Amazing Fantasy

Amazing Fantasy: The Crystal Sea

My home was a small island, far away from anything close to civilization. It may have been primitive but it was our paradise. Every one of us was happy and content in our small village, without a care in the world. We all lived on the beach in a rather large cove, housed in small huts. I remember the beautiful sand from my home most of all because it was always bright yellow in the morning and pale pink at night. The ocean that surrounded us was clear as crystal and sometimes you could even see the bottom. During nights when the moon was obscured the sea would turn black as tar and you wouldn’t be able to see anything if you dove into the waters.

The island was a perfect place for anyone to live. Each side of the island was protected by giant cliffs that stretched higher than anyone could climb. Below the cliffs, waves splashed and thundered against the rock wall creating dangerous whirlpools that could suck any unwary boat or swimmer to the bottom of the sea. The only way onto the island was through the cove where we lived in, though getting to the cove was still quite difficult. At the very edge of where the cliffs break apart to let the water flow from the sea into our bay, there’s a wall that protects us. This wall is made up of both large rocks and coral that block any ship from entering the cove. If they tried to enter, the hull would be destroyed by the rocks in seconds. Large sea creatures couldn’t get in either because the only way in or out of the cove was swimming through the tight holes in the coral. The island always protected us from danger.

I’m not sure exactly how, but our island holds a special kind of magical power. It transformed us into what we are, water ponies. Our ancestors grew fins on their flanks and that allows them to swim through the water with ease. They passed along this power to their ancestors. We can even hold our breath for long periods of time underwater. We were definitely born in the ocean and we all grew to love swimming. It’s almost like a second home. We even ate the kelp and seaweed that grew in the cove, along with some of the fruits that grew on the shore.

It wasn’t completely perfect though. Winter was always hard on the island. The plants stopped growing and all of us needed to ration our food if we wanted to survive until summer. This is where my story takes place, during one of the coldest winters we had ever experienced.

This was the worst winter I had ever seen. The water was ice cold but luckily our fur is waterproof and keeps us warm down in the depths. Still, it was difficult finding our favorite plants under the sea. We would have to swim out of the cove just to find the seaweed we enjoy. The clouds totally obscuring the sun, and soon snow began to fall. Our leader, Silver Stream, was getting worried for our safety. She was right to be afraid but still she put on her brave face and assured us everything would be alright.

I remember it was a particularly cold day and at the time I was engaging in a race with a close friend of mine. She was faster but I just enjoyed swimming as fast as I can and then jumping out of the water. No one was better at jumping out of the water than me. I could usually jump as high as a tree on a good day. While thoroughly enjoying our race, I was confused when I suddenly passed my friend on the crude track we had mapped out. She was floating in the cove just above the water and staring out into the sea beyond the rocks.

“What’s that?” I don’t know how she saw it through the mist but somehow she had managed to glimpse something far out at sea. It took me a while but the mist finally parted revealing a ship. The ship was too far to make out what it looked like exactly, but it was definitely a ship and a big one at that. It wasn’t moving very fast or pointed at our island, but the leader had told us to inform her if any of us ever saw a ship on the horizon.

“A ship! Where?” All the stress that the leader had accumulated over the log winter suddenly exploded. Sweat started accumulating across her yellow flank and her voice caught in her throat. But like always, she composed herself and addressed the whole village.

“Every pony! A ship has been seen on the horizon. It’s nothing to worry about. Let’s all go back home and get some well-deserved rest!” She always knew how to calm us down. Her soothing voice reassured every pony that it would be alright. I tried to sleep that night but the vision of the ship kept appearing in my dreams. It looked like a black spike sticking up out of the sea. I imagined it piercing through our island and sinking it. Sleep was hard to come by for every pony that night.

“It’s getting closer!” Someone screamed that around noon when every pony was busy collecting food for the evening. Every pony immediately stopped what they were doing and peered out to sea. Yesterday the ship was barely visible on the horizon, now it was so close anyone could swim to it in less than an hour. It must have been sailing all night towards our island. All of us could finally see the ship and I have to say, it was a terrifying sight. The first thing I noticed was that the ship never actually touched the water. It could move through the water because it was attached the top of a giant iceberg. The iceberg floated through the sea and the ship managed to steer it in the right direction somehow. It seems floating on an iceberg took its toll on the vessel. The wood was cracked and full of holes, most of it frozen over. If the ship wasn’t on the back of an iceberg it would definitely sink. The sails were also a mess. Large blocks of ice were frozen to the tattered and worn cloth. It looked like someone had to break off the ice every day or the sails would completely freeze into a solid sheet of ice. What sort of person would captain such a ship?

