Flash Sentry, Defender of the Peace S5

by Banshee531

Building Bridges

The Equestrian North.

A small group of guards were trodding through the snow, their hoofprints slowly being erased by the falling fresh powder. As they did this, they came to a large snowy wooded area, their destination. They'd been sent there due to tales of strange occurrences, all told by travellers from the villages just south of the forest.

As such, Celestia had sent this platoon to investigate, "Alright stallions, let's get in there and stay together. We have no idea what might be lurking in these woods, so be on guard."

"ROGER!" They all saluted their leader before marching into the valley of wood pillars, spears at the ready. And as they made their way, their eyes darted around as one of the guards spoke up, "What do you think it is?"

"Don't know," another replied. "Maybe a ghost."

"Or a monster," a guard suggested. "Maybe the Everfree Forest isn't the only place with 'em."

The lead pony turned back with a glare. "Whatever it is, it's our job to stop it. Let's make Equestria proud." The ponies were about to yell roger again, only to come to a stop as they all suddenly heard a whistling noise fly through the forest. They all got into a fighting stance as they turned to the noise, the sound getting louder as a chilling burst of cold air flew through the wind.

"Something's coming..." a guard muttered as he shivered like crazy.

"Everypony, defensive formation!" They all huddled up in a circle as the air kept getting colder. It was here that the leader saw a massive cloud of spiraling snow moving up to them. "Here it comes!"

As the mist reached them, the ponies gasped as they realized what it really was. It was hail, ice shard so small that as it started to fall on the whole group, it pierced through the gaps in their armor. Yelps of pain followed this as they felt their skin being sliced, most shrinking into the circle as one of the stallions turned to the leader, "Sir, what do we do?"

"Hold on..." the leader replied as he squinted his eyes in the misty storm. His vision could barely pick up anything, but as he increased his focus, he started to see something in the snow white wall the powdery mist was creating. It looked like a thin shadow, a pony in the barrage of snow.

"Sir!" The guards all yelled as they saw the leader start to walk up to the shadowy figure, the pony flinching as the hail struck him.

And as he got closer, his eyes began to go wide. Before him was a light blue unicorn stallion with a snow-white mane and tail. He looked around the age of seventeen, his body practically skin and bone with his mane and tail completely unkempt. And his eyes...they were hollow and cold. The leader looked up and saw the colt's horn was now glowing, "You...you're doing this." He instantly dropped his spear, kneeling down as he pleaded, "Please, you have to stop. We don't want to hurt you."

The pony said nothing, no expressions on his face as he just gave the leader a blank stare. Seeing this, the leader got up and began to walk again, only for an icicle to form out of the ground. "Stay away!" the stallion cried as he a series of ice shards appear around him. "Stay....away...."

"It's okay." The guard took one small, almost silent step, "My name...is Noble Banner. I'm not gonna hurt you." More ice began to form as he kept closing the gap. And as he did this, the pony's horn sparked, the spikes flying at the stallion....only to come to a stop. The ice shards were now piercing Noble, but it didn't matter. He was now hugging the young one, his horn now no longer showing an aura, "We just...want to...help you..."

Feeling the warmth of the hug, the pony's eyes began to tear up. "Wha...why..."

"Its okay. Its okay..." Noble repeated as he rubbed the stallion's back, "You can stop now. We won't hurt you."

Tears began to fall down the pony's face as he rested his head in Noble's hooves. The rest of the guards all gasped at the sight, now seeing the mist and hail began to vanish. "Sir? What's going on?"

Noble looked up at them and shook his head, the motion silencing the group. After that, he looked back down and asked, "Listen, we can take you somewhere safe, I promise. Though...what's your name?"

"Cold..." he stuttered out, "Cold Steel..."

---

Many years later...

It was another beautiful day in the town of Ponyville, everypony having now just gotten up. That included the inhabitants of the Castle of Friendship, where we find Flash Sentry getting out of the shower. He was in the bathroom connected to his 'bedroom', which was actually more like an office than anything else. His old bed had been replaced by a large deck and chair, while his guitar, comics and other things that Twilight would prefer not to have in their room.

Flash didn't mind, mainly since his room was right across from Twilight's, along with having his own little stallion-cave. And as he finished bathing, he was in front of the bathroom mirror as he spread cream onto his face. "Shake your tail, cause we're gonna have a party tonight." He picked up a razor and slowly began to glide it across his face, still singing as he scraped away the cream.

But as he finished the first half of his face, his ears picked up an odd sound. Not only that, he felt something on his back, making him spin around. A few circles later, he looked down at his flank, gasping as he saw his Cutie Mark now glowing, pulsing as big smile hopped onto his face. "No way!"

The defender shot out of the bathroom, flying through the castle, "Twilight!" He yelled as he entered the map room, now finding her and the rest of the castle's inhabitants already there as he landed in his chair. "I'm being called!"

Twilight was looking over the map as she replied, "I know, and it's in a pretty remote location."

Spike turned to him, only to raise an eyebrow as he saw the cream on his face. "You shave?"

Flash rolled his eyes, "No, I caught rabies. Of course I shave! I'm a stallion!" He turned back to Twilight, "So where am I heading?"

Twilight rubbed her chin in thought as her horn shined, levitating a few maps into the room, "Hmm...it looks like you're being summoned to the very edge of the map, in the undiscovered west. It appears to be a small village, but...this location is very strange."

"Why?" Scootaloo asked.

"From the looks of things, the village is situated between a large lake and some gigantic mountains. Unless its a town full of pegasi, it's a strange place to live. Especially for earth ponies, as there's no way farmland would work in this location as well."

"Guess I'll find out when I get there," Flash said as he took another look at his destination, only to blink as he saw only one mark floating over the location. "Wait...I'm going alone?"

This made Twilight nod with a slight frown. "I know, I had to recheck it myself. So far, this is the first time the map has only summoned just one pony. Strange since its summoned all seven of us the first time and then Pinkie and Rainbow the second time. Though...I'm sure it has a reason for sending you on your own."

"Maybe I should go with him," Springer chimed in, only to get a shake of the head from Twilight.

"No Springer, you should stay here. If the map wanted somepony to go with Flash, it would have summoned them."

Springer growled back at her, "Aren't you giving this map a little too much credit? I mean...it just seems silly to blindly follow this thing without question."

"It hasn't been wrong before," Twilight countered as she tapped the table. "And don't forget it's connected to the Tree of Harmony, which has never made us do anything we couldn't handle before, and you owe the tree your life. Besides, I'm sure that whatever problem it's sending Flash on, he can handle it."

Springer was about to open his mouth, only to feel Flash's hoof on his shoulder, "I'm with Twilight. Don't worry, I got this. You just focus on keeping Ponyville in one piece while I'm gone." He turned back to the map, sighing as he saw the distance between the town and Ponyville. "Guess I'd better get ready right away."

Twilight nodded, only to then giggle. "Maybe after you finish shaving." This made Flash roll his eyes before returning to the bathroom. One shave later, he began backing a saddlebag as Twilight etched a route on a map for him. After he picked up his trusty Celestic Gear, Twilight told him that he shouldn't need it for a friendship problem, only for him to remind her about how he should have kept it during the Starlight incident. And as she wanted to argue against it anyways, he pulled the princess into one long kiss, ending the argument.

It soon became noon when Flash got to the train station, all his friends there to see him off. Iron and he had a quick discussion about his absence and that they would handle things in town until he got back. This included the usual 'don't let the town blow up' plan along with 'remember the CMC dynamite/firework/leftover party cannon worst case scenario' they had created over the past year for protecting the town.

And as the train pulled up, he gave Scootloo one last hug, Springer one last hoof bump and Twilight one last kiss before getting on board. "I'll see you all when I get back," Flash yelled with a wave through the window. "Don't have any fun adventures without me!"

"We make no promises!" Springer called back.

"And be sure to remember every detail of what happens!" Twilight barked back. "I wanna hear everything about what you did when you get back!"

"I'll try!" Was all Flash could get out before they left his line of sight, soon sitting back as he slumped down in the train's chair. Closing his eyes, he began to wonder just what kind of case he was about to solve. "I hope its something fun...maybe its a detective case like I did with Discord." he muttered to himself before doing a little stretch, "And here's hoping for so good old fashioned action."

---

Two days later...

Having arrived at the very end of the train line, Flash had disembarked and was now cutting his way through a thick forest. "Grrr...why does the map keep sending me to non-relaxing places?!" He grunted as cut another bush down, his eyes staring at a map in his other hoof, "Can't be too far now...just wish this stupid canopy wasn't so thick or I'd fly over this stupid thing already."

His ears spiked up as he caught the sound of running water, his hooves quickly walking through a pile of foliage. And as he did this, he found himself looking at a slow-moving stream. "Hmmm...this is the stream on the map...perfect!" He hopped in immediately, wading in the water with a big grin. "Aww...that's refreshing."

