Rise of Char

by Turtlehaus

Chapter 15: Sapphire's Fury

Princess Celestia was sitting with Discord in the Royal Throne Room, the two were pouring over several old books that were stacked several feet high. Discord floated over Princess Celestia's head, slithering in small circles slowly, wearing a smoking jacket, fez, reading glasses, and a rather large pipe that he held in his teeth. Slowly tearing pages out of the book he held, crumpling them up, and eating the page.

"Have you found anything yet, Discord?" Princess Celestia asked curiously.

"I found the loveliest recipe for Double Fudge Chocolate Chip Cookies." Discord replied lowering the book down in front of her face.

"That's a cook book." Princess Celestia stated sounding annoyed.

"I was thinking you would be getting rather hungry, having spent the better part of the day reading." Discord said tearing out the page before eating it.

"We have to find out what's on the other side of that mirror." Princess Celestia stated diligently.

"It's been a long time since I baked anything that hasn't tried to crawl away, perhaps I should take Pinkie Pie's class on baking." Discord mumbled to himself.

Private Nightshade and Private First Class Cosmic were standing guard once more just outside the Throne Room. Looking none too happy, but standing at attention regardless.

"I can't believe Bob and Lloyd made us cover their night shift." Nightshade mumbled sounding very annoyed.

"They covered for us when we assisted Princess Luna." Cosmic reminded him, still sounding just as annoyed.

"Belle and I were supposed to go to that new fancy restaurant that opened a few months ago." Nightshade sighed looking miserable.

"You mean the place that makes you lick gems before every bite?" Cosmic asked sounding surprised.

"It was Belle's idea." Nightshade answered quickly.

"But licking gems?" Cosmic asked trying to work it out in his head.

"They say that licking gems gives you a clean pallet and enhances the taste of your food depending on the color of the gem." Nightshade explained.

"What?" Cosmic asked looking confused.

"I wanted to go to see Lord of the Saddles: The Two Stables." Nightshade said with a sigh.

"That's out already?" Cosmic asked looking ever more surprised.

"Came out two days ago." Nightshade replied.

"We have to go see it." Cosmic said decisively.

"If we ever get time off again." Nightshade mumbled.

"Did Pony Resources ever get back to us on the 'leaving statues in our place' idea?" Cosmic asked curiously.

"Yeah, they said they already had two stiffs working that area." Nightshade replied.

"That cut me real deep just now." Cosmic said putting his hoof to his chest.

"Ahem!" A voice cleared itself.

Nightshade and Cosmic jumped in surprise. Their eyes fell upon a very tall colt and mare, just about the same height as Princess Celestia, towering before them. The two ponies had clouds of frost billowing from his hooves, mane, and tail. The colt was rather handsome, his hide a milky blue, his cutie mark bore a crown resting upon a icelandic tundra. The mare was rather beautiful, elegant, her hide was a smokey grey, and her cutie mark was tiara titled upon a mountain of ice.

"Who the hay are you?" Cosmic asked in surprise looking up at him.

"I am Lord Tundra, and this is my wife, Lady Frost, we are the King and Queen of the Frozen North; leaders of the Ice Ponies. We are seeking an audience with Princess Celestia on very urgent business." The stallion replied in a very regal voice.

Nightshade and Cosmic both scrambled to throw a salute, trying to bow at the same time before rushing over to the Throne Room doors. Fighting over the handle of the door, Cosmic got the upper hoof and knocked Nightshade to the side before slowly opening it.

"Excuse the intrusion, Princess Celestia. You have visitors." Cosmic said aloud stepping into the Throne Room.

"Visitors?" Princess Celestia asked looking up from her book in surprise.

The doors to the Throne Room opened wide to reveal Lord Tundra and Lady Frost strolling in very elegantly. Discord lowered his reading glasses to get a better look at the two ponies as Princess Celestia got to her hooves looking very pleased to see them.

"Lord Tundra, Lady Frost, what a pleasure." Princess Celestia said aloud stepping down from the throne to greet them.

"Celestia, it has been too long! You haven't changed a bit!" Lady Frost exclaimed, excited to see her.

