It was night time in United Equestria and all of the ponies were sleeping. Princess Luna watched over the night. The ponies were at the palace getting greasy to go home after a meeting. They were all very excited. They had a good reason to be.

Tomorrow would be Hearth's Warming Eve!

A holiday where ponies come together and spend time with friends and family to celebrate the holidays.

The ponies were walking down the hall getting ready to go home for some much needed rest. Pinkie was bouncing with excitement. “I can’t wait for Hearth’s Warming Eve!”

“Me either.” Applejack added.

“Our mama and Papa are coming.” Dyno said.

“Si, I can’t wait!” Myte added.

As they were talking about what they were going to do for the holidays, they saw Sapphire walking towards them, but she had a really sad look on her face.

“Hi Sapphire, ready to celebrate your first Hearth’s Warming Eve in New Ponyville?” Lightning asked. Sapphire gave them a fake smile. “Y-Yeah totally ready, hehehe.” She quickly walked away.

“That was weird.” Spike commented.

“Yeah. But it’s probably nothing.” Rainbow said. Everybody except Lightning agreed. “Something’s wrong with Sapphire. But what?”

He decided to let it go for the night and they all head home to get some sleep.

At Mykan’s house, Mykan was fast asleep on the couch. While up in his room, Sapphire was in her pajamas staring out the window and the moonlight. Now she was even more sad but she didn’t want her friends to notice. She closed her eyes and sang to herself.

Hush little one
And close your eyes
Dream of two hearts side by side
The moon and stars will be your guide tonight

Hush little one
And say goodnight
Two stars shine as one tonight
So make a wish and close your eyes
And may your wish come true
Tonight
Hush little one goodnight

She turned, climbed into bed and she fell asleep unaware that Princess Luna was in the area and she heard everything.

---

The next morning, snow covered the ground and ponies were decorating their houses with reefs and christmas lights.

Everybody began singing about the holidays.

https://m.

Everybody was happy about the holidays.... except for Sapphire.

Mykan came upstairs to wake her up. They were going to the Hearth’s Warming Eve party at the royal place along with Lightning and all his friends even Cadence and Shining Armor were attending.

He saw Skystorm, Snowflake, Smoke and Fire were sleeping near her bed.

“Sapphire, are you awake? We have to get to the party soon.” Mykan said. In response, Sapphire sighed miserably. “You can go without me, Mykan. I’ll just stay home for the day.”

Mykan was confused. “Are you okay, Sapphire?”

“I’m alright. I just... don’t feel like celebrating.” She turned in bed to face him with a sad... sad smile on her face. “You go on ahead to the party. I’ll be fine.”

Mykan could see she was set on staying home so he reluctantly said “Okay, just be careful okay?” Sapphire nodded and Mykan closed the door.

”Something’s wrong I just know.” He grabbed his present “Maybe Lightning and the others can help.” With that, he teleported to the palace.

Inside the throne room, he was greeted by none other than Pinkie Pie and the girls. “Hey Mykan.” Rainbow greeted.

“Hey Rainbow.”

“Mykan, darling, where’s Sapphire?” Rarity asked.

“She said she didn’t want to come.”

“Not come?” Lightning asked as he and his friends approached. “Why?” Mykan shrugged. “I don’t know, she sounded miserable though.”

“I agree.” a voice added. Everybody turned and saw Princess Luna entering the throne room. “What do you mean, Princess Luna?” Rarity asked.

“Yesterday, during my patrol, I heard Sapphire singing what sounded like a lullaby also I felt great sadness in her heart.” Luna explained.

“Why would Sapphire be miserable on a holiday that celebrates family and friends?” Pinkie asked. Lightning suddenly realized “Wait a minute Pinkie... I think that’s the problem.” The gang was confused. “What’s the problem?” Mykan asked.

“Hearth’s Warming Eve is about friends and family, right?”

Everybody nodded.

“But since Sapphire was created and raised in a lab and except for the animals, she was alone all her life so-“

“she never had a family.” The gang finished. Everybody felt bad for Sapphire then. Never having a family meant Sapphire felt left out, which explains why she’s so sad. Hearth’s Warming Eve was all about family.

