"Hurry up Spike! I can't wait!" said Twilight as she climbed up the side of the hill.
It was a bright and sunny day, the Pegasi had really outdone themselves and Celestia seemed to have taken a particular interest in this day itself as the sun shined perfectly across the land, smiling on everything it touched. Twilight looked around and couldn't imagine a single thing that could ruin such a perfect day.
"Whoa-Whoop!" yelled Spike as he fell over with the large pack he was carrying.
"Spike." Laughed Twilight, "You need to be more careful."
The little purple baby dragon stood up and brushed off some dirt that had gotten on him.
"Easy for you to say. You don't have to carry this backpack full of supplies!" He said pointing to a backpack just as tall as him, full of cave exploring equipment, "Why do we need all this stuff anyway?"
"Because the Guide to cave exploring said to be prepared for anything. I always want to be prepared!"
"Over prepared more like it." grumbled Spike.
Suddenly, the bag was surrounded by a magical aura and floated above Twilights head.
"Come on Spike, jump on. I'll give you a break. There's even a surprise for you in the rear patch!"
Spike eagerly jumped on and opened the back pouch. To his delight there were three gems for him and his mouth watered with excitement and lust for the tasty gems. He quickly took one of them and began to munch away on it.
"So, where are we going again?" he asked as he happily ate his valuable treats.
"Weren't you listening when I told you earlier?" asked a annoyed Twilight
"Kind of!" said Spike trying to sound innocent.
"Ugh, we're going to the Palomino Ice caves! I read in my books that that is where Clover the Clever, Private Pansy, Chancellor Puddinghead, Princess Platinum, Commander Hurricane, and Smart Cookie hid out during the great blizzard!"
"You sure?" asked Spike before hiding under Twilights mane, "Are those Windigo creatures still there?"
He looked out through Twilights hair and around looking for the monsters, but Twilight just laughed.
"No Spike. Those creatures were defeated a long time ago by the power of friendship. There is no need to worry!"
"Oh. Well, how long until we get there?" asked Spike laying back.
"We're here!" said Twilight happily.
Spike looked up and saw a not so inviting cave entrance before him and shuddered with a little fear. Meanwhile, Twilight showed the exact opposite as she walked right on in, ready for the adventure. Water dripped from the stalactites as Twilight used her horn to illuminate the cave while Spike cowered on her back, jumping at the slightest noise.
"Are, are you sure this is safe?"
"Spike, your a dragon! Your kind live in these types of places!" laughed Twilight
"I'm more pony than dragon, and besides, I'm a baby dragon."
Spike wanted to get out of the cave as fast as possible, and lowering himself to say these things were his last attempt.
They failed. Miserably.
Twilight kept on walking, hoping that she would find something that could prove this is the historic cave that became the center of the founding of Equestria. Sadly, the further she walked on, the further she was convinced this was not. For one thing, that cave was a large open hole in the mountain, this cave branched off all over the place. Ice formed on the side of the walls so thick one could see their reflection. She pulled out a book from her backpack and went reading through it intensely. Spike meanwhile looked around, still nervous. The giant cave seemed to be closing in on them. He could almost see faces in their giant maws as he looked around. Teeth made of stone, ready to eat him and Twilight the moment they looked the other way. Spike turned fast to look away and saw a pair of eyes starring at him.
"GYAAAH!" yelled Spike as he fell off from Twilight's back and onto the floor.
"Spike what happened? You okay?" asked a concerned Twilight
Spike didn't move, blink, or even flinch. He just stared wide eyed and frightened at whatever he was looking at. Twilight turned to see a pair of green eyes off somewhere in fear, and it wasn't just eyes, it was a whole pony, a unicorn frozen in the ice! He was turquoise in color with a blue and white striped mane and tail. He wore a vest that had several gears and wires running around it, and above him looked like remains of some makeshift metal wings, now nearly destroyed by the ice that surrounded it. On his flank rested his Cutie Mark, a pair of swords crossed over a scroll.
"Come on Spike! We need to help him!" said Twilight as she fired a magical beam at the ice
Spike took in a large breath and breathed fire at the ice, melting some. As his flame died he saw something surrounding the Unicorn, a magical field. At first he thought it was Twilight, but the color of the magic was green, not the same color as Twilight. Twilight meanwhile still kept at her blasts to try and break him free until Spike stopped her.
"Twilight, look!"
