The Test of Ascension (Steel, Invite only)

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

The past couple years have been quite interesting for Ice Storm to say the least. From several EPIC operations that ended up less than ideal... an invasion that had led to the capture of the princesses from a force that they were woefully unprepared for, and then she got the two gifts that completely changed her life. The deed to the land of the Casino that she now ran in addition to the franchise of her frozen desert stores, and then the Opalus Spheres. The magical artifacts that had apparently been made specifically for her using her own magic. She wasn't entirely sure how they were amplifying her magic, but she knew that's what it was doing. Squall had told her precisely what they did, and she knew that it was working when she tried to open her shop the next day and even making a simple snow cone because of how minuscule amount of magic that it took compared to normal. She had tried using the same amount that she always had, and she made a small drift of snow several times instead of just a simple cone. It worked out because she could still use the excess snow, but it did make quite a mess at the time. She still remembered talking to Twilight tame and learn how to control the power of her newfound magic once again. 

 

That wasn't the only thing though. Sweet Celestia no it wasn't. She was still the Stewardess and apprentice of Princess Luna as well, and for a while she started working with her in refining more of her cold skills. After that most recent invasion she had taken it upon herself to create a secret organization. An organization that actually partially led to the creation of her casino in Las Pegasus to use as the front and to fund the operation. She knew that it wasn't going to be easy and sought Luna for advice. For a while Luna was the only other pony in Equestria that knew what she was up to that wasn't also a part of STAR, or at least so she thought. She had started building a flying dreadnought, and right before she was scheduled the final tests and the air test for it, Princess Twilight had randomly popped onto the bridge one day and commented on it. After a bit, mostly, once the Shadow of Ice was fully operational, Twilight made STAR a full fledged branch of the Equestrian Military, which meant that she now had government funding, but she was still doing things her way. Giving a home to the ponies that Equestrian Society had failed. In doing so, she'd met four amazing ponies that had come into her life and she now loved more than anything else. 

 

The relationship with the ponies that she had met at this point she valued as her most prized possessions. Raven Shadow Fire, Mythic Vision, Feather Blitz, and Niradana were all ponies that she'd come to love and adore. Granted, Nira and Feather were relationships that blossomed a bit more after Myth showed up, but that's not to say that she wasn't thankful for them. Especially Nira. She was more than thankful that she was able to get her out of the toxic situation in Neighpon. A healer that can't use her abilities to help those that need it was a bit... overly strict. She could understand making sure that a healer like that was always on call. Especially with what her special ability was. She'd personally never seen it in action, but that's a good thing. That means that nopony has ever almost died on her watch. With any luck, it will continue to stay that way. That's not to say that the world wasn't still full of surprises. Between Luna retiring from being the Princess that she confided in for advice in regards to running STAR to becoming a member of STAR herself. She definitely wasn't expecting that. 

 

Something else that was completely unexpected was the letter that she had gotten from Twilight a few days ago. It was a summons to the castle, and it was for something incredibly important. The way the letter was worded, it was something that she, and only she could accomplish, but Twilight couldn't send any of the sensitive details in the letter. She was certain that Twilight had communication channels in the STAR network, but chose to send the letter instead. She had packed everything that she needed for an extended stay here in Canterlot just in case it was something that needed prolonged attention. If she was being honest, she wasn't really sure what she was getting herself into. But she knew that Twilight wouldn't call her for something menial, especially worded the way it was. It specifically said that it was only something that she could do.

 

She sighed, putting the letter back in her sack as she stepped off the train. She couldn't help but smile a bit before stopping by her shop that was here in Canterlot. It was on the way to the castle so she stopped in and grabbed a snow cone to go. She gave a quick wave to the manager and the ponies that she had working there with a smile. After a few minutes she made her way to the castle. Normally she would just go in, as she had a key to the door being one of the commanding officers of the Equestrian Military and Former Lunar Guard... but the letter specifically instructed her to knock on the door and the guards would know what to do. So without any further adieu, she lifted her hoof and knocked on the main entrance to the Canterlot Castle.

[SteelEagle]

 

Word coming out of the capital had been unusual if not alarming for several weeks. The usually punctual daily royal court releases that had become a mainstay of Twilight's rule had slowed. The previously well organized and timely responses to the prodding of the the various provincial officials- as well as her consistent, gentle meddling in their affairs- also slowed. Appearances in public slowed. Not enough to cause concern for most ponies, however. The nation adored Twilight but she was different from Celestia. The Princess of the Sun was photogenic and made herself available to the public. For centuries she had become so ingrained into society that imagining a nation without her was rough. Twilight? They loved her, but she wasn't a daily presence. So while court watchers raised their eyebrows at the events transpiring, or not transpiring, from Canterlot Castle, they did so with a belief that there was likely nothing much to be concerned with.

 

And maybe they were right. Twilight couldn't tell, and neither could anypony she had called in to help her.
There were doctors, the very best and those sworn to secrecy. She had consulted the whole library available to her to no avail. Answers eluded her as readily as reason. In time, she sought more help. Help from those that were closer to her, better to her. She could only hope they could help. After all, what were friends for if not helping the ruler of a nation contend with an unknowable issue that was slowly driving her mad?
As Ice Storm would find out right after she knocked, apparently the friends were best used for flying out of doors rather quickly. Too quickly, indeed.
Rarity came flying out from inside, breaching the doors and crashing into Ice Storm, sending the pair tumbling until they smacked into a pillar outside.
"Arrrghugh....anypony get a number on that carriage?" She said, her eyes rolling around listlessly.

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

Ice Storm didn't even get a chance to react as the door flung open and a white blur came out before smacking into her and sending the two of them careening down the stairs. The contents of her saddle bags were strone everywhere and nothing was saved from the ejections as armor, personal items, and unfortunately for her, her overnight items were put on full display before smacking into the pillar. Ice felt her eyes spinning as she tried to regain hey senses from the escapade. It appeared the other pony was doing the same as Ice heard a very familiar voice ask if anypony got the number of that carriage. 

 

With a few shakes of her head, her vision finally cleared before looking to rarity with an initial bit of shock as she sat a stream of red running down her chest and leg before breathing a sigh of relief as she realized it was just what was left of her snow cone and that Rarity wasn't actually hurt, or at least not that she could tell at the moment. "Not a carriage, but definitely a pony that wasn't expecting to go for a ride down the stairs," Ice said, laughing a small bit hoping to lighten the situation a bit. After the training that she had been through with both Tempest, and Luna this little tumble was nothing. She couldn't help but blush a bit though as she looked behind Rarity and saw the mess that her saddle bags had made. 

 

"That being said, it's good to see you Rarity. It has been quite a very long time since we last spoke. I still have the two dresses that you made for me. Wear them regularly to! Though as distracted as you were... Something tells me that fashion wasn't what was on your mind... Anything that I can help with?" She asked. 