Lady Frost stepped forward to embrace Princess Celestia as Lord Tundra politely lowered his head to her.

"What an unexpected surprise, what do I owe this visit to?" Princess Celestia asked curiously.

"Theft." Lord Tundra announced. "It's quite bothersome."

"Theft? Theft of what?" Princess Celestia asked glancing over at Discord with suspicion but Discord shrugged feigning innocence.

"A relic, taken from the Ashen Fields in the days after the banishment of the Mad King." Lady Frost stated casually.

"Sounds dangerous." Discord said looking very interested.

"Hardly, the relic was useless on its own, incapable of being anything more than an oversized doorstop." Lady Frost replied.

"What was this relic?" Princess Celestia asked.

"It was an Obelisk." Lord Tundra answered.

"An Obelisk?" Princess Celestia asked looking rather confused.

"I know it sounds rather odd dear, but it does hold significant value to our research into the Void." Lady Frost explained sounding very motherly.

"You're researching the Void?" Princess Celestia asked looking rather surprised.

"Sweet cupcakes no, darling, Tundra and I have no interest in such things. We have other ponies doing such research for us." Lady Frost said in a bit of a giggle.

"This brings us to our reason for being here." Lord Tundra stated.

"Was it not the theft that has you here?" Princess Celestia asked.

"The theft is the reason we have taken a personal interest in it." Lord Tundra explained.

"Our daughter has run away from home." Lady Frost said sounding not all that concerned.

"That's very troubling to hear." Princess Celestia said looking rather worried.

"Yes, we were hoping that she would have come here, some place safe and some pony she trusted." Lord Tundra replied with a chuckle.

"You don't' seem all that upset about your little princess running away." Discord mentioned.

"Well, when you bring up 'arranged marriage' to young ponies these days, you never know how they're going to react." Lady Frost replied.

"An arranged marriage? With whom?" Princess Celestia asked looking rather shocked.

---

My entire Royal Chamber was coated in about an inch of ice, icicles hung from the ceiling, the walls were slick with ice, and the floor was covered with snow. The largest mound of snow in the room was where I was left standing, buried beneath it, having taken the full blast of the attack. Having used my wings to shield me, I could feel they had grown extremely heavy, and I had difficulty keeping them raised. Twisting and struggling against the snow I flared my mane as much as possible to melt as much ice before trying to dig myself out.

"Sweet Equestria! Is this ten bucking kelvin?" I asked in a very shrill voice shaking violently from the ice on my wing.

I felt my wings drop into the snow, they were frozen solid, having taken most of the blast and redirecting the rest of it to the room around me. The flames from my hooves began to melt the ice underneath me and fill the room with steam.

"Smolder?" I heard the mirror call to me.

"I'm alright, I'm alright!" I shouted looking towards the direction of the mirror trying to make it out through the steam.

I felt two hooves connect to my side, causing me to trip over my frozen wing. I tumbled over into the snow as it hissed viciously from my flames throwing even more steam into the air.

"…watch out…" I heard the mirror say.

"Thanks." I mumbled sarcastically.

---

"You can't be serious?" Princess Celestia asked looking rather surprised.

"Well it's not official. We have only just brought this to the attention of Smolder's legal guardian." Lord Tundra explained.

"You mean Wingston?" Princess Celestia asked.

"Of course not, Celestia, we were referring to you." Lady Frost said with a smile.

"Perhaps I have missed something deliciously gossipy over here?" Discord asked slithering up next to Celestia looking quite enthralled.

"How could you think I would be Smolder's legal guardian?" Princess Celestia asked looking completely dumbfounded.

"Are you not the godmother to Prince Smolder?" Lady Frost asked curiously.

"I don't have any recollection of agreeing to such a position." Princess Celestia said defensively.

"Perhaps we have made a mistake?" Lady Frost asked looking up at Lord Tundra.

"Forgive us, Celestia, we heard of how influential you were and how supportive you were to the young Prince during the final days of the Flame Pony exile. We simply assumed a deeper connection considering your history with the Flame Ponies, you would been a perfect choice to be named a godmother to him; before all that nasty business with the Mad King of course." Lord Tundra explained waving the whole thing aside.

