Hearth's Warming Evil

by Tortfeasor

Fire-Forged Friends

Disclaimer: Progress on the time machine is coming along. Until then, I don’t own My Little Pony

Twilight had known Rarity for years. They’d met as little more than fillies at the Clover the Clever Academy. Rarity was the gorgeous young princess with all the sophistication and glamour Platinum City could produce, while Twilight Sparkle was the magical prodigy from the back end of nowhere. They’d had some friction at first, until they’d learned to see the better parts of each other and become fast friends. During those first few weeks, however, there had been a few occasions where Twilight had contemplated regicide, never seriously. She'd never returned to those kinds of thoughts after befriending Rarity, until now.

“Must we walk through all this dirt, and… nature?” Rarity had a prodigious talent to annoy others with her whining. A talent on full display as they trudged through the Everfree Forest.

“For the hundredth time.” Twilight grumbled over her shoulder. “Unless you've mastered long distance teleportation for multiple ponies, yes we have to walk through the Everfree Forest. And dirt is just one of the many wonderful things that go along with being in a forest.”

“You should keep it down too.” Applejack shouted from well behind Rarity. Not that Twilight could blame Applejack for wanting to distance herself from such an irritating spectacle. “Unless you want a pack of Timberwolves, or a hydra, or an Ursa Major to decide you’re riling them the wrong way and figure that gobbling you up is the best way to get some peace and quiet around here.”

“Hmph.” Rarity pouted her most pathetic, begging for some dashing knight to come to her rescue pout. “I think we've all demonstrated an admirable talent for avoiding bodily harm. This dirt, though, and the smell! I don’t think there’s enough shampoo in the whole of New Unicornia to undo the damage I’m doing to my poor, abused coat and mane. And my last hooficure is already ruined beyond hope of repair. I knew saving this land would mean enduring suffering and overcoming trials, but surely there is not a pony foul enough to wish this kind of torment on even their vilest, worst, most hated foe.”

“Um, yeah, whatever.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes conspicuously enough that Twilight had no trouble seeing it from the front of the line. “From those of us who've had exactly zero hooficures our entire life, and who spend most of our days in smelly, sweaty armor I think you’ll live.”

“You've never had a hooficure?” Rarity grabbed Rainbow Dash by the face in a time Pinkie Pie must have been proud of despite the backpack she was carrying. “Oh you poor, suffering mare. Have any of you ever had even the simple pleasure of the most basic of spa treatments?”

“I don’t think hooficures and deep coat treatments are standard issue for pegasus guards.” Twilight said. “And I don’t remember ever seeing a spa anywhere in Dirtville. Hay, I only went with you when you threatened to have Spitfire and Soarin literally drag me.”

“No? Spa?” For a moment Twilight feared that Rarity might actually swoon.

“I was a little busy trying to find enough food to keep my family alive.” Applejack pointed with considerably less malice than she would have put into the point a week ago.

“I don’t know about these ‘spa’ places.” Pinkie Pie said with an overly thoughtful hoof under her mouth. “Sounds like a lot of sitting and laying around. Just think how much partying you could get done in all that time. And I don’t think that confetti and a mud mask would go well together.”

“Darlings,” Rarity pronounced in her most imperious manner, “when we return victorious and chase Sombra to the farthest reaches of the world we are going to celebrate with a day-long exhaustive treatment at the spa. I’ll see no corners cut, no steps skipped, we will all come out of there with absolutely flawless coats and hooves. I’ll even make sure they style some of those crow’s nests you call manes.”

“Hey!” Twilight, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack shouted simultaneously.

Twilight probably never would have noticed the nearly invisible game trail if she hadn't been turning her head back from glaring at Rarity. Their path through the Everfree Forest was shaping up to be three sides of a square as they tried to circumvent the swampy lowlands infested with Hydras and Timberwolves. The local wildlife, however, seemed to have a relatively safe way through those lowlands.

“Girls, come look at this.” Twilight waved a hoof for the others to catch up to her. “I think there might be a shortcut through those lowlands we wanted to avoid.”

