Crown of Winter

by CartoonNerd12

Chapter 20

Snow Pea, Little Button, and Rock Salt had been staking out for the last few hours as they watched the servants going about their duties. Troubleshoes was in his gypsy wagon as Night Gilder struck up a conversation with him. They overheard them.

"The mistress has been stricter lately." commented Troubleshoes.

"No kidding. We have been on our hooves just to keep her pleased. At least she expanded the lockdown around the manor so Sunset can't escape again like that one time."

"It's my fault. I should have brought her home sooner."

"But it was our fault for not covering up better. I hate how Sunset is confined to the manor. I mean, why is the mistress so afraid of letting her go?"

Snow Pea muttered, "Several reasons… like being alone and losing Sunburst and her phoenix all over again…"

LB mentioned, "But they don't know that since Starlight doesn't like being open."

Rock Salt pointed, "Can't blame her. It's better to keep to yourself so you don't have to worry about other ponies judging you."

LB countered, "But then how are you supposed to make friends if you can't be open with others?"

"Well, some ponies don't want friends and want to be left alone."

"No pony wants to be alone."

Snow came between them, "Look, you both make valid points, but we need to work together to get inside." Once she saw the white in their manes growing more, she said, "Look, I'm going to get a closer look and try to find a way in. You two stay put and please, don't bicker." She then left for the manor.

Rock Salt sighed as he saw the icy white streaks in LB's mane. It wouldn't do him and her any good if they kept this up. He was also worried for her. He may have not always liked how she acted toward him, but Little Button wasn't bad and he would never forgive himself if something happened to her, especially if he was the reason the freezing progressed quickly within her. He told her, "You know, I never forgot my vow."

She gave a small smile, "I know. Why else would you have come this far if not to honor your vow?" She quoted him, "'It shall be my duty to protect you and your sister as much as possible.'"

"Well, I certainly failed you there. I couldn't protect you from the curse."

"How could you? The Windigos were too powerful even for my sister and she got her powers from them!"

"What you said makes sense, about no pony wanting to be alone? There are days on Marendelle when I feel lonely and end up watching you and your cousins playing on the beach and I can't help but think, 'They're a lucky bunch.'."

"How so?"

"Just… the way you interact with each other, how you're so close to each other… What you said back at Zecora's hut was true. I am jealous that there are so many of you and only one of me… That was a low blow, but it was the truth."

"Oh… Rock Salt… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to sound…"

"Don't be. It was a hard truth to see, but you made me realize that I was missing something from my life."

"Love…" She lowered her head in sadness. "I know you like her. I've seen the way you look at her…"

"Who?"

"Snow Pea."

He blinked for a bit before he chuckled, "Sure I like her, but that's because I admire and respect her. After all, she is going to be queen. The last thing I want to do is get on her bad side."

That caused her to giggle, "While you don't have to worry about anything, it's a good idea nevertheless."

Rock Salt then ended up staring into her eyes.

Little Button couldn't move. The way he was looking at her… She felt herself blushing until she snapped out of it when a voice said.

"And who are you?"

They turned to see Troubleshoes and next to him was a sheepish Snow Pea, who replied.

"I got caught."

---

Screw Ball, Gemstone, and Moth Ball froze when facing the captain of the royal guard.

"And I assume the rest of you are changelings in disguise?" Shining Armor spoke professionally.

"No!" Screwy and Gem protested.

"Such lies will cost you. You're under arrest as well!" Then, two other guards came into the shed.

Gem whispered in fright, "What do we do?!"

"Just hold on to me." Screw Ball ordered.

"Why?" Moth Ball questioned.

"Just do it!"

They did and in an instant, she teleported them away.

Shining gaped, "What the…?! Quick, search every part in Canterlot and warn every pony that changelings are on the loose!" Once he went out, he cast a force-field spell around the entire city.

Screw Ball had managed to teleport into the maze and when the force-field spell was cast, she knew there was no way they could get out.

She said, "It won't be long before they search in here, and with that force field up there, I can't get us out."

Moth Ball questioned, "Couldn't you just penetrate it? It's obvious you got the power, which is amazing by the way…" He warmly glanced at her.

She slightly blushed at the compliment, "Well, as flattering as that is… I am no way near as powerful as Daddy. He could easily poke a hole in this giant bubble, but since I am only half draconequus with semi reality-bending powers, it won't work for me."

Gem asked, "So do we just hide here?"

