The Substitutes

"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."