Chapters Returning to a Dangerous Game
I’ve been an ‘official’ citizen of Equestria for a year now and I’ve been thrown through the meat grinder… my wings were ripped off, my throat was slashed, I nearly froze to death and before I knew it Twilight turned into a princess. The gems containing the Elements of Harmony were given back to a tree they were taken from and Celestia decided to set me free from my sentence so I won’t be going on any more misadventures with the six, although they did manage to drag me back to the Crystal Empire for a political meet n’ greet where all Twilight had to do is smile and wave while I avoid any royal at all costs.
“Is something the matter, Frostbite?” Luna asks snapping me out of my thoughts.
I look into her navy blue eyes then to my sunglasses lying in the middle of the tea table made of sapphire and sigh.
“Just the usual… trying to adjust to ‘civilized’ society after fifteen years of seeing so much evil shit that the only thing I expect from anyone is evil”
“There is more to this life than the pain you’ve gone through” she answers calmly refilling her cup.
“You’d be surprised how many times I’ve heard someone say that, now that your sister released me from my sentence I’ve had a lot to think about and that’s something I’ve dread every time I go back to my apartment”
“Isn’t being able to gather your thoughts a good thing?”
“Not when you’ve lived your entire life being beaten and ridiculed, you of all ponies should know most don’t dream when they pass out and on the nights where you’ve seen my worst memories, you know it could be YEARS before I can even look in the mirror without wanting to slam my face into it.”
“True… but you have no sin to carry”
“Yeah not even the hundreds or so ponies I’ve killed can weigh me down-” I chuckle “-but even as I killed them it didn’t feel like I was doing anything wrong I knew most of them could have been responsible for the deaths other ‘innocent’ ponies if we want to go and define any of my actions as good or evil, me killing them was a necessary evil”
“Yet you’ve shown mercy”
“Only so a pony and his daughter could get slaughtered by a psychotic griffon, mercy isn’t always a good thing Luna in fact it can be the worst thing you can give to someone.”
“And what about the changelings? You had a chance to kill the queen, yet you offered them more than just a pardon from their actions you would have given them a chance to live among us in peace.”
“Only to be thrown out of Canterlot like the rest of them and spend most of the year as the queen’s gimp although despite Shining’s protests, I don’t think the Changelings are evil, but what I find strange is that you didn’t intervene when the invasion started.”
She blushes, looks at the table and adds more sugar to her tea.
“I’m… a very heavy sleeper” she mumbles.
“I’ll bet. But you and me… we’re just like them-” she looks up at me like I’ve just stabbed her in the heart after saying ‘I do’ ”-we’re not evil Luna, just misunderstood.”
She takes a sip of her tea “Why are you so sure that there is no innocence?”
“Because we all have our own guilt and we want someone to forgive us but we never think to forgive ourselves, I however have done too much so that the only way I can be forgiven is for me to put the barrel of a gun in my mouth and pull the trigger.”
Returning to a Dangerous Game
I put my tea cup on the table, put my glasses on and walk to the door.
“Have you given any thought to my offer?” Luna asks grabbing my hoof as it presses against the door made out of amethyst.
“Yes” I answer keeping my gaze on the door.
“And?”
“If there’s one thing I’m good at its hiding in plain sight… but if you really think I’m going to follow your no kill rule, reread Twilight’s psyche profile on me.”
“Then remember not to tell anypony that you’ve returned to this profession, not the elements, not my niece, not even my sister. Return to Canterlot to receive your first assignment… after you’ve gotten some proper rest”
She lets go of my hoof and without another word I leave the room, I enter the gardens which are unsurprisingly filled with crystals carved as flowers and sit on a bench in front of a massive emerald fountain when the bench shifts… I look over and see Cadence, a few months after Spike saved her empire from Sombra; she started writing to me… as usual I was to pissed to question why so the first few letters were meant as an attack but when she kept sending letters, the more I started to let my guard down… needless to say she became my first (And probably only) friend in Equestria.
“Hello Cadence” I sigh.
“Doth our ears deceive us? Or hath thou truly called us Cadence?” she gasps imitating Luna minus the royal shouting voice before Twilight gave her lessons on modern culture.