“So what can we do?” Fluttershy asked. “We can’t let her be miserable, especially today.”

“I hear your words and I agree,
Sapphire is our responsibility.” Rhymey added.

“Darn tootin! There must be something we can do to cheer her up.” Applejack added. Pinkie began bouncing up and down with excitement. “Pick me, Pick me, I know, I know.”

“Pinkie, calm down and tell us.” Buddy said. Pinkie giggled excitedly and explained her plan.

---

Meanwhile, Sapphire was still laying in bed. Her dragons and Kyara were watching her with concern. They tried everything to try and get her to come outside, but alas, Sapphire was just too sad to do anything. Just then, Rainbow came in. “Hey Kyara, Smoke, Fire, Skystorm and Snowflake.” she greeted. “Is Sapphire still sad?”

The four creatures nodded. “Don’t worry, we’ve got something that will surely cheer her up.” The three perked up and the sound of that. “For now, you three head to the royal palace and go to the throne room. I’ll get Sapphire.”

The three nodded and flew out the door. Rainbow closed it and walked upstairs to Sapphire’s room. “Sapphire.”

Rainbow got a very depressing sigh in response. ”Poor thing”

Rainbow walked over to her bed “Sapphire, why don’t you come to the palace with me?” Sapphire looked at her “No thanks.”

Suddenly, everyone could hear screaming from outside and all the ponies were running for their homes, and the alarms sounded. Rainbow and Sapphire rushed out the door and met up with Lightning and the gang outside of New Sugarcube Corner.

“What’s going on?” asked Lightning. Krysta could see a swarm of shadowbolts, light blue in color, stampeding through town. “Let’s move!” shouted Lightning, and everyone transformed and turning up the heating units of their suits. Then they hurried outside and scanned the shadowbolts with their visors. Their body temperatures were very low, obviously making them immune to the cold. “Go!” shouted Lightning, and everyone jumped into a battle.

The snow and ice didn’t seem to stop them that much as they were trained to fight well on any terrain, but these new shadowbolts with their ice protection seemed stronger than ever, and had more brawn in their punches.
shouted Buddy Rose, but his leaves did little to no damage at all. Rhymey tried his
but the snow and winds froze them all up causing them to fall miserably to the ground.

Luckily, Dyno and Myte had their fire-powers and Artie used his followed by Starla’s

All those hot attacks blasted the frost-shadows hard, and they melted away along with a good portion of the snow and ice too, but it was still snowing harder than ever and the ground was white again in no time, and it was getting even colder, almost too cold for anyone to be outside, and worse… the frost-shadows were reforming again. “They’re everywhere!” cried Krysta.

“Right you are!” called a voice. Everyone looked up on a rooftop and could see Frost standing and looking down at them, laughing. “You’re behind all this!” growled Lightning.

He pointed up at the sky and explained how the freeze up was caused. “It’s very simple; I’ve deflected the sun’s rays. This entire planet is freezing and getting colder by the minute.”

“Why you crazy fiend!” shouted Rarity “Everyone will just freeze to death!”

---

All over the planet, even in the southern areas, were covered in snow and ice, and the temperature was dropping rapidly. Everyone was starting to feel the cold, even from inside their homes.

In the New Crystal Empire, it was much colder, as it was closer to the Frozen North. All the ponies had gone into their homes and built fires and turned on heaters, and even bundled up. So did Cadance and Shining Armor, but Robot Fratello, the robot made by Professor Brain to resemble Cadence’s brother, kept warning them about the temperature every so often “Outside temperature: Minus fifty degrees Fahrenheit, and falling. Inside temperature: Minus ten degrees Fahrenheit and dropping rapidly.”

“Did you say, dropping?” asked Shining Armor.

“Rapidly” replied Fratello.

Cadence shivered “This is unbelievable. We can’t stay like this forever. Turn up the heat!”

“Negative. All heart sources are now at maximum power. Supplies are draining. In precisely one hour, twenty-five minutes, and fourteen point five seconds, all life forms on this planet shall fall to certain ailment, followed by suspension in animation… ultimately leading to…”

“Will you just cut to the chase already?!” growled Shining Armor.

“…Everyone shall freeze to an instant death!”

