• Published 28th Nov 2021
  • 4,442 Views, 817 Comments

Agate's Vigil - Wingnut



A filly trying to escape from the Crystal Empire's takeover by Sombra gets lost in the north, eventually discovering a strange tribe of ponies.

  • ...
6
 817
 4,442

PreviousChapters Next
Finding Your Flow

"Mmmm... Don't want to get up..."

The next morning found Agate sleepy, curled up in her bed. She didn't feel like getting out, but she knew that sooner or later, her parents would come along, and she'd have to get up anyway. Reluctantly, she dragged herself out, stretching her legs when she landed on the ground.

Only then did she remember that her parents weren't around anymore, it wasn't exactly a bed that she slept in these days, and... She didn't actually have anything to do that day.

"Huh, wait..."

Looking through her memory for all those "have to remember to ask someone about this later" or "do this later" things she kept adding to her mental list didn't reveal any promises or obligations to be somewhere or do something, either. She probably learned enough of the snowpony tongue to learn on her own now, she told them her story as promised, and no other things came up.

She was at a loss at what to do next. She had plenty of days off in the Empire when she could do whatever she wanted, obviously. Those were usually spent with friends or reading a book. The snowponies didn't seem to have books, though, and she wouldn't be able to turn the pages even if they did. As for friends...

She really liked the ponies that she met so far, but they all were adults. It was rather nice that, for the most part, they actually treated her as an adult herself. She wasn't sure if she could call them friends, though. As pleasant as she found them, after talking to them for a while, she realized that almost all of her interactions with them were them performing their duties. Dealing with a wayward spirit, greeting a foreign guest, teaching her how to talk, finding out what her arrival meant for the tribe...

And usually, adults had all kinds of important duties that shouldn't be interrupted. They really were nice, so they probably wouldn't mind much, but Agate didn't want to go bother Earthsong just because she had nothing to do. Who knew, the shamare was probably busy fixing up the defensive wards in the village, or something similar.

"Alright, who else do I know...?"

Pondering her predicament, she laid down on the ground, gazing up at the sky. The sun hadn't crested the horizon yet, and most of the stars were still visible.

"Gnarled Root and Spear Throw are interesting to talk to, but I already agreed to meet up with them in the evenings...

She still didn't know where Root's totem was, either.

"I could go looking for it, I guess... I think they tend to build totem poles on the outskirts of the village."

Thinking about wandering around reminded her of the two foals she met last time. Autumn Ash and Cindertail were certainly interested in meeting her again. The thought of trying to find them flashed through her mind, though she didn't know where they lived, either. She did invite them to visit her totem though, so they might show up... Someday.

"What would we even do, though?"

Her thoughts ran a full circle and came back to the fact that a great many things that she was used to doing previously were now impossible. Reading, playing with toys of any kind, drawing, playing games... She probably still could play tag, but not getting tired and being able to run through walls would give her all kinds of unfair advantages in most games.

Talking seemed to be the thing she did the most of these days. While that was partially because she needed to learn the local language, the trend would more than likely continue, given her limitations on interacting with the physical world. It was probably the whole reason spirits got saddled with the "wise" honorific. All they did was talk, listen, and teach, since it was all they could do.

"Hmm... Root did mention going out to find herbs, and Spear told me about protecting ponies. I don't know how to do any of that, though. I doubt any of the monsters would be very scared of me. I don't want to put any ponies in danger by bumbling about."

It seemed that being treated as an adult meant that she would have to act more like one, too. Less playing, more talking and passing on the wisdom to others. Which was weird for the ten-year-old filly, to say the least. Due to what happened to her, she skipped all the experiences of growing up and growing old, and got shoved right into the "wise old spirit mentor" role in snowpony society. The only reason she had any "wisdom" to pass on at all was because she wasn't local, and her meagre knowledge was a big curiosity for the snowponies.

Some of it might actually be useful, if she could articulate it properly. She recalled True Sight's request to instruct the shamares on how to charge the crystals better. She would have been happy to help, except for the fact that it was very hard to explain something when you had no real clue as to what the heck you were doing yourself. The things she did with the crystal were mostly instinct, part desperation, and the tiniest bit of actual knowledge.

"Ugh. Being an adult is hard."

Agate lay there, gazing at the sky. The stars were winking out one by one, slowly replaced by the glow of morning light. She didn't want to sit around doing nothing all day, but she wasn't all that enthusiastic about the things she could do, either. After an hour of sulking and running around in circles in her head, she sighed, and put her mind to the task before her.

"Alright. How do I best explain resonance, when I'm not one hundred percent sure what it means myself?

❅ ❆ ❅

The sky brightened, from a dark purple to a bright blue, the sun slowly moving across the heavens. Eventually, it moved past Agate's field of view, the light beginning to slowly fade again. She spent the whole day lying, sitting, and otherwise lounging in her clearing, trying to find the words to best explain how enchanting crystals worked.

Technically, it wasn't even enchanting - any crystal would glow if imbued with raw magic, which often happened naturally in crystals dug up in the mines. Even when enchanting, the light often wasn't even the intended goal, but simply a side effect of the magic itself, much like the light from a unicorn's horn when casting a spell. Which is why basic light spells were the easiest to cast for unicorns, and why practically every crystal pony didn't ever need to buy candles.

