Crystal's Hopes

by Crystal Wishes

These Twists and Turns

A soft melody filled the air as Aria spun in a slow circle, casting the whole bedroom in a glittering pink hue. Crystal's quill drifted across the page to string a scene together—

As the carriage rumbled down the cobblestone streets, each passing streetlamp would briefly illuminate the inside of the coach. Flash—the mare within looked away from the window. Flash—she clasped the bag in her lap tighter. Flash—her eyes clenched shut to will away the incessant light.

—but there was something missing. A plot, of course, but more than that, she needed a spark. Why was she writing? What was she writing about? Who was she writing for?

Crystal's nose scrunched up and she forced the quill to keep going. If she didn't write, nothing would get written. She could always edit it later, after all.

Though the distance between them grew greater with every passing moment, the beat of her heart still pounded an ache into her veins. She knew, despite all common sense, that he would always be with her. Whether he wanted to be or not.

Aria coaxed her on with a gentle crescendo. Crystal looked up at the stone and smiled, a momentary pang of warmth and guilt colliding in her chest. Sometimes, she could hear Painted Wave's voice in the melodic notes.

"Okay. Hear me out. So the lamps get spaced out more and more, right? What happens when there stops being streetlamps. The carriage gonna turn down some dark alley somewhere?

Crystal tittered with a giggle and nodded, jotting it down. "I suppose that would make for an interesting turn."

In her mind's eye, she saw Painted's grin. The way it would crinkle her eyes.

"Is some dashing stranger going to open her carriage door and offer his hoof, telling her there's no time to explain, but she must come with him? And for whatever reason, though logic is barking at her that it's absurd to take this stallion's hoof, her heart is calm and sure—so she takes it. And her life is forever changed."

The quill had never moved faster, gliding in strokes as calm and sure as Painted described. Or was it Aria? She wasn't sure, and she didn't care. Painted and Aria were one and the same in her heart.

A knock at the door silenced the scratch of quill against paper and Aria's melody. "Crystal? Can we talk a moment?"

She looked up, raising a hoof to smooth her unbrushed mane. "Of course. Come on in."

The door pushed open and Wallflower poked her head in before walking inside, her wings tight against her sides. "I know you've been so busy with all of your ventures that we agreed that I would take the Gala, but—" Her gaze flicked downward. "Would you please consider going?"

"What?" Crystal blinked and sat upright on the bed. Dread pooled in the pit of her stomach at the thought of the Grand Galloping Gala, of all the boorish elites, of—of how much more pronounced that feeling would be for Wallflower, who matched her namesake in large gatherings.

With a sigh, she forced a smile to her lips. "You realize most mares prepare for the Gala weeks in advance, and I only have three hours to get ready."

Wallflower's expression relaxed and she returned the smile, hers more sincere than Crystal's. "Don't worry about that. Iridescence has already offered to do your hair and makeup."

Crystal quirked a brow in mock irritation. "So you assumed I would say yes?"

Wallflower only continued to smile as she turned to walk back out into the living room. "She's all yours, Iri, dear."

Crystal huffed a laugh and moved over to settle in front of the vanity just as Iridescence trotted in. "Did I ever have a choice in this matter?"

"Do any of us ever have a choice when Wallflower is involved?" Iridescence snickered and shook her head while her magic flared to lift various cosmetics into the air. "Besides, you get to go to the Gala! That's not so bad, is it? I'm honestly jealous."

Though she knew she had to keep still, Crystal allowed a quirk of one brow. "Jealous? You go to the Gala nearly every year."

Iridescence snorted. "On duty, sure. I never get to go as a guest, though."

"Well, you're hardly missing much." Crystal closed her eyes as the pointed tip of eyeliner approached. "All of Equestria's most prestigious elite gathered in one location. You can feel the air constrict as it's forced to swell their own egos."

The brush against her eyelids paused while Iridescence laughed. "Good grief, what would ponies think if they heard Canterlot's darling elite say such things?"

Crystal cracked one eye open to peer at Iridescence's reflection in the mirror. "Excuse me? 'Canterlot's darling elite'? Nopony calls me that."

Iridescence's lips lifted in a light grin. "They will. Give it time and it'll catch on. Now, close your eyes and let me finish."

