❅ ❆ ❅
It was the morning after the celebration, and it was time. The food was prepared, supplies were packed, sleds and bags were examined and repaired, the stars had aligned, and the days were long enough to get some work done that required daylight. Yet another winter was over, and the tribes were about to go their separate ways again.
The western tribe would make their way back to their villages in the woods, lighting up their hearths again. The ponies were eager to go, having missed their homes and their forests, already dreaming of the mushrooms and herbs that would soon be growing in abundance with the advent of spring.
The northerners were raring to get moving, laughing at the freezing wind blowing from the north. It was nothing compared to the winter blizzards that raged in the icy plains, blocking all sight and freezing ponies in moments. Chuckling at the spring wind's feeble attempts to dissuade them, they were looking forward towards the long trek back to their fishing grounds and tribal territories.
Part of the southern tribe were getting ready to move out too, their tents packed up securely in their sleds. While some of them would remain in Snowpitt, a good portion of the younger ponies heeded the call of the endless plains, going out to seek fertile grazing fields and roam the open expanse of the tundra. Until the next winter came.
Goodbyes were being said, farewells and last minute gifts were exchanged, and plans were already being made about the next Gathering, with various requests and promises to bring exotic trinkets or foods between different ponies from their respective tribal territories.
The elders were gathered in a circle in the ceremonial grounds, discussing the upcoming journey. Every traveler was helping themselves to the leftover food from yesterday, waiting for the signal from the elders to move out.
True Sight nodded, looking at the ponies around her. "No news, as I'm sure you all heard yourselves. No mountain-eating monstrosity showed up, either here or in the southern mountains. Not that we sent any scouts there, but I'm sure we would have seen, felt or heard something if it did. No flood of spirits from a tribe that was destroyed, either. Our guest's appearance here is still a mystery, but we can probably safely dismiss most of the more cataclysmic guesses about how she came to be here."
Blizzard Heart shrugged, drinking some soup from a bowl. "Suppose so. You'll be finding out soon enough, anyways. And we'll be far gone. Send us a message if you find out something that's worth knowing, yes?"
"Of course. Only if it's something worth knowing, though. No news is good news. If you hear nothing, assume we're fine."
"Or you all got eaten," quipped Sky Breath.
True Sight scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Sure. But if that happens, the first thing I'm going to do is haunt your flank, featherhead. So don't worry, you'll be the first to know."
Putting down the empty bowl, Blizzard Heart licked her lips. "If we have time to joke around, then we have time to move. Seeing as business is concluded, I think we'll be taking our leave now." The snowy mare stood up, the rest of them following suit. For a moment, they all just stood there, just glancing between each other. Sky Heart went to hug True Sight, pulling in Blizzard Heart as well. The old shamare rolled her eyes, but joined in.
Some things were left unsaid in that conversation. Should things truly go badly for the southern tribe, the others would do anything and everything to help them, as horrifying as losing Snowpitt would be. It was the oldest settlement known, older than anyone could remember.
It's longevity also gave them confidence, though. No matter how bad things got, whether it was monsters, cold, or hunger, the village was always a safe haven for every and any snowpony to return to. Not due to some divine providence, but hard work of generations upon generations of snowponies that spent their lives to make it one. The elders separated from the hug, confident that they would see each other again next year.
Seeing this, the other ponies said their last goodbyes as well. The travelers got hitched up to their sleds, the youngest and the oldest getting loaded up on top. Blizzard Heart shook her head at a stallion that was offering her his sled. "I can trot yet, you lunk. I'll make it 'til noon at least before you have to drag my old bones around. Let's move."
And that was it. The first ones moved out, making sure the way was clear. Trackers, scouts, and other sharp-eyed ponies. The sled pullers turned to follow, accompanied on both sides by a row of hunters and fighters with lighter packs and sleds. The western and northern caravans took separate streets, making their way towards the village boundaries. As they went, the Snowpitt natives that stayed there all year round waved them off.
True Sight followed them, stopping where the village ended and the wild snow began. The two groups were still visible to each other, but were steadily gaining distance both from each other, and from Snowpitt.
"See you next winter, you old nags. Even if I keel over and have to wait until you get your flanks over here," True Sight cackled to herself.
Turning around, she went in the opposite direction, to the eastern side of the village. Earthsong would be there, directing her group of hotheads. Young blood really did have a peculiar way of making your hooves itch, calling you to gallop across the land until you collapsed. Digging out grass and moss from under the snow for nourishment, only to gallop with the winds again.
She remembered her time on the plains fondly, but it was a young mare's game. The foals and the elders were better suited for life in the village, where the former could be kept safe and taught some experience by the latter, instead of being thrown into the wilderness headfirst. The teenagers, well... trying to stop them from going would be like blowing against the wind.
Chuckling under her breath, she reminisced of days gone by. Plowing through the snow to get at a patch of grass she could somehow see underneath, gazing at the stars during the clear nights, not bothering with a tent on those warm summer nights... Seeing through a blizzard, guiding a few lost ponies to a campsite... Cuddling with a colt to keep him warm, get themselves a little too warm, get a bunch of different kind of plowing done... Heh heh.
