Agate's Vigil

by Wingnut

Understandings

The next morning, Agate's parents were a bit more subdued than the day before. Not that they were particularly happy already, of course, but now, they weren't even in a talking mood. They didn't pepper her with questions, give her disbelieving looks when she told them about spirit stuff or snowpony magic, or anything else. Instead, they just quietly made pancakes for breakfast, Ice Elation and Trailblazer curiously trying the unfamiliar food.

Agate heard them talking quietly in their room about something before falling asleep, so she suspected that the conversation was the cause. On one hoof, she could have let things lie and simply wait until the reason inevitably came out by itself. Or, she could simply toss the usual song and dance, and confront them about it directly.

Being really old gave her patience in some areas, while decreasing it in others. Ponies acting silly or foalish for fear of embarrassment or other social reasons was one of the things Agate had less patience for. She also noticed that reminding her parents that she was the wisest and oldest adult in the room now tickled her in a way she never experienced before, something which was a rare thing for the millennia-old spirit. So, she chose the direct option.

"So, what are you two younglings moping about?" She asked her parents with a smartflank grin, lazily lounging in a chair with her hooves behind her head.

The couple froze, smoke almost pouring out of their ears as they processed the question, once again confronted by the differences of Agate's current age, and the one they remembered. They shared a look, starting to chew their food again and thinking about how to reply best.

"You changed, Agate. What happened to my quiet, shy little filly that used to sit in a corner and watch ponies?" Garnet Necklace asked, deflecting the question.

"She got older. And didn't you tell me that I should be less shy and more outgoing back then? I didn't change as much as you think, though. Just... Got more confident, I suppose. Centuries of experience will do that for you. Now quit dodging," Agate shrugged.

"You really sound like my mother sometimes," The mare rolled her eyes with a faint smile.

"We... Thought about what you said yesterday," Radian Cut said slowly.

"Go oooooon," Agate nodded.

"About you... Coming back to say goodbye. We, uh... What... When are you...?" He fumbled, not sure how to say it.

"Ah. I see. You're thinking I'm going to fly off in a day or two? Nah, I have other promises to keep. I agreed to help the snowponies with their first contact with the Empire," Agate shrugged.

"Fly off?" Garnet Necklace blinked.

"Oh yeah, I can totally fly. It's not actually a spirit thing, though, just something I came up with myself over the years. We just haven't got to that part in the story yet," She said calmly, briefly shaping her foreleg into a wing as her parent's eyes went wider.

"...As much as you make your... un-life sound amazing, it doesn't mean that I'm not still sad and angry at what Sombra did," Radiant Cut shook his head.

"Oh yes, absolutely," Agate nodded in agreement. "Like I said, just because I'm around, it doesn't mean I'm not dead. I can't touch, taste, smell, or do a whole lot of other things living ponies can. I guess it helped that I was - what did you used to call me? - "a quiet and observant filly". There's not much else you can do. Famous ponies that live life to the absolute fullest and do great things almost never stay on for precisely that reason. A guardian spirit's time is dedicated to watching over others and passing on their knowledge, not affecting the world themselves and leaving their mark on it. I kind of did that last part anyway, but that was just because I stuck around for so long. Still, I got to punch Sombra in the face, at least."

"You punched Sombra in the face?!" He shouted, making the snowponies look at him curiously.

"Didn't get to that part in the story, either," She chuckled. "Anyway, to go back to the first question - a spirit can't leave until its totem's enchantments are broken either way, so I'm not going to just suddenly evaporate. I'm going to stay as long as it takes for you to accept that yes, ghosts are real, and then to deal with what happened. Which you will. I had to say goodbye to a lot of family members as well. It is hard. But it's not something you can't move past, and actually getting to talk and say your farewells makes it much, much easier. Doesn't it?"

"It... Well, it is... Better than sitting there and wondering what happened to you," Radiant Cut said haltingly, Garnet Necklace nodding slowly after a minute.

"See? You're going to be fine."

"You'll need to tell us more about this adoptive family of yours," Garnet Necklace said.

"Of course. I imagine you'll want to meet them, too. There's still a lot I'll have to tell you," Agate smiled.

