//------------------------------//
// Chapter 9 
// Story: Crown of Winter 
// by CartoonNerd12 
//------------------------------//

Cannon Fire and Pen Pusher were relaxing in their suite when a knock came at the door.

"Come in." Cannon said, but he soon regretted it when two certain princesses came in.

Pen groaned, "Let me guess: you're going to tell us off again, aren't you?"

Star and Cotton stated, "No." They gave off looks of guilt.

Starling spoke, "We came to apologize."

The boys looked at each other with shock.

"Excuse me?" Cannon questioned.

Cotton nodded her head sadly, "Yes. We realize now how wrong we have been…"

Starling explained, "After what you told us this afternoon, we went to my mother to find the papers you had given to her. Everything you said made sense."

"Never had we felt so ashamed of ourselves…" Cotton shed a tear.

"We were so caught up by the fact so many suitors lied to us that we were paranoid by the possibility of a prince coming to see us without having to fill out a form. We jumped to conclusions. I hope you can find it in your hearts to forgive us for acting so rudely toward you."

"And thank you for not telling our parents how poorly we behaved to you. I know it would have upset my parents." Cotton gave a sad smile.

"We are so sorry." they both said.

The boys didn't know what to say. Then Cannon said, "Well… given the circumstances of your situation, it's quite understandable. I agree that finding someone to love when you're royalty is hard. How can anyone love you for you?"

"Yes!" the girls said while beaming.

Pen said, "It'll take time, but we can forgive your accusations."

Cannon said, "At least we can part on good terms when my companion and I leave in a couple of days."

Starling cringed, "About that… I took a good look at the papers and what you're suggesting may take more than a couple of days. It could take weeks before Mother's advisors make a decision and she has the final say. Just don't be surprised when she tells you you'll need to stay a while."

The boys got in a huddle.

Pen started, "So… they're sorry and we're stuck for a few more days…"

"Might as well…"

They turned back with Cannon saying, "If you'll have us, we'll stay."

They smiled.

Cotton held her hoof out, "Let's start over. I'm Princess Cotton Candy, daughter of Princess Pinkie Pie and Prince Cheese Sandwich."

Cannon gave a small smile and shook her hoof, "Prince Cannon Fire of Maretonia."

Starling shook hooves with Pen. "Princess Starling."

"Ambassador Pen Pusher."

The duos stood there for a moment and lingered on the pony in front of them before moving to the other.

Then the girls shook hooves and giggled.

The boys were confused by their carefree nature.

Pen addressed it, "You princesses don't really seem to care about protocol that much…"

"That's because we don't have be proper all the time!" pointed Cotton.

"That's right. We're in the privacy of our own home, so we don't need to act like princesses right now."

Cannon mentioned, "Well, even when I'm at home, I have to stay in my position. I think the only time I don't have to be is when I go to sleep."

Cotton gasped, "No!"

Pen motioned, "We grew up during wartime in our country, so it was important that ponies were trained so they could serve their country when they were old enough. It wasn't until five years ago that the war ended, but for us, duty still comes first."

Star covered her mouth.

Cotton uttered, "So… you guys don't know how to have fun?"

They both said, "Uh… no."

The girls gave them strange looks before Cotton said, "This is going to take some work."




"Snow Pea, look!" Little Button then blew into a conch shell. She, her sister, and her cousins were collecting seashells, a hobby they started ever since they were little. "I'm calling the kelpies just like you and Mom did!"

Even though her little sister was a teenager now, Snow Pea couldn't help but laugh at her amusing jokes. Just before their mother could marry their father, kelpies saved her life. The magical sea creatures gave her a conch shell to use in times of trouble. Sweetie Belle had used it once to call upon them to thwart Caballeron. Years later during the darkness, Snow Pea had used her mom's conch shell to call the sea creatures, but the power of the Fire Tiara amplified the blow to reduce the skeleton ponies to piles of bones.

Roller Blade joked, "Yeah, I bet your call really meant 'I'm wearing a banana on my head and dancing on hot stones till dawn'."

All of them laughed at his joke.

Skater remarked, "You're a real funny one, Blade. Real funny."

A voice then said, "I don't think that made sense."

The cousins turned towards Rock Salt, who was just walking down to the beach.

Little Button said, "You need to lighten up once in a while, Rocky."

Rock Salt gave an irritated groan.

