Crown of Winter

by CartoonNerd12

Chapter 19

Screw Ball was about to enter the labyrinth when a gust of wind blew her propeller hat off and she had to chase after it. It then stopped at an old shack.

"That's weird." she said as she put her hat back on, "That wasn't here before."

Gemstone looked at it with disgust, "It's so old! And a hazard! Surely, someone could get hurt if this thing fell!"

"Relax. With my magic, I should be able to keep it steady while we look inside." She opened the door as it let out a creak. But once the door went wide open, she gasped in horror at the sight before her. There was her father, trapped in stone. He had a gleeful expression on while having one hand up and the other on his chest. She kept staring at the sight as hot tears welled up in her eyes.

Gemstone covered her mouth in shock. She knew her uncle had been imprisoned in stone before, but to actually see it right before her eyes was upsetting. Moth Ball was taken aback, too, and thought of his mother if she was imprisoned in such a way. Sure, she deserved to be punished, but anything would be better than this.

Screw Ball slowly approached the statue and touched the stone block under his inanimate feet, releasing her tears while uttering, "Daddy… Oh, Daddy…"

Moth Ball carefully went up to her and set a hoof on her shoulder. He whispered, "I'm sorry…"

She looked back at him with glistening eyes, went to his chest, and cried into it.

Moth Ball was taken aback by the closeness, but he slowly wrapped his hooves around her. Screw Ball could hear pounding coming from his chest and was confused. Her father, aunts, and uncles told her changelings were literally heartless monsters, but if Moth Ball had an actual heart… He did say he was different from the rest of the changelings. Could be this is what made him different?

It was so odd… He never felt anything like this before. It felt so right to have her near him like this… Then he felt the weird pounding in his chest again. He can remember having that pounding since he was young. He was afraid it was some sort of condition, so he told his mother about having a pounding in his chest, but she looked at him as if he was crazy. He knew then that other changelings didn't get a strange pounding in the chest, making him feel like more of a freak than he already was.

The ponies hated changelings for feeding off of their love and changelings hated anything that was a threat to their cause. It was all the more reason he had to hide with Zecora in the Everfree Forest, away from ponies and from his Hive. Living with Zecora was actually a happy time for him. The zebra knew how he felt about being different from others. But the more time he spent with Screw Ball, he suspected she knew that feeling, as well…

---

Apple Jewel walked down the streets of Fillydelphia with her cousins right behind her and stopped when they spotted the entrance to Dragon Town.

"Do you we need disguises again?" Dignity asked.

"No. The dragons are much friendly here." Jewel responded. "We need to find Princess Ember and find out how this dragon rebellion started."

They walked on and many dragons looked their way, but didn't question them. They found a comic book shop and went in.

Mina was at the counter, telling two other dragons, "Remember, big meeting tonight! Cousin Ember has important things to say regarding the rebellion."

The dragons nodded and headed out. Mina turned her head to her new visitors, "Ponies… It's rare that you come to our part of town. Most of you are afraid of us."

Apple Jewel replied, "Well, we're an exception. We would like to come to this meeting you're having."

"I guess so, but it's mostly a dragon matter."

"It's important that we do attend."

Later that night, they were in a large room full of dragons and they sat in the back. Ember addressed her fellow dragons.

"Dragons, we have been banished here on account of the Dragon Lord, who is regretfully my father… But that doesn't matter. The point is we must free ourselves from the Bloodstone Scepter so that the Dragon Lord can't control us anymore! It will be a risky job, but I must ask for a volunteer to help spy on the Dragon Lord's activities…"

When no dragon was volunteering, suddenly a deep voice said, "I will."

Apple Jewel gasped when the dragon who volunteered rose up. She whispered, "Dad…?"

Spike was taller than when she saw him last before the time stream collapsed. He went up to Ember who nodded.

"No!" Jewel shouted and ran up, "You can't!"

Ember and Spike were confused by a pony being here.

Ember said, "And who are you?"

"My name is Apple Jewel. And I have been to the Dragon Lands. Already, your father is gathering an army of supporters."

"How do I know this is true?"

Jewel knew she had to reveal the truth and blew fire, causing everyone in the room to gasp. "I'm half-dragon. My coat glowed, so I had to go to the Dragon Lord's summoning."

Ember and Spike were shocked. Then Spike said, "I thought you told me that dragons weren't supposed to mate with other creatures?"

"They can't. But obviously, some dragon broke the rule."

Yeah, and he's standing right next to you… Jewel thought.

"Half-dragon," Ember addressed her, "you say my father is gathering supporters?"

"He is, and he's using the Bloodstone Scepter to do it. And he plans to punish anyone who refuses…"

"That's my dad, alright… Thank you for reporting this, which means we haven't a moment to lose."

"But why? How did this even started?"

Ember briefly glanced at Mina, who nodded, and Ember spoke, "It was years ago. When my dad had just banished my cousin here, I fought with him about how it was unfair that he did that and just like that, he banished me as well…"

"Does that mean Asher was banished, too?"

"Who?"

Jewel looked up in confusion, "Isn't that…your son?"

"I don't have a son. You must be confused with another dragon."