With that topic covered, there was a lull in the conversation. The snowponies, who didn't want to interrupt the respected spirit's talk with her family, felt it was safe to speak up now.

"Our gratitude to your parents for the amazing meal, traveler spirit. They don't have to feed us all of their sweets in one sitting, though," Ice Elation said, eyeing the jar of jam Agate's parents were helping themselves from.

"Oh, that's nothing. We have some very sweet berries that we grow in the Empire. Try not to overeat, I guess? I think our foods are quite a bit different... I barely remember anything about food, honestly, but I do remember my people don't eat fish, for example. So, just... Try not to eat something that's too strange for you. You probably don't want to get sick and have to stay in bed," Agate nodded, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

"We'll keep that in mind, traveler spirit," Trailblazer nodded.

"Oh, just call me Agate already. It feels weird to talk normally with my family and then get called titles the next moment."

"Very well... Agate," He nodded.

"Most of their words are completely foreign to me, but they seem to have no trouble with your name," Radiant Cut noted.

"I think my name has become a part of their language by this point. Anyway, they thank you for the food," Agate nodded.

❅ ❆ ❅

It didn't take long for Agate's grandparents and Obsidian Spear to return with their respective guests, Agate picking up where she left off the day before. The snowponies were a little less lethargic this time around, listening to Agate talk and occasionally asking which word meant what, as well as acting out a thing or two when Agate asked them to demonstrate something from snowpony culture and history, proudly showing off their exotic weapons and equipment to the fascinated crystal ponies.

"This is a... Serious weapon. Truly serious," Obsidian Spear noted, respectfully holding one of the ice spears the northerners gave him to examine. "It's unfamiliar, but I can feel the magic coursing through it."

"Yeah. They really don't shatter like ice does. It's almost like steel," Agate nodded.

The adventurers were adventurous, though, and not all of them were the kind that enjoyed learning by talking and not moving, at least not for the entire day. After a few hours of talking and then having lunch, several of them asked whether they could go out and trot around the city by themselves, to which Agate shrugged.

"Of course. There shouldn't be any strange rules that could get you in trouble. Don't steal, don't attack ponies, don't enter homes uninvited, same as back in the north. Right, mom, dad?" She translated their request.

"Pretty much, though I don't think they'll be able to buy anything. I doubt they have coins on them," Garnet Necklace nodded.

"They'll be fine," Agate nodded after giving them the warning. "As long as they remember the way back, but that shouldn't be a problem. They're experts in navigating the wilderness, a city shouldn't be an issue."

Shatterhoof, Goat Hop, Ice Elation and Spring Hoof all nodded, bowing respectfully to Agate's family before saying their goodbyes in their tongue. They left their gear and packs, the temperature inside the Empire making it just a touch too warm for them even when they weren't wearing anything, let alone with their travelling coats and extra weight.

Meanwhile, Freezing Point and Trailblazer were much more interested in learning the language, one due to a thirst for mystical knowledge and seeking to understand more about the fascinating place she found herself in, the other - because he expected to become chieftain after his father, which would more than likely mean having to deal with the crystal ponies fairly often.

They continued talking for a short while, before there was a knock on the door. Flicking an ear, Agate looked in the direction of the sound. "That was a bit fast."

"Maybe they forgot something? They don't really need to knock, though. I'll let them in," Obsidian Spear shrugged, trotting towards the door. When he opened it, though, the ponies on the other side were not who he expected.

"...Sir. I do not believe you are the one we are looking for. Is this the residence of one Radiant Cut and Garnet Necklace?" A vaguely familiar stallion asked, two more stallions standing beside him.

"It is... Runner? No, you're someone else... I seem to have seen you somewhere around the barracks, though," He nodded. "Obsidian Spear. I'm Radiant Cut's brother."

"Oh, I see! Yes, we were both in the Guard. I think I remember you, you were a ranger that was about to get transferred to the castle? Steel Charge, former corporal," The stallion introduced himself, the others standing up straighter when Obsidian's gaze fell upon them.

"Kite Shield, sir."

"Keen Eye, sir."

