Chapter 23: Ooh, a New Friend!
At the beach, Izzy is riding the waves on her homemade windsurfer. "Whoo-hoo-hoo! I'm a flying unicorn!" She cheered in excitement as the birds went by her, but then Izzy lost her balance. "W-Whoa!" She fell off her windsurfer as she then screamed and fell into the water.
Izzy was then washed up on shore, soaked and wet as she removed the seaweed that was caught on her muzzle. "Ugh. Maybe I'll leave flying to the Pegasi." She commented with a smile before she felt a cold wind breezing by, which made her turn and saw the ice cave in front of her.
Izzy then shuddered from the cold breeze while the droplets on her froze as some icicles formed on her mane. "Ooh, now that's frosty." She said with a smile before she spoke out to the cave. "Hellooooo! Is somepony in there?" She called out.
Then a familiar shadow figure in the cave growled. "Eek!" Izzy yelped as she hid behind a rock. "That didn't look like a pony." She noted before she gave a gasp. "Maybe they're new to town!" She said with a smile before she frowned. "Oh, no! I haven't gotten them a 'Welcome to Maretime Bay, Wanna Be Best Friends?' fruity basket!" She anxiously said before she calmed down and gave a determined expression. "Come on, Izzy! Get it together!" She called as she rushed off.
The shadow figure kept growling before heading back into the cave.
At the Boardtrot, Sunny was at her stand with Sunset, Twilight, Zipp, and Pipp as she showed them a bit of her supplies. "So, you see, the loop-de-loop will increase yumminess by thirty-six percent!" She said with a smile as she brought out a weirdly shaped loop-de-loop straw and put it on a smoothie cup and passed it to her friends, who gave questionable looks.
"You don't say…" Zipp said with a brow.
"Uhhhh... okay." Pipp simply said.
"That's, a weird way to sell." Sunset said while scratching her mane.
"An interesting idea, Sunny." Twilight said with an awkward smile while Sunny dusted her hoof with a smirk.
"Sunny! Pipp! Zipp! Twilight! Sunset!" Izzy's voice yelled out as the mares turned and saw Izzy hopping over to them in pure excitement as she got on the stand. "New friend! Need a fruit basket! No time to explain! Bananas! Now!" She quickly said with sparkles in her eyes.
Sunny gave an awkward smile. " U-Um, o-okay." She said as she gave Izzy a fruit basket before taking out her loop-de-loop straws. "Here, you can have one of my new straws. On the house—" She said before Izzy rushed off.
"Thanks! Love ya! Byeeeee!" Izzy called out excitedly as the mares gave weirded looks.
"That was a weird and confusing exit." Twilight commented.
"Weirder and more confusion for Izzy you mean." Sunset joked with a chuckle. "But I wonder what got Izzy so excited?" She wondered while the mares thought the same thing.
In the ice cave, Allura and Twitch are chilling in the cave while Allura walks around. "You know, despite my research on this Crystal Empire, Twitch, there is one thing about this cave that I'm thankful for." She said with a smile as Twitch shrugged while giving a confused look. "No ponies." She finished as she layed back after stretching.
But then Izzy appeared behind the rocks. "Hi, new friend!" She cheerfully said, which made Allura startled before she turned and saw her as she growled and pounced at her while she and Twitch gave evil glares. "Wait! Allura?!" She asked in shock.
"You?!" Allura exclaimed in rage as she and Twitch advanced towards Izzy, who backed away fearfully. "What are you doing in here?!" She questioned.
"Uh, the door was wide open." Izzy answered nervously while pointing to the exit.
"You and one of your Alicorn friends destroyed the Nova Charm." Allura said in rage. "The one thing that could've freed me from this steaming wasteland!" She snapped as she was right in front of Izzy's face.
"Sunset and I didn't mean to, you know?" Izzy said with a nervous look. "But, uh, I did bring you this." She offered the fruit basket to the raging snow leopard. "Maybe we could be friends." She offered, but Allura swatted the fruit basket away across the room.
