//------------------------------// // Chapter 2: Arrival // Story: No Place Like Home // by Overthinker //------------------------------// The first to break the long stunned silence was the dark blue crystal mare. “Are you seeing this?” Seven asked as she lifted the snow goggles from her eyes. She tried her best to remain calm, but her hoof was shaky, and the strap tangled itself in her ice blue mane. Seven didn’t notice. Garnet Glow did, however, and helped untangle Seven’s goggles before removing her own. It gave her something else to focus on. “I see it, but I can’t believe it,” she said, returning her gaze over the Crystal Empire below. “How is this possible?” “Empire syndrome,” Amethyst stated bluntly. Garnet and Seven looked up at her with confusion before Pearl butted in, eager for something she could understand and explain. “A minority of crystal ponies on the pilgrimage to the crystal capital, upon reaching their destination, are overwhelmed by the sense of history,” Winter Pearl said, lifting her head with a smirk. “They experience anxiety and vivid hallucinations as the weight of their cultural heritage grows too great to bear.” Pearl waved her foreleg at the city below. Seven stamped her right hoof down. “So what you’re saying is we’ve all gone crazy?” Garnet’s brow furrowed in worry. “I don’t want to be crazy. If I’m crazy, then who’s going to take care of the tea house?” Pearl sighed, rolling her eyes and tossing her forelock. “First of all, being hit with Empire syndrome doesn’t make you ‘crazy’, which, by the way, is an extremely loaded term, any more than catching a cold makes you infirm. Secondly, there are plenty of ponies with mental illness living happy and productive lives. Thirdly…” “What are the odds we’d all see the same hallucination?” Amethyst interrupted cooly. Pearl shrugged. “Practically nothing.” “So if we’re all seeing the same thing, then it must be real?” Seven piped up. Amethyst nodded. “We haven’t actually said what we saw, though,” Garnet brought up with concern. Seven waved a foreleg. “Easy. We do a count of three, then we all say what we see down there. One… Two...” “The Crystal Empire!” Garnet and Pearl exclaimed. “Three,” Seven finished. “The Crys… Yeah, what you said. What about you, Amethyst?” Amethyst nodded in confirmation. Garnet swallowed. “So it’s true, then. That really is the Crystal Empire.” “We’re home,” Pearl whispered. “We’re home. Our people finally have a home.” Seven sat down. “How long has it been, Pearl?” Pearl snapped out of her daze. She put on her best confident look, but her voice couldn’t help but still waver slightly. “Somewhere between 1015 to 1032 years ago. Going by the most reliable records. Date-wise, I mean. The events in Sapphire Frost: Hero of the Exodus might be exaggerated, but the time period-” “Ahem.” The sound of a throat clearing grabbed their attention. Garnet, Pearl, and Seven turned to look up to Amethyst. “The pilgrimage.” “R-.... Right.” Garnet gulped. Pearl pawed at the snow anxiously. “Well… That… is what we came here for.” Seven looked down at the city of their ancestors and steeled her nerves. “Come on, girls. Let’s go home.” With that, the four crystal ponies walked over the peak of Freedom Ridge and toward the Crystal Empire. On the opposite side of the Empire, Twilight Sparkle and her friends stepped off the train from Equestria and took a moment to stretch their legs and take a breath of fresh air. “I must say, I’m rather excited to see another Crystal Faire,” Rarity said with a smile as she looked around the city. In the distance, near the Crystal Castle, she could see stands staffed with crystal ponies selling funnel cakes, crystal berry pies, and other snacks. “Especially seein' as we ain't the ones who gotta put the whole shindig together,” Applejack added. Twilight nodded in agreement. “And this time, there’s nothing at stake.” Last year, the six of them had to learn the crystal pony traditions and throw a hastily-improvised Crystal Faire to remind the crystal ponies of what life was like before King Sombra erased their memories and enslaved them. This year, they could finally just relax. They didn’t have to worry about jousting, flugelhorn-playing, basket-weaving, pie-baking, or Crystal Heart-finding. “I wouldn’t say there’s nothing at stake,” Rainbow Dash said, forelegs crossed across her chest as she flew just a bit higher for a better view. “I’ve gotta defend my jousting title, after all.” Fluttershy looked up. “N… No, you really don’t.” Rainbow Dash smirked. “I’m not going to just surrender it without a fight, Fluttershy.” “Well, what I mean is… Um. I’m not… asking for it.” Rainbow Dash frowned. “Then what’s the point of the rematch?” “Um… I don’t really want one.” Rainbow