Chapter 9
Rain and grey clouds dominated the sky for the entire day. Barely any light made it through the thick veil of bad weather and even less ponies dared going outside on a day like that. Lyra watched the empty street through the biggest window of the Sweet Shop. So far, she had only seen one pegasus cross the sky during the last two hours. Any other sane pony stayed inside their warm homes.
Behind Lyra, she heard Bon Bon sigh in frustration. Not a single costumer came to buy her candy today. She had hoped that the downpour would end sooner than expected but the weather patrol kept true to their promises this time. She half-heartily slammed her hoof on the counter and the thud was loud enough to snap Lyra out her staring
“Huh? What?”
“Nopony is going to come today.”
“You don’t know that, Bonnie. It’s just a slow day.”
“Augh. I hate slow days with nothing to do.”
Lyra laughed and got up and stepped behind the counter. She gently hugged Bon Bon and the earth pony’s frown melted into a soft smile
“You don’t have it in you to hate anything, Bonnie. You’re too sweet.”
Bon Bon rolled her eyes and chuckled
“You’re hopeless, Lyra”
“Hopelessly romantic, maybe?”
“Nope. Just hopeless.”
Lyra glared for a moment, but then both of them just giggled and joined in a nuzzle.
Determined to get at least something productive done, Bon Bon started cleaning all the shelves in the shop. Lyra knew better than to tease Bon Bon too much on a day like that, and since it was her turn cooking, she headed to the kitchen to get an early start on dinner.
The late train rolled into Ponyville station, almost empty. Nopony stood at the platform and the conductor didn’t even call out the next stop. Only one mare stood there to get out, so the stallion pulled the door open for her
“Have a nice day, Miss.”
The grey mare kept her eyes low and didn’t reply. She stepped into the open with nothing but a flimsy bandana to protect her from the rain. The conductor just shrugged and returned into the train.
The mare was soaked within seconds, but it didn’t seem she cared in the least. Her bandana couldn’t hold back her wet mane and brown strands obscured her face. The streets were empty and dark, so nopony saw the mare stumble down the street, unsteady on her hooves. Nopony saw the trails of wetness that ran down her muzzle, not all from the downpour. In the drumming of the rain, nopony heard the sobbing.
The dark grey mare hurried through the empty streets, more than once her hooves lost hold on the slippery ground. Somehow, she managed to stay on her hooves and push on further. Like a moth lured by the light, the mare headed straight for the two story house, a little away from town centre.
The storefront was dark but the mare threw herself against door anyways, knocking with her hooves. She didn’t expect the door to be unlocked, so she literally fell into the shop. She hit the floor with a whimper.
Bon Bon jumped on her hooves and crouched into a defensive stance from instinct. As soon as she recognized who had invaded her home, she raced to her side
“Crystal Note! Sweet Celestia, what happened to you?”
The grey mare whimpered again and clung on Bon Bon like a drowning pony would on a life float
“Bonnie!”
She wailed in a long whine and pressed her soaked, trembling form against the earth pony.
Bon Bon couldn’t care less about getting wet herself as she wrapped her hooves around her friend in a tight hug
“Crissy, talk to me. What happened?”
The only answer she got was more sobbing. Bon Bon’s mind caught up and took in many details. The mare’s coat and mane were dark and dull, partially from the wetness. Of course, since Crystal Note was a crystal pony, the darkness of her colour also spoke volumes of the mare’s emotional state. Bon Bon knew that to throw Crystal Note this much out of balance, it would need an immense shock.
Not good.
Crystal Note was blubbering like a filly and she wore her bandana. She’d been on a trip to the Crystal Empire and returned like this.
Not good at all.
“Crystal Note.”
She forced her head up with a hoof and finally, Crystal Note’s gem shaped eyes focused on her
“I wanna help you. I can’t if you don’t tell me what happened.”
“Bonnie… I’m a monster…”
Bon Bon forced back the instinct to roll her eyes and snort. Instead, she replied in her most calm voice
“Crissy, we’ve been through this. You’re not a monster. You’re…”
“They pointed their spears at me!”
“Then those guards are jerks.”
The crystal mare pulled off her bandana so her silvery horn was clear to see
“Everypony stared at me. They yelled, they screamed. They didn’t let me close to the palace.”
“There’s always going to be nay-sayers, Crystal Note.”
What was supposed to diffuse some of her fears only brought more wailing
“They hid away their foals from me, Bonnie.”
“What?”
Lyra, lured out of the kitchen by the screams and crying, crossed the room and took her spot next to Crystal Note
“Crissy…”
“WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT?”