But as he did this, a large shadow effortless glided behind him, the hairs on his spine standing on end as he felt something coming. Flash glanced back, only to see a giant black snake standing over him, "Aw crap."

He instinctively dropped his map before reaching for his sword, only for the snake to lunge right at him. However, as he tried to draw the blade, he felt the snake's tail grab his lower hooves, making him trip backwards, "Augh!" he yelped as his sword slipped out of his hoof, only to fall into the water.

"Aw horseapples!" he yelled as he dodged the snake's fangs, the pegasi backpedalling from two different strikes. And as the snake opened his mouth for another lunge, Flash reached his hoof down into the water, only to find no sword. "No...I don't need to happen right-"

"Hissss!!!" the snake roared as it stretched its head back, cocking it like was a gun. But as it about to strike, Flash's eyes went wide as the snake came to a stop. As for why it had stopped, the snake was now consumed in a clear glass-like substance that was cold to the touch.

"Ice?" Flash asked as he picked himself up, "What in the name of-"

"You're starting to make me doubt whether I was right to allow you the title of knight."

Flash sunk his hoof into the stream, pulling his blade out this time as he turned to the source of the voice. "Who's there?!" A light blue unicorn came into view, making Flash gasp, "Cold Steel?!"

"In the flesh. Now, why are you here?"

One long-winded explanation later...

"I see..." Cold said as now walked down the stream, the knight's magic freezing the river. "I had heard of the Princess's Magic Table and its abilities, mainly due to you all doing a mission before we met. Didn't think it would lead to us running into one another."

Flash did a small shrug, "Yeah, but uh...what are you doing here? I figured the Frozen Wanderer would be someplace more...frozen."

Cold rolled his eyes at the comment, "For your information, I'm here in search of somepony who might be able to lead me to a group I've been after for the last few years."

"What kind of group?" Flash asked, but Cold just stared ahead, not responding. Letting out a long sigh, Flash continued, "Come on Cold, I'm a Royal Knight. Shouldn't I know about a group you feel the need to investigate?"

Cold looked away, almost growling, "Ugh...there's not much known about the group. They're a cult that's obsessed with some type of dark entity. I managed to find some information about some of their funds, which seems to be coming from this area."

"Wait...are you looking for the village I'm heading to as well?"

"That'll be my first stop. I'll interrogate the ponies there and find out who's suppling the funding."

Flash replied with a flat stare, "Hold on there. I've got my own job to do there, and you terrifying the locals ain't gonna make that easy." But before Cold could answer, the two found they had reached the end of the river. It was flooding into a large lake, one that Flash recognized. "Beanpot!" Flash cheered as he flared his wings. "This is the place!"

It was just like it had been depicted on the map, built on a piece of land trapped between a lake and a semi-circle of mountains. The town looked to be about half the size of Ponyville, with many houses built in close proximity to one another. Flash pulled out a pair of binoculars, staring out at the lake, "Alright, this looks good, but uh...how are you gonna get across?"

"Lend me your binoculars." Before Flash could respond, the unicorn's magic tugged them out of the pegasi's grasp.

"Hey!" Flash yelled as Cold glared through the device, only to go wide-eyed as he saw five ponies in the distance. It was here he saw four of the five ganging up on the last pony, each wielding some from of a crude weapon.

"We need to get over there!" Cold's horn sparked as he fired some magic at the water, forming a floating platform with a shopping cart like handle. He jumped onto the platform before turning to Flash. "Push! Do it now!"

Flash wanted to go for a 'magic word' joke, but seeing the glare on Cold's face made him shut up. Instead, he gripped the handle and started pushing, slicing across the lake with great ease.

As they made their way, a late-aged earth pony now found himself taking a blow to the chest. "Augh!" he yelped as he fell back, his flank now falling into some mud. He had a brown coat with a gray mane, tail and beard. The elder was wearing a pair of half-moon glasses and a towel-like scarf around his neck. As for what hit him, it was four rough-looking stallions, all staring at him with their weapons.

"We warned you about what would happen if didn't pay up." one with a crowbar said, chuckling, "And after we were so nice in letting you have more time."

"Wait...please!" the pony whimpered as he tried to get up, "I...I can get you the money."

"Too late!" A pegasus with a bat countered as he raised the metal stick to hit him. But as he swung it down, a resounding clang rang out as he felt his attack blocked. "Huh?!"

It was Flash, stopping the bat with the broad side of Lightbringer. The sight made the others all almost backpedal as another yelled, "What the heck?!" But as these words came out of his mouth, they felt a chill go down their bodies before seeing another pony appear, the ground beneath him freezing. "Who are these freaks?!"

Flash smirked as he pointed his weapon at them. "Flash Sentry and Cold Steel, Royal Knights of Equestria. And if you know what's good for you, you'll get out of here before you make us mad."

"Too late for that." Cold continued as his horn sparked, a spike of ice thrashing out in front of the criminals. A volley of screams happened next, all of them running away to a pair of boats on the lake. They soon climbed in and rowed away, leaving the two knights and the elderly pony alone.

With them gone, Flash put his sword away before holding out a hoof to the earth pony, "You alright?" The pony flinched back in fear, making Flash almost pull his hoof back, "Hang on...we're not gonna hurt you." The earth pony just stared at Flash, as if trying to judge him, only to let out a long sigh.

"Thank you." he replied as he took Flash's hoof. "Sorry about that."

"No problem." Flash then started to help the pony brush the dirt off of him, "But uh...why were they attacking you?"

The pony sighed again, "Because I...I haven't paid them what I owe."

"They're debt collectors?"

He shook his head before pointing at the knights, "No, they're just a bunch of thugs. And I don't know what you're doing here, but I'd advise you to not stay. This isn't the kind of place you want to live in if you're looking for a peaceful life."

Flash and Cold shared a glance, only to look back at the village. It was here that they saw the condition of the town, now seeing the street to be filled with dilapidated buildings, complete with wreckage everywhere. The sight made Flash blink as he commented, "Wow...this place is a dump. No offense."

"What happened here?" Cold added.

The earth pony looked away, not wanting to answer. But it was here he saw Flash and Cold glaring at him, now feeling the chill coming off Cold, "Well...you see, our town is currently being subjected by some...seriously bad ponies."

"You mean those thugs? Do they work for somepony?" Cold instantly asked, "What's the pony's name?"

"He's an evil pony...that's the only way I can describe him." a small sigh interrupted his next words, "His name is...Gold Hoof."

Flash and Cold both frowned at the words, now having the feeling they knew the reason they were here. "Can you tell us more?"

"Not here. Let's head to my house." He tried to start walking, only to stumble. Flash quickly went over to help him, Cold adding support as well. And as they did this, Flash glanced back at the lake the thugs had retreated to, only to notice the start of a large bridge...but only the first few feet had been built.

---

The four criminals had now arrived on the other side of the lake, soon abandoning their boats as they ran into the forest. It wasn't long till they reached a building, one that was made of logs and lumber...but if it was designed by a bunch foals. the top was lopsided, half of its right tilted over as part of the building wall was built on a stump that was never removed from the ground.

Soon entering inside, they found a whole bunch of ponies, all hoof wresting, drinking or playing cards. Their heads keep shifting back and forth, all four trying to find a certain pony. It wasn't long till they ran to the back of the building, soon seeing the pony the were seeking.

"BOSS! We got a huge problem!" they all yelled, only to freeze up as the saw the pony's hoof slam the table he was sitting at, making it hop in place.

"This better be good, as I'm not in a good mood today." the pony replied as his horn began to spark, a magic aura gripping all four thug's necks. They all gulped as the unicorn leaned back, now resting his backhooves on the table. It was here they could see that he had bulky gold-colored fur coat with purple spots all over his body. He also had a frizzy purple mane and tail, complete with a black shirt, red tie, and a pair of round shades covering his eyes. His mouth showed a half grin as it shined a gold tooth in his jaw, "And where's the money you were supposed to get?!"

---

Back at the village...

The earth pony, who's name was Rapid Growth, had lead the knights to one of the larger dilapidated houses. There, he walked in first as he yelled, "Azure, Swift, we have company!" A few seconds later, the sounds of hoofsteps could be heard as one pony ran up to the door.

It was a pink coated earth pony mare with blue hair. She gasped at the sight of the knights, her hooves trying to backpedal, "Who...who are they?!"

"They're friends sweetheart." Rapid responded before glancing at the duo, "This is my daughter-in-law, Azure Petal." He turned back to her, "Where's Swift?"

Azure looked away, "He's uh...still in his room."

"Of course." Rapid grumbled as he walked over to a rickety table, gesturing to the knights to follow. Azure soon left to get them drinks as Rapid sat down, "I suspect this is a good time to explain our town's situation to you."

