Golden Dawn: Dusk of an Empire

The soil had been prepared. After further research, Twilight had suggested that Applejack and Rarity should come along to help harvest a cutting from the Tree of Harmony, citing the former's extensive knowledge of all things farming and the latter's eye for crystals and gemstones. On a clear, sunny day, the four ponies and lone dragon set out for the Everfree Forest and the ancient castle that lay within. As they walked, Rael'ia examined the pot full of soil, turning it within her field of Arcane magic that held it. While the pot was nothing special, the enchanted soil within was a dull, dark gray and smelled of hot metal, acid and blueberries. Strange alchemy, indeed, but Twilight insisted it would work.

They arrived a short time later, standing before the Cave of Harmony beneath the castle that led to where the Tree was entombed. Sliding down a steep hill, the light from the sun quickly disappeared, replaced by the dim glow of magical crystals. The path quickly narrowed and dampened, soon becoming entwined with vines and flowers that somehow bloomed in the darkness. Small, short columns of stone jutted up from the ground all around the group, walling them in. Finally, the path led them into a cozy chamber, where the Tree of Harmony sat in all its splendor.

Rael'ia gasped at the Tree's beauty. Though the roots were covered in dirt and dust, the trunk was crafted of a shimmering, light blue crystal that glowed with a pure inner light, with ice blue crystal branches. Teal vines hung down from the branches, each decorated with buds of radiant white stone. The Tree had five major branches, each with a differently-colored jewel set within its bark. The heart of the Tree was emblazoned with a massive, pink star that seemed to perfectly match the star on Twilight's flank, and below it were markings that matched those on the Princesses Celestia and Luna.

"By the gods, what a sight," she breathed. "It's every bit as wondrous as the legends told."

"Oh? You also had a Tree of Harmony?" asked Rarity.

"Yes. The Tree of Harmony enshrined the Elements and sat atop the Crystal Mountain. When he took the Elements to create the Alicorns, Starswirl had to kill the Tree by shattering it piece by piece." She paused as her companions took a moment to mull over the tale. "But hopefully, with this dirt and the proper spells, a new Tree can be created."

"Let's get started, then," Twilight nodded. "Applejack, Rarity, where do you guys think would make the best cutting?" While Applejack paced around the Tree to examine the branches, Rarity pulled out a jeweler's loupe and lit up every individual branch with light from her horn as she viewed the quality of the crystal.

"Hmm... nope, too small," mumbled Applejack.

"Quite dull," Rarity tutted.

"Not enough crystal leaves on this one."

"Ah, a fracture. And a big one at that."

"Possibly, but it'd need a lot of staking."

"Oh, no, much too included."

It took a good ten minutes of close inspection before the two ponies finally decided on the perfect branch. Almost simultaneously, they discovered a small growth on one of the main branches, both light blue and ice blue in color with a modest number of vines and buds.

"Aha! This one here's the one y'all want," Applejack pointed. "It's about as perfect a specimen as they come."

"The perfect balance of color, clarity and inner magic," Rarity nodded as she closed her loupe. "I agree, this one is definitely the best of the bunch."

"Great!" Rael'ia scooped out a small pit in the center of the pot. "Ready, Twilight?"

"Yes. Now, carefully..." Pink magic flared to life upon Twilight's horn, while a swirling combination of purple and green glowed around Rael'ia's. The magic shot out and enveloped the small branch, making a high-pitched squeaking noise as a thin line slowly sanded it away from the Tree. Everyone present winced in aural pain until the branch detached itself with a pop, then the two Alicorns carefully levitated it down and into the pot. Rael'ia's magic switched from purple and green to a pure blue, and she used it to pack the soil in around the branch, the soil becoming noticeably wetter in a few short moments. The cutting sat motionlessly in the pot as the magic dissipated, then all of a sudden the crystal branch's inner light dimmed significantly. Only the very base of the cutting remained alight.

"You killed it already?" Spike asked as he let out a mischievous snort.

"Nah, this is supposed to happen," said Applejack. "Now it's gotta put all it's energy into growin' new roots before it gets any bigger."

"When it begins glowing again, it'll have recovered enough to grow stronger," Rael'ia added. "Then it can be replanted and become a new home for the Elements." She sighed as she held the pot in her hooves, a smile on her face. "Thank you so much for your help, everyone."

