//------------------------------// // Building a Home // Story: Agate's Vigil // by Wingnut //------------------------------// ❅ ❆ ❅ Agate was confused. It had been happening a lot lately, she noticed. Ever since she lost her life and it turned out not to be the end, really, but these strange northern ponies were extra confusing. So many things about them were hard or completely impossible to understand. A few things made sense, like the game the old mares played with her to teach her some of their language. Their use of sleds instead of carts. Their long coats to survive in the cold. Other things, though... Their strange magic was odd for what looked like extra-fluffy earth ponies, but perhaps that was it. Maybe they just looked like earth ponies, but were a different tribe altogether. Earth ponies certainly didn't change the weather by singing, or eat fish for dinner. At least, she was reasonably certain that it was fish. The Empire didn't have large bodies of water, so she never saw a real one before. A lone river ran on the outskirts of their territory, but that was it. Seeing as the city was built down in the valley, the groundwater was just below the surface, and most ponies got their water from wells. Still, they didn't really have aquatic life in them, so the only fish that Agate ever saw were in school books about various animals. Either way, it certainly wasn't any kind of fruit or vegetable. Those didn't really have skeletons in them. Probably. And the mare just chowed down on them, like it was the most delicious thing in the world. Agate really wanted to ask the ponies about it, but she didn't have the words yet. She didn't even know their word for "question". So, learning about that mystery had to be postponed. Yesterday, there was another display of strangeness from the two ponies, along with a whole bunch of others. She spent the night in their home, instead of the longhouse where the mare that brought her to their village lived. Glacier Glider, whatever her name meant. She'd learn the meaning of it eventually. In the morning, the old mare and her... helper? Daughter? They told her their names too, they were... True Sight and... Earthsong, that's right. The two brought Agate to some kind of workshop area outside. She expected to be taught more words or something similar, but the older ma- True Sight, should remember their names - just asked her to sit down, and went off to direct the large amount of other ponies moving about. Earthsong went to join the group as well, leaving the filly wondering just what her role was in this. Agate wasn't familiar with woodwork at all, but she could certainly recognize that the group gathered in the clearing were craftsponies. They held the tools of their trade with confident ease, sizing up the rather impressive log set up in the middle of the area. True Sight gathered them all together, gave a short speech, and off they went. After coming back briefly to ask the filly to wait, she dove headfirst into the work. It certainly wasn't boring to watch the ponies apply their skills to the tree. It looked so different than working with crystals or metal, and Agate didn't notice the time fly by as she watched the ponies chisel, chop and carve into the tree trunk. "It splinters a little bit, but it's also so... springy? I really wonder how it feels under your hoof. It's almost like a strange cross between metal and crystal. You can break off little pieces of it, but it won't shatter completely." Crystal ponies certainly knew how to work lumber, but it wasn't a material that was used in many things besides furniture and carts. After a few hours, some of the ponies went off to bring some food to their coworkers. This prompted Agate to take a closer look at the ponies, instead of focusing entirely on their project. After a while of observing them, she started to notice something curious. Most of them were doing obvious physical tasks, but others were doing things that didn't seem to have any visible effect. And even the ones carving the wood would stop now and then to caress the log, muttering something under their breaths. The whole thing had the slight feel of a... a ceremony. She knew what ceremonies were, of course. Crystal ponies had loads of them. That didn't help her in any way to understand the meaning behind this one, though. Continuing her observation of the ponies, she soon saw that the group that was standing further away from the action near some tables were making their way towards the log, True Sight and Earthsong among them. They joined in on the work on the tree, and things got a bit more interesting. Holding some far more delicate-looking chisels, they started to carve various symbols into the wood. Looking at the squiggles, Agate noticed that some of them looked a little bit like the ones carved around the doors of the houses in the village, though others looked completely new. It was almost like writing, though not of any language that she knew. Even old Ponish didn't look that way. Some of the ponies took torches and started burning in the symbols, while others heated up odd substances and poured them into the carvings, muttering and chanting under their breaths all the time. And, just like the symbols she saw in the village, these ones also began glowing softly in the perpetual dark. "It's an enchantment," she realized. "More of their magic. Interesting. Crystal ponies work with crystal, and these ponies work with wood, seeing as there's a big forest nearby. They do have magic crystals, though..." Slowly, the tree lit up with more and more symbols, carefully and almost lovingly added by the cadre of their earth pony wizards, while the woodcrafters kept adding fine details to their carvings. Examining their work more closely, she could see that they had almost finished. The bottom of the tree was decorated with a circle of mountains, looking impressively realistic despite being carved out of wood, not stone. Higher up, there was a circle of hoofprints, going all around the trunk, with flying birds depicted over them. And above