Jewel could feel her heart plummet. No… It can't be… Asher… He… Before she could stop herself, she started crying.

Ember and Spike mistook her tears and Spike patted her back, "Don't worry, kid. I'm sure you're just confused from all the excitement happening. You did a brave thing coming to us about Dragon Lord Torch."

She looked up to him, How I wish you could know me, Daddy… Without caring, she wrapped him into a hug.

Spike was confused by this motion, but he decided to humor the filly and returned the hug.

"Have you always lived here in Dragon Town?" she asked him.

"I have. Mina and Firestone took me in once I hatched. They told me a pony left me here after they found a vendor at the Rainbow Falls Traders Exchange trying to barter me off as a rare dragon egg."

"That's awful!" Jewel exclaimed.

"Maybe, but at least a pony was kind enough to bring me here. So, I can't be mad at all ponies. At least I got to grow up with other dragons."

"True…" she gave a sad smile. She thought, But in my timeline, you got to live in a castle and met Mom… Then when you married her, you became a prince and had me… It's nice you got to live with other dragons, but I believe having you for a father is a much better place for you…

Suddenly, something shimmered and she looked down to find…

"A mirror shard!" she shouted out and picked it up.

Spike questioned, "Where did that come from?"

Jewel peeked into the shard and she saw a purple-spotted dragon egg being carried from a cart by a gust of wind on a stormy night. Then she saw someone's hooves grabbing for it and the image flashed to those same hooves putting a basket on the Canterlot castle's front steps.

She gasped and said under her breath, "That's right. Mom and the aunts met him when a guard found a basket with his egg in it! So… a big wind took my father there… Wind…? The tornado!" Her eyes widened in realization.

---

Fire Spark couldn't help but feel sorry for his mother ending up like this. Starling felt guilty about it as they watched her look over her books. Star then realized her mother only wanted to protect her from ponies who could hurt her if she was on her own. As much as she knew her mother was somewhat wrong, she herself was also wrong for acting so selfish and spoiled. Her mother almost - or in this case did - married someone she didn't love. Starling actually had a pool of suitors to choose from, but she was so blind to it that she almost hurt Pen Pusher because of her bitter attitude. She truly had it easy and didn't see it sooner.

Mom… I'm so sorry… All this time, you were trying to give me an easier and better way to finding a suitable spouse. While I can't agree with you pushing us into something we didn't ask for in the first place, you were only trying to be a good mother by helping us… And you wanted us to marry for love just as you did…

A strange glow emanated from the book Twilight was looking over and she was surprised to find a piece of glass.

"Where did this come from?" the unicorn magically took it out.

The trio gasped and whispered, "A mirror shard!"

Star asked, "May I look at that?"

Twilight handed it over and Star looked in the shard. She could see weather ponies prepping for a storm, but something went wrong with one of their weather machines and a tornado was accidently made!

"Did you see that?" she asked the guys, but they gave her confused looks.

"See what?" Whirl asked. "All I see is my reflection."

"That's odd…" she voiced. "I saw something in the shard. Weather ponies were getting ready for a storm, but something went wrong with one of their weather machines and made a tornado by accident!"

They gaped at her.

---

When Screw Ball was done crying, she stared up at her father.

Daddy, I'm so sorry… It's my fault the Windigos returned to capture Snow Pea. If I hadn't hypnotized Gem in the first place or believe that you, Mom, and the rest of our family were trying to control our lives… I was upset about never having love, the kind of love that you and Mom had… It's just too beautiful for words that I grew up admiring that love, only to find that I wouldn't be able to have that kind of love… I felt jealous towards you two, my cousins, my aunts and uncles… I swear, if we fix this, I will never feel jealous like that ever again. Instead, I will help others find love…

A glow appeared and she saw on top of her father's stone head a piece of the mirror! Her smile grew as she floated up to grab the shard and gazed into it. There was the old shack standing, but then high winds from a storm tore down the shed and revealed her dad's statue. The image flashed forward to when ponies were moving the statue to the labyrinth. Screw Ball looked around and uttered, "So… the tornado knocked down the shed, causing my dad to be moved into the maze. And from there…Mom met him…" So the tornado was the reason they met at all. "Oh. My. Gosh…"

Suddenly, a voice shouted, "What are you doing in here?!"

They turned in shock to see Shining Armor by the entrance.

"This area is off-limits and-" His eyes widened at Moth Ball and he gave a look of fury, "A changeling! You're under arrest!"

Comments

[Godslittleprincess]

All the pieces are literally coming together, and it's getting majorly epic.

[Skye Mist]

OH CRAPPPPPPPPPPP!!!!!!! IT'S ALL COMING TOGETHER!

[Godslittleprincess]

Wait a minute. How does Mothball have a heart in this universe? In the DF-verse, he had one because his mother had a one-night stand with somepony. I'm assuming that's why DF gave that story a T rating. Is the origin story of the changelings in this universe in line with the one given by the IDW comics? If it is, Mothball having a heart would certainly be interesting.

[palmsparrow2014]

Holy smokes
Is this a mcdonalds?!?
Cuz i am loving it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!