I still couldn't believe we’d been gone for 1000 years. Everything in the Empire is the same, I guess because it disappeared with us, but still, 1000 years!
Shortly after our return, we found ourselves without a ruler. King Sombra had wiped out the Royal Family when he came into power, but with him locked away, we had no one to lead us. However, the princesses that ruled our neighboring country of Equestria graciously offered to help us maintain our nation until we could get back on our hooves. They set up a train station just outside of the Empire. We had never seen such loud and speedy machines! When the first train rolled into the station, we were scared. What was this metal monster that spewed smoke like a dragon? Princess Celestia had sent her niece, Princess Mi Amore Cadenza and her husband to look over us while we rebuilt the Empire, and there was something vaguely familiar about her.
Overtime, our guest rulers eased us into the modern world. We grew used to the trains and started using their technology in our everyday lives. When they deemed that we were well established to these new times they allowed Equestrian ponies to visit our Crystal Empire.
All the tourists wanted to see what this ancient mysterious place had to offer, which was great for my bakery shop. Every day tourists poured in to try “Crystal Empire this” and “traditional Crystal Empire that”. And every day I heard about places that didn't exist before our...enslavement...let alone our banishment. Places like Appaloosa, Las Pegasus, and a bunch of other names I had never heard before. When we had been disappeared, Equestria was just a few scattered settlements around the Princesses’ castle in the Everfree Forest. I was determined to see what this new, bigger, exciting Equestria had to offer.
I left my bakery in charge of my apprentice and assistant, Cookie Dough. The young mare was a bit of a scatterbrain, but I knew she would manage just fine. She lamented when I gave her the news.
“But Mr. Wheat! I can’t run the bakery on my own! What if somepony orders Crystal Berry Fritters? You know I can’t fry pastries!” her voice dripping with anxiety.
“I’m sure you’ll do just fine, Cookie. I won’t be long, I just want to have a quick look around Equestria, that’s all. Besides, if you need help, you could just write to me.”
“Write to you?! WRITE to you?!!” You’ll be all over Equestria, how in the hoof am I supposed to WRITE to you?!!” She’d always been a bit neurotic and didn't take bad news very well.
“Look Cookie, I’ll send you a postcard from wherever I am, and you can just write to wherever the postcard came from.” It took long hours of talking and coaxing, but I finally convinced her that she was going to be fine.
She walked me to the train station to see me off.
“Well, when do you think you’ll be back?” she asked, her voice was breaking and her eyes looked moist from tears starting to well up.
“I’m not too sure, but I shouldn't be gone too long.”
A few tears rolled down her cheek, and there was obviously something else she wanted to say. The train pulled up to the station, a gray Earth Pony got down and started taking tickets from the boarding passengers. I gave Cookie a final goodbye hug and started walking to the train. She trotted and stopped me.
“Just...just promise me you’ll come back.” her gaze had an intensity I’d never seen in her before.
“I promise.”
I gave the conductor my ticket and boarded the train. I looked out the window to wave to Cookie one last time, but she was already galloping away.
The train left the station and was on its way out of the Crystal Mountains, and beyond the snowy crag, a dazzling new world awaited me.
The train ride was long and tedious. The scenery didn't change, snow and more snow, all the way through. I appeared to be the only Crystal Pony on-board, all the other passengers were Equestrians heading home. It was late at night and everypony else was sleeping peacefully. I, however, couldn't catch a wink of sleep; I kept thinking about Cookie. The image of her tearful face was imprinted in my mind and I couldn't think about anything else. She obviously wanted to say something else, but what was it?
“Golden? Golden Wheat?” a voice interrupted my thoughts. I turned around to see a familiar face.
“Golden Wheat! I can’t believe it really IS you! What are you doing so far from the Empire? Don’t you have a bakery to run?” It was an old friend Quartz Arrow, we had met at school, but after that we sort of went our separate ways and didn't meet much. I had opened my store and he had joined the Empire Army as an archer.
“Quartz, how have you been?”
“Oh, just great. Wow, I haven’t seen you since...” a silence had overcome us, the last time we had seen each other was when King Sombra came to power. The Queen had rallied all the stallions to fight against Sombra, and I was in Quartz’s troop.
“So, um, how’s your wife?” I tried to break the silence.
“Oh, Amy’s doing fine. She’s pregnant.”
“Oh, congratulations. Amethyst has always been a nice mare.”
“So how ‘bout you? Still a wild an’ free stallion?” Even though I was older than Quartz by about a year and a half, I still hadn't started a family.
“Yeah.” I replied halfheartedly.
“What about that nice assistant of yours? What was her name? The one with the nice plot? Umm, Cookie Oats?”