"I don't want your fruit." Allura said with venom in her tone as she walked closer to Izzy, who backed away nervously. "And I certainly don't want to be friends. Now get out of here!" She growled as she raised her paw and her eyes glowed, which caused some magic to escape her paws and into Izzy's, causing her to give a blank stare while her eyes glowed.
Allura then stomped her paw down, which iced the ground before grabbing Izzy, making her face the door and pushing her out as Izzy was sent sliding out of the cave before she went out to the beach and fell on her stomach as the waves washed over her again.
Izzy snapped out of it after the splash, but then she felt the chills again. "Ooh, now that's frosty." She said before she turned to the cave again. Ooh, a new friend!" She said excitedly as she hopped behind the boulder, not having any memories of what happened from Allura. "Better get them one of my handy-dandy welcome prezzies!" She said as she rushed off.
Back at the Boardtrot, Sunny was still explaining about her new straws while Sunset, Twilight, Zipp and Pipp looked bored while Pipp slept on her sister's shoulder while snoring. "Because it's not just a straw. It's a way of life!" Sunny proclaimed with sparkles in her eyes.
"Yeah, very interesting." Sunset said tiredly as she gave a yawn.
"Is this how others feel when I try explaining things to them?" Twilight asked Sunset, a bit tired from Sunny's explanation for straws.
"A little bit." Sunset answered with a shrug. "But this is Sunny, so let her have this."
"Fair enough." Twilight said with a shrug.
"Sunny!" Izzy called out, which made the others turn to her in surprise to see her back so soon. "New friend! Need a fruit basket! No time to explain! Bananas!" She quickly said with sparkles in her eyes, which confused the others.
Sunny was confused before she gave Izzy another basket. "But you just got—" She tried to say but Izzy rushed off.
"Thanks! Love ya! Bye!" Izzy called as she ran off, leaving her friends confused.
"That was weird, even by Izzy standards." Sunset commented with a brow.
"Why did she come back and ask the same thing twice?" Zipp asked in wondered.
"It's like she's forgotten about this so quickly." Twilight said while rubbing her chin, which made them even more confused.
Back at the ice cave, Izzy trotted while singing. " ~Love these bananas! Really great!" She sang before she faced Allura and offered a basket, which the snow leopard swatted it away as Twitch ducked from the second basket.
Allura growled before she used her powers on Izzy again and tossed her out, which made her get splashed by water again, snapping her out of it when she noticed the cave and rushed off.
Izzy made it back to Sunny's stand with sparkling eyes,as she requested for another basket.
"~Perfect for her!" Izzy sang as she hopped back to the cave with another basket, but the second she returned, Allura growled and tossed another basket to the pile as Twitch ducked it again.
Allura uses her powers on Izzy again with a hiss before tossing her out before Izzy was splashed by the waves again.
"Thanks! Love ya! Bye!" Izzy called as she rushed out of the Boardtrot again with another basket as the mares get even more confused to why Izzy asked again.
Back in the cave, Allura roared in frustration as she used her powers on Izzy again.
A bit later, Izzy returned holding the basket to Allura again while hummining, which made the snow leopard growled and used her powers on Izzy again, sliding her out as the waves washed on her again.
In the cave, Twitch got out from a pile of fruit baskets while grumbling in annoyance at the amount Izzy gave them as he fell off the pile and onto the ground before one of the baskets fell on him.
A bit later, Izzy was back at the Boardtrot, completely out of breath from running back and forth repeatedly due to her memory loss as she flopped to the floor as she saw her friends with more fruit baskets.. "Ugh! Sunny! Zipp! Pipp! Sunset! Twilight! New friend! Need a—" She cried out out.
"Wait, Izzy! Hold it!" Zipp cut her off as she held up a fruit basket. "Who exactly are these fruit baskets for?" She questioned.
"Yeah, Izzy. You've been going back and forth repeatedly requesting the same thing." Sunset said with a brow. "Which is something weird, even for you."
