This story is a sequel to Letters From a Friend at the End of the World
Her travels having brought her and her friends to the far-north city of Frostvale, Trixie finds herself caught up in a looming war and a dangerous plot. Still just trying to recover, she decides to lay low for a bit and wait for an opening to continue her journey.
Meanwhile, Twilight and friends continue following the trail Trixie left behind on her way north. By a combination of her letters, and the ponies they meet, they follow in her hoofsteps, discovering a number of surprising secrets along the way.
Thanks to both Belligerent Sock and Themaskedferret for pre-reading and editing.
Chapters (1)
The tower gives me major Orthanc vibes.
I thought The Warden would be much more unlikeable than he really is, granted we've only just met him, but his desire to protect his city from the drakes is understandable. Also his relationship with Starkad is interesting, especially since it seems that Starkad has an agenda of his own.
Good chapter, and eager for more.
Have a Trixie:
i.imgur.com/DDvA17A.png
Alex writes a Trixie story? Oh dang dis gone be gooooooooood.
War with the drakes? Yespls
5355540
It's almost as if you didn't read the first story in the series, Bob. HOW RUDE
I love that you kept the Pinecone picture.
Trixie must be very proud, because I am.
Is that a chocolate cake she is munching on?
This better be a chocolate cake
I can't start reading, I'm SO excited I'm totally paralyzed! I'll try to leave a proper critique when I read it...
awesome start!
It really have been worth the wait, the chapter's really elaborated with good (and maybe, sometimes, a bit excessive) descriptions. Also there's clearly a good story plot behind all this new characters and the new location, so if all the chapters are going to be like this, I can already call it a success
just don't make us cry too much when Trixie returns to Polaris...
By the way, is the next covert art going to look as great as the first fic's? :)
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I've seen the rough draft of it, and knowing that it's being drawn by the incredibly talented Belligerent Sock, I can say that without a doubt it will be at least as awesome as Letters' coverart, and possibly more awesome.
Er.. 'were'?
Interesting seeing another look into the Letters universe :D
Interesting start, to be sure. I suppose I'll follow this.
I really want to kill you right now, how could you kill Astrid?! She was bloodly pregnant! You horrible excuse for an author, I would strangle your avatar using my avatar! Cause strangling you wouldn't solve anything.
Such a good start, as well as a good chapter to bridge the first story and this one.
5356145
Nope, it's
acornspine cones. The real question is why is she eatingacornspine cones?--Sollace
Edit: derp
am I the only one that thinks Trixie is eating a mound of shit on the cover art
5358452 when I saw the thumbnail my mind Instantly Thought of that exact thing...
Bad mind... dirty mind... cease thy filth ridden thoughts.
>TFW no one remembers the "Trixie eating pinecones" meme anymore.
alex, it's official. We're oldfoals.
5359667
I swore it would never happen to me... but here it is. Hold me, pav.
Okay, quite a nice, tense opening. I am still... really really disliking Astrid's death, but good to have Trixie's anger about it there. The Warden... well-intentioned extremist, there? I dunno. I have a feeling of self-fulfilling prophecy with him and the Drakes.
Nice to see you back in the saddle, alexmagnet.
I must confess, I'm a little nervous. This second "book" starting as our heroes arrive in the city suggests we might be spending a lot of time stuck here, while the "unread letters" suggest our other heroes won't be catching up any time soon. That will be a heavy burden to place on Polaris, and I would hate to see his and Astrid's goodwill repaid so poorly because of these circumstances.
5362409
Well, obvious I don't want to spoil anything, but this is the second act of a three act structure, so I'm sure I don't have to tell you what that means.
Also, "back in the saddle"... I can't tell if that pun was intentional or not. Good lord, I've been on this site too long.
Oh no, not another one of these. UGH.
Is Trixie eating... Pine Cones???
5374311
Sir, such subtle and sexy use of sibilance is beyond such a simple mind as mine.
Okay I'm impressed with this story so far and its prequel.
I noticed lots of comments from other bronies say they didn't like the non chronological order of the chapters. Personally I actually love it. It really shows great skill in story building. Not many writers can pull that off. I have read a few novels that had that kind of building but they are very rare but also at the same time considered in my country one of the best literary artworks produced. So far I only have read this kind of system in 2nd war novels.
So I was really surprised to see it being used in an adventure story. As I said truly amazing, this is one of those hidden gems in the fimfiction.
As for the story itself. Cannon wise this will be hard to pull off since the new seasons will come and in your story arc so far Trixie only had the Ursa Major incident and not the Alicorn Amulet. So we have actually now a different time line scenario. Because in the show it was stated in season 4 that only a year had passed between season 1 to 3. Soon it should be considered to become an alternate universe I think.
As for the story so far I have noticed you posses a great deal of knowledge about dragons in mythology wise. So my guess is that you played D&D. Since I see a lot of references to that game mechanics as well as certain aspects of its general background.
But back again to the story. Trixie 180 character chance is actually done somehow right. We never saw how she chanced her attitude in your stories yet somehow it doesn't come of unnatural either. I'm still trying to figure it out how you did that. I think your non chronological order of chapters is hiding her character development. As readers we know it happened but we don't see how or when it happens. How did Trixie came from being an angry and obnoxious character to a calm and likeable character is actually not shown. Only small moments we she her chances. Yet it feels right. I haven't figured out yet how you have done it.
