Crystalline: Her Destiny

by Ice Star

Chapter 6: A Blast into Farreach Past

Most ponies, upon being sucked into ancient books, visibly freak out. Or, if they're me, they just blame Sombra, who is most likely doing this as a prank. When that doesn't work, I realize that Sombra might surprisingly have absolutely nothing to do with this latest predicament, which is jarring to say the least, since I always thought that he would be the kind of pony who enjoys doing things like this.

I think the dawning realization that this isn't a prank by a pony who might be too gloomy and old to even know what pranks are is even worse. I'm stuck in a book. I don't even know why. What does this mean? Does this mean I was in a different time period as well, presuming this story is true? That would be very bad. I don't think the Tribes had any colonies. All the history I've read said they just sat in a valley and fought each other until the windigos came and Clover and her friends founded First Equestria, a triarchy, and this book dates from that era.

...What if I could never get out?! Was I simply shoved into the body of a participant in the story?

My hooves dug into the ground, and I was happy to glimpse that they were still pink. Calm down. Just calm down, I told myself.

As I looked around a bit more I realized that I was no more than a spectating transparent ghost. A mere observer. One who just so happened to float slightly.

Phew.

I looked around at the frozen landscape. Maybe I should just try to follow the story. It did seem to be the best choice at the moment. Over in another direction I saw some ponies.

Well, follow the story it is, I guess.

Nervously, I floated towards them. I watched as the thin, dirty, and exhausted group of ponies — who must have been the caravan — struggled over the hideous and barren land, I trotted after them, trying not to notice that my hooves didn't touch the ground.

...

The book, Lore of Yore, hardly did a good job of describing how these ponies struggled across the landscape. Ice that was swirled by the winds battered them from all directions and blurred everything in the background, so even I had to stay close just to be able to see their outlines against the snow.

I was just glad I couldn't feel the cold, or anything else.

...

After a few grueling hours for the caravan, I watched as we came to an edge of what appeared to be a valley. Excited, I trotted over to the edge, where I could peer over. What I saw astonished me as much as it did the weary travelers coming up from behind me. The valley was a gorgeous green landscape with light forests and rolling wildflower filled plains. I could see sheep and ponies dashing about below among the valley’s forests and other features.The caravan moved into the snow sheltered valley along a naturally cut narrow path. As they lumbered farther into the valley I noticed that what I had took to be a small group of hills was really the town.

The hills were really sloping, sad houses with holes in the tops to let smoke out, along with chimneys made out of a gritty clay and wooden door frames and window frames, but surprisingly no doors and flowers on the exterior. In the town the residents who were a mix of earth ponies and unicorns stopped to gawk at the caravan who were laden with all sorts of objects for their professions, but I didn't recognize many of them.

Then, I saw that the two soddies in the center of the Farreach village were not like the rest. One was very big with small werelights glowing inside and its large chimney poked out in the center. The other was not as large as the first, but was bigger than the average hills. It had a large tree growing out of the top the roots entwining with the soil of the artificial hill and unlike the other buildings it had a triangle shaped entrance and no chimneys or windows which caused thick smoke to leak out.

Two lean and muscular unicorn stallions in what appeared to be bark armor reinforced with dyed wool and vines encasing their shin guards approaching the caravan. They looked like some of the half-pony forest spirits in the tales I was told as a foal. When both parties came face-to-face they looked utterly baffled, for the valley dwellers were eyeing the clothes of the caravan who was also doing the same.

The pony I took to be a Gildentundra peasant even started poking anything green and exclaiming: “By the mountains!". The bark-clad ponies were eyeing the caravan before they suddenly parted to reveal the toughest looking unicorn I ever saw, trotting up to this foreign party.

This newcomer had deep brown eyes and a tannish mane with a blue gray coat, he wore a wool cape and was followed by a thin unicorn mare. She had a white mane and tail combined with rosy streaks and a coat the color of ripe clovers. Following her was a younger, graceful looking unicorn mare with blue eyes and a coat the color of orchids. Her mane and tail were the color of marigolds and were woven with blossoms. I presumed that the first two were her parents which did seem to fit, especially since she did have the blue eyes and yellowy mane of the presumed father. She also wore a smaller woolen cape that obscured her cutie mark from view. Unlike her father who's cold eyes meant business her adorable blue eyes had the soft curls of her mane partly covering her face.

D'aww, she looks so pretty!

Strangely, although I couldn’t place this mare she did look familiar. Before I could attempt to place her everything began to fade in a whirlwind of blurred colors and I couldn't catch any more glances of the storybook ponies. I found myself, slightly disappointed, staring at a strange series of inscriptions scribbled out on the page of Lore of Yore which was opened in front of me, now that I was back in Canterlot.

What-

At that moment Sombra's screaming started.

Why me?

Author's Note:

A soddie is a dirt hut. The more you know.

Comments

[Ice Star]

7489673 Most ponies don't have green colors (especially not in their manes and coats). That's where the statement came from. Basically, it's a really recessive trait, even in the old days.

[Lunara]

When you describe the young mare's coat, you say it's the color of orchids, but... Aren't there many different colors of orchid?

[CoffeeBean]

you mom a soddie

[Ice Star]

8734959
I weep at this insult.

[RoyalBardofCanterlot]

What's up with Sombra? Might I just say, I love how chill Cadence is.

[Kaleido]

As I looked around a bit more I realized that I was no more than a spectating transparent ghost. A mere observer. One who just so happened to float slightly.

oh good she didn't get 100% power-ponied, only a little bit

Strangely, although I couldn’t place this mare she did look familiar. Before I could attempt to place her everything began to fade in a whirlwind of blurred colors and I couldn't catch any more glances of the storybook ponies. I found myself, slightly disappointed, staring at a strange series of inscriptions scribbled out on the page of Lore of Yore which was opened in front of me, now that I was back in Canterlot.

aww, it didn't get to finish

At that moment Sombra's screaming started.

aw dang

[Bicyclette]

As I looked around a bit more I realized that I was no more than a spectating transparent ghost. A mere observer. One who just so happened to float slightly.

Phew.

i mean, i guess this is a relief?

The pony I took to be a Gildentundra peasant even started poking anything green and exclaiming: “By the mountains!".

that must have been quite a strange sight from the perspective of the Farreach peasants

Strangely, although I couldn’t place this mare she did look familiar.

ooh, mysterious! and interesting that it is at this very point that Cadance is sucked back out of the story. given the whole observing apparition thing, i wonder if this magic is related to the ancient memory potion that Sombra took