Crystal's Hopes

by Crystal Wishes

Through Despair and Hope

"Excuse me, but who has the invitation envelopes?" Upper Crust called over the chatter that filled the air. "I can't find them."

The normally empty living space above Sunridge Sweets was bustling with activity. Everypony involved in the Flower Foundation was there to help with the upcoming event, with the branch leads in charge of the various operations set up at their own tables. Orchid Bouquet was planning out the flower beds, Verdant Wellspring had blueprints spread out on a table for the memorial, and Upper Crust was—or had been—working on the invitations.

"They're over there, Mother," Crystal said, pointing one hoof toward the stack half-obscured by a pitcher of lemonade.

Upper Crust gave an indignant huff as her magic gathered up the envelopes. "What a dreadful place to put them. The condensation from the pitcher could have ruined the entire day."

Crystal just tried to smile. Her gaze darted over to Wallflower, who was shrinking under the weight of Jet Ship's gaze and questions.

"—as per the mayor's restrictions?" Crystal overhead Jet Ship say as she approached to relieve Wallflower of the interrogation.

"Yes, sir," Wallflower said in a cold, distant voice. It was the voice she used to have—before Stratus had passed. "We will have everything ready before the deadline. There is no risk of losing the land to another party."

Jet Ship's rigid expression softened when he noticed Crystal coming up beside him. "Ah, hello, dear. Your partner and I were just discussing the likelihood of success for your venture."

Crystal smiled up at him. "I can answer those concerns. Wallflower—" She turned her head to look at the mare. "—could you please help my mother with the invitations?"

Wallflower nodded and trotted to the other side of the room, her gait brisk to get her away from Jet Ship as quickly as possible. It was hard to blame her; when the mayor had delivered the news, everypony on the team had gone into a nervous frenzy. He had given them the opportunity to utilize a perfect spot in northern Canterlot that was currently occupied by an older building. The catch was that they only had a week before he would put it up for auction.

"You're still in the planning phase," Jet Ship said, his tone returning to that of a businesspony rather than her grandfather, "and yet you have ponies working on invitations. I think it would be better to wait until you've begun to execute your project first. The old building is still there, after all. Taking it down will require a whole day, much less everything else involved in turning it into a memorial park."

Crystal nodded. "I don't disagree, Grandfather, but I trust Mother on this. She knows how to build momentum for an event, and she says now is the time to begin inviting ponies."

Jet Ship's lips curled to flash a sneer before he smothered the expression. "Your faith in your mother is admirable. I suppose it is to her credit that she's gotten to where she is despite her upbringing." He waved a hoof, dismissing the topic before Crystal could respond. "So, then, regarding your partner. I'm concerned by your choice. She doesn't seem like the kind of pony you want at your side for press conferences."

Anger flared in her chest and she snorted lightly to try to relieve some of the pressure building inside her. "Why do you say that?"

"This is a charity, dear." Jet Ship sighed. "A charity has to be approachable and likable if you want ponies to give up their bits. She's far too distant and cold."

Crystal gave a quick shake of her head. "You're mistaken, Grandfather. I know Wallflower. She is the perfect pony to be my partner, I'm certain of it. I think she's just nervous with all the sudden pressure."

Jet Ship's shoulders cracked as he rolled them back, straightening up his posture so he could look out across the crowd of ponies at Wallflower. "And why is it that you believe she is so perfect for this?"

"How could she not be?" Crystal's anger dissipated as she smiled fondly. "She has intimate and personal experience with all aspects of this life. She has stayed home while her husband went to war. She saw what it did to him when he came home. She endured what those changes meant for her and her foals. And now, she has to watch her son go through the same horror."

With a small shake of her head, Crystal put a hoof on Jet Ship's shoulder. "I don't expect you to understand, but I hope you'll trust me. Wallflower has the deepest capability for empathy with the ponies that we will be helping. She is perfect."

Jet Ship stared down at her, orange eyes brighter than the polished buttons of his tuxedo. They searched hers, thoroughly examining for something only he could see, until he closed them and nodded. "And to think, you used to be a little filly I could convince of anything for a butterscotch." He chuckled. "You've grown up."

Crystal laughed softly. "I grew up a while ago, Grandfather."

