//------------------------------//
// Haunting My Reverie 
// Story: Crystal's Hopes 
// by Crystal Wishes 
//------------------------------//

Velvet was well and truly mad, that much couldn't be denied. The fact that her hoof was wedged inside a jar of pickles didn't help her case of looking serious about it, though.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me," Velvet snarled. Her hoof came free with a wet pop! and a self-satisfied grin; then she remembered she was upset and went back to glaring.

Crystal raised a plaintive hoof. "I'm not making her do anything! This is what she wants."

After taking a bite of the pickle, Velvet waggled it at her. "You could have picked any author. Anypony else and we'd be fine! But you just had to pick Rose Quartz."

"I didn't pick her, Velvet." If Crystal liked pickles, she would have taken a spiteful bite out of the one Velvet was waving about. That, and if they weren't in the back of Verbatim with the press just around the corner. "You know, that jar was meant for guests."

Velvet narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so I'm not a guest?"

Crystal sighed. "You are. But the wait staff was going to dispense the pickles onto plates. You just snatched it out of their hooves before they could even get the lid off."

Grumbling something incoherent under her breath, Velvet shoved her hoof back in for another pickle.

"It's not like the Prima Donna books are going to go away," Crystal said in a soft voice, lowering her head to try to catch Velvet's gaze. "They'll still be there."

A throat clearing nearby startled them both into looking over to see Rose Quartz herself standing there. "If I may speak my side of things?"

Velvet hurriedly hid the jar behind her back, ears folded back in embarrassment. "Um, yeah. Of course."

The older mare walked over with a smile on her face that wrinkled the corners of her eyes. "I loved writing the Prima Donna series, but it's too popular for my own good. My publisher rejects everything else I try to write, and I've never had a good opportunity or reason to start anew with another."

"But you have a reason to now?" Velvet bit her lip.

Crystal suppressed a smile as she watched the scene unfold. She already knew what Rose Quartz was going to publish; after all, she'd helped Sunset Coffee with the promotional materials.

"Oh, yes." Rose Quartz sat down and eyed Velvet. "When are you due?"

The question relaxed Velvet into a soft smile, and she rested a pickle-soaked hoof on her stomach. "Couple months. I'm hoping for a colt." She snickered. "Equestria couldn't handle another me."

Rose Quartz chuckled. "Well, I have a daughter myself, and now she's got two foals of her own. I want to write stories I can read to them."

Velvet's eyes grew soft and wet with tears. "That's—" She sniffed, brought the pickle jar into view, and hugged it to her chest. "That's really beautiful. I want to read your stories to my foal!"

Crystal walked away to leave the two in peace, moving instead see to the guests that were attending the Pure Leaf Press debut. Every time she had to be grateful to her mother, the filly within her who hated being forced into high society cried a little. However, she couldn't avoid giving credit where it was due; her mother had taught her the importance of three specific phrases.

Exclusive sneak peek.

Limited time only.

Complimentary champagne.

The bookstore was overflowing with ponies. She could tell at a glance who was there as a socialite desperate to not miss out, and who was a genuine fan of literature. Both were important, however. If they were lucky, Pure Leaf Press might land itself an investor.

"Crystal!" Sunset called from her right, and she turned to smile at him while he approached. "You won't believe the demand for you. Oh, well, perhaps you will. I'm not sure what your daily life is like these days. Maybe you're used to this. Anyway! There's an R.B. Dash who—"

Her ears perked straight up. "R.B. Dash? Do you mean Rainbow Dash?"

Sunset opened his mouth to reply, but a tired sigh cut him off. Crystal turned to see an earth pony stallion who, at first glance, looked quite a lot like Rainbow Dash. Though his periwinkle coat seemed to be the same shade, his mane and tail consisted only of red, green and blue.

"No," the stallion said with a roll of his eyes. "Reign Buckley Dash. Despite the name and unfortunate similarity of our appearance, there is no relation whatsoever."

Crystal felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Oh, I'm so terribly sorry, I—"

"It's fine," he interrupted in a tone that suggested otherwise, but he lightened his expression with a faint smile. "It happens. A lot." He waved a hoof. "Just, please, call me R.B. Not Reign, not Buckley, not Dash, and definitely not Dashie."

