//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: All set for battle... almost 
// Story: War of the Frozen Fillies 
// by Harbinger Of Mist 
//------------------------------//

	Both sides stay poised at frontal positions. Both princesses and all guards comedically leaning forward awaiting the commencing strike. Luna grinds her teeth and growls as she peers at her sister licking her lips.

The clouds move amongst the skies. They slowly shroud over the sun.

A sliver of the sun remained. 3... 2... 1... Sunlight ceased and snowballs barraged like mad in two directions.

Guards from both sides were either haphazardly tossing snowballs from behind cover or poking their heads out in hopes of not wasting their ammo. The numerous impacts of frozen terror sung the tune of bloody warfare.

Luna surveyed the carnage from her watch tower, safe from aerial assault thanks to valiant and willing meat-shields. She witnessed many of her soldiers land solid shots before being taken down themselves; their efforts weren't in vain. She starts to notice that several of Celestia's ground troops were advancing through no-mare's land as her own guards began receding. She takes her scarf and wraps it around her face to make a bandit-like mask; leaving only her eyes visible and still allowing for a decent field of view.

Luna leaps down from her perch and rushes toward Celestia's brigade head-on. Bobbing and weaving from incoming snowballs, she ducks far down to her side as she closes the distance. She uses her wing to scoop a generous amount of snow and toss it in a wide and level arc eliminate the six advancing troops. She had left herself wide open now. She immediately does the same with her other wing and fans the snow in the air to create a cloud of mist.

Celestia was about to toss a ball toward her sister until she rendered herself unseen. She tries to pinpoint where she was among the cloud, but all she could see was her confused guards being taken out one-by-one with precise throws. Blast that Luna! Always the hooves-on and athletic type. As the cloud began to disperse, Celestia caught glimpse of a final snowball being hurled toward her. She jerks her head to side just in time to avoid it. "...And too crafty for your own good." She added as she saw Luna retreat back to her fortress.

"I need more snow!" "East walls are falling!" "Medic!" and various other shouts were heard from Celestia's soldiers. They'd tried to set up forward walls closer to the enemy base but were hopelessly getting pinned down and left with no chances for a counter-attack.

Celestia ordered all of her guards to take shelter in the fort to recover and stay on the defense. Oddly enough, she could hear Luna doing the same for her guards. She soon could only see a dozen or so thestral guards taking stance on various areas of their fortress. She starts to worry as she heads down into her snowy throne room.



"Princess, we insist!" One of her captains exclaimed to her, "let us continue to stay on the outside! You know we're trained better than this! We shouldn't be hiding back in the castle just minutes after the battle had begun."

"I understand your concern, Captain Stalwart." Celestia mutters. "But I had not accounted for my sister to be such a direct threat. I knew she could take care of ordering her guards properly, but being able to go straight into the thick of battle like she did is something I could not hope to even match her in: I'm larger, slower, and less agile. If I had tried to do the same, I'd surely be pelted and buried in no time."

"It's true, Stalwart." Another captain, Lance, added. "Plus, those were MY men whom I ordered to advance. Had I known Luna was such an effective commando, I would've kept them back with the rest of us. And now thanks to me, they're all in the med-bay." He removes his helmet, holds it to his chest and turns around to face a wall; presumably in the direction of the med-bay. "I sure hope they are tough enough to be able to resume duty after such an onslaught with what little hot water bottles we have."

"I'm sure they will, Captain Lance." Celestia assures. "In a battle this dire, I'm sure they are willing to give their all despite any injuries they may sustain. Many of my guards from the past have done the same."

Stalwart adds, "Princess, let me be the first to say that I will bravely lay down my life to win this war if that is what it will take to do."

"As will I, Your Highness!" Another guard proclaims.

"And I!" says Lance.

"Aye aye!" The whole room was filled with salutes from all guards in the room.

Celestia smiled from being so humbled. "I know you will make me proud. Your bravery warms me so." She and her guards soon heard the yells of another guard from the corridor outside.

The solid ice doors to the throne room were bucked down by Luna as Celestia's guards took surrounding positions around the entrance.

Luna had enough time to scoop and toss a single ball toward her sister before she needed to expertly dodge a flurry of balls being flung at her direction. She gets struck once low on the hind leg and again in the dead center of her flank.

"Princess! We must leave now!" One of Luna's accompanying guards shouts. "We are ill-prepared as it is!"

Luna makes haste to escape in her "injured" state, but not before catching a faint glimpse that her snowball was apparently blocked by Captain Stalwart, whom was lying on the ground. "Then go on ahead!" She yells at her guard. "They're not going to follow us out!" She begins to fly through to the exit behind her soldiers while letting out a few groans. "...I can tell they're ill-prepared as well."



Captain Stalwart lays on the ground with residual snow melting on his chest. He groans as Celestia takes his hoof and turns him on his back.

"Stalwart!" Celestia shouts. "Please be okay! That was so brave of you to take a shot for me." She was starting to act melodramatic and cheesy.

Stalwart moans. "Oh... Celestia..."

"Yes?"

"I... I need... Bring me..."

Celestia was making very cartoonish sad faces and forcing herself to tear up. "What do you need?"

Stalwart raises his hoof straight up in the air toward Celestia's face. "Bring me... a bowl... of tomato soup." He then lets out one last grunt as he "passes out".

Celestia bows her head in honour of her courageous warrior and stands back up to command her other guards. "Well? You heard him. Get the man some soup!"

"This castle doesn't have a kitchen--"

Celestia cuts off the guard with low register voice and clenched teeth. "From the REAL castle." She jerks her head to the left to gesture. "As for the rest of you... Expand the fortress and leave few entrance points! I am going to conduct business of my own..."



Luna lays down on an ice couch covered in a blanket from the waist down, breathing heavily from fatigue and "pain".

"With all due respect, Your Highness." One of her captains quipped, "that was as brave as it was... stupid."

"You know what?" She sits up, scaring her guards into stepping back. "I won't argue against that. Though, it was exactly what I was hoping for." Her guards are all confused. "Celestia is a smart leader, whom has had to deal with other smart leaders. Therefore, one of the few things she doesn't expect is foolishness." She stands up. "I know it is risky. But when done correctly, we catch her off-guard and can gain the upper hoof." She swings her hoof and causes herself to bend over and moan. "Oh my... Please tell me: Does my flank look okay yet?" She wiggles it slightly and shows an uncouth smile on her face.

Some of her guards nod and grin in a manner most unprofessional. One of her nearby captains keeps his outward composure, yet lightly utters "I love my job".

Another captain gets them all back on track. "You look fine, Princess. Now what do you suggest is our next course of action?"

"I have a good feeling of what my sister is planning. And I know exactly how to counteract." Luna smirks deviously.