Catching Up
Sombra and Twilight sat at a table, Celestia and Calypsion's rulers already seated across from them.
"Welcome back, Sombra, Twilight. I see you had no success with retrieving Princess Cadence?" Celestia asked.
"We have reason to believe that she is currently being held by either the Changeling Princess Schadenfreude, or by Queen Chrysalis at this moment," Twilight noted. "We have a lead, but no idea where Queen Chrysalis's base would be, and staying at the base of Princess Schadenfreude was not a viable option either. Sombra did, however, leave tracers on several of the Changelings we held off as we were escaping from her base."
Big Winter spoke this time. "We have much to inform you of. First of all, Little Winter should be happy that her friends, Snowflake and Ice Storm, have returned safely, or at least safely enough..."
Ice Storm slowly plodded through the snow. The ponies who had carried all of her household items had abandoned her at the last town they passed though; refusing to go near Calypsion. Ice Storm had to carry it all herself. Calypsion was slowly approaching, now only about a hundred yards away. The great gates opened, and a group beings moved quickly towards Ice Storm, who collapsed in relief. She almost thought she would't make it. She could feel the frostbite setting in.
"Bring her to the medics," one Changeling spoke. "Kratargon, it's best you do it. Being lifted by a Windigo wouldn't help her right now."
"I've got her, don't worry," Kratargon spoke with a grin. "She'll be fine."
Ice Storm's last sight before she blacked out was a Changeling lifting the still-asleep Snowflake from her position in the warm clothes, with a group of Windigos gently lifting her cartload of goods. She smiled, knowing that everything was going to be fine.
"... She's nearly fully recovered by now, and Snowflake is fine, but this raises concerns about future immigrants. We think it might be best if we have creatures from Calypsion provide free transport for those who wish to travel here, or something along those lines. It might also be a good idea, if we're looking at a potential increase of herbivores, to have a larger greenhouse. Do you think it would be possible to copy some form of the enchantment on the Crystal Heart that creates a livable environment within a certain radius?"
Sombra and Twilight exchanged a nod. "If anypony could figure it out, it would be us."
"Next, we have received news from the Dark Alliance of Equestria," Birch spoke. "They moved in nearby, and at first they wanted to help us fight against the Crystal Empire, but..."
Triple Threat and Life Seeker sprinted through the snow. It had been Triple Threat's command for the two of them to be the envoys to Calypsion, and Life Seeker was looking forward to perhaps meeting the new, young Lich, in hopes of getting more insight into immortality. Before the two of them even reached the entrance, the guards were already opening the doors for them. A guard spoke with them at the gate.
"Greetings, Triple Threat. I take it you would like to speak with our leaders?"
Triple Threat smirked. "Ah, yes. I see, you've heard of us. I wish to speak with my old friends regarding the Crystal Empire and its recent threats. I believe we can help."
The guard nodded, and led them to the three rulers of Calypsion.
"Triple Threat," Birch said cautiously. "What do you want?"
Triple Threat chuckled. "What do I want? I want to make up for the past. I want to help you fight against the Crystal Empire."
"Our envoys are already on the way to talk peace with them. We would appreciate it if you were actually coming to make amends, and if you had we would freely offer our forgiveness, but we can all tell that you have no regret for your past actions."
Triple Threat scoffed. "I stand by my actions, in the past as well as now. What do you think you're doing? They'll never accept us, past, present or future. Nothing has changed since we were friends."
"But, on the contrary, much has," Big Winter spoke. "We have founded our own colony, and are on the verge of being accepted as a legitimate country."
"You say at the dawn of war! We must take our freedom by force, they have already refused to give it to us peacefully," Triple Threat growled. Life Seeker, on the other hoof, shifted nervously. He agreed more with Calypsion's way of life, but he couldn't leave. If he did, he would have no chance at winning the Crystal Empire, and he couldn't give up on immortality.
