Agate chuckled as the two slightly nervous royals and their retinue of scholars were led inside, all the guards marching behind them in a neat line. Looking around, she saw her family, looking out of place as a whole bunch of snowponies stared and whispered about them. Rolling her eyes, she imperiously trotted over (which was quite hard, when her hoofsteps didn't make any sound), shooing them away.
"Come on, let's get inside, you can warm up a bit," Agate nodded to her family, leading them into the longhouse as well. Once they were inside, Cadance quickly waved Agate over with an urgent expression, her family following along.
"Agate, I think I need some urgent advice about the local protocol," She said quietly with a small, nervous smile.
"Are you afraid of eating fish so much? You could politely refuse, not everything in the Empire agreed with the snowpony stomachs either," Agate chuckled.
"No, no," She shook her head. "It's, how do I put this politely..."
"The pair of crystal guards that we brought from the Empire are being dense," Shining Armor said bluntly, tossing politeness to the wayside. "The entire chariot contingent was pulled by pegasi guards, but the captain insisted that I bring at least some crystal ponies with me as well. I mean, I understand it, but I'm afraid that they're being a touch uptight."
"What are they- oh. They're guarding the door?" Agate asked after looking around, noticing the pair of guards standing stiffly by the entrance, a few confused locals trying to talk to them while they stoically remained silent.
"Judging by their reactions, this is not considered normal around here," Shining Armor nodded to the snowponies.
"What are they even trying to do? Why are they acting like someone might jump you? The settlement is safe," Agate asked, getting a bunch of surprised looks from everyone, including Obsidian Spear. "What? Is this some guard thing from the Empire? I might be old, but you're forgetting that I spent ten years in the Empire, and a thousand years over here. I don't know the first thing about any of this stuff."
"I'm guessing the chieftains here don't have guards standing around, or guarding their bedrooms while they sleep, or anything like that," Shining Armor said.
"Guarding their bed- no? You have sentries when you're out and about in the wilderness, not inside a settlement where it's safe," Agate shook her head.
"Right. Completely different culture," Obsidian Spear shook his head. "Back home, even though we were allies, whenever the Equestrians showed up, they'd still bring a bunch of guards with them, and have them stand guard in whatever wing of the Spire they'd sleep in. And the Empress would do the same when she went to Equestria. Not that anyone truly thought anyone would try to assasinate them - it's all just a way to show off and compete for the ruling class."
"How do you show off by having a bunch of ponies stand around?" Agate snorted incredulously.
"By demonstrating that you can afford to have a bunch of ponies stand around and do nothing at your command," He grinned.
"That sounds silly. I mean, sure, the chieftains do show off, including when they visit other tribes. Fancy necklaces with fangs of terrible beasts, golden jewelry, stuff like that. But I don't think I ever heard of showing off by wasting other pony's time yet. And if you do have a bunch of guards follow you around acting like you're about to be attacked all the time... I'm pretty dang sure Inner Fire and the others would take it as a massive insult. This is his tribe's capital, and it's his job to keep his guests safe."
"Sacred hospitality... And a high-trust society forged out of the hard conditions around them," Cadance nodded slowly.
"Yeah. Mistrust in your neighbors grows into worse things, which end up attracting windigoes," Agate nodded.
"Let's nip this in the bud before we make complete fools of ourselves, then. Lieutenant?" Shining Armor addressed one of the pegasi nearby, who were surreptitiously listening in while pretending not to. "Tell those two to get over here immediately. Direct orders."
"Yes, sir."
The pegasus went over to the crystal guards, who glanced at Shining Armor before nodding, trotting over and saluting. "Sire?"
"I need you two to drop the protocol, relax, and act in a more civilian fashion," Shining Armor stated directly.
"...Pardon me for speaking out of turn, sire, but this is highly irregular. I know that we had a friendly visit by these ponies, but we're still in completely unfamiliar territory, with no true reason for such a trusting gest-" One of the guards spoke, before Cadance interrupted him.
"I'm afraid you're wrong in that regard. These ponies trust us quite highly, and acting like we don't trust them would be very damaging to our relations. We might have met them barely a week ago, but Agate here had spent a thousand years with them, helping them in all kinds of ways and earning a lot of goodwill towards ponies of the Empire. To us, it seems sudden, but for them, they've probably been eager to meet us for generations. Let's not squander that goodwill now that the time actually came, yes?"