Of course, the fact that lighting up a crystal often needed only a short tap from a crystal pony didn't make it any easier to explain how they did it. It was like trying to explain breathing, or trotting. You just... Felt it, and did it. While Agate was extremely inexperienced in the doing category, she still felt the song of the crystal Heart, the thrum of power under her hooves as thousands of ponies gathered outside during various celebrations, lighting up the streets like bonfires.

She did her best to put the feelings into words, hard as it was. For all her efforts, she barely had anything, but something was probably better than nothing. Given how powerful the shamares appeared to be, the fact that they took days to simply charge the crystals likely meant that, for all their skill, they had even less of an idea of what they were doing with crystals than Agate did. Hopefully, that also meant that she could help them.

Sighing, the filly got up, stretching her legs and back. She couldn't get cramps anymore, but somehow, the act still felt satisfying after laying around all day. Checking the sun, she saw that it was late afternoon, or maybe early evening. Not late enough for Spear Throw and Gnarled Root to show up for a few hours yet, but probably too late to go seeking out True Sight with what she managed to put together.

She briefly considered practicing on some crystals to sharpen her skills, but seeing as the only ones around were stuck in her totem, that idea went nowhere. They were interwoven with the totem's magic, and messing around with them would have been rather risky.

After some deliberation, Agate decided to go for a short trot outside the village again. The last one was fun, and she didn't feel like talking to ponies all that much. She was all talked out from yesterday's storytelling. Stepping outside Snowpitt, she remembered what True Sight said to her at the end.

"You could take the trip back to your tribe's lands yourself, if you felt like it."

It was something that had been knocking about in the back of her mind while she was thinking about crystals. She was tempted to go back and take a look at the valley. At the same time, however, she was certain she wouldn't find anything. She didn't know if it was her logic or her fear telling her that, though. There was also a small issue of what to do if the Empire was there.

Her parents would certainly be sad to find out about what happened to her, but leaving them forever wondering about her fate would be worse. And they would figure it out eventually, regardless if she told them or not. There really didn't seem to be any easy, simple choices in the whole situation.

Forcing the thoughts from her head for the moment, Agate trotted southwards, gazing at the mountains in the distance. She tried not to think what lay beyond them, simply taking in the landscape. The plain leading up to the forest looked much as before, though there did seem to be several spots where taller stones were poking out of the diminished snow layer. Spring really was arriving to the snowpony lands, slow as it was.

Speeding up to a gallop, she tried to recall the path she took to Snowpitt from the mountains, but it was an impossible task. Seeing as she couldn't slip or injure herself anymore as a spirit, she didn't bother to look where she was putting her hooves at all during her trip. Her only goal at the time was to reach the mysterious glow in the distance.

She kept going south, aiming towards the forest lining the foothills. A brief memory flashed in her mind: darkness, a shadowed forest, an old pine tree, and a mysterious green glow within it's trunk. Was that the tree's spirit? The notion intrigued the filly. As Agate got closer to the forest, she picked out the closest tree that she could see.

Slowing down, she squinted at it. It was a short fir sapling, barely taller than an adult pony. The needles were green and healthy, but there didn't seem to be anything unusual about it. Blinking, she shoved her head between the branches, almost touching the trunk with her nose. Again, there was nothing unusual about the fir. Not that she was remotely knowledgeable about trees, but still.

Shrugging, she removed herself from the evergreen, taking a look around. A few more saplings dotted the immediate area, the forest looming dead ahead. Reminding herself one more time that she was in no danger from any animals, she entered the woods. Her surroundings immediately turned darker, the larger trees blocking most of the light.

Agate wandered the woods for a while, thinking about nothing and everything, letting her mind rest for a time. Everything was still and quiet, which helped her relax, but it also meant that every tiny sound and detail stood out even more in the forest's quiet. Such as the tracks that she found in the snow.

Seeing tracks was something of a curiosity for Agate. Ponies didn't leave tracks on the Empire's crystal roads, she didn't leave any since she became a spirit, and most snowponies seemed to be able to gallop over the snow without leaving any, either. Lowering her nose to the ground, she tried to tell if they were made by hooves or not, but the snow had partially melted, making identification impossible. Which probably meant that the tracks weren't fresh.

Looking left and right, the amateur tracker picked the direction that lead further south, following the trail. The tracks went in a straight line, weaving around the oldest trees. It didn't take long until she found the likely destination of the mystery traveler. Sounds of rushing water reached her ears, and soon enough, she was standing before a river, the tracks disappearing in the muddied snow along the shore.

"Oooh. I remember this."

Recalling her short underwater adventure in crossing the river, she clambered down the riverbank. The water was rushing by, chunks of ice bobbing in the water here and there. Taking a step toward the water, she expected to sink to the bottom again, but found herself standing on a thin, clear patch of ice instead. The sight made her shake her head - all of her experience was telling her that she was supposed to immediately fall through such thin ice, but her weightlessness made sure that didn't happen.

"Wait a second..."

She took a look at the ice under her hooves, then the water further out, then the ice again. Gears were turning in her head. After a moment, she turned towards the water, squinted, stuck her tongue out in concentration, and jumped. She almost missed due to how fast the water was moving, but managed to grab on to the edge, pulling herself up.

"I'm pretty sure this is cheating of some kind. Somehow," she muttered with a wry smile.

Agate was currently floating down the river, standing on a tiny chunk of ice, barely holding on with three hooves. There was no way the piece could possibly support her weight, if she had any. As it was, though, she was carried by the current, bobbing up and down wildly, completely unable to influence where her makeshift raft went even if she wanted to.

