It was the hottest, stickiest day in the history of Ponyville. Vendor ponies lined the street dutifully like an exhausted army line-up while Rarity's sun-hats were flying of the shelves. Fluttershy and her animals gathered by the pond and Sweet Apple Acres wasn't bucking for once. Nopony had seen Pinkie Pie all day but one thing was certain: Everypony had their own unique way of beating the heat.
Despite adverse conditions, the economy of Ponyville flourished in the scorching sun. Vendors sold hundreds in icecream and lemonade. Anypony selling sunblock made a killing! If today were anything to them, it was definitely lucrative. Money signs filmed every salespony's eye and with business booming, the only ponies who could complain were those without the luxury of a shaded kiosk or an air-conditioned boutique.
However, somewhere in a tree by Sweet Apple Acres, some little pony was thinking something a little more fun to relax Ponyville. She wanted something awesome and bad ass. Perhaps something festive...maybe white too.
"That's it!!!", thought Rainbow Dash as she pulled out the small blue machine from out of the large hole in her tree bed. This, she had saved for an emergency, for it was said to contain a century of snow and Princess Celestia had warned that only ponies capable of turning off the device may use it, but all with caution. Rainbow Dash was one of the few, though she'd never tested it. All she knew was it required a pegasus and and a particularly strong one too. How hard could it be? Afterall, she was the fastest flyer in all of equestria!
She'd just crank it to the highest setting and turn it off in a nanosecond. Without over-thinking it, Rainbow Dash planted the rocket-shaped, snowflake-covered device on a small cloud nearest to her tree, she turned the dial to HIGH, and pressed one out of forty different buttons: ON.
In an instant, a harsh, cold wind came and knocked Rainbow Dash hard to the ground. Her wings barely spared her the impact as she fell rapidly to the crushing earth. Everything was blank from that point. Rainbow's eyes slowly closed and the world went dark as a deep and frosty sleep overtook the pegasus. Was this a coma? She'd only wished. Princess Celestia was going to be pissed when she got word of this.
Sadly, Rainbow Dash's eyes painfully flickered open and awake after only thirty minutes. Snow covered her stinging eyes, almost freezing them closed. She was sure that if she fell back to sleep, she'd parish after only a half an hour more. A huge half of her wanted to just lay down and let death come to her and sweep her far away from equestria. She wanted to be spared the disapproving stares of every pony in Ponyville. The humiliation when she is banished for betraying the royals' trust. But, for her fellow ponies, she couldn't die here. She had to get up. Now.
She looked around herself and could hardly believe it! Not even an hour ago, Ponyville had been in the wake of a heat wave but now was in blizzard condition! She had to get back up there. This was far beyond enough snow. The sky-colored mare spread her wings and prepared for flight. Only, it was useless. Another wind soon came and punched her hard, downward to Ponyville. This time, however, the wind felt instinctively like cold hooves had kicked Rainbow down away from the mechanism. She pondered this for a moment. It couldn't be. No. It wasn't.
Unsure what to do, Rainbow seeked out the egghead pony, Twilight Sparkle. A book nerd like her? She's bound to know exactly what to do in this crisis! Unable to fly, Rainbow trotted by foot to Twilight's library where Twilight and Spike probably sipped tea, studied, and relaxed by a warm, comfy fire. It took a little too long to arrive. By then, Rainbow Dash's wings rung with soreness from the cold wind beating against her, almost pushing her back. She knocked frantically. She was freezing and needed in ASAP!
Inside, Twilight Sparkle called on her baby dragon, Spike, to get the door while she spilled over a book called "Weirdest Weather in Equestria's History". She had to get to bottom of this sudden winter immediately. Something about this just wasn't right. Not even possible. Spike called from the doorway, snatching Twilight out of her mind momentarily, "It's Rainbow Dash!"
"Well, let her in, then.", Twilight replied "It's too cold out there for anypony to rough it in that storm!"
Twilight smiled as Rainbow's familiar form walked in and took a seat by the fire. It always felt good to help a friend in need. Especially a loyal one like Rainbow Dash. Rainbow opened her wings to warm. It felt like two-hundred small needles had jabbed them, filling them with only more pain. She was sure of frostbite. Her hair was wet with melted snow and frozen tears hung off her face like icicles clinging to a roof. Just a drop of blood hung from her lip, frozen dry and cracked. However, no sooner had Rainbow sat down, did she decide to get back up. "Twilight Sparkle!" she exclaimed, "I need your help!"
Twilight appeared bewildered. "Huh?" she asked, "With what?"
