As Doomsday continued to run northward, the Windigos continued to pursue him. After noticing the creatures were intangible and he could not attack them (even his heat vision just went through them and mildly annoyed them), he decided to retreat. Similarly, the Windigos noticed that they were no longer capable of freezing Doomsday in place, as his body had already adapted to their ice. Every time they tried, his body would either heat up with a Solar Pulse or he would simply shatter the ice with his unmatched strength. It did not really matter to them; as long as they stayed near him, they were able to feed from his everlasting hatred and rage to sustain them and fuel their ice abilities. Although Doomsday could move even faster than Superman could, the Windigos started freezing everything around him, forcing him to stop every few seconds to knock aside massive walls of ice and get through deep snow banks. As he continued northward, they remained a minute or two away. Fortunately, they did not pass by any inhabited areas.
Princess Cadence and some of her guards anxiously waited at the Crystal Empire’s northern gate. It was around noon when she spotted three things in the distance. They were a palanquin loaded with gifts, Prince Blueblood, and her husband Prince Shining Armor.
“Shiny!”
Squealing with joy, she flew out to meet them halfway, her guards close behind her.
Shining, Blueblood, and the servants carrying the palanquin stopped to catch their breaths for a few seconds, then Shining Armor hugged and addressed his wife.
“Take it easy honey, mind our baby.”
“Oh Shiny! Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean I’m fragile!”
“All right, I won’t underestimate you again.”
“So boys, how did the diplomatic meeting with Yakyakistan go?”
Shining was about to answer, but Blueblood cut him off and presented a contract.
“I have secured a trade deal with Prince Rutherford. I have to admit, it was a fun experience.”
Cadence stared at him in disbelief, but Shining backed him up.
“It’s true. I was there. So did you take care of that emergency that needed all four princesses? What was that, anyway?”
“Well, some aspiring wizard named Morning Glory living alone in the wilderness botched a spell and inadvertently summoned three out of control Tatzlwurms! They were tough, but we managed to defeat them and send them back where they came from after a few hours. We lectured him about his mistake and he promised to be more careful next time.”
Blueblood whistled.
“That’s very impressive.”
He turned to Shining.
“My fellow prince, you sure know how to pick em. Err, I’m still pissed you two held the wedding while I was on that diplomatic meeting with Aquastria and didn’t send me a message. I didn’t find out until I came home.”
Shining squirmed uncomfortably.
“At least you didn’t have to suffer the Changeling Invasion. Can we just go home? I’d like to have lunch and rest now.”
“Heh, sounds like a plan.”
Blueblood turned to his servants.
“Once you drop my gifts off at the palace and have lunch, feel free to do whatever you like for the day. We will return to Canterlot on the train tomorrow.”
They were all very happy.
“Thank you, Prince Blueblood!”
They all started walking back to the northern gate.
Doomsday continued to run. As he passed over the train tracks, his super strong hoofsteps mangled them into uselessness and then the Windigos froze them over. Eventually, he reached an area where the grass ended and natural snow began. Seeing an opportunity, the Windigos used the clouds around them to bolster their abilities and try to freeze him in place again.
His acquired immunity prevented it from working, but he could still feel uncomfortable and annoyed. He picked up the pace, again trying to escape these annoying creatures he could not fight and trying to find others he could unleash his wrath on. He passed over a severed red horn buried in the snow, and his slipstream uncovered it. After a few seconds, it began to shake and emit wisps of dark energy…
In the Crystal Empire, the train had just arrived and Miss Cheerilee led her class on their field trip.
“All right, my little ponies, stick together and do not wander off.”
“Yes, Miss Cheerilee!”
“All right, let’s go!”
Before they could take another step, cold wind started howling and a mighty roar echoed. They heard earth and metal being broken and then frozen over and looked behind them to see a snowstorm was entering the boundary separating the Empire from the eternal blizzard. They could barely see a large pony-like shape inside. It was covered with spikes, roaring, and charging through the blizzard towards them.
Diamond Tiara quickly grabbed Pipsqueak’s tail with her mouth and flipped him onto her back (he’s very tiny compared to her), then took charge with her special talent of leadership.
“Don’t just stand there, everypony! Run!”
The class, the other tourists, and the Crystal Ponies took the hint and ran for their lives. Doomsday knocked the train on its side, then smashed the surrounding buildings to rubble. The rubble and train were quickly frozen over.
The three royals had just finished their lunch the castle’s courtyard when they heard a distant roar, a snowstorm, and stone and crystal breaking.