"Yes, I suppose that's true." He opened his eyes again to look out into the room. "You seem to have everything in hoof here. I will head back to Jet Ventures and see how the new ship designs are coming along."

The hairs on the back of Crystal's neck stood on end and she tried to keep her tone even. "When will they be ready to go to Nordanver?"

Jet Ship shook his head. "Not until we've thoroughly tested them." His expression grew momentarily tired. "Your father won't be happy about this, you know, dear. I haven't told him what you're planning to do."

"That's why I want you to make sure he comes." Crystal held her head high and smiled despite the unsettled nerves dancing in her stomach. "I want him to hear what I'll have to say."

"Of course, dear." He leaned down to kiss her forehead before he turned toward the door. "Good luck with the planning."

Crystal waited until he had left before she whipped around and trotted across the room. "Wallflower?" she called. "Wallflower, could I speak to you a moment?"

Wallflower looked up from where she sat at a table with Upper Crust, an invitation in one hoof and an envelope in the other. "Yes?" Her ears flicked back. "Is everything all right?"

Upper Crust snorted. "She just finished speaking to my father-in-law. It doesn't take much thought to know the answer." She lifted her gaze from the name she was writing in golden ink, her calligraphy impeccable. "What does he want now?"

"No, it's fine." Crystal flashed a cordial smile. "Everything's all right. I just wanted to talk to my business partner about something."

Carefully setting the invitation and envelope down, Wallflower rose to her hooves and simply nodded. She walked beside Crystal over to a relatively empty spot away from the busy tables. "I know what you're going to say."

Crystal gazed at her, lips pursed and brow furrowed. Everything about Wallflower was tense, from the twitch in her muscles to the rigidity in her voice. "And what's that?"

"That I mishandled your grandfather." She didn't meet Crystal's gaze, instead staring just slightly to the side. "That I'm not fit for this."

"Is that how you feel?" Crystal tilted her head to the side to try to make eye contact. "Wallflower—" She reached over and touched the mare's cheek. "Mom. What's really wrong?"

It was as if Crystal had cast a spell and, all of a sudden, Wallflower unraveled. Her wings drooped, her gaze fell, and her voice softened as she said, "That's just it, Crystal. That is what's really wrong. I'm not fit for this at all. I'm a pony who stands behind somepony else, not front and center. Talking with your grandfather—he reminds me of Stratus, and I can't help but wonder: who else will we work with that acts the same way?"

A short, bitter laugh escaped Wallflower as she continued, "It scares me. Thinking of Stratus makes me feel like the mare you first met, back at the hospital. Do you remember? You must have thought me such a cold mare with no heart."

"Perhaps at first, yes," Crystal replied, then shook her head. "Then I got to know you. I know you're not a cold mare. Mom, you understand how the ponies we'll be helping feel better than I do. You're a military wife and mother. But that's not why I asked you to be my partner."

"Then why?" Wallflower lifted her head to look at her, confusion and a hint of desperation in her eyes.

Crystal leaned in to nuzzle their cheeks together. "Because I'm not strong enough on my own. I don't need you to be friendly and kind and know what to say to my grandfather or speak at events. I can do all that! If I can do it as an author, I can do it as a charity founder." She smiled. "I need you to hold my hoof and tell me what I need to do when nopony's around. You're strong when you don't have to pretend, and I'm strong when I do. You're my perfect counterpart."

Wallflower's expression softened with a fond smile and she put her hoof to Crystal's cheek. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for, but I'll accept your reasoning." She gave a soft laugh under her breath. "Just, please, don't put me in front of your grandfather again."

"I promise." Crystal giggled and waggled her hoof. "You go back to helping my mother, and I'll make sure everypony is on track."

"Your mother, I can handle." Wallflower turned away, starting to walk back to the table where the mare in question sat. "She's all thunder and no lightning."

Crystal giggled again and looked around the room. Friends and family worked tirelessly over papers, plans, blueprints, idea boards, but nopony seemed tired. If anything, working together seemed to fill the air with a glowing, harmonious energy.

"Crystal?" Verdant called, raising his head to meet her gaze. "Have a moment?"

"Of course." Crystal walked over to his table, which had all of the blueprints spread out across it. "Oh! Wow, this is really coming along!"

