//------------------------------// // The Other Wolves: Team SRS View // Story: Snowhead's Adventures in Ponyville: The New World // by Snowhead_Blitz //------------------------------// Rainbow and Starlight wake up and notice Snow's disappearance. "Where'd he go?" Rainbow said, confused. "Rather," Starlight suggested, "something got through the shield and took him?" She said, pointing to a hole the size of a large pony in the ice-like barrier. "His ask for protection didn't help too much, did it? We have to look for hi-" Rainbow said, a sense of urgency in her voice before being cut off. "I'm fine," Snow said, walking back through the hole, with something new under his wing. "Just wanted to make sure you were trustworthy. I have a bad history with people back home." "So you scare us?" Rainbow said, slightly agitated. "He had good intentions," Starlight butted in, "so we shouldn't be too upset." "I'm not. Just a little worried about-" "Rainbow, if you couldn't trust me I would've brought a horde of those shadows when I came back. And don't tell me that this is an excuse, because you were in your most vulnerable state- asleep- which means if you couldn't trust me, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Snow says, with a slightly more than monotone voice, bouncing his eyes as he says 'having this conversation.' "Eh-... you're right." "I want to protect. Not harm. That is my duty as a guard of Arvaelie. And now, my duty as a part of a small team to save Equestria." "Right." "Speaking of teams, while I was looking for this," He shuffles his wing moving the new object around, "I thought up a little signal. I remembered the fact that Polar Opposite are shadow versions completely opposite someone, thus making me remember Polar Copies, which are basically higher level Polar Opposite that show up when someone 'fuses' with their Polar Opposite. They look and act exactly like you, with only a single thing off to differentiate. Some have a separate hair color, others have a weirdly colored eye-" "The point?" "We should call ourselves Team SRS." "Our names, really?" "Not only that. SRS- Serve, Restrain, Survive.: "Not too bad, but uh... why?" Starlight asked "If a polar copy takes our place, we say SRS. Starlight, you say 'Serve'. Rainbow, you say 'Restrain'. And I say 'Survive'." "That's kinda like what we did when we went to Chrysalis'-" "You mean big bad bug pony?" "Yup." "Alrighty, well," Snow said, trying to attach the package to his body, "we should get going. ...Hng, why is this being so difficult?!" So yelled, quite frustrated. "Maybe it's because it's still tailored to your original body type?" Starlight suggested, quite frankly pleased with herself. "Fair enough..." Snow messes with straps, his crimson glow fading on and off in certain places, almost like hands, holding stuff in place. After a while, he opens his left wing, revealing the package to be a sword and scabbard. "Woah!" Rainbow said, in awe, "Is that a sword?" "Made for, and by, myself," He says, drawing his sword to show off his work. It's a cobalt bladed longsword, with a golden hilt and pommel, and a hickory handle wrapped in leather. "It's my pride and joy." "Cool!" "Let's continue our search, hm?" The two others nodded, following Snow as the barrier fell to water around them. A while passed, before they saw anything aside of the dark, wooden walls of the forest, and the leafy ceiling, letting in only trace amounts of light here and there. The darkness became deeper and deeper the further they went, eventually making Starlight ask Snow if there was any light in the bag, only for Snow to respond with his eye glowing. They kept walking, seemingly for hours, and eventually, it felt like they were walking in circles. "Snow?" Rainbow said, her voice cutting clean through the near silence. "Yes, Rainbow?" "If you fell here, do you think anyone else could've fallen?" "... I do not see it being an impossibility." Silence loomed over the group again, only a few minutes later hearing what seemed to be a weeping girl. Snow's ears perked up to the sound, and he began to walk in its direction, drawing his sword so that it was hidden beneath his wing, yet still useful if necessary. "Hello?" Only crying was heard, and Snow crept toward it, signaling the others to stay behind with his wings. "You alright there, little one?" "... Snow," The voice came from a slightly shorter, lighter grey pony, showing neon blue hair and tail, curlier the further down you look. Her ears were larger, making her technically taller than Snow, but only by a small margin. "I-is that you?" She seemed... desperate, and depressed. "Aye, it's me. How did you get here?" Snow instantly stopped in his tracks, voice becoming monotonous, as he drew his sword fully, sparing no amount of caution. "I... I don't remember... I don't know what this place is, please, just... help me..." She continued to weep, letting the ground near her become wet, as she attempted picking herself up. Snow sheathed his weapon, walking over to help the poor girl up. "Huh...?" "Stala, it's me." Snow said, solemnly. "It can't be..." Stala said, a mixture of fear, sadness, and hope