The Adventures Of Henry Hoof In Equestria

by destinedjagold

Chapter 08 - Early Winter

Chapter 8 - Early Winter

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1. Retelling
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An old black earth pony with a messy white mane and tail bowed before Princess Celestia, and beside her was her student, a young purple unicorn filly, Twilight Sparkle, and beside her was her baby purple dragon, curled into a sleeping position on the carpeted raised floor of the royal seats.

With the old black earth pony was a potion bottle, filled with gray liquid of some sort.
He raised his head to meet the Princess' smiling face.

"It is good to see you, princess."

The princess bowed to him with a smile.
"You need to get out of your lab often, doctor."

Both laughed a bit, managing to wake the sleeping dragon.
The little Twilight Sparkle tried to help the dragon go back to sleep.

"Quite..." the doctor said a bit loud, to clear his throat instead of coughing.
"Ahem... Anyway, I'll do just that, princess."
He opened the potion bottle and placed it on the floor in front of him.
"As you can see, my research is complete. Hahah!"

"Research about what, my dear doctor?"
The princess asked, still holding the same lovely smile.

Both Twilight and her dragon stared at the doctor confused.

"This, my dear princess..." the doctor took the potion with his hoof.
"...is a potion that can stop both time and space!"

A tall brown alicorn and a black changeling gasped as they watched the event that happened before the castle became gray.
With the alicorn's magic, they were able to see the events that happened in the royal hall of the castle.

The princess frowned the instant she heard what the doctor had said.
Twilight however, looked impressed.

"You can stop time? Really?"
The little purple filly asked in excitement.

The doctor simply nodded his head, quite feeling proud of his achievement.

"Doctor," the princess began, still frowning, "although it is a great discovery, I do not think messing with time and space is such a good idea."

"Indeed," the doctor nodded, still feeling proud, "and I should inform you, princess, that I have taken extreme measures of not disturbing space and time with this."

The princess shook her head, somehow disbelieving the doctor's words.
"I am sorry doctor, but I find it difficult to believe your words with only months of research."

The doctor grinned.
"And, that is why I only made a small amount."
He shook his hoof a bit to emphasize the potion.
"And as proof that I am right, I would need a test subject."

"No, doctor."
This time, the princess is flashing anger on her face.
"I am sorry, but I would like to ask you to dispose what you are holding."
Mentally, the princess is surprised that the doctor isn't surprised after hearing what she just have said, but she disregarded it for the time being.
"We shouldn't create such things to cause uncertain events in the peaceful flow of time and space."

Still grinning, the doctor puts the potion down on the ground and instantly installed a metallic device around his hoof and pointed it directly at the princess.
Instantly, he fired a thin ray of light towards the princess, who was about to counter the sudden attack, but unfortunately, the ray of light was too fast.
The princess turned gray in an instant.

Twilight quickly recovered from her sudden state of shock.
She quickly ran towards a door to the guest's rooms.
The doctor immediately gave chase, leaving the potion vulmerable to the curious crawling purple dragon.

The purple baby dragon, after reaching the potion, drank the contents.
The instant the dragon finished every drop, it looked around, trying to find more, but the area where it's eyes land, it turned gray, until the whole royal hall turned gray.

The brown alicorn and the black changeling continued to watch the dragon, who suddenly began to float in mid-air, and flew towards the door where Twilight and the doctor took.

Satisfied, the alicorn stopped his magic, and the whole royal hall then dimmed.

"So," the alicorn said as he turned to face the changeling.
"this is caused by that dragon."
He lands his gaze on the floating dragon beside the changeling, making eye contact.

Henry wanted to stop him, but he remembered that the alicorn's magic is strong enough to counter the dragon's eye.

---

The brown alicorn heard the castle's doors opened.
He turned to see who or what opened the door, only to witness a brown-eyed changeling walking out, wearing a white hat and a brown sidebag, along with a levitating baby purple dragon with green spikes.

The changeling was startled after seeing the presence of the brown alicorn.
The alicorn immediately went to his fighting stance, summoning great amounts of magic to his horn.

"Who are you!?" the alicorn asked, his voice enough to send the changeling into a startled state.

The changeling took a step back, lost his balance, and went into a sitting position.
"W-wait! I have nothing to do with this!"

"A changeling shouldn't be inside a castle of ponies!"

"I-I can explain!"

"You better!"

---

Henry slowly shook his head to dismiss the thought.

The alicorn then summoned magic on his horn, making it glow.
"Sending the dragon back in time might cause some damage in the chains of time..."
He tilted his head for his horn to touch the dragon's head.
"But I will try and fasten the time of this dragon for the spell to wear off quickly."

Fasten the dragon's time...
It really didn't sound like a good idea.
What if it'll last for years? What would the little filly Twilight do?

The alicorn was about to do what he planned when the dragon suddenly fell back to the carpeted ground.
Henry sensed the small pain that the dragon received after landing on it's tail, making him lose his focus on his puppetry skill on the dragon.
The changeling rubbed his head as the alicorn looked around, noticing the castle was beginning to regain it's true color, and then a sudden crash sound, which startled him a bit.

"Don't worry..." Henry said after the pain he felt was gone.
"...that was probably the sound of the window I crashed into..."

The alicorn arched an eyebrow, and then looked at the windows, which were slowly regaining their color, and he did notice a broken window.