“You sure about that sugarcube?” Applejack trotted up to her. “Might just be a trail to a cave, or a rock to sleep under, or something like that.”

“Looks like it goes pretty far back.” Rainbow Dash quickly flew above the treetops. “Darn, can’t see how far it goes. But we've still got an awful lot of forest to walk through if we don’t find a quicker way through.”

“Girls,” Twilight pitched her voice so the still approaching Rarity couldn't hear her. “If this cuts even an hour off our trip it’s an hour that Sombra doesn't have in charge, and it’s an an hour we don’t have to listen to her screaming about her hair, or her hooves, or how heavy her backpack is, or whatever bug just dropped into her path now.”

“Let’s do this!” Pinkie Pie darted off down the game trail before disappearing and coming right back. “Come on you slowpokes, what are you waiting for?”

“I sure hope you’re right.” Applejack watched as Pinkie Pie bounced down the trail in a carefree manner. “I really don’t wanna spend a day walking down this trail, and then have to spend a day coming back. We've been in this darn forest for a week now and I’m ready to be out.”

“I hope I’m right too.” Twilight started down the game trail. “But that’s a week of civil war and Sombra doing his level best to exterminate earth ponies like you. I’d say that if there’s a time to start taking chances with what we’re doing, this would be it.”

Twilight quickly returned to the front of the line. The dim light filtering through the canopy of newly sprouted greenery required a lit horn to assure safe passage.

After about an hour of walking Twilight started to feel confident that she’d stumbled upon a genuine shortcut and not simply a path to an animal’s den. It was an easy walk too, the ground gradually sloped down as they made their way into the swamps at the bottom of the Everfree Forest. If nothing else the smell would have told her. The scent of brackish water wafted on a deceptively gentle breeze and overpowered the sweet smells of spring.

“I don’t know about you,” Twilight said with a remarkably jaunty spring in her step, “but I’m starting to think this really is a quicker way through the Everfree Forest. Cutting through the swamps rather than going around them could cut days off our journey. I bet Sombra would gnash his teeth if he knew we were pulling a stunt like this.”

Twilight looked back with a genuine smile on her face. Rainbow Dash, just behind her, opened her mouth before an odd look crossed her face. Twilight was just about to ask her if something was wrong when Rainbow Dash burst forth.

“Oh goody for you! Let’s all get down on our bellies and grovel that our perfect, glorious unicorn masters have come through for us again. I mean really, you have eyes that work, I bet no pony in history has ever equaled a feat like that.”

Twilight was shocked to say the least. What had come over Rainbow Dash? Just an hour earlier she’d been gung-ho to dive into the swamps if it meant saving some time. Just as she opened her mouth, Twilight started to feel angry with Rainbow Dash. There was no logical reason for it, but a burning rage like she’d never felt before started to burn.

“That’s right you should be grovelling. You’re a guard, you’re supposed to be looking all around you at all times. Way to do your job there. Of course you’re what I pretty much literally scraped off the dirtiest floor in all Platinum city, so I don’t know why I ever expected anything in the first place from a blowhard and a pegasus who wants to make cute faces at squirrels all day.”

“Now girls,” Pinkie Pie hopped up to them with an alarmed look on her face, “that’s no way to… Fight! It’s about time you pegasususususes and unicorns got a taste of what you've been doing to us. I hope those mean old Wendigos come back and bury you under a million gajillion feet of snow.”

“Treason!” Rarity shouted in her shrillest voice, that for some reason failed to annoy Twilight nearly as much as Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie did by merely not being unicorns. “I knew you lesser ponies would band together against the master race some day, I've known it all along. I bet you've all been planning this with Sombra from day one. Drive Twilight and I out to this desolate, filthy place and then leave our bodies for the wild animals.”

“Us, work with those dirt eaters?” Fluttershy flew up to Rarity with a scowl on her face. “I bet you’re the one working with Sombra. Take a nice vacation while he does the dirty work for you. Well ha, ha, I’m on to you now. Princess Platinum might have suckered us, but pegasi are smarter these days. The only pony I’m going to trust is another pegasus. The rest of you are drooling idiots and soulless schemers.”