"Triple Threat, we do not appreciate your presence. You could antagonize the ponies and ruin any tentative peace we may be able to form," Grandbuggy spoke. "As one adventurer to another, I can appreciate the violent way of doing things. I remember the past, the good and the bad. Ah, flooding Manehattan with sewage... Good times... What was I saying?" Grandbuggy gave a questioning look at Winter and Birch, who rolled their eyes. "It probably wasn't too important."
"The point is, Triple Threat," Birch picked up where Grandbuggy left off. "We don't need you here, or even want you here, unless you're willing to at least attempt a peaceful negotiation."
Triple Threat gazed around the city. "This is such a beautiful place... It's such a pity you can't understand the world like I do," he sighed. "What a pity I'm going to have to take it all from you. If you can't use this place as it deserves to be used, I'll have to make sure it's used to its full potential. Calypsion will fall and R'lyeh will rise. With or without you."
With that final ominous warning, Triple Threat stalked out of the gates of Calypsion, Life Seeker looking backwards once as they left. Triple Threat didn't look at all.
"... And finally, congratulations, Sombra! You've been promoted to the Ambassador to Equestria!"
Sombra did a double take. "Wait, what? You can't do that!"
"We can, and we just did," Birch spoke ominously. "There's no escaping it."
Twilight looked confused. "What's so bad about being Ambassador?"
"I'm a nightmare of legend! I conquered the Crystal Empire! I'm the most evil pony to ever exist! There's no way Equestria's going to accept me!" Sombra spluttered.
"Unless I spoke to all of them at a press conference, and said you'd been reformed," Celestia spoke mischievously.
"You wouldn't!"
"Yes I would!"
"All the evils of the world, conspiring against me!" Sombra spoke, waving a hoof in mock anger. By this point, Twilight was completely lost. Celestia decided to fill her in.
"He doesn't like positions of power, not after going insane as the ruler of the Crystal Empire. He also doesn't like interacting with ponies. Neither does he like politics. Or even fame. Being Ambassador to Equestria is basically all of his greatest fears combined into one. But, if he does his job, it'll do wonder towards helping him fit into ordinary society again. Simultaneously, this works as a prank, and it's revenge from the distant past. I lost the last Prank War with him, see, and I need to show him how much I've improved in a thousand years."
Twilight looked at her mentor, aghast at her reasoning. "You're pranking him?!"
Celestia hummed. "I'm not sure if this counts, honestly, because it really is a promotion we're giving him. However, revenge works just fine, and it'll certainly prompt him to start another Prank War, so I guess it's also provoking."
Twilight spluttered at the swift introduction to this unknown side of her teacher, causing Celestia to chuckle in mirth. "How do you think I've entertained myself for the past centuries?"
The moment Winter entered the hospital room, Ice Storm flinched. "Are you Death?" she rasped.
"I'm Winter. I guess there would be nothing to recognize me by," Winter Aurora said sadly, head down.
"I'm sorry, I just feel like I'm on my last legs here. I wouldn't be so surprised to see Death bearing down on me," Ice Storm chuckled, then winced as pain racked her body.
"It's better than being undead," Winter replied somberly.
"What happened to you, anyway?"
"I died. Rather, I was struck by a bolt of magic that disintegrated me. I came back as a skeleton, because it would have taken longer to have an actual pony body. It wasn't one of my better choices. I did die again, due to an evil Changeling Princess."
"That's horrible," Ice Storm said, concerned. "How do you feel about it?"
Winter's head shot up in surprise. Nopony had even asked that yet. "I feel horrible! Dying, losing your body, I don't think it's going to get easier for me. Not the pain, so much as the feeling of hopelessness that comes from losing control over your body..." Winter shuddered. "I guess, that's what bothers me about it. Losing control isn't a good feeling."
Ice Storm nodded in sympathy. "I know it certainly doesn't feel good for me to be stuck here. It's nothing compared to how you must feel, but it's pretty awful."
