she watched the growing frost inch along Twilight’s fur. “Once you’re completely frozen, I can smash you into a thousand pieces… or use you as a decoration in my courtyard.”

“My queen!” Chrysalis’ head whipped up as one of her drones flew through the open windows in the high ceiling above. “In the sky—something approaches—”

The drone didn’t get out anything else, because the base of the castle rumbled from a distant impact, and small particles of ice drifted from the roof.

“Formations!” Chrysalis screamed and the drones all buzzed to attention. “The castle is under attack!”

A thunderous roar of the many voices of dragons echoed through the sky, and the light from the windows darkened briefly when they started pouring through. To Twilight’s surprise, accompanying them were small groups of armored pegasi as they swooped in beside them.

“Attaaaaack!!!” Chrysalis shrieked at her army. Spires of ice jutted into the air, hitting both dragon and changeling alike, all the while more crashed in through the giant windows. “Stand against them and defend your queen!” Chrysalis screamed when some of the frostlings mobilized while others retreated from the heat of the flames, screeching in terror. They were already being overwhelmed by the combined number of dragons and ponies, and the air felt warm from the many breaths of dragon fire flickering across the ice.

“Princess Twilight!” Twilight turned to see Ember diving through the battle with Rainbow Dash soaring alongside her, but the pair didn’t get close before a beam of ice shot between them.

“How dare you filth enter my castle!” Chrysalis shrieked and threw herself into the air, her horn glowing in preparation for another strike. Ember countered by letting loose a burst of flame, and their attacks met with a billow of steam and shattering crystals.

“Get the queen!” Ember shouted, and directed a pair of dragons with her pointed claw. The two immediately dove at Chrysalis, and she darted away with a hiss, buzzing toward the ceiling to escape their combined fire. With Chrysalis busy, Ember soared toward Twilight while Rainbow Dash landed next to Spike and struggled to pull at the ice stuck around his snout.

“N-n-not that I’m not g-g-glad to see y-you,” Twilight stammered between her shivering while Ember dug at the ice around her hooves, “but h-how did you get here so f-f-fast?”

Ember let out a tiny flicker of flame, enough to heat up the ice but not burn Twilight. “Your brother gave us a visit and said you had been captured by bandits. We were up here looking for them when we got your signal.”

“Ember!?” Twilight heard Spike gasp with disbelief when his snout was freed.

“Introductions later!” Ember snapped and wrapped her claws around Twilight’s middle. With a quick tug, her legs popped out of the icy shackles and Ember gently shoved her in the right direction. “Run to an exit! We’ll keep you safe!”

Twilight had barely taken a step when the floor lurched violently. A pillar of ice formed beneath her hooves and shot high into the air while her friends cried out from below. She flared her wings to take off, but Chrysalis suddenly rammed against her, wrapping her legs around Twilight’s barrel before she could fall to the ground and lifted away through all the chaos and fighting.

“Twilight!” Rainbow Dash and Ember both launched after them at the same instant, but Rainbow was first to maneuver her way through the warring crowd and catch up as Chrysalis dove into another wing of the castle.

“Careful!” Chrysalis jeered when Rainbow lunged at them. “Or I might drop your precious princess and shatter her!”

While Chrysalis had said that more to mock them, she wasn’t far from the truth. Twilight held on with only one leg while the other hung uselessly at her side. She had wanted to retaliate from the get-go, but the ice spreading along her pinned wings made her all the more nervous as the floor sped by far below.

Rainbow Dash wasn’t as wary, and Chrysalis let out a startled shriek when she grabbed a hold of Chrysalis’ tail in her mouth. Brought to a jarring halt, the force tossed Twilight through the air, and she strained her stiff wings to steer herself to a safe landing. With a muted thump, she managed to crash into a tattered banner hanging from the wall and rolled down the billowing fabric until she dropped to the floor.

Twilight laid still for a moment and tried to orient herself while the world spun through her vision in a dizzying circle. She heard Rainbow call out to her when a blast of magic shattered the floor nearby, showering her with particles of ice. Twilight shook her head and narrowed her eyes, managing to focus on her friend as she dodged around Chrysalis’ attacks.