"Really?" Izzy asked in wonder, not remembering her repeating the same thing over and over again.
"Yes, you have. But more importantly, who are you talking about anyways?" Twilight questioned
Izzy then got up with a cheerful smile. "I don't know yet, ponies. But they just moved into a cutie little ice cave down by the beach." She explained, which made the mares' eyes widened.
"Ice cave?" Sunset muttered.
"An ice cave near a beach?" Twilight repeated in confusion and wonder. "That's odd."
Zipp's eyes widened when Sunny walked up behind the three. "Uh-oh. Who do we know that likes ice?" She questioned before the four ponies realized who Izzy was talking about.
"Allura!" Both Sunny, Sunset, Zipp, and Twilight exclaimed in panic.
"She's been close to us this whole time by the beach?!" Twilight asked in shock by what they've learned.
"And a weird place to set up her hideout in an area that is hot like the beach." Sunset commented. "But either way, this is bad news." She muttered in seriousness.
"You have to stay away from that cave, Izzy!" Sunny said seriously to her unicorn friend as Twilight, Zipp, and Sunset nodded in agreement. "Allura is dangerous!" She added, which Izzy just gave a smile.
"Plus, you and Sunset destroyed the Nova Charm." Pipp stated. "I'm sure she's, like, kinda mad at you along with Sunset here." She mentioned.
"Last time, she was definitely mad when she ambushed me when she took control of you guys back in Canterlot." Sunset said with a shudder. "And I thought I had anger issues."
"From just seeing her briefly, it's easy to tell." Twilight noted.
Izzy then gasps all suddenly with sparkles in her eyes. "That's why I really should give her some fruit to apologize!" She said as she grabbed a basket before giving a scoff. "You ponies worry too much." She said with a smile.
"Izzy, that's not what-" Sunset tried to say but Izzy trotted off.
"Bye! Love ya!" Izzy said as she trotted off from her worried friends.
"Of course she wouldn't take this seriously, what were we thinking? She's Izzy." Sunset muttered while rubbing her head.
"Just like Pinkie Pie." Twilight muttered before she gave a concerned look. "From what we saw, Allura must've used her magic to erase Izzy's memories of her discovery."
"And from how many times Izzy came back asking the same thing, Allura must've been repeating it and might be a little annoyed by now." Pipp said with a concerned look with a hoof on her chin.
"Don't worry. We got this." Zipp said with determined smile as the mares all nodded with the same expression.
A bit later, Izz went back to Allura's cave searching for her. "Hey, Allura?" She called out as there was a mountain pile of fruit baskets that Twitch was stuck in. "I brought you some fruit." She said with a smile as she held up the basket.
Just then, Allura landed behind Izzy, who dropped the basket. "That's it! I've had enough!" She snapped in irritation as Izzy turned and saw her as she backed away from the snow leopard, who walked closer to her. "You and your hooves and your horns and your sickening desire to be friends! Ugh!" She groaned as she swiped the basket piles as they collapsed.
"Aah!" Izzy yelped fearfully after covering her head from the falling fruits before she look up at Allura. "Okay! I promise I'll never come back again!" She swore nervously as Allura towered.
Allura glared before she had an idea that made her smirk, which made Izzy nervous even more. "Or... I could just make sure that you never bother me again!" She declared as she raised her front paws.
"Yeah!" Twitch called in agreement as Allura stomped her paws down, causing th ice magic to trail the ground and headed straight for Izzy.
Izzy tried to get away, but the ice magic got to her and trapped her in an ice snow globe. "Hey! Let me out of here! It's kinda cold." She cried as she shivered as the snow globe was freezing inside with snow falling in as well. "Help!" She cried out.
"Hey!" Zipp's voice yelled out as Allura and Twitch turned and saw Zipp and Pipp flying behind them, glaring at her. "Let her go!" Zipp demanded.
Allura growled as she surrounded herself in ice magic before giving a roar as Twitch smirk as he moved aside as icicles popped up from the ceiling and started falling down as Pipp and Zipp flew around to avoid them before an ice cloud blinded the room.