"I'm sorry to tell you that I made no such commitment." Princess Celestia replied.

---

Even though the steam made seeing anything two hooves in front of me impossible, I could still hear the crunching of snow approaching me very quickly. I did my best to lift my wing up to defend myself as I felt the hooves come striking down once more and connecting with the ice on my wing. Repeatedly the pony stomped, viciously and unrelenting, and all it was doing was making my fire rage inside me.

Using my frozen wing like a shield I got to my hooves and spun around on the spot bringing my other frozen wing, whipping through the air and slamming hard into the side of this Mystery Pony. I heard it yelp in pain as the impact shattered the ice from my wing, my flames blazed once more and I flapped it hard to shake the remaining ice shards from it.

It was all for not as I felt the blast of another wave of ice collided with me, knocking me off my hooves and sending me sliding across the icy floor and slamming up against the wall. My mane started to flare trying to protect me from the cold but the ice was already layering against me.

The Mystery Pony spewed its ice, caking the wall, before letting up and stepping back. Several hundred snowflakes started falling from the ceiling, the Mystery Pony watched as the yellow light with the ice slowly began to fade away. The Mystery Pony looked content with it's job, heading towards the window to leave. It only got a few steps towards the window to leave when the yellow light started to grow in intensity. Two red eyes appeared beneath the ice; waterfalls of melted water began pouring off the wall.

My flames erupted, shattering the ice, fire sweeping the room and beginning to melt the surrounding frost. Drying out the air and removing the steam, the brilliance of the light blinded the Mystery Pony as the fires from my body raged around me.

I reared back my head, ready to return an attack at my assailant but chocked on my fire midway upon seeing the Mystery Pony in the light.

"Hey! You're a girl!" I pointed out bluntly looking very surprised.

Her hide was a sapphire blue, her mane seemed to be a cloud of frost that trickled the smallest of snowflakes, her wings were glistened from the light of my fire, and her cutie mark bore the image of a snowflake adorning a small crown.

Needless to say I was taken aback by this. I watched this Ice Pony lower her hoof from shielding her eyes as my fire died down giving me one of the coldest stares I've ever received in my life. She also revealed a horn, making me realize that this was an Alicorn, just like Princess Celestia, Luna and Cadance. There was an awkward tension that followed our long silence.

"So…" I said slowly tapping my hoof a few times trying to break the ice; figuratively.

The Ice Pony did not hesitate to release another blast of frost my way. Leaping to the side I was apprehensive about attacking a girl, for about a minute, but the feeling soon disappeared as the second blast of her frost shot again. I felt the fire jump from my throat, colliding with her frost and turning the chamber into a steam room once more.

"…stupid flame pony…" I could hear the mirror hiss.

"What?" I asked sounding annoyed by the mirror's disapproval.

"…pretty ponies... make you stupid…" The mirror stated.

"Shut up." I mumbled feeling my mane flare.

The steam suddenly curled, causing me to instinctively duck down as the Ice Pony's wing sliced through the air. Loud thuds impacted the wall behind me, several wing shaped icicles were deeply imbedded into the stone and it made my mane flare again.

"…whoa…" I heard the mirror gawk.

"Whoa." I replied in shock realizing I could have been a cabob.

I felt a sudden strike to my chest from the Ice Pony's hoof, it stung really badly and my temper got the better of me. I swung my hoof back at where I thought she was and connected with her shoulder and I heard her yelp in pain; I instantly felt guilty.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" I started to stammer but was shut down by her wing knocking me against the head and sending me sliding across the room.

"…stupid…" The mirror remarked.

I wasn't so much mad as I was annoyed at this point. My flames quickly surrounded me, throwing me into my Flash Step and caused the Ice Pony to double back in surprise. Pushing off the wall with my wing I slid back towards her, I was surprised by how nimble she was, and watched her gracefully leap over me. Unfortunately for her, I wasn't going to be a gentle pony about this anymore and hit her square in the back with a blast of my fire.

