//------------------------------// // Put Your Mind at Ease // Story: Crystal's Hopes // by Crystal Wishes //------------------------------// Crystal hummed lightly as she watched the quill dance along the page, transcribing the images in her mind into words. The deadline was looming and the pressure was high, but her companion kept her spirits up. Aria dangled from a silver chain that was attached to the light fixture above the dining table. She glowed with Crystal's magic and sang inspiration with delicate chimes. Pink shimmers of light danced across the walls and along the table beneath her. "You seem to be in a good mood," Crystal commented idly as she dotted her i's and crossed her t's. "Things do seem to be... all right, for the time being, don't they? Yes, I think things are all right." Aria glimmered her agreement. The quill paused as Crystal chanced an upward glance. "Aria..." She lowered her quill to the table and leaned back to look at the crystal. In a soft voice, she asked, "Do you miss Painted?" Aria merely dangled, the magic having faded as soon as Crystal stopped writing. "I miss her." Crystal raised her hooves to wipe at her already damp eyes. "I'm worried about her. Verd got a letter, so I know she's all right." She laughed softly. "I suppose I didn't get one from her because she doesn't know I know? Or perhaps she just doesn't know what to say." Her ears drooped. "I do wish she'd write to me, though." There was no response, not that that was much of a surprise. Crystal's ears perked back up. "Do you suppose Verd would mind if I had him include a letter from me the next time he writes to her?" She smiled and levitated her quill again while retrieving a blank parchment. "It couldn't hurt to ask, now, could it?" Painted, The quill froze. Her mind was blank. Aria was completely still, having no interest in matters of personal correspondence. What could she say? 'I know you're over there, so please talk to me'? Her brow started to furrow and she slid the parchment aside to return her attention to where she had left off in Desert Rose. Perhaps it would be wise to talk to Verd first. He knew her best, after all. "Fatinah, you are going to get yourself into trouble. You understand that, don't you?" Khalil lowered his head to her eye level, his nostrils slightly flared with a mix of amusement and, simultaneously, irritation. Fatinah shook her head to toss her mane as she trotted past him. "You've been saying that since I was a filly, Khalil, and I'm still standing. I'll be fine." When she looked over her shoulder to toss him a teasing grin, the look on his face stopped her in her tracks. In all the years she had known him, he had never worn that expression. She had seen the surprise in his eyes countless times, but it was tempered with a softness she didn't like. "You're certainly not a filly anymore," he said, almost breathlessly. A short series of knocks drew her out of her thoughts. "Coming," she called, rising to her hooves and walking over to open the door. "Oh! Good afternoon, Golden." She blinked and glanced at the clock. "Is it time already?" "It's past time," Golden said with a small frown. "Did you get lost in your writing again? Honestly. If I didn't need him, I'd have Dusty manage your schedule." She slipped her sunglasses down to cover her eyes. "Are you ready to go?" Levitating a wide-brimmed hat onto her head, Crystal nodded. "This week is at Weather Front's, right? That's not too far of a walk." Golden huffed lightly. "It's far enough on hoof to be annoying. And everypony's homes are so small. Can we not simply have it at my condo each week? It would be easier for me, and there would be more than enough room without having to sit on upturned trash cans." "Golden..." Crystal laughed, shaking her head. "It's about socializing, not convenience. Besides, what would the press say?" "Nothing worse than what they're already saying." Golden rolled her eyes, her stride quickening just enough to catch Crystal off guard. "Honestly. Can a mare not hang out with another mare without it spurring gossip? If Velvet and I were stallions, everypony would just assume we were friends. But no, Velvet and I are clearly lovers." Crystal couldn't help another laugh, this one more boisterous. "No! Really? Oh, Velvet must be loving that." With a light snort, Golden added a small, annoyed stomp to her hoofsteps. "It's no matter. I'm going to win the bet, gossip or not." "Of course, of course." Crystal inclined her head to peer up at Golden around the brim of her hat. "What is it this week?" "Salsa." Golden's posture relaxed as she eased into a satisfied smirk. "I'll show her that I'm the better dancer, even