"Only I can call him that," a ruby-red filly at his side chirped, and Crystal openly gawked.

Lanky was an underwhelming word to describe her; in spite of her squeaky voice and soft features, her legs had outgrown not just her body, but her father's as well. She was nearly a whole head taller than him.

The filly grinned down at Crystal, her mane hidden under the black cat-eared beanie she wore. "And I don't, because he's Dad. And that is Other Dad."

A stallion standing a little behind them looked over from where he had been reading a sample of Lovely Prose's novel. "Hello. Don't mind me." His head lowered back down, lilac-and-blue mane falling to hide his face. "I'm just here for the free books."

R.B. cleared his throat. "Rhy, please."

"His name's Rhythm Emotion," the filly explained. "Don't call him Rhy, though. Only Dad can."

"Okay, sweetie," Crystal said, putting on her best smile as she glanced between the three of them. Sunset stood off to the side with an amused grin that he didn't even bother trying to hide.

The filly's nose scrunched up. "Sweetie? I'm a filly, not a foal."

Crystal smothered a soft laugh and nodded. "Of course, I'm sorry. What should I call you, then?"

"Ruby, or Rebel. Just not 'sweetie'. Okay?" She beamed again. "I know you're Crystal Wishes. Other Dad is a fan of yours, so I am, too."

"Yes, which is exactly why we're here," R.B. said, raising a hoof to place it gingerly on his daughter's head and rubbing between her knitted kitten ears. "Ruby has written her own story that she wanted to tell you about."

Both fathers glanced at one another with mirrored looks that meant something to them. Rhythm tucked the book into his saddlebag and moved over to stand beside Ruby, which brought attention to the fact that she was taller than him, too.

Ruby lifted up a cute little notebook covered in different cat stickers that she had been clutching to her chest. "Yeah! This is my story, Cathouse."

Crystal sputtered, eyes going wide. She looked at R.B. and Rhythm in a silent request for an explanation, but neither seemed at all inclined to give one.

"It's about a house of cats and the adventures they go on."

"Oh," Crystal breathed out with a huff of laughter. "Of course! A house of cats."

Rhythm snickered, and R.B. turned his head to hide his grin from his daughter.

"Yeah." Ruby blinked, looking between the three of them. "That's why it's called Cathouse."

Crystal tried to keep her composure, but another snicker from Rhythm sent her into a small fit of giggles.

Ruby frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" Crystal focused on not laughing, then nodded once she felt safe to talk. "It sounds like a very cute story. If you want, you can send a copy of it to Sunset. We might even be able to publish it."

R.B. jerked his head forward to look at her. "What? Publish it?"

Crystal offered a light shrug. "We're in the business of making dreams come true, regardless of potential profit or loss."

"How can you run a company 'regardless of profit or loss'?" Rhythm arched his brow. "How long do you plan to stay in business?"

"Not long, I'm sure." Crystal glanced over to see Sunset gesturing for her attention, and she gave a quick nod to acknowledge him before looking back at the bewildered parents and ecstatic filly. "But it will certainly be a fun venture while it lasts. Now, I'm sorry, but please excuse me."

"Yeah," R.B. said, his eyes still clouded in deep thought. "Okay."

Ruby looked between her parents, grinning as she exclaimed, "I'm gonna be a published author!"

As Crystal walked away, she heard Rhythm mutter, "It took me seven years to finally get picked up by a publisher..."

Sunset clapped her on the shoulder as soon as she was within reach. "Isn't this fun? And that was just the beginning!"

"Well, it certainly is different from the Foundation work I've been doing." Crystal glanced around the room full of ponies, noting some of them watching her with intent gazes. "Who is next?"

Three voices cried out all at once—"Me!" "I just have a quick question!" "Hello!"—startling her into a squeak. She looked over at the three ponies and hurried to put her composure back in place.

"What is your question?" she asked the second, a light green stallion who gave a nervous smile at her attention.

"Oh, uh." He rubbed his hoof against his leg. "I actually have a book I'd like you to sign, too. If you don't mind."

Crystal smiled. "Of course!" When he held out a novel she didn't recognize, she hesitated before enveloping it in her magic. "What is this?"

The stallion offered a lopsided grin. "Well, it kind of ties into my question. You see, I was wondering, since I read that interview where you talked about how you got the name C.W. Step because of your friend, Velvet Step."

