That Time I conquered Equestria... As A Colt

Once again, it was silent in the Tree Library. Once again, six mares sat at the kitchen table, one on one side, five at the other. Once again, the tension between the two parties could be felt from the other side of the town. However, this time around, the single mare looked and acted a lot more timid. Her ears were splayed back and she was looking more to the ground than to the mares opposite of her and her body posture rivalled that of Fluttershy.

“Twi, ah’ma be real honest with ya here: No matter how often ya git us in here an’ try ta tell us that Frosty’s evil, we ain’t buyin’ it.” Applejack brashly pointed out right off the bat, making Twilight shrink down even more than she already was.

“Yes, I know, I… I promise this isn’t gonna be anything like tha—“

“Oh yeah? Then what did ya call us here for? Again.” Rainbow interrupted her, quite obviously not wanting to be here.

“Umm, I would like to know that too. Also, putting teleport traps into the letters was, umm, not very nice.” Fluttershy said, though it came out more as a quiet mumble. The others were of course used to this by now, so they caught what she said nonetheless.

“Yes, that was indeed not very nice of you, Darling.” Rarity agreed, though it was obvious that she had to hold back quite a lot to not use more colourful language.

“Why did ya do this anyways?” Applejack questioned.

“Because if I didn`t, none of you would’ve actually come.” Twilight mumbled rather Fluttershy-like. “I mean… after yesterday, I thought you’d probably not come anyways.”

“Yeah, pff, who knows why that could be? Definitely not because you’ve wiped out an entire species or anything, no, definitely not.” Rainbow scoffed.

“That wasn’t me, I swear!” Twilight immediately defended.

“Oh yeah, and now you’re gonna tell us that it was Frosty and yada yada. Might be surprising to you, Twi, but guess what, I actually read the letter. I know that you wanted to talk about Frosty. So, what’s it gonna be this time? That he summoned the sun itself to blast the desert and every creature that was there?” Rainbow huffed. She crossed her forelegs and gave Twilight a challenging glare.

“No, none of this, I-I actually didn`t even want to talk about the Badlands at all!” Twilight whined. “I just… I just wanted to tell you something. That… I’m sorry. Really, I’m very sorry for what I did. I was just doing what I thought the Princess would want and never thought about what might be the consequences of my actions… I’m very sorry, really.”

“That’s all nice and well, but being sorry won’t revive those who-knows-how-many creatures that died out there!” Rarity suddenly cut in very sharply and loudly, before quickly covering her mouth with a hoof. “Oh, pardon me. That was very unladylike of me.”

“I already told you that I didn’t do it!” Twilight shouted desperately. Rainbow, Rarity and Fluttershy sent curious looks over to Applejack, who returned their gaze. After a moment, she sighed and shook her head.

“She ain’t lyin’, folks. At least, as far as ah ken tell.” She said.

“What?! So… so Frosty really killed those Change…whatevers himself?!” Rainbow gasped.

“Ah din’t say that. All ah know’s that Twi didn’t.” Applejack answered.

“So what did you call us here for, dear?” Rarity asked Twilight.

“THAT’S WHAT I WAS TRYING TO TELL YOU THIS WHOLE TIME, It’s…” Twilight shouted, before suddenly becoming very timid. She tapped her hooves together before her and paused a moment, before quietly speaking again. “It’s because of what happened… last night.”

Immediately, everypony’s eyes widened and Pinkie Pie suddenly appeared next to Twilight and wiggled her eyebrows at her.

“Ooooooh, did we develop a taste for bad little colts, Twilight?” She teased.

“Wha—NO! No, that’s… that…” She stammered, before quickly collecting herself. “He didn’t come here for… that! He came here to… to save me.”

“Save you? From what? This library is probably as safe as it can get without using military spells… and don’t try to deny that you’ve been reinforcing this place as of late! I recognize a warded window when I smash into one!” Rainbow pointed out.

“Not somethin’ yer should be proud of.” Applejack mumbled under her breath.

“Yes, I have been reinforcing the Library for a while now, because somepony kept smashing the windows!” Twilight half-shouted, sending a glare to Rainbow. “But the danger he saved me from wasn’t external, but internal. He saved me from making the biggest mistake a pony, or any creature for that matter, could ever make…”

“…Which would be, darling?” Rarity ushered on.

