Twilight Sparkle was researching the amethyst cockatrice’s venom. She looked at the purple liquid. She then looked at the petrified wood.
“Alright then,” she said. She placed one of the test tubes above a boiler and turned it on. The small fire heated the liquid up a little bit. A moment after the venom began to boil, Twilight turned off the boiler and let a drop fall on the log. A patch of wood appeared on the petrified lumber.
“Yes.”
Twilight was giddy but she took a closer look. The small wooden patch began re-petrifying.
Just then, she heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” she said.
It was Applejack. “Hey Twi,” she said.
“Applejack?” Twilight took the first test tube of venom and added an unknown chemical to it. “What are you doing here?”
“I just want to talk,” Applejack said.
“I’ve just started working on the cure. It’s gonna be a while before I can finish.”
Applejack sighed.
“I know you’re worried about Apple Bloom and the others but you have to be patient.”
“Hard to be patient with lives in the balance,” Applejack said.
Suddenly Twilight was reminded of those items the statues of the Crusaders were carrying. A sword, scales and scythe. She knew there was something up with the items but couldn’t place her hoof on it.
Spike had just returned from his errands. “I’m back,” he said. “Man it’s colder than yesterday.”
Twilight then tested her new concoction on the log, but it only grew hair.
“Drat,” Twilight said.
“Maybe I can help you with that cure there Twi,” Applejack offered.
“I don’t know,” Twilight said. She saw her friends desire to dave the foals from their fate and she knew from experience her determination and she knows she can trust Applejack not to make a mess, as long as she’s fully awake. “Alright, you can help.”
“Thanks Twilight,” Applejack said.
The two mares and Spike began their work for the cure.
On the Friendship Express. Silver Spoon was relaxing when she noticed some ponies reading newspapers.
“You know,” Silver Spoon said. “I pulled the same trick when I went to the Unicorn Range. It’s not working.”
Star Song, Gale Force, Flitter and Cloudchaser revealed themselves from the papers.
“Told you it’s not going to work,” Cloudchaser said.
“Ah come on,” Gale said. “It was foolproof.”
Everypony rolled their eyes. Silver Spoon said, “So what are you doing here?”
Star Song, Cloudchaser and Flitter looked at Gale Force. Gale said, “What, I just wanted to ask her some questions.”
Everypony looked outside and saw the snowstorm. Gale and Silver Spoon knew what really happened there. The five ponies noticed some specks moving within the storm.
Silver Spoon said, “You want to know what I saw there, didn’t you?”
“Whatever information you have may be useful in helping us stop this blizzard,”
The train was nearing it’s stop in Ponyville. Silver Spoon knew that the the pegasus that saved her had to had seen them, had to have seen Diamond Tiara become Diamond Dust.
There was a silence among the group. The train stopped at the station and the five ponies exited.
“Alright if you must know,” Silver Spoon said. “I’ll tell you, just not now.”
“Alright then,” Star Song said.
“Meet me behind Sugarcube Corner tomorrow. I’ll tell you what I know then.” She then left.
The next day, Twilight, Applejack and Spike had tested several variables with the venom and the closest they got is with a combination of venom and a piece of non petrified wood.
“So does Zecora have any ideas on that cure,” Applejack said.
“Sadly, no,” Twilight said. “ She said that she doesn’t know any de-petrifying potions.”
Spike took out a book from the bookshelf. “Maybe this’ll help.”
Twilight noticed that it was the Supernaturals book. She began reading it until she came across a peculiar passage.
She read the passage, “A peculiar mixture has been rumored to remedy any and all ailments. However this remedy is peculiar because three of the ingredients are completely dependent on the aliment. It’s also strange because it requires a magic spell to be cast on it.
“The fixed ingredients however are: a feather that is blue, golden powder, a thread of silk, and some carrots.”
“That’s some weird ingredients,” Applejack said.
Twilight continued reading. “There are a tip regarding the other three ingredients. Two of them will always contrast each other, but the last one must be related to the ailment in question.” She stopped reading the book.
“Well that’s just great,” Applejack said. “How are we gonna find all these ingredients?”
Just then Rainbow Dash opened the door. “Hey guys what’s up? Did you make that cure yet?”
Twilight and Applejack noticed Dash’s blue wings. They then looked at each other.