Crystal's gaze flickered to the corner around which the mare in question and Rose Quartz were still talking. She looked back at the stallion, smile renewed twofold. "Yes?"

He paused, then nodded his head at the book. "You see, this is a story about a mare who falls in love with her best friend. When I read your interview, it reminded me of this, and I'd really like to get both you and your friend to sign it."

There was a long pause as Crystal stared off into space, trying to decide what sort of expression she wanted to wear. Finally, she opted for a grin she struggled to contain. "Velvet!" she hollered over the conversations around her.

The stallion's eyes went wide and he whispered with almost reverence, "She's here?"

A moment later, Velvet stuck her head into view, brow furrowed. "What?"

Crystal put on her sweetest smile. "This kind stallion here—I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Daydream," he said, his still-wide eyes locked on Velvet as she walked over with some effort.

"Daydream wants you to sign this book with me." Crystal levitated a nearby quill over and wrote her signature down with a fanciful flourish, then floated both over to Velvet. "Would you be a dear?"

Velvet just stared at her and made no move to take the quill. "What?"

"It would mean a lot to me," Daydream said, finally taking on a grin as he looked between them. "Oh, wow, I didn't imagine you two would look so cute together."

"What?" Velvet finally looked at him, down at the open book, then back at Crystal. Her brow knitted a deep crease between them.

Crystal cooed, "Sign the book, darling."

Daydream made a sound in the back of his throat that was something like a strangled squeal.

Velvet's eyes narrowed, but she slowly raised a hoof to take the quill. "I don't know what's going on, and I don't like it." She lowered her gaze to focus on signing the page, muttering under her breath, "I don't even have a signature."

As soon as Velvet finished the last, careful swoop of ink, Crystal returned the book to Daydream and fluttered her lashes. "I can neither confirm nor deny anything, but please enjoy the daydream, Daydream."

With a satisfied grin, Daydream gave an enthusiastic nod, clutched the book to his chest, and hurriedly trotted away. Velvet stared after him before turning her frown on Crystal.

"Did I just become your marefriend in that stallion's mind?"

A colt walked by, saying into a cough, "Gay."

The mare following behind him gasped, grabbed him by the back of his neck in her magic, and yanked him over. "You apologize right now, young stallion!"

Rolling his eyes, the colt squirmed out of her magic. "It's nothing personal, Mom, jeeze." Before she could grab him again, he stuck out his tongue and darted off into the crowd.

"Shade! Don't—" The mare groaned and looked at Crystal and Velvet with an apologetic half-smile. "I'm so sorry. He's going through a phase. I think you two are a lovely couple." Her expression soured as she marched in the direction the colt had bolted. "Shade! Get back here!"

Velvet snorted and shot Crystal a dirty look. "I hope you're happy with yourself. Now that stallion and that rude colt's mother think we're dating. They probably think the foal's yours, too."

"If I were the father, our foal would be unstoppable." Crystal tossed her mane over her shoulder. "With my charm and your wit, there would be nothing to stop her."

"Him," Velvet corrected and tipped her nose in the air. "If you'll excuse me, there's a plate of pickles over there with my name on it." She took a step forward, then paused. "Scratch the pickles. I want ice cream, so I'm out of here. This place is full of weird ponies, anyway."

Crystal hummed, raising her eyes to the ceiling in a show of innocence. "It'll be less weird once you leave."

Velvet snorted and bumped her flank against Crystal's as she walked past her. "You mean it'll be less cool!"

"Yes, absolutely, that's what I meant." Crystal giggled, then jolted when she realized there were two ponies still waiting on her. "Oh! I'm so sorry. What can I do for, ah—" She glanced between them and opted for the stallion who seemed to be scowling. "You, sir?"

"Nah." He snorted and looked over at the other pony, a mare absently shuffling her hooves. "Mares first, and all that."

The mare's ears wiggled in surprise, but she shook her head. "Oh, no. I don't—It's not that important." She smiled, lips shiny and bright red, matching the red floral print of her skirt. "I'm just happy to be here, so I can wait. It's fine!"