Henry then felt a flow of magic energy coming inside of him. He wondered what it was until the strange feeling vanished. Remembering about his disguise, he tried to become a green alicorn again, and to his relief, he's a green alicorn again.

"You know... You can't hide your true self from the alicorn's eyes."
The brown alicorn said as he stared at the princess, who was slowly regaining her color.

"Ha!"
Princess Celestia shouted after she recovered from being frozen gray.
She immediately blasted a powerful bolt of energy, to her surprise, towards the startled brown alicorn.

Unable to prepare himself, he took the powerful magic attack, sending him towards the slightly opened castle doors, losing his consciousness.

"Goodness!"
The princess exclaimed as she immediately ran towards the brown alicorn.

Henry immediately ran towards the alicorn as well, leaving the sleeping baby dragon, and disregarding his name that echoed around the castle, and a loud slamming sound of a wooden door that followed.

---

"What the...!?"
The only words Midnight was able to say after he was surprised to see that the castle was gone.

Sunset also couldn't believe what she's seeing.
The castle is gone.

"What in tarnation is goin' on here!?"
A pale-red earth stallion exclaimed after reaching Midnight and Sunset.

Coal was looking confused as to why everypony in the area where looking shocked at a giant hole on the ground.

---

"Prin...cess..."
The brown alicorn slowly said in between his short and slow intakes of breath.
"...I know...you're still...angry at...me but..."

"Hush, child..."
Princess Celestia slowly said as she concentrated some of her magic to heal the brown alicorn's wound on his chest.

Henry and Princess Celestia immediately used their magic to carry the brown alicorn inside Henry's room to rest and recover.

"Don't talk just yet... Rest up."
The princess continued, looking worried.

The brown alicorn simply nodded with a smile before he closed his weakly-opened eyes and went to sleep.

Almost everything in the castle has returned to normal.
The only thing that remained was the barrier around the castle's walls.
Henry Hoof was outside the castle's doors, trying to use his magic to sense whatever was beyond the castle walls.

The royal guards and as well as Twilight Sparkle tried to ask him to stop, but he didn't listen. If the brown alicorn managed to get inside, then there should be a way to get out.
Unfortunately, he has no clue how to do what he is achieving. And he's already exhausting himself, already too weak to keep his green alicorn disguise.

He only stopped trying after he heard Princess Celestia whispering to the little purple filly to get back inside the castle.
He turned to meet the princess, taking deep breaths.

---

A strange wave of energy was starting to form around the large hole where the castle used to stand. The ponies around the area were all shocked and confused from the event.
The strange wave started to swirl around the hole, and then, a bright white light flashed.

The instant the ponies recovered their sight, the castle was back in its rightful place.

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2. Regroup
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A yellow earth pony with brown mane and tail, and wearing a black belt, has arrived in Canterlot, and was now working her way towards the castle.
If she wasn't busy thinking, she would have noticed the awkward silence in all the streets she has walked on, despite it having ponies, who were looking rather trying to move on with their lives after witnessing something impossible to see.

Ever since that brownish-red griffin appeared in Manehattan, things were starting to get...colder, than usual.
Winter was still two months away, and, why did that griffin took off with that golden-yellow unicorn?

---

As soon as the ponies around the castle snapped back into their senses, they immediately tried to go inside the closed gates, where the royal guards, both outside and inside the castle's gates, barricaded the group of ponies.

Sunset flew to get away from the chaotic crowd, leaving Midnight to work his way towards the gates by pushing the other ponies blocking his path.

Flame had to carry the young Coal out of the crowd. Things will start to calm down after a few moments, and he was right.

Princess Celestia appeared behind the castle's gates, and the crowd immediately stopped from pushing each other, except for a dark-blue unicorn who continued his way towards the gate.
After he got in front of the crowd however, he was stopped by a royal guard.

"Get outta my way!"
Midnight snarled, breathing deeply.

"Sir, I'd like---"

"I said get outta my---!"
Midnight failed to finish what he was going to say when he noticed a green alicorn, smaller than the princess, walked beside her.
"H-Henry!"
He disregarded the guard and ran to the gate, only to be stopped by two other royal guards.

"Midnight?"
Henry was surprised to see him.
"What are you doing here?"

Hearing the green alicorn's words, the royal guards assumed that they indeed know each other, so they allowed the unicorn to get near the gate.

"Henry! Thank goodness. It's Aurora... She's..."
He trailed off and tilted his head down. He still could not believe what happened to the pegasus.

"Henry sir!"
Another voice came out from the crowd.

Both the alicorn and the unicorn turned to the source, and from the crowd came out a pale-red earth pony with a red filly on his back.

"Flame!?"
Henry exclaimed, both surprised and glad to see him.

---

A yellow earth pony found herself behind the crowd of ponies in front of the castle's walls.
She could not see what is beyond to see what is all the commotion was about, but she is not willing to wait for the crowd to disperse.

---

Henry led his friends in the castle's garden. Whatever they wanted to say, he could tell that it's really important, judging from their expressions.

Satisfied, he turned around to meet their gazes.
He took a deep breath, and exhaled.
"Right, so..."

"Aurora was kidnapped!"
"Ember was kidnapped!"

All of his four friends said in unison, startling the green alicorn.
The four ponies looked at each other, looking worried and confused.

"Aurora and Ember? Kidnapped? How?"
They were about to shout once again in unison when Henry raised his hoof.
"One at a time, please?"
He begged, and he received all four's nodding heads.