"Of course, my liege, I see the wisdom of your words now. I should have known not to question the orders of those above my station. A thousand apologies, Your Imperial Majesty," The guard bowed, his partner following suit, despite not saying a word.
"You are forgiven, on the condition that you cut the theatrics," Cadance sighed. "Stow away your weapons and your suspicions. I know that it's very sudden - trust me, they took me completely by surprise as well, just showing up out of the snow one day - but look around you. There's not a single bad bone in these pony's bodies. Despite being much more foreign to us and not even speaking the same language, we had less trouble when they visited us than when the tourists from Equestria came."
"Ha. Funny. I didn't even think of that, but it's true," Shining Armor snorted. "This goes for the rest of you, too. At ease, no need for escorts and guards. Feel free to try and get to know the locals. If something really happens... We'll send up flares to call for help," He ordered the pegasi.
"Understood, sir."
"They're not likely to get into trouble if they trot around the city, are they, Agate?" Cadance asked.
"Not unless they do something obviously stupid like steal something. Though there is a good chance some locals could challenge them to a friendly sparring match. I noticed more than one warrior giving them curious and evaluating looks," Agate mused.
"...Could be interesting," Shining Armor said, intrigued.
"Why so long talk? Something bad happen?" Inner Fire asked, trotting closer to the group.
"No, no, just- explaining things to our... Ponies," Cadance shook her head, switching to snowponish.
"Oh, you'll have plenty of time to explain after you eat! Come, sit already!"
Giving a meaningful glance to the guards, Cadance and Shining Armor went to take their seats at a large table with the chieftain and several elders. A few guards and scholars sat next to them, the other guards and Agate's family sitting down at the other tables, the guards taking off their helmets and relaxing a little.
"You're not going to sit with the big ponies, Agate?" Obsidian Spear asked.
"Eh, they can do fine without me. Fluent Tongue is plenty good by himself, and I didn't come to the Empire for them. I came for you all," She shrugged.
"Would your friends like some tea, ancient one?" A snowpony mare asked, another mare holding a large clay teapot by the handle in her mouth.
"I'm sure they would, yes," Agate nodded.
"And fish?" Another mare asked, setting the food on the table without waiting for an answer.
"We'll see," Agate grinned. Turning towards the guards, she raised her eyebrows. "So, do you guys eat fish?"
"I actually did, plenty of times, yes. Harder to get in Canterlot, but totally worth it," One of the pegasi, who Agate remembered as the leader - Lieutenant Thunder Strike, that was his name - replied, reaching for the plate and taking a deep whiff of the fish with a thoughtful expression. "Still fish, but definitely different. Going to be interesting."
"Is that something ponies in Equestria do? I never heard of ponies eating fish back in the Empire," Agate asked while glancing at her family, who were giving the dishes slightly doubtful looks as their snowpony hosts brought more and more food to the table.
"It's more of a pegasus thing, especially those who live in coastal cities. The chieftain was right, fish are great for building up muscle and fat, and they're good for your coat and feathers. You can't really build muscles well with hay and bread alone, and the pegasi that live deeper inland have to supplement their diets with lots of eggs and cheese and other things like that if they want to join the Guard or do strenuous weather work and high-altitude flights," He explained, taking a bite and chewing thoughtfully for a minute before smiling widely and diving in again. "Ooooh. This is good."
"Well, I'm from an inland city. Nothing wrong with eggs, though I guess it's best not to be rude," Another pegasus muttered, taking a bite. "Hm. Not something I ever tasted before, but... Not bad."
"And what of the earth ponies and unicorns? Does it make them sick?" Garnet Necklace asked nervously.
"Not that I know of? Unicorns are largely ambivalent while there's a small section of earth ponies that insist ponies should eat only plants, though they seem to count bird eggs as plants as well," Thunder Strike snorted. "Anyway, these snowponies are descended from earth ponies, are they not? It should be fine. Probably."
"They are," Agate confirmed.
"See? Even... Agate agrees."
"Having a bunch of big, tough pegasi be so nervous around me is still funny," Agate giggled.