"Suit yourself." Rolling his shoulders in a shrug that caused one of his joints to crack, the stallion drew himself up to his full height as the whole of his dark-eyed attention fixated on Crystal. "I'll make this quick. I should hate you. Everything about you screams 'little filly with her head in the clouds'."

"Oh," was all Crystal could say, her ears folding back against her mane.

"I mean, did you hear yourself earlier? A company set on making 'dreams come true' without looking at profit or loss. Publishing a random filly's story without reading it first." His eyes narrowed. "Basically a prancing, singing drongo."

Crystal blinked a few times. "A what?"

The stallion snorted. "Don't worry about it. The point is, you embody everything I can't stand." Tension hung in the air between them until he cracked a big, lopsided grin. "But to Tartarus with assumptions, mate, I can't get enough of you."

It felt, for a moment, like she was a puppet and somepony had cut the strings. Her body visibly sagged as she let out a sigh of relief. "Goodness," she said through a nervous laugh. "That's a good thing, right?"

He gave a good-natured roll of his eyes. "'Course it is. Don't be a numpty." With a relaxed grin, he offered a hoof. "Listen. Name's Wholesome Rage, and I'm a freelance journalist. Self-published, rather, though I do articles for hire here and there."

"Pleasure to meet you." Crystal inclined her head to one side at the sudden movement of a magenta-coated stallion storming up to them.

Wholesome followed her gaze, then groaned exaggeratedly loud. "For the love of—"

"Now listen here," the stallion said, shoving himself between Wholesome and Crystal, his narrowed eyes fixed on her. He spoke rapidly, his voice tinged with an Andalusian accent. "I don't know what you think you are doing, but he is taken. Super taken. And so are you, by the looks of it."

He gave a pointed glance up at her wedding ring, then paused. "Oh, wait, you're married, huh?" The anger shifted to confusion, then embarrassment. "Oh, uh, oops."

"Yeah." Wholesome smirked down at the smaller stallion. "Oh, uh, oops, indeed."

Pivoting in one quick flourish, the stallion tried to shove his face in Wholesome's, but came up a little short. "Hey! Listen! I have a good reason to be concerned! Not everypony can be married to a stud, but here I am, entangled with you!"

Wholesome chuckled. "Rasp, come on."

"Don't you think you can just wiggle your way out of this. I saw you. Grinning." 'Rasp' waved his hoof in a vague gesture at Wholesome's form. "Do you know how hard it is to turn my back, knowing that you're over here radiating raw appeal? Ponies can't help themselves around you!"

"Raspbe—"

'Raspbe' barely paused to breathe. "And another thing. You said you were here to get an interview with some Crystal mare. But here you are, gabbing away like we're not on a schedule here. The train leaves in half an hour. Half an hour! So if you don't mind, I'd—"

With a snort that was somewhere between frustrated and amused, Wholesome leaned down and kissed him. There was a muffled mumble as the stallion tried to finish what he was saying, then relaxed into a happy hum.

Crystal glanced between them, trying not to make a sound and draw attention to herself. The verbal thrashing was certainly not something she wanted targeted at her again. It was, however, hard to fight back a smile as she recalled Velvet's words from so long ago: 'Stallions kissing is hot.'

"Raspberry," Wholesome said as he pulled back, "calm down. Seriously. This is almost as bad as the time you punched that sweet little pegasus over your cutie mark."

Stealing a quick look, Crystal blinked at the sight of a blackberry sitting on his flank. When she raised her gaze, she found Raspberry looking sufficiently admonished, his eyes downcast.

"Okay, okay. Sorry." Raspberry turned to look at Crystal. "I'm sorry. I get worked up sometimes, okay? It happens. Now, we really do need to hurry, because if we miss our train, so help me—!"

Doing her best not to look as amused as she felt, Crystal raised a plaintive hoof. "I think I'm the Crystal mare he's looking for, actually."

"Oh." Raspberry tilted his head one way, then leaned back to offer a sheepish, upside-down smile to Wholesome. "Sorry again."

"'S'fine." Wholesome moved to hold out a business card toward Crystal, which she accepted. "Gist of it is, I want to write about this Pure Leaf Press you've got here. Fascinating stuff, really. Hope it succeeds. Now, if you'll 'scuse me, I need to get this stallion to the station before he has himself a fit."