As usual, time flies by when you're lost in your thoughts, and the same happened to her. Before she knew it, True Sight made it all the way across to the other side of the village, where one part of the southerner contingent was making their preparations. They didn't have a long journey ahead of them, so they didn't feel the need to rush out first thing in the morning.
Earthsong was indeed there, holding out various jars and poultices from several saddlebags set on the ground, explaining their uses to several ponies. Sure Step, the stallion in charge of the group, was paying token attention, but likely thought he would never need the knowledge. Probably both because he was huge even for a stallion, and because his wife, Pine Scent, was the herbalist that provided a fair amount of herbs for those poultices herself. She was listening too, but clearly already knew everything by heart.
Two more ponies were paying very close attention, though. For Whisperwind and Wild Spirit, two young shamares still in their teens, this was going to be their first outing. From the way they were standing, ears bent forward, legs tense as a spring and an occasional tail twitch, one could clearly tell that they were on edge. While they were talented in the mystic ways, experience could only come with time, and younglings often looked up to shamares as someone that knew the answer to every question and could solve every problem, regardless of their age. Which, quite often, was not the case at all. Clearly, they were feeling the sadly misguided weight of expectations placed upon them by their peers.
Clicking her tongue in disapproval, True Sight came to the group just as Earthsong finished her explanation.
"-and I don't think I need to tell you how to treat bites. You have everything you need here. And if something bad happens and you can't deal with it, come back to Snowpitt."
"Elder," Sure Step rumbled in greeting, nodding at True Sight, the others following suit. She nodded back but remained silent, taking a long look at the assembled ponies with her sharp gaze. Everyone stiffened up, reacting in various ways. She was known to be capable of discerning all sorts of things from the tiniest details, and it was impossible to tell from her deadpan expression whether she would offer a criticism or a compliment.
The stallion stood firm, puffing out his chest. He would do well, and would go down fighting before he let any of the younglings come to harm. Pine Scent remained serene, which was a useful quality for a healer. All good. Whisperwind and Wild Spirit cringed back, though, folding their ears and tucking in their tails. She sighed, shaking her head at the two.
"Come now, cut that out. You're so tense, you're going to snap in half if you keep going like that. No one is expecting you two to take care of every single problem you run into. The ponies with experience are coming with you for a reason," she said while nodding at Sure Step and his wife. "If you jump at every shadow, you'll exhaust yourselves to the point you'll do more harm than good when a real problem arises. And remember, this is important for all of you to gain experience. If some pony keeps bugging you with dumb questions or requests, tell them to use their own heads a little. And if they don't get it the first time, tell them to shove it where the sun don't shine," she finished in her usual blunt way. The two smiled sheepishly, muttering apologies under their breaths.
Earthsong just rolled her eyes, already used to the elder's antics. A few ponies chuckled or coughed, hiding their laughter. True Sight swept her eyes across the rest of the group, over a hundred bright-eyed ponies ready to go and tackle the wilderness. Judging by the way some of them were shooting glances at each other, nostrils flared and tails twitching, the village could certainly expect them to come back carrying more ponies than they left with.
It looked like everything was in order, then. Nodding and putting on her best "old and in charge" face, True Sight gave them the traditional blessing. "May the winds give you breath, may the Earth give you nourishment, and the waters slake your thirst. Stars guide you home after your journeys. Be safe."
The ponies all cheered, the two leaders stomping their hooves and shouting orders to the disorganized mass. It was certainly far less disciplined than the western and northern tribe caravans, but had more energy and enthusiasm. With remarkable speed, they all hitched up to their sleds, grabbed their spears and bags off the ground, and took off.
True Sight and Earthsong watched them go, trotting off towards the horizon. They'd be safe, of course. The younglings would be taken in a safe path leading towards well-established summer camping grounds and pastures, while groups of the more experienced foragers would range out much farther from Snowpitt, acting as a shield.
"Well, another winter passed us by, another year now greets us," Earthsong spoke up after a while. "It still fills me with a sense of wonder every time. Though I can't imagine the amount of times this happened by now, with different ponies. I suppose things truly do not change much, they just move in circles, as nature does."
True Sight tapped her hoof on the snow, considering the statement. After some ruminating, she spoke. "That is true in some sense, but also wrong in others. Some things in nature do move in cycles, though others don't. Things do change." At the other mare's raised eyebrows, she continued. "For example, the seasons change, but the mountains do not. And if they do, their cycle is so slow that we are unable to see it in a single lifetime. And yet they must change, for we sometimes hear great pieces of rock breaking off the mountainsides and causing avalanches. There are thousands of such rocks at the foothills, yet how often does it happen? Once a generation?"
She turned back towards the village, continuing on. "As for ponies... it is rather similar. We live, we grow up, we have foals... And the cycle of seasons never fails, but when you get old, you notice... " She talked slowly, clearly dredging up memories from long, long ago. "I remember, when I was young, Snowpitt was smaller. It happened so slowly, so gradually... A few new houses every two-three winters or so, a half-dozen longhouses we all got together to build one year for the other tribe's visits... And you only see it when you actually compare it to the very oldest memories that you have. And it's not happening in cycles, either. Our population is not shrinking. How big are we going to be in another ninety years, I wonder?"
