It's another nightmare. And as usual, Icicle Chill was running for his life! Icicle Thunder Chill is a light blue unicorn with a snow white mane and tail with sapphire and lighting yellow strips in his mane and tail. He used to be a very respectable unicorn. Actually, he had been the scribe to one of the only queens in Equestria. The Artonic Queen, Lady Glacinte. That is, until the fall of the Artonic Empire.
But more on that later, right now, Icicle is experiencing the worst nightmare yet! Surprisingly, this nightmare is like all the others, but... Ten times more terrifying! This is it. Icicle thought This is the nightmare that is finally going to kill me! And he was right. Until, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a light. Without hesitation, he galloped as fast as he could straight into the light.
*****
It was a normal day near the Crystal Empire. Celestia had asked that Twilight and her friends to stay at the empire until Cadence had regained her strength.
Applejack had decided to take a quick trot around the castle. After all the excitement that had just happened, she needed to get some fresh air and stretch her legs. She was about half way around the castle when she saw something unusual.
"What n' tha world?" asked Applejack. What Applejack saw was a portal of great shining colors and lighting. However, this was not all Applejack saw. She also saw a light blue unicorn with a snow white mane and tail with lighting yellow and sapphire strips in his mane and tail stagger out of the portal! Little did Applejack know that this unicorn was not only about to extend their stay, but would also change their lives forever.
Applejack quickly galloped over to the unicorn and kept trying to wake him. All he would do was groan.
*****
After he ran into the light, All Icicle could see was the same blinding light. It was also quiet... Until he heard a voice... A soothing warm voice..! It kept repeating the same thing. "Hey! Come on! GET UP!" repeated the voice.
Then the light dimmed, and Icicle saw what he thought was his queen! "Glacinte?" asked Icicle, his voice raspy. "Glacinte!!" Then everything went black...
*****
"Glacinte!!" shouted the unicorn before returning to unconsciousness. "Glacinte?" asked Applejack, "Who's that? Maybe, Twi will know."
And with that, Applejack put the unicorn on her back and galloped as fast as she could to the castle. When Applejack reached the castle she found Twilight and her other friends near the bottom where the Crystal Heart shone with all its glory.
Once Applejack got there, she asked the lavender unicorn if she knew who this Glacinte was. "I have no idea. I haven't ever read about a Glacinte in any history books. Not even from the ones here," replied Twilight.
"Then what' re we suppose to do?" asked Applejack.
"We may not know who he is, but he sure is handsome," stated Applejack's white unicorn friend, Rarity.
"HEY!" exclaimed Twilight's purple, dragon helper, Spike.
"I agree with Spike. We can't trust him. How do we know he doesn't work with that Sombra guy," said Applejack's hotheaded, cyan pegasus friend, Rainbow Dash.
"He is a little charming," replied, in a small voice, Applejack's shy, yellow pegasus friend, Fluttershy, her face as red as a ripe apple.
"Either way, we should throw him a party!" replied Applejack's ecstatic, pink friend, Pinkie Pie.
"First, we should take him to the hospital and make sure he is okay," stated Applejack. Everypony agreed to that, except Spike and Rainbow Dash, who where still a little skeptical, and everybody rushed over to the hospital. "Twi, can you please send a note to the princess?" asked Applejack.
"Sure. Great idea, by the way! Celestia probably knows who he and Glacinte are," replied the lavender unicorn. And with that the stage was set for the most revealing story of their lives.
*****
Again, all Icicle could see was darkness. Icicle was actually quite frightened that he didn't escape the nightmares. Eventually, Icicle saw a light. Then it started growing... and growing. Until he was able to open his eyes, and see a blue ceiling and a crystal pony doctor. "He...he is awake!" shouted the doctor in the language he recognized as Common. Why is he using Common? wondered Icicle.
But then he immediately remembered what the last image he saw was. "Glacinte!" shouted Icicle as he bolted up from his hospital bed and his senses becoming clear again. Icicle quickly looked around to see that his queen was nowhere to be found. Icicle immediately reached for the closest pony, brought him up close, and asked where his queen was in his language, known as Artonic. All the doctor did was give him a confused and frightened stare.
"Get the others and the princess and tell them the patient is awake!" shouted the doctor to his assistant, again in Common. Doesn't he know what I'm asking? wondered Icicle And why is he still speaking Common!?
*****
Applejack, Fluttershy, Twilight, Spike, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash, and Princess Celestia all were at the Crystal Empire Hospital, waiting to see when the unicorn would wake up. "Girls... Your majesty," said the nurse,"He is awake." They all quickly followed the nurse to the room he was staying. Just as they made it to the room they saw him about to shoot the doctor with a lighting bolt.
"Celestia," said the unicorn bowing before the princess. He then started speaking in a strange language.
"What is he saying?" asked Twilight.
"I have no clue," replied Celestia.
"Nightmare Moon! NIGHTMARE MOON!!" shouted the unicorn with fearful look on his face as he quickly crawled onto his hospital bed. They turned around to see Princess Luna.