if I still don't understand the 'twerking' thing from last week." Crystal giggled. "I don't know whether I'm glad I left you two alone or not. This whole 'dance off' thing is ridiculous." For a while, Golden was silent, sending Crystal's good mood down into a worried spiral, but the mare finally said, "It is absolutely ridiculous. Dusty says I should stop before it ruins my image. But... it's fun. Getting together with Velvet to dance is fun. It's not really about winning the bet, you know." "I know." Crystal flashed a soft smile before she turned her attention to the apartment building they approached. "Well, are you ready for something less fun but equally important?" "Not particularly," Golden muttered, following Crystal up the stairs nonetheless. When they got to the apartment and knocked on the door, Bastion was the one to answer. He looked down his muzzle at Crystal, a coldness in his eyes. "Glad you finally decided to show up. We've got a situation." A chill ran down Crystal's spine. "What's wrong?" "This, you'll have to see for yourself." He stepped to the side to let her in, nodding to acknowledge Golden. Golden stayed close to Crystal's side as they walked into the living room, where Bonnie sat on the coffee table in a circle of their peers, all of their attention on her. "—so wonderful to see him again, you have no idea." Crystal smiled as she politely interjected, "See who, Bonnie?" Bonnie turned her head to look at Crystal, her expression at first one of surprise before melting into a distant half-smile. "My brother." A gasp escaped Crystal, the chill turning into a warmth that spread throughout her chest and down to her hooves. "Bonnie! He's alive? That's wonderful!" The smile fell as Bonnie shook her head. "No... No, he's still dead." Her lips twitched in an attempt to recapture the smile, but to no avail. "But I found Madame Ouija. She let me speak to him again. It was only for a moment, but as soon as I have enough bits, I'm going to go see her again." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Madame—" Crystal glanced at Bastion, who made no attempt to hide the skepticism that curled his mouth into a sneer. "Madame Ouija?" Bonnie nodded. "Yes! One of the most talented unicorns I've ever met. She can confer with the spirits of the dead. I never knew such a thing was possible!" "Because it isn't," Bastion muttered a little too loudly, perhaps intentionally so. He grunted when Crystal jabbed her elbow into his side. Bonnie continued, seemingly unfazed by his remark, "I ran into her at a cafe, as if by destiny. Fate brought us together. She gave me a free consultation, and even let me see my brother... for a moment." Her chin trembled. "I need to see her again. I need to talk to him for more than a few seconds. I need to say goodbye, and tell him how proud I am of him." An ache grew between Crystal's eyes, but she kept her smile in place. A pony who could commune with spirits of the dead? She didn't know enough about magic to know whether that was possible or not, but it reeked of foul play. Somepony was preying on ponies who had lost loved ones overseas. The very idea of capitalizing on the war in such a way was despicable. It turned Crystal's stomach into a series of knots wound so tight that she wanted to hunt down this Madame Ouija right then and there. Instead, however, she walked forward and took one of the unoccupied seats. "That's wonderful, then, Bonnie, if it brings you peace." "It will. It's worth every bit." Bonnie looked over at Weather Front, who had a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I was so excited to tell my story that I never let you offer anypony refreshments." "Oh! Right." Weather rose to his hooves and looked around the room. "Can I get a hoof? Or, rather, a horn?" He grinned lopsidedly. "Easier with magic." Crystal nearly hopped out of her seat. "Certainly, let me help." Weather bobbed his head and led her into the kitchen. He flapped his wings to fly up and grab a tray from the top shelf of a cabinet, then lowered back down to set it on the counter. In a hushed tone, Crystal asked, "Weather, could I get your opinion?" His wings tucked in close to his sides. "I bet I can guess what about." "I don't mean to gossip, but you are the one who is closest to Bonnie in this group." Crystal glanced at him while her magic retrieved several glasses that he gestured to. "What do you think of this... situation she's in?" Weather rubbed a hoof against one leg. "I don't much believe in the 'spirit-talking' stuff myself, but I also don't have magic, either. Besides, real or not, it's helping her cope with losing her only brother. What's the harm in it?" Crystal