EPISODE SIX
Professor Brain and his team of scientists were doing all they could-- working with Krysta and some of her fairies to try and dispel the invisiports.
“Prepare to fire.” said Professor Brain, and he and all his colleagues put dark goggled over their eyes, while Krysta and her fairies merely shut their eyes rightly while aiming their wants carefully.
“Ready when are, Professor.” called Krysta.
The professor sat in the seat of a special device, like a large ray-gun, which the fairings were aiming at, and the other scientists-maintained watch over systems and magic gauges.
The machine was charged up and ready to intensify the fairies’ powers.
“Ready… and… Go!”
The fairies fired their magic from their wands into the tip of the ray gun.
The machine began to vibrate, but the professor sat good and strong in the seat, and he fired the magical ray at the air before them-- where an invisiport was detected.
POW!! The blast actually made contact like hitting a strong wall, but, sadly, the port was completely unaffected and remained intact.
Everyone sighed, and the professor got out his notebook to write, “Fourth Test: Unsatisfactory. Most Unsatisfactory!”
The scientists all sighed miserably.
“Your majesty,” one of the fairies to Krysta, “Perhaps if we cannot dispel the portals, perhaps we can contain them?”
Krysta shook her head, “We’ve already tried; the ports are too strong, they can’t be contained, at least by simple means. Whatever Pyron and Glaceia had that contained them before is long gone.”
The professor agreed, reconfirming his calculations on the computer. “I’m afraid that we are in quite the predicament. The only hope that exists now would simply be to… er… em.. wait… for the ports to simply vanish on their own timing, which, I fear, may not be for some time yet.”
Krysta then stared off into space, “Meanwhile, we’ve got two mad kings out there, and who knows what they’re up to next.”
The war waged on between the two kings, and all the misfired meteors and missiles either crashed off course endangering the innocent villagers of either of the two planets, or simply to head on out into space, likely to cause more trouble for other races in due time.
Meanwhile, some creatures had other things on their minds.
Blizzord was more frustrated than ever that his forces were not getting anywhere. Many of his real Ice-Guards were injured, and those who weren’t were only able to drive off the enemy forces rather than destroy them.
“You call yourselves “My Loyal Army?” Ha! Not even fit to swat a snowball!”
He angrily raised his trident, and carelessly summoned a freezing wind to blow the guards away, ignoring their injuries and showing just how cold and cruel he was.
It was hardly even they that he was mad at.
“Blast that Starfleet!” he bellowed. “If they had joined up with me this war would have been won by now, but their loyalties lie elsewhere!”
Smark nervously approached the fuming king. “Um, sire… if I may. Since they don’t feel the same way towards battles and warfare as you do, maybe they can be persuaded by other means to join you.”
“What are you getting at?”
Smark then signaled for someone to come forth. “King Blizzord, meet the Ice-Witch.”
A tall humanoid sorceress stepped in; created by a guard and a monster badge.
She had dark grey skin, a pretty but wicked human-like face. She wore an icy-blue tunic and small skirt, with a large ice carving of a flame as a hat. In her hand she carried and simple, short ice-scepter with a large ice carving of a flame at the tip.
She bowed to him, which made Blizzord raise an eyebrow. “And just what are you capable of doing?” he asked.
Witch snickered and stroked her weapon. “One blast from my Ice-Rod will freeze the heart of its target, causing them to turn cold, cruel, and quick-to-violent.”
Blizzord’s lips curled into a wicked grin. “Interesting.”
“It is, Sire.” agreed Smark. “With this kind of power, you can turn Starfleet in whole legions who would come round to your way of handling things.”
Blizzord was convinced and he chuckled, “Proceed at once.”
One morning, at Artie’s Art Gallery, Artie was adding the finishing touches to his latest painting.
With a big, loving smile, he couldn’t help but comment on his own work, “Beautiful.”
Sunset Shimmer came in with baby Sun Stream, who was just over a year old in a stroller.
“Hi, honey.” she called him.
“Hello dear,” he said not even bothering to look at his wife or his daughter.
Sunset’s features hardened, but she looked at his painting. It was a beautiful picture of lovely shimmering white flowers in a vase sitting on a white tablecloth at a fancy restraint with low lights for a romantic scene.
