130. The End of the War
The room fills with the sound of happy cheers at my words. The different ponies around me, even as battered as they are, hug one another with joy. Cadance allows herself to slump to the floor, tears of happiness and exhaustion trailing down her cheeks. Beside her is Luna, a smile on relief on her usually composed face.
Rainbow leaps onto the bed and nearly hugs my neck out of excitement, but she instead settled for resting at my side and nuzzling me affectionately once she remembers how hurt I am. Applejack is awake in the bed next to me, with Rubella standing and Amber resting in the sheets next to her. Applejack is smiling broadly, as relieved as all of us to hear that the war has finally ended.
“It's finally over...I almost can't believe it,” Rarity admits, her hooves wrapped around Twilight in a happy hug. Even the other wounded soldiers filling the beds here are smiling, lifting their hooves and cheering with the rest of us. “I thought it would never end.”
“At long last...” Celestia finally says with a sigh. Her knees buckle beneath her from exhaustion...and she would have fallen right to the floor if there hadn't been several other soldiers there to catch her. “Oh...oh dear...I am more drained than I thought...”
“Oh no, bring her here please. I'll do my best to make her comfortable,” Fluttershy insists, quickly setting up another bed to accommodate the princess. Celestia smiles gratefully as her soldiers help her to the bed. “That goes for the rest of you...none of you are in any condition to be standing.”
“Please, I'll be fine. I certainly don't need a pathetic pony like you to look over me,” Chrysalis hisses softly, even as Luna and Cadance obediently move to the nearest open beds. Despite her words, she's hardly standing. The only reason she hasn't fallen yet is because she's leaning against a pile of crates. Fluttershy bites her lip in fright, but bravely attempts to approach Chrysalis anyway. She promptly flees under the bed when Chrysalis hisses at her. “I mean it...I can handle mysel...wha!?”
Chrysalis lets out a screech of utter shock as a brown hoof snakes beneath her belly, hoisting directly into the air. The ponies nearby scatter in every direction as the queen kicks and flails in the grip of the Warlord Salamul. “Put me down! I will not be handled in such a familiar fashion!” Chrysalis protests hotly.
“You are being stubborn...” Salamul rumbles, refusing to loosen his grip. Compared to Chrysalis, his body is much better shape; there's no way she's going to get free from him right now. She eventually realizes that and stops struggling, hanging limply from the warlord's grasp. “You need to rest, else you run the risk of injuring yourself further.”
“What do you care?” Chrysalis retorts as the warlord lays her into one of the beds. Salamul doesn't answer, instead turning back around and approaching his fellow Islanders. She's left watching him with a confused and embarrassed expression.
Despite all of the celebration around me, I'm a little confused as to what happened while I was out. I look at Rainbow. “What happened to the undead? Wasn't there another general out there controlling them?” I ask her softly.
“What? Oh yeah, we totally kicked their tails!” Rainbow responds enthusiastically. “You should have seen me out there. I was like a whirlwind of color, beating down any nasties that got close. There was this one minotaur that...”
“Rainbow,” I interrupt wryly
“What?” Rainbow stops in the middle of acting out her encounter with the aforementioned minotaur.
“The general. What happened?”
“Oh, the general. Well, he fell pretty quick, to be honest,” Rainbow continues. “He got up close...and I just have to say, he was REALLY frustrated. The two Islander guys...uh...Salamul and Iron...took him down in the blink of an eye!”
“Not surprising,” I remark, looking over to the two warlords. Despite having fought with a general, neither of them look all that injured. I wish one of them had been around when we fought Shatter. Then Applejack wouldn't have needed to get herself beaten to near death.
“What about you? The princess said you were soulless or something! We were freaking out!” Rainbow demands.
“Well, that's a long story. Suffice to say, Sombra didn't go down so easily,” I admit to her. Rainbow looks even more curious, unsatisfied with that little of an answer. “I'll have to tell you later, once I'm not in a million pieces.”
The celebration doesn't get any quieter. In fact, as word spreads out of the room to the soldiers outside, it isn't long before the whole army is letting out victory cries and shaking their hooves and weapons in the air. I can't help but smile, listening to it all. It makes me feel really warm, knowing that I helped make this happen.
However, there's one thing that still bothers me. When Rainbow goes to speak with one of the others, I turn my head over to my right. “Celestia,” I say to the princess in the bed on the other side of me. Celestia turns her head to meet my gaze curiously. “What's the Crystal Fair?”
“Hm...it sounds familiar, but I am not quite sure,” Celestia admits.
“Oh! I can answer that!” Twilight zips between us almost faster than I can follow, excitement evident in her voice. Celestia chuckles at her enthusiasm. “I read it in the same book that taught me about the Crystal Heart!”
“Speaking of the Crystal Heart...” I say, interrupting Twilight and turning back to the princess.
“Do not worry. The Crystal Heart has been secured, as has the Element of Magic. All is well,” Celestia assures me. I sigh in relief. I didn't see the Element of Magic among Sombra's remains, so I'd been worried. I'm guessing he actually stored them someplace away from the battle. “You were saying, Twilight?”
Twilight straightens up proudly. “Yes, the Crystal Fair. It's an annual event that was held by the Crystal Ponies before King Sombra's reign. There were games, refreshments, and other attractions, like jousting! It was all meant to lift their spirits and power up the Crystal Heart!” she explained.