The largest piece of paper featured a diagram that showcased the entire design: the lot would be divided with six flower beds, walking paths to separate their boundaries, and a monument in the very center.

Verdant smiled. "You like it? We're still working out some of the details, but right now, we can't decide what material to use for the monument itself."

Crystal hummed, drawing her hoof gently over the lines. "What are the options?"

"My vote is for white marble," one mare said. Crystal couldn't remember her name off the top of her head; so many ponies had showed up to help with the design of the memorial, all of them with more reason than anypony else to ensure it was nothing less than perfect. "I think white marble symbolizes hope."

A stallion shook his head. "And I think black granite is more appropriate for mourning."

Opinions went around the table like wildfire. Few agreed on a color and material, but there was one her heart felt drawn to. Crystal closed her eyes and tried to block out the noise as she focused, but she felt their gazes on her when they all went quiet, waiting for her decision.

Finally, she breathed out, opened her eyes, and said, "It's my opinion that white marble does symbolize hope, and that's what we are trying to give ponies. Hope that the sacrifices will not be in vain. Hope that our loved ones will come home. Hope that Equestria will endure."

Heads bobbed and the ponies murmured among themselves while Verdant lifted his pencil. "White marble it is," he said while making a note of it.

"Crystal!" Orchid Bouquet's voice called from behind her. "Crystal, we have a problem!"

Crystal's ears jolted upright and she whipped around, hurrying over. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Orchid gestured at the notes on her table. "This time of year, we just can't get any of the flowers you need for this. They won't take root and survive. It's far, far too cold."

"Oh, no!" Crystal paused her bite her lower lip. "But without the flowers, it—"

"But I had an idea!" Sunset beamed from where he stood at Orchid's side. "Isn't that right, Bouqy? Not all is lost!"

Orchid sighed. On top of her head sat Petal, who was nestled into her mane and observed all with multi-faceted eyes. "Yes, yes. Sunset's solution is that we plant the seeds, rather than the flowers. The symbolism is nice, but therein lies the problem. Planting them before or after would greet guests with barren flower beds, and planting them during will offend the sensibilities of the Canterlot elite that will most certainly be in attendance."

Sunset waved a hoof. "Oh, forget the elite! This isn't for them. This is for ponies like Crystal!" He beamed at her. "Isn't that right? You don't mind a little dirt on your hooves, do you?"

"Not for a good cause," Crystal murmured, her mind whirling through the options. "The symbolism is nice, indeed. I love the metaphor of planting seeds for future blooms. I could absolutely use that in my speech. It would be wonderful if we could involve everypony in the planting, but—" She shook her head. "Seeds are fine. We'll plant them as part of the ceremony."

Orchid gave a light shrug and looked at her fellow gardening fanatics that she had brought—literally—to the table. "All right, then, we just need to go over the flowers you want. If my notes are correct, we require blue, orange, white, purple, pink, and yellow flowers. I presume you'll want them to have appropriate meaning?"

Crystal nodded. "That would absolutely be ideal."

One of the gardening experts clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "And what meanings should they have?"

"Oh, yes." Crystal closed her eyes, envisioning the stained-glass windows in the Alcove of Harmony. "Blue should represent loyalty."

"Bellis perennis," one gardener said. "We can get them in a beautiful, vibrant blue color."

Crystal furrowed her brow in confusion, then shrugged and continued, "Orange is honesty."

Orchid smiled. "Narcissus has some orange garden variety."

"White is gener—"

The door opened rather suddenly and Golden strode inside, her oversized sunglasses taking up most of her face. "We are here," she proclaimed as her magic lifted her sunglasses up to rest on her horn, "and we have wonderful news. The theater was absolutely packed."

Velvet came in behind her, ears folded back. "Yup. Desert Rose is a total success. Congratulations."

Crystal squealed. "Oh my gosh! I almost forgot that was today!" She looked at Orchid and ducked her head. "I'm sorry, I'll get you the rest of the flowers' symbols in a moment." When Orchid dismissed her with a wave of one hoof, she hurried over to Golden and Velvet. "I was wondering where you two were!"