that, there- "Is that my face?!" Well. That certainly explained who the ceremony/enchantment was for, but not what the heck it could possibly be for. Shifting uncertainly in her spot, she glanced at the ponies. The ones carving out her face in the wood stopped now and then to look at her, making sure to get her details just right. Looking closely at the carving, she tried to compare it to the last time she saw herself in a mirror. It was a bit stylized, but there was no doubt. It was her face, and part of her head, that was getting carved in there. "But why?" The ponies certainly didn't look like they were doing this with some intent to harm her, if that was even possible. And figuring out the purpose of this thing without being able to talk to them definitely wasn't possible. The only option was to wait and watch what happened. "Wait, hold on... I saw this before. Not this, but..." Something tickled at her mind, something relatively recent. She tried to remember her first tense meeting with these ponies. There was a mare in the darkness, she was saying something to Agate, and then the mare started staring at... a large carved log that Agate was standing next to. She didn't remember if the other carvings were the same or not, but the face was definitely one of a stallion. And it felt like it was watching her, it's eyes glimmering faintly. She dismissed it as an unusual statue back then, but it was obviously something much more than that. "Is... that what they're doing? Was that actually another dead pony? Are they going to turn me into a tree? Is that what they do with their dead? Weird..." Trying to imagine what it would be like to be a tree, Agate kept watching the ponies work, though she was now distracted by the thoughts running through her head. Every time she'd glance at the log, a new detail that she missed due to her distraction would present itself. The mountains got colored, adding more detail to the carving. The hoofmarks and birds got the same treatment, and most of the available space was filled in with the various glowing symbols. The ponies also bored holes into the sides, inserting some of the glowing citrine crystals in them. Before long, the work was finished, and the ponies got ready to go home. True Sight ordered some last-minute adjustments to be made, adding some crystals to her carving's eyes. "My eyes aren't yellow... But I guess they can't really tell that anymore..." The filly silently lamented, looking at her colorless, somewhat transparent legs. The ponies were all leaving by then, their work finished. The two mares that brought her here approached the filly, Earthsong saying something while messing up Agate's mane. She stuck her tongue out at the mare, who was obviously amused by the filly's confusion. The two then turned to walk away, trotting in the direction of their home. With one last glance at the carving of her face, Agate went after them. There were no speech lessons this time around. The two mares were obviously tired from the long day, and immediately went to sleep after a quick snack of hay and what looked like dried moss. Earthsong managed to bid her goodnight, while True Sight almost walked into a wall while going to her room. Now, Agate was lying down in front of the fire pit, lazily moving her hoof through the faint wisps of smoke curling from the dying coals. She didn't feel like trying to do the whole half-sleep tonight, her mind abuzz with random thoughts and questions with no answers. These ponies clearly knew more about her situation than anyone in the Crystal Empire did. They weren't afraid of her at all, and just seemed to accept her as something completely normal. Which would absolutely not be the case in the Empire. A ghost casually walking around would likely cause a stampede there. They also seemed to have some kind of plan to do something with her, if yesterday was any indication. So, should she trust them with whatever they were planning? They didn't really act hostile. Except for the first time they met, but that was natural. She was a complete stranger that just wandered into their midst. What were they going to do with her and that wooden statue, though? "I just want to see my family again," the filly muttered under her breath. "Even if just to say goodbye." Laying down on the floor completely, she closed her eyes and listened to the faint sounds of the wind outside. It was much easier to remain motionless these days, and the whole night seemed to pass by in a mere moment. It didn't take long until noises started emanating from the room to the left, and Earthsong soon stumbled out. The mare looked tired, her brown coat and black mane tangled in places. These ponies usually had really well groomed coats, probably to help them with the cold. Likely she really worked herself to the bone yesterday, though Agate still didn't understand most of the things she did. "Dægrima, Agate," she muttered quietly while reaching for some kindling and poking the coals around to look for an ember. Likely, that was a "Good morning, Agate.". "Good morning, Earthsong," the filly replied politely. The mare soon had a tiny flame going, which she carefully tended to produce a small fire. She put a clay pot on the fire, throwing some herbs and twigs in there. Likely a tea of some sort. While the tea was heating up, she stretched a few times with a grunt. Muttering something under her breath, she took a closer look at her appearance, and took to grooming her coat with her mouth and hooves. After undoing the worst tangles, she retrieved a comb from her room to finish the job. Agate kept lying near the firepit, wondering at what their activities were going to be today. Would they take her to that wooden statue/pillar thing again? She'd find out soon enough, she supposed. It didn't take too long for the other occupant of the house to show up. True Sight soon ambled out. looking a bit grumpy. though she didn't seem to be as exhausted as Earthsong was. Greeting Agate with a pat on the head, the old mare took a seat at the table. The two mares said their morning