“We found them, Your Highness,” the pegasus guard reported, landing before me. “They–”
“Are they alright?” Twilight interrupted him. “What about Spike?”
“Captain says they’re just exhausted,” the guard replied. “He refused to let us carry either of them on a stretcher, and ordered the search and rescue team to look for other wounded. They will be along shortly.”
I sighed. “Thank you, lieutenant.” Shiny can be so stubborn, sometimes.
In the colorful light of the fireworks outside, more and more crystal ponies were arriving. The ponies that were terrified, that had to be herded to the relative safety of the castle just an hour ago, looked entirely different to me now, as if some invisible hoof gave them a bubble bath and a thorough brushing. They were glossier. Brighter.
There was recognition in their eyes where previously there had been none.
In every town, there’s a famous spot where you go when you lost each other and don’t know where the other pony would be. In Canterlot it’s the castle courtyard, in Manehattan it’s the Times Square, in Cloudsdale it’s the weather factory plaza. In the Crystal Empire, the Heart Chamber is the place where all the roads lead, and I saw ponies migrating through the crowd, searching for their loved ones. I heard abrupt notes of happiness radiating here and there, as couples and families were reunited. As if by some unspoken agreement, they would then proceed to the spot in the middle where I was standing, surrounded by the Guard and Twilight’s friends milling about, and make a deep bow to us, before shuffling off to the sides to watch the fireworks.
Despite how worn out we all were, it looked like everypony was planning to stay in the castle square at least until the sunrise. Did we even have that many crystal ponies yesterday? Was there some dungeon unaccounted for, so that they’ve only just gotten free, as the last vestiges of Sombra’s magic are fading?
Suddenly, one of the doors of the castle swung open, slamming into the wall. Lyra came out, stepping heavily, and the crowd parted before her. I barely recognized her. Her mane, usually in a state of neatly managed artistic disarray, looked like she’d faced an explosion and lived. There was a glint of blazing madness in her eyes, staring off into infinity, as if she was looking at something mere mortals and alicorns can never comprehend. Tightly pressed between her teeth was a beautiful, clear gem, almost as big as her entire head.
The Crystal Heart!
As she was making the last few steps to approach me, the murmur of conversation around us gradually died down, and only the sporadic sounds of exploding fireworks broke the silence. But nopony was watching them anymore.
All the eyes were on Lyra, and as she stopped before me, stretching her neck out, reaching out to pass the Heart to me, all the eyes were on us.
I gingerly took the Heart in my magic, and Lyra slowly released her jaws. And then crumbled into a heap on the spot, as if the Heart was the only thing holding her body up.
“Medic!” I called out, and hurried to check the pulse under her jaw with a feather tip. Steady, but weak and abnormally fast, like she just ran a marathon. While one of the guards with a cross on his saddlebags was making his way through the crowd, Bon-Bon appeared out of nowhere and scooped Lyra onto her back. Even before I could say anything else, both of them, together with the medic, were gone behind the door Lyra just came out of, leaving me and the Heart alone in the center of the parabolic chamber, inside a rapidly expanding circle of empty floor.
Wide open eyes staring at me. Mouths hanging agape.
I’m sure I know what happened. A childhood story just repeated itself before their eyes, a story about how the Crystal Empire came to be. Not verbatim, but as close as it could, under the circumstances. Whether she knew it or not, Lyra had just done more for establishing my legitimacy than any number of documents or relics ever would. I was just somepony with a very good claim to the title yesterday, the foreign princess who came to Empire’s aid in a time of need, representing the suzerains they knew and respected. The only claimant. All of that together would be enough. Just.
But now, tonight, to these ponies, I am all but Amore reborn, a refrain to the song that started a long, long time ago, the one they’d believed gone forever. I’m sure that were I to tell them I’m planning an expedition to Tartarus, they would rush ahead to hold the gates open, and suffer all kinds of hardship just to clear the way for me.
I looked at the Heart floating in my magic. Does this mean that you accept me as well, ghost of my infinitely great grandaunt? That’s some big horseshoes to fill. But it’s what I worked towards throughout all of my adult life, and I swear on my cutie mark that I will not fail you.
As I approached the snowflake circuit, two axial conductors slid out invitingly with a low rumble, and the Heart all but jumped out of my grip to latch between them.