"...Can't help it. You're a ghost. Ghosts are spooky," The stallion said with deadly seriousness, making Agate laugh.
"*Snrrrrk*-hahah, oh, that never gets old. Boo!"
"..." Thunder Strike kept chewing, blinking in confusion.
"You don't seem all that spooked," Agate pointed out.
"I guess... You're not that spooky," He said, the other pegasi looking at Agate with thoughtful expressions.
"Is your family well, traveler spirit?" A snowpony asked, looking at the crystal ponies. "They only drank some tea so far. Did they fall ill during the journey?"
"I'm pretty sure they're fine," Agate reassured the pony, turning towards her family with a grin. "You best make up your minds on whether to try it or ask for something else, you're confusing your hosts. Though there might not be all that much choice - the various vegetables and greens usually don't last until spring."
"Oh, buck it. It literally can't be worse than field rations," Obsidian Spear snorted, biting into the fish.
❅ ❆ ❅
"Mmm," Cadance hummed.
"And there's your pegasus side," Shining Armor chuckled as his wife scarfed down the fish.
"Well - it's - I never tasted anything quite like it before! I think I had some fancy shrimp hors d'oeuvres at some party or other, but nothing quite like this! Now I wish Canterlot was a coastal city so I could have discovered this sooner..." Cadance lamented. "Wait, the Empire is landlocked as well. Darn!"
"Guess you'll have to visit the snowponies to get your fish fix, then," Shining Armor suggested.
"Well, these are honestly very good," Fluent Tongue nodded. "I'd never have thought earth- that is, snowponies might know how to prepare fish so well. But, I'm guessing that it's a large part of their diet over here. Excuse me, chieftain, what do your people eat besides fish?"
"Hmm? Well, many things. Grasses and flowers, of course, though also berries, mushrooms, nuts, and all the vegetables that the farmers grow," Inner Fire listed off.
"Most of the food on offer is fish, though. Is it considered a better food- wait, you grow vegetables?"
"Not me, but there are ponies that do, of course. Why the surprise? Did you think that the land is covered in snow and ice forever, and we only fish?" He laughed at Fluent Tongue's expression. "What an odd assumption! Living under your strange magic shield with eternal summer inside must have skewed your knowledge of the world. Summers are short, yes, but intense. It's almost scary how fast some plants grow when things warm up."
"Well, I'm actually from Equestria, so we do have different seasons there. A lot of ponies do think that nothing could survive this far north, though," He shrugged.
"I suppose us snowponies are just made of tougher stuff than they'd expect," Inner Fire thumped his chest with pride. "Harsh as the environment is, our ancestors learned to survive, and their descendants learned to thrive- Oh, there they are."
"Hm? What's happening?" Shining Armor asked, noticing another dozen ponies enter the longhouse.
"The other chieftains wanted to meet you, of course," Inner Fire said, making Cadance raise her eyebrows as she turned to Fluent Tongue.
"Did I understand that word right? I thought each tribe only had one chieftain?"
"They do, and he did not use the word for "elder", either," The pegasus nodded. "Pardon me, chieftain, but are these the chieftains of the other tribes? From what I remember, they live quite far away from here, yes? How could they have heard of our arrival so quickly?"
"Ah, yes. Originally, they did not come for you," He chuckled, nodding towards the ponies, who were now talking to Agate and looking at the pegasi with fascination. "They heard of Agate's departure, and they knew that the world was about to change, and they wanted to know how it was going to change when it happened, so they rushed over here. No one really knew exactly how things were going to go down, but it was all but a guarantee that it would change somehow. She wasn't really secretive about her lost people, their disappearance, and their supposed return."
"Oh. Well, this is... Fortuitous for us either way," Cadance nodded.
"I wonder if she even knows the political power she wields," Shining Armor mused under his breath as Agate casually chatted to the two stallions, who clearly felt very respectful towards her. "Hope she puts in a good word for us."
"I'm quite certain she does, Shiny, and she clearly doesn't care for power in the slightest. And that is precisely why she wields it. Everyone can see that she's a pure soul. Remember, she's not a lost filly, she's a thousand years old, Sometimes, it felt like I was talking with a cheekier, more relaxed version of Celestia," Cadance shook her head, whispering back. "And I think she made it clear that her main goal is spending time with her family, and she does the rest out of her own kindness, to make sure the first meeting between the people she was born amongst and the people that adopted her goes smoothly. Let's respect her wishes and not try to push that kindness."
