But while everyone else believed that everything was going to be all right at the Circus by the Sea, Winterbolt, Allura and Twitch were watching everything through the Eye of Snow, knowing that everything was going exactly to their plans. “And I suppose they believe everyone will live happily ever after,” Winterbolt said before rising from his throne. “NEVER!!”
Twitch yelped in shock and dove behind the throne to hide, but Allura only scoffed at her minion's fear. “Twitch, stay here while Winterbolt and I conduct more business. I will return for you when we finish.”
At this, Twitch nervously saluted and watched Winterbolt and Allura walk into another part of the cavern, where Allura saw giant snow dragons roaring and growling, waiting for their wintry master's command. “Make yourselves ready, my pretties,” Winterbolt told his pets. “Build fury in your hearts. Soon my partner and I will have a very special job for you. Ha ha ha ha!”
Allura couldn't help but stare at the dragons... if they could unleash their snowy breath at her just once... then her ice powers could give her more power... more than the star could ever bring!
All she had to do was get a moment alone with them.
Just then, Winterbolt spoke up to her again, snapping her from her thoughts. “Come, my friend. We must consult the genie once more, in order to find someone else to help us succeed in our plans.”
XXXXXXXX
As soon as Winterbolt and Allura stepped into the other part of the cavern again, the genie sprung to life once again. “What is thy will, oh master?”
“Genie of the Ice Scepter,” Winterbolt commanded, “find us a reindeer as mean as Rudolph is kind. As cunning as Rudolph is guileless. As selfish as Rudolph is giving.”
“A corrupt, cunning knave of a creature,” Allura agreed as she spread her wings and stomped her paw, “with ambition to equal our own!”
“But, why, oh master and great snow leopard?”
“All part of our plans, genie,” Allura stated simply. “Now… find us such a reindeer at once!”
“Beyond the forest of the burned Christmas trees…” stated the genie, “and the hill of the broken baubles… there, you will find the Caves of Lost Rejections. Ask the keeper for…”
XXXXXXXX
“Scratcher?” the keeper of the Cave of Lost Rejections asked once Winterbolt and Allura arrived and spoke the name of the reindeer the genie had given them. “He’s in cave number 13.”
“Well, we wish to see him at once,” Allura stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice. “You ain’t the only one, cat,” the keeper snarked in response. “I've been tryin' to throw him out all week. Behind in his rent, he is. But he's mean, and I don't fancy riskin' my neck.”
Winterbolt knew that in order for their plan to succeed, they would have to convince Scratcher to join up with them somehow... and he wasn't going to back down for anything. “13, you say?”
“That’s right,” the keeper nodded, getting up from his chair. “This way.”
Allura let Twitch onto her back and followed Winterbolt and the keeper through the caverns until they got to cave 13. And once the keeper had left them alone, Winterbolt called out for the reindeer they needed. “Scratcher!”
“What you want?” a male voice asked in annoyance. “Come forth,” Winterbolt said calmly, but Scratcher laughed mockingly on the inside. “Make me.”
“...very well,” Winterbolt said before Allura could lose her temper, and sent a beam of light from his scepter right into the cave. “Hey!” Scratcher shouted. “What’s happening?”
When the scepter's magic pulled Scratcher out completely, Allura and Twitch could see that he was a reindeer about Rudolph's height and age, but with buck teeth sticking out of his mouth. “All right, all right! For crying out loud!” Scratcher groaned as he was plopped onto the ground. “I’ll pay the rent!”
“We don’t want the rent!” Winterbolt sneered as he grabbed Scratcher by the scruff on his neck. “We want Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and his Equestrian friends!”
“And you, if you know what’s good for you,” Allura agreed, “are going to help us!”
“Rudolph? Don’t mention that name,” Scratcher crossed his front hooves. “I was all set to be one of Santa's reindeer when he and his prissy pony friends came along.”
“I see…” Allura said, a smirk forming on her face. “So, Santa fired you to make room for Rudolph?”
“Well,” Scratcher then admitted, “I also stole some toys and ate a whole new batch of candy canes.”
“Candy-- excellent!” Winterbolt chuckled. “It was all downhill from there,” Scratcher concluded with a sigh, “till I ended up in this joint.”
“Good,” Allura smirked as Winterbolt set Scratcher down. “How would you like a new job working for me and my friends here?”
“Hmm… doing what?”
“Destroying those ponies and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, of course!”
This seemed to make Scratcher's eyes light up in interest. “Sounds like a good job to me. Heh heh. What do I gotta do?”
“Oh, nothing much,” Winterbolt said casually. “Spend a few luxurious days at the seashore… get to know Rudolph… lead him astray, as it were.”
