Re:Harmony

by starcross7

47 - Prisoners of Paradise

Chapter 47 - Prisoners of Paradise

The King marched slowly about the dinning table to breathe heavily his non-violent fury upon a frightened Fluttershy, a frightened Applejack, a frightened Pinkie Pie, and a frightened Twilight. None would believe that this behavior was normal, for the guards, Rarity, and Sweetie Belle kept their heads bowed in silence while their guests sweated profusely at this silent interrogation.

After evaluating his last guest, the King paced before the crystal-burning fireplace, growling and grumbling every four or five steps. He stopped suddenly with his back turned at everypony, and his trembling body rattled his crown and his hooves on the floor.

The King spun around and with a sharp glare he licked his lips and ignited his curved horn.

"BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGH!"

Instantly, Applejack leapt up and wrapped her her forelegs around a jaw-dropped Twilight, while Pinkie Pie fell backward on her seat. After her initial shock, Fluttershy twirled in a daze before fainting face first in a plate of green gelatin she had been meaning to consume.

Yet no other pony found this shocking, and the Diamond Princess slowly lifted her head and raised an eyeshadow at the King. Shortly afterward, the King cracked a smile and burst into a loud baritone laughter.

"Honorable Father," said Rarity, "I know you have your reasons, but you just gave our esteemed guests a dreadful fright."

"Yes, yes, I couldn't help it," said the King. "The scene was getting too tense for my tastes."

"Applejack, you can let go of me now," said Twilight.

"Sorry, Sugarcube," said Applejack.

"I PEED IN MY DRESS!" Pinkie yelled.

"Oookay," said the King upon fully realizing the unintended damage his prank had done. "I offer my sincerest apologies, ladies. I am the Crown King of the Crystal Empire, Lord Umbra III, and seeing all of you alive and well, I offer my daughter my thanks for generously attending to your wounds. Of course, I do expect an apology for breaking the rules, my Diamond Princess."

"My most sincerest apologies, Honorable Father," bowed Rarity.

"Apology accepted. I know too well that your wandering horn was crucial in finding these lost ponies, their baby dragon, and their animal friends just in time. Lady Sweetie Belle, you owe me an apology as well."

"What?" cried the unicorn filly. "Me?"

"I know your sister is trying to cover for you, and I know for certain that you followed her outside the barrier."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness."

"Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I welcome you my esteemed guests to the Crystal Empire. I'd like to hear your tales, but unfortunately I have some royal duties to attend to right now."

"Honorable Father, you are always so busy," said Rarity. "Please try to eat more."

"Yes, yes, I know. I am a terrible king when it comes to eating on time. By the way, how is Honorable Mother?"

Rarity sighed. "She's still moping in her room. Sometimes, I wish we can just burst in and give her a much-needed grooming."

"Give her some time. Whatever sadness that has befell her, she will get over it or she will come to me with advice. Diamond Princess Rarity, please look after our Esteemed Guests as best as you can."

"Yes, father."

What remained of the tension left with King Umbra as he backtracked from whence he came, but not before grabbing a big noisy bite of crystal berries from the bowl. In the moments that followed, the Esteemed Guests managed to regain some semblance of calm and composure. Servants were called in to hoist Fluttershy's gelatin-stained muzzle so that she could be awakened with smelling salts Just as her face was being carefully wiped clean, she immediately leapt off her seat, still residually frightened at Umbra's playful outburst.

"He's gone, darling," Rarity dryly noted, and with mere words she prevented the pegasus from flying away to the ceiling or hiding underneath the table.

Two more servants were called in with buckets and mops to clean the mess underneath and around Pinkie Pie's seat. Since her dress was soaked, the pink pony decided to abandon it by leaping out of it head first, fresh as a foal with little or no urine scent on her. She didn't have to land on the table so proudly while wiggling her butt while doing so, but the stares from her companions compelled her that even if the King was acting a little less royal, she shouldn't. And so, she Pinkie Pie retreated to her chair and resumed eating until there was nothing left on the table.

"I do apologize for my Father," said Rarity. "He's usually more serious before other ponies in public."

"Oh, it's all right," said Applejack. "But I have to admit, his personality hardly matches his appearance, if you pardon me notcin'."

"He is well aware of the sordid legacy of Empire. After all, he was directly descended from King Sombra, and their likeness are frighteningly similar. We used to refer to Sombra as the Mad Tyrant who enslaved the crystal ponies for his own nefarious needs. He and his family believed that unicorns were superior and stole away the monarchy from the reigning queen at that time. Although he stamped out many rebel attempts, it was his very own family that was his own undoing. His first son deposed of him in a rather violent manner, and after that, the second son deposed of him as well. The cycle repeated for almost a hundred years when a child of both unicorn and royal crystal pony blood ended the bloodshed. Since then, the Crystal Empire has experienced unprecedented peace and prosperity for almost a millennia."