"For now, but like I said, it won't be long until they find us here. Since they sealed off the entire city, we have no way of escaping…"

Mothy and Gem exchanged worried glances.

---

A guard rushed into the Astronomy Tower and shouted, "Your Highness! The city is invaded by changelings!"

Twilight gasped, "What?!"

The trio gasped as well, "What?!"

"The captain has sealed off the city. We request that you stay here where it is safe until the threat has been apprehended!"

Twilight slit her eyes, "How do I know you're not a changeling yourself?"

"Would I be warning you if I were?!"

"Perhaps, but I will be investigating this changeling invasion for myself."

The guard nodded and went back out.

Starling spoke as she bowed, "Your Majesty, let us accompany you. We can help you."

"Very well."

"I'm surprised you trust us so quickly." said Whirl.

"I believe you to be sincere, and even if you were changelings, you couldn't harm me since I no love for you to drain. I have no love for my husband, I distanced myself from my mother, and my sisters are far from here, so I'm completely immune to the changelings' power."

Fire Spark commented, "That's a very good point."

Suddenly, a high-pitched noise filled his ears and Star's and Whirl's. They winced at the noise.

Twilight noticed their grimaces and was confused, "Are you guys all right?"

Star tried to say, "We're… fine…"

Whirl looked out the window and found that the noise was coming from the gardens.

It's that whistle Screw Ball gave us… Maybe one of us is in trouble!

Whirl Wind flapped up, "Excuse me. Need to use the bathroom." He then flew out of there.

---

Gem kept on blowing while Screwy covered her ears and Moth Ball looked on in confusion.

"Nothing is coming out."

Gem replied, "Actually, the sound can only be heard by us and our cousins. Screwy made this for me before I had to go on a date in case I got in trouble and we all agreed to have one. And since we're stuck here with a force field with no way out, maybe we can get help from the outside."

Whirl suddenly flew in, "I heard the whistle!"

"Whirl!" both Gem and Screwy exclaimed.

"How did you get inside the force field?" Moth Ball asked.

"I didn't. I was already in Canterlot when it came up."

"Are Star and Fire here?" Screwy asked.

"They are and so is Aunt Twilight."

"She is?!" both girls shouted.

"Uh-huh, and we also found a mirror shard."

"So did we!" Screw Ball conjured up a pouch and showed the shard inside.

Whirl said, "Great! But a guard came to us and told us there were changelings in Canterlot!"

The trio cringed.

"Yeah… that was us they spotted…" Moth Ball admitted. "I foolishly wasn't in disguise and this guard saw me."

"That wasn't any guard. That was our Uncle Shining Armor." said Gemstone.

"Uncle Shining is here?!" Whirl exclaimed.

Screwy replied, "He is and he thought we were changelings with Mothy - I mean, Moth Ball…"

Gemstone said, "He's captain of the royal guard, so he has ordered for our arrest."

Whirl pondered, "That's not good…"

Screwy said, "So we're stuck here, and no, I can't teleport past the force field."

"I better tell this to Star and Fire." he flapped back up and flew away.

---

"Oh, no!" Star whispered.

"Oh, yes, and we got to do something quick before our cousins get locked up."

Fire mentioned, "But what can we do? We no longer have royal authority here."

Starling said, "Never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss being a princess."

"But there is someone who is…" Whirl turned his head towards Twilight, who was gathering all sorts of books about changelings.

Fire got the gist and approached his mother, "Uh, Your Highness, if we find the changelings, what are you going to do with them?"

"Question them, of course, and find out if the queen is nearby. For years, we've tried to capture her so they wouldn't harm our subjects anymore."

"But say hypothetically … there's a changeling that's actually good and has friends who are regular ponies. What then?"

She looked at him strangely, "That's an odd theory, one I doubt would happen, but if that's ever the case, I suppose if the changeling proves to be trustworthy, then I would let him go."

The trio exchanged comforting looks, but that was short-lived when a guard rushed in, "Your Highness! We got them!"

Comments

[Skye Mist]

etc. etc.

[Godslittleprincess]

7372561 Ditto.

[Godslittleprincess]

I am only half draconequus with semi reality-bending powers

Reference to Return of Jafar and the TV series I presume.

[Godslittleprincess]

The trio exchanged comforting looks, but that was short-lived when a guard rushed in, "Your Highness! We got them!"

Well, that's one way of building suspense and shocking your readers.