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- Crystal Empire Stories, Part IV: Of Dreams and Mirror Worlds
- We ain't spellcheck a goddamn tnhing
- ----------
- Twelve hundred years.
- It had been that long since her hooves had found purchase against these marble floors.
- The palace halls were just like she remembered. She gazed up at the largeness of it, admiring it and wondering at the notion that after all these centuries it had hardly changed.
- Ceilings high and elaborately carved, held up by wide pillars lavishly decorated with silver and gold inlay climbing upward in spirals intricate. Chandeliers, tremendous, ornate and with branches beautifully forged into impossibly delicate, glinting strands of platinum; they hung ponderously overhead, tipped in glowing balls of aether which emanated soft light down upon the floor below.
- It was the epitome of ostentatious design.
- Ironic, she thought, that all this profane show of wealth and power had vanished into the wind one night, not to be seen again for a millenium.
- Her hooves clacked steadily as she strode, echoing, the sound rebounding endlessly down the empty corridors.
- Cold.
- A draft struck her, gentle; but an uncomfortable chill did pervade her. She stopped and adjusted her cloak, pulling it up higher along her neck to suppress the shivers suddenly running throughout her. She nestled her wings down tightly against her sides, letting the warm velour settle across her back before she continued to walk.
- Nightfall had already blanketed the Crystal Empire by the time she'd arrived. But even so, the air seemed unusually frigid. And the palace itself, though insulated somewhat, was clearly not faring well in staving off the strange nascent autumn. The ethereal barrier which enclosed the city was meant in part to mitigate the harrowing climate of the region; essentially, it should always be something approximating early summer. The fact that it no longer seemed to be doing so was worrisome indeed.
- She wondered at what else this implied.
- Concern, it began to fill her thoughts as her mind idled. The letter she'd received which called her from Canterlot was succinct, but in its brevity she felt something crucial was certainly omitted.
- At last the end of the hall drew near. There in front of double doors, tall and framed in gold, there stood a lone guardsman.
- He seemed apprehensive as she drew near.
- "Halt," he barked. "State your business."
- She arched her brow at him as he lowered his halberd. But she held her tongue. He simply didn't know who she was. With her wings and face mostly concealed beneath her traveling cloak she could really be anyone.
- "Salutations," she said pleasantly, offering him a comfortable smile. "I have an appointment with the Princess. She's available, I trust?"
- He eyed her suspiciously. "Wait here. I will check."
- He turned, whispering an incantation. Soft bubbles of light manifested in front of him as his horn glowed to life, steady and bright. The doors clicked, then slowly did they swing outward until they came to rest against the walls. He stepped inside the threshold and allowed his casting to collapse. His horn grew dimmer until the light was extinguished, and he shouldered his halberd as the doors crept closed behind him.
- She reared back on her haunches and sat, correctly assuming that she would be waiting for some moments before he returned. Frowning, she suddenly realized that something had struck her as odd. And it was not the guard, no. She could not exactly place it, but it was tickling the back of her mind. Subtle, almost imperceptible. Closing her eyes, she relaxed completely and allowed her thoughts to vacate her. Her skin began to tingle and she could feel her aura expanding rapidly, strengthening exponentially as it radiated ever outward from her.
- Calm bathed her.
- Seconds passed. When she opened her eyes again, there before her was a dirt path. Trees, tall and thick on either side of her, they created a canopy over the road which managed to blot out the moonlight almost entirely.
- She rose to her hooves and struck her horn alight. Aether gently radiated from it in slow pulses, illuminating her path as she strode off into the darkness.
- ----------
- Frustration.
- It felt to Cadence like she'd been there for years.
- But try as she might to deduce what it could mean, the words upon the plaque remained indecipherable. She'd given up, and in a moment of desperation she banged her forehooves futilly upon the cool, hard stone of the door.
- She turned around and sat, leaning her weight back against it. Idly she stared out into the corridor she'd just traversed, so dim, minimal, so bleak and dirty. She had no choice but to turn back. But what would she tell the others?
- The taste of defeat was bitter on her tongue. Admitting failure was not an option. This was far too important.
- Though as she pondered this, despair began to knot her stomach. For she simply could not think of what to do next.
- Her heart leapt into her throat as she heard a click behind her. Just when she'd stopped expecting it, the door swung open before her.
- She turned, half-tumbling across the threshold, blinking at the sudden saturation of light in the space before her.
- As her eyes focused, she realized she was looking at an empty, sterile-white room. Brightly lit and void of all the grime, the age and decay she'd trodden through thus far. It stood in absolute contrast to the preceding halls.
- The place was empty, save for one important feature. Towards the back of the room there lay an altar. And upon that altar was set a humming, crystalline sculpture of a heart.
- "This," she whispered. "At last, the Crystal Heart..."
- The amount of all the magical energy it exuded was nothing short of stifling.