The beasts that rode on the back of this decrepit ship were nothing like I had ever seen before. Each one of the beasts was just as frozen as the ship they piloted. I first noticed when a stray sunbeam streaming straight through one of their bodies. It made them glow and eerie yellow and green color. Each one was made of solid ice that somehow was able to move like a living thing. They had small red orbs in their heads that somehow moved through the ice. The orbs were probably supposed to be their eyes. The orbs didn’t blink but I could somehow feel they were focused upon us. Some of them looked like creatures from legends and some looked like animals but all of them walked on two legs. Their bodies were made up of tons of spikes and spines that jutted out of their backs and arms. It was like they were made from chunks of ice that had been worn down by a hammer or knife. It looked like it would hurt to touch any one of them. The most terrifying of them all was one in the middle. The other creatures seemed to be afraid of him and kept their distance. His spikes were larger and sharper than the others and he had an air of authority over the rest. He certainly looked stronger than all the others. All of them just stood on the side of the ship staring at the island.

“No need to worry every pony. I’m sure they’re just curious. They will sail away eventually!” The leader said this mostly to calm to younger ponies but many of us could hear the falter in her voice. We had been isolated on this island and many of us, myself included, had never see a ship like that before. I had managed to see ships on the horizon but never this close. Many of them knew about the coral reefs and whirlpools near the cliffs that made sailing difficult near the island. This ship didn’t seem perturbed by that fact. We all tried to put the ship out of our minds and continue our work again. I can’t believe I managed to sleep that night.

The morning sun brought many new challenges for us. The ship was still there and its crew still stood on the deck watching our island. Every pony tried ignoring the ship, but it was hard when the crews’ horrible blank eyes memorized our every move. My duty for the day was to harvest fruit so luckily I was busy in the jungle and could ignore the ships presence. While returning to deposit one of my baskets of fruits I managed to see our leader conversing with some of our mightiest warriors.

“What can we do about that ship? It’s not leaving,” Silver Steam was free to express her fears now that she was alone with her trusted friends, and she was definitely afraid. This was the first time I had ever seen the leader this flustered. We all looked up to Silver Stream as a big sister. She was the most beautiful pony on the island, her long silver mane cascaded down her flank like a small river while her yellow fur resembled the sand of our beach. Behind her beauty was also a strong spirit of leadership that helped guide us through many troubles. It’s hard to see how she could ever have a care in the world and until now she never showed it.

“We have to hide. To at least ensure that the children and elders are safe. Maybe the caves would offer them some protection,” Tide, one of our finest warriors and Silver Streams right hand, offered up the suggestion. He was referring to some caves at the center of the island we would sometimes occupy when storms rolled around. The only problem was that sometimes animals migrated into the caves and wouldn’t leave unless through force. It was a bit of a gamble but the caves would certainly protect our families.

“I think we may have to do as you say and evacuate every pony. I don’t want to do it because that would mean admitting that these things are a threat. I don’t want to scare every pony any more than they already are,” Silver Stream was still thinking of the well-being of our community. Because of her we weathered almost every storm. But still, I had an inkling of doubt in my gut. This threat seemed more real than a storm or a drought. Those were acts of nature. Some monsters had anchored outside our doors and there was nothing we could do about it. I know Silver Stream felt as powerless as the rest of us.

The next morning I could hardly believe my eyes. The sun had somehow peaked through the thick winter clouds. The snow finally stopped falling and the ice began to wet with perspiration. The sun had brought back the warmth that we had sorely missed during the cold winter nights. I saw some smiles on the ponies I passed and the children decided to go ice skating while the cove was covered in a thin sheet of ice. It almost made us forget about our troubles. But our merriment was short lived.

“What is that?” I heard some pony scream that and before I could even react every other pony had gathered towards the shore. No one wanted to admit that every pony was staring out at the ship. It took me a while, but I pushed my way through the crowd of ponies so I too could observe the sea. What had the pony seen that had caused such a fuss? Then I finally saw what the pony had seen. Something obscured the sun causing every pony to look to the sky. Whatever it was, it was round and grew bigger as it started hurtling towards the ground.

