If trust if a fragile thing, then life can shatter by the gentlest breeze. The Cutie Mark Crusaders had entered the school paper to become journalists, Instead they are forced to slander their friends and family. And now they they are shunned and exiled. Forced to wander the Everfree they start to question their worth, and they start to doubt if their lives ever had any meaning to begin with.
Elsewhere a meteorological anomaly freezes everything in it's path. And attracted to the hatred and grief caused by the Crusaders' gossip, a force unseen for a thousand years begins to resurface.
But this is not a gentle breeze. It is a storm of emotions, a storm of death and a storm of ice, and it is inevitable. For this is their path. A path of ice and snow, hatred and wrath, sin and punishment. The Path of Absolution.
If you proceed any further then you shall witness darkness and ice overtake Equestria as it plunges on the verge of a second ice age and the brink of despair. I hope you are aware that this story won't be bright or cheerful.
Thanks to Sereg, Pond/Posey, Mixolydian Grey, and plainoasis for proofreading and to Swirling Line for the cover art. And special thanks to the good folks on the TvTropes Pony Fanfiction and MLP Live Reactions threads.
This is not a rewrite of "The Path Of Absolution - Forgiveness"
Very good story. Don't you mean Hoof prints instead of Footprints?
2659438 Okay I changed it to "hoofprints" sorry it toke so long.
Stupid question, but why didn't Twilight teleport the statues to the library instead of leaving them in the Everfree forest?
2694584 Doylist answer:It would ruin the drama (and radically change the story) if They were able to instantaneously cure them after making the cure.
Watsonian answer: Some of the towns ponies are a little sore from the Gabby Gums thing. The manes thought they would be safer there than in a town where the statues could get accidentally (or not) broken. Also, I think Twilight can only teleport herself or a group including herself and they wanted to get the venom first.
Even if nopony knew the statues were in the library?
2695928 Well, there seems to be no hidden rooms to hide three filly-sized statues there (And if there were Twilight doesn't seem to know of them) and unless the population of Ponyville is illiterate then ponies should occasionally visit the library and then saw the statues. Plus even if mane 6 had brought the statues back there would be a risk of them breaking and preemptively killing of the CMC. They don't seem likely to take that risk.
Odd, what about the basement? Where her lab is?
2696041
forgot about that. Well it's a little too late to change that now.
Is this the sequel to your other story, "The Path of Absolution - Forgiveness"?
2698253 No, This a different continuity.
Looks good so far. Just a quick bit of advice.
You say "began to" a few times. As in, they began to read, or something like that. usually, you don't need to say that in order to get your message across.
Duh Duh DUHHH!
Does anybody else notice that the windigo started to speak just like Luna at the end
2733172 I noticed =P He also spoke that way during Diamond Dust's coronation.
Been watching Ghost Rider by any chance?
2735768 No, this is a more direct Biblical reference for symbolism purposes and because I just don't want to refer to him as "adviser" anymore.
2736211
Ah, right.
Typo in the cover-slip.
That bolded and underlined word should be "begin" not "being".
2849494
I'll fix that now. Thanks
Of all the alternate endings to Ponyville Confidential that I've found (and that's not a lot), this has been the best one thus far. It really shows that even the simplest of actions can have severe consequences.
If you do make a sequel to this, please use Ending Alpha, because after so much torment, it'll be nice to have some peace... sort of.
2866143 thanks. And I am considering making a sequel. But I'm leaning more to exploring how Ending Omega affects the canon for it.
2866756
It's your call, I have faith that you won't disappoint.
Great story you did a good job
2898516 Thanks
wow this was the longest story iv ever read but it was worth it great job
okay ill be honest this was hard to read they were to many thing going on at the sane time also I wanted more closure like all of ponyville Apologizing for there harsh treatment and diamond tiara getting punished for blackmailing the CMC into this mess.
......Wow, you really know how to jump the shark.
very good XD
This is what I think of child abuse:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOtFbGRY1rQ
Just skip to 1:11 to get the full effect. Frankly, I hope whatever's attacking Equestria hits this mob good and HARD.
For such a sad turn of events, that reminds me way too much of ''Spamalot''.
i like this story because of the zodiacs, though it could have a spirit for the 13th zodiac since it's symbol was shown but other than that good story.
Better ending
Okay, so I know that this fic is over 6 years at this point but why would an angry mob have any right to chase anyone out of town over a gossip rag.
I know that back when this was written the background ponies were personality-less filler and horses panic easily but that wouldn't the main characters stop them
10279639
Too right, friend. I'm three to four chapters into story and I already find it ridiculous. The amount of animosity and hatred towards the CMC is irrational, unrealistic, petit and childish.
Not to mention the fact there is an angry mob out to get three young fillies over a gossip rag printed by school students is going to far.
Not to mention it is so asinine for something like this to actually happening. Seriously? The Windigos and the everlasting winter is coming back because one small town of ponies got so bend out of shape over something so trivial and insignificant.
Give me a break...
Seriously Windwalkers? They sound like rip offs of Whitewalkers from Game of Thrones and than some.
And say this again... all this is happening because of one asinine gossip school paper! Talk about jumping the damn shark.
10751411
Honestly, the way you describe this makes me think that this story could be unintentionally hilarious.
Already a few chapters in and the grammar errors and lack of quality are pretty obvious. The plot itself doesn’t make any kind sense but I admire the spirit of it. I don’t think I will continue reading due to the issues this story has though. The town of Ponyville driving out 3 fillies? Seriously? And that somehow attracts the Windigoes?