"Please do," Cold instantly replied, a slight glare on his face as he crossed his hooves.

"Well, I guess the first thing to say is that our little village wasn't always the way it is now. Not too long ago, it was a thriving town, complete with happy ponies. Many of us are seaweed farmers, which we grew here thanks to the unusual environment our lake has. The soil it has is super rich, but only underwater, making it perfect for seaweed." He looked down at the table as he started the next part, "We've been able to enjoy a peaceful life here for five generations. However, that all changed when one day...the boats we used to cross the lake were destroyed in a storm."

Flash and Cold shared a glance, instantly picking up what happened next as Flash asked, "Let me guess, the only wood you can access to fix the boats is the forest across the lake?"

"That's right. And it was no ordinary storm. It lasted for over a week. When it finally passed, all our boats were gone, and that included our business. You can probably guess that we need the boats to do trade, as no trade routes would work with the mountains."

"Is this when Gold Hoof came into the picture?" Cold added as Azure placed three cups of tea in front of them.

"Yes. At first, we thought our prayers were being answered. He had a series of ferries, ones that could easily get us across. He had us pay a small fee, which we could pay to get everything we needed. But as we tried to use those ferries to get us the materials for our own boats...Gold decided to up the prices. And by that, I mean....we could barely afford them. It went to the point where he made us all in his debt, and if you can't pay..."

"He sends his thugs." Cold finished as Rapid did a small nod, "Tch. I'm betting Gold Hoof increased the prices just before you got the all the materials you needed."

"That's horrible," Flash added.

Rapid looked away next, "Its more than that now. His ponies have started taking their payment out of anything they can get their hooves on. And if you don't have anything...well, you get the picture."

"That explains the condition of this place." Cold commented as he took a sip, "Is this Gold Hoof-"

"That's ridiculous!" Flash interrupted as he slammed his now empty cup down, "Why don't you do something?! Why didn't you ask the princesses for help?!"

Rapid shrunk away from the knight's reaction, "Why would the princesses bother with us? We're not some big city."

"But you're still part of Equestria!" Flash almost yelled. "If they found out what was happening here, they would have helped you without question. Besides, why are you just sitting back and letting these punks destroy everything you have?!"

"What would you have us do?" Rapid instantly asked back. "No pony here is a knight or solider, we're farmers-"

"That doesn't mean you can't stand up for yourself!" Flash countered as he pointed at the elder, "Show them they can't push you around!"

"Hey, SHUT UP! Leave my grandpa alone!" The ponies all turned to stairs, a cream colored earth pony colt with a blue mane now standing on one of the steps. He was wearing a green hoodie and a white bucket hat, his form shivering as tears filled his eyes.

"Swift..." Azure whispered.

The colt growled at Flash, "What do you know?! We can't beat Gold, so what's the point of even trying?!"

Flash glared back at the colt, now seeing the obvious fear in his eyes. He wanted to yell back, but his brain caught up with him, telling him to go for something more...inspirational. As such, he lowered his tone as he said, "Because trying and failing is a lot better than just sitting back and doing nothing." He leaned back while crossing his hooves, "Its obvious this Gold Hoof isn't gonna go away unless you force him too, which means you gotta make things better with your own hooves."

As Flash's words ended, he scanned over all three ponies, only to see nothing but shock and pain on their faces. The sight made him almost grimace as the colt yelled, "You're wrong! Nopony can beat him expect a hero, and they don't exist!" With that, he ran upstairs, Azure chasing up.

"Wait Swift!" she cried as she disappeared into the second floor.

Rapid let out a low hum and took another sip of his drink, "Please excuse Swift Growth. He's...had a hard life."

Flash slightly looked away, "Sorry. I should've read the room more."

"Its fine. It makes sense that you would-"

"Who died?" Cold interrupted, the two glancing at him as he continued, "I can see it in the colt's eyes. They are...the eyes of a pony who has seen somepony they love die."

Both blinked at him, Flash trying to form words as Rapid replied, "He uh...he lost my son, which was his father, Strong Structure." he turned to stare at the window, the others following his gaze as they caught sight of the unfinished bridge out nearby the lake. Tears began to crack out of his eyes as he pointed at the lake, "He...was the light of this village. I was always proud of him, the boy always smiling and doing whatever he could to make those around him happy. Not only that, Swift was just like him, always smiling." he slumped down as he muttered out his next words, "But Strong wasn't just that. He was also the town's best builder, a skill he was unmatched with. And when Gold started charging his fees and attacking ponies...he came up with a plan to free us from Gold."

---

The past...

"A bridge?" Rapid repeated, staring at his son as the family sat around the dinner table.

"That's right," Strong replied as he crossed his hooves. He was a bulky cream colored earth pony with a brown mane and tail, wearing a blue vest with multiple tools sticking out. "We can't keep living under Gold Hoof's laws. Because we can barely get enough wood for boats, we'll do something different." He pointed to the window, specifically a nearby mountain, "So...what if we made a stone bridge across the lake? I mean, we got enough resources to spare thanks to mountains. Gold won't be able to stop us."

"But...would that really work dad?" Swift muttered out, to which Strong nodded.

"Of course it will!" He punched his hooves together, "We can't just sit around and hope Gold stops. The only way things are gonna get better is if we make it happen with our own hooves."

The present...

"Strong inspired the whole village. It wasn't long till we started working on the bridge, using rocks from the mountains that Strong could easily cut out. We started the bridge post-haste, hope beginning to return to our village..." Rapid's eyes clenched as he looked away, "But Gold wouldn't allow that."

The past...

Rapid and his family, minus Strong, were all leaving their house as the headed to the bridge. Strong had decided to get an earlier start, the rest of the town just now getting up. But as they arrived at the bridge, the family found nopony there. The rest of the town began to walk up to them as Swift yelled out, "Dad? Where are you?"

"Yoohoo!" They all turned to the voice, only for them all to see a boat just a few hundred feet away from the shore. It was just close enough for everypony to see Gold Hoof, a giant grin on his face, "Hello there, nice bridge you're building."

"What do you want Gold?!" Rapid barked at him. "We've paid off your last rides and don't intend to use them ever again!"

"I know...and that's the problem." Gold did a low chuckle as his toothy grin grew, "You see, I can't afford to lose your service. That's why I'm now taking some...extreme measures." With that, the ponies in the boat with him lifted something up into view, only for a barrage of gasps to follow at the sight.

"DADDY!" Swift cried out as he stared at the form of his tied up father. He had bruises all over his body, and the ropes wrapped around him had several rocks tied to them.

He groaned as his eyes cracked open, "Swift...be...strong."

"Such nice words." Gold chuckled as he gestured to his minions, all of them moving him to the edge, "Now remember everypony, please don't take this personally. Its just business." With that, the ponies pushed the beaten crafts-pony overboard, his body hitting the water with a tremendous splash.

"DADDY!" Swift screamed as he watched the rocks instantly sink the stallion, Azure trying to block his view as several over ponies dived into the lake.

---

"But...we didn't make it in time," Rapid's tears were now flowing. "Strong...was Swift's hero. Seeing that just broke him."

Cold said nothing as Flash sighed, "We're...sorry for your loss." But as Flash tried to comfort him, Cold stood up and turned to the door. Seeing him leave, Flash looked back at Rapid, "Uh...excuse us for a second." Quickly following the knight, he found Cold heading to the lake, "Hey! Where are you going?!"

"To find this Gold character. It's obvious he's the one I'm after." His horn began to glow as he prepared to freeze a path over the lake, "I'll take him and his ponies down, then I'll get the answers I need. I've wasted enough time already."

"Whoa whoa whoa! Hold on there!" Flash yelled as he flew over the unicorn, landing as he flashed a hoof, "You can't just waltz in there! Stopping this Gold guy isn't enough to solve everything."

"What are you talking about? Once Gold is gone, we can give his boats to the ponies and everything will be fine."

"But if that was true, then why did the tree only send me? If the way to fix this mess was to fight, then it would have probably sent Rainbow, Applejack or Twilight here with me. There has to be something more to this, or the tree-"

"I don't have time for this." Cold pushed him aside, rolling his eyes.

"Hey! Don't just-"

"Be quiet. For all I know, those ponies we let go have already warned Gold and he's gonna make a break for it."

"But-"

"I have a job to do," Cold interrupted as he glared back at the pegasus. "I have to find out all I can about Gold, as for right now, he's my main suspect for the cult's funding. What I'm doing is for the good of Equestria, and that far outranks anything some tree wants you to do."

"Even if the princess told me to come?!" Flash countered, only to see Cold turn away.

