• Published 23rd Feb 2016
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Crystal's Hopes - Crystal Wishes



Crystal Wishes finally found her happily ever after, but she never thought about what came next. The life of a military wife is not as easy as she hoped it would be.

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A World for the Changing

"Okay, settle down, everypony!" Crystal clapped her hooves, her gaze wandering the group of family and friends crowded around the living area. It was a tight fit, especially with the projector taking up space in the middle of the room. "If you all have your popcorn ready, then we'll begin your special, exclusive prerelease showing of The Desert Rose."

Sunbeam squealed and clapped her hooves. "I can't believe my little filly from another missy has a film! Her very own film!"

"Maybe if she's lucky," Velvet said, pausing to toss a piece of popcorn in her mouth, "they'll turn it into a Bridleway play and she'll move to Applewood with all the other celebrities."

Jet Set cleared his throat. "Now, now, a film is a very nice accomplishment. Let's not set her sights too high with all this Bridleway talk."

"Could everypony please be quiet?" Upper Crust lightly fanned herself. "It is dreadfully warm in here with so many ponies so close together and I would like to see my darling's film before I die from heat exhaustion."

Crystal tried to contain her snort. Heat exhaustion? After spending months in a desert, she wasn't sure even the hottest day of summer in Canterlot could compare. She shook her head, laughing under her breath, and worked her magic to dim the lights and turn the projector on. "Okay, okay. It's starting."

While everypony was focused on the white sheet hung on the wall that served as a makeshift screen, Crystal looked around the room. It felt like it had been forever since she had seen them; in reality, it had only been just a little over four months. Majesty's team had turned the film around at an incredible speed, and though there was still more work to do, he had sent her home with a reel to share. Now, she was going to enjoy the fruits of her labor with so many ponies near and dear to her heart.

Sitting at the front of the room were the members of her family, both of blood and of love. Upper Crust and Jet Set sat with Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge, with Wallflower in the very center. Winterspear and Iridescence served as watchful guardians to Red and Claire playing on a blanket with Dot who—despite being a fair bit older than them—humored her 'cousins' by pushing a ball back and forth.

Then there were the occupants of the couches and pillows in the back: her dearest friends. Velvet and Horsey sat to her left and right, with Golden and Savoir at their sides, respectively. Runic and Miley cuddled in the space between the couch and the coffee table, where a few rocks were set out as if to watch along with them. Verdant shared the loveseat with Sunset Coffee and, despite having never officially met prior, both had in common the same look of excitement as the opening credits panned across a great expanse of desert.

None of them knew it yet, but as soon as the showing was over, she was going to make an announcement. She would be revealing the plan she had been carefully working on, waiting for this moment to arrive so she could reveal it to the most important ponies in her life all at once. The details had been written down, revised, and re-revised more times than she could count. She was so wrapped up in her head about it that she could hardly focus on the film.

"Are you quite all right?"

A few catcalls rose from the group as the camera showed the look of attraction on Ghareeb's face—unsurprisingly, most of them came from Velvet.

"Oh!" Crystal whispered, batting at Velvet's hoof. "By the way, you were right!"

"About what?" Velvet whispered back.

"About stallions. Stallions together are hot." She giggled. "The horses that played Ghareeb and Khalil fell in love on the set! Can you believe it?"

Velvet looked at her with wide eyes. "I am so jealous of you right now."

Golden leaned her head toward them, grinning. "It was very hot. They were flirting with each other nonstop the whole time. And kissing. And—" Her eyes narrowed with a sultry, devious look. "—more than kissing, once, when they thought nopony was awake."

"Oh my gosh." Velvet clasped her hooves over her ears and looked back at the screen. "I don't want to speak to either of you ever again until I forget how jealous I am."

Crystal couldn't help laughing, and it certainly didn't help any when she was shushed. It was hard to not laugh when her spirits were so high. She felt refreshed. She felt ready to do anything. She couldn't wait to tell Silent Knight what she had been doing and what she was going to be up to.

A sudden emptiness overtook the mirth that had filled her chest. What would he think if she sent such a letter? That while he was fighting hard, she was playing around? Not taking things seriously? Would he resent her for bragging about how wonderfully things were going for her?