Giggling, the filly did her best to balance on the available surface with three hooves while simultaneously observing the river and the landscape passing by. It was quite hard to do while being tossed around left and right, but she managed to hold on longer than she expected. Still, even her ghostly tricks couldn't stave off the inevitable forever. The water carried her over a set of rapids, and the piece of ice she was riding flipped over, dumping the spirit in the river.

The current continued on without so much as a ripple. A few moments later, a pair of hooves reached out of the water, grabbing on to one of the stones standing in shallower water. Agate pulled herself out, a smile on her face. Scanning the water, she looked for more things she could ride. The rapids churned up the water too much, though, the current dragging any ice and debris underwater.

After a few minutes of fruitlessly looking through the water, she shrugged, jumping from one stone to another to reach the shore. Looking downstream, she saw that the rapids continued on as far as she could see. Turning upstream, she went back to the calmer patch of the river. This was way too fun to do only once.

❅ ❆ ❅

"If I wasn't dead already, that would have killed me. A whole bunch of times, probably."

After making her way back upriver, Agate kept trying to find more pieces of ice to ride, with wildly varying degrees of success. A lot of times, she simply missed, ending up at the bottom of the river. Predicting where the wildly bobbing ice chunks would go next was hard, but not impossible. With some more effort, she managed to plant her hooves on a few more improvised rafts. The best one she grabbed on to carried her downriver for almost half an hour, eventually breaking into tiny pieces on a sharp rock.

Climbing out of the river, she noticed that it was quite dark at that point. Closing her eyes, the filly found the pull and glow of her totem, beelining straight back to Snowpitt. She hoped she didn't miss the meetup with the other spirits while she was goofing off.

At a steady gallop, it didn't take long to exit the forest and reach her clearing. Glancing at the sky, she saw that the moon wasn't all that far above the horizon. It wasn't that late yet, then. Breathing a sigh of relief, she laid down on her back, engaging in her usual evening routine to pass the time.

The stars seemed just the tiniest bit dimmer than usual that evening, for whatever reason. Probably just the seasons changing. She tried to find some patterns to them again, but, as usual, nothing came of it, though it did not detract from the beauty of the heavens.

As expected, her stargazing was interrupted quite soon. Gnarled Root showed up, Spear Throw in tow. Agate rolled to her hooves, getting up to greet her guests.

"Hello, Root. Hello, Spear. It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Agate," Gnarled Root replied.

"Indeed," Spear Throw rumbled. "My family enjoyed your story quite a lot." He paused after that, tightening his lips a little. "I apologize, that was improper. It was your people's and your life's story, and it was a painful one. Not the kind of fireside tale to enjoy and be entertained by. Still, they were interested in hearing about all the kinds of different ponies that live in faraway lands."

Agate considered his words for a moment before waving it off. "It's fine. I'd feel bad myself if I just made your entire tribe sad with what I told them. And I'm interested in listening to your stories too, even though they're also often dark."

"It's how life is," Gnarled Root agreed. "The true stories are not the same as the lighthearted ones that ponies sometimes make up for their own amusement. The real stories are the ones truly worth telling, though."

Agate nodded, sitting down. Her guests followed suit. The three sat in silence, Agate rubbing her chin in thought. Gnarled Root tilted her head questioningly. "Can't decide on what you want to ask, little one? Would you like me to pick a story this evening?"

"Not exactly. I think I might need some more advice, not a story. The kind of advice that you gave me in the very beginning, about being a spirit. I'm... Give me a minute."

Her guests nodded, waiting patiently for Agate to articulate her thoughts. She sat for some time, chewing on her lip. Eventually, she started. "I want to see my family again. I still don't understand a lot of this. How and why am I a spirit when no other crystal pony ever became one - far as I know, at least. But I do know I want to talk to my parents, at least one last time. Either way, it looks like it could take me a long, long time to find them, and there's nothing that I can do about that.

In the meantime, I'm staying here in Snowpitt. I don't want to just sit on my butt while I ask the shamares to try and figure out where the Empire disappeared to, though. They kept me busy while I was learning your tongue, but now, I'm a little lost at what to do next. I'd like to help, but I don't think I could do any of the things you two can. The animals probably wouldn't be afraid of me, since I'm so small. And I don't know the first thing about the kinds of plants around here, so I'd make a pretty poor scout, too."

The two spirits hrrm'ed, thinking about what she said. Spear Throw seemed to be considering her question, while Gnarled Root frowned. "Agate, I think it is very commendable for you to be so eager to help, but as I remember from your story, you are barely ten years old. That is not yet the age where you should be overly concerned about pulling your weight. I understand that you're feeling grateful to us for taking you in, but you are not in any kind of debt to the tribe. You should take some time for yourself."

"It's not just that," Agate disagreed, shaking her head. "I'm trying to find new activities because I can't do most of the things I used to be able to do anymore. Reading, writing... You can still do most of the things you did in life. Look for herbs, protect ponies... Everything here is still unfamiliar to me. And even if I find some friends closer to my age, I don't think there's all that much we could do together. Being a spirit means I'm no longer in danger when I go out to explore, but it's limiting in other ways."

Spear Throw raised an eyebrow. "You've been exploring?"