"Oh please, like a tree outranks royalty." his horn began to glow again as he added, "You can stay here and fix...whatever you need to do, but I don't have time to play foalsitter." With that, head headed for the lake. But he and Flash both stopped when they spotted something on the lake.

It was a bunch of boats, sailing across the water as a frizzy maned golden pony appeared at the front of the wooden vehicles. Flash's ears spiked up as he looked back at the village, the sounds of doors and windows opening as he saw the townponies all now staring at the situation.

"So...I heard a rumor that a pair of morons had been causing issues for my boys. I'm guessing that's you two." the pony announced as he shined a big toothy grin.

Flash glanced back at the lake with a blank stare, "I'm assuming your Gold Hoof?"

"In the flesh." Gold replied as he tugged his shirt. "I suspect you've heard of me, and I must say...you two look like you could handle yourselves. I'll forgive you for interrupting my boy's work if you work for me."

Flash rolled his eyes at this, "I'm gonna give you a big old no for that. I don't beat up defenceless old stallions, and I don't see an issue interrupting an evil act like that."

"Tch...I can agree with that." Cold whispered before speaking up, "Gold Hoof, you're coming with me to answer a few questions."

Gold raised an eyebrow, "And what questions are they?"

"You'll find out once we're back at Canterlot. Now, are you coming?"

Gold just waved his hoof, "Eh, I think I'll pass. Unless you have a warrant to force me to come, I'm well within my rights to decline."

"That's fine, I don't mind doing this the hard way." Cold's horn began to shine as he yelled, "You're under arrest for the assault of the ponies on this town, and the murder of Strong Construct!"

A look of fear almost appeared on Gold's face, only for a big smirk to appear, "Oh really? And what pray tell, is your 'legal' proof that I did any of this? Perhaps a witness or two?"

Cold and Flash both shared a glance, soon turning back to the town. But as they did this, they now saw all the townponies were gone, all their doors and windows closed. "I think I've made my point," Gold chimed in as the knights glared back at him, "Do yourself a favor and leave. This village belongs to me in all but name, and there's nothing you can do to stop me from taking what I want."

With that, the boats turned around before vanishing in the distance, Cold growling at the sight. He turned back to the town, letting out a yell, "COWARDS!"

"Cold!" Flash jumped in front of him, "Relax. It's not their fault."

"It is their fault! They could have solved this problem if they had spoken up!" Cold barked back. "There's nothing that irritates me more than cowards! All I need is one of them to say something and I could arrest that piece of scum!"

"It's not that easy Cold. They're...scared." As he said this, Flash's eyes went wide before gasping, "That's it."

"What's it?" Cold hissed.

"Why the map sent me here," he looked back at the town. "These ponies have been living in fear, and what's the best way to beat fear?"

Cold was about to yell, only for his brain to catch up as he remembered what Flash's element was. "With courage. That's what you're going at, aren't you?"

"Yeah! And we need to help them find the courage to stand up to Gold!"

The other knight let out a snort, "And how are we supposed to do that?" Cold grumbled as he crossed his hooves, "If they're that afraid, why would they help us?"

Flash turned to him with a big smirk, "That's simple. They just need something to give them hope. Something like a...a symbol. Just like that Strong Structure pony." Flash's smile increased as he pointed at Cold, "And we can both do it, and get Gold arrested. Trust me on this, Frozen Wanderer." He pointed back to himself, "I'm the Knight of Friendship after all."

Cold let out a long breath, his calm emotionless nature returning, "I don't like this. I'm a weapon, not some counselor."

"I know you're not. You're here to show these ponies that Gold doesn't stand a chance against us." Flash remarked before turning away, "Now put on your usual calm face. First rule to making friends is first impressions, something you're gonna watch and learn right now."

Flash took to the air, taking in a deep breath before yelling, "Ponies, hear me!" His voice echoed out into the town, the windows and doors soon reopening as they saw the knight flight back down. "Please, don't be afraid. I'm not here to hurt you, I just wanna talk." He pulled out his sword and laid the blade on the ground. "Please...just come out and let's talk."

The ponies all glanced at each other, a few now slowly moving out of their homes as a small crowd soon gathered. Despite this, Flash shined a giant welcoming grin, one that made the group increase in number. Cold watched as this continued, Flash now hovering a few feet off the ground as he kept talking, "My name is Flash Sentry, and I'm a Royal Knight. I've come to help you, as I know you've all been living in fear of Gold Hoof." He put a hoof to his chest, "I'm here to tell you that you don't need to fear him."

One of the townsponies spoke up. "But...if you're gonna stop Gold, why didn't you do it back then?"

"Right now, we don't have anything that gives us the legal right to arrest him." Cold chimed in, Flash turning to him, "But if you ponies spoke up and acted as witnesses to his crimes-"

"Then Gold will do to us what he did to Strong!" Another pony yelled out. "If we speak up, we'll be as good as dead!"

"Yeah! He'll kill us!" screamed another. "We're all gonna-"

"We won't let that happen!" Flash interrupted as he landed, gripping his blade once more. "We'll protect you from Gold and his goons."

"How?! You're just two ponies!"

"Gold's got a whole gang! They'll tear us apart!"

Flash flew back up and pointed his weapon at the lake, a powerful laser firing out of the sword. The blast struck the water, making a giant explosion. Everypony gasped at the sight, soon glancing back at Flash as he floated back down. "That's what I can do, and my other knight friend over there can turn his goons into a bunch of ice sculptures. Gold won't stand a chance against us."

He looked out at the crowd, still seeing looks of fear. "Listen, I know you're scared, but do you really want to live your life like this?"

"We've heard this all before," a stallion spoke up, "Didn't turn out so great for the pony who said it back then. What makes you any different?!"

"I'm not different. I know who you're talking about, and I know I never met Strong...but I can definitely respect him." Flash replied as he rested his sword on his shoulder, "He wasn't afraid to stand up for what he believed in, and he put his life on the line to prove it. He might not be here...but I think he wants you to have better lives than this." He then pointed to the unfinished bridge, "Let's honor his memory by finishing the bridge he worked so hard to build."

This caused all of the ponies to murmur amongst themselves, some now sneaking glances at the bridge. As they did this, Cold just stared at the scene. His usual blank emotionless face was still there, with the exception of him rubbing his chin, as he whispered to himself, "Huh...so this is what you made, eh Grand?"

It was here he noticed that some of the ponies now staring at him, switching glances between the knights. Cold then saw Flash looking at him, Cold now seeing what the pegasi meant. Taking a deep breath, the knight spoke up, "Listen you lot! If you're that worried about Gold doing what he did before, don't. With us here, he wouldn't dare lay a hoof on you. And if he does...that'll just give us the proof we need to arrest him."

Flash smirked at the sight, glad Cold caught on before turning back to the crowd, "You all loved Strong, didn't you?" Everypony nodded, almost looking insulted at the question. "Well if you ask me, I bet he'd feel real bad that you let his death affect you like this. If you really loved him, you'd stop at nothing to make sure the one who took him away would pay for it." He sheathed his sword before punching his hooves together, "So come on! Let's make Strong's dream a reality and show that his beliefs didn't die with him! WHO'S WITH ME?!"

The ponies all stared at him, only to see Rapid walk out of the crowd, "I'm with you. I...I won't let my son's death go unpunished anymore."

Azure then stepped up, "I'm with you too. I want to make this village someplace my son can grow up safe again." Slowly, the other ponies began to speak their agreement, all saying they would help.

Flash shined a big grin, "That's what I'm talking about. Now, we'll start first thing tomorrow."

"There's just one problem," Rapid countered. "It'll take months to cut the stone we need to build the bridge. We don't exactly have the tools to do it quickly, and I doubt Gold will let us across the lake to get them."

"You leave that to me. We'll have that bridge finished in less than a week." Flash added as he pointed to himself, "Now everypony get some rest." The townsponies all soon dispersed, Flash now going up to Cold, "Thanks for the help back there. Together we can free these ponies from Gold's hold."

Cold just looked away. "I'm not doing it for them. This is the only way I'll be able to take Gold in legally. Let's just get that bridge finished."

The knight started to walk away, Flash sighing while shaking his head. "Its okay Flash...its okay." Flash whispered to himself, "You can fix this. You just need to get along with him."

---

The next morning...

With this new determination, the ponies of the small town were now getting to work on Strong Structure's bridge. The first thing they needed was building materials, which Flash went to the mountains to get. As the crowd followed him, they saw him step forward before he was surrounded in light, a tornado forming before being covered in golden armor.

"Let's do this!" He exclaimed as he leapt into the air, pulled the light swords off his back. The town gasped as they saw him turn into an arrow of light, one that flew into the mountain before dozens of sword slashes could be heard. Before they could even comment on the sight, a huge pile of a smoothly cut bricks began to fall off the mountain, Cold's ice magic making a path for the rocks.

