//------------------------------// // Part 3 - Hearts Mended // Story: Uncrystallised // by Krystal Dusk //------------------------------// Final Chapter All semblance of light was gone, save for the specks of fluttering green glow floating in the air; like spilt paint in a puddle of water. A laughter echoed around her, chuckling with a deep and hoarse voice. “Do my bidding… my little slave. Kill Celestia… Kill Luna,” the voice reverberated methodically. Fearing its influence over her, she ran aimlessly into the blackness, hoping she could get away. But as she ran, for what seemed like an eternity, the voice still reached her, and it reverberated as loudly as before. Exhausted and cowering on the ground, she clenched her ears together, desperately trying to silence the voice. But the harder she tried, the louder it became, and slowly, it burrowed deep into her consciousness. Removing her hooves from her ears, a smirk built on her face. She resisted his commands no longer. Suddenly, the wall of darkness cracked and a blue light seeped through, glowing like a luminescent thread hanging mid-air. As she inspected it closer, light burst from the crack, illuminating the entire realm. The voice stopped, and she rubbed her eyes together and blinked. Through the light, a black and purple Alicorn appeared, staring down at her. “Luna!” Krystal exclaimed. “Greetings, child,” Luna said coldly. Krystal stared in awe at the mare - a mare of darkness. “Am I still dreaming?” Krystal asked. Luna met her eyes with a blank expression. “Yes. You caused quite the stir at the parade. It was decided to let you sleep… for the time being.” Krystal sat and crossed her forelegs, lowering her head to avoid Luna’s gaze. She swallowed nervously. The voice had almost corrupted her yet again and she could still feel the will of Sombre linger inside of her, especially with one of the princesses standing before her. The parade… As memories returned to her, she asked. “What is going to happen to me now?” Luna’s hard expression lost its tension, and she smiled faintly at the filly. “That, my child, is entirely up to you.” Krystal clenched her teeth and rubbed her face with her forelegs in frustration. “What do you mean? I—“. Her voice broke, and she looked with watery eyes at Luna. “Please tell me what I need to do.” Luna bent her head closer and said. “I know the feeling of harbouring inner darkness, child. It consumed me and I paid the price. I have seen your dreams, and although they are similar to what mine was, I am afraid that I don’t know how to solve yours…” Luna paused for a moment and looked into the distance. “Your triggers are my sister and me, and anything resembling our person, correct?” Krystal nodded. “Then why, pray tell, did you take part in my sister’s celebration, if you knew this much?” Krystal lowered her gaze and stammered. “I… I thought that it had gone away. Ever since that night… my nightmares disappeared. For the first time in my life, I was truly happy.” Luna scrutinised the filly and then walked past her, watching into the distance, deep in thought. Suddenly, Luna spun around and asked. “Then what did you do that night, that made you feel… happy, as you said?”. Reluctantly, she explained her attempt at running away, the letter she wrote and the weight that was lifted from her shoulders after writing it. Luna nodded thoughtfully as Krystal finished her tale. “I think I know what needs to be done,” Luna said while walking towards a shimmering portal that hung in mid-air. She glanced over her shoulder and said. “Sleep well, child, for you will awaken soon,” and disappeared into the void. *** As Krystal opened her eyes, she saw several worried faces peer down at her, their expressions turning into relief as she slowly rose. Twilight almost jumped up on the bed as she cried. “Thank Tartarus! I was afraid that you’d never wake up.” Krystal looked around, still drowsy from her long sleep. “Where am I?” she asked. But her question was lost in the moment as her eyes drifted towards Rain Dust and Grey Horn, who stood on the other side of the bed. Krystal’s lips trembled. “Mum… dad…” she said, but her voice broke. And before she could rally, both her foster parents threw themselves on top of the bed and embraced the filly. Krystal’s tears could no longer be withheld, and she sobbed. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry for everything.” “shh, hush now,” Rain Dust whispered and put her hoof over Krystal’s lips. “Everything is fine. No pony was hurt.” Krystal dug her head into Rain Dust’s and Twilight grinned at the other side of the room. Suddenly, the door opened and Luna and Celestia entered. Every pony bowed deeply as they did. “Looks like she is finally awake,” Celestia said, approaching the bed. “Good job, sister.” Luna nodded softly in response. Krystal averted her eyes and burrowed her face deeper into Rain Dust’s chest as she prepared herself for the commands to echo in her head. A hoof caressed her mane as she heard. “Don’t worry child, this room is special. It helps me clear my mind when I need to focus. It should work the same for you.” Krystal opened her eyes and looked at the two sisters. Memories of her past visions flooded her mind; however, that was all it was, memories. The urge never struck her and she sighed in relief. But she remembered what she had done at Celestia’s birthday, and she avoided Celestia’s