//------------------------------// // The Awesome Powers of Ice Cream. // Story: Hard Court Press // by Hillbe //------------------------------// The Awesome Powers of Ice Cream The office was unlit filled with shadows and shadowy figures some waiting others fidgeting one was not a happy camper. "So let me get this straight you followed them onto the train and lost them? - What kind of an idiot do you take me for? You got no sightings no pictures no intel NOTHING! What do I pay you to do - SLEEP?! My operatives saw them exit at Canterlot station and you want me to believe they gave you the slip? Next you'll be saying they were invisible now get out of my face I don't expect another failure, number thirteen come here". "Yes Sir?" "Did this foal follow your instructions?" "Yes and he failed it's all his fault I should of done the job myself". A bolt of magic sounded followed by a scream the body fell like a sack of ACME anvils. "Thirteen has just retired you will now succeed where he failed I don't like bad news do you understand number eighty six? A door opened and the pony behind the desk pointed to the exit smoke still wafting around its horn, "Don't disappoint me I'm sure you wont like early retirement like agent thirteen". " Yes 'O' ". "That's 'BIG - O' to you, You shall carry out the plan". At the castle the late evening became midnight the meeting with Celestia was done as well as the tea and scones. A room was drawn for each of our heros of Equestria except Twilight who was still talking to Celestia and Spike who slept through everything still snoozing wrapped around Rarity like a living blanket. "Twilight our intelligence section will take things from here you don't need to do anything further" "But we still have a lot to find out what's going on here who's behind this and the..". "Twilight get to sleep you need it , Do you want to be ordered to bed like a little filly and given a blankie and binkie?" Twilight was smothered in feathers as Celestia scooped her up ushering her to thee special guest room. "We shall reconvene in the morning it's been a long nights debrief and we can start anew after breakfast bright and early". zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz Everyponies peaceful sleep came to an end with the fury of an out of control locomotive yells and screams echoed through the hallways of canterlot castle. Green eyes peeked out the door "What in tarnation was that? Sure ain't no rooster I've ever heard". "Is that Spike and Rarity?" Twilight answered with a yawn. "That's so totally uncool I thought the train ride was just rude noise this is just twenty percent ruder". "Twitch a twitch it's not good at all EVERYPONY DUCK! IT"S COMMING! and NO it's not a cute little ducky!" Fluttershy just eeped "Oh my" and shut her door. A roar flowed through the halls as Luna and Celestia opened their chamber doors glancing at each other. "What the...". The castle shuddered with an impact that shook the walls and dislodged the guards from their stupor. The screams and roars stopped as suddenly as they started the only sound was the guards running to and from the area of confusion. "Your Highness we secured the area it looks like we've had intruders in the castle the guest hall is a wreck part of the ceiling in guest wing C has come down we believe the intruders are still on the premises". The group came to the center of the action the field of debris spread down the hall piles of stone work littered everywhere showed tell tale signs of a short but hot battle scorch marks and splintered woodwork gave clues of the powers involved. A purple claw raised out of the rubble asking with a muffled voice"A little help please". The digging of the claws owner took little time "You're one tough dragon" AJ said "What the hay happened here?" "They have Rarity!" Spike gasped as he clutched the scorch mark on his chest "They went down the hall to the left". "Are you sure you're OK?" Twilight asked looking at Spikes condition "You look awful" "I'm a little sore lets get going before they get away!" They all galloped down the halls checking each room as the guards and main group went on. "How many were there?' Twilight quizzed him "What did they look like?" "Five, they had black cloaks and masks I couldn't see their faces or manes". "What caused the damage to the hallway?" " I think I did - the moment they woke us up it got serious like right now, I bit two of them and hit another and after that one hit me with a jolt of magic I guess the gem of shadows exploded, Well the rest of the fight got a little fuzzy after that, I hit my head on the ceiling then after that you guys were digging me out of the mess". The group continued searching the castle along with the guards for any signs of the missing mare or her captors. They came to the kitchens and dining halls where they found Prince Blue Blood slumped against a wall his eyes glazed over mumbling "That mare. . .that mare" Spike snapped his claws in front of his muzzle and with a few slaps Blue was back to the land of colorful ponies. "Spike?' Blue Blood blinked "Spike. . . That white mare " Blue shuddered "Do you know her that awful white mare?" "Awe come on she's not that bad". Spike quizzed him on the direction she was taken. The prince pointed to the kitchen "Don't go Spike - Don't go in there - she's still in there in the dining hall please don't go it's like nothing I've ever seen before". The main six had the guards cover the exits and windows what or whoever would have to fly or teleport to get away. When all was ready the trap was sprung, With buck and a lot of screaming the rescue was started through the door number three. The room was quiet and dark a