The object was falling far faster than any of us could have reacted to. It smacked into the cove so fast it split the sheet of ice in two. Ice and water hurtled out of the cove and rained down on us. The ice was thin thanks to the heat of the sun so no one was hurt by falling chunks. At first I thought that no one had been injured by whatever had hit the water. Maybe it was all just a scare tactic by the beings on the ship. When the mist created by the explosion had settled, I got a good look at the water. A giant wave had formed where the object had struck the water. It was so big that it could easily have washed the village away into the ocean. At least it would have destroyed the village if the wave wasn’t frozen solid. The middle of the cove was now completely occupied by a giant frozen wave with hundreds of streams jetting out like spikes.

“Look! Inside the ice!” We all saw what that pony was referring to but our shock had left every pony speechless. Most of the ponies in our village were looking for their children to make sure they were safe. I still can hardly believe what I had seen in the middle of our little cove that day. Inside the giant wave, frozen solid, were the bodies of some of the villagers that had been taking advantage of the thin ice and were under the water along with some of the fouls that were playing on top of the ice. Some of the ponies around me screamed and cried for their family members now trapped in the ice. The threat was now real and we couldn’t avoid it any longer.

“Every pony listen up!” The leader had climbed on top of a stone so as to be heard by every pony. “This is the greatest disaster we have ever faced. I’ll be honest. I’m just as scared and broken by this event. But the thing is, I’m not going to let that fear stop me. I’m going to make sure we are all safe by tomorrow morning. Every pony too old or young to help, please travel to the caves and keep each other safe. Tide will guide you there safely,” she jumped off the rock to help comfort her parents and children. I decided to stay even though I was probably barely old enough to help.

“What are we going to do?” I asked my parents. They were always there to reassure me whenever I was scared. This time they were the ones who were more frightened than me. All of us were scared but the sight of my mother shaking like a leaf in the wind didn’t fill me with the confidences that she usually did. Most ponies around me were probably scared that we wouldn’t be able to help those trapped in the ice. I could hardly stand to watch my parents leave for the cave.

It took an hour but Tide finally returned to the village and reported that every pony had reached the cave safely. Silver Stream decided to address the ten of us left, “Every pony, this isn’t going to be easy. You are probably concerned for your safety but don’t worry. I have a plan that will ensure every pony will return. That ship out there has some sort of device or spell that did this to our friends. If that’s true then they must have a way to reverse its effects. If anything, we can try to drive the ship away and hopefully figure a solution on our own.” Her voice was shaking but she had confidence in her plan. That confidence is what we loved about her and her confidence was now our confidence. She was the first one to dive into the freezing waters followed by the rest of us. We’d been given strong sticks if there was going to be a fight. None of us were fighters though and it definitely showed when I forgot my stick on the shore in the excitement of Silver Streams’ speech.

Getting through the wall was a simple task for us compared to other creatures. Our small and lithe bodies made it easy for us to slip through the gaps in the coral on the ocean floor. Large predators can’t get through these small cracks which ensured we were safe swimming in the cove. The coral would stop the iceberg from advancing, though I didn’t have confidence in the sturdy wall when I looked at the ship. I couldn’t help but wonder if those creatures had a plan for getting over the wall, or else why would they bother attacking us? While most of my friends chose to dive under the water and travel to the open ocean through the cracks, I always chose a different route. I burst through the water into the brisk frozen air and over the large pillars of coral.

I was lucky I had jumped out of the water instead of diving under it like every other pony decided to. Something was falling towards the sea from the side of the ship and it was falling fast. It took me a while to notice that it was one of the creatures from the ship, specifically the largest of the group. The reason I was lucky was because when the creature stuck the water, the water instantly froze under his feet creating a perfect platform for him to stand on. The sea continued to freeze even after he was safely on a large sheet of ice, reaching all the way towards the coral wall. Without the water to break my fall I stuck the ice and struck it hard. The ice was very slick so it took me a while to get back on my feet. I soon realize with horror that all the other ponies were now trapped under the sheet of ice. They weren’t in any danger of running out of air but it would take them a while to find their way back to the surface.

“That will keep those ponies under the wave fer a while,” the creature spoke in a strange language that I could hardly understand. His words were as cold as the ice under my hooves and his voice seemed to carry like the wind in a snow storm. He showed no interest in me, instead focusing on tapping the ice to make sure it was secure. I started to move away, fear forcing me to move back towards the reef where I knew I might be safe. My movements snapped him out of his actions and he noticed that I had escaped his icy trap.

“What’s this? A little pony has fallen on the ice. That shouldn’t be,” even if I could understand him I hardly heard what he said as my focus was diverted towards trying to escape. When I finally got my balance I briefly glanced up to see what that creature was doing. He had raised his leg and before my very eyes he heaved it down with incredible force. This created a huge wave that cracked the ice in two and washed through the gap straight at me. The problem was that the trail of water behind the wave quickly froze leaving giant spikes jetting out of the water. If I got caught up in that wave I would probably be brought underwater and frozen instantly just like the other ponies in the cove.