This time, it was Earthsong's turn to think on her answer. Taking a street leading towards their home, she spoke up. "Does it worry you? Do you think we would grow so numerous that our descendants would eat every blade of grass off the tundra and every fish from the lakes one day?"
The elder pursed her lips, though her answer came quickly this time. "No. I don't think ponies are that foolish. Even then, there's great amounts of space yet in the plains, not to mention the endless unexplored reaches of the west and north. And the northern tribe seems to be doing quite well. I've never seen as many igloos in Snowpitt as I saw this year. Yet, their greater numbers seem to only allow them to reach further and more fertile shores. I've been hearing stories of some faraway places with odd, wide-eyed, whiskered animals making their homes on the rocky beaches. I'm sure their daring explorers are itching to go back there and learn more."
"So... things do change, then," Earthsong concluded. "But too slowly for us to notice, unless we stop and look back at the path we took to get where we are now. Or... We also notice if the change is so sudden, it surprises everyone. Like the fact that we have a visitor."
"We have a visitor," True Sight agreed. "From far away, and I'm certain that even if she leaves to find her tribe very soon, her visit alone will change things greatly. Coming from the south..." Her musings were interrupted by a huge yawn, cutting off the conversation.
"Perhaps you should go take a nap, elder. It has been an exciting three days, with so many things to deal with at once. I promised Agate that I'll go visit her today. I can go teach her some more while you take some time off."
She almost started to argue, but after feeling another yawn coming, True Sight shrugged and turned towards their home. "Suit yourself. Suppose I have earned some extra snoozing over the last few days. You know where to find me."
Earthsong nodded, taking the turn that led to Agate's totem.
❅ ❆ ❅
Agate opened her eyes, waking up from her slumber. For a brief moment, she was really disoriented by the sight that greeted her.
"Why am I standing?"
Immediately, memories from the day before started flooding in. The ceremony, the magic, her new pillar home/beacon. Going out to explore around and maybe find Glacier Glider (which she did!), spending the evening with the mare and her family... Going home (it still felt strange to think about the pillar as home), then...
"I don't remember falling asleep, though... How'd that happen?"
The first thing that she did was examine the pillar, thoroughly. The magic runes still didn't make sense to her, but she just wanted to take in all of the details. The carvings of the mountains and birds were amazingly fine, and she spent a good amount of time just taking them in. It was a little hard to see in the dark, but her ghostly sight still retained the ability to tell things apart despite the lack of light.
Her only regret was that she wasn't able to properly touch things any more. She really wanted to know what the texture of the wood felt like. To her immense delight, however, she noticed that the orange citrine crystals set in the eyes of her bust turned a dull green, much like her eyes used to be. Likely some of her crystal pony magic unintentionally leaking through.
After the examination, she started experimenting. Stick a hoof in the pillar, pull it out. Stick her head in the pillar, pull it out. The sucking sensation was still there, but not as strong as last time. She could resist it now, if she wanted to. Next, she tried to gauge the distance of the effect. If she closed her eyes and turned away, she could still feel the faintest pull towards it, like she was leaning towards something, even though she was standing perfectly upright.
Making her way further and further, she stepped out of the village entirely. Looking around, she saw the glimmer of the crystal-marked path nearby. And just like with the crystals in the snow, she could easily see the ones embedded in the pillar, no matter the distance of the obstacles blocking her sight. Looking away, she focused for a moment. The pull was still present. Getting lost was truly impossible now.
Lastly, she tried entering and exiting the pillar several times. The sudden shift from her vision being low to the ground to suddenly looking from a point higher up than most adult's heads was disorienting at first, but it soon went away when she learned what to expect. Standing/being inside it was odd as well, but unlike what she thought at first, it didn't feel confining. She couldn't move, but it was more like being wrapped snugly in a blanket rather than someone forcefully holding her still.
There was also this odd flowing sensation that she didn't notice at first. Like a gentle wind, or a stream of water running over her, caressing her coat gently. Where was it coming from? It was really relaxing, actually...
"Oh. I guess that's how I drifted off."
Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her body, taking a few steps forward. Opening them up again, she looked around. The clearing was deserted, not a pony in sight. It kind of made sense, she supposed. This was her home and her resting place now, more or less. But what time was it?
Looking upwards didn't help at all. It was dark, but the sky was foreign. Even the moon was in an odd position, not in the usual path it took across the sky above the Empire. And with how long - or short - the days were here in the far north, it was impossible to tell whether it was morning or evening.
"Well, I probably didn't sleep the entire day away... And I think Earthsong would have woken me up."
Going wandering today probably wasn't the best idea. The mare told her she'd come visit her today, and she did want to learn these ponies' language very badly. Simply walking around observing them would only get her that far. Shrugging, she laid down on her back, faintly feeling the ghostly touch of the earth on her coat.
"Heh. Ghostly..."
Casual stargazing wasn't something that was done in the Empire. There were some observatories outside of the main city, which meant that the astronomers had to be dedicated to their craft to venture back and forth between there and the Empire. The protective shield simply distorted the view of the night sky too much, or so they claimed.
She could see what they meant, now. The stars back home were pretty, but through the shield, they just looked like faint droplets of silver on an expanse of obsidian. Here, the starscape was completely different. There were so much more of them that she could see, some so bright that they appeared many times larger than any star she saw before. And the colors! It was almost like there were faint colored clouds up there, somehow behind the stars... Was that even possible?