"Oh, of course, darling!" Rarity grinned as the others nodded. Rael'ia then slowly levitated the pot with purple magic and the group set out for the exit.

"So, how long until the Tree is ready?" Spike asked as the last groves of Everfree trees shrank into the distance.

"Well," Twilight paused. "It needs to start glowing again before it grows any more, but after that it's supposed to grow pretty quickly. The acidity and mineral content of the soil needs to stay perfectly balanced, though."

"Think you can handle it, Twi? Ah'll help as much as ah can, but ah don't have much experience with crystal trees," said Applejack.

"I think so. I've got plenty of Zecora's potion back at home. And those books on crystal botany from the Crystal Empire should be here today."

"Oh!" Rarity suddenly exclaimed, turning to the peach alicorn. "Rael'ia, darling, are you busy? I've been meaning to get your opinion on something at the boutique!"

"Sure, I could go now," Rael'ia smiled. "You don't need any help getting home, do you Twilight?" The purple alicorn shook her head.

"You mind if I come along?" asked Spike. The faintest hint of a blush seemed to stain his cheek scales for only a moment.

"Of course not, Spikey-wikey. In fact, I do need you around to take your measurements..." Rarity's voice trailed off as she turned towards the path to her store. Rael'ia and Spike followed closely behind as Twilight waved and yelled after them to have fun.

Though she had never seen the interior before, Carousel Boutique felt oddly familiar to Rael'ia. The storefront was decorated to be warm and inviting, and the air was lightly perfumed with numerous botanicals. Swaths of lush-colored fabric and glistening jewels seemed to dance in harmony with the pony mannequins they were attached to.

"Now, don't you two tell the others about this... it's supposed to be a surprise!" Rarity led the two behind a curtain into her work room, where eight mannequins stood at the far wall. Seven of the mannequins were for ponies, and six of them were clad in what appeared to be scale armor; the last and tallest was left bare. The final mannequin resembled Spike's figure, and was also barren.

Rael'ia was taken aback. "Oh! Twilight and the others told me all about your fashion career, but I didn't think you also crafted armor!" The six sets of scale armor had been dyed to resemble the body colors of the Bearers of Harmony, cutie-marks and all. Rarity had been very thorough in creating matching helmets, neck-guards, greaves and even wing and horn guards. Each scale had been meticulously polished until each set of armor shone like the sun, throwing spots of colored light around the room.

"Well, the first few iterations left much to be desired... never have I worked with dragon scales or hydra leather this extensively," Rarity preened. "And you wouldn't believe the cost of imported tatzlwurm sinew for putting it all together... but, I daresay these suits of armor are my finest works yet! Stylish, sophisticated... and nigh impenetrable!" She emphasized these last words by posing dramatically with her own armor, white as snow and seemingly more radiant than the others.

"Ooh! Does this mean I get a sweet set of armor too?!" Spike's mouth hung open, a small puddle of drool slowly forming beneath him.

"Of course, my dear Spike," Rarity answered sweetly. Her horn glowed with ice-blue light; a seamstress's measuring tape glowed the same color a few feet away and floated towards the little dragon. "I just need to measure you and Rael'ia first, make your armor sets, then finish the enhancement crystals aaand they'll be ready for their grand debut!"

Rael'ia's ears perked up. "Enhancement crystals?"

"Why, yes! For Twilight and myself, to help amplify our magical abilities for whatever comes our way in your world."

"I thought only the military had access to those crystals."

"Darling," Rarity sassed with a smirk. "I've designed evening gowns for the Princesses themselves. Asking them to part with a few crystals took but a single question."

"May I see them?" Rarity nodded and looked towards a small wooden box on a nearby desk. Her glowing horn pulsed once, and two crystals floated out of the box and towards Rael'ia's waiting field of purple magic. The pale yellow crystals were about the size of a strawberry each, their facets left untouched by nature and magic. An iridescent sheen sparkled along the surface. Rael'ia closed her eyes and let her magic softly caress them, feeling the raw magical energy trapped within.

"They're called "Celestial Sunstones". Of the few crystals used in the Royal Guard, these are the most powerful."

"It's no Magicite," Rael'ia contemplated, "but it's very similar. What will you do with these?"

"They simply need to be bound to the two sets of armor, and they will be finished."

"What? No faceting?" Rael'ia's head jerked back incredulously.

