Which Sounds Better, Koldkri or Ice Kubkri?
My second time arriving at Coldharbor gave the city a chance to really live up to its name. The harbor authorities actually had to send a pilot boat to help the Venture get around several chunks of ice floating in the water. Unsurprisingly, there weren’t very many trade ships compared to my last visit. While it was fairly rare for Coldharbor’s port to be completely disabled by ice, there was clearly enough to encourage most trade captains to go further south. Captain Weyland had been spending the whole trip to the docks bouncing between glowering at any chunk of ice too large to fit into a water glass, yelling at the dock pilots, and shooting rather pointed looks Puzzle’s way.
I knew an opportunity to help out when I saw one. I trotted up to the ship’s bow and used a few quick, carefully controlled bursts of fire to help clear our path. “Better?”
The captain grunted and nodded. “Hate coming into Coldharbor this late. Most of the trade dried up once winter sets in, and the trip in...” She scowled at another floating chunk of ice until I helpfully melted it. “I’d wonder why Puzzle wants to get here bad enough to pay a premium and offer to cover any ice damage, but I know better than to pry into his business.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure captains who ask too many questions about high-paying clients don’t get hired again.” Between the occasionally iffy nature of some of Puzzle’s business ventures and the fact that he probably knew exactly how dangerous loose lips could be...
Even with Weyland not asking too many questions, an information broker like Puzzle could certainly glean a few interesting facts. Puzzle had thrown enough money into this trip to make it clear that he had urgent business in Northmarch. Anyone who wasn’t in a hurry would’ve just paid a fraction of the price to go a bit further south where the harbors were ice-free and trade was far better.
Between my help and the harbor pilots, we got the Venture into dock without incident. I’m sure Puzzle’s bank account would appreciate not needing to pay for any repairs. Kukri trotted out of our cabin loaded down with bags, while Strumming and Puzzle drifted over once it was clear we’d reached dry land. Strumming immediately took off and flew into Coldharbor proper, muttering something about needing to see a pony about a dog. Most likely, she was just running low on snacks.
Puzzle shrugged at his girlfriend’s departure, then passed his bags over to Kukri as well. My apprentice groaned at the extra weight, but carried on gamely. “This one ... is ... helping.”
I trotted off the ship, taking a moment to appreciate being back on dry land. Not that I hated being on a ship, but after a couple weeks of that it was nice to not have the ground roll around underneath me every time the ocean got a bit choppy. Once Puzzle joined me, I turned to him. “So what’s our next move?” I glanced back at my overburdened apprentice. “Other than getting a cart or something before Kukri breaks her back.”
Puzzle grinned and passed a few coins to Kukri. “Get a cart, little one.” He turned back to me. “As for our larger plans, it seems that we are expected.”
I followed Puzzle’s gaze and spotted a large caribou waiting by the docks. There was something vaguely familiar about him, and the pouches and runic charms were enough for me to draw the connection after a few seconds: Gothi Sigil Forestson. I’d had a bit of a run-in with him last time I’d been in Coldharbor. He’d been an old friend of my biological mother from back when she lived up here, and she’d called in a favor with him to try and get him to send me back to Canterlot. As evidenced by my subsequent trip to Freeport, it hadn’t worked.
I wasn’t quite sure what to make of him being here, but I was pretty sure it wasn’t just a random coincidence. I walked up to the Gothi alongside Puzzle. “Huh. Small world.”
Sigil stepped over to us, politely extending a hoof to Puzzle. “Or a carefully orchestrated one. I would have thought the company you kept would teach you that there are no coincidences.”
“Maybe not,” I conceded. “But just because it’s not random doesn’t mean I know exactly what it means. I’ve got a few guesses, but I also learned lessons about assuming.”
Puzzle smiled and inclined his head. “This one presumes that Argentium wished to have us escorted to her cave as her invited guests?”
“Naturally,” Sigil answered. “One of the greatest and oldest dragons in the world would hardly ask you to show up on her doorstep like a group of paupers. Providing you with a proper escort to her home is basic courtesy.”