"Well, no need for sirs anymore, as it looks everyone here is no longer a guard, at least for now," Obsidian Spear shrugged. "Anyway, what brings you to my brother's home?"

"It is a... Sensitive matter," Steel Charge said slowly.

"I'm going to hear it anyway, you know. It's not like I'll leave the place when you enter," He pointed out.

Taking a deep breath, the other stallion hung his head slightly. "We have heard about the loss of their daughter. And we... Were the ones who chased her out into the snow that day. Not just us, but... The other three from my squad did not feel like coming."

"That... Was not your fault," Obsidian Spear said slowly, but firmly. "You were not in control of what you were doing. Sombra was. And absolutely no one managed to break free from it, either, so don't blame a lack of will on your part."

"The shame and dishonor of an innocent foal's death still grips our hearts and burns in our guts regardless."

"Very well then. It's not my place to bar your way, I suppose. I wonder what Agate herself will say. I don't think she'll be all that angry with you," He mused with a tiny smile, waving them in.

Furrowing his brows, Steel Charge followed behind him, the other two stallions sharing a confused look and coming along. "What do you mean? That is their daughter's name, isn't it? Do you mean to say that she... Lived?"

"Not quite. But she's not as dead as one might expect," He said as they entered the sitting room, nodding towards Agate.

"Oh. Who are these ponies, uncle?" She asked curiously, the three stallions freezing up, wide-eyed.

"Glrk," Steel Charge choked, clearly recognizing the spirit.

❅ ❆ ❅

Shining Armor multi-tasked, reading up on the Empire's customs and history while eating. He was fully aware that books rarely held accurate descriptions of the current cultural norms, but talking to ponies wasn't really a viable option with your mouth full. Cadance sat beside him, enjoying her food as well.

A servant approached them, bowing to the couple. "My lieges, the guards report that they brought in a pair of ponies that you tasked them to find."

"Oh, huh. I almost forgot about them," Shining Armor nodded after swallowing his food.

"Weren't there six of them?" Cadance asked him.

"There were. I guess they split up. I'm sure we'll be able to get them to tell us where their buddies are, though. Did you see the ponies? Did they look like they gave the guards any trouble?" He asked the servant.

"No, sire, they were not bound or looked like they tried to fight the guards, though the guards seemed... Confused?"

"Huh. Well, those ponies confused us as well. Tell the guards to wait a few minutes and bring them to the throne room, we'll be there as soon as we finish eating."

"At once, sire."

Finishing their plates and complimenting the chefs, the couple quickly hoofed it to the audience hall. Cadence took the throne, while he stood beside her. A minute later, the doors opened, the guards leading a couple of slightly confused, but also quite impressed ponies across the rug towards the throne, the outsiders looking around with curiosity before seeing Cadance and him, whispering in surprised voices.

"Well... They're definitely not crystal ponies," Shining Armor noted, examining the tall stallion and his mare, the two quite clearly acting as a couple.

"No kidding. And the guards weren't lying about their fluffiness. My word, just look at them!" Cadance nodded with a smile.

"Well... You're the one on the throne, dear. Time to put your princess training to use," He said quietly with a small grin as the guards approached the base of the throne, bowing to them while the couple kept staring and whispering.

"Right, right. *Ahem*. Greetings, travelers! May I ask you what brought you to the Empire through the cold of winter? While we'd be happy to welcome you otherwise, we're not quite ready to receive visitors, I'm afraid," Cadance proclaimed in an official tone.

"Hælettung!" The stallion exclaimed, raising a foreleg. While Cadance and Shining Armor blinked in confusion, the stallion continued, a few of his words sounding familiar, though a good chunk of them were completely incomprehensible, his mare saying several sentences as well.

"I understood... Maybe five words. Crystal Empire, far, north, and... Agate?" Shining Armor said quietly.

"Some of that sounded like old ponish. I understood a bit more, but still not nearly enough," Cadance smiled nervously, her tone now a tiny bit nervous. "What do I do in this case?"

"Um... Guards, were you able to communicate with these ponies at all?" Shining Armor asked.

