Later that night, Sunset Shimmer and her family and friends went back to the Summerstar, and they invited Twilight and her friends for dinner. They all ate together in the lounge area. Even Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, and Scootaloo were brought along.
"Rainbow, I have to thank you for letting me read your Daring Do books." said Lightning Dust. "I can't believe Daring Do did such awesome stuff!"
"Yeah." said Rainbow Dash. "Daring Do is the bravest pony in all of Equestria!"
"She sure is." said Lightning. "I think I should tell her that the next time I see her."
Meanwhile, Nose Nip and Frosty were talking with the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"So this one time, Frosty and I brought this guy to the summit of one of the Crystal Mountains." Nose Nip recounted. "And then when we get to the top, we found this thing, and he took it before we knew what it was. He just left Frosty and me at the top of the mountain without our climbing equipment."
"How'd you get down?" Scootaloo asked curiously.
"I had ta use my magic and make a giant snowball so that we could roll down ta the bottom in it." said Frosty.
The three fillies laughed.
"Hey, I'm completely serious!" said Frosty. "I even got a bad cold that didn't leave for three weeks afterward!"
But then the Cutie Mark Crusaders changed their minds.
"You know, I never thought the three of us would actually meet somepony that had a hammer for their cutie mark." Scootaloo told Nose Nip, looking at his sledgehammer-shaped cutie mark.
"Yep." said Nose Nip. "It shows that I was destined to be a mountain climber. I remember when I got it."
APPROX. TWENTY-ONE YEARS AGO...
The eight-year-old Nose Nip was learning how to construct a fishing-net with his father. He gave up after many unsuccessful attempts, and growled in frustration.
"I can't do it, dad!" he said. "I just can't do it!"
"Just try one more time, son." said his father.
"No thanks." Nose Nip said.
"I said try again!" said his father.
"No!" said Nose Nip. "I'm going outside, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"
He ran out the door, and went to a nearby boulder. He decided to vent his frustration by punching the boulder.
"I don't wanna be catch any stupid fish!" he growled. "I don't wanna go on some dumb boat! I don't, I don't, I don't!"
He started hitting the boulder so hard, it started to crack. The more times he punched the boulder, the further the crack spread. Suddenly, the whole rock crumbled into hundreds of pieces.
"Nose Nip, come back and--" his father began as he ran up to his son. "By Celestia, did you do that, son?"
"Umm...yeah." Nose Nip said, hesitantly.
"That's incredible!" said his father. "And look! You've finally got your cutie mark!"
The young colt turned his head to look at his flank, which was occupied by a sledgehammer.
"Cool!" said Nose Nip. "My special talent's breaking stuff!"
PRESENT DAY...
"That's cool, I guess." said Scootaloo. "But I still don't think I'd want a hammer on my flank."
"Yeah, well who asked you?" grumbled Nose Nip under his breath.
Frosty turned and spoke to the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
"Ya wanna hear how I got my cutie mark?" he asked.
"Sure!" said Sweetie Belle.
"Well, I was just a little colt from Baltimare, when..."
EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO...
The ten-year-old Frosty was laying on his bed, completely bored.
"Frosty, will ya come down for dinnuh?!" his mother called down to him.
Frosty got off of the bed, and went downstairs.
"Okay, mom!" said Frosty. "I'm here, I'm here!"
After eating their dinner, Frosty's mother opened up a newspaper.
"Ooh, there's an art show at the town square!" she said. "Would you like to come with me?"
"Sure, mom." said Frosty. "I don't see why not!"
The two unicorns went to the art show, where many ponies were showcasing paintings, sculptures, and other works of art. Eventually, they came to an exhibit held by a gryphon native to Vanhoover named Blackjack Le Braque, who was standing next to a giant block of ice.
"Bonjour, Baltimare!" he said. "Watch, my little ponies, as I present you with the best art that you have ever seen!"
The ponies began murmuring, as Blackjack picked up an icepick and hammer, and struck the block of ice in several places. In ten minutes, the block of ice was shaped into a sculpture of himself.
"Voila!" he stated.
Several ponies applauded, including Frosty's mother. Frosty himself, however, did not seem impressed at all.
"Oh, come on!" the little unicorn colt whined. "You spent ten minutes makin' that thing!"
Several ponies gasped, and Blackjack heard Frosty's comment.
"Excuse me?!" he shouted. "Does someone think they can do better than Blackjack Le Braque?!"
The crowd parted, leaving Frosty in the middle with his mother.
"Yeah!" said Frosty, stepping forward. "Your art stinks!"
"Frosty, hush!" whispered his mother.
"Hang on, mom." said Frosty. "I gotta say somethin'!"
He cleared his throat.
"You make us spend ten minutes doin' nothin', and just so you can show off some stupid sculpture of yourself?! Boo! I want those ten minutes back! I could make a betta sculpture than that in my sleep!"
