In that moment, Crystal finally knew what it meant for silence to be deafening. For the rest of her life, she would never understand how it was possible for that many ponies to be so still that she could hear them breathing individually.
Finally, a single hoof clopped down with a noise like a thunderclap. Then the dam burst, filling the air with cheers and applause so powerful that stage began to sway.
Crystal fought tears as she looked over the hundreds of cheering ponies. Grinning uncontrollably, she sought out Snow, but couldn’t see her among the waving throng. She struggled to catch a glimpse of the white pony, focusing so hard that she didn’t notice the crowd growing quiet.
When she finally saw the Princess approaching, she hopped to the side landing in a bow. Princess Celestia giggled and said, “Rise Crystal Quarry,” and then quietly, so only she could hear: “Stand with me.” Blushing furiously and standing lock-jointed and wide eyed, she paused her search and concentrated instead on not passing out.
“Ponies of Canterlot,” the Princess began. “Of what has already been said, I have but one thing to add. There are those among you who believe that your work and your talents go unnoticed. That if it’s not grand and on display for all to see that it doesn’t matter; that it doesn’t count.”
“This is false.”
“Greatness is not found only in the castle or the beautiful statue that will stand before it. I see it in every cart, in every cobblestone, and even in the sod.”
“Not a single day has gone by these past two years that I haven’t been in awe of what we have accomplished together. It doesn’t mean that the healing is complete...”
She looked pointedly to the sky and paused sadly.
Many in the crowd hung their heads, knowing what that gesture implied.
“But…” she continued. “This city and every wondrous part of it is a testament that healing is possible; and that it has already begun. And for that, I am humbled and more grateful than you can imagine.”
She bowed her head to the ponies of the land and said, “Thank you!”
Then, with wings and head raised high, her voice booming across the courtyard, she said it again:
“Thank you all!”
The square exploded. Ponies cheered and yelled. Some embraced or shared hoof bumps while others cried.
Princess Celestia turned to give up the stage, leaning close to Crystal briefly as she did.
“And thank you. I will cherish your gift for the rest of my days.”
Then she nodded slightly to Luau, who leapt forward and raised a hoof above her head.
At her signal, a line of unicorns launched colored flares into the sky and flying teams performed stunts in tandem. And while the enthralled crowd enjoyed the show, Crystal and the rest of the city leaders retreated to the relatively quiet area behind the stage.
Crystal wanted to look for Snow, but pony after pony took turns congratulating her and asking her about the work. And last in line; the green menace herself.
Well I needed to talk to you anyway. Might as well be now, Crystal thought.
“Hello Winter Willow,” Crystal said politely.
“Ah. Yes. Hi,” She replied.
Something seemed off. Winter Willow wasn’t maintaining eye contact and her voice faltered. Her stance was strange and her feathers were fluffed. Winter Willow wasn’t the easily flustered sort, but Crystal had a pretty good idea what was behind it.
“So I suppose you have more on your mind than congratulating me. It’s about Snow, yes?” Crystal prompted.
Winter Willow actually winced.
Bullseye…
Crystal sighed. Her next words didn’t come easy.
“It’s ok Winter Willow… you win. You were right all along. Snow changed me; ‘healed me’ I suppose you could say.”
Crystal turned around, staring off into the city.
“And I want to return the favor. Until Snow finds her true self and her pain disappears, I want to be there for her… if she’ll allow it. Besides…” she continued, facing Winter Willow again.
“She’s already so much better than before!”
Winter Willow stared; her face a mask of sadness.
“Snow…” she began uncertainly. “Snow stopped by the hall this morning.”
Crystal blinked slowly.
“I’ll be at the hall tonight… in case you need me.”
“Why would…” Crystal started.
Winter Willow held up a hoof and stared at her with frightening intensity. “I’ll just… be there.” And without another word she flew off.
**********************
The sky was turning orange and pink by the time the celebration had died down enough for Crystal to escape. Even then it took some time to make it through the crowd of well wishers and fans.
“Wonderful speech!” they said. “Amazing sculpture!” they said.
Crystal hurriedly thanked them before asking if they’d seen Snow. If they had, Crystal would follow their pointed hoof further into the city, following Snow’s trail until the last pony she asked confirmed her suspicion: Snow had returned to the shop. Crystal thanked him and started walking away when he added, “she was running pretty fast too.”
Running?
Crystal started to doubt herself.