“Um, guys?” Rainbow Dash said. She sweated a little bit. ”Did you need anything?”
“Actually Rainbow Dash,” Twilight said. “We do.”
An hour later, Twilight, Applejack, and Rainbow Dash were on their way to Sugarcube Corner.
“You know you could have told me you needed my feather before plucking them out,” Rainbow Dash said. She carried a bucket with some of her feathers inside.
“We’re sorry Dash,” Applejack said. “But this is an emergency.”
They were at the bakery. Twilight knocked on the door.
“Coming,” said a familiar voice. The door opened to reveal Pinkie Pie. “Oh hey guys. Is there anything you need?”
“Pinkie,” Twilight said. “I’ve heard you have some golden powder?”
“Golden powder?” Pinkie said. “You mean luster dust? I know where it is. Be right back.”
Pinkie went to get the dust. A few seconds later she returned with a bucket of gold powder and gave it to her friends. “So why do you need the luster dust? Are you gonna make a cake?”
“No,” Twilight said. “We need this for a cure for the Cutie Mark Crusaders.”
“Oh yeah. there’s two and a half days left before that petrification spell is permanent right?”
Twilight nodded. “Thanks Pinkie.”
The mares decided to get the silk from Carousel Boutique. Meanwhile Gale Force and his team met up with Silver Spoon a few feet from behind the bakery.
Silver Spoon said, “So you want to know what I saw there huh?”
The pegasi nodded.
“Okay,” Silver Spoon said. “But I want to know what you saw first.”
Gale Force said, “Fair enough.” He looked at the other pegasi. “I have to let you all know what me and Over Cast saw.”
“Go on then,” Cloudchaser said. “We’re listening.”
“Well,” Gale Force began. “You know about the windigos right?”
Star Song said, “They’re the ones that tried to freeze ponykind over a thousand years ago. before Celestia and Luna became princesses.”
Cloudchaser said, “Weren’t they destroyed by the Fires of Friendship?”
Gale nodded. “Well me and Over Cast, we saw them. We saw the windigoes at the eye of the blizzard.”
The other pegasi said, “What!?”
Gale Force nodded. “As you can infer, I went and saved Silver Spoon from their queen and Over Cast stayed to fight her. You can probably guess what happened next.” He sighed.
Silver Spoon noticed the pegasi’s lament and remembered that there was another pegasus with Gale. “I’m sorry that your friend was lost.”
Gale said, “It’s alright. But I’m afraid that all I saw.”
“Well I didn’t saw much either but what I did saw was Diamond Tiara, a friend of mine, or rather she was. She was transformed into a pony named Diamond Dust.”
“Guessing that she’s their queen?” Gale said.
“She was a rather mean filly, we both were,” Silver Spoon said. “But she and I were friends from when we were small foals.”
“Guessing she didn’t act all that friendly after becoming queen huh?” Star Song said.
Silver Spoon began to cry. “I’ve told you all I know, guess i’ll see you around.” She then galloped for home.
“Well at least we now know what we're dealing with,” Cloudchaser said.
The pegasi saw the storm at the distance and decided that it would be best to stay in ponyville for awhile.
Twilight and her friends went to Carousel Boutique. They heard Rarity arguing with a customer.
“Listen here you ruffian, I reserve the right to refuse service to anypony including those who dare to run fillies out of town.”
The ponies looked inside the window. They saw the stallion that led the mob that ran the Crusaders away that night.
The ex-leader still argued with Rarity. “I want clothes for my wife and I want them now!”
“Fine,” Rarity said. “How about a nice warm sweater for your cold black heart. Oh wait, that would freeze the sweater.”
Twilight said, “I never seen Rarity act like this.”
“Guess Sweetie Belle’s petrification hit her harder than we thought.”
“And stay out!” Rarity levitated the stallion and threw him out of the store.
The stallion shouted, “You’re going to Tartarus for this!”
Rarity shouted back, “I’ll be sure to keep the door open for you then.”
The stallion grumbled and left.
Rarity went outside and noticed Twilight and the others there. “Hello there Twilight, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Applejack. So what brings you here to my Boutique today?”
“We’re looking for some silk,” Applejack said.
“We think we may have a way to cure Sweetie Belle, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo,” Twilight said. “But we need some silk for the recipe.” Twilight wasn’t sure how Rarity would respond, having witness the first time she denied a customer service.