"Oh, is that so?" said Blackjack. "Then why don't you prove how talented you are, little monsieur?"
"Wait, what?" Frosty paused.
"We're all waiting, monsieur!" said Blackjack. "Don't keep your audience waiting!"
Frosty looked around at the crowd. Some of them looked upset at him for mouthing off Blackjack. Others were relatively indifferent.
"Come on, Frosty." said his mother. "Let's go home! You're gonna have a lot of thinking to do about what you did just now. Of all the nerve!"
"Hang on, mom." said Frosty. "Lemme try this!"
"Really?" asked his mother.
"Sure, this ain't gonna be a problem!" said Frosty.
The colt went up to a second block of ice that was wheeled in just for him. Blackjack mused about how Frosty would fail.
"Okay, let's do this." Frosty nervously muttered as he approached the block of ice.
He looked at the ice, and at the sculpting tools he was given. The whole world seemed to fall silent, watching him and waiting for him to slip up. He started breathing heavily Time seemed to pass ever so slowly for Frosty.
"Oh, for the love of--" said a pony in the crowd. "Just hit the stupid thing!"
Frosty winced, afraid he might mess up. Then he bit his lip, and prepared to strike the block of ice.
"I'm soooooo gonna mess this up!" Frosty cringed, closing his eyes.
Then he picked up a pickaxe, and hit the ice with all his might. The whole thing began to crack, to the surprise of the crowd.
"Aww, man!" said Frosty. "I did mess this up!"
Then when the cracks completely covered the block, it fell apart. The whole crowd, and even Blackjack gasped. Frosty opened his eyes to see what happened. He made, to his surprise...an ice sculpture of Princess Celestia. The whole crowd cheered, to the surprise of Frosty.
"Frosty, I'm so proud of you!" said his mother, who came up to personally congratulate him.
She gasped.
"You have your cutie mark!" she said.
Frosty looked at his flank, and saw there was an icepick-shaped image emblazoned on it.
"No way!" he said. "I'm a somepony now!"
"Sacre bleu!" said Blackjack Le Braque. "This cannot be! I have been outclassed by a mere youngster?!"
"In yo face, Frenchie!" Frosty pointed his hoof mockingly.
Blackjack let out a high-pitched, very girly-sounding scream, and flew off into the sky in shame.
PRESENT DAY...
"Wow, Frosty." said Scootaloo. "That was an awesome story!"
"I didn't know you were a sculptor, Frosty." said Radiant Dawn. "All this time, I thought you and Nose Nip were just very good mountain climbers."
"How come you haven't been doing more artwork if you're such a good sculptor?" asked Twilight.
"Uh, it didn't really cut it for me." said Frosty. "I may be a little guy, but I like doin' really big things. So that's why I moved to Vanhoover so that I could be a mountain climber. It sure is pretty darn exciting."
"And we've been in one crazy adventure after another." said Nose Nip. "All kinds of customers and destinations."
"But the real exciting stuff happened after we met all you guys." said Frosty. "When we fought the Changelings a buncha weeks ago, I was really whoopin' bug-butt!"
"And that whole trip we had to Las Pegasus." said Nose Nip. "Sunset Shimmer sure is a popular mare. I've never been blasted at, had stuff thrown at me, or been shot at before me and Frosty met her."
"Well, Sunset doesn't exactly have a track record for guaranteeing a safe, healthy relationship." said Twilight. "And I know that from personal experience."
"C'mon, Twilight." said Rainbow Dash. "We get caught in the middle of all sorts of crazy adventures, too."
"Good point." said Twilight.
Sunset Shimmer heard this, and turned to Nose Nip and Frosty.
"Look, I just want you two to know." she said. "If you, or anypony else here, feels like they're just putting themselves in danger just by being associated with me, then you don't have to...you know, go on adventures with me."
"Are ya kiddin'?" said Frosty.
"Yeah, why would we not want to be associated with you?" asked Nose Nip.
"I think a lot of us owe our lives to you." said Lightning Dust. "Myself included."
"And me, too." said Trixie.
"And you brought our family together, remember?" said Radiant Dawn.
"And there's no telling where I would've been if it weren't for you!" said Teddy. "I'd probably be back in Vanhoover, living my days as Gilda's punching-bag!"
"We'll follow you wherever you go!" said Nose Nip.
"No matter how dangerous..." said Lightning Dust.
"Or over-the-top..." said Trixie.
"Or whatever negative thing you can think about!" said Frosty. "We're with ya all the way!"
"Gee...thanks, guys." said Sunset.
"Sunset Shimmer, I should congratulate you for having such good and loyal friends." said Twilight.
"I agree with Princess Twilight." said Scarlet Blaze.
"Sunset, you've gathered quite an interesting set of characters around you." nodded Golden Sun.
"Ain't that the truth?" said Sunset, with a smarmy grin as she laid back in her seat.