Was she upset by what I did? What if Snow can’t accept my feelings? What if I embarrassed her and nothing’s the same between us again? What if…
Crystal shook her head. She had resolved to see this through and would, no matter the outcome.
Finally, she reached the shop door and reached for the handle, but hesitated. And then she smiled and walked down the stone steps instead.
She’s usually in the fountain this time of day.
But after a few steps, she was able to clearly see that the fountain was unoccupied.
Maybe she’s in the garden?
But when she reached the bottom, a quick glance showed she wasn’t there either.
She must be cleaning inside. I did leave a pretty big mess in there, She thought with a smile.
She opened the doors wide and frowned. The shop was immaculate, but otherwise bare. It felt wrong seeing the shop devoid of both the white slab and the white pony at the same time. In fact, there was only one spot of white left anywhere.
Sitting exactly where the statue had been, in an afternoon sunbeam, was a single small stone that Snow had somehow left behind.
That’s odd, Crystal thought, lifting it up.
But what she held was no rock. It was a flower.
“Bleurgh?” Crystal said aloud, completely flabbergasted.
It was a rose made of a wood so pale that it was almost pure white. By some wood-carver’s trick, the delicate-looking petals were adorned with what looked like water drops. And in its exact center, a smoothed wooden heart.
Crystal’s heart raced. Suddenly, it all made sense!
The fact that this rose looked so much like Crystal’s was no accident! The time she’d caught Snow and Ash carver in the shop; Snow was showing him the Rainbow Rose. But that wouldn’t explain all that time she’d spent in the wood shop, unless…
Crystal closely examined the flower. The curves were uneven and the surface rougher than any carver would have allowed. Ash Carver may have been involved, but he didn’t create it by himself.
Snow made this… for me!
For a few minutes Crystal cried quietly, holding the rose closely. Snow had already answered the question Crystal was terrified of asking. Crystal felt relieved, happy, and excited, but…
She mustered the strength to stand and walked up to the second level. Swallowing hard to clear the lump in her throat, she called out:
“Snow?”
The kitchen was dark and silent. Something wasn’t right. Just like her uncomfortable encounter with Winter Willow earlier, the emptiness seemed to be speaking to her; saying something she didn’t want to hear.
Where is she? Crystal panicked.
*bump*
The sound came from above.
“Snow!” she called on her way up the stairs. She nearly collapsed from relief.
Crystal ran upstairs, feeling ready to burst. She’d waited so long to see Snow’s smiling face; to hold her tight; to feel her warmth, and smell the sweet scent of her soft hair…
She sprinted down the hall and skidded into the bedroom, crying happy tears.
“Snow! I…”
The words died in her throat.
Snow lay on the bed in a heap, her hair splayed out in every direction, her limbs and head spasming sporadically. Her breathing was irregular and forced. Crystal watched in horror as Snow stretched her neck out and bumped her head rhythmically on the wall.
*bump*
*bump*
*bump*
“S…Snow?”
Snow froze… then slowly lifted her head and turned lifeless eyes toward Crystal.
“Dusty...” she said with a dreamy smile. “I’m so happy! I wanted to see you one more time before… before…” She gritted her teeth and sobbed quietly before resuming her head bumping.
“Snow!” Crystal cried. “What… what’s going on! What’s wrong!?”
“I have to… I,” she bumped her head once more and took a gulping breath. “I have to… have…”
She laid her head on the ground and cried out painfully. “I don’t want to go!” she wailed quietly.
“Go?” Crystal squeaked. “No. NO! Snow!”
She sobbed again and whispered, “I’m sorry…”
*bump* “I’m sorry…”
*bump* “I’m sorry…”
Crystal backed into the wall and fell on her rump. She stared, terrified.
This can’t be happening! I only just found you, I can’t lose you now! I can’t! What do I do? WHAT DO I DO!?
A voice sounded in her head: “…in case you need me.”
She jerked her head up.
Winter Willow!
She leapt to her feet and steadied herself momentarily before wrapping her magic around Snow and lifting her up. Then agonizingly, she walked backwards down the hall, carefully wrapping Snow’s long hair so it wouldn’t drag. Once outside, it took every ounce of her self control to stay still while she steadied the nearly lifeless body with her magic.
Then, when she was sure Snow was safely in her grasp, she ran.