While Iridescence worked both her literal and figurative magic, Crystal's mind started to form a plan of attack. She wouldn't be going for pleasure—this was strictly business. She had been trained in the art of pomp and circumstance, of how to play the part to get ponies to do what she wanted.

Though it twisted her stomach, the Gala was the perfect event for spreading the word about the Foundation. A well-placed word here, a flattery there, and the social elite would clamor over each other in the sport of staying ahead.

She hated it, but her mother had raised her well for this sort of thing.

The thought of her mother brought a sour note in the back of her mind. Wallflower had made such an effort to give both Winterspear and Iridescence heritage gifts for their wedding. Even though she and Upper Crust hadn't been on exactly the best of terms at that time—what about her?

Finally, Iridescence gave an appreciative whistle. "Not to brag, but I did an amazing job."

Crystal opened her eyes to look into her reflection's, studying her own face. She had always had thin lashes more suited to a foal than a grown mare, but under Iridescence's careful application of mascara, they were long, dark, and full.

"I know you have a dress in those colors," Iridescence said, gesturing one hoof at her own eye to indicate the smoky silver-and-blue eyeshadow. "That's the one you should wear. It's understated in a powerful way, so it'll draw more attention than the flashier stuff everypony else is going to be in."

"While I trust your judgment," Crystal muttered as she tilted her chin up to look down her nose at herself, "are you certain I don't look too—seductive?"

Iridescence laughed and waved a hoof. "It's okay to be a little sexy every once in a while! Don't worry so much and try to have a little fun tonight."

"I just hope we're defining 'fun' the same way." Despite her caustic tone, Crystal offered a playful smile. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet. Now I've got to figure out what to do with your mane. Let's get the dress on and see if you have any accessories to match."

It took a solid hour for Iridescence to finally decide on a manestyle to match the dress of simple silver and soft blue. Her blonde-and-pink tresses were pulled over one shoulder into a loose braid, and a hairclip—adorned with three silk roses the same muted blue color—sat just in front of her right ear.

"Girls, are you—" Wallflower's voice cut off with a sharp gasp just as she leaned into the room. "Oh, Iri, you've outdone yourself."

Iridescence trotted toward the door with her head held high. "I know!"

Crystal gave a little hum of amusement, rising to her hooves and turning to face Wallflower completely. "Would you say I'm ready for—"

When she lifted her gaze and met Wallflower's, her voice caught in her throat. The look in her mother-in-law's eyes was one of both adoration and woe, though her well-trained expression belied neither.

"Mom?" Crystal pressed in a soft voice and stepped toward her. "What's wrong?"

Wallflower raised a hoof to her eyes, shook her head, and forced a smile. "I just had the sudden thought that I couldn't wait for Silent to see you."

The feeling of her heart clenching right before it dropped sent a wince across Crystal's face, but she returned the same attempt at a smile. "I know." She leaned up and placed a soft kiss on Wallflower's cheek. "I'm going to head out now. Where's your ticket?"

After a pause to catch her breath, Wallflower went to retrieve the golden invitation from where it sat on the coffee table. "I know it's a lot to ask, but do try to have fun, won't you?"

"I'll endeavor to do my best." This time, Crystal's smile was more sincere in its playfulness. "What hobby are you enjoying these days?"

"Yoga." Wallflower rolled her eyes. "Iri is trying to get me to make it a habit, but I'm not sure it's an old mare's game."

From the couch, Iridescence jerked her head up. "Yoga is great for ponies of all ages! You've only been doing it for five days. It takes time!"

Crystal giggled behind a hoof. "Well, I hope you enjoy some yoga while I'm away. If I don't come home to a pretzel for a mother-in-law, I'll be sorely disappointed."

"You won't be the only pony that's sore," Wallflower muttered, then flicked a wing to lightly tap Crystal's back. "Now, go on with you. Do what you do best and have those stuffy peacocks following your every command."

The giggle returned as a full laugh as Crystal trotted out the door. "Yes, yes, all right. Bye, Mom, Iridescence!"

Crossing the threshold from the warmth of their apartment to the cool night air, Crystal made her way at a pace that was brisk enough to carry her quickly but not so much so that she would break a sweat. The sun was just setting over the horizon, casting the sky in a brilliant array of rose, lavender, and violet hues.