gaze. “I’m sorry…I—” she paused, unable to finish her sentence. Celestia shook her head and said. “It is not your fault, child Rain Dust drew Krystal closer to her. “What happens now?” she wondered. “You don't intend for her to stay here forever, do you?” Celestia smiled warmly. “I can assure you, that is not my intent,” she glanced towards another part of the room and nodded in its direction, encouraging Krystal to follow. Krystal hesitated, but Twilight levitated her off the bed and nudged her towards Celestia. With weary legs, she followed her into the other room. Celestia pointed towards a tilted table in the corner of the room, with red cushions below it. “Come on, Krystal,” Celestia said. “Why don’t you sit by my place over here?” Krystal sat down and looked confused at the parchment, quill and ink that was placed before her. “Write!” Luna commanded. “Write whatever comes to mind, my dear. It will help you ease your distress.” Celestia glanced towards her sister and Luna flushed as she realised the tone of her voice. Hesitant, she picked up the quill in her mouth. Luna and Celestia raised their eyebrows, surprised that she did not use her magic as most unicorns would. Nobody said anything and just looked as Krystal hesitated by the blank paper. But the moment the ink and quill landed on the paper, words came flooding out. At first, the words were nonsensical, without a structure. But soon, the words took a meaning: (…) mangled, the bodies lay scattered all around. Blood dripped from her mouth as she spat the remains of a white coat between her teeth. An explosion echoed in the distance and a tower fell, crushing that which lay underneath; destroying the little that remained of the market square. She looked in amusement at the destruction and strolled down the empty and crumbling street. Something cracked under her hoof and black charcoal stained on her white coat. She snorted irritably but found amusement in the disturbed expression of the blackened pony as the body cowered next to the remains of a house (…) The words kept flowing, and she did not stop. When she had finished, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mind was empty and all the bad thoughts seemed to expel from her mind. Suddenly, wisps of light circled around her, carrying her slightly of the floor. Hovering for a few seconds, she landed softly back on the pillows. She blinked and looked at her friends and family with a broad smile on her face. Twilight, Rain Dust and Grey Horn stood gawking with their eyes wide open, staring at the flank of the filly. Krystal raised an eyebrow and craned around herself. A happy squeal escaped here and she danced around her flank, eyes fixated on her new cutie mark. She rushed towards Rain Dust and Grey Horn and presented it to them. “Look, look! Isn’t it beautiful?” Stunned, they remained silent. Twilight lurched closer and scrutinised the mark. It was an open book with two crystals hovering over it, one in pleasant light purple, the other, in a black greyish colour. “What does it mean?” Twilight asked, “Looking at Luna and Celestia who remained unaffected by what had happened. The sisters glanced at each other with grim expressions. “It means that she will have to write every day,” Luna said. “Her mind is bound by the evil that flows in her blood. There is nothing that can be done about this. However, when she writes, her desire is transferred into words, leaving her mind temporarily… unclouded.” Finishing hugging Krystal, Rain Dust and Grey Horn bowed deeply before the two princesses. “Thank you. Thank you for everything,” Rain Dust said, her voice almost breaking. Grey Horn grunted agreeably. “Thank you.” Krystal sat in the middle and dart her head back and forth between the adults, unable to hide her excitement. Her body twitched and she could not keep her eyes from drifting towards her cutie mark. Things are going to be different now, she thought, feeling hopeful for the future. *** The candles fluttered from the breeze as Twilight opened the door. The room was dark, except around Krystal’s table where she sat hunched, her quill levitating by her horn, scribbling hastily on a piece of paper. As Twilight entered the room, she almost knocked over a stack of papers that piled in the middle of the room, saving it from falling by her magic. “Krystal, sweetie?” she called. With no response she walked carefully up to her and focused her magic around the quill, placing it gently on the table. “Krystal?” she repeated. Krystal jerked her head around and looked with a vacant expression at her. “Did you write all this?” Twilight asked, picking up a piece of paper on the floor. A gasp escaped her as she read it. Krystal shuddered and lowered her eyes to the floor. Twilight quickly placed the paper back on the stack and swallowed. “Your parents told me that you haven’t left your room in weeks. Would you like to come with me and get some fresh air?” Krystal glanced towards her and said. “I-I don’t know if I can.” “How about we make it a road trip? Just you and me, like old times.” Krystal's eyes gleamed by the candlelight and a faint smile grew on her face. “Can I bring my papers with me?” she asked. “You can bring as many things as you need to, sweetie.” *** Krystal clutched her notebook tightly as she looked out at the vast golden fields of Manehattan. They have spent many days on the road, stopping and enjoying