//------------------------------// // Crack // Story: Agate's Vigil // by Wingnut //------------------------------// "And when we got to Snowpitt, the locals told me that you did return, but you hurried off to the lake for some reason," Pine Ponder finished. They were not at the same place, nor even with the same people. Pine Ponder's story took a while to tell, and she got other ponies to help as well. Arctic Ink hung around as long as she could, though she still had to go home eventually, to the filly's great disappointment. She still made Agate promise to tell her the rest of the story once they met next, though. "Yeah. Some ponies went to a lake to fish, and busted open a large hole in the ice. I just so happened to be telling Arctic Ink about skipping stones, and she really wanted to try it, so we went together before it froze over again. Anyway, this whole situation sounds more serious than I thought. I noticed that it was a bit quieter than usual when I returned, and I heard about the expedition south, but trees aren't really my thing, so I didn't bother going to see what was happening for myself. But if it's been going on for months now..." Agate pursed her lips thoughtfully as she gazed eastward. "It has. You don't have to do anything you're not familiar with, though. Helping me open the fir cone will be enough," Pine Ponder reassured her. "Well, I'm good at being a messenger too, you know. Quite good, and since all those ponies dispersed across a wide area, I'm sure they could use another capable runner," Agate shrugged. "For now, let me see that cone." "Alright. Just... Don't open it yet. Just... See if you can?" "Sure, I know how to be gentle," Agate chuckled, reaching for the crystal cone. "Let's see here..." Pine Ponder held her breath, the other adventurers observing with curiosity as well. While Pine Ponder was busy searching for Agate, they questioned the locals about the status of the mission to save the forest, and they all met up near Agate's totem, filling each other in. From what they managed to find out, the woods were still dying, but the shamares carved a great amount of protective runes on the dead trees around the periphery of the entire forest while Pine Ponder was gone, preparing for a massive ritual of some kind to finally stop the whole thing for good. The adventurers were gearing up to go out again, hoping to arrive with reinforcements before the ritual could commence. They didn't have to do much, and the only loose end to cover before they could go was Agate, who was making all sorts of confused and fascinated facial expressions as she poked and prodded the fir cone. Sticking her muzzle next to it, she scrunched before moving closer, sharply drawing back immediately after. "What in the world?" The spirit muttered. "What is it, anc- Agate?" Pine Ponder asked. "Does it... Bite? Is there some kind of protective magic on it?" "I... Don't think so? It made the inside of my mouth feel funny. Almost... Cold?" Agate mused, sticking her tongue out sideways. "Uh... Are you tasting the crystal cone?" "Tasting? I haven't tasted anything for a thousand years. I forgot what taste feels like. Huh," Agate said, sticking her ethereal tongue out again and licking the cone. "Whoa. Weird." "Um..." Pine Ponder trailed off, not sure what to say. "Right, right, sorry. The entire eastern forest is in danger and all that. I can lick the cone later," Agate apologized, feeling the thing out with her hooves, instead. It was a curious little thing. On one hoof, it appeared to be incredibly complex. The structure was crystalline, and yet, arranged in such a strange and unusual way, she'd never even have thought that it was possible. Like comparing a rock to a living thing. At the same time, though, she saw cones from all kinds of trees. Pines, spruces, firs... And they weren't all that complicated. Cleverly built, sure, but their function was not complicated. Protect seeds, close and open depending on moisture - that was all they did. And Pine Ponder said the crystal firs grew in a very magical location, so... Magic? Carefully drawing on her reserves, she surrounded the cone in magic, slowly feeding it more and more. There was no adverse reaction, and so she continued. It did take a while of slowly increasing the flow, but before long, there was a simultaneous set of dozens crackling pops coming from it, the cone ever so slowly opening. Immediately slowing and cutting the power off, Agate watched it slow down before stopping, the arms of the cone slowly closing and enveloping the glowing seeds back in their embrace once more. "You did it!" Pine Ponder shouted excitedly. "That I did," She confirmed. "Time for another adventure, then." ❅ ❆ ❅ While the adventurers moved out on hoof, Agate decided to take wing and fly ahead. Her goal was to find the southern tribe's chieftain and get the latest situation update from him, as well as inform him about the incoming extra help. The first village that she stopped in did have a detachment of ponies, but no chieftain. They told her that he took a post in