In the distance, she could hear the traditional song of the Gala promenade filling the air. Her gait slowed—perhaps she could sneak in the back at the very end and skip most of the singing and marching.

"All our dreams will come true

"Right here at the Gala

"At the Gala!"

Were time travel possible, Crystal would've loved to have it at her disposal right then. She would go back to when Bella von Herald sang it at the very first Grand Galloping Gala, cementing it in history. And she would kick the mare in the face.

"There you are," Golden's voice said before the mare came into view. "I had a feeling you would end up coming in Wallflower's stead."

Crystal offered a light raise of one brow. "Is that so?"

Golden snorted. "Her name is Wallflower. It doesn't take much thought to gather that a pony with a name like that would avoid the largest event of the year."

"I suppose that's fair." Crystal returned her gaze forward, ear twitching as the chorus struck up again. "Except my name gives no such indication, and yet I feel the same as her. Perhaps it's the Gala at fault."

"There's an exception to everything," Golden replied with a harried sigh. "What is your strategy?"

The question gave Crystal considerable pause. She had been to plenty Grand Galloping Galas over the years, and each one was the same: the social elite vied for attention like starved timberwolves. Everypony would be trying to push some kind of agenda.

Crystal's brow furrowed the deeper in thought she went. Hers was altruistic, which made it even more difficult; there was nothing for ponies to get in return for helping her cause. Ethical satisfaction was not a common currency among the elite.

"I had a thought," Golden finally offered.

Crystal blinked and looked up at her. "Yes?"

Golden didn't return her gaze. "You're not going to like it."

"I'm sure I'm not going to like anything tonight." Crystal sighed. "Go on, tell me."

"As we both well know, the value of something often has little to do with its actual worth." Golden allowed a small roll of her eyes before she continued, "What matters is the perception of scarcity, of course."

"Of course," Crystal muttered.

"Our association is limited speculation at best. Which means—"

Crystal's lips quirked in a small grin. "'Association'?" She inclined her head to one side. "I'm sorry, our what now?"

With a feigned groan of dismay, Golden corrected, "Our friendship is limited speculation at best, and that gives us the advantage. I will drop rumors along the grapevine and send ponies your way so that you can never talk to anypony very long, thus turning your time into a scarce commodity."

"And ponies will clamor over one another to get it." Crystal looked up at her with wide eyes. "Golden, that's absolutely genius."

Golden tossed her curled mane over one shoulder and flashed a picture-perfect smile. "I'm aware. How do you think I've been a top model for so long, hmm?"

"I thought it was your exceedingly good looks." Crystal giggled, shaking her head. "All right, then. We'll go with your plan. It's certainly more sound than mine."

"And what was your plan?" Golden gave her a sideways glance.

Crystal couldn't help grinning immediately. "Locate the dessert buffet, make an offering to the Spirit of Cake by devouring as many slices as I can, and be rolled off the side of Canterlot for endangering the weight limit of the city."

There was a pause as the image set in, and then Golden laughed. Unlike her feigned chuckles or a delicate titter, this was more like a firework: a spark of a snort followed by a bellowing cackle.

"We—" Golden choked as she tried to contain herself. "We have to split company. Our plan will fall apart before we even make it in the doors if ponies see us having so much fun together."

With a shared nod of agreement, Golden trotted on ahead, each hoof landing with precision to keep a sway in her gait. The rest of Crystal's walk fell into the monotony repeated each Gala: she arrived at Canterlot Palace, waited in line, shook hooves with Princess Celestia and Luna, then was left to her own devices in a swarm of overdressed elite.

She just had to keep reminding herself that this was for the Foundation. Listening to the same stories…

"And it wasn't until I looked up that I realized where I was: at the middle of the stage, standing in the spotlight!"

… giving the same responses…

"Oh, goodness! What did you do?"

… and laughing at the same endings.

"Why, what else could I do? Break out into song and steal the show, of course! Would you believe I even won the award for Best Actress for a play I wasn't even supposed to be in?"

Crystal could, seeing as she had heard the same story at least five times before—and now it was six. This was the life her mother so desperately loved, and Crystal honestly couldn't understand why.