“That looks lovely.” she said.
“Thank you.” replied Artie, still hardly paying her any notice.
“You know, I finished a painting of my own today.” Sunset said, holding up a small canvas of a her own, right in front of her husband’s face.
“Oh!” said Artie. “Uh… very nice…”
It was a simple picture of a calendar with the day’s exact date circled in bright red. “Um, what’s all this for?” he asked.
“Oh, I don’t know…” Sunset said, and her voice began to sound annoyed, “I just made this due today being so special, because something incredible happened!”
Artie continued to act dumbfounded, and then said. “Oh, I get it…” he said, getting up and moving behind his easel revealing the very flowers in the vase he had just painted.
He took the flowers and handed them to her.
“I got the urge to paint these flowers and give them to you…” he paused “Because it’s our wedding anniversary, and I painted them at our favorite restaurant where I’m taking you tonight.”
All at once, sunset went from stern to blushing and soft as she took the flowers, “You remembered after all.”
Artie smirked and softly touched his wife’s muzzle, “Got’cha, didn’t I. You thought I really forgot.”
Sunset felt silly, but then she pulled him in to a deep and passionate kiss… much to the disgust of their infant daughter.
“Plech!”
Meanwhile, Glaciea was in the gallery, greatly admiring all the artworks from all over the world.
She was personally invited to the gallery by Artie herself. As an artist herself, he thought it would do her nice to see other works of art.
What really inspired her was a replica carving of the Crystal Heart, with pictures of Princess Cadance and Shining Armor carved into it on either side of the heart.
The piece was entitled “Eternal Crystal Love.”
She couldn’t help but smile lovingly at it.
“I see you’ve taken a shine to that, Princess.” Artie said.
Glaceia nodded, “It seems a remarkable piece of craftsmanship.”
“Well, get a look at it. It’s only here temporarily. It’s here on a world tour from the New Crystal Empire, with kind permission of Princess Cadance. She carved it herself, on her wedding day, as a symbol of love for her husband.
Art is a great passion, and great way to unleash your emotions.”
“Yes, I, too, have felt such pleasures in my years of crafting.” said Glaceia. “It soothed me during times of misery, and yet, I feel entirely empty inside. Every bit of art I ever made was for my own eyes, and never was truly seen or appreciated by others.”
Artie’s heart felt heavier than the sculpture. “No one ever saw your artworks?!” His sadness then hardened, “Oh! I can’t have that!”
He took her by the arm, pulling her away, much to her surprise.
Before long she was sitting down in Artie’s private studio.
“I’d like to see some of your Iceinian artwork; sculptures, paintings, drawings-- whatever it was you did, and I’ll put it on display in the gallery.
I think the community could benefit from all this. We could understand more of your planet and its culture.”
Glaceia felt very flattered and blushed. “I don’t know what to say?”
Artie passed her a brush and gave her a canvas, “Say it through your art.”
He left her to go tend to his guests, and Glaceia just stood there, thinking deeply of what to paint, and it didn’t take her long to begin.
Meanwhile, Sunset went shopping for a new dress to wear that night and she brought Sun with her.
She left the boutique with her spending time in a bag with heavenly thoughts in her mind.
“Oh, Sun…” she said to her daughter. “You’re too young to understand what Mommy’s feelings, aren’t you.”
“Mama.” the baby cooed.
Sunset could only smile…
…But as she turned round the corner, she gasped at the sight of what was there.
“Hello there…” hissed Ice-Witch, and before Sunset could even scream, “Now freeze!” and she zapped Sunset and her baby with her ice rod.
Mother and child shivered, but then their expressions turned cold and heartless!
Sunset pulled her newly bought dress out of her shopping bag and furiously threw it onto the ground and stormed off, leaving Sun to scream angrily and smashed her rattle against the stroller.
Witch laughed. “My first two victims. Now let’s have more!”
Glaciea was doing well on her painting. Her years of experience gave her a sense of swiftness, and yet she seemed so-well relaxed and at peace.
She thought back to what Artie had told her about Art being relaxing and soothing, and she could agree with it more now.
Suddenly, the red alert was heard from outside, and it nearly startled her into slipping stroke.
