//------------------------------// // Chapter 5: Arrival in Tartarsauce // Story: War of the Frozen Fillies // by Harbinger Of Mist //------------------------------// Celestia stood cautiously out by the back of her castle. She advances the sun to its next scheduled position. "I dread nightfall. As if she weren't at enough of an advantage already..." Meanwhile, the train was arriving at the station. As soon as the doors finished opening, Twilight and her friends immediately bolted toward Canterlot. The streets were quite barren; they barely passed any other ponies on their way to the castle. "This is weird." Rainbow Dash said. "Aren't these streets usually packed?" One of the few pedestrians they were approaching gave a blunt answer. "They're all at the castle playing in that stupid snowball fight." Pinkie gasped. "Don't you get me started on you!" She marched furiously toward the pony. Rainbow Dash swiftly snatched the hat off of Pinkie's head, cracked the brim in half over her knee, and tossed the flimsy piece to her side with a disapproving stare. Shattering glass could be heard as a stallion nearby shouted "my leg!" Pinkie sighed, "okay..." Her friends all continued on their way to the castle with Pinkie close behind. "Still not making any promises though." She smiled and pranced along. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were still at the station. "Ah'm confused." Applebloom spoke up. "Are we going to war or not? Ah know Pinkie wanted us, but none of them gave us the go-ahead." "Then let's just go!" Sweetie Belle blurted out. "If they're not expecting us, then a plan I have in mind can come into fruition." Scootaloo leaned away from her friend. "I don't like the sound of that..." "Oh hush!" Sweetie rebutted. "Just grab your scooter from the luggage and let's go!" Celestia was back in her throne room nervously carving battle plans into her ice desk. Her mane was messy, her eyes were bloodshot, and she had a small icicle sticking out of the corner of her mouth, heating up at the tip in a matter that caused the melted water to immediately evapourate. One of her guards burst through the doors. "Your highnes--!" Celestia promptly spat out the icicle at such a velocity that it suddenly struck the guard on the bridge of his helmet just between his eyes and shattered. After shaking off the shock, the guard continued. "Princess Twilight and her friends have arrived!" "Are they with you?" "They will be shortly. I saw them at the outskirts of the garden just a moment ago." Twilight and company stood outside the garden atop a hill, awestruck at the scope the battle has reached. Guards and Canterlot citizens alike were pitted against each other in ruthless warfare. The carnage was almost unbearable. "Wow..." said Twilight. "I didn't think it would be this bad." "Oh my..." Fluttershy was getting increasingly nervous. "What are we supposed to do?" "Yeah!" Rainbow Dash added, "how are we supposed to get through all this and get to the princess without getting spotted." "Teleporting would be risky," Twilight explained. "A first flash would alert everyone, and I'm still not proficient enough with that spell to take more than one of us yet." "Then we make a break for it!" Pinkie suggested, pointing straight at Celestia's fortress. "Through the battlefield?!" Rarity asked in astonishment. "It's the fastest way, Rarity!" Pinkie grabbed her by the shoulders. "Don't be afraid to get yourself dirty! Let the adrenaline give you that spark to keep you safe!" "That sounds incredibly foolish... yet fun. Alright!" Rarity pushed Pinkie away. "I'm ready." "S-so am I!" Fluttershy proclaimed, albeit timidly. "Ah was born ready!" Applejack announced. "Alright then, girls!" Twlight rallied her friends. "Let's go!" Pinkie and Twilight ran side-by-side toward the fortress with Applejack pulling ahead. Twilight called back, "remember to stay low! And don't fall beh--AAH!" Her hind leg was grazed by a snowball. With it landing almost in front of her, Twilight had an idea of where it came from, but didn't want to believe it. She turned around and saw the other three staying behind, with Rainbow Dash ready to toss another shot. "What?! What are you guys doing?!" "Sorry, darling!" Rarity called back as she materialized a letter with a dark border. "But Princess Luna had more to offer!" She and Rainbow Dash smiled deviously while Fluttershy played innocent. Pinkie gasped in an obnoxiously over-the-top manner; her chest inflating to twice the size. "How DARE you three?! And YOU! Element of Loyalty!" "I am loyal!" Rainbow Dash shouted back. "...To the winning team! C'mon! You know me by now!" The three traitors bolted in the opposite direction with Rainbow Dash tossing her reserve snowball at the others. Applejack jumps forward and slaps the ball out of the air close to Twilight's face as they witness their "friends" jump down a ledge. "Those three won't know what hit 'em..." "Come on! We're still strong divided. I'm confident we can still help Celestia win this battle. We all have unique abilities that I'm sure even Luna wouldn't