Acting quickly, I did the one thing that I do best. I jumped as high as I possibly could with the intense fear giving me an extra push. The wave crashed below me and quickly froze over leaving me in the air above some giant razor sharp spikes. The wave finally stopped when it crashed into the coral wall. The problem right now was getting down from this height without being hurt by the spikes. I still don’t know how, but I managed to fall in between the spikes and land safely on the solid ice.

“I ain’t never seen a pony do that before! I will say I’m impressed by your spirit. Too bad yer in my way! Ice giants don’t let anyone stop them!” My knees were shaking on the ice and I had to try keeping my balance all over again. The creature reached his giant hand up and drove it through the sheet of ice into the sea. He waited a moment before bringing his hand back out of the water. The water froze as it was brought up and with a big jerk the creature pulled a giant pillar of ice out of the sea. The ice pillar was frayed with giant spines jetting out of it that used to be droplets of water. Wielding the ice pillar in his hands like a club, the creature lunged towards me using the slick ice to increase the speed of his pursuit.

I was lucky I noticed the creature running towards me because if I had hesitated for even a second he would have caught me for sure. My mind was racing a mile a minute but I had enough sense to jump before the creature reached me. That saved me from a horrible fate as his club flew under me in a long sweep. He tried striking me a few more times by swinging his club at me but each time I managed to jump out of the way. We continued like this for a while before he finally got tired and stopped.

“You’re a slippery lass. I didn’t expect an island of ponies to have such spry warriors,” I couldn’t believe I had managed to escape his club for so long. I was definitely not a warrior like Tide and I had never been trained in combat. Tide had always managed to keep some of the wild beasts on our island away from our village. Both of us were tired from out little battle though. The creature was leaning on his club, long frozen gasps coming out of his mouth. I was used to a lot of activity but that was mostly under the water. Jumping on land was more difficult than breaching the sea.

“I’ll strike ye a deal little pony. Ye give me the magic that protects this island, and I’ll leave with my crew. We won’t ever bother ye again. I’ll even release your friends from my icy spell. You have the word of Captain Crag!” He held out his hand, waiting for my answer to his proposal. At the time I had no idea what he was talking about. If I could understand him, his offer would have definitely tempted me though I would have no idea what magic he was referring to.

“No deal captain!” We both turned out heads in shock towards the source of the answer, “That magic is what keeps this island safe. Without it the trees would wither and the animals would die. The wall would fall and predators would attack us. You will never get your hands on its powers,” behind us stood Silver Stream and the rest of the ponies that got trapped under the ice. It took them a while but they had swum around the ice until they found the edge and climbed onto it. Tide was standing close by the leader with his sword in his mouth. The sword had been used many times and was passed down from warrior to warrior. Tide had used it to protect us from animals but I had never seen him hold it with such menace in his jaw. He was ready to strike at any moment.

“Pity! I would have kept my word. Now you all shall die!” The captain didn’t seem too happy at the leaders’ response. Quicker than I had seen him before, he raised his foot and struck the ice with it. Like before the ice split in two as another wave ripped through the sheet and traveled towards the villagers and Silver Stream. I was safely out of harm’s way but the others weren’t so lucky. Silver Stream and Tide saw the danger in that wave and reacted by moving out of the way. I realized I had been lucky when I avoided the first wave. None of the other ponies reacted in time and got swallowed up and then frozen by the captains’ terrible power.

“Frozen Ponies! The best kind of ponies! You can’t possibly hope to beat an ice giant. I control the cold and the frost! I always get what I desire!” The captain hoisted his club into the air, ready to strike. Tide, sword still gripped tightly in his jaws, lunged towards the captain, ready for a fight. The captain brought his great club down on Tide but he managed to somehow block the clubs weight with his sword. Tide and the captain continued to trade blows as club and sword struck without either one of them breaking.

“Yer a fine warrior! But yer still a puny pony! Fire the cannon ye scurvy dogs!” I didn’t know what he was yelling about but I soon found out. A loud explosion broke through the eerie silence of the frozen wasteland we were standing on. Something struck the ice right next to Tide and a huge geyser erupted out of the hole made in the ice. Tide was quickly swept up in the wave which quickly froze thanks to the captains strange powers. There was a fire in the captains glowing eyes as he examined the frozen statue that Tide had become. His frozen expression caused my spine to shiver. Then I noticed the leader with a blazing expression on her face. Tide had been her best friend and now he was frozen solid and she was far from ready to give up trying to defeat this fiend.