“Big words coming from a pony who’s scared of her own shadow.” Twilight spat into Fluttershy’s face. “Are you sure those weren't too big for that laughing pink moron over there?”

“Moron?” Pinkie Pie screeched, her mane visibly deflating. “Oh, I get it now, you’re both using your freaky powers to do all this. Maybe we’ll just keep all the food to ourselves this time. Let’s see how good your tummies think your backbones taste. You can ask an awful lot of earth ponies about that!”

Rainbow Dash flew up to Pinkie Pie with a dangerous look on her face. “Well if you dumb, inbred earth ponies would just do what you’re told instead of making us pegasi remind you over and over again why you earth ponies lost, maybe there would be enough food for you. But that’ll never happen, earth ponies are numbskulls!”

“Oh look at you, all ready to to use violence at the drop of a hat.” Rarity put the full force of her royal scorn in her voice. “Unicorns are far too graceful and intelligent to ever stoop to such a level, and that’s why it was us who came out on top. I should expect nothing less from you, however, pegasi are brutes.”

“At least an earth pony wouldn't marry their brother just to keep the name in the family.” Pinkie Pie sneered at Twilight. “I saw how you were looking at your brother. Happy to be back in Ponyville, huh? I bet you were happy to get back in his bed. Gonna find a way to marry your little sister Princess? Just what you’d expect, unicorns are snobs.”

“Girls, this ain't right.” Each word from the previously silent Applejack was a distinct effort. “This ain't us. We beat Sombra’s ponies by working together, all three tribes, so what’s going on here?”

“I’ll tell you what’s happening.” Twilight knew on some level that what Applejack was saying made sense, but the anger she couldn't explain simply rolled over it. “We’re finally finding out who our real friends are. Unicorns built New Unicornia in spite of what you other ponies did. It was a mistake to ever think that pegasi and earth ponies could amount to anything, but it’s a mistake we’re going to fix.”

“No!” Applejack seemed to gain confidence as she went on. “It wasn't pretty, but all three tribes built this country. And it’s gonna take all three tribes to save it. Rarity saved my life, Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy have been having a great time making the ponies around Ponyville happy, and I can see how proud you are that Rainbow Dash is doing as much as Rarity’s old guards all by herself. Weren't we gonna try to all be friends so we could use that fancy spell of yours?”

“It’s… That’s…” Fluttershy grit her teeth as though she were in pain. “I’m so angry at everyone except Rainbow Dash.”

Twilight struggled through a red haze of anger to send out her magical senses. It was easy enough to filter out the unnatural background haze of the Everfree Forest. All around them, though, Twilight could feel some sort of magic at work. It was familiar, she’d seen it somewhere before, but she couldn't quite place it.

“Rarity.” Twilight suddenly started to feel anger for her friend. But willpower and a reluctance to get angry at her long time friend kept her moving forward. “I need to use your magic.”

It was easy to grab Rarity’s magic, almost as easy as it was to grab her own. Twilight wasn't sure what specific spell was being used on them, so she simply cast the most powerful generic counterspell she could manage. With the full force of her own magic, and Rarity’s added magic, the spell was powerful enough to physically rustle the budding leaves around them.

“Are, are you alright?” Applejack cautiously walked towards them.

“Think so,” Rainbow Dash softly said. “What happened to us?”

“It was a spell,” Twilight said. “Sombra put some sort of trap here. I couldn't feel it while I was under its effects, but now it’s so obvious I can’t believe we walked into it. How did you manage to think through that Applejack?”

“I don’t rightly know.” Applejack shrugged her shoulders. “I think it might’ve been that y’all started acting all funny before I walked into it because I was so far back. But I just knew that what you were sayin wasn't right, that y’all didn’t really mean any of it after what we've been through. Took me long enough, but I finally said something.”

“You said quite something.” Rarity kept rubbing at her head. “I can’t believe we said all those horrible lies about each other, I’m so sorry girls. Do you think this was all a trap? Did Sombra try to lead us down this path into this spells?”