For some reason, during her explanation, Pinkie had somehow arrived without any of us noticing. She immediately leaps into the air and gasps over-dramatically. “Ohmigosh, it's like a huge party! How have I not heard of this before? Princess, we need to do it! It would make all the Crystal Ponies so happy!” Pinkie asserts loudly. “Please, can we do it? Please please, can we? Oh, princess, please...
“What would?” Rubella approaches us timidly as Pinkie continues to bounce up and down, pleading with Celestia. She had apparently heard Pinkie mention her kind. Celestia chooses not to immediately respond to her, instead rubbing her chin with a hoof, contemplating Pinkie's words.
“That is a good idea, Pinkie Pie. How would you like to be in charge of planning it?” Celestia offers after several seconds, her lips curving into a knowing smile. Pinkie's eyes go as wide as dinner plates.
“YEEESSS!” Pinkie squeals extremely loudly, causing me to wince and cover my ears. She looks a little sheepish when she sees us all wincing. “I mean, me, planning the first party the Crystal Ponies have seen in over a thousand years? Count me in! We'll invite all of Equestria!”
“Party?” Rubella questions, her head lifting a little with hopeful curiosity.
“Very well. Once I have enough time to heal, I will set the army to work clearing the rubble and repairing the damage to the Crystal Empire...and then you and I can see about making preparations for the Crystal Fair. Does that sound good, Pinkie Pie?”
“Yessiree, Princess Celestia!” Pinkie responds enthusiastically. However, it's Rubella's reaction that's the most telling.
Rubella's jaw drops, her eyes widening with disbelief. “The...the Crystal Fair? We're going to have the fair again!?” she asks, unsuccessfully trying to keep her hope in check. Celestia doesn't respond, instead smiling at the crystal pony reassuringly. “I...I don't believe it...is it really over? You even have the Crystal Heart?”
Pinkie hops beside Rubella and wraps a hoof around her in a loving manner. “Of course! I'm gonna make it the best Crystal Fair you've ever had!” she assures the crystal mare. “The princesses have the heart! Right, princess?”
“Indeed. It is kept under lock and key at the spire...ready to be retrieved when needed,” Celestia affirms. “Rest assured, little one. We will not allow your kingdom to fall into ruin...not while we still breathe.”
Rubella gasps softly. She closes her eyes briefly, tears squeezing out from beneath her eyelids. When she opens her eyes once more, her body flashes and undergoes a transformation. Her mane and tail style themselves, life returning to her twinkling coat. She gallops over to Amber and scoops her little sister into a hug, excitedly telling her the good news. It isn't long before Amber too is shining with a crystalline light, matching her sister.
“Wow...that's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!” Rarity exclaims, seeing the way the two ponies shine and reflect the light as if they were actually made out of crystal. She soon joins Pinkie and Twilight, looking interested in our conversation. “So...for this Crystal Fair...will there be decorations?”
Rarity puts on her most winning smile at Celestia, even batting her eyes a bit in an attempt to look as adorable as possible. I sigh and rub my forehead. Even I can tell what she wants in this situation. Celestia obviously can as well.
“Yes, you may assist in the décor, Rarity,” Celestia obliges her. Rarity does her best to hold in her joy at that response, instead bowing formally and thanking the princesses politely. However, the moment Rarity turns to leave, she giggles and then squeals with glee. “I am quite liking this idea of a party in the Crystal Empire, now that we have claimed victory.”
“Me too! All the crystal ponies will love it! We just have to get this right!” Twilight agrees. She turns and starts to trot away. “I have to go read up on the fair! The more we know, the more authentic we can make it! This'll be so much fun!”
“I am curious, however, how the topic of the fair came to be on your mind, Seth,” Celestia addresses me personally now that the others have left us and we're relatively alone.
“It's...just something Sombra said, right before he died,” I reveal to her, earning her interest. “He looked...different...and he said that the reason he wanted power was for the Crystal Fair. But I don't get it.”
“Neither do I...but I will assume that it isn't a happy story,” Celestia responds solemnly. “Do you remember what I told you about the dangers of dark magic?”
“As if I could forget, considering you beat me into a mountain,” I remark, though my tone is more teasing than accusatory. Celestia looks a little sheepish at that, but giggles nonetheless. She soon grows serious once more.
“Those who delve too deeply into the search for power...tend to lose themselves to the very power they strove to obtain,” Celestia explains. “I do not think even Sombra remembered why he set out to gain power...not until the very end.”
“Yeah...you're probably right. Still, I'm glad he's gone,” I return, crossing my arms. Celestia nods understandingly.
“As am I. Now, I suggest you get some rest,” Celestia suggests. “I have a few orders to give, and then I will do the same. I will need several hours before I have enough magical energy to heal us all.”
“Sounds good,” I respond, turning back over to face the ceiling. My eyelids soon start to droop, reminding me just how exhausted I really am. Even though I was unconscious, my mind wasn't...as it was in the amulet with Sombra. This will be the first decent rest since the initial assault. And god, I can tell it's going to feel really good.
From then on, the process of the Crystal Empire's restoration begins. Not long after I fall asleep, Celestia regains enough magic to get us back on our feet. From there, we're assigned to the city to help clean up; there's a lot of work to do. Between the cracked streets, the destroyed buildings, and the bodies of the undead all over the place, we have our work cut out for us.
In the mines deep below the city, we find the hundreds of crystal ponies enslaved by King Sombra, as well as the fewer number of northern ponies that lived in the settlements such as Everwinter. The northern ponies thank us, but make it pretty clear that they want to be pretty much anywhere other than here. Escorted by some of the First Regiment, they depart the city. As for the crystal ponies, they want nothing more than to help us rebuild their city.