Crystal Note screamed, at the top of her voice and louder than Bon Bon had ever heard her before. Just as quickly as it had appeared, her anger burnt out again and she slumped on the floor, crying bitterly.
Bon Bon noticed that Lyra was close to her boiling point as well, the unicorn gritted her teeth together and her eyes were hard. With a soft touch, Bon Bon drew Lyra’s attention to her and shook her head with a sad expression. She couldn’t deal with Lyra going ballistic and Crystal Note being depressed at the same time. Luckily, Lyra understood right away and swallowed her anger. Right now, her friend needed them both.
Without words, Lyra and Bon Bon took Crystal Note in their middle and helped her on her hooves. The crystal mare was still lost in tears and had to lean heavily on her friends, but they managed to get her into the sitting room and into one of the soft armchairs. Lyra stayed with her while Bon Bon left for a few minutes and returned with cups of hot chocolate.
Crystal Note didn’t say anything all the while. She ignored the cup that was placed in front of her and kept sobbing.
After a few more minutes of silence, Bon Bon decided to press on
“Crissy, tell us what happened.”
“I don’t want to…”
Crystal Note managed to press out a few words between her tears, but Lyra touched her shoulder
“Crissy, we know. But there’s no other way this time. It’s eating you up from the inside if you don’t let it out!”
“But… what if…”
Bon Bon took hold of her hoof before she could even start
“What if we get scared of you like them? Not going to happen. What if you really are a monster? You’d not be sitting here in our house if you were. What if we’re angry or disappointed at you? We’re not. You stomached your fears and went there, Crissy. Even if it didn’t turn out as we wished, we’re proud you got so far. Anything I missed?”
Crystal Note slumped into the chair and shook her head. Slowly, her sobs died down, even if she wouldn’t let go of Bon Bon’s hoof.
“I felt good on the train. I kept reading Rose Quartz’ letter and how she was looking forward to see me again. I felt confident for a change, so I jumped out of the train and headed straight for the palace. But I didn’t even get close.”
Fresh tears ran down her muzzle and the dark colours in her coat and mane refused to fade even a little, but her voice was somewhat calm as she continued
“I took the main street. I walked towards the market plaza to the front of the palace and everypony was staring at me. I should have known. I should have known there would be guards following me as soon as I left the train. I should have known it would be too soon for them to forgive me. But I was so eager to meet Rose Quartz, I acted confident and bold. I took off my bandana. If they’re staring anyways, give them something to stare at, right?”
Despite the situation, Lyra couldn’t resist a smirk and Bon Bon rolled her eyes. Crystal Note noticed just that and started to apologize again, but Bon Bon quickly stopped her with a hoof on her mouth
“It’s not you. I just can’t get behind how anypony could be scared of you. I mean, they’re supposed to understand what you’re going through since they’re crystal ponies as well, right? And they know you have a horn, so I don’t get the big deal.”
“They’re scared of me.”
The answer came far too quickly, even Lyra noticed this right away. She figured Crystal Note had been mulling this over and over in her head. Whatever the real reason might be, in the crystal unicorn’s head, this conclusion was the only possible truth already.
“You don’t know that for sure, Crissy…”
As expected, Crystal Note just started sobbing more
“You didn’t see them. The way they stared at me, as if I was about to attack them. They ran out of my way. They whispered behind me and somepony started yelling at me. I… I couldn’t take it. It hurt seeing them all so afraid. Afraid of me. So I looked away, down at my hooves. And then everything went into chaos.”
Bon Bon and Lyra braced themselves as Crystal Note’s coat was nearly black by now and tears kept streaming down to the floor. Most disturbing though was her voice that started to crack and fall apart every other word
“I didn’t mean to. When I looked away, I accidentally pointed my horn at somepony. I wasn’t doing anything, I swear. But they screamed so loud. Suddenly, the guard was surrounding me. They pointed spears at me. Everypony was screaming and shouting and I heard foals crying. It was just like… just like…”
Lyra bit her lower lip when Crystal Note fell apart in Bon Bon’s grip. As much as she hated it, she needed to ask
“Just like what?”
In a howl, Crystal Note yelled out
“The guards! They glared at me and pointed their weapons at me. It was just like back when they were King Sombra’s soldiers, when they attacked and arrested innocent ponies. I didn’t see the crystal guard anymore, I just saw Sombra’s dark soldiers. I couldn’t stop. They circled me and came closer and… and… I panicked. I’ve never been so afraid before and then it happened.”
Bon Bon’s hooves gripped more tightly and her eyes clenched shut to hold back tears. Most out of sympathy for her friend, but she couldn’t deny that there was some anger boiling inside her as well. Why all this? Just because she’s a little different? They don’t even know her.