[SteelEagle]

 

 

It took Rarity a few seconds to gather her wits. After all, being tossed out of a castle at high speeds was something a pony couldn't get used to, even if it had happened a few times in the past day or so. Her eyes had heavy, darkened sags underneath and her mane was a mess of tangles and nervous strands that poked out at the best of time, and her horn seemed to glow a dull orange. She pulled herself up and off the ground, dusting herself off as her hat was returned to her as she tried to help pick up Ice Storm's things. For a moment more Rarity was silent, her eyes far-away and cracking, before she took a deep breath and tried to fight off her strange feelings. Strange was a word she tossed around a lot lately. Little else could faze her now. "My most sincere apologies, Ice Storm," she said, wearied as her eyes looked back towards the door with apprehension. "That was a most unprofessional introduction," she dusted herself off before she allowed herself a smile. "I am happy to hear you are sill enjoying the dresses. Are they still fitted well around the barrel? That fabric can sometimes-" she began before the sound of a zap-crack-screech came from inside the door to the castle. "...I suppose that will have to wait," she asked as her smile started to fade as they entered. 

 

She opened the door and the two stepped into the hall- which immediately became a void. 
"I do hope you can help Twilight, Miss Storm," Rarity said as she trotted in the dark. Around them, an inky black seemed to seep from everything, and through its veneer could be seen pure chaos. Paintings floated in bubbles, their contents changing by the moment as if they were alive. Guards were caught in time loops. Cutlery ran around as if they were chickens with their heads cut off. Chickens with their heads cut off were guards. The ground underneath changed, aging and de-aging rapidly. Waves of living sound echoed to and fro. And through it all, Rarity looked less worried and more tired.

 

"Twilight is very ill. Well, we believe she is, in any case. Truth be told, every medical and arcane opinion we've found hadn't been the least bit helpful. Nocreature can explain what is happening to her," Rarity said as she opened a door, stepping out of a void. Now they were in a desert, with odd or impossible geography and shapes echoing soundlessly in the distance, non-Euclidean geometry replacing Euclidean in perception, shifting sands beneath their hooves threatening to erode their own id and ego. "It has caused her magic to go...well, crazy. Time and space have lost all meaning. I don't know when it started, and I think I've walked here with you before," she stopped, looking less weary and more annoyed. "It has not been an enjoyable experience, that much I can tell you. I have been rendered non-existent multiple times and the fact I can remember it is most distressing," she said as she dug her hoof into the sands and pulled on a hidden doorknob. "Some help?" She said with a grunt, and with Ice's help the door into the throne room opened.

 

 It was also under them, so the pair would fall onto what felt and looked like a frozen tundra that stretched in all directions with only an obelisk in the middle.
"Applejack is she okay?" Rarity asked as loudly as she could. It was hard to see through the driving snow, but such was life.
"Yes! Well- yes?" Came the faint response, driven dead by the snow. Rarity started stepping through the tundra, ignoring a litter of snow foxes that looked like Fluttershy.
"Well that's goo-" she began before she was picked up in a purple magical glow and ripped through the tundra towards the obelisk.
"Rarity! I'm so sorry, I didn't think my sneeze would-" A panicked Twilight blathered, her voice cracked and broken.
"Dear, please relax. I was only in the void tear for a few seconds. That is an improvement, no?" Rarity replied before she was dropped into a snowbank.
"Oh! Sorry! I can't- wait, Ice Storm is here!" Twilight said as her eyes locked onto Ice. Her eye was all pupil, bigger than it had any right to be and edged by deep red lines. It would change every few seconds, all iris and no pupil, all pupil no iris, all combinations impossible or sane. Her eyelids twitched, her horn blazed a dark indigo as an energy wave of multiple purples seemed to radiated between her mane and into her coat. She was taller, bigger than before, and looked every part like a madmare.
"I've been waiting for you!"

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

Hearing the tone that Rarity was using... Ice Storm could immediately sense that something was amiss and wondered if it had anything to do with the letter that she had received. Rarity apologized for the two of them crashing into each other and helped her retrieve the items that had been strone about. In the past she might have been worried about what somepony had seen, but at this point, with everything that she's dealt with up to this point and the ponies that she already had to help her through things... if other ponies had a problem with her they could buck off, especially over something that she could consider petty at this point.

 

No, what got her attention was the sounds of an aether backfire coming from the inner castle. Working with Aether Crystals in Star, and researching ways to let them be used as prosthetic horns that could not only restore a unicorn spellcasting ability, but potentially improve it. Pegasi and their wings were a little bit more complicated as well. You'd thing that without magic it would be an easy feat to recreate a funtioning wing, but this was proving to not be the case. In fact, it wasn't until Equestria's last encounter with Tirek did Ice start to understand the magic of the other races. The flight that a pegasus had came directly from their magic. Without it, they couldn't fly, and she then learned that this magic was tied to their wings. Thus was the primary source of the crystal failures she's been experiencing here recently. Trying to make them lightweight enough so that they wouldn't create an imbalance on the poor pegasus, but durable enough to sustain the amounts of magic required, which was a lot more than previously thought.

 

That wasn't important right now though. How she was able to recognize the disturbance didn't matter. The fact that it even happened here mattered. When she heard Rarity say that Twilight was very ill, and neither medical or arcane experts can figure out what's wrong. That didn't surprise her in the slightest. After being overseas and seeing things abroad, Equestria's Health and Magic Care systems were heavily outdated. That was the primary reason that when she got back from Neighpon the last time, with the directive of the Longma Nira overseeing them. A part of her wondered if Nira would be a better selection than herself. That was until the actually entered the castle.

 

The entrance way was a void of sorts. Black, inky tendrils oozing from areas while pictures seemed to float in bubbles around them. The paintings were constantly changing and cutlery seemed to be acting as if it were alive. The ground underneath them wasn't spared either. It looked like it was getting both parched from age and back to the vibrancy that it had that it was new, and then different levels in between. AS Rarity finished her description, they opened a door and the void was gone, replaced by a dessert. The effects were immediately apparent on Ice Storm as she had to stop for a second to one regain her vision, and secondly cast some protection spells on her to counteract the heat. True, she lived in Las Pegasus now, and Las Pegasus was in a desert. But she wasn't outside for all that long most of the time until the evening. Nights in the desert were more her strong suit because the sand never retained heat. That meant the nights got cold. It was not unusual to see a fifty degree difference between the day temperature and the night temperature there. Right now, this dessert seemed to be at the most blistering part of the day. Enough so that for a brief second before her magic kicked in it was actually making her nauseous. Still, she listened as Rarity continued. She explained further, that whatever was causing Twilight's illness, it was having chaotic effects on her magic. Time and Space didn't exist anymore.

 

This wasn't just exclusive to object though, apparently. As they made their way through the dessert Rarity told her that she herself had been rendered non-existent a few times. The fact that she could remember it was most displeasing to her. Even more confusing was when she said that she was pretty sure that she had walked this exact path with Ice before. Ice certainly didn't remember any of that, but if time and space are moving on their on volition, then it's quite possible that Rarity was seeing herself in multiple dimensions at this point, and one of the ones that she got sent to during one of her periods of non-existence could have been the time period where this event had already transpired. Then Rarity seemed to dig through the sand, pulling on a knob and asking for help. Ice nodded, before the door popped open and they went from a desert to freefalling in a dessert tundra. Now this was more like it. Ice was quick to detach her orbs and channel enough magic to make a slide under the two of them so that their fall wouldn't be dangerous or lead to possible injuries.