Cadence and her husband gawked at one another with the deepest of concern.

---

Even in New Canterlot, things weren’t going well. Everyone was wearing their parkas, and extra blankets. Castor and Leilani were cold and shivering, even though wrapped in five blankets each. Philomena, Celestia’s pet phoenix came along and wrapped the children in her nice warm wings.

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash reported to the palace. “It’s getting colder, girls!” said Grand Ruler said “Is there anything else you and the Pegasi can do about the heat?”

“We’re fighting a losing battle, your majesty.” Rainbow regretted to say. “Every time we try, the snow just gets stronger, and it gets colder.” added Fluttershy.

“And how!” said Goldwin “I don’t think I can take much more of this.” Of course it was suggested many times by others that he could just take off his mask and turn back into a statue. Then he wouldn’t be cold, but Goldwin didn’t feel it was right to just leave all his friends to freeze. “I’m just not doing it! I’m going to stay right here and help out as best I can.”

Celestia and Luna came back from their flight, trying to use their magic on the sun, but nothing was working. “My magic isn’t functioning correctly.” said Celestia “It’s as though the sun’s rays aren’t reaching the planet anymore.”

“It seems as if nothing can stop this freeze-up.” said Luna “We may very well have to evacuate the planet.”

Her brother-in-law agreed it was the only logical answer. “Prepare for evacuation.”

Just then, the Captain Shaina came in with distressing news. “What?!” snapped Celestia.

“I’m afraid so…” said the Shaina “The space-warp portals, they aren’t working.” She demonstrated by running against a patrol, only to be deflected right off of it. This was all thanks to Sombra’s spell, as long as Frost’s freeze-up remained in-effect, they couldn’t get out into space.

“What now?” Fluttershy asked. That’s when Sapphire into the room with Kyara. “Don’t worry, I’ve got a plan.”

“You do? What is it?!” Rainbow asked quickly. Sapphire hopped into Kyara. “You’ll see.” and they both flew off.

“What do you think she has planned?” Shaina asked.

“I hope she has something that will heat us up.”

---

“Stop this freeze-up right now, Frost!” Lightning demanded.

“Not, until you surrender.”

“We’ll never surrender!” shouted Starla.

“Too bad, it really makes no difference either way; I’ll get what I want this time; watching all of you freeze for locking me up in the Ice Cavern. Now, I get to make the frozen, never-ending winter world I always wanted, and I’ll be back for the Crystal Heart after you all turn into ice-statues.” and he flew off.

“The Ice Cavern…” Lightning murmured “That’s it! That must be where the source of the spell is.”

“We have to break it from there.” said Dyno “Well, let’s hurry!” cried Myte, but Lightning had ordered the teams split up. Starla, Artie, and the twins were to stay behind, since they could use fire and heat source attacks. The frost-shadows didn’t stand a chance, and it would also help to stall the freeze up a little. “The rest of you, come with me to Mount-UE.”

Everyone agreed and Krysta to warp them all to the mountain as Sombra’s spell didn’t affect translocation warping, but she decided to remain behind as Twink was really getting cold and needed his mother. “Good luck but for goodness sakes, be careful!”

Starla pecked Lightning for good luck, and then the teams broke up as Krysta warped Lightning and his group away to the Frozen North, and left the others to face the frost-shadows while the freeze up continued to grow more and more severe.

As was expected, it was much colder in the Frozen North than anywhere else, and the blizzards were more savage than ever. The team, after landing near the summit of Mount-UE, felt frost-bitten even with their suit-heat at full power, and visibility was practically zero in all that fog. Their visors got all chilled up. “Switch to Clear-Vu mode!” shouted Lightning, and with Clear-Vu engaged they could see through the blinding storm, but poor Rarity had never felt so cold in her life. Her mane and tail were rock solid with icicles at the ends. “Why?!” she complained “Why did I ever agree to this?! I wish Spike was here to give us some fire.”

“Speak for yourself!” cried Pinkie, who had the same condition “I love snow, but this is too much!”

“Never mind that now. Look up there.” said Buddy Rose. Everyone could see way up at the top of the mountain where the Ice Cavern was, a big beam of light giving off powerful energy waves to their scanners.