The few ponies on the street leapt out of the way, barely able to see the tan pony as she barreled. But as she faded into the distance, they could hear her screams:
“WINTER WILLOW!”
“ WINTER WILLOW!”
“ WINTER WILLOW!”
******************
Late afternoon light streamed through every window. The beds were all made and tucked with new linens. Their stock of supplies was full. Every healer of the hall was in attendance. They were ready.
Inner Light gritted her teeth in frustration. Ready for what!?
Every pony in the hall loved and respected their leader and rightfully so. Her often capricious and childish behavior was balanced by her impressive talents and intense dedication to her craft. Though she and Winter Willow had butted heads many times before, there were few ponies she respected more.
But why do you have to shoulder everything yourself! She lectured internally.
Inner Light knew that Willow believed she was protecting everypony else by keeping silent, but she was surprisingly dense about how hard it was for others to see her that way. And this day was the worst by far that she’d ever seen.
Willow cleaned and polished without her normal whining and complaints. She pushed off or delegated healing tasks that she usually would have jumped at. Several times that day, Winter Willow went out into the gardens and each time, Rose Petal was waiting for her by the door.
Of course, everypony loved Rose Petal, but to Winter Willow, she was much more; like a physical incarnation of joy. Inner Light wondered what burden could be so heavy that Winter Willow didn’t sense the green pony until she was already at the door. What worry cut so deep that she didn’t pounce on her on sight. What was so serious that even when they walked off together, Willow quietly leaned on Rose with her head hanging.
Each time she returned, looking not much better than when she’d left, somepony or other would try to draw her out, but Willow would just smiled and said, “I’m fine. I’m just worrying about nothing.” But in a hall of heart healers, Willow obviously wasn’t fooling anypony.
When Willow flew off to participate in the ceremony, they wished her well and hoped that whatever was putting her under such stress would end with the event. But when she returned, the cloak of tension that surrounded her was stronger than ever, filling the hall like a bank of fog.
Inner Light glanced around at the others who were huddled in groups or working out their nervousness with needless tasks. Peapod was folding the same bedsheet repeatedly and Tranquil Trail was obsessively reorganizing pillows. Last Lily stood nervously and lent a shoulder to poor Tender Embrace who held her tightly and buried his head in her mane.
*FLIT* *FLIT*
Speaking of nervous ponies…
A skittish little pegasus named Feather Fern was hiding in the shadows by the window; flapping her wings at random intervals. She once was a talented thief who was healed by Winter Willow then selected as personal messenger to Prime Minister Crabapple. Though she’d made great strides since the troubled days of her youth, she still suffered from a variety of personality quirks… and the tension in the room wasn’t helping. Catlike, she whipped her head around to stare at every noise with watchful eyes.
*FLIT*
And at the front of the hall, oblivious to the effect she was having on the rest, Winter Willow paced. Left. Right. Then left again. As she walked, she alternated between staring at the door and looking sadly at the floor. Like a clock spring, the tension grew with each revolution. Finally, Inner Light couldn’t keep silent any longer.
“Winter Willow,” she said softly.
Winter Willow stopped in her tracks and turned an ear.
Good, Inner Light thought, She’s listening.
“Don’t you think it’s about time you…”
Winter Willow cut her off with a raised hoof.
“Open the doors,” she said, her voice trembling.
Inner Light complied, but only barely in time.
A pony burst into the hall at a full gallop skidding to a halt with the ear-splitting scrape of hoof on stone, spinning full circle so she stopped with her head pointing back out the door she came in from. With her cutie mark in full view, Inner Light was quickly able to identify Crystal Quarry; Winter Willow’s pet project from several months back. And above her, floating magically, was another pony; one that couldn’t be mistaken for any other.
Snow!?
Crystal Quarry gasped for breath, trying several times to speak until, with a sob, she managed a single word:
“Please!”
*******************
Winter Willow snapped to action, reaching out to hold the broken-looking pony’s head in her hooves. The torrent of feelings and images that flowed into her was unlike anything she’d ever experienced. Anguish flashed like lightning and fear rumbled like thunder. It was if every part of her mind was at war with itself and her very life-force the casualty.
She glanced briefly up at Crystal Quarry. Her panicked eyes flowed with tears; still desperately struggling to breathe between wracking sobs. It didn’t take a healing talent to know that if she didn’t act fast, she might lose them both.
She whipped her head to Feather Fern who was already standing in a crouch with her wings extended.