greetings, Earthsong pouring cups of tea for both of them. Their breakfast was more hay and moss this time. Perhaps they ran out of the whatever roots they used to make porridge, or maybe they just wanted to vary up their food. Either way, it didn't take long for them to finish eating, and soon the two were discussing something quietly. It wasn't hard to guess at what the topic of their discussion was. Agate folded her ears as the two talked quietly, glancing at the filly now and then. She'd grown to trust these ponies over the last few days she spent with them, but she was still nervous about the unknown. She tried to make sense of their conversation, but her understanding of their language was still far too limited. After some back and forth, the two nodded, getting up from the table. Earthsong went to the filly, gently stroking Agate's mane while cooing something reassuring in her tongue. After the filly calmed down a little bit, the mare tugged her on her hooves, signaling for her to stand up. Taking a non-existent breath, the nervous spirit got on her hooves. True Sight nodded, saying something while heading out the door. Smiling, Earthsong nodded at the door, following the elder outside. After a moment, Agate followed suit. It was time to find out just what all that hubbub yesterday was about. True Sight went down the same path they walked yesterday, to the field that held the mysterious carved and enchanted tree. Unlike yesterday, though, they didn't walk the path alone. They were soon joined by more ponies heading in the same direction. The two mares greeted them all, talking animatedly about something. The air seemed to hold a sense of celebration. All of the ponies were smiling widely, looking excited about something. Agate recognized some of them as the woodworkers that worked on the tree yesterday, though others were completely unfamiliar. The ponies openly looked at her as they were talking now, some of them saying something to her that sounded like a congratulation of some kind. She nodded and said "thanks" every time, though she still didn't know just what was going on. The ponies seemed to take her lack of ability to communicate in their tongue in good spirit, though. Soon, they reached the clearing. The tree was still there, largely unchanged from yesterday. The paint seemed to have dried and set, but that was it. The group started surrounding the tree, dividing themselves into pairs and eyeing the massive log. They intended to carry it somewhere, but after some fiddling around, it looked like there weren't enough sizeable ponies. A couple peeled off, likely to call some reinforcements. While the ponies were waiting, Agate snuck closer to the pillar of wood, examining it more closely. Some roots were still attached to the bottom of the tree, though they were all cleaned and polished until the wood shined, the longest strands trimmed and cut down to a size about the length of Agate's foreleg. Some lines were carved into the roots as well, though they weren't nearly as elaborate as the carvings on the trunk. The bottom part had the circle of mountains, going all around the trunk. They were painted now, the black and white paint on the carved shapes giving an impressive illusion of perspective. Were those the mountains that she passed through to get here? She squinted, but wasn't able to recognize any of the silhouettes. Not that she was looking at the landscape too closely in her non-stop gallop to get here. There was a gap between the bottom carving and the other one, filled with the mysterious magical script. It still didn't make any sense to her, and though she was tempted to poke them to see if anything would happen, she decided to leave it alone. Also, there was a line of citrine crystals inlaid into the wood on the side, a similar line likely on the opposite side as well. The second circle had a ring of hoofmarks, with birds flying above. The hoofmarks didn't have anything unusual about them, so Agate examined the birds more closely. They somehow looked both very simplistically drawn, and almost alive at the same time. It wasn't a species that she recognized, though. Moving past another gap filled with runes and crystals, she stopped at the carving of her face. Tilting her head, she looked at it for a while. Was it... a gravestone of sorts? Her thoughts were interrupted as Earthsong came from behind her, patting the filly on the back. Blinking, Agate cleared her thoughts, tilting her head at the mare. She smiled, nodding towards the ponies gathered around the tree. While Agate was examining it, the ponies came back with some help. A number of mares and stallions lined up along the length of it, bending their knees to get underneath. True Sight went to the front to guide the group, while Earthsong led Agate a bit to the side. The ponies didn't use ropes or any other kind of assistance, simply squatting down, pressing their sides close together and lifting, the tree nestled in the crook between their backs. True Sight called out, and they all stood up as one. Another mare joined the elder, this one carrying a drum of some kind. She struck the instrument, and all the ponies raised a front hoof simultaneously. Another bang, and they all stepped forward as one. Earthsong and Agate followed along, observing the procession. The drummer slowly increased the tempo, until they were moving at a slow, but steady trot. True Sight steered them towards the village center, moving towards the more populated areas. The noise attracted more and more ponies, and soon there was a large amount of them walking alongside and trailing behind the tree-carrying group. Agate glanced around, observing the whole thing. The ponies carrying the tree weren't smiling, rather, they had their chests puffed out, looks of immense pride on their faces. Like the act of bearing their burden was an immense honor for them. The ponies accompanying the march had the previous feel of celebration about them, cheering on the group and making their way to pat Agate on the back and say a few words to the filly. It