//------------------------------// // The Literally Cold War // Story: partisans of Eqwuestria // by Ferencelvtars //------------------------------// Starlight and Twilight were playfully frolicking in the snow. Starlight was busy creating a snow catapult when a massive roar caught her attention. The rest of the team froze, trying to locate the source of the noise, which Smolder eventually pinpointed. "There it is. Look!" Smolder pointed towards a thick, solitary snow cloud. "Is that Princess Celestia?" Ocellus asked in astonishment. "Run, and don't look back!" came a distant shout. Without hesitation, Storm Scoald took a shot at the cursed alicorn princess. Celestia retaliated swiftly, firing a powerful green magical projectile resembling a thunderbolt at the group. Twilight's protective shield barely withstood the attack, but witnessing the alicorn's strength, they decided to retreat. Flight was impossible among the thick branches, so Celestia gave up the chase quickly. Starlight and the others hid in the dense oak forest until the alicorn disappeared from the horizon, then cautiously emerged. "So, we just attacked one of Equestria's leaders?" Phoenix asked ironically. "Yes. Where are Ferkó and Sweetie Belle?" Twilight said, realizing they were missing. "I thought they were with you," Fluttershy said, peeking from behind her wings. "I thought they went sledding with you," Smolder added to the young pegasus. "That's not important now. Let's find them," Twilight ordered, restoring order to the discussion. The guerrilla teams split up and combed through the part of the forest where they had been, but found no trace of Ferkó and Sweetie Belle. Scoutalu spotted a yellow scarf near a canyon dotted with sharp rocks. The team quickly gathered, concluding that Ferkó and Sweetie Belle might have fallen. To their dismay, Ferkó's hat was stuck on a tree branch at the bottom of the canyon. Hoping they had managed to climb out, the team was about to search for them when a large group of about 70 individuals emerged from the trees and attacked them without warning. Sweetie Belle transformed into a humanoid creature alongside Smolder, wielding a sword, while Twilight unleashed covering fire. The others, mostly pegasi, quickly crossed the canyon with their wings. Phoenix and Twilight created a quick escape route, allowing Smolder and the others to fly out of the encirclement. The guerrillas successfully crossed to the other side, and as most of the attackers were ponies or yaks, they couldn't pursue them. When the fighting ceased, a purple and green-spiked dragon and a white-maned, blue-mane elite royal-armored unicorn stepped forward. The attackers saluted, and a pony with a light orange mane approached the unicorn. "Shining Armor, should we pursue them?" the pony asked, awaiting orders. "It's pointless, Applejack. They have the advantage beyond the canyon; we'll leave the surprise element to them. Let the air fleet and the second army deal with it. Our task is done," Shining Armor said, issuing the order to return to the base. As the team paused behind the trees, preparing for potential gunfire, Twilight watched in surprise as her own brother led an attack against them. The team ventured deeper into the forest, and Ferkó suddenly woke up, finding himself back in the real world. Sweetie Belle slept peacefully next to him. Feeling cold and a headache with every move, Ferkó questioned whether it was a dream or reality. "Was that a dream or... reality?" he asked, trying to make sense of the strange dream. "Sorry, I didn't realize I created such a strong connection. I only had a few bites since everyone has been sad since I disappeared, and that doesn't taste good," Ocellus explained apologetically. "No problem. I know you wouldn't harm anyone intentionally," Ferkó said, forgiving her. "Did you take from Sweetie Belle, too, or just from me?" he asked, subtly addressing the awkward question. "Uh, I think mostly from her. But her feelings are a bit spicy from self-blame," Ocellus explained softly, rubbing the back of her neck. Ferkó began to ponder how much power Sombra could wield against them when he noticed a red-maned figure out of the corner of his eye. He quickly filled his eyes with magic and spotted a unicorn surrounded by swirling magic. "Get down!" Ferkó shouted, firing two full-force shots towards the bush. Ocellus quickly dropped to the ground, allowing Ferkó to open fire freely. The response was swift. A sudden green magical projectile emerged from the bush Ferkó targeted. Ferkó dodged it, but the shot hit the sleeping Sweetie Belle directly. Ferkó fired a tranquilizer shot at the bush, and the shots ceased. Ferkó and Ocellus rushed to Sweetie Belle. Once again, Ferkó saw the dark curse he witnessed on that fateful night. Knowing he could now wield magic better, he took matters into his own hands. "Ocellus, get everyone out of here! If I don't contact you within three days, don't come looking. Unite the team and reclaim Ponyville!" Ferkó commanded, and then Sweetie Belle disappeared with him. Ocellus quickly roused the others, and once everyone was up, they headed towards the ancient city with the two disarmed ponies in tow. The story continued.