You've probably heard about the Crystal Empire and it's rich history. Unfortunately for you, it's wrong.
You've probably heard about the Crystal Empire and it's rich history. Unfortunately for you, it's wrong.
This story will explain to you the history of the Crystal Empire, written by the Royal Historian of the Crystal Empire with aid from several distinguished ponies, including the Princesses themselves! Take a look now, and find out the true history of the world's first Great Power.
Important: this takes place in the Equestria At War universe. Equestria At War is a mod for the grand strategy game Hearts of Iron IV, be sure to check out their Discord and Reddit if you're not familiar with it. They also have a group on this site: https://www.fimfiction.net/group/212917/equestria-at-war
Cover art is the flag of the Crystal Empire.
Rated Mature for history (and all the gruesomeness that entails), mentions of sex, violence, war, Sombra (Just... Sombra, and his consequences) and profanity.
- IMPORTANT: On hiatus for the foreseeable future -
Hello! My name is Wise Hearth, and I am the Royal Historian of the Crystal Empire, appointed as such by Princess Mi Amore (Cadenza the Second) herself, after a lengthy career under her great ancestor, Empress Mi Amore (Ambrosia the First) herself.
Almost two years ago, in 1005 ALB (3 AR; After Return), I found out that the current Equestrian perception of the history of the Crystal Empire was, to put it bluntly, bucking wrong. The most important sign of this is that when Equestrian ponies speak about ‘Princess Amore’, they mean Empress Mi Amore (Ambrosia the First), and they talk as if she was the first and only ruler of the Empire before Sombra.
This revelation had me screaming. Not physically, of course, but inside my head I was fuming. This insolence could not stand! And so, I went to Princess Mi Amore (Cadenza the Second), and after a long conversation, she ordered me to compile the history of the Crystal Empire in a way that it would be understandable and accessible by all who read it.
Well now, I have done just that. With sources from the Crystal Palace’s library, including the Imperial Archives, as well as libraries and private collections all over the Empire (and a few beyond), and with assistance from several people. Speaking of, I wish to thank the Royal Magician of Equestria, Star Tower, for providing records from his family’s collection that have never been shown to any outsider, as well as the Royal Magician of the Crystal Empire, Sunburst, for aiding in sorting and collecting all the works.
Furthermore, I wish to thank all the many people who allowed me to view their collections and archives for compiling this story, and an immense thanks goes out to Princesses Celestia and Luna for sharing their own accounts of the Crystal Empire during the Pax Crystalia and the War of Sombra.
Finally, I hope that you will have at least half as much fun reading this as I had making it; if you do, I will consider my mission to be a success.
The Crystal Empire is a nation located in the central north of Equus. Geographically, it is bordered by the Yaket, Everhoof and Crystal mountain ranges in the north, Severyana in the east, the Neighgara Hills and Baicall Hills in the southeast, Whinnysota to the south, the Solside Plains and Yeahcon to the southwest and finally the Frozen River to the west. At the height of its power, the Crystal Empire and its vassals stretched from Seaddle to the Griffish Isles and from the Polar-Yak border to the north of the Alicorn Valley. Two lakes also lie on the Empire’s borders: the Deep Blue Lake, in Hedgewards, and the Varkino Lake near Porridge Town.
The lands of the Crystal Empire nowadays are mainly plains. In the west, there are the Evergreen and Frozen Butterfly forests, both natural parks of great beauty. North of Canterine, surrounding the source of the Amoriac River, are the Serene Woods, and at the source of the Snowy River north of Snowybury lies the Aquavitae Forest. The Empire’s largest forest is the Angellesst Forest in the far east, above Rainbow Falls. The entire northern border is mountains, including the tallest in the world, Mount Everhoof.
Through the Crystal Empire flow several rivers which become greater in Equestria. The source of the Hayston River is in fact the Snowy River, while the Peter River is formed from the confluence of the Emerald River and the Rainbow River, and the Red River comes from the Angel River. Furthermore, the Butterfly River and the Amoriac River feed rivers in Equestria as well, and they all enable trade via boats that go up and down the river as far north as Rubrum, Quebuck and Ponytown.
The lands of the Crystal Empire would be consistently covered in snow, remnants of the Wendigo’s terror and might, if not for the power of the Crystal Heart, an immensely powerful artifact located in the very centre of the Empire’s capital Crystal City, in front of the Palace, in the middle of Heart Square. The artifact is powered by the love of the Empire’s citizens, and it is the main reason the Empire is inhabitable.
Now, for some history. The Crystal Empire was founded in approximately 520 BLB, or 0 C.D (Crystal Dating). For reference, the current year in C.D is (1)487, depending on if one counts the thousand years of Limbo too. It was founded by Duke Heart Storm, then-ruler of a small village in the same rough location as what would later become Crystal City, and by his wife, the first Empress of the Crystal Empire, Floriona Mi Amore, the First of her name, First Alicorn of Love.
That is right; Princess Mi Amore (Cadenza the Second), is not the first Alicorn of Love. About Empress Mi Amore (Floriona the First) not much is known before she came to Duke Heart Storm’s humble home, but I have found out that she is not related to either Princess Celestia or Princess Luna, after much questioning on my part. (Author’s note: I wish to thank Royal Magician Star Tower for interceding on my behalf so I could get an audience with both of them at once.)
Empress Mi Amore (Floriona the First) was the greatest crystalmancer that ever lived, teaching hundreds of students the skill and building Crystal City from the ground up. When her husband passed away in 489 BLB (31 C.D) Empress Mi Amore (Floriona the First) made the Crystal Heart, connected her seventeen-year old daughter, Empress Mi Amore (Cadenza the First) to it, then poured all her power into it and died, which immediately drove away the storms that harassed the outer limits of the spell line Empress Mi Amore (Floriona the First) and her mages had set up.
Empress Mi Amore (Cadenza the First) then understood what her mother had done: by sacrificing herself, she poured her love of the Empire into the Heart, allowing it to protect the Empire as long as it received the love of the people, since even an alicorn’s power is not unlimited. The ritual Empress Mi Amore (Floriona the First) had used had turned her unicorn daughter into a taller and more powerful unicorn than had ever been seen in the Empire before.
You see, the second Crystalling at seventeen conveys some measure of power and control from the Heart to the Crown Prince/Princess, making them taller and more alicorn-like while granting them power only matched by legendary unicorns like Starswirl the Bearded. Every Crown Prince/Princess since Empress Mi Amore (Cadenza the First) has undergone the ritual, with the exception of Princess Mi Amore (Cadenza the Second), but more on that later.
So, you have now been introduced to the Empire, and received a brief version of it’s history. It is now time for a more intense analysis of the Empire’s history, starting with the events that preceded it’s creation, and one of the few things the Equestrians get mostly right: the Long Winter.