For a moment, I felt as thoroughly lost as ever. What do I do now? I know what I have to do in general, but just what, exactly, do I do right next? What do I say? Do I even need to say anything? I thought of Shining. Would he be just as speechless and lost for words as I am? He’s so adorably lost when he’s alone with me, and yet, when push comes to shove, he’s always the first one to react…
The Heart vibrated slightly and started spinning, faster and faster. All around me, crystal ponies were bowing towards us… towards the Heart and towards me, and the crystal pavement was saturated with a blue glow. So this is how it’s supposed to work.
Flash!
The shock front of the wave released by the spinning Heart hit me full in the face and passed through me. Everything felt the same. Everything felt like it changed forever. Just the most common miracle on Earth. So familiar, and yet, so infinitely special.
What a peculiar illusion. It’s almost like everypony is actually made of crystal. And these shining wings, it’s almost like a butterfly. But it’s not truly an illusion, is it? The Heart just gives us a chance to see each other, not how we look like, but how we really are.
Radiant. Everypony is actually radiant—
—but pony wings have feathers on them, don’t they?
This realization snapped me out of the moment abruptly and I scanned through the crowd, my heart racing, the mind only barely catching up. As the Heart pulsed, at least a third of the ponies in front of me were replaced by familiar, chitinous faces, glowing blue eyes staring at me, and at nopony in particular.
I struggled to contain the fear, the instinct to immediately take off and flee as far as my wings will take me, away from this waking nightmare… away from my ponies.
It took everypony else almost a full second to react, but the reaction was swift and fearless, as most of the crystal ponies reared up, hooves mid-swing. Spears twirled in the air and horns lit up, as guardsponies sprung into action, and somewhere behind me, I heard the unmistakable whine of the human’s death ray powering up…
“HALT!”
The sound echoed inside the parabolic chamber and escaped out into the city through the openings, resonating across the square and through the streets. Everything and everyone froze still, and I wasn’t even sure, whether it was because my feeble attempt at Royal Canterlot Voice took them by sheer surprise, or because, for once in my life, it actually worked when I needed it.
Why have I stopped them?…
All of those glowing blue eyes, so identical, and yet, each pair somehow different.
“Speak, creature,” I ordered the nearest changeling, trying to sound as regal as possible, not even sure why am I expecting a reply, when back in the Canterlot castle dungeons, even Celestia did not receive any. That’s the voice she uses when presiding over equity court. Warm, but firm and unyielding, the voice of judgment. If nothing else, I can pull off the voice. Maybe, they won’t notice I have no idea what I’m doing if I pretend well enough. “Do you have a name?”
“…Th-h-horax, Your Highness!” he stammered out. A boyish, squeaky voice. Sweet Celestia, he sounds like a teenager.
“Why are you here, Thorax?” I asked him. “Speak true, for much depends on your answer.”
“She t-told me that if I truly wish Mother well, when she sings, I should sing with her,” he replied. “Lyra Heartstrings told me, I mean. So I did. Most of us did. I think. And then…” he wiggled his wings. “That happened. I’m… I’m not sure what happened. I can’t hear Mother at all, anymore.”
It’s so hard to read the expression of those featureless eyes, but the voice sounded pleading. “What’s going to happen to us… now?” he whispered.
Beautiful, shining wings. Shivering under my gaze like a leaf in the breeze. Something sliced off his right ear not long ago, leaving just a barely healed stump, and I have a feeling I know exactly how and when that happened.
It was the night when I almost lost Shining forever, the night that concluded the most terrifying week of my life. I still shudder when thinking of what I had to do to get him back, and marvel that it worked at all. Half of my personal security detail is still in the hospital. Spearhead is getting honorably discharged, he will never fly again. Flash Sentry died in the line of duty.
But that was also the night when changelings died by the thousand, bodies littering the streets like trash. Just how culpable are the hoofsoldiers of that monster? How did she compel them to rush so gladly into a woodchipper?…
I don’t know. But there is one thing I am sure of, one thing that the Heart told me.
Changelings can be radiant, too.
