Velvet Heart never had any problems with mornings. Almost as soon as the first ray of sunlight hit her eyes, she was alert and awake with just so much as a blink and a little shake. In summer, she'd be up even earlier, especially when the travelling birds were visiting the Empire and their morning songs could be heard even before sunrise.
Her dad was an early riser too, and the two of them had made a habit of gently teasing Mom while she nursed her morning coffee and tried to keep up with their wakefulness. After Sweetie Tooth and Glass Slipper joined in, they’d have family breakfast together. Velvet Heart loved mornings.
Not anymore, though.
Mornings without her parents were weird. Not in a funny way, more like waking up from a nightmare you don’t remember anything of, but you’re sure you won’t be able to go back to sleep because whatever happened was so scary you’d never want to sleep again. Instead of smiling, mornings now felt like crying to her and her sisters. Either in bed as soon as they woke up or in front of Mommy and Daddy’s bedroom, they’d always cry.
Crystal Note didn’t help make mornings any less weird. The mare with the horn had just appeared out of nowhere and told them their parents were gone. Velvet Heart hated her for that.
But instead of just leaving again, Crystal Note stayed with them. She didn’t speak much, but she was there. She put up with Sweetie Tooth’s crying and her own. She managed to calm down Glass Slipper when her older sister didn’t want to talk with them. When Velvet Heart felt so angry she had to yell at somepony, Crystal Note was there. She didn’t tell her to stop or argued back, she took all of it with a calmness that most of the time only made Velvet Heart more angry. Velvet Heart’s ears dropped in guilt when she remembered how she’d been so angry to hit at Amber Waves the other day. Crystal Note had been there to take all the blame and yelling that had probably been directed at her sisters otherwise.
Sweetie Tooth was so sad and Glass Slipper was so worried, they didn’t deserve being yelled at. Velvet Heart would never admit it to anypony, but she was glad Crystal Note was there, if only so she’d not hurt her sisters. Crystal Note always hugged her in the end, after her anger was blown out of her. Velvet Heart was thankful for that as well.
Maybe she didn’t hate the mare after all.
Today, she’d woken up in Crystal Note’s hooves, next to Sweetie Tooth and Glass Slipper. She’d thought she was the first to wake up as usual, but then she’d noticed the mare smiling softly down at her. Crystal Note silently helped her wiggle out of the cuddle pile without waking up her sisters. Velvet Heart mumbled a ‘thanks’ under her breath and left the bedroom.
She made it almost three steps out before she froze on the spot again. Mommy and Daddy’s bedroom door was right in front of her and her small hooves gave in under her weight. She sat in front of the closed door and couldn’t help but imagine the empty room behind it. She tried to fight back the tears. Like the days before, she eventually lost the fight. She pressed her lips shut and bit her tongue to not start sobbing as well, so the bitter liquid ran down her cheeks silently.
A soft thud next to her made her look up and Crystal Note sat down with her. She smiled that same smile again, just the right amount of sad and caring to make Velvet Heart feel a little better. But at the same time there was this glimmer of pity in her eyes, like she knew how Velvet Heart would feel and would understand her.
It made Velvet Heart all angry again. How could Crystal Note, or anypony, think they knew how she felt? She was the one who lost her parents after all. Not them. Why didn’t they get that? How could Amber Waves tell her it’d all turn out well again and insist he was right? He deserved that smack for saying something like that.
Behind Crystal Note, the bedroom door was open a crack and Sweetie Tooth peeked out. She looked like last night after Velvet had started yelling at her friends. Almost as if she had been the one who had to take the blow. Velvet Heart swallowed down her anger. Yelling only helped for a little while, but then she felt even worse after. If it also made Sweetie Tooth scared of her, it wasn’t worth it.
Velvet Heart blinked surprised when Crystal Note leaned down for a quick nuzzle. She looked up and saw that smile, but a little wider than before. Whatever the mare had seen in her, it was obvious she appreciated it. Could she have guessed what Velvet Heart was thinking?
