Chapter Twenty-Nine – Frostburn

Before the changeling could squeeze through the window, Applejack shoved him right back out. The black bug-like monster let out a pitiful squeak, unable to open its wings as it fell to the ground. Frostburn saw it take a bone-crunching tumble through one of the few unbroken windows. Then the speed of the train left it behind.

"How do you think she's doing?" Frostburn said. Two blurs – that were undoubtedly changelings – passed by the window heading straight for the ground.

"She's fine." Applejack said. Another changeling broke through the window by Frostburn, hissing incoherent threats.

"I still feel like I shouldn't have let her go alone." Frostburn replied, upper cutting the changeling. It slumped down, unconscious.

"Ah wouldn't worry 'bout Rainbow Dash, Sugarcube. She can handle herself." Two more changelings weaseled through the windows of the train. Frostburn moved to strike them, but immediately they released a blinding green light. When he could see again, Frostburn found himself looking at two identical Applejacks.

The false AJs instantly tackled the original, who had been surprised enough by the sudden transformation.

"Uh oh." He muttered. Quickly, the blue pegasus lost track of who the real Applejack was, as all three wrestled on the floor of the train car, bumping into unconscious changelings while doing so. Frostburn wanted to help his friend, but at the moment, he wasn't exactly sure which one was his friend.

"Hey!" He called out. All three Applejacks stopped grappling and looked at him. Looking closely at their faces, Frostburn managed to find one subtle difference. The two changelings had forgot to mimic the cut Applejack had received from the broken glass.

The changelings, as he could now clearly identify them, were both on their knees, their heads just barely above the real Applejack's who was lying down. Seeing an opportunity, Frostburn leaped forward with ferocious speed. Neither changeling expected that, and before they knew it he had clocked them both across the face.

Their true forms zapped into view as they recoiled and fell over. Frostburn extended a hoof to help the real Applejack up. The orange farmer gratefully took it.

"Thanks." She said. "But how did ya know Ah was the real one?" Frostburn grinned a little and pointed at the spot on his cheek that mirrored her cut. Sensing his meaning, AJ touched her hoof to that spot on her cheek, coming away with a dab of red liquid. That seemed to be enough of an answer for her.

"Seems like we've caught a break." She observed. Glancing around, Frostburn saw she was right. No changelings appeared to be coming through the windows anymore. They were still clearly visible though. Dropping passed the window on their trip to the ground. It was clear Rainbow Dash was doing more than her fair share of work.

"I guess so." He responded. The pegasus did not allow himself to relax though. He kept every muscle tense, just in case another monster tried to break in. Applejack appeared to have a similar idea.

The problem was, there were no more changelings. Aside from the bug-beast ironically dropping like flies right outside the window, nothing happened. It was just some awkward silence.

Applejack looked around a bit, probably hoping for a changeling to pop through the window, or something to fill the void. Nothing came. Frostburn coughed a little bit, in an attempt to keep things from getting even more painfully awkward. It didn't work.

"So…" Applejack said, drawing out the word as if she was thinking of something else to say.

"So…" Frostburn reiterated. "You think Rainbow Dash is doing okay?"

With a score of changelings dropping by the window, Applejack nodded. "Ah'm sure yer marefriend is doin' just fine."

"Whoa, wait a minute." Frostburn said, his cheeks immediately flushed with red. "What made you think… she's not my… I mean, I never… how did you…"

AJ's laughter cut into Frostburn stumbling over his own words. "Ah was just jokin' with ya, Sugarcube." He sighed in relief, though Applejack wasn't quite done with him yet.

"It is pretty obvious that Rainbow likes ya though." She said. Blood again rushed to Frostburn's cheeks as he tried not to stumble over his next sentence.

"Y-you think so?" He asked, voice a little shaky.

"Ah know so, an' so does everypony else. Gosh Sugarcube, ya mean ya really didn't realize it?" The orange farmer asked, staring at his shocked expression.

"Really, she does? You aren't lying to me?" Frostburn asked, voice rising in genuine surprise.

"Yer talkin' to the Element of Honesty here." AJ responded, grinning a little at the blue pegasus' sudden realization. "And Ah honestly can't believe ya were that blind. How did that happen?"

"Years of practice." Frostburn said, bringing up the subject of his isolation while trying to play it off as a joke. It seemed to bode well with AJ, and elicited a grin from her.

Above them, a loud clamor was heard. Even through the roof of the train, Frostburn could make out the sounds of Rainbow Dash struggling.

"She needs help!" He cried, immediately rushing over to the window.

"Whoa there, partner." Applejack said, stopping him. "What do ya think yer doin'?"

"I have to help her, and I might be the only one who can." Frostburn said. The orange farmer knew what he was implying. Wings would almost be a requirement to get to the roof.

