“Wow…” The kids took the words right out of her mouth. Pale Arts just stared ahead as she took in the sights. Here, resting at the eye of a winter storm stood the Crystal Empire; a relic from an age a long past stood around her. And it lived up to its name; the streets - the buildings themselves were made from the purest shade of crystal that one could ever come across.
It was beautiful… but there was something missing.
Turning her gaze to the ponies that seemed to be wandering around in a daze, the mare gave them a pitying look. Solid gray hues painted over their forms, staining what should be shining near reflective fur. Their coats were one thing though, what hurt her most had to be what rested in their eyes.
Confusion could be seen in those eyes and with it came a tint of hopelessness in light of something. But whatever it was, left a cloud hanging over their thoughts. They probably didn’t remember what had happened, let alone understand what was going on at the moment.
“What’s wrong with them?” Gentle croaked out as the amazement of his surroundings disappeared and was replaced with worry for the ponies that rested around them.
“An injustice has befallen these ponies.” Pale Arts muttered. “And I fear it has left them lost and they are wounded.”
“Is there anything we can do?” Gentle choked out again.
“We can try and ensure that such a thing never happens to them again.” The mare muttered as she adopted a look of determination across her face. “To do that, two things must be done. We must find the Crystal Heart and Sombra’s soul must be laid to rest.” She whispered.
“So, we’re going to fight him.” Sunset muttered.
“If it come to that there will be no ‘we’.” Pale Arts muttered as she looked back at her two companions. “I will fight him alone. Sombra is a ghost from a dead age, and being one myself, it is only right I deal with him myself.” She stated before pausing. “Besides.” She looked backwards, toward the horizon as she made a face. “He will come for me. Not as a false king in search of a queen, but as a rival seeking to sit upon an empty throne.” She stated before turning away, her attention quickly turning to the Crystal Palace as she headed towards it. “Not that I desire such a thing.”
“Is that so?” Sunset went silent as she looked at her makeshift guardian as she continued walking on. “Than… what is it that you want?” Pale Arts turned skyward.
“I… don’t really know.” She muttered. “As a ghost, I am bound to this world by my unfinished business.” She stated. “But as it stands, I don’t know what binds me to this world.” She made a noise. “No… that’s a lie, I do know what binds me… it’s something I failed to do in my age… someone I failed to protect, and a vow I failed to keep…”
Sunset fell silent as she looked at the older mare. ‘She’s smiling… but…’
There was so much pain in that smile…
“When I either make amends for my failure, or when I accept what I lost, maybe then I will move on from this world…” Pale Arts whispered as she looked back at the two. “I hope you two are ready when that day comes.” The two fell silent as Pale Arts turned away, her attention refocusing on the sky as she raised her head and gathered her magic as she fired a single bolt of magic into the sky.
On impulse the pair watched it rise into the sky like a lightning bolt in reverse, then once it reached its apex it spread out, forming a shimmering gold and orange dome that enveloped the city and the grasslands beyond.
“That should buy us some time.” Pale Arts admitted. “That barrier won’t last forever, but it will keep Sombra out of the Empire when he starts to move towards it.”
“How do you know he’s not already here?” Sunset asked as they moved on again.
“The Crystal Empire is empathetic in nature; it’s form will change depending on what feelings and magics run through its veins. If he were here, it would show us without resignation.”
“It would show us?” Sunset muttered as she looked at the empire. “Ok~ so, given how it looks, and what you're saying I’m guessing he’s not here yet, if that’s the case, what should we do?”
“For now let’s search for the Crystal Heart. Whether it will be needed in the coming battle or not, it is very important for ensuring the empire’s survival.”
“Why’s that?”
“The Crystal Heart is a relic from the old days, it has the power to convert the light, love and hope of the Crystal Ponies into a radiant shield that protects the Empire not just from the blizzards of the North, but also ensures that no malevolent forces may enter the land. This relic has kept the Crystal Empire safe for countless centuries before Sombra took over and hid it.” Ple Arts shook her head as she sighed to herself. “It is a treasure given to the royal family long ago back when the Crystal Empire was but a village during the Age of Frost and entrusted to the Royal Family who has a particularly strong tie to it.”