Skater clarified, "Besides, it's kind of an inside joke. Other ponies wouldn't get it."

Rock Salt pointed to himself, "Including me?"

LB offered, "Well, if we do something funny together, maybe we could have an in-joke with you."

"I'm not really into jokes, Your Highness. Thank you for the offer, though."

Apple Butter, "Oh, Rock Salt, we've known each other since we were kids. You should drop the formalities by now."

Snow Pea said, "He's just trying to impress us with his politeness."

Rock Salt pointed out, "Like with the suitors at Canterlot? Yeah, I heard. I feel bad for your cousins. They're not going to be able to choose their loves out of free will."

Snowy clarified, "Well, it's partially free will. However, their parents will be keeping a close eye on them just to make sure they don't choose the wrong ponies."

"What's the matter? Don't their moms and dads trust them to make their own choices?"

LB said, "Well, our moms and dads trust us with our own decisions. Considering what Dad went through, he thought it was fair we didn't experience the same thing ourselves."

Rock Salt asked, "Wait a minute. What your dad went through? What exactly was that?"

LB took a deep breath, just like she learned from her Aunt Pinkie Pie, and explained, "Grandma set up a contest for every princess for a chance to be Dad's bride. Mom, Aunt Apple Bloom, and Aunt Scootaloo were in the contest, but Mom and Dad fell in love before she even won. So when a princess got jealous, she tried to get rid of Mom and almost married Dad. Luckily, Mom saved the day and then she and Dad lived happily ever after!" She gave a breathless sigh before collapsing onto the sand.

Rock Salt just stood there speechless until he said, "Let me get this straight: your dad almost married a mare he barely knew?"

Snow Pea said, "Yes, but thankfully, he got to know Mom before the winner was even decided."

"Well, I'd call it lucky."

Just then, Roller Blade looked out at the sea and saw something strange. He pointed at the object while he asked, "Um, Snowy? Did you make that?"

The rest of the ponies looked in the direction he was facing. To their shock, a huge ice floe was floating in the sea.

Horror filled Snow Pea's heart as she breathed, "Oh, no…The prophecy…It's happening."

Rock Salt asked, "The what?"

"I gotta go!" She then ran off towards the palace in fright.

He asked the others, "What's this about a prophecy?"

The cousins all looked at each other before Skater sighed, "I think you better sit down. It's going to be a long story."

As soon as Rock Salt sat down, LB explained, "Windigos are after her."

Rock Salt was flabbergasted as he sputtered, "The Windigos? Aren't they supposed to be a legend?"

Skater said, "They're not so much of a legend when a pony has snow powers because of them."

Apple Butter nodded, "They're how Snow Pea has magic like that in the first place."

Roller Blade said, "Lil, you're her sister. Maybe it's best that you tell him everything."

LB nodded, "Okay." She turned to Rock Salt and explained, "So basically, Mom was taken by the Windigos because they wanted her unborn baby to be their vessel for snowy destruction. When Mom tried to escape, she pricked her hoof on an ice crystal and almost froze to death. Dad then struck a deal with the Windigos that in exchange for letting Mom live, their baby would possess snow powers. That's why Snow Pea has her wintery magic. By the time the darkness struck the land, Snowy and some of the other relatives went to Yakyakistan for help. They met a wise shaman by the name of Olaf and he told her about the prophecy."

Rock Salt commented, "Ah. So this is when the prophecy comes into play."

"Anyway, Olaf told Snowy that she'd get rid of the Windigos, but she'd have to strike her hoof three times and destroy time. If she doesn't, the Windigos would force her to become their queen and freeze Equestria over."

Rock Salt whistled, "Sounds like a no-win situation."

Roller Blade remarked, "You're telling us."

"So, does that ice floe have anything to do with these Windigos?"

Apple Butter said, "It might be a sign that the Windigos are planning to kidnap her sometime soon."

Skater added, "Yeah. It was part of the prophecy."

Rock Salt said in disgust, "That's sick!"

Roller said, "I said the same thing."

LB said, "I want to see if Snowy's doing all right. Want to come?"

While her cousins nodded, Rock Salt said, "It shall be my duty to protect you and your sister as much as possible."

LB smiled, "Thanks, Rocky. That means a lot to us."

Rock Salt wanted to protest against it, but now that he had just learned Snow Pea's history, he was more concerned about her welfare and saving Equestria from icy doom.