Allura growls as she searches for the royal sisters, who are hiding behind a boulder. But before Allura could even search, an ice shattering was heard as she looked up and gasped when she saw the hole she covered with ice above her was shattered while flying down and landed on the ground was none other than Twilight and Sunset.
"Don't you dare hurt Izzy!" Sunset yelled as she and Twilight charged up their horns with glares. "That's our cheery friend!" She growled as Izzy gasped while still shivering.
"S-Sunset! T-Twilight!" Izzy cheered in joy while still shivering.
"Let Izzy go and we leave, Allura!" Twilight offered with a glare, her horn still burning bright.
Allura said nothing as she cracked her neck, which signified that she's not accepting the offer as her eyes glowed and she gave another roar, which she charged at the Alicorns as Sunset and Twilight gave battle cries as they charged at Allura as well.
The two sides collided as Twilight sent a magic blast first, which Allura blocked with an ice wall before sending an ice wave, which sent the two Alicorns back as the snow leopard growled and stomped her paws again as the magic wave advanced towards them.
"Han, we know that trick." Sunset commented with a smirk as she flew up and her horn burned bright as she fired a beam at the ice trails, which melted instantly as she circled back to Twilight.
"Grrr! I really despise Alicorn magic." Allura growled as she then sent a howl at the Alicorns, which Twilight quickly shielded as they vanished from impact.
"Well, you're about to get much worse from it!" Twilight called as she and Sunset sent a combined blast at Allura, which she flew back to avoid the blast. "We got, Allura! You girls rescue Izzy!"
"Roger that!" Zipp saluted from behind the boulder.
"Though hurry! We can't keep her back much longer!" Sunset called as she and Twilight kept fighting Allura as they flew around and started clashing magic with each other.
Zipp looked up as she knew that freeing Izzy will be complicated with how hard Allura's ice are, so she looked up at the icicle above Izzy's snowglobe trap before she had an idea. "I've got an idea! Follow my lead, sis!" She said with a smile.
"You got it!" Pipp nodded as the two sisters flew up.
"Bravery!" Zipp called out as her Cutie Mark glowed.
"Confidence!" Pipp called next as her Cutie Mark glowed as she and Zipp flew up to the icicle over Izzy. "Sunset, Twilight, get Allura's attention over here!"
"What are you two-" Twilight cuts herself off as she realizes what their plan was. "Oh, I see." She said with a smirk as she turned to Sunset. "Sunset, they have a plan! Let's blind Allura for a moment!"
"Okay!" Sunset called as she and Twilight then flew up. "Empathy!" She called as her Cutie Mark glowed.
"Magic!" Twilight called as her Cutie Mark glowed before the two Alicorns then charged up their magic and sent it straight to Allura, creating a flash that blinded her.
"Aaah! My eyes! Cheap shot!" Allura cried out as she shook her head while rubbing her eyes from the flash. Seeing pure light for a moment before her vision returned, seeing Sunset and Twilight aren't there. "Where'd you go?! Where'd you go?!" She demanded as she searched around with a glare.
"Hey! Allura!" Zipp called out, which made Allura turn to see Twilight and Sunset with the royal sisters.
"Up here, furball!" Pipp taunted.
"If you want to hit us, then do it!" Twilight mocked with a smirk.
"Come on! Hit us with your best shot!" Sunset added with a smirk while giving a raspberry to Allura.
Allura growled as she then focused her magic again, which whirled around her as a magic ball formed over her before Allura spread her wings and waved them down, sending an ice beam of ice shards at them. The four ponies flew out of the way as the beam hit the icicle behind them, which grew before it cracked and fell onto Izzy's ice dome, freeing her.
"No!" Allura cried out at the trick she fell for as an icicle piece nearly landed near her, which she flinched back with a glare.
"The old misdirection move. Works every time." Twilight said with a proud smirk as the winged ponies landed as they saw Izzy free.