"Well, yeah. The way I got here... I was galloping through the mountains half blind, only looking straight ahead. I barely remember anything from my journey. I'm sure that I'll need to travel again sometime, sooner or later. So I've been exploring outside Snowpitt, a tiny little bit. I only went out twice so far, but I want to familiarize myself with the land a little more. It's also very interesting, as well. Our people live surrounded by mountains on all sides, so seeing the tundra stretch out endlessly in all directions was quite a sight."

Her explanation earned her a respectful nod from Spear Throw, and a smile from Gnarled Root. "See?" The mare spoke. "That's more like it. I understand that not being able to do the things you love any more can be disheartening, but you still have the freedom to discover and enjoy new things. If you truly take to exploring, then it's not likely you'll end up with nothing to do for a long, long time. Our lands truly are vast and amazing. Don't be a loner, though. I'm sure that plenty of foals your age would love to hear stories about your trips."

"I guess. It's weird talking to them, though. I met a few ponies while exploring Snowpitt, and they all treated me like I was old, or something. Kept calling me a "wise spirit". I just felt silly," Agate recounted.

At her explanation, Spear Throw snorted loudly, while Gnarled Root tried to stop herself from laughing by holding her mouth shut with her hooves. She almost succeeded at it, too. Agate just gave them a flat look while the two tried to get their giggles under control. After a minute, Gnarled Root reached out with a foreleg to muss up Agate's mane, which made the filly give her an even flatter look.

"Sorry, sorry. Well, a little sorry. Just a little, though. That was funny. You do have some interesting knowledge, but I think it'll be some time until you're able to pull off the whole "wise old spirit" thing, Agate. I suppose they got a little used to the fact that the vast majority of ponies that decide to stay on tend to be on the older side."

Spear Throw nodded, rolling his eyes a little. "And remember, spirits are supposed to help guide ponies. If they expect you to be a wise teacher, then feel free to teach them that you're not what they think you are. You're not required to play along just because some younglings are acting silly."

"Alright. I get it, I think. Thanks."

Gnarled Root tapped a hoof on the ground, considering something. "You know, you could come along with me sometime. I could teach you a thing or two about herb lore, if you want more things to do. Or, you could tag along just to explore around a little more. It's still a bit snowy, but new plants are going to be sprouting soon. I wouldn't mind some company when I start going out again."

"Oh... That would be interesting, I think. I must've seen more kinds of plants in pictures than I did for real. I won't be very good at it, but I'd like to come along," Agate nodded.

"That's good to hear. Don't just ask others to tell you what to do, though. Keep exploring, keep finding new things to enjoy. You've been dealt a bad hoof in life, certainly. No one is going to fault you if you go out to have some fun. I realize that it's going to be hard for you, without your parents to guide you and offer advice. I suppose you'll have some growing up to do. If you ever need to think things through, find a quiet place where you can be with your thoughts for a while. The world is still going to be there when you come back. And if you ever need more advice, I'm sure most ponies in Snowpitt would be happy to help, including us," she finished, Spear Throw nodding in agreement.

Agate nodded slowly, rubbing her forehead with a hoof. "I'll keep it in mind. It's a lot to keep, but I'll try. Does it ever get easier? As you get older?" At their questioning looks, she clarified. "Figuring out what to do when you're in a mess. Or even when you're not. Just... Figuring things out."

Gnarled Root pursed her lips in thought, while Spear Throw gave her a tiny, sad smile. Unusually, the stallion spoke up first. "Not really. For some, perhaps. There certainly are ponies that look like they're not even trying. They just glide through life without any effort, as if carried by the wind itself. But if they are, then I suppose they haven't really figured anything out either, have they? No, most of us are just trying to live our best lives without making too much of a mess along the way. It's a constant struggle."

The filly nodded again, remaining quiet this time. She gazed into the distance, lidding her eyes and folding her ears as she considered everything they told her. Losing everything she knew from her past life was a big shock, to say the least. And the future was uncertain, but the present was slowly getting better. Bit by bit, she was figuring out how to live with the snowponies, slowly getting her hooves under her again. And, in time, maybe she'd figure out what happened to the Empire, too.

"I'm trying to do too many things at once, I think. "One thing at a time", as ponies used to say," she thought.

They sat there for a while, the older spirits letting Agate ruminate on her thoughts. Eventually, the filly got up, nodding to the two. "Alright. That's probably enough for tonight. Thanks, you two. There's still a lot of things that I don't know what to do about, but I'll probably crack them eventually."

"As I said, we'd be glad to help, so if you need anything..." Gnarled Root trailed off.

Agate shook her head, frowning a little. "No, not unless you know how to pull knowledge of how to do something out of thin air. True Sight asked me to teach her how to work with crystals better, but I don't actually know anything about that. As you said, I'm not at the age where you're supposed to know such things yet. Sure, I know some things that can be done, but I don't have the foggiest idea on how to go about doing them. I'm just poking around in the dark."

"Well... Pulling knowledge out of nowhere is not something ponies can do, far as I know. Still, you showed off your skills in the Hall. You clearly have some talent. I'm sure you can learn, and let the shamares learn alongside you."

The filly shrugged. "I'm not sure. Maybe. Thing is - remember all those other kinds of southern ponies I told everyone about? Unicorns, pegasi, earth ponies? They all have different kinds of magic, and they can't really do the same things others can. Same thing for crystal ponies. Even if I manage to figure out how to charge crystals easily, snowponies might not be able to repeat the things that I could do."