Golden raised one brow. "Today is the opening day of your film in Canterlot theaters. You forgot?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm busy trying to plan an event to please my millionaire grandfather into funding the charity I'm starting from the ground up." Crystal gave a playful roll of her eyes, then giggled. "Honestly, I can't believe I forgot, either."

"Well, Velvet and I didn't forget. We had a wonderful time. I even ate popcorn." Golden huffed. "It'll take me hours of jogging to balance out the butter I just consumed."

Velvet snorted, one ear flicking. "Yeah, well, maybe if you had been more specific, I would have ordered less butter, Your Highness."

"That reminds me." Golden waved a hoof in Velvet's direction. "Please do something about her. I tried cheering her up by having a mare sit in her lap throughout the film, but she still seems to be in a sour mood, so I give up." She inclined her head to look around the room. "And while you do that, I'll see if I can be of any use here."

With that, Golden strode forward, her long, glittering gown billowing behind her. Velvet rolled her eyes as a swish of Golden's tail sent the trailing skirt into her face. "Seriously, who dresses like a diva to go to the theater?"

"When doesn't Golden dress up? I wouldn't be surprised if she wore a ballgown to bed." Crystal shook her head. "All of that aside, what's wrong with you?"

Velvet hummed, lowering her head to hide her face. "Nothing."

"Velvet?" Crystal stepped closer. "Did something happen?"

Velvet heaved a sigh and forced her lips into a smile as she lifted her head back up. "Don't worry about it. We can talk later. You have a lot of stuff going on right now."

Grabbing Velvet's hoof and tugging her along, Crystal led her into the hallway outside. Once the noise became muted when she shut the door behind them, she stopped and turned to face Velvet again. "Talk to me."

For a moment, Velvet was silent. She finally shook her head and leaned against the wall. "I'm just down, okay? It's been nine months since I started looking, and there just aren't enough foals. There are so many other ponies in line ahead of me."

Crystal frowned, then pursed her lips. "Something must have happened for you to be like this, though."

"Like what?" Velvet's ears went flat to the sides as her nostrils flared. "Like running into an old mare who waited thirty years before she gave up? Something like that?"

"Oh, Velvet, I—" Crystal stepped toward her and wrapped her forelegs around Velvet's neck, hugging her tight. "I'm so sorry. I know how much you want this. I know it must be hard, but you shouldn't give up just yet."

Velvet sighed and leaned into the embrace. "I guess. I mean, I'll stay on the lists, but I just don't know if I have any hope left. Not unless something really awful happens in Nordanver, and—"

Crystal stiffened, ice shooting through her veins. "Velvet!"

"—and, I'd never wish for that, jeeze!" Velvet pulled back to glare at her. "Let a mare finish before you get all judgy. I'm lonely, not evil."

"Of course." Crystal let out the sigh she hadn't realized was trapped in her throat. "I'm sorry, I know."

Velvet shrugged Crystal's hooves off and stepped back, shaking her head. "Nah, I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have said it. I'm just feeling like—like a failed soufflé right now, or whatever Mom says. I should probably go before I say some other dumb, insensitive thing."

"Is that a good idea, though? Maybe you should stay. In my experience, being with ponies is usually better than being alone." Crystal nodded her head toward the door. "After all, Golden doesn't seem to be bothered when you become a sour lemon."

"Well, that's 'cause she's used to being a bitter pony herself." Velvet laughed, though it was a dry, almost fragile sound. "It's fine. I'm going to go play with Red, assuming he's not too busy downstairs with the whole 'helping out our parents' thing."

Crystal nodded and raised a hoof. She hovered it into the air just long enough for Velvet's brow to furrow in confusion, then reached out and booped her on the nose. "It'll work out. Worst case, you can just steal a foal. If you get one young enough, they might not even remember their real parents."

Velvet sputtered into a laugh, this one more heartfelt. "Okay, great idea, sure. But when the Guard comes knocking on my door, you have to bail me out of jail, okay?"

"Oh, don't worry." Crystal winked. "I have connections with the Guard. You won't be going anywhere except to the park to have a picnic with your stolen foal."

Grinning, Velvet hugged her tight before turning and trotting away, tail perked with renewed enthusiasm. "Perfect, thanks! I'll be counting on you!"