thought of a hundred different retorts of exactly what kind of harm there was, but she bit her tongue and kept them to herself. As she helped pour water into the glasses, she mumbled, "Just keep an eye on her, please." "Of course!" He puffed his chest and flared his wings just slightly. "That's what care companions are for, after all, eh?" "Mm." She levitated the tray of glasses while he grabbed an already prepared vegetable platter and they returned to the living room. "Here we are! Refreshments for everypony." Bonnie had returned to a normal seat, leaving the coffee table available for the trays. Once Crystal and Weather sat back down, Toffee cleared his throat. "A-As I was saying," he said in a soft voice, his gaze lowered to avoid making contact with anypony else's, "things are going well at the bakery... I can't complain." Passionfruit smiled. "That's good. Same with me and my frozen yogurt shop. Oh! I participate in the vouchers, but with or without them, everypony here is welcome to free fro-yo anytime." They continued around the room discussing the state of their lives and requesting any help from the group, such as Passionfruit needing a foalsitter for the weekend and Toffee having a large armoire that needed moving. Crystal, on the other hoof, plotted. Bonnie was too kind and too fragile for Crystal to allow her to be taken advantage of. She would protect all the members of her support group. It was her duty. "I'm... doing better," Golden said with an unfamiliar humility that it stirred Crystal out of her thoughts. "It's not easy to change. I've had to take care of myself as there has been nopony I could trust all my life except for my father. Now I'm suddenly supposed to let you all in?" She frowned, wrapping her forelegs around herself. "I don't know. I feel foolish talking like this. Like an absolute buffoon." Dawn reached over to set a hoof on Golden's shoulder. "It's really brave of you to keep trying, though. Instead of just giving up." Golden snorted and shot her a sour look. "Says the pony who slapped me. You certainly know a lot about bravery." "O-Oh." Dawn's hoof recoiled and she clutched it to her chest, gaze falling. "I'm sorry about that, really. I was just—" "Don't apologize in the least," Crystal interrupted, waving a hoof. "It was the humbling experience I think she needed to take things more seriously." Golden shot her a glare, but said nothing. She just sat there practically bristling while Crystal's mind returned to her plans. Once they were done, she was going straight to the Canterlot University Research Library. She may not know enough about magic to prove Madame Ouija was a scheming fraud, but the countless tomes of research at the library certainly did. Crystal gave a small, quick shake of her head. She wasn't listening to anypony. They could have been expressing a horrible loneliness and she was just sitting there, her mind elsewhere. Her ears, which were normally quite adept at paying attention to conversations without her, were pinned back flat against her mane. "But, it is what it is." Weather gave a weak, halfhearted shrug. "I can't blame the restaurant for being Storm's favorite. Still gotta give it my patronage, you know? Even if it's hard going there without him." "Why don't we all go there for dinner sometime?" Crystal suggested, offering a gentle smile. "No vouchers, on our own bit. Truly give it some support, and a happy memory for you to keep it from being a source of sadness." Weather straightened up, his wings flicking out and back in. "That would be great, if anypony was interested!" "Absolutely," Bonnie said. "I've been there before and it is well worth another visit." This was why she needed to stay focused on the group and not let her mind wander. They could do so much good for one another. They needed each other. It wasn't long before a clock on the wall chimed the hour and the first pony stood up to leave. It was like dominoes: once one fell over, the rest came tumbling down. "I should get back to my foals," Passionfruit said, followed soon after by Dawn excusing herself. Toffee wasn't long behind, and when Verdant stood up to leave, Crystal practically jumped to her hooves. "I'll walk you home, Verd." Crystal smiled, looking around the room. "I'll see you all next week. Let's have dinner with Weather then instead of meeting at a home?" When general agreement seemed had, Crystal turned to follow alongside Verdant out the door. "I have a quick question for you, if that's all right." Verdant bobbed his head. He hardly said much these days. His eyes always seemed tired, but his lips still lifted into a kind smile. He never complained at the get-togethers, however, only