Oh right, old-world manners and hospitality. Thankfully, being trained by the immortal sun princess meant I got a solid schooling in all that—and if Sigil was here as her agent, that meant the rules applied to him too. Even setting that aside, there was no point in antagonizing him. “Well, I won’t complain about having a local guide. Especially a skilled runecaster.”
Sigil stared at me for several seconds, his expression carefully unreadable. When he finally answered, there was a slight shift in his tone. “Indeed so. And it will be an honor to escort the Magus of Freeport.”
“Thanks.” Guess I’d have to give credit to Celestia for another one of her lessons: all it took was showing a little bit of respect and courtesy to turn Sigil around.
Ugh. I had a terrible feeling that if I did end up going back to Canterlot for a year, it would involve a whole lot of admitting that maybe Celestia was right about some of the lessons I’d dismissed as stupid and pointless.
Sigil looked us over, then nodded to himself. “I hope you will all be ready to start moving soon. The days are short, and the nights long and cold this time of year. If we do not leave soon there will be no point in trying to depart until the morrow.”
“Right.” I looked over at Puzzle. “Any idea when Strumming will be back?”
Puzzle shrugged helplessly. “As you have no doubt noticed, it can be rather difficult to predict her actions. She will return when she returns.”
I probably should’ve seen that answer coming. “Well, we might as well get everything ready to go. If she hooks back up with us in the meantime, great. If she’s still not back, we’ll decide from there. I’m sure she’s more than capable of catching up with us.”
Puzzle nodded. “This one can leave a message for her, in the worst case.” His eyes flicked over to Sigil. “Though it might take some time to ensure that we are all ready to leave. This one has never been to visit Argentium this late in the year, and some of its companions have even less experience with cold weather.”
Sigil chuckled. “You’ll all have plenty of firsthoof experience soon enough. This winter’s been a mild one so far. I had stew last night, and it didn’t freeze before I finished eating it.”
“You didn’t have a spell to keep it warm?” I asked.
The caribou shot an unreadable look my way. “Unlike other magical disciplines, runecrafters do not use their powers for such frivolous things. Magic should only be used when other means are not suitable. If my food is cold, I heat it over a fire.”
“Probably is a bit easier for you to do things that way,” I conceded. “Sometimes I forget not everyone is a master-level pyromancer. And even then, if I’d rather not waste a bunch of power keeping myself and my food warm when there’s an easier way to handle it.”
“I hope you and your companions are ready,” Sigil murmured. “The North isn’t kind to the ill-prepared. Less so now than most days.” He scowled. “The wargs and trolls must not have prepared for this winter, because they’ve been more active than usual.”
Puzzle smirked, his eyes flicking over to me. “If that is the case, we should count ourselves lucky that we have an excellent pyromancer in our company. One thing both trolls and wargs are known for is a particular fear of, and vulnerability to, fire.”
“Just so.” Sigil’s gaze shifted to me. “Clearly, you have chosen your companions wisely, Puzzle Piece. Though I must wonder whether your companion has done the same. It is more than a little strange to see a magus, even a self-declared one, consorting with changelings.”
Well, two could play at that game. “Pretty strange to see an ancient and highly respected dragon like Argentium the Runescaled working with changelings too, but that doesn’t seem to have stopped her from doing so.”
Sigil took my response in stride. “She has her reasons for doing so.”
“Just like I have mine,” I countered.
Sigil looked me over for a second, then shrugged. “Don’t we all? Still, it is a curious path you walk. Just two years ago you came here as little more than a runaway child, now you return as a Magus in the company of changelings invited here by one of the oldest and most powerful beings in the world. What brings you here, I wonder?”
“Pretty sure you know that already,” I shot back. “She asked me to come.”
“And are you in the habit of coming running when others bid you to?” Sigil asked. “The journey from Freeport to Coldharbor and from here to her lair is not a short one. Surely there is more behind it than a mere social call. My mistress has her own plans for you, and I suspect you would not have come so far unless you had your own ambitions. You are far from the first to come here hoping Argentium held to key to making your dreams a reality.”