"But enough about me, cherie," Fine Line cooed, her voice thick and heavy with honey-coated venom that set Crystal's nerves alight. "Have you found any new avenues to profit in this dreadful war?"

Crystal felt her blood run cold. "Excuse me?"

Fine's painted lips curled into a wicked little smile. "Credit must be given when it's due. Most ponies wouldn't fathom capitalizing on such trying times, but I say, it has done so well for you, hasn't it?"

Earlier, Crystal had been entirely joking about wanting to kick a mare in the face.

Now, her right hindleg twitched, ready to strike if she'd just turn around and give it a clear shot.

But something struck first—the wine glass wrapped in Fine Line's magic tipped over, sending its dark red contents splattering against her light green dress. Ponies around them gasped, and all eyes turned to see Upper Crust standing there, nose held high and horn sparking with fresh magic.

"Oh, darling, my apologies," Upper Crust said in a voice that silenced the nearby conversations. "I do believe I made a mistake. It happens from time to time, as I'm sure you well know." Her lips tightened. "Make mistakes, that is, and do or say the wrong thing. You understand what that's like, don't you?"

There was a long moment of silence, the whole room focused on the tension that hung between Upper Crust and Fine Line. Crystal stood in the middle of it, her eyes wide and mouth slack from shock.

Finally, Fine Line sputtered her way into a sneer. "I certainly understand that you've ruined a genuine showpiece of Hoity's upcoming winter line!" She turned away and trotted at a brisk pace through the crowd. "Absolutely unforgivable!"

Murmuring quickly filled the space in her absence, and soon the entirety of Canterlot would know what just happened. Crystal glanced up at her mother just in time to watch fierce determination fall to despair.

"Mom?" Crystal asked, softly.

Upper Crust blinked a few times and raised a hoof to wipe at the corners of her eyes. "It's nothing, dear." She turned to face her with a smile. "I was coming to congratulate you when I overheard that unfortunate exchange. Everypony is talking about the Flower Foundation and how difficult it is to attain your time. Clever girl."

"The credit goes to Golden," Crystal said, turning her head to hide her self-satisfied smile and feigned looking around the room. "It was her idea."

Upper Crust huffed a laugh. "Oh, of course. She has her father's cunning mind, after all."

Crystal's smile fell away, but she pushed past the topic with a wave of one hoof, returning her gaze to meet her mother's. "Speaking of, how is Dad?"

"Too busy to come home some nights, but he seems determined to focus on Jet Ventures." Upper Crust rolled her shoulders in a light shrug. "He's glad to take the burden of inheriting the company from you, but I argue that the problem of a suitable heir still remains."

"I suppose that's true," Crystal muttered, ears folding back against her mane. "Perhaps I'll have a foal before then who would be interested."

Upper Crust snorted. "Darling, the likelihood that any offspring between you and that husband of yours would…" She trailed off as her amused smirk turned into a pained grimace. "I'm sorry. That was in poor taste, especially right after—"

Crystal waved a dismissive hoof and tried to smile. "It's so true, though. Our foals are more likely to be guards, given his family history. Not quite the right fit."

"Yes, well." Upper Crust cleared her throat and glanced away. "Nonetheless, I will let you get back to campaigning for the Foundation."

"Wait, Mom, before you go." Crystal shifted from one hoof to the other, biting her lower lip. "There's something I want to ask you about."

Upper Crust looked back at her. "What is it?"

After a moment of hesitation—all the while debating with herself over whether to speak up or not—Crystal finally stood tall. "Why did you not give me a wishing stone at my wedding?"

"A wishing—" Upper Crust blinked a few times. "Excuse me?"

Though her resolve wavered, Crystal kept a firm expression in place. "Wallflower gave Iridescence a wishing stone as a wedding gift."

Upper Crust's brow furrowed before her eyes narrowed. "What Wallflower chooses to do has no bearing on me. It's an archaic tradition that I had no interest in partaking. Besides, darling, although I am loath to recall such a thing, but at the time I was hardly in favor of your marriage."

A shot of liquid fire raced down Crystal's spine and filled her chest with a heavy anger. "So, you would have given me one if I'd married a high society stallion more to your liking, then?"

"That's not what I said," Upper Crust said through clenched teeth. "Could we please not do this now? There are many eyes and ears, and I'm certain that neither of us want to tarnish the Foundation's reputation with a spat."

