MLP: Friendship is Adventure

With that understanding settled, the ponies continued on into the tunnel when they came to a large chamber that was a labyrinth of ice walls.

“Everypony, stay close,” Midnight instructed, “it’s easy to get lost in here.”

But as they slowly walked through the labyrinth, Thunderlane suddenly slipped and slid through an opening. The other stallions all screamed and looked through to see Thunderlane sliding further and further away.

With no choice, they all leapt in, sliding along trying to catch up with Thunderlane, when the ice slide split five ways, and, of course, they were split up.

Midnight was sliding on his back, screaming as he came to an upturned slope and was sent hurtling into the air.

Big McIntosh was sliding on his belly underneath a narrow of ice and careened over an edge, spinning like a Frisbee.

Bravissimo had gone down the same way as Thunderlane and was trying to catch up, as he grabbed Thunderlane, levitating him up, declaring, “I gotcha!”

Unfortunately, Bravissimo fell through a hole in the ice, releasing Thunderlane, and Bravissimo landed on the still airborne Midnight, causing them to fall through another hole where they crashed into Forester, as Starfyre fell on them from a hole above, and they all screamed to see they were headed for a bunch of icicles. Thinking quickly, Starfyre spread his wings as they came to a slope, sending them gliding across the icicles, as Big Mac flew in out of nowhere, and they continued to slide after Thunderlane.

But ahead, they saw an obelisk of ice.

Starfyre grabbed Midnight’s horn and spoke into it, “Captain, iceberg ahead!”

Crashing into the obelisk of ice caused them to break apart on a set of ice slides along each other, and it became a race of who got to Thunderlane first, when a slope sent Thunderlane careening into the air.

Midnight stamped his hooves onto his slide, making him slow while the rest slid smack into a wall of packed snow, while Midnight used his magic to catch Thunderlane but they still smacked into snow with everyone else.

Everypony pulled themselves out of the snow when Thunderlane popped up, whopping, “Whoo!”

He gave a hearty punch to Big Mac’s shoulder and whooped, “Yes! Who’s up for round two?!”

Everypony gave him a look, and he protested, “Aw come on, not one of you can look me in the eye and say he didn’t enjoy that?”

Everypony looked at each other, seeing similar glimmers of amusement in each other’s eyes, and they couldn’t hold it in as they all burst out laughing.

Soon they all had their laugh, when Big Mac tapped Midnight’s shoulder and pointed to a nearby archway that led them to a flight of stairs. Above the archway was an ice-carving displaying the cutie-mark of Midnight’s teacher.

“Well, well, Thunder,” he said as they gathered behind him, “seems you led us to where we need to be.”

“What? All I did was… wonder off!” Thunderlane cracked but this time nopony laughed, Bravissimo deadpanning, “That’s a terrible pun!”

Thunderlane just shrugged and they resumed their quest.

As they climbed, they could hear some distant crying. Going up, they saw a couple of pups wearing diamond-studded collar, crying and whining and clawing at a solid wall of ice, completely blocking the way.

They approached the pups, Midnight asking, “What’s wrong?”

One of the pups hiccupped as he whimpered, “We were on the mountain with our mama when we all fell through a hole, and we ended up here. But before we could get to mama, this big wall of ice froze up and now we can’t get to her!”

Big McIntosh pressed his ear against the wall, and could hear desperate growls and whines on the other side.

“Eeyup, sounds like their ma’s on the other side o’ this here wall,” he confirmed.

“Looks too thick to smash with our hooves,” Midnight said.

“I have an idea,” Bravissimo declared. He approached the pups, saying, “Little ones, how loud can you howl?”

“Howl?!” echoed the other stallions.

“Why yes!” Bravissimo confirmed. “If the pups howl as loud as they can, the sounds will echo and vibrate, causing the ice wall to crack enough for us to break through!”

“W-w-we don’t think we can do it,” cried the other pup.

“There, there, little one, all you need to do is believe in yourself,” Bravissimo assured her. “Howling isn’t what you think, it’s what you feel! Reach within yourselves and find the strong and confident Diamond Dogs you will grow up to be, and howl!”

The two pups looked at each other and nodded in determination. They faced the wall, took a deep breath, and let out the longest, loudest howls they could. The howls did indeed echo through the tunnel, causing ice to crack in the wall and a few icicles overhead to fall, but the wall let out a loud crack as it appeared.

“Starfyre, Big McIntosh, Midnight!” Bravissimo neighed. “Let that wall have it!”

The three of them nodded and took a running start as they then turned around and bucked against the wall, and it all came crashing down. As the frosty mist cleared, they saw an adult Diamond Dog, wearing a drab gown and a collar as well, come forth and the pups yipped happily as they were reunited with their mother.

“Oh thank you, Mr. Pony!” the pups yipped as they then leapt up at him, licking him as Bravissimo laughed.

“You’re quite welcome,” he laughed as the Diamond Dog called for her pups and they went down the stairs to leave.

“That was ingenious, Bravissimo!” complimented Midnight.

“All it takes is a little confidence, Midnight!” Bravissimo replied and they continued.

Finally, the stallions stood before a dark chasm, so deep they couldn’t see the bottom.

“How do we get past this?” Forester asked.

“Look!” Big Mac neighed, pointing out the remains of a rope bridge.

“Leave it to me, boys!” brayed Starfyre as he took the bridge and flew it over to connect it to the other side.

As he tied one side he set to do the other when he heard a voice.

Starfyre… Starfyre…

He looked and saw, walking towards him from the chilly mist…

“The Wonderbolts?!”

There before him stood three of the Wonderbolts, all looking proud in their uniforms. But Starfyre noticed they looked rather conceited.

“Uh! I’m Starfyre, one of your most promising recruits! I’ve been working my flank off to join you guys forever!”

You? Join us? Like that’ll ever happen!

“Wha- Why not?” Starfyre whinnied in shock.

Why would we allow somepony to join us if they didn’t have wings!

“Huh?” Starfyre looked and brayed in shock to see his wings were gone!

“How is this possible?! What happened to my wings?!”

Like the Wonderbolts would ever let in a silly pony who can’t fly!

The “Wonderbolts” cruelly laughed and taunted Starfyre as he hunkered down in humiliation and shock.

I don’t have wings! I can’t fly! I’m scared…!

“Starfyre!” shouted a voice, and he looked to see Midnight. “Whatever you’re seeing, it’s not real! Face your fears!”

It was then Starfyre understood what was happening: It was his worst fears coming to life, his dream thwarted, his love of flying gone, to be alone. It wasn’t real!

He stood tall, taking the other rope as he neighed, “I don’t know who you are, but nothing’s ever gonna stop Starfyre from making his dreams take flight!”

Instantly, he leapt up, and continued to rise, as he felt the familiar beat of his wings and gasped in joy to see they were there, as he flapped a mighty wing-beat, and the wind blew away the fake Wonderbolts!

With the rope-bridge repaired, the other stallions made it across, as Midnight said, “Well done, Starfyre! You faced your fears!”

“Was there ever any doubt?” Starfyre bragged as he enjoyed his flight more than he ever had before, zigzagging around in a yellow whirl before settling down with his friends.