went on that way for quite some time. Instead of continuing on all the way to the village center, though, they carefully turned down a different street, maneuvering the weight on their backs expertly. Slowly, the path took them back in the direction of the outskirts of the village, the buildings getting more sparse as they went along. Soon, the last building was behind the group. The mountains loomed in the distance , while a few trees dotted the area. In front of them, there was a large clearing that was swept clean of snow, a sizeable hole dug into the frozen ground. Another group of ponies were already waiting by a mound of earth, armed with some shovels. A few of their wizard ponies were there too, performing their rituals. They had some jars of colorful powder, twigs, and who knows what else, throwing bits of them into the hole, chanting in their tongue. Coming in closer towards them, Agate noticed that there was smoke coming out of the pit in the ground. Did they light a fire to thaw out the earth for easier digging? That was clever. The ponies accompanying the procession all surrounded the clearing, though they made sure not to step on to the snowless part of the ground, leaving plenty of space for the ponies carrying the tree to maneuver it around. True Sight called out more commands, while the drummer mare changed her music. It was really impressive how the entire line of ponies managed to carry the tree all the way there without so much as stumbling once. In a further display of their coordination, they moved into the clearing, and started to walk sideways, aiming the roots towards the hole. The two ponies at the very end of the tree called out a warning, and stepped away so as not to fall in. The rest stopped, laid down, and slowly stepped away to the sides, the tree sliding down to the ground with barely a thump. The spectators cheered and stomped, congratulating the team for their success. The ponies pat each other on the back, looking satisfied at their hoofwork. The wizards then approached the roots, carrying some curious strands of rope. It looked like they were woven from their own fluffy coats. Taking the short pieces of rope, they tied them in various spots along the roots, making sure they stayed on firmly. After completing their task, they nodded to the ponies in the clearing. Once more, they stepped towards the carved tree, lifting from one end. The roots were caught in the hole, and the wooden pillar was slowly pushed to stand upright. The ponies with the shovels stepped in to help, quickly filling up the hole and stomping the soft earth down to hold the pillar firmly in place. Earthsong went to join them, jumping and stomping on the ground. The diggers and the carriers left the area to join the crowd, while a number of vaguely familiar ponies filtered out into the clearing. Agate recognized some of the more memorable ones, like the mare with the feather headdress and avian mask, and the old snow-white mare that summoned the blizzard the first time she was brought before these ponies. They were their wizards, magicians, or whatever their people called them. Judging by their number and presence here, they were going to perform some kind of magical ritual again. Her guess was proven correct as four of them joined Earthsong, circling the pillar in some kind of synchronized, dance-like jumps and stomps. And just like the last time she witnessed it, it didn't take long for the ponies to raise their voices in song. This time, she tried to take in more details of their performance instead of just staring in wonder. Finding a spot near the crowd surrounding the clearing and the carved wooden pillar, she sat down to watch. The five mares stomping the ground had deep voices, their singing sounding something akin to a boulder rolling downhill. They clearly had some kind of affinity to the earth. Sometimes, it was a little hard to tell whether the sounds came from their hooves, or their mouths. And judging from the deep hoofprints and slight shake that went through the ground every time they stomped on it, they had impressive strength as well. They kept circling the pillar, while the rest of them formed two more circles. The second circle was much larger, and more varied. The avian-masked mare was there, moving in her jerky, bird-like way again, letting out foreign-sounding bird calls. Half a dozen mares had jugs of water, sprinkling the ground in small splashes now and then. And a good couple dozen more were dancing and singing, some of them producing some interesting sounds with various instruments. They had hollowed out branches, whistles, drums, and some other implements Agate didn't know the names of. It was a very interesting concert, though they didn't seem to be performing any kind of significant magic this time. One that she could see, anyway. The third circle seemed to be made of the older mares. They sat around the rim of the clearing, letting out a low chant that rose and fell along with the rest of the group. True Sight was among them, along with the snowy blizzard summoner. Like the other ponies, their actions seemed to be more ceremonial than magical this time. Turning her eyes back towards the middle of the clearing, Agate tried to get a feel for the song. She couldn't sing to save her life, but she did appreciate the art of singing quite a lot. The sounds they were making didn't contain any words, but there was still a rhythm to it, a slowly rising and falling intensity, almost like a slow breath. The mares on the furthest circle started chanting a little louder, raising their voices slightly above the rest. The ponies in the second circle raised their voices in turn, intensifying their musical efforts as well. Which then led to the five in the first circle to shake furiously, ending the cycle with an earthshaking stomp. In that moment, the ponies quieted down, starting over. The five earth stompers slowly walked in a circle around the pillar, the mares with the jugs sprinkling some water on the ground. The instrument-wielding ponies gradually increased their