//------------------------------// // Awakenings // Story: A Second Chance // by nimaru //------------------------------// Ash Carver made his way up the darkened street. The sun was just coming up, but the clouds and steadily falling rain made it seem like dawn was hours away. The water rolled down between the cobblestones of the hill he walked, but the streets were well designed to give solid hoofing. He wasn’t close enough to the square yet, but he knew what he’d see: ponies arriving for the day’s work; preparing supplies; lighting lamps; stoking fires. That was the normal routine for the many craftsponies in the district… except for one. He lifted his head to look at the “odd house”; the one he passed each morning on the way to the wood-master’s shop. It looked like an accident had collapsed the ground under it, but rumor said it was made that way on purpose. The other masters derided the reclusive pony who lived there, but Carver had met her a few times and thought she seemed nice enough. To be honest, he envied her private shop and secluded garden. Per usual, he glanced to her hidden getaway which was just visible in the rapidly growing morning light. But just before he turned his eyes back to the road, something caught his eye. At first, he wasn’t sure what it was; just a stark white splotch against the dark wet grass, but then it laughed. The giggling blob was rolling and splashing in a very undignified manner on the ground! Realizing that he’d stopped walking and was staring with his mouth agape, Carver turned away by force of will and kept walking. He knew it wasn’t Crystal Quarry since the coloring wasn’t right and he just couldn’t see her ever behaving that way, even if she thought nopony would see her. His curiosity built until he could no longer keep his gaze averted. Now the white mare was lying on her back in the grass looking soulfully at the sky in silence with one raised hoof. Thinking she might be hurt, Carver sprang forward to call out to her when she suddenly turned and stood upright. She walked to the edge of the garden and looked calmly out over the city. And then she sang. ********************** The wind is moving But I am standing still A life of pages Waiting to be filled Her voice was full and powerful and, like a weapon, it struck Carver senseless. The rain, the city, and every thought melted away; there was only song. A heart that's hopeful A head that's full of dreams But this becoming Is harder than it seems It was a song of uncertainty; of trying to find oneself. And though he was certain she sang for herself, it still felt a little like she was singing it for him too. He’d been feeling so trapped, so underutilized, so unsure of what he should really be doing. Hear me asking Where do I belong? Is there a vision That I can call my own? The lyrics cut deep, but the song carried a hint of warmth, of hope and determination. And hearing… no feeling her song, he couldn't help but feel a little bit hopeful too. I need your light to help me find My place in this world My place in this world The last notes faded into the noise of the falling rain and Carver’s senses began to return. He shook his head and looked around to get his bearings. I’m going to be late! Carver sprinted for the square and soon lost sight of the strange white pony. But though he couldn’t see her anymore, her image and song would remain with him for hours to come. ********************** Crystal was not a morning pony. She awoke unwillingly and spent several seconds trying to figure out why she felt so stiff, where her bed was, and where that song was coming from. She closed her eyes again, but a little voice warned that there was something she needed to do.   And then she remembered. Opening her eyes again took some effort and when she did, Snow was predictably not there. But the melody coming from the garden gave Crystal a pretty good idea of where she was.   "Bleur", she moaned.   She rolled and put her front hooves on the floor, pushing off weakly until her head was high enough to see out of the window. Rain. Would Snow have the sense to stay out of the garden? Crystal wondered.   *Sigh* I better go check.   Moving, let alone being awake, this early in the day was a legendary feat for her. It consumed an enormous amount of concentration and willpower which was mostly fueled by worrying what that white pony might do unsupervised. She was supposed to be "helping" around the shop, but right now Crystal felt more like a foalsitter.   Crystal reached the stairs in the middle of huge yawn... and missed the first step. Luckily, she only rolled to the first landing this time, but she didn’t have the energy to yell from there out to the garden. With a sigh of exertion, she employed another regular tactic: stair sliding. Even though gravity did most of the work, she was still exhausted by the time she reached the shop floor. She stared at the open door, willing it to move towards her. Failing that, she rotated her body so her hooves faced the door, tucked her legs in, sat on them, and fell to the side. And then she did it again. And again. And in this manner, she lazily rolled close enough to see outside.   "Mehech!" Crystal bleated into the empty garden. Confused, she studied the scene. The garden drain had gotten blocked again and the grass had nearly disappeared under the pool of water that had collected as a result. With a few moments of staring at the odd patterns in the grass, it was clear what Snow had been doing.   "What kind of pony gets up this early and rolls around in wet grass!?" she tried to say though it came out more like "whaeryponeeh blech!"   She scowled for a moment then looked back to the stairs where she had fallen, slid, and then rolled to get where she was. Well, maybe it's not that strange after all, she thought. Then she caught sight of something white outside the topmost window.   "aawwwwWWWWW!" Crystal exclaimed.   Snow was going through the outer gate into the square... all the way back at the top of the stairs. Stairs which at this moment seemed very much like an insurmountable mountain. There was only one possible solution. Crystal awkwardly shifted her weight, using as little energy as possible, until she was facing the right direction. Then she flipped one; twice, and.... *SPLASH* **************************** After a few seconds of chill water and some deep breaths, Crystal Quarry felt awake enough to stand. She followed Snow up the outdoor steps and through the gate at the top. Then she sighed heavily when she found the white pony splashing playfully in puddles between cobblestones. Didn't she get enough water in the garden!? Crystal wondered.   Snow had bits of dirt and rock on her hooves and blades of green grass sticking out of her mane and tail; though on the bright side, she somehow avoided getting stained. Crystal was relieved that she’d be easy to clean off, but it was scant comfort. I should still be warm and asleep; not awake, wet, and cold! She whined internally. She grump-stomped close and said, “Stop that!” Snow turned and smiled, but then paused and looked quizzically at her. Slowly she looked around the square at the bustling and other very-awake, already-productive ponies working in the various shops; and then back to Crystal. Her thought process couldn’t have been any clearer. “Not everypony is an early riser,” Crystal defended. “Some of us work better late at night and… oh nevermind!” she said exasperatedly. “Let’s just go inside.” “Ok!” Snow replied as she trotted to catch up to Crystal who had already started walking away. When snow turned toward the front door, Crystal said, “No, not that way. We need to get this water off.” So Crystal carefully (so as to avoid any more tumbles) led the way back down the stone stairs to the shop doors. Then she stepped inside and shook off the water, levitating some towels from the cabinets under the stairs to finish drying. Snow followed the example and shook off.“Here,” said Crystal, using her magic to offer a dry towel. Snow stared at Crystal for a few moments as the towel hung awkwardly in the air between them. Then she opened her mouth and leaned forward while looking at Crystal questioningly. “No, NO!” Crystal admonished pulling the towel away. “Magic!” she said whipping a hoof up to point at her own glowing horn. “How are you going to help around here if you can’t even use magic!?” Snow looked positively crushed. “But… I don’t know” *swallow* “how to use magic” she said; clearly moments from breaking down right then and there. It really was hard to believe that a pony her age couldn’t use any magic, but then again, it was hard to imagine a pony who couldn’t use an outhouse either! Crystal shuddered at the memory and forced it from her mind. “I’ll teach you, just…” *SIGH* “just don’t cry.” Snow looked surprised and raised a hoof to her eye where she wouldn’t have been able to feel tears anyway considering how wet she still was. Then she smiled and awkwardly laughed a little before sitting and waiting patiently. Crystal sighed again, though a little less forcefully this time. Snow may drive her to distraction, but it was hard to stay mad at her for long. But not being sure where to begin instruction she stalled by drying Snow and pulling the various pieces of grass from her hair and coat. Thinking back, Crystal suddenly remembered something her mother had taught her. She reached up and touched Snow’s snout with her hoof. Snow’s eyes widened slightly. She looked at the hoof and then into Crystal’s eyes. “Do you feel that?” Crystal asked. “Y..yes?” Snow said questioningly. “And this?” Crystal said as she touched each ear one after the other. “Yes?” Snow said, her eyes even wider now, her face turning slightly pink. “Don’t blush!” Crystal said; suddenly feeling a little awkward at the white pony’s response. *Er-hem!