“Well of course I have plans.” I frowned at him, trying to figure out what he might be driving at. Probably fishing for what I might ask Argentium for. Puzzle told me more than once that one of the most useful thing to know about anyone was what they wanted, since it was one of the best ways to predict their actions in the future.
Sigil looked me over, them chuckled to himself. “You really are Scarlett's daughter.”
My eyes narrowed at the mention of my biological mother. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Your mother was an ambitious pony as well,” Sigil explained. “Few train under Argentium herself to learn the runic arts, and fewer still leave Northmarch to seek fortune and glory beyond our borders. Impressing Celestia and the mages of Canterlot enough to be elevated to the rank of Archmagus is no small thing, especially for one born outside of Equestria.”
I suppose that was one way to look at it. A somewhat more accurate description would be that she sacrificed everything else to get what she wanted. I’d practically been abandoned until Celestia unofficially adopted me, and given just enough parental attention to avoid anything blatantly scandalous. For that matter, I was probably just one of the unintended side effects of a political marriage. It was no coincidence that both my parents were archmagi—they’d helped each other climb the ranks.
Sure, I was ambitious too. I was trying to ascend and become an alicorn: that’s about as high as a pony can aim. But I wasn’t going to throw away or step over anyone else to get there. Well, not unless they were jerks who deserved to get stepped on, but that was different.
Sigil continued on, oblivious to my private thoughts. “Ambition runs in your family’s blood. If half the tales I’ve heard from Freeport are true...”
“They probably aren’t,” I cut in before he could get any further. “Rumors are notoriously unreliable in the first place, and rumors coming out of Freeport...”
Sigil nodded slowly. “True enough. Words are wind, except perhaps even emptier. I will judge from what I see with my own eyes.”
“Good policy,” I grunted.
“Indeed so.” His eyes flicked back to the Venture. “Though I must say, Freeport is hardly the best place for an aspiring young magus to establish herself. I’m sure you could find somewhere much better to hone your skills and build a reputation. Somewhere more respectable than the hive of scum and villainy that is Freeport.”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “The only magi who spend all day in respectable places are the ones with desk jobs. I’d rather do something useful than hang around in Canterlot schmoozing and ladder-climbing.”
“Quite so,” Sigil murmured. “You hardly need to go all the way back to Freeport to achieve that. There could be a place for you here in Northmarch. You could learn much about magic from the gothi, about the magic deep in the bones of the land. Argentium herself might even be willing to take you on as a pupil, if only out of affection for your mother. A magi of your skill could learn and grow a great deal here, and earn far more respect for her actions than you will ever find in Freeport.” He smirked. “And if you are worried about being bored, there are plenty of trolls, spirits, fey, and all manner of monsters that need to be dealt with.”
“The Shimmer-mare has found more than enough to keep herself busy in Freeport,” Puzzle countered. “And will doubtless continue to do so for the foreseeable future.”
I nodded along. “Thank you for the offer, but I’ll pass for now.”
Sigil grunted and nodded sharply. “Think it over. There’s not rush to say no.”
Puzzle chuckled. “This one is sure the Shimmer-mare appreciates the offer, but most of her stuff is back in Freeport. Moving her magus tower and its contents across an entire ocean would be no small task.”
Sigil was about to answer him when Kukri trudged up to us. Our supply packs were all loaded onto a freshly purchased cart, which the young changeling was pulling along without complaint. She did at least look a little less miserable now that she wasn’t trying to haul four supply packs and other assorted bits of miscellaneous luggage. I probably should’ve felt a bit bad about making the youngest and weakest member of the group carry everything, but that was just one of the joys of being apprentice. Carrying everything would help build her character.
Still, just because I was making her handle all the back-breaking manual labor didn’t mean she had to go completely unappreciated. “Good work, Kukri.”
“Thank you,” she grunted as she pulled the cart to a stop in front of us. “This one has learned many useful things from the Shimmer-mare. Today, it’s learning about carrying.”
Sigil turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “A changeling for an apprentice. I can’t imagine that’s what Celestia had in mind for her student.”