Artie rushed out from way back in the room. “Stay here. I’m going!”
He rushed out of the room and into the gallery, where he was shocked at what he saw…!
All the patrons in his gallery were acting like savage, fighting brutes.
They were yelling at each other, pushing, and even attempting to shake the painting off the walls, but the emergency safe system activated, sealing all the paintings off behind solid casings to keep them safe.
“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!” Artie shouted, trying to make the crowd cease, but they all turned his way, glaring at him furiously.
“You want to fight?!”
“Bring it, you loser!”
“Back off, he’s mine!”
Artie could see things were bad, and he quickly cast a small barrier wall in the middle of the hall stopping the crowd from coming any further and giving him the chance to flee.
“Glaciea!” he called.
She peeked her head out the door. “What is happening?”
“Come on, I’ve got to get you out of here!”
He pulled her by the arm, and they headed for the back exit, only to stop and look through the glass to see outside…
There was just as much fighting arguing and drama occurring the in the streets as civilians and even royal guards were arguing and trying to get into fights with one another… including one familiar face.
“Sunset?!”
His wife was picking up garbage cans and just throwing them at nothing, and anyone who came her way she gave a huge shove.
Why he could even Sun Stream from her stroller throwing and miserable fit, as were other little children in the streets.
Luckily, with the sound of the alarms, help was on the way. A Starfleet squad of Space Alicorns came soaring over the town and fired multiple spells on the citizens’ feet, rendering them immobile and unable to do anything. Ponies that could do magical also had time-lock spells-- tiny barriers-- sealed round their horns.
“Good, that’ll hold them.” said Artie.
Knowing it was too dangerous to leave Glaceia in the gallery alone, Artie instructed her “You better stay here. I’ll signal the guards to watch out for you.”
Glaceia agreed. “You must be careful out there. I have a feeling that all this behavior is not normal for your people.”
Artie felt the same way. “I better transform…!
Starfleet Magic!”
Once transformed he headed out and fired a beam signal from his horn into the air.
Three of the Space Alicorns answered and landed by him, and he immediately instructed them to protect Glaceia, which they complied with at once.
He then called up the rest of the squad. “Spread out! Stop anyone who’s acting violently.”
The squad saluted and headed off.
Artie softly made his way past the spread-out gaggle of raging citizens, all of whom snarled at him and looked ready for a fight.
Artie ignored them and made his way to his wife.
“Sunset.”
“What are you looking at?!” she yelled at him. “Come here and let me pound the life out of you!”
“Sunset, what are you doing? Why are you acting like this?”
His only response was more snarling, growling and watching his wife struggle to jiggle loose.
Finally, Artie used his visor, and the scanners revealed unnatural energy waves emitting from her body. The same readings were found on the other civilians and the guards.
“They’re under a spell!”
“Right you are, soldier!” called a voice.
Artie turned quickly and saw Ice-Witch standing there, laughing at him, then she tried to zap him with her with ice rod, but he quickly leapt out of the way.
“So that’s how you did this to these creatures!”
Witch snickered, “And the same I’ll do to you. One zap, and you’ll be as coldhearted and without a care as they are.”
Artie immediately could tell, “That Ice Rod-- if I can just destroy it, it may break the spell.”
Then he noticed his major problem! With all the civilians scattered around, stuck where they were, it didn’t leave him much room to fight without risking their safety.
“I’ve got to lead her away.” and he flew off into the air.
“Ha!” scoffed Witch “Thinks he can escape, does he? Well, he’ll soon find his chances are all about to be iced on the spot!”
She laughed wickedly.
Artie had flown to a vacant area a few blocks away. All the people in the area were safe inside shelters and homes with the barriers up.
“There, this is better.” he felt, until he was ambushed by a squad of Ice-Guards. “Oh, just perfect!”
They threw their spears mercilessly at him, forcing him to backflip out of the way several times, and then he rushed in with his fist out… slamming the faces of several guards.
Several more rushed at him. “Take this, ice-heads!
PAINT BOMBS!” His explosive blobs blew the guards into ice pellets.
But while his back was turned, he was zapped in the heart by an ice ray, and he fell to his knees as he felt the cold piercing through his armor. “What’s happening?!”