❅ ❆ ❅
"There's no need for battle, then?" The northerner's chieftain asked.
"Indeed not, Icebreaker, all the battles are over, at least for now," Agate nodded. "Looks like the ancient oaths of the northern tribe will not need to be called on after all."
"What oaths are those?" The western tribe's chieftain asked curiously.
"Just something a chieftain named Jagged Ice swore to me a long, long time ago after I helped him out, Fern. He swore that the spears of the northern tribe were at my beck and call, on pain of him returning and shaming the northern tribe should they refuse to honor them. Never happened before, and it's been some eight centuries, but the chieftains kept passing on the story of the oath to their successors regardless. It's honestly impressive. There's things from eight centuries ago that I know I forgot," Agate shook her head with a smile.
"Such debts need to be paid," Icebreaker nodded solemnly. "There's a heavy price for false promises that will catch up to you sooner or later."
"In that case, what happens now?" Fern asked, glancing towards Cadance and Shining Armor.
"Nothing bad for the tribes, probably. You have new neighbors now - well, I suppose the southern tribe does, to be more specific, even if those neighbors are behind a mountain range. New and different neighbors, most importantly, so trade for exotic goods might be something both sides would be interested in," Agate shrugged. "I know that the ponies that came to the Crystal Empire were given lots of small gifts by the crystal ponies. Maybe there was something in there they'd like more of? Go join them, talk to Inner Fire, talk to the ones that visited the Empire. Perhaps something will interest you."
"No world-shattering calamities and a chance of more allies and wealth for my people? I'll take it," Icebreaker shrugged, Fern nodding in agreement. Giving Agate a bow, the two chieftains and their entourages went to join the other table.
They continued eating, Agate translating the occasional question by the snowpony parts of the table to the pegasi or her parents. For their part, the guests were still trying the new foods carefully, but not fearfully any more, chewing on the exotic dishes with thoughtful expressions. Even Agate's family seemed to like the fish, though they appeared to be somewhat conflicted about the fact they liked it.
Eventually, the food was finished, and the usual rounds of silly questions began. Agate was reminded of her own first meeting with the snowponies as she chuckled and translated questions like "Do you eat crystals? So which bird did you steal your wings from? When crystal ponies make foals, do they just mine them out of the mountains?", and so on.
When things were getting late and the participants were getting sleepy, there was yet another set of unexpected arrivals. Agate blinked in surprise as a familiar voice sounded out behind her, a hoof ruffling her ethereal mane. "So many new friends, auntie. Did you forget about us, then?"
"...Floe Rider? What in the depths are you doing here? When did you get here?" Agate stared at the mare. "And Glacier Breaker? Did you bring the younglings, too?"
"Hey, auntie Agate!" A trio of young-ish voices chorused out from behind their parents, the eldest of the three already tall enough to peek over his parent's bodies.
"We got here the same time the chieftain did, of course. We had an inkling what the return of your people meant, after all," The mare smiled sadly, glancing at Agate's family.
"Who are these ponies, Agate?" Radiant Cut asked.
"Mom, dad, this is Glacier Breaker and Floe Rider with her brood. They're my family," Agate explained with a smile. "And these are Radiant Cut, my father, Garnet Necklace, my mother, and my uncle Obsidian Spear," She explained to the snowponies.
The two very, very different families took a few long minutes to examine each other, the other ponies respectfully staying out of their conversation once they heard what was happening. Neither side really knew what to say to each other, only sharing awkward smiles.
"So, ah, Glacier Breaker?" Garnet Necklace finally spoke up. "That sounds a bit like..."
"Glacier Glider? That was a thousand years ago, mom, and he's a stallion, as I'm sure you noticed. I'm sure you'd have liked to talk to her, but she's long gone," Agate shook her head with a smile. "You know what, though? It's probably too late to get into long family trees. You had a long journey, arrived when it was already dark, and I can see you're dead on your hooves. Let's postpone this until tomorrow," Agate said, translating for her snowpony family as well.
"That is probably for the best. Are you staying with your chieftain? Which one of them is it?" Glacier Breaker asked.