“No,” Twilight shook her head. “I’m more convinced than ever that this is a genuine shortcut. We were lucky to find it in the first place. And if I were Sombra, and I were laying traps to keep any ponies like us from making it to the Wendigo’s cave and sealing them up I’d be putting them on the paths that would get us there fastest. If he can slow us down enough, Sombra will kill enough earth ponies to make the seal fail entirely, and there’s nothing we can do after that except freeze.”

“Well let’s get going then.” Applejack started walking down the path again. “We lost enough time to that trap.”

“Moved into our new house.” Lyra looked over their cots and meager belongings with a nod of satisfaction. “And ahead of everyone else, now we can say that we’re ready for our guests.”

“I don’t know why you sound so impressed.” Bon Bon gestured to the other ponies setting up their own little spaces throughout the great tree. “We had a head start, and it’s not like we have much to move anyways. We wouldn't have anything if it wasn't for the ponies here in Ponyville.”

“Well when you put it like that.” Lyra pouted. “It might not be much, but it’s all ours. And as long as we have guests I want to make the best impression on them that I can. Besides, in a few weeks Pinkie Pie and the others will come back, they’ll have ended the winters, and we can go back to Platinum City and get all our stuff. That basement looks perfect for a room to store all my work on humans and other creatures that ponies don’t want to admit exist.”

“I think it’s going to be mostly your stuff.” Bon Bon’s smile masked a steely inner determination to make sure that certain objects of Lyra’s relating to her more outlandish beliefs suffered terminal misfortune on the trip to Ponyville. “If the ponies in Dirtville haven’t already ransacked my place, it’s only because Sombra has burned down, cleaned out, or looted that whole district.”

“That’s not right,” Lyra grumbled, all fantasies of mythical creatures forgotten. “Just because you’re an earth pony doesn't give Sombra, or anyone else for that matter, the right to just come and take your stuff because they feel like it.”

“Lyra.” Bon Bon put a hoof to her mouth before she could work herself up any further. “I've got a roof over my head, I know where my next meal’s coming from, I know it’ll be enough, and I’m safe. Compared to an awful lot of earth ponies all over New Unicornia I’m living it up. Besides, it’s just stuff, and most of it would have stayed behind anyways. We can only bring so much with us, and face it, your stuff is better. So I’m just going to think that some earth pony who needs it is using whatever I left behind. Now, let’s get out of here and see some more of Ponyville.”

“Okay,” Lyra grabbed their scarves. Spring could be plenty warm while the sun was up, but once the unicorns replaced it with the moon it could still get downright cold.

“Hey, Berry Punch.” Lyra spoke to the purple earth pony sitting by the door enjoying a drink. “We’re going out if anyone wants to know where we are.”

Berry Punch waved at them with her free hoof. Lyra and Bon Bon walked out into the darkening streets of Ponyville. They pulled their scarves tight about them after a few steps, it was cold enough with the sun going down to see their breath.

“Want to go talk to the ponies waiting for Twilight Sparkle and the others to come back from the Everfree Forest?” Lyra asked.

“Maybe in a week or two,” Bon Bon said, “they just left at lunch-time today. If they’re coming back this early I think we’re in trouble. Let’s walk around and see some more of the restaurants and cafes. I want to see if we can find a niche that no one has taken yet.”

“All business all the time.” Lyra laughed. “But sure, maybe we’ll meet some other musicians around town. It’ll get boring pretty quick if I’m the only act you ever have.”

They started walking down the street. Just as they were about to turn their first corner, the library turned home exploded in a fireball behind them. Lyra and Bon Bon watched with disgusted fascination as a branch seemed to rise and float on a growing spurt of flame. As it came down, Lyra grabbed Bon Bon and yanked her forcefully from where the branch came down with a crash.

Bon Bon looked over at Lyra in abject horror. Before she could ask what was going on, a voice shouted the answer, “kill them all! Burn the whole village! Let King Sombra’s enemies know what happens to race traitors and filthy sub-pony scum!”

“We have to run!” Lyra started dragging the still stunned Bon Bon away from the burning remains of their home, now the funeral pyre of some forty ponies who had been living there with them. “Remember what Twilight Sparkle said, we’re public enemy number one to Sombra.”