Twilight hesitated for a moment, the word sticking like a lump in her throat. She swallowed hard twice and took a few deep breaths, before timidly whispering: “Suicide.”

Immediately, the previously widened eyes went even wider and even Pinkie’s mane deflated, as everypony present sat there for a moment, in shocked silence. Luckily, Spike was currently busy cleaning and was thus out of earshot.

“WHAT?!” Pinkie screeched, jumping up and over Twilight and landing behind her, from where she started tightly hugging the purple unicorn. “No Twilight, please don’t do that! Please!! You can’t end it like uncle Quick Fall!” Pinkie cried.

“Ah agree with Pinkie there, Twi. Ya’ve done some pretty nasty stuff recently, but suicide? That ain’t no solution to anythin’.” Applejack scolded.

“I know, but… After I lost Shining and you girls in the Badlands, I just… I didn’t know what to do anymore. I felt like I had lost everything I ever had at that moment. I felt so exhausted from everything that had been happening as of late that I just wanted… a way out, or something…” Twilight recalled. “But, just when I was about to jump, he pulled me away from the edge and held me tight and… He told me a few things. With most of them, I don’t know if I should believe them or not, but the few that I know I can believe lead me to think that he might actually not be a bad pony after all…” Twilight said, insecurely studying the ground under the table.

“So you’re finally joining our side? Cool!” Rainbow celebrated.

“No.” Twilight answered.

“What?”

“As I said, Rainbow, there are quite a few things that I don’t know if they are true. However I… I can say for certain that saving me doesn’t make any logical sense for him. After all, I was actively working against him, so if he really was a bad pony, he would’ve just let me die…” Twilight pondered. “I can’t join his cause, because he is a criminal by equestrian law and if Celestia ever directly tells me to go against him then I certainly will, but…” Twilight sighed. “As long as that doesn’t happen, I guess I’ll just keep my hooves still. Even if he hadn’t saved me, I would’ve probably given up now. I’ve been pursuing him for only about a week or so and that timespan was enough to almost ruin my whole life. No, that’s definitely not worth it.”

Twilight shook her head and she frowned down towards the ground for a few seconds. Then, a smile graced her features again and she looked up over the table, towards the four mares that were still sitting on the other side.

“Now, I know that a simple apology won’t undo what I’ve subjected your sisters to, but I still hope that you can forgive me.” She said, before stretching her hoof across the table and smiling hopefully. “Can we be friends again?”

The group awkwardly looked around the room… except for Pinkie Pie, who was immediately happily jumping in place beside Twilight.

“Yesyesyesyesyes! We can be friends again! I love being friends – but not the ‘just friends’ kinda friends, I mean the friendly kind of friends!” Pinkie rambled, while pulling Twilight into another death-hug.

“Ah shoot. Alrighty, Twi. Friends again.” Applejack said and held her hoof against Twilight’s

“Friends again.” Rarity said and did the same.

“Friends again.” Fluttershy chimed in.

Now, everypony was staring at Rainbow, who still sat with her forelegs crossed and pouted.

“Rainbow?” Twilight asked in a hopeful tone.

The prismatic Pegasus only huffed and turned away, though her pouty face seemed to be fading ever so slightly.

“Rainbow, come on, ya can’t be mad forever.” Applejack ushered.

The staring continued for a few seconds more, until Rainbow finally gave in and flailed her forelegs. “Argh, okay! Friends again.” She said and put her own foreleg against Twilight’s.

“Thanks, girls!” She said happily. “I promise, you won’t regret this!”

Frosty and the fillies were currently standing in front of a mirror inside a large mansion. He had donned his tuxedo and fedora once again and was currently fiddling with his outward appearance, though nothing he tried seemed to quite satisfy his expectations.

“Say, Frosty…” Sweetie suddenly started from beside him. “I was wondering, if you did all this to isolate Twilight as much as possible, why didn’t you just let her kill herself? Wouldn’t that’ve removed that problem entirely?”