With the help of some of the freed crystal ponies, we start to put the city back together. They know their own architecture better than we do. As happy as they are to be freed, it doesn't take much convincing to get them all working together with us to put everything back the way it was.
The streets are smoothed out, the buildings are slowly repaired, and the undead are dragged out of the city and set alight atop large bonfires, purging their taint from existence. I'm assigned to all sorts of jobs. Unlike the last time I helped repair a city, this time the atmosphere is much lighter. Now, whenever I work with Shining Armor or one of the other soldiers, they treat me amiably rather than with suspicion. It's a huge difference from the changeling invasion.
Speaking of the changelings, Chrysalis actually stays to help rebuild with the rest of us. I'm really shocked by that, because she doesn't seem the type. I usually see her together with Salamul and the other Islanders doing the heavy jobs, such as lifting a reconstructed beam of solid crystal to its new resting place, and keeping it there until the crystal can be fused together. Her changelings are a huge help; there's so many of them, we're never short on labor.
However, the griffons soon take their leave.
“I did my job. Consider us even, Cadance! I'll want something more solid next time...like money!” Zythe says sharply from his position on the gangplank of his flagship, jabbing a claw at the princess in question. I pause my work on the window in front of me and listen in curiously.
“Oh, you're not staying for the Crystal Fair?” Cadance asks in surprise. Zythe grimaces and feigns throwing up.
“No, I don't do pony parties. Maybe if you can stock foods and games that we griffons would like, I might change my mind,” Zythe retorts. Cadance winces, knowing as well as I do that that would never fly amongst the other ponies. Griffons are carnivores, and nopony would be comfortable having them eating meat around them. Not to mention their games are no doubt more violent. “That's what I thought. I'm outta here.”
“Wait, just one moment,” Cadance inists, and then she shocks Zythe by giving him a friendly hug. “Thanks for coming to our aid. We couldn't have done it without you, friend.”
“Yeah yeah,” Zythe grunts, barely tolerating her affection. Eventually he extricates himself and hightails it up the gangplank, embarrassed and conscious of the griffons snickering at him from the deck. “You touchy feely ponies. I feel like I'll go soft if I hang around you ponies for too long.”
Giggling, Cadance watches Zythe return to the airship's wheel and retract the gangplank. With a roar of engines, it isn't long before the Viceroy and his fleet sails through the air and out of sight.
The Islanders stay as well, though I think that's mostly because Salamul refuses to leave his brother just yet. I often see him and Iron in an alley, discussing something fervently in low tones as I pass by. I shrug. I'm not going to butt in on their business. I'm just happy they're staying for the fair.
In fact, not many ponies are actually leaving. Even the ponies that have no obligation to be here now that the war is over, like Trixie, are sticking around to help rebuild. The only ponies that aren't usually in town are Captain Gale and Stealth Force. They've been ordered to keep an eye on the surrounding landscape, in case any further undead are wandering around. So far, I don't think they've found anything.
As we continue to work on rebuilding the city, the darkness slowly recedes from the buildings. While the city was black and twisted due to Sombra's magic, now it is slowly starting to return to its former glory. Many of the crystal ponies I come across cheer whenever they see the darkness receding, more than a few of them reverting to their crystalline appearance like Rubella and Amber.
Then, as I was helping to repair a house near the edge of town, something rather interesting occurred.
I squint one eye and slowly ease the window pane inside the hardening putty. Once it’s in place, I gently press down on the edges. “Okay, that just leaves the frame, and then this window is done,” I say to myself. I take a moment to take off the gloves that I’m wearing (Rarity is a sewing wizard, I swear) and wipe my forehead free of sweat. It’s really cold up here, but considering that I’m always moving, I can hardly tell.
“Working hard?” Shining Armor joins me on the scaffolding, carrying a set of wooden window frames with him. He’s wearing a hard helmet as well as a simple set of wintry clothes to keep himself warm. I make room for him to join me.
“Yeah...but I don’t think I ever want to see another window after this is through,” I grunt, glaring at the offending glassware. Shining Armor chuckles and passes me one of the frames. “What about you? Haven’t seen you around much.”
“I’ve been working with the crystal ponies. Some of them used to be guards, but their military fell apart after the occupation,” Shining Armor explains, sitting beside me and working on the other window. “I’m helping to get them set back up in their barracks. We can’t keep our troops here forever.”
“Oh yeah...I guess that since Sombra’s gone, Celestia’s moving forward with the whole protectorate plan,” I recall. Huh, so technically this place will become part of Equestria...except not really, at the same time. Shining Armor nods in confirmation. Suddenly, I remember something. “Hold on a minute. Cadance is going to be in charge, so that means she has to stay here. What are you going to do?”
“Stay here with her, of course. I can’t leave my wife,” Shining Armor responds with a smile. “I’ll be helping her rule as her steward.”
“What about Equestria? What about the First Regiment? You can’t just leave them without their Captain of the Guard,” I point out, turning to face him now that I’ve fixed the frame to the window.
“Don’t worry, we’ve thought of that,” Shining Armor reassures me. “I’m essentially getting promoted, so somepony’s gotta step up and fill my spot. I’m thinking of recommending Stalwart Iron for my old position.”
“Huh...yeah, okay,” I respond, actually pleased with that. Iron’s one hell of a soldier; I have no doubt he’d make a great captain. “I wonder what his brother will think of that.”
