Walking the Wilds of the Crystal Empire

[twilightpony]

We're back from the Biome Management Conference. We caught the train this morning and we arrived around midday. Spike was very happy to see us. He was getting dogpiled by squirrels mice and bunnies and looking a little worse for wear. I think he was mostly happy that Fluttershy was back so he could stop pet-sitting. Owlowiscious was watching the whole affair from a high perch in Fluttershy's cottage with an 'I told you so' look. Or maybe he was just sleepy and I'm imagining things.

The Conference was fun. I sat in on a few talks with Fluttershy and Amethyst Star and I went on the field trip with them as well. The field trip was very popular with the conference guests as it was the first time any of them had seen the wild areas around the Crystal Empire. We were in ten groups of fifteen.

Fluttershy had her pith helmet and her binoculars at the ready, Amethyst Star had collection jars and keys to the flora of the Taiga and I had a few guide books. Walking on a raised bog is like walking on a giant mattress! We saw some lovely abstract red and green picture plants, brilliant yellow (and sticky) sundoes, and fur-leaf tea. Amethyst gathered some so I can give a bag full to Zecora. Fur-leaf tea doesn't grow around Ponyville.

It's early spring so it's still fairly chilly and breezy, which is just as well. The moss key toads were sluggish and less prone to bite. When it gets warmer, the moss key toads are so ferocious that they drive the crystal hares to congregate in areas of bare rock. We were told that on sunny days you can sometimes see big gatherings of crystal hares sparkling from leagues away.

While Fluttershy and Amethyst attended workshops, I went to the library to read, and yesterday I had tea with Princess Cadence and Shining Armor. We talked at length about Starswirl the Bearded, the Sirens and Sunset Shimmer's chance tether, but all we could do was speculate. I didn't find any books on the subject in the Crystal Empire library either.

It's good to be back. I think I'll turn in early.

Comments

[algernon97]

Sounds like the conference was a lot of fun!

Shame that couldn't find anything about the tether, though.

[twilightpony]

It was! I love Ecology!

I'm worried enough about Sunset Shimmer's tether that I've written to her outlining the danger I think she may be in. She may or may not share my view. If she does, it would be hard to leave the Canterlot High world with the expectation that the friends that you made there will return to living a short time swing until they vanish, and that they could forget that you ever existed. If she doesn't, the Canterlot High world is a fascinating place. Either way, I don't expect her to ask me to open the gate any time soon.

[flareblitzfury]

Good to hear the trip was nice, and that you were able to do some fun things!

I'm sure at some point you'll learn more about the sirens and other such.

[twilightpony]

Cadence brought up the point that there was no Ponyville when Starswirl made the gateway, just fields and trees near the Everfree. And now the gateway opens to a place heavily populated by Ponyville alternative beings. Could Starswirl have had an experimental lab here, somewhere in or near Ponyville, back when it was very far from all pony habitations?

[flareblitzfury]

Hmmm, that makes sense. I'd imagine someone like him would need a quiet place like that to do his best work.

[twilightpony]

Quiet but far from creature comforts, discourse and libraries, so a bit inconvenient. I was thinking more that he'd want to be far from everypony for safety reasons when testing powerful spells.

[flareblitzfury]

Makes sense.

Ah, yes, that works just as well.