//------------------------------//
// 28: It All Falls Down 
// Story: To Err is Equine 
// by RLYoshi 
//------------------------------//

[Perspective: Risk Reward]

I'm not sure exactly what happened. We ran for a while, the castle crumbling around us. Whenever we thought we were safe, the cracking would start up again, and we'd have to keep moving. It felt like this went on forever.

Finally, we reached the exit to the palace...but once we ran out, we realized something.

"How do we get down?" False asked.

We all looked at each other. Asylum could fly, but that still left the rest of us. Said pegasus thought for a moment before coming to a decision.

"Wait here a moment," she told us. "I'll fly down and see if there's something – anything – that can help us." With that, she flew off, not even giving us a chance to respond.

We were silent for a moment, then the icy ground that made up the balcony-like entrance began to crack. We were all silent, but inside, we were panicking.

"Having fun, my little ponies?"

And then Frostfiend decided to show up again, floating over us smugly.

"I decided to just get rid of you fools in the simplest way possible," he declared. "Destroying my palace, with you still in it!" He laughed loudly. I glared up at him.

"That's how you're gonna end this?" I asked disbelievingly. "Just drop Arrell into a pit of fire, then send us to the ground? That's how you get rid of your biggest enemies?"

He shrugged. "Why make it overly complicated and fancy?" His smirk returned. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an invasion to prepare."

"One question, Frostfiend."

Frostfiend actually stopped, looking for the pony who spoke. Asylum flew back up into view from under the palace.

"When your palace falls apart, it's supposed to fall down, right?" she asked.

Frostfiend narrowed his eyes at her. "Yes, it is. Don't you know how gravity works?"

"Yes, I do. That's why I'm confused." She looked at the castle. "It's not going down."

"What?!" the Lord Windigo shouted. He flew down and grabbed Asylum with one giant claw. "Explain!"

"It's not falling down!" Asylum grunted, struggling to free herself. "It's falling inwards! Like it's imploding! Like something's pulling it in!"

A stunned look flashed across Frostfiend's face, and he dropped Asylum to the slowly disappearing floor. We all looked up at him, awaiting his reaction.

"...impossible," he breathed. "He...he can't be..."

Suddenly, the ground beneath us gave out.





[Perspective: Asylum]

I screamed, forgetting about my wings as I fell. The wind rushed by. My body flipped and turned. I had shut my eyes so tightly I couldn't even try to open them.

And then it stopped.

There was no impact, no pain, nothing. It just stopped, and after a moment of hesitation, I forced an eye open.

The ground was only a few feet below me, but I wasn't getting any closer. Looking slowly to my left and right, I saw Risk, False, and Nimble in the same situation. And then I realized why we stopped: we were being held up by pegasus ponies.

"Ah, welcome back!" a familiar voice called. We were lowered to the snow-covered ground, and when we looked up, we saw the elder of Smooth Grove coming over to us. "I take it your mission was successful?"

We looked at each other for a moment, and his smile turned to a confused look. Finally, Risk stepped forward. "...no. No, it wasn't."

"What do you mean?" the elder asked. The pegasus ponies that had caught us – along with a small crowd of other ponies that had gathered – all sat down to listen.

"We didn't stop the clan," False bluntly stated. "Arrell died, the castle crumbled, and we all fell down." She looked up. "...though Asylum, you raised a good point. Why is the castle being sucked in, rather than falling?"

"Arrell...died?" The elder seemed completely shocked by this revelation. I nodded sadly.

"No, he didn't!" a pony from the crowd suddenly yelled. I looked at him, and he trotted forward. I recognized him as the doctor that came over when Arrell was sick. "Did you see him actually melt?"

I shook my head. "He was melting when we last saw him, but we left before he actually melted."

"Then he wasn't dead. Windigoes melt when they're dead."

"That was a while ago, though!" False countered. "It wouldn't take more than a few minutes for him to melt, right?"

The doctor shook his head. "Not in a place like that. Windigoes thrive on cold, and with all the cold air around, it would've kept him alive for a little longer." He gestured up towards the castle remains, which were now converging on a single spot. "Enough time to do that."

I looked up at the scene, then back to him. "...what?"

"Cold air wouldn't be enough to heal a Windigo. Ice, however, would. They absorb small amounts of ice to heal their wounds after a battle. Arrell probably didn't know he could do that, though." He smiled. "Now, he's absorbing the entire castle."

As if on cue, a sudden flash of light came from above us, and we all looked up. Some ponies shielded their eyes. The remains of the palace had formed a sphere, which was glowing brilliantly. For a few seconds, it just hovered there, shining...and then it stopped.

The ice converged in, being absorbed into whatever was in the middle of it. And then it was gone, and something else floated there. Something we could barely see due to being so far down, but I could recognize perfectly.

Arrell.





[Perspective: Arrell]

My senses returned.

I felt...strong.

Healthy.

Alive.

I opened my eyes. Sky all around me. Nothing within viewing distance. That didn't stop me.

"I know you're there, Frostfiend," I said calmly. "Come on out."

Frostfiend blinked into existance, staring at me in shock. I smirked. He frowned.

"The fire should have killed you," he stated.

"It didn't." I looked around. "Where's your army? Surely you'd need an army in order to invade Equestria, right? And considering I'm in your way again, you might need it."

Frostfiend glared and snapped his claw. On cue, at least a couple hundred Windigoes flew down from above, having hidden behind cloud cover. They all formed up behind Frostfiend, awaiting his orders.

"I didn't think I'd have to use my entire army against you," he admitted. "But you've left me no choice."

I smiled. "Frostfiend, if there's one thing video games have taught me, it's to never underestimate your opponent. For example, I've planned how to face you rather well." My attention snapped to a guard that was flying forward. "Stay back, pal." He cowered.

"You will not get in my way!" Frostfiend declared. "I will take all of Equestria! I will conquer all of Equis! I will defeat you! I! WILL! DEFEAT YOU!" His eye was twitching. His sanity, if he had any to begin with, was wearing away.

I faked a yawn. "Yeah yeah, all that evil villain speech crap. Done yet? Good. My turn."

All of them stared at me. I stared back, and finally, spoke.

"I said I would rescue Asylum. I did. And while I was at it, I saved all those other prisoners you had. I don't know what happened to the five who joined me, but-"

"Dead." Frostfiend grinned. "Those two that came with you escaped, but my guards killed them. And the other three were caught and killed while you were in the fire pit." He flipped his body into a sitting position. "How does it feel, Lord Arrell, to have taken five innocent ponies to their deaths?"

I glared at him, then closed my eyes slowly. "It makes me angry."

I felt my body begin to grow.

"It makes me mad."

Cold air began to surround me.

"It makes me enraged."

I sensed a guard coming at me from behind.

"It makes me...dangerous."

Without turning around, I cast Din's Fire, melting the guard before it could reach me.

"You, Lord Frostfiend, tried to feed your clan. But in doing so, you brought about its destruction."

Something inside of me snapped. It felt as though something was released, and was fueling my body even more than the ice.

"You have unleashed a great evil...within a good pony."

I opened my eyes, and the entire clan – Frostfiend included – flinched. I was angry now. More than ever. And I knew what that meant.

"Lord Frostfiend. Rancid Windigoes. Meet your greatest obstacle." I spread my front hooves in a dramatic 'look at me' fashion. "The Master Chief of Equestria...Arrell Ragnarok."