Dash returned to the ground. “Spoilsport.” The harsh sound of an improperly-tuned and poorly-played crystal flugelhorn diverted their attention. “Spikey!” Pinkie shouted, lowering her instrument. “Come on! You’re gonna be late for the Crystal Faire!” That was when a yellow Spike-sized ball burst out of the train doors, rolled across the platform, and bounced off Twilight Sparkle before rolling to a complete stop. Twilight blinked, not quite expecting the ball to be quite so… plush. She trotted over and examined the ball when a pair of green eyes poked out of the side, looking incredibly nauseated. “Spike? What are you doing in a ball of… Is that yarn?” Her only response she received was muffled grunting, but the answer came soon enough when three little fillies stepped out of the train. “I guess scarf-knitting isn’t going to get us our cutie marks,” Applebloom said with some disappointment. “Or sweater-knitting,” Scootaloo added. “Or sock-knitting,” Sweetie Belle chimed in. “But I’m not going to let that get me down,” Applebloom declared proudly. “Because we’re finally back in the Crystal Empire!” Spike’s eyes widened. “This time, we can finally enjoy it!” Scootaloo declared. The yellow yarn ball began to wobble as Spike thrashed around inside. “Ooh, I hope they still have those snow globes!” Sweetie Belle said hopefully. A burst of green fire burned away the yarn covering Spike’s face. “Boy, I sure hope you have loads of fun on your first trip to the Crystal Empire,” Spike said through a forced smile, nodding (and wobbling) fiercely. There was a brief pause. “Yes! Our very first trip!” The fillies nodded as one and began talking over each other about their hopes for their first visit. Twilight raised an eyebrow. “What was that about?” Rarity shrugged. “Little fillies being silly. By the way, Sweetie Belle. Splendid color choice. The yellow really complements Spike’s scales.” With that, the ponies walked toward the Crystal Castle and the festivities, rolling Spike along the way. Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Seven wandered the city, their eyes wide with wonder. It didn’t take long for them to realize some kind of festival was taking place. Everywhere they looked, they saw merchant stands, performances, colorful banners, and other eye-grabbing displays. Food stands were stacked with fragrant treats they had never seen in their lives. They were awash in new sensations from every direction. “This place feels just like a dream,” Garnet Glow whispered as they found a quieter street corner. “Crystal ponies, just… everywhere!” Winter Pearl nodded. “I know just what you mean. The architecture, the art, the… Everything.” She took a deep breath, closing her eyes and letting it all out. “Is this what being a crystal pony is supposed to be like?” “You bet!” Seven shouted with a wild grin on her face. “It’s just like the old legends said! A crystal city of crystal ponies. A heart of warmth beats back the heart of winter and brings all four seasons. The six-point crystal, you know the rest.” Amethyst nodded in agreement. A shadow passed over them, and they turned their heads up. An orange winged pony, distinctly non-crystal, flew by overhead. “Well, not exactly like the old legends,” Garnet thought out loud. “I didn’t expect to see the Windrider tribe here.” Pearl shrugged. “Makes sense. The Crystal Empire used to span the whole continent. It isn’t weird that some of the other tribes would be living in our capital. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw the occasional Lifeshaper or Spellweaver either.” Seven nodded. “If they’re subjects of the Empire, I guess this is their home too.” “Still, wonderful as all this is… There’s just one little question that’s bugging me,” Pearl wondered out loud as she looked to the top spires of the Crystal Castle. Garnet blinked. “What’s that?” Amethyst answered for Pearl. “How?” The crystal ponies fell silent. For a thousand years, the Crystal Enclave dreamed of re-establishing the Empire, but without the Crystal Heart to provide enough warmth and light, it was impossible to resettle the frozen wastes. All they could do was pass down what they could of their history and culture to the next generation and journey to where their home once stood to gain a better appreciation for what their people once were. Practically every crystal pony had given up on the Empire as anything other than a sad reminder that their people once had a nation. The idea that the Empire could just suddenly come back and everything would be fine was unthinkable. “Well,” Garnet pondered. “I guess… Time travel?” Pearl raised an eyebrow. “Time travel?” Garnet flushed. “I didn’t say it was a good guess. Do you have any ideas?” Pearl shrugged. “Hypothermic