“To Rook: we need a chariot immediately. To Crabapple: I request an emergency audience with the Princess as quickly as he can manage. Go!”
Winter Willow blinked, and when she opened her eyes, Feather Fern was gone.
Perceptive as always, the other healers were already sprinting to her side. It took a few moments to get Crystal Quarry steadied and balance Snow between them, but they still made it outside just as Rook was touching down.
The healers helped the two ponies into the chariot while Winter Willow hopped over to Rook and extended a hoof to touch his side. Well used to her wordless form of communication, he only needed a breath to sort through the information before nodding his understanding.
With a quick check to see that his passengers were situated, he took off; flying quickly, but cautiously with Winter Willow close behind. Feather Fern appeared by Rook’s side, spoke briefly, then disappeared just as quickly. He turned and circled a tall castle spire setting the chariot down softly on a high balcony.
In one motion, Winter Willow landed while Rook shed the chariot straps and took a lead position. A breathe later, Crystal Quarry was beside them and lifting Snow carefully. Rook raised his wings just slightly and looked expectantly to the craftpony who obediently placed Snow on his back.
He balanced her carefully and started walking. “We’re to go to the Sun Chamber,” he said.
Crystal Quarry walked beside him using her magic to help Snow balance and keep her hair away from the guard pony’s legs. Winter Willow trailed behind wishing with all her heart that there was more she could do, but knowing that there was only one pony who could help them now.
Just ahead, Feather Fern was standing in front of a doorway where a solitary unicorn guard stood waiting. Once she was sure they had seen her, she launching up to the safety of the shadowed rafters. Their presence could only mean that both Crabapple and the Princess were already in the room.
A few steps away, Winter Willow could hear their voices go silent as Rook walked inside. He gently set the white pony down on some sitting pillows while Crystal Quarry steadied her.
“Don’t worry Snow,” Crystal said shakily. “Princess Celestia will help you.”
Winter Willow nodded to the Prime Minister and bowed quickly to Princess Celestia. She opened her mouth to speak when suddenly a high pitch scream erupted from behind her.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!”
The ear-splitting noise seemed to come from everywhere at once, reverberating through the room and in Winter Willow’s mind. Riding the sound waves was an overwhelming sense of panic that practically flattened her against the floor. She covered her ears with her hooves, but it barely helped.
With practiced reflexes Rook and the guard skidded to the center of the room in a fighting stance. They both had pained looks on their faces, but dutifully withstood the onslaught to protect the Prime Minister and Princess.
Crabapple was similarly crippled by the cries, but the Princess only winced once before quickly raising her glowing horn. Suddenly, the screams quieted and the sense of panic abated with it. Rook and his partner stood, recovering quickly while Crabapple shook his head vigorously and raised a hoof to his pained brow. Feather Fern had zipped into the room at some point and was flitting back and forth near Crabapple, waiting for orders.
Then the two guards parted as Princess Celestia stepped forward. Winter Willow was just catching her breath when the Princess reached her. “You were right to call me.”
Winter Willow followed her gaze to see the white pony who was sobbing and staring in fear at… the Princess?
“Fear not,” Princess Celestia said. “I only calmed her slightly. I believe I know what must be done, but I must do it alone.”
Crabapple dismissed Feather Fern who resumed her place outside. The guard and Crabapple followed after, but Rook walked past Winter Willow to Crystal Quarry who’d taken the brunt of the blast. Still stunned, she didn’t protest when he led her out the door.
Winter Willow walked behind them, but stopped momentarily to gaze at the miserable white pony who was crying into a pillow. She glanced at the Princess questioningly.
Princess Celestia smiled slightly in encouragement. Trust me, her heart said.
She weakly returned the smile and joined the others in the hall.
The unicorn guard closed the doors and held them fast with his magic just as Crystal Quarry finally recovered from the shock.
“Snow? Snow!? She cried, looking from side to side. Then, hearing the muffled sobs of the white pony from behind her, she leapt up and pushed fruitlessly against the locked door. “Snow!”
“Be still,” Crabapple said calmly. “She’s in the Princess’s hooves. You have nothing to…”
*FLASH*
Bright light burst through the cracks around the doors followed by deathly silence. Everypony froze in horror, their mouths hanging open.
Then, with all the anguish of love lost, Crystal threw herself against the doors and screamed.
SNOOOOOOOOOOW!!!
END PART 1