Raspberry puffed out his cheeks in a huffy little pout. "I don't have fits, I just—"

Wrapping one foreleg around his partner's neck, Wholesome practically dragged him off. "Yeah, we know. Come on, numnums."

Crystal watched them go, feeling strangely numb herself. Was she still standing upright? She hadn't quite recovered from the initial shock and trepidation, and not even the prospect of free promotion for Pure Leaf Press eased the anxiety from her rigid muscles.

"You'll be okay," the mare from before said, placing a gentle hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "It's been a lot all at once, hasn't it?"

All Crystal could do was nod.

With a soft smile, the mare moved to stand in front of her, forcing their eyes to meet. "Just breathe, okay? You do good work, and everypony appreciates that. You should be proud."

"I am," Crystal said, relaxing into a sigh. "It's just been a while since I interacted with ponies like this. I've gotten so used to the world of high society that I've forgotten what regular ponies are like, and—" She blinked. "I'm sorry, how rude of me. Here I am, babbling away, and I haven't gotten your name."

The mare dismissed the apology with a giggle. "It's fine! I don't mind, but it's Poppy Flower. I just want to be sure that you're okay. I'll let you get back to it, if you promise me you won't let all these ponies overwhelm you."

Crystal smiled softly. "You're too sweet. I promise I'll endeavor to do my best, is that enough?"

"That'll just have to do!" Poppy stepped back, turning with a flourish that sent her skirt fluttering after her.

There was a brief pause, then Crystal jolted fully upright. "Oh! Wait, Poppy! What were you waiting on me for?"

"Exactly that. I just wanted to express my admiration." Poppy sent a playful wink over her shoulder and blew a kiss into the air. "Keep being fantastic!"

A quick survey of the ponies around her showed, at least for the moment, a lack of interest in her presence. She mumbled a small prayer of thanks to both Celestia and Luna for the time to breathe, and she hurried over to the nearest serving tray of champagne.

Half a glass was all it took for the bubbly liquid to soothe her fraying nerves. Though she would never admit it aloud, a part of her wished to be surrounded by snobby socialites. At least she knew exactly what to say to them and what to expect from them.

"C.W. Step?" a voice asked, and she turned to see a steel-blue stallion with a small journal and pen held aloft in his magic. "Could I get your autograph?"

Crystal held in a relieved sigh. A simple request. She could handle this. Her magic took over his, flipping to a blank page. "Of course! What's your name?"

"Chipper Blaze." His expression lit up with excitement as she drew the pen across the paper. "You have excellent calligraphy."

She paused in the middle of a curly swirl. "Oh? Well, thank you. It was one of the few clubs I enjoyed while I was in school."

"I can tell!" Chipper gave a shy smile. "Thanks. I know you're busy, but do you mind signing as Crystal Wishes, too? I only just found your interview from, like, nearly two years ago."

Two years. A deep, bone-chilling cold sunk in as she remembered how happy and carefree she had been then. That mare's biggest concern was whether she and Silent would fight over their vastly different concepts of 'a lot of bits'.

"Mrs. Wishes?" Chipper prompted, concern in his face and voice. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she quickly lied, flashing a smile and returning the pen to paper. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired from all the activity of today." She cleared her throat and returned them to him a little more hurriedly than she'd have liked. "Thank you for your support."

There was a look in his eyes that suggested he wanted to say more, but she turned back to her neglected glass of champagne and finished it off.

How could time have flown so quickly? And how could she have changed so much?

A few more ponies came by to talk to her, but her focus was lost to a haze. She absently listened to a critic named Lemon Light complain about authors who indulged in writing random cameos of their friends. One small stallion just seemed content to listen to her talk to others, only smiling in response when she tried to prompt him.

Somepony was excited to meet her and chatted about his own stories, but she had missed his name—Bravery? Brevity? Whatever it was, by the time she excused herself from the circle of watchful eyes, she was exhausted.

But then she heard Sunset's voice calling her. Normally, she would have smiled at the sound of it. Right then, she swallowed a groan and forced that smile into place.

"Crystal, I've just been told about a novel this gentlestallion is working on!" Sunset's grin verged on mischievous. "You have to hear this for yourself. It's titled Beanis Universe, and—"

"Beans?" Crystal asked, tentatively.

