//------------------------------// // In the Valley and Glen // Story: Crystal's Hopes // by Crystal Wishes //------------------------------// Knock, knock, knock. Crystal jerked upright and paused for a moment when she didn't recognize her surroundings. Where was she? She was sitting on a hardwood floor. She didn't have hardwood floors… She was in Canterlot. Had she ever left? Her mind worked through a haze while her hooves carried her to the door, which opened as she approached. Standing in front of her was Winterspear, her face distorted with despair. "He's dead," she said without moving her lips. Though her vision didn't blur, Crystal knew she was crying. Tears were falling down her face and hitting the floor, even if she couldn't see them. The walls started to close in around her. The room started to grow dark and cold. Winterspear just stared at her, eyes empty of emotion. Why wasn't she upset? What was wrong with her? Her mouth opened and those awful words fell out again. "He's dead." Just as the darkness caved in and left nothing but Crystal and Winterspear's unfeeling eyes, there was a blinding light. When it receded, Winterspear was gone, replaced by the glowing figure of— "Wake up." The voice echoed in her skull and her eyes snapped open. Was she awake? Her coat was matted with sweat, her breathing was ragged, and her cheeks were wet with tears. She certainly felt awake, for better or for worse. Crystal slid off the bed to sprawl on the floor, the cold crystalline material a welcome sensation. From that vantage point, she noticed several dust bunnies congregating under the bed. With a sigh, she pushed herself up to retrieve a broom and dustpan. Cleaning was a nice distraction. It gave her a sense of peace from her restless sleep, though that dream had been different. She couldn't put her hoof on what, but something in the fuzzy memory felt like it should have been remembered. A glowing pony? A powerful voice? She shook her head and continued sweeping. None of her dreams made any sense beyond the looming fear for Silent's safety. That part she understood perfectly well. After the monotonous routine of making the bed, taking a shower, and putting the kettle on, Crystal was faced with her most daunting adversary: writing. The blank pages lounged in the notebook as a stark reminder of her ongoing failure to accomplish anything of substance. Today, however, was going to be different! With the quill levitating and at the ready, she clenched her eyes shut and forced the words. She had to get something written for Mares Monthly. The last thing she wanted to do was capitalize on the war, even though that would likely be on the forefront of everypony's minds. No, she would be the distraction she wished something was for her. She would help her readers remember that there was still a life to live. What was a story she could tell? Something sweet and endearing, or funny and uplifting… Her eyes snapped open. Of course! She jumped off the couch and hurried into the bedroom to retrieve a stack of notebooks. How could she have forgotten? The princess and the stablehoof! She had worked on it last month, but set it aside in favor of focusing on The Desert Rose. Once she found The Princess and the Stablehoof, she settled back in the living room to begin work. Where had she left off in her story notes? One rather stormy night, while Shepherds Crook was bathing in the rain, he heard the bleating of a sheep nearby. His herd should have been safe in the barn, so he quickly set off to investigate. There was a ram prepared to charge at a well-dressed and frightened mare. A stallion was doing his best to calm the angry sheep, but it was clear the animal wasn't listening. Shepherd sprung forth, startling them with both his sudden presence and how the ram was soothed by a subtle touch of his hoof to its side. "Whoa, whoa now," he cooed, the sheep seeming lulled by his voice. Crystal scrunched up her nose. Had she really written that? Granted, it was an outline, but she expected better of herself! She tossed the notebook on the table and readied her quill. Now, she was prepared to write. The story was there. She just needed to give it life. The wind howled under the weight of heavy rain that— No, no. Too dark of an opening for a romance. The world was full of enough howling wind and heavy rain as it was. She scratched the line out and started over. The air was alive with the smell of midsummer rain and freshly turned earth. She tilted her head one way, then another. What did that smell like, exactly? Perhaps she needed to visit Ponyville and spend some time on a farm. She sighed and scratched that line out, too. Normally, she had no trouble envisioning places and situations she had never been to or in herself. Now, they just seemed like empty words on a page. Her gaze lifted from the paper to Painted's crystal. It was suspended in its own magical aura in front of a window, humming softly in the gentle morning light. Painted said it had sung to her while she worked. How did that work? Reaching out with her magic, she attempted to bring the crystal over to her; when it was encircled in her pink glow, however, a melancholy melody resonated from within. It was sad and slow, and hearing just a few notes of it moved her to tears. Was