She swallowed around the lump that formed in her throat and tried to calm her racing heart. No, no, no! She couldn't tell him. Her letters had to support him, to help him stay strong. She would just avoid the topic until he was home, when they could rejoice together in a time of peace.

It would be fine. He would understand.

Applause interrupted her thoughts and she blinked when she saw the final scene of Fatinah with the united Ghareeb and Khalil, galloping into the desert to enjoy their freedom. It was already finished? How long had she been in her head, circling around the same worries over and over?

With a quick shake of her head, Crystal focused on the moment at hoof, flicked the projector off, and turned the lights back up. "Thank you, everypony! I hope you all enjoyed it half as much as I do!"

Upper Crust turned to look up at her with a smile. "Darling, it was phenomenal."

"Almost hard to believe," Wallflower said, her gaze fixed on the blank sheet. "I've seen a few films before, but to see one that was written by a pony I know… By my daughter-in-law… I must imagine it's even more surreal for you."

"It's been like a dream ever since I got the letter saying Prince Majesty wanted to do this," Crystal said, carefully navigating the crowd of ponies to take up position in front of them all. "But I have my sights on something new now. The time for daydreaming is over. I've had my vacation. It's time to get to work."

A confused quiet filled the air, kept from being total silence by the giggles and squeals of Red and Claire. Glances were exchanged and brows were furrowed.

Finally, Sunbeam spoke up. "What are you talking about, sweetcake?"

Crystal focused her gaze on Wallflower. "I would like to propose a partnership with my mother-in-law, Wallflower."

"Me?" Wallflower's ears perked up and she put a hoof to her chest.

"Yes, you. I think you are the perfect pony for what I have in mind." Crystal took in a deep, measured breath. She'd gone over the details countless times on paper. Now she just had to put them into words.

Carefully, Crystal began to explain, "I would like to start a charity foundation. It will bring volunteers together to help ponies cope with the war—ponies such as wounded veterans and grieving loved ones. This will be an Equestria-wide operation that will do more good than any of the small charity groups that were cobbled together at the start of this war combined."

Upper Crust continued to gently fan herself. "Darling, that is quite a lofty goal. Perhaps you should set your sights a little lower to start?"

Crystal shook her head. "No, I won't. I don't need to start small, Mother. I have everything I need: I will ask Grandfather for the money and Princess Luna for the connections." She smiled, looking at Wallflower again. "And, if Wallflower is willing to work with me, I will have somepony with the wisdom and experience to help me with what I hope to call the Flower Foundation."

Wallflower's hoof flew to her mouth and tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. Her gaze darted to Upper Crust, almost guiltily. "Oh, Crystal, but—"

Upper Crust waved a hoof. "You would be far more qualified than me to partner with her. You actually have military experience, after all. I'm not offended."

After a moment of hesitation, Wallflower smiled. The hoof raised to wipe the tears away and she nodded, looking back up at Crystal. "Of course. I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do more."

Jet Set clapped a hoof against his hindleg. "If your mother and I can help in any way, just let us know, dear."

Crystal smiled. "Actually, that's why I'm bringing this up here and now. You are all the ponies I trust most in this world. I want to establish three branches of the foundation, each focusing on a specific role. If I can get at least one pony in this room involved in heading a branch, then I would feel that much more confident in this endeavor."

"What are the branches?" Verdant asked, his ears tilted toward her to give her all of his attention.

"Oh!" Crystal laughed, cupping her cheek in one hoof. "Right! I suppose that would be good information to share, wouldn't it?"

After a chorus of chuckles, she cleared her throat and began, "The first one would be the Red Poppies. They would have the very important task of easing the burden of loss. Soldiers who come home should be able to connect with the families of their fallen comrades, to connect ponies who understand the pain the most, to keep these lost loved ones alive in their hearts.

"The second is much simpler, but would take a great deal of manual labor and coordination: the Forget-Me-Nots. If somepony loses a loved one, I want them to be able to have some mark left in Equestria to keep their memory alive. At no cost to them, trees and flowers will be planted with a plaque dedicated to their soldier. Procuring the plants may prove difficult, but I hope not impossible.