 

Once on the ground, Rarity seemed to be leading them to some sort of obelisk. From there she heard Rarity speak out for Applejack, and got a faint reply before hearing Twilight reach out. A purple aura shot from the obelisk towards Rarity. A few words took place before Twilight noticed Ice Storm. Though the first thing that Ice noticed was her eyes. Specifically, the red around the irises. Her magical aura was darker, and a multitude of very dark purples were radiating over her. She was taller, sleeker, and was starting to get somewhat of a mad scientist look to her. "I know exactly what this is... or at least, a very, very strong suspicion." Ice Storm started.

 

"You have to remember. While Twilight here was a protege of Princess Celestia, I was a protege of Princess Luna, albeit much later. During my tutelage with her, being taught to keep my emotions in check was one of the biggest things that she taught me. She also told me what the warning signs were for The Nightmare Virus, as she called it. That," Ice said, pointing to Twilight. "Is all of them, and it's caused by a triggering emotion. One that starts off small but then grows into something more sinister," she said before hearing Twilight say that she'd been waiting for her. "I will be happy to help in any way that I can. Most of this should be reversible, we just have to figure out how."

[SteelEagle]

 

Twilight listened, at first intently, and then with growing disappointment. Not at Ice Storm, not at all. She was doing a bang-up job, as they said. Well-educated and placed just right to ensure that her knowledge was hard-earned and well-bred. The fact was, however, that they had already explored that possibility. Probably with Ice Storm, even. Certainly with Luna. If it was related to that or some other affliction of Twilight's emotional state, then it would be a relatively easy problem for her to fix. Not something she would need great aid with, either. It would be harder to track of course. Such emotional control and chaos was something she had more experience with than many others of her age. No, sadly this was something...different. Just what it was she did not know. If she did, then she could do something about it.

 

Twilight sighed. She closed her eyes with extreme effort, small bursts of light threatening to escape and causing her eyelids to bloat momentarily. When they opened, they were clear...if only for a few moments. "I wish that were the case," Twilight spoke softly, her words warping the land beyond Ice Storm. "But it isn't. We have- gahhhhhhhg!" She winced as arcs of fire raced across the land, forcing it to collapse into a pocket reality and being replaced with a tropical island. "Uggh. Not again...anyway," she rubbed her eyes, "we consulted with...you before, for sure. Luna certainly. A few times. A few ways. It has nothing to do with my emotions, or anything relating to an entity or force beyond. If it was, it would be something we could solve easily," she said as she stood up. The throne vanished as salt in the wind as she walked the beach.

 

"What I need, Ice Storm, is something different. It sounds easy, but it hasn't been successfully done yet and I've ran out of time and options. Or I feel I have. It is hard to understand much of anything, reality least of all," she said as she kicked the sand around. Then she looked horrified at the sand and hovered above it instead. She took a deep taste of the salty air and looked back at Ice Storm. "I need you to go find Celestia, in Castle Sonne in Germaney. She is supposed to be vacationing there, at her own palatial estate not far from Castle Mond. I can see and feel every creature in every existence, real or imagined, but not her. Not right now. And I have a feeling I need to feel her. And I have another feeling you need to feel her for me."

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

 

It was apparent by the Princess's reaction to what Ice Storm was saying, and then confirmed by her words that they had already explored the avenue of the nightmare virus. IT did confuse her a bit when Twilight said that she had possibly even considered it with her. She certainly didn't remember it, but then again, this might have been akin to what Rarity was suggesting earlier and was the likely cause. The planar boundary between the dimensions of time and space were non-existent here. That also meant that any boundaries between other parallel universes, were they to exist... would also be drastically weakened. The preceding conversations, and the evidence from traversing through the halls of the castle suggested, and even collaborated the fact that they very much did exist.

 

The Princess went on to say that if the problem was merely emotion based, then that would be an easy problem to solve... Would it though? Would it really? Ice Storm herself had been through a hell of a lot, both when she was growing up and as an adult, moreso within the past recent years, with childhood issues getting progressively worse, being told that it will eventually lead to the loss of control on basic bodily functions... though at least that particular side effect came with elevated magical power. Living homeless as a filly, watching a building fall on others... if it wasn't for the friends that she'd made along the way, Ice Storm was fairly certain that she would have broken by now. Ice also knew though, from her teachings with Luna, that ignoring your emotions is a surefire way to make sure they reach a boiling point that you can't do anything about. Ice definitely didn't have a problem showing emotion, though she knew she did have a problem with getting overly passionate about things.

 

When Twilight said that what she needed was completely different, Ice raised an eyebrow. She said something about it not being successfully done yet and she felt like she's run out of time and options. That it was hard to understand reality at all at this point. Fire raced across the land itself, giving Ice a bit of pause, but it never reached them before their reality shifted into that of a tropical island. Well, she could at least understand why it would be hard to understand reality at the moment, when the very fabric of reality had been torn. Ice kinda smirked internally for a second. The fabric of reality... no Wonder Rarity was put in charge of handling most of the aspects regarding it.

 

IT was then that Ice Storm actually got her mission. The mission was to find Princess Celestia. She was supposed to be in Castle Sonne in Germaney, but Twilight couldn't sense her. She could sense everything else except Celestia. She couldn't feel her at all, and she said that now more than ever, she felt like she absolutely needed to. She added that she also had a feeling that Ice needed to feel Celestia for Twilight. IF the situation wasn't so dire, Ice Storm would have made a joke about having to take her out to dinner first, and after her bond with Luna, that would be the equivalent of being intimate with her aunty, but now was not the time for such jokes even if the humor would help bring light to a darkened mood. "So, Celestia is in Germaney. I should probably through some feelers out in HQ as well to make sure Luna is safe. She was there when I left, but if this disappearance is recent, then perhaps she's not as safe as we thought. However, it's also possible that there is no disappearance at all and that for some other reason, magic around Celestia just isn't working. Either way, the first course of action is to go to Castle Sonnet and see what I can find there. Perhaps while I'm searching there, I can uncover some more clues about what this could be," Ice said looking to the others. She presumed that they would be wanting her to head to the castle immediately, so she would wait to be dismissed before attempting to make her way to the exit.

[SteelEagle]

Twilight nodded as Ice spoke. All of what she said was smart. It was good for her to get the feelers out and do her diligence. She wasn't sure if it was the finding of Celestia or what came next that would prove harder, more challenging, but she knew that Ice Storm was the mare for the job. She had to be, or else she would be dead, and Twilight was very certain that ice Storm would not be dead in this reality. Of course, nothing could be certain as the realities flickered around her like crackling fireflies in the dark.