Not needing to blink any more was a boon in this situation. She stared at the cosmic clouds, admiring the depth and richness of their colors. Only the most beautiful gems could possibly even compare to them. Whorls of deep orange, ran through with lines of blue, with the silver light of the stars lighting them up from various angles. Was this Princess Luna's work? She'd heard and seen pictures of the alicorns that supposedly kept the entire sky working from their thrones in Equestria, but never thought about them much.
Tracing the stars, she tried to find some of the "constellations" that astronomers liked to talk about. There were... Images that you could see in the sky, right? She couldn't find a single real line anywhere, though. And all the stars were dotted so close to each other, that it was impossible to tell which clump of them was supposedly a separate picture from the rest of them.
She spent a while longer on the task, but eventually the novelty wore off, and mild irritation set in. She huffed, squinting at the sky so only a small patch of the stars was visible, but it still revealed nothing. No objects, no ponies, no... What was that bear one called? Orsa?
"Huh. I think the astronomers back home were just pulling everyone's tails, or something..."
Her ear twitched, some sounds reaching her now that she wasn't so focused on the sky any more. Getting up, she looked around. No one in her immediate vicinity, but there was some commotion in the village. Pursing her lips, she weighed her options. After a moment, she decided to go take a look, but without going too far from the clearing.
Turning her ears left and right to find the exact direction the sounds were coming from, she turned right, walking along the edge of the village. Whatever was happening, it wasn't in the village center this time. It didn't take long to find the source of the disturbance. Out in the distance, a long row of ponies was moving away from the village, moving parallel to the southern mountains. They seemed to be singing, likely some marching song to keep the boredom away.
"So, those ponies moved out..."
It didn't look as big as the crowd that was preparing to travel yesterday, but maybe she wasn't seeing it properly. Or perhaps they just split up. She was about to turn back, but movement much closer to her caught her eye. After a quick glance back at the clearing to make sure it was still empty, she quickly trotted to see what that was about.
It took her a moment to recognize the place, but it was the crystal path that lured her here all the way across the mountains. Except most of the crystals weren't there any more. A couple of ponies were carefully picking them up, and stacking them in a sled they had with them. It looked like the path's purpose was fulfilled, whatever it was.
"Maybe they use it to guide those travelling ponies back home afterwards?"
A bit of frustration welled up in Agate. Turning away from the two ponies in the distance, she galloped back to her clearing. She usually managed to keep her cool in most situations, but the language barrier was a completely new and uniquely frustrating obstacle that she never had to deal with before. There were so many things that she wanted to know, but wasn't able to ask.
The place was still empty. Feeling both relieved and slightly impatient, she began pacing around the pillar, hoping that Earthsong would show up soon. After a few circles, the sky caught her eye again. The colors changed from the black of night to the deep purple of breaking dawn. She sat down to watch the sunrise, observing the horizon slowly getting brighter.
"Dægrima, Agate," Earthsong spoke from behind her. Even though the clearing was mostly free of snow, she somehow still managed to move around without making a sound. These ponies were sneaky.
Agate twitched a bit, turning towards the mare, squinting at her. Her expression was placid, but Agate would bet bits that she did it on purpose. Shaking her head, she got up from her sitting position, turning towards the visitor.
"Morn... Dægrima, Earthsong," she spoke.
The mare smiled, patting Agate on the head. She looked around, seemingly searching for something, muttering things under her breath. Agate caught the words for "snow" and "tree". Eventually, she gave up, looking back at the filly. "Walk," she said while trotting in place. "See/watch. Talk," while pointing at her eyes. Likely, she meant to say that the clearing didn't have any new items for Agate to learn the names of.
Agate nodded, turning to follow the mare. Shooting a glance towards the clearing made her stop in her tracks, though.
"Wait, wait. Earthsong! Hold up."
The mare turned back with a raised eyebrow, looking at Agate questioningly.
"Uhh, what's the word... Um... What... What's the name of this thing?" She asked while pointing at the enchanted wooden pillar.
Earthsong stared for a moment, smacking herself on the forehead and laughing for having missed the biggest unnamed object in the clearing.
"Totem pole," she said. "Agate totem pole."
"Totem pole," the filly repeated quietly. She wanted to know more about it, but wasn't able to ask yet. They'd have to come back to that one later. Turning away again, she nodded to Earthsong, and they made their way towards the village.
❅ ❆ ❅
The day passed by uneventfully. The pair trotted around the village, trying to name anything and everything that they came across. Houses, doors, moss, rocks, sleds, nets, boats, firepits, fire, pots, earth (Agate now knew what the first half of Earthsong's name meant. Or maybe it was "ground".) and so on. Eventually, they ran out of things that they could see, and Earthsong got to naming more abstract things.
Grabbing a half-burned stick from an old firepit, she led Agate to a large rock near a small hill. Drawing the sun, moon, and stars on a flat part of the stone, she managed to explain the words for day, night, and what was probably the word for a day (the entire time period with day and night). After that, they got to figuring out pronouns.
"I am Agate, you are Earthsong..."