Sunset's grin widened and he gestured to the orange-and-yellow stallion at his side. "Oh, I'll just let the author himself explain. This is Margin Seeker."

"Hey." Margin gazed up at her through half-lidded eyes. "So, that's a common misconception when I talk to ponies about my story. It's beanis, not beans. Though beans are involved."

Crystal glanced between him and Sunset. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Yeah, it's okay. Let me start from the beginning. A scientist is tasked with crafting the beanis for her friend."

Though she was certain she didn't want to know, she had to ask. "But what is a beanis?"

Margin released a put-upon sigh. "That's the question, isn't it? What is it? Is it a revolution? A new way of thinking and feeling?" He clicked his tongue against his teeth, drawing a hoof in a lazy circle. "Me, I just think it's a bunch of beans in the shape of a pe—"

"Why?" Crystal squeaked, eyes going wide and heat burning her cheeks.

Sunset snorted and choked on a laugh.

"Oh, you're one of those ponies who like backstory and all that. Okay." Margin turned his head to one side. "Hey, Deep Lore."

A stallion with his back to them replied without turning around, "No."

Margin frowned. "Come on. You love backstory. Help me out here."

"No." Deep Lore took a step away. "You're on your own with this. We're not even that close."

"Wow, okay." Margin's frown deepened and he waved a hoof as if to dismiss the already-leaving stallion.  "See if I ever give you some of my special brownies again."

There was a pause before Deep turned his head to stare at Margin, expression blank and tone deadpan. "Deep Lore relishes your animosity."

Margin snorted, stuck his nose in the air, and returned his attention to Crystal. "Anyway, so, uh, the beanis. The idea came to me when—"

"I'm sorry." Crystal flashed a brief attempt at a smile. "I think I just heard somepony call my name, over there." She hurriedly trotted past him and into the crowd, glaring at Sunset as he followed her. "Seriously?"

Sunset tossed his head back to bark out a laugh. "It was worth it for the look on your face!"

"I just. I don't think I can take much more of this." Crystal stopped to sit down and rub at her temples with both forehooves. "Have ponies always been this crazy?"

"Mrs. Wishes?"

Crystal jerked her head to the side and snapped, "No! No more—" Her heart leapt up into her throat. "Thunder Tumble?"

The straw-coated stallion stood in front of her, his aquamarine mane cut shorter than she remembered. At his side was sweet little Dawn Walker, her cheeks wet with tears fresh and old.

"Hello, ma'am," he said in a tight voice. "I'm sorry I didn't—"

Before he could finish speaking, Crystal surged forward and threw her forelegs around his neck. A strained grunt rumbled in his chest, but he returned the hug with one leg. Without regard for the eyes on them, she wept into his coat, trembling and happy and raw with sudden emotion.

Sweet, thoughtful, courageous Thunder Tumble had always been one of her favorites. It hadn't surprised her that he followed Silent to war; his near-worship of him was plain to everypony but Silent himself.

To see him standing there, to hear his voice, to hug him tight—Crystal was overwhelmed by her own joy. It soothed all the irritation and tension of the day, and it pushed aside the angry, bitter voice which whispered that Silent would never come home to her.

"Oh, Tumble," Crystal breathed more than said, pulling back and clasping his cheeks in her hooves. "Look at you." She tugged his head down to kiss his forehead. "You came home, you wonderful colt."

He chuckled, voice thick with emotion. "Of course I did, Mrs. Wishes." His head inclined so he could look at Dawn out of the corner of one eye. "Had a great reason to survive."

Dawn flushed all the way to the tips of her ears and smiled shyly.

"Survive?" Crystal's gaze darted over him and landed on a sight that stole her breath.

His chest was mottled with scars, three distinct grey-colored knots and a few raised tears from sternum to shoulder.

Tumble shifted under the scrutiny. "It would have been worse if it weren't for the major—for Silent Knight."

Crystal swallowed, hooves trembling as she tucked them in to her own chest. She could barely hear her own voice as she whispered, "How is he?"

There was just enough hesitation to steal the hope from her chest. When new tears started to fall down her cheeks, Tumble quickly said, "He's fine, ma'am. He's alive last I saw him. I just—" He swallowed. "Have you not gotten his letter yet?"

