From the Sand Comes Crystal
After a short lunch break, the group continued to make their way through Turkey Wood and encountered still more strange animals and phenomenon.
Blaze remarked, “If Uncle Discord was here, he would love this place.”
Mischief agreed, “Yeah, it’s like Paraddock’s just teeming with chaos magic…” His eyes then widened in revelation. “Wait a minute. Blaze, do you remember what Discord said when I showed you two the beans?”
He tapped his chin in contemplation, “Something about a female draconequus leaving the land with…” His eyes also widened as he reached the same conclusion as Mischief did. “You don’t think…?”
The antlered colt nodded, “It might be.”
Vapor Trail asked, “Might be who? What’s going on?”
Sky Stinger also asked, “Yeah, what are you guys talking about?”
Mischief explained, “Okay, long story short, there was a female draconequus who Discord said took some beans out of their homeland and never returned. Blaze and I think she may have created Paraddock. Think about it. It’s existed for centuries, it’s known for its beauty and weirdness, and it’s at an altitude that no one can reach. I think she may also be the same one who saved me from the blizzard when I was a baby.”
Flurry shared his growing excitement as she said, “Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go find her!”
Gabby asked, “But what about the Crystal Fairies?”
Zealot suggested, “Maybe if we find them, we can ask them where the creator is.”
Corona pointed to something as she asked, “Look! What’s that?”
From several feet away, the group saw a pile of sand just behind a thin wooden border.
Roller said in uncertainty, “I think it’s a desert?”
However, when they reached the wooden border, they saw that the pile of sand was actually an expanse of it. The sand almost reached the horizon on either side of the group and the same went for the one-plank border that surrounded it.
Apple Butter said in amazement, “It’s more like a giant sandbox.”
The kids suddenly jumped onto the wide sandbox as they cried, “SANDBOX!”
Silver grimaced, “Believe me, this is as far as I go when I’m on Paraddock.”
Sky rolled his eyes, “No duh.”
The kids took great delight in creating sand sculptures with the buckets and shovels strewn all over the sandbox.
When Ruff kept making lumps of sand in contrast to the others’ sand sculptures, he threw his shovel in frustration and complained, “I can’t do it!” He crossed his arms and grumbled, “I wish I can have a sand castle like them.”
To his surprise, a bunch of sand rose to his height and shaped itself into a well-built sand castle.
Ruff uttered in amazement, “Whoa…” He then wished, “I wish the sand makes a better sand castle like them!”
The sand granted his wish and it reshaped itself into a higher, more exquisite, and more detailed sand castle.
Ruff jumped for joy as he cried, “Awesome!”
The others noticed this and uttered sounds of amazement.
Gabby asked with gleaming eyes, “How did you do that? It’s amazing!”
Ruff answered with a smile, “I just maked a wish and it happeneded.”
Some of the kids then shouted, “I wanna try! Me, too!”
Corona slowly requested, “Um…I wish…for a star!”
As the sand shaped itself into a five-pointed star, the kids breathed an amazed “Ah…”
Oddball cried, “I wanna go next! I wish for a huge bugbear with candy cane claws, a tutu, and – Oh! – a police hat!”
Sky whispered, “Is that even a thing?”
At Oddball’s request, the sand formed itself into the exact thing he wished for, albeit in a ballerina pose.
Skater said, “It is now.”
Gabby said, “I wish it could dance!”
To everyone’s surprise, the sand bugbear began to dance and bounce around gracefully like a ballerina. The children laughed at this and started to wish for various creations that could move.
Zealot asked his friends, “So, how long do you think we’re gonna be here?”
Blaze answered, “I’d give it a half-hour or maybe an hour.”
After a minute of playing, the adults saw a tube-like sand figure rising from the sand. It towered seven feet over the tops of the kids’ heads before it shaped itself into a giant sand snake. It crouched down as if it prepared to strike the children.
Mischief saw this and cried out, “Whoa!”