Spear Throw snorted disdainfully. "If that happens, then you still accomplished your task. It is not your fault nor responsibility if they cannot learn something you spent a long time working on. Do your part, and let others do theirs. That is all anyone can ask of you."

"Spear's right, Agate. Don't put too much on your shoulders. I'm sure a great many ponies are going to ask you exactly how your tribe managed to do the things you told us all about. Dozens, perhaps hundreds of ponies, even. Do your best to guide them in the right direction if you can, but don't feel bad if you're not able to. No one's asking you to do the impossible."

"I'll do my best, then. See you two tomorrow?"

"Of course. Good luck figuring out your magic."

With a nod and a wave, the guests departed, Agate turning towards her totem.

❅ ❆ ❅

The next morning found Agate sitting in her clearing, tapping a hoof on the ground, ears half folded. After some internal debate, the filly got up, leaving the clearing and making her way northwards through Snowpitt's snowy streets.

She decided to visit Earthsong and True Sight today, instead of going out to explore. While the ponies kept telling her that she didn't owe them anything, she still felt like she should pay them back. Sharing some crystal lore would be a good start, if she could figure it out herself first. After some thought, she had to admit that she wasn't completely selfless in her choice, either. She did want to learn how to do it herself as well, not just to fulfill True Sight's request.

Once she reached the house where the two shamares resided, Agate stopped, encountering a problem she hadn't considered before. She tapped a hoof on the ground, thinking it through. Then she scratched her head. Then she rubbed her chin. None of those thought-stimulating actions helped, however.

"How the hay am I supposed to knock?"

She already decided that sticking her head through doors (or walls) uninvited was a rude thing to do, but she completely forgot to think up of an alternative way to announce her presence. There didn't seem to be any other choices here, besides just yelling to see if anyone's home. And that felt kind of rude too, not to mention she'd look dumb. With a shrug, she approached the door, stopping at the last second.

Sticking her ear near the door (and possibly through it, she couldn't really feel it, after all), she listened intently, trying to find out if the two mares were awake yet. Some small sounds did reach her ear, which encouraged her to stick her whole head through. They were at the table, eating some breakfast. True Sight looked tired, chewing on a ball of moss with her eyes closed, while Earthsong was taking a drink from a clay cup.

"Um, hello," she spoke quietly, trying not to startle them.

Earthsong blinked in surprise, turning her head towards Agate sharply. The only acknowledgment she got from True Sight was an ear lazily turned in her direction. The old shamare was either unflappable, or really tired. Or both.

"Sorry. I would have knocked, but, well," Agate waved a foreleg, moving it back and forth through the door. "I couldn't really figure out how. No one really told me when they were explaining all this spirit stuff to me, and I didn't think to ask."

"Oh, well," Earthsong found her voice. "You see, there's... Wait, actually..." She trailed off, scrunching her muzzle. After a minute, she glanced at True Sight, who opened her eyes by a crack, continuing her lazy chewing. She stopped for a moment, considering Agate's predicament, then shrugged, going back to her munching. After a minute more of thinking, Earthsong shrugged as well.

"Well, Agate, it looks like there isn't a way for you to knock after all. Funny, I never thought about that before. When ponies go to seek aid or wisdom from the spirits, they usually go to their totem poles, not the other way around. Don't worry about it, though. You're welcome to visit any time."

True Sight grunted in the affirmative, reaching for another chunk of moss. "Just go through doors. Not like you can carry anything off or be a bad houseguest in other ways. Just don't wake ponies if they're asleep."

Agate nodded, coming inside fully. "So, um... Last time we talked, in the Great Hall... You asked me to teach you how to charge crystals," she said, nodding towards True Sight. "But I don't really know how to do it myself, or how to explain how to do it. It's supposed to be the easiest of all the things you can do with crystals, so maybe I could learn it, and then teach you. Or we could learn together. I think I need to practice on a few crystals first, though. More than a few, in all likelihood."

The mare kept chewing for a few minutes, making no sign of having heard Agate. When she finally swallowed, reaching for her own cup, she opened her eyes again. "Well, I can't say I'm too surprised. Given how young you are, I should have expected this. I'm sorry if I appeared demanding with my request. It's just that you did something that most elder shamares are completely unable to do, despite being able to summon the fiercest winds, call spirits across leagues of distance, or whatever else they're capable of. Spirit stones are something that vexed us for the longest time. We can feel the potential in them, but actually doing something with it is beyond our grasp. I was hoping you'd be able to teach us the secret of how to unlock it, but now I'm concerned that it might be something that only your people can do," she finished, taking a long pull from her cup.

"I've thought about it as well," Agate muttered. More loudly, she spoke up. "But if you're already able to charge crystals, then clearly you can do that much, at least. And lots of ponies use crystals. Lots of unicorns, and some earth ponies know their precious stones almost as well as crystal ponies do. Maybe I can make it easier for you. We won't know until we try."

Earthsong smiled at the filly's determination. "That's wonderful to hear, Agate. I'm sure we can spare some spirit stones for you to practice on. True Sight's a bit tired today, so I suppose I'm in charge. Let me finish breakfast, and we can be on our way."

Agate nodded, sitting down on the floor. Earthsong didn't take long, likely being close to finishing already when Agate showed up. After a few more mouthfuls of hay, the brown mare licked her plate clean before stowing it away. Getting up from her chair, she made her way towards the door, only to remember something and turn back towards her room.

"Almost forgot," she explained, emerging from her room and donning a pair of saddlebags. "You wouldn't be able to carry anything yourself. Let's go."

