Canterlot Asylum- Frost

Three days has passed since the interview, and Frost has a strong feeling Cadence will return and take her to the conference room. To occupy her time, she has used her magic to make her environment her own image such as changing her room into an ice domain. The walls and ceiling are covered with smooth ice, and the rose and vase her brother sent her the previous day are protected with a see through ice cover much like a snow globe. It sits in the middle of the table with the miniature ice sculpture of her mother. She has also made a figure per day using materials on her food tray and turning them into ice. The first day's figure is a plant with dying pedals. The second day’s sculpture is her mother sitting with her eyes closed looking up. The third day’s figurine is the house where she and her family once lived in. All sculptures have the same exquisite detail that the original sculpture of her mother had, and she placed all three on the cabinet with the second sculpture of her mother in the middle.

The day starts normal with breakfast being brought to Frost by Charity the pony who has become a friend to the blue pony. After giving the tray to her, Charity asks Frost, "Any idea what figure you’ll make today?"

Frost answers, "Yes. A heart to symbolize my forever love for my mother."

"I have said before, but I'm sorry to whatever happened to your mother."

“I appreciate your kindness, Charity. You have been a good friend to me. In fact, you’re the first friend I’ve had in many years.” Charity gives a smile and blushes a little. The blush was not only for how kind the comment is, but she is honored to make an impact on Frost in some way. “Let me ask you a question.” Frost says. “Why do you work here?”

“Well, I like helping ponies, and I feel that ponies like you need help to be civilized. I believe every pony has kindness in their heart, and simple communication can make a large impact on one pony. I know it’s not much, but it does work. I mean, look at yourself. You're the most calm pony in this hall, and you consider me as your friend simply through talking."

Frost analyzes about Charity’s words and then responds, “Wow. You have such great commitment and a marvelous life changing goal, and yes. I do see how I have changed, and I thank you for it.” Charity smiles and blushes more. Frost sees the other cafeteria ponies heading to the exit of the hall behind Charity and says, "You better get back to work. The others are leaving without you." Charity then sees the others, closes the cover, and starts walking to the cafeteria with the others but manages to wave at Frost.

Later, Frost finishes eating her breakfast which was a bowl of oatmeal. She then turns the napkin into an ice ball but hesitates because she does not know what turn it into. However, before she has time to decide, a guard says through the opening, “Frost. Princess Cadence wants to see you in the conference room.” Frost freezes and places the ice ball on the table. She stands on all fours and approaches the door. The guard with another opens the door and cuffs her front and back legs. The two guards lead her through the hall, and the three walk up to a different steel door.

One of the guards opens the door, and Frost sees an empty chair, Cadence sitting in another, and Frost's father in a chair, arranged in a circle. The conference room is massive with metal walls and no other furniture. The ceiling has a lit chandelier giving the room enough light. Princess Cadence sees Frost and points to the empty chair. Still cuffed, Frost sits in the empty chair while staring at her father even though his back is facing her. Once she sits, the guards leave the room but stand outside the door.

Her father looks at her with an expression of terror and says, “Blue.”

Frost lowers her head but her eyes are still focused on him and responds, “You have no right to call me that. I am Frost.”

Frost turns to Cadence, “Why is he here?”

Cadence replies, “I want you to hear your father explain for his actions years ago. I haven't heard his side of the story, but he has agreed to speak to us. After we hear him, we can work together in rebuilding the relationship you two once had. Now, Mr. Manage, care to explain?”

Mare Manage looks at his daughter with a face expressing emotions of disgust, anger, and vengeance. He turns to Cadence and starts, “Well, it was a terrible time. I have tried so hard to suppress these memories, but now I must confront them and tell both of you what happened. The convenient store I was managing at the time was involved in a lawsuit and payment decreased immensely. Heartfull, her mother, and I had no choice but to work longer hours at our jobs, and the stress for both us got worse and that was the start. She and I argued all the time, and I felt that she didn't love me anymore. Even worse, I knew that if we fought all the time and didn't love each other, our children would pay for the consequences by having terrible fillyhoods.”

He looks at Frost to see her reaction, and she has a cold stare at him, and he is afraid her horn will start glowing. Luckily, it did not, and he continues, I love my children especially my little girl, but without another lover at my side, I couldn’t go on, nor could they have a happy childhood. One day, I was working at the store I was asked by the general manager to train a new employee named Ruby. She was beautiful and took my breath away." At the corner of his eye, he sees Frost shaking her head left and right in a very slow pace. After inhaling and exhaling to relax, he resumes, “However, as I trained her, our relationship grew stronger and stronger. I felt complete with her, and for the first time in a long time, I felt loved. I even thought that the children would love her as much as I did.” He looks at Cadence with a face of disgust, and, at his eye’s corner, Frost stopped moving her head and has an expression of rage. “Obviously, Heartfull,” he continues, “had suspicions of the affair because I mentioned Ruby a good bit. Also, I stayed at the store longer working with her. Of course, I lied about it. I wanted to prevent arguments between Heartfull and I for the kids. They would have a terrible fillyhood if we fought constantly. However, arguments we had got so intense, I left the house and stayed at Ruby’s place. This happened several times. After about six months, I decided to stay at Ruby's place and not to return home for a couple of days, and during those days, I spoke with a lawyer to file a divorce.”