Green Bough, which was roughly in the middle of all the villages that were affected. She didn't even have to land to guess where the chieftain's residence was. While the locals were ambling about in an unhurried fashion, armed and well equipped ponies were coming to and from one house, more than likely carrying reports to the chieftain from the other groups. Dropping down and shifting back into a pony, she gave a polite smile to the suddenly wide-eyed messengers as she entered the house. "Greetings, chieftain. May I talk to you?" "Who- Oh. Ancient one," The stallion gave her a short bow. "Bleh," Agate eloquently expressed her dislike for the title. "If you're going to demand for me to drop the title and call you by name, you will have to do the same," The stallion chuckled. "I am fine with that, Inner Fire," Agate nodded at the auburn stallion. "Very well, Agate. What brings you here? Heard of what happened when you came back from the north? Any helpful ancient knowledge that you can provide us with?" He inquired. "If only. This is completely new to me as well," She shook her head. "I had a feeling. Someone would have known something if it happened before. Very well. Just general assistance, then? We're actually close to wrapping this whole thing up, according to what the shamares tell me." "Messenger services from me, though there is more help coming. A mare named Pine Ponder came to me and told me about her mission to the north." "Oh! I must admit, she slipped my mind at times, though I did whisper to the spirits from time to time to keep her safe. I wasn't sure if she would come back in time, if she was even successful. The northerner explorer assured me that it wasn't as dangerous as ponies thought it was, but the northern tribe are known to be a bit too loose with their definitions of danger..." "No, she came back mostly in one piece, from what I could tell, though it did look like she traded a bit of her tail for the crystal cone. She's fine otherwise, and she has it with her," Agate reassured him. "Wonderful! And is it, ah... How to say this? Powerful? Useful for our goal?" "It is indeed. I could feel it, Fire. That little crystal cone has incredible magic locked up inside," Agate nodded. "The shamares will be ecstatic to hear that, I'm guessing. I will have to inform them immediately," He rubbed his chin, bending over a map. Trotting closer, Agate examined it as well. It was a map of the entire lower eastern region of the southern tribe's territory, a bunch of markings of all kinds crisscrossing all across the forest. Taking a few minutes to decipher it, she eventually turned back to the stallion. "Can you tell me what actually happened? Do you even know?" "We know some things, but only vaguely," He grunted, gesturing to the map. "The first thing all the hunters and shamares did was try to track down the source of whatever was happening, combing the woods up and down. It worked, but only partially - it wasn't anything in or near the forest. According to the shamares, whatever is draining the region is hiding in the Gnashing Glacier." "I heard about that place only from others, many years ago now. Not many ponies cared to try and go there, since it was just a bunch of ice surrounded by desolate mountains, but they said that there's some kind of evil spirits in there. And no one really felt like going to poke the evil spirits since then, obviously," Agate recalled. "More or less what I knew myself. Recent events seem to have confirmed that. There was some debate about whether to try and go confront those evil spirits directly, or shield the region and hope that they will starve. The more defense-inclined shamares prevailed, though they still agreed that more drastic measures might have to be taken if the spirits persist," Inner Fire explained. "So that's what's happening. Something is eating the forest's life force." "Indeed. Some thought it was a poison or pestilence at first, but nothing turned up when they tried to look for those things. Just good old fashioned eating, but on a much bigger scale than what we ever encountered. Well, the shamares know how to protect from parasitic spirits, so they've been preparing a massive protective stave across the entire forest. It won't last forever, but it should work for at least a full season. It will give us time to come up with a new plan, if nothing else," He nodded confidently. "Sounds like you have everything well in hoof, then. And if Pine Ponder adds her special crystal cone to the ritual, it should heal the surviving trees, as well. Guess the only thing left now is organization. Are these markings where the shamares are stationed?" "Yes. They tell me that most of them are just about ready. A few more days or so, and they will commence the ritual." "And this big mark here is the center of the ritual?" "Correct." "Then I can get to the furthest ones quickly and inform them of the changes, while you send messengers to the closest ones. Just a quick nip back to Pine Ponder's group to tell them where to go, and we'll get this