I bit my lip. What would Celestia do? The Crystal Empire has never had much in the way of dungeons, and even Sombra’s brief reign does not appear to have changed this. Just about the only place that can even contain so many changelings is the stadium. A chilling, dark irony, a path I will never take. For a moment, I became acutely aware of the weight of the crown on my head, that piece of metal that for so long felt insignificant, ephemeral, just a frame to hold a gem that goes with my mane, nothing more. A trinket which suddenly acquired the mass of the entire Canterlot Mountain and crushed me like a bug.
Three crowns.
The crown of a Princess of Equestria, a strange quirk of history, mine by the Accords, neither wanted nor asked for. They even had to make an amendment so that I would have to finish my schooling before I could do too much harm with it. But this is Crystal Empire land, a Princess of Equestria is but a guest here. That crown compels me to deal with a threat. These lost, confused creatures are not.
The crown of the Crystal Princess, mine by heritage and ancient laws, mine by the trust of these ponies, who rely on me to shield them from harm. It compels me to put their best interest first – but also, it charges me with determining what their best interests are.
The crown of the Princess of Love, not so much mine, as it is of me. The one that I brought back with me from that sea of stars, the one that charges me to remind ponies of what love is, for I have been beyond the world, have seen it from the outside, and love was what I came back for.
There is but one way forward. There can only be one way forward. I threw a glance across the crowd, pony and changeling eyes wordlessly staring at me. Do I have the authority?
For love, I have all the authority in the world. Who cares what would Celestia do? Tonight is the night of the Princess of Love, and none shall dare to overturn what’s about to happen.
“Hear ye, hear ye!” I proclaimed, spreading my wings wide to punctuate, my voice reverberating across the city. “Hear, ye changelings and ponies, and all creatures!”
Ears perked up across the crowd. Expectant glances.
“There is to be no more blood spilled today, no more death and no more suffering. There has been more than enough already! All the changelings, heed my words! There is love for everyone in the Crystal Empire. Lay down your weapons, stay the hoof that strikes, and you may stay. There is but one condition and one condition only!”
Luna’s quirky style must be rubbing off on me. I took a deeper breath.
“Equestria has changed in a thousand years. What it means to be a crystal pony has not! A crystal pony is one whose life is bound to the Crystal Heart, to maintain and treasure it, and to share the love with others. Species or tribes matter not, for before love, all creatures are the same! Any changeling who agrees to the rite of Crystalling is a crystal pony upon completion thereof, and a citizen of the Crystal Empire, with all privileges and duties that apply. An amnesty is granted to those who do so, and no persecution for their past actions shall befall them, for they are as newly born before the law. So I swear, on the heart of my cutie mark!”
Excited murmurs ran across the crowd. With their uncanny synchrony gone, the changelings seemed just like the ponies they stood amongst, each excited and confused in their own way.
“But don’t the Accords stipulate extradition treaties?” Twilight whispered at me from the crowd.
“They do,” I replied quietly, without changing my posture or even looking at her. “Between signatories. The Crystal Empire did not sign an extradition treaty with the United Kingdoms, yet.” I can protect all of my crystal ponies.
A droplet of something icky green flew right past my face, and I looked up. Right above my head, dangling off a thread of stretchy green gunk like a spider, legs contorted, was the changeling queen, her head twisted backwards.
“Really, Cadance?” She slid further down, and I had to make a step back to avoid touching her disgusting, unkempt mane. “You expect any of my subjects to take that offer, when they can just have everything?” Dropping in front of me, she pushed her face into mine, teeth shining from behind that smile that I have seen way too much of. “How many ponies are you prepared to lose, pretty pink pony princess?”
It took some effort, but I broke away from her gaze, to throw a glance at the crowd. Twilight stood tall, the Element of Magic proudly sparkling in the crown on her head. Rainbow Dash was hovering in the air above her, rubbing hooves together, with an openly malicious grin on her face above the glittering lightning bolt on her neck. They certainly got a lot more practice calling upon those things tonight than anypony ever thought possible or necessary.
I’d rather not have them do it yet again.
“Zero,” I declared. “Which is why I say, leave in peace, Chrysalis. Leave, and take all that will follow you. Preferably, before my husband comes back, for when his hoof rises to strike you, I shall not stop him. There are things no princess should ever deny.”