Kukri bit her lip and shot an uncertain look my way, but I wasn’t going to play Sigil’s game. “I’m sure Celestia has a lot of things in mind for me. Out of all the things I’ve done that didn’t line up with her plans, taking Kukri as an apprentice is one of the ones I’ve never had any doubt was the right call.”
Sigil stared at me for several seconds, then shrugged. “As you will, Magus.” His eyes flicked down to Kukri, noticing how she’d shifted into a particularly floofy pegasus whose wings were tucked in close around her. “I take it she's not used to the cold?”
“The closest Freeport comes to winter is when the temperature drops down to about as cool as summer in Northmarch, and it rains a lot,” I answered. “Last time she was here was in the summer, and even then she stayed on the ship.”
Kukri nodded, scooting closer until she was pressed against my side. “Haaah. How? Cold. How so cold? At least when this one was carrying everything it had something to distract itself and keep a little bit warmer...”
Sigil looked down at her with a smirk. “Last chance to change your mind about continuing inland, grub. It only gets colder from here.”
Kukri stared up at him incredulously. “It can get colder?!”
“This is a fairly mild day,” Sigil answered. “And it’s always much warmer near the coast. Up in the mountains, the cold can freeze even the toughest caribou to death if they’re caught out in the open on a rough night.” He pointedly ran a hoof over his much thicker, shaggier coat. “And my kind is much better adapted to the weather than ponies or changelings.”
Kukri made a couple attempts to say something that might have earned her a lecture about proper language from me, but her fangs started chattering hard enough to spoil her efforts. Eventually she managed to chatter out, “Tha, that c-c-c-an’t be possible, right?”
“It can.” I opened up one of Kukri’s bags and in short order put Puzzle’s necklace around her neck, followed by Strumming’s gambeson and my cloak before finishing it off with one of the scarves her mother had packed. “Now you know why we all insisted on including so much.”
Kukri pulled the cloak tighter around herself, shivering as she waited for the charms and her own body heat to take the edge off the cold. “Th-this one thinks it understands. Though it wonders why the others as cold as it.”
“We knew what we were getting into,” Puzzle answered. “And this one has heard the theory that cold weather is somewhat easier for a full grown adult to endure than a child. Though as long as we are on the topic and opening up bags...” Puzzle dug into his own suitcase, pulling out a jacket and knit cap. “This one is not as cold as Kukri, but it would be unwise to wait until it is half-frozen to dress warmly.”
“Good point.” I followed his lead, easing off the passive spells to regulate the air temperature around me as I did so. It had been a long time since I needed to worry about using that particular spell to stay warm. Usually it was there so I wouldn’t start sweating like crazy on a hot day back in Freeport. Sweaty pits are bad for the image of dignity a magus should project.
Sigil nodded approvingly as we started preparing for the cold. “At least you came prepared. And while it can be deadly to be caught outside shelter on a cold night, that is unlikely. I know the path to Argentium’s lair, and all the safe places we might go to escape winter’s wrath. A good cave with a bonfire and a warm meal should see us through the nights, and should it be required both the magus and I have magic as well.”
“Yay,” Kukri murmured dully. “At least it won’t freeze to death. How far away is it?”
“It is just short of two hundred kilometers to Argentium’s demesne,” Sigil answered. “Assuming the weather holds, we should be able to make the journey in a week’s time. If it turns on us...” He shrugged helplessly. “Then it will take as long as it takes.”
Kukri tried to let out one of her melodramatic proto-teen groans, only to have it turn into a coughing fit from how cold the air was. Puzzle chuckled and gave her a pat on the head. “Look at it this way: at least you’ll get to brag to your friends about how you’ve been to Northmarch and seen a dragon when this is all over.”
“Assuming this one doesn’t come back frozen inside a huge ice cube,” Kukri grumbled. She shivered again, trying to shrink beneath her cloak as much as possible while tugging up her scarf. “At least her lair should be warmer. Dragons like warmth, right? Not to mention they breathe fire. That has to be enough to stop this cold.”
Sigil chuckled and nodded. “I think you’ll find that Lady Argentium’s lair is the height of comfort. Among other things, her cave rests above a magnificent and quite large natural hot spring. It keeps the caves pleasantly warm even when a blizzard outside is dumping feet of snow at the cave entrance.