"And, lastly, the third branch: the Carnations. Wounded soldiers are in Equestria as we speak. They're given the best psychological care and physical therapy anypony could ask for, but some have lost limbs. Some have disabilities and lingering problems we still don't fully understand. I want them to have access to help whenever they need it—whether that help be delivering meals, doing chores, or simply somepony to talk to."

Crystal wasn't sure when, but at some point during her speech, she had started crying. It was a soft, silent cry; the tears merely fell down her cheeks on their own as if they had been doing so forever and needed no sobbing guidance.

Verdant straightened up and looked at her with a serious expression. "I survived a Maelstrom. If I can be of help to other ponies coming home from war, I'll absolutely volunteer. You just point me in a direction. If you're all right with me in the Carnations, that is."

"Of course." Crystal quickly nodded, wiping her cheeks. "Of course I'd be all right with it."

"I've been thinking of changing careers, anyway," Winterspear piped up, a sheepish grin on her face. "I might want to be a physical therapy trainer. Helping out with the Carnations might be a good first step to testing the waters."

"And you know Bouqy would be all over the Forget-Me-Nots, at least in Manehattan," Sunset said, his own grin big and unabashed. "Heck, she might even travel just for the fun of gardening with a purpose."

There was a pause. Crystal did her best not to look around the room. She didn't want to seem desperate enough that it forced one of them to speak up, but—

"Oh, darling, don't look so nervous." Upper Crust pawed at the air with one hoof. "You're the one who said 'at least one pony'. You have three. Is that not more than enough?"

"What?" Crystal tried not to frown. "Of course it is, I just—"

Upper Crust raised her hoof to interrupt her. "I'm teasing, darling, I'm teasing." She smiled. "I will volunteer for the Red Poppies. I may not have a princess in my pocket, but I have my own connections. I know a thing or two about finding the right pony. Finding families of ponies should be easier than finding a last-minute host to run a charity banquet that the elites of Canterlot would turn their bit purses inside out for."

Gratitude bloomed, only to wilt under the pressure of uncertainty. Was she going to regret involving her mother? No, Upper Crust was one of the best at this sort of thing. She had organized banquets, galas, and all sorts of events. She knew everypony there was to know and knew how to always stay in their good graces.

As much as Crystal was loath to admit it, her mother was an invaluable asset.

"Do you want me to talk to my father for you?" Jet Set offered, his ears flicking back. "It'll take a considerable amount of money, you know. It might take some negotiating."

Crystal nibbled on her lower lip, then shook her head. "No, I think this is something I need to do myself. I have a feeling it won't be the first time I have to negotiate with somepony if I want to start a foundation like this. I can't rely on all of you to do everything." She breathed deep and smiled. "Thank you, everypony. I'll be in touch as soon as I get things started. I don't want to take up any more of your time, but... truly. Thank you all."

Everypony stood and crowded around to give their congratulations, goodbyes, and well-wishes. It felt like the receiving line on her wedding day but instead of gifts and bits, it was just a shower of love and affection.

"You have our support," Jet Set said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "I always knew you'd make us proud."

Upper Crust waved a hoof to urge Crystal closer and embraced her with one foreleg when she did. "Good luck, darling. Let me know when you need me."

Crystal smiled. "Thanks, Mom, Dad."

They stepped to the side to let Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge have their turn. Red was perched on Pepper's back and looking around with big, eager purple eyes.

"The film was fantastic, sugarpop!" Sunbeam kissed both of Crystal's cheeks and squeezed her tight. "You're fantastic for wanting to do this charity work. If you need any cakes, you just ask, all right? Pepper will make whatever you need, whenever."

Pepper nodded. "It's not much, but it's what we can offer. And our hooves, of course. I'm stronger than I look, you know!" He chuckled and winked. "It isn't easy lugging around sacks of flour around the kitchen."

"Let's not forget Red," Crystal teased, leaning to look at the foal. "If we have any dinner galas, we already have our star server!"

