This story is a sequel to Solar Prominence
”Have you...have you ever thought that your dreams were something more? That they were trying to tell you something?” --- Princess Cadance
The second story in the Spiral of Fate Saga.
The Crystal Empire has faced many threats: Sombra, freak storms, Flurry’s chaotic magic, and even the Frozen North itself. Throughout it all, the Crystal Ponies were protected by the Empire’s Heart.
But what happens when a Heart stops beating?
Mysterious and terrible things are afoot in the Frozen North on this cold, silent night, and it’s up to a small group of Ponies and one Changeling to piece it all together before the entire Crystal Empire is thrust into danger. But in the shadows two very different foes are lurking, and both have set their sights on the Empire.
It’s the dawn of a new age, and Equestria’s time to prepare is up.
Very interesting, I hope to see more of this AU in the future
Ooooh…
Seems a little cliched… but still gud
Very gud
10983782
This was for the first chapter! Still gotta read the rest
This is a good showing for a not-so-short story! Worldbuilding for this alternate universe seems quite natural (even for the future that's maybe real, maybe not in Cadance's nightmare), and you hit characterization well for the major characters for both dialogue and their POVs in general (Pharynx stands out for me especially with his POV's limited screentime here, so you had to make a good impression for him).
If there's one thing that drags it down, it's the pacing near the end, starting with the penultimate chapter and Thorax being forcibly woken up. While the climax has been reached, the denouement is paced too fast: perhaps building up a sense of uncertainty for Thorax as he sees his former comrades coming for him and his friends, and it's still too fast/telly for the epilogue where it's all lightning fast (such as Flash Sentry escaping the camp: perhaps he can at least try to catch comms, hints on what might've happened to Shining Armor and the other—characterization on how he reacts to this incomplete bit of news and so on as he escapes).
Other than slowing down the pace at the end, this story's nice! I'm looking forward to the rest of what you've got cooking.
10987452
Glad to see you liked the story, for how many faults it has. I'll admit, it's not my best work (that honor still belongs to the other two stories I've already written for this universe: Fear Is Temporary, and The Defintion of Insanity), but it does, however, accomplish what it sets out to do, and that's to set up the world for the Season 6 finale (which happens much like it did in the show in this universe, so I won't delve into the details there, only the aftermaths) and for the stories that are to follow, which will have a much better pacing overall.
In hindsight, while I am satisfied with it overall and don't wish to change things, this story suffered from one major problem from the start: I focused too much on the crystal infection subplot instead of doing more of what I'm best at --- world-building and characterization. There was a lot I had planned for this story, and much of it actually had to be cut and repurposed for the stories that come afterwards simply because I didn't want to cram too much into this one.
The lessons have been learned, however, and I'm already working on the next installment of this universe. The early chapters will have a slower pace at first, easing us back into Equestria right after the action-packed Season 6 finale, but it will pick up the pace as the chapters go on. I'm taking my time with this one.
Man... always get upset over the quote unquote "red shirts" of the story...
On one hand... yes, they need to happen to make the threat real without killing main characters... but in the other...
So many families...
So many ponies...
So much... loss...
...
...
Damn it but I'm invested.
Ta tír na nøg ag glaoch...
The Unseelie Court returns.
And Malefor beckons...
when did Sunburst get a sex change?
11048528
Good catch. Fixed!
well that vision of a future sure was a nightmare.
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nice. will read next chapter soon.