Unwrapping the winter
Spike woke up in excellent mood, thinking that in less than a week the long waited day will come: the winter wrap-up. He still remembered how Twilight left him sleeping on a melting piece of ice floating on the lake. And now he was ready to take revenge on Twilight with his new powers and also make a good prank.
Smiling he went downstairs to meet Twilight.
“Morning Spike!” She greeted. “How you slept?”
“Fine Twi, thank you” smiled the dragon. “How about you?”
“I had some problems, with the winter wrap-up thing coming I spent almost the whole night planning and reorganizing and… I had like ten cups of coffee only to keep going. But I think I finally have it and I can barely wait for the day to come!”
“I think you should use your magic” said Spike spilling some milk on his jewel cereal. “Is faster and more practical. In fact I could do it by just clacking my fingers”
“I discussed it with Applejack already” said Twilight. “And there’s a reason to do it manually: it helps us to create bonds as a community. You should understand it Spike, and now than I think about it; you’re old enough to help now. Let me put you in a commission, after all Ponyville always suffer for your pranks and it’s a great time to give something back to the community you’ve been taking advantage all this months!”
Spike began to laugh loudly most to Twilight’s annoyance.
“AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! You have a future as a comedian Twi! Me, the Lord of Disharmony and Chaos helping the ponies? AHAHAHAHAHA! That’s a good one, then you’ll ask me to stop pranking ponies, HAHAHAHAHAHA!!”
Twilight rolled her eyes but said nothing, she knew he would react like that anyway.
They ate in silence for a while when suddenly the dragon expelled seven golden tickets with the Royal Stamp printed on it with his messenger breath.
“Ey what are these? Oh, tickets for the Great Galloping Gala! Sweet!”
“The Great Galloping Gala?” Asked Twilight. “But I thought Princess Celestia was still mad with you for the candy of all candies prank”
Spike shrugged when he expelled a note.
“Oh, I see. She says that even if we’re opponents and effectively she’s still mad at me; that doesn’t have to affect our friendship and she’ll love to see us all at the Gala”
“It sounds great” smiled Twilight. “I’m glad Princess Celestia is as kind as usual”
“Me too” said Spike examining the tickets.
Twilight smiled, yeah, she could already see that: she, Spike and her five friends having a great time at the Gala (this time trying to not to crash it) having the time of their lives.
But then she noticed Spike writing a thanking note and sent it along with one of the tickets.
“Spike! Why did you returned a ticket?”
The dragon looked at her confusedly.
“What you mean why? Because I only have five agents and I don’t want to live that incident of the extra ticket of course! No, I better give the tickets to my friends in persona and save the problem from now. Well, if you excuse me, I have five invitations for five friends. I’m sure they’ll love it”
And he ran happily leaving a very hurt alicorn behind.
“I know it wasn’t on purpose, but still hurts”
Back to Spike, he appeared on the clubhouse (or chaos headquarters) where his agents were already waiting for him.
“Ey Spike! We’re all here, what’s the new plan?” Asked Rumble.
“Yeah, we want to know” said Scootaloo. “I’m getting bored living without annoy the grownups, I need some action!”
“So… what’s the new idea Spike? Quick before we become good!” Demanded Apple Bloom.
“Please?” Smiled Sweetie Belle.
The dragon showed them the tickets to the Gala.
“In fact I have two new ideas. First, there’s another chance to show our big sisters which team is the best”
The team of foals smiled evilly.
“First, the Great Galloping Gala of two years ago is remembered as one of the worst of all times, a total disaster that nopony would ever surpass” explained Spike. “Our older sisters managed to create a disaster of epic proportions, now is our chance to create a bigger more disastrous… well, disaster”
“So we’re going to crash the party worse than them?” Asked Babs. “Good luck with that, according to the newspapers that was the worst Gala in history”
“Ey, it wasn’t entirely their fault” protested Apple Bloom. “Elegant ponies doesn’t have any sense of humor; they get mad for nothing, just innocent accidents”
“They don’t know how to have fun” agreed Sweetie Belle. “It was only a big misunderstanding, at least according to my sister”
Spike extended his claws releasing the black and purple energy of chaos.
“I know, most of the ponies aren’t allowed to an event like that; instead, the invitations are received by a bunch of ungrateful jerks. It’s time to change that, we’ll mess with mail to send the invitations to the ponies who really deserves them and then throwing them a party they’ll ever forget. Who’s with me?”
The team of chaos cheered and Spike did his move.
