Hello, My Name Is...

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The sound of spoons hitting the sides of cups as ponies stirred their coffees and teas filled the Cat's Eye Café. It was an ever-constant ambient noise that brought Crystal Wishes a sense of calm despite her nervous, pounding heart.

The journalist from the Mares Monthly magazine sat across from her and tapped a pen against his notepad to test the ink before he looked up and smiled at her. "I'm ready whenever you are."

Crystal nodded. A hoof raised to tuck a strand of her blonde mane behind one ear, which flicked at the light touch. "Go ahead."

Wrapped in silver magic, the pen hovered just above the waiting paper, poised and ready to strike. "Let's not waste any time and get straight to the point: you are C.W. Step, popular romance novelist beloved by mares and stallions alike."

"Yes, I am," she replied while she folded her hooves neatly in her lap.

The journalist smiled. "It's been four years since you published your first novel, and now you have three under your belt as well as several serials in Mares Monthly. Today, you are ready to drop the guise of your penname and come out from behind the veil. What prompted the change?"

A chime of giggles escaped Crystal. "To put it simply, because I want to expand my horizons. I want to start attending more conventions, traveling to more cities, and meeting more ponies. I could do this while maintaining the anonymity of C.W. Step, but frankly, I don't enjoy feeling like I have to hide myself."

"Well, then, why don't you tell us who you really are?" He chuckled. "Who is the mare behind the books?"

Crystal took a breath in. It was time. Time to accept the good and the bad that would come of this interview. Going public meant staying public; there was no taking it back. "My name is Crystal Wishes. I have recently moved to the Crystal Empire to follow my husband in his changing career, but in my heart, Canterlot will always be my home."

"Your husband? Ah, so somepony has already captured the heart of Mares Monthly's Lady of Romance?"

"Oh, yes. We actually just returned from our honeymoon." Her teacup levitated and she took a quick sip to compose herself. Her agent, Sunset Coffee, had warned her about divulging too much about herself. The only problem with that was she wasn't sure exactly where the line was and when she might cross it.

The journalist bobbed his head. "How wonderful! Do you think your own relationship experience has affected your writing?"

Crystal nearly snorted her tea as laughter tried to overtake her. "I'm sure some of my experiences have bled into my fiction from time to time."

"What about the other way around? Has what you've read and written in the world of romantic fiction prepared you for the reality of love?"

After a startled pause and lowering her teacup back to its saucer, Crystal answered with utmost care, "There are so very many paths of love, in both fantasy and reality, that I don't know if anypony can be truly prepared. For me, it was a winding road with unexpected twists and turns along the way. For a friend, it was a hard fall before a whimsical rise. And for another, it was sunshine and roses after a tentative game of hoofsie.

"Everypony finds love in their own way, and I think it is our right as hopeless romantics to seek out as much hope as we can from stories while we wait for our wishes to come true."

"Mmhm, I see." He winked. "It almost sounds as though you want ponies to read more romance novels. I can't imagine how that would benefit you!"

Crystal laughed politely behind a hoof. "Oh, I have no idea."

"Now, let's return to the important matter at hoof. C.W. Step—is there a story there? Why that specific pseudonym?"

"Oh, yes." She hooked her forehooves together and rested her chin on them. "My fillyhood friend, Velvet Step, was the one who pushed me to get my work published through Mares Monthly. She had submitted my information to them, posing as the agent for a 'C.W.' When it came time to pick an official pseudonym, I chose to add Step to my initials as a way to thank her for everything she's done for me."

"How wonderful! So much meaning behind one word. And finally, what should your fans take away from knowing the mare behind the books?"

"What should they take away?" Crystal lowered her gaze for a moment before nodding after some thought. "I suppose they should take away that I'm a pony, just like them. I'm honored and flattered by some of the fan mail I receive and to hear that I've touched the lives of ponies I've never met. But I don't really want to be an inspiration or an idol."

She smiled, shaking her head as she continued, "I want to actually and truly meet those who read what I write. I hope that by letting everypony know who I am, that will be the first step in getting to know my fans, now that they know the real me."

♡

Crystal sighed as she sat in the middle of the small but serviceable quarters she and Silent Knight now called home. It was free housing provided by the Guard, so she certainly couldn't complain, but there was just something missing. The buildings of the Crystal Empire were, unsurprisingly, composed primarily of crystalline materials. A part of her missed the beautiful hardwood floors and polished hewn stone of Canterlot.