“I’ll turn you and your pathetic army into ice sculptures!” Chrysalis shouted, sending out another beam. The spell hit Rainbow’s leg, and she let out a cry as she tumbled into the wall, looking shocked at the layer of ice covering her hoof. Chrysalis’ expression morphed into a wicked grin, and she stalked toward Rainbow with her horn glowing menacingly.

“Rainbow…” Twilight croaked, managing to stumble to her hooves. She lurched forward, limping over the floor and gritting her teeth when her legs barely responded to her will. The frost continued to creep along her fur, inching up her neck and spreading across her flanks. Chrysalis’ horn flashed, and Rainbow let out a cry as the ice encased her shoulders.

Twilight put all her strength into one final charge, and Chrysalis only managed to turn her head right as Twilight swung her frozen leg up to punch her right in the jaw. Chrysalis shrieked as she tumbled away.

“That’s f-for kidnapping Spike,” Twilight spat.

“You wretched little—!” Chrysalis snarled before leaping up and snapping her fangs around Twilight’s neck. Twilight yelped, expecting pain, but only heard the crack of ice as Chrysalis’ fangs barely scratched her frozen fur. Chrysalis drew back with a furious shriek, her voice muffled while she stumbled away covering her mouth.

All at once, a large dragon dove from the air to land in front of Twilight and Rainbow, and a pillar of fire suddenly engulfed Chrysalis from the others that swooped overhead. The attack was brief, and when the flames cleared, Chrysalis’ shell had turned into a more familiar-looking charcoal black from all the soot. A trail of smoke lifted away from the tip of her horn while she coughed out a small cloud of cinders.

“Your army is no more, Snow Queen!” Ember landed before them, smoke streaming from her nostrils while Spike jumped down from her back and sprinted toward Twilight. He unexpectedly rammed against her nearly frozen form when he tried to grab her in a hug.

“Oww…” Spike rubbed his sore nose, staring at Twilight with wide eyes. “What… what’s happening to you, Twilight?”

“It s-should be f-f-fine…” Twilight reassured him, trying to lift her leg to lay over his shoulders only to find that it was completely frozen in place. “I… I think…”

“Inconceivable!” Chrysalis finally choked out with a wheeze. “An entire wing of dragons couldn’t bring down my soldiers!”

“They didn’t fight!” The raven’s voice echoed above them as he landed in a glow of magic. Shimmering particles of frost floated around him in a soft light, concealing his body when it lifted over his head in a burst of snowflakes. When it cleared, what stood in his place was the tall form of a changeling with large antlers that rose above his head. His white carapace held three pale stones that sparkled like diamonds.

“Thorax!?” Spike cried out as his storybook friend stepped closer with a frown. Several drones landed behind him, but they made no move to attack.

“Your soldiers surrendered,” Thorax announced, “once they had a moment away from you to listen to an offer of friendship instead of fearing the wrath of your anger.”

“You are nothing but a disgraceful traitor!” Chrysalis snapped at him before turning her fury on the few changelings that had followed him. “BANISHMENT! All of you!!!”

While some of the soldiers cowered away from her scowl, Thorax only looked at her with a sad grimace. “You... don’t have that authority anymore.”

“I’ll make sure of that,” Ember growled as she stomped up next to him and glared down her snout at Chrysalis.

“Finally.” Twilight looked up to see Sombra saunter into view, a large chunk of broken ice stuck between his antlers. “It feels as if this story is reaching a conclusion.”

“I th-think so.” Twilight cracked a small smile, but winced when a stab of pain shot through her. Spike clung to her side, but she could no longer feel his touch through the numbness of her body.

“HEY!!!” Rainbow shouted and drew the crowd’s attention, shoving away the dragon that clawed at the ice frozen over her leg. “Help her! Not me! We’ve got a bigger problem right now!”

“The ice is still persisting!?” Thorax exclaimed, rounding on Chrysalis with a panicked look. “Remove it!”

Chrysalis chuckled darkly. “You think I can? I’m not the one who put it there in the first place.” She grinned with wicked delight as she turned to watch Twilight. “That’s what you get for trying to play a hero.”

“Could we melt it?” Spike asked, small flames already flicking between his teeth, even though he seemed hesitant to point them directly at Twilight.