Bon Bon snapped back to her senses as a tan unicorn with a fiery red and yellow mane stepped into the flickering light created by the burning library. They ducked around a corner as the unicorn was joined by a larger group of unicorn ponies.

“Lady Shimmer,” one of the unicorns said, “the ponies King Sombra most wanted dead should be in that building you just destroyed. What are your orders now?”

“Didn't you hear a word I said?” Lyra and Bon Bon watched as ‘Lady Shimmer’ turned on her hapless subordinate in fury. “I don’t want to leave a single survivor of this miscegenated village. Unicorns soiling their blood with filthy earth ponies is a crime punishable by worse than death as far as I’m concerned. Take only the Princess or her Court Sorceress alive, King Sombra wants to kill them himself.”

“We need to get to the castle.” Bon Bon started pulling Lyra away from the building they were hiding behind. “If anywhere in Ponyville is going to be safe, it’ll be the castle.”

They started running through the streets, only to discover that the attack on their home hadn't been the only strike in Ponyville. As they tried to make their way past a burning building that resembled nothing so much as a gingerbread house they were spotted. Before the unicorn could shout their location, however, a cello swung out of the shadows and right into his face.

A dark grey earth pony with purple eyes and a treble clef for a cutie mark walked out of the shadows holding the mangled remains of her cello.

“Not exactly the way I’d planned to spend my night,” the grey earth pony said, “and not that I regret saving you, but you wouldn't happen to know any ponies who could repair this if we live through tonight?”

“Hi, Lyra.” Lyra raised a hoof in greeting to their saviour. “I was kind of leaving the industry, but if we live through this, I’ll build you a cello so beautiful it will make Celestia and Luna cry when you play on it.”

“Oh, where are my manners?” The grey earth pony said with a start. “I’m Octavia, a cellist by trade, though I seem to have just taken an impromptu leave. I assume you’re trying to get to the castle?”

“Bon Bon,” Bon Bon pointed to herself in a hurried greeting. “And yes, we figured that would be the safest place to be. We certainly wouldn't turn down the company if you’re running in the same direction.”

“Charmed,” Octavia wryly said as she started running down the street.

A few blocks further they were brought to a halt as a bright light flashed out of a side-street. A unicorn in armor that seemed to mark their attackers stumbled out into the street rubbing his eyes. He was followed by a white unicorn with a striped neon blue mane wearing some sort of sunglasses who used his distraction to turn and buck the attacking unicorn in the face.

As he crumpled to the ground, the white unicorn turned and saw them. “Tavi!”

“It’s Octavia, Vinyl, my name is Octavia.” Octavia visibly rolled her eyes at the unicorn apparently named Vinyl.

“Lyra, Bon Bon, meet Vinyl Scratch.” Octavia said as they walked up to the unicorn. “She’s a composer who dabbles in what I can only call music in the loosest possible term.”

“Come on Tavi,” Bon Bon noted that Vinyl Scratch had an almost Lyra like ability to selectively ignore things she heard. “You know you’re glad to see me. Who would make your life fun if I weren't around?”

Bon Bon looked back and forth between Octavia and Vinyl, it was like watching some strange mirror version of her and Lyra. Maybe Octavia had some tips on how to deal with a crazy unicorn, at least she could be someone who finally understood what Bon Bon went through.

Vinyl’s attack, however, seemed to have drawn some unwanted attention. The four of them shortly found themselves running more or less at random, pursued by twice their number of unicorns who seemed to have no problems with causing wanton destruction as they gave chase.

Bon Bon didn’t know how Vinyl saw anything at night through her sunglasses, but she was the one to see a brown earth pony stallion standing at the door to what looked like a watch shop waving them in. Bon Bon recognized him as the pony she and Lyra had spoken to that morning.

“Come on, run!” He shouted at them in an accent Bon Bon couldn't quite place as they go closer. As they darted through the door, he stepped out and waved at the unicorns giving chase. “Oy, you louts, come and get me!”

“Are you crazy!” Bon Bon shouted as he ducked back in the store with a manic grin on his face that made Lyra look like a rank amateur. “They’re going to come in here and kill us all!”

