//------------------------------// // How the Mighty Fall // Story: Once Upon a December // by FlimFlamBros. //------------------------------// Rainbow, Rarity and Frostbite trekked through the last few yards of trees before they were once again exposed to the ravishing blizzard of the world under the world. It had been a rather quiet walk, with the tension between Rarity and Rainbow Dash still quite high, as it would be with anypony that had not five minutes ago tried to kill the other one. Still, things seemed to have calmed down, even the storm wasn’t as bad, but there was still a blistering chill. And Rarity still found herself clenching to the walls of her jacket and the warmth of the flickering blue flame more than ever. “I think… I think the first thing I’m going to do when I get out of here is take a nice warm bath,” she muttered to herself. “Rainbow Dash, how much farther until we get to Isis?” “Don’t know, never been,” she said. “I’ve never tried to make it over the lake before… since I can’t fly in this world and I’m not the best swimmer.” “I never knew you couldn’t swim?” The white mare said, puzzled at Rainbow’s comment. “I always assumed you could, considering the amount of time you’ve spent at Ponyville Lake.” “I didn’t say that,” she snapped back. “I said I’m not the best swimmer. But that doesn’t really matter now, does it? You can’t even touch the waters of the frozen lake without being dragged to the bottom. So why would you even bring something like that up, huh?” She started to ruffle her feathers a little. “Let’s just get this over with. I don’t like being away from the traps for very long, they pile up with nubs and then I got to start from square one.” Rarity wanted to say something to her friend, but thought it would be better if she just kept quiet, there would be time for talking later. She looked over to Frostbite, who was floating next to her. “Have you ever been to this frozen lake?” The spectre nodded. “Only once, and that was when I was first condemned here so many years ago. It is by far the worst fate that a pony trapped here can face.” “Why is it so bad?” Rainbow looked behind her, interrupting their conversation. “You can see for yourself if you want, but you aren’t going to like what you see.” Rarity climbed the last snow bank to rush up to her friend. She had little faith that this lake could hold any significance over the rest of this world. The tundra, the cave, the forest, these were all terrible faiths that trapped the souls here. When she looked at the dark frozen waters beneath the ice of the lake she was still puzzled. It looked like any frozen over body of water she had seen in the world above. But she hadn’t even laid a hoof on the ice before Rainbow pulled her back. “Are you out of your mind?!” Rainbow bellowed. “Do you want to die?” “Of course not!” Rarity said back to her. “But you didn’t have to be so crass with your behaviour. A simple stop would have sufficed.” Rainbow rolled her eyes as she started digging into her sack. Pulling out a rock with a long string attached to it. “Just stay behind me and move fast, there’s a lot of lake to cover and whatever you do, do not stray from the pass I make. Do you understand me? You step in my exact hoof steps the entire time.” “Alright,” Rarity nodded. “Dare I ask why?” “You’ll fall into the lake…” she said with a pause. “… and you’ll never escape.” With that she tossed the rock onto the water, where it crashed through the ice immediately. Rainbow fished the rock back from the water and tossed it again with the same results. The third time however the rock bounced on the surface and Rainbow motioned to Rarity to follow her. The white mare was much more cautious this time around, and did her best to follow Rainbow’s orders. They would only ever move in short and slow trots before Rainbow would toss the stone again, and again. After what seemed like an eternity Rarity could no longer see the other shoreline, and they were caught in a dense fog. It was so thick, they could hardly see in front of themselves and Rarity feared that have make have gotten lost. “Umm Rainbow, are you sure that we’re going in the right direction?” “Yeah,” she said, tossing the rock again. “Your eyes ain’t used to it, but I can see the tower of Isis just up ahead. Shouldn’t be any more than another half hour or so.” “Good, because I’m freezing,” the unicorn muttered, taking another look down at the water’s surface. She still didn’t fully understand why this lake was so dangerous. She would regret that the moment she thought that thought. She saw something move in the darkness. Her heart jolt a bit as she pressed closer to the ice. And a face forced itself against the frozen surface, screaming and pounding against the glass as it desperately tried to break the surface. Rarity leapt back, letting out a little squeak as the pony sank back into the water. “What in good Celestia’s name was that?!” “Told you not to look, Rare,” Rainbow sighed. “That’s what happens when you fall through the ice. You sink to the bottom gasping for air and die, only to wake up to try and swim to the surface to discover you can’t escape, and no matter how hard you pound against the ice you can’t break free… and you have to relive that over and over again. Never escaping from your prison… at least with the forest you can hide, eat and fight back. Here in the frozen lake it’s never ending drowning.” “I see… that’s terrible,” Rarity whispered to herself, turning to Frostbite. “You said you were here once before, is that correct?” “That it is,” the ghost said. “I was one of those souls that fell through the ice…” “Y-you fell through the ice?” The unicorn gasped. “That’s terrible. “You couldn’t even imagine,” Frostbite sighed. “What your friend said is true about the ice lake and its tortures. Why Hellfire omitted my punishment is beyond my