-The Frozen North, Crystal Empire.
Princess Cadence is not really a stay-in-home kind of pony. Although she enjoys being inside with her loving husband, she prefers big open spaces where she has the opportunity to open her wings wide and take a flight high in the sky.
After various very uneventful months, she decided to take the old Equestrian custom for a Princess to take patrol duties on her dominions. It was a good way to exercise her flying as also get into her role of Crystal Princess.
Watching over the city, her heart felt warming at knowing that her subjects were as peaceful as her aunt's ones. No one fighting or even discussing over anything. A truly peaceful place to live, she thought to herself.
It was past sunset when she decided to call it a day and go back to the castle, but she suddenly heard a fuss near the south side. More tired that she thought, she flew at a rather slow pace to where she was hearing it. After being close enough, Cadence could recognize that the noises where something she already knew. They were screams.
Getting worried, the Princess of Love made an effort to get there as quick as possible, getting over a strangely illuminated part of the city.
It was nighttime, but where she was flying over was as clear as the day. Torches and other illumination systems where making the south side of the Crystal Empire an island of light under the night sky. And in the center, there was something that shocked the young alicorn.
***
Canterlot, various kilometers to the south.
Celestia just finished her daily duties, giving up the rule to Luna, and was now about fall down over her bed. Being sure that nopony was around, she gave a very undignified yawn and let gravity do her job on dragging her over the softness of a custom made bed. When head just made the tiniest contact with the pilow, she was already under the soft embrace of dreams.
"AUNTIE CELESTIA!" A voice cried in her head, making the Princess of the Sun to shock and jump out of bed, lading painfully on the floor.
"What? who? where?" Celestia walked in small circles, eyes close, for a while before her mind could get a hold on reality. Using her magical senses, she understood that it was Cadence who called for her. Doing her best to not sound tired, she answered. "What's wrong Cadence, you sound alarmed."
From the Crystal Empire, Princess Cadence spoke again. "It's an emergency, please, I can't even understand what's happening I need your help."
"My good niece, why didn't you call for your aunt Luna? It's night time and she is a good help as am I."
"I tried, but she said she was already occupied with something important. Please come quick, this is really strange and I don't know what to do." Celestia could see how her niece's voice cracked on that last part. Conjuring her regal jewels and a quick brush, she cast the teleporting spell, using Cadence as a beacon and appeared on the Crystal Empire next to the pink alicorn.
"Well Cadence, what seems to be the problem." She tried to not sound annoyed, but her own tiredness betrayed her. Instead of talking, Cadence just pointed a hoof down the street they where hoovering over.
Celestia could see how the crystal ponies where fighting each other. Hoofs, kicks, even improvised weapons made with wooden batons and other instruments. Mostly adults, but also young and older ones where jumping at each other, keeping up a mini-war in the well illuminated streets of the Crystal Empire, advancing from the south to the Palace in the middle of the city.
"Oh." The Solar alicorn sighed in relief, even letting a small chuckle as lowering her head, relaxing her body while at it. "I'ts good to see that the crystal ponies have regained all of his memory."
"WHAT?!" Cadence shouted next to her, making her aunt Lune proud with her use of the Royal Canterlot voice. "How can you say that! This is a revolt! A disaster!"
"Calm down Cadence, this is not what it looks like." Celestia assured her. "I will explain it, just let us go to someplace to rest, I'm not a thousand years anymore." The alabaster alicorn kept her smile as casting a cloud under their hooves. When the small cumulus was enough for them both, she sat down and signaled Cadence to do the same. Reclutant, but not willing to disobey her aunt, Cadence did the same but keeping her glance towards the scene under them.
"Well, my good nice, I see you still have you attention upon them, so answer this. How many hurt ponies do you see?"
"A lot, there must be dozens, even hundreds of ponies fighting each other." Cadence said, calmer this time, but still breathing heavily.
"You see the fight, I can see it too." Celestia replied in a smooth tone. "But tell me, do you see any wounded?"
This time, Cadence watched more carefully, and noticed something odd. Although the scene seemed really violent, the ponies weren't giving it all as it was a real fight. A more detailed inspection and she also noticed that nopony seemed wounded or hurt. In fact, she just now noticed that, beyond the agitation, her magic couldn't sense even the lowest of aggression coming from them.
"What's going on?" She carefully asked to her aunt, who semed about to fall sleep in front of her.
"Let me tell you a story." Celestia offered. "Did you know how the Crystal Empire came to be?" Cadence shacked her head. "It was around the time when Luna and I where fillies. The Crystal Empire was know as the Crystal Colony, and it was only that, a colony under the rule of Equestria."
"When Discord started his reign of chaos, he overthrew the rulers back then." Celestia looked aside when saying it. "Because of that, the Crystal Colony decided to mount their own government since the ones ruling them were no more rulers."
"Since Discord had his attention over Equestria, he sent his armies instead. Creatures of nightmares and evil, that besieged the colony for months. The local ponies fought back. with all they could. But Discord's spawns fed on that, the aggression, the fear, the combat, it was a feast for them. That, until Luz, the Sage, discovered it."
"Commanded by Luz, the few magicians of the colony created the Crystal Hearth out of the positive emotions of the crystal ponies. That made the crystal ponies to realize that love is stronger, and so they took the final decision of leaving violence forever." Celestia took a moment to rest and for Cadence to process the information. "Since then until Sombra took over, every year, the citizens would recreate a fake war. They do that every year, to remind themselves the violence he swore to leave behind them." Cadence's eyes were wide open when she realized what was happening.
"So, with this ritual combat, they really reinforce they rejection over conflict!" She had her hoof over her mouth in surprise. "Oh my, I'm sorry aunt, I didn't want to disturb you for nothing!" Celestia just smiled back at her.
"Don't worry Cadence, I'm happy I could see this happening again. After all, how many times do you see a whole city in unity reminding themselves that peace matters?" Before Cadence could even think of an answer, Celestia was ultimately defeated by a whole day's tiredness and felt asleep in the cloud they where.