Intro I: A Trip to the Library
Equestria is filled with many tales and legends. Many of these legends are just warning that teach virtues to little fillies and colts to assure they do not go astray, but once in a blue moon there is a legend that is completely true. A legend whose events have long been forgotten and whose lessons fall on deaf ears, but without these legends. History is doomed to repeat itself.
The year is 2402 of Celestia’s reign over the land of Equestria. A young purple pegasus walks through the double doors of a beautiful library, her blue gradient mane reflecting the light that blazes through the windows of the old building. The librarian looked towards the young mare and smiled a warm smile. “Ahh, back for another book I see? I would have thought the last one you checked out would have lasted you at least a month, but here you are. 1 week later.” The librarian smiles and cantered over to the center table.
The young mare trots over to the table and sets the large book down, looking at the green mare before her. “Well.. A giant book of important dates can get rather old pretty quick, Ms. Clover. Especially since I can just check myself.” The purple mare giggles, glancing to the side as if to pick the next book that she would be checking out.
“I see. Well if you’re becoming bored of just dates and events perhaps you should read of legends. Surely you have heard legends such as the Mare in the Moon, Ms. Luminosity.” Clover would take the book and stamp it as checked back in before wrapping it in the glow of her horn’s magical aura and placing it on a cart to be refiled.
“Legends? Bahh none of those are true.” Luminosity batted her hoof towards Clover, displaying the device on her hoof. The device allowed the young pegasus to travel through time. It had been invented by her grandfather many years ago. Now it was the only one left in Equestria, since time travel had been made illegal for all those that were not in possession of a special license, and these licenses were impossible to obtain as the power could be used to do great harm. In light of this all of the devices were deemed too dangerous and were destroyed only leaving Luminosity’s. She was allowed to keep it because it was the last thing she had left of her grandfather who was murdered only a 5 years before. “Trust me, I’ve checked. Well.. Except The Mare in the Moon of course.. and the Star of the Wisps.. and..” The mare trailed off before getting interrupted.
“Ahh see. Some are true and when they are, oh what a story they tell. I think I have just the one for you actually. I’ve always known you to be interested in the Crystal Empire. So I think you’ll find this one especially interesting.” Clover walked from behind the desk and found her way to one of the shelves. She took down an old looking book that on its cover had a strange symbol that looked; what could only be described as a coat of arms. The symbol was a shield that was clearly of crystal empire origins, with two deer horns on the side and a crystal heart in the center. One would notice that the crystal heart was cracked in two. Clover brought the book back to Luminosity and held the book in her magic. “Here take a look.”
Luminosity took the book in a wing and looked at the cover. “Chronicles of the Flower Family Civil War.. Sorry this doesn’t really sound that interesting.” She shook her head and held the book back to Clover.
Clover shakes her head, “No no I insist. It’s about two sisters that clash over their ideals.” Clover assured Luminosity that it would be interesting.
The young pegasus sighs. “Fine, I’ll try it out. Only because I can’t really think of anything else to check out.” The pegasus rolls her eyes and opens the book, stamping it with her personal library stamp. She took the book under her wing and began to walk towards the exit, “Thank you Clover. I’ll be back tomorrow probably to return this.”
Clover smiles and waves as the young pegasus walked towards the exit. “Heh, alrighty then see you then. So nice to see somepony interested in reading at least.” She would return to the cart to refile the books. With the boom of the doors closing behind Luminosity signaling to Clover that she was once again alone.
Luminosity returns home to her apartment, arriving at around 4pm, the glow of Celestia’s sun beginning its descent in the sky. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, placing the book down on the coffee table. She went into her kitchen and cooked herself a lovely meal before returning to the book. She sighs, “Well might as well get this over with.” She took the book, sitting down on the couch and opening up the dusty pages.
Luminosity began to read the book, having trouble with a couple of the words since the ink on the pages was beginning to fade with time and improper care of the book.
Fall of 1149 was the year when it all began. A young lady Maple had just received her job as the official first park ranger for the newly established, Crystal Forest National Park. The park’s intention was to protect and preserve the recent discovery as well as the wildlife that called the forest home. Maple was what most would call an interesting breed. She was a Crystal Pony Deer hybrid, which at this point was completely new. Daughter of Bloom Flower and Thicket she had attracted quite a bit of attention from the media upon her birth. Nopony had ever heard of a deer and a pony consummating and having a child successfully before, so when a successful birth of a deer pony hybrid hit the pages there was a lark spark of controversy, but thanks to a ruling by the princess, Maple was to be giving full equal rights as a citizen of the Crystal Empire.
