//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: Pony Veracity (the Crystal Empire) // by keithsterling //------------------------------// Through the raging snow storms and white-out conditions of the snow field of the former Crystal Empire, two bright blue eyes appear, piercing the white-out with no sound to be heard. Soon six more bright blue eyes joined the first set of eyes, and still, no sound could be heard. What are these blue eyes, some sort of magical construct that survives the loss of magic in Equestria or some kind of wild magic? As the mysterious animal crest the large snow hill, the bright blue eyes are not eyes but high-intensity headlights attached to a crystal-powered arctic hover recon bike that belongs to the Silverlight Antiquities and Heritage Research team. These recon bikes have enclosed heated cockpit with unique heat circulation and air cycling system to keep the engine and hover jets from freezing in these harsh arctic conditions. Piloting one of these crystal-powered arctic hover recon bikes was Head Archivist Cadence Sparkle, Assistant Archivist Flurry Heart Sparkle, her daughter, Head site scout Luna Borealis and Chief Excavation supervisor Celestia Silverlight, both of Cadence's aunts. These four mares were heading to the ruin of the capital city of the former Crystal Empire the Crystal city. (One hour earlier, Silverlight Antiquities and Heritage Research team base camp) "What makes you think I am Imperial Alicorn, uncle?" Cadence said, her voice edged with tension, hoping it was not valid. "The name of the ruler of Southern star sector was Queen Filomena Amore Aperture," Justice said as Cadence gasps. "Princess Amore: the first ruler of the Crystal Empire," Cadence exclaims as Justice shakes his head. "Before the supernova, Queen Aperture was caring for her foal," Justice said as Cadence's face grew haggard with worry. “Celestia and Luna told me you were an orphan with no memory of your past, dear niece." Justice comment as Cadence's light purple eyes darts maniacally about, picking objects out of her bedroom. "No, uncle! I can't be an Imperial Alicorn? I was a pegasus before I became an Alicorn Princess!" Cadence said, distressed as tears filled her light purple eyes and her uncle transformed into pegasi with no effort. “The ability to transform into another species is a natural ability of Imperial Alicorn, my dear niece," Justice explains as he wraps his metal wings and arms around Cadence, trying his best to comfort her. “If you are an Imperial Alicorn or not…you are still my niece," Justice said, caring as Cadence wrapped her wings and arms around him. (Back to present) 'After that, I decided to learn for myself if I was an Imperial Alicorn.' Cadence thought as she looked upon the ruins of Crystal City from on top of a hill overlooking the once grand city of Crystal empire. It has been many years since the four mares last lay eyes on the Crystal City in the Crystal Empire. It was bittersweet for Flurry heart Sparkle to be returning to Crystal city, the city of her birth. The last sound and image burned into Flurry Heart's memory are the Crystal buildings shattering and the wild winds howling as it forces her to flee to the Castle of Friendship in Ponyville to survive the fall of the Crystal Empire. Cadence felt a cold fist close over her heart as the sound of sniffing is heard over the earwig in her ear. "I am delighted that you survive, Flurry Heart…It would be tough to continue living without you, my lovely foal." Cadence said motherly as the crystal Mic extended from her helmet. "Thank you, mommy." Flurry Heart said, appreciative and reassured as a soft sigh is heard over the earwig, and Cadence softly giggles. "I think it all good, aunties." Cadence comments. "Yes, it's good, aunties."Flurry's heart commented. "But anyway, Cadence, you never told us why we are going to the ruins of the Crystal City?" Celestia asked, wondering through the earwig in Cadence's ear. “There is a room in the bowels of Crystal Palace that was to be used in extreme emergencies. I think Flurry Heart knows the room that I am referring to.” Cadence commented as all three mares heard tapping on Mic. "Mother is, talking about the secret Crystal laboratory of Princess Amore. I tried to open the door went the snowstorms got bad. But it didn't open for me, and the Crystal Empire fell." Flurry Heart commented as the breath caught in Cadence's throat. "It felt like the door didn't recognize me as the Princess of Crystal Empire. Every time I touched the knob, it gave me a light jolt to make me let go of the knob. It felt like I was not the one that could open the door." Flurry Heart explains as Cadence gives a startled gasp at what her daughter said. "Here crazy idea nieces and sister, what if the door was synced to the bio-rhythm of Imperial Alicorn, in this case, our niece Cadence. Because Flurry's heart is not full