Crystal released a sharp sigh and turned on her heel. "Sure, Mom. I know how important reputation is to you."

Wine. She needed wine. Her gaze darted about in search of a server and their tray, but none were in sight. All she could see were judging eyes and hooves raised to hide whispered conversations. Gossip, most likely.

Sucking in a breath and holding it, Crystal focused on schooling her expression. She pushed the anger and irritation down to where she could deal with later; for now, she had a part to play.

She was the face of the Flower Foundation. There was no time for the feelings of an irritated, dejected daughter.

Her right ear twitched, catching a stray murmur: "… son is overseas…"

And that was her cue. Crystal wound her way toward the older mare, keeping her gaze elsewhere to look as if she were casually passing by.

"Oh, excuse me!" the mare called. "I'm sorry, but are you Crystal Wishes?"

Crystal blinked in feigned surprise. "Hm? Oh, yes. May I help you?"

The corners of the mare's eyes wrinkled as she smiled, grabbing one of Crystal's hooves with both of her own. "Thank you for your work. Because of your organization, I was able to connect with Lavender Bloom here. Her daughter serves in my son's unit."

The façade melted away into a bloom of warmth in her chest, and Crystal squeezed back in earnest. "I'm so happy to hear that, truly. Please, if you don't mind, I'd love—"

"Crystal!" Golden's voice cut through. "Crystal, we have a problem."

"—I'm sorry, please excuse me." Crystal reluctantly pulled away and turned to see Golden storming up to her. "What's the matter?"

Golden huffed, just enough out of breath to sound it. "It's Velvet. I cannot find her anywhere. I've run into some of her colleagues, and they haven't seen her, either."

Crystal blinked. "Is that all?" She shook her head. "Velvet rarely gets a ticket to the Gala."

"Don't be daft. She's in the Royal Ballet; they all get tickets." Golden gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "And besides, I don't mean they haven't seen her here. I mean at all. Apparently, she's not been to practice in weeks. Weeks!"

For a moment, Crystal felt dejected again; why was she still so out of the loop on Velvet's life? Weren't they supposed to be fixing that, not making it worse? Or was this just how things went as ponies got older?

Golden didn't give her long to wallow, instead continuing, "I would go and drag her here by the tail, but I'm knee-deep in paparazzi and it would look bad if I appeared to bail on the Gala partway through."

"Right, of course." Crystal nodded. "I wouldn't mind a break, honestly. I could use a moment to clear my head." She offered a quick smile before stepping forward. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for all of this."

Golden waggled a hoof to shoo her along. "Yes, yes. Go find my friend and bring her here so we can interrogate her together."

‘My friend.' Why did Crystal suddenly feel… jealousy? Envy? Her thoughts were too muddled to remember the difference. Hooves moving more on instinct down the grand staircase and toward the main hall, she allowed herself a short sulk.

After all, she was trying so hard and putting so much energy into working for the sake of others. She was going to forgive Silent for the acts he committed under the name of Dread Knight. She spent her waking hours trying to find ways to do more for the Flower Foundation. She kept writing, kept herself busy to avoid the days where she broke down and couldn't move, because that meant she wasn't helping anypony.

And yet, here she was, escaping the Grand Galloping Gala that she was only attending for the sake of others, tracking down her friend who was still keeping a distance between them.

The streets were, unsurprisingly, empty. Everypony who was anypony would either be at the Gala, or hiding at home to not face the shame of not being anypony. That suited Crystal just fine.

While the view around her was dull, lifting her gaze to the sky above brought her a sense of peace. The deep blue and purple hues were shimmering with countless stars and reminded her of one constant in her life: that time moved ever forward.

That no matter what, there was still a future ahead of her… she just hoped it was one she wanted.

Before long, she was walking up the still-familiar steps that led her to the floor she used to live on with Velvet. Apprehension bubbled up in the back of her mind, but she pressed onward until she was standing in front of the door.

"Velvet?" she called, knocking twice. "Velvet, are you home?"

It was faint, but she heard something from inside. She couldn't discern exactly what it was—something between a shuffle and a thud.

She waited a moment longer, then called again, "Velvet, I heard you've not been going to practice lately. Golden is beside herself with worry, though she wouldn't admit to quite that level."