The townponies went wide-eyed as they saw the materials scoot down to them, Cold extending the ice path to the lake as he yelled at the town to go to the lake. Quickly responding, everypony ran down to the lake, groups forming as they started to get to work.

"Pass me that two by four."

"A little to the left."

"The next patch of concrete's done."

"Great. We were just about to run out."

Flash, Rapid and Cold watched the ponies work, the knights done transporting all the materials. Rapid turned to Flash, nodding, "Thank you. You've brought life back to the village that I never thought I'd see again."

Flash chuckled as he stared at the group, watching them help each other, laughing and joking while working, "Don't mention it. You ponies should be able to live like this. No matter what, I'll help free this town from Gold's control."

"I see..." Rapid added as he watched Flash walk up and start helping the ponies. The sight made him feel like he was seeing Strong again.

While this happened, Cold was now looking over the blueprints Strong had originally designed for the bridge. With his ability to make sturdy ice objects, he understood how to visualize images like this. He didn't want to say it out loud, but the design of the bridge was an amazing one. If built right, it would stand for a hundred years.

They continued to work until noon, Azure and several other mares and young ponies arriving while carrying several steaming pots and bowls. "Seaweed Soup's on!" She announced as they placed the pots on several tables, everypony cheering as they flooded the buffet. Pure joy was on every face as they started to chow down, Cold being the last pony to get some food. "Here you go," Azure responded as she gave him a bowl.

"Thank you," he curtly replied before looking for someplace to sit. But as he looked it over, everything seemed a little...crowded. The ponies were all huddled up around every table, talking and laughing. He even spotted Flash, telling several ponies of differing ages about some of his adventures.

He couldn't help but notice how they were hanging on his every word, smiling and laughing as Flash continued to tell his tales, "So he asked if I ever shut up, which I replied saying: 'No, my fans expect a certain amount of quipage in every battle.'" This caused an uproar of laughter, several ponies almost spilling their soup in the gigglefest.

The sight made Cold's stomach twist, partially annoyed at how Flash was acting for a knight...but also surprised at how the ponies were compared to yesterday. It was like they were completely different, making him think back to his fight with Flash, "Before I met Twilight, I never truly lived. I was just...surviving. It wasn't until I met them that my life truly began."

Cold rubbed his head at that, groaning to himself as he found a place to sit down, "Why am I thinking of that right now?" He then slumped over as he stared at his soup, memories of when he asked Celestia the difference between living and surviving. She had told him the difference being the memories you make when you live. Those were ones that give you a warm feeling, one that makes you smile and wish you could relive them.

"Memories..." he whispered to himself, now thinking back even further. But as he thought about them...he found nothing. Nothing but a singular memory.

---

Years ago...

Cold and Noble Banner were both in the Canterlot Castle training ground, the two staring down a bunch of targets. Banner held a stopwatch in his magic. "And...go!" Cold's horn sparked as he summoned a bunch of ice spikes, firing each with a series of instant bullseyes. Noble clicked the watch with a big grin, "Nine-point-four seconds. That's a new record!"

"YES!" Cold exclaimed, a big smile on his face. It had been a year since Noble had found and brought him back to Canterlot. It wasn't long till he started training him to control his incredible power, Cold soon becoming a master of multiple weapons, all that he could create out of ice in the blink of an eye.

With that, the two unicorns started to head to the barracks, Noble commenting, "You're doing great Cold. I don't think any guard has ever taken to the training as you have. Only a year of training and you already got the skills of a ten-year veteran." Cold's tail wagged as the big smile stayed on his face. But as Noble saw this, Cold's father figure's face changed as he stated, "But remember Cold, the power you have is wasted if you're only using it for yourself. It'll only be when you've found something positive to use it for that you'll be able to push past your limits."

Cold's head tilted at this, now slightly frowning, "So...what positive use should I have?"

Noble was about to reply, only for another guard to suddenly appear from around a corner. "Noble! The princess and Sir Grand have requested your presence! It seemed quite urgent!"

Noble nodded before turning back to Cold, "We'll have to discuss this later."

With that, he went off, Cold looking up at the messenger, "I wonder what they want him for."

The guard just chuckled at this, "Haven't you heard? Noble's gonna become a Royal Knight." This made Cold's eyes go wide as the solider continued, "Well...almost. Apparently, Princess Celestia is sending his troop to check something out in the badlands. I'm not sure what, but if they're successful, then Noble's gonna be made into a Royal Knight."

Cold was almost giddy. "That's great! He deserves it!"

The guard nodded in agreement, "And with him as a knight, Equestria will be even more safe. After all, ponies come and go, but Equestria will outlast them all."

Cold blinked at his words, soon walking away as he began to imagine Noble's knighting.

Several days later...

A long resounding yawn came out of Cold's mouth as he went to get himself breakfast, heading to the barracks for the grub. But as he entered the mess hall, he saw a bunch of guards huddled together in discussion. "Hey, what's going on?"

The guards all turned to him with sullen expressions, one of them gulping as he spoke up, "Cold...it's Noble."

And as he began to talk, the next few words would forever change Cold.

---

Present day...

Cold put his hoof to his head, groaning as he whispered, "Noble...why am I thinking about that?" He shook his head, repeating the guard's words, "Ponies come and go...it doesn't change."

He slumped back, his eyes drifting over to Flash and the happy ponies around him. Laughs and tears of joy could be seen as he watched the knight continue to socialize. But as he stared at the masses, his mind began to show each pony disappear, reminding himself that it would be so easy for all that happiness to disappear. All it would take is one pony taken away.

"Hey, mister?" Cold's eyes blinked as he refocused back into reality, soon looking down to se a filly staring up at him, "You okay? Your soup's gone cold." He glanced at the bowl, only to shrug as he gulped it down. "Wow...the cold doesn't bother you?"

"No. I prefer it." Cold replied as he put the bowl to the side, only to see the filly still staring at him, "What?!"

"You seem nice." she responded, smiling. The comment made him almost lean back as she continued, "But you really shouldn't hide your pain."

"What...did you just say?"

"Your face is just like a friend of mine's, Swift." She looked down at the ground, "After his daddy...well, he started pushing ponies away. He doesn't play with me anymore, and my mom says he does it to protect himself."

Cold glanced away, "Well, she's right. After all, if you don't make any connections, then you won't feel any pain when you lose somepony."

The filly stared back up at him, "That seems kinda lonely. I love my family and wouldn't want to live without them."

"You're right. You haven't felt the pain of loss like others." Cold said in a low tone, making the filly frown before walking away. As she went into the crowd, Cold shook his head, "Tch. Why does everypony keep making me think about that?" He took a deep breath, "I need to keep my distance...its the only way."

It wasn't long till lunch was done, everypony soon getting back to work. And as they did this, a bunch of ponies started to stare at the now growing bridge.

---

Later...

"Damn it!" Gold yelled as he slammed his hoof into the table, "Those ingrates think because a bunch of knights are with them that they're safe?!"

"But what are we gonna do boss?" One of his goons asked. "These knights are said to have the power of a hundred guards! With two of them, that's two hundred guards!"

"We can't compete with that!" Another cried.

"Shut up!" Gold growled as he moved his hoof up to his chest, rubbing the fur over his heart, "I can't allow them to complete that bridge."

"But how do we stop them? If we try anything, those knights will arrest us."

Gold slumped over in his seat, a grimace starting to appear on his face. "Its fine. We just need to find a way to solve this issue..." he started to shiver, "Legally."

The other ponies all shivered in unison, one goon chiming in, "Boss...why don't we just call it quits? Let's find someplace else to shakedown."

"Absolutely not!" Gold screamed as he slammed the table again, causing a crack in it this time. "This place is an untapped goldmine! You have no idea how desirable the seaweed market is...." He groaned while holding his head. "I knew those ponies wouldn't agree to my plan of commercializing this place, the damn hicks. I was so close to getting this place for myself." He slumped back again, only to let out a long sigh before getting up, "Got no choice. I'm gonna have to do a chat with my business partners. Hopefully, they'll be generous enough to give me something I can use to get out of this mess."

---

The next three days passed with a flurry of activity, the bridge getting closer to the other side of the lake. And as it grew, so did the hope of the townsponies who now saw their freedom on the horizon. By the end of the third day, the bridge was close to completion as Flash, Cold, Rapid, Azure and Swift were now sitting down to dinner.

"To the bridge," Rapid cheered as he raised his mug.

"To the bridge!" Flash and Azure did the same, Swift and Cold remaining still.

After they gulped down their drinks, Rapid shined a big smile at Flash, "You have no idea how happy you've made us. By this time tomorrow, Gold's control over us will be gone."

"Eh, I'm happy to help," Flash replied as he put the glass down. "And once the bridge is done, you'll agree to be a witness to Gold's crimes, right?"