underway." "Outstanding. Thank you for your aid, Agate." "Any time, Inner Fire." ❅ ❆ ❅ Agate took a short while to meditate, confirming the shamare's findings. The Breath, which always slowly and steadily flowed southwards from the north was getting dragged southeast, as if a whirlpool opened up somewhere in the southern mountains. It didn't even seem to be targeting the forest on purpose, just soaking up all the available magic nearby. Pursing her lips, she shapeshifted and took off. There was tension in the air, as well as excitement. After she returned to Pine Ponder's adventuring group and informed them of where they needed to go, she sought out the groups of hunters and shamares dotted around the foothills at the southern rim of the forest. The mystics all set up little magical circles for themselves while the other ponies stood guard, many of them bearing new trophies from various beasts that tried to make a meal out of them. Doing this in winter was clearly hard on the ponies, but they bore their burden with grim determination and pride, smiling in anticipation of the oncoming ritual. They knew that it would at the very least give them a reprieve, and perhaps even deal a permanent blow to whatever spirit thought it could make a meal out of the entire forest. Agate's presence was taken as an excellent omen, many ponies acting like the fight was already won when they saw her arrive. She calmed them down, though when she told them of the special ingredient Pine Ponder was going to bring to the ritual, they got excited all over again. Finally landing near the main ritual circle, she was flagged down by the elder shamare. "Traveler spirit. Agate. What brings you here? Did you come to lend your power to us? We will take all the help we can get." "I did, Clay Charm. In a way. I will lend what power I can, though my contribution will be small compared to what a brave mare from one of the local villages is bringing. She managed to acquire an amazing crystal cone from the forest of the crystal firs deep in Ice Land, and... Well, you will see. It's quite amazing," Agate explained, a number of other shamares listening in with perked ears. "Oh, that sounds excellent! When will she be here?" "Three or four days, roughly." "Plenty of time to finish all of our preparations. I will eagerly await her arrival," The elder nodded while more shamares and hunters approached, quietly asking Agate what other news she could share with them. ❅ ❆ ❅ Agate spent the next few days mostly with the main group in the forest, watching the shamares put the finishing touches on their ritual circle and sharing stories with the ponies. Occasionally, she'd fly out with some message or other to the chieftain, returning with status updates from all the scattered groups. One by one, they were all reporting that they were ready to begin. The days went by quickly, and soon enough, the group of the northern adventurers that were accompanying Pine Ponder were entering the clearing. All of them looked like very capable ponies, armed with their customary ice spears and winter clothes. The local group and the newcomers took a few moments to size each other up, sharing respectful nods soon after. Both sides could see that all of the ponies there put in no small amount of gruelling, painful effort into this cause. "I am Clay Charm, the elder of Snowpitt's shamares," The mystic introduced herself. "May I know the names of these brave heroes that came to aid us?" "I am Pine Ponder of River's Mouth, elder, and I am no hero. I am just a mare that wanted to protect her home," She introduced herself with a shake of her head. "These brave northerners are the ones who lead me through the dangers of their land in the dead of winter. They are heroes, not me." "I remember you from the meeting, young mare, and you do yourself a disservice," The elder chuckled. "It takes a serious amount of backbone to go that far and that fast as you did. Though, of course, I will hear the names of your companions as well. I do remember this youngling - Ice Elation, was it? You were in Snowpitt as well, yes. Now, the rest of you are new. And a shamare, if I am not mistaken?" "I am, elder. I am Freezing Point of the northern tribe," She confirmed with a short bow. While the others were introducing themselves, Pine Ponder stretched her legs one by one. Approaching her, Agate nodded to the mare. "Well, looks like your quest is almost complete. How do you feel?" "Tired, legs are burning, but giddy," She summarized after a few moments of contemplation. "All good things. Hopefully, this will be the end of the issue, but if it is not, you will have my aid until it's fully resolved," Agate reassured her. "Thank you, an- Agate. I appreciate it," Pine Ponder nodded. Tapping a staff on the frozen ground, Clay Charm cleared her throat. "Well, all the preparations are finished, but it is quite late already. I say we get some sleep, and get this thing going first thing in the morning. It's going to take all day anyway, that's for sure." "Very well, elder," The others agreed, slowly dispersing into