"You seem to refer the crystal ponies and unicorns as separate in that tale," said Twilight.

"Unicorns were not originally native to the Crystal Empire proper back then. History tells us that they were from a small tribe who fled a terrible winter and sought shelter here. Unfortunately, their lot weren't the most friendly. Regrettably, they were outright vicious."

"So is that why Miss North Star doesn't have the shimmer in her coat?"

"That is correct. Not all ponies, unicorns especially, are born with crystal coats like Sweetie Belle and me. Also, the degree our coats shimmer depends on our mood."

"If you're all crystal ponies," said Pinkie Pie, "how come you all move like normal?"

"Pardon?"

"If I know my crystals, crystals are hard and rigid, like this." The pink pony leapt off her seat and stiffened all her legs to a walk around like a stiff board, thereby eliciting smiles a few chuckles from all the diners in the room.

"I get what you're saying, but I'm not entirely sure how we appear crystalline to all of you. I suppose it's how light reflects the sparkles in our body hairs. Speaking of which, would all of you gals be up for a crystal mud bath? That should be able to wipe out the sweat my Honorable Father had caused."

"Wouldn't a plain ol' bath be all right?" asked Applejack.

"The King has asked me to look after you as best as I could, and I shall follow his request to the letter. Besides, are we not the best of friends?"

---

The supper was enough, but the group couldn't say no to the Diamond Princess's insistence. The constant presence of stoic castle guards did not help with their decision, and they could only escape their gaze once Rarity took Twilight, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, and Fluttershy to a private indoor spa reserved solely for queens and princesses. Spike had to wait outside, unfortunately, and every pony but Rarity noticed his foot-stamping finger-snapping disapproval, and the doors closed before he could fume red.

At the far end of the spa, the crystal mud bath didn't look like mud at all, and if the esteemed guests were not mistaken, it was the same gelatin Fluttershy fainted into. Perpetually Hungry and Naked Pie leapt first into the tiny pool of green. She didn't splash on impact. Instead, it wobbled upon the pink one's weight impact, and surely but slowly she sank into its gelatinous coat-infusing juices. Her friends shared a laugh at her antics until Pinkie Pie devoured the entire pool in less than a minute. That wasn't normal. Or healthy. Her friends' reaction to this was a mix of disgust, awkwardness, and a bit of bemusement.

Nevertheless, there was always a second supply of crystal mud created by mixing water and a special powder. As the crystalline servants filled the pool for eventual use, the rest of the girls were stripped, shampooed, and brushed from end to end by the pretty mareservants at each individual styling station. Fluttershy was assumed to be a challenge, but Rarity somehow knew how to preen with her teeth the delicate feathers of the sole pegasus of the Empire. Twilight could have done it since Sunny taught her to do so, and yet she wanted to question Rarity's knowledge of pegasus wings. Maybe they had pegasii visitors before.

Resting together in the crystal mud bath felt like being encased in gelatin. Their movements were restricted, but anypony had the equal chance of climbing out without having to eat themselves out of it, like what Pinkie Pie did. When they emerged, their coats felt a little sticky, but surprisingly pleasant. The servants performed another brushing to further distribute the hair and skin-enhancing juices, and topped it off with a glittery conditioner. Their mane, tail, and coats sparkled due to the various glitter-infused conditioner, but not to the crystalline degree of the crystal ponies. All their manes were tied and bundled up just like the Grecian style of the Empire's natives, and with that, they appeared less foreign. Their clothes weren't given back, and it took a while for them to adjust to walking around without them. They never felt so exposed, and yet they felt so free to move around.

Afterwards, Rarity gave the group of guests a tour of the Crystal Castle, which was divided in about six floors with most possessing a round hallway and a central access corridor for the wide stairwell. The place felt a paradox. The overall castle felt like a narrow spire that rose like a needle, and yet the chambers were large and spacious. Everywhere they went to the castle wall sparkled with the beauty of ice and light, which was in stark contrast to the Palace of the Earth's claustrophobic and darkened cherry wood hallways. The Crystal Castle's walls scaled up high and was airy. The Palace of the Earth was overly structured, ordered, and cramped.

The castle balanced itself on four massive "legs" at the four corners, and they too had spacious chambers designated for specially accessible purposes. The southwestern leg was designated as a luscious garden atrium that currently housed the girls' animal companions, Owlowiscious, Gummy, Winona, and Angel Bunny. It was here they found Sweetie Belle after their supper, upon which she played with, fed, and groomed the animals. There were many species and subspecies of birds they had never seen before in addition to the common ones like blue jays, green jays, pink jays, and pink flamingoes. Bushes had been planted alongside the wall bearing the same type of crystal berries served during the supper. Several rows of trees had been planted, and they along with all the many plants were illuminated by ample sunlight coming from the partially transparent walls and a number of large windows.

