Chapter 3
Stonebolt zipped over to the calendar, checking to make sure it was the day. Her eyes lit up in excitement realizing her hopes were confirmed and rushed back over to Frostburn.
"Frostburn," Stonebolt said, nudging her twin sister awake. It was the big day that she'd been waiting for as long as she could remember. "Frostburn, wake up." Frostburn rolled over, muttering in her sleep. Stonebolt lowered her eyes in determination, not willing to give up that easily. "Frostburn, wake up!" When she still didn't move, Stonebolt finally sighed in frustration and a bolt of lightning struck her. Frostburn jumped and crashed to the floor. "Good, you're up." Frostburn scowled, and looked over at the clock.
"I overslept," she said alarmed. "Why didn't you wake me?" Stonebolt rolled her eyes in disgust.
"What do you think I was trying to do," Stonebolt demanded. "I've been trying since 7 in the morning; you always were a heavy sleeper. You could sleep through Paragon's Judgment, if it was happening in this room. Now, c'mon, Infernalo says he's got something important planned for today." Frostburn tilted her head to one side and looked at the calendar.
"Stone," Frostburn asked. "What day is it?"
"Thursday," Stonebolt answered enthusiastically. Frostburn's eyes lit up, and the two squealed in delight. "Let's go. I want to know what Infernalo's planning." the two eagerly rushed downstairs after each other.
What if it is real, Infernalo thought. He was in his room, lying on his bed while looking down at the book Steelmind had given him last night about the Cursed Trossels. I know it's just a myth, but what if this is the end of Seldreinia. I'm not willing to take any chances; I'm taking the girls, anypony willing to follow and getting out of here. I don't want to be around when they come. What am I saying? I'm not going anywhere, and neither is anypony else. I-I just...
"Hi big brother," Infernalo's sisters said, throwing off his train of thought. "Stonebolt said you had something big planned for us today; really really extra mega super-duper gi-huga-gantuan bigger than big! Is it true, is it true? Huh huh huh? Is it? Huh?" Infernalo nodded, hoping that Frostburn wouldn't fly through the ceiling and break through the atmosphere. Finally, he got up and stretched. "Is it going to be super impossibly outrageously awesome, Infernalo," Stonebolt asked excitedly. Infernalo hadn't seen the energetic and chipper side of Stonebolt since she was a little filly; most of the time, it was almost impossible to tell that the two were the same age, or would be as it were.
"Yes, girls," he said. "What I have planned is big. I invited everypony who would come, even...her." Stonebolt groaned, knowing who Infernalo was talking about.
"Tell me you're joking," she said. "Infernalo, as your sister, I feel responsible to tell you this: for the last time, you and her were dead on arrival the minute you two were in the same room." Infernalo ignored her.
"It's not for another two hours," Infernalo said dismissively. "Just go mill around in town and I'll come find you when it's time." they nodded and skipped out of Infernalo's room, the Darkness Trossel looking down at the book and the picture of the Cursed Trossels floating above a crowd of screaming ponies and their mutilated corpses as Blood Trossels swarmed them. Infernalo's thoughts came back to him almost as quickly as they'd left.
"Frosty," Stonebolt said after a while, Frostburn turned to her. "I'm going to try and subtly see what Zephyroak's getting me. I'll catch up with you later."
"Okay, Stone," Frostburn said, skipping away as Stonebolt left down another path. Frostburn continued skipping before tripping over something shiny sticking out of the ground. She picked herself back up and looked down at what had tripped her. It was a large glowing box with strange symbols carved into it. She gazed at it longingly as it started to glow. The box opened and a small black spark flew out. "That didn't seem good."
Infernalo looked down at the book, before promptly tossing it aside. Maybe Steelmind knew what he was worrying about. He was a Thought Trossel and they tended to be the most intelligent among most ponies at any given moment in time. Infernalo, however, was a pony of much, much higher logical process than Steelmind.
"I can't be dwelling on this forever," he said to himself. "It's just a legend, nothing more than a bedtime story." However, in the back of his mind, he knew that wasn't necessarily true. There was a rapid series of knocks that drew Infernalo's attention to the door. When he opened it, he saw Steelmind outside. His glasses were crooked on his face and his mane was a mess. Infernalo allowed him inside, and Steelmind threw himself on the couch.