that how she felt? A hoof raised to her chest and her gaze fell to the floor. No, she was fine! She had cried until she ran out of tears and now she was ready to move forward. She thought she already had, but the crystal seemed to disagree. That was when she realized she was empty. She felt nothing. When had she pushed her feelings into the back of her mind? Why was every day a new challenge—crying too much, not crying at all, feeling too sad, and now no feelings? Was it going to be like this forever? The crystal's tune had shifted to a light rumbling, much like distant thunder rolling in. Crystal shook her head to dislodge the thoughts weighing on her mind and took a deep breath, then held it. As she calmed, so too did the crystal. She smiled as she focused her mind on happier things. Silent had promised her that he would try to be safe, and she believed him. Horsey had a beautiful, healthy foal. Velvet's career was doing well. Slowly, the melancholy tune started to pick up more. It became a bit of a cycle; the better she felt, the happier it sounded, which made her feel better. Soon she was humming along and starting to write again. While frogs croaked in harmony to express their joy for the shower, Shepherds Crook quietly enjoyed the feel of cold water hitting his face. It had been a long day of tending to the herd, ensuring their safety as though it were his own. "Hah!" Crystal tapped a hoof on the paper and looked over at the crystal. "Do you see this? It's certainly not my best work, but I dare say I've got something here finally!" She let out a sigh of relief. "I've not lost it after all… I can write." The crystal continued its jovial series of chimes, the ribbons of pink within it dancing along. "You know," she said, standing up and walking over, "I don't quite like calling you 'the crystal'. It's becoming rather redundant, don't you think?" She laughed softly. "Crystal's crystal, living together in the Crystal Empire? In a home made of crystals? No, no, I think you need a name." She sat down in front of the crystal and gazed at it. The light filtering in from outside reflected a wide array of pink hues from each facet. What word encompassed something so beautiful and wonderful? "I know," she murmured under her breath, then smiled. "I think I'll call you my Aria. I do believe Painted would agree that that name fits. It's a lovely word for a lovely crystal. What do you think, hmm?" Aria simply hummed and glimmered in response. ♡ "Thank you, Prism," Cadence said as the crystal mare set out a tray of tea and biscuits. "That will be all." Prism bowed her head. "Yes, my Lady." She gave Crystal a small smile before she turned and left the two alone on the balcony. Cadence lifted the teacup to her lips and took a measured sip—the proper amount of time outlined in charm school. There had already been a tension in the air, but that gesture only made Crystal feel all the more on edge. "I know you must be busy, so thank you for taking time for tea." Crystal shifted in her seat. "It's a little late, but given the timing of the announcement, I figured it would be the last thing on your mind." Her magic lifted the small wrapped gift she had brought and set it on the table between them. Cadence's expression went vacant as she stared off into the horizon. "I can't believe it's only been a week since our anniversary… and that awful declaration." She shook her head and tried to smile, but it didn't reach her weary eyes. "You didn't have to do this, however." Crystal smiled and pushed the gift closer. "I didn't, but I wanted to. It's not very much. When you're shopping for a lady of nobility that governs an Empire, it's a bit difficult to feel like anything is good enough." "It's the thought that counts," Cadence said almost monotonously as she levitated the gift and pulled back the paper. Her ears perked and her head tilted. "What's this?" "A picture frame," Crystal explained sheepishly. "I've found that it's important to have reminders of why we're happy, especially with everything that's going on. A friend showed me that, so I wanted to pass the discovery on." After a quiet moment of staring at the frame, Cadence looked up at her with a heartfelt smile. "It really is the thought that counts, then. Thank you." She took another sip of tea, this time quick and casual. "How are you doing? You sound and look well." Crystal gave an idle bob of her head, smearing raspberry jam on a biscuit. "It comes and goes. Getting up in the morning and falling asleep at night are when it's the hardest, but during the day I can distract myself well enough." "Distract yourself?" Cadence blinked. "How do you do that?" "Writing, mostly. I've made great progress on a serial for Mares Monthly." She paused to think it over. That sounded like she had just been sitting on the couch for a whole week! What else had she done? "And—ah—well, cleaning. It's surprising how much dust collects in a place with only one pony living there." Cadence's brow started to furrow. Her voice lowered into one of concern as she asked, "Are you prepared for when they ship out?" Crystal blinked. "Ship out?" "Yes? They—" A hoof rose to cover her mouth as it dropped open. "They haven't left for the Gryphon Kingdom. Did you not know that?" The teacup suspended in Crystal's