“What was that!?”
A Royal Guard with a Cutie Mark of a bird in flight with wind lines blowing across from it flew in and reported.
“Your Majesties, Windigos have breached the Crystal Empire’s protective wards. They’ve frozen the train station and are moving inward. There's also a madpony who arrived with them, a very large grey Earth Pony stallion with a white mane and covered with spikes. He's very strong and is smashing and setting everything on fire. He’s already destroyed the train station. The guards have mobilized and are helping the citizens evacuate to the palace.”
The three royals gasped in shock, then Cadence regained her wits first.
“Thank you, Cross Wind. Go and help the others. We will join you shortly.”
Cross Wind saluted and flew off. Shining Armor turned to the other two.
“Should we contact the other princesses?”
Cadence shook her head.
“We cannot bother them over every little thing. My love magic on its own should be enough to drive away the Windigos. Help the guards evacuate the citizens and try to incapacitate this stallion Cross Wind mentioned. Based on his description, he may be the one who attracted the Windigos here.”
Blueblood looked ahead, using his special talent of almost always finding what he was looking for. He used a telescopic vision and X-Ray vision spell to locate Doomsday.
“That stallion is currently tearing up 1st Street. That guard was right, he’s huge! And he seems to be setting things on fire just by looking at them. Heh, it’s ironic, the Windigos are putting out his fires almost as soon as he starts them. He seems to be yelling at them and trying, unsuccessfully, to hit them. I guess he didn’t attract them on purpose. Okay, the good news: there seem to be no citizens in the area. The bad news: the guards are trying to talk to him and he’s not listening, lashing out at anypony who comes near. How odd, he’s acting like a berserk bear or gorilla rather than a pony. Well, come along, my fellow prince, the guards need help.”
Cadence was stunned.
“Y-You actually want to help fight?”
Blueblood grunted in annoyance.
“Just because I don’t normally like to get my hooves dirty doesn’t mean I can’t fight. What kind of prince would I be if I just stood here and let the subjects get hurt? Besides, the train has been taken out, so my servants and I are stuck here for the time being.”
Shining Armor had an epiphany.
“Blueblood, where exactly is the madpony standing? Are there any buildings or structures between him and the Crystal Empire’s border?”
“Huh? No. Why?”
“Cadence, remember how we beat the Changeling Invasion?”
Cadence thought about it for a second, then smirked.
“Ready when you are, my darling.”
Blueblood watched in fascination as the pair touched horns and combined their energies. They unleashed a powerful force field spell augmented with love magic. As it quickly expanded outward, Blueblood got scared and shielded himself with his arm, only for the force field to harmlessly pass through him. Throughout the Crystal Empire, various citizens and tourists, including Miss Cheerilee’s class, were filled with hope and happiness as the force field passed through them.
On 1st Street, the guards cheered as the force field passed through them. The Windigoes, sensing that the force field’s love energy would be as hazardous to them as the Fires of Friendship from a millennium ago, retreated. Doomsday stared in confusion as the expanding force field hit him head-on. However, he did not get sent flying to the horizon like Queen Chrysalis and the Changelings did at the Royal Wedding. He instead dug his hooves through the concrete and held his ground. He roared in defiance as the force field shoved him along the ground, his hooves creating trenches in the concrete.
The force field stopped expanding when it reached the border of the Crystal Empire. When Doomsday stopped sliding back, he got up and angrily marched up to it. The guards barely had a chance to catch their breath before Doomsday punched the force field. A BOOM resonated through the land. Then another and another as the force field cracked. On the fourth punch, the force field shattered into a million pieces and dissipated. Shining Armor and Cadence cried out in pain and were both knocked unconscious by the feedback to their horns.
As the Windigos returned and resumed their attack on the Crystal Empire, the guards groaned and prepared to take on Doomsday again. However, he was more angry about the force field and with his telescopic vision, traced its source. He bypassed the guards by leaping over their heads and across the Empire. Miss Cheerilee’s class, which was slowly being escorted along with several citizens to the castle, looked up in fear and shock as Doomsday passed over their heads. Button Mash hugged Sweetie Belle and covered her with his body as Doomsday clipped a roof, sending a little debris down.
Prince Blueblood, who had been watching all of this with his own telescopic vision, panicked when he saw Doomsday traveling through the air towards them.
“Oh crap!”
He turned to his servants.
“Run! Get to shelter!”