"After you, sir."
Flame nodded at the unicorn.

"Henry," Midnight started, "there was this crazy black earth pony who...shot something to Aurora. She..."
He couldn't bare to lock his gaze at the alicorn. He felt weak when he does.
Not because the alicorn was draining his power, no, it was because he couldn't even save the pegasus when it happened.
"...became gray...frozen...absorbed..."
He lowly and slowly said.

Henry wasn't convinced, but seeing that Aurora's mother was also here, he forced himself to believe what Midnight just said.
He brought a hoof on his forehead, rubbing it slightly.
He then turned to Flame.

"Right..." Flame slowly said, inhaling, and exhaling, to try and bring himself together.
"...earlier this morning, this muscular pegasus pony came out of nowhere and knocked me down. When I came to, the pegasus was gone, and...so was Ember..."

Two of his friends were kidnapped. By who?
Chrysalis, maybe? Probably, but it's not a good idea to jump into conclusions.

"Funny how all of this happened at the same hour..."
Said a yellow earth pony who just arrived in the garden.

Everypony turned to the newcomer, and Henry was taken aback.
Sunset was startled as well.

"D-D-Daisy...!?"
Henry said, nervously, with a slight hint of hope, and disbelief.

The earth pony simply shook her head as she reached them.
"Not even close." she said.

Henry and Sunset find it hard to believe. The earth pony before them looked exactly like Henry's younger sister. Her coat, her mane, minus her judge's hammer cutie mark, looked exactly like Daisy.

"The name's Rose Hammer," she bowed, "president of The Rose Industries in Manehattan."

"And...why are you here?"
Midnight asked, annoyed at her sudden appearance, and thinking that she is only eating their precious time to save somepony.

Henry however, was still finding it difficult to accept that Rose is not Daisy.
They looked alike, if his memory is still serving him properly.
The only differences are her cutie mark, her voice, and her serious look.

"Midnight, correct?" Rose asked, receiving the unicorn's confused nod.
She then brought her gaze on the green alicorn.

Henry looked at her in the eye, and, somehow, he's not quite sure, but he noticed her eye pupil in her left eye was strange.
It was only for a second until it appeared normal once again.
Was he just imagining it?

"Earlier this morning, in the streets of Manehattan, a griffin appeared and kidnapped a yellow unicorn."

"Yeah, so?"
Midnight asked in annoyance. Rose looked at her.
"What does that have to do with our problems?"

"That griffin kidnapped your brother."

Midnight's mouth opened wide in shock and disbelief.
His brother was kidnapped!
No...his brother is alive! And he was kidnapped!
"D-Daybreak? Alive?"

Rose gave a simple nod before she tilted her head up to the sky.
"Also, a few hours after that, well..."

The others looked up as well, and noticed thick gloomy clouds completely covering the entire blue sky.

"A storm?"
Flame guessed.

Princess Celestia quietly walked towards the garden.

Rose shook her head.
"I've analyzed the clouds. Those are Windigo clouds."

Sunset, Flame and Henry quickly turned to the earth pony with shock.
"Windigo!?"

Coal poked Flame's hoof, managing to catch the pale-red earth pony's attention.
"What's a Windigo?"

Midnight would love to know as well, but his mind was busy accepting the information that his brother is still alive.
But, should he worry about his brother, or Aurora first?
Wait... Why does he concern himself about Aurora?
She's just some brat who annoys him every single day.
But...

"So my assumption was right..."
Princess Celestia said, holding a worried look, as she reached the ponies.
"But to be sure, I have sent a message to Cloudsdale to see if this is their doing."

"It's not their work."
Rose replied.
"I've already asked them."

How, Henry would love to ask, but there are more important things to worry about.

"So, what now?"
Flame asked, receiving the ponies' attention.
"Our loved ones are kidnapped, an' then a winter storm's a comin'..."

Everyone then noticed a snowflake gently falling to the ground in between all of them.
The snowflake quietly landed on the short grass of the garden, sparkling a bit from the little available light.

Coal walked towards it, and bent down to investigate it.

"Windigos feed on hatred..."
Rose slowly said.

'Like us...' Henry managed to thought to himself, despite the large amounts of thoughts rushing inside his head.

"...Equestria is full of hatred. It'll only take them a few hours for snow to cover the lands."
Rose continued, noticing a large amount of snowflakes falling.

"'kay, so I'll ask again..."
Flame said, his tone mixed with anger and confusion.
"What do we do now?"

"We can't just wait here..."
Sunset said, voicing her thoughts.

Henry and Princess Celestia nodded in agreement.

"Wait here..."
The princess informs them as she walked back to the castle.

"Sunset just said we shouldn't just wait here..."
Henry whispered to himself after the princess' ears was out of reach.

Flame and Coal sat on the grass. Flame was assuring the little filly that everything will be okay.

Henry sat down with Midnight and Sunset, gathering some information of the event. He might find something that would give him small hints of...whatever was going on.

Rose simply sat by herself, staring at them, busy with her own thoughts.
She was about to stand to ask Flame and Coal about the pegasus' features when Henry exclaimed.

"A white messy mane!? An old black earth pony with a white messy mane!?"

"Geez, blackie... You don't have to shout!"
Midnight complained as he rubbed his ear with a hoof.

'Blackie?' Rose thought.
'They know of him?'