There was also the teensy, tiny issue that she had brought nothing that couldn't fit in a box with her to the Empire. The rest she had left for Velvet to keep in the condo they used to share. That meant they only had a regulation standard bed, locker, footlocker, armor stand, table, and two chairs. The kitchenette was stocked with the bare minimum for home-cooked meals. The rest of their furniture? Boxes.

Three boxes of equal size were side-by-side to serve as their couch. A long but narrow box posed as a coffee table. Other boxes were stacked against the walls in order of descending depth as makeshift shelving for what little had been unpacked.

As much as Crystal was loath to admit it, she was rather accustomed to just... having things. The place felt so barren and empty without pictures on the walls or real bookshelves. She would never mention it to Silent, but 'regulation standard' was not something she was sure she could live with.

Of course, if she could just finish unpacking, then she'd have room to place proper furniture. She levitated the nearest box closer and opened it up to look inside. How many possessions did a mare really need? Certainly not as many as she had!

Her ear flicked. Maybe this would be a good opportunity to pare things down. She'd make three piles: keep, donate, and sell. This would be a breeze! She would have fewer things, they would have more space to buy things together as a couple, and make some bits from the 'sell' pile.

That plan flew right out the window when she realized it was her own box in front of her. Of course, all of the boxes except for two were hers, so that wasn't much of a surprise.

Underneath a protective layer of some scarves and shawls was a picture frame that featured her two closest friends in all of Equestria since foalhood: Velvet and Horsey. It had been taken during their first year at Canterlot Academy, when manes were voluminous, makeup was wild, and colorful clothing was hot. It was also before Horsey had left Canterlot to seek a happier life in Ponyville. So many memories bubbled to the surface of her mind just from looking at Velvet's goofy grin and Horsey's shy smile.

Crystal giggled and levitated the frame over to the makeshift coffee table. That was a keeper for sure. The shawls and scarves that had protected it were also to be kept! They were now living in the Frozen North, after all. She'd need all the bundling materials she owned, and possibly even more than that.

Taking up the rest of the space in the box were countless notebooks, all with numbers on their covers. A soft, wistful sigh escaped her as she picked up #27 and flipped through it. Scenes, short stories, snippets, outlines, and character notes flashed before her eyes until she reached the last page. There was absolutely no way she could get rid of any of them! They were vital. Necessary, even!

It took about two hours, but Crystal had finally made three piles: want to keep, need to keep, and absolutely must keep. She glanced between them and groaned, flopping over to lie on her back. How long would it take before she could make sense of everything and turn the place into a home?

The floor, made of perfectly smooth crystal of a muted, dark blue color, was dreadfully cold and uncomfortable. One of the spare notebooks floated over, wrapped in her light pink magic, with a quill tagging along and she levitated them above her as she started to take notes.

1 — Get a rug.

2 — Move boxes to make room for rug.

Her nose scrunched up and she scratched the lines out to start over.

1 — Clean up before Silent gets home.

2 — Finish unpacking!

3 — Get a rug and don't move any boxes because they're all unpacked.

With a resolute nod, she dropped the notebook back onto the pile of its brethren. "Okay," she muttered and sat upright. It was time to get serious. For real!

Another hour went by and though she didn't make any progress on paring down, she did get the clothing tucked away into the locker that currently served as her dresser and the notebooks stacked in a corner of the bedroom. Just as she started to break down the box to have it sent out for recycling, the front door opened.

"I'm home," Silent called, slipping his helmet off and onto the armor stand.

Crystal hopped to her hooves and trotted over to greet him with a kiss. "Welcome home, husband."

Silent smiled down at her. "Thank you, wife."

They gazed at each other a moment before Crystal bubbled with giggles. "It still doesn't feel real!" She pranced into the kitchen and listened as he started to remove the rest of his armor. "How was work?"

"Still doesn't feel real," he said, chuckling. "It's been a long time since I worked with Shining Armor. I didn't realize how much I missed his mentorship."

"You two are so cute together," she teased. She filled up a kettle with water, then set it on the stove and looked over at him with a grin. "Should I be worried?"

Silent snorted. "No. Unfortunately, I don't think I could tear him away from Lady Cadence. It looks like I'm stuck with you."

Her ears wiggled. "In sickness and in health, my love!"