As his servants and the castle’s staff followed his advice, he quickly hoisted Cadence onto his back and picked up Shining Armor with his telekinesis, grunting a little from the effort, then ran as fast as he could, trying to get inside the castle. Unfortunately, he didn’t get far when Doomsday landed in the courtyard with a thunderous crash, knocking him off his feet. With all of his effort, Blueblood stopped Cadence from hitting the ground with his telekinesis, mindful of her unborn foal, but this made Shining Armor hit the ground hard and groan in pain.
Doomsday roared, which echoed through the land. Blueblood growled and held his ground, standing over his unconscious fellow royals.
“You want a piece of me, monster!? Just try it!”
Just as he charged up his horn and prepared a blast, the Pegasus members of the Royal Guard showed up, tugging along with great difficulty, a large storm cloud that had ironically been created by the Windigos. Lieutenant Flash Sentry gave a battle cry.
“Light em up!”
As one, they kicked the cloud, unleashing a gigantic lightning bolt that scored a direct hit on Doomsday. However, Doomsday had previously been hit with Captain and Lady Marvel’s lightning, so it barely phased him. He glared at the assembled Pegasi.
“WEAK!!!”
He unleashed a three meter wide blast of heat vision. The guards scattered, but the beam destroyed the storm cloud. Several guards tried to tackle Doomsday, except for Flash, who remembered how physically strong he was.
“Guys, don’t! Come back!”
Before they could reach him, he unleashed a Solar Pulse. It sent the guards flying, singed their fur, and left them unconscious. Flash drew his spear between his fetlock and pastern and stood between the monster and the royals. Blueblood looked around and levitated a guard’s sword to himself. Doomsday growled and marched towards them. Blueblood nervously addressed Flash.
“Any ideas?”
“Just one. Revive our Prince and Princess, and get them to the Crystal Heart. It may be our only chance.”
“What in the world is the Crystal… oh never mind, I’ll just ask them.”
As Blueblood tried to wake Cadence and Shining Armor up, Flash Sentry moved to the side, keeping Doomsday’ attention on him.
“Come and get me!”
Doomsday fired his heat vision, but Flash evaded it and the beam demolished a wall. Flash threw his spear, but it broke against Doomsday’s chest. Doomsday then concentrated a Solar Pulse into one hoof and stomped the ground. The impact had the force of a miniature nuke, and Flash was sent hurtling into a wall.
Doomsday turned his attention to Blueblood. Blueblood hurled his acquired sword, but it also broke on contact. Blueblood desperately fired a continuous blast from his horn, but to Doomsday, it was like a stream from a garden hose. Doomsday ignored it and charged up his heat vision.
Flash Sentry groaned and tried to shake the cobwebs from his impact with the wall, then saw what was happening. Horrified, he drew his short sword between his fetlock and pastern and charged it with as much mana as he could. It was a similar principle to the Wing Blade spell, and he was sure using it on his wings wouldn’t be enough. Just as Doomsday was about to fire, Flash covered about 50 meters in an instant and slashed him across the throat. The fires in Doomsday’s eyes went out, and he fell over, not moving. Just a little blood came out of the wound before it stopped flowing, and it ate a small hole through the ground like acid.
Blueblood looked at Doomsday’s body and then Flash and shuddered.
“Sweet Celestia. You killed him.”
Flash looked down sadly, trying to catch his breath.
“I wish there could have been another way, but I had to do something or else he would have incinerated all three of you.”
“It’s all right, the law says killing is justified for self-defense or to save another. By the way that was really impressive how you reached him in an instant. I haven’t seen many Pegasi who can fly so fast.”
Flash sighed.
“It’s my special talent, to almost always arrive in time to protect others. It’s why my name is Flash Sentry.”
“Heh, catchy and meaningful. One thing for sure, after the Windigos are stopped, you’re getting a raise.”
The two started laughing, but it was short lived when they heard a growl. They turned around in horror to find Doomsday getting up, and the slash across his throat was gone.
“YOU WILL PAY FOR THAT!!!”
Flash drew his sword again, but in an instant, Doomsday was standing behind him, having punched his right wing clean off. Flash was silent for a second before it registered for him, then he gave a bloodcurdling scream and collapsed, dropping his sword. A horrified Blueblood fought his urge to vomit.
“Oh no, Flash!”
