//------------------------------// // Act 6: Cold towards each other // Story: Starfleet Magic Movie: How the Finch stopped Hearths Warming // by DakariKingMykan //------------------------------// ACT SIX The ice blocks soared clear through the Cursed Blizzard, keeping the fighters unaffected as promised. The blocks then approached their destination, and crashed on a large pad of strong and solid ice. Just mere seconds after the crash, the blocks magically shattered as they were enchanted to do, and the fighters all rose to their feet. “Everyone alright?” asked Lightning. The others all looked themselves all over, and the Space Ponies visors read all vital signs were normal. “Everything seems fine.” replied Starla, but then she looked up. “Wow!” There, before everyone was Frieda’s ice-palace-- a large castle literally made of ice, with towers and battlements. High above, the Windigos soared all around, as if they were loaning their magic to keep the castle strong and sturdy. The castle itself was magically floating on a magical storm cloud from which the Cursed Blizzard was generating from, yet the air around the castle itself was clear; not a speck of snow or strong winds. “Well, here we are.” whimpered Fluttershy. Rhymey then held her hand to try and perk her up. “Stay strong, and don’t give into fear. We must keep tough now that we’re here.” Lightning agreed, and he could see… far at the end of an ice bridge was the large main gates to the castle. He scanned the area with his visor and could detect nothing suspicious. No traps, no invisible magical fields. He even looked up where the Windgos were soaring round the castle, and not even moving or noticing the impending intrusion. “I suppose we should enter now?” asked Rarity. “Yeah, but how?” asked Spike. “Look at that door. It’s solid ice. It doesn’t even have any handles.” “He’s right.” said Buddy, and he scanned the door with his visor. “I can’t see any way to open it.” Applejack then asked Twilight and Krysta, “Can’t you two just teleport us inside?” Twilight and Krysta shook their heads. “The walls are too thick.” said Twilight, and Krysta added “Even if we could, there’s no telling where we’d wind up. We don’t know what it’s like inside there.” Suddenly, there was a great big rumble, and everything began to shake. “What’s happening?” asked Starla. “Look…” cried Twilight. The great big gates began to slide up, up, and open wide revealing a dark and sinister entry into the castle. “I guess we’re being invited in?” suggested Spike. Lightning clenched his fists. He could still detect nothing with his visor, but that didn’t make it safe to enter. Even Twilight wasn’t convinced to just barge in. Her horn began to glow. “What are you doing?” asked Lightning. Twilight didn’t answer, and she merely cast a small orb of light which floated in past the doors, illuminating the hallway. The light was very bright thanks to the solid, reflective surface of the ice… …And still there was nothing to menacing or dangerous inside. “It doesn’t look too bad. I think we should head in.” suggested Twilight. “No!” snapped Lightning. “It could still be a trap. Frieda must know we’re here, or why else would the door just open for us. We can’t risk entry.” Twilight’s features hardened. “And how do you intend to save our friends if we don’t?” Lightning glared squarely and sternly at her, “Twilight Sparkle, so help me… I’m going to downsize you!” Starla stepped in before he could say anything else. “Stop it, both of you!! We don’t have time to fight like this!” “She’s right!” snapped Applejack. “We got to work together on this if we’re going to save our friends and Hearths Warming!” Suddenly, without warning, the bridge just bolted upright forming a step slide, causing everyone to fall in through the gate. Everyone screamed and yelled as they slide down the slippery ice floor, and finding it impossible to stop. “Quick!” Lightning shouted to the space ponies, and his friends complied, holding onto each of the Equestrians, and furiously flipped their wings downward, thereby applying breaks that slowed them down… stopping everyone before skidding too far and falling off of the path, which lead to a deep and misty pit. Spike was trembling fretfully. “I like slides… but that was terrifying.” “Too terrifying!” peeped Fluttershy. “At least we’re inside now.” said Krysta. Then came the sound of a familiar snicker. “…Yes, you are.” Lightning’s features hardened. “Frieda!” Frieda’s voice snickered. “It’s not often I have guests for the holidays. Then again, I never liked the holidays; all the more reason for me to wipe it out.” The team were appalled more than ever with her smug tone. “But how, and why?” asked Twilight “Why would you want to ruin Hearths Warming for everyone?” Frieda only taunted her. “If you’re that desperate to know… come and find me, and maybe I’ll explain.” The space ponies tried to scan for the soundwaves of the voice hoping to pinpoint which way to go, but the readings