Post Crystal Faire Aftermath: Picking up the Pieces (Open to all involved in the Crystal Empire Battle)

[Elderflower]

Though she had left the conversation to begin working, Ylva kept one ear to the discussion all the same. It would help her better understand these ponies that Clan Askr had come across. For the most part, they made an excellent impression. The snotty, outspoken filly especially. That one was a firecracker, and would certainly be a force to be reckoned with when she was older. The shaman grinned, deciding to engage the little one as the anger crackling amidst the group fizzled out. Funny how that happened quite easily when the hot-tempered unicorn stepped down. It took every scrap of willpower she had not to roll her eyes, though exasperation made itself quite plain on her expression at this Swift’s mention of the treaty she had brought up. He had to be daft, and he certainly seemed to lack faith in the Crystal Princess if he would speak so condescendingly about a treaty that Princess Cadance had signed with good intentions and sincerity.

Ylva shook her head and pushed the debris she had gathered into a tidy pile for collection, then closed the space between herself and the filly who seemed to be agitated over the fact that she no longer had any toys.

“We don’t have any toys in our longships, little one,” the shaman said good-naturedly, almost teasingly, “But the Jarl has quite the sword collection. If you ask her politely she might even spare you a wooden practice blade. That energy of yours would be put to great use in the art of swordplay. For now, though, it would be put to better use cleaning up the streets. Though I highly doubt you could do a better cleanup job than a caribou such as myself.”

Ylva withheld her laughter. Hopefully by goading the little one with a challenge it would set her to working. The cow was convinced that if the filly did something worthy with all the hot air fueling her, she might just come out of this day with a sense of satisfaction beyond that of a spoiled brat. The hard work would be good for her!

Shortly after the shaman had spoken, her sister let out a great BOOM of a sneeze just as a...yowling ship touched down upon the scene? The scraggly stallion who had pressed his face upon the Jarl’s rump seemed familiar with it. Ylva shrugged off the oddity and laughed towards her sister, then called out, “That was a mighty wind, my Jarl! You truly are the most powerful caribou to come out of the Whitescar!”

The angry little unicorn from earlier still hadn’t stopped speaking, it seemed, as he berated Jarl Sigrun for not taking action shortly before he collapsed in a heap. “Feh,” the pale cow scoffed, shaking her head once more. What sort of warrior doesn’t know how to care for his body well enough to stay on his hooves? And he accused the Jarl with her allergies for being a useless addition to the cleanup effort.

[Lux]

Diamond braced himself for what he felt was going to be a long drawn out debate about the caribou helping out. He was in no mood to continue this, not when his home lay in ruins and his strength not fully recovered. To make matters even stranger, Sigrun who was temporarily blocked by a pony carrying a broom let out a tremendous sneeze, blowing back the Crystal Pony back a little and drenching the unicorn who refused to budge.

"Bless you," Diamond said wishing he had a pocket hoofkerchief with him to aid the ruler but to no avail.

The only other dissenter, the blue Crystal filly, seemed to only care about the fact her toys were destroyed.

"If you had any that were made of metal, I'm sure I can try my hoof at making them. I'm not a metal worker but I can fashion metal for jewelry."

To his relief the stallion that was as relented having seen the error in his ways. Then in an even stranger display the unicorn's luster went away and down he went. Clearly the effects of the battle weighed heavily on the unicorn as it did for many.

"Rest easy sir, your battle is over," Diamond said as a team of ponies led by a captain came to the aid.

"Alright, without any other interruptions, we can rebuild. I know this sounds like common sense but do be careful in any building you are trying to clean up ponies and caribou alike. Though these buildings are quite stable they all took quite a pounding from the attack."

[Bellosh]

This was getting hopeless! Not only did the caribou lack toys to replace the lost collection of Flakey Shards, but Ylva thought some lame ole’ wooden sword would make everything all better. Yuck! And then that white doe dared to suggest that Flakey couldn’t do a better job of disaster zone cleanup than a filthy reindeer!!! “What did you saaaaay?” growled the crystal filly; “I can do anything better than a stupid reindeer if I want to! Watch this!!!”