Imperial Alicorn, it would reject her by shocking her." Luna explains nonchalantly as Celestia gasps. "If we go on that line, sister, that means the secret Crystal laboratory of Princess Amore is an Imperial Alicorn crystal laboratory and can only be opened by Cadence. So something in there links her to Imperial Alicorn space." Celestia comments, shocked as nauseating spurts of adrenaline course through Cadence’s veins. Meanwhile, in the shattered remains of the once-great Crystal City, the capital city of the Crystal Empire, an ominous black shadow moves secretly about the broken crystal buildings searching for any silver of crystal magic that was left after magic was lost in Equestria. During that time, this black shadow buried itself deep in the Crystal fields of the Crystal Empire to preserve its dwindling crystal magic supply. Went magic was restored to Equestria, the black shadow returned to the surface and now seeks more crystal magic to give itself a form. At the same time, a glowing white ball of light has been following the black shadow secretly around the same shattered remains of the once-great Crystal City. The capital city of the Crystal Empire went to its surface and has been siphoning the more powerful silvers of Crystal magic from the Crystal City to keep the black shadow from forming. "Not enough!" The black shadow said bluntly as it sucked up a sliver of Crystal magic. “I must keep that black shadow from gaining enough crystal magic to form. The ponies of this time will never be able to stand against black crystal magic." The white ball of light commented, worried as it sensed a considerable spike of crystal magic nearby. The white ball of light quickly makes a beeline to a considerable crystal magic spike before the black shadow can sense and siphons it. Suddenly the black shadow and white ball of light feel the massive energy surge from the remains of Crystal palace in the castle's bowels. "Power!" the black shadow exclaims as it transforms into a shadow bird and flies straight to the palace. "By the first star! My laboratory has become active! My daughter must be nearby for the lab to release a magic surge like that!" The white ball of light exclaimed as it transformed into a light bird and flew to the palace. On the outskirts of shattered remains of the once-great Crystal City, the capital city of the Crystal Empire, the four crystal-powered arctic hover recon bikes drive toward the town. As if beckoning the four crystal-powered arctic hover recon bikes to continue into the city, the raging snow storm breaks and white-out conditions clear. Soon the shining crown jewel of Crystal Empire appears before the four Alicorn mares piloting the four crystal-powered arctic hover recon bikes the grand Crystal City or the shattered remains. As the mares lay their eyes upon the unimaginable destruction, a bleak, wintry feeling creeps into their hearts at the tremendous loss of the most beautiful city in all of Equestria. As they drive over the broken streets of this city, nothing is recognizable to them as every single crystal structure, from private homes to large institutions, is nothing but shattered remains slowly being sucked up by the constant blowing snow. Not even the crystal palace survived the destruction, as the upper half of the structure now lies shattered and broken on the ground beside it. As the arctic hover recon bikes drive toward the city square, they move over the shattered remnants of a crystal statue that once stood, breaking it even more. Before stopping in the square, the canopy of the lead bike opens up, and Cadence climbs out of the cockpit. Cadence's equine face is etched with sorrow upon seeing the shattered black crystal statue of Princess Amore. “Mommy!” Cadence calls her voice wooden, distant as tears streak her light pink cheeks. Suddenly a memory forms in Cadence's mind of a marvellous looking, very pale vermilion imperial Alicorn mare with a gradient of bright raspberry to moderate cobalt blue mane looking down on her. A slender, very pale vermilion colored hand with periwinkle blue nail polish reach down as two small light pink hand grabs hold of one of the mare's finger and begins sucking on the end of the finger. "Now, Cadence, that mommy's finger and not your pacifier." The mare's voice is lovely and gentle as she carefully removes her finger from her filly's mouth and replaces it with a pacifier. "Mommy-mommy." A tiny voice says as tears run down a pale vermilion-colored cheek and splash on her filly face. "Cadence! Mommy! Awake up!" Three mare's voices called as Cadence returns to the real world. "What happens, niece?" Celestia asked as Cadence shook her head to clear the cobwebs. "My full name, auntie, is…Princess Cadence Sparkle Aperture…I am the daughter of Queen Filomena Amore Aperture, the ruler of Southern Star Sector of Imperial Alicorn Space." Cadence explains as Luna caught her niece