Henry stomped his hoof on the grass.
"That's not...! No... But..."
But it did made sense. He tore his gaze away.
"The doctor...kidnapped Aurora?"
Unfortunately, that piece didn't made any sense.

At least now she knew who the other one was, now she needs to know the pegasus.
She stood up and walked towards the two earth ponies, and sat after she reached them.
She then asked about the pegasus.

Muscular. White coat. Long black mane and tail. Cutie mark?
Flame failed to get a glimpse on the pegasus' cutie mark.

"Rose?"
Rose turned to face the chan---green alicorn.

"Yes?"

"You said Midnight's brother was taken by...a brown-and-red griffin?"

Rose nodded her head.

"Henry..." Midnight said, catching the alicorn's attention.
"You're not thinking of...y'know... Griselda's father?"

Henry was about to assure the unicorn that he was not thinking that Griselda's father was the culprit, but Rose nodded her head.

"Indeed, it was him that took your brother."

Henry turned to her, with a doubtful look.

"Fire."
Rose added, making the alicorn open his eyes wide in disbelief.

Midnight was left speechless.
How could that good old griffin do that?

The heart is vulmerable to change...

'What did he mean by that?'

----------
3. Choice of Harmony
----------

If it was like any ordinary day, Henry would probably feel a bit angry to hear that publishing his book will be delayed.
He disregarded that news. There are more things to worry about than publishing a book.
He's sure his sister will understand.

The sky is starting to snow.
Aurora, Ember, and Midnight's brother, were kidnapped by Doctor Psycho, the brownish-red griffin named Helios VI, and a white pegasus.

Henry and the others were called by a royal guard, telling them that the princess wants to see them in the royal hall.

After reaching the spacious hall, they saw Princess Celestia, standing on a raised platform of the royal seats.
They were about to bow when the princess immediately spoke.

"I have received disturbing news. Cloudsdale is not causing the snow. They could not even control it. Also, a dragon was seen in Canterlot when the castle was...absent. They say that a large black dragon has taken the alicorn of space. Royal guards were able to follow it until they got knocked out by a...strange magic. The last sighting of the dragon was it was flying towards the Crystal Mountains in the Frozen Nurth."

Dragon?

Alicorn of space?

Crystal Mountain?

Frozen Nurth?

Those were echoing in the minds of the ponies, except for the busy-thinking yellow earth pony, who is trying to tie all the information together.

"This 'Crystal Mountains'..."
Henry asked.
"...are those the icy white mountains north of Talon Valley?"

The princess nodded.

"So, dis dragon kidnapped an al'corn..."
Flame said, sounding doubtful.
"...does dat mean 'd beast also works with those ponies who kidnapped 'r loved ones?"

The princess nodded as a royal guard, who just arrived in the royal hall, was walking towards the princess.

"It would seem so..."
Rose said, still deep in thought.
Her hoof on her chin.
"Helios also flew towards that direction. The others must be there as well."

The royal guard bowed before his princess, and with his magic, he lifted a golden box towards her.
The princess took it with her own magic.
The guard bowed before he left.

The princess opened the gold box, and gently puts it down in front for the ponies to see what is inside.
Inside was five small orbs with symbols engraved on each of them.

"Elements of Harmony?"
Both Henry and Rose asked in unison.

The princess nodded.
"If we are to rescue them, you need to prepare yourselves."

With her magic, she lifted the orbs, and summoned great amounts of magic, making the five levitating orbs to glow in different colors.
Then, the princess stopped, but the orbs were still in mid-air, glowing.

"The elements will choose its wielders."

Slowly, the orbs floated towards the ponies.

The red-glowing orb stopped in front of the nervous Flame.
The pink-glowing orb stopped in front of the curious Coal.
The blue-glowing orb stopped in front of the doubtful Henry.
The white-glowing orb stopped in front of the determined Midnight.
The blue-glowing orb stopped in front of the busy-thinking Rose.

The orbs glowed in white, and transformed into necklaces, and locked themselves around the chosen's necks.
The ponies' eyes glowed in white.

---

Flame... You have stayed waiting, even though you were in doubt if Ember was ever going to come back.

"Huh...?"

And, you have even tried to save her. Unfortunately, you have failed, but you are still determined to save her.

"Well of course!"

You have showed enough loyalty to be chosen.

"Loyalty? Of course! I love her! She's everything to me!"

...fair enough.

---

Coal...

"Yes? Who is it?"

I am the Element of Laughter. And I chose you because you have showed enough reason for others to smile.

"...uh..."

But, you have caused your family to be sad after you disappeared.

"...but..."

But, you did it because you were needed elsewhere. Your sister needed someone to bring her back to the right path when she found herself lost. You gave her a reason to smile, despite being lost.

"I don't...uh..."

You have showed enough reason to give me a smile.

"Is...is that a good thing...?"

Hahah. Of course.

---

Henry... Despite being different, you chose to become a pony. Was your reason was so you could leech ponies' lives?

"What!? Of course not!"

No, I didn't think so either. Your only intention was to live like a normal pony. You wanted to get away from a boring changeling life.

"...Well..."

But you achieved more than that. You gave a pony someone to look up to. You helped a pony to be reunited to her family. Not one, but two ponies. Also, you helped a pony find a good place he can call a home. And, you gave a pony someone to love.

"Er..."

Aren't you generous? And you did all those from your heart.

"I...only did those things 'cause they felt like the right thing to do."