 

"Yes. Yes, this is all good," Twilight said, nodding her head a few times rapidly as if she were drunk. "I don't know if it was recent. Celestia has always been missing and has never lived, but sometimes she has, and I feel like that should be corrected because it is clearly incorrect. I need to correct things," she said as she released Ice Storm, though from what she did not know. She stepped away into a spaceless space. "I have every confidence in your ability to solve this problem on your own, and get what is coming to you," she said confidently before she dematerialized entirely, and with her went the void.

 

In a flash she was in the throne room. Everything was perfectly fine.
"Get whatcha needed?" Applejack asked, wrapping a wing around Ice Storm to start escorting her away.

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

The information that Ice Storm was getting didn't seem to make much sense to her. However, she knew that was to be expected at the moment. Among all of the assumptions that she could make at the moment, there was one constant. Nothing about this was normal. It was almost acting like Twilight had somehow acquired Discord's magic. Actually... now that she's thinking about it Discord might actually be a good start for her investigation. Having met, and befriended the spirit of chaos before, she knew that he likely wasn't behind something of this magnitude. Unless Discord was specifically testing her for some reason. The more likely outcome though would be an enraged Discord that somepony could potentially be trying to copy his magic. That could have unintended effects for Twilight if things aren't what they seem. Things rarely are though when dealing with aspects of time, reality, and chaos. Hearing Twilight say that Celestia had always been missing and never lived, but sometimes had and was talking about correcting things.

 

Then as quickly as things had went chaotic, everything had returned normal and Ice Storm was back in the throne room as it was supposed to be. It took her a few minutes to get her bearings straight. She heard Applejack speak up next to her, before wrapping a wing around her. She had to admit that was odd, and was probably something to do with what was actually going on. "Well, if I'm being entirely honest I don't know anything of what I need. At least not yet. I know what I have to do, and that's find Princess Celestia. However, what I need in order to do that I haven't been able to determine yet. Something tells me though that I don't have a whole lot of time to scout out locations and devise the best course of strategy. I know that she is in Castle Sonne, or at least that's where she's supposed to be. So directions on how to get there would be a good start," Ice Storm spoke.

 

Something told her this was going to take a bit, and she would need a send a letter home at some point to let them know that she was on a very important mission. Knowing her girls though, she was almost certain that they would want to come with her, and she wasn't' sure if that would throw things off or now. All she knew, was that whatever Twilight that was, seem to have most of the answers but not, and was already putting them on the correct path to succeed. She wasn't sure if adding more variables to the path would lead to an undesirable outcome.

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack allowed Ice Storm to talk though she quickly got lost. A lot of what she was saying didn't make much sense to her but then again sense wasn't making much of itself lately with all the strange goings ons happening around these parts. She'd have to trust that Twilight was setting Ice up for success. Probably. Well, it was a hope at this point really, too much was going on for Applejack to keep track of.

 

"Castle Sonne?" Applejack tried hard to think of it, but wasn't coming up with much. Celestia had a lot of old private residences and the Castle was one of them, she was sure. And it sounded like it was in Germaney. Then it struck her like a lightning bolt- which was peculiar since that had happened to her recently and that was odd since pegasi were supposed to be immune to that sort of hurt!

"Oh! Well, Ah reckon that it's not far from Hoofenheim on tha coast. Ah think she retired there when Twi became Queen sometime back. Ain't heard anythin' strange from that way since it tha coronation, but Ah don't see how that affects anything none. Well, unless Twi wants to remake it again, but when Rares suggested that it didn't go so well. Why, does Twi think she'll help?" Applejack asked as she led Ice out of the castle and into the cloud-city of Canterlot, with no ground in sight.

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

 

The information that Ice Storm was getting from Applejack was a little bit conflicting. While Ice Storm didn't doubt the fact that Luna and Celestia had hidden properties all over Equestria, she did know for a fact that when they had retired. Both Celestia and Luna had originally went to Solstice Heights. Now, whether they stayed there or not, or rather... whether Celestia stayed there or not was anypony's question. After all, Luna hated the retirement and got bored quickly which was why she joined STAR. There was always something to do, either dealing with corrupted nobility, or running covert operations in foreign lands. Still, she had to be right about one thing. Hoofenheim was in Germaney, and Castle Sonne was in Germaney, so the two of them would have had to have been at least somewhat close together. When she asked if Twilight thought Celestia could help them, she nodded.

 

"While she didn't come outright and say it, the message that I got from her is that Celestia is a catalyst for something. At this point in time, I have no idea what that might be. Once I find her though, I'm sure everything will be made clear. Either that or lead to more questions... both outcomes are equally as likely if I'm being honest. As long as they are questions that can be answered though, I'm sure I will find them. The only question that I really need to know... is who I'm allowed to rely on for help. The matters here at the castle are delicate and if the knowledge that things are unwell here gets out it will create unrest not only among the citizens of Equestria, but also create opportunity for any enemies that she may have," Ice spoke.

 

"I know that I don't outrank The Council of Friendship, but I would recommend heavier patrols on the ocean borders around Equestria, just in case. I will increase STAR's regiment as well. Not enough to show our hoof that something might be wrong, but enough to make sure our defenses are ready. We don't need another Tempest incident while we're trying to deal with this mess. Also... you mentioned Twilight trying to remake something... what exactly would she be trying to remake?" Ice asked. Initially it sounded like Applejack was trying to say that Twilight wanted to remake the coronation, but that didn't make any sense. Sure, it may not have gone over exactly as planned, but it was still fun, and it still got the message across. Besides, she liked the applesauce Champaign.

[SteelEagle]

 

Applejack never considered herself the smartest of mares. She wasn't a dummy but she knew for a fact that there were plenty of others who spent a lot of time on things that she didn't. She just did her job as best she could and went about life with an eagerness and stubbornness that she hoped counted for something special. But she sure did know her Equestrian history, and the fact that this mare seemed confused about something made the gears start to turn in her head. Applejack knew that Twilight was having a bunch of issues and multiple timelines and realities, and so it didn't take long for her to piece it together.

 

"Oh," Applejack said plaintively, "oh, Ah see. You're not our world's Ice Storm, Ah reckon," she said with a nod. Okay, no big deal. "Well, Ah can't say Ah know some of what ya said. Ain't heard of a star 'cept for the one in tha sky. An' what's this about a Council of Friendship? Only thing Ah reckon is close ta that woulda been the Equal Species Council a few years back, same with talk of other nations an' such. Ah think tha only critters that aren't in Equestria anymore are tha dragonfolk, but they don't seem too keen on bein' part of the Queendom. As for what she is gonna try an' remake..." Applejack said as the doors opened.

 

Canterlot was a city in the clouds, the various districts supported by magically created clouds, and the majority of the populace being pegasi with a smattering of unicorns. As they went forward, Ice Storm could see below them- nothing but an intense blue light. And above them- the natural light of the sun.
"We used ta have some solid ground 'neath us. And Earth ponies, too. Then one day everythin' started ta fall apart, fall in ta something. Twi moved fast enough so everypony was saved but..." Applejack hovered off the cloud and shrugged her shoulders. "Ain't ideal, can tell you that for free. An' that light just gets brighter every time she tries to fix it."