An unwelcome sound broke the silence, a low grumbling coming from Crystal Note’s tummy. Velvet Heard stared at her for a moment, then Sweetie Tooth and her started to giggle together. It wasn’t that funny really, but it was better watching Crystal Note’s cheeks blush than looking at the bedroom door.
Sweetie Tooth joined the blushing as her own tummy made itself noticeable as well. Crystal Note and Velvet Heart giggled and got up on their hooves again. Crystal Note led them downstairs and into the kitchen where they raided the cupboards for some boxes of cereal.
Glass Slipper joined them at the breakfast table and happily accepted a bowl of her own. As soon as the worst of all their hunger had been taken care of, the fillies and the mare fell into some easy chatting about which kind of cereal they preferred. Sweetie Tooth was shocked when Crystal Note admitted she’d often skip breakfast or just had a cup of tea in the morning
“But, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Mommy always told us that.”
Glass Slipper looked scared for a moment when their parents were mentioned but Crystal Note just laughed softly and nodded
“I will have to get used to it, then. Since it’s that important to you.”
Sweetie Tooth nodded and went for another spoonful of crunchy goodness. Velvet Heart on the other side tried to ignore the lump in her throat that had appeared as soon as Sweetie Tooth had said ‘Mommy’.
Crystal Note watched the fillies finish their cereal. She picked up the mixed set of emotions and thought of the promise she’d given Glass Slipper the other day. They’d have to talk about it, preferably sooner than later.
Glass Slipper had accepted her offer to stay with the fillies, but she’d been so sad and desperate after Princess Cadance had addressed some of her imamate fears. Crystal Note wondered if she might still change her mind. Velvet Heart and Sweetie Tooth didn’t know anything about it yet. How would they react?
With a deep breath, Crystal Note ordered her thoughts and focused back on the task ahead. She couldn’t know how the fillies would react and if they’d be okay with her staying. All she knew was that she’d stay true to her promise any way she could. Whether that would be as a guardian or just as an outside watcher, she had set her heart on helping the three sisters and she would find a way to do so, no matter what.
“Girls, we need to talk about a couple of things.”
The three fillies snapped out of their own thoughts at those words. Crystal Note’s voice was soft as usual, but they could hear the underline tension just as well.
With a few sentences, Crystal Note summed up her talk with Princess Cadance and Glass Slipper and told the twins about her offer as well. Glass Slipper didn’t say anything and instead just nodded each time one of the twins glanced towards her for confirmation.
The silence that followed was unexpected. Crystal Note had waited for some questions at least, maybe even some angry words from Velvet Heart, but none of that came. Glass Slipper stared down at her empty bowl, Velvet Heart’s eyes were fixed on the spot her father used to sit. Sweetie Tooth was looking at her and Crystal Note offered a soft smile to the filly. She made no secret of her own insecurity in that matter, but none of it was strong enough to outshine the genuine care and affection she felt for the three sisters.
Sweetie Tooth took the smile as an encouragement and finally asked something
“Would you live here with us?”
Crystal Note blinked a little confused as she nodded
“This is your home. I’d stay here with you for now.”
She searched the eyes of the other fillies but only found Glass Slipper's
“It’s going to be different for us, but I’d like you to get as normal of a life as possible. Starting with you going back to school again.”
Glass Slipper frowned at that
“What does school have to do with any of this?”
“It’s a first step, Glass Slipper. School is regular and scheduled, it’s something we can build our own lives around again. Just like breakfast in the morning to build up our day on.”
Sweetie Tooth nodded and seemed satisfied for now, although most likely she’d want to talk about it later. Crystal Note had seen this with her on earlier occasions.
Crystal Note turned her attention to Velvet Heart who still avoided looking her direction
“Velvet Heart, what do you think? Would this be a good idea?”
The small filly closed her eyes. Grown-ups didn’t care much for what she thought most of the time, they’d just tell her what to do anyways.
