Travels of a Crystal Pony

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.