"Mmhm." He eased himself onto the box-couch and stretched out. "How did your interview go?"

"Oh, well—well. It went well." She leaned against the counter. "I'm a little nervous, but what's the worst that could happen?" A soft laugh escaped her as she rubbed her foreleg. "I mean, aside from everypony who knew me in Canterlot finding out that I write romance novels. And everypony here I try to meet knowing that, too."

He inclined his head to look at her. "That doesn't seem like too bad of a worst case scenario to me."

Crystal sighed. "I suppose not. At least the ponies here are less judgmental about things like this." Her tail flicked with light irritation as she turned back to the stove. "I'm sure my mother is going to have some cross words for me about how my 'tawdry affair' reflects on her."

A tapping sound responded. She looked over to see him sitting upright, one hoof patting the empty spot beside him. After a moment of uncertainty, she walked over to sit down and smiled as he wrapped a wing around her to pull her close.

"You wanted to do this, right?" he asked, nuzzling the spot behind her ear. "This was your choice, wasn't it?"

She tried not to shiver at the sensation that would otherwise be a tempting offer. "Well, yes, I—"

"Then what does it matter?"

She tilted her head and furrowed her brow. "I don't exactly enjoy disappointing her at every turn."

"Oh well." He shrugged, dropping back down onto the box-couch and placing his head in her lap. "I think that's just the destiny of children. We disappoint our parents. Then we have kids and they disappoint us. Now forget about all that and pet me."

Crystal gazed down at him for a moment before giggling and running her hoof through his mane. "I'll be sure to use that line in my next novel. The readers will love such a whimsical sentiment."

He hummed at her touch and closed his eyes. "How is that going? Your next novel?"

"It will be coming along nicely once I get this place in shape." She smiled down at him. "It's hard to focus on writing with so much work to do! I think it might help motivate me to unpack if I buy some things to brighten the place up."

"Brighten the place up?" He gestured vaguely at their crystalline surroundings. "Crystal walls aren't bright enough for you?"

She huffed and swatted at his shoulder. "Oh, you know what I mean!"

"Yes, yes." His hoof dropped to land on the box-couch. "Some real furniture?"

"Yes. And maybe a painting or two. And some new sheets." She scrunched up her nose. "The ones the Guard provided are too itchy."

After a pause, Silent sat upright and dropped down onto the floor to walk over to where his armor rested on its stand. "I know I already gave you your allowance, but let me give you some extra bits for shopping."

"Allowance?" Crystal blinked, her head tilting one way, then the other.

"Yes?" He glanced between his bit pouch and her. "The twenty bits I gave you yesterday as spending money?"

A small sound rose in her throat and she strangled it with a smile. "Oh. Right."

She had an allowance? Of twenty bits? Was that a day? A week? A month?! She had spent those bits on lunch with the journalist! When he had given them to her, all he had said was, "You shouldn't have to worry about bits, so here." He hadn't mentioned it was an allowance!

She watched him with what she hoped was a neutral smile as he walked back over. Did he think that was a lot? Did he expect her to live on twenty bits? She had never considered herself a materialistic mare, but suddenly she wondered otherwise.

He held out two twenty bit pieces. "Here you go." He smiled. "I want you to be comfortable here, so don't be afraid to spend it all."

She tried to take them as graciously as she could. He thought it was a lot. In a way, it was extremely endearing. He never had to pay rent because of the Guard, and his meals were either cheap or free, also thanks to the Guard.

On the other hoof, she was almost terrified to know how much the Guard paid him after taking care of his room, board, and food. Did she make more than him? Would he be offended if he knew how paltry forty bits was to her?

"Thank you, honey," she said, tucking the bits away into her own bit purse before returning to the kitchen as the kettle whistled. One little secret couldn't hurt. After all, if he didn't discuss his finances, then it wasn't lying to do the same. "What kind of brew do you want?"

"Mm, what was the one from yesterday? I liked that." He sat back down and stretched out, yawning.

She smiled and levitated a glass jar off a shelf that contained a mix of tea leaves and spices. "Coming right up. Oh! And don't forget, you're on your own for a few days next week."

After a brief pause, he nodded. "Right. Horsey's foal is due. That's fine. I'll see if Runic wants to come visit." His ears flicked. "Do you think you can make room for the table he got us for our wedding before then?"