Witch appeared laughing at her accomplishment. “Chilling, isn’t it? Now you will only feel cold, cruel, lustful needs to fight. King Blizzord will be pleased to have you in his army.”
Artie was shivering, but he managed to get up onto his feet, not looking quite so cold-hearted, yet.
“What’s this?” snarled Witch. “You should be thriving and raging by now.”
Artie continued to shiver, and Witch decided to blast him again, only to be blasted at from behind, sending her rolling along the ground.
She looked round and saw Lightning with Starla’s droid and Krysta.
“I think it’s you who needs to take a chill.” sneered Lightning.
Witch bolted upright, “I think not!”
He rod’s tip glowed brightly, “ICE LIGHTNING!”
Raising her rod up high, she summoned forth strong freezing bolts. The trio dodged the bolts, but the strikes created large spikes of ice in the ground.
“Sure! She just has to do that too!” grumbled Krysta.
Witch snickered. “If you thought that was cool… pardon the pun… wait until you see me in action with this thing.”
“I’ll get her, you two go and help Artie.” suggested Starla. “I’ll be okay. She can’t brainwash a droid.”
Lightning and Krysta agreed and rushed off.
“Let’s go!” Starla bellowed. She and Witch began to brawl!
Witch proved that she was quite skilled in combat by wielding her ice rod like a sword, but Starla’s droid’s solid body was able to parry off each attack with its arms alone.
Starla pounded on the controls, making her droid punch Witch hard in the face and sent her skidding along the ground.
At first, she seemed down, but then she pulled a fast one, raising her rod and blasting the droid, making sparks and explosions fly, but it remained standing.
“Artie!” cried Lightning. “Are you okay?”
Artie, still shivering, suddenly grabbed Lightning by the arms. “Lightning! Help!!” he cried. “She zapped me! My suit’s resisting it, but I don’t think I can hold it off!”
Before Lightning knew it, Artie kicked him hard in the chest knocking him back a few paces.
“Artie!” Lightning shouted.
Try as he would, Artie fired a magical blast from his horn, forcing Lightning and Krysta to dodge.
“He can’t control himself!” cried Krysta.
Lightning didn’t want to have to fight his good friend, but he couldn’t let him run loose.
“SUPER STAFF” Artie held out his weapon, against his will.
“Oh, boy!”
Artie leapt forth swinging and twirling his weapon round like crazy, forcing Lightning to block and dodge every attack.
“Artie! Stop! Please!!” cried Krysta, but Artie couldn’t, and he tripped Lightning up off his feet.
Then he proceeded to strike him hard as he fell, but Lightning pulled a fast one and kicked him hard in the gut sending him soaring far off and slamming into a lamppost.
Lightning hated himself for doing that, but he had to do it. “Sorry, Artie… I really am, but you would’ve done the same thing.”
Krysta felt her stomach doing sickening turns. She hated it when friends had to fight friends, even if it was for good reasons.
“I could use some help over here!” Starla called, and then WHAMM!! Witch belted the droid clear into its head knocking it far off and skidding along the ground.
“Ooh…! What a blow!” Starla groaned on the sofa. The droid had certainly taken a pounding, but she managed to get it to stand upright.
“You’ve got a lot of spunk for an artificial being.” sneered Witch, “But I think I’ve wasted enough time. I’ve got an army to deliver to Planet Iceinia. King Blizzord will surely reward and praise me.”
“The only place you’re going is straight to jail.” said Lightning as he landed near his wife’s droid, and Krysta hovering above them both.
“You think I’m scared of you three? Think again!” said Which. “ICE LIGHTING”
The trio split off again, and Lightning fired a Uniforce pulse at Which, making her throw her Ice Rod away.
It crashed onto the ground a few feet from Starla’s droid. “It’s mine!” she called, but as she was about to grab it, Artie rushed in, ramming into her hard and sent her crashing away.
Lightning and Krysta both gasped.
Witch reclaimed her weapon. “Looks like your friend here has decided to get with the winning team, and now you’re all about to join him.”
The friends whimpered softly, but just as Witch was about to try and zap them, Artie swung his staff hard and bashed Witch hard in the back, making her drop her Ice Rod again.