"I'd be happy too," Rapid assured him. "That pony's done enough damage to my life. I'll gladly make sure he never hurts another pony."

Flash turned to Cold with a smirk, "Bet you'll be happy to finally get him."

Cold said nothing as he started to eat. "I'll have the pony I want and hopefully the answers to several questions. So yes, I guess I will be happy."

Flash rolled his eyes at this, "Would it kill you to crack a smile for once?" Cold didn't reply, just chomping another piece of seaweed, "Right...anyways, if we really put our backs into it, we might be able to finish the bridge before lunchtime tomorrow!"

It was here that a loud slamming sound caught their attention, making them turn to a shaking Swift. "Why are you so giddy?! You're all pathetic!"

"Swift!" Azure hissed, "That's rude-"

"Who cares if you finish that stupid bridge?! It's just gonna get knocked down and you'll end up dead. That's what happens to idiots who play hero."

Flash just took another drink, "I doubt that. I've faced way worse than Gold. Even if he had all his goons attack me at once, it wouldn't matter. I'd take them down in, to quote a friend of mine, ten seconds flat."

Swift's eyes went red as he growled at him, "Is this supposed to be some kind of game to you?! This is our lives! You don't really care about us! You just wanna make yourself look good!"

"That's enough Swift," Rapid almost yelled. "Apologize to Mr. Sentry, right now."

"I won't!" Swift barked back, "He doesn't know what it's like to really live here! He doesn't understand the suffering we've gone through! That I've gone through!" With that, he ran away, shoving the front door before going outside.

Flash sighed at the sight, "Dang. I really thought that getting the bridge would help him understand."

"That's because he's right," they all turned to Cold as he finished his food, "You don't understand the suffering he's gone through." He turned to Flash, "you've never lost anypony close to you. And whilst I don't wish that experience on anypony, you'll never understand that situation until you felt it."

Flash leaned back and started to rub the back of his head, "Hmm...I guess you got a point. I mean, I never had anything until I met Twi." Flash then shined a small grin, "But since I don't know that, why don't you talk to him?"

"Huh?!" Cold yelped, his face actually showing a little hesitation and surprise.

"Well, you just said you have experience in that. You go help him."

"I'm not doing that." Cold instantly replied as he looked away, "I'm a knight and a weapon...not some counselor."

Flash crossed his hooves at this, "Seriously?! Geez, you really need to get out more." Flash then pointed at the knight, "But if you're gonna be like that, you should really help him. After all, if you don't...he might end up just like you." Cold turned back to him, a hint of anger on his face. Despite this, Flash just stared back, a no nonsense expression on his face. "Don't tell me you don't see that. Go help the kid."

Cold grit his teeth, only to sigh, "Fine. I suspect you'll just pester me if I don't."

"Oh, you're totally right about that. I'll keep pestering you right now." Flash replied as Cold looked away, getting up as he walked out of the building. He started to drift around, soon finding the colt sitting on a stack of wood near the bridge. But as he got close, he saw that the colt was crying.

"Daddy...why daddy?!" he whimpered out while shaking, Cold walking up as he stepped on a twig. The snap of the branch alerted the young pony, Swift turning to the knight glaring at him before looking away, "I...I wasn't crying."

"Good," Cold responded as he walked up to his side, "You shouldn't waste your time on tears. Crying does nothing to fix a situation." Swift just turned away from him, all while holding back his sniffing. "Wallowing in self-pity is also a waste of time. There are better things to do."

"How would you know?!"

"Because I've been in your position." Swift blinked at this, slowly turning to him as Cold continued, "My entire village was destroyed by ponies just like Gold. My parents were both killed and I spent years alone. Every day was a struggle because I couldn't relax for fear of something attacking me. But then one day...a pony finally found me and took me in. I thought everything would be great after that, but that pony was also taken from me." Swift's eyes went wide at this, unable to respond as Cold finished, "You're just like me. You're pushing everypony away."

Swift looked back down, the tears starting again. "It hurts too much. I...I don't want it to get worse."

"You push ponies away so that if they die, you won't feel the pain. Its a sound idea." He turned to Swift with a low glare, "But tell me, can you really go your whole life without any love in your heart? If your mother came up and hugged you, would you be able to push her away?" Swift didn't reply. "Life isn't fair. You can't just get rid of the bad feelings, without also losing the good ones. And if you do manage to purge all emotions...there'll be no coming back."

"But you've obviously done it. You seem fine."

Cold just shrugged, "We're different. I lost everypony important to me." He turned away from the colt. "You still have your mother and grandfather. Ponies who love you so much, they're willing to risk their lives to build this bridge and free you from Gold." He began to walk away, but not before glancing back at Swift. "Don't push them away. If you have something you love...you should do everything in your power to keep them from being taken from you." With that, the two separated with Cold heading back to the house, Swift staying where he was. And as he trotted through the town, he spoke up, "Eavesdropping isn't a very knightly thing to do."

Flash stepped out of the shadows, a frown on his face. "I...sorry. I uh...didn't know-"

"Because I never told you." Cold started walking again. "And you didn't read my profile. You should really do that, as that's a knight's job. Now, are you satisfied with my talk with that colt?!"

Flash rolled his eyes at this, "You're wrong, you know." Cold stopped and looked back at the pegasus. "You didn't lose everything. I'm sure there were still ponies that you could have turned to after...everything."

"You know nothing." Cold glanced away. "You-"

"I'm sure others tried to help you." Flash interrupted, "Maybe Celestia or Grand. And what about the friends of that pony who found you? Didn't they reach out to you?"

Cold growled at this, remembering the guards along with Grand and Celestia. The very thought made his face start to show anger as he responded, "Your point?!"

"You're right when you said I can't understand the pain, but you're not the only one who's suffered. Iron lost his parents, same with First, Heather and Tidal. Grand was an orphan from a young age and Skybreaker lost his mentor. Ruby...she lost her ruler, best friend and was forced to wait one thousand years before she was freed. They've all been through just as many bad things as you, but they managed to open up to others. They overcame their pain."

"So? Why would that matter?" Cold glanced back at Flash, pointing a hoof at the knight, "I am a knight of Equestria. I have no need for anything else."

"I beg to differ." Flash replied while crossing his hooves, "As a Royal Knight, you can't allow yourself to be overcome by your fears. So why don't you act like a knight and stop being afraid of feeling that pain again?! When you do, you'll find you'll have regretted not doing it sooner." With that, Flash took to the skies, leaving Cold with a final thought.

"I'm...afraid?"

---

As this happened, Swift continued to cry, his form now sitting at the edge of the bridge. Cold's words echoing through his head, "Daddy...why..."

His thoughts were then cut when he heard hoofsteps, a low chuckle following this that made him spin around. His eyes went wide as he saw who was on the bridge, "You..."

"Hello my little pony," Gold replied as two goons walked up beside him. Swift tried to step back in fear, only to feel his hooves slip off the edge of the bridge, "Can't get away from me, little one. Now, you're going to help me with a tiny business matter."

---

The next morning...

Everypony was up and out as soon as the sun came up, all heading to the bridge. "Is everypony ready to finish this bridge?!" Flash yelled, getting a mighty cry of agreement in response. But as they stepped up onto the bridge, they spotted several figures standing at the structure's end.

"Gold," Cold growled as the pony came into view, the townsponies now all going wide-eyed at the sight.

"Greetings," the unicorn chuckled.

"What are you doing here?!" Rapid barked back, "Get off our bridge!"

"Of course," Gold replied as his horn shined, a stack of papers levitating in front of him. "As soon as you all sign this."

Everypony raised an eyebrow as the papers began to float over, Flash asking, "What are these?"

"Legally binding documents that, once signed, will exonerate me from any crimes you think I might have committed." The ponies all just blinked in shock at this. "Signing these will also mean you'll be signing away your homes and the land it's on, meaning your entire town will belong to me."

"You're insane!" Azure yelled while slamming her hoof down. "Why would we do such a thing?!"

But this simply got a smile out of the unicorn as he pulled something out of his shirt. It was a slip of paper with symbols on it that Gold tossed into the air before sparking his horn.

KABOOM!

The symbols lit up before the paper exploding, shaking the whole bridge.

"Because if you don't, I'll ignite every single paper bomb that I stuck onto the supports of this bridge." This made the ponies all gasp, most of the town on the bridge right now.

The only ones who not scared were Flash and Cold, the pegasus rolling his eyes. "Oh please, you obviously haven't seen me at top speed. I could get everypony off this thing before you even finished casting that spell."

Gold's grin started to grow, "I did notice that. But luckily, a little extra insurance fell into my lap." He clapped his hooves, causing two pegasi to fly out from under the bridge while holding something.

"SWIFT!" Azure screamed as she saw the colt in the hooves of the pegasi.