Red giggled and wiggled his ears at her. She tousled his mane before stepping back to let the three leave. Horsey and Savoir were next, a sleeping Claire cradled in Savoir's embrace.

"Horsey!" Crystal could hardly control herself; she wanted to hug Horsey and squeeze her tight. "I just have to say it again and again. I'm so happy for you two!"

Horsey flushed lightly, a hoof raising to touch her stomach. "Thank you! We're happy, too. We can't wait to meet this little one." She shook her head. "But you! I don't know what we can do to help, but if there is, we're here. Sav has a lot of friends in the culinary world that he can ask to cook for any events you need food for."

"Bien sûr," Savoir agreed, nodding. "I think it is obvious now. You have a herd of support."

Crystal suppressed a giggle and just hugged him. "I know. Thank you."

"My turn!" Runic exclaimed, wriggling himself between Savoir and Crystal. "It's my turn!"

"Runic," Miley muttered under her breath and flashed an apologetic smile at Savoir. "I'm sorry. He's just really excited."

Savoir returned the smile. "Pas de problème, Mademoiselle." He gave Crystal one more encouraging look before walking toward the door with Horsey at his side.

Runic remained nestled up against Crystal even without Savoir there. "You went to Saddle Arabia! You were in a desert! Do you know what's in deserts?"

Crystal blinked a few times. "Sand?"

"Yes!" Runic hopped back. "Sand! Do you know what sand is?"

Smothering her first response, Crystal tried to keep from frowning. "I'm guessing something great?"

"Yes again! Sand is rocks. Tiny, tiny rocks! And not just tiny, tiny rocks, but tiny, tiny rocks that have travelled hundreds of kilometers! Can you imagine the story every grain of sand has to tell? Each little tiny, tiny rock has gone all over the desert and back! It's astounding!"

Miley reached out to put a hoof on Runic's shoulder and sighed. "At least you can take comfort in that things haven't really changed with Runic while you were gone."

Crystal laughed softly behind a hoof. It was nice to see Runic so happy. He fluctuated between moods, sometimes despairing over Silent and the war, other times enthusiastic about some discovery he'd made that would help the soldiers. Quirky as he may be, he had a good heart.

"Well," Crystal said, smiling, "I'm sure I still have sand in some of my things. If I find any, I'll bring them to you."

Runic gasped, his eyes going wide. "See what I mean? Those tiny, tiny rocks have gone from Saddle Arabia to Equestria! Effortlessly! The things that sand has seen!"

Memories flashed through Crystal's mind of all the places that sand had gotten: in her mouth, eyes, nose, ears—and a less mentionable place, as well. The sand had likely seen too much. Perhaps she would just pretend she didn't find any in case Runic discovered a way to communicate with it.

"Okay, Runic," Miley chided, "let's get out of the way so other ponies can talk to Crystal." She smiled up at her. "The film was really good, by the way!"

"Thank you." Crystal waved them off and looked at the beaming Sunset, who lightly punched her shoulder.

"You really did it." Sunset chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "This is amazing. I wish I had been able to get time off work to go with you! But... I'm proud of you. I know I got overexcited when we started this, but I'm glad it worked out. This is going to be great for your career, you know."

Crystal giggled. "I don't know about that. It's such a small film. No, I did this for me, not for my career." She straightened up to her full height. "And I don't regret a moment of it."

Sunset gazed at her with a proud smile before he pulled her into a quick hug. "Oh, look at you! All grown up from that filly who came to my office years ago." He chuckled and patted her shoulder. "So, what are you going to do about Mares Monthly? Are you going to resume the serial? Will you even have time for that with the Flower Foundation business?"

There was a pause as Crystal tried to work through a response, then sighed and shook her head slowly, regretfully. "I don't know yet, honestly. I don't know if I'll have time. I do have a good savings built up from what Majesty paid for the rights, and spending the last few months on his bit. I can probably focus on the Flower Foundation without needing the serial work, but..."

"But you don't want to disappoint your fans, right?" Sunset gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Don't worry. We have authors disappear all the time and jump back in later with a new story. It won't be the first time, and it won't be the last."