The Ice Pony slammed against the wall, slumping into a heap on the floor. I apprehensively approached her, raising my wings in front of me expecting another sudden blast of ice. The Ice Pony rolled over, her horn a glow, as the frozen sundial from the other side of the room flew towards me. It was quick enough to dodge it, watching it shatter to pieces against the wall. The Ice Pony was not letting up that easy as she magically lifted my slab of granite from the floor.

"Whoa, hey now. Let's not get carried away." I said backing away slowly.

---

"You intend to wed your daughter to the little Flame Pony Prince? This keeps getting better and better." Discord said rubbing his claw and paw together.

"Our relations with the Flame Ponies have been non-existent for many years. Truth be told, opening up trade and mutual partnerships would benefit our Kingdom greatly in many aspects. It may seem a little out of place to suggest an arranged marriage but it will be the fastest way to join our two Kingdoms." Lord Tundra explained.

"During the winters, where the snow begins to bury smaller Yak settlements it becomes increasingly difficult to assist them without… well…" Lady Frost struggled to find the words.

"Fire power?" Discord offered.

"Sure, fire power, but it is only one of the many things that the Flame Ponies can assist us with. There is much to be discussed but we merely came for your blessing." Lady Frost continued.

"I would have thought you would have come to seek help finding your daughter?" Discord asked looking surprised yet amused.

"We are not too worried about her, she is probably heading towards the Ashen Fields. We have her a choice of having us introduce her to him or letting her meet him on her own." Lord Tundra said calmly.

"It's most likely she's already met her potential husband by now." Lady Frost remarked.

---

The slab of granite, my bed, had been thrown clear across the room at me but seeing as I was still in the Flash Step I was able to avoid it but watched as it impacted the wall and exploded into several large chunks.

"What are you going to throw at me now, huh? What?" I asked in an almost teasing manner watching the Ice Pony scan the room.

Her eyes fell on the twisted metal mirror and attempted to lift that to no avail. I watched her struggle to lift it with her magic, her horn glowing intensely, and calling on all her strength to get it to budge but had no luck.

"It doesn't move unless it wants to." I informed her as she took several deep breaths.

"What?" The Ice Pony asked looking confused and flustered.

I dropped out of my Flash Step, but my mane was still flaring though. The sound of her voice struck a chord with me. It was soothing and gentle even though she seemed rather upset.

"I-I-It's a magical mirror." I said quickly.

"…step off hussy…" I heard the mirror hiss.

"Excuse me?" The Ice Pony retorted looking appalled at the word.

"…hussy…" The mirror repeated.

The Ice Pony blasted the mirror with frost, encasing it in a large mound of ice and nodding approvingly at her work. Glancing over at me I stepped back hoping that this lull in our battle would be enough to converse rather than continue fighting.

"I don't know what you want or why you're here but-" I began trying to speak quickly before she decided to throw more ice my way.

"I've come to take back what you have stolen!" The Ice Pony declared, her eyes burning blue.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Time out!" I shouted waving my hooves at her trying to get her to back down.

The Ice Pony let loose another blast of frost. Rolling to the side to avoid the ice, I decided to charge her, taking her by surprise and tackling her to the ground. Pinning her down on the floor, I towered over her watching her struggle against my hooves. A blast of magic from her horn hit me square in the chest, knocking me back and slamming up against the wall.

It was the Ice Pony's turn to charge me, and it was her turn to get knocked on her flank. I let loose a blast of fire that caught her head on, pushing her back and causing her to tumble head over hoof to the other side of the room. She was slow to get to her hooves, having learned my lesson I shot another blast of fire knocking her up against the wall once more watching her slump back down onto the floor.

I heard her quietly whimper to herself, trying to get back on her hooves and I couldn't bring myself to attack again. My Flash Step faded away. I approached the Ice Pony once more hoping to make peace again.

"I have not stolen anything from any pony." I said trying to sound sincere.

The wing of the Ice Pony sliced through the air, the tip of her wing struck the side of my face leaving a rather sizeable cut on my cheek. The Ice Pony seemed to be rather surprised that I had not tried to dodge her attack, having only then just realized that my attempts to be civil were sincere.