"That mare has to be an incredibly powerful shamare with having those colors and not getting eaten by something, I bet I could see her on another island across the sea," Floe Rider mused, her children going oooh when they caught a glimpse of Cadance.
"She's the chieftain, actually, though her husband also is," Agate chuckled. "It works a little differently back in the Empire. We don't have to stay with them, though. Is the place you're staying in big enough for more ponies?"
"It is, yes. Now that spring is here, we found a nice house with the youths already cleared out for their nomadic journey," Glacier Breaker nodded.
"Well, let's go tell them, then, though they'll probably still want to talk to me tomorrow. I did agree to be their guide," Agate nodded, getting out of her chair and trotting towards the royal couple, who were showing gold coins and explaining the basis of their trade to the intrigued chieftains. "Hey, Cadance. My family's really tired, and I think we're done for the day. We'll meet up tomorrow after we all get some sleep, alright?"
"Oh, of course. Perhaps we should turn in soon as well... "
"Let's find some places for you and all your bird ponies," Inner Fire nodded.
❅ ❆ ❅
Agate accompanied her two families to the place they were staying in, but did not stay there to sleep herself, which, of course, aroused the curiosity of the crystal ponies. When she arrived the next morning, the first thing that they asked to do after breakfast was to see her totem. When they swung by the chieftain's home along the way, the royal couple eagerly insisted to come along and see it as well, the scholars and a number of guards coming along.
"Whoa," Cadance summed up their reactions quite well.
"Didn't you say that totem poles are made of wood?" Obsidian Spear asked after a minute of staring at the crystal pillar.
"They are. You can still see it inside, under the crystal," Agate pointed with a hoof.
"And you sleep... Inside it? There's no door," Garnet Necklace frowned with confusion.
"Don't need one," Agate demonstrated, easily walking inside the crystal and back out again.
"So this is the thing that... Binds you to this world?" Shining Armor asked.
"Kind of. I arrived here by myself, if you remember. It just helps me remain tethered and lucid," Agate nodded.
"May we... Study it?" Cadance asked tentatively.
"Sure," Agate shrugged.
"Really? You don't mind?"
"Why would I? Even if I wasn't going to leave soon, it's not some kind of secret. You're free to ask the shamares to try and explain it to you too, though I'm not sure how well magic terms will translate even if you know the words. Also, they'll almost definitely ask for you to demonstrate some of your magic in return. They're a terribly curious bunch," Agate mused thoughtfully.
"We can do that," Shining Armor nodded.
"Anything else you need from me? I'd like to talk to my families for a while."
"No, I think this will keep us quite busy for some time," Cadance nodded, looking Agate's totem up and down.
Agate nodded, realizing too late that her clearing was exactly the kind of place that was good to sit down and talk. Thinking about it, she decided to give her crystal family a tour of Snowpitt instead, waving them over and leading them away from the clearing, feeling faint tingles through her connection to her totem as Cadance and a few others started casting scanning spells on it.
"I imagine the ways Agate is family to us and to you are quite different," Garnet Necklace said, Agate translating for her.
"Of course. She's like a second mother, grandmonther, sister, and all kinds of things to me," Glacier Breaker chuckled. "She's been with me since I was born... And I expected her to be there on my dying day, as she has been for countless generations of my family."
"That is so weird..."
"She's a good pony. You raised your daughter well," Floe Rider said.
"Sounds like your ancient ancestors had more of a hoof in that than we did," Radiant Cut pointed out.
"I was raised by many ponies," Agate shook her head. "Lots of old, wise shamares and the like. I didn't spend... All that much time with Glacier Glider back then. I only called her "mother" after she died."
"But then, she never got to hear- Oh, right. Spirits," Obsidian Spear caught himself, Agate and the northerners chuckling.
❅ ❆ ❅
When the day was ending and the Sun was setting, Cadance and Shining Armor sat down for a meal with their entourage of scholars, courtesy of the locals. Though they brought supplies of their own, their hosts wouldn't hear of it, though they were curious enough to accept some preserves from the Empire to try for themselves.
"So. Necromancy?" Cadance inquired.
"Hay if I know," Shining Armor asked. "Sunburst?"