- The door slammed behind her, but she paid it no notice. For she'd already begun walking eagerly towards the Heart, intent on claiming it.
- Strangely, she found this to be familiar. Just like everything else which had happened, it seemed just exactly like before.
- But that thought too soon became lost. She could see herself, her pale lavender eyes glinting in its reflective surface. And beyond them, the Empire.
- It looked different though. It wasn't quite the same as she'd known it. Its structure was similar, but it seemed... newer. Almost shiny, all the walls bright. Closer to pristine. Perhaps as it were a very long time ago.
- "Before it was banished..." she breathed, realization dawning suddenly.
- Images of the stained glass windows she'd seen in the entry hall started haunting her as she reached for the artifact.
- "How could you," she lamented quietly, stopping again just before she'd touched it. "All this beauty... And you let it slip quietly into nothingness."
- "Not real," a low, feminine voice echoed softly through the chamber.
- Her head jerked, and she spun around to face the source. However, the room was gone. Before her was a forest, dense and dark, shadows foreboding and the sky above her was obscured by the imposing amounts of vegetation growing overhead.
- She turned around again, heart pounding, nascent panic quickly grasping her.
- The altar was gone. And with it, the Heart.
- "WHERE IS IT!?" she screamed, pulse thundering. She searched frantically, turning about in every direction, wishing desperately to only just catch sight of it.
- "Your people need you," the voice said calmly. She turned around and around, searching for its source. But despite how hard she looked, she could find nothing.
- "If I cannot bring back the Crystal Heart, then I have failed," she spat into the opaque darkness surrounding her. "Then I am not fit to rule."
- The voice said nothing.
- She shook her head. "It's so very close," she spoke, cutting the silence. "I can feel it near me. If I could only touch it-"
- "No."
- "No?" she scoffed. "You know nothing. It's the answer to everything-"
- "No. That is not the true Heart."
- "But..." she began, stamping her hoof in maddened frustration. "I saw it! It was just here! I know it to be true!"
- The other voice, it sighed.
- Slowly the Heart flickered into view again.
- Her forehooves neared the Crystal Heart, finally hovering just centimeters away. She could feel the aether, the lifeblood of the world coursing through it.
- "Is this what you want?"
- She stopped. In her mind's eye she could see the empire. But as she reached for it, shadows encroached to consume it.
- "Your salvation lies elsewhere," the voice said finally as it became softer, seemingly trailing away. "And you need only open your eyes to see that."
- But she could not be bothered to listen any longer. She smiled.
- "At last," she thought. "At last we shall be safe."
- And as dust in the wind, the Heart scattered before her.
- ----------
- Princess Cadence jerked abruptly, gasping for breath. A bitter wind had roused her, contracting her flesh into goosebumps beneath her sweat-slicked, silken pink fur. Her heart was racing, pounding furiously in her chest. She sat up and immediately began to search, bleary-eyed and confused.
- But surrounding her was her not the place she'd been just moments before. She lay in her private study, everything neatly in its place. Bookshelves lined with countless tomes on history, magic and politics. Desk still tidy and aligned just right, her documents all perfectly arranged into labeled trays. Her prized, ancient painting she'd liberated at great expense from the museum in Canterlot, the one depicting Castle Everfree from before the Nightmare, it still hung perfectly straight, down to the millimeter.
- She rubbed the sleep from her lashes groggily, breath slowing, pulse calming. The pendulum clock standing against the far wall came into focus.
- "Mmph," she groaned, stretching for a moment before she climbed up from her plush velvet couch. It had not been her intent to nap for this long. She thought wistfully of how nice a cup of tea sounded in that moment. But she knew she'd not the time for that.
- Perhaps later, she thought.
- She was still so very tired. Her dreams had been the same for weeks, and at that point she was less interested in finding their meaning as she was in simply forcing them from her conscious mind. They made for poor sleep, compounding her exhaustion and it seemed that no amount of rest could ever be enough. But she had responsibilities, obligations to fulfill. She could not lapse.
- And it was nearly time once more.
- She thought briefly of the strange voice in her dream. That was new, and she could not be sure what to make of it. But there would be ample chance to dwell on that later.
- The doors to the balcony of her study stood open. She'd left them that way intentionally. But then, it was a pleasant summer's eve when she'd closed her eyes.
- She walked through the flowing magenta curtains, nudging them aside as she passed. Standing upon the open balcony, she took a deep breath then exhaled slowly. She watched as frost issued from her mouth, then gazed beyond it as she stifled the shivers caused by the thin, freezing air.
- The horizon, she found, was breathtaking that night. An aurora so bright and vast serpentined its way across the star-pocked, cloudless black sky.
- "Lovely," she whispered to herself, smiling as she admired the light playing gently across the darkened city below. She stood in silence for a moment, simply admiring the beautiful sight.