Agate got up, following Earthsong outside. The mare waved goodbye to True Sight, who lazily nodded back. Closing the door behind her, the shamare turned east, leading Agate down an unfamiliar road. The filly thought she walked through it at some point, but she didn't know what the destination was.

"So do you just keep all your crystals locked up somewhere until you need them again for the winter rituals?" Agate inquired.

Earthsong turned her ears towards the filly, a thoughtful expression crossing her face for a moment. "Mostly, yes. We don't really lock them up, as it were. They have no other use for us, so we just store them in a few shamare's homes and a main shed until winter comes around. Not like they go bad or anyone tries to eat them. Then we gather the shamares and do our best to breathe some life into them," she explained. Then she got thoughtful again. "Wait. Do spirit stones go bad? Were we doing something incorrectly? Is there some special way of storing them that your people use?"

The question took Agate by surprise. "Oh, um... I don't think so? Crystals are quite durable. We build lots of things with them, and they last a long time. The only thing that would be bad is if they went from hot to cold very fast, or vice versa."

"I heard you can break frozen rocks if you throw them in boiling water," Earthsong mused. "I don't think that's a danger for the spirit stones, though. We stack them up in woven baskets or boxes and leave them be."

"That should be fine. You said shamare's homes, though. You don't keep any in yours?"

The mare shook her head. "No, we live some distance away from the village outskirts, and the ponies just bring them to the closest shamare. In this case, it's Dreamcatcher. She lives in the eastern part of the village."

"Oh, are we going to see her?"

After a moment's consideration, Earthsong nodded. "We could just go to the shed and get some stones, but It'd be a little rude to pass by so close to her home and not say hello. Come, she lives just down this road."

Making a small alteration to their route, she lead the filly towards a rather large-looking house. It had two stories, and several attachments. Where the home where Earthsong lived with True Sight was compact, just the right size for the two mares, this looked like it could house a whole family, or perhaps even two. Despite the size, though, it was rather quiet. No sounds came from inside as the two approached the building, and the chimneys were cold and dead.

Earthsong let herself in, turning down a corridor in a manner of someone who was familiar with the place. Reaching a door with a curious accessory hung on it, she knocked softly. While they waited for an answer, Agate examined the door. It was adorned with something that looked sort of like a net or a spider's web, if a pony tried to make one. It was suspended in a wooden circle approximately a hoof wide. Three smaller circles hung from it on thin strings, and a number of feathers were hung off the circles.

"Come in," came the quiet answer from the room.

Earthsong opened the door, and the two went through. Agate's eyes were immediately drawn to the dozens of the same kind of ornaments hung everywhere. The walls were covered in them, and a large amount was hanging from the ceiling, as well. They clearly were the same kind of item, but each one looked unique. A few even had tiny crystals on them instead of feathers.

"Ahh, Earthsong, and the young wanderer in tow," Dreamcatcher greeted, without even opening her eyes. The old mare was laying down on a large rug, wrapped up in a blanket, leaving only her head and her forehooves exposed. She was fiddling with one wooden circle, weaving another web/net.

Earthsong went to sit down on the rug, Agate following her lead. "Hello, Dreamcatcher. We were passing by on an errand, and thought to visit you. How are you holding up?"

The elder shrugged, expertly weaving a thread through the web. "No better or worse than when we last met a couple days ago. Thought you'd be here on business, though. What errand brings you by?"

"True Sight asked Agate here to teach us some of her expertise on spirit stones, if you recall. Of course, she doesn't exactly have much experience at all, given that she's a foal. So, we were on our way to pick some up for her to sharpen her own skills before she can start teaching us."

"Aha. And here I thought you're here because the youngling got impatient and wanted to know if I managed to dig up anything more about her tribe. I did try, but... You know how dreamwalking is. Can't tell up from sideways sometimes, and certainly can't tell whether it is any good," she shrugged, getting Agate's attention.

The filly squirmed, not sure how to proceed with the strangely-speaking shamare. "So... Did you find something about the Empire?"

Another shrug. "In a way, yes. Now that I knew a little more about them, I went looking for your people again, the "crystal ponies", as you call them. I looked for their villages, I looked for their dreams, I looked for their tracks and signs, and no matter how far and wide I wandered the dream realms, no matter where I went, I would always end up in the same spot. Dream Valley. It's like they're still there, yet at the same time, the valley appears empty, with only a few ephemeral images of buildings and ponies flashing before my eyes now and then. Unfortunately, I don't really understand what that means. If they had perished, I would have been drawn towards the spirit realms, not a place in the living world. And yet, the place is uninhabited. I couldn't see a flicker of life in the entire valley. It is a puzzle that I am unsure how to solve, or where to even begin."

Earthsong turned her head, examining the other mare. "It sounds like you've been busy. When did you find the time?"

"Yesterday," she explained, pointing with her muzzle across the room. Agate followed where she was pointing. There was a table set against the wall, and two tall shelves on either side of it, stacked full with jars marked with odd symbols, feathers, spools of thread, and other knick-knacks. At first, she didn't understand what exactly the mare was pointing at, until she saw a small bowl with what looked like dried mushrooms on the table.

The sight prompted Earthsong to raise an eyebrow. "Magic mushrooms? I thought you only break those out for special occasions. So you spent the entire day dreamwalking? "

"Ha! We have a visitor that's a kind of pony we never even dreamt of meeting! Tell me, how exactly is this not a special occasion?" The old mare broke out in a fit of raspy cackles.