"But Sugarcube, ya can't open them!" Applejack shouted. He paused for a moment, before shrugging off her logic.

"Don't worry Applejack, I've got a plan." He said.

"Ya sure?" Applejack asked, raising her eyebrow.

"I'm sure." Frostburn insisted. "Give me a boost."

Reluctantly, Applejack cupped her hooves together, and allowed Frostburn to use the extra height to climb up to the window's ledge and duck through. Immediately the speed caused him to be nearly thrown from the train. The pegasus had to grip the side of the train car to keep from flying off. Steadying himself so that his hind legs were standing on the outside of the window ledge, and his fore legs were braced against the side of the train, he put his plan in motion.

Well, Frostburn didn't actually have a plan at all. It was really more of an idea. A potentially bad one.

"Hey, voice!" He screamed out. The wind swallowed his words. Frostburn saw above him the massive amounts of changelings all clamoring to restrain a cyan figure. Rainbow Dash was fighting tooth and nail to keep the monsters away from her. As they tried to overwhelm her, she lashed out with all four hooves and even her wings, striking changelings as they swarmed her. It wouldn't be enough though.

Hey, Voice! Frostburn screamed inside his head. The same pressure in the base of his skull returned.

"What is it, Frostburn?" The voice spoke in it's commanding regal tone.

You said you could help me control my powers. Well I need that help now! He said.

"Then you've excepted my generous offer." The voice deduced.

Yes, now help me. I have to control my powers right now!

"That will not work. It will take years of focus and discipline before you are ready."

I don't have years! Do you not know what's going on right now?

"I'm aware." The voice said calmly, despite Frostburn's angry tone. "You need to control your powers to save the one you care for. Rainbow Dash." The voice said – or was it thought? – that in a weird tone. As if he was spitting, disgustedly as he spoke her name. Frostburn didn't dwell on it.

"Sadly, there is no way I can help you right now." The voice said.

You're lying! Frostburn thought. There must be something!

"Well… there is one thing. But it's not a really safe idea. You have to let me into your mind." The voice said.

Aren't you already there?

"This is merely a telepathic link. We can only communicate. If you were to let me into your mind, then I could see everything you see, feel everything you feel, and know everything you think. In theory, I would be able to help you manage your power, but I don't recommend we try–"

"I don't care!" Frostburn said aloud. "I'll do anything to save Rainbow!" The voice made a noise that resembled a reluctant sigh.

"All right. But you will not enjoy this process."

Before Frostburn could respond, the pressure in his skull turned to outright pain. It suddenly felt as though a knife had been thrust into his brain. He cried out, and let go of the train.

Instead of hitting the ground, Frostburn felt his wings snap open and begin to flap. The magic spell coursed out of them, but for once, there was no struggle for consciousness. He blinked in pure confusion as it slowly dawned on him that the voice had prevented whatever force from dominating his mind.

He started to notice what was happening around him again. The train was speeding away, but now that he could fly, Frostburn maneuvered to catch up to it. With wings that almost never got any practice or exercise, it was difficult to push them to do it. The blue pegasus managed to touch down on the roof of the train in only a few seconds.

The metal roof of the train was coated in a heavy mist, and Frostburn realized his spell was taking affect. As a test, he willed the mist to form into ice. It did, creating a nice rink around him. Then he looked to the changelings, which had nearly finished defeating Rainbow Dash.

"Hey!" He barked at them. Nearly twenty gray bug heads turned to face him, along with one head that was cyan. Dash's magenta eyes widened at what she was seeing. The changelings eyes only narrowed.

It was a tense moment of silence. Then a single changeling rushed him.

Frostburn outstretched both his hooves, and the ice sensed his intentions. A flurry of hail and sleet shot out form the cool mist that surrounded him, aimed directly at the changeling's face. Within seconds, the head was completely frozen.

The changeling stumbled in pure surprise, wings flapping wildly, hooves kicking randomly. He swatted it to the side and sent it spiraling off the train. It was at that time Frostburn became aware that the train was passing over a bridge of tracks, with nothing on either side of it. The changeling plunged down what looked like hundreds of feet, before barely hovering with its insect wings.

He turned to face the rest of the changelings. They seemed only slightly deterred. One of the changelings shouted out several hisses in succession. The other changeling's immediately reacted and charged Frostburn. Some ran straight to him along the roof of the train. Others opened their bug wings and flew out on all sides to surround him.

He raised one foreleg swiftly, and saw the ice mirror his movements, creating a sturdy wall between him and some changelings. The bug-beast's poor eyesight did them no favors as they slammed into his wall. The ones that went around the wall of ice fared no better.