"There's no need. All crystals harvested in Equestria are naturally faceted and are generally ready for use. Most of them aren't magical in nature, but-"

"But they could do so much more!" Rael'ia resumed studying the crystals with her magic field. "I... I realize how rare these are and what you had to do to get these, but... may I try faceting one?"

"Oh... well," Rarity squirmed, wondering whether to let her Element get the best of her.

"I'm no novice! ...Well, I'm still an apprentice, but I know how to do the basics!" Rael'ia smiled as widely as she could manage. After a few more moments of thought, Rarity sighed, then used her magic to pull one of the two crystals away.

"Well, alright... but just one! I need enough material for the two sets, at least."

Rael'ia's eyes lit up like stars. "Oh, thank you! I promise, you won't be disappointed! Now, then..." She quickly, purposefully glanced around the room. "I don't suppose you have an Arcane Faceter, do you?"

"Er, no... if I do happen to require a differently-shaped crystal, I'll just choose another one, or I'll have it sent away to the Crystal Empire if I simply must use that stone."

"Hmm, I see," she frowned. "Guess I'm doing this the hard way, then." Rael'ia closed her eyes to focus as her horn glowed purple. Wisps and tendrils of Arcane magic surrounded the crystal, as if scanning it inside and out. One tendril of magic then shone its way through the center, holding it perfectly still. It was quickly followed by more tendrils of magic aligning and criss-crossing their way through the stone, which then separated into four pieces of roughly identical size. Rael'ia then set three of the pieces down gently on the desk, then began realigning and stabilizing the remaining crystal. Wisps of magic then separated into smaller clouds and pressed themselves against the different sides. Her eyes opened into a calculating squint as quiet grinding noises began to emanate from the stone.

"So, you say you're only an apprentice at this?" Rarity asked after a few minutes of silently watching.

"Yes. Learned from the Fairies, the Master Gemcutter herself, even."

"Fairies?" Spike asked. "They do all your crystal stuff, right? What got you into it?"

"I've always wanted to learn, ever since I was a little girl. Just seeing how an already beautiful substance could be perfected and made sublime, it captivated me. I had hoped I wouldn't inherit the crown so I could devote myself to the art, but... well, with the war going on, my studies came first and foremost. What little free time I had, I would visit the Fairy gemcutters and practice with them, hence only being an apprentice. Then my brother fell and the crown passed on to me, anyway... I fear I'll have no time to practice at all in the future."

"That's too bad," the dragon sighed. The Celestial Sunstone in Rael'ia's magic field rotated, briefly ceasing the grinding noise.

"It seems you've learned much despite the circumstances," said Rarity.

"Master Gemcutter Ezri taught me this spell so I could practice whenever I had a spare moment. It's much more demanding than if I had an Arcane Faceter, but since- sorry, this is the worst part," Rael'ia winced as a cloud of magic began to pass over the largest facet on the crown of the jewel, creating a loud, long squeak. Rarity and Spike's faces shrank and scrunched at the noise as well. Thankfully, it was over nearly as soon as it started, afterwards Rael'ia levitated the jewel closer to her eyes, which also began to glow with purple light as she examined the jewel closely. "Since I'm out on the field with my people, I hardly ever get to use mine. I've become quite good at this spell as a result... here, what do you think, Rarity?"

Rarity enveloped the jewel in her own magic field and brought it close, also levitating out her jeweler's loupe. The Celestial Sunstone, now in a simple but dazzling octagon cut, seemed to glow with a golden light all its own. Each and every facet reflected the crystal's power, nearly blinding her through the loupe's magnification.

"Well, if you ever decide to retire here after your war, you can certainly come work for me! I've never seen a more radiant crystal!" she praised. "The color! The clarity! The inner fire! And," she paused as she closed her eyes to study the magical properties of the jewel, "...you're right. The amplifying properties of this crystal have nearly tripled! Even Celestia herself would be amazed by this stone's power!"

"And... it looks amazingly delicious," Spike drooled, entirely transfixed by the jewel.

"Aww, thank you," Rael'ia blushed. "It feels good to know I've still got the touch, even after being turned into a pony."

"Can you make another one?" Rarity asked very quickly. "Ooh, how many of them can you make? Oh, just think of the marketing possibilities!"

"Sure," smiled Rael'ia, already levitating another piece of crystal in a field of Arcane magic. "In fact, by using a different cut, I can even enchant the stone to amplify the magic of Pegasi and Earth ponies..."