"The weather, Twilight! It's all my fault!" Rainbow explained, "I used a weather machine earlier to help cool Ponyville! Princess Celestia warned me to use caution and I didn't listen! I should have, but I didn't! I had a...a-- Rainbow fail!"
Twilight furrowed her brow for just a minute. There had to be something that could be done... Princess Celestia invented the thing, afterall. Surely, she could help them turn it off. Twilight looked into Rainbow's worried gaze. "We have no choice. We must get to Canterlot and speak with the princess. She can help us. This, I am absolutely sure of."
"And what if she can't?" Asked Rainbow Dash. Besides, the last person she wanted to go to was the princess. Celestia would never ever trust her again. This she was sure of.
"Then we gather up our friends and stick together through this!" Twilight replied, "We can't let this cold ruin Ponyville. We need to get going. Fast!"
Rainbow swallowed her pride. She had caused this and now she must face the Princess' music. Ponyville depended on it! She nodded to Twilight and that night, the pair agreed on the option of waiting for tomorrow morning to rally up Fluttershy, Applejack, Pinkiepie, and Rarity to begin the very perilous (and sadly, wingless) journey to Canterlot. But what else awaits them on their way and was Rainbow Dash only imagining the cold hooves or is something more sinister at play? Something cruel... Something evil...
The Marshlands of Bitterness
It was five in the morning as six pony friends gathered in thier friend, Twilight Sparkle's, library by the fireplace. All were freezing as the cold winds pounded the windows of Twilight's home, making Fluttershy cower as Pinkie pie giggled and wrote funny shapes on the glass. The group drank hot tea and talked quietly of Ponyville's recently odd weather conditions.
It was Rarity who finally blurted out what four friends were thought but dared not, "If you don't mind me asking, why exactly are we all here?"
The other three ponies nodded in agreement as "Yeah"s and "mmhmm"s filled the warm library.
Leave it to Rarity to skip the appetizer and get right to dinner. Twilight nudged Rainbow Dash as if to say, "tell them". Telling her friends might have proven harder than turning herself in to the princess. Afterall, these were the ponies who had mattered most to Rainbow. These were her sisters.
Rainbow barely held in a tear as she blurted her blunder to her friends. She told them everything from using the powerful snow machine to blacking out and walking the distance to Twilight's home. She even told them some parts Twilight hadn't known, like the cold hooves she felt kicking her from the sky and her enability to fly. Then she ran out of breath, her head hanging toward her hooves. "I'm so, so sorry." she whispered, "I failed all of you and worst of all, the princess."
Rainbow's friends didn't scorn her. They didn't shun or exile her into the harsh cold. They didn't even appear upset. Instead, with Fluttershy in the lead, each friend joined Rainbow in a comforting hug and for what seemed to be an hour, everypony shared in one anothers tears. They didn't say the exact words, but Rainbow Dash got it. They wanted her to know that they were going to stand by her and that no matter what, they were all in this together.
Finally, Applejack broke it up. "Well, what're we waitin' for?!," the southern mare exclaimed, "We need tah get tah the Princess and fix this blizzard!"
Each pony disengaged from the loving embrace, though still feeling each other's warmth in thier hearts. The loyal friends each took five minutes to warm up and brace themselves for what lies ahead.
The Mane Six ponies then set off into the blistering cold, wearing only the blankets Rarity had woven for each pony with love. In times like these, thier love was all they had to keep them moving. Twilight thought it best to leave Spike in her library where it's warm, fearing the cold to claim his young, reptilian body for death. As the ice crunched below thier hooves and the wind screamed murder to thier faces, the friends hung tight, sometimes even needing to grip each other's mane to keep from blowing apart. None of the six knew what troubles were to befall them along the way.
The friends soon reached the plains beyond Ponyville, which was almost unrecognizable due to it's paler appearance. But this was definitely it. They had left thier beloved city, now too far to turn back. With Rarity slacking behind them, Twilight and Rainbow Dash thought it best to take a quick break and maybe plan out thier next course of action.
With Canterlot still ten miles out of the way, time was one thing the Mane Six were short on.
"So what are we going to do about the Canterlot Railroad Bridge Tunnel? I'm sure the train isn't running in such deadly weather..." Rarity pointed out.
"The only thing we can do, Rarity." replied an exhausted Twilight, "We go through it on hoof."
Applejack objected. "Are ya sure there ain't no other way, Twilight? The bridge is dangerous tah cross on hoof an' the weather ain't helpin' the situation."
"She's right." agreed Rainbow Dash, "The bridge is dangerous. Which is why I am proposing a different route all together. It'll take a little longer, but I think the Marshlands are our best bet if we're going to get there and still be in one piece." She then looked to Twilight. "Hey, egghead. What do you think we should do?" She asked, sending Pinkie Pie into a fit of laughter.