“Let’s get to the top,
We’ve no time to stop!” said Rhymey.

“Don’t have to tell me twice.” said Applejack.

As they slowly walked further up the slope leading to the Ice Cavern, it grew colder and colder that everyone started to stuttered and chatter as they spoke. “K-K-Keep… going!” cried Lightning “We’re almost… there!”

The winds were picking up and blew Pinkie off her feet, and she would have slid down the mountainside if Buddy Rose hadn’t snagged her by the leg with his whip. “At least I… c-c-can still use… my whip in this… weather!” he shivered.

They all managed to make it into the cavern and out of the blizzard and winds, but it hardly had gotten any less chilly, but their visors became clearer now that they were out of the snow. “Look!” cried Buddy Rose, and everyone could see the magic crystal on the pillar in the center of the cave. “Th-Th-That must be it!” cried Applejack. “We have to… have to… de-de-destroy it!” added Lightning.

Rarity dashed forth, unable to bear another instant of the impending cold, her horn glowed ready to blast it, when suddenly, “FROZEN WINDS” she was frozen solid in ice. “Uh-uh-uh… mustn’t touch.” gloated Frost. The others growled as he hopped down from the ceiling. “You didn’t honestly think I’d leave my chamber unguarded, did you? What’s the matter, too cold to think straight?”

The others, shivering badly, glared at him furiously which helped a little, and they realized they were going to have to make a fight out of this. “GO!” shouted Lightning, and the others charged at Frost, but the chills not only gave them a disadvantage, but Frost had the greatest edge he could get with cold like this.

Buddy Rose tried to rush him, but his body was numb from the chill and it felt hard to run and focus. Frost simply leapt out of the way causing Buddy Rose to slip on the icy floors and crash into the frigid wall.

Rhymey tried to battle him with his sword, but Frost knocked it out of his hand and gave him a taste of his “ICY BARRAGE” Rhymey braced himself as the many icicles bombarded him and knocked him away.

Applejack tried her lasso, but it was all frozen-up and stuck together already and useless, and she got punched. Pinkie Pie kicked hard right into Frost’s fist. CLANG!! It was like slamming into solid steel. “YEOW! Ooh! Ouch!” she yelped as she hopped up and down on her one good foot.

Frost laughed and turned to face Lightning. “Face it, punk! My power is more than tenfold in this freeze, while you and your wimp team can barely stand. Lightning, still leapt into battle, and as he was stronger than his teammates, he was able to fair a little better, and managed to successful rush him, tackling him to the ground, but Frost kicked him off hard, but Lightning wasn’t down yet. “I’m…. not… giving up!” he growled, but Frost begged to differ and bashed him hard, throwing him against the wall and freezing his arms and legs to it. “C-C-Cold…! S-S-S-So cold!” he cried, and felt so numb he could hardly move.

All around the cavern the ponies were slowing down worse and worse as the temperature dropped, and they couldn’t begin to imagine how everyone else was feeling.

---

Cadance, Shining Armor, and Robot Fratello couldn’t’ stand it much longer. The inside of the palace was so cold, the floors were slippery, icicles were everywhere, and the furniture was all frosted. There were no more blankets; no more logs for the fires and Fratello couldn’t stand it much more.

“Outside temperature: Minus 100 degrees below Fahrenheit and still dropping! Danger! Extreme danger…!”

“Tell us s-s-s-something… we d-d-d-on’t know!” cried Shining Armor

Fratello regretted to inform them that he and his internal circuitry was not built to take on such extremely low temperatures, and this was evident by the sudden sparking and jolting of electricity emitting from his body. “No!” cried Cadance as she watched to her horrors as her beautiful robot, the only somewhat resemblance of her dear brother she had left, had fallen to pieces. “Fratello!” she cried. Her tears turned to icicles instantly.

Fratello beeped and jolted as he muttered his last words “Goodbye… Princess…!” and his voice completely faded out, and the last of his systems shorted out as well. Cadance either fainted from extreme heartache, or overcome by the freezing. “C-C-Cadance!” cried Shining Armor “No! I c-c-can’t… lose you… too!”