their igloos, tents, and whatever other types of shelters they set up. The newcomers were invited in as well, and soon enough, everyone was sleeping the somewhat fitful sleep of a pony expecting a battle tomorrow. ❅ ❆ ❅ The chieftain and a bunch of the ponies that carried messages for him arrived the next morning as well, all eager to see the ritual for themselves. With a nod to Inner Fire and Clay Charm, Agate took to the skies, flapping her ethereal wings as hard as she could. Reaching the other groups one by one, she didn't even waste time changing back, only yelling out the message and taking off again. "Get up, warriors! Get up, shamares! It is time! The time for the ritual is today! It is time to end this!" "Yes, ancient one! You heard the spirit! Let's get to work!" For all her speed, it still took her several hours to circle and contact every single group. Once she was done, she made her way back to the main circle, glancing around. All of the shamares were in deep trances, while the warriors were quietly standing or sitting on the outskirts, looking out for any dangers. The ritual circle itself was set up in a large clearing, with a huge, wide stump as the focal point. It looked freshly cut down, and yet, the wood was clearly dead - likely an old and already weak tree that became a victim of the magic drain. There were runes painted and carved all over it, as well as the ground, and the surrounding trees. Lots of glowing crystals dotted the area as well, both stabbed halfway into the earth, as well as hung from tree branches. Pine Ponder was sitting in front of the stump, looking nervous, but determined. The crystal cone was set on the stump, glimmering in the light of all the other crystals in the area. Approaching her, Agate gave her a reassuring look, to which the mare replied with a faint smile. "They wanted me to participate, even though I'm not a shamare. They said that my connection to the forest is very strong," She whispered. "I'm sure you'll do fine, Pine Ponder. Now, let's see about opening this up," Agate nodded, sitting down on the opposite side and reaching for the crystal cone once more. This time, there was no holding back. Pumping the magic into the cone, she felt it flex, slowly opening up. The shamare's eyelids began to flutter once they felt the fluctuations in the magic, the mystics slowly coming out of their trances. Taking in deeper breaths, they began channeling their power into the circle, while a couple stood up and approached the stump as well. Reaching for the now fully open fir cone, Pine Ponder slowly, reverently turned it over, rolling and tapping it until all the seeds fell out on the stump. The tiny, little nuggets glowed with amazing power, the shamares looking at them with wide eyes. Agate licked her lips, feeling a faint evergreen taste in her mouth for some reason. "Seeds of new, roots of old. Lend us your strength, so this forest's story may yet be told," Clay Charm intoned, putting her hooves on the stump. "Spirits of life, winds of death. Ward this place from the hunger's devastation, protect the land from a deathly ruination," The second shamare chanted, resting her hooves on the stump as well. "Trees of the north, cousins from far away. May your seeds protect this place from death and decay," Pine Ponder added. Agate was already sitting, so she figured she might as well join in. She knew that the words didn't matter as much as actual intent did, but they still mattered at least a little. "Tiny seeds, with amazing crystal power. May your strength restore this forest, so it may live and flower." The rest was actual channeling. The three ponies and one spirit held their hooves on the rune-covered stump, forcing the magic from the seeds and themselves to flow through its roots into the land, spreading the evergreen-flavored magic outwards in every direction. The other shamares began chanting as well, some of them performing slow, swaying dances, while others remained still, only taking in deep breaths and sending waves of magic into the earth as well. And all over the forest, other shamares were doing the same thing, empowering the protective wards they put on the outskirts of the woods and making sure that the magic from the main circle wasn't going to leak out, making a protective bubble around the entire area. It was not a fast thing, and time tended to get away when one was entangled in such rituals. Agate closed her eyes, losing herself entirely in the process, feeling the flow of power through the land. As she said to Pine Ponder, she wasn't all that good with trees, but she could still feel them eagerly drinking in the crystal magic and regaining their strength. The wards seemed to be holding too, the Breath almost stopping its slow flow southeast and slowly soaking into the earth. One by one, the glows from the crystal seeds winked out, the little nuggets slowly losing their color and crumbling to dust. They did their duty, though, the forest now suffused with their magic, the nearby trees practically glowing with life. Agate smiled, about