Doomsday stood over the ailing Flash and prepared to stomp his brains out, only to find himself inside a force field bubble and lifted into the air. Prince Shining Armor and Princess Cadence had finally awoken. As Cadence applied a minor healing spell to Flash to stop his bleeding, Shining Armor tried to lift Doomsday out of the Empire, but Doomsday punched the bubble and shattered it, dropping to the ground. This time, Shining Armor was ready for the feedback and it only gave him a headache.
As Cadence started carrying the unconscious Flash inside, Shining Armor and Blueblood stood against Doomsday. The Windigos were spreading through the city and partially blocking the sun with their storm clouds. The other Royal Guards stopped Cheerilee’s class and the other citizens and started backing them away when they saw what was happening in the courtyard.
Just as Doomsday was about to lunge, a feminine battle cry sounded as something flew down and landed near the two princes. The dust cleared to reveal an exhausted Daring Do, along with Trixie Lulamoon and Maud Pie. They were all a little chilled from having to fly through the snowy mountains and then the Windigos’ storm. The latter two let Daring collapse and try to catch her breath as they joined the two princes. The two princes nodded to them, glad for some backup and deciding to ask questions later, but Blueblood couldn't help but look back at Daring Do, fascinated.
Scootaloo jumped on a guard’s head and could barely contain her excitement. She jumped off and tried to get closer.
“I can’t believe it, it’s Daring Do!”
“Scootaloo, come back!”
Applebloom, Sweetie Belle, and Button Mash pulled her back to the others, in spite of her protests.
Doomsday growled as he looked at all present, but did a double take when he beheld Maud.
“MAUD, THAT’S MY JACKET… NO, WAIT. DAMN IT!!! DAMN IT!!!"
Everypony was bewildered as he punched himself in the face before facing them again, but Maud stepped forward.
“Clark!”
“I AM NOT CLARK!!! I AM DOOMSDAY!!!”
Maud held her ground as everypony else was blown back by his breath and volume.
“If you’re not Clark, why did you recognize me? Why did you recognize this jacket?”
Doomsday gritted his teeth.
“WE SHARE A BODY, AND HIS MEMORIES ARE BLEEDING THROUGH. I HATE IT!!! I HATE IT!!! I AM FEELING… DESIRES… COMPASSION… LOVE…"
His face grew wistful for a moment, before it became angry again.
“AND IT DISGUSTS ME!!!”
“How did this happen? How are you two sharing a body?”
“THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT!!! WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS THAT THE GRIEF AND ANGER HE FELT FROM MAXIMA’S DEATH WEAKENED CLARK ENOUGH FOR ME TO AWAKEN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A CENTURY, THEN THAT STUPID BITCH CHRYSALIS STEALING HIS LOVE FOR HER ALLOWED ME TO TAKE CONTROL!!! AND NOW IT IS CLEAR TO ME!!! MAUD!!! ONCE YOU DIE, I WILL BE FREE FOREVER!!!"
He leaped at her, but Trixie, Shining Armor, Cadence, and Blueblood blasted him simultaneously, knocking him back. He prepared to try again, but Trixie quickly cast a spell and seemingly everypony vanished from sight.
"WHERE DID THEY GO!!!"
Little did he know, they were still in their original spots. Trixie whispered to the others.
“I’ve turned us all invisible. What’s the plan?”
“I HEARD THAT!!!"
Doomsday melted down a crystal building with his heat vision… missing everypony by a mile.
“Heh. I can make my illusions redirect sound as well.”
“YOU WILL BURN!!!”
Doomsday fired his heat vision and missed again, then started firing in random directions. He was so frustrated that he didn’t think to sweep his heat vision or otherwise use his abilities tactically to flush his invisible prey out. As the guards escorted the citizens away and kept them from panicking, Trixie sagged with fatigue.
“Drat. I can’t keep this up forever. Somepony do something.”
Cadence stepped up, having retrieved the Crystal Heart with her telekinesis. The others stared in awe of its beauty.
“From what I could gather, this being was spawned from hate. This is the Crystal Heart. It amplifies the love in our hearts and expels it outwards. I have a feeling this can take down Doomsday and the Windigos in one stroke.”
Upon hearing this, Doomsday became terrified and desperately channeled a Solar Pulse into a stomp. The shockwave knocked everypony off their feet, except Maud who caught the Crystal Heart with her front hooves before it fell to the ground. She turned to Trixie.
“Turn off the illusion.”
“Are you sure?”
“Do it!”
Trixie reluctantly dispelled her illusion and everypony became visible to Doomsday again. Before he could react, Maud stepped forward with the Crystal Heart.
“Clark, come back to us!”
