A strange sense of trepidation pervaded Crystal's entire being when the train rounded the last corner and Canterlot came into view. It had been less than two weeks since she was last home, but for some reason she felt underwhelmed at how it looked exactly the same. She wasn't sure what she had expected to see, of course, so she shook her head and put on a smile.
When the station drew near, her gaze immediately found the pony she was there to see: Velvet Step stood on the platform, wearing a ridiculously large hat that was bright red in color and clashed with her light pink coat. Crystal sputtered into laughter at the sight of it all; Velvet wasn't one to wear such things, so what in Equestria was she doing?
Once the train came to a halt and Crystal gathered her suitcase—just one, to avoid Velvet's teasing about her supposed inability to pack light—she hurried to the nearest exit and had barely gotten one hoof down before a squeal of delight and a thundering of hooves came her way.
"Crystal, Crystal, Crystal!" Velvet nearly bowled Crystal over from the impact of a leaping hug. The hat took issue with the sudden movement and flung itself into the air, landing a few paces away. Her mauve mane was tied into its usual bun, two rebellious strands framing either side of her face. "You're here!"
Crystal laughed and returned the hug with equal force. "I am! Though your hat isn't anymore!"
"My hat?" Velvet inclined her head just enough to peer over her shoulder at the object in question, then shrugged. "It's not mine, so oh well."
Crystal raised one brow. "Not yours? Then why were you wearing it?"
"I found it. Somepony left it in the middle of the street, I thought it would be funny to wear."
Crystal stared at her a moment before releasing a heavy sigh. "I've not even been gone two weeks and already you've fallen into petty theft and wearing strangers' clothing?"
With a huff, Velvet pulled away from her and stuck her nose in the air as she turned toward the station doors that led to the city. "It wasn't theft! It was a classic case of finders, keepers!"
"Mmhm." Crystal smiled and trotted after her. "I've missed you."
Velvet flashed a grin. "I know."
"'I know'? You're supposed to say you missed me, too!" Crystal bumped their shoulders together. "I can turn around and get right back on that train, you know."
Velvet let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine! Of course I've missed you. You could have come to visit sooner, though."
"I could say the same to you." Crystal's tail flicked. "No housewarming party?"
"Oh! Oh, really? Oh, okay, sure! Who sent me a letter saying that they were embarrassed of the state of their—what did you call it?—box warehouse? So yeah, no housewarming party!"
Crystal scrunched up her nose before relenting with a snort. "That's fair. All right, I concede victory to you."
Velvet skipped a step to throw a hoof in the air. "Yay! And to celebrate, I'm going to take you to a new cafe that opened up this week!"
"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Crystal smiled. "After we drop off my luggage, of course." The suitcase hovering in her magic lightly tapped Velvet on the rump for emphasis.
"Yeah, speaking of, I guess the Empire is going well for you. I can't believe you only packed one suitcase!" Velvet added a little skip in her step as they turned onto Portobello Parkway and the condominium building came into view.
And there it was. Perhaps she should have just packed the four suitcases she wanted to if this was the way Velvet was going to treat her. She laughed softly and shook her head. "I learned it from watching you, actually."
Velvet grinned up at her. "Uh-huh, yeah, whatever." As they walked through the doors, Velvet started humming. When they reached the stairs, she said, "So, you know, it's been a while since you were at the condo."
"Right?" Crystal responded, concern slipping into her voice, one brow raising.
"Things have changed. I mean, not a lot. But it might be a little shocking. So, don't freak out, all right?" Velvet fiddled with the lock before pushing the door open.
The suitcase hit the floor, Crystal's focus on levitation lost, and her jaw fell with it. "Wh-Whoa!"
Gone were the familiar bookshelves that lined one of the walls, replaced by a floor-to-ceiling mirror that reflected her shocked expression. Gone was the couch she had spent so many evenings lounging upon, its place taken up by several oversized seating pillows. Gone was the coffee table that had been home to papers and tea, leaving the middle of the room free for morning stretches and evening practice.
