Concerning Ponies

“Concerning Crystal”
(A guide to understanding the Crystal Empire and its residents)

Section 1: The Crystal Ponies

The Crystal Ponies, known for their residence in the Crystal Empire, are a most peculiar breed. It is common knowledge that the coats of these ponies shine and sparkle, almost as though their coats are composed of crystal. The reason as to why this strange phenomenon occurs is unknown to most ponies, and even from my own studies, I can do little more than hypothesize exactly why their coats shine, but I would have to say that it is the result of some form of magic; in short, they are magical Earth Ponies.

Their magic is weak, but is nonetheless present, as though it were a sword permanently lodged into its hilt. It radiates through their bodies, and as a result of exposure to the Crystal Heart’s radiation, a chemical reaction takes place therefore causing their coats to shine a crystal hue. However, what sparks my curiosity is that when I, a Unicorn, visited the Crystal Empire, the Heart did not have the same effect on myself, until it’s energy was rejuvenated in an immense flair during the end of their customary Crystal Fair. Fortunately, the spell was short-lived, as after only a matter of hours my coat had returned to its regular state (and my beard free of incessant braids and locks which had woven themselves into place as a result of the magic!), leaving not a single trace of ever being affected. So, I should have discerned that it is a mere result of two different forms of magic interacting with each other, though the Earth Pony accompanying myself on this journey had also experienced the same effect of this magic, his coat shining just as vibrantly as my own. So it must be a result of the heart, yes? Well, perhaps not. There was one pony there, a young, black-coated Unicorn stallion by the name of Somber Night who was never affected by the heart.
Furthermore, upon asking a crystal pony to leave the kingdom, her coat remained in its usual crystal state. We can deduce that Somber Night is obviously an outlier, and that the heart alone cannot be the sole cause of the crystal coats, unless it is the mere result of continued exposure to radiation. What these two ponies do show, however, is that the crystal gleam is not a result of the heart’s magic alone. (It should also be noted the curve in Somber’s horn. Never in all of my travels have I seen a unicorn with a curved horn, though perhaps in continued travels I shall find more Unicorns of that breed, and perchance explore the cause).

Section 2: History of the Crystal Empire

During my stay at the Crystal Empire (though it is more of a city-state than an empire, but who am I to rain on their parade?), I had the wonderful opportunity to use the entirety of the Crystal Library at my disposal, as well as having discussions among nobles, and even the Crystal Queen herself. From these studies, I have gathered an account of the Empire’s long history. The Empire was around long before the Pegasi of Cirra had come to the racially divided Northern Kingdoms, which as we know had moved south into Equestria, only to be put under Discord’s chaotic rule.

What surprises me is that the Crystal Ponies have suffered neither from the Windigo’s winter, nor the chaos of Discord. Apparently their Crystal Heart, which they believe to be old as time itself, protects them from mostly all supernatural threats. It is apparent that once the Northern Kingdoms had moved to the new land of Equestria, the Crystal Kingdom, as it was called then, had taken all former territory which the three Kingdoms had left behind.

The Crystal Ponies are not the only group known for such expansion, and certainly were not the most aggressive conquerors of new land, for merely a few hundred years prior had the Fersian Empire on the other side of the world, had fallen to the forces of Maredor. As we know it, Maredor covers the entire Eastern continent on the other half of our planet, and may be expanding into the scattered Kingdoms formerly known as Gryphus as I write this. No group, not even the mighty Pegasi of Cirra, nor the ferocious Griffons of the Dioda continent has ever fought Maredor offensively with any success whatsoever; however that was soon to change.

The Crystal Empire expanded past the North Pole into Maredor, where without knowledge of doing so, they had taken the dark nation’s Northernmost territories, not too valuable in terms of resources (excluding crystals, of course), but enough to suffice for the ponies of the Crystal Empire. In this fertile region they lived for many decades, and had even built a second city of crystal there known as Crystopolis. However, eventually Maredor’s Queen, Lucifus, had taken notice of this, and mobilized an army to stop them. The accounts of this conflict are vague, as it was short-lived, but it is said that Lucifus attacked with an “army of darkness”; taking the city from the Crystal Ponies. Though legend has it that the Queen of the Crystal Empire at the time, Queen Spiritus (who was an Alicorn of immeasurable power and intelligence, given her name because it was believe she could communicate with spirits), travelled to Crystopolis by her lonesome to banish the darkness. She fought with all her strength, but could not dispel the darkness which had covered the land, until with all of her magic, she created a second Crystal Heart, and using it in combination with her own power, she banished darkness from Crystopolis.

That victory was short-lived, however, for when Spiritus died decades afterwards (she was not of your immortal breed of Alicorn), Lucifus retook Crystopolis. It has been hundreds of years since then, and that was the most recent conflict the Crystal Empire has faced. I fear for the empire, for their military might has decayed with the passage of time, the proud Crystal Legion (which I discovered was based off of the notorious Cirran Legion) is now little more than a cultural symbol. They are too confident now that nopony (or any other creature) on Earth will attack them, and if they are attacked then the Crystal Heart will save them. However, Crystopolis is still a major religious site for the Crystal Ponies, as the ponies there were saved from darkness, in the same way that the ponies here were saved from chaos.