“Yes I’ve called you Cadence in public without an extra insult, the end is upon us-” I wave my hooves in the air “-besides I’ve called you ‘Cadence’ in my letters so you shouldn’t be so surprised”
“I know-“she hums as I look back at the fountain “-but actually hearing you say it… makes me think of the letters in which you called me
“You could’ve stopped sending letters” I mumble.
“Now what kind of Princess would I be if I didn’t communicate with my subjects? Besides your letters were more colorful than reading requisition orders for outdated trade methods; it also helped that I know your mailing address”
“I still blame your sister-in-law, and you stepped onto a very thin line when you tried to set me up with Fluttershy knowing full well why we can’t EVER be anywhere near each other”
“Are you really going to let Gin’s spell control your life?”
“It’s not the spell that I worry about, it’s the fact that everyone expects me to be ‘cured’ of my past life so they expect me to do what they do… get a job, meet a nice mare, and start a family”
“Then why are you so afraid to let somepony in?”
“Why don’t you admit that you like the concept of doomed lovers? Most of the romance books I read while living at Twilight’s is they all have a common theme… each character is from a different social class, they have morals they will never break even if it saves their life; then there’s the shitty emo vampire heartthrobs… I never finished those books because I felt like throwing up when the only conflict besides the class, age, or problems of the times was a love triangle”
“Maybe romance novels aren’t your thing-” Cadence laughs “-or maybe you’re reading the really bad ones”
“I won’t complain about the porn novels, the ones I read don’t deal with the ‘maybe she does maybe he doesn’t’ route and they actually develop a romance-” I slowly turn my head to Cadence “-before the characters eventually fucked in graphic detail”
“Something else is on your mind isn’t there?” Cadence shifts further down the bench.
“It was when Twilight went to the other universe” I sigh looking at the stars.
“What about it?” Cadence prods.
“It got me thinking that maybe I’m not the only Frostbite”
“Maybe in that sense… but here-“She scoots back and wraps her wing over my shoulder “-There is only one you, you shouldn’t try to change everypony’s opinion of you by trying to bring a version of you that they would approve of.”
“They still think that after a few months that I should be able to walk among them without wanting to kill someone every time they say a dumb joke or keep asking why I wear these glasses… it takes 30 moons for your magic mirror to open, 30 moons is damn near close to two years and I’ve sat in front that mirror for 10”
“You broke into my castle?!” she jumps off the bench faces me and prepares her magic.
“Forging a royal pass is foals play” I chuckle spreading my upper legs, leaving my heart exposed.
“If only you volunteered for our spy ring…” Cadence trails off when Shining walks up to her and whispers something to Cadence; she then deactivates her magic and walks into my embrace…Shining shoots me a death glare.
I’m willing to share I mouth almost making him draw his sword when Cadence breaks the hug.
“Your train is leaving” she says.
Returning to a Dangerous Game
Without another word a bright blue flash fills the air and I find myself in the sitting at a table across from Applejack I look around but none of the other five are here, I stand to leave when Applejack clears her throat.
“What?” I growl slumping back into the chair.
“Do ya really think yer going to leave without telling me why yer late?” she growls digging into her saddle bags taking out two glass cups and a bottle of whiskey.
“I’m having an affair with Cadence” I answer blandly… Applejack rolls her eyes pours whiskey into a glass and slides it across the table.
“Ah keep tellin’ ya lyin’ isn’t something ya can pass of as one of yer jokes.”
“Yet that’s what makes them funny-” I drink the whiskey and try not to gag, Applejack clears her throat and slides the whiskey bottle across the table without hesitation I refill my glass then slide the bottle back “-the truth is I was talking to Cadence in the crystal gardens about Twilight going to that other world on the other side of that magic mirror”
This seems to catch her attention… she takes her glass and the whiskey, stands and walks in to the chair next to me. She sits down and takes off my glasses.
“Fluttershy was right… once ya get passed the shock, yer eyes ain’t so bad” she says filling her glass.
“And your eyes remind me of Gin before I found out he was a genocidal maniac”
“Ah’ll take that as a compliment-” She scoffs rolling her eyes and drinking another shot “-so what was he like before ya almost killed him?”