"Whoo-hoo!" Izzy cheered as she hopped around before she caught her friends in a big hug. "My heroes!"" She said with a smile and sparkles in her eyes.
"Uh, no time to celebrate yet, Iz!" Zipp quickly said as she broke the hug.
"Yeah! Now's not the time! Come on!" Sunset called as the four ponies then made their way to the exit.
Allura glared as she stomped towards them a bit. "Get out! And stay out!" She yelled as she summoned much of her ice magic and created an ice twister as snow came out.
"Incoming!" Sunset cried out as the four ponies were caught in the snow as they screamed and were pushed out of the cave. They then poked their heads out from the pile. "Is everypony okay?" She asked while rubbing her head.
"Ugh. Yeah." Zipp said as she wiped the snow off her head while Pipp shook her head.
"At least it's just snow." Twilight said as she blew some snow off her muzzle as Izzy poke her head out as she sighed before they all turned and saw Allura standing in the cave as she gave them a glare as Twitch came by her side. "And it looks like somepony wants to send us a final look." She added with a glare.
Sunset then flew out of the pile as she glared at Allura as well. "We know where you're hiding now, Allura! If we can't get you to leave, if you even try to harm us or anypony in Equestria, we will stop you! No matter what!" She warned as the ponies all gave determined looks at the snow leopard.
"Not if I keep you ponies out of my cave! And soon, you will all pay!" Allura yelled as she stomped her paw down, creating an ice wall as she kept glaring at her enemies as the wall kept growing as the ponies kept glaring back at her, while Izzy just frowned, until the ice wall completely formed, cutting off any sights of them.
Sunset sighed as she turned to Izzy. "Izzy, are you okay?" She asked.
"Y-Yes." Izzy nodded with a frown. "T-That was scary."
"Which is why we specifically told you to stay away from Allura." Twilight said with a frown. "You of all ponies would know that, Izzy. She's not one to be friends with."
"I-I know, I'm sorry. I learned that after just getting back to her cave." Izzy said with a frown. "I didn't know that I made Allura this angry by coming back here, which I don't recall." She said while scratching her mane.
"It wasn't your fault, Izzy." Zipp assured her. "Allura kept using her magic on you to try and get you to forget about her hiding spot."
"Wait, really?" Izzy asked in surprise. "Huh, no wonder I kept having deja vu in my brain."
"Yeah, we figured as much." Pipp said with a chuckle.
"We're just glad you're okay, Izzy. But next time, if you see something sinister and mysterious, don't go close to it." Sunset advised as Izzy looked down and nodded her head in understanding before Sunset smiled. "But you did lead us to Allura's lair." She said as she gestured to the ice wall Allura set up to keep them out.
"Which means, we might have a chance against her." Twilight added with a determined smile. "She can keep us out, but the next time we meet, we'll be ready."
"And we'll stop her, together." Sunset finished as Izzy smiled as they all looked at the ice wall Allura sealed up, they might not have access to her lair, but at least they know where she is, and they'll be ready for her the next time they face each other.
A bit later, Allura and Twitch were in the cave with fruit baskets all around them as Twitch grumbled in relief. "You said it, Twitch. I'm glad they're finally out." Allura said in relief as she growled. "Those ponies are a nuisance. Especially that cheerful unicorn. She never stops coming!" She groaned as she sighed.
Allura took a moment to calm down before she got a serious look. "But now those ponies know where we are." She said as Twitch mumbled in understanding. "We might need to do our research much faster on this Crystal Empire." She said as she took out the book she got from Canterlot about the Crystal Empire. "And find out more about King Sombra and this Crystal Heart and see if this could help us turn things to our favor." She said as she turned the page to where it showed details on King Sombra as Allura gave a smirk. "And a way to finally get rid of those ponies once and for all." She added as she and Twitch gave a sinister chuckle.
Their lair may have been discovered, but they still have plans as they look at Sombra and details on the Crystal Empire while trying to find a way to get there.
End of Chapter 23.