"If all goes to plan, I'll have this place ready for anything within the next few days. Living in a box warehouse doesn't feel befitting of a handsome lieutenant and his beautiful wife." She winked at him as she brought over the steeping tea.

He chuckled and accepted the teacup. "I don't know. It is a versatile storage solution, if you think about it. Modular furniture that you can arrange into anything and keep your belongings in. Maybe we should market it, get rich, and retire to live at Colton Head Island for the rest of our days."

Crystal sat down next to him and nestled up against his side. "That's a wonderful idea, but I don't think you would ever be happy in retirement."

"You're probably right, but if I had you with me, I think I could manage." He wrapped a foreleg around her shoulders.

She closed her eyes and smiled, a soft hum rumbling happily in her throat. "I'll start the process right away, then." She raised a hoof. "To our retirement."

He took her hoof in his, lifted it to his lips, and kissed it softly. "To our retirement."

Days Seem to Fly

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Everything in the Crystal Empire shimmered, from the buildings to the streets to the ponies who lived there. Of course, ponies from all over had flocked to the Empire after it had reappeared, but the large majority of the Empire's citizens were crystal ponies.

It really was a glamorous place, even if it was different from what she was accustomed to. Though everything caught the light, every side of each building was perfectly angled so that not too many of them shined all at once and ended up a blinding nuisance. The whole of the Empire was planned with the utmost care and it showed.

That care also meant new buildings were few and far between, so when construction did happen, it was the talk of the Empire.

"Good morning, Miss!" a cheerful stallion chimed as Crystal trotted through the market. "Take a flyer, spread the word! Quills & Sofas has opened a store on Amorphous Avenue!" He held out a bright yellow piece of paper toward her.

Crystal's ears perked as she accepted the flyer. "Oh? Really?" The stallion nodded and the paper confirmed it with the advertisement of the grand opening of a Quills & Sofas store. "Perfect! This is just what I needed!"

A merry little hum gave her hooves a beat to follow as she navigated the streets toward her new destination. Quills & Sofas had been her haven as a foal. There would always be a soft spot in her heart for it, and now that soft spot had hardened into a need! Some piece of home had followed her to the Empire, and she was ready to greet it with open hooves.

Of course, when she arrived at the corner of Geode Gardens and Amorphous Avenue, her humming quieted. The street outside the store boasting a giant 'Grand Opening' banner was full of ponies clamoring to get inside, but more than that, it didn't look familiar at all. It was a bright blue building with several facets and grooves along the top and smooth sides.

Though her heart sunk and ached at the sight of it, she smiled and stood in line with the rest of the ponies. It was still a Quills & Sofas, even if it looked different. It had to, after all. This wasn't Canterlot; it was the Crystal Empire, and it had to match its architectural surroundings.

Ponies made their way into the store as others made their way out. Crystal's interest started to wane after half an hour had passed—or half a bell, as they called it in the Empire. The thought perked her back up as she giggled softly. Oh, the confusion she had felt the first time a crystal pony told her that her order would be ready in 'just a quarter of a bell'.

Finally, Crystal stepped through the doorway and into the shop proper. A smile took over as she stood on the tips of her hooves to get a better view over the crowd and she saw the familiar sight amidst the crystalline decor. There were aisles displaying all sorts of quills to one side of the store and sofas along the walls with a few rows to show off the newer models.

While some of the sofas were made of wood, most of them were shaped crystals to form the base and cushions for comfort. While the style had been considered cutting edge before the Empire had disappeared, it was far from modern, so to increase appeal the style had been named 'mid-millennium modern'.

All furniture from the Empire was, of course, primarily composed of gemstones. The traditional Empire style of decorating was to never use the same gemstone twice in one room, leaving homes to look like an explosion of rainbows. Red couches, blue tables, green chairs, yellow bookshelves, purple desks... It wasn't something Crystal was sure she was going to like.

That was when Crystal realized she was faced with a choice. She needed a sofa, and supporting her foalhood favorite store would make it that much better. But what style? The wooden ones would be more expensive due to the premium on importing them, but they reminded her of home.

However, Canterlot wasn't her home. The Crystal Empire was now. And she had to embrace that by buying a crystal sofa.

As she shuffled her way through the crowd, she spotted a large-plumed quill with little pink crystals adorning the shaft.

She would buy a crystal sofa, and maybe thirty or so bedazzled quills. She needed one in every color. And extras in case of emergency! And even more for gifts.