"Yeah," Crystal replied simply, but she didn't feel any better about it. She was abandoning her readers. How could she feel all right with that?

Her readers weren't suffering, though. She could do so much good with the Flower Foundation that her writing could never achieve. And, of course, she could still write for her own enjoyment; nothing stopped that from happening.

Sunset departed, and moving to take his place was Winterspear, who approached with Iridescence, Wallflower, and Dot. Their eyes met and in a brief moment, she felt an entire conversation was held in their gazes. I missed you, I'm glad you're home, are you going to tell Silent about all this?

Winterspear knew. There was no way she didn't. She also knew the answer even before Crystal gave the slightest shake of her head.

"A letter arrived for you," Winterspear said, glossing over their unspoken words and instead retrieving an envelope from where it was tucked under her wing. "It wasn't too long ago, so he shouldn't be worried about you not responding. If you were going to be any later, I was going to write him to tell him not to worry."

Crystal's heart fluttered as she took the envelope and levitated it off to the side so she could hug Winterspear and Iridescence. "Thank you. I'll reply to him as soon as everypony's gone."

"As I'm sure you've already heard a ton, if you need anything, just ask," Iridescence said with a smile. She nudged Dot and glanced down at the lanky filly. "Dot, didn't you have something you wanted to say?"

Dot nodded, her tail swishing slightly with excitement. "I want to help with the foundation, Aunt Crystal. The part about planting trees and flowers. I can help with that."

Crystal giggled. "I would love to have you on the team. Thank you, sweetie."

"Yay! Thank you!" Dot bounded forward to hug her, then started trotting for the door. "I'll start practicing my gardening skills right away!"

Winterspear laughed softly and gave a small shake of her head. "We better hurry after her before she starts planting things in random ponies' yards... again." She nuzzled her cheek to Crystal's. "Good luck. I know you'll be fine without it, but good luck anyway."

After Iridescence hugged Crystal and walked away with Winterspear, Wallflower lingered behind, just staring at Crystal for a moment. Tears were still in the older mare's eyes, but her expression was one of firm resolve. "What do you need me to do?"

"What do I need?" Crystal repeated in a soft voice. "That's a good question. I need to secure the money first. Without that, it's just a silly daydream." She kissed Wallflower's cheek. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

"All right." Wallflower hugged her tight, whispering, "I'm so grateful my son married you. He'll be so proud when he hears about this. I know I am. You're a good mare."

A knot formed in Crystal's stomach, but all she could do was return the hug and smile. They remained that way for a while before Wallflower stepped away to head for the door.

Crystal watched her leave, then turned her gaze to the remaining ponies: Velvet, Golden, and Verdant. With just the three of them left, Crystal finally approached Verdant, and she could see in his expression that he had been waiting for this moment.

"Verd," she started, her voice weaker than she had hoped for, "how are they?"

"They're fine." Verdant nosed her forehead. "It hasn't been easy, but don't worry. Why don't you come to the next meeting? I'm sure all of them would like to get involved in the foundation."

Crystal's ears folded back. "Are you sure that's a good idea? I disappeared for months then come back with an outlandish idea?" She hurriedly shook her head. "No. No, I'd like to have something more concrete before I approach them, especially with the way things ended. Just—Just, please, keep watching over them. I'm not ready yet."

Verdant stared at her. His gaze bored into her, trying to reach the part of her that hesitated, but to no avail. She just wasn't ready. Finally, he smiled and rolled his shoulders in a light shrug. "All right, if that's what you want. I think you should at least take time to see some of them. Bastion in particular. He's not as coarse as he was, but—well, I don't know what happened between you two, but I think you have more of a hold on him than you realize."

"I—" Crystal sighed. "I will. I promise. Again, thank you."

"Anytime." He nosed her again before heading for the door, leaving her alone with Golden and Velvet.

There was a long pause that, finally, Velvet broke with a snort. "So, that's the story you wanted to tell to encourage me?"

Crystal walked over to where the two sat on the couch and sat between them. "Yes. It is."

"So you want me to start a harem and run off into the desert."

