The vaulted ceilings hung with soft silken sheets and fabrics that added a splash of warm colour to the cool hues of the halls of the crystal palace. Soft white light spilled from small crystals held in sconces made from seemingly rough-hewn agates which, upon closer inspection, were shaped into crests representing cutie marks of long forgotten worthies of the empire. Each held the light of civilization long after their passing and whose memories filled the palace with the warmth of their devotion still. It was a touching feature, Handy thought, and one that made him pause briefly in appreciation before they were shepherded further to their current destination.