"Not in words, sire. The best we could do was explain our intent by pointing to the castle and miming. The ponies did not offer any resistance, though they seemingly tried to explain something to us. Alas, none of us are familiar with their tongue. They mentioned "Agate" a lot to us, though we are unaware of who that is," The lead guard said.

"That name sounds vaguely familiar, but I can't put my hoof on it right now," Shining Armor mused.

"Um... Visitors, are you able to understand me at all?" Cadance tried one more time, the couple just sharing a few words between each other and shrugging.

"Okay, is this serious, or are they just playing with us?"

"I wonder what they're saying."

❅ ❆ ❅

"Spirits and ancestors, she is pink," Goat Hop said.

"I've never seen anything so pink! Not even the pink flowers or berries!" Spring Hoof agreed vigorously.

"She'd be practically glowing on a mountainside. Even in a forest, I think I'd be able to spot her easily. Even during summer!"

"These crystal ponies are colorful and shiny, and yet, her pinkness is somehow brighter than even them!"

❅ ❆ ❅

"Hopefully not laughing at us," Shining Armor rolled his eyes. "So how much can you understand? Can you talk to them?"

"Well, hælettung is a greeting, I think," She said, the couple's ears perking up. "I'll try some old ponish and see what happens."

"You do that," Shining Armor nodded.

Cadance spent some time going back and forth, while he watched the couple for signs that this was all just a play. Before he was able to come up with a conclusion, another small group of guards trotted in through the large double doors. While the first couple was brought by the crystal guards, they were from the pegasi that he brought from Equestria.

"Sir, are these the ponies that you told us to look out for?" One of them asked.

"Well, they're literally the only non-crystal ponies in the entirety of the Empire besides us and a few scholars, far as we know, so I'd say yes," Shining Armor nodded. "Tell me - do they speak Equestrian?"

"No, sir. In fact, they act like they never saw a pegasus before," The guard shook his head, his gaze firmly fixed on the mare, who was slowly reaching for his wings. The impressively large stallion was looking at him as well, though he was a bit more restrained.

"But they gave you no trouble?"

"The stallion was a bit aggressive at first, but he eventually went without resisting, though he still stayed in the snow for a while, sir."

"...What? Where and how did you pick them up?"

Meanwhile, the other two ponies nodded to the newcomers, the strange ponies grouping up and starting to gesticulate and chatter in their tongue, Cadance listening intently with her ears perked.

"We saw them heading for the city borders while out on patrol, sir. We noticed that they lacked the reflective shine of the crystal ponies, and decided to go and see if they were the ponies that you were looking for. When we found them, they seemed to be... Cooling off. They were diving in the snowdrifts and generally acting like a badly overheated pony, sir," The guard reported.

"It's... I know they're fluffy, but it's still the dead of winter out there," Shining Armor massaged his forehead.

"They seemed to be having the time of their lives, sir."

"Right... Wait, something doesn't add up," He perked up as a lightbulb went off in his head. "The guards that encountered them the first time apparently managed to talk to them somehow. Find Thunder Strike. Call him here."

"Sir, yes sir!"

❅ ❆ ❅

"Ghost," Steel Charge said, not for the first time.

"I prefer spirit, but pretty much, yes," Agate nodded with a smile.

The family and the snowponies were watching, with varying levels of amusement. While it interrupted Agate's storytelling, the crystal ponies were happy to see someone else boggling at the impossibility of Agate being there, as well as confirming that others could see her, and that she really wasn't some kind of shared hallucination. Not that they really believed that, but the confirmation was still nice.

Meanwhile, Freezing Point and Trailblazer were far angrier than even Agate's family when they found out that Steel Charge and his squad mates were the ones at least partially responsible for Agate's death. The shamare hissed at them angrily, while the stallion gave a serious look towards the corner where he and the others put their weapons. It took Agate yelling at them to stand down and apologize for them to stop, the spirit explaining to them that the stallions weren't at fault, while said stallions were staring at the whole scene with wide eyes.

"You're really not mad at me? At us?" Steel Charge asked.

"No. You hardly did anything to me. I mean, you scared the living daylights out of me, but I still survived for... Four or five days after I got away, I think. The only reason I wasn't able to get back to the city was Sombra's magic, not you," She shrugged.