---

While in New Canterlot, all hope was rapidly faded. Even Philomena was so cold now; her wings had icicles on them. Fluttershy and Rainbow were huddled close, but still shivering even under five whole blankets. “W-w-we’re… d-d-doomed!” cried Fluttershy.

“D-D-Don’t… say that Flut-t-t-tershy!” groaned Rainbow.

“Rainbow’s right!” said Grand Ruler “While there’s still time there’s hope!”

Celestia shivered almost uncontrollably. “S-S-S-S-Soooo… Coooold…!”

Suddenly everybody heard two loud whinnies coming from outside. “W-What was t-t-that?” Fluttershy asked.

Suddenly a wall of fire came into the doorway and to everybody’s surprise a unicorn came out of the flames. It’s mane and tail are made of fire. It had a flame pattern on it’s red coat.

“What in the universe?!” Grand Ruler snapped. The unicorn reared and stomped the ground creating a shockwave of fire, completely melting the ice and warming up the whole room!

Celestia, Rainbow and Fluttershy sighed in relief. “Great job, Fire Unicorn!” Sapphire said as she a Kyara flew into the room.

“Sapphire?!” Fluttershy said.

"Fire Unicorn?!" Grand Ruler exclaimed.

“You called it here?!” Rainbow asked.

“Her here. And yes. Her and another one… Oh Sun Unicorn!”

“SUN UNICORN!”

Just then, a ball of sunlight came into the room and the ball morphed into another unicorn. It was yellow, bright as the sun, with sun rays on his head and tail. It has yellow, golden-like horn which can produce sun rays and burn things

“Incredible!” Grand Ruler gasped.

“Okay, Sun Unicorn. Do your thing!” The unicorn neighed and flew into the air. The stomped the air and sun rays came out of his hooves and straight towards the sun. The sun began turning back towards United Equestria.

“It’s moving the sun's rays back towards the planet?!” Fluttershy cried. So the rays were completely touching my United Equestria clearing the clouds, snow and the shadowbolts. Starla, Artie and the twins were surprised. “When did the sun’s rays get redirected?”

The sun unicorn galloped back into the room. “Excellent job, Sapphire!” Celestia said.

“This isn’t over yet, your majesty. Let’s go!”

Kyara and the unicorns followed Sapphire to the Frozen North.

At the frozen north, Lightning began to lose strength as the cold started to get to him, and his body felt numb, but he kept on going and punched Frost hard in the face, and at the same time Frost kicked him in the stomach. The two skidded back hard.

Lightning struggled to his feet, and Frost was laughing. “Vengeance will be mine!” He gazed at the crystal and his spell-beam. “It shouldn’t take too much longer now before you all turn into frozen ice-pops!”

The rest of the team, except for Rarity stood by Lightning’s side, barely able to keep their stance. “We… won’t give up, until it’s really over!” growled Buddy Rose.

“Yes, sir!” added Applejack “We’re not beat yet.”

“No way!” growled Pinkie.

“That’s what I say!” rhymed Rhymey.

Frost only laughed and mocked at their futile attempts even more, and prepared to freeze them all right on the spot and be done with them once and for all, when suddenly,

“Attack!”

The Sun and Fire Unicorns charged Frost, sending him into the wall. “Agh!”

The team was confused. “What the-?!” Rarity said.

“Where in United Equestria did they come from?!” Applejack asked.

Sapphire and Kyara landed next to the team. “They’re our friends.”

“Sapphire!”

Sapphire nodded. “Fire Unicorn! Blast the crystal!”

The unicorn neighed and fired at the crystal breaking it into pieces. “NO!” Frost cried.

“YES!” the team cried.

Back in New Ponyville, the shadowbolts began to retreat so suddenly. “Look!” cried Starla “Where are they going?”

Artie checked a thermometer on the wall “Whoa, do you see what I see?”

---

In New Canterlot, it had stopped snowing, and the winds died down. Goldwin looked at the thermometer. “Look, the temperature-- it’s rising!”

The others all gazed at each other, gleaming wonderfully. “She did it! Sapphire did it!” cried Rainbow.

As the temperature rose, the skies began to clear. The snow began to melt, and the shadowbolts began to explode in puffy snow poofs. Frost was forced to retreat.