The Crystal Heart fired a continuous beam of white energy at Doomsday, who roared in pain and struggled not to get bowled over. He struggled and started walking forward, against the beam.
“I WILL NOT DISAPPEAR!!!”
Cadence put a hoof on Maud’s back, helping keep her from being blown back by the recoil. She spoke in the Royal Canterlot Voice.
“She needs help! Everypony, think of love, hope, and happiness!”
Everypony in the Crystal Empire did this. The Crystal Heart reacted and released a blast of white energy in every direction, filling the entire land with light. Doomsday attempted to block it with a Solar Pulse, but it didn’t work and he screamed in pain and rage as it washed over him. The Windigos were forced to retreat from the Crystal Empire as the blast burned away at the stragglers. A majority of the ice covering the Crystal Empire shattered.
Everypony looked on in amazement at the fact that their bodies all looked crystalline. Cadence chuckled.
“Don’t worry everypony, it’s a temporary effect.”
Cheerilee’s class started talking amongst themselves.
“Wow, I guess you really can call me Diamond Tiara now.”
“You look so beautiful!”
“Thank you, Pipsqueak.”
"Sweetie Belle, you look like a princess."
"Oh, Button!"
They nuzzled. The rest of the class and Cheerilee celebrated.
Daring Do got up with a start.
“Woah, it’s like I chugged a dozen cups of coffee!”
Trixie grinned at her friend.
“It’s like that for me too. I think my magic reserves have been restored. Thanks be to the Crystal Heart.”
Flash Sentry got up and groaned. He was in no pain, but he was having a little trouble keeping his balance, and everypony saw that he was still missing his right wing. Trixie sprang into action.
“Sir, let me help you with that.”
She touched her horn to his stump and applied the healing spell Clark had shown her. At first, nothing happened, but she gritted her teeth and poured more energy into it. To everypony’s amazement, his wing regenerated until it was good as new. Flash suddenly lifted Trixie into the air with a hug.
“Thank you, miss! Thank you!”
He suddenly realized what he was doing and gently lowered her to the ground, embarrassed.
“It’s not a problem.”
Trixie was blushing too, and slowly walked away. Cadence chuckled, already able to see the signs.
Maud had been inspecting her body due to her fascination with all things rock related when the realization hit her like a ton of bricks.
“Clark!”
She ran up to the unconscious, Blank Flanked Earth Pony who lay where Doomsday had been standing just moments ago and checked his pulse.
“Thank Celestia, he’s alive.”
She put her arms around him and sighed in relief.
“Ahem. I believe an explanation is in order.”
She looked up to see Shining Armor looking at them sternly. Daring Do walked up and stood by her side.
“I’ll handle this. This is Clark. He’s a friend of ours who claims he’s from another world. We’re inclined to believe him as he’s displayed amazing abilities. We all got captured by the Changelings yesterday. When Queen Chrysalis drained Clark’s love, it caused him to transform into this Doomsday creature. Like Princess Cadence said, it might have been spawned from his hate or something like that.”
Cadence and Shining Armor gasped at this news, while Blueblood stared at her with open admiration. Trixie suddenly remembered something and reached into Clark’s saddlebags with her telekinesis.
“By the way, we’ve caught these two criminals.”
She pulled the still unconscious Caballeron and Ahuizotl out and laid them on the ground.
“They need medical attention and water, then to be locked up.”
Cadence held up a hoof.
“This is getting a little too complicated. I’m sending a message to the other three princesses.”
Blueblood lifted Caballeron with his telekinesis while some of the guards carried Ahuizotl.
“Go ahead. I’ll escort these two to the infirmary and then the dungeon. Let’s face it, I want to feel like I’ve accomplished something today.”
Daring Do joined him.
“They’re my archenemies. I’m not letting them out of my sight.”
“Suit yourself.”
As they walked away, Blueblood tried some small talk.
“I can’t help but notice we have similar Cutie Marks.”
“Well, mine’s a compass because I like exploring.”
“Mine’s a compass because I am good at finding things.”
Cadence shook her head.
“Unbelievable.”
Sometimes she regretted being the Princess of Love.
As Flash and some other guards lifted Clark out of a reluctant Maud’s arms and carried him into the palace, Shining and her surveyed the situation. Shining addressed the crowd.
“My apologies, but since the train station has been destroyed, rooms will be provided for all of you until further notice.”
Several tourists groaned, but Cheerilee’s class celebrated at getting to stay in the Crystal Empire longer.