"Thank the Heart," Keen Eye muttered.

"Hm? Were you scared that I was going to be a terrible and vengeful spirit?" Agate chuckled.

"That- that's literally how ghost stories go! Ponies don't stay around if they're happy and fine with dying! Only the vengeful, spited ones with unfinished business remain! And I, I have foals of my own, and I don't want my soul to get devoured by-" The stallion babbled.

"Yeesh, calm down," Agate rolled her eyes, booping him on the muzzle, the stallion freezing up in fright at her ethereal touch. "I don't eat souls. And... Well, you're not entirely wrong, but ponies stay behind for good reasons, too. Watching over your family. Passing down important knowledge, and so on."

"That... Sounds more like your friends. Spirits of ponies don't remain after death in the Empire," Steel Charge glanced at the snowponies.

"Right, right. Anyway, you can stop beating yourself up now. You wanted to apologize to my parents, now you got to apologize to me, who you considered the victim. I know it's hard, but don't worry about me, alright? It wasn't your fault, and things... Turned out as well as they could, I suppose," Agate shrugged.

"You still..."

"Yes yes, I died. But I'm not mad at you. It was unfair and terrible, yes. But that is life. These things just happen sometimes, with nothing you could have done otherwise," She waved him off.

"You truly are a thousand years old, aren't you? No filly would say such things. Hay, most adults wouldn't even say such things. They'd still be angry at the unfairness of it all," Kite Shield noted.

"Yup. And time heals all wounds. Not that I was mad at you to begin with, like I said. All my dying curses were directed towards Sombra," She chuckled.

"Well, uh... I am glad... We were able to sort this out so well?" Steel Charge said uncertainly.

"Of course. Go forth with your conscience free and unburdened. You sought out my parents even if you were not at fault. There is no stain upon your honor, and if there was, you more than redeemed yourself by showing true contrition," Agate waved grandly, her voice turning deadly serious and showing her age.

"...Thank you," Steel Charge bowed formally, the other two following his lead.

"You know, I was a bit worried about the somewhat necromantic-sounding stuff those snowpony friends of yours do, Agate, but I can't deny how amazingly cathartic and useful these conversations with the spirits of the departed are," Obsidian Spear noted.

"It's really something," Kite Shield nodded. "Though if I ever try to tell anyone about this over a mug of cider, they'll think I'm too deep in my cups already."

"I think I could use a few cups to steady my nerves," Keen Eye muttered.

"Would.... Would you like to join us? For a drink to the departed, on us?" Steel Charge asked everyone there, awkwardly glancing at Agate, who wasn't quite departed yet.

"Well... It is getting close to dinner time... We could go out," Garnet Necklace suggested.

"I'm fine with it," Radiant Cut shrugged, his parents nodding.

"Do your friends drink, Agate? What do they think of alcohol?" Coal Hoof asked, getting up.

"What's alcohol?"

"Oh. Hm..." The elder trailed off, a bit concerned.

❅ ❆ ❅

"Hey, I was a filly. I never learned," Agate shrugged, casually cantering down the street.

"I'm guessing the snowponies don't use fermentation much, if it's so cold up there. How do they preserve food? Salting?" Radiant Cut asked.

"Yeah. Also drying, smoking, or freezing. Freezing is... Easy, as is drying," Agate nodded.

"How do you preserve food by smoking? Sounds like it'd just cover it in soot," Coal Hoof mused.

"I don't really know, but they somehow figured out how to do it with fish."

"Wait, they eat fish? I think I heard about pegasi doing that, but not... Well, you say they're not earth ponies, but still..."

"Yeah. They don't get a lot of time in a year where plants can actually grow. So their ancestors thought up a way to enrich their diets, I guess."

"Fish good. Have fish in bag," Freezing Point smiled.

Agate's family, Steel Charge's group, and the two remaining snowponies chatted as they made their way towards an inn. Agate decided to forgo secrecy, simply going out into the open like it was the most normal thing in the world. The other ponies on the street were more confused than scared, though, some of them missing Agate completely and focusing on Freezing Point or Trailblazer. Others that saw her rubbed their eyes, pointing towards her to their friends, who only shrugged helplessly.