Twilight stopped to see the green magic as it cracked the ice around the Unicorn, shattering it completely. Twilight shielded spike from the aura, but it seemed to dissolve away as it reached them. A bright light emitted from where the Unicorn was standing, before going away as fast as it was bright. Twilight and Spike looked again to see the Unicorn standing there, sort of. he wobbled around for a bit before falling over.
"Whoo hoo! I'm free." he said in a daze.
Twilight and Spike walked over to him. Upon noticing the pair, he quickly stood up and bowed before them both.
"Thank you kindly for getting me out of that icy prison."
"You're welcome, but I don't think we did it." said Twilight
"Well, the spell I cast would release me when another ponies magic tried to free me. So, technically you did! Names Scripted Sword by the way. Don't ask about the name I never understood it myself but it went with the Cutie Mark. Just call me Scrapper."
"Scrapper? What kind of a name is that?" asked Spike.
"Because I can turn any piece of scrap into a work of unimaginable art!" he said proudly, "and a functional one too."
"Your name is Scripted Swords and you make contraptions out of scrap?"
Uh, no." said Scrapper, "My main job was to script and craft elegant swords for the pony populace. Making my inventions was a hobby. And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?"
"Twilight Sparkle. This is my assistant Spike!"
Pleased to meet you." said Scrapper bowing again, "So then, did Bennett send you here?"
"Bennett?" asked Twilight, "Who's that?"
"Bennett, Lord Augustus Bennett of the Royal Court? Subservient to Princess Celestia and Luna before she became Nightmare moon?" asked Scrapper as if they should know.
"Never heard of him." said Spike
"But that's impossible! He is known throughout Equestria and he is a personal friend of mine-"
He looked around behind him to see that the fake wings he wore were flat out destroyed, beyond any hopes of repair. He moved his hind legs, causing the wings to screech loudly until the broke off, falling to the floor in pieces.
"No it can't be!" he said, running for the cave entrance.
Twilight and Spike followed him as he galloped outside and looked on.
"No, no, no, no! There was no farm here! And that town! Where did it come from!? Oh how long was I in that ice!?"
"Uh, do you need a place to sit?" asked Twilight as she walked up.
"Maybe." said Scrapper.
Twilight pulled a pillow from her bag and put it under him as he sat down.
"That there is Apple Acres. Home to the finest Apples in Equestria and my good friend Applejack. Over there is Ponyville."
"Pony-Ville? When did that get there?"
"About 300 some years ago." said Twilight
Scrapper looked on in horror as Spike handed him some punch. The shocked Unicorn gladly accepted it and began to drink.
"What was the last thing before you became entangled in Ice you remember?" asked Twilight.
"Oh, Princess Luna transformed into Nightmare moon was was banished for a thousand-some years in the moon. Tragedy it was. I always enjoyed her nights. Even Celestia did, nearly everypony did. I just wish she understood that."
"That was a thousand years ago."
Scrapper spit out his drink all over Spike, who looked at him with distaste. Scrappy turned his head toward Twilight and looked at her in fear.
"You mean to tell me I was trapped in that Ice for a thousand years!?"
"Uh, I guess."
Scrapper fainted.
----
"Ugh....... what happened? Is anypony there?"
"Who." came a voice
"Anpony?" asked Scrappy as he rubbed his head
"Who."
"I don't know just anypony!" yelled Scrapper
"Who."
"Hey! Enough with it already!" said Scrapper jumping up, "I don't have time for this- owl. You're a owl."
Scrapper looked at the tiny owl sitting there looking at him constantly.
"Who." said the Owl
"There is a three letter word I know. It's not, when, it's not where, it's not how, it's:"
"Who."
"Exactly." said Scrapper as he walked downstairs
He was in a tree of all places, and books lined the shelves all over the place, giving to him the conclusion he was in a library. He walked down them until he saw Twilight Sparkle sitting at a desk reading a scroll.
"Twilight Sparkle!" said Scrapper
"Oh good you're awake!" said Twilight walking over to him, "Spike and I sure had trouble getting you over here."
"Forgive me, the shock of waking up a thousand years late tends to pull a cord or two in ones brain."
"What in the wide world of Equestria were you doing that you froze yourself for a thousand years?" asked Twilight
"Oh that's easy! I was-"
He stopped to think for a minute, but his mind failed him and he spoke in fear: "I don't remember."
"What? How could you not remember? Freezing yourself for a thousand years surely has a pretty big reason!" said Twilight, raising her voice.
"I can't honestly remember! I was sure I knew why! Maybe the thousand years part has done a number on my head."