tempo, the old mares soon joining in. Still listening with both ears, Agate examined the ponies surrounding the clearing, watching the proceedings while slowly swaying to the song. This was probably the biggest crowd that she saw in the village so far. It really looked like they were all of a single tribe. All fluffy, no horns or wings on any of them. Almost all of them were buck naked too, which made her feel a tiny bit jealous again. No hats, no cloaks, not even a single scarf. Some had amulets or bangles, but that was the limit of their accessories. The ones with the most trinkets on them seemed to be the magical mares in the circles. Almost all of them either had an amulet or several of them, several pouches hanging from their sides, some bangles or other things. A few had colorful pieces of string, bells, or various feathers stuck in their manes and tails. Turning to scan the crowd again, Agate saw something that made her freeze in place in complete shock. If she still had a beating heart, it would have likely skipped a beat. It was a pony. Not like the other ponies, though. This one was different in one important aspect. Just like Agate, he was colorless, translucent, and immaterial. Just like Agate, he was dead. It was hard to see him through all the dancing ponies. She was sitting in between the third and second circle, her back to the village. The stallion was standing on the opposite side, on the edge of the clearing closest to the outside of the village. He was examining her as well, looking on with a calm expression. Much like their attitudes towards Agate, the living ponies standing next to him didn't seem to find him strange or unusual at all. They continued staring at each other, neither one of them blinking or moving in any manner, their line of sight broken by a dancing pony now and then. The stallion appeared completely calm, looking on placidly. Agate was burning with curiosity, though she managed to keep her stoic expression as well. She had SO many questions that she wasn't able to ask. The spell was broken as an old mare came beside the stallion, nuzzling him on the chin. He blinked, looking away from Agate and nuzzling the mare back. They started conversing with each other, forgetting about the entire ceremony going on around them. Was she a relative of his? His mother, or maybe his wife? It was kind of hard to tell how old he was. Looking back towards the clearing, Agate saw that the ceremony was almost concluded. The dancers stopped, panting lightly from the exertion. The mares with the jugs of water upended them, letting the last drops to fall out. The ground around the pillar was stomped flat, firmly holding it in place. And the wooden pillar itself was noticeably glowing with various colors. The circle of elders quieted down, all of them looking straight at her. She gulped quietly. "This is it. Time to find out what this is all about..." Behind Agate, True Sight said something in a questioning manner. She didn't recognize any words except for Earthsong's name. The mare in question pondered something for a moment, examining Agate. After giving a solemn nod, she made her way to the filly. All the other participants of the ritual moved out of her way, making an open path towards the wooden pillar. Agate folded her ears, shrinking down a little. "So, uh, I'm really grateful that you ponies took me in and helped me out, but I really, really have no idea whatsoever what this ceremony or ritual or whatever it is is about, and when my parents explained it to me, they said that you have to, um, do ceremonies the right way, which is according to tradition, or you can offend your hosts terribly... And I really don't want to make you all angry or anything..." Earthsong just smiled, shushing the filly with a hoof on her muzzle. After giving her a quick hug, the mare took Agate by the hoof and led her to the wooden pillar. All the ponies in the clearing smiled at the two, some of them saying something that sounded like encouragement. Agate looked at the pillar looming in her vision. Now that it was standing upright, it looked a lot bigger, somehow. Her own face looked back at her, the crystals in its eyes glowing with a soft yellow light. Earthsong led her within touching distance of the pillar, gently taking Agate by the foreleg and extending her hoof so she was almost touching it, but stopped short of actually making contact. Blinking, Agate looked at the mare. She smiled, nodding at the pillar. Turning back towards it, Agate wondered for a moment. "Oh, what's the worst that could happen? I already died. That happened. Here goes nothing..." Her hoof made contact with the wood. Several things happened at once. All of the gathered ponies started cheering and stomping, clearly expressing their approval for whatever was about to happen. Several runes carved into the timber flashed. The glow surrounding the pillar surged, rushing into the filly. Agate was blinded, losing sight for a brief moment. When it came back, though. it was different. It wasn't the only thing to come back, either. It was a lot like when Glacier Glider hugged her and she felt the sense of touch for the first time in weeks, except ten times stronger. She could see again! Not just the darkened black and white world, but actual colors! Not just on ponies or crystals either, but on trees, and sky, and... and she could see much further, too! It was almost like she was alive again. She didn't need to focus any more to see things clearly, forcing the world to appear. She'd been doing it long enough that she almost forgot about it, but now that her normal sight was restored, it was like a breath of fresh air. Speaking of air, she could feel its motion too. The wind blew about, running through her mane and coat. The sensation was very, very faint, but it was there. She could feel the texture of the ground underneath her as well. Smell seemed to be the one sense that didn't reappear, but that was fine. Being able to see was much more important. Refocusing back on the world, she noticed something odd happening to