“What are you doing?!” she bellowed, but all Artie did was growl and snarl at her with a look of fury on his face.
“You’re supposed to fight them, not me!” shouted Witch, but Arite only lunged for her forcing her to leap away. “What’s going on?!”
“I think I get it.” said Lightning. “You made him so cold-hearted he just wants to fight, but that doesn’t mean he knows who to fight. He sees you as just another target as any other.”
Witch growled, and Artie leapt up to come crashing down at her. Witch rolled out of the way causing him to strike the ground hard.
Then he turned to look towards the droid and decided to go after it instead.
“Oh, no!” cried Starla.
“AAAAAAARGH!!” Artie rushed straight for her, but then Lightning got an idea. “Starla, keep fighting him.”
Heeding her husband’s words, Starla fought back against Artie, holding him down.
“What are you thinking?” asked Krysta.
“Trust me.”
Witch had reclaimed her Ice Rod once again.
“Get ready, Krysta!” Lightning called, and he held up two fingers, which told her what he wanted her to do.
“You are all mine!” bellowed Witch, and she fired many ice blasts at Lightning, but he soared in, swerving and dodging every shot, until he collided into Witch-- his arm against her rod, in a big struggle.
Starla battled Artie with all her droid had, but the droid. “Any time now, Lightning!” she hollered.
Artie began to power up his finisher, with his staff set on “Destroy!”
“SUPER STAFF SPIN!”
Whirling his glowing, burning staff, he moved in for the kill!
Lightning then punched Witch hard sending her fall back hard, and the rod went soaring up into the air again.
“NOW, KRYSTA!!” Lightning shouted, and Krysta quickly soared in and cast her double portals-- one right in front of Artie, and he charged straight into it.
He popped out through the second portal, right here the ice rod was tumbling. He struck it hard with his attack, blowing it to pieces!
“NOOOOOOOOO!!” wailed Witch, and with the destruction of her weapon, the spell was broken!
The ice within Artie’s heart melted away instantly, as did with all the civilians and the guards by the gallery.
“Artie, are you okay?” Starla called.
Artie nodded, “I feel much better.” Then his features hardened as he glared at the monster, “But you sure won’t be!”
Witch could only growl in rage, but Artie had more than enough power for another strike, and he set his staff between “Heal” and “Capture.”
“Let’s try this again!
SUPER STAFF SPIN!”
He powered up his staff again and struck the Witch hard.
The creature wailed and screamed as she fell onto her side and exploded-- reverting into a male Ice-Guard, shrunk and trapped in a sphere, and the monster badge broken.
The friends all jumped for joy, until Artie realized, “Sunset!” and he dashed off.
“Artie, wait up!” called Lightning, and he dashed after him leaving Starla and Krysta to take the prisoner in the sphere.
Back on Iceinia, Blizzord could tell the mission had failed again when Ice Witch failed to return.
“I don’t believe this!” he thundered. “I was supposed to have an entire army at my disposure now.”
Then the alarms sounded for an incoming meteor heading straight for the palace-- a very tiny one, no-bigger than a softball.
There was no time to intercept it, and it wasn’t needed seeing as it crashed through the chamber windows without doing much damage.
The rock split wide-open, for it was a capsule, containing a piece of orange parchment from Moltic.
“What’s this?” wondered Blizzord as he picked up the note and read it.
“Nice try, Blizzord-- Not!
--Flareous!”
Not bothering to question how in the world Flareous heard of all this, Blizzord crumpled the note in his fist, freezing it in ice, and threw it furiously against the wall.
“I’ll get you yet for this, Flareous! You too, Starfleet!!”
Smark was hiding somewhere by himself with a small glowing crystal orb. “Good job sending him that message.” he said into the orb. No one seemed to answer him back, or at least they were speaking so softly so as not to be overheard.
“You should’ve seen the look on that Ice Berg’s face, he was so mad.” chuckled Smark.
There was a pause again, and Smark then answered, “You just do things from your end, and I do mine. Everything will work out just as we want it to.”
The orb went out, and Smark could snicker while twiddling his little fingers.
That night, there was a big gathering at Artie’s gallery.
Artie was dressed in his formal wear as he still had plans that evening with his wife.