"No!" Crystal swatted at her, giggling. "That's not the message at all. The message is to not try to force yourself to be somepony else. To know who you are and be true to that. That not everypony fits into the same mold!"

"Ooh, really?" Velvet shot her a sidelong glance, a grin on her lips. "I like my interpretation better."

Golden cleared her throat. "Velvet, be serious. Tell her what you told me."

"Ugh, fine." With an exaggerated groan, Velvet leaned in and wrapped her forelegs around Crystal's neck. Her voice grew soft as she said, "Thank you for caring that much. Golden told me how they wanted to change the ending, that it made you so upset, that you fought for it. For me."

Crystal felt tears patter against her coat and she shifted to return the embrace. "Velvet..."

"Maybe I'm not capable of the kind of love you write about, but more than anypony else, I love you." She inclined her head to smile up at her. "Thank you."

Crystal nuzzled their noses together. "Of course. I love you, too. You're my sister-soulmate." She pulled away, her ears folding back. "Are you okay, by the way?"

Velvet wiped her eyes, then arched her brow. "What? Just because I cried a little? Jeeze, sorry for being touched."

"No, not that. I mean—" Crystal winced. "Horsey's pregnant with her second foal, and you still don't even have one. Are you okay?"

"Oh, that? Yeah, of course!" Velvet waved a dismissive hoof. "Horsey's getting her foals the easy and fun way. Adoption is harder than getting knocked up, so of course it's going to take a while." She pursed her lips before shrugging and sliding off the couch. "Anyway, you must be exhausted. I'm gonna walk Golden home. Dusty hates it when I do that." Her classic, devious grin spread across her muzzle. "Which means I totally have to do it more."

Golden groaned loudly as she followed suit. "Oh, please don't mention him unnecessarily. He has been nagging me nonstop about all the meetings and shows I missed while overseas. He's trying to book three times as many as normal as punishment. Honestly, I don't know why I pay him to make me miserable."

Crystal giggled as she waggled both hooves to shoo them. "Don't make him angrier than necessary. He suffered a lot in Saddle Arabia. Be nice to him!"

Golden responded with another loud groan while Velvet grabbed her by the hoof and dragged her out the door. It shut behind them with a loud, resounding thud.

And with that, she was alone. She looked around to see the empty room. It had been too small before, but now it felt too big. The place had never felt so empty before. All of those ponies, all of her friends—all gone. Gone to resume their lives while Crystal suddenly felt like hers was standing still. The envelope bobbed in her magic, waiting patiently. Impatiently. Both at the same time.

Taking a deep breath, she opened it and pulled the letter out to read its contents.

My Beloved Crystal

I realize this letter has been delayed in reaching you but I can now say that I am safe and alive. The mission I was sent to complete is behind me and I have returned to the front in Nordanver. That may bring you some relief but what follows will likely not.

It was my hope to return to join Brigadier Hammer's headquarters unit but it seems that is not to be my fate. I've been given command of an elite winged infantry company. On the positive side, I will be surrounded by some of Nordanver and Equestria's best. That will reduce the risk significantly but, as always, I cannot promise complete safety. This was never what I wanted, Crystal. It was not what I volunteered for. I am so sorry. Please forgive me.

That doesn't change what must be done, however. I will not wallow in my misgivings and I beg you not to fear for me. Be strong my love. I will come home to you. I will do whatever is necessary to reach you. I promise that. I will come home.

All of my love

Silent

Crystal wiped the tears that had started to fall down her trembling cheeks. Infantry? So he was going to fight more. No more safety at the headquarters for him. He was on the front line. She sucked in a ragged breath and forced a smile onto her lips as her magic retrieved a fresh piece of paper and a quill.

She would be his strength. It was the least she could do.

My Dearest Silent,

I'm so relieved to hear that you are, at present, safe and sound...

Author's Note:

There's a world for the changing
And you've just begun
Don't let them tell you it's simply not done
When you follow your heart
You'll shine bright as the sun

If you have enjoyed this story so far, please consider taking a look at Anzel and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, an Ask Us form to submit questions, responses to said questions, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon.

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