To Err is Equine

by RLYoshi

15: Beware the Nice Ones

[Perspective: False Front]

After I got everypony into their homes, I had gone back to meet with the elder just as the moon began to rise. He wasn't at his home, so I went back to where I first saw the gang from. Sure enough, he was there, and the gang was just arriving. I took a defensive stance, but the elder seemed quite relaxed.

I looked over the group. Most of them were unicorns or earth ponies; I only saw one pegasus, and she was in the back with her wings tied. She seemed to be either a hostage or a...I didn't want to think about it. She had several cuts and bruises on her body, indicating that she wasn't exactly given first-class treatment. The rest of the group had their share of marks, too, but they seemed more like they were earned in battle than from beatings.

The apparent leader, an earth pony stallion at least twice the size of Arrell, stepped forward. He was black with brown markings and a blood-red mane and tail. His cutie mark, an axe dripping blood, seemed to give away his talent pretty well. Speaking of axes, he held one in his mouth, looking ready to chop the head off anypony who opposed him.

"Welcome to Smooth Grove," the elder warmingly greeted them. "I am the elder, and this is my friend, False Front. May we assist you in any way?"

"Give us the Fine Rock and Arrell," the group's leader replied instantly, speaking through his axe.

"I'm sorry, but the Fine Rock stays in our town until we can understand it," the elder said, never losing his smile.

"And you're gonna have to get through me before you hurt my charge," I added.

The leader snorted. "I wasn't asking." He nodded at the ponies behind him. "Crush, kill, and destroy."

With a loud war cry, his followers charged past or into us, beginning to tear Smooth Grove apart.

---

[Perspective: Risk Reward]

Nimble and I arrived at the town just in time to see the chaos unfold.

Arrell, after learning that Smooth Grove was in danger, just flew into the air and didn't come back. I assumed he was heading here, but I didn't see him anywhere.

"Nimble, take the Fine Rock and hide in the forest," I told the colt next to me. He looked at me with confusion and worry. "Trust me. Whatever these guys are doing, they're probably doing it to find that gem. We can't let them have it." He nodded and ran back the way we came.

I turned back to the attack and charged into it, dodging around everypony and everything that came at me, my past work with stunts and speed coming in handy. I found False fighting off two giant unicorn stallions, and quickly gave her a hoof by bucking one in the groin, putting him out of commission.

"Took you long enough," False grunted as she gave the second one a buck to the face. "Where's Nimble and Arrell?"

"Hiding and I don't know, respectively," I replied as I looked around. "Where's the elder?"

"I lost him when I was fighting," she snapped. "We need Arrell. We can't deal with thirty of these punks."

I looked around some more and saw something out of place. Two unicorns – one stallion and one mare – weren't fighting. Instead, they seemed to be standing guard over a pegasus mare who was tied up and looking around nervously. If she's with them and not being held captive, I'll buy a hat and eat it.

"Not exactly thirty," I said to False after she took care of the stallion she was fighting. "More like twenty-nine."

---

The two guards watched as Smooth Grove began to crumble. The gang had began fighting and tearing apart homes, even lighting one on fire. They just wished they could have joined in.

"Why were we assigned to watch this stupid girl again?" the stallion asked.

"Because Bloodbath doesn't like us," the mare replied with a shrug. There was a brief pause before she spoke again. "Even if we're not helping out, this is a neat sight, don't you think?"

No answer. She turned and saw that her partner had disappeared. Instinctively, she drew her sword and turned around, only to meet a pair of pink hooves before everything faded to black.

I gave a nod to False as she drug the mare over to where I had the stallion's unconscious form. I quickly looted their weapons, acquiring a sword for both of us and a rather weak-looking helmet for False. It was something, though.

"Now her," I stated, walking towards the mare that was tied up. She seemed scared, as she was currently in the fetal position with her eyes closed. A careful slash of my new weapon, and I had cut the ropes around her. She cracked her eyes open to see my outstretched hoof and tentatively took it, allowing me to help her up.

"You...you're not g-gonna hurt me?" she whispered. I shook my head.

"We're the good guys," I assured her. "What do you know about those ponies that took you?"

"Th-they kidnapped me in Stalliongrad...said they n-n-needed...'insurance'..." Her legs buckled and I put her hoof over my shoulder, helping to keep her up. "They...hurt me...so much..." She was absolutely terrified, and she had every right to be. I grit my teeth.

"False." The royal guard walked up to me, sensing the anger in my voice and knowing not to interrupt me. "Take her into the forest behind Smooth Grove until this all blows over."

"What, you're going to fight these guys all by yourself?" False asked disbelievingly.

Before I could reply, the ground suddenly began to shake – it was a slight shake, but still noticeable. It stopped after a moment, though, and the air began to feel...cold.

I smirked. "No, I'm not."

"HEY, TEAM OF MORONS!"

For a split second, the air suddenly became much colder – enough to make me shiver, even though I'm normally used to the cold. As soon as it did, though, it went back to normal – and I saw a very small wave of air converge in the middle of Smooth Grove, as though collecting energy from all around. As soon as it all met in the middle, it formed a pure white ball, gathering the attention of everypony around. False, on a gesture from me, took the mare we just freed off into the forest, utilizing the distraction.

"NEWS FLASH!" The ball of cold slowly lowered itself to the ground. "YOU DONE SCREWED UP!"

Suddenly, the ball drove itself into the ground. As soon as it did, a field of ice spread out, coating the entire ground around town in a sheet of slippery frozen water. The members of the gang lost their footing, falling over constantly whenever they tried to move. Just a few seconds later, something else came from the sky: a giant ice pillar.

The pillar of ice landed directly in the middle of town, where thankfully no ponies or buildings were. On top if it stood Arrell. He glared down at the gang members, who looked up at him in fear.

"I found a lake in the forest," Arrell declared. "This is what I did with it."

He jumped off the pillar and landed on the ground, cracking the ice where he landed. The gang members around him looked at each other, then glared at him, trying to charge him...only to either slip and fall, or be 'voice attacked' to the other side of town.

"And now." His white eyes began to glow, and from the ground, he pulled two more, smaller ice pillars. "I'm going to freeze you all alive if you don't leave in five seconds."

Two more gang members charged him. He slammed them with the ice pillars, knocking them out.

"Time's up."

---

In case you missed it last chapter since I put it in a while after publishing:

Nimble Night

Comments

[Dusk Apollo]

1566904 It's probably invisible to the Lens of Truth...

EDIT: Just noticed it updated!

EDITEDIT: Wow, Arrell got serious... those guys are a doomed as... *trying to think of something* Chrysalis when fighting love.

[Moon_Fire]

They sure done screwed up, they let Arrel freeze a whole lake

[Doctor D]

Wow, Arrel entered badass mode!

[AliCentaur Br0ny]

Awesome.

[AppleTank]

Hmm, I wonder what one can do with ice powers besides freezing stuff.
5 min later
1) Ice pick
2) Anvil (dropped from the sky bomber style)
3) Ice rink (what you just did)
4) Ammo for a slingshot?
5) Telescope? (how well does polished ice lens refract light?)
6) Make Ice cream
7) Ice cream spoon
8) Skates (tie them to your feet and slide around. Though turning might be a problem unless you make ice blades)
9) Putting out fires. I think.
10) Mirror?

[Lucky424]

Oh fuck yes!!! Just one thing......what about the ponies inside the homes they attacked?

[Terrataur]

Your links on these characters are broken

[Storm Shine]

He nodded at the ponies behind him. "Crush, kill, and destroy."

SWAG!

I'm sorry, I just had to...

[IndBrony]

Nimble Night's link is broken