"MOM!" The colt cried as he struggled against the ropes tying him up, the bindings also holding up a pair of large rocks.

Gold laughed at he pointed at the colt. "You might be fast enough to save all these ponies, but are you fast enough to do that and save the colt from sleeping with the fishes?!" To prove his point, more pegasi flew in front of the ones holding Swift, all holding weapons in their hooves. "I told you I always get what I want! Now choose, you damn hicks! Sign your home away, or lose this stupid colt and your damn bridge!"

The ponies all shared a glance, the hope and courage they had gained over the last few days vanishing. And as this happened, Rapid spoke up, "Alright." Gold floated a pen to the pony, the elder starting to write his name. The rest of the ponies all began to do the same, while both Flash and Cold glared at Gold.

"Don't think I didn't forget about you two," he floated another pair of contracts over to them. "These will make it so that you'll never be able to arrest me."

"This can't be legal," Flash growled back.

"Oh, but it is." Gold chuckled as he tapped the paper. "Do it."

"Please..." they turned to Azure, "Please don't let them hurt my son. I can't lose him too."

Flash let out a groan but did as he was told, signing the contract before turning to his teammate. "Cold, come on." Cold just stared at Swift, who's face was one of complete fear.

Then, he turned to Gold with the most blank expression possible. The sight creeped out Gold, unable to read the knight's face as Cold asked, "Why are you so desperate to make money off these ponies? It goes far beyond just greed."

Gold took a second to reply, a glare on his face before magically unbuttoning his shirt. "Let's just say that I got into a pretty big debt with some...unpleasant characters. They gave me a monthly quota, and if I fail to fill it-" he fully opened his shirt and revealed his chest was covered in the same symbols as the ones on the paper bomb. "This goes off."

Flash went wide-eyed at this while Cold's expression didn't change. "I see...who are those ponies?"

"Like I'd tell you," Gold growled before darting his eyes around, "After all...you never know who's watching. Now sign the damn paperwork!"

Everypony turned to Cold, the unicorn now finally looking at the paper. Flash grimaced as he couldn't read the knight's face, the unicorn staring at the piece of parchment. However, the knight suddenly shrugged as he said, "Alright, I'll sign it." He took the pen in his magic and wrote his name, Gold smiling as he took the documents back.

"Excellent!" Some pegasi began to fly over to pick Gold up, "Pleasure doing business with you."

But as they came down, Cold leaned over and whispered, "Flash, be ready to fly towards Swift."

"What?! But the bombs-"

"Trust me." Cold hissed before turning back to Gold. "Alright, enough messing around Gold. You're under arrest for kidnapping and possession of illegal paper bombs."

Everypony went wide-eyed at this, Gold now holding up the documents, "Are you insane?! You can't touch me!" But in that second, Cold unleased a small beam of magic that struck the papers. "What?!" He yelped as his documents were encased in ice, which made him reflexively drop the documents. But as he did that, he instantly realized his papers were now in the lake, already sinking beneath the water, "NO!" He then glared back at the unicorn, "Big mistake! Drop him now!"

As soon as he said that, his goons released Swift, "AAAAAHHHHH!" The colt cried, only for Flash to zip right past all the thugs. Before the thugs could react, the knight knocked all of them out with ease, quickly catching Swift before he hit the water.

"Gotcha!" Flash said as he lifted him up, "See? Ten seconds flat!"

As that happened, Gold growled before sparking his horn. "That's it! Time for this bridge to fall!"

Everypony grimaced at this...only for nothing to happen.

"Huh?!"

"Boss!" One of the pegasi Flash had kicked into the water yelled out, "The bridge supports are covered in ice!"

"What?!" He looked down and saw a thin trail of ice on the edge of the bridge, the trail leading up to Cold's back hoof, "You...what did you-"

As Flash landed, he saw Cold actually crack a smile as he glanced back at the town. "Sorry I took so long to sign it. Needed as much time as I could to cover the entire bridge support."

"But the bombs-"

"The ice caused them to go soggy, making them worthless." Flash commented as he floated down with Swift, his blade already slicing the rocks and ropes to pieces. "Nice one Cold."

Cold's smile vanished as he turned to Gold, "Now, let's end this. Come quietly, or do we need to do this the hard way?"

"Retreat!" Gold screamed as two pegasi thugs grabbed his shoulders, flying him over the lake as they others began to row away in their boats.

However, the sight just made Flash and Cold both sigh as the pegasi asked the unicorn, "Has anypony ever been smart enough to not do things the hard way?"

"Not during my tenure." Cold's horn glowed before firing a spell at the water, the lake instantly freezing up while shooting out spikes.

Gold saw them coming, but the pegasi didn't as both were struck by the ice, the frozen water quickly gripping both ponies' wings. Screams of pain could be heard as all three were soon wrapped in ice. "No...no!"

All the townponies gasped at the sight, most smiling as they saw the criminals now squirming in pain. "Nice." Flash said with a chuckle, "Now that's what I call a cool ending."

Cold rolled his eyes at that, "Really?!"

"Don't censor me. That's how creativity is destroyed."

Cold was about to reply, only to suddenly feel something grab his leg. Looking down, he saw Swift was hugging it, "Thank you. Thank you for saving me and our home."

The knight tried to form words, only to feel more young ponies come up and hug him. His horn started to spark, ready to push them away with magic...but he then saw the smiles on their faces. As such, he looked away as he replied, "It...was nothing. Just doing my job."

Flash suppressed a giggle at the sight, only for his ears to spike up as he heard a new voice scream, "AAAUUUGGGGHHH!"

They all turned to where Gold was, the unicorn's body now glowing. As by reflex, Flash grabbed Cold and flew him over to the frozen pony, Cold creating a platform to stand on. They both stared at the symbol, now feeling heat coming off it as Gold yelled, "Help me! It's gonna blow!"

"What do we do?!" Flash yelped.

"Please!" Gold screamed, "I'll pay anything! I'll tell you anything! Just stop it!"

Flash and Cold both shared a glance, only for Flash to say, "Uh...maybe I can short it out with my sacred light," Flash suggested as he closed his eyes, preparing to summon the power. But as he did this, Cold saw the symbol glow even brighter, making him do only one thing. He leapt off the platform, tackling Flash as they dove for the frozen lake. "Cold?! What are you-"

KABOOM!

Everypony gasped as the spike exploded, Flash and Cold both slamming into the frozen lake as chunks of ices rained down on them. Once the rain stopped and the smoke cleared, the two unshielded their faces to look up and see that the ice pillar was gone. Gold and the pegasi holding him were nothing but dust in the now destroyed ice spike.

"N...no way."

---

Meanwhile, in an unknown remote part of Equestria...

It began in a dark room, a single figure sitting on a throne. Their body was hidden in the darkness, the only thing that could be seen is two piercing bright red eyes. In front the eyes was a crystal orb, the sphere showing a vision of the bridge and the smoking ice spike. A dark aura wrapped around the orb next, the crystal glowing as it changed to show Flash and Cold. "Its that blasted ice-making knight again. And this time...there's something more. I don't like this."

"Oh? What's wrong beloved?" A female voice asked from behind, a silver coated unicorn mare soon peering out of the darkness. Her mane and tail were white with multi-colored tips, her cutie mark being a painting pallet. The mare's body was slender in frame, her height tall yet lithe as she slung her hooves over the other pony. "Is it somepony you need me to take out? You know I would always do it for you."

"This pegasus..." the pony replied, a deep masculine voice coming out as he rubbed his chin, "There's something about him. Something that makes my gut twist up when I look at him."

"Is that all my love?" the mare responded as she rested her head on his shoulder, "Surely some nopony isn't bothering you. Just give me the word, and-"

"That's enough Tempera." he interrupted as he stood up from the throne.

"Awww...but master-"

"Enough." the unicorn slightly glared back at her, "What I've seen here may change things. As such, I need to prepare." he clapped his hooves and yelled, "Armalum!"

The sound of heavy hoofsteps filled the room, clinks and clangs resounding off the walls. And as this happened, a pony with black armor covering every bit of his body walked into the room. A red trim displayed itself over the plates in the armor, shining in the darkness as the stallion bowed, "What do you need of me, my master?"

"You and Tempera will summon the rest of our forces. I need all of them here as soon as possible."

"Yes master!" Armalum responded before fading into the darkness, only for Tempera to sling her hoof around the stallion again.

"Is something wrong? You never summon them all here. Is it that knight again?"

"No. All I know is that its necessary. Now get going Tempera."

The mare shook her head, sighing, "Very well. I live to serve after all...but first-" She leaned in, giving him a long kiss on the mouth. However, the stallion didn't move, a dull look on his face as she did the whole kiss herself before pulling away, "Later master..."