And that was how, in one trip to one store, Crystal blew past the forty bits, waved as she sailed on by, and dove into her own purse. She had scaled back on the quills when she saw the price of the sofa, deciding to keep it to two for herself and one as a gift for the next time she was in Canterlot.

Then she had gone on to purchased a cute bedspread with blue and pink embroidery, new sheets, a coffee table, a rug, shelves, a painting, and some secure strips to adhere things to the walls. Hammering nails or drilling screws into crystal walls just simply wasn't done, the salespony had informed her, and she had no reason to disagree.

All told, the bill was—oh, she didn't even want to think about it. But they were necessary expenses. A house just wasn't a home without personal touches! Everything was scheduled to be delivered that afternoon, and she still had just over an hour before her lunch with Lady Cadence.

What to do, what to do? She hummed in thought as she picked a street at random to wander down. She had spent plenty enough, so a free or highly inexpensive activity would be good. That ruled out more shopping or loitering at a cafe.

That was when her gaze drifted by and snapped back to a massive building not too far away. The library! A skip in her step urged her to move faster. Yes, curling up in the library with a nice book for a while was a perfect way to relax before she invariably worked herself up into a frenzy over the risk of making a fool of herself in front of Lady Cadence. And best of all, it was near the palace, so she didn't have to worry about being late if she got lost in a story.

Walking through the oversized double doors, Crystal lifted her gaze to admire the shelves of books that rose a full two stories along the walls of the open atrium. Veins of light ran throughout to provide a gentle glow to read by, and there was ample seating around every corner. It really was a haven for bibliophiles.

"Hello," the mare behind the counter said, offering the same warm smile that every Empire citizen had. Unlike the ones flashed in Canterlot, it felt genuine and sincere. "What brings you to the Lodestone Library?"

The glimmering appearance of crystal ponies had yet to lose its breathtaking impact for Crystal. The librarian was several different shades of blue, with an aquamarine coat, a tanzanite mane and tail, and turquoise eyes behind a pair of glasses. Crystal tried to smother her amused smile. It was hard to look at them and not see them as gemstones come to life.

Crystal finally replied, "Just hoping for a nice read before lunch."

The mare bobbed her head. "Well, are you looking for fiction or nonfiction?"

Crystal shifted. There was only really one genre that interested her, but she felt her cheeks heat up with embarrassment at the thought of saying it to a complete stranger. "I, well." She cleared her throat and glanced around. Perhaps she could spend her time better than by getting lost in a fantasy. "I've just recently moved here, you see, so I was wondering if I could learn more about the Crystal Empire."

There was an unnerving pause before the mare's eyes seemed to shimmer with delight. Slowly, she rose from her seat, walked around the bench, and offered a hoof to Crystal. "You have come to the right pony, ma'am. If there is anything to know about the Empire's history, then I am your mare."

"Oh?" Crystal smiled and shook the hoof, only to find that it hadn't been held out to her in greeting. The moment their hooves touched, the librarian held on and started dragging her across the floor. "O-Oh!"

"My name is Sapphire Pageturn, and for the next three hours, I am going to take you on a journey back in time."

Crystal swallowed. "Three hours? I'm afraid I only have an hour to spare."

Sapphire stopped in her tracks, Crystal nearly stumbling from the sudden halt. "What?" She looked at Crystal with a frown. "You want me to encapsulate the entirety of the Crystal Empire's history in an hour?"

"No?" Crystal practically squeaked. "I was just hoping you could recommend a good book for me to read?"

Sapphire scrunched up her nose, huffed, and let go of Crystal's hoof. "Do you want to learn or not?"

After a brief moment of wondering what she had just unleashed and how to react, Crystal settled on a light smile. "Would you be agreeable to a one hour lesson, a lunch break, and then reconvene for the remainder?"

"I suppose that's only fair." Sapphire nodded and hooked her foreleg around Crystal's to continue her marching mission. "Good. Then let's not waste any time."

♡

Lady Cadence had a hoof over her mouth to poorly conceal a grin. "And so you will be leaving here to return to your lesson?"

Crystal sighed from where she sat across from Cadence on one of the palace balconies, two teacups and a plate of tiny sandwiches set out for lunch. "Don't get me wrong, Lady Cadence, I—"

"Please, you don't need to call me that. I get enough of that formal business from your husband." Cadence giggled and levitated a sandwich from the plate to take a bite.