Crystal swallowed. "You weren't joking about the change." She tried to crack a light grin as she shifted her gaze to Velvet. "You realize I left all the furniture as a courtesy to you."
"I know that!" Velvet grabbed Crystal's suitcase and carried it inside. "I didn't get rid of anything. I just, well, rearranged some stuff. The bookshelves are in my room now, and your room has the couch. And the table. So your room is kind of part living room, part guest room now."
The grin strengthened with sincerity as Crystal teased, "Oh? Do the guests not stay in your room with you?"
Velvet's head snapped toward her before she sputtered into laughter. "Yeah!" She rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, they do." The hoof slid down to scratch her shoulder as she mumbled, "Awkward..." She cleared her throat. "So, anyway, lunch?"
"Yes, please." Crystal smiled and walked alongside her as they made their way back out of the building. "I've done a little reading. Not a lot, mind you, as I have to be careful with what I read at the library, but I've read some things nonetheless."
"What do you mean, 'reading'?" Velvet's ears flicked, a nervous look flashing across her face.
Crystal beamed back at her. "I want to understand what it's like to be you! Or, at the least, as best I can. You don't want a special somepony and you know what? You're not alone!"
"Okay." The caution didn't leave Velvet's tone. "Great."
"But there are still a lot of questions I have, and if you're willing, I'd like to talk about them with you." Crystal ducked her head to try to catch Velvet's gaze. "Velvet, I would very much like to write my next book based on you. Loosely, of course! But I want you to know you're not alone or strange."
Slowly, the tension in Velvet's face and shoulders seemed to ease and she even offered a light smile. "Don't be silly. You can't be a romance writer who writes a story with no romance. Especially not after you just went public! Great interview, by the way. I especially liked the part where you talked about your friend, Velvet Step." The smile lifted into a grin. "She seems like a fabulous mare."
Crystal nuzzled their cheeks together. "She is, and that's why I'm willing to bet I can write a perfectly good novel about a mare who doesn't end up with anypony without enraging my readers. I know somepony who is a strong advocate for the power of a pony as an individual, after all. That's a perfectly viable angle."
"If you're sure." Velvet laughed. "It's your career, not mine!" She raised a hoof to point at a building up ahead. "So, anyway, this is the place. Zest. Somepony bought that old store that sold silly hats and turned it into a cafe."
Crystal tried to wrack her brain, glancing at their surroundings. "Magnificent Millinery?" She frowned when she spotted the sign for the store in question. "Oh, no. The Stallion's Stetson?"
Velvet waved a hoof. "No, no. It was Belle Beret. Proves my point, though. Way too many hat stores! Anyway, Zest is pretty cool." She pushed open the door and the smell of vegetables wafted out. "The schtick is that you order your meal in pieces. First you pick a base, like lettuce or bamboo. Then your toppings. Then a dressing."
Crystal's eyes went wide as she looked at the menu behind the counter that listed just about every vegetable one could think of as a topping, along with at least twenty different dressings. She quickly glanced them over, then looked to Velvet for help and squeaked, "What do you recommend?"
"Oh, definitely the bamboo." Velvet nodded. "Some ponies think it's too tough, but it's so much sturdier than the lettuce wraps. They've also got zucchinis as a middle ground, but I really like the bamboo."
"Okay." They shuffled forward in line. "I've actually never had bamboo before."
Velvet patted her on the back. "Well, then, today's the day to try something new! Something to... add a little zest to your life!" She grinned.
Crystal blinked. "Is that their slogan or something?"
"No, but it totally should be." Velvet smiled at the cashier as they approached and chimed, "Two bamboo boats, please! With shredded lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber slices, and cheese—on just one, please, no cheese on the other." She looked at Crystal. "What kind of dressing do you want?"
"Oh, uh, um." Crystal stared at the list of options with wide eyes. "I, uh. Thousand Island? Yes?"
Velvet looked back at the cashier. "Thousand Island on the one with no cheese. Raspberry vinaigrette on the other. Please and thank you!"