her. There was a pulling sensation, and her right foreleg was almost all the way inside the wooden pillar. Raising her other foreleg, she tried to push off, with entirely predictable results. Her other leg sunk through too, making her lose her balance and lean into the pillar. Her head went through too, making the world go dark again. The darkness lasted only a moment, though. There was a brief sucking sensation, and she was able to see clearly again. Except... she was much taller? She was able to see well over the heads of every pony in the clearing. Attempting to turn her head and look at her body yielded no results. Blinking, she tried moving her limbs. There was a wiggle, but not much. It was like she was being held upright, with her forelegs pressed tightly to her body. And her hindlegs were... weird. The sensations coming from her hindlegs were really strange, like she suddenly sprouted a dozen more hooves, spread out around her like roots. Roots. That was it. She was inside the wooden pillar. Those were her eyes she was looking through. Or, rather, the eyes of the carving made in her image. That was an interesting revelation, but it still didn't help her understand the point of all this. Well, being able to see properly again was nice, but the rest of it was still confusing. Was she imprisoned for something? Or was this her grave after all? As she stood there pondering her predicament, Earthsong touched the pillar, rubbing the surface gently. To Agate's surprise, she could actually feel the touch almost like it was her own body. The mare tilted her head, asking something. Curiously, Agate noted that she seemed to be hearing the sound with the ears of her carving as well. Moving her wooden mouth didn't seem to be an option, though. After a minute of nothing happening, Earthsong took a step backwards, rubbing her chin. True Sight joined her at that point, the two mares sharing a look. The elder just shrugged. Agate kept watching them both. There was that ghost stallion that she saw just before, and he was walking around freely. And if this was what these ponies did for their departed, then... then she should be able to leave the pillar as well. Closing her eyes, she tried wiggling around again. It didn't do much this time either, but closing her eyes actually helped. She didn't feel like she was being held any more, only floating in a dark void. Remembering the last time this happened, she tried picturing her forelegs, willing her body to appear. Then, she imagined taking a step forward. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing next to Earthsong. The mare smiled, patting the filly on the head for a job well done. True Sight nodded, saying something to Earthsong and moving away. Most of the ponies that participated in the ritual turned to follow her, with a few coming over to Agate. The clearing was almost empty now, the crowd of spectators having left as well. She recognized the avian mare again, followed by two unknown mares. She took off her mask, giving Agate a wide smile. Shaking her feathery headdress, she made a grand, sweeping gesture to the filly while making a dramatic-sounding exclamation. Agate smiled slightly, shaking her head. "You know that I can't understand you, right? I assume you're welcoming me to your village, but I can't tell for certain." The mare just chuckled, ruffling the filly's mane and turning to leave as well. The other two said some less dramatic-sounding words to the filly, and followed the odd mare. Watching them go, she felt a hoof on her back. Glancing to the side, she saw that Earthsong was trying to get her attention. She sat on the ground, pointing at her ears. "Listen," she said. It was one of the few words that Agate learned so far. Next, she pointed at her eyes. "Watch." It looked like it was lesson time again. First, Earthsong closed her eyes, pretending to look around with exaggerated curiosity on her face. Then she opened her eyes, looking at Agate. Tilting her head, the filly looked on with some confusion. Look around with her eyes closed? Shrugging, she followed her instruction. Predictably, everything went black. After sitting there for a moment with nothing happening, she remembered that Earthsong looked around. Moving her head left and right just showed more darkness, until something flashed in the corner of her eye. Resisting the reflexive urge to open her eyes, she turned her head in that direction. It was the pillar. Even with her eyes closed, she could still faintly see its glowing outline. There was something else, too, barely at the very edge of her non-vision. Something like a string, so faint and thin she wasn't even sure she wasn't imagining it, connecting her and the pillar. Blinking, she opened her eyes. This reminded her of a story she was assigned to read at school. It was a book about Equestria, teaching the Crystal ponies about the various ways they differed from their cousins. They had a city on the coast of an ocean, a place that apparently held so much water you couldn't even see the other shore. In fact, the shores were so far, they had to use these things called boats, which were kind of like chariots meant to ride on water. Having zero maritime experience, such ideas sounded terribly foreign to the ponies of the Empire, though fascinating as well. Apparently, the Equestrians used the wind to pull their boats across the water, but sometimes the wind would blow so hard it would make them crash into the shore in the dark, smashing their ships to pieces. So, they built these things called light-houses, huge towers with massive signal lights on them, to help the boats navigate the waters. This... this was it. This was her light-house. These ponies built her a beacon. If she ever got lost, she would be able to make her way back even through the darkest night. And... it was an actual house-house, too. Of sorts. A house built for a ghost, one that she could spend time inside. She didn't need comfortable food or beds any more, but these ponies clearly knew something else that ghosts needed. Whatever it was, it