She did a quick bow before disappearing, the unicorn now turning back to the orb as it showed another vision of Flash. "Now...who are you?"

---

The next day...

Despite everything that had happened, the ponies didn't want to wait on completing the bridge. Instead, they all pushed themselves to making a full finished product, soon making it just before sunset. The new bridge was perfect, just like Strong had imagined, with the townsponies practically running across it in joy.

Back at the village, Flash and Cold were both sitting on the edge of the lake, watching the ponies. Behind them was a cage made entirely of ice, all of Gold's goons trapped inside.

"Well, looks like your mission is complete." Cold commented as he looked back at the cage, "Too bad these idiots don't know who Gold was indebted too."

"Yeah...sorry your lead was a bust in the end."

"Its fine." Cold commented as he glanced back at the lake, "Considering how desperate Gold Hoof was, I suspect he couldn't tell me much."

"I could see that." Flash added as he looked back at his cutie mark, "Though I think I might have failed my job too. If my job was done, my mark's supposed to glow. But if it isn't..."

"I see..." Cold replied as he stared at the lake. "That's too bad. Guess its failures all around for us knights."

"Yeah..." Flash moaned as he slumped back, "Eh, at least we saved the town."

"Hey!" they then both turned to a new voice, now seeing Swift running up to them, "What are you all doing here?! Aren't you gonna come party with us?"

Flash chuckled at the colt, "You sure have cheered up."

The colt nodded back, "Well, I realized you were right. My dad wouldn't want me to be moping around." He turned to Cold while wagging his tail, "And I don't wanna push my family away." He turned back to the village, "I'm gonna make sure the village my dad loved remains the happy place you all helped make it. Even if it means I might one day lose somepony...I love my friends and family too much!"

With that, he ran back to the bridge, leaving the knights as Cold whispered, "If he's willing to risk feeling that pain again..."

Flash turned to him, blinking as he realized that was what he had told Cold yesterday, "What?"

Cold stared down at the ground, his face showing a tiny bit of a smile, "If he's able to find the courage to let others in...maybe I can do the same."

Flash blinked at this, only to go wide-eyed, "Cold...are you saying you want to...make a friend?"

The knight looked away, "I don't know. I...I've just done a lot of thinking."

"Swift helped you realize something?"

"Maybe..." Cold said as he started to glance back at Flash, "Though I...I have no idea what to do."

Flash shined a huge grin, "Oh, that's easy." He stood up and held out a hoof, "Here." Cold raised an eyebrow, but took his hoof as he was pulled up. But instead of letting go, Flash shook his hoof, "There. Now we're friends."

Cold raised an eyebrow, "It's...that easy?"

"Of course," Flash chuckled as he let go of the hoof. "All you need to do is be willing to accept somepony, no matter who they are, and they'll become your friend."

Cold looked down at his hoof, blinking at the sight, "I don't..." He then felt something strange, a warmth suddenly appearing in his chest. The stallion patted his fur, a memory flashing in his head, "Noble..." He could feel a tear start to form in his eye, forcing him to put his hoof over it.

Flash smiled at the sight, now thinking that Cold's frozen heart was beginning to thaw. But as he thought this, he heard a noise and glanced at his flank. There, his cutie mark was now glowing, "No way..." He looked back at Cold, gasping as he put his hoof to his mouth and whispered, "Cold...were you why I was...no way." Cold blinked at pegasi, only to see a big grin start to form on Flash's face as he pointed at the bridge, "Say Cold...I'm pretty sure they'd like to be your friends too. So would the princesses, the knights and all my friends." He saw Cold lean slightly back at this, making Flash shrug, "But uh...it doesn't have to be right away. Baby steps."

"I...maybe you're right." Cold admitted as he looked away again. "Thanks."

Flash chuckled back, "Great. Now, let's get to that party. I've got a long trip home and...oh no!" Flash clutched his head.

"What?"

"I forgot to take notes! Twilight's gonna kill me!" This statement made Cold blankly stare at him, only to suddenly burst out laughing. The laugh was low and gravely, one that came from something that had not laughed in a long time. Flash could only gulp at the noise, "That's...creepy."

But in the end, he didn't care. He knew it meant one thing: Cold was very slowly opening up.

Author's Note:

Well, there's Flash's friendship mission. Hope you enjoyed it, since this is what I think Flash would be sent on fix. So...who were those strange ponies? Only time would tell.

Also, those trying to imagine Tempera should think of Fleur De Lis with the colours I described.

Comments

[Foxhelm]

Flash rolled his eyes, "No, I caught rabies. Of course, I shave! I'm a stallion!"

given how few stallions are shown to have facial hair and you've never been shown to have any either, Flash, Twilight's question is very legit.

"I know, I had to recheck it myself. So far, this is the first time the map has only summoned just one pony.

and there goes Twilight's shock in A Royal Problem...

Flash managed to reach out to Cold... aww.
As for Gold and his goons... it sucks that they're dead and will not answer for their crimes, but I think Cold was right, he wasn't gonna get much from Gold.
This cult Cold is hunting... this is getting dark fast.

As for what will befall Flash...

[Godslittleprincess]

You borrowed the bridge plot from 5Ds, didn't you?

I know Twilight, like me, learns best learns best through written word, but can't she just take the notes herself while Flash tells her verbally? Last I checked, all Twilight asked him to do was remember the details.

Cold obviously doesn't have fourth wall-breaking powers. If he did, he'd know why the Tree outranks Twilight.

[SpikeSmolder fan]

Pretty sweet chapter here, wasn't expecting Flash & Cold to team-up again so soon. Loved the bridge plot here, reminded me of one of the first big arcs from Naruto.

Also it seems this strange cult is starting to move out, can't wait to see where it leads.

[Kayceejr91]

Well this was a good chapter and say what about this idea for your fan if a Wedding Arc for Flash and Twilight's marriage. Come on my fellow readers who's with me do you want something like like that here?

[Kayceejr91]

Also Goldhoof is it just mr or am I'm waiting for a james bond reference

[SuperSonicHeroes]

That was a great Map Mission. Not only did Flash help a lot of ponies in that village, he met up with Cold again and helped him open his heart a little more. That was quite the surprise that Cold was the one Flash was sent on the mission for rather than the village. The whole thing felt like one of the early Naruto Arcs, the one with the bridge and Zabuza. I felt bad when we found out about Noble though. No wonder Cold cut himself off. Losing everyone once is bad enough, but having it happen a second time while he was still young is even worse.

That scene towards the end though... that mystery stallion must be the one Cold is looking for, and now he knows about Flash too. If I didn't know about Starlight already I would say he was the Big Bad of the season. I wonder who all his forces are? All we have seen is the armoed pony Armalum and the Big Bad's (apparent) lover Tempera.

"No. All I know is that its necessary. Now get going Tempera."

The mare shook her head, sighing, "Very well. I live to serve after all...but first-" She leaned in, giving him a long kiss on the mouth. However, the stallion didn't move, a dull look on his face as she did the whole kiss herself before pulling away, "Later master..."

For some reason I find that scene funny. She is throwing herself at him and he doesn't even react to her kissing him.

[SuperSonicHeroes]

9898937

and there goes Twilight's shock in A Royal Problem...

Uh, I'm pretty sure Twilight was surprised because the map was calling Starlight, someone who wasn't a member of the Mane 6, not because it was a solo mission.

[HolyCross9]

This was a most interesting Friendship problem for Flash Sentry. I'm glad that it helped Cold open up to the possibility of learning friendship. Plus I'm also glad that we got to see more of Cold's backstory.

[Foxhelm]

9899302
I have to disagree, because there was never a solo mission until A Royal Problem, and Triple Threat aired five episode later... so...yeah

[SuperSonicHeroes]

9899443
Well Twilight herself only talked about how it was Starlight's mission throughout the episode, not a solo mission. So... yeah.

[Foxhelm]

9899500
Again we never saw a solo mission on the map before that and all previous missions either had two or all six. So yeah, Twilight would be shocked that the map would send a Solo pony.

[Banshee531]

9899520 9899500 Maybe it's both.

[Foxhelm]

9899539
Fair, but my critique still stands that this takes away some of Twilight's shock when A Royal Problem comes around in this AU

[SuperSonicHeroes]

9899539
That is possible, yes. But only one is available now for your AU.

9899520
Again, it was also the first time the map called anyone besides the Mane 6. You can’t ignore that fact and just claim her shock was entirely because of something else.

[TasermonsPartner]

9898965
Actually, I think he borrowed the plot from a Naruto episode. Almost verbatim.

[Godslittleprincess]

9899877
I don't watch Naruto.

[Darth Redbeard]

9899921 9899877
It's Naruto. Bridge Arc.

Recognized it when the colt acted like one of the characters in the arc.

Nice differences at the same time