went, she passed out. Meanwhile, in the basement of the remains of the crystal palace, the white light bird sits high above, watching the black shadow bird ram itself into the solid wooden door reinforced with imperial Alicorn eternal magic trying to break down the door to get into the lab. A moment later, the shadow bird lands on the ground before transforming into a shadow figure; it begins to toss black energy bolts at the door, trying to break it. Before long, the door starts to suck the black energy bolts that hit it into itself, reinforcing Imperial Alicorn's eternal magic to make it stronger. A few moments later, the light white bird gets tired of the futile attempts to gain entrance to the Laboratory of the black shadow bird. So the white light bird takes flight and quickly passes through the wall into the Laboratory on the other side. As the white light bird flight over a twenty by twenty-eight square foot room, the dominating feature of this room is a micronized Imperial Alicorn power crystal generator that powers all the scientific devices in this room. Much like the Great library Citadel Station collection point station, a considerable crystal master computer is embedded in the wall of the Laboratory. But the significant difference is that the primary crystal monitor of this computer system is cut in a large oval shape to save space in the room. This system is primarily linked to the Pillars of Creation Institute, the super-science wing of Imperial Alicorn space. This particular Imperial Alicorn citizen is an Imperial Alicorn Galactic Scientist trained as Bio-Geneticist. The job of a bio-geneticist is to study the origins of a specific species to learn how they evolved through DNA. These galactic sciences are the only Imperial Alicorn species with access to the most potent magic, the creative magic. All other Imperial Alicorn species only have access to eternal magic. Only the infinity star sector royal family members have access to both Creation and Eternal magic. Those imperial Alicorn who have access to creation magic guard this magic jealously and will not train anyone to use it, not even their own family. Only in rarest cases would they train someone to use creation magic, which must be from their family. That family member is bound to the same rules as the one that taught them. Breaking the rules would mean the instant termination of the student and the master. As the white light bird lands, it begins to transform into a tall ghostly grayish heliotrope-colored unicorn mare with pale, light grayish arctic blue mane and tail. Her slender equine figure was attired in a white sheath dress whose hemline hit just above her ankles. From the end of the dress's hemline to her feet is nothing but smoke. She glides over the floor toward a regeneration tube with the body of an Imperial Alicorn mare with gold bio-mechanical metal bird wings the same body color and mane/tail color of this ghostly unicorn mare. Before the death of this unicorn mare as an imperial Alicorn bio-geneticist, she was able to create an exact clone of her natural body using her knowledge of creating magic and attaching the Bio-mechanical metal bird wings to her body. ‘How did it come to this? How my friend could be so seduced by the easy path of Dark Crystal Magic? He had so much potential…But then he murdered me and transformed me into a black crystal statue. Being Imperial Alicorn, I couldn't be killed…My body turned to crystal, and my spirit was separated from my body. I quickly found a new host in this unicorn mare. She was very much open to the possibility of something beyond the skies of her home planet.’ The ghostly unicorn mare thought as the shadow figure tried to enter the lab. Despite his inability to comprehend any imperial Alicorn technology or theories, no matter how hard he tries. 'The one good thing I was able to get my daughter away from the Crystal Empire before I was killed and to the capital city of Equestria Canterlot. It was very unusual to sense an Imperial Alicorn Timekeeper Administrator from my people's Great Library Citadel Station here on this planet. But I knew one of my own species would care for my foal as her own.’ The ghostly Unicorn mare thought. 'I didn't figure out that it would bring those Imperial Alicorns to Crystal Empire to investigate. In this new body, I quickly, with the help of those Imperial Alicorns, was able to regain control of crystal city after my killing. They appointed me the new ruler of the Crystal Empire. I ruled till my death went my friend took control of Crystal city, and those imperial Alicorns returned to fight my friend for control of Crystal Empire. They wanted to put my daughter back on the throne of the Crystal Empire. But the black crystal magic corrupted him beyond his good side, and he didn't want to give up the throne.' The ghostly unicorn mare thought as her face was etched with sorrow.