"How are you supposed to know if something is necromancy if you never saw any necromantic magic before? It's not like I have anything to compare it to. This is completely new to me. Doesn't resemble anything I ever learned about in the past," The spectacled unicorn asked helplessly.
"Yeah... It's pretty clear we're all quite out of our depth here," Cadance sighed.
"You said you never saw anything like the Crystal Empire's magic either, though?" Shining Armor asked.
"Well, yes, but it was still easy to understand, since it was analogous to many branches of magic in Equestria. The Heart is a magical storage/spell casting focus artifact that acts as the focal point of the Imperial City, which essentially functions as one massive spell circle that's constantly fueled by the local population, with the Spire acting as a cooling rod and a pressure release valve, bleeding off the excess magic via those magical ribbons that ponies like to watch. See? I can... Categorize it. We know what magical shields are, we know what weather control is, even if no one in Equestria ever used them as a single spell to keep an area warm like they do in the Empire, or made a permanent, city-wide spell circle out of crystals. The effects are novel and there's a few things I'm not sure about yet, but it's largely still a combination of magics we're at least passingly familiar with in Equestria."
"But not this," Shining Armor nodded, leaning back and looking around the table.
"Hey, don't look at me. I don't know the first thing about this stuff, I'm not even a unicorn," Fluent Tongue said, the other scholars and scribes shrugging as well.
"Not this," Sunburst confirmed. "And, given that these ponies are descendants of earth ponies, being a pegasus might not preclude you from learning their magic. Or maybe it might. I don't know. But, like I said, this is unfamiliar to me. The magic deals with concepts we'd think of as complete charlatanism - spirits, really? Binding one? Granting them sight? In that case, is the default state of a spirit being sightless? It's just... I'd swear it was all superstition and make-believe mysticism if we didn't have Agate trotting about like it's no big deal," He finished, helplessly throwing his hooves up in the air.
"Agate and other spirits. She said that villages tend to have at least a couple guardian spirits, especially the newer ones in dangerous regions that haven't been tamed yet. I asked, and there's a few other guardian spirits in Snowpitt as well," Cadance added.
"Suppose we might examine their totems to get a more "baseline" idea of what one looks like? Agate's changed quite a lot over the years, as she said," Sunburst mused.
"Suppose so, but it still wouldn't tell us a thing if we're completely clueless as to what we're looking at."
"We probably need to enlist the help of their wizards. Those "shamares" of theirs," Sunburst suggested. "Maybe they can even... Summon some spirits? Didn't Agate say that there's spirits for pretty much everything here, from rocks to wind?"
"She also warned that it's not like casting a spell. The spirits are their own entities, and might act out in some way," Shining Armor reminded them.
"Well, in the middle of the capital city with lots of experts in the field around, it should be a completely safe experiment, surely? These ponies have been doing this for millennia, really, so what's the wors- mmmph!"
"Shush!" Cadance shushed him, pressing his muzzle together with magic.
"I see someone learned not to ask dangerous questions," Shining Armor grinned, sipping on some tea. "Hmmm, I wonder what plant this is. This is some truly great tea."
"Princess, come on! Surely you don't believe in such silly superstitions!" Sunburst humphed, crossing his forelegs indignantly.
"Of course not, Sunburst. I don't believe in silly ghost stories, either," Cadance smiled widely at him.
"...Uh." He raised a hoof as if to argue, slowly setting it down.
"Speaking of ghost stories, it's scary how accurate to the snowpony lore about spirits they are. Pony spirits, to be precise," Shining Armor mused.
"How? I can't say I'm all that well-read in regards to ghost stories," Sunburst asked.
"Strong-willed spirits are the ones that hang around, their cause most often being unfinished business, even if all it is is seeing their family one last time to say goodbye. Even those that remain tend to be a bit muddled, their minds not quite all there, so they wander around, moaning, groaning, blindly calling out to their family, and otherwise being spooky as all heck without meaning to," Shining Armor listed off the common tropes.
"Back in Equestria, it's usually rattling chains or other stuff like that. Some stories have them move physical objects around," Cadance added.
"Right. Poltergeists. I know the term, at least," Sunburst shrugged.
"Yes, and according to snowponies, that is how most pony spirits act, unless they were a strong-willed pony in life, or they're given a totem to reside in, which lifts the mental fog and gives them clarity of thought and sight. So yes, it does seem that the default state of a spirit is one of near blindness," Cadance concluded.