Infuriated, Flakey went over to Ylva’s debris pile and with her tail, started putting individual pieces of junk into a conveniently located cart. “By the way Illva,” Miss Shards dryly commented; “Only dummies want to practice with wooden blades so they can become witless warriors. Like that swordstallion over there.” Flakey pointed to the belligerent unicorn and snorted; “That guy must be a real donkey if he couldn’t figure out what to do in life other than pick fights with everyone. At least ponies like me have genuine talents!”

In the meantime that the little girl took on Ylva's challenge (and that dummy unicorn fainted), that lame jewelry maker Diamond Cut offered to make replacement toys using metal, demonstrating how dumb that grown-up was too. “Hey genius,” the filly snobbishly mocked the stallion; “Real toys aren’t made out of metal anymore! Get your brain fixed, gramps!” The Crystal Empire needed to grow up and ditch antiquated wooden and metal toys. Flakey sold off her old playthings the first chance she got, all so she could get her greedy hooves on the newest mass-produced stuff from Equestria and become the envy of every colt and filly she knew. And now her modern toys were all DESTROYED AND GONE FOREVER! GAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

[Pretzelparty]

“Pfttt, I'm surprised little bean made it that far, Thee ole boy es easily flustered! O' he couldn't even say te word 'love' to a tree if it'd be holdin' ah papah heart,” She looked on to her son with a knowing expression, “Shoooooot, in fact I can't count the number of times me boy had dove through the winder, glass and all. Heh! Ah'd be surprised to hear he'd kiss somethin already that wasn't ez moma.”

​

It took a moment of silence for the Jarl to properly interpret the soldier’s words through her thick accent. From what Ylva had told her, the ponies of Equestria had an incredible variety of accents. Sigrun may have her work cut out for her if any ambassadors came by with an accent as thick as this pony’s. After the Jarl continued to plow the street of debris with her antlers she coughed and smiled, “He sounds like he might get along with my sister and I’s ward.”

The Jarl sniffled once and wiggled her snout, “Hm… strange.” she mused as she noticed her nose’s continuous tingling since she’d arrived in the Empire before continuing, “Anyway like I was saying. I figure he might get along with Limi although I don’t think he’s quite so easily flustered so as to jumping out a window.” she said with a soft chuckle.

​

She frowned a little as Sigrun spoke down to her noble pony, "Please do not judge my stallion, so swiftly. He is angry, just like many in the Crystal Kingdom.", her eyes fell back on the filly, "They deserve every right to, and while they may take out their anger on you verbally, please do not take it personally. Once tempers are cooled, reason will return and we will all set upon making things right again."

"I recognize you now. You are the Bladehymn Sigrun. Good Harmony, Sixsong the Pine Spear couldn't shut up about you. If they would be any, he would probably stick his room with the posters of your image back in his room in the guildhouse. And how he was gushing after he told that he faced off against you. Ughhh..."

The Jarls apology for this excess only met with irritation...but not in the way she expected. He shook his mane bakc into position, before he lead himself to fine with a quick spell.

"For what are you apologizing for?! You want to work? Find tissues and aspirin or something first, otherwise you won't get anything done."

In case anyone wondering - Squall only passed out from extreeme exhaustion and nothing more. The event's in the Heart finally cought up with him.

Well… that was a bit unexpected. The Jarl knew her sneezes had considerable amount of power, but this was the first time she’d rendered someone unconscious. She scrubbed a cloven hoof to her snout and looked back to one of her guards. “Get this stallion some medical attention. Bring one of our better medicine bulls out here… the best of the healers should go out and see if there’s anything they can do to help some of the more grievously wounded.” The guarded nodded and went off to tell the medical shamans to get to work, with one taking a look over the exhausted (and soaked) unicorn.