Section 3: Governmental Structure

The Crystal Empire’s governmental structure is one very similar to our own in Equestria. However, instead of a Diarchy, they are a Monarchy, with a single Monarch, usually an Alicorn (presently Queen Rosetta) ruling over the entire nation. The Monarch rules however they please, but are generally kind to their citizens, lest they risk a revolution. However, many Nobles serve under the Queen, helping her with various decisions, and keeping her informed in terms of both domestic and foreign affairs. Despite this, it is generally up to the Monarch to make the final decision on any issue, as to ensure that the royal family does not become a figurehead.

As I stated before, the Alicorns ruling the Crystal Empire live mortal lives, despite their vast power. As a result, control of the Crystal Empire is inherited through the generations, by the offspring of the Monarch, and/or their spouse. It is written in Crystal Law that they indeed can become a Diarchy for a time if they choose to do so, when the current Monarch is married. Allow me to explain the process: the offspring of the current monarch is either a prince or princess, and that prince or princess can marry either a noble of their own land, or a prince/princess of another kingdom (the former being a more common tradition), and after the wedding ceremony, the spouse becomes part of royalty as well. So therefore, when the parent of the prince/princess dies, either the offspring alone or them along with their spouse can become the ruler(s) of the Empire. Typically, only one pony holds control, just as Queen Rosetta does today. In fact, she stated that she is fearful for her daughter, Princess Gloriana, who has not taken any interest in the current Nobility at all.

Section 4: Social Hierarchy

Like most societies, the Crystal Empire has its own social hierarchy. Unlike most social hierarchies in foreign lands, however, there is a certain harmony between the various classes of the Crystal Empire. The classes which their society is built upon are the Royal Class, the Cleric Class, the Business Class, and at the bottom, the Working Class.

The Royal Class we have already covered: it consists of the royal family, and the nobility. These ponies are the latter of the two aristocratic classes, though by no means make up the majority of the aristocracy. For the most part, the members of the Royal Class live fairly luxurious lives, though have the burden of maintaining the Empire, be that through overseeing technological advances, cutting spending, etc.

The Clergy is the second highest class, though it is not an aristocratic class. The Crystal Priests and Deacons are to live lives of poverty, depending entirely on the government and donations from the people for funding. However, to fully understand the Clergy, one must understand the religion of the Crystal Ponies. Unlike the ponies of Equestria, the Crystal Ponies worship spirits and deities rather than immortal Alicorns. I find their beliefs to be extraordinarily fascinating! They believe in two opposing forces, two Gods, which have no physical form, they are merely entities, sentient embodiments of the principles of good and evil, which fight for control over the Earth. The good God, Galactica Dragoras, created all things in our known plain of existence (you would have to consult Luna regarding the fields of reality and quantum physics). Galactica lets all creatures have free will, a rather loose leadership, but he will do whatever it takes to defend all creatures of the world, regardless of whether or not they believe in him. but Ahriman, the God of evil, is jealous Galactica’s, and sees Galactica as incapable of maintaining order, so he wishes to seize control. Both of these entities are omnipotent, though Galactica is believed to be Omni-benevolent, Ahriman being Omni-malicious, and as such they essentially both have control of our world. In addition to Ahriman and Galactica, they referenced Discord in their beliefs as a spirit of chaos, who works for neither Ahriman nor Galactica. It is believed that he is either the purpose or result of the two forces colliding (perhaps you could share some light on this? You seem to have known him for some time from what Luna has told me). So, the Clergyponies profess the word of Galactica, and encourage practices to keep one’s soul safe from the evils of Ahriman. They believe that it is not just power that may drive back Ahriman’s influence, but simple good deeds among one another, a maintenance of harmony. How they achieved this word? Well, Spiritus is their last known prophet, as all other prophets of this religion shunned the limelight. They saw themselves as mere vessels of Galactica’s word, and that His word was what needed to be remembered.

Then we have the second aristocratic class, and third in the social hierarchy: the Business Class. The Business Class is composed of all business owners, from the owners of major corporations (mostly weapons manufacturers, architects, and engineers), to the most simple street vendors. The owners of well-known corporations that turn a great profit are accepted into the aristocracy due to their massive wealth.

And finally, we have the Worker Class, which is simply the work-force of the Crystal Ponies. The ones that get paid to work the Crystal Fair, the ponies who clean the streets, the ponies who act as servants, chefs, carriage-drawers, and even farmers. In many cultures, this class is looked down upon, however they are actually honored in the Crystal Empire, as they are the backbone of the society. Their wealth varies, as they are paid based upon their work ethic. Queen Rosetta calls this principle “Capitalism”. I implore you, Celestia, that we incorporate the principles of Capitalism into our economic system (see attached document for the entirety of the workings of Capitalism and how to use it).

Conclusion

I can conclude that the Crystal Empire is a well-functioning, orderly society. It embodies peace and harmony, as well as love and friendship. These things are essential for maintaining a civil society, and as such we should mirror these principles of the Crystal Empire. And I hope the efforts for rebuilding our nation are doing well, it has been a long road to recovery.
Your faithful student,
~Starswirl the Bearded
P.S: Say hello to Luna for me.