- At last she sighed. Steeling herself, she spread her hooves in a wide stance and began focusing her mind. Eyes closed, she began to paint an image.
- First, the sun. A simple yellow orb, hanging since time immemorial in the sky. Burning, staving off the endless night and warming the empty plane upon which she stood.
- One by one, runes of burning aether sparked to life on the marble floor. They surrounded her quickly and grew brighter as they multiplied.
- Life. Given by the nourishing light which begets all things, the once facetless sea of sandstone before her filled with flora, verdant and thriving.
- An orb of light formed at the tip of her horn, white and so pure, ethereal ribbons of pink entwining around it. Quickly it began to increase in size and luminosity.
- And then the fauna. The animals and insects and finally the sentience which birthed civilization itself, they filled the world until it was truly alive.
- Her runes burned blindingly then, crisscrossing in patterns soon unfathomable.
- This world she'd painted inside her head, she placed herself beneath it, letting it rest on her shoulders and encompassing it in the aura of her magic.
- Love. Passion. The feelings, the driving forces which bound them all together. That which moved them, inspired them, motivated them to strive towards another tomorrow.
- With every last ounce of will, she fed her energy into the spell until it could become no stronger. Sweat poured from her body, matting her soft pink fur to her flesh as her body grew intolerably hot.
- The casting seemed to be holding steady.
- "Preserve," she whispered at last. She exhaled, releasing her creation into the night sky.
- The runes dimmed and cracked at once like a peal of thunder. The spell erupted from her in a steady concentrated stream and careened towards the invisible boundaries she'd envisioned overhead. As it found purchase against the wall contructed in her mind it scattered, enveloping the city in a bubble of glimmering, rapidly fading pink light.
- Her vision returned to her slowly. As she blinked away the stars and regained the feeling in her body she realized that she'd collapsed upon the floor.
- Dread rose in the pit of her stomach. She glanced skyward, waiting for her eyes to adjust fully. Seconds passed like hours. But finally she could see it, just faintly. The ever so slight, translucent sheen of the shield. And then she could feel it. Tingling, rising from the base of her skull and tickling throughout her head and soon her whole body. She could feel that the casting had taken hold.
- The chill on the wind was already dying as she struggled shakily to her hooves.
- They were safe. If only for another day.
- She sighed, weary but relieved. Though she knew that soon the day would come that she could no longer do this. And that day, the nightmares which plagued her, she knew they would be real.
- A sudden knock on her door startled her. But it did serve to bring her back to reality. She turned and walked back inside, closing the balcony doors behind her.
- "Yes?" she called out, pouring effort into stifling the weakness in her voice. "Come in, please."
- The door opened, and in strode her guardsman.
- "Your majesty," he said as he firmly planted his halberd and bowed deeply before her. "You have a visitor."
- She smiled broadly, despite how ill she felt. "Good. I've been waiting."
- He looked up, surprise flitting across his face. "You were expecting her?"
- "Of course," she replied, collecting herself and managing an air quite pleasant. "I requested she meet with me. Take me to her, won't you?"
- He nodded respectfully. "Yes, of course majesty. Follow me, please."
- Shouldering his weapon again, he led her out of her study and into the empty passageway.
- They walked in silence, side by side for some moments before rounding the corner into the final corridor before the doorway into the main hall.
- "Here we are then," he said as his horn glowed to life. The same spell he'd used before, the one she'd seen him cast a thousand times by then, it sparked and those pretty glimmering bubbles of light issued forth and caused the ponderous double doors to click, then swing open.
- Before them sat a mare, body obscured by a traveling cloak. Her eyes so bright and teal, the fur of her face the deepest blue. She rose as they approached.
- "Princess Luna," Cadence said, weary smile spreading across her face as she laid eyes on her. "Come here, give me a hug."
- The cloaked alicorn embraced her warmly and for some time they held each other in silence.
- "I can't tell you how good it is to see you," Cadence said softly.
- "And you as well," Luna replied. She leaned back, forehooves yet lingering across Cadence's shoulders. "You look tired. Do tell me what's the matter?"
- "I..." she began, but stopped herself. She gazed into Luna's refelective, knowing eyes, wondering for a moment as she recalled the voice which had stirred her from her nightmare.
- "Dreams again," she continued slowly. "But I daresay you understand."
- Luna smiled. "Indeed," she said knowingly as she parted the embrace.
- She noticed the guard staring at the exchange, slack-jawed. His eyes had widened enormously as he watched all this transpire. In short order, he bowed deeply and lowered his eyes in reverence.
- "Your majesty," he said breathlessly. "I offer you my humblest apologies, I did not know-"
- "At ease, guardsman," Luna said with a grin. "I did not tell you who I was. You are not at fault."
- He rose slowly, as if still unsure.
- "She does this sometimes," Cadence said. She flashed him a conspiratory wink, then continued in a mock whisper, "I think she derives a kind of amusement from pretending she's someone else."
