At the apex of King Sombra's tyrannical rule, six crystal ponies venture through the driving snow and icy underground caverns in an attempt to flee the oppressive Crystal Empire to the mythical Equestria, far past the miles of frozen wasteland.
But the caverns below hold terrifying secrets, and the road to Equestria is a long one.
Special thanks to Ice Star for prereading help. (1-2)
This story, besides the obvious horror elements, contains heavy themes of domestic abuse and slavery.
Chapters (3)
That cover art,...
That's your OC, isn't it?
Glad to see this is finally up!
8270700
Yeppers!
first things first
why oh why am I not following you yet
and second
Nigeq is pretty chill about all this...
I love the tension!
Chilling and tense, and particularly relevant for someone interested in FascistSombra worldbuilding. I look forward to more.
8293630
Well it is the Frozen North.
Inasmuch as a monarch can be a fascist, aye. Regardless, Crystal Empire 'historical fiction' is something I've always wondered why people are less gung-ho about, compared to Equestria/The Two Sisters historical fiction.
Very glad you like it so far!
8296062
I use the term because "Monarch" has entirely positive connotations in the MLP universe.
"Fascist" leaves far less room for doubt.
I can only say that this might not end well in the long run.
trod is already the past tense form of 'tread'.
This paragraph randomly stops without a period or, it seems, an entirely complete sentence.
8346448
Thanks for your edits. Have modified the story accordingly
Hey, I forgot to say this earlier, but awesome story you have going on here!
8296089 Considering that most people throwing that term around as they claim to be opposed to it simultaneously utilizing tactics almost universally applied by fascists, I don't think it's clear at all. Most clearly don't even know what that system of government entails and are too lazy to use a search engine to look it up.
It is a centralized autocratic system with a single dictator, with both economic and social details all controlled by the central leadership. Additionally, all opposition parties and movements are forcibly suppressed.
In a fascist government, the NATION (and frequently one race, but not always is this the case) are far more important than the individual... which is similar to communist philosophy in which the social collective is more important than individual liberties.
Interestingly, many communist nations actually become much closer to fascist nations once a singular dictator assumes power. Kim Jung Un is a perfect example of such a leader.
Sombra doesn't fit the definition of a fascist leader, as he's not espousing a particular populist or nationalist identity, but is rather simply dominating the populace through sheer power. This is a more traditional tyrannical monarchical role, along the lines of a Nero or Caligula.
Huh, there's something you don't see every day on this site -- a title in Inuktitut!
Are you a fellow Canadian, by any chance?
8376262
Aye! Northern Ontarian!
8376337
YAY!
Always nice to see fellow inhabitants of the True North Strong and Free around the site...
I am thoroughly spooked. Muktuk is fucking terrifying.
8460976
ｓｎｏｗｂｏｙｅ
And now onto the crux of the story. Good job crafting Sombra's chilling dystopia, though I won't be sad to leave it behind.
I stumbled on this fic a while ago- still halfway through reading it (got distracted a few times now
)
I love this concept and am curious about all these characters, and especially love how you weave in real-world words and ideas into this story.
Will definitely keep reading
8636344
Very happy to hear this! I sure hope it keeps your interest!
This story has me hooked. I hope there’s more updates, eh?
8460976
Especially when she grinned at Winny with a malicious amusement that sent chills down her spine. Ooo what a villain! More scarier than Sombra!
That was great and it was just a first chapter. As usual, you have a gift with words, this is DENSE with story and culture. I especially like the elements about the crystal ponies' culture and how oppressive you made Sombra with so little time. This is just a fantastic beginning to a story, I'm hooked.
Oof, that feeling of being absolutely sold on a story that might be a while updating...
Everything about the atmosphere of this fic is so fitting for a long and desperately needed update.
Out of the snow, but still in the cold. Not quite the dark, yet still well within the reach of Him. I’m already looking forward to following the threads you’ve laid out, as well as seeing more of these very, very punchy characters, since its plain to see that there’s going to be a lot of changes and growth needed for them to make their journey. Plus, there’s so many more stories I can see them telling beyond the ones they’ve shared.
I think my favorite part of this chapter is definitely the touches about earth ponies and their magic. Using Winny’s unfortunately intimate familiarity with Sombra to draw a line against aspects of the world that ponies take for granted is just such a beautiful and impactful way to deliver world-building.
When Sombra finally appears, will he act the way he did in Season 9? I really hope not. I hate it when serious characters get silly.
11595501
Lol no, he'll be consistent with how he was in the first 2 chapters which were written pre S9
More necromancy! Yes! 😀
Yet another rise from the freezer!
Time to dig in again! There is so much potential in those dark universes!
Had to spend a moment to refresh on things since the last update but yeah, this is still really good and I'm looking forward to more.
It took me no time at all to fall back in love, perhaps moreso now that we're in the meat of things. I really look forward to seeing this develop!