“Velvet, I want to help you. This is not something I can decide for you. And it’s not something I want to put upon you without knowing how you feel about it.”
The filly’s head swung around and stared at Crystal Note. She had that defiant glare again that Crystal Note by now had learned Velvet Heart was using to mask her feelings from her
“If I say no, will you just leave?”
Crystal Note felt her features harden at that thought but she stayed calm. Velvet Heart was testing her and Crystal Not had no right to claim she cared for them if she couldn’t prove them how deeply she already felt for them
“No I won’t. I won’t just leave you. If you really want me to go, I will. But first, I’d find somepony to look after you, somepony who loves you and cares for you as much as you deserve to. Which means you’ll be living in the palace soon because other than Princess Cadance, I don’t think anypony else could ever reach that high. Even then, I’d probably stay around in the back to make sure the Princess won’t forget how important you three really are.”
Velvet Heart stared at Crystal Note who held her gaze, letting her eyes show she meant every single word she just said.
Glass Slipper and Sweetie Tooth stared as well, equally perplexed by the sudden intensity of those words. Crystal Note cleared her throat and decided to let the matter sink in for now
“I’ve noticed we’re stocked up a little low on… well, almost everything. I’ll be doing some grocery shopping today.”
Glass Slipper threw her a grateful glance and a smile. She’d take that chance to talk with her sisters by herself.
“Can I come, too?”
Crystal Note’s initial surprise turned into a smile and a nod when Sweetie Tooth chimed in. The filly seemed eager for something to do besides crying all day long and jumped at the chance to get out of the house.
Crystal Note turned to Velvet Heart to ask her as well, but before she could do so, Velvet hopped out of her seat and exclaimed she’d go to her room. She didn’t ask for permission, but she looked at Crystal Note for approval. She didn’t see any anger in the filly’s eyes, and thankfully no fear either, so she nodded. If Velvet Heart needed some time to sort her thoughts, she would get it. That didn’t mean that Crystal Note wouldn’t be worried about leaving Velvet Heart alone, even just for a while. The last thing she’d want was for the filly to feel abandoned like the night before and nopony around to be there for her.
Glass Slipper had about the same thought and quickly said she would stay at home as well. The oldest of the sisters looked more composed after she made the decision to trust Crystal Note enough to let her stay. The least Crystal Note could do now was prove her that this trust was not misplaced in her. Taking Sweetie Tooth with her was a first step in the right direction and letting Glass Slipper take care of Velvet Heart for the day was an effective way to show some trust of her own.
Half an hour later, Crystal Note and Sweetie Tooth left the house with a long list of things to get and a small smile on Sweetie Tooth’s face.
As it turned out, the smile was not destined to stay very long.
Almost as soon as they’d exited the house, there had been neighbours who tried to give their condolences to the filly. Sweetie Tooth tried to be friendly but she couldn’t take all those ponies stare at her with sad faces. She kept her eyes on the ground and let Crystal Note talk instead. The mare with the soft voice thanked the crystal ponies but also stressed the fillies needed some space for themselves now. Luckily, the neighbours understood and now that they’d seen and heard the fillies were on the road of recovery, their most dire curiosity had been stilled.
Sweetie Tooth stayed close as the crystal unicorn led her silently through the streets into the middle of the city. More ponies watched them and a cloud of concerned mumbles surrounded them as they made their way towards the market place, although the scared expression on Sweetie Tooth’s face made it clear to everypony that the filly was in no condition to talk. The only ponies who approached them were a few of Crystal Note’s close friends who offered their support.
Very aware of the filly who nearly hid between her legs by now, Crystal Note thanked them silently with a nod and kept her steady pace. Her friends knew Crystal Note as a mare of few words and understood, but that didn’t really help Sweetie Tooth. By the time they finally reached the large market place, she was already close to tears again.