"Hahahahaha! She said 'egghead'!" Pinkie erupted. Rarity put a hoof to her mouth and told her to hush it up. This was a very serious matter.
Twilight quickly mapped out the pros and cons of such an option in her highly advanced, logical mind. A longer trip also meant a larger chance of night hitting and freezing everypony alive. The shorter one could result in a strong wind causing the friends to fall off of the thin bridge to thier deaths waiting below. If they continue now, however, time would hardly be an issue. "I'm not an 'egghead', but besides that, I agree with you, Rainbow Dash." Twilight answered back.
"in that case," said Applejack, "let's not waste another second here, talkin'. C'mon y'all! Let's keep it movin'."
Now, the Marshlands were said to be the territory of tortured souls of ponies' past, thus giving them a nickname: The Marshlands of Bitterness. Legend has it, that if anypony was to touch the sour waters, several spirits would be waiting to catch them and drag them down into the infamous black depths. Of course, as low as the tempatures were right now, the water had frozen solid. They could probably walk across just fine.
Twilight still couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit iffy as the six neared the cursed wetlands. Maybe it was just the way she was, but something in her gut screamed, "No. No. No. Turn back!"
Rainbow looked to Twilight and smiled, almost as if to say, "Everything will be fine. Trust me."
What other choices did she have? Besides, if they headed back home from where they were now, they would never make it in time before night fell. They had truly passed the point of no return. Somewhere, across the Marshlands of Bitterness, Celestia's Palace awaited thier arrival.
Rarity suddenly wrinkled her nose in disgust. "My!" she exclaimed, "Whatever is that putrid smell?" She frantically waved a hoof to her delicate nose
"That, my dear Rarity," explained Rainbow Dash, "is the Marshlands of Bitterness."
"Sure it's not really called the Marshlands of Bitter Smells?" joked Pinkie. And, although in peril, the rest of the ponies couldn't help but laugh out loud just a little bit as they reached the frozen waters.
"So," said Rainbow Dash, "Who's going to step on it first?"
Fluttershy hid behind Applejack. Twilight took a couple of steps back. Rarity pushed Pinkie out front. Pinkie said she was crazy but not that crazy. Oh well. Not everypony was as daring as Rainbow. She would do it, then. So be it!
Rainbow walked the few five feet. The ice was solid as rock. Perfectly stable. Now to get the others to follow, the tough and daring Rainbow Dash knew what she must do. Using her sore wings for just a second, Rainbow jumped six feet into the air and landed with a hard thud. "See?" she said, "Perfectly safe."
Twilight was the first to follow then Applejack, Pinkie, Rarity, and finally, Fluttershy. They then treaded together, slow but steady. They would make it to the palace in an hour at the greatest. Yep. Everything really was going to turn out fine. Why had Twilight even doubted Rainbow Dash? Well, besides the fact she started all the trouble in the first place.
Pinkie giggled, "Look! I see it! Land Ho!!!" Sure enough, everypony could see Canterlot right across the water!
"Just a few more yards and we're there." thought Rainbow. Then, at least, she could get her friends out of this cold. Her stomach let out a burble. Oh, and maybe land some food for everypony in the process.
A shriek suddenly shattered all bliss. "EEK!"
The five other ponies turned and all exchanged gasps. Rarity's back hoof was stuck in the ice! "You know..." suggested Rarity, "now would be a good time to stop staring and help me!"
Twilight attempted to raise the hoof with magic. Applejack pulled Rarity's tail. Fluttershy stroked Rarity's mane with her hoof to comfort the distraught mare. And Pinkie teamed up with Rainbow Dash to attempt to dig the hoof out. Through all their efforts, it finally budged. "
"It's working!" shouted Rainbow Dash. But then something or somepony pulled back.
"The Hell?!" exclaimed Rainbow Dash. But before she could reach down, Rarity's whole hind leg suddenly plunged under! Twilight looked down but wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes. The tortured souls of the Marshlands of Bitterness. So, the legends were true. Well they couldn't have Rarity! Not while Twilight still lived! Twilight summoned up a spell she'd learned from the princess back in Canterlot. She was warned to use this sparingly but this was a life and death matter!
A purple light covered Twilight's horn, then blasted all over the Marshlands. There were screeches of agony then nothing. Rarity calmly lifted her hoof from out of the water. It smelled rancid and stung in the cold. A bath was definitely in store for her once they reached Canterlot. Rarity's friends all stared back out her. "What are you staring at?" she groaned, "Never speak of this to anypony! Nopony at all!" The other ponies laughed and nodded.
"Glad to know you're okay, Rarity." Twilight smiled.