* “Anyway!” Crystal continued as she sat back and restored the distance between them. “Think of your nose and your ears. Concentrate on what they feel like and think of where they are on your head. Now shift your concentration to the parts in the middle, not where your eyes are, but higher, right here,” she said as she pointed a hoof to her forehead. Snow closed her eyes and for a moment nothing happened. But after a few seconds, her horn began to glow lightly. She’s a fast learner, Crystal admired. But then again, she’s really only relearning something she forgot. Snow opened one eye and then opened both excitedly. “I did it!” she sang. But then she nearly fell over trying to get a better look at the horn on her head that moved as she did. “Yes, yes,” Crystal replied impatiently. “Now concentrate. Do it again, but try to extend your consciousness out through your horn. You should be able to feel some of the things around us”. Snow snapped back to attention and then closed her eyes as she did as she was told. The glow brightened and a few sparkles flickered within. “Whoah… that’s weird,” she said. And a few moments later, “I feel something round.” Her magic had found a medium sized chunk of rock on the table that Crystal used to keep paper sketches from blowing away when it was windy outside. Sparkles formed around it as she got a better grip on it and lifted it a few feet up. “See?” Crystal said. “That wasn’t so hard”. Snow’s opened on squinty eye to see what she was holding and then jumped to her hooves, “It worked! I did…” *CRASH*. Having lost her concentration, the rock fell hard onto the table, flipping up one of the boards, and launching a large chisel towards the back of the shop. Crack! Snow’s jaw dropped, her eyes widened, and the color drained from her face… maybe. She was so white already that it was hard for Crystal to tell. “Oh! Oh NO” Snow exclaimed as she sprinted to assess the damage. “It’s fine Snow,” Crystal said frustrated by her over-reaction. She stood and rounded the white slab to see Snow hunched and forlorn; looking as if she had just stepped on a puppy. She was standing next to the table by the back window where normally, a small tarp kept a special project of Crystal’s hidden from view. A tarp that now had a lengthy chisel sticking straight out of it. “I’m so sorry,” Snow sobbed. Her bright blue eyes watered and ran over with tears. “I didn’t mean to break your heart!” Crystal’s eyes widened and her brows furrowed as she struggled not to laugh. Snow must have snooped around earlier if she knew what was under the tarp, but Crystal wasn’t mad; she could only expect that a live-in assistant would find the piece soon enough. But she looked so forlorn and pathetic that Crystal couldn’t form the words to reassure her. Snow was beginning to hyperventilate so Crystal stepped forward instead; thinking to get her point across with actions instead. “Just watch!” she commanded. Surprised, Snow backed out of the way as Crystal rocked the chisel out of wood and set it aside. Next, she lifted the tarp to uncover the delicate piece kept beneath: her most difficult accomplishment to date and her greatest pride. At first, it had only been a little gemstone heart; pretty enough, but plain. Then inspiration had struck and Crystal crafted a spectacularly detailed rose flower to match; placing the heart in the center. Crystal concentrated, studying the deep crack the chisel’s impact had made. Her horn began to glow. Although gemstones weren’t rare in Canterlot and there were probably a few other gem cutting ponies who could replicate the shape, there was one aspect of its design that nopony Crystal knew could match… a special feature which led to its name: “The Rainbow Rose”. “Did you know what kind of gemstone has this rainbow coloration?” she asked; never taking her eyes from the rose. Her horn grew brighter still as a torrent of sparkles swirled within. Snow watched; her mouth agape. “None,” Crystal continued as her horn exploded with energy. Crystal sent her consciousness down, deep into the gemstone where she saw the crack as if it were a gaping chasm in the ground below her. With her magic, she reached out with pseudo-hooves to tug on the sides; pulling them closer and closer together. When they touched, she smoothed them over joining them as one. She continued her work carefully repairing the break, aligning the facets and shards and urging them to mend. Then, she walked to and fro over the break, tucking here, pushing there, until she was satisfied. She released her magic and exhaled deeply before dropping her snout heavily onto the table. “Dusty!” Snow exclaimed, jumping forward to help. But Crystal held up a single hoof as she regained her breath. “Blah,” She moaned. “I’m too tired for this.” She took a few more deep breaths until Snow, who was trying very hard to be patient, looked as if she were ready to pounce again. Crystal lifted herself from the table and stretched out her back and neck, cracking her head one way and then the other. *PHEW* she said. She magically lifted the rose and showed it to Snow, who backed away from it as if it would bite her. “Look,” Crystal commanded. “It’s fine now.” Snow craned her neck forward to verify that it was indeed so. She looked to Crystal, confused. “Obviously I don’t want you tossing any more chisels,” Crystal said as she set the rose in its place with the tarp on top. “But the same trick I used to make this multi-gem can be used to repair it; or anything else made from gem or stone for that matter. It’s my special talent: gem mending.” As with most ponies, and especially ones with rare skills, Crystal couldn’t help but brag a little. Snow looked suitably impressed and then beamed brightly. “I’m so happy it wasn’t broken! That’s such an amazing talent! Oh Dusty, you’re so amazing!” “Yes… well,” Crystal stammered turning away so Snow wouldn’t see her blush. “Why don’t we go upstairs so you can practice magic on something safer… like our breakfast?” “OK!” Snow chirped as she hopped to Crystal’s side. And thankfully, nothing else was broken that day.