“You don’t know what you’re dealing with ice giant or whatever you are! This island has more power than you can handle!” The captain didn’t seem too concerned with the leaders’ words and continued examining the frozen ponies he had created. Eventually he turned to face her, his face frozen in a blank expression that warriors put on when they enter the heat of battle. He raised his club and lunged at the leader with his surprising speed created by the slippery ice. Hurling his club down the captain was certain he wouldn’t be able to miss the leader because she made no movement to avoid the strike. I couldn’t watch and hid my face from the battle. After a few moments I realized I didn’t hear the leader getting struck by the club and turned around.

The club did connect with something, but it wasn’t the body of Silver Stream. A bright yellow orb surrounded Silver Stream and managed to stop the club in midair. The leader darted away, using the captains’ confusion as a chance to escape another attack. The captain may have been shocked but he was still fast on the ice and cut the leader off. He wasn’t happy at the leader and raised his club for another strike. This time the captain swung his club wildly in the air not taking any notice of what he hit. Surreptitiously, or maybe the leader planned it that way, the captain struck the ice keeping Tide captive. The attack didn’t free the warrior but it did knock Tides’ sword loose from the ice. Silver Stream snatched the sword up in her mouth while the captain reeled from hitting something so hard. She brandished the sword just like Tide had when he was sparring with the captain, sword firmly stuck in her gritted teeth.

While their battle was being raged I was in the ocean swimming towards the ship. My plan was in motion and started with me swimming behind the giant frozen ship. During the fight I had noticed a small hole in the side of the ship that I could possibly climb into. It was a challenge but my agility allowed me to jump onto the sides of the iceberg and make my way up to the hole. I was relieved the leader was safe but I couldn’t waste time watching the battle, I had my own task to complete. Though the wood was old and full of splinters, I managed to make my way through the tight gap and into the ship. Everything inside the ship was just as frozen as the outside. The floors were covered in a sheet of ice along with the walls. Even the torches that were supposed to light the way were somehow frozen. I continued into the bowels of the ship despite the cold but I kept looking through the many holes in the sides at the battle being waged.

Outside, the war was raging between Silver Stream and Captain Crag, each of them trading blows while the leaders shield protecting her from any damage. The captain would bring his club down onto the leader but she always blocked him with her shield. Then she would swipe at him with the sword. After this dance of blows the captain tried creating another wave but even that was blocked by Silver Streams’ shield and the ice cracked under the shields power. The captain was still exhausted from his battle with me and he probably didn’t have much of a fight left in him and his movements finally began to slow.

“This is the magic you wanted ice giant! This is the power of protection that was passed down to me after I became the leader of these ponies. I shall use it to stop you once and for all!” The leader was ready for a long fight that the captain couldn’t win. But then something occurred to the old captain, something that would change the tide of battle in his favor.

“Why would you wait until now to use yer magic? If you had this all powerful shield, why wouldn’t you use it to protect yer warriors? Unless, the shield comes with a price! Only ye can be protected by it. I bet I can just smash your little pony friends and you can’t do nothing to stop me!” And the captain did just that. He lunged towards the large group of frozen ponies but decided to crush Tide first out of some sense of rivalry with the warrior.

Meanwhile my plan had hit a little snag. One of the ice creatures was down below the ship and sitting right by the things that created those explosions in the water. I didn’t know at the time but they were cannons that fired magical cannonballs that froze the ice just like the captain could. The rest of the ice creatures were on the top of the ship watching the battle, but this one was trying to peer through a hole. I tried forming a plan to get past this creature but it was getting harder and harder to focus. All of my energy had been drained by my battle and trying to get into the ship. And the cold inside the room was making me sluggish and shiver uncontrollably. I needed to focus before I was too tired to do anything useful. It was then that I noticed some barrels stacked next to the creature. Using the last of my energy I ran up to the pile and kicked it over causing all the barrels to tumble down onto the guard. The ice guard shattered and shards littered the floor. Somehow his head survived and it rolled away, his ruby eyes frantically searching for his attacker. Now that I was finally free to help Silver Stream I suddenly realized something, I didn’t know how to use these weapons.

The situation outside was getting more and more dire as the seconds passed. The captain was now targeting the frozen ponies and in order to protect them Silver Stream needed to take the brunt of the captains’ blows. She didn’t have time to collect her thoughts or mount a counterattack before the captain moved to his next target and she needed to block his clubs assault. All the while the leaders shield was noticeably getting dimmer with each blow. It seems her shield was not all powerful and it took its toll on her body.