were everywhere. The voice seemed to magically call from all directions. “Try to scan for other life signs.” said Lightning. That didn’t help either. Just like before, the readings were all over the place. Just then, the chamber magically lit up, revealing a single pathway, leading a clearing with three tunnel entrances. “Now which way should we go?” asked Fluttershy. “We’ll split up.” replied Lightning, “It’s the only and best chance we have.” “We can’t.” protested Twilight. “We should stick together.” “I’m with Twilight on that one.” agreed Applejack. “M-M-Me too.” said Fluttershy “If we stay together we can look out for one another.” Lightning looked as if he was about to blow his top. The Space Ponies were more with Lightning. “I say we split up too.” agreed Buddy. Rhymey nodded… “If we do that we’ll cover more ground, And explore the castle all around. It’s the only way to find our friends, Who knows where each tunnel ends?” “So I guess that’s it then?” Starla asked while looking at Lightning. Lightning nodded and divided up the teams. “Starla, Krysta, Twilight, with me… Buddy, Spike, Rarity… Rhymey, Applejack, and Fluttershy.” Twilight would have protested, but Lightning gave her a small scowl, telling her there would be no arguments. So the teams split up, heading down one of each tunnel. Frieda saw the whole thing through her amulet and was chuckling with evil glee. “Perfect, they’ve separated. Now it’ll be so much easier.” …Time to play a little Freeze Tag.” Behind her stood all the other ponies; now her brainwashed slaves. “You all know what to do. Go get them.” The slaves bowed and headed off. Frieda then waved her wing over the amulet. “Meanwhile, I still have much to do.” The Windigos flew in swarms towards the lands below. “Go, my subjects. Intensify the storm, freeze hearts everywhere, until everyone is too crabby and cold to care.” She began to growl and snarl as she sat on her throne, and the amulet magically fed her raging hatred to the army of Windigos, which empowered them to continue carrying out her evil will. “I hate Hearths Warming!” she grumbled to herself. “I will destroy it! That’s a promise!” In one of the tunnels, Lightning walked up ahead with the other ladies behind him. Twilight heaved a brave sigh, and marched up to Lightning. “What are you doing?” asked Starla. “Oh, no, this can’t be good.” muttered Krysta. Twilight cleared her throat softly, and asked in a slightly annoyed voice, “Permission to speak, Captain?” Lightning didn’t stop walking or even turn to face, but he answered, “…Granted.” Twilight seemed to put much thought into what she had to say. “I know we have our orders, but I’m still thinking maybe it would help to try to reason with Frieda and win her over.” Lightning only sighed, “Recruit, for the last time: we’re here to arrest her and put an end to her plans and nothing more.” “But sir, I--” was all Twilight could seem to get out before Lightning cut in, “Don’t mention it again, and as Captain I’m making that an order.” Twilight growled softly, and Lightning continued to lecture her, “What you must understand is that these are more dangerous times, and your notions of friends, admirable as they are, will not suffice in a situation like this.” Twilight hated to talk out of ranks, but she had to let out what needed to be said. “I guess you really don’t believe in Hearths Warming do you?” “Huh?” Starla and Krysta stiffened. “Uh… Twilight…” said Krysta, she tried to caution her not to continue, but Twilight did anyway. “You care more about fighting and winning, and you take pride in belittling those who are in-differed to you.” Lightning seemed most heart struck by that remark; Starla and Krysta did as well. “Okay, that’s the last straw!” sneered Starla, and she marched straight up and stuck her hands out. “Stand down, Starla.” said Lightning. “No!” she balked at him. “I hate to break rank, but the both of you need to stop this right now.” “I agree.” added Krysta. “You two have been at each other’s throats since yesterday, and frankly, we’re all getting sick of it.” Lightning and Twilight both looked annoyed equally with each other, and the others telling them both how to behave. “Is everyone in my unit going to stop and question me like this?” Lightning asked. “Why can no one understand; I’m just doing what needs to be done.” “More like you’re only thinking about yourself!” snapped Starla. “Twilight and her friends are just learning how to be fighters like us, but we can’t go around treating them like they’re clueless foals!” Lightning growled. “And you, Twilight…” balked Krysta. “You have to realize that friendship, divine as it is… sometimes it just has to take a backseat when you’re up against the kind of foes we face.” Twilight rolled her eyes to stare down at the ground. While in one of the other tunnels… Buddy, Spike and Rarity walked slowly down the cold path, emerging in a chamber where the ice was so solid and slick, it practically served as a house