“Just watch this.” He said with such confidence that Bon Bon actually found herself feeling like everything would turn out just fine in the end. “Oh, and hold your breath.”

Seized by that same inexplicable force, Bon Bon didn’t question but filled her lungs with air just in time for the unicorns to come bursting through the door. The brown earth pony smiled and pulled a rope that led to pulleys Bon Bon hadn’t seen. Those pulleys opened a bag that dropped what looked to be a mixture of pepper, chilies, and all other manner of spices guaranteed to make a pony miserable if they came in contact with their nose or eyes.

Even from across the room, Bon Bon could feel her eyes start to water. She could only imagine what those unicorns were feeling like with a face and lung-full of the stuff.

“Come on now,” the brown earth pony said, “let’s get them all tied up and make sure they can’t use their magic. And no killing. I’m sure we'll want to talk to some prisoners after all this is over, and we've got some volunteers right here.”

They managed to tie up the unicorns, and Lyra and Vinyl cast spells that would keep them from using their magic for at least a few hours.

“Well that was exciting.” The brown earth pony gave a knot one last pull before turning to Lyra and Bon Bon. “Oooh, it’s you two. The whole town is talking about you two, got all those ponies here on your own. I can see why, quite the show you put on getting here. Say, want to go down to my basement and see my big blue box?”

Bon Bon was struggling with how to respond to that when the brown earth pony received a smack to the back of his head from Octavia.

“Honestly,” Octavia said. “Lyra, Bon Bon, this is Doctor Whooves, we just call him Doctor. He has a terrible habit of saying something the wrong way and putting his hoof in his mouth. He really does have a big blue box down in his basement, though, it’s quite impressive, but this is not the time to be talking about tours.”

“Right, sorry about that.” The Doctor straightened his tie. “Anyways, off we go to the castle. Come on now, allons-y!”

They followed the Doctor back out into the streets. It looked like the whole of Ponyville was under attack from the number of fires Bon Bon could count. Explosions and screams echoing through the town hammered home that their attackers really didn’t mean to take any prisoners.

They turned a corner just in time to see an armored unicorn laugh as he slit a white and brown spotted colt’s throat. The unicorn turned towards them with a grin full of malicious glee just as a bang resounded from the bell tower of the schoolhouse they’d stopped in front of. The unicorn’s grin turned into a horrified scream as the bell tower came loose and fell on him with a very final thud.

“Oops, sorry.” A grey pegasus with a blonde mane stumbled to the top of the roof. “I just don’t know what went wrong.”

“Derpy.” The Doctor called out to the pegasus. “Glad to see you’re alive, I don’t know who we could count on to deliver our mail if anything happened to you.”

“Hey everyone!” The pegasus apparently named Derpy flew over to them.

Bon Bon wasn’t sure if her erratic flight was the result of her having just crashed into that bell tower, or if it was the result of a very obvious lazy eye. Bon Bon had no intention of asking, Derpy had just saved their lives, and it would have been terrible manners to ask about such a thing anyways.

“Don’t worry about him Miss Hooves.” The Doctor pointed at the tangled mess the bell tower had left when it hit the ground. “If you hadn't come along I promise you he'd beg for this end long before I was done with him. Cutting a life short like that...”

Watching the Doctor speak, Bon Bon had the sudden feeling that she was standing in front of someone impossibly dangerous, someone she didn’t want to anger if she lived to be a hundred and fifty.

They took off from the schoolhouse towards the inner town. The gates had been blown off their hinges, not that they would have done much good even if they’d been shut. The six ponies made their way across a plaza filled with dead ponies, both ponyville locals and their attackers. At the other end of the plaza was a burning wagon and a blue unicorn with a platinum mane trying in vain to quell the flames. The blue unicorn was running back to the fountain at the center of the plaza when her wagon exploded in what appeared to be an unplanned fireworks show. The blue unicorn was blown to the ground by the explosion and didn’t rise.

It would slow them down, but they all took off towards the downed pony without complaint. If they could save a single life, it would be one more pony that Sombra couldn't kill. As they got near enough to the unicorn to see a crescent moon and wand cutie mark Bon Bon could see her sides continuing to rise and fall slowly.