My situation wasn’t any better than the one outside. I examined the weapon from top to bottom and the only way I could figure to use it was the pull a string on top of it. In hindsight, I should be thankful the cannon I used was actually loaded or else the future would be very different. I pulled the string and the cannon exploded and shot a cannonball out towards the frozen sea. The ball didn’t hit anything and like before the sea split creating a wave that froze in a flash. The fighting stopped for a moment as the captain and the leader examined what happened.

“What was that ye moronic ice cretins? I didn’t order for ye to shoot the cannons!” The captain paused and finally realized I was nowhere to be seen, “That blasted pony is on board! Find her and keel haul her ye cowardly dogs!” The crew on board the ship snapped into action and rushed towards the cannon room. I had less than a minute to complete my plan. Rushing towards the next cannon I made sure to aim it this time before firing it off. The cannon exploded like before but this time the ball arched through the air instead of firing straight into the sea. The ball soared straight for the giant frozen wave in the cove that housed my friends from the village. The wave burst into a storm that rained shards of ice down onto the island and the ice sheet that the leader and Captain Crag were fighting on. I collapsed from exhaustion, but before I closed my eyes I saw all of the ponies trapped in the ice soar into the air before falling safely into the water.

“Ye idiotic crew! How could ye let that blasted pony fire off another shot! She freed her friends! I’ll personally punish each and every one of ye!” The captain couldn’t finish his verbal abuse of his crew because he noticed that something was amiss. A giant chunk of ice hurtled and pierced the ice field, barely missing the captains’ head. The captain and the leader ran to avoid the falling chunks of ice raining down upon them. They were in such a panic the leader dropped her sword but both the captain and her managed to avoid the falling ice.

“That was a close one! And it looks like yer shield is about done for, little pony! Do you want to surrender now? I promise to only make yer pony pals into slaves on me ship!” The captains’ celebration of victory was short lived. He felt something split through his body and then suddenly he was on the cold ground. The chunks of ice that rained down upon them had freed the ponies that had been trapped by the captains’ waves. Tide had taken the opportunity while the captain was gloating to grab his sword and attack the captains’ back. The sword shattered the ice giants’ body except his head which fell to the group. The crew of the ship stood in stunned silence. Their captain had been defeated by a small pony and he was now just a head.

“I will ensure that you never harm anyone again Captain Crag,” and with that Silver Stream kicked the captains’ head into the water. The captain gave out a final wail before falling out of sight. A few bubbles rose to the surface but those soon faded. “Your prison is the bottom of the sea! That’s your new home! Better get used to it! And the rest of you ice giants had better leave. Now!” Turns out that ice giants are also giant cowards. Within moments the ship was turned towards the horizon.

“Thank you Tide. I would be gone for sure without you,” Silver Stream let out a gasp of breath and collapsed. Tide quickly caught her and helped the leader into the water. After ensuring every pony was alright, the group of ponies made their way home. Back in the cove every pony that had been trapped in the ice was searching for their families in the village.

“Don’t worry. Every pony is safe in the cave. We can go gather them in a second and tell them the danger has passed,” Tide took time to put Silver Stream in her home so she could rest. She had fought bravely against the ice giant and now needed time to recover. Silver Stream had never needed to access the power the island bestows upon the village leader before. It put a real strain on her body.

Things returned to normal fairly quickly. Every pony returned to the village safely and was reunited with their loved ones. It was a difficult time for the water ponies, but we’re survivors. It wouldn’t be the last time someone tried attacking our village, but the leader and her warriors would always protect it.

But wait! What about me? I was still on the ship! Funny story, the ice giants had forgotten about me until a day later when they found my half frozen body below deck. They were all terrified for my safety, but they were probably even more terrified for their own. The crew had seen a single pony defeat the most feared ice giant, so they were pretty weary of me. It took a while but I earned the trust of the ice giant crew and they returned me to the island. I assured every pony that I was safe but something changed inside of me during the battle with Captain Crag. My sense of adventure had been awakened and I couldn’t possibly return to my former life. I just couldn’t see myself being happy alone on an island forever when there were troves of adventures waiting outside. After saying goodbye to my parents, I boarded the ice ship and sailed to distant lands with the ice giants. I learned their language and became good friends with the strange creatures. They even gave me a new name, Crystal. That’s Captain Crystal to you though! But that’s another story.