"Ponies seem really unconcerned with an undead cantering down the street," Steel Charge said.

"Refuge in audacity. What kind of ghost canters down a busy street that's full of ponies at a leisurely pace?" Obsidian Spear asked. "I guess they think that a more likely answer is that one of our fluffy friends is a unicorn that's hiding their horn in their long mane. I mean, it actually is the more likely answer."

"Narwhal-horn?" Trailblazer asked.

"Their horns are not as big," Agate chuckled. "But they do look similar. You'll see a unicorn sooner or later, I'm sure."

"So you're really not concerned with ponies... I don't even know what anyone could do to you, honestly. I don't know of any ways to banish spirits," Steel Charge asked.

"Not much they can do, no. And this is going to happen sooner or later, I think. Also, I have a sneaking suspicion that whenever ponies find out about me, they'll want to know everything they possibly can, which will mean repeating everything that happened to me from the beginning yet again, which is roughly a thousand years of history," She huffed. "I wanted to get to talk to my family for a while before any of that, but I already did it, so I might as well get a head start on that."

"Fair enough."

Entering the inn, they found it nearly empty. Picking the largest empty table they could find, they were soon approached by a young mare, who eyed them curiously, her gaze lingering on Agate. "Good evening, fair guests. I'm afraid we do not have a soup or other dishes going, so whatever you order will take a little bit to arrive."

"Why is this place so quiet? I used to come here after some shifts, and it was way livelier," Keen Eye asked, looking around.

"Well, as I heard it, all of the mines and quarries outside the city completely collapsed throughout the thousand years we've been frozen, so a lot of the workers that would come to warm up after a hard day's work outside the shield are now saving their coin until they're sure they'll be able to work again. It's been... A slow couple weeks. My father even went to the Spire to request an audience and ask if the crown would grant us relief from taxes for a short while. They reassured him that we're going to have more ponies than we know what to do with due to something called "tourism" soon, so there's that. Now, what can I get you all?"

As they scanned the list of foods and ordered what they liked, the waitress kept glancing at Agate, who helped translate for the snowponies. "And for your translucent friend?"

"Oh no, I'm good. I'm a spirit, I don't eat," Agate smiled, making the mare giggle.

"Hehe! That is a very impressive illusion. So you're travelling showponies? Were you hoping to put on a performance of some kind in here? There's no audience right now, I'm afraid, but I'm sure my father would agree to let you host something later for a small cut," She explained with a smile.

"We'll see," Agate shook her head with a grin, the others shooting the waitress amused looks.

❅ ❆ ❅

"So, how do you feel?" Agate asked Freezing Point.

"I feel giggly!" The shamare giggled, swaying a little.

"Hm. My balance is impaired slightly, but it's nothing too bad," Trailblazer said, examining his extended foreleg as he stood on the crystal street.

Once they got the food, Agate helped the others explain the concept of alcohol to the snowponies. The locals were quite concerned about unwittingly poisoning their visitors or turning them into drunkards, and wanted to make sure that they understood that it was a drink to be drunk in moderation, explaining the effects of feeling more relaxed, but also mentally impaired the more you drank, with things like vomiting and headaches afterwards if you overdid it.

For their part, the snowponies nodded along, not showing much surprise. Freezing Point noted that the effects sounded extremely similar to some mushrooms and herbs that their people used for exactly such purposes already, and reassured the locals that they understood the importance of moderation in consuming such things. After getting a promise from the crystal ponies that it had no long-term effects unless you overdosed, Garnet Necklace suggested a glass of red wine to Freezing Point, while Trailblazer had a few mugs of hard cider. Once they were finished with the food and drinks, they went out into the street, breathing in the cooler evening air.

"That "wine" went quite well with the greasy food. I think it'd taste good with fish," Freezing Point nodded. "This potion the crystal ponies thought up doesn't seem that bad, but we'll probably have to warn others back home to be careful when offered unusual drinks by crystal ponies. The locals seem to have a much larger resistance to it, and drink it almost like water."