Before Shining Armor can answer, an explosion tears through the air, originating from the snow fields outside of the city. I drop my tools and leap to my feet, preparing to use my magic if necessary. The first thing I see is a sickly green plume of magical flame spiraling up through the air in the distance.
“What the fuck?” I demand, recognizing that as Chrysalis’s magic. Seconds later, lightning rains down from the sky, coming from black clouds that seemingly formed from nowhere. Another massive explosion ensues, and this time wind rushes over me, blowing my hair back.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Shining Armor groans, facehoofing in exasperation. “You can relax...it’s not the enemy.”
“What’s going on?” I ask, watching as green magic clashes against pure electricity, far in the distance. I can see two small figures clashing against one another, but I can’t really make them out.
“It’s Warlord Salamul and the changeling queen. I was working with them in the tower just a few minutes before I left to come here, and she said something about how he was just posing, and that he didn’t have anywhere near her level of power,” Shining Armor explains. I blink, and then I groan too, getting the gist of what’s going on. “I told them to take it outside...but I didn’t think they actually would.”
“I should’ve seen that coming,” I say, sitting down on the scaffolding now that I know that there isn’t a threat. It’s just Salamul and Chrysalis beating the shit out of each other to satisfy their own egos. “At least they had the sense not to do it in the middle of the city.”
“Thank Celestia for small favors, right?” Shining Armor responds with a chuckle. The two of us get back to work on the windows, aiming to complete this wall before tonight. In the distance, the sounds of the fight between Salamul and Chrysalis can be heard, but neither of us pay them much attention.
As for Shining Armor and I, ever since that battle in Trotsdale, he’s been more amiable towards me. I actually confronted him about it recently, when I had a free moment.
“Look, I still do not and will not approve of the decision you made during the changeling invasion. You nearly cost hundreds of ponies their lives, all for your selfish desires,” Shining Armor had told me bluntly, not bothering to sugarcoat his words. “But I acknowledge that you have been making every effort to make up for your mistakes...and that’s what I respect.”
I’m grateful that he told me like that. I was an idiot back then...I’m still angry at myself for even considering Chrysalis’s offer, so it would be ridiculous of Shining Armor to just forgive me so easily.
Time passes, and eventually the sounds of the battle taking place outside the city cease entirely. I guess the battle ended. “You think we should send somepony out to make sure they didn’t beat each other to death?” I ask Shining Armor wryly.
“They’ll be fine. I doubt either of them were truly being serious,” Shining Armor assures me. “Besides, the princesses must not think it anything to worry about either, otherwise they’d have put a stop to it already.”
“That’s fair,” I respond with a shrug. “Anyway, let’s get this window done so we can go get something to eat. You still owe me a meal, remember?”
“I haven’t forgotten,” Shining Armor assures me with a friendly smile. The two of us continuing working, branching away from the windows and eventually shoring up the walls. Later, one of the crystal ponies will come by and reinforce them with crystal.
Eventually, we finish this particular building, and then we descend the scaffolding into the streets. “There. Now, I need to report back to the First Regiment. As for you, I think that Blades was asking for…” Shining Armor starts to say. He trails off, staring past me. Confused, I follow his gaze to one of the streets that leads out of the city.
Salamul and Chrysalis, the both of them bruised and burnt, walk slowly into the city. The warlord is dragging his axe behind him with a hoof, seemingly devoid of the magic necessary to carry it telekinetically. Chrysalis doesn’t look much better, as her chitinous plates are battered and her mane is matted with sweat. They stop when they see us, the both of them looking very surprised to see us here.
Wait, hold on a minute. They’re just getting back into the city now? It’s been a full hour since the sounds of battle died away...so what the hell were they doing for all that time?
Beside me, Shining Armor blinks, and then sniffs the air. Strangely enough, he picks up the scent of something that causes his eyes to grow wide with shock, his cheeks blushing a deep red. He stares between Chrysalis and Salamul with disbelief.
“What the devil are you two looking at?” Chrysalis hisses at us defensively. Together with Salamul, she makes her way past us. “I’ll thank you to mind your own business!”
I stand in silence with Shining Armor for several seconds as I try to figure out what the hell I just witnessed. “What...just happened?” I ask dumbly.
Shining Armor shakes his head, the blush remaining. “You don’t want to know.”
Days pass over the course of the reconstruction. Every day, I work my ass off with the others until my wintry clothes are soaked with sweat. Every night, I retire with Rainbow to our old room in the Crystal Tower and sleep until the next morning. Over time, the city slowly starts to resemble its previous glory.
However, just as things are settling down, the last general, Earthen Glass, escapes from the dungeons, where he's been confined until the princesses determine what to do with him.
“What happened, soldier?” Celestia demands. Together with Luna and I, the three of us are standing outside the dungeon. The doors have been ripped right off of their hinges and strewn across the street, telling us that whatever knocked them down had a great deal of physical strength.
“He busted his way out, your highness. We're not sure how, but all we heard was the door slamming open, and then he just plowed right through us,” the soldier responded, holding an ice pack up against the nasty bruises on his face. “He's really strong, even for an earth pony.”
“Did he happen to mention his objective?” Celestia continues. Honestly, if it came to a fight, we could probably take Glass down pretty quick, since he has no magic like we do. However, I'm just worried about who he'll hurt while we're running around trying to find him.