“He wouldn’t say much… when the pack we were in got together to make a plan for an operation he would sit as far away from the group as he could. He would follow his role perfectly but his weight would make him a target for the bigger assholes we worked with”
“So he was always skin and bones?”
“Yes but that didn’t mean he was weak. He never used the magic siphon we saw at the fortress… instead he would use his teeth to rip someone’s throat out. Fluttershy reminded me of him because even Gin showed me a little kindness when we first met and that’s why Fluttershy scares me… because sooner or later she’ll snap and when she does, you’ll find out what it’s like to be backed into a losing situation-” for once Applejack has nothing to say… her eyes twitch trying to find the right words“-that’s why I’m always on edge A.J. whenever someone treated me with any sort of decency… they would always stab me in the back when something better came along”
“Not all folks are like that”
“True but it seems like the majority is”
“Fluttershy ain’t like that… if she was ya'll wouldn’t be here.”
“I was nothing more than a wounded animal to her and with Gin's magic coursing through us I find her to be nothing more than a walking corpse … to Dashie I’m always going to be the threat that ruins everything she worked hard for and Twilight wishes I was in a cell… padded or otherwise. Cadence thinks the only way for me to move on is to find the ‘one’ while every job I take in Ponyville ends with me getting paid less than what’s offered, even preparing the dead has lost its flare and Rarity takes pity on me by paying my rent from time to time… You however have seem to make it your own personal mission to run me out of Ponyville every time I walk a few inches near the outskirts of your farm”
“Ya think ah can trust ya after you tried to rope mah family into yer problems!?”
“I didn’t rope them into my problems! I told you what would’ve happened if you didn’t listen to me and one of your friends nearly died because of it!”
“What about Pinkie?” she sighs.
“She tries her damnedest to make me smile… to see everything a little more ‘brighter’ to make new and better memories but she comes on a bit too strong and I’m starting to feel something every time she leaves with her mane flat.”
“And to think she had it worse when ya-“she starts to laugh and I slam my hoof on the table… the force makes my glass fall to its side and roll of the table.
“DON’T SPEAK OF IT” I growl.
“C’mon ah know it’s hard to for ya tell somepony when yer in pain but if ya really want to get better you HAVE to start opening up”
“Not now… soon just-“I take a long deep sigh and Applejack puts a hoof on my shoulder.
“Well when yer ready to tell us, remember that we’re always ready to lend an open ear.”
“Not likely… once we arrive back in Ponyville, none of you will ever see me again.”
“WHAT?!?!” Applejack nearly dropping the whiskey.
“Don’t be so surprised A.J. you should have seen this coming… you actually thought I could last on your side of the spectrum? I’ve seen too much to know that sooner or later it’s all going to come crashing down and when you find yourself holding the mangled bodies of the ones you love what will you do? Lose your sanity in your grief? Or become the very thing you defended them from and fight harder?”
She starts to stutter trying to form anything that might change my mind “So what are ya gonna do?”
“Disappear... the only thing I was ever good at.”
I get out of the chair and walk to the other end of the car.
“You’re right about opening up to others. Somehow even at my worst… one of you always managed to bring me back from the brink, I was just too blind to notice.”
As I leave the car I look back to catch a glimpse of Applejack drinking straight out of the bottle… I close the door and find myself at the bar again; I take a seat, look at my eyes in the reflection of the cherry wood varnish, light a cigar and wait for the bartender.
Returning to a Dangerous Game
“Greetings agent Frost” a voice rasps.
I look up and see an orange unicorn wearing a collar brace, he looks like he lost a fight with a mantacore, but it’s the tip of his glowing horn that puts me on edge… I look around and see everyone is moving slower.
“Hello-“ I greet him “-I thought after the ‘incident’ with Yorla the Guild would cease all possible contact with me considering how I left on good terms with the elders”
“You’ll be happy to know that The Masochist has been ordered to stay as far away from you or your colleagues after her failure to bring you back to the Guild”
I look past the bars on the stallion’s collar brace and blow a smoke ring.
“So it was the elders that ordered the bounty?”