Frost asks, “May I say something?” Cadence nods her head but is concerned what she will say or do. Frost raises her head and locks on Manage’s eyes. “When you left with my brothers, I heard you say that you left me with Mom because it would ‘demand more money.’ Care to explain what you meant?”

Her father swallows and starts, “Your brothers were getting to an age where they were ready to move out. I was tight on money during the time. The store lost the lawsuit, and it wasn't making as much money as it used to. In fact, it was shutting down. Ruby and I lucky bought a house in Canterlot before returning home and I only had so much to spend on you and your brothers. Additionally, a restaurant in Canterlot hired me and I had to make rash decisions on how to survive. I had to make a choice that was best for me and Ruby, but I couldn’t let you and your brothers suffer at the village with only your mother working. Her job as a rock farmer didn’t bring in as much income as me being a manager. I fought to bring all three of you, and even though Heartfull knew it was best for your brothers to live in Canterlot a place of opportunity, you refused to give you up. After about two days fighting over you, I decided to stop and have you stay. Besides, you and Heartfull were so close that I couldn't separate the two of you. I knew how much you two meant for each other, and ripping you two apart would have been disastrous. Now that I explained the situation, those words I said were not meant to be so harsh. We were arguing and I tend to yell things I didn’t mean. Leaving you with your mother was never, NEVER, over finances.”

Frost responds sharply with a tears forming in her eyes, “But you didn't know that she took two jobs and worked long shift for both five days a week! You didn't think that she would work even harder to support me and her?! She's not a manager like! She was a rock farmer and a janitor at that local food place!” The tears started to streak down her face and horn starts to glow, and the room quickly grew colder. “You only thought about yourself and no pony else especially her!”

Cadence jumps in front of her and says, “Frost! Please calm down!” Frost looks at Cadence with a look that strongly resembles her mother when she was angry all those years ago. Her horn stops glowing and the coldness disappears, but she keeps her intense stare on her father. “Thank you. Mr. Manage, anything else you’d like to say?” Cadence asks calmly.

“I didn't know that. I had no idea what you two were doing over there. When we settled the divorce, she told me and I promised that I would never get involved with you or her. I kept my promise to protect you from me. I know that if I disobeyed and broke my promise, my trouble would come to you.”

Frost silently gasps and her pupils widen in shock. Cadence turns to him and responds, “So, you let Frost, or formally ‘Blue’, stay with her mother and never communicated with your own daughter because you believed it was for the best for them?” He nods his head with tears streaming down her cheeks. Cadence faces Frost and speaks to her, “Now you know why he left you. He meant for the best for you. The disappearance of your mother was never his fault. I understand that he hurt you, but you must forgive him in order to move on. Also, think of Heartfull, your loving mother, would say if she knew that you tried to freeze him to death.” Cadence moves and sits back in her chair. Frost continues to stare at her father. She leans back on her chair, crosses her front hooves, closes her eyes, and thinks.

About ten minutes later, she opens her eyes and turns to her father. She steps off the chair standing on all fours with the cuffs clanging. She walks to him calmly and says, “Step down.” He does as his daughter says with a look of sadness.

As soon as he stands in front of her, more tears streak down his face and he says, “I never wanted you to suffer, and I don't blame you for not forgiving me. I deserve it. I'm sorry. I’m so…so sorry. But no matter what, you will always be my little girl, and I have and always will protect you, even if it means leaving you. I love you, Frost. I will always love you…Blue.” Then, all of a sudden, she lifts her front portion of her body up with her cuffed hoofs over her head. She lunges her hoofs over his head but they land behind his neck, and she then pulls him in and hugs him tightly. The father and daughter cry for a while. Cadence stares at the two happy that their love for each other has been resurrected. The two separate each other by Frost lifting her hoofs over her father’s head. Cadence then walks up the two, “I glad that you two are able to come together again. Sadly, Frost you need to stay here for a while. Attempt of murder is not tolerated by Celestia. But I know you will probably not stay as long when I report this to her. I sense a great change in you.”

“Thank you, Princess.” Frost shockingly replies. “If it wasn’t for what you said about my mother earlier, I would have killed him. Again, thank you.” Cadence hugs Frost after that statement. She then calls for the guards to take Frost back to her cell, but instead with an angry expression, Frost leaves with a different appearance and feeling. It is not happiness and she cannot explain because she has never felt this emotion, but she loves it.

When she returns to her cell without the cuffs, she sees the shards of the ice ball from earlier. Using her magic, she repairs the sphere and knows what exactly to crave.