“No, he wasn't really making much sense,” the soldier replies ruefully. He rubs his chin with his free hoof, trying to recall the incident. “He seemed very frustrated for some reason.”
“Frustrated?” Celestia repeats with bemusement. Before the soldier can respond, we hear the sound of hooves clacking against the crystal street behind us.
We quickly turn to see Earthen Glass himself landing on the street, revealing himself brazenly. I've never seen him before, but I know it's him...because he's a massive earth pony. His face is contorted with rage, his teeth bared and grinding together.
“There you are, you worthless old princesses!” Glass snarls at the two of them, scuffing his hoof against the street. I blink in surprise. I certainly didn't expect him to show himself so easily. What, is he stupid? The general lifts a hoof and jabs it at us. “Stay where you are, and hold your tongues! I am talking now!”
“Um...you do realize you're pretty much screwed now, right?” I tell him, regardless of his request for silence. I cross my arms, meeting his gaze. “The princesses are going to wreck you.”
“Wreck me? Me?! I am Earthen Glass! The very gods themselves fear my name! My skill in combat is peerless! And if I want this kingdom, then this kingdom I shall have!” Glass snaps back at me, his voice rising.
“That will not be happening,” Celestia warns him, her horn starting to glow with a hint of magic. “My sister and I will never let you enslave these ponies again.”
“Graagh! Miserable princesses! I care nothing for you! If you won't get out of my way, I'll tear this kingdom down stone by stone! None of you have a chance against me!” Glass roars, rearing up and kicking at the air. He breaks into a gallop, charging directly at Celestia with the intent to kill in his eyes.
He lifts up a hoof to strike her...and then Celestia simply bats him to the ground with a magically empowered hoof. Glass yelps and hits the street so hard, he shatters the crystal around the point of impact. The three of us just stare at the now unconscious pony. Did this...really just happen?
“I...what the...” I try to say, practically speechless at the stupidity of the scene I just watched. Finally, I understand what the others meant. “Rainbow was right...he was really frustrated.”
“Snrk...” one of the soldiers who had been behind us suddenly starts to chuckle despite the situation. The other soldiers start to laugh as well, until the entire squad in charge of watching the dungeon is laughing hard at the event that just unfolded. “Oh dear, he just...and then the princess just...ahahaha!”
“...'tis a little funny,” Luna admits, starting to chuckle a little herself. My shock and confusion soon gives way to mirth as well. I can't help but double over with laughter. He was so frustrated...I've never seen a pony so frustrated...and then Celestia just...in one hit...!
“I suppose his foolishness is indeed amusing,” Celestia admits, smiling with relief. “We are lucky that he chose to confront me directly instead of harming my subjects, else this could have...none of you are listening, are you?”
At that point, the clearing is filled with the sounds of laughter from Luna, myself, and the guards. Celestia shakes her head and chuckles a bit herself.
After that, Glass is taken to a more secure location, to ensure that he will not escape again. Though given how stupid he was to attack Celestia head on, I don't think he'd be a threat even if he did get out. Honestly, I wonder why the hell Sombra ever recruited him as a general, if he's that stupid?
It's only a few more days before the city starts to look as normal once again. With that being said, construction work started to slow down, and preparations for the Crystal Fair started to begin.
“Cyan, burgundy, a deep blue...” Rarity muses to herself from the center of the clearing. She paces from house to house, carrying a small color wheel with magic. Every so often, she'll walk up to one of the houses and hold up the color wheel, turning it to see which colors would work best. “Perhaps ruby red? Wait, no, Rarity, what are you thinking? Such colors would only clash with the burgundy! But perhaps...considering the cyan and deep blue seem to mesh well together...it might fit the color scheme...but then...”
Applejack huffs from her position at the table. “Rarity, we're on break right now. Get off yer hooves and come join us for a bite!” She calls over to the muttering mare. “Ah made some apple pie!”
“In a moment, dear. I'm quite busy, you see,” Rarity responds absentmindedly. Applejack just shakes her head, and then takes a bite out of her own pie.
The seven of us are hanging out in a clearing just outside of an old cafe that only just recently reopened. By seven of us, I mean Twilight, Applejack, Rainbow, Pinkie, Fluttershy, Spike, and myself. While we're supposed to be taking a break from all the work, more than half of us are still working.
Twilight flips through a thick history book beside me, her muzzle practically pressed up against the pages. Every so often she'll make a noise and write something down in a notepad beside her. “Rarity, did you know they have their own unique banners that they fly at the fair?” Twilight speaks up, getting the fashionista's attention. Rarity doesn't waste any time in zipping over to Twilight and peering in the book as well. “See here? Do you think we can get a set of these?”
“Of course, darling! I would be remiss if I couldn't get everything just right for these poor crystal ponies!” Rarity exclaims, looking hurt, as if Twilight had just implied that she couldn't. “Just look at that design! I must say, the crystal ponies have good taste. Now if only I can get my hooves on a decent material this far north...”
Beside Twilight, sitting on top of the table, is Spike. The little guy has been chomping on generously donated gems this whole time now. I think he's just relieved that everything is going back to normal. Not that I blame him. The feeling of there being nothing on the horizon for me to worry about is very freeing. I'm happier than I've been in a while.
As for me, I'm working on transcribing the Anthem of the Crystal Empire down on paper. We haven't been able to find any copies of it in the library, so myself and an older crystal pony (who is also a musician) are working together on recreating it.
“No, it's got to be a flat there, son,” the older musician corrects me. “You did hear me, didn't you?”