It took a lot of back and forth, testing out the words in various ways to make sure they both were thinking about the same concept. They spent hours going at it, with a short break for Earthsong to go get some food. Eventually, it got too late, and they bid each other goodbye, with a promise to meet tomorrow for more lessons.
"Heaðusigel... that's a long word for the Sun... Móna is the moon..."
Trotting back to her clearing, Agate was repeating the things she learned that day. Progress was slow but certain. With every new lesson, she was picking up more words and concepts. Still, she didn't want to lose even the tiniest bit of knowledge, so she made sure to go over what she learned and try to combine it with what she learned in previous lessons.
"True Sight... She helped build the totem pole..."
It didn't take long to reach her destination. Agate stared at the "totem pole" for a while, debating whether to go to sleep or not. Fatigue wasn't a problem, but her thoughts did become somewhat clouded and sluggish. The process was so slow and gradual that she didn't even notice the changes until she woke up that morning after a good sleep, feeling amazingly clear-headed.
Agate looked around. It was still quiet and deserted. A small smile crossed the filly's face. She chuckled quietly, then giggled.
"Looks like there's no one to tell me when to go to sleep any more. No more bedtime. No getting up early, either. No... No more..." Her expression shifted, the smile wiped off her face completely. She paused, her ears folding down and her entire body slumping on the ground. "No more parents... Mom... Dad.."
An unfortunate - in this situation - side effect of having a clear head was that you were able to think about things you completely forgot about. It was bizarre for Agate to even consider it, but it was true. During her mad gallop through the mountains, she didn't think about her parents or the rest of the Empire even once. She was so lost and hyper-focused on finding someone, something, some way to get out of the oppressive darkness and get at least some inkling of what she was supposed to do now, that everything else fell to the wayside.
When she found these ponies, she compared their way of life to the crystal ponies a number of times, but it was still just a few flashes of memory somewhere deep in the back of her mind. She was still busy figuring out just what the heck was happening right now to worry about the past. Now when there was no danger of dying any more, no more fear and confusion driving her to seek out strange orange lights all the way beyond the horizon, when she had a moment to sit down and really think, she started thinking about the big picture again.
"Am I... the last crystal pony ali-" she immediately shut up. "The last... Do I even count as a crystal pony any more? The ghost of one, maybe..."
What even happened to the Empire? That was still a mystery. Surely they couldn't all be... dead. That just... wasn't possible. That many ponies, and yet... What kind of power could have made the Empire vanish? The thoughts made her head swim. She smacked herself on the head a few times, scowling angrily.
"Argh! I'm just a filly! I'm not some hero from a storybook! Am I supposed to be the heroic savior, the last of my people? That's just... Ugh."
While she did enjoy the occasional fairytale, Agate was never interested in going out to slay dragons and get her prince or somesuch. She wasn't some obnoxiously clever genius, a mighty warrior, or a powerful wizard. She couldn't just go to where the city used to stand, wave a hoof, sing a song, and make it reappear.
But these ponies could.
Her eyes went wide at her realization. While these ponies' buildings and crafts seemed to be a bit lacking (Agate hadn't seen a single metal tool or weapon so far, or a building with more than one story), they clearly were quite skilled in some unusual and impressive magics. Perhaps unusual enough to actually know what could have happened to the city... Maybe even reverse it.
Agate was only trying to understand what she was supposed to do next, and get some help for herself. But maybe these ponies could help the rest of the Empire. That was a big, big maybe. Still, not like she had any other goals or ideas of where to go from here.
"Right. Back to square one. Need to learn how to talk with them..."
Sighing, she got up from the ground, moving towards the pilla- totem pole. Something flashed in the corner of her eye - a figure in the distance? Turning her head she saw nothing, though. Just snow and a couple trees. After a minute of staring, she shrugged, and stuck her head inside the wood, letting the magic carry her away to sleep.
In the distance, a transparent figure stepped out from behind a pine tree, trotting away.
❅ ❆ ❅
The next morning, Agate was waiting for Earthsong, lips pressed tightly together and ears forward. When she arrived, the mare blinked a bit at the filly's somewhat grim-faced expression, but decided not to question it. The two greeted each other, and went off towards the village again.
The lessons went more or less the same. See thing, name thing. Some new, some old, just to make sure she actually remembered the words. String some words together. Earthsong jump. Agate walk. Earthsong hungry. Go sit, eat food. Sun rise, dawn come. Hear a pony singing, ask to name the action. Singing, song. Song! Earthsong.
Though it wasn't what Agate was used to, it did remind her of school a bit. It involved far more moving around than usual, but the goal was the same. Observe, listen, learn. And she was quite good at observing and learning. While they were trotting around, she kept observing the other ponies, too.
All of the stallions seemed to be on the big side around here. For the most part, though, they didn't look all that different from Equestrian earth ponies or crystal ponies in their body shapes. Something still nagged at her, however. It took her a bit to figure it out, but it finally clicked when she saw a mare with deep sapphire-blue eyes trotting by. Their coats had nothing but earthy colors! Brown, black, white... Though at the same time, a single one of these ponies had far more markings and variations in their coats than any other pony she saw before. Most had socks, a lot of them had blazes, their front halves could be a different color than the other half, and so on.