knowledge… and it makes me curious.” “Well whatever it was, I’m glad that he allowed you to help me. You’re a good friend, Frostbite,” Rarity said, smiling. “Thank you… you’re a good friend too,” the spectre back to her. “Regardless as to how this turns out, I’m glad that I got to meet you.” He started to look away from Rarity and into the distance, frowning as something caught his attention. “Did you see that?” “See what?” “I could have sworn that I saw something move in the distance, a faded shadow of something…” Rainbow’s ears perked up. “We need to get moving now!” She said, throwing the rock against the path. “This way is safe, let’s hurry!” “Why, what was that things? Is it dangerous?” Rarity asked, even though she already knew the answer. Whatever the thing was, it moved fast and agilely on the ice, able to glide even on the fragile spots. It seemed to be about the size of a normal pony, but it was skating on something much larger. The thing in the fog began to encircle the trio, with an up kick of icy flush as two purple eyes pierced through the fog, and a white purple grin. “Hi girls…” Twilight said with insane enthusiasm. She marched casually up to Rainbow and Rarity. With the fog cleared from their vision they could see that Twilight had obtained a pair of large white wings that she was using to walk on the ice, and had a familiar gold crown dawned above her head. “I’ve missed you so much.” “T-Twilight,” gulped Rarity, doing her best to force a smile as Twilight grew nearer. The purple mare was blocking their path, and something told her that she wasn’t going to let them just waltz by. “You’re looking… well. Are those wings new?” “Yeah they are!” Twilight cackled giving the fashionista a few twirls. “Do you like them? I figured that Celestia didn’t need them anymore… or even deserves them! I mean, you can’t do much when you’re stuck in that forest of madness!” “She’s stuck… in the forest?” “Of course she is,” Twilight smiled. “Didn’t Rainbow tell you that?” They both looked at Rainbow, who was doing her best to avoid everyone’s gaze. “Oh, you didn’t tell her that? Rainbow, I’m appalled! I’d expected you to be better than that… then again I thought I’d never horse stitch a princess’s wings to my back, so I guess we’re all terrible in our own way… and speaking of terrible ponies…” Twilight’s gaze fell upon Rarity. “So what, my pet’s the only thing that’s good enough for you? You’d take some slimy little hatchling over me?!” “Twilight please! I could only choose one! Surely you understand that!” “Oh I understand,” the purple pony grinned. “I understand that even an idiot could pass a multiple choice question like that. You choose the one that’s most likely to kill you! That’d be ME!” A blast of magic erupted from Twilight’s horn, nearly blasting Rarity’s head off. Thankfully, she was able to duck out of the way, and the blast instead blew a hole in the ice, not their skulls. Twilight laughed again as she blasted them again, this time hitting at the ice under their hooves. It began to crack under their wait so they immediately jumped off into different directions, sliding on the ice. Thankfully, they didn’t fall through. “Oh, what’s the matter Rare? Can’t take the heat? You know I never really liked you, you stuck up little pretty girl!” Twilight glared, charging another blast of magic. “I’m going to send you to the bottom of this lake and get the hell out of here!” “She’s going to kill us all,” Rarity gulped, crawling back to her hooves. “She’s gone completely insane. We need to get to Isis now, Rainbow!” “Speak for yourself, china doll,” Rainbow growled, staring down Twilight, her wooden spear clutched in her teeth. “This nightmare is over for me.” “Rainbow, what do you mean?” The pegasus kicked the stone and string over to Rarity, the rock sliding and stopping at her hooves. “Do you remember your promise, Rarity?” “…Yes.” “Give my regards to the big guy,” Rainbow smiled. Rarity didn’t know what she was smiling about, but it worried her. The white mare picked up the rock in confusion and started finding a safe path across the ice. Once she did, she turned back and called for Rainbow. “Rainbow Dash! Let’s go!” “You’re not going anywhere!” Twilight roared, readying another blast aimed in Rarity’s direction. “You’re going to die like the rest of us!” “Like hell she is!” Rainbow bellowed, flinging her spear into the heart of Twilight Sparkle. The purple mare was dumbstruck as she staggered on the ice, not realizing that she had just been pierced through the chest. “This ends now you crazy son of a bitch!” The pegasus ran across the ice tackling her former friend into the ground. Looking up at Rarity, the loyal friend shed a tear as she and Twilight fell through the ice. She made no attempt to flee or to escape. It was if the second the water touched her, she became paralyzed and sank from view. Rarity wanted to go after her, and her own eyes were watery as her friends disappeared into the cold waters. But there was little she could do for them now. All Rarity could do was remember her promise to Rainbow. To escape this hell and live for them with Spike. “Goodbye my friend…” she sniffed, tossing the stone again onto the ice. “I’ll never forget your sacrifice…” Frostbite sighed. “It is for the best,” he said. “But I will admire her bravery and her loyalty. In the end this world couldn’t even take that away from her. And that is something that must be noticed and remembered.” “Yes…” moaned Rarity, wiping away her last few tears. “Rainbow Dash would never give up… and neither will I, I will fulfil my promise to her. I will escape this world, and me and my Spikey will be together again and forever.” “And I am happy to say that it’s a soon to be reality,” Frostbite smiled, as they took their last steps off the lake. “We’re back on dry land, and the gates of Isis awaits us.”