to open her eyes and declare a job well done, when something far away cracked. Flinching, she blinked blearily, looking around. Pine Ponder didn't seem to have noticed it, while Clay Charm did. Sharing a look, both the spirit and the old pony frowned, looking southeast. Their expressions didn't go unnoticed, Pine Ponder looking worried. "Is everything alright? I did everything I could..." "The forest is safe, child," Clay Charm spoke slowly, her mind still a bit muddled. "But I felt something in the distance... Break?" She asked uncertainly, looking at Agate. "Yes. I felt the same thing," She confirmed. "What could it be?" Pine Ponder asked. "That... Is where the Gnashing Glacier is, isn't it?" Agate asked, her lips pursed. Their conversation and stirring didn't go unnoticed by the others, and a few moments later, Inner Fire and a bunch of other ponies were all sat around the stump, listening to what happened. "The forest is safe and healed, we are fully certain of that, chieftain," Clay Charm reported. "But something happened in the place which you said was the source of this malady," He nodded. "So it seems." "Hrm... If something broke... Did the ritual break their power? Or did something break out? Should we prepare for an attack of those spirits?" He frowned. "I think you should take your ponies and retreat back to the villages, Inner Fire. I'll go take a look at the glacier," Agate suggested. "Do be careful, Agate. You don't know what's in there. Even spirits can be harmed," He cautioned. "I know. I'm not exactly a newbie at this, you know," She grinned. Much as she disliked the titles denoting her old age, they did come in useful sometimes. "I'll make a quick sweep around the forest and recall the other groups, and then I'll go take a closer look at that glacier. We'll meet back in Green Bough. Sound good?" "Very well. You heard her, ponies! We are done here. Let's break camp and move out. No panicking. Just get your things, and we'll be on our way in a calm, orderly fashion," He shouted, everyone around him nodding and scattering. With a final nod to Pine Ponder and the others, Agate shapeshifted once more, taking to the sky. She noticed a faint glow all about the forest, no doubt the result of the ritual. Finding the nearest group of shamares and warriors, she repeated the same thing she did earlier in the day, only with a different message. "Greetings, brave ponies! The ritual was a success, as I'm sure you felt yourselves. The forest is safe. Now, the chieftain wants you to return as soon as possible. The gathering spot is Green Bough." "Understood, wind rider! Come on, you heard her! We did it! Let's get out of here and have a victory feast!" Between her first round of flying, the ritual itself, and the second flight, Agate was quite tired, and the day was ending, too. Debating on what to do, she decided to return all the way to Snowpitt and have a full night's rest in her totem. If she was going to meet some kind of dark, hungry spirits, she wanted to be at full strength, and she knew that it was going to take at least several days for everyone to gather in Green Bough anyway. Letting the light of her totem guide her, she landed inside, drifting off to sleep almost immediately. ❅ ❆ ❅ The next morning, Agate steeled herself, took a deep metaphorical breath, and took off. The distance was not small, and even with flying as fast as she could - which would put just about every bird that she knew of to shame - she still took a little over half the day to actually cross the tundra, the forest, and reach the patch of the southern mountains with the mass of ice known as the Gnashing Glacier. Some called it the Groaning or Growling Glacier, but they were all similar enough names anyway. Dropping her speed, she began circling it, slowly descending lower and lower. It didn't take all that much time to notice something off about it - there was a massive crack running through the middle of it, its edges jagged and sharp. It was very clearly fresh. Focusing on her spirit sight, Agate tried to see whether there were any kind of spirits or magic in or around the glacier. She could see some kind of faint, barely noticeable ribbons that looked like the shredded remnants of a badly decayed enchantment. She'd seen similar things in old, worn down and broken magic items, but this was on an entirely different scale, far beyond anything she had seen before. "No, not true," She corrected herself. She had just participated in a ritual of possibly even bigger scale than whatever this was just the day before. She continued circling lower, watching for ambushes of any kind. Nothing jumped out at her, and the glacier remained quiet and dead. No gnashing, groaning or growling could be heard from the ice. Eventually, she landed on the lip of the crack, peering around and inside. The strings of the broken enchantment were already fading to almost complete nonexistence. There were multiple colors among them, with a deep blue and gold being the most prominent ones, suggesting that this was indeed the result of