That was an interesting difference. She saw some ponies with markings before, but never with multiple coat colors. Other than that, though, they still appeared entirely like regular ponies, which just made her all that more curious about the eating fish and doing unusual magic parts.
Time flies when you're having fun, or you're deeply engaged in something. She was doing a bit of both, and before long, the day was over, and Earthsong was waving goodbye. Agate blinked, looking at her clearing. Did she really just spend all day learning? It felt like it was morning just a moment ago.
Pondering for a moment, she shrugged, and entered her totem pole, enjoying the gentle caressing sensations. It really was a lot like wrapping yourself in a soft blanket, and she highly enjoyed the feeling. It made her feel like she was alive again, if only temporarily.
The days fell into a routine from then on. Wake up, wait for Earthsong to show up, go learn some more. They met True Sight a couple times as well, but it was only for her to join in on the lessons. There were no festivals, strange happenings, rituals, or grand displays of magic. Just everyday life in the village, which suited Agate just fine.
❅ ❆ ❅
"The stars here really are pretty. Even if the astronomers were fooling around, I think I can understand why they enjoy stargazing so much."
Agate was lying on her back in the clearing, another day of learning behind her. She was getting pretty good at it, too! She was able to understand more words than not by now, and mostly glean the meaning of others from context, though of course she still asked for precise meanings of new words.
"Hmm.. How long have I been at it by now?"
Counting the days, she got lost. Blinking in surprise, she tried again. She learned Earthsong's name on... the second day after they built the totem pole, then there were two unremarkable days, then Earthsong came late once, and she learned about birds, and...
"Huh. Has it really been three whole weeks?"
She still had her habit of thinking out loud, though she didn't do it when there were other ponies within earshot. So it came as a surprise when someone answered her, and in the northern ponies' language. Was she speaking their tongue without even thinking about it?
"It appears so, little spirit. Amazing how the time just slips through our hooves, be we alive or dead."
Grumbling in her head about those darn sneaky ponies, Agate got up from the ground, turning to look at the visitor. The voice was unfamiliar, so she was somewhat curious at who dropped by so late in the evening. Her eyes went wide at the sight.
It was another ghost. Spirit. Another dead pony, however they preferred to be called. She was standing by Agate's totem pole, looking down at her. An old mare, by the looks of it, though it was kind of hard to tell. She was somewhat... Whispy, her features ever so slightly blurred. Agate blinked, rubbing her eyes, but the mare remained indistinct.
"Don't bother with that. That's just how she looks. Gets hard to keep yourself together after so long, I suppose. I wouldn't know," rumbled a voice to the left.
That was another spirit, and she recognized him! It was the same stallion that was watching her during the enchanting ritual when they planted her totem pole in the ground.
"Umm, hello. I saw you before," she said, nodding to the stallion. "I don't know who you are, though. I'm Agate. And... I've never seen you before. Ah, how can I help you two?" She turned to the mare.
"Oh, nothing of the sort, dear. We just thought it was finally time to talk to you about things, that's all," the elder spoke. "We watchers usually get to know each other at least a little bit, and we're there to greet new guardians during their joining ceremonies. You're a bit of a special case, though, aren't you? Never seen or heard of a pony from so far they didn't know our tongue..."
The stallion grunted in agreement, not saying anything. A pony of few words, probably. Agate parsed through what the mare said, making sure she understood everything correctly. "Alright. Uh, sorry, but I'm still learning your language. I understand most words, but I don't know the full meanings behind them yet. Watchers? And guardians? I'm assuming you mean something more than ponies standing guard over something."
The ponies both nodded, approaching Agate and sitting down in front of her. "Exactly, little one. This is what we're here to talk to you about. The shamares told us about your situation, so we decided to wait and watch a little until you got settled in a little more before talking to you. From what we guessed, you know nothing about the what's and how's of even being a spirit at all, let alone other things. We're here to help you on that front, if we're able to. We don't know everything, mind, but we'll answer any questions that we're able. We certainly have the time," she chuckled.
Agate's eyes lit up. This was exactly what she was hoping for! She followed their example and sat down, her tail wagging left and right. The mare chuckled, while the stallion gave a small smile. As she opened her mouth to speak, though, the mare interrupted her. "Oh, sorry, dear. You asked us a question already, and it is rather impolite. My name is Gnarled Root, and the big fellow here is Spear Throw. Agate, yes? Interesting name, I must say. You're definitely from far away."
The filly nodded, getting her thoughts back on track. "Yes, very... I don't even know how far, exactly. Beyond the mountains," she said while glancing south. "Can you tell me, well... Why am I a spirit?"
The adult's intrigued expressions turned confused, the two sharing a glance between each other. Spear gave a tiny shrug, while Root turned back towards the filly. "Well, it looks like we're both going to have to put in some effort to understand each other. You... died, yes? Met an unfortunate fate, one way or another?"
Agate nodded, noting the implications of the question. "Yes, but we don't really get spirits where I'm from. Ponies don't stay around after they die. They just... Pass on, to wherever they're going. My parents didn't tell me much about that. There are some ghost stories, about the spirits of ponies that have been wronged terribly or have unfinished business staying on to wreak revenge on whoever abused them, but I'm pretty sure they're just made up stories to scare foals. No one really believes in ghosts."