Lyra’s frown turned from anger to worry. Something was very off, she could tell, and she was almost afraid to ask
“What happened? Can you tell us?”
Crystal Note dissolved in tears and sadness, reliving her encounter had her broken down just as much. Even if she wanted, there was no way she could hold back now, not anymore
“One of them charged at me and I pushed. I didn’t think, I just reacted on instinct. I saw his spear and I screamed and I pushed.”
Bon Bon didn’t understand right away, but one glance at Lyra’s pale face was enough to get her back on track
“Crissy, tell me you didn’t…”
“She did.”
Lyra’s tone was untypically harsh and uncompromising
“She panicked when she was attacked, so she defended herself with her magic.”
Crystal Note coiled in fear and pain as Lyra confirmed what had happened, but instead of being shoved away, the embrace that held her only grew stronger. She felt more than she heard Bon Bon crying as she held her
“How could they? How could they push you so far?”
Lyra joined the hug, knowing that her friend needed every ounce of support she could get right now
“You didn’t hurt anypony.”
There was not a sliver of doubt in her voice. Much to Crystal Note’s disbelieve, Bon Bon nodded and agreed wholeheartedly
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“Never.”
Crystal Note felt a few knots inside her untangle and with a deep, ragged breath came relief. At least her friends would stay at her side
“Crissy, we don’t want to hurt you with this, but you need to tell us what happened after. You’ll never be able to let it go unless you do.”
Crystal Note pressed her eyes shut and nodded weakly. Right now, in her friends’ embrace and away from the world, she felt safe enough. For a moment, she could pretend and separate herself from all that happened, just enough to explain
“I pushed him away with my magic and he stumbled as if he had been shoved. He dropped his spear, but something was wrong. I screamed when I pushed and it was like a roar in my ears and I felt… I don’t even know how. Hot and cold, a bright flash and my head hurt. I was dizzy for a moment. When I could see clear again, everypony was staring at me in fear. Somepony screamed and ran away, even the guards backed away in fear. I saw a mare jumping in front of her foal when I looked her way, and she looked so terrified, like I was going to attack her child. I just… I couldn’t…”
Like a tidal wave, everything came rushing back at her. The moment of disconnection faded brutally and her inside froze up again. It had happened. Everything was real. And she was responsible for it.
Lyra and Bon Bon held the wailing mare tightly in their middle. They knew whatever words they had would not reach her right now, so they stayed silent, but close all the time. Minutes, maybe hours passed before Crystal Note could stop crying. A little longer even before she uncurled her body and tried to sit up again.
As soon as she did, the forgotten mug of hot chocolate floated into her hooves in Lyra’s golden magic. Bon Bon gently pushed her back against the plush seat of the armchair. A very weak and fragile smile lit up her face for a brief moment, before it was drowned out by sorrow and confusion.
Lyra was the one to break the silence
“You didn’t hurt anypony and you never wanted to. You had a magic surge.”
Crystal Note stared as the fellow unicorn explained
“It happens when you’re hurt or emotionally stressed, which you were. To put it simple, you lost control of your magic for a moment and it all surged out of you at once. That’s why you saw a flash and that’s where the headache came from.”
Lyra flashed an encouraging smile at Crystal Note, but it didn’t break through to her. Instead, her turquoise eyes sank to the floor again and she mumbled
“What have I done?”
“You’ve done nothing, Crissy. Magic surges, they just happen. You’re still new to magic and you never really tried to use your spells under that level of stress. Plus, with both your crystal pony magic and unicorn magic tapping into your emotions… Crissy, the pony who got hurt the most was you.”
Lyra watched concerned as Crystal Note just shook her head and didn’t even seem to hear her, before Bon Bon came to her help
“And before you blame yourself, every unicorn has them. If anypony is to blame it’s those crystal guards who attacked you.”
Crystal Note closed her eyes and whispered
“They were just trying to…”
“No!”
Bon Bon interrupted her friend and poked her muzzle
“Don’t defend them! Don’t make up excuses for them. There’s no excuse, not even a little. You did nothing and they threatened you. I don’t care if they were scared of crystal unicorns all those years ago. It should be clear as day that you’re not like those creatures. For land’s sake, even the crystal heart and Princess Cadance accepted you into the Crystal Empire, why can’t they just get over it?”
Bon Bon’s voice grew louder as she went on and she screamed in frustration. Both Crystal Note and Lyra just stared, utterly amazed from such an outburst of the usually collected mare
“Wow. You’ve been holding that one back for a while, haven’t you Bonnie?”