"I wish you weren't stuck here, injured," Winter spoke resentfully. Her staff once again levitated itself into the air, and Winter flinched reflexively. "Not again! I can't control the stupid thing!"
In a flash of light, Ice Storm was healed. However, the staff had done it's job too well. Shards of ice lay embedded in her coat, fused with her body from the magical healing of the staff. Ice Storm coughed in surprise, and several shards of ice flew out of her mouth at rapid speeds, slamming into the ground with enough force for them to be completely embedded in the wooden floor.
"What just happened?" Ice Storm spoke, confused.
Winter groaned. "I said something stupid, and my dysfunctional magic staff healed you super fast and fused you with ice shards and I have no idea what went wrong!"
Ice Storm blinked, and chuckled. "Great. How ironic that I've been turned into a strange mutant with unique powers, considering what I've feared all my life. I'm sure this will hit my like a brick tomorrow, and I'll panic, but right now I feel strangely calm. Maybe it's because this feels surreal, almost like it's a dream I'm going to wake from. Maybe it is."
"I don't think so," Winter spoke nervously. "Sorry."
Ice Storm pinched herself delicately with one hoof, feeling the pain. "I guess you're right. I don't feel alright anymore... I think I'm going to..." Ice Storm's eyes rolled back into her head and she collapsed, prompting Winter to screech out,
"MEDIC! MEDIC!"
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PANIC!
So, this looks interesting, but I have a problem; I hate tragic stories. So I have to ask, is this a serious tragedy, or does she just have a tragic backstory?
6646917 I just found this story and read it up to the current chapter and so far nothing's really struck me as tragic. I mean, the protagonist sorta-died in the first chapter and became a lich, but that's in the description and she's been getting over it. Everything after that has been mostly just adventure, with some ups and downs for the characters but nobody wallowing in misery and despair for very long.
6647194
6646917
Oh, it's about to get pretty tragic. However... It's not going to stay that way. This is both a comedy and a tragedy for a reason, and will go back and forth. It seems to be flowing more positively than negatively however, and likely will remain that way. I'm not going to just suddenly start killing off all the characters who can't come back.
I think.
6647703
For some reason that makes me think of that pair of masks I always see on so much theater-related stuff... (I think I've even seen a combined version with just one mask split half-and-half instead of two separate masks.)
That Princess Celestia is such a troll
6648198 Well, that's cause the happy mask represents comedy and the sad one represents tragedy. I think it's cause Shakespeare's plays were comedies and tragedies or something? But yeah, that would be why.
6648447
The drama masks are representations of the Greek muses for the two original dramatic genres, comedy and tragedy. The division between the two was based on a variant of this definition of tragedy:
So to jump back to your original response to my comment, I think I'm gonna have to pass. Since the ending is still up in the air, there's a very real possibility that this will turn out to be a true tragedy, and I'm not a fan of those (unless I hate the main character).
6648911 I do not want to kill off Winter permanently. That itself is concrete. Anything else is fair game, but I likely won't be too heavy on the main character deaths *Cough* Game of Thrones *Cough*. I do hope to end the story on a happy note however, and also note that due to the Astral Plane, or Immortal Graveyard, the most important main characters will still be able to influence the world even after death.
But, if you think that it still might be too tragic, feel free to pass!
6649586
Hmmm... I might have to just hold on to it, then, and see how things stand once it gets closer to the end.
6650500 Okay!
6658048 I'm sorry, I still compact the story way too much. I think when I'm done I might go back and try to flesh it out more, because I know the story needs it. That should increase the distance between character introductions and other new information.
As for the writing style... I've had the same problem with me trying to read some other stories, I know what you mean. Not sure I can do something about that though, it's just how I write. Unless by writing style you mean, in part, how dense the story is with information.
6658252 I guess when I say style I mean you use odd words at times. Most obvious one i can think of is Alicornification or some around those lines. Its such an awkward word to read, when words like Ascension work better.
6659554 I'll take a look, I haven't noticed that myself. Thanks!