Spear Throw looked taken aback, while Gnarled Root was absolutely fascinated. "Truly? How can that be? Do you not have shamares to guide your fallen? But if you don't have any lost spirits, then... Huh." She thought, tapping her chin. "Well, Agate, it is certainly not unheard of for snowponies to find their way to the afterlife themselves. But, the vast majority at least drop by to say their goodbyes to their families and tribes, and warn them about the dangers that ended their lives, if they did not die of old age or disease. Being a spirit is just what happens to us. I'm sorry, but I don't think I can properly answer that question."
The filly nodded, chewing on her lip. That wasn't the most important thing to know, but she was still curious about it. "Alright. Uh, hm. I kind of wanted to ask about just... being a spirit. Before they built the totem for me, my sight was really strange. I had to really focus to even see anything, and couldn't see all that far. Except, when I saw, ah..." She wanted to say "crystals", but hadn't learned their word for it yet. "Can you just tell me the very basics? I'm not too sure what to even ask."
The two nodded again, Spear Throw taking the lead this time. "When you are a spirit, you lose some things. Your body is gone, that part of your life spent. When you died, you lost your sight and hearing as well, didn't you? Nothing but silence and darkness all around." Agate nodded, a shiver running down her spine. "That happens to everyone. Every single pony. However, a pony's spirit can still see things, though it becomes much harder to perceive the material world. The only question is whether they manage to focus their willpower enough to find their way again. A fair amount of ponies don't. You did. Clearly, you are of strong spirit, which is very impressive for a foal," he stated matter-of-factly.
Agate shrank down a bit, though a glimmer ran through her coat at the praise. Gnarled Root blinked and leaned in closer, while Spear Throw continued on. "Those that can't find their way back home become lost, either wandering in circles through the land, or staying in one place, hoping that their tribe's members will come rescue them. Which they do - it is an important and sacred duty. Abandoning your kin, dead or alive, is a grave crime." The filly nodded, drinking it all in.
"Alright. So, I'm guessing those ponies that don't pass on to the afterlife - I'll want to know more about that later - become guardians and watchers? Ponies like you?"
"Yes. I am a guardian," the stallion rumbled in his deep voice. "It's the same thing, really. Guardian spirits, watchers, sentries - they call us a lot of things. Those that want to keep watch over their kinfolk are given the honor of a totem pole built by the tribe. Some stay to protect their families if they are taken too early, while others stay on to help the entire tribe during hard years, even if they are ready to move on. Others stay on to teach, if they have some important knowledge and weren't able to find any apprentices to pass it on to during their life. Gnarled Root was one such pony."
The fuzzy mare nodded, taking the lead. "I was lauded as one of the finest herbalists for a hundred winters. My nose was keener than the sharpest knife. I could sniff out roots from under the snow, and find the most excellent herbs where others would come up empty. I don't know if ponies just started relying on me too much or if it was bad luck, but the few herbalists that were alive when I keeled over were... Lacking, let's say. Oh sure, they could make their ointments well enough, but actually finding the plants? Pffft." The mare rolled her eyes disdainfully. "They couldn't find snow in winter. I felt obliged to stay on and teach a new generation how to take care of themselves so ponies wouldn't die of something that could have been easily cured with the right ingredients."
"And you can probably guess what happened to me. I had sharp eyes and a steady hoof. No beast could charge at me without getting a spear run through it. Unfortunately, one desperate yeti managed to sneak up to a foraging party I was leading." He grimaced, clearly not proud of that fact. "It was about to snatch one of the younger ponies under my care. Naturally, I did my duty and charged right into it's jaws. I took it down, but my wounds were too numerous. We ran back to Snowpitt, and I collapsed right on the outskirts, where they later built my totem."
Sighing, he took a moment to think before continuing. "That was thirty years ago. I had - still have - a wife and three foals. I was forty by then, so my children were becoming full adults in their own right, but I still didn't want to leave my wife alone. I love my mare far too much to do that, so I chose to stay with her until the end."
Agate listened to it all with rapt attention. Silence fell over the clearing as she digested the amazing and different ways these ponies - snowponies, they called themselves - lived their lives... And afterlives. It was some time until anyone spoke again, but the two old spirits certainly had all the time in the world. So did she, now.
"I see. That's really amazing, but how would you actually protect your family if they were in danger? Ever since I became a spirit, I found that I really can't do anything much. Barely anything, really."
The two smiled, clearly eager to share their tricks. Spear Throw spoke first. "Another pair of eyes can do wonders on a journey. Many animals rely on sneaking up on you, and having a pony that is not in any danger of actually getting eaten scout ahead can remove practically any obstacle. And sometimes, you can scare off the beasts yourself. They are able to see us, and if you can neigh at them fiercely enough, they'll get spooked." He chuckled, remembering some event of that nature. "Better yet, if you sneak up on them and scream right in their ear, they'll take off like their tails are on fire."
Gnarled Root chimed in, smiling as well. "It's not my usual job, but I did end up scaring a few critters here and there over the years. Mostly to clear out a good foraging spot that I found. I can't smell anything any more, but my eyes still work well enough. I'm not able to bring anything back myself, of course, but actually finding a few nice berry bushes or patches of mushrooms can save a lot of time for the foragers. I have heard that the spirits of shamares still retain their skills, too. They are able to do much more than yell at creatures."