Frostburn's mist created several small sickles of ice, each of which he knew he could hurl at amazing speeds. The first one he threw went through the hole in the leg of one of the changelings. His aim only improved after that. On both sides, he fired the ice-sickles at changelings, hitting them in their insect wings and sending them spiraling to the ground. The beasts were coming faster than his bolts of ice could take them out, causing him to retreat slightly.

The changelings in front of him had taken to trying to smash open the ice wall by repeatedly crashing into it, like flies attacking a window. There efforts were in vain.

Only a few more of the other changelings were left. In an attempt to end the battle quickly, he summoned two more walls of ice on his left and right. Then with all of his strength, he threw them at the changelings. Not able to see his attack coming, the changelings each fell victim to the large sheets of ice as it pushed them down into the ground.

Admiring his work for longer than a moment, Frostburn heard a crash as his original wall of ice toppled over. Five seething changelings now stood between him and Rainbow Dash.

"Oh come on." He said arrogantly. "This is hardly a fair fight… for you." Calling upon his powers of ice, Frostburn pulled a staff of frozen water right out of the mist. It was just in time too, for the first of five changelings had begun rushing him.

He swung the staff in a wide arc, striking the changeling across the cheek. It flew out of sight, but at the same time the force of the blow shattered the front end of his staff.

The second changeling wasn't far behind. Frostburn barely had enough time to swing the good end of the staff back around to strike the changeling in its midsection. The beast doubled over, clutching its side. Frostburn brought up his hind leg, and kicked the shape-shifter off the side of the train.

With next to nothing left of his staff, he didn't even have time to think. The third changeling was almost upon him. He tossed the remaining bit of staff, and it cracked and split open on the changeling's face, digging pieces of ice into its skin and eyes. The changeling bellowed in pain, causing it to carelessly slip on the frosted ground, and tumbled off the edge of the train.

Changeling number four had leapt into the air and was sailing down, fangs ablaze. Frostburn put up his hooves in defense and closed his eyes. The changeling didn't land on him though. Peeking open his eyes, Frostburn saw that he wouldn't have to worry about the fourth changeling.

Somehow, his ice powers had reacted, sending three large spires of ice directly through the changeling. One went through its stomach. One went through its chest. One went through its neck. Each spire was coated in blood. The changeling gurgled something incoherent, before the life drained from it's eyes.

Frostburn lowered his hooves slowly, and the spires each receded. The blue pegasus looked at the dead changeling, mortified with what he had done. He watched, disgusted with himself, as thedead body slowly rolled off the side of the roof.

That makes eight. Frostburn thought. He looked to the final changeling. It had wrapped its forelegs around Dash's neck, choking her slowly.

"Put up your hooves, slowly." The changeling hissed at him. Frostburn did so. It was sort of difficult to tell, but this looked like the changeling that had been hissing orders not long ago.

"You kill one of ours, we kill one of yours." The monster tightened its hold on Dash as she struggled.

"Frostburn, take it down!" She screamed out.

"Silence." The changeling hissed. "This wasn't how it was supposed to go!" It screamed at him. Frostburn slowly concentrated the mist on the back of his hoof.

"How was it supposed to go?" He asked, stalling.

"We were supposed to kill you!" The changeling said, angrily. The mist around Frostburn's hoof slowly formed a single blade of ice. "The queen said it would be easy. She promised us no one would get hurt this time. She promised!" The blade of ice was nearly complete.

"Then came along this bitch–" Frostburn hurled the blade at the changeling. It struck him on his hoof, and he released Dash in pain. Frostburn flew forward, both hooves outstretched, and collided with the changeling, knocking it down. He struck it in the face, causing blood to spew out of its nose. He drove his hoof into the changeling once more, knocking it unconscious. Then he slammed it onto the metal roof of the train.

"Don't you dare call her that." He said, though the changeling couldn't hear him anymore. Rainbow Dash stood up, recovering from being choked.

"Frostburn," She said. "How are you…?" The cyan pegasus gestured to his wings. He folded them back into his sides, canceling his ice spell.

"Remember," The voice spoke in his head. "Do not tell anypony about me." Then the pressure and pain his skull was gone in an instant, and Frostburn was alone with Rainbow Dash. Her eyes were looking deep into his, expecting an answer.

"You were in trouble." Frostburn whispered. "I had to do something." In response, Rainbow grabbed hold of him in an embrace. He immediately returned the hug, pressing his muzzle into her mane.

The train let out a whistle, and slowed down before coming to a complete stop. Both Frostburn and Rainbow Dash opened their eyes, yet did not stop the embrace. What they saw was a relief. They had arrived in Canterlot. Next Chapter: Everypony Wants to Rule the World Estimated time remaining: 19 Minutes