"So does this mean that this is necromancy? ...Am I going to get in trouble for studying this?" Sunburst suddenly frowned. "I don't want to get banished for learning dark magic!"
"I'm sure auntie Celestia would grant you mercy. Or perhaps you can seek refuge in the Empire," Cadance chuckled.
"...That's not the worst idea. I could imagine myself staying there. There's lots of things to study, to be sure," Sunburst mused.
"I don't think anyone's getting banished, and I doubt that it's dark magic, either. Agate certainly doesn't seem like either a dark magic minion, or a caster of it herself," Shining Armor waved it off. "Still, I'd like to talk to those "shamares" and ask them a few questions anyway. I really hope we don't find out that these guys can, or do, reanimate corpses or anything like that..."
❅ ❆ ❅
After they were done with their dinner, they met up with the chieftains again, discussing their respective peoples and territories, talking about potential commerce and the like for a few hours. After that, they went to sleep, asking Inner Fire to direct them to some shamares the next morning. He gladly obliged, sending them to Clay Charm, the current elder of the southern shamares. The proceeding conversation certainly proved to be enlightening.
"Madness! You ask for foolishness! Do not even entertain such thoughts!" Clay Charm shouted angrily, unceremoniously bonking Shining Armor on the head with a staff as Fluent Tongue translated her words.
"Ow! I'm not entertaining anything! I was just asking!" He huffed, pushing the staff away.
"Questions lead to precisely such thoughts," She rolled her eyes, brandishing her staff at him. "Magic is powerful, yes. It can do many, many great and terrible things. Do. UNdoing something is not possible. No more than you can trot against a river! You can call a storm to destroy something, you cannot un-destroy it afterwards. You think that no one tried? Shamares lost their loved ones too, you know. Family, friends. Breathing life into a corpse is not possible, however. They found that out the hard way. There are rules to this world! You can discover magic that works like the river's flow, like putting a kayak on top and riding it quickly to your destination. Going against the rules, though? Like trying to piss against a hurricane. Pfeh. Things only go forwards, not backwards! You will either waste time and achieve nothing, or nature will take its course for you trying to break its rules," She finished ominously.
"Well, that was informative," Cadance said, Sunburst nodding along.
"Look, we're just trying to understand. We don't have spirits like you do over here, but we do have stories, though no one really believes them. Most of them are made up, told just for fun as tall tales," Shining Armor tried to explain.
"What a strange thought. A spiritless land..." Clay Charm mused.
"Right. That's why we're asking things that might seem obvious to you. Some of the stories we have talk about some pretty wild things," He continued.
"Ah. Well, if they're, as you say, tall tales, then it would make sense they'd cover things that are not possible," The elder nodded.
"Some of them also concern bad things," He ventured forth carefully.
"Hmm? Evil spirits of some kind, I'm guessing?"
"More often, evil ponies harnessing spirits for evil things. Spirits of the dead, or even... Bodies."
"Hm, hm, hm," The shamare thought, rubbing her chin and glancing around, as if those very spirits might jump out at her from the shadows. "There are some dark things hiding in the corners of the world, yes. There are whispers of... Dark things between shamares from time to time, but, as expected of such things, it is often hard to say what is true and what is just rumor. Most of them are in regards to spirits, though, not bodies. Why are you so fixed on them, anyway? Hm, there is one story the northerners speak of..."
"Yes?" Shining Armor leaned forward slightly.
"Supposedly, a renowned adventurer with might and strength of will met an unpleasant end in the depths of Ice Land, as it happens in that place. He got grievously injured and fled back to the shore, and even made it back - collapsing dead in the middle of the outpost. But when ponies talked to his spirit about what ended him and collected his remains to dispose of them, they noticed that they were cold as death and frozen solid already, with wounds that would kill a pony in moments, not hours or even days it took him to reach the outpost, since he claimed that he was quite far out when he met his end, and made it back in one trip," Clay Charm recounted in a low voice.
"So he covered that distance while being dead? Animating his body through sheer will and magic?" Sunburst asked, disbelievingly.
"So the story goes, yes. And yet, as you can see, it did not save his life regardless," The elder nodded.