- He knew not what to make of this. Simply, he nodded. Still conspicuously anxious, he stepped back to his post and shouldered his halberd.
- "Well then," Cadence began as she turned to Luna. "Shall we?"
- The deep blue alicorn nodded. "It's good to see you've still your sense of humor about you. But yes, please let's."
- Cadence faced her guardsman one last time.
- "We'll be busy for some time," she said. "Close the corridor behind us, and should any visitors arrive please turn them away."
- "Majesty," he said in affirmation as he readied himself to seal the passage. They proceeded across the threshold, and behind them those tall double doors latched tightly.
- ----------
- Luna removed her cloak and hung it upon the rack near the door as Cadence showed her into the study. She stretched her wide, impressive wings indulgently then turned toward her.
- "So then," she said, thinking instantly of the many questions she wanted to ask. But she held them, thinking it best to just let her speak first. "Tell me, what of these troubles you mentioned?"
- "Where to begin..." she said, carefully deliberating as Luna walked past her.
- Luna's face contorted just slightly, reflecting a sudden twinge of impatience at this.
- "You may begin by explaining what happened to Twilight Sparkle and Shining Armor," she replied as she took a seat on the velvet couch situated in front of Cadence's desk. "Your message was vague, and that you neglected to include so much detail was cause for even greater concern in Celestia and myself."
- Cadence nodded silently and walked around to take a seat next to her, situating her self so as to face her fully.
- "Alright. As good a place to begin as any," she said, eyes locking with Luna's. "Shining is perfectly fine. Though he's quite distressed about Twilight. As am I."
- Luna's attention was held rapt. "What of her, then? And the mission you sent them on?"
- "Physically, her health is sound," she said. "She has been diagnosed by my entire panel of physicians. These are mares and stallions all highly qualified, most with educations from Canterlot itself. But they have found nothing wrong with her."
- "So then, her state of mind is the issue?" she asked.
- "Yes, it would appear. They had concluded early on that it was aether poisoning. But as you know, that's something easily treatable," the pink alicorn said as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She shook her head sadly. "She did not respond to the battery of medicines they administered to her. And so even now, she lay in a coma. She has not awakened since the incident."
- "I see," Luna said contemplatively. "And the mission? What happened?"
- "I had dispatched them to a monitoring station situated on the outer limits of our territories," she began. "The guardsmen occupying it had broken radio contact and could not be reached for some weeks. They were to go there and verify that everything was fine."
- Luna waited patiently as she took a moment to collect her thoughts.
- "But they never made it within twenty kilometers of that facility," she continued, voice slight. She looked away. "She was striken by sudden, inexplicable delirium and Shining had to carry her all the way back."
- "Let me make sure that I understand you correctly," Luna began. "You thought it wise to send both your prince and Celestia's most prized prodigy to handle this? I fail to see how this was in any way more efficient than dispatching a squadron of guardsmen to deal with it. Furthermore, the risk inherent was absolutely unacceptable."
- "I had my reasons."
- "Oh? Do tell."
- "Look, I know you may not understand my logic. But I thought that if something happened, and I had a feeling it would, I thought that..."
- "You thought what? That they could just handle it? That they would be alright? Look at where that has gotten you."
- Her lip trembled and softly, almost inaudibly did she begin to choke. "She has yet to awaken," Cadence said, eyes glistening. "And now I cannot be sure if she ever will."
- "Cadenza..." Luna said as she moved closer, wrapping her forelegs around her in comfort. "What do you really believe is happening?" she asked, resting her head on her shoulder.
- "We know nothing conclusively," she said, futily rubbing at the tears streaking down her cheeks. "But I can tell you what I think."
- She was hesitant.
- Pulling away from Luna, she took a few deep breaths. She bit her lip, stifling her emotions as best she could. "I fear that the King has returned."
- Luna felt a chill run up her spine.
- "It's fortunate then," Luna began, "That you did not disclose much in that letter. And that my sister's duties in Equestria demanded she stay behind."
- "I don't get what you are implying," Cadence responded in confusion.
- "There are secrets held in this place which you could not begin to understand," she said softly. "They are old, much older than you, and their nature is darker than you can fathom."
- "What secrets? Luna, what exactly are you getting at?" she asked, apprehension rising quickly.
- "Celestia is not to know of this. I believe that we can make things right in her stead. But you must trust me, and do as I say," Luna said. "And above all, you must not question me."
- "Alright, but..."
- "It's clear what I must do," Luna said firmly, cutting her off as she rose from her seat. "Before we can proceed any further, I have some questions which must be answered. And it seems that presently there is only one who holds the knowledge I require."
- Cadence regarded her carefully, trying her best to dry her tired, reddened eyes.
- "You must take me to Twilight Sparkle."
- ----------
- To be continued.
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