"Alright, Snowflake, let's play." I said slowly feeling my fire starting to rage inside me.

I've never had to fight a girl before, but I found that they fight pretty dirty. There were several hoof hits to the back of my head, her magic did give her an edge when trying to throw me across the room and she wasn't below cheating.

"Ow! Are you biting me?" I shouted feeling teeth digging into my shoulder.

I threw off the Ice Pony with a thrust of my wings. She landed on her hooves and charged me again. The Ice Pony tackled me. Although it proved rather foolish as the icy floor caused us to both slide across the room and slam up against the wall. Needless to say I had the wind knocked out of me, while the Ice Pony had hit her head rather hard against the wall. With her hoof she lifted herself from atop me rubbing her own head in pain.

"Look, I really have no idea what you think I stole." I started trying to sound calm but it came out in rasp.

"Liar." The Ice Pony mumbled looking over at me still holding her head.

"No. No, I swear. I've only been King for a few months now and I haven't even left the fields for-" I started again but was cut off once more.

"More lies!" The Ice Pony declared again.

"Well, technically the official ceremony is in two days but I'm already wearing the crown and sitting in the chair so I kind of already got the job." I explained watching her face turn up in confusion.

"What are you talking about?" The Ice Pony asked looking very confused.

"Look, how about we just talk things over like civilized ponies? Before one of us ends up getting really hurt?" I offered not wanting to continue this fight.

The Ice Pony seemed to be considering my offer. At that moment the ice wall that had caked the doors to my chamber shattered and stone doors swung open. Several Royal Guard ponies stormed in.

"Lord Smolder! We heard a commotion coming from-" Topaz stopped short.

Needless to say that the ice around the room was a surprise, but nothing surprised them more than the innocent yet compromising position the Ice Pony and I were found in. The Royal Guard Ponies quickly averted their eyes trying to maintain a sense of professionalism by concerning themselves with the state of the room.

"A thousand pardons my Lord." Topaz said quickly as every Royal Guard retreated back to the corridor; closing the stone doors behind them.

I could feel my mane flare but the sudden hoof to the gut the Ice Pony gave me as she got to her hooves made my mane flare harder from the pain.

"Colts." The Ice Pony mumbled flushing slightly.

Gasping for a breath, I rolled over trying to get to my hooves but I had to lie on the ice for a few more seconds before I could stop wheezing. Glancing over at the Ice Pony, her wings were poised to strike but I held my hoof up to her asking her for another minute. With a very peculiar look, the Ice Pony watched me get to my hooves; still massaging my stomach.

"So where is it?" The Ice Pony asked aloud.

"Where's what?" I wheezed.

"The relic you stole." The Ice Pony stated in a demanding voice.

"Look, Snowflake…" I began.

"Do not call me that!" The Ice Pony shouted, her face flushing.

"I'm going to say this one more time." I said through a few wheezes.

I strolled over to her, still clutching my stomach and narrowed my eyes getting right up in her face.

"Snowflake." I muttered.

The Ice Pony's face flushed even more, scowling before turning her head away from me as I stepped back from her. I had a moment to give her the once over, for some reason I felt a sense of relief that I had not visibly harmed her but sort of annoyed at the same time.

"So what's your problem, Snowflake?" I asked moving towards the frozen mirror.

"Call me Snowflake again and you'll regret it." The Ice Pony warned eyes starting to turn blue.

"You apparently know who I am, you also tried to make me into an ice cube, and I can tell you from experience it's not fun being a statue. So before my friend Wingston hits you in the head for trying to kill me and the Royal Guards lock you up, tell me why you wanted me dead in the first place." I replied placing my hooves on the mound of ice watching it slowly begin to melt away.

"I wasn't planning on killing you, I... I just wanted to teach you a lesson for stealing our property." The Ice Pony replied.

"Oh sweet Celestia, what did I steal? What is it?" I asked sounding very annoyed.

"Our Obelisk!" The Ice Pony shouted.

"The what?" I asked looking at her strangely.