"Mm, yes. That "cider" thing was interesting, probably something I'd like to share after a successful hunt or a long trek, but not every evening, like some of those ponies said they do," Trailblazer nodded.

"Well, I'm glad you two are okay. I don't actually know the first thing about that stuff," Agate said. "Now, we should go back home, I think. The others probably already returned-"

"Excuse me, citizens," A pegasus guard said, suddenly landing in front of the group, his partner right beside him. "I believe you are currently accompanying ponies that we were instructed to deliver an invitation to to the palace to."

"We are?" Radiant Cut blinked.

"Here we go," Agate smirked, both pegasi looking at her with confusion for a moment.

"Bird pony! No, wait... Pega... Sus," Freezing Point nodded to herself with a smile, getting their attention on herself.

"Yes sir," The first pegasus nodded to Radiant Cut after a moment, once he got his mind back on track. "These two do not look like citizens of the Empire," He said, pointing to the snowponies.

"Neither are you. They've broken no laws that I'm aware of, so why are you rounding them up?" Obsidian Spear asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I can assure you, sir, we're not "rounding them up". Crown prince Shining Armor specifically said that they are only to be given an invitation to, and he would even arrive in person with princess Cadance should they refuse. They were curious about the arrival of these ponies when the only route into the Empire is locked down," The pegasus explained.

"Don't you mean their Imperial Majesties?" He asked, making the pegasus grimace.

"Sir, I am not well versed in the titles of nobles, but from what I know, they just kind of stack them all together, don't they? I'm fairly certain you can be a prince of one place and a duke of another, and so on."

"Hm. True. Suppose they're still used to their Equestrian titles. We'll see if they'll grow into their Imperial ones," He shrugged. "Anyway, what do the rest of you say? Shall we go?"

Before the rest of the ponies could open their mouths, the guard interrupted them with his brows furrowed. "Pardon me, sir, but the invitation extends only to those two, and the rest of their friends from outside the Empire."

"Well, you're going to need me to translate. Their modern ponish is still very poor," Agate spoke up with a grin.

"...Kindly refrain from attempting to fool us with strange pranks, impressive as this illusion is. And who's casting this?" The pegasus asked, him and his partner looking around for hidden unicorns.

"I'm a spirit," Agate stated plainly.

"She is," Obsidian Spear confirmed, everyone else agreeing with him.

Taking in a deep breath through his nose, the guard slowly let it out through his mouth. "Ghosts aren't real. Now-"

"Boop," Agate said, performing said action.

"Gah!" The guard shivered.

"Sir?" His partner asked, tensing his wings.

"...I'm fine," He replied, rubbing his nose. "I don't think illusions are supposed to feel cold."

"I'm a spirit," Agate repeated with a smile.

"Riiiiiight... You know what? I don't care. I have my orders. You two. Will you come to the castle?" The first pegasus asked the pair, Agate translating for them as the pegasi kept glancing at her in confusion.

"They agree," Agate smiled at them.

The relatively large gathering in the middle of the street attracted the attention of a pair of patrolling crystal guards as well, the two stallions stopping a short distance away and listening in with both curious and confused expressions, seeing if the pegasi needed any help. Noticing the snowponies, one of them pointed them out to the other one, the stallion nodding.

"Well, this is where we part ways, then. Thank you for... Thank you, Agate," Steel Charge said to the spirit, the three stallions bowing respectfully to her again before trotting off.

"Don't mention it. Sleep easy and don't worry about me," She nodded to the trio.

"And I've no interest in rubbing fetlocks with the nobles. I'll be going home," Coal Hoof said, his wife nodding.

"And while we're not invited, we have the right to request an audience from their Imperial Majesties," Obsidian Spear shrugged.

"We're going with our daughter," Radiant Cut said, Garnet Necklace nodding.

"Daughter, sir?" The pegasus asked in confusion.

"Yes, her. She's a spirit."

Silence fell upon the gathering, Coal Hoof and Crochet Hook sniggering under their breaths as they slowly cantered away, the pegasus taking a deep breath again. Seeing this, the crystal guards approached, appraising the situation.

"Do you require assistance?"