Crystal smiled long enough to hold out until Velvet disappeared down the stairs. She slumped down to the floor, her ears drooping and her heart heavy.

She could organize ponies for building a memorial. She could comfort strangers in need of a hug. She could write a story that caught the attention of a film producer. She could even get along with her mother when the situation called for it.

And yet, at that moment, she felt powerless. Velvet needed help, and she could do nothing about it. All she had were empty words of encouragement. It wasn't enough, but what else could she do? It wasn't as if she could just write a foal into existence.

Crystal sighed and forced herself to her hooves. She had an event to organize and ponies to manage. For the time being, that was her priority, and she had to keep her focus there in order to make the deadline. She would have to figure out what to do for Velvet later, and hopefully when the time came, she'd have a better answer than 'steal a foal'.

She also hoped Velvet wouldn't take her seriously about that. When she had a free moment, she should probably warn Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge—just in case.

Author's Note:

It's the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope

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.

Comments

[He23t]

Crystal is working overtime, her endurance and focus is quite amazing.

[AK12346]

Every single chapter in this series has a number of words in the thousands that ALWAYS ends on a zero. Every single chapter has an even number for its word count. Either you are a VERY meticulous writer, or this is a coincidence to rival all coincidences.

[Purple Pony]

7781703 Former. She plans it. Anzel doesn't, but he updates every week. Crystal does, but her updates are a bit more random.

[Golden Rule]

I'll stay on the lists, but I just don't know if I have any hope left. Not unless something really awful happens in Nordanver, and—"

Oh crud, is that how she gets her foal? from a joke gone wrong sadly proven true?
Aww Crystal, now you're just pouring on the heartwarming for this story. Good job! it's cold outside...and I mean Arizona cold, which is anything under 50 degrees F

[Olakaan Peliik]

I swear reading these stories is an addiction I can't shake. Good thing I like reading, and it's a healthy habit. Right?

[One Harem Please]

7781703 She's talked about it before. IIRC, she did it by accident at one point, and decided to make it a personal challenge to make each chapter a multiple of 10.

[sorenxoras]

Mmmm, another fantastic chapter~

I'm hoping that Silent knight comes home safe. I'm certain that if the wait was long enough and Silent was comfortable with it, Crystal COULD have a child for Velvet, yes? It seems like the sensible thing to do, aside from the pain of birth that is. Ignoring that though, such an experience would likely bring the three of them even closer!

[RainCrasher]

Damn. I feel for Wallflower.. she reminds me of abit of battered wife syndrome sadly. But.. I have to say they did come up with a wonderful idea for the ceremony for the memorial. This was a nice chapter, and I do hope it works out for velvet (Totally not knowing what actually happens from reading Silent Knights story haha)

[Laveria Dreams]

YES!!! LION KING SONG!!! THAT'S MY MOST FAVORITE MOVIE EVER!!!

*clears throat* Now that I've got that out of the way, I just wanted to say this chapter certainly lives up to the title. You have the hope of the Flower Foundation and the despair of Wallflower, Velvet, and even Crystal herself nicely balanced. I enjoyed it!

Keep up the great work!

[Zilverfoss]

Nice with the Lion King quote there at the end.

Also:

She's all thunder and no lightning

Aww, poor Velvet. I'm really looking forward to the paths of that story.

Steal a foal

[Fistfire]

Great chapter, was well worth the wait

[djthomp]

Man, Jet Ship is fun. I suppose letting one person handle all the concentrated pessimism frees up all the happiness for everyone else.

The door opened rather suddenly and Golden strode inside, her oversized sunglasses taking up most of her face. "We are here," she proclaimed as her magic lifted her sunglasses up to rest on her horn, "and we have wonderful news. The theater was absolutely packed."

Excellent.

Crystal nodded and raised a hoof. She hovered it into the air just long enough for Velvet's brow to furrow in confusion, then reached out and booped her on the nose. "It'll work out. Worst case, you can just steal a foal. If you get one young enough, they might not even remember their real parents."

This feels like a bad idea, but I don't know enough about kidnapping to know for certain.

[Lord Legion]

I can understand how Crystal feels there. When you can't cheer up a friend who is down in the dumps makes you feel frustrated for being so helpless.