multiple ponies combining their magic. There was also something strange, like a lingering bad smell. Smelling something was another thing Agate hadn't experienced in a thousand years, but she was fairly certain that the unpleasant sensation in her nose was what a stink felt like. A nasty, vile stink. "Now what happened here?" She asked out loud. No answers came. After standing around for a short while longer, she dove inside the glacier, turning back into a pony and looking around. The stink was worse here, though it too was fading away. She couldn't quite remember encountering anything similar in the past, so she wasn't sure what to think about it all. Something niggled at the back of her mind, but no coherent memories showed up, so with a click of her tongue, she turned back into a bird and flew out. "Whatever was here, it's gone. Hopefully not to attack the southern tribe, like Inner Fire said..." Circling around the large crack one last time, she turned north, looking for signs of... Anything. She didn't know if spirits left tracks, but that one did seem to leave a stench behind itself. Nothing like that appeared anywhere she looked, though. Slowly getting closer and closer to the forest, she eventually saw the abandoned ritual sites of the shamare groups. Following the tracks, she eventually saw the ponies themselves, making their way through the forest. A half-dozen ponies were trotting at a steady pace, dragging an elderly shamare in a sleigh. They seemed hale and hearty, with no signs of ailments, be they spiritual or physical. Landing on a tree branch nearby, Agate called out to them. "Hail, warriors. How goes your journey?" "Oh! Traveler spirit. We are well, and in a good mood," The leading stallion chuckled. "Anything new you have for us?" "Nothing much. I'm just checking the situation. The ritual seemed to be a complete success, and I decided to go and see the source of this whole thing. Have you seen or heard anything unusual from the mountains? You were the group that was closest to the Gnashing Glacier." "Not as such, no," He shrugged. "I felt something shift or break in the world when the ritual concluded, spirit," The shamare spoke up. "So did I, as did some other shamares. We're working on it," Agate confirmed. "I went to the glacier already, and it's... Empty, with a big crack in the middle. Whatever was in there either died or left, and I couldn't find any trace of where it, or they, went. So... Keep your eyes and ears open, but... If you haven't seen anything, then you're probably safe." "Will do, traveler spirit," The stallion confirmed, his and his companion's expressions turning a bit more serious. "Be safe. Just get to Green Bough," Agate nodded, taking off again. Visiting several other groups yielded the same results. No one saw any kind of hungry, magic-eating spirits. It made sense, really - they would probably be repelled by the wards if they tried to enter the forest anyway, which meant that they would have to go... Where? There was pretty much nothing on the southern side of the mountains. Snow, stone, a desolate plain, and... "Dream Valley," Agate muttered to herself. Well, that was dead as well. It wasn't like the Crystal Empire had returned. This random glacier was way east of it, and clearly had nothing to do with the Empire. Shrugging to herself, Agate winged her way to the village. It was evening by the time she arrived, and the ponies were already waiting for her. "You took longer than I expected. We were getting worried," Inner Fire said. "Hey, while I am much faster than a regular pony, getting around still takes time for me," Agate protested. "True, I suppose. What did you see?" "Nothing much, though something clearly had been there in the past..." ❅ ❆ ❅ Agate's findings mystified all the ponies that listened to her report, just adding even more confusion to the already strange saga. Once more, no one really knew who the enchantments on the glacier could have been made by, or for what purpose. Neither anyone from the three tribes, nor Agate's people, had any kind of stories about something happening in that place. "I suppose we should just focus on what we do know for certain. If the spirits are gone, and the forest is saved, then our mission was a complete success," Inner Fire mused. "And if this crops up again, we'll deal with it as it comes." "Sounds reasonable as anything, chieftain," Clay Charm shrugged. And with the mission declared a success, the next thing on the to-do list was quite obvious: a celebration. Green Bough was a relatively small village, though, and the entire contingent of the ponies that came out would have heavily strained it, so it was decided to postpone it until they all returned to Snowpitt. Eagerly waiting for the outlying teams to return from the forest, runners were sent to the other villages as well, informing them of their success and inviting them to the upcoming festivities. Since Agate joined in on this adventure a bit late, she didn't end up as the center of attention, which was just the way she liked it. She sat on the