Crystal Note took the last turn towards the bustling and noisy market place. She hoped between all the chatting and busy ponies, the two of them could slip into the crowd unnoticed. However, news always spread fast through the Crystal Empire. When Crystal Note and Sweetie Tooth stepped into the first row of stands, most ponies already knew they were coming. Suddenly, everypony fell silent and stared at them.
Crystal Note felt very conscious about this as it reminded her of the first few times she’d wandered through the city without hiding her horn that separated her from the other crystal ponies. Today, the stares weren’t as fearful as back then, but they still made her feel uneasy. By the time she reached the first stall she wanted to shop, all the other ponies in the line moved away to let her pass. With a deep sigh, Crystal Note forced a smile to them and bought her things. The salespony tried to offer her goods free, but Crystal Note just put her bits on the counter and turned around, gently nudging Sweetie Tooth towards the next row of stands.
That procedure repeated itself for a couple of times while Crystal Note’s saddlebags filled with all the necessities for three growing fillies and herself. After a while, curiosity won over and few brave ponies approached them to ask questions. Unlike the ponies from the same street, these ponies were strangers at best and they seemed more interested in the accident and the fact that Princess Cadance had visited than how the poor fillies were doing.
One bold pony with a huge moustache had the nerve to pull Sweetie Tooth into an awkward hug, clearly faking some sympathy in a shameless attempt to lure something new out of the filly. Said stallion quickly found himself surrounded by a faint turquoise glow and lifted up by a levitation spell. A sharp glare from Crystal Note finally delivered the message as she sat him down again in some distance. Sweetie Tooth was cowering under her caretaker, trying her best to hide between her legs.
The glow around her horn and the stallion faded when Crystal Note carefully pulled the filly into a firm embrace. Sweetie Tooth tried her best not to start crying again, but a few sniffles made their way out anyways, along with some shushing sounds from Crystal Note. The open use of magic still managed to startle many crystal ponies, but any parent around instinctively reached out for their foals when they saw the crystal unicorn trying to calm down the crying filly. Finally, most of the ponies turned around and went back on their ways. Crystal Note still saw a few glances in her direction, but the constricting presence that had loomed around the two of them finally vanished.
Crystal Note slowly released the filly from her embrace and led her further on. She allowed the filly to cling on her foreleg for comfort. Instead of heading towards the next stand, the crystal mare found her way through the market to one of the larger building next to the market plaza.
Sour Berry's café was still closed and therefore empty, so Crystal Note headed to the side entrance with Sweetie Tooth still clinging on her
“Let’s take a quick break, Sweetie. Come in.”
Crystal Note produced the key Sour Berry had given her out of her bags and opened the door for them both to slip inside. As soon as the door was closed again, Crystal Note felt a small pair of hooves cling on her. She sat down and wrapped her own legs around the filly who buried her muzzle into her coat
“Shhh, shhh. They’re gone now. It’s just you and me. You can let it out.”
Crystal Note held the filly close when sobs shivered through her small form. They were nowhere as bad as they had been the prior days, but still enough for Crystal Note to feel guilty
“I’m sorry, Sweetie Tooth. It was far too early for that. I should have known.”
Between sobs, Sweetie Tooth managed to press out a few words
“It’s not fair. They didn’t even know Mommy and Daddy. Why won’t they stop talking about them like that?”
Crystal Note gently ran her hoof through the filly’s mane who only slowly calmed down again. She didn't even except a response to her question anymore, when the mare finally found the words to answer
“They’re just scared, Sweetie. Like we are. They can’t stop imagining how it would be to loose somepony so close to them. They think about how they would deal with it, but they can’t find any good answer. They’re so lost in their ‘what ifs’, they just forget that for us, it’s reality. We have to deal with it, no matter how scared we really are.”
Sweetie Tooth tilted her head to look up at Crystal Note. The mare gently wiped away the tears on her cheek as the filly mumbled
“Will it ever go away?”
Crystal Note let out a deep sigh before she answered
“The stares and the mumbling behind your back? Yes, very soon. The pain in your chest? That takes longer to fade, but eventually it will. This feeling of sadness though? The one that makes you feel like crying all the time?”