“Yeah I did, but it that just doesn't sound right in my head,” I retort in annoyance. I can sightread and sound notes out in my head to an extent, and no matter what this guy says, a flat note right there makes a very discordant sound when combined with the other parts. “That's a fourth right there, and if it isn't structured right, it just won't sound good.”
“It won't sound good if you hold it for too long, perhaps, but the intent is to take the audience by surprise with its unusual sound, before blending the two discordant notes into a perfect third,” the musician instructs me. “Trust me...I used to play this piece all the time, before...before all of that ended.”
There's a short silence. I understand what he was about to say there...and I certainly don't expect him to be over Sombra's enslavement just yet. It's just a miracle that he's managing to remember as much as he is, considering his age. Still, his words do make sense. I reluctantly add a flat symbol to the note, trusting that he knows what he's doing.
“What are the...what do you call those things again?” I ask, pointing at the page where the musician had drawn the image of a weird looking trumpet.
“Flugelhorns, son,” he reminds me. Across the table from us, Pinkie lifts her head and pulls one of the crystalline horns out of her mane and blows on it obnoxiously, just because she can. “Yes, like that, pink one.”
I roll my eyes as Pinkie giggles and goes back to the papers in front of her. She's filling out several hundreds of invitations, and she's doing it really fast, too. The completed invitations start to pile up on one side of her, to the point where Spike has to grab a bag and catch them before they fall onto the street. Sheesh, I think she's actually inviting ponies from all over Equestria to this thing.
“Right, flugelhorns. Freakin' weird name. Anyway, what are they doing in the measure here, where the strings are doing those ascending triplets?” I question him next, pointing the pen at the blank measure in question. The musician hums the tune softly as he attempts to remember.
“I believe...here, let me see that pen,” he grabs the pen in his hoof somehow and lightly sketches down several notes on a spare sheet of paper. “Hm...yes, that seems right.”
“Seems right, or is right?” I press him with a raised brow. The musician harrumphs and passes me the paper so I can transcribe the notes.
“Don't be difficult. Don't worry, we're going to pass this to the other musicians to get it reviewed before rehearsing it,” he admonishes me. I sigh and do as I'm told, writing the notes in the flugelhorn measures.
“Are you two done yet?” Rainbow interrupts for the umpteenth time. She's lying on her back on the seat across from me, eating some of Applejack's pie and lazily kicking at the air.
“No,” the musician and I both say at the same time, annoying her.
“Ugh, I'm so bored!” Rainbow complains, sitting up straight. “I need something to do.”
“Oh, you can help me,” Twilight suggests. Rainbow puts on a less than enthused face at the prospect. “Don't make that face; I'm not going to make you research with me. Did you know the crystal ponies like jousting?”
“Wait what? Jousting?” I ask, looking up from the music for one second. “Seriously? We had jousting back in my time too...though it was usually humans riding horses that did it. How the hell do ponies joust?”
“Well, according to what I read here, they strap the lances to the sides of their armor and aim to knock the other over first,” Twilight reads. She lifts the book and shows me a picture. I can't help but scoff. Ponies jousting. That's just so wrong on so many different levels. “Rainbow, do you think you can find a smith to make us some blunt lances?”
“That I can get behind. Maybe I'll ask that one Islander mare!” Rainbow takes off from the table and zooms away, causing the table's surface to rock. Papers go everywhere from the disturbance, causing me to groan.
“Really!?” I yell up after her in frustration. Of course, she's too far to hear me now, so there's nothing I can do except reorganize the sheet music. Thank god I had the foresight to number the pages. “That mare sometimes.”
The others chuckle at the faces I'm making, and then we all get back to work.
That's generally how the preparations go. Rainbow never wants to sit still, so Twilight is always sending her on errands. Twilight and Pinkie are generally the ones organizing the preparations for the fair, as the former has a talent for fishing out useful information on previous fairs, while the latter is one of the best party planners that I know.
As for Pinkie, she really is inviting everypony. I know that, because I accompanied her when she gave them all to a member of the Pegasus Corps to mail. Most of these names I don't recognize, but I do notice several of them are going to Ponyville.
That gets me excited for this party as well, because maybe even my friends that I haven't seen in what feels like forever will show up too. I can't believe I'm admitting it, but damn, I really miss Vinyl....and even Lyra. I just miss that town. I can't wait to see all of them here.
I don't see much of Swift or Trixie, either. Swift is working with her regiment once more, so I usually only see her in the presence of other soldiers. As for Trixie, I think she left not long after the city repairs finished. She said she had to bring her home up here, whatever that means. Still, it makes me feel a little sad. Now that the war's over, I'm guessing my team is disbanded now.
Sure enough, Celestia approaches me one day. It's time for me to give up my rank as commander. I'm not all that attached to it, but I am fond of my team. Even Pterax, despite the fact that he's a smartass. I haven't seen him since the war ended. I think he's with the hive.
Anyway, I guess I'm back to being a normal civilian. I'm perfectly fine with that. In fact, the moment I get home, I'm hanging up my sword and rifle on the wall. I have no intentions of ever using them again. I plan on living the rest of my life in Ponyville with Rainbow, Vinyl, and the others.
As preparations come along, areas in the street are marked off and reserved for tents and market stalls. The idea of having market stalls came from Celestia, who suggested it would be a good chance to get the Crystal Empire's economy up and running again. Given how many invitations I saw Pinkie send out, I'm inclined to agree with the princess on that point.