Uh-huh. Your heart is pure. Don't ever change that. Because you have showed enough generosity for me to choose you.

"Wait... I get to carry the Element of Generosity?"

Sorry if I disappointed you...

"What? No! Of course not. I...uh..."

---

Midnight...

"A voice? Who's there? Show yourself!"

I am the Element of Kindness.

"The element of...what? I can't see you from all of this white...ness..."

Your life has been a struggle.

"Hell...yeah, it was..."

You have never seen your parents. You have never seen the proper road.

"..."

But, despite all those, you stayed with your brother.

"O-of...course."

You grew up together, in the streets. You have made friends, as twisted as the two of you.

"Hey, watch it!"

You mug ponies, even threaten to kill them just to get what you want. You never showed pity, you never showed kindness.

"And how are we suppose to survive if we did just that, huh?"

You even thought your brother was dead.

"..."

After all you've been through, you simply gave up on believing that he must still be alive.

"...shut up... You weren't there when it happened..."

Yes, that is correct, but I can see everything in you. Even the...naughty ones.

"...get the hell away from my mind!"

I can't see a reason why you are qualified to carry the Element of Kindness.

"And I thought you can see everything..."

Tell me. Why are you qualified to carry me?

"Gee, I wish I knew."

...Who is Aurora to you?

"What? She's a brat. She's annoying. She always puts her nose in my business."

...And yet...?

"...and yet what? Sure, she's annoying and all, but...she...she's just a little pony. I feel...I feel like I should keep a watchful eye on her, to prevent bad things from happening."

...and yet...?

"...but I failed to save her..."

...save her?

"You heard me! I failed to save her, okay!? So now what, you're going to tell me how much of a fail I am as well of not being able to save my brother!?"

...I could do that, but did you even realise it?

"...realise what?"

You are kind enough to watch out for Aurora.

"...I...no. You got it wrong. I was just...just..."

Simple kindness. Your heart is full of darkness, and yet, one small spark of kindness managed to grow inside of that dark heart of yours. Tell me, out of all the obvious choices inside your heart, you prefer to choose that small, almost-invisible light. Why?

"...heck, I don't know. All I know is I shouldn't be wasting time talking to a stupid voice! I should be preparing myself to kick that Psycho guy so hard to the pits of Tartarus!"

...unkind words for a kind action... I think you'll qualify.

---

Sunset stood beside Princess Celestia as they watched the five ponies surrounded by a bright white light.

Soon, the radiant white glow that surrounded the ponies started to fade, revealing all five ponies with their eyes closed. The five slowly opened their eyes, seeing the alicorn and the pegasus standing in front of them; the alicorn wearing a smile while the pegasus was looking worried.

"I never would have thought that the Elements of Harmony will decide to choose you."
The princess said with a smile.

Flame and Coal looked at each other. Flame was looking uncertain while Coal was looking excited.
Henry and Midnight looked at each other. Midnight was looking determined, while Henry was looking doubtful, but he's keeping a determined smile.
Rose was looking confident, trying to disregard the things the element has told her.

Suddenly, a royal guard came inside the royal hall, rushing towards the princess.
"Forgive me princess, but we've received news that Manehattan and Baltimare are currently suffering from severe snowstorms."

And then, another royal guard came in.
"Princess, we've received information that Los Pegasus is having severe snow weather conditions!"

And another royal guard.
"Princess, please forgive me, but we've receive reports that the city of Cloudsdale is slowly falling to the ground!"

And another royal guard, and then another.
The six ponies looked at each other with worry.
They carry the Elements of Harmony, but how are they able to save their loved ones, and to stop the sudden snowstorms?

----------
4. Towards The Destination
----------

The City of Canterlot is now having a severe snowstorm.
Stronger than an ordinary rain of snow, but weaker than a blizzard.
The wind carried the echoes of the Windigos' cries of delight.

The castle's garden, now covered by white snow.
The five wielders of the elements were there after Rose asked them to follow her there.
After they arrived, the yellow earth pony held a device and started pushing the buttons.

Curious, yet they kept silent.
They knew she wouldn't be doing whatever just to waste precious time.
Flame carried Coal on his back for them to share their body heat.

Soon, they heard a strange noise from afar, and from the grayish atmosphere surrounding the far-reaches of their eyes, they could see a black silhouette approaching towards them.
Soon, a huge black aircraft appeared from the grayish horizon, and stopped above the castle's gardens.

With a press of a button, the bat-like aircraft slowly started landing down.
It soon landed a few hooves in front of the yellow earth pony.

The four left their mouths open in disbelief.
Midnight shook his head, and a big realization struck him.

"You...! You're BatMare!?"

Rose smiled, not turning to face them.
"No reason to hide my identity for long."
And she turned to face them.
"But I trust you'll keep this a secret."

The four nodded their heads as Princess Celestia reached the group.

The princess smiled.
"So this is the famous aircraft of the famous crime-fighting vigilante?"

The four looked at the princess in disbelief.
She knew?

"I will come with you."
The princess smiled.

The aircraft's windshield slid open, revealing one pilot seat and two passenger seats.

"Wait!"
Cried a female voice.

Everypony turned to the source, and saw Sunset, just landing near the group.

"Please, let me come with you."
She begged.
"I want to save my daughter as well. I don't want to lose her again..."

Henry was about to say something when Midnight walked towards her, and placed a hoof on the pegasus' shoulder.