waving off questions of concern with the same explanation of having trouble sleeping without his wife. "Do you think it would be all right if I gave you a letter to send to Painted?" The name perked his ears upright and his hooves stopping in their place. "Of course," he quickly said. "Why wouldn't it be?" Crystal nibbled on her lower lip. "I'm not sure. I suppose a part of me is worried how she'll react if she knows I know where she is. She did deliberately not tell me, after all." Verdant chuckled and reached over to tousle her mane before resuming his light trot. "I think she'd be grateful to feel less alone." His voice grew softer, almost hesitant as he added, "She could likely use the company, even if it's at a long distance." Crystal shifted from one hoof to the other. "What should I tell her, then? 'Hi, I know you're off at war, even though you tried to keep that a secret, but I miss you and wanted to talk to you.' I'm not sure how well that would go over, and with the war the way it is, I don't want to add to her stress…" "How about this," Verdant said, perking up with a smile. "I'll let her know in my next letter that you want to talk to her, and when I get a reply, I'll pass her response on to you." Crystal nodded. "That works for me! Thank you, Verd." She stopped and, when he did the same, she leaned in to hug his neck. "I have some business to take care of. You take care of yourself, though, all right?" He gave a light chuckle and leaned his head down to nuzzle his cheek to the top of her head. "Yeah, I'll do that. You, too. See you later." She watched him for a moment as he walked away, concern bubbling up, but she pushed the feeling down. He would be okay. She would just check in on him later. Nodding in agreement with herself, she turned to head toward Canterlot University. Information. She needed information, and lots of it. The more informed she was, the better-equipped she would be. And if the library at Canterlot University couldn't help her, then surely Princess Luna could point her in the right direction. The School for Gifted Unicorns, perhaps? Of course, she also needed to finish her chapter. Mares Monthly wasn't going to wait for her, after all. But she could spare a few hours for this task, right? A voice cut through the haze of her swirling thoughts. "Where are you going?" Crystal skidded to a halt and jerked her head to the side to see Golden trailing behind. "Huh?" Golden took a step closer, frowning. "I asked where you're going. You're going to go see that Madame Ouija, aren't you?" "I'm not, but what if I were?" Crystal turned all the way around to face her. "Would you have a problem with it?" "Maybe." Golden's gaze darted away, a strange look of concern crossing her pursed lips. "I know that's why you went to help Weather in the kitchen. So you could ask him about her, obviously. It wasn't subtle whatsoever. But if she is what Bonnie thinks she is, then she seems like the kind of unicorn you don't want to cross." Crystal blinked a few times before her wariness faded away into a smile. "Oh, Golden! Are you worried for my safety?" "Don't say it like that!" Golden snapped, glaring. "Of course I am! I need you. The group needs you. Let this fraud take Bonnie's bits. It makes her happy, so why does it matter to you?" Crystal felt her smile widen despite her efforts to keep it under control. "That was perhaps the greatest combination of both the nicest and most narrow-minded words I've heard from you yet." She stepped forward and put a hoof on Golden's shoulder. "Of course it matters to me. If a stallion were trying to get close to you to simply capitalize on your fame, I would send Weather and Bastion over to show him the door. "I want everypony to be truly happy, especially the members of this group. We are going through enough as it is. We don't need fame-hungry stallions or bit-craving charlatans saying what we want to hear. What if Bonnie spends all of her savings on this Madame Ouija, only to discover it was all a scam? Can you imagine how devastated she would be?" Golden stared down at the cobblestone beneath their hooves with a deep frown. "Can you imagine how happy she would be if she never found out? Honestly, just because you want 'true happiness' doesn't mean that's what's best for everypony else." "I'm sorry, but I disagree." Crystal slowly pulled her hoof back. "Something like this will fall apart eventually, and I'd rather it fall apart now when we can catch her to help her back on her hooves. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be." She turned and walked away, the tension in her shoulders relaxing when she didn't hear Golden following her.