That was a memorable day on Equestria, the hard working ponies for all over the Kingdom received an invitation to the most expected event of the year instead of the nobility. And of course they were all totally thankful for the detail.
But getting back to Spike, he showed his team the fields covered in snow.
“Now to my second plan, are you ready to wrap the winter?”
Rumble frowned.
“Dude, don’t remember me that! My brother enrolled me on a commission to remove snow in small corners, who did he thinks he is?”
“Don’t tell me” complained Sweetie. “I’m stuck with my sister making stupid nests for stupid birds! And she doesn’t let me do anything!”
Spike nodded understanding.
“You’re lucky your replicas will do all the work for you since you’ll be too busy helping me… or do you prefer work?”
“PRANK!!” The agents said.
“Now we’re talking” smiled Rumble. “What’s the plan Spike?”
The dragon explained them his plan and soon enough they were laughing happily.
And then the day came, they reunited at four am in front of the town hall and began to play happily making a snowpony. As the old song said, they making him with a button nose and two eyes made of coal. Put a corn cob pipe on his mouth, it was ready.
“I introduce you, Frosty the snowpony!” Laughed Spike creating a top hat fully charged of the black and purple energy of chaos and putting it on the snowpony’s head.
The snowpony shook entirely blinking in surprise; alive as he could be.
“Oh! There must be some magic in that old silk hat you gave me!” Smiled Frosty. “How are you kids? It’s time to have some winter fun, don’t you think? Oh, but how rude from my part, allow me to introduce myself: I’m Frosty the snowpony”
The kids celebrated happily and played with their new creation after take their forms of chaos, unaware they were dangerously close from the local banker Sterling Silver; and from inside the elegant mansion, two fillies were watching their every move.
“I wish we could take a picture of them but the flash would betray us”
“We’ll have our chance later Diamond” said Silver Spoon. “But at least now we can tell for sure who they really are. Just wait, Cutie Mark Crusaders”
The two bullies made a high-hoof and went back to sleep, baby steps were better than nothing.
In the meantime the team of chaos were having fun until the sun came; and every pony woke up ready to wrap the winter as soon as possible. Mayor Mare was the first one to get ready and hung the official sign of the WINTER WRAP-UP in front of the town hall.
Frosty looked at the sign.
“Kids, what’s a winter wrap-up?”
Shadow Bloom looked at him faking surprise.
“You didn’t know? Every year, at this time, the grownups have this ceremony where they take out the snow, cut the ice to make it melt easier and brought warm breezes from the south!”
Frosty shouted scared.
“YOU MEAN THEY DESTROY THE WINTER! They can’t do it! Winter is the most especial and cuter season of the year; I don’t understand how they don’t appreciate it! NO, THEY CAN’T DO IT!”
“But what can we do Mr. Frosty?” Asked Sweetie innocently. “We totally understand you, we love winter… but the grownups are in charge and if they say the winter haves to go, it haves to go.
The snowponi frowned understanding, of course the children couldn’t do anything to save the winter, but he could. That’s why he was created on the first place.
“Don’t worry children, I’ll speak with the adults to make them understand. Winter must prevail”
When he left, the agents of chaos began to laugh, oh sweet Mr. Boss, this was going to be so damn funny.
And in the meantime, Twilight and the others were discussing the last minutes details:
“So we’ve considered and prevented delay in every possible scenario. Girls: I think we’re ready!”
“Finally!” Said Rainbow Dash. “It’s time to do the things in our way!”
“Remember you must move by sections Rainbow Dash, give me some time to wake the animals” asked Fluttershy softly.
The cyan Pegasus nodded, she already knew; and thanks to Twilight’s guidance, nothing would delay the ceremony of the winter wrap-up and they could start spring on schedule. But then a strange pony made completely by snow approached to the group.
“Excuse me, are you the ponies who want to ‘wrap’ the winter?” Asked the snowpony gently.
“Yes, it’s almost spring time” said Mayor Mare.
The snowpony made a small bow, then took a hoof from the brown mare and kissed it like a true gentlecolt.
“Oh, so it’s a pleasure to meet you ladies: my name is Frosty and I’m here to present a complaint: you can’t get rid of winter just like that, I know is cold and icy; but that’s precisely why ponies felt warmer on their hearts, everypony get closer during the winter. So that’s why I came here to politely ask you to stop this. Winter must prevail”
Rarity raised an eyebrow.
“Sir, I do compliment you for the costume, very original and all but I don’t understand your sense of humor. We all know winter must go like any other season”
The reveal was too shocking for Frosty.