magic dropped to the table, bounced off, and clattered against the floor. She just stared for a long, quiet moment before remembering to breathe. "What?" Her voice came out as a raspy squeak of air and she cleared her throat. "You mean—" Cadence nodded just slightly, not taking her eyes off her. "He's still in Equestria. They didn't leave right away. They all gathered in Manehattan and are supposed to leave sometime this week or the next." "So, then…" A strange sound escaped her. It was something between a laugh that descended into a strangled sob and bounced back in an almost manic manner. "I see. I've worried, I've fretted, I've cried, and I've died a little with fear, and it hasn't even begun!" She cradled her face in her hooves as she cried tears that burned as they welled up and fell. Cadence rose from her seat and walked around the table to put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Crystal. I didn't realize that you didn't—" "You must think I'm such a fool." She withdrew from the touch and looked away. "Married to the Guard, but I had no idea he hadn't even left? And now, just as I was starting to find a rhythm, now I'm scared all over again!" Her frame trembled as she tried to get her surging feelings under control. How could she have been such an emotional wreck when he hadn't even left the continent? This should have been the easiest week, and it had felt like the worst! Now she was reminded of what had been making her cry in the first place. The war. The awful, awful war. He was in Manehattan preparing for it, and soon he would be finally, actually leaving for it. The hardest times had yet to even start. "Not at all," Cadence said in a soft, even voice. She reached out and stroked Crystal's mane. "For the past week, the wives and husbands of the guards that have been serving in this palace have come to me for emotional support. For the past week, I've had to console them and their fears, all the while knowing how much of a hypocrite I look like." Crystal lifted her gaze, brow furrowed. "A hypocrite?" Cadence nodded. "Yes. Shining Armor couldn't volunteer. I still have my husband. How can anypony trust me to understand the terror you must feel?" "I—I don't—" Crystal chewed on her bottom lip. That thought hadn't occurred to her. After a pause, she shook her head. "Because you've always been such a kind and caring mare. When we first met, you reassured me, and I was a complete stranger. I can't imagine you as anything but earnest." "That's sweet of you, but I know some ponies whisper otherwise." She sighed and moved to stand at the edge of the balcony, overlooking the Empire that shimmered in the sunlight. "Dark times are coming, and nopony is prepared for it. How could we be?" Crystal didn't say anything. What was there to say? She simply got up and walked over to stand beside her. There was a moment of stillness before Cadence continued, "I will tell you what I tell every wife and husband: don't lose hope. It's the one thing we can hold onto that is truly good, a light in the dark that's looming over us." She turned her head to smile at Crystal. "Our soldiers, your Silent Knight, they are just supposed to keep the peace and stay out of the conflict itself. But that doesn't stop the fear, does it?" Crystal shook her head and sighed. "No. I've done some reading on the history of the Gryphon Kingdom. They're not like us." "No, they're not… But we have to hold onto hope. And remember to—" Cadence took a deep breath of the cold air, raising a hoof to her chest. As she breathed out, the hoof swept away from her until the leg was fully extended. "—breathe." Breathe. Right. She had been forgetting to do that a lot as of late. As she went through the same motions, the focus gave her a small sense of relief. A light breeze drifted over them and below, things seemed to continue as normal. She could see ponies walking the streets and carrying on as if it were any other day. Perhaps it was, at least for the time being. "Lady Cadence?" Crystal looked up at her. "Yes?" Their gazes met and she tilted her head. "Thank you for overlooking my… little outburst." Her cheeks heated up with visible embarrassment. "I was just—" Cadence interrupted her with a raised hoof. "Say no more. I already told you: you're not the first pony that I've talked to on this subject. I can't count the number of wives that I've held as they cried. This hasn't been an easy time for anypony." "I know, but I suppose I just expected better of myself." She sighed and went back to her seat at the table. "I'll keep your advice in mind, though. Silent told me that he'll try to be safe, and so I'll hope for the best." "And breathe," Cadence teased. "That's just as important, if not more so." Crystal smiled and nodded. "Of course. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk of nicer things while we finish our tea and biscuits." With a soft laugh, Cadence sat across from her and levitated her teacup. "I'll allow it." It wasn't easy, but Crystal just kept smiling through their conversation. All of the progress she had made felt like it had suddenly dropped out from under her. Silent wasn't even in danger yet and she had cried like a filly. How was she going to get through the days knowing, for a fact, that he was in harm's way?