Login

Change

by tom117z

Chapter 35: 35 - The Crystal Empire

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

The Crystal Empire



“Final stop, Crystal Empire!” the Crystal Express’ Conductor called out to all the ponies in the carriage, before he moved on through to the next one.

“Finally,” Broad Sword sighed in relief, stretching out a wing to loosen the overly stiff muscle within. “I’ve been sitting here for far too long.”

“Yeah,” Scarlet agreed, as she moved herself off of Board Sword’s chest, and sat up. “Why didn’t we just fly here?”

“A helicopter would never survive the weather up here, not even the princess’ can control the intense blizzards for long,” Broad Sword explained to his wife. “Thank Celestia for the Crystal Heart.”

“I would’ve thought it was a case of thank Cadance.” Vlad let out an amused snort at her comment. “What exactly does the heart do, anyway?” she asked.

“Wait, you don’t know?” Vladimir asked, surprised.

“Only bits and pieces from other ponies, it never came up in basic; it kinda didn’t exist until a couple years ago.”

“Point. Right, well the heart is what powers the empire. It absorbs the ambient love of the empire’s subjects, and emits it back out. Without its magic to protect it, the frozen north would sweep in and reclaim it within hours,” Vladimir explained.

“Weathers that bad, huh?” Scarlet wore a skeptical look.

“Worse. A wendigo would be hard pressed to outdo the frozen north. But as long as there is enough love to power the heart the Crystal Empire will continue to thrive in the chaos.”

“With that amount of love I’m surprised every changeling hive isn’t chewing on the thing!”

“Let’s not talk it up,” Broad Sword said, just as the train finally came to a complete halt with a hiss. “Come on, let’s get off of this thing.”

The three began to unload their bags from overhead compartments, with Scarlet gently lowering them down in her red magical aura emanating from her horn. Outside of their compartment, the corridor was already rammed with ponies exiting their own compartments and making for the carriage doors, everypony seemingly eager to finally put to an end the hours long journey.

“Got everything?” Vladimir asked.

“I believe so,” Broad Sword inspected the bags in the possession. “Yes, we have everything.”

“Good, let’s go.”

Vlad moved towards the door and slid it open, he waited for a family of ponies to move on past before moving into the corridor himself. He then made sure nopony tried to push past as Broad Sword and Scarlet Snow too exited the compartment. It was a tight squeeze through the corridor, made worse by a young filly having a temper tantrum right in the middle, much to the mother’s severe embarrassment. Eventually however, they made it to the exit and stepped down onto the platform.

The crystal architecture gleamed magnificently in Celestia’s sun, and Scarlet couldn’t help but gasp as she looked on the distant crystal palace for the first time. The massive crystalline structure reached out into the sky, gleaming like the most precious of diamonds. None of them would have been particularly surprised if some if it was in fact made out of diamonds.

“I… wow...” Scarlet was stunned. “How could anypony even construct something like this?”

“Who knows?” Vladimir shrugged. “The only pony who might have, Queen Amore, was murdered by Sombra over a thousand years ago.”

“Well, the crystal ponies are all from that time, don’t any of them know?”

“Maybe, I haven’t asked, and it would be rude to dredge up memories best forgotten.”

“Vladimir,” Broad Sword addressed his Thestral counterpart. “Where is Shining meant to be meeting us?”

“I… don’t actually know. He might be waiting out front?” Vladimir struck a leg out in the vague direction on the exit.

As it would turn out, that was indeed where Shining was waiting. As the trio approached customs they were ushered straight through without any of the hassle you would usually have to endure, earning them more than a few irritated glares from those who had to wait in line to enter the city proper. A crystal guard guided them through the busy station and out to the front, where a carriage was in wait and some of their other luggage that was not in the compartment with them already being loaded into the said carriage.

The carriage was, funnily enough, crystalline in design, with Princess Mi Amore Cadenza’s cutie mark displayed on both doors. Four heavily armoured Crystal Honour Guards sat in front of the carriage, ready to take them back to the palace once given the word. Prince Shining Armor leaned on one of the carriage doors as he waited for the arrival of his friends, though he managed to straighten himself out once the three came into view.

“Ah, there you three are! I was beginning to think the train had derailed or something,” Shining remarked.

“We weren’t that late, I would have thought being Captain of the Guard would have taught you to have patience,” Vladimir responded.

Shining snorted. “Perhaps my time as prince has dwindled it, it’s the royal lifestyle and all that.”

“Yeah, so I see. Sitting around on you royal highness all day has given you a bit more width I believe,” the Lunar Captain snidely said.

Shining raised an eyebrow. “Careful Vladimir, I do technically outrank you now. So I would watch what you say.”

The two glared spitefully at each other for a moment, neither breaking eye contact.

Several nearby crystal ponies stopped to gawk at the seemingly hostile confrontation between their Prince and the Thestral. They held their breaths as they waited to see what would happen next.

That was then the two couldn’t keep up the act anymore and both burst out laughing.

“Oh! It is good to see you Vlad!” exclaimed Shining Armor, smacking the Thestral on the shoulder.

“You too, Shining. Seriously though, have you gained weight?”

“Oh shut it,” Shining dismissed, he then turned to the duo of bemused ponies behind Vladimir. “Ah, there is the happy couple!”

“Shining, you are doing well I see.”

“Of course. We finally got Flurry Heart to sleep full nights, so what is there to be sad about?”

“It took you this long?” Scarlet enquired, catching sight of a nearby mare holding a small foal lovingly in her hooves.

“Hey, raising a child is difficult, you know?” Shining defended. “I don’t know if I could handle it without Cady. But while it is difficult, it’s wonderful at the same time. I wouldn’t trade her for anything.”