There was no way it could have escaped Chrysalis’ notice that we have all the upper hooves we could ever need, but even if it didn’t, that failed to wipe the smug grin off her face. “So even a Princess of Equestria is not above bribery,” she mocked me. “I wonder, what other things hide beneath this pink coat.”
“But isn’t this what we wanted, Mother?” Thorax piped up. “Food, shelter, peace?”
“No,” Chrysalis snarled at him, sending the poor changeling cowering behind the human, of all people. “No, you stupid freak, this isn’t what I wanted!” She called out across the square, “What are you waiting for?! Attack, my changelings!”
Not a hoof moved in response to that. Not a wing twitched. Just a thousand changeling faces guiltily looking into the pavement and seeing their own reflections.
“What…” she muttered. For the first time ever, I saw her face contorted by fear. “What happened?…”
“Haven’t you heard, Chrysalis?” I answered. “Love conquers all.”
Someday, it might even conquer monsters as horrible as a mother that won’t return the love of her own child. I don’t know when that will happen, but I’m sure that day will come.
It did not take Chrysalis long to recover. “So this is how you play, Cadance,” she hissed. “I shall leave. Oh yes, I shall leave. And you will rue the day you let me go, you will keep regretting it for a thousand years! When I get my hooves on you, I—”
“Give me back the brooch before you go,” I interrupted.
“What?…” she muttered.
“The crystal brooch,” I explained. “Shaped like a heart. The one you took, like a common thief. You thought it was some key to control the Crystal Heart, didn’t you? It’s not. It’s not anything that special, but I’d like it back, please.”
Chrysalis drew breath through her clenched teeth, so hard and fast, that I thought she was going to explode. But instead of doing that, spitting venom into my face, or even simply spewing another tirade full of threats and oaths of revenge, she shook her leg, dislodging the brooch from one of the holes, and it tinkled on the crystal.
And then she picked the brooch up and threw it, hard, out of the square. As I turned to look at it, I heard the buzz of dragonfly wings next to my ears, and when I looked back at her, all I could see was a silhouette, barely visible in the light of the streetlights. All the changelings stood still, staring in her direction with a multitude of expressions on their faces, some of barely concealed glee, others of fear and regret.
I took a deep breath and finally relaxed my wings. What’s next? Right. Delegate. “Miss Maresbury?”
“Yes, your majesty?” the elderly librarian answered, pushing her way through the crowd. “What can I do for you?”
“Quite a lot,” I smiled at her, ignoring the inflated title. I’m anything but a majesty. “We have Crystallings to perform. Right now, if at all possible. I was hoping you would help with the details, or at least, find the ponies or books that can. Twilight Sparkle and her friends will assist you. Should you need anything that my Guard can help with—”
A commanding voice interrupted me. “Situation report!”
Even through the crystal illusion, Shining Armor looked like he had a building fall on him – patches of heavily bruised skin visible through the dirty white coat, the entire right side of his armor missing. But he was trotting steadily, calm, collected, majestic. Balanced on his back was Spike, snoring like a baby foal.
I had to remind myself once again that we’re married already.
“There’s no situation anymore, love,” I told him. “It’s all over. We’ve won.”
He looked suspiciously at the changelings scattered in the crowd. “What are these, then?” he mumbled.
“I’ve expanded the Empire a little while you were busy,” I said with a grin. “I hope you don’t mind.”
“What’s next, changing the carpets?” he grinned back, prompting a fit of stifled giggles rippling across the crowd. “I remember you were looking for this,” he added, floating the heart brooch to me in his magic. “It smashed into a wall right in front of me. Sorry it’s broken.”
I pulled at the brooch, and the little crystal heart fell out of the golden frame and came apart, cracked cleanly across the middle, as if by design. “It’s fine. I never told you what it is, have I?”
Shining shook his head wordlessly.
“I have never heard my mother tell this story,” I said, “She died before she got a chance. But Celestia still remembered it. When La Mia Speranza was leaving the Empire on her crusade, Amore gave her this brooch. She left to find a husband, you see. It was the crystal set aside for his Crystalling. By the time she returned, the Empire was already lost. But they kept the crystal, because they knew that one day, the Empire would be back.”
“I’m not sure if Amore knew there would be two of us,” I added, looking at the break. “But I know that this half is for you.”
And the other is for me.