//------------------------------// // Chapter Two: Keys and Glacier // Story: Equestria's Fate // by Silver Shine //------------------------------// "And that's about when the Crusaders came by and dropped off Princess Derpy." Twilight said. "But...I'm not sure how this happened. Derpy, I imagine you know?" Derpy nodded. "Princess Luna asked me to go find a scroll and read it, and she said it was in her old castle. So, it turns out there were secret passages open, and one had the scroll. By the time I finished reading it, I was here. As I read more, I began to have the horn appear on my and the crown too. I must've fallen into some weird state where I continued reading. I dunno, maybe Luna knew I'd pass out or whatever." "So, you're a princess now? Heh. You realize that that's awesome, right?" Rainbow Strike said. "I guess. As long a I don't have a thousand hoof-fuls to do as a princess." Replied the silver pega-I mean Alicorn. They all laughed, but Twilight looked at RS and asked, "Do you still have that key?" Strike shook her head. "It vanished last night." "Huh...Alright, well as long as the other two are okay, it'll be fine...For now." Twilight said. Derpy looked at Dash. "So, is this that sister of yours?" She asked. Dash nodded. "Hi there! I'm Rainbow Strike." "My name is Derpy Hooves. I'm the mail pony...and I guess a princess or something." Rainbow Dash stood up. "If there are two other keys, we should go find the others. We just need clearance from Princess Cadence and Princess Luna." She said. Twilight nodded. "Alright. Derpy, you need to go with the Rainbow sisters, Fluttershy and Applejack to look in Canterlot Castle for the key. Keep it safe." Derpy nodded as the three flew out towards the livings of the other two. Twilght ran to get Pinkie, Rarity, and Spike, who was at Rarity's after leaving last night. A few hours later, everypony was at the correct location. Derpy led the four with her into the castle. Soon, they were at Luna and Celestia's throne room. "Princess Luna?" Derpy called out, neither princess there. Luna flew inside from a window. "My apologies. I was waiting and found something. Anyway, is there something you need?" Rainbow Dash flew closer since they were only at the door. "Could we search the castle for a key?" Luna gasped. "Yes. But please hurry." She seemed nervous over something...Rainbow Strike began walking out of the door. "Let's split up to find it." The others nodded in agreement, and Fluttershy followed Rainbow Strike to be safe. They walked down towards the basement. "So, um, Rainbow Strike, does your sister ever tell you about us? She tells us all about you, and it's always so cool." "Yeah. I remember when she told me about the time you got carried away with-" "We all remember that incident." Just then, something sparkled on a table in the dark room. They ran over, and found the key sitting there. Fluttershy reached to grab it when suddenly, something swooped in an grabbed it, honestly saying, "Sorry, but this is important..." Without further warning, the room wet silent, the Pegasi staring with their mouthes wide open. They turned around and ran to tell the others. Twilight and friends were in the Crystal Empire an entered the castle. "Cadence is away on important duties with Discord." Was what could be heard as the door opened. Twilight replied, "So that's where you and Discord have been then. Listen, we need to search the castle. It's about a key that's very dangerous." Celestia stopped her and replied, "Only certain ponies can touch the keys. Luna, three ponies you must discover, and a resident of here born in Canterlot. His name is Glacier Freeze." She lifted a painting to twilight with magic and Pinkie jumped. "Yes! We get to meet somepony new!" Rarity rolled her eyes. "And only you would get this excited over that. Though perhaps he could be a little more like me." Spike laughed. "That's so funny, I saw that guy leaving a house right when we arrived. What a coincidence. If only I knew then." Twilight turned to the door and her friends and they walked out. "We have to find Glacier before anything happens to him. Let's split up. Spike, you come with me. Pinkie and Rarity, cover the other side for now, and meet back here in ten minutes." They all nodded in agreement, and ran off. Twilight took directions from Spike to get to the house. It wasn't memory, it was the house standing out in looks and location that he remembered. He usually had average memory, no better, no worse. Twilight knocked on the door, and blue magic surrounded it as it opened. A stallion's voice called to them, "Come in. I'll only be a minute." Twilight and Spike walked in and sat down in the living room. About 2 minutes later, an ice blue unicorn with a cutie mark that looked like Rarity's as if frozen walked over to them. He used magic to put away a shirt he was working on. "Sorry, my new line is supposed to be out soon. I was rushing." He chuckled. "So, you need somethin'?" "Yes. Are you, by some chance, Glacier Freeze?" He looked confused, but realized what was going on quickly. "You must be Princess Twilight , right? Did you need me for something?" "Well you see, there's this set of keys, with powers beyond imagining, and they seem to be getting in the wrong hooves. Only a select few ponies can touch them, and you're one of them." He walked out the door, motioning to Twilight to leave. "Then we better find it." They met up back in the front of the castle and introduced each other. Pinkie didn't break out into dog, but instead got serious. "We need to get to that key fast. Derpy learned magic quickly or something, because she sent me a letter saying that somepony stole the key right from Fluttershy and Rainbow Strike." Twilight nodded. They ran inside and went down to the dark areas of the castle.