Scarlet continued to watch the family with a small smile as they left the station until she lost sight of them. “Wonderful? I bet.”

“Well? Are you going to get moving or stay here all week until we need to go back on duty?” Broad Sword gestured towards the carriage.

“Right, one moment,” Shining turned towards the four guards at the front of the carriage where said four guards sat at the ready. After a few quick orders the four began to load up the luggage into the carriage’s storage while Shining motioned for his three guests to board it.

As Vladimir and Shining got into the carriage, Scarlet quickly pulled her husband aside.

“Scarlet, what is it?” Broad Sword asked.

“I- it’s just… you know what you said about going back on duty at weeks end?” Scarlet managed to stammer out.

“Yes? What of it?” Asked a confused Broad Sword.

“I don’t know if I will be able to do that, go back to the EUP I mean. Now or… even ever.” She scuffed the ground with a hoof as she tried to explain to her husband.

“What? Why? You’ve always loved being in the EUP, what’s wrong?” Broad Sword was now incredibly perplexed, and concerned.

“Nothing. The complete opposite in fact…”

“What are you-" Broad Sword got interrupted by Shining Armor calling out to the two.

“Are you two coming or what? The luggage is loaded and we’re just waiting on you!”

“One second!” Broad Sword called back, before turning back to his wife. “Now, what is it you were saying?”

Scarlet bit her lip. “Actually, this can wait until later. It was probably a bad idea coming to you here of all places,” she chuckled sheepishly.

“Okay… but you know you can talk to me about anything, right?”

“Of course! I just think some privacy would suit this a bit better however, I will tell you later I promise.”

“Alright, come on then. Best not keep the others waiting.”

Broad Sword turned away from Scarlet and began to trot towards the carriage. He completely missed Scarlet gently lay a hoof on her belly, a small warm motherly smile on her face.


A nearby crystal pony watched from the shadows as the alabaster unicorn moved to follow the Pegasus into the royal carriage. The love between the two was obvious to her, and she would likely try to collect some of the energy. That is if they weren’t personal guests of the crystal prince himself.

‘If only I could access the heart…’ she thought sadly. ‘No more scrounging scraps from the odd pony, no more starvation…'

The mare sighed, watching as the carriage pulled away and moved down the street. She was so distracted she didn’t notice a pony stallion walk up to her rather crossly.

“Hey!” the station worker called out.

The mare half-screamed in surprise, her inexperienced disguise almost giving up the ghost right then and there. And yet, somehow, she just managed to maintain it.

“Don’t do that!” the mare protested. “You scared me half to death!”

The stallion gave her a deadpan look. “Ma’am, would you mind moving on? Your loitering is making other ponies nervous.”

“Oh… right. Sorry I’ll… just go...” The mare quickly did a U-turn and walked briskly in the other direction.

The stallion simply rolled his eyes, and got back to work.

The mare rounded a corner and into an alleyway. She kept weaving though buildings and alleys, trying not to be seen and doubly being sure nopony was following her. She made her way to the very outer edges of the city, far from the major hustle and bustle of day-to-day life. Here there were just a few warehouses, a few small homes for those who worked at the warehouses and a single tavern in the middle of the small street. The street was not even comparable to the grand highways that led directly to the famed crystal palace and the heart beneath, with all sorts of establishments lining its sides. And yet even here the shimmering crystal structures kept their charm and majesty, truly there was nowhere quite like the Crystal Empire.

Around the back of the lone tavern however, was a small abandoned wine cellar that seemed to greatly contrast with the surrounding crystal. Nopony ever walked around the back of the tavern. Even if somepony did wander back there, they would always ignore the cellar, knowing it to be empty.

The mare opened the wooden hatch and descended the stairs into the cellar, closing the hatch behind her as she went. A green glow briefly filled the staircase as she shifted into her true changeling form, allowing her wings to stretch out after being hidden for several hours.

The teenage changeling descended the stairs, and was met with the soft glow of candle light. She found herself in a room with a few shelves containing what little personal items she had, a table she had scavenged from the tavern and two sleeping bags. One of the sleeping bags had a single small occupant who was nose deep in a Daring Do novel.

But when the nymph caught sight of the older changeling, she dropped her book and scrambled towards her as fast as lightening.

“Soronis!” She held tightly onto her big sister.

“Puellula, are you alright?” Soronis asked her younger sister.

“Uh-huh! I stayed here and read my book, just as you said!”

“Good girl.”

“Did you get any love energy?” Puellula gave her big sister the classic puppy eyes. Puellula was unusually thin for a changeling nymph, and Soronis could only sigh at the reminder of their dire situation.

Who would have thought in the city run by love, it was so hard to collect that very thing?

“Yes, I have some. Hold still,” she told her sister, her horn glowing green.

Puellula sighed in relief as she felt the love energy course through her body, but all too soon the flow ceased to be.

“There was that little, huh?” she noted sadly.

“I’m sorry Puellula...” Soronis hugged her sister tight.

What Soronis didn’t tell her sister was that she had given her all of the love she had collected that day, and that Soronis would have to go hungry that night.

The young nymph sadly nodded in understanding, before trudging back over to her sleeping bag and engrossing herself back into her book.

‘Her escape from all this,’ Soronis mused in her head.

Soronis placed herself down onto her own sleeping bag, and looked down onto her sister. Her last remaining family.

‘She needs more love, I can’t bear to see her like this,’ She blinked back a few rebellious tears trying to escape her glowing blue eyes.

Soronis knew what she had to do, but it wouldn’t be easy.

She needed to access the Crystal Heart.

Next Chapter: 36 - Nightmare Estimated time remaining: 4 Hours, 46 Minutes
Return to Story Description

Login

Facebook
Login with
Facebook:
FiMFetch