“Hot springs...” Kukri murmured in a tone she usually reserved for discussing dessert. “So how fast can we get there?”
I chuckled and used my magic to tuck her scarf in a bit, since Kukri hadn’t quite gotten it on right. “I think we know what she’s looking forward to.”
Puzzle grinned and put one of his spare caps on her head. “Sometimes you just have to remind them of the reward at the end of the road.”
Kukri shot a weak smile at us, despite the fact that she was still shivering. “W-well, let’s g-go then. The sooner we start, the s-sooner...”
“Best we get started then.” Sigil frowned and looked us over. “Right after I finish checking the rest of your gear. If one of you forgot to pack cold weather goggles, I’d rather not find out when one of you goes snowblind or when your eyes freeze in a whiteout blizzard.”
“Eyes can’t freeze.” Kukri shot a concerned look my way. “Can they?”
I was pretty sure they could if things got cold and windy enough, but I didn’t want to give my apprentice any more cold-related nightmares. “If we all keep our cold weather goggles on, we won’t have to find out.”
“Not to mention waiting for the Heartstrings-mare,” Puzzle pointed out. “Just because she can probably catch up with us eventually doesn’t mean we should leave her behind.”
I nodded along, sitting back and watching Sigil’s survey. I’d been hoping he might have a few extra bits of useful advice about why some of the things we’d packed were less than ideal, but Puzzle had been far too competent when it came to ensuring all of us were perfectly equipped for the journey. Doubtless because he’d made it several times before, and had already gotten everything we could possibly need.
He was just about done when I finally spotted Strumming. She’d evidently followed everyone else’s lead in dressing for the weather, judging by her bright orange jacket. She came in for a landing, giving us all a tired wave. “Chuffers didn’t even have any proper crisps for a poor starving mare. What kinda place is this?”
Kukri let out a relieved sigh that turned into a shiver halfway through. “Heartstrings-mare, this one’s never been happier to s-see you! Let’s get going, so we can get to the nice warm dragon caves before this one turns into an icicle.”
Puzzle chuckled. “It appears the cold does not agree with our poor Kukri.”
“We did try to warn her.” I took mercy on my poor apprentice, tossing out a quick warming spell to knock the temperature up by about ten degrees. She would have to get used to the cold sooner or later, but I hoped that maybe it wouldn’t be quite as bad if she eased into it.
“Ouch, best of luck with that Facon.” Strumming gave her an idle pat on the back, then turned to me. “Got a sec, Bacon and Bug?”
Kukri let out a sound halfway between a groan and a whine. “Can it wait? Or could you at least talk about whatever it is you need to discuss while we’re on the road?”
I shot a curious look Strumming’s way, and she shook her head. “Just give us a minute.” I bumped up the warming spell on her a bit more, if only so she’d complain less. Plus I didn’t wanted to see her being cold and miserable, even if she was being a bit over-dramatic about it. I had promised to keep her safe, after all.
Despite my efforts to ensure her comfort, Kukri let a huge sigh that made it clear she believed we were doing this solely to inconvenience her. “Right, right, fine.”
I ignored my apprentice’s continuing descent into borderline teenagerdom as I trotted off with Strumming, along with Puzzle. Once we were safely out of earshot I put up a quick privacy spell, then motioned for her to get on with it.
Strumming teek a deep breath. “So, you guys might wanna keep your eyes and ears open. I just ... got a feeling something’s going on.”
“What sort of feeling?” Puzzle asked. “What did you find out?”
She was silent for several seconds, then carefully answered. “I’m just saying, you might want to be a bit more wary.”
Puzzle frowned at her. “Details?”
She grimaced and shook her head. “Can’t say anything specific.”
I scowled at her, crossing my forelegs over my chest. “Can’t or won’t? It sure sounds like you know more than what you’re telling us.”
“Of course,” she answered, a bit of her usual snark coming back. “I know lots of different stuff. Can’t tell you all the things I know that you don’t. It’d take years.”