“YOU MEAN ALL EQUESTRIA IS ON THIS? NO! UNFORGIBABLE! THIS CANNOT BE TOLERATE!”
Mayor Mare sighed and approached to the snowpony.
“Sir look: even if I do have some sense of humor this joke have gone too far. Would you be so kind to leave the town hall immediately?”
The snowpony bounced away slowly, but only a couple of meters.
“Of course I would leave, but only to do something about it, I cannot allow this, WINTER MUST PREVAIL!”
Frosty extened his forehooves making all the snow to crowd around him creating several copies of himself: an entire legion of snowponies who didn’t seem very happy about the idea of a Winter wrap-up.
“My brothers: we have a new mission: PROTECT WINTER AT ANY COST! We need to show everypony why this season must prevail, and to defend it whatever it takes!”
The snowponies made several snowballs and aimed it to the seven ponies in front of them, and began to attack them. The girls screamed and entered to the town hall to protect from the avalanche of snowballs.
Frosty turned to the agents of chaos.
“Don’t be afraid my children: I’ll go to the rest of Equestria to save winter. In the meantime my brothers will keep those meanies away”
The kids smiled to the creature, who bounced to Canterlot and once he was far enough, laughed as loud as they wanted.
From inside the town hall, Pinkie Pie giggled.
“Do you think is a good time?” Complained Applejack.
The pink pony pointed to the window.
“You know laugh is contagious, Applejack. I don’t know what the agents of chaos are laughing at but still it’s funny!”
Everypony facehoofed, of course!
“At least the little animals won’t mind to have a little more time to sleep” mumbled Fluttershy.
Mayor Mare just grinded her teeth.
“This is just great! After two years of having spring on time something had to come and two months of intense planning go to waste! Princess Sparkle, he’s your little brother, can’t you control him better? Look at Applejack or Rarity, their sisters cause some trouble but nothing like this!”
(The agents of chaos, with their senses hyper-incremented with the power of chaos, cracked out at this. Freaking hilarious!)
Twilight sighed.
“The problem is Spike is the god of chaos, ground him isn’t an option anymore”
Applejack fixed her hat.
“Perhaps, but he’s getting more annoying every time”
Twilight nodded.
“I know, right? But anyway, let’s go home and fix it with the Rainbow Powers”
And she teleported them to her Palace ready to the counterattack.
And in Canterlot, Luna looked at the window with a mug of hot chocolate laughing softly.
“What’s so funny Luna? Something interesting?
Luna nodded.
“Winter wrap-up”
“I see, and how is it going?”
“Bad, an army of snowponies is attacking the ponies and they have to retire”
Celestia rolled her eyes.
“Spike?”
“I guess so. Want some chocolate?”
Celestia closed her eyes sadly.
“I can’t. I tried to drink something yesterday but I couldn’t. now if you excuse me, I have to go back to the lab and work in the antidote”
Luna shook her head and continued enjoying the show. Now the ponies began to organize small armies and confronted the snowponies in a snow fight.
In Appleloosa:
“It’s over, spring must come!” Shouted Mayor Braeburn preparing a snowball. “If you want to play, we’ll show you how an appleloosian fight. Are you ready Chief Thunderhooves?”
The old buffalo and his army nodded.
“It’s time!”
“FOR SPRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!”
“FOR WINTEEEEEEEEER!!”
And a snow fight of epic proportions between ponies and buffalos and snowponies began; with everyone throwing snowballs to everyone.
“PREPARE, AIM, SNOW!!”
The fight kept going growing in intensity by seconds; and why not to admit it, the both ponies and the buffalos were having the time of their lives, and luckily for them their forces were equal so they all had a loooong battle before them.
Same thing happened on the Crystal Empire where civilians and the Royal Guard organized to create a resistance force strong enough to stop the advance of the snowponies but not completely defeat them.
“This is not for spring my comrades!” Said Shining Armor to encourage the army, “this is for our dignity to the freedom to have our next season without any delays. “So if we want to wrap the winter we have to fight, fight and keep fighting. FOR FREEEEDOOOOOOM!!”
“FOR FREEDOOOOOM!” Exclaimed the rest of the ponies.
And they fought, it was something very important for both sides; a snow fight of epic proportions that extended all over the world, (except for Reptilia, Kingdom of Dragons because it was a volcanic land and Frosty won’t dare to approach; the snowypony was passionate about his cause but he was no fool).
But moving back to Twilight and the others they finally got the Chest and extended the Rainbow Powers but it didn’t work. Like other times, Spike was getting smarter and this was not going to end so easily.