The little filly didn't seem at all embarrassed to be walking around naked and without a Destiny Glyph. Such things were required to be covered in Gaea, which was convenient because it would prevent bullying or instill elitism. Yet one could not help but wonder if she was forcibly sheltered in these halls to prevent her from suffering underhanded ridicule from other foals, considering that she was a Princess and all. Such thoughts passed back and forth in Applejack's mind. She could not help but smile wistfully upon the adorableness of Sweetie Bell, which had remind herself about Apple Bloom. Applejack had hoped that her hated enemy had raised her estranged and long lost little sister with the same love they showered over towards Sweetie Belle.

"Darling, it looks like you're crying," Rarity said to Applejack.

"I ain't crying," said Applejack as she wiped her eye. "Your little sis is just so darn cute."

"She is a gem all right. She's all I have left."

"What do yo mean? You two are actually orphans?"

"In a way. King Umbra is actually my real father's second cousin. Our previous King, my birthfather, died many years ago, and Umbra married my real mother, who then died after giving birth to Sweetie Belle."

"Just like my mama."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

The two tragic mares left the other three to stand in awkward silence while scratching the smooth crystal floor with the tips of their hooves. At the same time, Sweetie Belle and the guest animals tried to coax a temperamental white cat to jump off one of the many trees.

"Come on Opal!" Sweetie Belle cried out to the cat. "You have to meet your new friends!"

"Say," said Rarity, "there's something I must show you."

---

The four Esteemed Guests soon beheld the true extent of the majesty that was the Crystal Castle. Going back upstairs and descending to another, they emerged from one of the castle's legs to arrive outside in the Crystal Courtyard.

They beheld in the center of a snowflake pattern on the ground two sharp diamond spikes jutting from the ground and from the ceiling. Mystically hovering between the spikes' two points was a crystalline heart humming its soft beat as traces of white energy flowed from the ground to the castle and vice versa. Despite its importance, only one guard patrolled the area as schools of civilians passed to and fro in the open Courtyard. No pony seemed to notice it or even care to, and perhaps the artifact held such importance that the citizens accepted its existence as part of the beautiful scenery.

"Our prized national treasure, the Crystal Heart," said Rarity. "It is powered by the emotions of the populace and it is the very thing responsible for shielding us from the permanent blizzard of the outside world, so as long as our emotions remain pure and joyful. Don't be shy. You're allowed to touch it. It's safe to touch. Feel the warmth of an entire empire flow through your hooves. See?"

To prove that no trap had been set for the guests, Rarity, after wiping her hoof with a silk handkerchief she summoned from the hammerspace, touched the Crystal Heart for almost a minute. It was definitely safe for a unicorn from royalty, so Twilight touched it next. She took her time to squint her eyes at the magically cut surface and at one point she even attempted to smell it. Next up was Applejack. She didn't too long to attempt to sense any magic, so she immediately let go. Then there was Pinkie Pie, and after a subsequent oohs and aahs, she licked the Crystal Heart.

"It doesn't taste like candy," said Pinkie Pie.

Gross. Rarity quickly wiped the Crystal Heart with the same silk handkerchief, and the others could have sworn she had incinerated right after she teleported away in an red-orange aura not unlike her usual blue. Fluttershy was last, and although she didn't want to touch it as necessary, she felt subtle pressure from her friends to join in. It wasn't like she would feel anything unique, but eventually she gave in after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Her front right hoof slowly lifted from the smooth crystal ground and lightly tapped the Crystal Heart.

But her reaction was anything but pleasant or normal. Fluttershy's mind tunneled fast and dizzyingly through streams of light into darkness, and she swirled around a mass of unpleasant emotions. The sights and sounds of shackled ponies frothing and screaming in agony plagued her vision. Blurred silhouettes of five unicorns laughed hysterically as they whipped their many victims while subjecting them to cruel experiments that left them mad or in a drugged stupor.

Underground in terraced platforms, they suffered. Underground, they were trapped.

"Fluttershy darling, are you all right?"

The sweet voice of the Diamond Princess called the pegasus back to reality, and she stared back at her with a gaping mouth. She was unsure if she should outright tell Rarity of what she saw with a loud outburst rivaling that of Pinkie Pie's, and Fluttershy's words would be taken seriously. She didn't want to ruin the magic of the Crystal Heart, lest she would produce defame accusations and cause a scandal in the Empire.

"I thought you said this thing was safe," said Applejack.

"It is," said Rarity. "The Crystal Heart is a powerful artifact, but all it does is serve as a conduit of all our energies to the Crystal Castle. Fluttershy, are you sure you are all right?"

"I'm fine," said Fluttershy as she looked away.

"But you suddenly look so pale."

"I said I'm fine."