dim yellow light of a refrigerator was the only illumination. Rarity was licking the insides of a bucket of vanilla oat swirl ice cream littered around her were pastries of all sorts and a bottle of champagne. Bodies of her foalnappers were laying about the room in the most haphazard ways the guards took them into custody . Prince Blue Blood shook his head reviewing the carnage "Bloody foals they didn't have a chance". Celestia asked him and Rarity for the eye witness accounts of the action. "Auntie I was minding my own business when I see these intruders carrying a big sack. . . And so the story goes, xxxxxxXXXXXxxxxxxxxxXXXXXXxxxxxxXXXXXXXXXXXXXxxxxxxxXXXXXXXxxxxXXXXX "Unhoof me this instant!" She screamed "Unhoof me now - REMOVE your hoof from my flank!" The abduction crew pulled and pushed her along a magical snubber ring glowed on her horn as she kicked and struggled with all her might. She was tugged along the empty hallways screaming and kicking. "Stupid horse" A burst of magic hit her knocking her over she laid on her side frozen in pain thinking on how to slow them down. The cold marble floor eased her pain as she listened to them talk. "Boss we can't harm her we need her alive or it's no bits". "It was bad enough that stupid guard dog of a dragon was with her". "I thought we were dead when he grew, Did you see it when he slammed his head in that stone ceiling?" "Tie and gag her we need to get out of here 'O' wants the monster she's carrying to be in good condition the horse not so much". Rarity could feel her hooves bound and a gag pulled tight she bucked and struggled more she pulled away and rolled. Another blast hit her in the chest shattering the gem of shadows, sparks flew her eyes glowed a cloud of magic flowed snaking around her body, Without a care the crew stuffed her into a sack like a load of potatoes hoisting her on their backs they hoofed it through the door of the royal kitchen. Blue Blood was stuffing his face with pastries and champagne he couldn't sleep and had nothing better to do as the phrench maid was off duty and to her relief on vacation. The abductors ran along past paying him no mind as he cowered with whipped cream dripping from his royal twinkie confection as it hung from his open muzzle in surprise. "SNIFF?" the bag snorted SNIFF SNIFF SNIFF A green glow surrounded the bag as it held it's position above the floor the bunch pulled and pushed with all their might it didn't move. "SNIFF sniff sniff" The bag exploded in a fury of fur and scales - claws and fangs flashed as the ponies reached out to stop her. "Judo CHOP!" screamed the mare, A thud was heard as number one thug hit the stone hard floor with a crack unable to move. "Butterfly KICK" A snap was sounded as hoof found its mark thuggy number two was seen draped over a dining room chair face down to the floor. "Judo CHOP PUNCH" another baddy crumbles in front of his team members who watched shaking waiting for their doom. Rarity slinked across the kitchen floor moving more reptilian than pony her eyes glowing in the dark with pupil slits her tongue snapping in and out as she spoke. "You call yourselves henchponies?" she lectured the two "Your boss should be ashamed of himself I am an Element that faced Nightmare Moon, Tirek, The Lord of Chaos, obnoxious publishers of fashion; ignorant critics and battled in a changling invasion living to tell the tale. . .So you have to ask yourselves a question". She slithered closer to them eyes glowing in anger whispering to the would be foalnappers. "Is it worth the risk of pushing a painful death or you could just fall down and avoid the rush to join your friends on the floor." She snapped her claws leaning in to make her point clear the last two meanie pants dressed in black fell to the floor with out a fight. Blue Blood recognized the voice the white coat and violet blue mane. But her change was a striking mix of fur and scales a pony dragon stood before him hungrily looking for its prey, Its fangs pointy her hooves tipped with sharp but dainty claws ticking along the floor with every step, Blue Blood staggered back fearing a fate that befell the others. "Pardon me please" She spoke "Mind if I share in partaking of a little evening snack?" She opened the fridge and rummaged through the drawers pulling out ice cream and Spikes stash of gems. Rarity put a ruby into her mouth and savored the rich sweet flavor rolling it with her tongue before she knew it she nudged it back and bit down on the colorful stone. "CRUNCH" a burst of flavor filled her mouth delighting her senses with abandon she dug in muzzles full of gems then washing them down with buckets of ice cream and champagne. In the dark and quiet kitchen she feasted as Blue Blood stared on as a witness to the carnage of the ice box. Slurping and crunching away without a care in Equestria Rarity continued gorging and filling her mouth till the cavalry rolled through the doors in the form of Spike and the Elements of Harmony. "RARITY?" They all gasped seeing the mare with optional dragon features at no extra cost. "Hello darlings , These ruffians wished to take me from all this glorious food, gems, champagne and vanilla oat swirl , Sooo yummy". She looked at the others stone frozen solid like the old garden variety Lord of Chaos unmoving not a sound , Just looking. Just looking silent eyes fixed on the mare in the dark basking in the glow of the little yellow light of the refrigerator. "Why are you all so quiet? Spikey, Twilight why do you all look so...?" She looks at the dainty claws at the ends of her hooves and for the first time she notices the differences. "Oh dear , Spikey... Twilight. . . gals ? Please help me . . . "