Crystal gave a reluctant nod. "If you insist."

"I certainly do." She waved a hoof. "Now, continue, what shouldn't I get you wrong about?"

"The things Sapphire is teaching me are interesting." Crystal lifted her teacup to her lips before continuing in a mumble, "But I had just wanted to read a romance novel, that was all."

A chime of laughter bubbled up as Cadence tossed her head back. "And now you're learning the entire history of the Empire! What's not romantic about that? You have the two key elements of a good romance: longing and desire." The smile on her face didn't match the mischief in her eyes. "For something other than what you're doing, but the sentiments are there."

Crystal couldn't help but laugh as well. "Well, when all is said and done, perhaps I'll campaign against you to be the next governor. I'll surely know enough about the Empire to impress the citizens."

"I look forward to the challenge." Cadence raised her brow. "Just remember that I am bigger than you."

"Ponies like to root for the little pony," Crystal retorted, sitting up straight and putting on a serious face.

They stared at each other a while longer before laughing once more. After a break to enjoy the cucumber and ranch sandwiches, Crystal leaned back in her seat and looked out across the glimmering city.

Cadence smiled as a cool breeze drifted by, stirring the curls of her mane. "How are you adjusting to life here?"

"Hmm?" Crystal shifted her gaze to Cadence and tilted her head. "Well enough, I suppose. The ponies are much happier and friendlier here."

The corners of Cadence's mouth dipped just enough for her smile to near a straight line. "But it's not home yet, is it?"

Crystal blinked and quickly waved a hoof. "That's not it at all! It—" She winced when Cadence just stared at her. "It—It isn't, no, but it will be. I'll make it a home." Her own smile returned. "Silent's here with me, and that's what's important." With a small giggle, she inclined her head toward her saddlebags resting against the wall. "But speaking of making my house a home, I was unpacking some boxes this morning and found something for your amusement."

Cadence perked up and her ears gave a small wiggle. "Is that so?"

"It is." Crystal's magic opened the flap and levitated a wrapped item over. "I almost forgot I had this, to be honest."

With utmost care but an eager smile, Cadence undid the wrapping and, upon seeing the contents, froze. She slowly lifted her gaze. "Oh, sweetie."

Crystal felt the color drain from her face. "I—"

"You bought these?" A dinner plate featuring Cadence's likeness stared back at its namesake. "I wouldn't have expected a mare like you to fall for the 'Royal Wedding' merchandise fiasco."

Crystal tried to swallow the lump in her throat. "I'm so sorry," she said in a voice as tiny as she felt, her ears falling to the sides. "Velvet and I, we—"

Cadence sighed. It was a light and airy sound, but it weighed heavy on Crystal's mind. Without another word, Cadence got up from her seat and gestured for Crystal to follow. "It's a shame what they did to my wedding. The plates, the dolls, the action figures, the comic books..." She rolled her eyes. "Do you remember that 'Precreating the Royal Wedding' article? They 'precreated' my dress right out of my hooves! Do you think I was going to wear the dress they guessed I would wear even though it was the one I wanted?"

"Cadence, I'm so—"

A raised hoof cut her off and they walked in silence down a corridor and into Cadence's office. Cadence led her over to a china cabinet set against one wall, turned to face her, and grinned. Crystal flinched back until she noted the expression looking at her, chanced a peek at the display case, and gasped.

The likenesses of Cadence and Shining Armor filled every shelf. Things Crystal had never even seen in the stores during the lead-up to their wedding! Little glass chalices with their faces carved into the stems, candle holders in the shapes of their cutie marks, bottles of wine with the labels themed with their colors... Crystal stared in awe.

"I have the complete set of everything!" Cadence exclaimed, an excited squeak in her voice. "Who couldn't! Who wouldn't!"

Crystal sucked in a breath and glanced between the cabinet and Cadence. "You—You—You scared me! I thought you were mad!"

Giggling, Cadence shook her head. "Of course not! But the opportunity presented itself for me to see for myself if what your friend wrote to me was true or not. And it was."

"My who wrote what?" Crystal furrowed her brow.

Cadence walked over to her desk and sat down, folding her hooves on the tabletop. "I suppose I'm not supposed to share this, but as governor I am entitled to make the rules." She sat up straight and with all the regality in the world. "On the day of your arrival, among the usual mail was a letter from somepony in Canterlot. I recognized the name Velvet Step and read it straight away."