"Saving is not the issue here," Shining Armor grimaced. "I'll be blunt with you, elder: there are stories about evil dark magicians - we call them necromancers - using the bodies of the dead to create armies of soulless monsters, by animating them with magic. Some of them talk about enslaving the spirits of the dead for evil as well."
"Vile," The elder spat in disgust. "Vile! Dead or alive, that is a crime most vile! If someone is so bad, better kill a pony than imprison them!"
"Whoa. That's a bit... Hardcore," Cadance whispered.
"And enslaving spirits! Pfeh! Do not tell me things end well for such ponies in your stories, for the foulness of such an act will have you dragged screaming to the spirit world by the very spirits you tried to exploit!" The elder continued angrily.
"...They don't really end well for those ponies, no," Shining Armor nodded.
"Good. That means that the rules of the world apply in other places as well," Clay Charm nodded in satisfaction.
"Well, we're happy to hear your people don't do anything like that. What with the harsh environment, some ponies can turn to some pretty dark things to survive," Cadance said. "Some ponies will have a hard time accepting even binding spirits, I'm afraid..."
"Huh? Why? Ancestor spirits are generous and kind, delaying their journey to their rest to watch over and protect their kin. We only help them to help us, no one is forced to stay. It'd be a great dishonor to even try otherwise," Clay Charm furrowed her brows.
"Yeah, uh... With no spirits back where we're from..." Cadance trailed off, shrugging helplessly and looking at the others for help.
"It's a bit hard for us to understand, is all. Just like it's hard for you to understand our land not having spirits," Shining Armor waved it off.
"Hm. Makes sense, in that it doesn't make sense. Where do the spirits of your kin go? Do they all just move on immediately, with no one having unfinished business?" Clay Charm inquired.
"That's a question ponies have been trying to answer for centuries, if not millennia," Cadance shook her head with a smile.
"If you find the answer, tell me if I'm not dead by then. I'm quite curious," The elder nodded. "Any more questions?"
"I... Don't think so. Just happy to hear you're not making any magical monsters to fight for you," Shining Armor shrugged.
"Eh. Northerners do make their ice statue guardians, but they're hardly monsters. Fine enough... Ponies, almost," Clay Charm nodded.
"Ice statue... Guardians?"
❅ ❆ ❅
"Golems," Shining Armor shook his head as they trotted away, their meeting concluded. "Ice golems with crystal hearts."
"Sure sounds like it," Cadance nodded.
"That is fascinating! Golems are thought to only be made by highly industrialized and magically advanced societies! Oh, if only we could see them! But she said that's weeks, if not over a month of travel away," Sunburst gushed.
"I dare say that their society is quite magically advanced Sunburst, even if their industry is a bit... Lacking," Cadance pointed out.
"I was a bit disappointed at the lack of plumbing, until I remembered that all their pipes would probably freeze solid," Shining Armor nodded. "And it doesn't look like they have the resources for something like that anyway. But their magic..."
"Ah, yes," Sunburst nodded. "Those rather impressive ice spears, all the little runes and wards all over the settlement - almost like the Crystal Empire, really, just more individual instead of one big spell circle - totems, all the other little things like those one-use magical charms they make..."
"You can feel it, can't you?" Cadance asked suddenly, her voice sharp.
"Feel... What, honey?" Blinking in surprise, Shining Armor turned towards her.
"The magic. As the snowponies call it, the Breath. It's... Stronger here. I can feel it. Makes me jittery."
"...Here I thought it was just nerves. I got pretty good at clamping down on those in guard training, though. Still... Hmm..." Shining Armor trailed off thoughtfully, looking at his horn and making a few sparks fly from it.
"It almost makes me feel like a real mage. And according to the locals, it gets stronger the further north you travel..." Sunburst sighed, his voice full of longing.
"What do you mean, Sunburst? You are a real mage! You were sent here with the other scholars due to your credentials from Celestia's School!" Cadance asked, surprised.
"Ha! No, Your Highness, I am not. I am a scholar. There is a difference between a wizard and a... Sage, I guess. I know a lot about magic. Doesn't mean I can actually do it, though this power boost is tempting me to try some harder spells," He grinned ruefully.
"Well, as long as you don't get any necromantic ideas, go wild," Shining Armor chuckled.