“Yes and no… the elders thought that since you were willing to kill the one close to you they thought you would be a danger to the secrecy of our organization, most of them decided to turn you into their own secret experiment as to what happens to an asset when it’s given its freedom while others wanted to follow procedure and kill you but since the majority vote ruled in your favor, they decided to disobey orders to leave you alone, sadly they forgot that you are a natural survivor, we just gave you the skills needed to last a little longer.”
”So what do they want?!” I shout.
“Word of your abilities to successfully negotiate with the Changeling queen spread through The Guild like wildfire” he dodges the question.
“But I was ejected out of Canterlot along with the Changelings”
“True but if the Princess of Love hadn’t interfered; then the Guild would have been able to further observe the queen but now that she’s a glass statue in the Canterlot gardens, our operations have come to a complete halt.”
“Are there any operations that involved keeping a close eye on me after I left?”
“You of all ponies should know that no one ever leaves the Guild, we have eyes everywhere in the world some of those eyes even walked into Celestia’s study to see the glass art of your accomplishments with the queen and Sombra… but to answer your question what they want is for you to return to The Guild”
“Why?”
“They know you are struggling to… adapt to ‘normal’ society.”
“I’ll change… it’ll take a few years but I’ll change. The entire point of surviving is being able to adapt to a situation”
“Maybe… but are you willing to wait that long?”
“In that case-“I snuff out the cigar “-tell the elders they can gum my fucking dick. If they didn’t want me to join the Equestrian spy ring they should’ve killed me shortly after refusing my request.”
“Very well Frostbite… I’ll be sure to send the elders your message.”
The unicorn powers off his magic… I look around to see everyone is moving normally… I light another cigar and the unicorn clears his throat.
“Are you going to drink all our rum again? Or are you going to control yourself and order a different drink?”
“Got any Vodka?”
My question isn’t answered because the intercom announces we’ll be arriving in Ponyville in ten minutes. I get off the stool and walk to an empty car. I toss the cigar out the window when we reach a clearing, the train starts to slow and I jump out landing into the tall grass then fly back to my apartment. Nothing is there to greet me except dust and the smell of booze I go into my room, pry open the floorboards and take out my crossbow, a few bolts and my knives then shove them into my saddle pack I hang the pack on the door and sleep in what might be the last real bed I'll ever sleep in.
Returning to a Dangerous Game
Not long now … I look at my alarm clock… only two more hours till sunrise… I walk to my desk and take out a quill, inkwell and paper.
Dear Fluttershy, By the time this letter reaches you I’ll most likely be on my way to some foreign country. doing political shit for Princess Luna Luna gave me I have been given a job offer and weighing all my options I decided to accept it. For the past year I’ve been saying that I know the worst the world has to offer the only thing this world has to offer is pain and while that may be true, I’ve been shown the other side of the coin… in you and your friends’ attempts to show me the bright side of life, I realized that if I simply accepted it then I would be no different than every hypocrite I put in the ground. Applejack keeps asking me if there’s one thing to life I think about besides death, usually I’d just chew her out but this time I did what I always do when I’m backed into a corner… took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and look at every single possibility that will happen and choose the scenario that benefits everyone who may get involved, in this one moment I looked at Applejack and told her the truth; that in the end I’m just a stallion who had bad luck and needs to deal with it there are things worth fighting for and I haven’t been fighting for them. I may not believe in gods or fate, but I was lucky that I crashed into your house even with the magic death sentence we’re on though I was dangerous, you went out of your way to keep me calm, in that moment you did a lot more that what anyone else would do and for that (for once) I’m truly grateful, so if luck decides to let us cross paths again know that whatever life throws at us we’ve been through worse I'll be sure to remember that we can always rely on the ones we love to pull us out of the dirt and help us in our darker hours. Thank you for saving me, Frostbite
I put the letter in an envelope, and sling the pack over my shoulder and walk out the apartment, as I place the letter in the mailbox the sun shoots up, then back down, then up again, then back down, a metal orb takes the place of the moon and the sun inches up again making me sprint to the library.
“TWILIGHT!!!” I shout pounding on the door “OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!!”
“The library is closed for the day!” She shouts how anyone could believe her lie when she always stutters is beyond me.
