Chapter 10
Crystal Ponies
Before Twilight could ask Cadance anything about the seventh Element, Cadance let out a sharp cry. Her horn fizzled for a second, as did the barrier outside. Twilight took a step towards her, but Shining Armor appeared out of nowhere and was suddenly at his wife's side. Her friends appeared soon after, hovering outside the door.
"Please Twily, you need get started right away. Cadance can't hold up this barrier forever," Shining Armor asked.
"What... what if I took a turn holding the barrier?" Twilight asked.
"It would take you time to master the spell and endurance required," Cadance said slowly, her stream of magic steady again, "While I do appreciate the offer, there isn't enough time for that. Please, you need to find a way for the crystal ponies to put up the barrier themselves."
Twilight nodded and left the room. She led her friends off to a secluded part of the palace and took a deep breath. She glanced at the setting sun outside. So much had happened, all in one day.
"What do we need to do?" Applejack asked.
"Princess Cadance said something about the crystal ponies being able to put up the barrier?" Rarity asked. Twilight nodded.
"Yes," she said, "Cadance said that long ago, the crystal ponies could put up their own barrier around the empire. They had a way of powering it, but she doesn't remember. Nopony seems to know."
"Maybe the crystal ponies will know?" Pinkie Pie suggested.
"They might," Twilight said, "It would be helpful if we did. But we can't go around asking them at night. It will have to wait until morning."
She sighed. She closed her eyes and thought of poor Cadance suffering, putting all of her energy into keeping the empire safe. It was her empire after all. If only they could put up the barrier with their senshi magic, instead of having to rely on the crystal ponies.
Shining Armor found them. He smiled calmly.
"Thank you again for your offer, Twilight," Shining Armor said, "Sorry if we seemed a bit desperate back there. That's the first time Cadance has cried out like that, and the first time the barrier has wavered. I've brought her some tea and something to eat, and she seems to be doing better now. I'm going to stay up with her all night. This is the first night we've been here, so she should be alright.
"You're right in that you can't go asking the crystal ponies at night. They're a pretty gloomy and jumpy group, though that's understandable with everything that they've been through. I suggest you girls get some shuteye and you can start your research in the morning. I'm not sure what the crystal ponies will remember, but hopefully they'll be able to help."
"That sounds like the best plan," Twilight said. She was just realizing now how tired she was. It had been a long day full of new information to absorb.
"I'll see you in the morning, then," Shining Armor said.
Twilight nodded, and slowly, she and her friends wandered off into the palace, finding their respective rooms, and all drifted off into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Twilight felt the most rested she had been in a long time. Ever since she learned the meaning behind the dreams, they no longer plagued her as nightmares. Instead, her subconscious welcomed them with open forelegs, and she embraced them.
She met up with her friends in the dining hall for breakfast. Shining Armor and Cadance were there as well. Cadance looked well, and her magic flowed steadily, though she did have bags under her eyes and her mane looked a little frumpled.
"Did you all sleep well?" Cadance asked.
Murmurs of agreement were heard around the table. The mane 6 ate their breakfast quickly, bid the princess and Shining Armor a good day, and set off into the empire.
With the sun shining brightly above them, Twilight and her friends walked out of the palace and into the streets. Cheery shops and houses lined the boulevard, and a few ponies walked about. Right away, Twilight could tell that the ponies looked off.
"They don't look very... crystally," Rainbow Dash said, repeating her words from the previous day.
"Like my brother said, they've been through a lot," Twilight said.
The crystal ponies looked glossier than the other ponies Twilight had seen in Equestria. Though Rainbow Dash was right—it wasn't quite what she had expected from them. Their manes all seemed to hang down, as though gravity were weighing down on them. Their faces were demure and somewhat sad. None of them seemed to notice the six foreign ponies.
"Well..." Twilight set, letting out a deep exhale, "Let's split up and see what we can find. Meet back in an hour?"
The others nodded in agreement and they all set off in different directions. Twilight headed towards a mare walking down the street, whose mane was drab and face fixated on the ground as she walked.