the sites along the way, though only briefly. She braced herself as the carriage shook violently, driving over another pit on the road. The urge to write was strong, and she made an attempt to write by levitating the notebook and quill in front of her. She crumbled an old page that was covered in ugly scars of ink from her last attempts, hoping the road would be steady here on out. By the edge of the notebook, on the other side of the seat, she saw Twilight grinning widely. She lowered the notebook and raised an eyebrow. “What?” Twilight giggled and said. “Oh, don’t mind me! I am just happy to see you use your magic so seamlessly.” Krystal returned the smile and went back to her writing. It had become an addiction ever since she got her cutie mark. Knowing her talents made her eager to write, but most of all, it allowed her to step outside without fear of Sombre’s influence. Which made it ironic that she had spent many weeks, trapping herself inside her room. Somehow, she did not dare to stop writing, yet, the things that she wrote was horrible, grotesque and scary. Reading the pages with a clear mind made her realise how dangerous she really was. It made her wish that she could write about pleasant things, things that other ponies would want to read. Moments later, she heard Twilight exclaim. “Look, Krystal! The Crystal Mountains!” She put away the notebook and reached her hooves towards the frame of the window. Twilight smiled and was about to cast a levitating spell when Krystal levitated herself over the window. Twilight stared in amazement at her proficiency in magic. She herself could barely flip the page of a book at that age. It was a strange feeling, feeling both pride and competitive at the filly's accomplishments. They watched as the golden fields merged with the mountains that grew tall in the west. Around them, earth ponies harvested the hay, stacking it until they looked like little huts. Huts that were so numerous that they seemed like an entirely new village had been raised out on the field. “Where are we going?” Krystal asked curiously. “I want to see more of Manehattan.” “Well, we are going to visit a village that goes beyond the hay fields and into the highlands. But that's all I’m gonna to say for now,” Twilight answered with a childish grin on her face. Krystal shrugged and enjoyed the tranquillity of the scenery. She had missed the outside, she’d realised. The mountains towered ever higher in the distance as they got closer and a cold wind blew through the open window, indicating the changing of seasons. The wind was fresh and they both filled their lungs greedily with it. They glanced at each other as they caught themselves breathing in tandem. Their laughter echoed far, making the farm ponies raise their heads as they passed by. As they left the Manehattan fields behind them, the trees grew denser and the road was almost non-existent. Only small streams of light were able to shine through, illuminating the path partly. Krystal shivered as it got colder and they closed the window. “It will be another couple of hours before we get there,” Twilight said. “Why don’t get some sleep in the meantime?” Krystal yawned, noticing herself that she was tired. She wondered what kind of village lay so deeply hidden that there wasn’t even a path to follow. But she trusted Twilight, and she settled comfortably in her seat and let bumpy road rock her to sleep. Hours later, she awoke as the carriage stopped abruptly, making her bumped into the backrest. “We are here,” Twilight whispered and lightly nudged her with her muzzle. Krystal yawned and felt refreshed as she stretched out her limbs. She could only see the sky from her seat, it was grey and cloudy. The sky made her shiver as she imagined how cold it must be outside. They exited the carriage, and before her, there was a small undeveloped village that was as grey as its surroundings. She glanced towards Twilight who smiled excitedly while scanning the village before her. Krystal noticed a glint of pride in her eyes. As they walked into the village, a group of ponies gathered to meet them. They looked as grey as everything else in the area; the buildings, the sky, and even the mountains. She cowered behind Twilight’s flank as they approached them. “Twilight!” a stallion at the front of the crowd exclaimed. “I’m so glad you could pay us a visit. Don’t worry about a thing, everything will be provided for you.” Twilight greeted him with a nod and said. “You are too kind.” “Nonsense!” the stallion shouted excitedly. “All this would not have been possible without you,” moving his hoof across the village, showing their progress. Krystal peeked from behind Twilight and the stallion raised an eyebrow. “My, who is this now?” Twilight nudged her to the front and said. “Come now, Krystal. Don't be rude.” As she revealed herself, the ponies from the crowd gasped and murmured. She wanted to hide behind Twilight again but hesitated when she saw their eyes welling with tears. The stallion at the front didn’t take his eyes from Krystal as he walked closer. “I… is she… is she really…?” he stammered. Twilight nodded softly, still smiling. As she did, the eyes of the ponies in the crowd gleamed and their coats shimmered faintly. They stood watching each other, in silence. But Twilight knew, then and there, that this was a new beginning for Krystal and the ‘Uncrystallised’ alike.