Crystal's ears pinned back. "What did she say?"

"She wrote to inform me that you are a delight to tease and cute when pouting." Cadence wagged a hoof. "And I agree that both are so!"

Crystal groaned and rolled her eyes in spite of her smile. "Halfway across Equestria and she still finds a way to torture me."

"Isn't that what true friends are for?" Cadence winked.

The smile on Crystal's face widened and she relented with a nod. Maybe not for some ponies. But for her, it was. She could easily imagine Velvet's wicked grin had the mare been there to see her wilting under the fear of Cadence's ire.

Yet somehow the thought made her feel terribly homesick. Cadence was too full of sugar and sweet to be the master troll that Velvet was. She hadn't realized until that moment how much she would miss the teasing, the taunting, the suggestively shaped desserts, and the vulgar accusations.

Crystal swallowed the sudden heartache and smiled. She would see Velvet in less than a week. It would only be for two days, however, so she would have to make sure to give Velvet every opportunity possible to make her blush.

♡

"I'm home," Silent called, two words Crystal still loved to hear. He stopped just barely inside the doorway and looked around. "Oh, wow. Somepony was busy today."

Crystal hopped off the couch and trotted over to greet him with a light kiss. "Doesn't it look great? I still have so many boxes to unpack, but we have a real couch now!"

He kissed her cheek, though his attention and gaze were preoccupied with looking around the living room. The remaining boxes were stacked in the bedroom to keep them out of sight, leaving the main space to seem like a perfectly normal, lived-in home.

"You did great, honey," he finally said and smiled at her. "I'm impressed. I just thought you were going to buy a couch."

Crystal felt her heart flutter with a moment of panic. Was he suspicious of how she had spent the bits? She watched as he started to remove his armor. "Oh, well, you know. They opened a Quills & Sofas shop, so they had a grand opening sale." Which was true!

"Did they?" He inclined his head toward her, smiling. "That's nice. Luna likes that store." There was a falter in his smile as he said the name, but before she could say anything about it, he looked back at the armor stand to finish undressing. "Well, the couch looks great." He walked over to it and flopped down. "Feels great, too. Good choice."

With a lash of her tail to release the pent-up anxiety, Crystal made her way into the kitchen. "I'm glad you like it. I also got us a new bedspread and sheets."

Silent stretched out on his back and yawned. "You must be great at finding good deals."

"Well." She flicked the stove on and set the kettle on a burner. "Unlike in Canterlot, the vendors here don't mind haggling. That certainly helps." Which was also true!

"Oh, that's interesting. Well, whatever works." When she glanced over at him, she saw a smile on his face as he continued, "I'm just glad you're making yourself comfortable here. I know it's not like what you're used to in Canterlot."

She waved a hoof. "I'm adaptable! Besides, with the boxes out of sight, I can put them out of mind and do some writing. I know it's still early in the month, but I want to get my next serial to Sunset as soon as possible. I've fallen out of my writing habit and that just won't do."

"What's this next one about?"

The heartwarming feeling of characters dancing about in her mind filled her chest as she recalled her outline. "This one will last me a few months, perhaps. Just a short tale about a princess and a stablehoof who tends to the royal herd of cattle and sheep." She giggled as she put the kettle on and walked over to the couch.

Silent shifted to make room for her to sit and gazed up at her. "You really do like writing about princes and princesses, don't you?"

Crystal smiled and playfully bopped him on the nose. "Ponies like reading about princes and princesses, so yes."

"Mmhm." He raised one brow. "I see, so you're saying you have no interest in being a princess. I'll keep that in mind."

"Now, I didn't say that." She leaned down to loom over him with an attempt at an intimidating expression. "It depends on what kind of princess I would be."

"A pretty one?" he offered, grinning as he was rewarded with a laugh.

Crystal tried to straighten up, but his hoof caught the back of her head and pulled her in for an upside-down kiss. "You're such a flatterer," she mumbled against his lips.

"I try." His ears wiggled. "So how does the lowly stablehoof woo the pretty princess?"

"Oh, how presumptuous! In fact, he doesn't." She clicked her tongue, straightening up. "You have it backwards. The princess woos the stablehoof."

Silent shifted to put his head in her lap and closed his eyes. "While you wait for the water to boil, why don't you tell me their story?"