“Attention! Attention!” he called, and all the patrons hushed.
“I am pleased to announce the newest addition to our gallery, but I would like to allow the artist herself to explain it more.
Ladies and Gentlemen; Princess Glaceia of Iceinia.”
The crowd applauded as Glaceia stepped forth. She was so nervous and yet so excited at the same time. She couldn’t stop smiling so thankfully, and she nearly forgot to address everyone.
“Thank you, very much. I am honored to have this moment, but I first wish to express my thankfulness that the danger that occurred this day has passed and that you are all back to normal selves.
I can only further express my apologies for all this, and the future danger that my father intends for you all.”
The crowd felt rather uneasy and nervous. Some of which were affected by the ice that day felt horrible for the way they behaved while cursed, but they knew Glaceia was not really to blame and respected her sincerity.”
Glaceia then continued. “Aside from this, I am honored to be unveiling to you tonight.
All my life, I have worked well at my craft as it was all I ever had to maintain my sanity, but never once had I the opportunity to present it to any public, nor did I garner any appreciation as I hope to be given tonight.”
The crowds felt sorry for her.
“And now, by kind consent of General Artie Bristles…”
Artie bowed.
“…I present my very first piece to this gallery. This panting I have entitled, “Frozen Night.” She pulled the burlap cover off the canvas exposing the beautiful picture which made the crowd go “Awe!”
It was a beautiful landscape of Planet Iceinia-- snowy fields, mountains in the distance, all under a stary night sky, and Galceia painted the stars so well-- made so shining-- they seemed to shimmer like real stars in a real night sky.
Glaceia received a standing ovation for this unveiling. The people weren’t just being polite, they really loved the art. Even Artie applauded the magical glistening of the stars on the picture.
Glaceia was almost moved to tears by all this praise. It was beginning to look as if she had found a permanent hobby for herself.
“They like my work.” she sobbed softly to herself. “This is so wonderful.”
Pyron, who was in the crowd, approached her, kissed her hand tenderly and gave her a flower to show his own praise towards her.
She hugged him warmly.
Lightning and the real Starla were there with their kids in the crowds along with Krysta. Starla wiped a tear from her eye.
“Why are you crying, Mommy?” asked Shining Light.
“Oh, I’m not crying, honey. I’m just happy.”
Lightning chuckled, and then along came Artie and Sunset. Sunset was wearing the new dress she had bought-- the very one she had wrecked.
“You had it fixed.” said Lightning.
Sunset nodded, “I brought it straight back to Rarity, and told her what happened. I was so ashamed and upset with myself, but she had it all prepped up and ready for me in no time.”
Then she turned to her husband and pecked him sweetly on his cheek. “I was such a creep today. I’m so sorry I did all that stuff.”
Artie assured her, “It wasn’t your fault. You weren’t in control. I fell under the same spell when I attacked the others, and I hate myself for it, but it’s all over now, and everything fine.”
The others agreed.
Artie chuckled, “Still… Art… it’s always a great form of creativity, a wonderful hobby, and way to express yourself. I wish others could appreciate it more.”
“That would be wonderful.” said Krysta. “Then maybe there would be far less enemies for us to face and less danger.”
With all this in mind, Artie tenderly held out his arm to his wife. “Ready to go?”
Sunset blushed and they began to head off for their anniversary date.
“Wait! What about your guests here?” asked Lightning.
“You can look after them.” Artie called slyly.
“And while you’re at it, can you watch Sun Stream too.” added Sunset.
Lightning and Starla stood wide-eyed, realizing it was going to be a bit of a night for them to handle all this.
“The Art of slyness.” grumbled Lightning.
“Perhaps that’s one I can do without.” added Starla.
Krysta held in a laugh.
(Promo)
In our next episode: The Cutiemark Crusaders begin working at Rhymey’s Café where they meet Blitzy who is acting stubborn as ever towards Lightning and all of Starfleet, which leads them to bring up a whole bunch of stories from the past regarding different kinds of evil and how it was dealt with.
Can the Crusaders convince Blitzy that she may be wrong?
Don’t miss the next exciting episode of “Starfleet Magic!”
(Next Episode: “Work on You”)