"Go away," Velvet's voice bit back in reply, hoarse and weak. "I'm sick and it's contagious. Like, really contagious."

Crystal's brow furrowed and she jiggled the doorknob in her magic, but it didn't unlock. She was, admittedly, a little surprised that Velvet had changed it. "Why aren't you at the doctor's, then? What kind of sick is it?"

There was a pause before Velvet replied, "I don't want to get the doctor sick. ‘Cause I'm everything sick."

"'Everything sick'?" Crystal tried the lock again to no avail. "That sounds serious. Don't be stubborn, it's the doctor's job to take care of you when you're not well."

"I can't."

A twinge where concern collided with annoyance sent her jaw clenching. "And why not?"

In a slow, almost confused voice, Velvet mumbled just barely loud enough to hear, "I'm leg disabled."

"Leg—" Crystal sighed and took a step back, then bowed her head to aim her horn at the door. "I'm going to break this door in five seconds if you don't open it for me, swear to Luna!"

"Don't," Velvet whined, followed by the sound of heavy, dragging hoofsteps. "I'll open it. Don't hurt yourself trying to act like a big, strong unicorn."

The door opened slowly, only enough for Crystal to see half of Velvet's face. Her eyes were bloodshot, and the damp, mussed trails down her cheeks gave the reason why: she had been crying—a lot, it seemed.

Crystal's gaze travelled her face before her own expression softened. "You're not sick, are you?"

Velvet sniffled and raised a hoof to rub her nose. "No."

"What happened?" Crystal pushed the door the rest of the way open, frowning as Velvet recoiled to remain hidden behind it. "Velvet, what's going on?"

"I—" Her voice cracked, tears starting to flow again. "I'm—"

No more words made it past a shuddering sob, and Crystal rushed to hold and comfort her, then stopped dead in her tracks when she took in the full sight of Velvet.

She was definitely, undeniably pregnant.

Crystal didn't know what to do. She just stood there, staring, unable to think beyond: what? How? Who?

When Velvet buried her face in her forehooves, Crystal was able to break past the freeze to finish what she had started. She wrapped her forelegs around Velvet and pulled her in for a tight hug, stroking the back of her neck and sshhing softly.

"Calm down," she mumbled in a gentle voice. "It's okay. I'm here. You're okay."

They remained that way for quite a while, Velvet's sobbing slowly waning into hitched breathing as time went on. She finally leaned back to look into Crystal's eyes, her own puffy and wet with new tears.

"I screwed everything up," Velvet muttered. "It wasn't supposed to be like this."

Crystal bit her lower lip, then asked the obvious question: "Who is the father?"

Velvet's breath caught, her eyes darted to the side, and her ears folded back. When she responded, Crystal understood why she hesitated.

"Silver Script."

It took all she had not to react beyond asking the next obvious question: "And where is he?"

Velvet dropped her head. "Gone. He left weeks ago. And I don't blame him."

For a moment, Crystal felt her blood boil and swore her vision went red. Fury was a meek word compared to the sudden surge of emotion searing within her, threatening to burn her alive. "That uncouth, unforgivable maggot! Where did he go? Oh, no, he'll never do this to another mare ever again, I will personally see to it that his—"

"Crystal, please!" Velvet clasped Crystal's cheeks in her hooves and forced their eyes to lock. "Stop. It's not his fault. This was what I asked for. I'm the one who you should be mad at, not him. He's the one who—who got his heart broken."

It took several deep breaths until Crystal could sincerely sound calm. "What happened?"

Velvet sighed and leaned in to rest her forehead against Crystal's neck. "I don't really want to talk about it, at least not right now. Even though I don't deserve one, I just need a friend right now, okay?"

"Okay." Crystal nodded slowly, slipping her forelegs around Velvet again. "But I have to know one thing."

She felt Velvet tense in her embrace. "What?"

This time, Crystal was the one who hesitated. She needed to know the answer, but she was terrified to know the truth. "Did you want this foal?"

When the tension fell away and she instead felt Velvet's smile, she unconsciously did the same.

"Very much," Velvet whispered.

Crystal squeezed her tighter and closed her eyes. She wanted to say how happy she was for Velvet, that she was finally getting the foal she had worked so long and hard for.