"The language he spoke... was Artonic. It is an ancient language. Only used by those who lived in the Artonic Empire. One of the only empires to have a king and queen," said the dark blue alicorn.
"Sister, how do you know this?" asked Luna's white alicorn sister.
"Because, before you sealed me away with Nightmare... She went and destroyed the Artonic Empire," said Luna as she got choked up holding back tears to what she had done.
Luna walked over to the unicorn, soothed him, and talked in the new, unusual language. "I'm... so.... so sorry," said Luna to the unicorn, tears streaming down her face. The unicorn was now sobbing, too, they sat there, each sobbing for about five minutes.
After those few minutes, they both stopped crying and the unicorn said, "It's alright... You weren't in control of your body. Excuse me for my actions Ms. Luna."
"It's quite understandable Icicle, for what I put you through I deserve it," replied Luna.
*****
"Wait. Your name is Icicle?" asked Celestia.
"Why yes, of course. Do you not remember me?" asked Icicle to the alicorn.
"I remembered your name, but I forgot about you."
"Would ya happen to know a Glacinte, princess?" asked an orange pony.
"Why yes. Yes... Yes I do! She was-"
"She was my queen. She was the queen of the Artonic Empire... She was the one who took me in. My mother," interrupted Icicle.
"What exactly did you do for her, again?" asked Celestia.
"I was the Honorable Scribe for her," replied Icicle. "But enough about me, for now, what about these other six?" asked Icicle, as curiosity twinkled in his eyes.
"My name is Twilight Sparkle," stated a lavender unicorn.
"Nice to meet you," replied Icicle.
"Hi. I'm Pinkie Pie! I'll try to organize a party for you later," said an ecstatic, pink pony.
"Thank you. I'm sure I'll love it," replied Icicle.
"My name is Rainbow Dash," said a cyan pegasus, while giving a very suspicious glare.
"Nice to meet you Rainbow Dash. However, I assure you I'm no foe of yours," replied Icicle. All the cyan pegasus did was drop down and blush. Icicle smiled. He knew how easy it was to jump to conclusions.
"Hello. I'm Spike," grunted a small purple dragon.
"Hello, Spike. Nice to meet you," replied Icicle.
"Nice to meet you too... I guess," replied Spike.
"He... hello," said a yellow pegasus.
"Hello, and just what is your name," said Icicle in a soft voice, since he knew she was probably shy or a little nervous.
"M... my name is Fluttershy," replied the yellow pegasus.
"Hello, Fluttershy. I actually used to have a friend who was very shy and always nervous. You actually remind me of her. I hope we can be just as good of friends," stated Icicle.
"That would be great! I mean if you like," replied Fluttershy. Icicle just laughed as Fluttershy blushed.
"Hello, Mr. Icicle, my name is Rarity," said a white unicorn being proper.
"Well, Rarity, that name sure is rare," replied Icicle. All Rarity did was giggle. Honestly, Icicle really didn't see any of them more than friends... except for that one... the same orange one... the last one.
*****
Applejack didn't know why, but she was nervous. It might have been a number of reasons, but the one that stood out in her mind was What if he doesn't accept me?
While everypony else was introducing themselves, Applejack whispered to Twilight, "Do ya think he's nice."
"Well... Yeah. I mean, of course. He doesn't seem like he would be mean on purpose," replied Twilight.
After Fluttershy introduced herself, Applejack knew it was her or- "Hello, Mr. Icicle, my name is Rarity" said Rarity. Applejack breathed out a sigh of relief as Rarity giggled to Icicle's pun.
But after that, it was now or never.
"Howdy, Icicle, it's nice to meet ya. My name's Applejack," said Applejack, ready for what she thought he was going to say. But, Icicle surprised her with a question.
"Why are you so nervous, Applejack?" asked Icicle.
"What?" asked Applejack in reply.
"Your more nervous than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Why is that?" asked Icicle again.
"A... Ah was afraid you'd reject me," said Applejack in reply.
"How could I reject you? You saved my life, from what Luna told me. Also, I know what it's like to be rejected. I would never put that same sadness on another unicorn or pegasus... or pony.... Correction, I couldn't. Just because I'm the adopted son of a queen and her scribe... doesn't mean I won't be your friend," stated Icicle.
*****
"Wait a minute," asked Applejack, "Your adopted?... An' ya want to be my friend?"
"Yes. On both accounts. I was merely a foster colt... a runaway, and Glacinte took me in and I would have guarded her with my life. Also, since you saved me, I feel indebted to you, and since I have nothing but friendship as a token of my gratitude. I want to ask you. Applejack, will you be my friend", asked Icicle, praying that, like all the others, she would accept.
"Yes. Thank ya very much..."
"Partner.", finished Icicle, since he had picked up some of the country 'slang' before, when ponies, pegasi, and unicorns from all over visited the Crystal Empire.
"Well... Now that we have been introduced and are all friends I would like to tell you a story that only Luna and myself know." stated Icicle, ready to tell his story to a new batch of friends. "It all started long ago after the disappearance of the Crystal Empire..."