 

"Helllo there!"
A ship floated on by. Small but nimble and crewed by four, Rarity at the head. Despite being a stallion, he was still ravishing and beautiful. "Applejack, my sweet, is this a good time to tell you that I have restocked and repaired this fine vessel once again in record time? A record that was hard to beat, if I say so myself!" He said, brimming with confidence and a fine and fancy naval hat. 
Applejack rolled her eyes.
"Good job doin'...yer job, Ah suppose. In any case, Ice Storm- not ours, by the way- needs ta get ta Germaney. Hoofenheim- err, Castle Sonne?" Applejack offered a question, hoping to get a bite.
Rarity pondered it for a moment.
"Hmm. I might have an idea on where to look. Who are we looking for?"
"Regent Celestia. She has somethin' ta do with whatever is makin' tha Queen all manner of nutty."
Rarity nodded.
"I see then!" She said as the ship sidled up to the cloud and dropped a ramp. "Well, feel free to board, Ice Storm. You do look the part of our own Ice Storm, by the way. Smashing!"
Applejack looked away, smiling through her embarrassment. "As for who ya can trust, that's up ta you, Ah suppose. Nopony knows that Twi has her goose cooked at the moment, so keep that part quiet."

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

As soon as they left the castle, Ice Storm could immediately tell something was wrong. Canterlot looked nothing like it did when she had first arrived today. Great, I'm not even in my version of Equestria... she thought to herself. That likely means that any of the resources that I have at home are going to be unavailable. I also have to presume that nothing is as it seems. If Canterlot is a cloud city now, I have to presumed that Las Pegasus is the same, provided it even exists here," her thoughts concluded as she listened to what Applejack was saying. The fact that she was a pegasus should have been something that was a giveaway that something would have been off. In the Equestria that she was from, AJ was an earth pony. Hearing that she hadn't heard of anything named star except the one that was in the Sky. That meant one of two things. Either STAR didn't exist here, or it remained a secret organization. She would need to find this alternate reality version of her and ask her a few questions. At the very least it let her know what resources she had here. 

 

The fact that there was no Council of Friendship was also somewhat alarming, but at the same time having the covenant of creatures made sense here if there were more races than just ponies involved. She wasn't surprised to hear that the dragon kin did not want to be a part of it. Dragon Lord Ember was making progress with the dragons in their realm, but it still wasn't there yet. With everything here being different, she wasn't sure if dragons in this Equestria were even safe to be around. 

 

Then the next major difference came into the picture. She would have never pictured Rarity having anything to do with the shipping industry, literally in this instant. Though a plus side that she knew the Ice Storm that lived here, saying that she definitely looked the part of her. He and Applejack engaged in some conversation about record times and stuff, and Ice nodded when Rarity asked her to come aboard. As she stepped onto the deck of the vessel, she looked over to Rarity. "You mentioned that I looked the part of the Ice Storm that lives here. Do you know where I live in this dimension of Equestria? Knowing what's going on with my life here, will let me know what resources I have to deal with this. Also, how long will it take us to get to Castle Sonnet?" she asked. If it was going to take longer than a few nights she would need to cast a duplication spell on her supplies so she would have them. 

[SteelEagle]

With her job done, Applejack waved and hovered away and back towards the castle. She had plenty of work to do and not enough time to do it as far as she was concerned. Hopefully those two would get the job done right and fast because as far as one pegasus mare was concerned, this whole situation was as close as it could get to a true disaster as it could possibly get.

 

Rarity, for his part, as just happy to get going. He nodded towards his crew who went to their stations and in due time the vessel was on the move. With that, he paid what attention he could to the ice Storm from another universe. Timeline. Dimension? Reality? Rarity didn't know. Rarity didn't much care, either. If it meant everycreature got settled in their proper place by the end of this then he didn't care as much about the journey there. Well, that was a lie. A spicy, exciting adventure would suit him just fine.

He looked at Ice Storm and smiled wearily. "Well, that is very hard to say for certain. Like many of your- well, her- ilk, it is hard to pin down her position at any given time. If we could?" Rarity laughed a jaunty laugh as he led Ice Storm below deck. "We could save a lot of trouble that way. I'd rather not deal with any sky pirates or ice-based revolutionaries on our way to the old regent, thank you very much!" He finished. It was breezy below deck with only three rooms. Rarity's quarters were small but at least private. The main hall- well, it had a more official title but Rarity rather preferred the term main hall and it was his vessel, no matter how small- took up the majority of the space while the small crew quarters allowed the crew someplace to lay their weary head whenever they weren't responding to his flights of fancy.

"It should take us a few days. Don't worry about supplies, we'll be more than capable of keeping you well-fed and rested. Would you care for a drink?"

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

 

"I see," Ice Storm commented when she heard Rarity respond about this world's Ice Storm. "It sounds like STAR never got sanctioned here, which is as much of a good thing as it is bad. In the world where I'm from, I created my own private army to help secure Equestria's borders. After personally watching the ineptitude in the Royal Guards and they couldn't protect a single pony, let alone the rest of Equestria, I decided to do something about that. Honestly, after getting invaded four times with little to no changes in Equestrian defenses where I'm from, I'm surprised that it took this long for ponies to start taking matters into their own hooves. Alas, that's a problem for my reality, not this one." Ice said, waving a hoof.

 

"The fact that she's hard to pin down means that she's doing her job right. Before my operation became sanctioned by our own government, I was actually planning on heading down a similar road to stop threats at the source. The entire reason I wanted to distance myself from the throne was so the princesses would have plausible deniability. That would be required given some of the things I would have had to do in order to secure Equestria's borders otherwise. But I think the way it turned out was for the better. After all, going down the other path is a slippery slope, and it would be very easy to become the very monster that you're fighting to stop." she paused.

 

"After a time, you justify the evil that you're doing because you're doing it for the good of your nation. You justify every life you take because they were a threat. You justify every action because it was what needed to be done. You justify the pain that you inflict on others because it matches the pain that was inflicted on you... and then without even thinking about it, you become the monster, hurting innocents of other nations because one person in that nation might be a threat. Based on what little you've told me of myself here, it seems like this version of me didn't have Luna's guidance to help her through the early times of the organization, and it consumed her," Ice acknowledged. Of course, this was an alternate reality entirely. It would be foolish of her to not consider the fact that this version of herself never had pure intentions to begin with.

 

When Rarity mentioned her not needing to worry about supplies, that they would make sure that she was well rested and well fed for the several day journey, Ice nodded. "I don't doubt it, though food, beverage, and rest aren't the supplies that I'm most worried about. I have a few medical issues of my own that require a bit of extra precautionary measures at night, and I can only fit so much into my saddle bags. What I wouldn't give for an endless bag of them though," Ice spoke. "I will, however, take you up on that drink though. This is a ship, got anything of the harder variety?"