But she was, more than anything, worried.

Not about Velvet—they had already talked many times about what raising a foal would mean for her career, and she knew Velvet long since understood and accepted that.

She was worried about the Equestria a foal would grow up in after the consequences of war.

Author's Note:

All of my regret
Will wash away somehow
But I cannot forget
The way I feel right now
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate

This story is a part of the Crystal's Tales series in the Quill & Blade universe.

Comments

[dracone]

A fun read, as always.

[Crystal Wishes]

8848721 It was an issue copying from Word to FiMFiction. In the future, please send corrections via PM, given that the issue is now corrected, your comment is out of date. Thanks!

[dracone]

8848733
Sorry, force of habit. I made the appropriate adjustments to the comment.

[alfonso_rd_33]

IT LIVES!!!!!

oh dear... The velvetweenmask got pregnant.... What a twist!

[Bruno]

Oh, I am so glad this is back! This was a great chapter, (as always) and now I’m just hyped for more!

[PhycoKrusk]

I admit, I’m a little bit impressed at how fast Crystal switched from “Everything’s going to be fine” to “I’ll kill that bastard!”

[Prince Nightfire Grace]

Amazing read as normal. Can not wait for the next one.

[JMP]

And so the events of Another Horizon's finale come into play. As rough as it is seeing Velvet like this, I do hope this can be a catalyst for her and Crystal to repair their friendship. It's been a while since Trials, but if I remember correctly, everything was fine between them by the time Silent came home, right? At least as far as he could see.

[Bypenandhoof]

There was a pause as the image set in, and then Golden laughed. Unlike her feigned chuckles or a delicate titter, this was more like a firework: a spark of a snort followed by a bellowing cackle.

It's great whenever we get to see the goofier side of Golden break out. :D

[Lysander Shadowheart]

Oh wow, I cherish this story. I re-cried, rereading the last chapter. I'm so happy to see this new update and read it. At this point my opinon of chapters are bais because of how much I love the story and these characters as a whole. Love to see more.
Thank you Crystal.

[Ircriket]

I really wish I could like twice.

[TheClassyLeviathan]

SHE IS ALIVE! AND SHE HAS BROUGHT US ANOTHER MASTERPIECE OF A CHAPTER! WE SHALL THROW A GREAT FEAST THAT WILL LAST A FORTNIGHT IN CELEBRATION OF THIS DAY!

[He23t]

It's back! and Wow, Velvet.... this just unfortunate.

[PhycoKrusk]

Looking back now, I find it a bit curious how this chapter is the one where I actually thought, “For goodness’ sake, Crystal, can’t you think like your mother for once in you life?” The founder, indeed the very face of the Flower Foundation can’t go around getting into brawls at the Gala!

At least, not until someone invents a jukebox that plays “Ballroom Blitz” when you throw your opponent into it. You can brawl to your heart’s content once that happens.

[Crystal Wishes]

8848737 Surprise!!

8848755 Sorry for the delay ^^ My job situation is much, much better, so I should have the mental/emotional energy to write again.

8848873 Crystal was itching to fight all night, and she finally found an appropriate target!

8848919 Thank you!

8849209 It all ties together eventually! [spoilers]You remember correctly; their relationship seemed repaired in Trials.[/spoilers]

8849388 I LOVE writing Golden. Especially in this chapter. She is so much fun to write, that balance of who she was and who she's become all in balance.

8849580 Gosh! Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate them very much, and am glad to still have you around as a reader!

8849651 I mean, you could downvote it, then re-upvote it, if you want! :P

8849798 HUZZAH! IT IS A GOOD AND GLORIOUS DAY TO HAVE A FEAST!

8849875 On the plus side, Velvet's clearly (or at least an attempt at clearly) been trying to push ponies out and suffer quietly. Now she's not alone.

8850219 Oh, come on. You've always liked good ol' Crusty. It's not a surprise that you would be the one to think that! (But, yes... dear old Mom isn't wrong here!)

