June Event Part 1: The State of the Crystal Empire

June Event Part 1: The State of the Crystal Empire

 

When the Equestrian Knights had vowed to explore and secure the wilds, the goal had always been to reconnect with others battling the wild magic. Canterlot wasn’t the only place of power in the world, so surely others were holding their own and providing areas of refuge. This is how many, especially Dawn Bringer herself, had hoped things would be for the Crystal Empire. After all, they had their own Alicorn protector in Flurry Heart. So when scouts finally broke through to the city through the mountain pass, there was hope. Train Tracks were repaired and laid. Knights, merchants, and scholars all clamored for a chance to visit.

 

When the first train arrived, the welcome was not what they expected. Only a small group of ponies came out to meet them, none of which were Flurry Heart. Though it wasn’t apparent from the outside, part of the city was fenced off. The heart of the city, including the palace, was surrounded by makeshift fences. The streets were quiet, though if anypony looked in the windows as they walked by they would see crystal eyes looking back at them. The city felt so empty…which was all the worse knowing it wasn’t.

 

The ponies that received them were what was left of Flurry Heart’s council. Jade Castor and Sword Dancer were clearly unimpressed by the quiet foreboding. Clearly something was amiss that needed to be addressed and the slow tour through the available portion of the city was just a method of stalling.

 

Eventually, Sword Dancer lost her patience. “Just what is going on here?” She snapped. “Where is Princess Flurry Heart?”

 

After a long, uncomfortable silence, the oldest member of the council led the two canterlot ponies through the fences. Guards walked on either side of the trio and, much to their surprise, were there to keep citizens away. Within the throne room they were met with what was a beautiful sight at first glance. A life-sized alicorn statue glistened where a royal would normally stand. The wings were spread and body lifted onto two legs, with the front legs wrapped protectively around a crystal heart. The realism was otherworldly, for how could anypony carve out crystal in such fine detail?

 

The answer was simple. No pony had.

 

“You wished to see Princess Flurry Heart,” lamented the council member, “And here she stands.”

 

It was silent again. Sword Dancer stared at the crystal princess with narrowed eyes. Jade Castor opened and closed his mouth, but no sound came until he choked back a sound akin to the feeling of horror.

 

“Explain,” was all he could manage. 

 

The elder council pony explained that the Crystal Heart had always protected the Crystal Empire and this was true, too, with the influx of wild magic. The wild magic was kept from their realm, but strain placed on the crystal was great. Flurry Heart was forced to stay within the city and tend the crystal heart frequently. Everypony feared the inevitable day that the crystal would fail and they’d be vulnerable. 

 

When that dreaded moment came, Furry Heart was there. She refused to let the Crystal Heart die. To watch it fade would be to fail her subjects, her parents, the Empire itself. And so she tried to imbue it with her own magic, holding it close to her own beating heart. The glow within the crystal did fade for a moment, like the flickering of a dying fire, before it again twinkled faintly. With each glimmer and sparkle, though, a flex of crystal appeared on Flurry Heart.

 

Her advisors cried at her to stop, to let the Crystal Heart go, but she refused. The brighter the crystal became, the Flurry Heart shone like gemstones herself. Eventually all they were left with was the Crystal Heart trapped in a crystalized Flurry Heart’s embrace. The magic in the heart pulsed like the true thing, so the Empire was safe for the moment. But at what cost?

 

Magicians, scholars, doctors, all were called to try and return Flurry Heart to her former self. But no spell, no concoction, nor procedure seemed to work. Worse, those who spent long periods of time working on her came to a startling discovery; this crystallization, it was somehow contagious. Not only did many start to grow crystals upon their own bodies, but so did their loved ones and neighbors. Soon the crisis of Flurry Heart’s conditions was eclipsed by a plague upon the city. If they didn’t stop the spread, they feared the whole populace could crystallize, leaving a city of statues behind.

 

The infected were quarantined. Efforts to cure Flurry Heart were shifted to cure those who had yet to fully transform. It seemed the crystallization took normal ponies very slowly, over years sometimes. The city was plunged into a despair that could not leave, trapped in the cold mountains by a harsh wilderness.

 

That was 50 years ago. Many researchers had long given up on helping the infected. Resources were strained. The visitors from Equestria, though, offered a glimmer of hope. Perhaps they could help. Perhaps they would find the answer.

 

For now, any Equestrians were housed in the outer ring of the city. Jade Castor took this colleagues and students to research among the archives of the Empire. Sword Dancer took her knights to help fortify the borders and relieve exhausted crystal guards. There was much to be done.

 

Prompt: What does your pony think of the state of the Crystal Empire? Are they afraid of the infected? Determined to help? Do they agree with the segregation of the infected? 

 

During this month’s event, characters may also directly Aid the Infected. 

 

A new mutation has been added, Gemstone! You can read about it in the mutations section.