But trust me, I'm determined to find out.
Overall I give this story and the prequel a score 10/10. Which is kinda weird to give since it's even not finished yet. I have already favourite previous one.
... And yet another leader who obviously has no idea how people(ponies, whatever) work or simply doesn't care. Ponies generally do not think rationally. If you force someone away from someone who they have a deep connection to who is dying... that doesn't exactly promote cooperation. I get the warden is supposed to be the bad guy, but still. I'd have expected more from someone who has someone, who likely knows ponies rather well, as an adviser. (Yay for terrible unlegible sentence structure.)
Great story btw. Although Twilight already knowing Midnight does feel a bit forced.
okay alex I found a humongous problem this is big time so look closely
Formatting > move the bottom slider to the right:
i.imgur.com/FwddboP.png
what are you going to do about this before it breaks the site
5419977
I think I'll just commit seppuku and get it over with.
5420064
I'll fly in for the funeral
lol jk
5420064
Also, have you seen the Princess Celestia and Princess Luna options in the color box? Trippy as pho.
Please continue on this story, so far it's amazing, but making your Great and Loyal Fans wait so long (it's not that long, I know) for the Great and Powerful Update is torture! It feels like getting thrown into Tartarus after your husband/wife left you for someone else he/she saw at your wedding ceremony! It's not as bad as people canceling their half-finished fanfiction masterpiece, though.
Well, this sequel's off to an interesting start. And a handful of antagonists whose collective behinds I already want to shove my foot in.
So they are trapped in another place? Damn...
5381518 I am glad to see that I am not the only one who loves how the first part of this series followed a non-chronological order. The only other example of this style that comes to my mind is the first Highlander movie, and even that movie did not execute the style as well. I do hope that Alex does the rest of this series in the same manner.
On the subject of the canon timeline, I am curious as to exactly which episode it was that it was stated that only a year had gone by since the S1 opener. Personally, I feel that having all four seasons occur in a single year's time makes the show seem too rushed. There are just too many different things which make it more sensable for each season to be its own year.
post contains spoilers from Letters From a Friend at the End of the World, read at your own risk
5381518 the trick to reading this story is to individualize the different parts. So far we have 3 storylines running that will eventually coincide; Trixie in the past (i.e. Hoofington and onward), Trixie a year later (from the windigoes onward), and Twilight following Trixie. If you can individualize each section as a story of it's own, keeping in mind that when it's all said and done the three will connect, then you'll understand the story a lot better.
As for Trixie's change of heart, the first we see of it chronologically is when she is leaving Hoofington. Her letter then was fairly sentimental but still gave off a bit of an aura saying "I will complete my mission." It's the old standby of friendship is magic, she got together with her oldest friend, Anvil, and after spending three months with him she began to transform. From there she meets Polaris and Astrid and quickly becomes friends with them, we can assume she continued to transform throughout the journey because of the magic of friendship.
She still doesn't know what she is looking for in the north, or why she is even going there at all anymore. The Eye told her she would either become the strongest unicorn in Equestria or she would die in the snow, and it would be her choice. We won't know until the conclusion of the trilogy.
Oh! A sequel!! *squee*
Imma read the shit out of this thang!
God damn it! God damn it! F
k! F
k! F
k! F
k! F
k! F
kie, F
kie, F
kie you for breaking my heart after reading and witnessing Astrid's death!
Normally a character death doesn't really affect me that much but hers? Hers was so god damn painful for three factors,
One, she was an awesome and interesting character you made! I loved her to know end and you just did that to her!
Two, the reaction from the two main ponies just goes beyond understanding that they are very heartbroken, Trixie seeing her death went into tears upon witnessing and losing a dear friend! And her own husband went through the same ordeal and they couldn't do anything to rescue her, and she was calling for help! She was calling desperately for help and was crying and they couldn't do anything to save but watch her die! She was even scared to die! That is cruel!
And three, is probably my one reason to hate what you did even though it was bound to come, she was BLOODY PREGNANT! She never got the chance to give birth to her baby due to her dying and her own child might, no WILL, never be born to see his/her father and the world because of the tragic death!
I love your writing and the story is very outstanding and all, but that is just cruel Alex! I don't want to accept Astrid's death at all! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! I AM NOT GOING TO ACCEPT THIS! THIS IS TOO MUCH FOR MY HEART TO TAKE!
OMG!
why!?why!?why!?why!?why!?why!?!! why would you kill her off?! she was a good character and after we found out the good news too! im like NOOOOOO! she has to live! she has too! i am in tears right now because of it!
update?
Amazing story, told out of order, confusing as hell and will likely never have our questions answered. My God, Its Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumia all over again.
update?
tomsworkbench.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Dead-Its-dead-Jim.jpg
or is it ?
It's been well over a year. I pronounce it dead... Such a shame, it was a really good story.
OK, what's the deal here? You've been here about a week ago. It's not a hiatus anymore, it's ignoring. Any updates? ANY? Not even about real life? Much less then fanfic?
5 days ago. WHAT THE HELL, MAN?! Why are you ignoring your story? I've HAD it with abandoned stories, don't do it too!
Well shit, I guess Trixie never becomes a god and never meets Twilight or crosses the Onyx Mountains.
I was really looking forward to that.
Cancelled? A damned shame.
I haven't even read any of this story and i'm already feeling upset about it being cancelled.