This story is a sequel to Windigo Storm

This story is part of the Crystal Note AU that starts with Crystal Note - Welcome to Sweet Apple Acres!.
It is not necessary to read any of the previous stories, but there will be referrals to ponies and events from them. If you want to get a good background for this story, I recommend you read Legacy of the Crusaders and Windigo Storm.

The story takes place during the events of Where life leads us and some characters from this story will be mentioned. You can read this story on it's own, but if you like to learn more about Crystal Note's Crystal Empire and its inhabitants, you'll find a collection of shorter story arcs if you follow the link.
This story started as a chapter of Where life leads us, but it soon grew so big that I decided it deserved to stand on its own.

A decade ago, the legendary Crystal Empire had reappeared, and with it its inhabitants, the crystal ponies. After recovering their memories and driving out the last remains of the evil king Sombra, Princess Cadance took the throne and guided her new citizens through many years of grief, healing and rebuilding.

Now, a new generation crystal ponies is growing up and the trauma of war and misery starts to fade. It is time for the crystal ponies to move on, and for the Crystal Empire to start growing once more. For this task, Princess Cadance asked for help from their southern neighbours, the Kingdom of Equestria.

One of the ponies who followed her call is Radiant Beam, a unicorn researcher from the Royal Institute of Magic in Canterlot. This is the story of her journey into the frozen north.