[Wing]

I'm always amazed at how I read 4000 of your words and feel like I maybe read a few hundred. You have the magic for drawing me in, Crystal. Magic!

[Snowliasion]

And the foundation progresses.

[DragonMaus]

It wasn't as if she could just write a foal into existence.

*cough*

[Moonlightsong]

7783002 Same here. I only thought it was about 2,000 words when I was done but nope!

[Wing]

7784948 That's what Crystal does with her Butter Words.

[Moonlightsong]

7785287 Yep! Amazing writers just suck you in with the story!

[Crystal Wishes]

7781628 She is fueled by passion and love!

7781703 Haha, it is indeed not a coincidence!

Okay, honestly? It started off as a playful thing. My first chapter coincidentally ended up being exactly on a hundred mark, so I tried to see if I could do that for the next one. Then a playful thing became a self-decided challenge. Could I consistently put out chapters that at least were divisible by 50? Yes, I could. But then the 50s annoyed me, so I went back and bumped those chapters up to the nearest hundred. Now, my latest self-challenge is can I keep the overall word count to the nearest thousand?

Then you might wonder how and what the word count challenge implies. If a chapter ends up less than 10 words over a hundred mark, I'll sneak a few words out. Otherwise, I crawl back through the chapter to look for places to add more detail. I've heard some gentle complaints that I'm not descriptive enough, so I use this challenge as a way to be more aware of where I'm lacking detail in a scene.

Some people think it's because of OCD. Some people think it's strange and are turned off by it. Well, all I can say is that those who have been following my stories hound me about it. When I released a chapter that didn't have an even word count, 1/3 of the comments were about that. I think it's my readers at this point that expect the even word count now.

7781801 I try to update 1-2 times a week, though the end of the year is inconsistent because of Anzel's birthday, Thanksgiving, my birthday, and Christmas are all within the last two months of the year! >3<

7781813 Heeheehee...

I try my best!

7781833 Totally healthy! I mean, they say reading makes you a better writer, so you're just honing your skills.

7782045 It is definitely a possibility, something that could potentially be discussed... who knows...

7782267 Wallflower definitely isn't free of Stratus's shadow. Things like that take a lot of time to recover from.

7782318 hahahaha. Eventually I'll have a huge plethora of Disney movies in the titles! And thank you, it seemed like a really fitting chapter title given the content.

7782342 Rossby is the one who came up with that. It was super obvious in hindsight, but I asked him to help me with a pegasus version for "all bark and no bite".

7782555 Thank you! >3<

7782690 I really like Jet Ship! He's somewhere between pessimistic and "concerned, cautious businesspony".

Stealing a foal is a great idea! Nothing could possibly go wrong. Velvet stole a hat from a street, so, a foal is the next step up.

7782695 It is the worst when you can't help a friend who's struggling. ;~;

7783002 Ahh thank you ;~; I'm really happy it isn't the opposite, hahah.

7783631 Indeed! :D

7783809 And thus begins the side story... "Velvet and the Magic Quill"

[Dan]

7783631
neueabenteuer.com/wp-content/uploads/51WZMCY75PL.jpg

[Shachza]

Wait a sec... I've read this chapter. Why was it unmarked? Hmmmm... Maybe a late night thing that I forgot I was going to respond to later.

So, yeah. Hectic is as hectic does, or something like that. Crystal's going to sleep for a week when this is all over, isn't she?

Au... That entrance? Hah! The diva thing? I really want to roll my eyes, but... y'know... I'd probably be too busy searching the floor for my lower jaw. (Though, if you can't dress like a diva for a movie premier, then when can you?) Throwing mares at Velvet? Never change.

And speaking of... um, I've got a friend whose lap is totally mare-deficient. What do I need to do to hook a brother up?

I'm lonely, not evil.

That phrase isn't said nearly often enough.

[Dusty Old Qrow]

"Oh, yes." Crystal closed her eyes, envisioning the stained-glass windows in the Alcove of Harmony. "Blue should represent loyalty."

Oh hey, that's interesting. I wonder if that was on pur-

Crystal furrowed her brow in confusion, then shrugged and continued, "Orange is honesty."

Ah, ok.

Man, Crystal has a lot on her plate. She needs a break.

And i can relate to Velvet so hard right now, oh my god