The sun was bright and the birds were singing as Twilight Sparkle led her friends into the castle at Canterlot.
Celestia was expecting them. She was entrusting the Princess of Friendship with planning the Grand Galloping Gala again. And she had wanted Twilight's friends to help as well.
"This is going to be AMAZING!" Pinkie Pie exclaimed as she bounced along.
"Sure is, Pinkie," Applejack chuckled.
"Just think," Rarity added, "we get to help plan the most grand event in all Equestria!"
Twilight turned to her friends and gave a light laugh. "Today's meeting is just to pick a date. That's all. We can come up with more plans at home."
"We came all this way just to pick a date?" complained Rainbow Dash. "Seems like we could've exchanged letters or something."
Fluttershy looked at her fellow pegasus. "It's not that bad, Rainbow Dash. Besides, you know how busy the princess can be. Getting to visit her now is an honor."
On cue, Princess Celestia stepped out at the top of the stairs. "Oh, hello girls. I totally forgot about our appointment. I'll have to have a chat with my secretary."She gazed at the now puzzled group of mares. "I arranged an important diplomatic meeting today."
Twilight tilted her head as her friends exchanged glances. "An important diplomatic meeting? Do I need to be there? Who is it with?"
"Mage Ponies."
"What now?" the Mane Six inquired.
"You haven't heard of them because they were erased from all general knowledge."
"Were they that bad?" Rainbow demanded.
Celestia shook her head, looking quite sad. "Their founder, Night Blaze, used the dark arts to give his small village of non-unicorns magic. The ponies were fine, but Night Blaze became greedy. He made demands that were... not good. The last straw was when he put an entire town under a curse to get attention."
Applejack frowned at this. "An' we're just now hearin' this 'cause?"
Celestia sighed. "I banished Night Blaze, but not before foolishly allowing him to say goodbye to his village. He lied to them and told them they had all been banished to the icy north. They erased themselves from memory and common knowledge. Except me. They wanted me to live with the guilt. But for the first time in centuries, they are finally opening themselves to Equestria again. We must make friends with them. Which is why your appearance today will be of great help."
Twilight looked anxious. "But I know nothing about them! What will I say? How do I avoid offending them?"
Fluttershy put a hoof on her friend's shoulder. "We just be ourselves and extend kindness. No doubt they'll be nervous visiting the kingdom they think cast them out."
The young alicorn sighed and nodded. "You're right. As long as we're together and we are friendly to them, nothing can go wrong."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In the throne room, Celestia and Luna sat in their respected places. Twilight and the gang waited at the base of the thrones. The Princess of Friendship was visibly nervous, but her friends' constant reassurances helped her keep it together. She couldn't afford a meltdown.
The horns sounded as the herald declared that the Mage Ponies had arrived. The doors swung open. A procession of four guards marched in, leading two more ponies in. One was obviously the leader. She carried herself proudly, giving off an aura of authority. Beside her was a skittish looking pegasus, who must have been her advisor.
Their appearances also differed from the normal ponies of Equestria. The cold climate of the north had caused their fur to grow thicker and longer, giving them a fluffy appearance. Their manes took on a fluffier style as well. However, they all still had unique cutie marks and colors.
The guards stood at either side as the mare and her advisor stepped up. She was a mint blue earth pony with dark purple eyes and a wavy violet mane and tail with magenta streaks. She wore a royal blue cloak that made Rarity swoon. She used magic to take the cloak off and hand it off to the nearest guard. Her cutie mark was a simple, dark blue swirled circle. She bowed deeply to Celestia and the others, her advisor following suit.
"My apologies on such a short notice, Princesses. I only desired for this to happen before our first major snow."
The Mane Six exchanged uneasy glances.
"I am Frost Swirl, leader of the Mage Ponies in the North. We lost Night Blaze a year ago and have seen through his lies. We want to return to Equestria."
"You just suddenly want to come back? Rainbow Dash almost shouted.
"Seems a little sketchy to me," Pinkie Pie speculated.
"Girls, don't be rude," mused Fluttershy.
"Thank you, young pegasus. And who are these six mares?"
Celestia spoke up, silently rebuking both Rainbow, who was about to burst out in a rant, and Pinkie, who was eyeballing the Mage Ponies suspiciously. "These are The Elements of Harmony, Saviors of Equestria. We have Princess Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy, and Rainbow Dash."
Pinkie Pie leaned over to whisper to Twilight, "My Pinkie sense is getting tingly..."
Before the alicorn could reply to her bubbly friend, Frost Swirl said, "It is good to see the legends are true. They must be good friends."
This got the vibrant pink pony excited. "Oh, believe me! We are! Wehavepartiestogetherwesharesecretswefightmonsterstogether-"
"Breathe, Pinkie," Twilight reminded. A loud inhale came from her friend as she went to say more. Twilight stopped her. "Now shush."
"Oops. Sorry."
The Mage Pony chuckled. "All of the most powerful ponies in one room.. If we did that, we'd have a fight."
Celestia smiled. "I am sure we can help."
"I am sure you can," the advisor said, stepping forward. He no longer looked skittish. He was a pegasus, bright yellow with a poofy white mane and tail. His blue eyes blazed as his starry cutie mark started to glow. "You were so eager to right your wrongs, Celestia. So, so eager. You didn't think twice about it."
Everypony was alert now. "I knew you weren't to be trusted!" Pinkie Pie yelled. Rainbow Dash opened her wings, ready for a fight. "Yeah, me, too!"