“How do you know so much about it?” Sunset asked
“Well, besides being over a thousand years old myself and having lived during the time of the Empire’s founding and hay days, I was the one that made the Crystal Heart for them.”
“Oh…” Both young ponies paused. “What?” Sunset’s eyes widened.
“Y - you made it?” She asked. “You helped found the Crystal Empire?”
“No no no.” Pale Arts chuckled. “I created the Crystal Heart, and gifted it to the village that became the Crystal Empire, but that is all I did for the village that would become this empire.” Pale Arts admitted as she looked around. “Still I admit, I do find pleasure in finding that little village I protected from the cold became such a grand place…” She smiled for a moment. “At the same time, it wounds me to know what has become of this land.”
“Pale Arts… who in Tartarus are you?” Sunset asked as Pale looked back at the mare and gave her this coy smile.
“I told you, didn't I?” The mare began. “Once I was a queen.” She turned to the horizon. “Once I was a wife, and once I was a mother.” She continued as she looked up at the pedestal used to house the Crystal Heart. “Now I am just a ghost.”
“Ms. Pale…” Gentle made a face, rubbing his throat as he felt the pain return to it. Using his magic he started to make letters in the air.
“Wait, if you created the Crystal Heart, can’t you make another one?”
“That would save us time so we wouldn’t have to search for the original.” Sunset admitted.
“Yes it would, but I’m afraid I can’t at this moment.” Pale Arts admitted. “It took about a week to create that artifact using Emotional Magic and Weather Abjuration.” She stated. “Not only that, but knowing Sombra, we only hours to days before he sets his sights on the Empire.”
“So… we’re on a time limit.”
Pale Arts nodded. “Finding the Crystal Heart is going to be our priority, and I don’t know where it rests at this moment. “But I have an idea.” The mare stated as she started walking again before turning towards the castle in the distance. “I believe the Heart rests within the Empire’s reflection.”
“Reflection?” Sunset got a nod as Gentle tilted his head. “What do you mean?”
“Follow and I will show you.”
The Crystal Palace
Stepping into the Crystal Palace the three ponies looked around for a moment as they entered the throne room.
‘It’s so shining…’ Gentle thought as he looked back at Pale Arts as she turned to face him and Sunset.
“Everyone’s outside, that should give us some room to speak more freely.” Pale Arts stated. “Now allow me to explain what I meant earlier by the Empire’s reflection.” She settled down on the floor as she had the two ponies do the same. “How to explain this in a way you may understand…” She paused before making a noise and nodded her head. Using her magic to cut a piece of crystal out of the ground she lifted it up for the young ones to see. “Do you remember what I said earlier? About how the empire is empathetic in nature?” The two nodded their heads. “I said it’s form responds to the feelings that course through its veins.” The mare spun the crystal in her magical grasp. “As feelings of hope and love and light are spread throughout the empire, it will shine as bright as a star.” She stated as she focused, her feelings and thoughts to make the crystal shine in a way as it released a rainbow halo.
“Wow~”
“However, as fear and hatred spread throughout the empire…” Both younger ponies froze, the hairs on the back of their coats sticking up on ends as they saw Pale Arts change.
No; Pale Arts didn’t change, but something did happen to her. From her now green eyes these strands of purple miasma thrashed about as her horn was enveloped in this sickly glow as the crystal she held turned pitch black.
“Holy shit…” Gentle felt sick just looking at the crystal.
“Yeah…” Sunset couldn’t agree more with his statement.
“When Sombra ruled the Crystal Empire this is what made up his empire. Nothing but crystalised malevolence went as far as the eye could see.” The clow in her eyes disappeared as did the miasma as the glow from her horn returned to a shining orange and the crystal was purified. “I’m sorry if that troubled you, but you needed to see that away from the Crystal ponies. I'm afraid of how they’ll respond to us if they see that.” The mare stated as she took a breath.