“As I suspected” said Twilight. “This time if we want to stop Spike we have to stop Frosty”
“And how we do that?” Asked Rainbow.
Twilight grinned and opened a drawer to show her friends small white crystals.
“Thanks to Spike’s challenges that are increasing in intensity I created these things, concentrated a small amount of our Harmony Powers in this small things, I call them ‘Harmony grenades’. Just throw on the floor to break it and a small harmony explosion will solve all our problems”
“Cool! now we only have to locate the damn snowpony, and there’s where I come” smiled Rainbow taking a few Harmony grenades. “I have the Weather Division under my charge, right? I’ll command them to find him”
“Good thinking” agreed Applejack. “And once you find him my snow-remover division will clear the way to get him faster”
“And then we can wake up the animals to help us to prevent the snowpony to escape” added Fluttershy happily.
Rarity considered for a moment, how her division and Pinkie’s could help in this? Then it came to her,
“I can design nests in specific colors to use them as signals between divisions at long distances: red, the area have being checked already and no signs of the snowpony; green we found him; and yellow unchecked area”
“Ey, that’s actually a good idea” said Rainbow Dash.
“I know darling” smiled Rarity.
“And we can melt ice to prevent him to escape too” said Pinkie Pie.
“Okay, are you all ready?” Asked Twilight. “Let’s move!”
They ran to townhall finding a spectacle nopony expected: the snow fight on its climax. Sighing to recover her patience, Twilight announced:
“ATTENTION PONIES! We have to move, everypony report to your Winter wrap-up division, we have a mission to accomplish in order to end this now. Children, you’ll be protecting Ponyville, keep those snowponies away!”
The foals cheered at this and duplicated their efforts in battle, in was the coolest Winter wrap-up ever!
The only ones who had reasons to complain were Diamond Tiara and Silver Spoon but because they didn’t want to support their archenemies the CMC now the team of chaos, anyway they were a case apart.
So finally the weather team leaded by Rainbow Dash and Thunder Lane flew to locate the snowpony who started all this, but they only bumped into more snow fights, signal that Frosty were there already.
“Don’t worry, sooner or later we’ll find him!” Cheered Thunder.
“I know, but if only we had at least one clue” mumbled Rainbow.
Then two shadows appeared above them. The two leaders looked up to find Dark and Mist smiling down to them.
“Oh, you’re close but as good bad guys this is as far as we’ll allow you advance” mocked Dark.
“So who wants have some fun?” said Mist.
Rainbow grinded her teeth facehoofing.
“I really hate those kids, especially Dark”
The so called Dark kicked one of her especial clouds, starting a chocolate ice cream rain on the weather team, making them split.
“Dang it, stay firm!” Commanded Rainbow Dash making all kind of maneuvers to stay clean. “You’ll pay for this kid, wait ‘til I know who you really are!”
As answer, Dark kicked an strawberry flavored cloud to intensify the attack. Rainbow was getting furious, but kept her mind cold.
“THUNDER! Go tell the other divisions we probably found Frosty, that we have problems with this brats of chaos!”
Thunder obeyed but Mist began to shoot him Neapolitan ice cream.
“Stop it, nopony wants ice cream on winter; go annoy somepony else!”
Dark nodded.
“He’s right Mist, instead of bothering him go and prepare the welcome committee for the ones coming on hoof!”
Mist grinned and flew to wake a few animals who owed favors to him while Thunder arrived with Applejack and Fluttershy.
“Yes Thunder?” Asked Fluttershy.
“We probably found Frosty but the agents of chaos won’t let us pass”
Applejack sighed.
“As always looking new forms to piss us off! Well thanks Thunder, let’s move”
They both guided their teams to the confrontation while Pinkie’s team began cut ice from behind the area to prevent the snowpony to leave it.
“Pinkie, I’ll support you in case we found another of Spike’s traps!” Said Twilight.
“Okey Dokey Lokey! But you must promise me you won’t try to skate”
Twilight rolled her eyes annoyed but nodded and ran with her. They ran until a spot Pinkie’s sixth sense warned her it was thin ice; but Twilight wasn’t that lucky and the ice cracked under her weight.
“PINKIE, HELP! IT’S TOO COLD!”
“On it Twi!” Said Twilight moving carefully, when her Pinkie-sense warned a giant snow ball was rolling downhill to her. She jumped out of the way but the ball turned and faced the pink pony again.
“Night!” Complained Pinkie Pie. “I’ll fight you later, but right now my friend is in trouble. Can we leave it for later?”
Night Seed, on the top of the giant snow ball, shook her head sadly.