He shot out a blast of his green magic just as the snake was about to strike. The blast reduced the serpent’s head to a stump and its giant long body crumbled until it was sand again. However, with the fall of one sand creature, more malicious ones rose in its place. Each different creature looked just as menacing as the last one and poised to attack the children.
The kids huddled together in fear and Cuff trembled, “I don’t like this sandbox anymore.”
Before the sand creatures could attack, Mischief used his magic to teleport the children safely to the group.
Roller cried as he and the others ran back into the forest behind them, “Let’s get out of here!”
However, when they were just a few feet into the woods, sandy tendrils wrapped around them and pulled them onto the sandbox before anyone could think.
Opulence shrieked, “Aah! The sandbox is alive!”
The sandy tendrils formed themselves into various dangerous animals and prepared to lunge at the group. The adults began to attack the sand creatures with their magic, wings, or just plain punches.
After a minute or two of fighting, Zealot panted, “I’m not sure how much longer we can keep this up.”
Roller griped as he fought while flying, “I think it would be easier to defeat them if a certain somepony is helping us!”
Silver Tongue humphed, “You’re the heroes. Why do you need me?”
Oddball asked in a panic, “Where’s Wacky?!”
Gabby asked, “Wacky who?”
“My badger! The one we follow to the fairies!”
Silver Tongue said in disbelief, “You named it?”
Skater – who was in the sky – pointed to something a few yards in the distance and cried, “Wait! I think I see him!”
Sure enough, the badger was digging a hole in the sand yards away from the battle.
Oddball, overwhelmed with joy, teleported to his side and cried, “Wacky!”
The creature gave a yelp of surprise as he jumped in the air and landed on his paws.
“Whatcha doing over here?”
As if a reply to the young colt’s question, Wacky began to dig again and squeezed into the hole.
“Wait! I’m coming, too!”
When Oddball dipped into the hole, it gave Mischief an idea.
The antlered colt told the rest of the adults, “Guys! Distract the sand monsters! I got an idea!”
Without hesitation, his fiancée and friends attacked the creatures while Mischief teleported the young ones to where Wacky had dug his way down. One by one, he used his magic to levitate the children into the hole. After the last kid was down the hole, Mischief turned his attention back to the sand creatures and the ponies fighting them. He then cast a spell to freeze the gigantic monsters in their place.
He grunted as he struggled to hold the spell, “Get to the hole! Go!”
Once the adults galloped to the hole, Flurry used her magic to enlarge it enough to fit a grown pony. After everyone jumped down the hole, Mischief lifted the freeze spell on the sand monsters. In a split-second, he teleported himself above the hole and fell into the downwards tunnel. He slid roughly but gently down the long passage before he landed on solid ground.
As he shook his head to regain his senses, he heard his beloved’s voice ask in concern, “Are you okay, Mischief?”
He coughed as her gentle hoof grabbed his arm and helped him stand up, “Ye-ah. I’m fine.”
Silver Tongue clapped his hooves together, “I commend you for your brave deed, Sir Mischief. I’m sure you’ll make a fitting husband for the fair princess.”
Cuff asked in concern as he looked up the tail end of the tunnel, “Did the sand monsters follow us?”
Mischief answered, “No, and I don’t think they will.”
He then levitated a cluster of rocks and pushed them into the tunnel to plug the exit. As he did so, the cavern became darker until it became as black as pitch.
When the adults with horns lit them up, Silver said with a quasi-sneer, “Well, I suppose ‘up’ is no longer an option. We’re going to have to find some other way out of here.”
To everyone’s surprise, they saw a bioluminescent bunny hop by them.
Some of the kids cried in delight, “Bunny!”
A few moments later, the group heard a dull stamping before a whole pack of glow-in-the-dark bunnies raced past them.
Sky chuckled in amazement, “They’re glow-in-the-dark!”
When the children started chasing the bunnies, Nova cried as she and the others ran after them, “Wait! Slow down! Please!”