The unicorn smiled warmly.
"I think it's best if you stay here. Don't worry, I'll save Aurora, and bring her back to you."

"B-but..."

Midnight shook his head.
"Look, without an element, you can do nothing... The only thing you can do is to stay here and prepare a warm hug for Aurora."

Henry smiled.
He never knew Midnight had something like that in him.

Sunset cried as she immediately hugged the unicorn.
"Please stay true to your word..."

Midnight returned the hug.
"I promise."

After they broke their hug, Rose asked Midnight and Flame to take a seat inside the aircraft.
Midnight hopped on first, followed by Flame, and then carried Coal inside, and rested beside him. Rose sat on the pilot seat, and turned to the two alicorns.

"We'll fly slower for you two to keep up."
Rose said as she hit a button for the windshields to slide close.

The two alicorns simply nodded their heads.

Soon, the aircraft flew up, and boosted forward to their destination.
Princess Celestia and Henry soon followed.

Sunset was left in the garden, staring at the black aircraft as it slowly faded into the grayness.

---

A blue sea pony finally regained her consciousness.
She slowly opened her eyes, and found herself surrounded by water... A water inside a large sphere.

Near her were three other spheres, and inside those spheres were other ponies, still unconscious.

She looked around, but she could see nothing else from the darkness.
She tried to break the sphere with her hooves, but after trying for some time, she gave up.
She couldn't set herself free.

She tried to remember why she was here, but the only thing she could remember was her father chasing after her...

Her father...brought her here...?
No... How could he...? Why would he...?

She tried breaking herself free once again, but to no avail.

Devastated, she allowed gravity to gently pull her to the bottom of the sphere, her head hanging low with sadness and disbelief.

---

'Henry...'

"Ah...?"
Henry was startled a bit, but quickly recovered and continued to follow the aircraft.

"Something wrong, Sir Henry?"
Princess Celestia asked as she flew near the green alicorn.

Henry shook his head a bit.
"No, I am fine, princess... Just, feeling a bit cold..."
As much as Henry loved winter, this kind of cold is too much for him.

Despite the severe snowstorm, the two alicorns fought against the strong wind to tail the aircraft.

Was he dreaming or imagining it?
He was sure he heard his lovely sea pony call out his name.
Is she in trouble?
No... She's probably safe inside her cave. The snow couldn't possibly get to her there.
He's sure. He sure hope so. After all of this is over, he will fly directly to the beach and see her.

---

"There is trouble approaching..."
The young unicorn pony said.
"Get rid of them..."

The dragon simply nodded and flew upward.

"Is it them?"
The white pegasus asked.

The unicorn simply shook his head.
"No. It is Chrysalis, and Time Keeper."

"Ah! The changeling queen? Here?"
The doctor asked to no one in particular.
"Interesting..."

"Why would the changeling queen come here?"
Asked the griffin.

"I invited her."
The unicorn simply replied.

The pegasus grinned.
"Ah, I see. Clever thinking, boy!"

"Clever?"
Asked the blue-green sea pony.
"She can drain our energy! Why did you invite her!?"

"To remove her from existence."

"What?"
The sea pony gasped, almost losing his magic focus on his swirling vortex of water.

The unicorn nodded.
"Changelings are freaks of nature. They need to be removed."
And he smiled.
"Chrysalis saved us the work of getting rid of the other changeling races in Equestria."

---

"Heeeyyy!"
Shouted a voice from afar.

Henry and Princess Celestia turned their heads without stopping from flying, and both spotted a familiar brown and winged pony flying from behind them.

Soon, despite the strong snowy winds, he caught up with the two.

"Princess..." the brown alicorn began, facing the princess as he flew in between the other two alicorns.
"...first you attacked me, and then you left me all alone in the castle?"
He frowned.
"...do you really hate me that badly?"

The princess reflected the alicorn's frown.
"No, of course not..."

"Hate him?"
Henry asked, but he was ignored.

"The royal guards said you are going to where a black dragon was heading. They also said that the dragon took my brother! So I'm coming along, whether you like it or not!"
The brown alicorn said, a determined tone in his voice.

The princess opened her mouth, but decided not to speak. She shook her head and lands her gaze on the aircraft a few meters in front of them.

---

Griselda was launched into the castle's walls with great force, surrounded by green aura of magic.

The castle of the griffins, standing tall despite the strong snowy winds, was homed by a number of griffins who took shelter from the sudden snow.

The griffins however, have now fallen into unconsciousness after a large number of green-eyed changelings invaded the castle and started attacking them.

Griselda was lifted from the ground once again, and levitated in front of a large black changeling.

"I'll ask once again, missy."
Chrysalis slowly said to the weakened griffin.
"Where is your father?"

"I have told you..."
She said despite weakened from the number of attacks she took from the changelings.
"...I don't know..."

Chrysalis, however, smiled evilly.
"If that's the way you want it...then---"

She was cut off after a loud and strong flapping sound echoed around the castle.
She turned to the castle's doorless entrance, and was horrified at the sight of a large black dragon's head, its red glowing eyes staring right back at her.

The dragon suddenly let out a mighty roar as it flew higher and used its feet to kick the castle's walls, creating a large hole for it to enter.

The changelings inside began to panic.
All their lives, they have feared a dragon.