“She should be fine if we can get her back to the castle,” Bon Bon said. “I bet there are a lot of ponies with bruises and broken bones who will be fine after a few weeks of rest.”

“Well I wouldn't bet on that.” The fire from the burning wagon suddenly leapt out into a ring around the six of them and their unconscious cargo. Bon Bon gasped as she saw the tan unicorn from earlier walk through a part in the flames. “I’m actually glad you two survived that tree exploding. I told King Sombra that I’d enjoy this job, and getting to kill you two myself means I’m definitely going to have a good night.”

“Sunset Shimmer.” Bon Bon looked over her shoulder to see Shining Armor walk through the flames surrounded by a magenta shield. “Why am I not surprised to see you working for a monster like Sombra?”

“Shining Armor,” Sunset Shimmer scowled. “I see the ponies I sent to take care of you were miserable failures. You always were the talented one back at the Clover the Clever Academy. Well don't let it be said that I don't know when to cut my losses. Oh well, when King Sombra ascends to Godhood you’re all dead anyways. Maybe he'll let me kill a few of you if I ask nicely.”

A huge column of flame shot up around Sunset Shimmer. When it disappeared she was nowhere to be seen. Even without magic, Bon Bon didn’t think for a second that she had somehow perished.

“Are you all alright?” Shining Armor trotted up to them all the while casting wary glances about.

“I think so,” Bon Bon said, and then pointed at the pony laying on the ground. “She needs to be looked at though. She was right by that wagon when it exploded, I think it was packed full of fireworks.”

“Alright,” Shining Armor said, “follow me. I think I recognize her, she’s a travelling show-pony who came into town a few days ago to put on her show. Anyways, you two are clearly targets, so I think it’s best if you stay in the castle from now on. My little sister would kill me if I let something happen to you after all you've done.”

“That’s okay,” Bon Bon sighed. “After all, we’re homeless… again.”

After so long in the Everfree Forest, Twilight Sparkle wasn't in much of a mood for celebration. Seeing the end of the forest and the start of the mountains, however, made her want to pump a hoof in the air. She would have, except that would have unbalanced her with her backpack and Twilight didn’t feel like having to right herself.

“Everyone’s packs full of food?” Rainbow Dash with her training as a guard had become their reminder of all things necessary for outdoor survival. “I don’t think we’re going to be coming across anything edible up there.”

‘Up there’ was the very tall, very foreboding mountain rage they had to venture into to find where Clover the Clever had sealed the Wendigos. Down at the edge of the Everfree Forest the snow had mostly melted and been replaced by madly growing plants in a hurry to flower and pollinate before the fall freezes started in a few weeks. Even the lowest peaks, however, were still gleaming white with snow that never melted.

“Twilight,” Rarity said, “how’s it coming with Clover the Clever’s spell? Are you going to be ready in time?”

“I sure hope so.” Twilight patted the pocket on her backpack containing the journal and her own copious notes. “After Clover finished writing she must have used the rest of that journal to plan out how she would pull this off. There’s a lot more to it than I originally thought, but I’m making good progress. If we find the cave and I’m not ready yet, I’m confident we’ll be carrying enough food for me to work out the last little bits. Unless anyone else needs to do anything down here, I say we get going. Every minute we stand around means who knows how many more ponies Sombra gets to kill.”

They started trudging up into the foothills after pausing only to put on their boots. Looking up into the mountains, Twilight guessed they would need their coats after the sun went down, and likely during the day after that as they went higher and higher.

After several hours of walking they paused for lunch. A rather unfilling lunch at that, but they’d all agreed that without knowing how long they might be in the mountains they would have to plan for the worst.

“I think we’re gonna need to take a detour. I don’t much like the looks of that snow.” Applejack pointed to a mountainside with a deep trough at the top of a slope. “That snow’s just waitin to come down that mountain, and I don’t fancy being in its path when it does.”

Avalanches were a common enough occurrence around Platinum City that even an uneducated earth pony like Applejack had learned what to look out for and what to do if snow did start moving. They all wanted to go as fast as they could, but treading into an avalanche field was suicide. They would lose time going up and around it, but dying would take more time than a detour.