Blaze remarked, “I wonder if this is what it was like for Pony in Wonderland when she chased that rabbit!”
When they reached a curtain of flowers and vines, a tiny but harsh voice called out, “HALT!”
The adults and children immediately stopped at that moment. They then gasped when they saw five small shimmering figures with sparkling wings float towards them. They looked just like the Breezies, but their coats were crystallized, their eyes were like precious jewels, and no pair of wings was identical.
Some of the group awed, “Aww, they’re so cute! They’re shiny! They look like crystal Breezies! So adorable!”
One of the fairies inquired as he and his comrades held their spears out, “Who are you and what are you doing in these caverns?”
Before anypony could answer, Sky Stinger stepped forth and told him, “I am Pony Pan! I am here with Windy and our friends to…” He faltered for a bit before Vapor whispered in his ear. He resumed, “…to request an audience with your ruler, so please grant us permission.”
The fairy guards looked skeptical, so one of them requested, “If you truly are Pony Pan, give your crow.”
Sky smiled because he had practiced this particular crow so many times he lost count. Aside from clearing his throat, he only needed to put little effort into giving Pony Pan’s signature call. After the cavern echoed with Sky’s hearty crow, the fairies looked at him in amazement.
One of the guards chortled, “Ho-ho-ho! ‘Tis truly you, Pony Pan! Come! You and your honored guests are welcome in our Haven of Wonders! We shall take you to the rulers themselves!”
After the fairy guards slipped between the vines and flowers, Flurry used her magic to part the curtain so everyone could pass without difficulty. Everyone in the group either gasped or widened their eyes in awe when they saw the haven around them. The haven was not a small cavern like they expected; rather, it was giant and expansive enough to fit a thousand ponies. Multicolored crystals dotted almost every inch of the cavern along with flowers and grass of different colors. The massive woody yet crystal tree in the center of the cavern had exquisite stained glass windows dotting the trunk and crystalline lights hanging from the leaves and small twigs of the branches. The branches extended yards from the tree and many small orbed houses hung from the long and mighty limbs like fruit. However, along with the beauty and wonder of the haven, there was also some disrepair in the cavern. Many of the crystals had either turned black or broken off from their clusters; many plants and bits of grass had died, leaving only patches of dirt or rock; and the tree itself along with some of the branches were becoming discolored and rotten. Even the cavern itself was admittedly a bit dimmer than anypony thought it would be.
When the group walked up towards the gates jutting from the trunk, which was at the adults’ eye level, one of the guards told them, “Wait here. We will announce your arrival to the king and queen.”
Nova Rose suggested, “Wait. I’ve got a better idea. I know a spell that can turn us into Crystal Fairies.”
Another guard scoffed, “Preposterous! Such a spell would make you –“
The lead guard quickly covered his comrade’s mouth and explained, “What my friend is trying to say is that even with the form of Crystal Fairies, you wouldn’t be considered actual members of the race. You’d be – How to put this gently? – misfits.”
Nova clarified, “Oh, we’re not trying to move here. I just thought it’d be easier to talk with the rulers if we were your size.”
There was silence as the guards looked at each other before giving collective nods. The head guard agreed, “So be it.”
Nova closed her eyes and concentrated on her magic. First, she levitated her group with a little strain and then shot beams at her friends and the children. She turned her head and shot a beam of magic at the tiny guards. When the fairies were enveloped in her aura and surrounded by two rotating circles of letters, she shot her magic at her group once more. In a flash, the travelers became Crystal Fairies. The children chattered about how awesome this was.
“Wow!”
“Look at me!”
“I’m so pretty!”
“I wanna be a Crystal Fairy forever!”
The guards, while amazed by this change in form, kept a straight face as the leader said, “Follow us.”
The group floated behind the guards as they entered the gates. Their eyes darted around the interior of the palace with awe and wonder. It was so beautiful it was like it was out of a fairy tale.
Silver Tongue almost drooled, “Beautiful. Simply beautiful.”