---

Princess Celestia and the brown alicorn were flying a few hooves behind the green alicorn.
The entire flight was quiet, aside from the rushing sound of the wind mixed with the cries of the Windigos.

If only the Windigos were a solid figure, then Henry would have tried to deal with them directly to stop the snowstorm. He knows how to stop the Windigos, but it would desperately require him a lot of time and effort in explaining to the ponies, plus, he still needs to rescue Aurora and Ember, and Midnight's brother.
He could only hope that the elements they hold is enough to achieve their goals.

The brown alicorn suddenly heard a faint echo of cry from below. He wasn't sure what it was, but it kind of sounded like a dragon.

"I'll catch up."
The brown alicorn simply said before he dove down.

The princess wasn't able to say anything to ask why, so she decided to trust him to catch up and continued to fly.

---

The brown alicorn was right. What he heard was indeed from a dragon.
A large black dragon, attacking a damaged castle.

Anger quickly filled his horn, and immediately blasted a large bolt of beam at the dragon, sending it down to the ground.

Chrysalis however, took the chance and escaped, being followed by her changeling minions.

The brown alicorn landed on the snow-covered ground, meters away from the rising dragon.
"Where is my brother, you beast!?"
He asked, his horn still radiating with magic aura.

The dragon roared as it summoned a fierce flame from its mouth at the alicorn.

---

"And then..."

The four looked at the young unicorn.

"...phase four."

----------
5. Face-off
----------

"I am detecting a number of heat source from that area."
Rose pointed at the flat surface of white-covered snow which was surrounded by a small number of icy hills and large mountains.

She detected quite a number of heat source earlier, including a very large entity. She decided not to trouble themselves with a dragon.

She wasn't being honest, but no one asked her if she detected something ealier, so that doesn't count as lying, is it?

She began to land the aircraft on the deserted snowy area.
Princess Celestia and Henry soon followed.

After the aircraft landed, the windshield slid open, and Midnight quickly jumped out of the seat and landing on the soft snow-covered ground.

Flame jumped next, and helped Coal get off of the aircraft.
Rose soon jumped off as well, and the windshield slid closed after she pressed a button on her small device.

The two alicorns soon landed near the group.

"So!?" Flame shouted for his voice to be heard from the loud sound of the wind.
"Where to!?"

Rose pointed her hoof at a large hole at the snowy ground a few meters away.
They then started walking towards it.

The hole was an underground diagonal tunnel.
Coal climbed on Flame's back as Midnight summoned some magic on his horn to give them light to see through the dark tunnel.
Rose took a strap from her belt and wore it around her head. Pressing a button on it, a light flashed from it, facing the direction of her head.

Henry was impressed. BatMare does have a lot of handy gadgets.

They were about to enter the tunnel when they heard something landed a few hooves behind them.
All turned around to see a tall black changeling, and behind her were her small changeling minions.

"CHRYSALIS!?"
Both Henry and Princess Celestia snarled as they both went to their fighting stances, their horns started to glow.

This is it. The moment Henry can avenge his family and his beloved sister.

Chrysalis however, simply smiled.
"Well well, look who's here. Princess Celestia, wonderful to see you again."

"I wish I could say the same, queeny..."
Princess Celestia said calmly, despite the dangerous anger she wore as an expression.

"And Henry darling, never knew you're still alive."

"You won't be when I get my claws on you!"
Henry snarled. Anger has immediately filled his heart and mind.

'Henry...'
Henry heard the princess' voice inside his mind.
He was startled but he didn't show it.
'Go with them. I'll handle her...'

'But...no!'
Henry's not even sure if the princess can hear his reply.
'I'm fighting her!'

'Henry, you need to go with them.'

Henry couldn't see the logic on that, but, strangely, the princess' voice sounded like she's telling him where he's really needed to be.
He can't believe, after almost two years, where he finally got his chance for revenge, he's letting that chance go.

"Chrysalis, today might not be the right time to fight you..."
He only wished he won't regret saying that.
"But if you dare follow us inside, I swear to the sun you're toast!"

Chrysalis only grinned.
"Funny, I wonder how that'll work from all this snow."

Ignoring her, Henry turned around and quickly ran inside the tunnel, and the others immediately followed him.

"If you're the obstacle I need to take care of, then so be it."
Chrysalis laughed a bit, while her minions prepared themselves.

"You will not defeat me."

---

"A dead end!?"
Henry and Midnight shouted in unison.

After walking for a few minutes, they found themselves in an almost circular space, with no other available paths.

Flame began to touch the walls of the cave, but they were no illusions.

"Are you sure this is the right place!?"
Midnight snarled, directing it to the yellow earth pony.

Rose simply ignored him as she tried to fix her device.
Clearly, it was going out of whack ever since they got inside the tunnel.

"If this is some sort of puzzle," Henry said, his voice was still mixed with anger.
"then we have to figure a way through this."

"It's a plain ol' dead-end! How can this be a puzzle!?"
Midnight shouted at the alicorn, who was a few hooves away.

Henry was getting annoyed at his volume, but he tried to keep himself calm, despite the raging anger inside him.
"Look, I'm trying to find a way through---"

Suddenly, Henry found himself surrounded by a white magic sphere. Midnight was inside one as well. Rose as well. Flame and Coal were inside one sphere.

"W-what's going on!?"
Flame asked in confusion, before their surroundings became dark, despite the light they have with them.

---

Henry summoned a small amount of magic on his horn for it to glow, but it couldn't penetrate the darkness around the sphere.