The shaman thought for a moment and then looked over the stallion once then seemingly sniffed at him. After a moment of pondering he handed the scarlet mare at his side a pouch that he said was full of grounded herbs that would need to be taken orally. He said since she was his mate that the medicine should be given to him by her, the remedy should supply him with some newfound energy. With his words he then left out into the city to assist any further injured.

The jarl walked by Fire walker and nodded, “You are right, Miss … Moto, was it?” the jarl brushed some dust of her horns and held her breath as it descended to the floor, “I understand this empire’s tempers are running high, but I feel pointing a blade against us is generally a poor idea. When he awakens I look forward to his help cleaning up this street… also tell him if he keeps in touch with Sixsong… tell him he had better improved his thrust and knocked off all that pointless pike twirling.” The Jarl chuckled and then began to push some large boulders of debris from the side of the road.

​

"Bless you," Diamond said wishing he had a pocket hoofkerchief with him to aid the ruler but to no avail.

“I didn’t know reindeer could do that.....”

Ylva offered flakey a practice sword from siggy’s collection

, “That was a mighty wind, my Jarl! You truly are the most powerful caribou to come out of the Whitescar!”

“By the way Illva, Only dummies want to practice with wooden blades so they can become witless warriors. Like that swordstallion over there.” Flakey pointed to the belligerent unicorn and snorted; “That guy must be a real donkey if he couldn’t figure out what to do in life other than pick fights with everyone. At least ponies like me have genuine talents!”

Sigrun smiled at diamond cut, “Excuse me… I’m sorry about that volume. I’m a rather loud as you’ve noticed.” She chuckled into her hood and sighed softly, “I’m not sure what’s going on to be honest… since I’ve come here my nose had been exceedingly itchy.”

When her sister and the young crystal filly had voiced their own amazement, a grin spread over the Jarl’s face. “Verily!” she said with no shortness of gusto, “I’ve been known to rock the very foundation of the hall back home when I’m feeling a chill, Y’know.” Looking to the crystal filly who had just been cleaning up as she disrespected the art of Sword-fighting. This didn’t sit at all right with the Jarl of Askr, she was a warriot of excellent wit… and she’d practiced with a wooden blade since she was a calf.

The Jarl lowered her head to the pale blue filly and spoke in a playful tone, “be mindful of what you say of warriors such as this one… lest you find yourself hosed down like he was. I do think I feel another sneeze comign on you know.” letting flakey have a moment to process that she lifted her head up and chuckled, “Really though, little one. Don’t underestimate the art of swordplay. If I remember right… you ponies have a place for those who practice something you call ‘fencing’, correct?”

​

[Lux]

In the interest to keep this thread going, I'm going to have to skip a few posters. Sorry about that, but feel free to continue on.

 

With the issue of the caribou showing up taken care of, Diamond resumed to picking up the pieces of crystal that once adorned the buildings around. The caribou and ponies made quick work cleaning up the main thoroughfare through the city, although the street still looked cracked or broken in places. 

 

"I wish there was a way to recycle these pieces somehow," the stallion said to nopony in particular as looked at the pile of jagged multicolored pieces. He then got an idea about hoe to help the leaders of the caribou help. He noticed that Sigrun was talking to the filly who was not too pleased with seeing them there. 

 

“Hey genius,” the filly snobbishly mocked the stallion;“Real toys aren’t made out of metal anymore! Get your brain fixed, gramps!”

 

"Hmph," Diamond replied as he went back to cleaning up. Grampa indeed! He was a young stallion, not some old pony bound for a home. Was this filly just bound and determined to be miserable about everything? Maybe she was better with ponies her age.Well hopefully she'd grow out of it and fast. It wasn't like smashed toys were high on the priority for today. He then spotted Yiva which he hoped to assist. 

 

"Miss Yiva, may I ask if you and your sister have surveyed the layout of the city? If not I do know a great deal of the various districts having being born and raised here."