hallucinations.” Seven grimaced. “That’s kinda grim, don’t you think?” “Only if someone doesn’t rescue us before it’s too late,” Pearl replied. “Ugh. Okay…” Seven rubbed her head. “What about… a hoax?” “This seems a bit … ornate for a hoax,” Garnet replied, tilting her head and placing a hoof under her chin. Everyone looked at Amethyst, who simply shrugged. Seven looked around slowly. “I’m not really sure it matters how the Empire reappeared. I mean, it’d be nice to know, but… Well, why do we need to figure this out now?” She gave a wide grin. It was infectious, and Garnet and Pearl found themselves nodding in agreement. “The situation right now is nice and simple. We have a home again!” “For how long?” Amethyst asked flatly. Garnet, Pearl, and Seven looked up at Amethyst. “Wh… What do you mean?” Garnet asked, afraid of the answer. “How long. Do we have. A home?” Amethyst said, slowly and deliberately. Slowly, but surely, the implication dawned on them. Their coats dimmed as they realized their fears. “If we don’t know why the Empire is back,” Pearl began, “Then we don’t know that it wouldn’t just… disappear again.” Garnet gulped. “It… It could even take us with it. M-Maybe it already has.” Seven stomped a hoof down. “Shine up, girls. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. No. Even less than that. We finally have a home again. If it’s going to vanish again, then we need to do whatever it takes to keep that from happening, even if we have to smash some creepy artifact, or do some quest, or… or… or fight the Enslaver.” Everyone shivered at the name, and Seven fought down an unfamiliar and unwelcome sensation in her gut. “Whatever it takes.” “I’ve got to admire your spirit,” Pearl began, as the shine returned to her coat, “but what’s step one?” Seven sighed as she closed her eyes. “Well, we don’t know if it’ll vanish again, but… Ugh… Come on… What would Sapphire Frost do?” “Kick an ursa major in the teeth?” Pearl suggested. “Scale a cliff with her bare hooves?” Garnet pondered. “Learn,” Amethyst stated. Seven scratched her head. “Well… the first two sound more like things she’d have done, but given the circumstances, let’s go with that third thing. So… gathering intel. How do we find out how the Empire came back? Any ideas?” Pearl gave a confident smile. “The best solution is usually the simplest. Let’s ask somepony.” She gestured at the crowds all around them. Garnet put her hoof on her forehead. “Of course!” Seven grinned wildly at her white-furred friend. “You’re a genius!” Pearl, never one to refuse flattery (as undeserved as it may be), gave a smugly modest reply. “Please. I’m merely a crystal pony putting her considerable talent to use for the benefit of her people.” She gestured to her cutie mark, a golden magnifying glass with a crystal lens. “If my people need answers, it is my humble duty to find them.” She tossed her red forelock dramatically. “Now watch and learn!” With that, Pearl, with her friends in tow, strode confidently to a moderate herd of ponies lined up in front of what appeared to be a pie vendor. She approached a crystal pony at random. “Excuse me, sir. My companions and I just arrived from the north. I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind answering a few questions.” The crystal pony looked back at her awkwardly. Garnet, Amethyst, and Seven gave each other nervous glances. The pony in the line gave an apologetic smile and a reply. The four crystal pilgrims felt their stomachs drop. The reply was sincere, but incomprehensible. A few words stood out, but the rest of the syllables ran together without any discernible structure. Pearl swallowed. “Well. I apologize, sir. I… you can’t actually understand me, can you?” She gave an apologetic wave, and looked back to her friends, an anxious forced grin on her face. “I… Uh. Well, let’s ask somepony else.” “How about those two?” Garnet pointed to a pair of Lifeshapers that looked friendly enough. One was pink with the fluffiest tail and mane she had ever seen. She was chatting amicably with an orange shaper wearing a wide brown hat. Pearl nodded and went further back in the line to approach the two. “Hi there. You two look friendly. My friends and I are new in town, and we had some questions we were kind of hoping you could answer.” The orange shaper gave her a confused look. In some foreign tongue, she asked a question to the pink one (At least, Pearl assumed it was a question, when her pitch rose near the end), and the pink one shook her head, then gave them a friendly wave and greeted(?) them in a friendly tone before suddenly wrapping her forelegs around Pearl in a tight hug. Seven looked at Garnet and Amethyst. She sighed. “Girls, I don’t think they speak Equish.”