Earthsong folded her ears in embarrassment, while Agate hid a small smile. After her mirth subsided, Dreamcatcher continued. "Yes, I spent the whole day, and it's been fruitless. I'm not sure I should keep trying, to be honest. I keep getting led to the same place. What we need now is to understand why. And I'm not sure we can do that without going to take a look there ourselves, in the waking world. Which is not completely impossible, but not an easy task, to say the least."

"Something to solve in the future, then," Earthsong decided. "For now, I think we'll just retrieve our spirit stones for Agate."

"By all means, go ahead," Dreamcatcher waved them off. "You know where they're stored. Speaking of Agate - see something you're interested in, youngling?"

Agate went back to examining all the ornaments hung from the ceiling and walls at that point. It was uncanny how the old mare was able to tell where Agate was looking while she kept her eyes closed throughout the entire conversation.

"Just curious. I don't even know what these are, actually," she admitted.

"Ah yes, foreigner... I forgot how different you are. Anyways, these are called dreamcatchers. I think you can add two and two together," Dreamcatcher explained with a wry smile.

"They... Catch dreams? Literally?"

"Nightmares," she clarified. "Young spirits are particularly vulnerable until they get older. There are times when foals get terrible night terrors, all without reason or rhyme. Some foul spirits bothering them, no doubt. And there are very few shamares that deal in dreams, and they certainly can't protect everyone at the same time. Fortunately, a long time ago, a clever shamare came up with these," she explained, sweeping a hoof around the room. "They're not too hard to make, and anyone can use them. Just hang one up over a foal's bed."

"Huh. I think I remember having some nightmares, when I was younger... One of these might have been useful."

Dreamcatcher nodded gravely. "If your tribe doesn't have them, then I worry for your foals. Then again, perhaps the spirits are different in your lands... Either way, I'd offer you one, but you don't really need it anymore. Good luck in honing your skills. I'm sure the others will be interested in what you manage to achieve."

Getting up, Earthsong came over to the elderly mare to give her a parting hug. "Thank you, Dreamcatcher. We'll see you later. Don't tire yourself out too much."

Snorting, she waved them off. "I'm the only one that would manage to tire myself out by sleeping too hard. Go have fun. You know where to find me if you need me."

Earthsong led Agate out of the room, closing the door behind her. In a moment, they were outside, circling the house to reach a small, unassuming little shed a small distance away. Agate kept her eyes on the main house as they left.

"Was there something you forgot to ask Dreamcatcher, Agate? I'm sure we can go back if it's something important," Earthsong asked.

"No, it's just... This is such a big house, but it's all empty and quiet. Does she live here all alone?"

"Oh, that! No, not at all. She is actually from a rather large family, hence the house. She has two brothers and three sisters, and they have a... I don't remember how much, but well over a dozen offspring, and their children are going to have foals soon, too. Not all of them even live here, just two of her sisters and their families. It's just the timing. The youngest are off to the tundra for the summer, learning how to live and take care of themselves, while their parents are likely on a fishing trip," she explained as they approached the shed.

It was a simple, wooden affair, with no windows and a thick latch on the door. Undoing it, Earthsong pushed the door open, releasing a small puff of dust.

"Well, here we go. Looks like we're the first ones here since the spirit stones were gathered back up in spring."

Walking inside, Agate looked around. The space was cramped, with shelves lining the walls, while the middle of the room held a number of wooden boxes, with woven baskets stacked on top. The shelves had various tools and clay urns, which held little interest to her, but she could see the faint glimmer of crystals in the baskets. Earthsong approached one of them, opening it up.

Reaching in, she retrieved a small piece. Examining it in the dim light, the mare turned to Agate. "Is there something specific you're looking for? Bigger, smaller? Honestly, I wouldn't know the difference between a good spirit stone and a bad one."

Shrugging, Agate stuck her head inside the basket. "I'm not sure. I'm not going to be polishing or cutting them. I don't think quality matters very much in this case," she explained, taking a closer look at the selection. All of the crystals were raw, in the same natural forms as the day they were mined out of the rock. A few still held a very faint glow, but most of them were completely inert by that point. "Grab a bunch in several sizes, I suppose. I'll start with some small ones and work my way up."

Nodding, the mare started carefully sorting through the basket, stacking the crystals into her saddlebags, glancing at Agate now and then. As none of the crystals were met with the filly's disapproval, she soon had twenty of them, in varying shapes and sizes.

"That's it, then. Will you need anything else?"

"No. There's no tools or other materials to make this easier. Just skill and magic. I think we're done here."

With their business finished, Earthsong replaced the top on the basket, moving outside the dusty shed. After latching the door, she turned back towards her home, before reconsidering. "Where should I bring these, Agate? Set them up in your clearing?"

"I think so? It's not like anything will happen to them if they stay outside for a while. That's what you use them for, anyway. Ponies don't really come around there, so it should be a calm place for me to practice."

Changing her direction slightly, Earthsong went towards Agate's totem instead. The filly gave one last long look towards Dreamcatcher's home before catching up.

"Um, about Dreamcatcher..."

Earthsong flicked her ears. "Yes?"

Agate stalled a bit before forging ahead. "It's just something I noticed. You said that she has lots of brothers and sisters, and that they have a lot of foals, too. She doesn't, though. And you live alone with True Sight as well. Do shamares not... Have foals?"