At the palace, the team met up with the others and Rainbow told them all what happened. They were nothing short of amazed and thankful. “Well that explains it, if Sapphire didn’t go and get them, we would have been popsicle sticks.” Lightning said.

The Fire and Sun Unicorns smiled at the team. “I still can’t believe the Sun Unicorn actually moved the sun’s rays. Even with Frost’s spell.” Buddy commented.

“He’s full of surprises.” Sapphire said as she rubbed the side of the Sun Unicorn.

The children were busy rubbing the Fire Unicorn’s body. “So warm.” Castor said. “Yeah.” Leilani added. The parents, not wanting their children to get burned, gently took their children again. “Thank you for your help Sun and Fire Unicorn. We are most grateful.” Grand Ruler praised.

The two unicorn bowed and changed back into a ball of sunlight and fire and flew away. “So what now?” Fluttershy asked.

“Well… didn’t you all promise a certain someone a Hearth’s Warming Eve party?” Celestia asked, referring to Sapphire.

“You did? Who?” Sapphire asked.

“You!” Pinkie cried, surprising Sapphire.

“Really?... you all prepared a party for me?”

“Of course we did sugarcube.” Applejack replied. “We know you think you don’t have a family, but you do. Us. We’re your family now, so we wanted to throw a party for you. Cause you’re our family.” Sapphire felt tears rising in her eyes as she heard the explanation. She couldn’t believe anybody would do this for her.

“Thank you.” she said with tears in her eyes. Her friends smiled and gave her big hug.

“... Now LETS PARTY!” Pinkie cried.

The party began there was cake, treats, songs, dances, and fun and games for all, especially one of everyone’s favorite game, Ship-Battle; a magical game that was played with illusions consisting of ships at sea. They split into two teams, males vs. females; Captain Celesto VS Celestia of the Seas. They decided to Sapphire be her own team, since it was her day.

Celestia’s team was on the verge of a comeback! Starla gazed through her telescope. “Enemy sighted, Captain.” she said playfully. Celestia nodded. “B5 and H7” and her ship sailed into position. “…Artillery, fire!” and the magical beam was fired at Grand Ruler’s ship, hitting it full force. “A direct hit!” cried Lightning “One more hit and we’re sunk.”

“Surrender, Captain Celesto.” Celestia playfully called over. “Surrender!!” hollered the girls.

Grand Ruler simply smirked “The war is not over until it is over, Celestia of the Seas.” he said. “G6 and H7-- Fire!” Their shots missed and the girls teased the guys, but Celesto smirk widened and motioned above them “Have you forgotten about the aerial search?”

The girls gasped and looked above and saw three of the guys soaring over them. “BOMBS AWAY!!”

“Not so fast!” Sapphire blasted the bombs and actually deflected them towards the boys, who screamed like girls “AAHAAHHH!”

BOOM! The boys' ship blew up and sank. The girls burst into laughter at the boys’ failure. “No fair! Sapphire can’t help the girls!” Lightning cried.

“My team, my choice.” Sapphire retorted with a smirk.

Lightning puffed his cheeks out in annoyance. Now it was Celestia of the Seas vs Shimmering Seas.

“Ready Sapphire?” Celestia called.

“Yes.”

“G7!” Rarity cried. The magical beam hit Sapphire’s ship.

“I’ll choose… “D2!” That’s when Smoke and Fire appeared over head. “Hey! No dragons allowed!” Rainbow called

“Hey!” Spike called, insulted.

“Except for Spike.”

“My team, my choice.” Sapphire retorted again.

Smoke released her green gas and Fire ignited it on the girls’ ship

BOOM! Their ship blew and sank, leaving Sapphire as the winner. Everybody had a good laugh as the party continued on. For Sapphire, it was the best day of her life.

---

Sombra was watching Sapphire and the ponies on the monitors. Though he was upset with Frost for botching the mission. He was pleased he helped reveal another talent Sapphire holds. “Once I get my hands on that’s girl and her magic. I’ll be unstoppable.” he sneered. “Have fun while you can Sapphire, I’m coming for you.”

Next Chapter: Episode 10: A Kirin and Hippogriff Tale Estimated time remaining: 2 Hours, 39 Minutes