in her eyes. "It is. And couldn't be anyone else. Well, aside from new friends. C'mon, we should get you to safety. Maybe we can get Twilight to help you around." "T-Twilight?" "Hopefully, when your tears are dried, she can explain everything that is going on. We are trying to find any Polar Opposites in the forest here. It's safest if we bring you to her castle." "C-C-Castle?!" Stala was shaken, and not lightly. Her memory of what was once a corrupt Arvaelien leader didn't help with the word. "Relax. She's quite friendly. Hell, she is the 'Princess of Friendship' herself, here." Stala snickered, "I-Is that even possible?" She tried to speak calmly- through bursts of giggling. "Apparently, heh. Look, if you're feeling any better, I think it'd be best to hurry you to the castle. Besides, you can meet who I have, during this time." "How many?" "7, if my memory serves me." "Okay, I..." she stuttered, still fearful, "just take me there." "Will do, follow my crimson light." As Snow said this, crimson light followed his footsteps, and Stala followed. "Starlight, Rainbow, follow the crimson steps." Through the darkness, the three fellow ponies followed Snow back into the light, Stala quickly gaining her footing, having used magic to transform herself into animals before, being one permanently wasn't much hassle. As they reached the small camp by the edge of the woods, snow searched for the small green crystal. "Did you really grab cristen?" Stala asked, her eyes beaming with both happiness and confusion. "It is the most powerful stone for teleportation, so yes. Yes, I did." Snow said, bluntly. "So you did pay attention in magic classes." "If I didn't I wouldn't be here." "..." "Exactly, don't act like you don't know why it's a stupid question." "Fair enough." Stala shrugs, falling on her face, having half expected to somehow stay up on her hind legs. Snow chuckles as Stala regains her footing, "It's not funny." "Okay, your right. Let's fly to the castle!" Snow rolls his eyes as he says this, holding the green gem in his hoof. "Ready?" "Ready!" Says the three of them. Stala puts her hoof on Snow's, and the others follow suit, assuming that's necessary. "Teyouh!" Snow says, all four of them leaving faint, lime shadows in their place as they fly into the air, almost dust-like, appearing inside the throne room of the castle, reforming. "And we're here." "That was so cool!" Rainbow said, seemingly bouncing up and down in excitement. "Yeah, pretty neat!" Starlight said. Twilight walked in, looking at the group, now including Stala. "Twilight, this is Stala." Snow says, walking up to Twilight, Stala trailing behind him shyly. "H-Hi, P-Princess Twilight..." Stala said, worried. "Ah, it's a pleasure to meet you, Stala," Twilight said, reaching a hoof to the scared newcomer. "..." "Is something wrong?" "..." "You must be frightened. Would you like to meet the others...?" "..." Stala mumbles something under her breath. "She's just afraid due to Arvaelie's Empress. She..." "She wasn't the nicest..." Stala butted in. "That's the easy way of saying she was the worst person you could meet- a person of power corrupted with an evil heart, soul, and mind." "A-Ah... It's okay, Stala. I'm not like them. Most ponies are kind here." Twilight said, attempting- and succeeding- to calm Stala's nerves. "Okay... Princess Twilight," Stala said, walking from behind Snow. "Stala, please, just call me Twilight," She said, smiling. "Yes, Twilight." "Do you want to come read a bo-" Before Twilight could finish her offer, Stala's eyes lit up. "Books? Where?" "I'll assume that's a yes," Twilight said, giggling, "Come on. I'll take you to the library." "Alrighty~!" Stala bounced up and down, following the purple unicorn out of the throne room and down the hall to the library. "Well," Snow said, stretching, "Guess there is time to kill, hm? Might as well work on some sort of defense..." "Snow~!" Rarity's voice echoed throughout the room, seemingly piercing the air with a song of avidity. "Y-Yeah?!" Snow bounced into the air at the somewhat beautiful, but somewhat ear-piercing sound. "You know the clothes I was working on?" "The images you showed me?" "Yes, darling, those. I finished them~!" Rarity smiled, presenting them to Snow, who looked at them, and then back to Rarity, barely tearing up as he grabs them in his aura. "These... look amazing, actually... thank you, I'll be right back, just give me a second," Snow says, going invisible for a short time, reappearing with the clothes on, wearing the new boots on his hind legs and his old boots on his front legs. "This... feels so good! It's so comfortable!" Snow starts bucking into the air, away from hitting anyone. "I'd figured you would like them~!" "I sincerely cannot thank you enough," Snow said, walking close to the white mare, giving her a hug, "So here's a giant hug to make up for what words cannot express." "Mhm~! You're very welcome, dear." Rarity said, hugging back. A few seconds later, Snow got a call on... something. "Ah, hold on," Snow said, backing up. He pulls out a pair of goggles from his hair, strapping them on. "Yeah" "Snow, why is everyone on all fours?"