Earthsong's expression turned wistful at the question. "Well. There's certainly no rule about it. Shamares can have all the foals they want, and some of them do. For some of us, though, the path we walk ends up being lonely. Some wander back and forth between our scattered settlements, only settling down when they get old, at which point they can't conceive. Others take not years, but entire decades to truly master their abilities, spending many lonesome moons in meditation and training, at which point they have the same problem. And lastly, some ponies seem to think that shamares are some kind of otherwordly beings, unconcerned with the breathing, beating, passionate aspects of life. Finding the right one for you can be hard.

In Dreamcatcher's case... I don't know if she wanted to have foals or not, but her unusual talents caused her a lot of grief in her younger years. She would sleepwalk, and sometimes talk to ponies in several voices, both asleep and awake at the same time. I must admit, the one time I saw her shuffling through the darkness, muttering to herself as the shadows danced around her in strange shapes terrified me. Still, her deep connection to the dream realm allowed her to glean all kinds of secret knowledge, and she ended up saving a number of pony's lives. Sometimes, before they even knew they were in danger. If she showed up at your door and told you not to go somewhere or do something you were planning to do that day, then for your sake, you'd better do as she told you to.

So, she pushed into the dream realm, but the dream realm pushed back. And like I said in my example, when she learned to fully hold her ground against the spirits of that place, it was almost too late to think about foals. Also, her reputation as the spooky shamare that brought grave warnings and cryptic messages meant that she was respected but also a little feared, and so ponies that didn't know her personally tended to keep their distance."

"Oh... That sounds a little sad, honestly. It sounds like she helped a lot of ponies."

"She did. And you shouldn't worry about her. As I said, she does have a huge family, and there were no shortage of ponies of all ages to keep her company. The ponies that she helped visit her often as well."

"I guess that doesn't sound too bad."

"It's not. We talked about her situation over the years, and she is fine with how things turned out. She told me that if she took the time to chase after stallions, then she would have had far less time to help others, possibly even leading to some ponies dying. She knew the choices she was making."

"That's really selfless of her, then. Shame about those ponies who were scared of her."

Shrugging, Earthsong made a turn past a house. They were close to Agate's clearing now. "Being the bearer of bad news constantly sometimes makes less clever ponies associate the bad news with you, unfortunately. Fear can be a powerful force, for better or for worse."

They made the rest of the way to the clearing in silence. Earthsong set down her saddlebags near Agate's totem, extracting the crystals one by one with her mouth, setting them up in a circle around Agate's totem. Soon enough, her bags were empty, and Agate was examining the citrine pieces, her muzzle low to the ground.

"I see you're eager to start," Earthsong remarked, slipping her saddlebags back on. "I know how important proper concentration is for these kinds of things, so I'll leave you be. Come visit us whenever you feel like you're ready, and don't feel rushed about it."

Agate nodded silently, and with a last wave, Earthsong was off. Plopping her butt on the ground, the filly reached for the smallest crystal she could find, a piece barely larger than a pinecone. "Alright, let's see how well I can pull this off again..."

❅ ❆ ❅

"Ugh..."

Gnarled Root and Spear Throw found Agate sprawled facedown on the ground, her muzzle stuck in the earth. A number of crystals glowing in various ways surrounded her totem pole, bathing the clearing in warm orange light. After Gnarled Root poked the filly a few times, she made some muffled sounds before rolling over.

"Hey Root, hey Spear... Is it evening yet? I think I got a little carried away..."

"I'll say," Gnarled Root giggled. "It's rare to see a foal follow a task with such dedication that they manage to tire themselves out as badly as you did. How long have you been at it?"

"Hmmm... Well, when I woke up, I went to Earthsong and True Sight to get some crystals to practice on, we went to visit Dreamcatcher for a little bit, we got some and brought them here... I don't remember how late it was when we got back, but I've been slowly practicing since then."

"You are determined," Spear Throw complimented. "But if you tire yourself out too much, it will take even longer to recover before you can get back to your task."

"I know, but it's strange... On one hoof, I'm surprised I can do this stuff at all, but at the same time, it somehow feels oddly easy. I haven't invented anything new. I'm trying the same basic exercises my parents taught me, except I'm actually succeeding this time. It's almost like it's easier to do magic around here. Guess I pushed a little too hard, though."

"Well, it is good to truly know your limits. Now you know exactly how hard you can push. It still is valuable experience."

"Yeah, I guess... Not sure I'm up for stories tonight, though. My head feels a little fuzzy. Sorry you came here for nothing."

"Aww," Gnarled Root cooed. "Don't feel bad. You should feel proud of yourself. Having such passion for your craft is commendable. And the results are lovely," she reassured Agate, bending down to examine one of the brightest-glowing crystals. "Even though they are not laid out for us, I do enjoy seeing the spirit stones light up the tundra in the winter. Do you mind if we stay here a while? Feel free to go to sleep."

Agate blinked. "Huh? Oh, sure, I don't mind. Go ahead," she waved a hoof, getting up from the ground. "I promise I'll be more careful tomorrow. Going to sleep right after you arrived still feels a little rude."

"It's fine. Got get some rest. You really need it."

The filly nodded, going towards her totem. Her last sight before falling asleep was of Gnarled Root laying down on the ground, resting her chin on her forelegs in front of a glowing chunk of crystal.

PreviousChapters Next