Frosty continued fiddling with his tuxedo and meanwhile answered her question as if she had asked about the weather. “No, quite the opposite, it would’ve spawned new ones. See, as far as I know, the elements seek out ponies who can wield them and when one of the bearers dies, there’s a high possibility that the respective element would just seek out a new bearer which would have to be found. Unfortunately, Celestia has an immeasurable advantage in that regard, as, firstly, she already has the assets needed to search for them, while we would have to get said assets first and secondly, I am quite certain that she also already has a list with potential candidates, should one of the current bearers die.” He briefly turned around and looked at Sweetie. “Not to mention that Celestia would likely unleash all hell upon me if I were to harm her most favourite student.”

“Ah, of course, and it definitely doesn’t have anything to do with emotions or anything.” Sweetie teased.

“Hey, I might be an ‘evil Necromancer-King’ but that doesn’t mean I can’t get emotional! I mean, I have been in such a situation myself before I came to you and… it isn’t nice. Not at all. So, yeah… maybe I did get a little emotional. Buuuuuuuut there was also a bit of strategy in there.” Frosty claimed.

“Really? What didcha do?” Scootaloo asked.

“Eh, I tried to get her on our side, so we could maybe use the bearer’s hero status to start a riot against Celestia.” Frosty said.

“So… do you think it worked?”

Frosty chuckled before answering. “No. Most likely not. After all, she is Celestia’s most faithful student. She may have been wavering quite a lot, sure, but I doubt that I could undo within just a minute or so, what has been drilled into her for years. However, that’s okay. I may need to seek out new ways and methods to reach my goal, but at least I can hope that Twilight will give up now.”

He fiddled a moment more, before he finally managed a style that he liked.

“Aaaah. Is that why we broke into this mansion?” Scootaloo asked.

Frosty chuckled again and smirked at the orange filly. “Yep, exactly, Scootaloo.” He said and turned left, where massive double-doors stood with two dead henchponies formerly guarding it.

“Now,” He started. “according to Safe Count, these doors are the last thing that stands between us and the so-called ‘council of twelve’. You see: Safe Count may operate the single largest crime Network in Equestria, but these ponies sitting behind these doors, control all the rest.” He said with an evil grin, as he pointed to the door.

“Before we go in there, remember what I told you to do. Sweetie?”

“I’m gonna storm in, jump over the table and turn the henchponies on the other side of the room undead.” Sweetie said.

“Applebloom?”

“Ah’m gonna do tha same with tha ones on this side.” She replied.

“And Scoots?”

“I’m gonna turn these two undead…” As she said so, the two dead henchponies got up again and now had orange-glowing dots instead of eyes. “…and watch out that nopony comes in uninvited.”

“Correct! Well then, I guess it’s showtime.” Frosty grinned evilly and put a hoof against the doors. He shared one last look with the three fillies, before he pushed the doors open and the show began.

Sweetie Belle and Applebloom immediately shot inside and turned the guards inside the room undead. Frosty meanwhile jumped onto the table in the middle, where twelve very startled-looking businessponies were currently holding their meeting.

“Greetings, gentlecolts! If I may introduce myself, I am Frozen Blood. You all should know my name by now.” He greeted.

“That wannabe-necromancer that’s currently dominating the headlines? Pah, as if anypony would believe such a cheap lie. Now, you better get outta here, little colt or else something really bad might happen.” One of the businessponies threatened.

“Oh no, now I’m scared. Please, don’t hurt me, I only wanted to strike up a deal with you.” Frosty said in mock fear.

“And what kind of deal would that be?” Another businesspony asked. “What would a little colt like you have to offer?”

“Oh, that’s quite simple, really. You swear absolute loyalty to me and in turn, I will spare your lives.” Frosty smirked.

The businessponies looked at one another for a few seconds, before they all burst into rounds of laughter.

“You…” One of them wheezed. “You are… *wheeze* You are threatening us?!” They laughed even more at this and Frosty lightly joined in.

It took a while for the laughter to die down, but when it eventually did, one of the business ponies immediately spoke up.

“Listen kid: You’ve had your fun, but now you better get lost! We’re not gonna give you anything, even if it was meant seriously.”

Frosty chuckled. “Oh, that’s quite alright, really. After all…” His chuckle turned into an evil grin and his eyes had become red dots once again.

“… I don’t need you alive.”