“And,” Allura added, “you must keep me updated on when those ponies are at their weakest… so I know when to strike them down once and for all.”
“Gee,” said Scratcher, “it sounds like a pretty good idea. Ha ha ha!”
Twitch laughed in agreement, rubbing his front paws together maliciously, causing Allura to halt him by clearing her throat. “Now, you must go at once to find a man named Sam Spangles. From there…”
XXXXXXXX
As Winterbolt, Allura and Twitch were trying to recruit Scratcher for their legion of evil, the set-up at the Circus by the Sea was going much faster now that they had more ponies, foxes, reindeer and snow people helping.
Finally, everything was set up, causing Borealis to sigh in relief as she, Sunny and Rudolph walked alongside Lily Loraine to oversee the other acts. “Well, Mrs. Loraine,” Borealis said, “we're finally ready to open.”
“We worked night and day, kids,” Lily spoke, “but we made it!”
“And compared to getting all the bands at Bridlewoodstock to perform,” Sunny said, “this was quite a bit easier than I thought.”
“But still,” Rudolph pointed out, “running a circus is no easy job.”
That's when Lily turned to face the young reindeer and his two friends. “Well, I tell ya, Blinky, it's got its ups and its downs. Life with the circus is like life with a guy,” she explained. “Sometimes you're low, and sometimes you're high.”
And then, with a playful wink, Lily began to sing another upbeat song.
Lily: Chicken today and feathers tomorrow
One day is good and the next day there's sorrow
I don't care what, long as I got my guy
Then, during the course of the song, Rudolph, Borealis and their Equestrian friends followed Lily all around the circus grounds, even watching Lily swing on trapezes with Laine, bounce on balls and soar through the air like a pegasus.
Lily: Chicken today and feathers tomorrow
One day I lend and the next day I borrow
I don't care what, long as I got my guy
I'm like a river, rolling along
A carefree river, singing a song
And where my hat is, that is where I belong
Chicken today and feathers tomorrow
Life is that way; there's some joy and some sorrow
I don't care what, long as I got my guy
I'm like a river, rolling along
A carefree river, singing a song
And where my hat is, that is where I belong
Chicken today and feathers tomorrow
Life is that way; there's some joy and some sorrow
I don't care what, long as I got my guy
I don't care what, long as I got my guy
By the end of the song, Rudolph's nose glowed brightly, and the ponies gathered around their friends, old and new, all while wondering... how could anything bad come from this experience?
XXXXXXXX
“Now,” Allura said to Scratcher, “have you memorized your instructions?”
“Don’t worry,” Scratcher reassured. “Me and Sam Spangles will take care of everything.”
“Good,” Winterbolt said before offering something to Scratcher. “Here. Nibble on these. These are some of Santa's magic feed corn.”
“Hey!” Scratcher realized. “That means I'll be able to fly like Donner and Blitzen and all those other goody-goods.”
As Scratcher continued to nibble on the magic corn, Allura hummed to herself. “Maybe it would help if I also had a critter of my own on the inside, just to make sure Scratcher doesn’t mess this up.”
“Uh-huh!” Twitch laughed and rubbed his paws together before he realized what Allura said as he gestured to himself in shock. “Of course, you!” Allura said in annoyance. “It can’t be me now, can it? You'll be able to go places that I can't.”
However, Twitch was still not onboard with the idea. “Well, obviously Scratcher isn’t as clever as you, Twitch,” Allura told her minion. “And we must use that to help us destroy those ponies and find the star shard. Without it, we’ll be stuck in this drab world FOREVER!!”
Reluctantly, Twitch sighed and nodded just before Winterbolt and Scratcher led the group outside to where the snow dragons were waiting. “Now,” Winterbolt told the reindeer and rabbit team, “fly forth and do our bidding!”
Twitch muttered in confusion, tilting his head. “Yeah, what the rabbit said,” Scratcher said. “What’s the hurry?”
“Soon,” Winterbolt said, “my pets here will blow up the worst snowstorm of the century.”
“Well, what if we get lost?” Scratcher asked curiously as Twitch got on his back. “I mean, neither of us have a glowing nose, you know.”
“You dolts will be well out of these parts before the storm hits!” Allura growled. “Now, will you go forth forthwith?”
Twitch muttered, imitating his master before kicking Scratcher in the ribs, encouraging him to fly off into the night. And once they were alone, Winterbolt turned to his snow dragons, who seemed to be getting antsy. “Oh, soon,” he reassured. “Soon, my little pets. We mustn't be hasty. Ha ha ha. Timing is everything if my-- er, our intricate plan is to succeed.”
“And the best part,” Allura chuckled, “is that Sunny and her friends don’t suspect a thing… making them easier targets than I ever believed.”