"Oh, you ponies bore me."
The advisor's appearance then changed. He was still a pegasus with the same white mane and tail, but his coat turned indigo. His cutie mark became a shooting star. White speckles dotted his coat.
"Night Blaze," Celestia spat. "How are you still alive?"
"I should ask you the same. I am simply immortal. You don't have to be an alicorn to be a god."
Author's Note
Hey, I know this is quite long, but I can get carried away. Bully for you if you're still reading this and got to the end to see this note. This is edited by me, but not edited by anyone else. I know there's one line that looks funky, but i the editor, it looks fine, so... I don't know. I hope you liked it! Thank you for reading my story! More updates will come soon!
"Let's get him!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she launched herself into the air. She streaked towards Night Blaze, but his guards stepped in front of her. They created a magic barrier that threw her back, bowling her friends over in the process. They all laid dazed.
A laugh echoed through the throne room. Now Celestia and Luna stepped forward. "That's enough, Night Blaze."
The pegasus beamed. "You alicorns. You think you are so special. Well, you aren't." His bright blue eyes went to the ceiling. "Well, except her. She is very special."
The Mane Six came to just as an alicorn fluttered down from above. She was a frosty blue color with a spiky white mane and tail. Silver jewelry adorned her figure, including a crown. And she had been hiding the whole time. She landed gracefully. "I am Queen Frostbite, new ruler of Equestria."
Celestia opened her wings in challenge. Her sister copied her. Both their horns glowed.
"Oh, no, Princess Luna. This is between me and the sun." A beam of blue magic struck the moon princess directly and she stood frozen as an ice statue.
"LUNA!!!!"
Celestia turned on Frostbite and the battle began. Horns glowed as spells were thrown. "Nopony harms my sister or my kingdom!"
"You care not for the ponies you rule!" Frostbite snarled.
Twilight Sparkle turned to her friends. "Ready to show them what we've got?"
"Yeah!" her friends cheered.
"Let's do this." Her horn began to glow. It took a few seconds to work, which was enough for something to go horribly wrong. The young alicorn's focus was broken by the sudden shrieking of her friends. Her violet eyes widened as she saw huge ice spikes growing around them.
Her friends were trying to move, but their hooves had been turned to ice. They all looked up to see Frostbite get knocked from the air by Celestia, who started melting the ice. She was interrupted once more by the icy pony.
Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy's wings became frozen as well to prevent further escape. "Twilight, do something!"
The alicorn shivered at the cold in her legs as she focused on a warming spell. None of them could focus if they were freezing. Cold washed over her horn and the glow vanished. She looked up as her friends gasped. Her horn was frozen, too.
A chilling voice came from above as Night Blaze lowered himself into their icy prison. "A good attempt, but, alas, it seems your friendship isn't strong enough."
"You're wrong!" cried Pinkie Pie. "These are the extra most bestest most greatest friends EVER!!!"
Night Blaze laughed. "Now I know why you're the Element of Laughter! I am going to enjoy banishing you all to the wintry North."
Twilight felt angry. Not just at the idea of losing, but at the fact her friends were being tormented and taken as a joke. Her horn blazed to life breaking the ice off of all her friends. Almost immediately, ice started taking hold again.
"Girls, we have had long, hard discussions about what we would do if we, the Elements of Harmony, were ever in danger and couldn't save ourselves."
Night Blaze glowered at Twilight and tried to silence her with magic. "None of this nonsense! Surrender!"
Twilight merely shook the spell off, shocking the evil Mage Pony. "I have a spell that will temporarily send the elements away to select new heroes. When it is safe, then they will be returned."
The pegasus became angry. "ENOUGH!!!" he wailed.
"We can't let Equestria lose hope. Are you with me?"
Her friends all exchanged long, hard glances. Then they looked to their friend and all nodded.
"Good," Twilight Sparkle replied. She closed her eyes and spoke the words of her spell. She opened her eyes to reveal glowing white. Her friends' eyes glowed as well as Night Blaze threw a hissy fit. There was a blinding flash, and then balls of colored light shot from each of the six mares. They flew straight up through the ceiling of the Canterlot castle.
Night Blaze shrieked angrily as the now exhausted Twilight Sparkled drooped her head. Her friends all looked drained, too.
Frostbite came to see what the matter was. "Not frozen, yet?" she snapped. Her horn glowed and the ice spread up her prisoners' bodies, faster this time. "I want you to see the fall of your great leader!"
Night Blaze flew up to meet her as Celestia, now tired and distraught, fired a fireball from the ground. The two alicorns had a pretty even match, but Frostbite seemed to have no end to her energy.
The Mage Pony leader cast a spell to deflect the fireball. His eyes were beginning to glow, the irises tinged red and the whites tinged green. "Face it, Celestia. Your time is over!"
"Look at you, Night Blaze! The black magic has changed you!" the princess yelled.
Frostbite threw ice at Celestia, who dodged as best she could. One ice spike, however, tore through her wing. She cried out in pain as she carefully freed her wing. It was bleeding badly and now useless until it healed. She whipped around and reared up, one last spell charging on her horn. A blue beam hit her in the chest, and Celestia stood frozen in ice. She was frozen in her last moments of valor to her kingdom.
Frostbite carefully levitated both princesses and set them in the ice prison with the Mane Six. Twilight was horrified to see that her teacher had lost. As the ice overtook the last of the heroes, Twilight Sparkle looked up.
"Somepony, please. We need new heroes."