“Twilight, you know I’m coming in either way so I’ll ask one more time… OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!” I start to back away preparing to jump through the window when the bright flash emanates next to me and the library is replaced with the Everfree forest.
I look to my right and see Twilight convulsing while brief glimpses of lightning shoot around her.
“No more lies, Twiley-“I gasp backing away “-what the hell is happening?”
Her eyes dart back and forth then she lets out a defeated sigh.
“A creature named Tirek has escaped from Tartarus and is now stealing the magic from anypony he can find when the other princesses found out, they decided to give me all of their magic-“
“And now you’ve become a beacon for another power hungry bastard out to get Equestria… GREAT!!!” I look around and run for the clearing and Twilight teleports in front of me.
“What are you doing?” She gasps trying to control her muscle spasms.
“I’m going to do what I do best-“ I snort rushing past her “-stall a power hungry bastard while you and your friends swoop in and save the day at the last minute”
“This isn’t a game Frostbite!” Twilight shouts teleporting again this time putting a hoof on my chest to keep me in place.
“I know Twilight! How do you think I’ve lasted this long? Life may be nothing but a series of close calls and lucky breaks but I’ve been able to push my luck further than most creatures I’ve met. You think you need to have a quadruple checked schedule or be living in a fucking library to get through the day? I may not be as smart as you but at least I’m willing to make the sacrifices you are willing to ignore even when you find yourself backed into a corner”
“So you’re going to let us all die just so you can keep running?”
“You’re talking to the stallion who was willing to allow your best friend to die just so he can be left alone, if you wanted me to change… you’d either have to strip me of my free will like you would’ve for Discord, or wait YEARS for me to mature on my own terms”
She takes her hoof of my chest and wobbles back.
“Listen I learned that the awe inspiring powers of friendship aren’t needed to work together and I trust you enough not to stab you in the back, so now that you’re O.P. I really could use your help while dealing with Tirek so we can go back to seeing how long it’ll take for me to start moving forward.”
She scoffs and shoots me with a magic bolt.
“What the fuck was that?” I gasp feeling lighter.
“Think of it as… a bulletproof vest” she mutters then walks next to me.
We walk out of the tree line and see Dashie, A.J., Rarity, Pinkie, and Fluttershy in a cage; I turn my attention to the eighteen foot monkey/pony hybrid with bull horns talking to Discord.
“Knew you would turn Discord-“I shout “I just thought it would’ve been sooner”
Tirek looks at me and starts laughing.
“A Pegasus with fake wings-” he chuckles “-is this the only line of defense Equestria has to offer when I’ve just siphoned the Elements of Harmony themselves?”
“You’re missing one monkey man.” I mumble making Tirek growl and open his mouth although if this was a signal for something to happen nothing does which makes him more pissed.
Discord snaps his fingers then morphs into a bright grey ball of light and floats around my head.
“Now that I think of it… I don’t think I’ve never seen this pony before”
“What’s your point Discord?” Tirek growls.
“I think he means he didn’t see me when he tried to turn Ponyville into an art piece” I scoff gripping a knife in both of my hooves.
Discord snaps his fingers... now he wears a white dress and his long grey mane is tied in a bun.
“YOU!” he shouts pointing a talon at me “Yes Fluttershy has told me a lot about you Frosty-” he snaps his fingers again and I wear an orange jumpsuit “-yes you are quit the naughty stallion what with your drinking and never passing up the chance to insult your dear friends and who can forget the psychotic stallion that place a spell one you allowing poor sweet Fluttershy to experience all the horrific near death experiences you put yourself through.”
“Are you mad because I was blind drunk when you came to town?” I ask… another magic cloud…the jumpsuit disappears; and Discord appears next to Tirek with a paw over his eyes.
“A little” he answers calmly.
“ENOUGH-” Tirek shouts “-If I remember correctly I’m here for the alicorn magic that resides inside your precious princess of friendship and since you’ve brought her to us Mr. Frostbite I’m feeling charitable enough to allow you within my ranks IF you cut off her wings and bring her to me.”
I answer by sliding across the dirt and slicing Tirek’s underbelly while Twilight fires a magic blast at Discord I make the pass under Tirek to find the tips of my knives broken off.