“That could delay it, but the cold is inside of her. It will just re-form,” Thorax explained, watching with a fearful expression as Twilight’s fur turned a paler shade of blue from the sparkling crystals of frost. The funny thing was, she wasn’t even shivering. Her limbs felt too stiff and numb to even register the chill anymore.

“When the shard got stuck in my eye!” Spike exclaimed, holding his claws to his head. “Isn’t that what happened to me?” He stepped in front of Twilight and cupped her face, directing her unfocused gaze at him. “How did you help me, Twilight!?”

Twilight opened her mouth and tried to form the words, but her whole body felt heavy, and her mind was too tired to pull up any thoughts through the fog that seemed to gather like the haze of the blizzard. A feeling of exhaustion settled over her, and Twilight was tempted to succumb to it.

“I think I know...” Thorax said softly. He stepped up and whispered when he leaned closer, “Please forgive me for this.”

Thorax ducked his head, and Twilight had no idea of what he was doing until she felt his lips pressed against hers. The moment they touched, a warmth slowly spread along her body, and cracks split through the ice encasing her. Twilight felt her wings jerk open too late in reaction, and when a deep red blush had risen to her cheeks, only then did Thorax pull away.

Twilight nearly collapsed as the frozen shell fell apart, but Spike’s claws against her shoulder reached out to support her. She didn’t harbor any special feelings for Thorax, but her heart pounded furiously against her chest at the sound of the dragons whooping and whistling in response. Before she covered her face with her hooves, her gaze quickly flitted to Sombra, glancing at him curiously while he watched with a frown.

“If… If only I c-could apologize, but I think that would be a lie,” Thorax stammered while he tentatively reached out to pull her hooves away from her face. “It was your bravery and k-kindness that thawed the queen’s curse over me, and in the time that I have traveled with you, you’ve shown me how strong and compassionate you are.” Thorax released her leg and put his own hoof over his chest. “I saw you save your friend with your love for him. He could have done the same, b-but... I wanted to see if these feelings I had were real. That is what melted the ice... l-love.”

Twilight could only choke out a strangled sounding squeak in response. Thorax didn’t seem to notice as he lowered himself to the floor and bowed his head. “And, if it’s… acceptable, I would ask for your hoof in marriage.” He gazed at her with a hopeful expression. “Together, we can ensure peace in the North, and throughout all the kingdoms!”

Twilight fumbled in an effort to simply straighten her thoughts when Spike’s laughter rang out beside her.

“PHAHA! That’s rich!” Spike practically rolled back as he slapped his legs. “You and Thorax?” He pointed to each of them before erupting into another fit.

“Spike…” Twilight managed to find her voice, and her face was still red when she rolled her eyes. When even Sombra made a gagging noise, she turned and wrinkled her snout at him.

“What kind of second-rate fairytale is this?” Sombra sneered in disgust. “We have been fighting through bandits, blizzards and psychotic witches—” Twilight shot him a furious glare “—for some lackluster romance?”

Twilight huffed angrily at their reactions. “The Snow Queen is one of literature’s greatest classics!”

“And terribly flawed by an undeveloped relationship,” Sombra grumbled.

“Is this really the time to be critiquing the story?” Twilight shouted, forgetting for a moment that she was still surrounded by characters of said tale. She glanced at Thorax with a surprised expression, but he simply blinked back at her innocently, appearing to be waiting for her answer.

Sombra mumbled something in response, but she ignored him. The characters were waiting for her. Just like when she was unable to abandon Sombra in the woods or fix the archery tournament, she couldn’t run away. She had to play her part, or the scene might never finish.

She nervously rubbed her leg against the other while looking at the ground with a blush. It wasn’t as if she had suddenly fallen for him, but that didn’t make it any easier for her to get out such a simple answer. “I… I accept…”

Sombra’s startled exclamation was drowned out by the ecstatic roar of the dragons when they cheered in celebration. Twilight felt Thorax’s embrace and shout of joy, even as the world around her began to fade. So she had been correct to assume the story was coming to a close.

Maybe Sombra had a point… the ending was a bit cheesy, but it had still been a compelling version of the story all the same.

Nevertheless, after what she had experienced, Twilight was certain it would be a very… very long time before she could bring herself to read this particular re-telling of The Snow Queen.