//------------------------------// // Chapter 7 // Story: Harmony, Insanity and Freaks // by Sputnikmann //------------------------------// “RAINBOW DASH!” exclaimed the remaining Elements of Harmony. Shadow Rush was just silent in shock. Cloud Kicker, now turned Cryo Kicker; just froze Rainbow Dash into a pony-cicle. The frozen look on her face was terrified. “What did you just do?” asked Twilight, her expression one of pure rage. “Aren’t you supposed to be smart?” asked Cryo Kicker. “What does it look like?” “HOW DARE YOU!” yelled a voice at the back of the car. All eyes, including those of Cryo Kicker, turned towards Fluttershy, who was even angrier than Twilight. The Pegasus flew into Cryo's face. “You think you can just freeze one of our friends and get away with it?” she screamed at Cyro who stayed calm. “You’ve got another thing coming buster!” Cryo Kicker’s demonic eyes half closed. “From what I remember, you’re that pathetic Pegasus, Fluttershy; Element of Kindness.” She said, smirking. “What could YOU possibly do to ME? Let me guess, give me…” she faked a look of shock and fear, “THE STARE?” Fluttershy’s courage suddenly disappeared; leaving the scared Pegasus everypony knows and loves. Cryo laughed and flew to the back of the car, stopping beside a frozen pony. “Let me give you a demonstration…” a giant axe made of ice and stone formed in her hoof. Cryo wound up and swung at the frozen mare, breaking her to pieces. She laid the axe on her shoulder. “Now. What to do with you six.” She said, facing the Elements and Shadow Rush. “I could freeze the water in your body, causing ice to shred you from the inside…” She looked over to another frozen pony, her eyes glowing pale blue. From inside the pony-cicle, several giant spikes extruded from inside the stallion and out of the ice block. “Or I could cool the air around you, turning it to water; rendering you unable to breathe…” Twilight suddenly felt her breathes becoming staggered. She choked on what little air she could get. Looking around, she saw the Elements and Shadow doing the same. Kicker’s eyes flashed again, and Twilight felt air return to her lungs. “Or I could cause the snow to compress above you, crushing you with a block of ice." Looking up, the group saw snow swirling above their heads, forming into a large block of snow and ice. No sooner did it form, did it start plummeting towards them. Before contact, the block melted into water and splashed all over them. Looking back at Cryo, they started backing up when she smirked. “But I could just do this.” Her eyes flashed again, and the water covering them flash froze, locking them in a thin layer of ice. From the inside, the group could see Cryo Kicker laughing. “So much for the all-powerful ‘Elements of Harmony’!” she exclaimed. Twilight tried to focus her magic, but it stung to take any energy away from keeping warm. From inside, she saw Cryo Kicker tap on the glass-like ice. Cryo stared directly into Twilight’s eyes before suddenly jerking and falling to over. Behind the corrupted mare were two ponies, both mares. One was an odd mix of beige and blue for her coat. She had blood red mixed with blue mane. The other was extremely familiar to Twilight. She had a pink mane and a blue coat. This mare was wearing a white cape, very similar to one she had seen before. “If it isn’t Twilight Sparkle.” said the second mare, “How pleasurable it would be just to shatter you here!” “Patience Mare,” said the first. “It’s never a good hunt if the target is defenseless.” She looked at Twilight. “But just remember, we’re coming for you Sparkle. Just remember, the Subjects will always be following you. I’m going to help you, just once. Go to the Crystal Empire, protect your precious Equestria. Just remember, you’ll be ours one day.” Twilight felt herself warming up. She closed her eyes to prevent the water from getting in her eyes. When she opened them, the Elements and Shadow Rush were free, but their mysterious rescuers were gone. She moved to the engine, finding that the Conductor and Ticket Master waking up from unconsciousness. As soon as they recovered, the train got moving again. What nopony noticed was a purple, cross-eyed Earth pony climbing onto the train at the last second. Half an hour later… the Crystal Empire Finally, they arrived. Everypony still alive left the train, as it departed and made room for the train directly behind it. Twilight and the gang started towards the Crystal Castle, but stopped when they heard a very familiar voice. “Come one, come all!” shouted the voice. “See the awesome talents of the GREAT AND POWERFUL TRIXIE!” The Elements and Shadow Rush quickly ran in the direction of the announcement, finding a stage covered in spinning lights and firecrackers. In a flash and a puff of smoke, a mare appeared. She had a blue coat and a white mane. Besides her hat, what really drew Twilight’s attention was her cape. Although it was a different color, there was no mistaking it; it was the same one that one of the two mares on the train was wearing. After waiting patiently for Trixie’s to end, Twilight approached her on stage. “Hello Trixie.” said Twilight. “I see you’re getting better with magic.” Trixie stared in shock. “P…Princess T…Twilight!” she said, bowing. “What does Trixie owe the honor of talking to one of Equestria’s princesses?” “Trixie, you don’t need to call me that.” said Twilight. “I would rather nopony think me any more important than anypony else.” She paused for a second, trying to find her train of though. “Oh, yes! Trixie, how long have you been in the Crystal Empire?” Trixie levitated a piece of paper in front of her. “About a week or two.” She replied. “Why? Is something the matter?” “No, it’s not that…” Twilight said. “It’s just, on the train we arrived in, we were saved from freezing by two mares. One of them I didn’t recognize, but one of them looked exactly like you. You haven’t seen anything, have you?” Trixie shook her head. “Sorry your highness… uh… I mean; Twilight.” She said, dropping her 3rd person speech pattern. “I think I would remember seeing another mare as dashingly beautiful as moi. Twilight sighed. “Well, if you see anything suspicious, just tell me.” She said. They began walking towards the Crystal Castle, but was stopped when they heard Trixie calling Twilight’s name. “TWILIGHT!” she called, panting. “I… remember… something.” She took a second to catch her breath, then started. “It was a few hours ago, I had just finished my semi-daily show, when I noticed some odd-looking stallions walking towards the palace. One was in some type of red military uniform and the other was wearing all black. A young colt accidentally tripped and fell into the stallion wearing black; a unicorn I think, and tripped him.” “What’s so strange about that?” asked Rainbow Dash. “Sounds like a normal accident.” Trixie glared at Dash and cleared her throat. “As I was saying…” she started. “When the unicorn came to his senses, she made a sword appear out of nowhere and pointed it at the young colt! He screamed at him;” Her horn started glowing pink and they heard a voice. ‘Beat it ya’ big headed wanker! Before I carve you a new cake-hole!’ The glow disappeared and Trixie continued. “I followed them to wherever they were going, and found myself in front of the castle.” She said. “What’s so strange about that?” asked Applejack. “Loads of folks visit the castle! It’s a tourist attraction.” Trixie cleared her throat. “Like I was saying, I found myself in front of the castle gates… with the guards guarding them dead.” The Elements gasped. Shadow just stayed relatively calm. Trixie looked at him. “I’m sorry, who are you again? And why are you so calm about dead ponies?” Shadow just blinked. “For your information, I am Shadow Rush… personal detective of the Princesses; yeah.” He lied. “As for your other question, where I come from; death and murder is very common. As a matter of fact, we have this thing called the War Games where two teams fight to the death.” He sighed. “It was really fun to watch.” He noticed the Elements and Trixie staring at him. “What? Too much information?” Rarity was the first to snap out of his confusion. “Anyways,” she said. “If we are to catch these criminals you saw, we must be going!” She waited until everypony else snapped out of their confusion and they left for the castle. When they arrived, they found the bodies of the guards still sitting outside. They were about to head inside when they heard a laugh echoing through the castle.