The guard then requested the group to wait outside the throne room as he went through the double doors. After almost a minute, the guard came back and said, “The Monarchs will see you now.”
When the double doors opened, the travelers saw the king and queen sitting on their thrones in majestic glory. The size and design of their wings as well as the rulers’ height immediately distinguished them from the rest of the Crystal Fairies.
The blue queen, who was as gentle as she was regal, stood up and said, “Greetings, fair travelers. I am Queen Selene Monarch of the Crystal Fairies.”
Her yellow husband soon followed and said, “And I am King Brook Monarch of the Crystal Fairies. Welcome to our Haven of Wonders. As you can see, it’s not much, but-“
Selene lightly jabbed his arm and shushed, “Shh! Our guests do not need to be concerned with the state of the kingdom.”
He apologized, “Right. Sorry, love.”
Flurry floated a few inches forward and curtsied as she said, “Your Majesties, we are most grateful by your warm welcome. We know what’s been happening to Paraddock and we would like to help.”
Selene nodded, “As kind as your offer is, I’m afraid there is nothing you can do to help. The magic that controls this world and keeps our kingdom thriving is very ancient. We have no control over such sorcery.”
Mischief suggested, “But if it’s chaos magic, then maybe I can help. I happen to be gifted in it.” He then added under his breath, “Somewhat.”
Brook said in confusion, “Chaos magic? We know not of chaos magic.”
Roller piped up, “But your Crystal Heart -“ His mouth was immediately covered by Skater’s hoof.
Where there was once gentle sadness in Selene’s face was now replaced by an intimidating glare. She asked in a soft but stone-cold tone, “Who told you about our sacred Heart?”
Blaze clarified, “The flowers in the field did. They were worried about their kin dying and even closing up. We think it might have something to do with whatever’s happening to the Crystal Heart.”
The Monarchs’ eyes were wide with shock and they stood silent for a few moments before Selene whispered, “It’s everywhere…” She then addressed the group, “Come with us.”
The sentry at the locked doors protested, “But, Your Grace, no one but the royal family can enter the chamber!”
Selene stood tall as she again ordered, “I am the queen, and I say these visitors are allowed to see the Crystal Heart.”
The sentry sighed, “Very well, Your Highness.”
He took his bejeweled pendant and placed it in a relief before turning it a quarter to the right. The massive doors opened slowly and the group, including the rulers, gasped at the sight before them. The Crystal Heart, which was about the same size at the one in the Crystal Empire, was surrounded by vines and its other side dug deep into the wood of the tree. While some of the vines pulsated color, others were black and most certainly dead. However, the most shocking sight of all was that the Crystal Heart now pulsated three colors: blue at its very edges, violet on most of its face, and a small rose-colored dot barely visible in the very center. It also emitted a weak and somewhat distorted hum in contrast to the strong hum the Heart in the Crystal Empire would make.
The queen, with her hooves to her mouth and her crystalline eyes brimming with tears, said with a deep sadness in her voice, “I haven’t been in here for so long. I was…too afraid to see how worse it would get every day.”
Nova asked, “When did it first start?”
Selene answered, “Over six moons ago. The Crystal Heart is usually radiant with a rainbow of colors when all is well. When there is danger afoot, it becomes red and transmits that color to all of the other crystals. When the Heart started to lose some of its color, we knew something was very wrong. We tried channeling our love and happiness into it, but it didn’t work as much as we thought it would. We tried using different spells, different kinds of magic, and even dark magic to bring the Heart back to its former glory. Alas, none of it has worked. I suspect it might have something to do with the chaos magic you spoke of earlier.”
Mischief held his hoof out to feel the invisible aura surrounding the Heart. After a few moments, he withdrew it and said, “There is definitely chaos magic in it, but it feels like it was used to revive the Crystal magic within.”
Brook suggested, “My love, do you suppose the legend was real after all?”
Selene nodded, “I’m beginning to suspect it might be.”
