For over 7 years of interest in the MLP fandom, I realize now that there has always been one constant in the back of my mind. It was my love of Crystal Ponies and the various fan works involving them. For years, the main interest of MLP for me was the villains. But it was always Sombra who intrigued me the most - as well as Chrysalis. Now, what a lot of people don't realize about me when I first joined the fandom, I was already very active in reading fimfictions in 2016 when I first joined. One of the first ones I read back then, was this one:

https://www.fimfiction.net/story/301126/coming-home

When I read this the first time, it made me feel an overwhelming sense of peace that I did not find in much of anything. The land the Crystal Ponies inhabit is generally desolate, shrouded within snow. In my childhood, I was fascinated by snow. The story of Snowflake Bentley, the man who first photographed the design of snowflakes was something that always fascinated me when I was a child - and so does that connection with winter, convey into my interest in the MLP universe and Sombra's association with the harsh north. Sombra himself, as a King with a certain aura of an aristocrat carried over into my interest of castles and medieval timeframes. The general aura of it conveys into a complex vibe that colors his character to me. It is why he is one of my favorite villains in G4, tied with Chrysalis. 

The Crystal Empire is a distinct entity from Equestria, as in my perception - it offers a different outlook to that of the average day Equestrian. The ponies themselves are also of a different type, one that is vastly understated in the show. 

Crystal ponies often have names based around certain types of crystals. According to some sources, crystals can personify certain types of auras or energies. Perhaps that is the magic Crystal Ponies have inherent to them - is their ability to carry emotions and personify them in ways that others may perceive in an understandable fashion? The way that my mind works, is often through taking seemingly unrelated contexts and coloring them with a certain aura - that becomes like a bookmark, which feels like it's own emotion in a way. It's something that only highly unique circumstances can lead towards in my perception of reality. Crystals can also be used for lenses, and decorations, like one's perception of reality.

Radiant Hope was always one of my favorite ponies, I felt a strong attraction to her in 2016 when I first joined the fandom. It is difficult to explain what drew me into her, it is probably her design - but also her personality, she was always so dedicated and protective of Sombra even when nobody else understood him, and even when he became a tyrant - she still believed that he could change. It strikes me as something I would have really wanted to see in the show. 

"No more talk about destiny, Sombra. I've never believed in it. You're the only thing I've ever believed in." - Radiant Hope.