"No." Crystal slowly shook her head as her gaze fell to the scars again. "The courier service has been slower and slower." She looked back up to meet his eyes. "What happened?"

Tumble cleared his throat. "I'm not sure you want to hear this from me. I think he'd want you to hear it from him, ma'am."

"What happened?" she repeated with more resolve.

"I—" His wings drooped at his sides and sighed, gaze downcast. "We were breaking through the Sudramoar lines, but there were more with crossbows. The major protected me from what would have been a fatal volley, but..." He trailed.

Crystal wrung her hooves in a futile attempt to stave off more tears. "But what? What happened to him?"

"He likely won't be able to fly again," Tumble finally admitted. His expression twisted with pain as he shook his head. "I'm so sorry, ma'am."

Even though she heard the words and understood their meaning, there was nothing within her in response. No remorse, no anger, no sorrow. Instead, she just felt—nothing.

The idea of Silent without flight was inconceivable. She knew Tumble wasn't lying to her, of course, but how could she just accept something like this? How was she even supposed to react?

Slowly, she wiped the tears from her eyes and gave a weak smile. "Thank you for telling me." She stood up, turned her head, and wrapped a nearby book in her magic. "I would like to share something with you that expresses what I want to say but can't find the words for right now. Dawn, would you mind reading it aloud for me?"

Dawn blinked in surprise. "What? Me?"

The book floated over to the earth pony mare, its simple black cover inscribed with three crimson letters: WAR.

At the sight of it, Tumble's expression shuttered into something inscrutable and Dawn whispered, "Oh."

"Yes." Crystal guided it open, flipping several pages in until she found what she was looking for. "This is an anthology of literary works, written by anonymous military spouses."

Dawn skimmed over the words in front of her and shrunk back. "And you want me to read this?"

Crystal swallowed around the lump in her throat. "Please. I would do it myself, but I'm afraid I wouldn't make it very far before I broke down."

It seemed that Dawn would refuse. She looked ready to crumple in on herself, surrounded by so many ponies and faced with such a delicate subject.

And then her voice, soft and gentle and sad, began to recite the words that had been torn from Crystal one desperate, lonely night.

"The dread that takes a hold of all I am
"Would rend my heart in two halves cleanly split.
"The depths of dark despairing pools I dam
"O'er top a most alluring face is lit.
"The news of blood and vile tumult prolong
"The sense of ill that draws me to this state."

The conversations around them quietened, and ponies slowly began to gather to listen as Dawn continued to speak.

"What once I felt unthinkable and wrong
"Is now upon your back, a painful weight.
"You crossed the sea, a shameful penitence
"To right the wrongs you heaped upon your head.
"Such deaths would scarcely bring your recompense
"And my heart fears lest you should come back dead."

All of Verbatim had gone quiet and still. There was nothing except the lilting voice that covered Crystal's whisper of the words she knew by heart.

"A deeper fear within my heart does drill
"Would be you home alive, yet distant still."

Dawn paused to catch her breath around a shuddering whimper. Tumble stepped closer to drape his wing over her back and joined his voice in with hers.

"A soldier born to fight and to protect,
"I knew that knight who won my hoof and heart.
"And with each dread report I fear you flecked
"With bloody hooves as you act out your part.
"The careless gaze of war upon the land
"Seeks only to destroy, to rend and maim."

Several other ponies began to join in after having grabbed a copy and finding the right page. Crystal closed her eyes and let the harmony wash over her while she tried to hold onto what remained of her composure.

"You stand with others, friends at your command,
"Its end not in your sight, yet in your aim.
"I wish my words would cast your foes aside;
"I hope, my love, that you will come back whole.
"I dream of future's promise yet confide
"I cannot fathom what it's cost your soul."

She didn't know if somepony gave a signal while she couldn't see, but all at once, every other voice stopped. Hers alone echoed in the sudden silence.

"Though, even what this war has drained from me,
"I'd give to you the rest and live happ'ly."

A few hooves stomped politely against the wooden floor. Crystal remained where she was; if she moved, she feared she would find that she couldn't.

The brush of feathers against her shoulder forced her eyes open and she looked up to see Thunder Tumble gazing down at her with a pained expression.

"He'll come home," he said with conviction. "That is all he thinks about. I promise you."

Her lips twitched into a brief smile and she lied, "I know."