//------------------------------//
// Cold Hearted Defeat Part 3 
// Story: The Ancient Guardians 
// by autobotfan15 
//------------------------------//

Twilight Sparkle was awakened to the sound of her cell doors opening. All of her friends were in chains. Even those with wings had their wings tied tightly to their bodies. She looked to see one of Sombra's controlled guards. He then spoke in a robotic kind of voice. "Get up. The king requests your presence."

They were all dragged to the throne room where Sombra sat on his throne. He looked down at six elements, the royal couple, and the one dragon. "It seems my plan has had more flaws than I thought. My troops can't get far because of some monsters in the snow. Now I'm granting you an opportunity to help me."

Twilight sneered but she was confused as was Shining Armor. They never saw any beast in the snow. "Like we would ever help you Tyrant!" She yelled.

Sombra used his magic and raised one of his helmets. "You won't have much of a choice. I'll make you all mine even if I fight your struggle."

Suddenly Rainbow Dash Managed to buck two of the guards restraining her. "Oh yeah? You and what army?"

Suddenly the throne room was filled with the sounds of marching as the room filled with what seemed like hundreds of armored troops with their glowing green eyes. Rainbow's eyes widened and her Jaw dropped. Pinkie Pie rolled her eyes. "You just had to ask didn't you?" 

Little did they know they were being observed. A pegasus guard saw everything through his binoculars. He was lucky to see the throne room through a window even from outside the dome. "This can't be good. I got to warn the Princess."

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Meanwhile Princess Celestia and her troops were slowly walking though the snow covered woods that were close to the empire. The cold air was enough to make anyone wish they were home near a warm fireplace. But Celestia pressed on she knew she had to be prepared for anything. It was this moment she saw something.

In the distance she could see a glow that resembled a camp fire. "Troops, approach the glow with caution."

Slowly they approached while remaining hidden. As they got closer Celestia would soon notice makeshift tents, teepees even what looked like a crudely made cabin. Then she saw them. The wendigos were either chopping wood with a hatchet, cooking what looked like fish on the fire, or maintaining their structures. There were even younger wendigos playing in the snow. It was then she noticed Crystal ponies with their helmets removed, so many scratches and bite marks on them, and looking either depressed or scared. One pony was surrounded by two wendigos with one holding him by the chest. "I told you guys! I don't know and I don't remember! I don't even-"

"No more lies! Talk! While you still have a jaw!"

The other wendigo stopped him. "Easy Luke. No pony is good when dead."

"I thought I recognized you. It's been a while Fafnir."

The whole camp went silent as everyone turned to see the tall white alicorn emerged from a bush. The wendigo, known as Fafnir, stood up looking almost surprised. "Celestia? My my have you changed. Last time we met you were the size of a newborn cub."

Celestia grinned. "And you're still a tree." She teased.

The troops still hiding along with the other wendigos looked to the leader Fafnir concerned if she offended him. But to almost everyone's surprise he actually laughed. Celestia joined in too. "Heheh thats a good one. Easy everyone this pony I know dearly. Oh and you Celestia can call out your troops you know I can smell them."

"Stand down troops, come out, I promise he and his kind are no threat to us."

Slowly the troops emerged from the trees and bushes. Both the troops and the wendigos were weary of each other. But seeing both leaders act towards each other was enough to not make them attack each other. Celestia approached Fafnir who was still standing near the crystal ponies. Fafnir raised his claw. “Stand clear these ponies are rather skittish.”

"Then why are you interrogating them? Because it looked like this one was ready to slaughter him." She said gesturing to Luke.

"They trespassed into our territory simple as that. But we know they know something about this. It was in their helmets." Fafnir explained as he held up the strange dark crystal.

Celestia levitated it out of his claw and examined it carefully. She placed it into a saddlebag. "Please forgive these trespassers old friend they are a part of an empire that came back from long ago and their king is a pony that is more than willing to send troops into battle in the form of enslaved minds."

"No doubt there are far more of them. Are you suggesting we can't war with what looks like a sub species of your kind? Despite them being controlled? I know you had no part in my exile but I promised my father, when he died, I would protect my kind no matter the cost."

"And i'm sorry I left you behind. Even when me and my sister took the throne as young adults I should've come back here to see if you or anyone of your kind survived the centuries of Isolation. But now I not only come for you but now my niece and my faithful student are in the empire and in grave danger. I ask of you- no I beg of you...help me."

All were silent the only sound was the cold breeze against the trees. Fafnir and Celestia stared deep into each others eyes. Then Fafnir turned to one of his kind. "Diya brew us some tea."

Diya did just that and two more wendigos bought a makeshift table and two rocks. Diya placed the tea kettle on it along with two cups as Fafnir sat on one of the large rocks. He gestured to Celestia to sit down on the other one. As she did so Fafnir poured them both a cup. "So old friend. Where do we start?"