Opulence asked, “What legend?”
Selene gently said, “I think it’s time we told you a little story. You see, there is an old legend that traces back to the revival of our colony.”
Brook continued for her, “Back when the first king and queen of the Monarch line ruled over the colony, it was on the brink of ruin. All other colonies were gone because of greedy ponies and creatures who admired the fairies’ beauty. The lands that had once belonged to the fairies were destroyed.”
His queen said, “A secret haven was the fairies’ last hope for survival, but even the resources there were limited. All seemed bleak for the colony and the fairies went to bed full of despair one night. The next morning, they were stunned to discover that they had been moved while they were asleep!”
“They were in a land they had never seen before. It was all strange and wild, but it was also peaceful. They also discovered that the Crystal Heart had been revived! No one could explain it, the move or the Heart. Or even the note, for that matter.”
“Even though it was of regular size to normal ponies, it was huge to the fairies and the writing could be seen by all. It read: ‘I have brought you all to safety in a new land high above the clouds. No pony or creature will ever harm you here. I have also given your Crystal Heart new energy so your colony can thrive on Paraddock. Be safe and live well, Crystal Fairies.’”
“Oh, the colony lived happily on the surface above for centuries right up until that scurrilous Captain Hoof threatened the fairies and forced them to move underground. Since then, we have prospered and thrived in the Haven of Wonders. Until now, that is.”
Nova said, “Wow. And all this time, we thought the fairies went extinct by breeding with ponies and creating the Crystal ponies, the Crystal-Eyed ponies, and even the Breezies.”
Blaze added, “Or even that the fairies went extinct at all.”
Silver Tongue suggested, “If I may, Your Highnesses. We believe that your ancestors’ mysterious benefactor is a draconequus. If you can tell us where she is, then perhaps we can set everything right.”
Brook answered, “If we knew where she is, we would’ve gladly went to her ourselves. But unfortunately, we do not.”
Mischief floated forward and offered, “Maybe I can revitalize the Heart as much as I can so you can have more time.”
The Monarchs looked at each other and then nodded.
Selene told him, “Do it.”
Mischief took a deep breath, focused on the Heart, and aimed his magic at the crystal relic. After about a minute, the green aura enveloping Mischief’s antlers died and he gasped for breath as he fell down to the ground.
As his fiancée helped him float up again, he breathlessly explained, “The Heart is very huge when I’m this size. The magic within is very powerful and not very easy to revive, so I think I only bought you a few months maybe.”
Brook consoled him, “You did all you could. The best thing you can do now is to go to the draconequus and restore everything to the way it was.”
Selene then said to the group, “Go forth, brave heroes, and save Paraddock and everything in it.”
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SHE LIVVVVEEEEESSSSS!
All kidding aside though, I'm so happy with how this chapter turned out. I can't guess for the life of me who or what the Monarchs are based off of unfortunately. Also, why does that female draconequus you spoke of feel like an impending self-insert? 
Yay! The story's finally returned, and with a pretty good chapter to boot!
I continue to be incredibly amazed by Paraddock, and now, not only do we have some new parts of the area, but we've even met a new race, and learned of said race's backstory. Once again, this is doing some incredible world-building with this place. Although, I can't for the life of me guess what the inspiration for the Monarchs is. But now, our heroes' goal is clear: to find this mysterious draconequus and find out what's happening with the Fairies' Crystal Heart.
Overall, this was an enjoyable chapter, and I patiently wait for the next one!
I think I know the cause, Captain Hoof and the rivalry between him and Pony Pan... Am I close?
8778345
Hmm, anything is possible at this point, but if I had to take a guess, I think it's Silver Tongue. The hardest thief to catch is the one that lives in your own house. I borrowed that from one of my mom's Chinese soap operas.
8778413
Yeah... but Silver seems to be a little too obvious in my eyes... perhaps we shouldn't dominate the comments with our theories, like in CN12's work.
8778528
Okay.