She shook her head with another sigh and gently squeezed the filly against her
“It will get better. It won’t be all consuming anymore. Sometime you will forget about it. But when you least expect it, it might come back at you.”
Crystal Note gently pulled the filly in close when she started sniffling again
“How long?”
Crystal Note thought for a moment how to answer, before she decided to be completely honest with everything
“My mother passed away when I was nine years old. I still get nightmares about it from time to time.”
Sweetie Tooth buried her muzzle into Crystal Note’s chest again
“It’s not fair. There’s nothing you can do?”
“There is. Family helps, either my sister here or my honorary sisters in Ponyville. My music helps me deal with sadness. I have my friends, all over Equestria.”
Crystal Note leaned down to nuzzle the top of Sweetie Tooth’s head gently
“You have friends and family too, honey. And now you have me as well.”
A pair of pink eyes peeked up with hope
“Promise?”
Crystal Note looked deeply into the filly’s eyes and nodded
“I promise. Whether I end up living with you or not, you’ll always have me when you need me.”
Relief washed over Sweetie Tooth’s features and her lips curled up into a small, timid smile. To Crystal Note, no smile had ever been more beautiful than this one.
The rest of the shopping went down smoothly. Crystal Note and Sweetie Tooth quickly picked up the last things and left the market with full saddlebags and another basket full of supplies. The ponies at the market still kept staring more or less openly, but Sweetie Tooth was able to deal with it this time, for a while at least.
As soon as Crystal Note noticed the nervous glances and the uneasy shuffling of her legs, she guided the filly out of the crowded plaza immediately. Much to Sweetie Tooth’s surprise, Crystal Note didn’t follow the main roads but instead slipped into one of the small alleys. With a grin and a wink, the mare led her through the labyrinth of backstreets and alleys, changing directions whenever they encountered another pony.
Sweetie Tooth followed and both of them did their best to remain unseen by anypony else. They hid behind corners or slipped between houses, giggling each time the managed to pass another pony unnoticed. Their little game of spy soon led them out of the city centre and towards the northern districts of the Empire. Sweetie Tooth looked around, she’d never been to this part of the city before. They didn’t meet anypony else for a while and most of the buildings didn’t look like ponies where living in them.
Crystal Note seemed to know where she was though and headed to a small building with multiple entrances. Sweetie Tooth noticed that each entrance had a different name and cutie mark on the doorway, so she guessed many ponies used to live there, because she didn’t see anyone still. Crystal Note went to one door at the backside, one without a name on it, and unlocked it with a small key. Sweetie Tooth slipped inside behind her. What she got to see was underwhelming at best.
The whole apartment only consisted of two smallish rooms. The room she stood in only had a well-used desk at one side and an obviously unused kitchenette at the other. There was no other furniture, but a few large boxes were scattered around the room. The second room was even smaller and only had enough space for a bed and two stands. One of them held a guitar, the smaller one held the violin Sweetie Tooth had seen before, when Crystal Note played in town or for the Cutie Mark Crusaders.
Both instruments quickly found a place in a small case each, which were added to Crystal Note’s saddlebags, they then left the apartment again. Crystal Note didn’t say anything all the while and Sweetie Tooth was unsure of what to make out of this. They ended up heading back home quietly, though it was a comfortable silence this time.
Back home, the sight of Glass Slipper sulking on the couch greeted them. Crystal Note noticed the trail of tears even though the teenage filly tried to wipe them away swiftly. The groceries were set in the kitchen and Sweetie Tooth went upstairs where she expected her twin sister to be.
Crystal Note took the chance to get a private word with the oldest sister
“Are you alright, dear?”
Glass Slipper nodded but the way she bit her lip told a different story
“You can tell me anything, Glass Slipper. I won’t be disappointed or angry.”
Another nod, but still no response, so Crystal Note took a guess
“You’re having second thoughts about taking my offer.”
“What? No!”