“Say no more,” Rarity said. She went inside to get some silk out.
After a few minutes she went out and said, “I grabbed more than enough silk for you cure.” She was wearing saddlebags full of silk.
“Clearly,” Rainbow Dash said.
Pinkie put her bucket of luster dust down. “So what’s next?”
“We need some carrots,” Twilight said. “Fluttershy should have some at her cottage.”
The five mares went there as fast as she could. It was getting dark out.
Fluttershy was getting dinner ready for Angel. She took out some carrots as she heard some knocks on her door.
“Coming,’ She said. She went to the door and saw her five friends there.
“Fluttershy,” Rainbow Dash said. ‘We need some carrots for a cure for the--” She noticed that Fluttershy was already holding carrots. “Ah good you already have the carrots now come on.”
She tried to grab the carrots but Fluttershy flung them in fear and they landed on Angel’s plate.
“Um, why do you need the carrots for anyway?” Fluttershy said.
“We found something and we think it might cure the petrification effect on the Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo,” Twilight said.
“Oh,” Fluttershy said. She said. “But I need these carrots for Angel’s dinner.” She didn't notice that she threw the carrots to Angel’s plate.
She looked back and saw her pet rabbit throwing the carrots back at Fluttershy and leave.
“Well I guess we can use these for the cure,” Fluttershy said.
“Thank you darling,” Rarity said. “Now what else do we need?”
Twilight said, “I don’t know. The book said that there are ingredients. One related to the aliment and two that must contrast.”
Applejack has a hunch. “I’ll be back everypony I just need to get something.
The other ponies went back to Twilight’s Library while Applejack went to Sweet Apple Acres.
A few hours later Twilight, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were at the library. Everypony put down the blue feathers, the luster dust, the silk and the carrots next to the cockatrice venom.
They saw Spike next to a pile of junk. He said, “Hey everypony, I went around town and made a pile for the cure. I figured that there has to be something I can do to help.”
The other ponies were stunned. They hoped that Spike’s instincts haven’t kicked in and began to mix the potion. They tried adding a banana peel and celery stalk to the mix. Twilight read the spell from the book and tried the mixture on the log. Nothing happened.
They tried some rocks and marshmallows this time, Twilight cast the spell again. The log didn’t change.
They tried again using paper and a marble. Nothing happened.
They tried again using a purple string and a chartreuse chemical. The log was still petrified.
They tried a dozen combinations until all that was left in Spike’s pile was an orange and a flute.
Twilight said, “A flute and an orange? What kind of contrast do they have?”
“Maybe both were given to us by rival alien tribes!” Pinkie said.
“Seriously?” Rainbow Dash said. “That’s ridiculous.”
Just then Applejack came in carrying some apples. “Hey there,” she said.
“Applejack, where were you?” Rainbow Dash said.
“I was trying to get some things that contrast back at the farm but I couldn't find anything that was opposite of what I found.”
Twilight remembered the orange in Spike’s pile. “Applejack, did you bring what I think you brought?”
“Sure did Twilight.” Applejack placed down her saddlebags and took out an apple.
Twilight looked around to her other friends. “I think we got it this time girls.”
She levitated the apple and orange, Rainbow’s last plucked feather, some dust and silk, a carrot and the last vial of cockatrice venom. and mixed them together.
“Here goes.” Twilight cast her spell again. and this time the mixture flashed.
The mixture was now a green liquid. She then dropped a small drop on the petrified log. The small droplet touched the log and turn the stone to wood. “It worked.”
The ponies did it. They made the cure. Twilight placed a cork on the test tube with the green liquid. and the other ponies went home. Twilight knows that tomorrow they have less than twelve hours to cure the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
In the eye of the ever moving storm, Diamond Dust and the windigos were nearing Ponyville. The sun was beginning to rise.
She took a last look at her hometown and the adviser emerged from her white tiara.
She asked the adviser, “So you sure that these ‘servants’ are near?”
“Not just the servants,” the adviser said. “But a magnificent feast, thanks in part to your efforts, cultivating hatred here.”
“And what does hated have to do with it?” Diamond Dust said.
“Why we feed on it, of course. It is our lifeblood, our essence, and Today we feast!”
The windigos began descending onto the unsuspecting town as the blizzard inches closer and closer. The war has begun.