This story is a sequel to Agate's Vigil

Times change.

It's a slow process, usually. Over the eons, civilizations rise and fall, cultures change, new technologies get invented and become lost. For the individual person, such events happen too slowly to even notice.

However, sometimes, change is sudden and cataclysmic. A catastrophe forces people to take drastic actions, upending their known world completely. One such event happens to the three pony tribes in the form of the Long Winter, forcing them to flee their ancestral lands.

The vast majority of them flee southwards, with the exception of one earth pony clan. Past the steep northern mountains, the refugees are doing their best to adapt to their new surroundings and rebuild their homes. These are their stories.

A prequel to how the snowponies came to be. Each chapter is a separate story.

Magic.

For a long time, true magic was the domain of the unicorn nobility, or those few foals that were talented enough to be taken in as apprentices by accomplished wizards. Slowly, as civilization advanced and the masses were able to afford schooling for everyone, access to learning magic became ubiquitous.

However, just like in the old days, the mages still were a minority amongst unicorns - far from everyone was interested in studying for years or decades to become one, after all. Another holdover from the old days were the mage tournaments - a bit less fierce than the ones in the days of yore, but still enthusiastically participated in by proud unicorns wanting to show off their skills.

However, one day, the ancient traditions are shattered when a pegasus enters a mage tournament. And not only is he capable of holding his own, much to everyone's surprise, he even becomes the champion...

Sombra's takeover took everyone in the Crystal Empire by surprise. No one saw it coming, none were prepared for it, and almost no one got away. Almost.

A few hooffuls of daring souls managed to break out of the city and flee southwards, towards Equestria. Some ran to beg the Princesses for aid, others - just to save themselves and their families from the mad tyrant.

But as the refugees are about to learn, it's the dead of winter outside the Empire's shield, and the crystal ponies are far too used to their warm life in the city. One filly that gets separated from her parents while trying to get away learns that fact all too painfully...

Cover art by Marbo, Allfather of the Snowponies.

Additional tag:snowpony