Bon Bon groaned frustrated. As usual, Lyra just had her figured out, so there was no reason denying it any longer
“Yes! And I can’t tell you how good it feels to let it out!”
They exchanged a quick glimpse before they focused back on the crying mare in there middle
“Your turn now, Crissy.”
“Yeah, let it out.”
Crystal Note shook her head with her eyes clenched shut, but Lyra and Bon Bon insisted relentlessly
“Crissy, this is eating you up. It’s hurting you. You can’t carry this around with you forever.”
“Aren’t you angry? Disappointed, maybe? Come on, you can tell us. We won’t think less of you if you do.”
Crystal Note shook her head vehemently and shivered. Between long, desperate sobs, she managed but a few words
“I can’t… I don’t know… I don’t deserve…”
Bon Bon frowned but before any anger could flare up inside her, Lyra shook her head
“Yes you do, Crystal Note. You just have to try it. If you can’t talk, try singing.”
That was just enough to throw Crystal Note off loop
“Singing?”
“Yeah. You always have a song for every occasion. When you can’t find words, I’m sure you can still find that song. I know it.”
Bon Bon nodded approvingly and squeezed Crystal Note’s hoof encouragingly
“It’s worth a try, Crissy. It’ll make you feel better, I promise.”
Crystal Note still hesitated but Lyra wouldn't let her pull away
"Come on, you need this. We're here with you and you're safe with us. No matter of you're angry or sad, you can let it out. We'll never think any less of you if you do."
Crystal Note wavered in her decision but Lyra just gently directed her gaze to her eyes
"Don't you trust us?"
The crystal unicorn stared for moment, but then nodded vehemently, which made both Lyra and Bon Bon smile softly
"It'll be okay. Just close your eyes and let it out."
Crystal Note closed her eyes and took a deep breath, even if it was still hitched from crying. Bon Bon and Lyra waited patiently and stayed close
“It’s okay, Crissy. How do you feel?”
Crystal Note sobbed and tried several times, but each time her voice broke down
“I… I feel like… like…”
Finally, her voice took that familiar quality as she started singing, scared and sad and quietly
Like a storm is raging inside of me
It’s getting harder to breathe…
It hurts deep inside…
Just let me be
Who I am
Doesn’t anypony understand?
And I hope so hard for the pain to go away.
And it’s torturing me…
But I can’t break free…
So I cry and cry but I can’t get it out…
Crystal Note quickly dissolved into tears again and Lyra and Bon Bon pressed in close, crying as well when they heard the deep pain in her friend’s voice.
The crystal unicorn sobbed loud and clung on her friends who just held her in their middle. After a few minutes, when Crystal Note had calmed down at least a little, Lyra tried with a weak smile
“Okay, maybe singing wasn’t the best idea right now.”
“Ya think?”
Lyra could help but burst into laughter at Bon Bon’s sarcastic tone
“I’m not sure. Maybe we should give it another shot.”
“Oh no you don’t! “
Even Crystal Note’s lips twitched into a quick smile as Lyra laughed even harder as Bon Bon rolled her eyes
“You’re unbelievable, Lyra.”
“Unbelievably smart, maybe?”
“Nope. Unbelievable.”
Crystal Note chuckled softly, even though tears still ran down her cheeks.
"You guys... thank you so much."
She smiled when her two best friends squeezed her gently
"We’re here for you, Crissy.”
“We don’t care what everypony else thinks. We know who you are and we like that pony a lot.”
Finally, Crystal Note’s tears ran out, partially from relief but mostly from pure exhaustion. Within her friends’ embrace, her eyes closed down and she passed out. Outside, a storm was raging and inside her as well, but right now, here with her friends, she was safe.
Stats
Page generated in 0.015 seconds
Total duration
983 users online
1,277,863 hits today, 1,996,409 yesterday
FIMFiction
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic Fanfiction
Designed and coded by knighty & Xaquseg - © 2011-2024
Follow & Support Us
Support us
SubStar
Chat!
Discord
Follow us
Twitter
MLP: Friendship is Magic® - © 2024 Hasbro Inc.®
Fimfiction is in no way affiliated with or endorsed by Hasbro Inc.®
I can just imagine Cadence's reaction. She might even publicly flog them.
Edit/ps: that song was awful. She couldn't even make pain sound decent
Crystal Note needs hugs. End of discussion.
9532682
Agreed.
9532364
Sometimes things just are not pretty.
To be honest, the song I used as a template is decent and I butchered it. It seemed more fitting like that.
9533060
Yeah. This is one of those cases where bad writing (or rough writing?) looks better than good.
It just helps display the pain she feels.
9533326
Yes, I thought so too.