"The… big pokey thing sticking out of your dam!" The Ice Pony shouted pointing her hoof towards the mountain.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up, Snowflake." I said taking my hooves off the mound of ice to see her mane flare like mine did but several hundreds of tiny snowflakes poured off of hers.

"If I had stolen that big pillar thing, why in all of Equestria would I spear it through our dam from the water's side?" I asked in disbelief.

The Ice Pony seemed taken aback by this, opening her mouth several times to speak but unable to find the words to answer.

"Let me ask you this; were you that Mystery Pony down in the dungeons?" I asked looking at herincriminating.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about!" The Ice Pony stated turning her head away from me once more.

"You're in so much trouble with Mr. Papyrus, you broke his favorite etching." I warned her with a short laugh.

"That etching will only lead to ruin and disaster, I could not allow for the safety of Equestria to be left to the device of such a lowly King!" The Ice Pony snapped back.

"Well this lowly King just whooped your flank, you two left hoofed wannabe assassin!" I snapped back.

The Ice Pony and I flared out manes wildly, seeing which would strike first but neither of us ever did. I whipped around to defrost the mirror while the Ice Pony stormed off towards the other side of the room.

"How do you know that etching would lead to ruin and disaster?" I asked curiously after a few minutes of cooling off.

"Unlike you, I've been given a proper education on the history of Equestria and that etching was showing the way of how to open a portal to the Void." The Ice Pony said coldly.

"Is that why you attacked Mr. Papyrus and Twilight?" I asked curiously.

"I didn't attack him! I merely… put him to sleep." The Ice Pony said defensively.

"From what I heard you sounded like an Owlbear with a tummy ache." I replied with a smile.

"I merely shot him with a blast of cold air that simply lowers a Flame Pony's core temperature down to a certain level that causes them to fall asleep." The Ice Pony declared in her defense.

"Still, you should apologize." I mumbled.

"I will consider it after you destroy the rubbing the purple pony took of it." The Ice Pony stated.

"Sorry, no can do Snowflake." I said having nearly melted the mirror free.

Something rather hard hit me in the back of the head, what remained of it exploded into a powdery snow. I looked over my shoulder to see the Ice Pony looking the other way.

"Did you just hit me with a snowball?" I asked looking surprised.

"Be grateful I didn't freeze you on the spot." The Ice Pony threatened.

"I'd be grateful if you told me your name." I said melting the last of the ice from the mirror.

"What is that thing?" The Ice Pony asked looking rather disgusted by the mirror.

"It was a mirror to the Void, or at least it was at some point." I replied looking it over.

"You cannot be serious." The Ice Pony said slowly approaching it.

"…hussy…" The mirror stated as she grew closer.

The Ice Pony's mane flared once more, quickly rearing back to blast it with ice but I stepped in front of her hoping to stave off her attack. The Ice Pony stepped back looking rather infuriated by the mirror but walked off in a huff instead.

"…stupide flame pony…" The mirror hissed.

"You okay?" I asked ignoring the insult.

"…duh…" The mirror replied.

"Good, now leave Snowflake alone, okay?" I asked the mirror motioning over my shoulder to the Ice Pony.

"Sapphire!" The Ice Pony shouted making me recoil in fright.

"What?" I asked looking over my shoulder.

"My name is Sapphire Flurry you… stupid flame pony!" The Ice Pony shouted, flushing slightly.

"…it's catching on…" The mirror remarked sounding rather happy.

"Well how was I supposed to know that, Snowflake?" I asked watching the Sapphire's eyes glow blue once more and charged me.

---

The Royal Guards standing outside the Royal Chambers heard the muffled cries of the King and the Ice Pony, stifled by sudden thumps and knocks coming from inside the room. All the ponies looked at each other unsure of what to do.

"Should we see if the King is alright?" A Royal Guard Pony asked.

"He could be in danger." Spoke up another guard.

"I do not want to be the pony that has to explain this to Wingston." Topaz said simply hearing a rather large thud come from the room.

"It don't sound like what it's supposed to sound like." Said another guard.

"That's it, I'm going on break." Spinel said as all the Royal Guard Ponies nodded in agreement.

Comments

[Night_Striker]

lol that's gold XD