Puzzle looked her over, then slowly nodded to himself. “Is this a conflicting loyalties issue? That would explain why she seems to be so deliberately vague and hesitating to tell us even that vague bit of nothing.”
I nodded along. “Looks like it might be. So if she’s trying to give us a warning, but can’t tell us any details ... who would that be?”
“That is a very good question,” Puzzle agreed. “This one wasn’t aware anyone in Equestria was still looking to bag you up and drag you back to Canterlot. The White Pony has made it quite clear you are allowed to do as you please in Freeport, and after two years in Freeport it doubts anyone else from Equestria would care.”
I grunted my agreement. “I can’t imagine Celestia would make a move on me after two years, and while she has an open offer for me to come back willingly that I’m still considering.”
Puzzle frowned and rubbed his chin. “You didn’t happen to make any other enemies this one isn’t aware of in Equestria or in Northmarch last time you were here?”
“Nobody I can think of,” I murmured. “The closest I can consider would be Sigil, and he seems fine with helping us out as long as that’s what Argentium wants. I mean, maybe Cadenza could be out to get me, but I don’t think Celestia would let her do that. Any chance they could be after you instead?”
“It’s possible,” Puzzle admitted with a shrug. “But this one hasn’t heard of any threat to its interests from anyone in Equestria, nor can it imagine any reason the EIS would chose to move against it. It enjoys good relations with them thanks to its bond with the Heartstrings-mare. That said, this one has no shortage of enemies who would seek to harm it and undermine its efforts. Though it doubts that the Heartstrings-mare would hesitate to tell it that the Old Mind or a warlock coven is active in Northmarch. They are as much enemies of Equestria as this one.”
Strumming took a deep breath, then carefully answered. “I stopped by to make a courtesy call with the EIS station here. You know, just let them know I was in the area, and get a heads-up about whether anything’s going on in the area. There was enough going on to make me think things are a little weird.”
Puzzle regarded her with a raised eyebrow. “Weird? How so?”
Strumming shrugged. “Dunno for sure. Just ... weird. You know, that sixth sense kinda thing where you know something’s going on, but you can’t quite put your hoof on it?”
“Yeah, I think I know what you’re talking about,” I agreed. “Don’t suppose you have anything solid to build those suspicions off of?”
“A bit,” she admitted. “The usual monsters are a bit more active, and that weird stuff back in Freeport with the antique dealer and at the museum. And when I was at the station house ... you know that weird feeling where you’re talking to someone, and you’re pretty sure they’re holding out on you, but you have no idea what it could be?”
“Suspecting someone is lying to me in the middle of a conversation,” I commented dryly. “Yeah, I can’t imagine what that would be like.”
Strumming’s eyes narrowed, and I caught a tiny crack in her usual odd variant of the poker face. “Look, telling you about what happened when I was talking with the EIS is ... kind of not okay under normal circumstances. Someone would probably grump pretty hard at me if they knew about this. So gimme a break, okay?”
That took me back for a moment. Mostly because it was one of the few times I had a feeling Strumming was being honest with me. I really wasn’t sure what to make of that, especially given what she’d said to me. Strumming giving away even low-level EIS info was...
Puzzle cleared his throat. “Pity this one doesn't have more time to stick around town to gather information. Not unless we want to stick around Coldhabor for a few days.”
I sighed and shook my head. “I’d rather get moving. I think Argentium would probably get annoyed with us if we kept her waiting for a week while we did some chasing after ghosts and hunches.”
“You’re right,” Puzzle agreed. “Argentium is as proud as any dragon, and keeping her waiting without a very good reason would end badly.” He sighed and shrugged. “There’s nothing to be done about it. With any luck, whatever it is that has the Heartstrings-mare feeling wary is a problem that need not concern us.”
“In other words, it’s definitely going to bite us in the flanks,” I muttered.
“That has been this one’s experience,” Puzzle grumbled. “Hopefully we will beat the odds this time, but if we don’t ... at least it will be an interesting trip.”