The filly blushed and shook her head with no real conviction
“It’s okay if you do. It is a big decision, I’d be surprised if you wouldn’t have any doubts.”
“I… okay, maybe a little.”
Crystal Note nodded and took a seat in front of the filly
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Glass Slipper nodded but bit her lip again. Crystal Note understood right away
“But not with me.”
“I…”
“Glass Slipper, I’m not upset. It’s a very mature thing to do. Somepony from the outside might help you see things clearer. Just promise me one thing?”
The teenage filly looked at Crystal Note with big eyes when the mare carefully placed a hoof on filly’s chest, where she could feel her heart beat
“In the end, do what you feel is right in here. If you do what’s right in your heart, you’ll never do anything wrong. Trust yourself to make the best decision.”
Crystal Note gave a soft smile to the filly
“I trust you. However you’ll decide will be the best for you and your sisters.”
Glass Slipper stared with wide eyes. Crystal Note held her gaze for a moment, her smile didn’t waver, everything she’d said she truly believed. When she was sure the filly knew this as well, she leaned in for a quick nuzzle before she headed back to the kitchen.
She closed the door behind her, but she kept her hoof on the handle and waited. A few minutes later, she heard the front door fall into its lock and she let out a deep sigh. Now, it was out of her hooves. She’d told the fillies everything she needed to. Now, all that was left to do was wait, and hope.
She picked up the groceries and put them away, hopefully she wouldn’t need to wait too long.
-*-
Crystal Note had checked on Velvet Heart and Sweetie Tooth twice already, but neither of the fillies seemed eager to talk. For Sweetie Tooth, Crystal Note got the impression there was nothing to talk really. Velvet Heart still didn’t want to talk with her, but she didn’t seem angry or scared, just deep in thought.
Unsure what else to do, Crystal Note started preparations for dinner. She wasn’t a stellar cook and long years of travelling and staying in hotels or friends’ places left her with little chances to improve in the kitchen, but she guessed she could put together an easy dish of noodles.
She was struggling to put together some kind of sauce to go along when Glass Slipper returned. Crystal Note peeked out of the kitchen, but the elder sister went straight up the stairs. A minute later, the three fillies climbed down together.
Crystal Note was confronted with a shy smile, a pair of pleading eyes and a glare
“Can we borrow the kitchen?”
“We kinda need to talk.”
“Just us, alone?”
Crystal Note took a deep breath and nodded. She pulled the nearly finished dinner off the flame and went for the door. Instead of just leaving the kitchen, she picked up her violin case and headed outside.
There was a small fountain at the courtyard in the end of the street, not as big as the one at the market plaza but still familiar enough. Crystal Note took a seat on the edge and picked up her trusted instrument in her hooves. She closed her eyes and a melody came right to her. Without second-guessing, she started to play.
When the soft melody filled the courtyard, one after another, almost all windows and doors opened. The crystal ponies listened to the sad song. More than a few ponies got swept away in the cleansing melancholy the tune carried along, just like the mare who played it.
Accompanied by the sound of the violin, Crystal Note and the ponies could finally mourn for the two ponies who had been ripped out of their middle, but also for the ones who were left behind. The song slowly changed at each repetition, taking a hopeful colour after a while.
Crystal Note played for the longest of an hour, with her eyes closed and lost to the world around her for the sake of her music, as she did so often. What brought her back to awareness was a soft touch to her flank from a small hoof. She opened her eyes and saw Velvet Heart reaching out for her. One look into her eyes told Crystal Note all she needed to know.
She set down her violin and pulled the filly into a gentle hug. Her heart soared when Velvet’s hooves wrapped around her middle as well. With a soft nuzzle to her unruly mane, Crystal Note released the filly and followed her into her home.
Inside, the table was set for four ponies. The spots at the upper end had been kept empty this time. Glass Slipper and Sweetie Tooth had somehow even managed to save dinner from being barely edible into a heavenly scented meal.
Together, they sat down and shared their first meal together.