[SteelEagle]

Rarity took his time listening to the story and history that this Ice Storm was giving her. Well, no world was perfect, it seemed. he counted his blessings that despite the overwhelming horror of what had happened to the ground and the changes that all of Equestria had been forced to endure that at the very least thay saw no need to stoop to needing such ruffians as thie 'STAR'. That was a bit unkind, he had to admit. There were many reasons why a pony might feel the need to react to being threatened, or feeling threatened, in such a manner and it seemed like all Ice Storms everywhere were in one way or another obsessed with security and its many forms. But for a stallion who lived in a land of near perpetual peace, it just came across odd. The wonders of many realities!

 

"Well, I can't say anything of the sort was ever needed here. Equestria has been at peace...forever, essentially. The Royal Guards were only implemented soon after the event. Before that, the other nations were friendly with us. I think when Celestia burned down the Changeling Hives a few millennia ago, everycreature else got the message. Doesn't much matter now- those nations fell below, as did the overwhelming majority of their citizens. I haven't seen any Yaks, and the Kirins are..." Rarity trailed off as the ship gained in altitude to avoid a sonic current that sent the ship shuddering, a few glasses smashing to the ground. Rarity took it all in stride. You got used to that.

 

"In any case, your other half here was starting down her path even before the event," he said as he finished his drink, idly inspecting the glass. "Not sure about your Princess Luna, but our vanished entirely into the dreamscape after the event took place. A bit dramatic, but I suppose she felt needed there. Our Ice Storm didn't take too kindly to her former lover having vanished. Not that she wasn't a bad seed before- she once accidentally froze an entire city while testing a spell. Didn't spend a day in the dungeons for it thanks to Luna, either. She is more of a...hassle than a threat, normally," Rarity finished. It wasn't untrue, really. It was hard to call Ice Storm evil. She was more so just...quarrelsome. And powerful. Powerfully quarrelsome.

"As for your other needs, I may need to make some adjustments but I believe we can keep you stocked. Anything else you need?"

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

 

Ice listened as Rarity spoke about this Equestria. The royal guard only coming into existence after whatever caused the ground to give way. Other nations were friendly with them after Celestia burned down the changeling hives. She raised an eyebrow at that. It was effective, but it sounded like the road that she herself was initially going down. She couldn't help but wonder how many innocents were slain that had little to nothing do with the conflict they least to Celestia's decision. Still, it was made, and apparently it had been millennia ago. It has brought peace to this Equestria though.

 

She also listened as she spoke again about her other half was she said. Apparently this Ice Storm had been Luna's lover. Adding the princess to get herd wasn't something that she had thought of in her Equestria, but if it was possible here... Nah. Raven, Mythie, Feather, and Nira were the perfect companions for her. After all of that, Ice spoke. 

 

"It seems you've had your fair share of struggles since the event. I can't even imagine what life without ground could be like. As it is, it sounds like you're version of me went at least partially nightmare. I don't know if the legend of Nightmare Moon is a thing here, but I know that if anything happened to my lovers in my Equestria, I would raze an entire city once I found out who hurt them. Love drives great power, but it's also the root of great evil. Because so it takes is a to have a loved one stolen to ignite a fire for revenge. Once that fire is lit, is very hard to extinguish." Ice admitted.

 

"As far as adjustments and supplies... Well... This is what I'll need, or at least something similar. It has to be leak proof and absorbent. I am more than willing to compensate for any inconveniences." she added, showing rarity the contents of her saddle bag. She wasn't sure if this Rarity had the same magic with fashion that hers did, or what would have it. "With that in mind, I wouldn't mind some lunch, but I can wait until the rest of the crew eats," she added with a smile.

[SteelEagle]

Rarity didn't know what this 'Nightmare' was. It seemed like it was being used as a verb, like it was a thing to be done. But Rarity had heard a lot of crazy things over the past few years and had long ago stopped trying to make sense of the worlds that he could not truly ever know. All he could do is provide his own perspective, as limited as it was.
"Yes, well, it isn't as if Luna is *gone*. She is just...almost always in the dreamworld, to soothe the nightmares many of us have had since the event," Rarity sat back and sighed. "I understand going mad with affection as much as the next stallion, but I do think becoming a terrorist because your wife is caught up in her work seems like a dramatic overstep. But what do I know, my ex-wives would probably claim I drove them batty!" He said with a hearty, if somewhat hollow, laugh. "We will get you what you need. It should be no problem. As for food, we eat at 9 AM, 2 PM, and 7 PM. You are free to join us when and how you will," Rarity said as he got up.
"I do have a ship to captain. Please, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to get me. My office is always open for beautiful mares," he said with a wink before trotting off for duty.

 

(OOC- Feel free to develop anything you want for the next few days. We can always play that!)

 

It was a few days of easy travel that followed. The ship was not large nor especially fast but it was smooth and cut across the sky with ready authority. Rarity allowed his confidence to grow that they would indeed avoid any trouble, and they passed other ships without incident. This would remain the case until they were deep into Germaney, mere hours away from the Sun's Residence. It was cloudy- the pegasi still kept up their work despite the events and a small storm was being pulled together many miles away, affecting the cloud pattern. It helped obscure what was happening to some extent.

 

Rarity was walking the deck nearly alone, with only a scant few crew on the deck. This was the final period of adjustment. Soon they would be finished with everything but the easiest flying, and only need to prepare to offload Ice Storm at the town's landing. It was for all intents and purposes not as dramatic as he had been worried that it could have been. Maybe this Ice Storm would help Celestia and help Twilight. He wasn't certain. His job was just to get her this far. To say he had his doubts would be an understatement, and he was pleased to see them quashed.

It was then that the snow started to fall from a clear, clear sky...

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

 

In a much larger sense, she could see where this Rarity was coming from. To lose yourself because your wife was caught up in their work was one thing. However, the matter of perspective plays a huge role in matters such as this. After all, it wasn't like Rarity himself was the one that was suffering from the situation. There was also a difference in a mare getting caught up in her work and just... ceasing to exist. If Luna and Ice Storm in this world were lovers, and then Luna spent all of her time in the Dream Realm, then that could send multiple messages, that depending on the circumstances, could have drastically different consequences. If this world's Ice Storm and Luna were as close as they say, then they would have been seen together routinely before whatever caused the ground to fall happened.

 

From there, Ice Storm had to kind of piece together everything that had happened based on what she had been explained. The only fact that she had on the matter was, that Ice Storm and Luna were no longer together. This could have transpired one of three ways. It was a mutual separation to try to help smooth everything over with the expectation that they would pick up the relationship once things had calmed down. That was unlikely though, because if this Ice Storm had the same thought process as she herself did, she would have sought a way to help Luna with the Dreamworld. This World's Ice Storm would have gone to the dreamworld with Luna, for if they were on the scale as described, Luna would have figured out a way to grant Ice some of her power, via an artifact, that would allow her to dreamwalk. Again, given the nature of the discussion, this is not what happened. Ice Storm had turned to freelance piracy or something of the sort.

 

That meant that it could have only been one, of the other two possibilities. There was no question with the actions of the Ice Storm here, that they break up wasn't mutual. If it were, Ice would have been doing more to try to help ponies that were distraught on this side of the dreamworld while Luna helped them in their sleep. Even in this somewhat dystopian arrangement, she could still see Luna appearing in Ice's dreams to give her direction on everything that was going on, and guiding her to those that would need her help. This wasn't the case, which meant this was not the scenario that unfolded.