"Hmm, maybe a walk around Ponyville could get your mind at ease! I'm sure a lot of ponies would like to meet you. Just watch out for Pinkie Pie."
"Why?"
"Trust me, you'll know why."
"Okay then. What will you be doing in the meantime?" asked Scrapper
"I'm writing to Princess Celestia! Surely she would know what you were doing and would love to meet with you again."
"Yes, I've met with the Princesses. I was a good friend of Luna's back then. Lovely Mare she is. However, I doubt a letter would get through to her. I'll save yourself the burden and try and find a way in myself."
"Oh no need. I'm her favored and private student! I send her reports all the time!"
Scrapper stopped as he made his way out the door and looked back to her in surprise: "You know the Princess personally?"
"Both of them actually." said Twilight, "It's a long story and you need to clear your head."
"You have no idea." said Scrapper as he walked out
The streets of Ponyville were filled with dozens of ponies of all races. They chatted idly as they went about their days, with only Scrapper feeling out of place. Pegasus flew in the air, some playing, others on weather duty. On the ground a party was being thrown in a large bakery that seemed to be made out of sugary treats, while others gathered around a Unicorn who was showing off several dresses. Scrapper looked at them until he ran into some pony and fell to the ground.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" said the pony he ran into.
"No, no, no! It's my fault sorry." said Scrapper
The light blue Unicorn mare started to pick up the things she dropped and Scrapper went to help. He noticed her cutie mark was of a hour glass as she went around, along with her mane being dark and steel blue. He placed them all back in her saddle bags and nodded his head.
"Who are you?" she asked, "Are you new in town?"
"Yes. Scripted Swords. Just call me Scrapper."
"Names Minuette. Or Colgate to most of my friends."
"Colgate? You mean the toothpaste?"
"Yeah. I don't know why, they say it's because my mane looks like toothpaste. Well, nice meeting you. Watch out for Pinkie Pie. She's, well, she's a happy one."
"That's what Twilight said." said Scrapper
"Oh, you know Twilight Sparkle? Wow! you must be form Canterlot or something! Explains why you have a vest like that on."
Scrapper looked down to see he was still wearing his old clockwork vest that had the dual function or working as elegant attire and to work what were his wings.
"Well, nice meeting you Scrapper. If your in town, swing by my place! I'm sure my roommate Berry Punch would love to meet you."
"If I'm around." said Scrapper
Scrapper walked off after that admiring the town and keeping an eye out for the one named Pinkie Pie. Soon he had walked the entire circle that was the town and saw many of the sights it had to offer. For a town that wasn't around before he froze himself, he would have wished it was. It was such a quiet, peaceful, and quaint little place. However, even a walk through it failed to fix his thoughts. Why did he forget why he froze himself. He didn't mean to do it for a thousand years that was for sure, but why? Why didn't his friend Bennett send someone to free him? Everything was a mix in his head and he decided to return to the library. Maybe a book there would help him and he made way for it. As he did, a grey coated yellow haired Pegasus crashed in front of him wearing a mailmare hat and a mail sack over her sides. Her eyes were looking in opposite directions of each other and one of them looked up to see Scrapper standing over her
"Hello." said Scrapper, "Do you, uh need help?"
"No I got it!" said the Pegasus as she stood up and brushed herself off, "My wing got stuck on my sack that's all."
"Who are you anyway and why are your eyes all?"
"Oh, it's just a condition I have. I'm Derpy Hooves!" she said extending her hoof
"Scripted Sword. Call me Scrapper."
"Okay Scrapper! You must be new here because I never met you before. I know because I'm the mailmare and-have you met Pinky Pie yet?"
Her demeanor changed from bubbly and happy to strict and serious which caught Scrapper off Guard.
"Uh, no not yet."
"Well you should meet her!" she said happily once again, "She throws wild partied for all the new ponies in Ponyville! Where do you come from anyway?"
"I come from a long time ago." said Scrapper uneasily
"How long ago?" asked a curious Derpy
"A thousand years." said Scrapper
"Oh wow! That's a long, long, long time!" she said in amazement, but nothing else
"That doesn't bother you?" asked Scrapper
"Oh, I live with a time travelling pony! It's nothing new to me!"
"Time travelling pony!?" asked Scrapper thinking this Pegasus had lost it, "No, no, no I don't do that! I was frozen in ice that is all."
"Well I'd give you a muffin if I had one, but I'm all out. Come see me again if you want a muffin!" she said before flying off, "Now to deliver these letters!"
"I need to get back to the library!" said Scrapper as he galloped off.