Suddenly, the darkness faded, as well as the sphere.
Henry landed on a watery ground, inside a chamber of some sort, where there was no way out.
In front of him was a water-filled sphere, and inside surprised him that even his anger quickly vanished.

"Henry!"
Pearl shouted after she saw the green alicorn, but did so not because she was glad to see him, but to warn him.
"Behind you!"

Snapping back, he quickly turned around to see a muscular and large blue-green seahorse-tailed sea pony with a sharp horn on his forehead. He was surrounded by a quiet swirling vortex of water.

Despite the fact that he's looking at a green alicorn, his eyes can filter any magic disguises, and can clearly see the newcomer's true identity.
He will not let a changeling defeat him.

---

Midnight landed on a cemented chamber, where the area was clear of any exits.
In front of him was a sphere, where Aurora was looking happy to see him.

"Midnight!"

Midnight flashed a smile.
He was about to run towards her when a so familiar black pony suddenly appeared in between them.

"Ah, hello there."
The old doctor bowed to the angered unicorn.
"So good to see you again!"
He grinned.

"You're dead!"
Midnight shouted.

---

"Flame! Coal!"
Ember immediately shouted after seeing the ponies she dearly loved.

Flame and Coal immediately ran towards her.

"Stay clear, Coal!"
Flame said.
"I'll crush this sphere open!"

He was about to lift his two front hooves when they heard something large landed behind them on the grassy ground of the chamber.

"Do that, and she'll die."
The white pegasus grinned.
"As well as your baby."

Flame shot the pegasus with an angry glare, preparing himself to fight him, while Coal hid himself behind Flame's hind hooves.

---

Rose found herself on a rocky surface inside a chamber.
Even the chamber's walls looked like the surface of a mountain.

She disregarded her whereabouts as she focused on the two breathing entities in front of her.
One of them, her most feared opponent, the golden-yellow unicorn pony, trapped inside a sphere.
The other is Helios, the brownish-red griffin.

Is she here to save the criminal who almost killed her?

Daybreak couldn't land a glance on her.
He recognizes her after he managed to cut her mask in half during their battle in Manehattan.

"How strange of you to come here to save the pony who tried to kill you."
The griffin grinned.

"Believe me, I would be happy to choose another option if I was able to."
Rose replied, slowly putting one of her hooves on her belt.

---

Above the cities of Manehattan, Los Pegasus, Cloudsdale, Canterlot, PonyVille, Fillydelphia, and Baltimare, the thick gloomy gray clouds started to flash an image.
An image of a unicorn pony in the darkness.

Nopony were able to notice, until a voice echoed all throughout the wind.

"Ladies and gentlecolts..."

A young voice echoed. Ponies who were near a window looked through their windows, trying to find the source of the voice.
They however, found the image on the clouds above them.

"...as you are aware, Equestria is suffering from a horrifying storm of ice and snow."

---

Midnight forced himself to stop to listen to the voice as he stared at the image on the chamber's ceiling. Aurora and the doctor did the same.

"I would like to thank every pony, for it weren't for you, for any of you, none of this would be possible."

"What the hay?"
Midnight whispered.

---

Henry was staring at the image on the ceiling of the chamber. The two sea ponies were as well.

"Windigos... Elemental spirits that feed on hatred. The ponies of Equestria is full of hatred."

Henry stayed silent.
He knows that wasn't true.

---

Rose was looking on the image on the ceiling of the chamber she was in, as well as the griffin and the yellow unicorn.

"Ponies became corrupted by greed, anger, lust... Ponies even kill each other just for them to be above the rest!"

'Sad but true...'
Rose thought.

---

Flame and Coal looked up on the ceiling, where an image appeared.
Ember and the white pegasus did the same.

"Ponies driven by such emotion, will do anything to gain more. Have they seen the effects they caused? Of course not! And even if they do, did they do anything to change themselves? No..."

"What's he talking about?"
Coal innocently asked.

Flame couldn't argue. All the things that pony is saying is true.

---

"Fillies are supposed to look up at the older ponies as their role model. If their role model is corrupt by heart, what will happen to the fillies? Yes, they will become one of them one day. And the cycle will continue. I will not allow this to happen! Realize what you have done! You all have created a great amount of heartaches among your fellow ponies! Every place is the same. And now that I hold the power to change the course of the future, I do not want a future where I will be filled with corrupted ponies! No! I want a world where ponies can live together in peace and harmony! That's my dream! That's my goal! And that's what I am planning to do with my power! I will freeze this land, and then the rest of the world, and begin a new era of ponies for a brighter future! But do not fear. The Windigos will only freeze those who are corrupted by heart. Yes, the pure ones will be spared, but how many? That, I do not care. Enjoy the rest of your pathetic lives while it last! But don't give up hope. Who knows? Maybe one of these five ponies will be able to stop me. I present to you all, the wielders of the Elements of Harmony! The five ponies who are fighting my comrades to try and stop me. Watch them, and pray that they will stop me, if you want a corrupted future!"

And the image changed into four images, where Henry and the others were inside chamber-like areas.
The others felt glad that the others are okay, but, do they have to fight?

They noticed the chamber was starting to freeze. Their time inside is limited.
They indeed need to fight, but win or lose, what then? How will they escape?

"Battle...start..."

Comments

[Perteks]

Just more and more epic, dont overdose it ;p