“Is that the best you’ve got?” Tirek laughs charging the magic between his horns.
“Just a test” I mutter throwing the knife handles onto the ground, reach into my saddle bag, take out my crossbow and aim it at Tirek.
“And how do you expect-“before he can finish I launch a volley of bolts, each finding their mark on his chest and explode coating his black fir with neon green slime.
“Y’know the problem with you tyrants is you all talk to fucking much-” I shout over Twilight’s magic barrage at Discord. “-You always look to ENSLAVE the entire population, if you want to be taken a little more seriously you have to be willing to shed some blood and FWI, those vials were filled with acid”
Tirek’s eyes bulge as steam wafts off his chest… the first instinct anyone makes when they find out their flesh is being melted is to try to wipe off anything that might be causing the effect, even Tirek can’t stop himself from grabbing at the goo only to have the skin on the tips of his fingers burn off.
Twilight shoots another magic beam at Discord only so he can block it with an umbrella while wearing a tuxedo, fortunately his defense doesn’t last long when he’s engulfed in purple flames and Tirek starts firing his own magic at me but with the acid burning its way through his chest and the fact that it’s on continuous beam, predicting the pattern makes it easy enough to shoot another acid bolt into his right eye… he roars, rips out the bolt and charges forward, I fly onto his neck and grab his horns and try to steer him into the Everfree forest when Discord pops up between the horns, grabs my wings and throws me through the tree tops I’m almost skewered but it’s the force of hitting the ground that knocks me out; I wake up and look back at the field… Tirek is nowhere to be seen but Discord is lying next to the cage.
“Any theories wise-ass?” she asks.
“Tirek double-crossed Discord and is now the size of the Statue of Harmony in Manehatten” I answer smugly, the forest shakes every four seconds to confirm my answer followed by the sounds of explosions.
“Then it seems to me that you’re going to need a bigger sword” Twilight smirks and conjures up a 16 foot claymore.
“That might help” I state holding my hoof to Twilight.
“Here you go… Frosty” She giggles.
Everything flashes as Twilight sneers and the claymore finds its way into my stomach, lifts me up then pins me into the ground, I start to look up blade to see the purple bastard’s coat turns blue, its wings molt and fall off while any remaining fat falls to the ground until all that’s left is the skin around the joints of HIS bones and once he’s inches away from the hilt, his eyes turn red as a purple mist engulfs them then change to familiar bright green eyes.
Returning to a Dangerous Game
I look past the hilt of the claymore as Gin stands with his hoof on the hilt of the sword, smiling that sadistic fucking smile of his.
“Did you really think that once the Princesses gave their magic to our little princess Twiley that my coffin would keep me contained?” He giggled pushing the sword deeper into the dirt.
“Ya see Frosty the reason why I was kept in Cantorlot was so Celestia and Luna would use their magic to keep the wards up but because of all the madness with Tirek and them giving their magic to Twiley… I was able to break out of the coffin and I had such a glorious feast!! Even though they couldn’t put up much of a fight I walked one thousand and eight hundred years older, and as for Cadence-“he licks his chops and leans into my ear “-Her baby was ssssooooo delicious… who knew something so insignificant could have so much power”
“FUCK YOU” I gag making more blood spews out of my mouth.
“You always did want to be the neutral party Frosty… but you can only be on the fence for so long that you only get to see the consequence of you indecision-“ He twists the blade sending more agonizing pain up what’s left of my spine “-When someone else tightens the screws”
A giant orange beam of light burns the top of the trees…Twilight flies overhead I look up to see her land into a field with the towering Tirek with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Discord floating around him… Gin whistles and starts to walk towards them.
“Looks like it’s my turn to have a little more fun, don’t worry Frosty; after Twilight gives Tirek her alicorn magic I’ll kill him for you, it’s a shame the Six won’t be able to fight back but life doesn’t always give you what you want.”
I look back at the sky as everything starts to fade and all I can hear is ragged gasps as blood fills my lungs. My life doesn’t flash before my eyes; I don’t feel any regret… there are no pearly gates or ocean of fire… just cold and the final breath.