After paying for their order, Crystal was surprised to see a tray waiting for them with the meals already prepared. She lifted her gaze to see several ponies behind the counter, putting orders together as they were being placed. Everything was laid out efficiently for the fastest service she'd ever seen.
"So," Velvet started as they sat down at a small table against the window, "how is life in the Empire?"
Crystal offered a light shrug. "Oh, I can't complain. It's different, that's for sure. But I think it's different in a good way." Her ears perked before folding back. "Speaking of, thank you so very much for the letters you've been sending to Lady Cadence."
Velvet grinned in between bites. "Anything for you!"
"Of course." She rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. Before she could continue, a stallion walked up to their table. She blinked, her gaze immediately drawn to him and his unique appearance.
Overall, he was fairly normal, with a white coat and a shaggy brown mane. What set him apart, however, was that his legs and ears were black. "Good afternoon, ladies," he said, glancing between them. "I just wanted to thank you for stopping in to eat at Zest today. We're still trying to spread the word, so here are some coupons to entice your friends." He set a hoofful of papers on the table. "Is there anything I can do for either of you today?"
Velvet shook her head. "Nope, we're good, but thanks, Sprouts!"
He smiled, though there was a small twitch at the corners of his lips. "Great! Enjoy your meal and have a good day, you two." He bobbed his head before moving on to the next table.
Crystal leaned in and whispered, "Who was that? The owner?"
"Yup." Velvet took another bite and said around it, "Harvest Sprouts. Nice guy. Serious 'bout sprouts. Doesn't like to be called Sprouts, though."
"I see. And so you call him that because?"
Velvet grinned. "It's funny?"
Crystal sighed and bit into her vegetable-laden bamboo shoot. The texture was a little tougher than she was expecting, but it had a pleasant enough flavor that went well with everything else Velvet had ordered for her. "This is really good, by the way. A good recommendation." Her ears wiggled and she dabbed a napkin to the corner of her mouth to catch any stray dressing before she asked, "Well, then, how are things at the Royal Ballet? How are your parents?"
"Good and great. It's only been a few weeks, Crystal." Velvet waved a hoof. "Life doesn't change that fast."
♡
"Hi, Crystal! Hi, Velvet!" Horsey beamed at them as they stepped off the train. Her brown mane was tied up into a messy bun and her blue coat was a few shades darker from sweat. "I'm sorry to spring this on you when you've only just gotten here, but I've gone into labor."
"What?!" Crystal shrieked. Her suitcase fell to the platform and she rushed over, her gaze darting between Horsey and Savoir. "Why aren't you at a hospital right this instant?!"
Savoir chuckled and shook his head. "You know how she can be. She wanted to be here to greet you both." He leaned down and nudged his head against hers. "Now can we go, mon coeur?"
Horsey bit her lower lip. "But their luggage—"
"Forget the luggage! Horsey, you're about to have a foal!" Velvet gawked at her. "Seriously how can you be thinking of anypony else at a time like this?!"
"It's really not that urgent," Horsey replied with a small giggle. "It only started an hour ago. There's still time." Her breathing was slightly erratic and she grunted as she took a step forward. "Let's at least get your luggage settled before—"
"Nope, nope, nope." Crystal gathered up Velvet's bags and her own in her magic, stuck her nose in the air, and started trotting. "Savoir, I don't care if you have to drag your wife. She is going straight to the hospital and that is that."
Horsey let out a high-pitched whine as Savoir chuckled and said, "Oui, Madame." He nudged Horsey gently. "I am sorry, ma mie, but Crystal is right. It is time to get you off your hooves."
"Ohh..." Horsey sighed and walked with some noticeable effort to follow after Crystal. "All right, if you're sure."
"We're sure," the three quickly responded, then laughed.
Velvet pranced alongside Horsey, an almost painfully big grin on her face. "I can't believe it, I can't believe it! Horsey, you're going to be a mom!"
Horsey's cheeks flushed and she nodded. "Y-Yes. Yes, I am."