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8985040
Sadly, we already know the conclusion: Sunset fails her goal to ascend into an alicorn, yet becomes the Archon of Freeport instead. Strumming deserts (or is secretly reasigned)
Equestria and becomes her subordinate
This was an interesting chapter. I’m definitely curious as to what’s got the local monster population all riled up, and it appears we’re seeing the first signs of Strumming’s shift in loyalties. Grumpy Kukri is still adorable. Excited to see where all this goes! (PS Definitely putting money on Sunset’s biological mom being involved somehow. She has too much connection to Northmarch to not be.)
9016516
She's got time left. Alicornhood doesn't... Oh wait. It quite literally happens overnight. B*****.
Coldharbor.
Great chapter, can't wait to see where this goes.
Fluffri.
I wonder if this is going to be the story where we learn why Skyra is working directly for Sunset in the future.
Nothing good comes from places called Cold Harbor, no matter how spelled.
This.
9016516
It's not over until it is over. For all we know Sunset could have ascended into an alicorn but has chosen to hide this fact for political reasons. Freeport is mostly a neutral state and having an alicorn ruling over it could be constructed to look like Celestia is extending her reach. The zebra and other surrounding counties could see this as a prelude to an invasion and strike first.
Stranger and stranger. A death and robbery in Freeport isn't anything that unusual , but for a distant EIS station to be on alert (as well as the other troubling signs up north)... well, at least Sunset and Puzzle are both genre savvy enough to know it involves them somehow, given their luck. Probably not Celestia (and Sunset actually thinks there's even a chance Cadenza would be out to get her?), unless its related to Sunset's biological mother somehow. Still, whoever it is has got to be either crazy or powerful (or both) to try something when Sunset is visiting a dragon.
Personally I hope Sunset just gets over the alicorn thing eventually, its the character development journey there that will be the interesting part.
And I vote Koldkri.
I doubt EIS would be too angry if not being told of danger leads to Celestia's adopted daughter being injured.
Kukri really is the Spike to Sunset's Twilight, right down to being the team pack mule!
9016761
9017085
Floofkri?
9021566
Yaaaaas.
I vote Kukreeze. (Or, in the past tense, Kukrozen.)
"Yes, when they're ancient and powerful dragons. Are you in the habit of telling Argentium, 'Sorry, I'll have to see if I can pencil you in next week?'"
In any case, there's definitely something afoot. The question is what, why, and when it will strike.
9016516
Don't think of it as failure. Think of it as not having ascended quite yet.
You forgot "wretched" again.
9034093
camo.derpicdn.net/ba43290c26feab0a66f53dc8765eb8ca9e6df5b1?url=http://i0.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/396/288/734.png
You did pretty much throw away your parents...
I agree wit FanOfMostEverything, Kukreeze sounds best. Id also like to suggest:
Shiver Mare, Blizzard Piece and Freezing Heartstrings.
9063419
I don’t think that’s entirely fair. It seems, to me at least, that Sunset’s relationship with her parents was poor long before she started trying to ascend.
9066954
Yeah, Sunset’s relationship with her parents was problematic before she even became Celestia’s student. It’s the main reason why she latched onto Celestia as an alternate mother figure in the first place.
9067105
9066954
Good points both of you.
She did also reject every attempt her mother made to reconnect with her alienated daughter.
Not pointing out a flaw in the story, just that Sunset posesses the very human trait of cognative bias. That's part of what makes her such a well written character, real people have flaws as well as good qualities.
Yes they can because they have water in them.
9016516
I’m sorry, but which story is this from? I thought I’d read all of the Freeport Venture stories up to this point, and none of them mentioned her getting the title of Archon yet (except Come and See, which doesn’t count as it doesn’t explain how and is an AU).
Also, why do people keep referring to Strumming as Skyra? I’m assuming she’s just lying and the latter is her real name, but I’d just like to know where this came from.
(Btw, sorry if this is all obvious info. that I somehow missed).
9506476
Either Strumming is lying about it (always possible, but this one's pretty plausible) or there's Heartstrings family all over, a lot of them are musicians, and in particular she has a filly cousin (I think in Baltimare, but could easily be wrong) who's a dead ringer for a little her except for having a horn instead of wings.
In other words, Strumming Heartstrings is the Sky-Lyra Heartstrings. Skyra.