suspect." Twilight strayed her eyes to focus on Pinkie. "Now let's go! I see a quick detour to the side of the fortress." "What makes you think they'll let us through such a heavily fortified area?" Applejack asked. Twilight answered, "Celestia's guards all know I'm there to help. Once they see us, they'll cover us and let us through." Pinkie wasted no time and zipped right away toward the supposed path, far ahead of Twilight and Applejack. "Pinkie wait!" Twilight warned her. "Don't go so fast and without me! They'll think you're an enemy!" She and Applejack chase after her. "And that's not the path!" Just behind them, the Crusaders arrive at the same spot the six initially paused at to see Twilight and AJ chase after Pinkie to their left, and the other three being granted access into Luna's fort off to their right. Scootaloo hops off her scooter and removes her helmet, walking to the side of the edge towards where her idol flew off to. "Well, Sweetie Belle..." She looks back at the other two sitting in the attached wagon. "How are we supposed to help them now?" Sweetie Belle is quick to respond in a mischievous tone. "Oh, we're only helping ourselves." She smirks and rubs her front hooves together. Applebloom tries to sneak out of the wagon but Sweetie turns her head. "Why are you guys so scared of me?" Applebloom worriedly replied. "Uh well... Your ideas are not usually the best." Sweetie sighs. "Oh don't worry! I promise this one will work." Scootaloo puts her helmet back on and returns to her scooter. "Alright..." She still seemed uneasy. "So where are we going?" "We're going to follow Twilight." Sweetie commands from behind as Scootaloo revs up. "...For now." "Oh dear." Scootaloo spouted under her breath. Twilight and her now two friends were hastily guided to Celestia's command office. They enter through the giant icy doors and stand in attention in front of her desk. "Princess Celestia! We came as fast as we could!" "Thank you, Twilight." Celestia responded. She immediately noticed that her group was half the expected size. "Where are the others?" Pinkie sneered and spoke in low and gravely voice. "Those dirty rats are tossing slush for the dark side!" "What?!" Celestia was taken aback. "But how?" Twilight explained. "From what I could gather, Luna must have sent her own letter to one of them and convinced the three to betray us. Your letter to me was just a summon request, while hers must have given that as well as a hefty offer." Celestia growled and buried her forehead into her front hooves on her desk. "Blast that Luna!" She rears her head back... "She's too crafty for her own good!" ...and slams it into the front of her desk, causing it to crack slightly. "...ow." Applejack inquires, "surely, we're not your only reinforcements." Celestia rubbed her forehead and answered. "Yes. I am expecting the Wonderbolts to be here any moment now, which should make Rainbow Dash switch sides, and I already have with me--" "YEAAAAHHH!!" A very stout and rugged pegasus shouted from behind them at the doorway. He snorted loudly. Pinkie waltzed straight up to him and rekindled her sergeant demeanor since Rainbow dash wasn't around, despite the fact she didn't have her hat anymore. "What's your name, scumbag?!" He played along. "Sir, Bulk Biceps, sir!" "Bull-tail! From now on you're Private Snowflake! Do you like that name?!" "Sir, yes, sir!" "Well there's one thing you won't like, Private Snowflake: They don't serve raw eggs and carrots on a daily basis in my messhall!" "Sir, yes, sir!" Celestia was not amused with her display. "Pinkie! There is no messhall, and even if there was, it would be mine. Now stop harassing the soldier!" Pinkie would not dare raise her voice to a princess, let alone one that was not pleased. She clenched her lips shut and scuttled back to Twilight. "So what is the plan, Celestia?" Twilight asked. "I have been revising strategies ever since I sent the letter to you. All I knew was that I needed your help--" For a split second she broke her composure and let out a stifled chuckle. She instantly continued in her authoritative tone, "...in this conflict. Perhaps you three could assist in this stage? I could certainly use three more heads in developing plans." She eyed Pinkie Pie carefully. She knew her wild and crazy antics would help in creating unorthodox attacks and ambushes to confuse Luna's forces. "Of course, Celestia!" Twilight proclaimed. "We won't let you down." All three of them gave a salute. "Uhh..." A familiar voice came from the doors beside Snowflake. "Am ah a little late?" "Big Mac!" Applejack rejoiced and rushed to hug her big brother. "Were you on the same train?" He smiled. "Eeyup. Just figured ah'd stop for bite to eat before coming over. A big guy like me can't battle on an empty stomach." Applejack chuckled. "Well there you go, Princess." She turned back. "We have plenty of muscle at least." She gestured to Mac and Snowflake. "YEAAAAHHHH!" "That should help, actually." Celestia turned her attention back down to her etched desk. "Now gather 'round. We have some plans to compile."