of mirrors; casting their reflections in so many angles. “Whoa! That’s tough on the eyes.” said Buddy. Rarity felt different, much different. Her eyes were practically glistening as she could see her reflection from so many directions. “Oh, my…” she remarked as she flicked her mane and flicked her parka. Why she even tipped her goggles striking a fashionable pose. “I never realized how scintillating the ice can make one appear.” Spike has to agreed, the way he could see her from so many angles made him float in the air with cute little hearts around him. Buddy sighed in annoyance, but then he looked and thought he saw another reflection zooming about. “It’s a trap!” he cried. Spike and Rarity gasped, and at that split second, a magical beam was launched into chamber, bouncing and ricocheting off the ice. “Look out!!” shouted Spike. Buddy swerved and dodged the beam as it came at him each time, and Spike ducked down in a small niche, but Rarity wasn’t so lucky. She was able to dodge thanks to what little training she had, but in the end, she got hit and she screamed as she was frozen in ice. “Rarity!!” Spike shouted, and in his panic for his crush, he had leap out from the hole. “Spike!” hollered Buddy, and before he could do anything, three more ice beams were fired and bounced off the walls. Spike was frozen almost instantly when one of the beams hit him, leaving Buddy to dodge the remaining two. He didn’t dare fire his own magic beams, for fear they would bounce off the walls too. “Wait a minute!” he said to himself, and he had an idea to use a different kind of power. “LEAF SWARM” He unleashed his razor leaves, which were able to intercept the blasts and stop them without bouncing off the walls since they were not forms of energy. “Ha!” he shouted with glee, only to then be blasted at by more beams coming into the room. Where are these coming from?!” he bellowed, and then he was frozen after being hit from behind. At the exact same time all that happened. The third team were dashing down a slippery hallway as a whole bunch of icy traps trying to get at them. Icicles shooting through the walls like bullets forcing everyone to run or fly fast and careful not slip, even with their special soles… Large ice spikes launching out in attempt to spear them… Even huge, spiked panels smashing towards them from the sides and out of the walls… Rhymey, and Applejack sped through the obstacles on foot, while Fluttershy rushed right through them in flight, leaving a trail of fretful tears behind her while yelping, “I hate this place! I hate this place!! I hate this place!!!” …At least her speed was improving. Suddenly, the trio emerged in a large chamber, which then sealed up with a huge block of ice. “I think we just stumbled into a trap.” whimpered Applejack. Her fear was confirmed when two Windigos came flying in through the walls. “I hate it when I’m right!” groaned Applejack. Rhymey growled and drew out his weapon… “WARD SWORD” The Windigos hissed and sneered at him. “Rhymey, they’re spirits!” cried Fluttershy. “You can’t beat them with a sword!” Rhymey just stood tall and fierce, and the tip of his blade shimmered. The Windigos then fired their ice beams towards the trio, and Rhymey leapt up high, and actually sliced through the beams with his sword, without the weapon being frozen. The mares were astounded… so much that they nearly forgot to watch out for more beams being fired, and Rhymey couldn’t counter them all at once. So they began to leap and fly about, dodging every attack. However, unlike the mirror chamber, every missed beam that struck the floor or the walls, large icebergs formed, leaving less and less space to move to. Suddenly, both Applejack and Fluttershy were separated on either side of the chamber, and each of the Windigos fired their beams at them. “DRILL QUILL” Rhymey unleashed his sharp feathers to intercept the beams just in time, sparing the ladies. “Whoo-wee!” sighed Applejack. Fluttershy gazed up at Rhymey, rather lovingly for saving her again, and he gazed back at her. Suddenly, the Windigos fired more beams, forcing Rhymey to slash and block at them more, but the more beams that missed him and the ladies, the less space there was to move about, and eventually they were all hit and were frozen too. All the friends had frozen at the same time, and their echoes seemed to rattle along the castle walls. Lightning and the others all looked up and out in deep horrors. “That doesn’t sound good.” said Krysta. Lightning clenched his fists and pointed forth shouting, “Let’s go!” Rather than run down the hall, he, Starla and Krysta flew above the icy floor, while Twilight levitated herself with her magic above the floor too, making it easier and faster to zoom down the hall… Making their way up a winding, icy stairwell, and emerging in yet another large room and there she was, sitting on her icy throne in the back, and surrounded by Windigos. “Frieda!” Lightning sneered at the snickering finch.