The Price of Freedom

Unlike the other clans, the Iceblood Clan held it's tournament outside of the city, within the cold, snowy fields of the north. As the last thirty warriors readied themselves for battle, so did Hellbridge. Just like last time, he had successfully managed to infiltrate their lines and disguise himself as one of them. He wasn't as used to the cold as the warriors of the Iceblood Clan, but thanks to a very convenient spell, he could easily suffer it...Courtesies of princess Twilight Sparkle.

The warriors looked at their shaman as if expecting some sort of speech from him. Many of them already had their hands gripped tightly around their weapon, like a bomb ready to go off at the sound of the bell.

Their shaman, however, just peacefully leaned on his staff while gazing at them without saying a word for quite some time. "Are you all waiting for an invitation or something? Get on with it already!" he shouted and swung his staff at the arena bell.

Just like it happened at the Red Veil Clan, at the very instant that the bell was heard, streams of blood started flying in every direction. The kholanari fell like flies. Five warriors didn't even manage to draw their weapons in time before being sent on their final journey.

Before long, the white snow under their feet turned into a massive, crimson puddle that stretched across half the arena. The shaman was amused. He only quietly laughed at the sight. He paid no heed to the fact that one of the warriors didn't quite fit in. Just mere minutes later, his laughing ended with a disappointed frown.

"What, that's it!?" he shouted at the only warrior still left alive. "The fighting went on for longer than it had to, and it still ended too quickly!" he kept shouting out his displeasure as Hellbridge slowly walked closer to him. "I don't know whether to congratulate you for you skill in combat and call you the king in the north, or break your neck for disobeying the laws of our arena, but either way, you have my respect...you know how to fight, at least," he congratulated the man with little amusement in his tone.

"I'm afraid the fighting isn't over just yet, Lakh'Toran," Hellbridge shouted, confusing the shaman.

"Huh?" Lakh'Toran turned around.

"Surprise!"

The dull edge of Horak'Din's staff was the last thing that the shaman of the Iceblood Clan ever saw.

                                                                                                  ***

As six depressed mares sat on the cold floor within their cell, they could only wait in despair, for the kholanari warriors to arrive and take them away. They already began hearing steps coming from the arena entrance side of the corridor, but much to their surprise, it didn't sound like it was humans making them.

"What is the meaning of this!?" the guard near their cell block shouted and pointed his spear at something. "Aah!" he screamed as a bolt of purple light disarmed him, right after which, the largest kholanari warrior they had ever seen just jumped forward and decapitated him with a swift blow. Some of his blood even got splattered across princess Cadence's face.

"Twilight?" Cadence stared in awe as her beloved sister-in-law just ran past the warrior with his consent.

"Cadence!" Twilight rushed over to hug her former foal-sitter. As they reveled in their reunion, the rest of the group joined them and gathered around.

After disengaging from the hug, Cadence looked at the strange company that Twilight was with. "I'm just going to assume that you haven't got much time to explain..."

Twilight giggled. "I think we can spare a minute or two." She hugged her tightly again. "I'm so glad you're all right."

"It's good to see you again, Twilight." Cadence disengaged from the second hug and smiled warmly at Twilight. "Are we ever going to have a meetup without something completely bizarre going on?"

Both of them let out a heartfelt laugh.

                                                                                                          ***

As the peculiar party made their way to the next dungeon, Twilight took the time to explain everything to Cadence along the way.

"Who would have ever thought that among every kholanari warrior out there, the one purest of heart would also be the most savage killer the kholanari have ever seen..."

"Don't judge a book by it's cover," Hellbridge added.

"I'm not," Cadence quickly replied. "I'm judging it by all the lives it has taken."

"Touche..."

Before long, they reached their last destination - a massive prison holding all of the Crystal Empire's male pony prisoners. As the prisoners heard steps coming their way, one of them stood up.

"Twiley!" Shining armor shouted out after recognizing his little sister. His excitement suddenly turned into a fit of rage as he saw the massive warrior following her. "You leave her alone!" he yelled while gripping the bars of his prison. "Or else, I swear I'll-"

"Shining Armor!" Twilight blasted the lock off of the prison door and rushed over to hug her older brother. "Don't worry, he's friendly," Twilight said while hinting at Hellbridge.

"He sure doesn't look too friendly to me..." Shining Armor stared at Hellbridge with a rather uneasy look.

"That's what makes him such a good ally!" Twilight noted. "If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be here right now."

"We?" Shining Armor looked behind the two kholanari tribesmen and saw the rest of the company. "Cadence!" he suddenly exclaimed.

Cadence immediately ran over to join in on the hug.

After taking a moment to celebrate the occasion, Shining Armor turned his head upwards to face the warrior. "I suppose I got you to thank for ensuring their safety, mister..."

"Hellbridge," the man introduced himself.

"Hellbridge!?"

Twilight and Cadence couldn't help but giggle at Shining Armor's priceless expression.

"Believe me, I had trouble believing it as well," Cadence added.

"We all did," Twilight also added.

Still a bit dazed from the sudden discovery, Shining armor just sighed with relief and admitted, "I'm just glad you're all right."

"Say..." Twilight said after the three ponies disengaged from the hug. "Shouldn't your magic be back by now?"

Shining Armor and Cadence both tried to cast something but couldn't.

"Doesn't seem like it." Shining Armor shook his head.

Twilight looked at Hellbridge for answers. He only shrugged and looked at the shaman who happened to be carrying two staffs. All of a sudden, all eyes were on him.

"Oh...right." The shaman lifted up one of the staffs in his right hand and readied it for a strike against the ground, but as he brought it downwards, he suddenly stopped. "Wait a moment..." He lifted the staff closer to his face. "He he he," he laughed sheepishly. "Wrong staff."

Twilight rolled her eyes.

The shaman reacted immediately and struck the other staff against the ground. Just as he did that, Shining Armor and princess Cadence gasped.

"Aaah..." Shining Armor sighed with relief. "Much, much better."

"As much as I hate to ruin the moment, we need to get going," Hellbridge interrupted and walked past everyone.

"He's right," Twilight sadly admitted. "We have to go with him. Equestria isn't free just yet."

"I wish we could go with you, but the Crystal Empire needs us now, more than ever." Cadence hugged Twilight one last time.

"I understand." After the hug ended, Twilight followed her friends and the two kholanari.

"Be careful out there, Twilight," Shining Armor told her and waved goodbye.

After she waved back at them, Twilight rushed forward and soon caught up with Hellbridge, who was in the front of the pack.

"Where to next?" she asked

"To the Sand Wraith Clan, in a place called the San Palomino desert," he explained.

"San Palomino?" Applejack interjected. "That's close to Appleloosa!" she exclaimed with anxiety in her tone. "They might have taken Braeburn and others prisoner!" the farm pony ran closer to her friend and placed booth hooves on her shoulders. "Twilight, we've got to get there! Now!" she started shaking her.

"Waa-aa-aah!" She brushed Applejack's hooves off of her. "Easy, Applejack. We've gotten this far through Hellbridge's plans. We can't start panicking now," she calmed her friend.

"I guess you're right..." she admitted, but she still wouldn't raise her head up. "I'm just so gosh darn nervous..."

"We'll be there before the last round of the tournament," Twilight promised.

"Right, Hellbridge?"

"You tell me," he replied. "You're the one that knows where this San Palomino desert is."

"Oh...right." Twilight rubbed the back of her head. "Hmm..." She began rubbing her chin and pondering on something. "I don't know if we'll have enough time to stay here and rest this night. San Palomino is on the other side of Equestria!"

"Then lets not waste another minute," Hellbridge replied and picked up the pace.