"Excuse me!" Twilight said. She was somewhat surprised that the pony turned towards her instantly. By the way the ponies had been acting, Twilight almost thought that she and her friends couldn't be seen. But apparently, the crystal ponies knew that they were there.
"Hi there!" Twilight said, trying her best to sound extra cheerful. Just looking at this crystal pony made her want to console her. "My friends and I are visiting from Ponyville! I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me about the Crystal Empire?"
"Um... I can try, I guess," the mare answered.
"Do you know anything about how you crystal ponies used to protect the empire, before King Sombra came?" Twilight asked. She noticed that the mare winced slightly at King Sombra's name.
"No, I'm sorry. I can't seem to remember much about a time before King Sombra..." the mare answered.
"What about," Twilight glanced around to make sure Fluttershy wasn't in earshot, "What about a time when we were all humans. When this was known as Crystal Tokyo. Do you remember anything about that?"
"Crystal... Tokyo?"
Twilight felt a flutter of hope rush through her, as she watched the mare tilt her head to one side as she pondered the name. But then the mare sighed and shook her head.
"No, I don't know anything about a tokyo," the mare said. "I'm sorry. I don't think anypony remembers anything about a time before King Sombra..."
"Oh," Twilight sighed, "It's ok."
The mare then winced and shuddered, "And I don't think anypony really wants to remember when he ruled either."
"That's alright," Twilight said. She tried to sound cheery again, "Thank you for your time!"
Despite what the mare had said about nopony remembering anything before King Sombra, Twilight set out and asked a few more ponies she saw on the street. But they all had the same responses. They didn't remember anything before King Sombra. Nopony knew anything about putting up a barrier.
Twilight sighed and slowly made her way back to the meeting spot. A few of the others were already there, and the rest arrived at the same time Twilight did.
"Did anypony have any luck?" Twilight asked, the desperation clear in her voice. Everyone shook their heads.
"Nopony seemed to remember anything," Rarity said.
"It's like they all have a collective amnesia," Applejack said, "Though I did hear somethin' about a library."
"A library?" Twilight asked, her hopes rising. "A library!? This is excellent! Why didn't you say so sooner, Applejack? There has, has, has to be answers a library! It's a library! Come on!"
Applejack led them to the library. Twilight gazed hopefully at the rows upon rows upon columns of books. There had to be answer in there. No doubt about it.
An older looking mare caught her eye.
"Excuse me!" Twilight said, trotting happily over to the librarian, "We're looking for a book!"
"We have plenty of books," the librarian said drolly. Twilight did a little hop. They sure did have a lot of books! Too many books to put into words!
"We're looking for a history book," Applejack said, "Something that might explain how the empire used to protect itself."
"History, yes, of course," the librarian said. She began to turn left and then right and then left and then right, "Let me see..."
Twilight waited patiently. The librarian continued to look in both directions. She then turned to Twilight, a defeated look in her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I can't seem to remember where the history section is," she said. She paused. "I'm not even sure I work here."
"That's ok!" Twilight piped up quickly, "We'll just take a look around ourselves! It won't be that hard!"
Twilight and the others split up and began to search the library. It was a tedious and long task. While there were many, many different books that Twilight wouldn't mind cracking open and reading, she remained focus on her task. Maybe after they saved the empire, they would let her borrow a few books. Or twenty. Or fifty-seven. Or just let her stay in the library for a few months.
"Anyone else starting to think this is hopeless?" Applejack asked. Rainbow Dash groaned in agreement. But just as Applejack said it, a title caught Twilight's eye.
"Yes! I've found it!" Twilight said. She quickly scanned through the book, ensuring that there was nothing in there about Crystal Tokyo or humans. Couldn't have Fluttershy asking questions and having her memory as Sailor Saturn coming back to her. It was safe. Only Equestrian times.
"History of the Crystal Empire," Twilight said, as her friends crowded around. Hopefully it would have the answers they needed.