“Sorry Pinkie, but I can’t let you help her?”
“But why?” Asked the pink pony looking at Twilight, struggling to get the edge. “She’s in trouble and she’s my friend!”
Then a shadow appeared behind Pinkie, when she turned she saw Spike sitting on his floating throne.
“Because watch her on this situation was the idea” explained the dragon. “Remember two years ago when she let me napping on the last piece of melting ice? Well, revenge is a dish best served cold… literally. I’ve waiting two years, two years to return her the favor and finally I did it!”
Twilight heard it and didn’t know what was worst, the fact that Spike was that resentful or that she wasn’t in position to complain. But she finally got the edge and dried her fur magically.
“I get it, you had your revenge Spike. Now stop this”
“Sorry Twi, but I can’t. I’m not creating this, is Frosty”
“Frosty is your creation! And you’re annoying everypony with this prank!”
“As I suppose to, I’m the lord of disharmony and chaos” said Spike, “but I’m not annoying almost anyone. Let’s take a look!”
He created a fog-screen where the three of them witnessed how fun was having everypony on that snow battle. Everypony since the younger to the older were having a great time practically playing with the snowpony army.
No one was upset, they were just having good fun.
“See?” Said a fourth voice. Frosty’s.
“See what?” Asked Twilight.
“The winter, the power of winter: only good fun! See? There’s no one who is not having the time of their lives playing in the snow with my army. I’m the kind of pony who teaches with the example and I couldn’t thought in nothing better than this: a game for all Equestria that reminds ponies why they must preserve winter!”
Pinkie giggled happily.
“Is a good thinking Mr. Snowpony but it has a problem”
“Problem? What problem? Winter is great, period. What kind of problem could it have?”
Pinkie smiled warmly to him.
“This battle will live on everyponies’ hearts forever, Mr. Snowpony, but if we do as you say and stay in winter forever and ever, the memory will slowly lose its magic because it’ll become something so common that everypony will be sick of it”
The pony was shocked by the reveal, it actually made sense. Twilight intervened.
“Not to mention we’ll be unable to produce food and…”
Pinkie placed a hoof on her mouth.
“Not helping Twily, shut up for a while, okay?” Then she turned back to Frosty. “Mr. Snowpony, winter is magical because it’s short, is something different that makes us warmer on the inside. You don’t want it to lose its magic, right?”
“Of course not!”
“Then if you truly love winter, you must let it go”
The snowpony nodded and extended his hooves. Immediately all the snowpony army melted and the winter began to slowly retire.
“Wait! You’re wrapping the winter all by yourself?” Asked Twilight surprised.
Frosty ignored Twilight and bowed to Pinkie.
“Miss Pink Pony, the hat is what keeps me alive, remove it and I’ll go to sleep until you place it into another body. When the time come, would you be so kind to bring me back to life? Please…”
“I don’t promise, I Pinkie-promise” said Pinkie taking the hat.
When Pinkie took off his hat, Frosty melted until next year. And everypony except Twilight let escape a tear.
“Wow, I feel so bad for him” said Pinkie. “He was nice”
Spike nodded.
“Yeah, this is the first time I use my powers to create intelligent life… and I must say he was pretty cool, I mean, he even left us a good message”
“And the best part is that we’ll count with him next winter” said Night.
Twilight shook her head in surprise.
“Spike! You’re telling me that he was actually alive?”
Spike nodded.
“Interesting, right? I didn’t knew until I spoke with the others lords of chaos on the Christmas party that I’m able to create intelligent life with my powers”
“And next winter I’m going to wake him!” Cheered Pinkie. “I have the feeling that from now on winters will be great with him on our side”
Then they returned home to warm up and enjoy the spring that came on time even if they had their problems.
At the next day, for everyponies’ surprise, Celestia paid a small visit to Twilight.
“Princess Celestia! What are you doing here?” Asked Twilight.
She smiled and offered the purple alicorn six golden tickets.
“I came to bring you this, a little ago I sent ones to Spike but he wrote me back saying that he’ll assist the Gala no with you six but his team so if I wanted you to come I should bring you the tickets myself. So here I am·
Twilight admired the tickets.
“Unbelievable, this is…”
“Do you really think I forget about you, Twi?” Asked the dragon on his floating throne. “No, I just thought it would be nice to each one assists the Gala with our own group of friends”
Princess Celestia chuckled.
“I’m looking forward to see what you planned for that night Spike. I’m ready for everything”
“Good, because we’ll create the mother of all disasters” said Spike grinning.