 

No, the only possible occurrence that transpired, with the information that she was given and the knowledge that she had of the ponies from her world, was the separation was not by choice. Magic in it's very nature was volatile. She knew that better than most. She'd pushed herself beyond her limits more often than she could count when she was in battle. Simply put, if it meant making sure something couldn't reach a city, there was no limit to the lengths that she would go to make sure that city was safe. There was little doubt in her mind that the event triggered a magical rip in space and time. Given the nature of the events that she had perceived walking through the palace when answering Twilight's summons, she knew first hoof that the fabric of reality had been torn. That all but guaranteed but one possible outcome. Luna wasn't spending her time in the dreamworld by choice. She was stuck there, and likely without any notice given to Ice Storm. So for all Ice knew, her love was just gone after the event. Again, that is more than enough to push a pony off the deep end of things.

 

But, that also meant there was still a chance to save this version of herself to. Finding Celestia was her top priority right now, because that was the mission that was directly given to her. However, she couldn't in good faith just abandon this other mission regarding her own self in this world. If she could set that right as well, then she might be able to bring back a semblance of peace to a world that looks like it hasn't seen it in a while. She had made up her mind and she pulled out her journal. Above the information she got from Twilight, and the note of finding Celestia, she put Primary Focus and underneath, she put, Secondary Mission: Find Princess Luna, Restore Peace to land, into ink.

 

She then looked up to Rarity and gave a nod as she heard the itinerary explained to her. Mealtimes, supplies, they'd be able to get without issue. Truthfully, she felt right at home on the ship. She nodded when Rarity said that they had a ship to captain. "Right then, and don't be afraid to put me to work. This ship isn't too different from the ones that I employ back at home, so anything that I could help with, I would be honored to do so, and help pull my weight a little bit so I'm not just a random stowaway," Ice spoke.

 

From there, the next three days passed relatively quickly. Ice helped out with what activities she could. As she had told the captain, she was familiar with most of the tasks required for operating a vessel, so outside of anything navigational, she could assist. She knew navigating well enough as well, but considering that she was not in her home Equestria, she had no idea where she actually was or how fast things traveled. Everything that she could recommend would be based off of landmarks of her world. Landmarks that didn't exist here. All that would accomplish would be getting them lost, and that was the last thing they needed.

 

When they spotted the town in the distance, Ice Storm instinctively knew that this was going to be her stop. She wasn't sure why, but she knew that she was being drawn to it. As they began to close the distance, Ice Storm immediately started to notice something else. She noticed that there was snow falling in the area. It was a light snow, but the fact that there wasn't a cloud in the sky was an immediate red-flag. She could also feel a faint pull on her aether, and began looking intently at the snow. She could sense a magical aura to it. It confirmed what she was feeling. "Captain Rarity, You should depart immediately after I go ashore. This realm's version of me is here. I can sense it in the snow, and I can feel her using magic. Despite us being from two separate worlds I can feel her use pulling on my own Aether, which means she can probably feel mine in hers as well. She's going to be drawn to me, so if you aren't wanting to deal with her, I recommend haste," Ice told Rarity.

[SteelEagle]

Rarity did not need Ice Storm to tell him of what the snow meant. He had seen the pirate's opening moves more than a few times, and he also knew something that this off-universe version of the pirate did not. By the time you saw the snow, it was already too late. He gave the other universe's Ice Storm a wearied, worried smile. "My dear, it is already too late. We're already in her sights and she has our position. Once we drop you off, we're going to be attacked," Rarity rolled his eyes. "Uggh. What a determined hassle Ice Storms can be. Err, no offense intended of course," he said, patting her on the head anxiously. He then turned to his crew and started yelling orders- raising an aetheric shield and activating certain enchantments to keep them aloft regardless of what happened- or so they hoped.

 

They picked up speed as they approached the landing, with the snowfall increasing in tempo and maliciousness. The crew stayed calm, but the tension was rising- it could be felt like a tingle running from tail to neck, each new lap coming with more dread. Rarity's tail flicked about in increasing nervousness until they reached the landing. The vessel did not come to a complete stop, however- they were going to be making a moving drop, and then see if they could outpace the pirate. That was unlikely. The ship could not be seen but the aetheric waves it was sending could easily be felt, and through the folds of the air one could see the arches of the ship as it cut through the spaces between vision. It would be a rough go, regardless.

 

Rarity used his magic to lower the boarding plank and turned to Ice Storm. He took his hat off and gave it to the smaller mare. "I believe this is your final stop, Miss Storm."

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

It appeared that Ice Storm had been more correct in her assessment than she had expected. She listed to Captain Rarity as he told her that it was already too late and that they were already in her sights. That once they dropped her off, they would be attacked. She then heard the comment of what a determined hassle Ice Storms could be, before make sure no offense was intended to her. However, given her state of mind at the moment, he wasn't far from the truth. She felt the ship pick up speed. The snow was coming down hard now, making it difficult to see. She heard them tell her that her stop was coming up soon and it seemed that they wanted to to make a moving drop. It was something that she'd done a million times herself back at home, but this time felt different. She knew that if she got off this ship right now... ponies would get hurt.

 

"What kind of message would that send to my own subjects... that it's okay to run. that it's okay to let your emotions consume you..." Ice spoke lowly to herself. After all, protecting others was the very reason she founded STAR. To walk away from that now would disgrace everything that she's become. She was not about to let that happen. "I am sorry, Captain Rarity. But if what you're saying is true," she started, the spheres detaching themselves from her amulet and started orbiting around her before a burst of magic drove the snow away from the ship and encircled it in a globe, protecting it from the onslaught of the storm that her counterpart had created. It also gave them a bead on the enemy ship. "Then I cannot leave you behind. My mission is important, but what I stand for is even more. I will not turn my back when others might be hurt. That's not who I am, and that's not who I will ever be. With me on board, she cannot hurt you. On my final breath, everypony goes home today," Ice said, looking on the deck of the opposing ship.

[SteelEagle]

Rarity had seen other Ice Storms use very similar magic. Indeed, they were all uniquely powerful with weather-based abilities, and some even had additional attachments that amplified it. Appeared as though this Ice Storm followed suit. It sometimes made Rarity just what other Rarities were like. Were they all unicorns? Were there perhaps some fabulous mares? Maybe some villains. He was sure that they would probably be more successful than he was. They at least weren't responsible for near as many half-truths and lies as he was. He could only hope that this Ice Storm was as quality as some of the others he had the fortune of meeting.

 

He nodded. "I see. Well, if you want to do it that way we'll do it. Pull the ramp up!" He said. Before he could say it, a couple of his crew managed to get off the ship, running for their lives. Solar Guardsponies quickly grabbed them and pulled them towards the Solar's residence. He'd deal with them later, though he couldn't fully blame them. It was bad enough to imagine being boarded, robbed, or otherwise treated roughly. It was another thing entirely to imagine yourself falling into a bright void for what was perhaps an eternity. All in all, he couldn't be too mad. It just meant he had fewer crew to do whatever it was they needed to do to handle their own Ice Storm.