restored her sight and helped her feel again. She was able to see again, and had a place to come back. To here. To these ponies, to... to her new home. The significance of this made a dull ache appear in her chest. She just wandered into their village, and these ponies adopted her into their tribe without so much as being able to talk to her. A complete stranger, like it was nothing. Like it was just something they did. Agate wasn't sure if she was able to cry any more, but she still felt her eyes mist over and her face scrunch up. After losing all hope out in the icy wastes, it was both painful and cathartic to feel welcomed somewhere again. Feeling her limbs shaking, she sat down on the ground, sobs wracking her body. Earthsong, who had been patiently watching her figure things out up to that point, jumped up in alarm, reaching a hoof towards her. "Agate, hwá-" The filly launched herself at the mare, latching on to the pony while crying and muttering under her breath. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you... I thought.. I thought I'd never feel anything but cold again, or be lost forever, or.. thank you..." Earthsong sat there for a moment, her hoof raised, until she wrapped it around the filly, cooing softly to the distraught pony. They sat there for some time, Agate letting out the pain she was holding back for weeks. Eventually, she pulled her face out of the mare's fluff, looking around. "Hope she doesn't think I don't like their gift. At least I can't get snot into her coat any more..." Hear ears folded in embarrassment, the filly extricated herself from the mare's hug, looking down at the ground. Earthsong took her by the chin and raised her head, smiling softly. She raised a hoof and opened her mouth to say something, probably something profound, judging by her expression. Then she remembered that Agate couldn't understand her all that well yet, and sat there with her mouth open, looking silly. The filly giggled at the sight. Snorting, the mare bent down to nuzzle her, standing up afterwards. Looking at the sky, she chewed on her lip, clearly wanting to say something but not sure how. Agate tilted her head questioningly. After a minute of thinking, Earthsong pointed at her eyes again, and pointed towards the sky. The Sun shone in that direction, though the light was rather feeble for some reason. Blinking, Agate considered the time. It wasn't that long since they woke up, was it? They got up, went to the clearing, retrieved the pillar, brought it here, planted it, had that ceremony... It had to be midday at the latest, but it looked like it was late evening. She knew days were shorter in winter, but this was ridiculous. Were the days even shorter in the far north? Is that why it was so cold here? Glancing back at Earthsong, she saw that she was pointing at the Sun, motioning to it going down. She made a large circle with her hoof, pointing at the sky where the Sun probably was going to be tomorrow. Then she pointed to her mouth, saying "Talk." She repeated the process, before pointing to the ground, shaking her head. "No. No talk. Walk." She mimed walking away, before making the circle one more time, saying "Talk.' "Oooooooh. I get it." Agate nodded, making the circle herself. "Talk later. Talk tomorrow. You need to go now. Walk." She waved goodbye to the mare. Earthsong smiled widely, clearly proud of the clever filly. But she shook her head, pointing at Agate, then at the village. "Come. Walk. Talk. Watch." Then she pointed at the pillar. "Sit." Shrugging, she held out both forelegs in either direction. Likely, she was trying to tell Agate that she was free to wander the village, though if she wanted to, she could also stay here and sort through her thoughts. Nodding at the mare, she smiled softly. "Thank you again. I'll... I'll probably go wander around a little bit. I'm guessing you have some kind of things to attend to, seeing as you've been doing nothing but dealing with me for three days straight. I'll see you tomorrow, then." Earthsong nodded, and after another quick hug, she trotted off. Agate sat there for a few minutes before looking around. The clearing that was so recently crammed with dancing and singing ponies was quiet now, not a soul in sight. Chewing on her lip, she considered her options. There wasn't much to do if she couldn't talk to these ponies yet, but she did want to look around. And possibly thank Glacier Glider, the mare that took her in that first night. She didn't remember where the longhouse was in relation to her new home, but it probably wouldn't be too hard to find it. Not like getting lost was a danger any more. With a backwards glance at the pillar, she set off to snoop around. ❅ ❆ ❅ The village was haphazard. It certainly wasn't run down or ramshackle, no. These ponies clearly took good care of their homes, likely because not doing so would mean inviting the northern winds to come inside. But, it didn't have that orderly setup of the Empire. The streets weren't very straight, if there were streets in the first place. Seeing as these ponies could walk on snow without disturbing it, most likely they didn't even need streets. Not having to shovel the snow to make a path must have been a huge timesaver. Wandering about, Agate noticed that the whole village still held a celebratory air. At first, she thought that it had something to do with her, as the ponies seemed to regard the her... adoption ceremony as something festive. But the ponies didn't pay her all that much attention, just nodding at her as she went past. Most of the population congregated towards the village center, where she was taken the first time to be examined by their elders and mystics. Circling around on the outskirts of the festival, she quietly observed the goings on. A number of fires were lit in the larger clearings, large clay pots bubbling on them. Ponies were bringing ingredients of all kinds to the pots, cooks stirring the mixtures with long wooden spoons. There didn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to the ingredients. Or perhaps they