Areas are set aside for the jousting arena and other events, most of which I'm not sure of just yet. According to Twilight, there's apparently a petting zoo as well. Fluttershy is working on that one, so I'm guessing that's going to turn out just fine.
A musical arena is in the middle of construction as well. Considering my interests, I spend a lot of time with the crystal pony musicians. It's actually a lot of fun for me; all of them appreciate music as much as I do. After I get past the initial awkwardness, it's easy to get into an enjoyable conversation with them while we work. And there's definitely a lot of work to do. Once the sheet music has been transcribed and reviewed, it's time to start finding instruments for the crystal ponies to use. The flugelhorns have to be physically cut out of crystal, but the rest we have to ship in from Equestria.
They invited me to play with them, but I respectfully decline. As much fun as it would be to perform with them all, it would mean that I would have to play the whole fair, and miss out on interacting with my friends. There's also a few things I want to take care of as well, and that requires mingling with the crowds.
Finally, Celestia appoints an actual date for the fair to take place. Excitement among the crystal ponies and the Equestrians quickly starts to rise after the announcement, and our efforts are invigorated. As for me, the date can't come soon enough. I've been working hard for every single day since the war ended, and it's starting to get really tiring. There always seems to be something else to do. I never seem to be able to get to bed before midnight.
As the day draws closer, ponies start to filter in early from all over Equestria, occupying the recently reopened hotels. Some of the Canterlot ponies arrive first...and I can tell that's where they're from due to their dress and demeanor. No doubt they're expecting this to be a formal affair...hah, I can't wait to see their faces when they find out that Pinkie planned the whole thing.
At last, I lurch up in bed on the day of the Crystal Fair. Rubbing my eyes, I push Rainbow over the edge to wake her up, and then gaze out the window towards the rising sun. I can't help but feel that this is going to be the greatest party ever.
And here I thought I would start the Crystal Fair this chapter. It's just like after the Chrysalis fight...I thought I'd go right into the wedding reception the chapter after, but then I had to tie up a bunch of loose ends, like what I was doing here in this chapter.
By the way, for those of you that expected something more from Glass...he was basically meant to be a joke character from the very start. His name and dialogue is actually a very vague reference to something that's been an inside joke with my friends and I for a long time. Hopefully you still found his posturing hilarious.
And yes, the Crystal fair is happening. (Yes, you can have your flugelhorns, Brian. 
). I originally was just going to have a party in the Crystal Empire, but then I thought...wait a minute. I'm an idiot. Duh, Crystal Fair.
Also, thank you all for commenting on the last chapter. That one took a lot of work for me to finish, considering how freakin' long it ended up being. One thing I noticed in your comments is that you all expressed interest in what Sombra meant by the Crystal Fair. That was actually a reference to Sombra's backstory as depicted in the IDW comic Fiendship is Magic Issue #1. Go and check it out, if you're curious. I had to read it because I thought it might contradict what I wrote in this fic...and thankfully it did not. Still, it was a worthwhile read.
And now, I'm predicting two more chapters left...unless I go off track again. But I shouldn't. Anyway, thanks to Schadenponi for editing this, and don't forget to comment and tell me what you think!
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This chapter made me get Flugelhorny
Glass Joe? Did he have a ridiculous accent?
I have enjoyed this story immensely.
I look forward to the side story's and wish you good luck.
Also, err, Glass is a grade A MORON!
I tell you what, that had to be one of the longest and messiest stints of foreplay that ever happened.
So two chapters left...unless some other crazy event happens.
Did Chrysalis and Salmul really just...? Wow, uh... Not sure how to feel about that....
I got a feeling that something fishy might happen.
Also, quick question. Do you have any plans for a continuation on Seth's side of the trilogy?
6372467
You might see him, but he won't be the focus. His story is over...I'm just now wrapping it up.
Yay fluglehorns!
Thank you for such a great story and for your hard work.
God darn it all to heck. I have a strange need to re read this whole story. Nearly 1,000,000 words long...
May God have mercy on my soul...
Jousting...
Power...
...
...
...
Oh.
I guess you could say that that Earthen fellow had a
Glass jaw
6373134
Woop new chater!!!!!! Yay. What, it was just tieing off loose ends. what, it had no action
but still enjoyed it 
it was good to know what happened after the battle, and now the story is very close to the end. Overall this story was ....... GREAT. I liked the spin off, it was different and interesting 
and the story had a good plotline. You have earned a moustache
6376106
Fixed
Try to break a million words. So far, I think there are only 5 or so stories that have done so, and this has been a REALLY fun ride. I don't anyone would complain if you went off track again.
6376048
It wouldn't probably happen on the campus.. Ours is not safe by any means but there is still a possibility of getting kicked from University if get caught fighting with someone for real.
Going home or outside the University though... is a completely different thing. You can get mobbed by a crowd of masked or unmasked people, or even a single person whom you directly or indirectly offended and then you would get their piece of mind... along with their fists or, if you screwed up majorly, boots and maybe even some instruments.
This is how it works dude, you are being rude and downright offending towards society and society won't stand and take it forever. Sooner or later someone would teach you a lesson, even if it was just in a form of very nasty pranks or other bad things.
6380516 Thank you, no idea where I got it.
6382021
Perhaps, but I do not follow the headcanon that the sisters are in any way cruel, overly manipulative, or tyrannical. What you just suggested falls under that category. I say that because that goes against everything the show attempts to teach us...and I try to stay as close to the spirit of the show as I can.