 

"Get to your positions. And wait for my orders, if you would," he said as he put his hat back on and took a deep breath. He'd have to rely on this Ice Storm and needed to know what her plan was. He would do his best by keeping a calm demeanor and allowing her to do whatever magical thing it was she did. "Okay, well if you so insist on doing this, we're with you. So, what do you need us to do?"

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

 

Ice Storm had been on enough ships to be able to recognize the morale of the crew at a glance. She wouldn't have made it very far pioneering her own fleet of warvesssels back on her Equestria if she didn't know how to recognize these traits. Granted, she was trained by a couple of the best in the business when it came to tactics and the ability to read others. Her Princess Luna, and Tempest Shadow, her former second in command until she retired to raise her family. It was a volunteer retirement until Ice found out that Tempest was expecting, and then there was no way Ice was ever going to let her near another battle. Not for a while at least. Of course, there weren't any battles that were had other than training exorcises, but still, accidents have happened in those before. But that was neither here nor there. At the moment, she could tell that even with her presence, morale was low. The crew did not believe that they could win a fight. That would not help anything. She would need to build their confidence, and to do that, she needed more information.

 

She looked over to where Captain Rarity was standing. "I need to know exactly what this ship is capable of. What can she withstand, and what kind of armaments does she have. If it's just us, that will make things difficult, but not impossible. Secondly, this is your ship, so I understand if the answer is no, and I will not ask about it again, but in the Equestria that I am from, I am a fleet admiral. With this being a battle situation, I would like to take control of the ship until the danger has passed. At which point, I will depart the ship, and return authority back to you captain. That is how the chain of command works at home, but alas, we are not home and I technically have no authority here. Like I said, this is your ship, so it's your call. The first thing we need to do though is get morale up. If these crewmates don't think we can win, then we won't win, even if my plan to talk her down, and hopefully talk some sense into this other version of myself, I don't trust those following her not to take matters into their own hooves. No matter your decision though, I've got your back, and this ship won't go down," Ice responded, watching as the other ship was drawing near.

[SteelEagle]

Captain Rarity sighed. "Miss Storm, we have no weaponry. And about half the crew just left. I believe you may have seen the entire vessel during our voyage here," he smiled anxiously. "Usually the modus operandi is to flee or, if we cannot, do not resist. It will not be the first time we have been attacked by her. As for what she has...I believe she has a few magical deck guns of varying sizes and two invisidroppers for some weapon called a 'torpedo' or weather mines. And whatever she does on top of that, of course. We will likely start going down if we get hit with anything, to boot. As for her ship, it is well-armored but not as well-armored as her record may suggest. Moreover, her defense is that we can't hit her. She uses her ice magic to deflect any blow that may strike. Only the Mageship Glimmer and Mageship Shadow have been able to successfully engage her, and it was an overmatch every time. She escaped due to guile," he said, pondering something. "As for the chain of command, I'll put you in charge of the battle stations. I will focus more on keeping the crew on task. I shall keep a cool head on my shoulders, darling! Until we start falling into the void, then I reserve the right to scream."

It was then that the ship that Ice Storm had locked onto appeared, its ram plowing into the magical globe with a mighty crash, sending rivulets of cracks through it. Standing at the foredeck, staring down at Captain Rarity and his ship, was a smaller, emaciated, and crazed-looking Ice Storm. Her eyes had deep bags under them and a wild, almost lidless expression while her horn dazzled in shades of blue. She locked onto Ice Storm and shook her heads.

"Oh, do my eyes deceive me or is this another one of my interloping dopplegangers sticking her snout into affairs that do not concern her?" She said as she walked towards her ram, standing on it proud while she calmed the storm. "Do you have any idea of the crimes they have committed against us? That damnable Sun Princess and her lackey, whose instability has torn us all asunder, are villains through and through. And yet here I am, again, unwittingly throwing myself away- again!- foolishly. Tell me, is it our need to protect others or our love of the fair moon that drove you here?" She shook her head and her eyes lit up in anger. "How many times will I be forced to see this same damned scene!?" She stomped the ram, which instantly becoming blue-ice. "No matter. Stand aside and for once don't make me kill the both of you again!"

[IceStorm]

~~~Ice Storm~~~

 

 

Ice Storm was disappointed, but not surprised by the words that the version of herself that inhabited this world spoke. Okay, she was a little bit surprised that she wasn't the first extra-planar Ice Storm that this version of herself had seen, but not by anything else. However, the news that there were not any weapons on board was grim and a bit surprising to her. Ice immediately raised an eyebrow at that. "You live in an age where sky-piracy is rampant, and you still have ships that can't defend themselves? Here, once you're out of here, build this, and fit one to the bow and one to the stern. This will at least give you some defenses," She said, giving Rarity a blueprint of the aether cannons that were on her destroyers. She wasn't so bold or brash to give them the blue-prints to the battleship turret system... "I'm going to teleport over to them... Once I do, sail full steam ahead into the clouds where she can't see you. Don't worry about me, I'll make do," she informed Captain Rarity

 

She nodded when she was told that she had command of the battle stations, though that was really just her, and any other mages that they had on board at this point. She then turned to the other version of herself. "Do you not think that there might be a reason that you are seeing the same scene over and over again?" Ice Started. "For someone claiming to love the moon, you are forgetting one of the very first lessons that she bestowed upon us. Not everything is always as it seems. You've seen this same scene several times, according to you, and it's played out the same way every time, according to you. Could it be because you're actions are the ones that are incorrect, and you are living in your own version of Tartartus, reliving the scene over and over again because you know deep in your heart, that the road that you've taken now, will never reunite you with Luna? What would Luna say if she saw you right now? Would she love the killer you've become? I understand that there is little to no land left here at the present, and things have happened, but you cannot stand there degrade me for doing what you should have been doing all along. This is a time of chaos and loss, and ponies have enough problems right now. They need a powerful presence that they can look to for help, not death and torture," she spat.

 

"You've been gifted with nearly unrivaled power, which you could use to make the world a better place, and yet you choose to torment others, what, because they were sailing in your line of sight? You've become a monster, and one that needs to be dealt with. Sure, Twilight might have broke the land, but you are the one breaking the world. You are the one that ponies are trying to get away from. You are the one that is actively hurting ponies that have nothing to do with any of the worlds business and are trying to live in this world the best way they can, and Ponies like you is exactly why I created the military I did back home. So that I could stop ponies like you from torturing and hurting others. All of this, what, because Luna is gone I've been told? Do you think that if Luna came back right now, she wouldn't lock you away for the crimes you've committed against Equinity? You are a disgrace to all things named Ice Storm, and if you do not stand down and rethink you're ways, I will have no choice but to eliminate you. And I will do so," she started before disappearing in a poof of snow and then appearing on deck of the other ship behind the other Ice Storm. "From the ship that you are not worthy enough to have."