"I didn't mean to be a bother, but if there's anything I can do for you, please let me know."

"No. I don't need anything at the moment."

It was hard to ignore Fluttershy's reaction to the Crystal Heart and her reticence made her friends worry more over her. She didn't want to continue to talk about it, and so she relegated to either trotting ahead or lagging behind so that none of her companions would make eye contact and start up a conversation. It wasn't as if she couldn't continue the tour, because she did not want to wander too far and lose sight of her friends.

Without much to do about the shy pegasus, the five ponies plus one baby dragon resumed the tour of the rest of the Empire proper. Finally, the esteemed guests could glimpse the crystalline streets and the crystalline buildings in pony. Behind the Castle was the transparent coliseum large enough to seat the entire population of the city-state. There was the Great Library donated by the Griffon King from almost a millennia ago. Twilight found herself veering towards it when Rarity gave her speech about its history and the collection they had preserved. She eventually realized that her friends had moved on and were now a block away. She immediately galloped fast and hard to catch up to them so that she could profusely apologize for lagging behind.

As beautiful as the city was, the esteemed guests could not help feel unsettled by the treatment they received by its citizens. They sensed no meanness and no ulterior reasoning behind the forced smiles and forced greetings of each and every crystal pony they met along the tour. It couldn't be because of the presence of the Diamond Princess within the group, but there was no way Rarity would be oblivious to the obvious falseness of her subjects before her eyes. This didn't feel as methodically staged as the Posey's rallies in Gaeapolis where zealots were placed close the front to the barriers while rows of indifferent citizens pretended to cheer from the rear. The idea was the same, but it felt that these shimmering crystal ponies were made to act this way as if an invisible gun was held to their heads. Such things would be grudgingly possible with a unicorn ruling class.

"Here at last, the Crystal Gates," said Rarity. They had ventured far out to the outskirts past many designated farmland where the road ended and the entrance began. Two towering crystal pillars of dark purple stood at each end of the road, and three crystals magically of two purple and one blue suspended between their tops. From here they could see the what was the literal pillar of the Empire that was the Crystal Castle rising to the heavens
as a beacon of prosperity.

With the city-state draped in splendor and perfect weather, the other side of the barrier was just as spectacular. The violence of the blizzard silently beat against the magical hemispherical membrane to create a moving tapestry of swirling snow-eddies from bottom to top. Just yesterday, Fluttershy and her friends were out there frozen and half-dead by the very same winds.

"Just how did you find us out there?" Applejack asked the Diamond Princess.

"My horn did," Rarity replied. "I'm not a magisister by any means, and it has once or twice whisked me from the castle walls and out into the cold."

"So you're able step out of the barrier?" asked Twilight.

"Why shouldn't I? Everypony in the Empire is free to step past the barrier, but with the blizzard, we only go out when we really need to. To be honest though, we have needed to go out there since everything we need is produced here."

Thump. Thump. Whack! Rarity, Twilight, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Spike turned around to see Pinkie Pie laying on her back with a red mark on her forehead and her hind legs pointing towards the barrier. She rebounded back to her hooves and attempted to bang her head on her barrier before staggering back in a concussive daze. Then she tried shoulder tackling, followed by repeated bucks from her hind legs.

"I can't go through!" she exclaimed.

"Darling, what ever possessed you to go out there?" Rarity asked.

"I don't think that's the issue here," said Applejack. Not wanting to go the same extremes as Pinkie, the orange pony pressed her front hooves with half her weight behind it. Twilight and Fluttershy did the same, and with a bit of bouncing resistance, none of them could pass through either. Eventually, a concern befell on Rarity that if nopony could exit, nopony could enter. She too pressed her hooves on the barrier and with an uneasy smirk she confirmed the majorly inconvenient situation her Empire had placed her new friends on. She became speechless, and bowed her head in apology.

Comments

[Coco-mix]

the crystal Impire is finally showings its cracks. I cant wait

[Enduring Man-Child]

But if no one can get past the barrier, how did Rarity and Sweetie Belle get out and how did they get Twilight and co. in?

Also, does this mean that Rarity and Sweetie Belle are only half sisters?

[Admiral Q Ponyform]

You deserve a clap for how you arrange that Rarity is Royalty here. I bet her step mother is Cadance.

ANd it seems that Umbra is more Sombra then he lets on.

[Cheryl Chrome]

Gawddamit. I just started reading Under the Dome a few days ago (Good book) and this immediately reminded me of it. I think AJ is Barbie. And maybe Twi is Julia? I dunno.

[jolliapplegirl]

I'm finding a lot of shipping fuel in here. So far, there's twijack and rarishy. I have no problem with this. All thats left is pinkidash... rainbowpie?

[Childish Endeavors]

4786255 It was working perfectly fine when they came in at the beginning, but now it seems that the barrier is "malfunctioning".