“Ok, but why did you need to show us that? And what’s that got to do with the Crystal Empire’s ‘reflection’?” Sunset asked as she shook herself to get rid of the unease that had washed over just a moment ago.
“Because when Sombra ruled the Empire, it was changed to suit his darkness, in contrast to the Empire that ruled by the Mi Amore line which was bathed in light.”
You…” Sunset paused. “You mean we have to change the Crystal Empire into one of ‘darkness’ in order to find this Crystal Heart.” She stated. “Won’t that freak everyone - everypony out?”
“It will, that’s exactly why we’ll be limiting it to the Crystal Palace.” Pale Arts stated as she looked around. “This palace changes shape depending on whether benevolence or malice run through it, and because of it, doors will open and close depending on which is dominant.”
“I can’t use my darkness.” Sunset muttered. “Princess Celestia said that touching that pulling at that part of yourself leads down a path that’s hard to turn away from. Using the darkness in your heart pulls you along, and though it seems wrong, it feels right…” Sunset muttered. “She said you lose everything… including your soul.” She muttered. “I… walked down that path, I saw what I was doing, I don’t want to go back down there.”
“I understand.” Pale Arts admitted. “You fear losing yourself.” The mare stated. “I respect that, and I can not deny that such a risk would be taken to do so.” The mare stated as she raised a hoof to Sunset’s chin, raised it up and gave her a nod. “But you must understand that suppressing and denying that part of you does more harm than good.”
“What do you mean?”
“Light can not exist without darkness.” Pale Arts stated. “Good cannot exist without evil and you can’t begin to understand love can not be comprehended without having once experienced hate. They are two sides of a single coin, you can not have one without the other, and to deny one you must deny the other.” She stated. “And if you deny what makes you who you are, what are you in the end?” She asked as Sunset looked away. “You must understand to be true to yourself you must accept both the good and the bad that exist within you.” She lowered her hoof. “That will be a lesson you have to learn on your own.”
Pale returned her attention towards the crystal she had pulled from the ground and split it in two, stood and reached into her saddlebag. Pulling out some thread she drilled it into each crystal so that they might be formed into crystals. “Here.” The mare rested the necklace on both pony’s necks. “Gentle, Sunset, this will be your first lesson under my guidance.”
“Hm?” Gentle tilted his head in confusion. Lesson? weren’t they about to go through the castle and search for this Crystal Heart thing?
“In order to help with our search you two will need to learn to use Emotion Magic to open the hidden doors within the palace. In order to do so, you will be channeling your darker feelings into magic power and directing it outward.” Pale Arts stated. “But before you can do such a thing, you must learn how to do so.” Pale Arts stated as she pointed at the crystal on both pony’s neck. “For this lesson you will need to shroud that crystal in malice, and purify it with your benevolence.”
“Oh~ Gentle muttered. “How do we do that?”
“To begin you must simply ‘feel’. Pale Arts stated. “As you feel you must understand this; there is a power in feelings, a force that can change you and the world itself for better or worse. Grab hold of that force, nourish it - let it grow and merge it with your mana, letting your magic give it form.” Pale Arts stated. “Doing so will amplify your magic to a degree you may find that may only exist in a dream. But You must be careful. Power drawn by amplified feelings is as wonderful as it is dangerous. Love can become perverted, sadness can grow to consume you, fear can grow to be overwhelming, and hate can devour you whole.” She stated. “You will learn to harness these emotions, you will learn to focus the power they bring you.” She stressed the last part. “You must focus that power to ensure it does not run wild, you must control it and not be controlled by it. You are it’s guide, and not the one guided. Do you understand?” Gentle looked at Sunset, who seemed a bit unsure at the moment. Looking back at Pale he gave her this so-so gesture with his hoof. “It will make more sense when you begin to try it.” The mare stated as she looked out a window for a moment, seeming to check something before nodding her head. “Now let us begin your first lesson.”