[97xxfastbike]

*knock knock*
"What is it, my devoted reader?"
"I have sinned. Not against you, Author Crystal, but rather... because of you."
"Ooo! Really?"
"Can you not sound so excited, please?"
"Oh, right... um... What is this sin?"
"Your latest update, it was very good."
"Yes, and..?"
"I was in public when I read it..."
"Yes... and?"
"At the good parts... I swore out loud! You made me utter profanities in public!" "I am ashamed!"

[Crystal Wishes]

8851351
say twelve Hail Sunbeams before bed tonight and all will be forgiven, my dear

[97xxfastbike]

8851377
Hail, Sunbeam, full of mischief and mirth. Blessed are you from among bakers, and blessed is the leven of your loaves. Dispense your honesty with heaps of love and frivolity so that we, your adopted foals, may always desire to return to your kitchen in times of our distress to find comfort, and cupcakes.

x12

There! Technology makes penance easier to bear.

[PhycoKrusk]

8851228
Well, your comment forced me to do some quick research with regards to Upper Crust.

What did I find out?

Well... I think she my waifu.

[alfonso_rd_33]

8851466
That's cheating and you know it you sinner!

8851793
O.o... O.o... ponchomain.exe has stopped working... Reboot...? Y/N

[Biker_Dash]

That was... unexpected lol

[djthomp]

"Is some dashing stranger going to open her carriage door and offer his hoof, telling her there's no time to explain, but she must come with him? And for whatever reason, though logic is barking at her that it's absurd to take this stallion's hoof, her heart is calm and sure—so she takes it. And her life is forever changed."

Vamponies. Vamponies with orbs.

That's a pretty good plan for the Gala, Golden.

Crystal couldn't help grinning immediately. "Locate the dessert buffet, make an offering to the Spirit of Cake by devouring as many slices as I can, and be rolled off the side of Canterlot for endangering the weight limit of the city."

Hah!

All this considered, that was pretty efficient work by Silver Script. On the other hand, Velvet, it was possibly anti-efficient to proceed with this plan without even letting your place of employment know and to just stop going to work. Though to be fair, she might have just not have told her co-workers, and the ballet management for some reason it didn't tell them either.

[Crystal Wishes]

8858879 Golden knows how to play ponies like puppets! (Just look at Shachza)

Totally correct, and I will expand on this in the next chaptet, but the implication I had in mind was that, after what happened in Another Horizon, Velvet fell into a major depression. Which included just not showing up for practice.

[Shachza]

8858938

I HEARD GOLDEN SAY MY-! Oh, wait. It was just both of us being mentioned in the same paragraph. Never mind.

---

I'm actually kind of disappointed; I wanted to see more Gala, once Crystal got hornswoggled into going. Oh, well. Not every Gala can be like Twilight's first.

...

Or can it?

I wonder what Golden's after-action report will be like...
"Crystal! You should have totally been there! It was soooooo much fun! Oh... Right. Oops."

"What happened?" Crystal pushed the door the rest of the way open, frowning as Velvet recoiled to remain hidden behind it. "Velvet, what's going on?"

"I—" Her voice cracked, tears starting to flow again. "I'm—"

Y'know, I can't help having a bit of schadenfreude from all this. I'm still not happy with Velvet or her approach to life.

[Lord Legion]

Oh gosh that song reference. Love that song. I attempt to sing along with it when it comes on.

[wernerhatcher]

I’ve been out of the loop for a while now, so happy to come back and see a new chapter of Hopes.

(This comment took me 3 minutes to make, currently listening to NHL playoffs)

[Zaveryn]

This didn't appear in my notifications! I'm very glad to see Another Horizon's coming into play, here. I can't wait to hear more about Velvet's pregnancy and her future foal.

[aebed]

Well, that was a total bombshell of a chapter finish! Though I did kind of expect it would happen. It's heartwarming to see Upper crust acting more like a caring, protective mother too, even if Crystal seems a little ungrateful right now.

[Wing]

>>>Were time travel possible, Crystal would've loved to have it at her disposal right then. She would go back to when Bella von Herald sang it at the very first Grand Galloping Gala, cementing it in history. And she would kick the mare in the face.<<<

Hmm, might know a pony. ;)

[Golden Rule]

Hahahahhaa
Leg disabled!
Oh my freaking gosh i love the IT Crowd.

[Crystal Wishes]

9133996 HE TOOK MY WHEELCHAIR
how did he get in??
...
...
... i dont know