"I think we're going to be fine, but I'd appreciate your company anyway. These would be the ponies your coworkers encountered, yes? "Earth ponies with the fluffiest coats you ever did see"?"

"They certainly fit the part," The crystal guards nodded.

"Well then, the rest of these ponies seem to have some kind of connection to them and they insist on coming along, so let's escort them to the castle, yes?"

"Certainly. Right this way, please," They nodded again, taking point while the pegasi took the rear.

Obsidian Spear chuckled, while Radiant Cut and Garnet Necklace couldn't help but grin as well at the absurdity of the situation. While they tried to remain professional, the guards kept shooting looks at Agate and the others, trying to find whoever was "casting" the "illusion", becoming more and more confused with each look.

"I hope the others are okay," Agate mused.

"Oh, right. I didn't think about them. Should I gallop back to your place and get them?" Obsidian Spear asked.

"If you're talking about the other earth pony visitors, I heard some rumors from the others that some of them were already brought in when I went to eat during my break, sir," One of the crystal pony guards said.

"Oh, right. If they went to trot around the city... I hope it didn't end in a fight," He nodded.

"Not as far as I'm aware of, sir."

"Could one of you go ahead and check if they're all there, please? There's six of them in total, so four should be in the Spire," Agate asked.

The guards remained silent for a while, not sure how to respond. Eventually, one of the pegasi spoke. "Whoever's doing that, you could just say it yourself instead of throwing your voice and doing that illusion-"

"Spirit," Agate snorted with amusement.

"You know what? I'll go. Happily. To make sure this goes smoothly and we can be excused from this absurdity as quickly as possible," The pegasus said, taking off towards the Spire.

"You're going to have an uphill battle getting ponies to take you seriously, I think," Obsidian Spear mused.

"Yes, we were easier to convince since we know you personally," Radiant Cut nodded. "Strangers will be harder."

"I'm sure the snowponies will be a big source of proof already. Though... Maybe it'd be better if they could bring their equipment with them so they can show off a little," Agate nodded, noticing the returning form of the pegasus.

"The other guards said that they did indeed escort all four of the earth ponies to the castle," He confirmed, taking up his position again.

"Should I go and get a couple of their spears?" Obsidian Spear asked, making the guard's ears perk up.

"Eh... We're almost at the Spire. Let's see how this goes, first," Agate shrugged.

As they got closer, Agate smiled at the sight of the Heart, Freezing Point stopping to marvel at it for a short while, the spirit talking to Trailblazer about its function and defensive capabilities. The entire time, the guards kept looking at them in confusion as the ponies kept talking to the supposed illusion. As they kept watching and noticing discrepancies between how illusions were supposed to work and how Agate behaved, their skeptical or bemused expressions slowly began morphing into ones of suppressed dread.

Comments

[Wingnut]

Ghosts aren't spooky... Right?
cdn.twibooru.org/img/2021/10/6/2563465/large.png
The guards that never saw one might disagree, I suppose.

[Danger Noodle]

The really pink one and her partner are going to be so confused. It’s going to be glorious seeing the Traveler Spirit perform ambassador duties.

[Flash Magnus]

Oh my god I love this chapter, and I can't wait to see agate meet cadance and shining armor

[Oreng Pingvin]

11858492
Such is fate

[BirdsBooksBrownies]

11858492
Undead Spirits can run the gamut from wise/benevolent to menacing/violent and everything in-between. The stories our Bird Ponies are thinking about are the bump in the night phantoms/ghouls which are at best mischievous tricksters and at worst...you're better off not knowing.

[TCC56]

"Spirits and ancestors, she is pink,"

Oh that was just amazing.

[Xander Opal]

The whole reunion... getting dusty in here... yeah, that's it, dusty...

[KMCA]

11858492
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[Klunni]

Agh, truly it is the worst of fates to be reading this story as it is posted instead of reading it all in one go. I am looking forward to The Explanation that Agate is going to recite again to Cadence and Shining, I wonder if they will think it's an illusion also? Necromancy perhaps?

[Zanec]

Time does heal all wounds, no matter what some may believe, though we do wish everyone had a lot more time in general.