were just some kind of exotic recipes that didn't make sense to her. Agate observed a stallion offering what looked like a hoofful of nuts to a cook, while a mare dropped a ball of moss into the pot. Another pony then presented a small basket of dried mushrooms, which were added too. Agate never heard about nuts or moss being used in soup. Mentally shrugging, she looked elsewhere. While it was a celebration of some kind, everyone seemed really busy, too. Like Glacier Glider the days before, a large amount of ponies were examining, testing, and repairing sleds of various sizes. They were also tying down a lot of things, stacking them onto the sleds. Spears, clay jars, boxes, other miscellaneous items... Like they were preparing for a long journey of some kind. Blinking, she swept her gaze across the village. Getting up, Agate started walking again, taking a peek into every street that she passed by. There were a lot of ponies that were preparing to leave. By her count, almost two thirds of the entire village were preparing for a long march of some kind. Stacking supplies, checking tools... They clearly meant business. But why so many of them? Seeing a vaguely familiar street, she took a turn there. It wasn't the one where Glacier Glider lived, but if she remembered correctly, it led there. After some back and forth, taking a wrong turn once, she found the right street. This one wasn't too far from the village center, so there were some ponies participating in the celebration here. Biting her lip, she looked around for the pale colors of the mare she remembered. Unfortunately, it appeared that she wasn't here this time. Biting her lip, Agate decided to take a look in the longhouse, just in case. Walking towards the door, though, she got a silly idea. Turning straight towards the wall, she stuck her head right through the wood. Unfortunately, the inside was quiet and empty. The mare was likely enjoying herself with her family elsewhere in the village. Pulling her head out, she considered the situation. Go back? Or look around some more? Scanning the area, she found the nearest cookout, surrounded by ponies that were now being served large bowls of the mystery broth from the pots. Approaching the gathering, she repeated the words she needed to say under her breath. When several ponies turned towards her curiously, she spoke, trying to sound out the foreign words as best as she was able to. "Hello. My name is Agate. I am looking -" she pointed at her eyes - "for Glacier Glider. Did anyone see her?" The ponies hmm'ed, chewing on their food thoughtfully. One stallion eventually nodded, saying something while pointing towards one street. After a moment of thought, he put his hoof on the ground, carving out a few lines in the snow. Go straight, turn left, then right. "Thank you," Agate smiled at the stallion. He smiled back, waving her off. Following the directions, she soon came upon a large clearing between several houses. Instead of another cookout, though, the ponies here were dancing, swaying to the beat of drums and flutes. A fair number of worn out ponies were sitting down on some logs surrounding the field, being served food from one of the homes. Scanning their faces, Agate tried finding Glacier Glider or her family. She thought she saw her foals on the other side of the field, but they seemed to be talking with some other foals. As Agate didn't even know their names yet, she didn't want to bother them. Eventually, she spotted the mare and her hefty husband among the dancers. Sitting down, she watched and waited for the ponies to finish. The dance was pretty interesting. They were dancing on the snow, integrating their snowwalking skill into their performance. No matter how heavy their steps were, the snow remained undisturbed. However, there seemed to be a bit of a competitive side to it as well. As the melody changed, the drummers would let out a short burst of rapidfire drumming, the ponies following the rhythm with their hooves. Judging by the cheers from the spectators, the most skilled ponies were those that managed to raise up a flurry of snow around them without sinking through, like what happened to one couple. With some good natured laughter, the ponies pulled out a mare that managed to fall through the snow up to her belly. Soon enough, a panting Glacier Glider and her husband were making their way towards the resting area, a few ponies taking their place. Agate got up to follow them, quietly tailing the mare. The stallion was the first to see her, chuckling and patting Glacier on the back. At her questioning look, he nodded towards their ghostly pursuer. The mare's eyes lit up, a smile on her face. "Agate!" She greeted the filly, followed by a lot of words she didn't know yet. Agate greeted her back, smiling. "Glacier Glider. Hello. It's nice to see you again. I still haven't learned the word "thanks", but still. Thank you. For... everything, really," she said while hugging the mare. Glacier hugged her back, saying something again. The only word Agate understood was "watch". Or perhaps "see". It was hard to tell them apart. Tilting her head, she spoke. "See what, Glacier Glider? I'm sorry, I don't understand yet." The mare thought for a moment, before drawing something in the snow. It wasn't clear what it was. A long line of some kind... crossed through a few times, with a... face on it? Looking at it from a few angles, Agate tried to puzzle it out. Then it clicked. It was the wooden pillar the ponies made for her. Did that mean Glacier went to watch the ceremony, but Agate didn't see her? She folded her ears in embarrassment. The mare just laughed, messing up her mane. The two still couldn't talk properly, but they didn't need to. There was time for that later. The foals joined them soon, dragging Agate off to play while the adults got some food in them. They spent the evening together, learning a few words here and there, though mostly just having fun. When it was time to go their ways, Agate waved goodbye to the family, turning back towards the pillar. Towards her new home.