“Oh I really don’t like the sound of this.” Fluttershy spoke quietly, even for her, as they ascended. Far too close for comfort, they could all hear the snow cracking and shifting. Even if they were theoretically far away enough to be safe it it collapsed, the sound of snow making ready for an avalanche sent shivers up all their spines.

When it did happen, with a mighty roar, even Rainbow Dash let her fear be known to the world. The snow rumbled and boiled down the mountain past them, and only Twilight’s hastily erected shield kept them from being turned white by the roiling powder that swept over where they were standing.

“Well,” Rarity nervously laughed as the last roaring died down, “that was fun. Let’s never do it again, shall we?”

Before the others could reply, another long roar echoed through the mountains.

“The shock from one avalanche can trigger others,” Twilight said. “Nothing to worry about as long as we’re careful.”

The next roar sounded nothing like an avalanche.

“Wh-wh-what if it’s not an avalanche!” Pinkie Pie’s eyes were as big as saucers as she pointed up the mountain.”

“What are you talking about?” Twilight looked where Pinkie Pie was pointing. “Oh dear.”

‘Oh dear’ meant an Ursa Major. An angry Ursa Major at that. An angry Ursa Major who seemed to be directing its anger at the six ponies who must have been nothing more than specks to a creature so large.

“Run?” Applejack backed up nervously.

“Where?” Rarity provided a rhetorical answer to a rhetorical question. “That thing could stretch from where it is and catch us.”

“Only one thing to do then!” Rainbow Dash shuffled off her backpack and unsheathed her two curved swords.

“Wait.” Twilight thought she heard Fluttershy mumble something as Rainbow Dash leapt into the air towards the Ursa Major.

Rainbow Dash turned into a rainbow streak as she flew towards the Ursa’s leg. Twilight couldn't see that Rainbow Dash’s attack did any damage, and when she returned Rainbow Dash said as much.

“I don’t think I even gave it a haircut. We've got to find some sort of weak point if we’re even going to drive it off, let alone beat it.”

“Rarity,” Twilight said, “let me use your magic. I’m going to try to hit it with everything I can in a weak spot. Everyone else, look away, this is going to be bright.”

“Wait.” Twilight thought she heard Fluttershy mumble again as her horn began to glow in tandem with Rarity’s.

The beam of light that erupted from her horn would have vaporized any pony that dared to get in its way. It melted the snow beneath it as it passed, unsurprisingly as it would have melted stone just as easily. Twilight could hear the others exclaim how bright it was even behind their closed eyes. Twilight’s beam of magical destruction hit the Ursa Major right in its exposed eye. From the way it rubbed at its eye after the attack ceased, Twilight's all out attack may have risen to the level of an eyelash falling into its eye.

“Well don’t look at us.” Applejack pointed to herself and Pinkie Pie. “We don’t have anything that fancy, and even if we did, we’d have to run up to it. That varmint would squish us flat.”

“Charge?” Twilight shrugged off her own backpack. “If we’re going to die, I’d at least like to die on my hooves. Even if Sombra will never know.”

They all lined up, just as they were about to start running Fluttershy jumped in front of them. “Wait!”

“Fluttershy, what are you doing?” Twilight shouted as Fluttershy flew up towards the Ursa Major.

The Ursa’s growl made all of the ponies on the ground close their eyes so as not to have to see what horrors Fluttershy was suffering. Twilight opened an eye to see a yellow speck floating right up by the Ursa’s face. Suddenly, the great purple monstrosity moved its head in what almost seemed to be a nuzzling motion. Then, against all odds, the Ursa Major simply walked off.

Fluttershy drifted back down with a beatific smile on her face. “That Ursa wasn’t mad at us. It was missing its baby, and it was scared that we’d done something to it. Those troughs in the snow were actually tracks, so I simply pointed it on its way. If we’re just willing to show kindness, there isn’t much of anything in the world that we have to be scared of.”

Twilight’s jaw wasn’t the only one futilely working as they shouldered their backpacks again and set off after a smiling Fluttershy.