Thus, you will not see any of the above in this story.
This was a good breather before the upcoming fair chapter.
So we start off from last chapter, with Seth regaining consciousness. Rainbow immediately moves in for some affection, though she has the good sense to nuzzle him rather then hug him. Surrounded by all their friends, and even rulers, it shows just how happy she is to see him up and about that she would actively initiate some affection and not even pretend to be embarrassed by it. Or perhaps she has simply grown as a character to the point that small acts of affection like this don't embarrass her like they used to in the beginning. Either way, it was a brief but cute scene.
The rest of the cast are all in as good a health as they can be considering they all just fought off an undead army or in the ruler's cases, the unimaginably powerful necromancer in charge of it all. Chrysalis is as pissy as ever, though she immediately get told to get in bed and rest. Then when she doesn't listen, Salamul picks her up and carries her there. These two are just hilarious. It's so obvious that Salamul likes her, but he's a smug bastard and won't say it aloud, while Chrysalis is surprised by his pretty open admiration (and stealthy affection in some cases) and seems to quite like the attention.
After their antics, Seth brings up the crystal fair idea with Celestia, having Twilight describe it and they put plans in motion. I did see this coming, but it's a nice way to end off the war none the less (plus the unknown to them at least, affect of re crystalizing the crystal ponies). He also mentions that in his soul fight with Sombra, that Sombra briefly lost his dark magic features and spoke of wanting power for something in the crystal fair (I've not read the comic so I'm unaware what occurred at the fair that got him so riled up but it sounds intriguing). Celestia brings up her discussion about dark magic that she had with Seth during his first visit to Canterlot ages ago. She explains that Sombra's dark magic warped him so much he likely didn't even know where his desire for power even came from anymore. That is a pretty damn cool concept, that the dark magic is so malevolent that it actually warps the user until they don't even understand who they are or their own motivations anymore. Be interesting to see what Sombra's take on the magic is during Hawke's eventual side story, whether he has a different idea of how the magic works.
After that we have a large amount of time devoted to fixing up the empire, with a few fun segments thrown in, wrapping up a few loose ends. First we have Chrysalis and Salamul fight and then off screen, assumedly bone each other. Seth can't see it or smell it, but shining Armour definitely can (and we the readers are able to read the scene pretty easily). Whether they go on to date or whether this was a one time thing is unknown, but I'm pretty glad they both got at least some happiness together. Salamul is now going to have his brother leave the Islanders again and return to Equestria, and Chrysalis has no chance with either human, so this was nice for them. We also have Seth and Shining Armour resolve what was left of their issues with each other. Shining explains that he still doesn't forgive Seth's choices (which I still think is kind of dickish, considering his undying loyalty to his family and loved ones would likely lead him to perform similar actions as Seth) but he can see that Seth is trying to his hardest to make amends for his actions and integrate into pony society.
After that we finally meet Earthen Glass. Truth be told, up till now I wasn't sure why we hadn't got to meet him, but here it becomes obvious. He's a complete dumbass. Damn this was a funny scene. Massive or not, he's an earth pony going up against two Alicorns, an almost alicorn levelled magical human and several guards. What does he do? Charge them head on after openly announcing his presence and charging. He didn't even try for a stealth kill, just came charging at them head. What an idiot. Then he just gets bitchslapped and immediately knocked unconscious. If I had been there, I would have been laughing my ass off too.
Finally we have a scene where Seth is introduced to the concept of pony jousting and he discovers what a flugelhorn is. It's good to see he can use his musical talents here for us to see one last time. Now that he both has money and time in Ponyville, he may be able to explore a possible career as a musician (the only one of his kind from the ancient precursor race performing music. He'd be damn popular even if he played shit, and we know he's good). Shame we won't get to see more of his life going off after the events of this story, but the story needs to end sometime, and I think it's ending on a high note.
So we end with Seth performing his usual 'screw with rainbow while she's a asleep' routine while he awaits the train from Ponyville. I think next chapter is going to be a real fun one. I can't wait for the fair. Great job here Terran.
Spot The Typo.
pinkie.mylittlefacewhen.com/media/f/img/mlfw3381-zecorascreen.png
Wait, hold on a minute. They’re just getting back into the city now? It’s been a full hour since the sounds of battle died away...so what the hell were they doing for all that time?
Beside me, Shining Armor blinks, and then sniffs the air. Strangely enough, he picks up the scent of something that causes his eyes to grow wide with shock, his cheeks blushing a deep red. He stares between Chrysalis and Salamul with disbelief.
“What the devil are you two looking at?” Chrysalis hisses at us defensively. Together with Salamul, she makes her way past us. “I’ll thank you to mind your own business!”
I stand in silence with Shining Armor for several seconds as I try to figure out what the hell I just witnessed. “What...just happened?” I ask dumbly.
Shining Armor shakes his head, the blush remaining. “You don’t want to know.”
I FREAKING KNEW!!! I shipped them as soon as they met!
Celestia simply bats him to the ground with a magically empowered hoof. Glass yelps and hits the street so hard, he shatters the crystal around the point of impact.
I actually wouldn't mind some slice of life mini sequel now that the good stuff is over.
Also I'm eyeing the next chapter and somehow it's over twice the normal length.
Also want to add that when I start to read other's comments I usually lose my train of thought and forget what I wanted to say. So I'm probably going to comment on earlier chapters when I remember whatever I forgot...