Nodding, Agate examined Gnarled Root more closely. Her eyes did indeed look sharp, unlike the rest of her. "What did Spear Throw mean when he said "gets hard to keep yourself together after so long"? Have you spent a long time as a spirit?"
The mare shrugged nonchalantly, though her mouth held the faint hint of a cheeky smile. "Oh, a little while. Two hundred winters or so. I've lost count for a while, I'm afraid to say."
"You- whuh- Huh." Agate was too stunned by the number to speak for a moment. "Wait, you said you stayed around to teach a new generation. Two hundred years sounds like a lot of generations."
The old - ancient, perhaps - spirit cackled. "Clever filly. Yes, after I trained up the first batch of younglings, I just... kept going. I didn't feel like joining my ancestors in their destination yet. And... I don't know when I will. The call will come to me someday, I'm sure. But for now, I'm content to stay around and lend a hoof here and there. Besides, it doesn't feel right to leave the tribe without at least one guardian. The stories-" She went silent at that point, looking thoughtful.
Agate's curiosity was piqued, though. "What do you mean? Can you tell me? Is it some kind of secret?"
Spear Throw remained silent, while Gnarled Root looked on thoughtfully. "It is not, but honestly, I don't even know if the stories I've been told are true. There is a great amount of wisdom and old knowledge held in our teaching ballads and stories passed on from the elders to the young. But I've heard these only from the other guardian spirits, after I became one myself. Tales of old times, of bad, bad times. Years so lean, monsters so numerous, blizzards so fierce that ponies' lives were carried away like snowflakes on the wind."
The old spirit sat for a while, raking through her memory. When she spoke, her voice was much heavier. "The tales spoke of Snowpitt as the sole settlement. There were no northern and western tribes yet. Which would mean that these events happened countless ages ago. We know that the three tribes all emerged from one, but no one remembers how long ago. The stories must have been passed on by spirits from the very beginnings of our people.
We were all young then, and lacked knowledge on how to survive. That made us easy prey for all manner of dangers. If it wasn't for the fact that the dead rose up to protect the living, every last one of our ancestors would have perished. The tales... they speak of entire generations of ponies staying around, just to make sure their foals survived. Great-grandparents, grandparents, parents, sisters, brothers... At times, well over half of the ponies of the tribe would be spirits. Entire legions, circling around the village to face off against any creatures trying to get in."
Agate shuddered, curling her tail around herself. The mental images of such a situation made her shrink down in fright. So many dead ponies... Inevitably, her imagination lead her to think about such a situation happening in the Crystal Empire. The whole city, filled with transparent figures, wailing in anger, trying to protect small bands of survivors...
"That's- that's horrible!" She managed to choke out.
The adults both nodded, their expressions grim. "Yes. Fortunately, those times are far behind us now. The last time we even had to ration our food was... Oh goodness, I can't remember the exact years. But I think it was over a hundred winters ago, when a herd of wendigoes rampaged through the plains, freezing everything solid. No one died, though it wasn't a pleasant time for the tribe."
Agate blinked at that. There was an unknown word in there, though it sounded a lot like "windigo". Could she possibly mean actual windigoes? Filing it away for later, she tried to shake the image of her entire family as ghosts from her mind. The two noticed her distress, looking at each other awkwardly. Gnarled Root spoke, regret in her voice.
"I'm sorry, little one. I did not mean to taint your evening with such things. Remember, death is but a part of the circle of life. Yes, ponies died, but so did every single pony that ever lived. It is tragic that they had to go before their time, but they made sure that their foals carried on. Our families carry on, entirely due to the ponies that came before them."
Agate nodded, though she didn't say anything. She really had no idea what she could say in such a situation. Seeing this, Spear Throw stood up, clearing his throat.
"The night grows late, and we clearly gave young Agate here a lot of things to think about. I'm sure there will be plenty more questions in the future, and we have more things to teach you. But for now, I think you should go to sleep, Agate. We will come back tomorrow night, if you're interested."
Gnarled Root nodded, giving the filly a short hug. "Sleep well, little one. I'm certain you have more lessons with Earthsong tomorrow, yes? I wouldn't want to distract you from your learning with old happenings from the past. Remember, those things happened a long time ago. Don't worry about them too much. There were calamities aplenty in the past, probably in your tribe, too. But they got through them, didn't they?"
Agate nodded slowly, a faraway look in her eyes. "I... Yes, I would like to see you again tomorrow. I do have a lot of questions, but they can wait. Have a nice night."
The visitors nodded, going their separate ways. Agate kept sitting, though, thinking about everything that she learned. There were bad things that happened to the crystal ponies in the past. Unfortunately, she really lacked any concrete facts, only having heard vague hints here and there. Any questions about them would quickly get deflected. The adults clearly didn't think she was ready to know.
Still, they made it this far. And the current calamity happening in the Empire... Was it worse than half of all ponies dying? Were there similar things in the Empire's history? If so... Would they get through this one, too?
Sighing, she turned towards her totem. Maybe things would be clearer tomorrow.