“Cookie Dough?” my mind flashed back to the sight of Cookie of staring at me with her intense almond eyes.
“Oh no, I could never. Come on Quartz! She’s my apprentice!”
Quartz gave a chuckle, “Mind if I seat with you?” I shook my head and scooted over. The train car was dimly lit by a single lantern.
Quartz turned to me, an inquisitive look in his wide eyes, “So what’s a goodie horseshoes like you doing so far from home?”
“I’m just travelling. I hear this new Equestria is a huge place, I just wanted to see it with my own eyes. What about you? Shouldn't you be with your wife?”
“I got sent to represent the Empire Army. Apparently, they want to discuss how our lands are going to be managed.”
“Wow, so you’re getting an audience with the princesses?”
“And all of the Equestrian Royal Guard. It’s not that special.”
The rest of the night we talked quietly, caught up and joked around, until finally, we fell asleep.
“Golden. Psst! Golden!”
“Huh? Wha?” I woke up groggy and it took me a while to remember where I was. I looked up to see Quartz Arrow.
“We’re here! C’mon let’s go look around!” He sounded excited. I got up and picked up my luggage.
When we came down from the train car I lost my breath. Canterlot was a magnificent, shimmering place. Our crystal buildings always shimmered and reflected light, but Canterlot seemed to emanate light. The sky was clear and bright and the air was warm and filled with the buzz of hundreds of ponies going about with their lives. I couldn't help but smile.
“Beautiful, ain't it?” I turned to Quartz and answered, “Yeah, it is.”
“Well, I’ll be staying here a couple of months. Let’s go see where we’ll be staying.” He said as he pulled a paper out from his saddle bag.
I looked at him in confusion, “What do you mean ‘we’?” He set the paper on the ground, “Well I ain't stayin’ here all by myself. Besides, I don’t think you have a place to stay do you?” I shook my head. “Then what’s the problem? Travelin’s always more fun with friends.” He picked the paper back up and started trotting away from the station. I followed him and soon enough, we were lost. Canterlot was considerably smaller than the Empire, but being foreign to us, it was a seemingly endless maze of buildings.
“Why don’t we ask for some help?” I asked Quartz, exhausted and starting to feel irritated.
“‘Cause we don’t need it! We just gotta walk around a bit.”
"We’ve been walking for HOURS! Look, could we at least stop to eat? I’m starving!”
“We can eat once we get there.”
I stopped. There was an aroma in the air, an aroma that was all too familiar to me. I started galloping in the direction of the enchanting smell.
“Golden! Golden where ya going?!” Quartz yelled, trying to keep up.
A couple minutes later, I was there. A huge grin spread across my face when I saw the window filled with bread, cakes, and cookies. I cantered in and without hesitation, made my order, “I want two cinnamon rolls and a dozen oat cookies.” Quartz walked in, huffing and gasping for breath, “I...didn't...know...you... could run... that fast.”
We sat down at a table and waited.
“Quartz, we’re lost.” I told him.
“No we’re-fine. We might be a little lost.” He finally gave in.
“Let me see the address.” I demanded. He passed me the piece of paper. A white unicorn walked over, levitating our order, something I’d always found a bit unnerving seeing as we never saw much Equestrian magic in the Empire. I always had the feeling that they could drop things without notice. “That’ll be 8 bits.” she said. I handed her the gold coins, but before she could leave I asked, “Excuse me, miss? Could you tell us how to get, here?” I passed her the slip of paper with the address on it. It took on a light blue glow and hovered over to her. The fact that it happened while the paper was still on my hooves sent chills down my back. She studied the page for a few seconds and replied, “Oh, it’s just across the street." I gaped at her and Quartz Arrow let out a big laugh.She put the paper back on the table and put the bits in her apron pocket. “See? Told ya we weren't lost.” Quartz said in between laughter.
The apartment Quartz had been given was luxurious to say the least. As soon as you opened the front door you were greeted by a huge parlor. Lavish couches adorned the room, and a small kitchen was visible from the door. Quartz, being as carefree as he is, dropped his bags at the entrance and wandered in awe.
"Would you look at all this? All this for just a month. Well Equestria's sure doing well isn't it?" he said as he stared in wonder at everything. I couldn't help but share in his awe as I moved our baggage onto one of the couches. The room was draped in a soft orange light that poured in from the window. I couldn't help but be drawn by the splendor of the setting sun. I gazed out the window and saw that we were overlooking the edge of the city. Below us a green valley sprawled around the river that formed from Canterlot's waterfalls. Here and there you could see the fields of farmers and their remote homes dotting the landscape. All veiled by the golden light of the setting sun.