"You look terrible," Infernalo remarked. "You need some water or something?" Steelmind readjusted his glasses and nodded, panting heavily. Infernalo left and came back with a glass.
"I got here as quick as I could," he said, gulping down the glass with one swig. "I can't let Frostburn see me."
"Well, there are a lot of valid reasons why," Infernalo said. "Why don't we start from number four; the first three are just saying how annoying she is." Steelmind shook his head.
"I mean I've been building a secret special present for her for the past few weeks and I didn't want to ruin the surprise," Steelmind said. "Promise you won't tell Frostburn or anypony else?" Infernalo nodded. "Are you sure?"
"Steel," Infernalo said irritably. "I'm a Heaven Trossel. You aren't going to find anypony more trustworthy." Steelmind nodded. He knew there was no arguing with Infernalo; in the end, Infernalo would win anyway. Steelmind leaned in close to Infernalo and whispered to him what exactly the final project was.
"Sounds very...cute," Infernalo said half-heartedly. "Frosty usually loves that mushy lovey-dovey garbage." Steelmind ignored his remark, and turned to face Infernalo.
"Listen," he said. "This whole Cursed Trossel thing is nothing to obsess over. I myself disproved it as even a remote possibility seeing as how they were destroyed centuries ago. I'll see you at the party." With that, Steelmind left without another word. Infernalo got his bags, filled them with books and got the presents he was giving to Frostburn and Stonebolt, leaving to go find the two.
Infernalo walked along with Stonebolt, Frostburn bouncing up and down excitedly. Infernalo looked up and, to his surprise, saw a thick mass of clouds in the sky. Probably just some Sky Trossels pulling some kind of prank, he said to himself dismissively.
"Are we there yet," Frostburn asked eagerly, her bouncing beginning to wear on her big brother's nerves.
"You said that an hour ago," he said darkly, his tone only thickening to a boil. "You said that a half-hour ago. You said that fifteen minutes ago. You said that five minutes ago. You said that now! Does it look like we're there? I'll tell you when we are!" he huffed and trotted along, Frostburn's bouncing stopping dead in her tracks as she looked on the verge of tears. Stonebolt walked over and put a reassuring hoof on her twin sister's shoulder.
"We'll get there soon, Frosty," Stonebolt said, which seemed to cheer her sister up a bit. However, her bouncing didn't start up again. "Infernalo, wouldn't it be easier if you just used one of your dark portal things to get us there? Or even if we just flew there? All this walking is hard."
"I can't do that," he said. "I want it to be a surprise." he suddenly stopped as Stonebolt looked up to see what the problem was. A periwinkle Trossel with a very pale pink mane trotted by. Her curly tail was a mix of pale blue and random blotches of aquamarine, and she had a wave with a set of bright waves emitting from it on her flank. Her purple eyes looked over at the near-comatose Infernalo and walked over to him.
"Hey Infernalo," she said, waving her tail across his face seductively. Her gaze glanced over at his twin sisters grimacing in unison. "Hi girls. Happy birthday."
"Aquashine," they said dismissively. "We're on our way to our party, which Infernalo was supposed to be leading us to," Stonebolt said. A bolt of lightning struck down at Infernalo's hooves, snapping him out of his trance.
"We can all go together," Infernalo said. "It'll give us to time to talk about how beautiful you look this evening." Even Aquashine rolled her eyes at that, but trotted alongside him anyway and inched closer to him. Finally, they arrived at the party, which had just started up. Infernalo opened the door in front of him.
"Ladies first," he said. Aquashine scoffed and pushed past him. For the longest time, Aquashine had made it no secret that she was really only toying with Infernalo, though occasionally acted like she had feelings for him. This, however, was obviously not true from the beginning anymore than now. With as intelligent as Infernalo was, he often never seemed to notice-or care-that she was using him, even though Stonebolt did. Infernalo followed her, his sisters coming after as the guests cheered at their arrival. Infernalo crept over and silently put his presents with the others. Steelmind walked up to the two, looking more presentable than the last time Infernalo had seen him a few hours before. Infernalo started suspecting something with the sky when he saw the clouds begin to darken.