sidelines, listening to Pine Ponder shyly recount her adventures with Ice Elation to the fascinated locals. "You have good instincts and some real talent, you know," Ice Elation told to Pine Ponder. "You could make a great adventurer, if you put your mind to it." "That's just it, I'm not putting my mind to it," Pine Ponder snorted. "I remember your expression when we made it out of the crystal forest. All smiley, giddy, and ecstatic. Meanwhile, I was just happy to be alive. No thanks, adventuring is not for me. I'd much rather return to my forest, and stay there." "Ah, you remind me of my sister a little. She too has some skill, but she's... Not quite as tough as me, though she tries to be. She just doesn't have that feeling of certainty that you need for the adventuring life," Ice Elation nodded. "Who's your sister?" "A bit of a grump named Cold Shoulder..." Agate listened to them talk with one ear while sticking her tongue inside the crystal cone. Pine Ponder felt like giving her the cone for helping them, but Agate adamantly refused, given how small her contribution to the whole thing was, not to mention how easy it was to see that the mare herself liked the cone quite a lot. Still, Pine Ponder insisted that Agate could play with the cone while they waited and traveled to Snowpitt. She happily did, spending an inordinate amount of time sticking her tongue inside it and tasting the strange, evergreen-flavored crystal. Crystals having flavors wasn't something she ever experienced before, and she was fascinated by it to no end, to the confusion and amusement of the onlookers that observed her trying to "eat" the crystal cone. Before long, the other ponies returned, and the entire expedition set out towards Snowpitt, the fighters singing victory songs and comparing trophies and scars, while the shamares whispered about the various magics that they employed and the things that they saw during the time in the forest. Many wanted to talk to Pine Ponder and see the crystal cone, the usually quiet mare clearly getting a bit worn down from all the talking and constant praise. "As nice as this is, I can't wait until I can go back to River's Mouth and return to my quiet life," Pine Ponder sighed. "Oh, I'm not sure your life is going to be all that quiet after your little stunt. Sure, it's going to be mostly the same, but you can bet there's going to be songs and stories composed about you," Agate chuckled. "I... Can live with that, I guess, if those storytellers don't follow me around singing their songs while I'm in the forest. That'd really ruin any chance of sneaking around anywhere," The mare replied with some sarcasm. "Haha! I'm sure they won't go that far, though they'll probably visit you in your village for a while to ask for some details and clarifications. And, your village might get some visits from adventurers, too. Even if the glacier is abandoned, I bet some ponies will want to see it anyway." "I wonder what that was all about, but it's way beyond my ken. If even you didn't know..." "Yeah, I really have no clue. But if this happened a few months earlier, I might have ran off for days or even longer, heh," Agate chuckled, shaking her head. "Wait, so do you know?" Pine Ponder asked with some confusion, turning towards her. "No, but for a while, I expected the Crystal Empire to return at any moment, and when just about anything happened, I always thought that it was a sign that the Empire came back. And I'd rush off towards Dream Valley, only to find it empty. A strange dream I had in the night? The Empire must have returned! A brief, strange shift in the Breath? The Empire must have returned! A bird passing by? The Empire must have returned! Okay, that last one was a joke. After a few more events like that, I meditated for a while, reminding myself to be patient. After all, if the Empire really returned, then I'd more than likely be able to see it," Agate smiled. "Isn't it past the mountains? Or does it actually stand above them?" Pine Ponder wondered, her voice tinged with slight disbelief. "No, no, nothing like that. I just have this talent, you see. I can see crystals very, very well - even through snow and rock. It takes some effort to see, but the Empire is certainly bigger and brighter than a single crystal, so I'm certain I wouldn't have any trouble in seeing it even through the mountains," Agate explained. "All I'd have to do is look in its direction, which is roughly over there..." "Hm? What's the matter?" Pine Ponder asked once she saw Agate stop trotting and freeze, pointing towards the south with an extended foreleg. "The Crystal Empire has returned..." Agate whispered hoarsely. "Yes, you said that that was what you thought every time something happened. Or... Do you mean...?" Pine Ponder trailed off, watching the wide-eyed, frozen spirit with furrowed brows, the ponies that were trotting close by stopping and staring as well. "The empire! It has returned!" Agate shouted, staring with disbelief at the distant, glowing, glimmering jewel that she could see through the very mountains.