"Life really does change super fast. Sorry, Crystal! I was wrong about that!"
Horsey blinked a few times. "Super fast? But I've been pregnant for almost a year..."
Savoir smiled down at her. "I believe it is a joke between Crystal and Velvet, ma mie."
"Oh... Aww." Horsey's ears drooped. "I remember when I used to be in on the jokes."
Savoir chuckled and nuzzled his face close to her ear as he mumbled a single word: "Taillevent."
Horsey squeaked and bubbled into a fit of giggles, swatting at him with one hoof. "Sav! Don't remind me! Oh my gosh, that was awful! Awful. Dreadful."
Crystal looked to Velvet, who shrugged, then over at Horsey. "What did he say?"
"It's kind of a long story, but—" Her ears perked. "Oh! Oh, I see!" She beamed up at Savoir and started giggling all over again. "They're not in on the joke! We have a joke! Oh, Sav, you're the best."
"I do try." Savoir nodded his head toward the big hospital building they approached. "Now, will you behave for the doctor, mon coeur?"
Horsey huffed lightly. "Of course, now that Crystal and Velvet are here."
Crystal swallowed as she eyed the building, large and wide and perfectly white. Eerily white. A chill coursed through her veins and her stomach turned on itself as images of Silent's time spent in the hospital flashed in her mind's eye. Flickering fluorescent lights. The stench of rubbing alcohol.
Just as Crystal's knees started to feel weak, Velvet gently coaxed, "Hey, you okay? You look like you're gonna pass out."
"Yes. I'm fine." Crystal swallowed, though her mouth was dry, and she flashed a smile. "Just nerves."
"Well, there's nothing to be nervous about!" a voice chimed from above just before a pegasus landed beside Horsey. "Hey, girl. Today's the big day, huh?"
Horsey nodded. "I've been doing the yoga stretches you recommended! And the breathing exercises."
"Great!" Cloud Kicker grinned and tossed her bright yellow mane. "When you've recovered, we'll have to get you back on your workout regimen." She winked. "You can only use this 'pregnant' excuse for so long!"
When they walked through the double doors that led into the hospital, a bright mulberry-colored earth mare looked up and smiled. "Hey, Savoir, Horsey," she called as she stood and approached them. "Glad I caught ya 'fore you go in. Here." From her saddlebags, she produced a bottle of wine and held it out. "For the special occasion. Barreled it when you two got married." She winked. "Thought it'd have more time to age, but you two had other plans, it seems."
Horsey's face turned a bright red and Crystal stifled a giggle. Velvet looked at Berry Punch and said with a grin, "Well, you know how it goes. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a foal in a foal carriage."
Berry returned the grin. "Sometimes not exactly in that order, huh?"
Velvet laughed, Crystal flushed with sympathy for Horsey's embarrassment, and Horsey squeaked, "Okay! Well! Berry, thank you for the wine. Savoir, please take the wine from Berry. I need to lie down!"
A look of concern filled Savoir's expression as he lowered his head to hers, brow furrowed. "Are you okay? Or are you just embarr—"
"The pregnancy! Labor. Definitely labor pains!" Horsey hurried to the front desk, her movement somewhat stilted, her face bright red.
Crystal smiled as she stood with Velvet, Cloud Kicker, and Berry while Savoir followed after Horsey to help check her in. "I'm so happy," she mused aloud in a soft voice.
"Why's that?" Velvet asked, her gaze wandering the much-too-clean waiting room.
Crystal looked between all the ponies looking back at her. "Horsey has really made such a great life for herself. She has such wonderful friends, an even more wonderful husband, and now she's going to have the most wonderful foal. Moving to Ponyville was the best thing that could have ever happened to her."
Velvet nodded idly. "Yeah, that's true. Well, maybe moving will be just as wonderful for you, or something."
All Crystal could do was smile in response, but her heart wasn't in it. What could the Empire hold for her that she didn't already have? Finally, she managed to say around the lump in her throat, "I certainly hope so."