Much to the delight of Bloom and Thicket, their current daughter Crescent Flower would finally have somepony to keep her company. Crescent was Bloom's first biological child and from her first marriage which ended unfortunately. Bloom had always blamed herself for the separation and always worried that Crescent would grow up lonely and without a father figure in her life. Bloom was overjoyed when she met Thicket, a kind young buck who seemed to take a great deal of interest in Bloom as well as Crescent. After many months of dating the two decided that they should have a child together to proclaim their everlasting love and with that Maple was born. To their surprise the child was not purely a Crystal pony nor just a deer but a sort of hybrid. Together they created a deer with the crystalline coat and mane that shown of beautiful light, the young doe had a symbol of a flower under her eye that personified her eventual connection to nature; having inherited both Bloom’s and Thicket’s affinity towards Nature. The two parents were excited to raise their new doe, teaching her both respect and an appreciation for the world around her. The two decided to get married as a promise to never separate and to raise their doe with love and care.
After her parents were truly married, the two constructed a cottage in the White Tail Woods as well as purchasing a lovely home in the capital of the Crystal Empire. The family would primarily spend their time in the Crystal Empire, since her mother’s plants were quite sensitive when young and needed the nutrient rich soil to flourish into strong adaptable plants. Her father on the other hand, would open a new cafe in the Empire itself; keeping the name of the old establishment, “The Woods Cafe”. He would sell his delicious coffees to the ponies of the Empire while still maintaining his hobby of monster hunting, by traveling into the frozen north to contain the snow wolf population.
Maple had somewhat of a normal childhood, she was raised alongside her sister, Crescent Flower. Crescent was Bloom’s foal from her previous marriage and was around 4 years older than Maple. Maple would spend her days, watching Bloom tend to her garden to begging her father to take her with him on his next monster hunting trip because she wanted to see what the wolves looked like. Thicket of course would deny her request as the Frozen North was still deemed much too dangerous for normal ponies or deer to enter.
Maple would attend a local school where she felt quite awkward being the only deer. Early on she would be teased for it till the day she snapped. She got so upset from their teasing that she yelled and stomped her hoof in anger, a nearby plant sprung through the crystal pavement and created a large tree that even grew beautiful blossoms. From that point on she was never teased and became one of the most popular kids in school because she had ‘discovered her talent’ so early. The children would bring her plants to grow for them and she would grow them, smiling while she did. Maple loved to help her mother grow her plants in the garden, much to Bloom’s protest as forcing some plants to grow could be harmful. Maple took pride in her talent and would never miss an opportunity to use it for her or other’s advantages.
During adolescence, Maple would explore the newly created crystal forest natural park. The forest was a newly discovered plot of land that had trees that grew leaves made of the purest of crystal and were even rumored to have magical properties. She would walk around this forest; exploring as well as protecting the land from those who wished to chop down the newly discovered trees. Ponies would always try to come in to destroy the trees in hope to control their magical properties, and she would always make it a point to be there to stop them, controlling the trees to fight back. She eventually made a career out of it, getting hired as a park ranger for the Crystal Forest which got named into a protected national park for the empire. She spends her days patrolling the woods, arresting anypony that dares try and desecrate the trees of the forest. One day, ponies came with machines and destroyed half of the beloved forest to build additional housing for the empire. Maple was outraged and galloped to the castle itself and busted into the throne room. The princess was shocked to hear that the sacred forest being destroyed, she informed Maple that FlimFlam Construction Co was given permission to terraform a nearby area close to the empire and construct a living space for the empire's expanding population, but she never intended for them to destroy the forest. Maple shook her head in anger, she blamed the princess for not having them be supervised and rushed home, locking herself in her in her room.
Luminosity shuts the book and sighs, “ughhh I hate reading.” That’s when she got an idea, “Fall of 1149 huh? Sounds like a nice trip.” Luminosity grins, “Well if you wanna experience history, the best way to do it is to live it.” She smiles and brings up her hoof, tapping the location and date into the machine and hitting go. “Time to see if this legend is really real.” The pegasus would glow before zapping into thin air.