Crystal smiled down at him, ran her hoof through his mane, and started, "Well, the stablehoof started out as a regular farmer of no real consequence. One day, in the middle of a storm, he rescued a mare from a herd of stampeding cows, only to discover she was a princess. She rewarded his deed by giving him a position as the royal stablehoof, and..."

Life's a Happy Game

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A strange sense of trepidation pervaded Crystal's entire being when the train rounded the last corner and Canterlot came into view. It had been less than two weeks since she was last home, but for some reason she felt underwhelmed at how it looked exactly the same. She wasn't sure what she had expected to see, of course, so she shook her head and put on a smile.

When the station drew near, her gaze immediately found the pony she was there to see: Velvet Step stood on the platform, wearing a ridiculously large hat that was bright red in color and clashed with her light pink coat. Crystal sputtered into laughter at the sight of it all; Velvet wasn't one to wear such things, so what in Equestria was she doing?

Once the train came to a halt and Crystal gathered her suitcase—just one, to avoid Velvet's teasing about her supposed inability to pack light—she hurried to the nearest exit and had barely gotten one hoof down before a squeal of delight and a thundering of hooves came her way.

"Crystal, Crystal, Crystal!" Velvet nearly bowled Crystal over from the impact of a leaping hug. The hat took issue with the sudden movement and flung itself into the air, landing a few paces away. Her mauve mane was tied into its usual bun, two rebellious strands framing either side of her face. "You're here!"

Crystal laughed and returned the hug with equal force. "I am! Though your hat isn't anymore!"

"My hat?" Velvet inclined her head just enough to peer over her shoulder at the object in question, then shrugged. "It's not mine, so oh well."

Crystal raised one brow. "Not yours? Then why were you wearing it?"

"I found it. Somepony left it in the middle of the street, I thought it would be funny to wear."

Crystal stared at her a moment before releasing a heavy sigh. "I've not even been gone two weeks and already you've fallen into petty theft and wearing strangers' clothing?"

With a huff, Velvet pulled away from her and stuck her nose in the air as she turned toward the station doors that led to the city. "It wasn't theft! It was a classic case of finders, keepers!"

"Mmhm." Crystal smiled and trotted after her. "I've missed you."

Velvet flashed a grin. "I know."

"'I know'? You're supposed to say you missed me, too!" Crystal bumped their shoulders together. "I can turn around and get right back on that train, you know."

Velvet let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine! Of course I've missed you. You could have come to visit sooner, though."

"I could say the same to you." Crystal's tail flicked. "No housewarming party?"

"Oh! Oh, really? Oh, okay, sure! Who sent me a letter saying that they were embarrassed of the state of their—what did you call it?—box warehouse? So yeah, no housewarming party!"

Crystal scrunched up her nose before relenting with a snort. "That's fair. All right, I concede victory to you."

Velvet skipped a step to throw a hoof in the air. "Yay! And to celebrate, I'm going to take you to a new cafe that opened up this week!"

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Crystal smiled. "After we drop off my luggage, of course." The suitcase hovering in her magic lightly tapped Velvet on the rump for emphasis.

"Yeah, speaking of, I guess the Empire is going well for you. I can't believe you only packed one suitcase!" Velvet added a little skip in her step as they turned onto Portobello Parkway and the condominium building came into view.

And there it was. Perhaps she should have just packed the four suitcases she wanted to if this was the way Velvet was going to treat her. She laughed softly and shook her head. "I learned it from watching you, actually."

Velvet grinned up at her. "Uh-huh, yeah, whatever." As they walked through the doors, Velvet started humming. When they reached the stairs, she said, "So, you know, it's been a while since you were at the condo."

"Right?" Crystal responded, concern slipping into her voice, one brow raising.

"Things have changed. I mean, not a lot. But it might be a little shocking. So, don't freak out, all right?" Velvet fiddled with the lock before pushing the door open.

The suitcase hit the floor, Crystal's focus on levitation lost, and her jaw fell with it. "Wh-Whoa!"

Gone were the familiar bookshelves that lined one of the walls, replaced by a floor-to-ceiling mirror that reflected her shocked expression. Gone was the couch she had spent so many evenings lounging upon, its place taken up by several oversized seating pillows. Gone was the coffee table that had been home to papers and tea, leaving the middle of the room free for morning stretches and evening practice.

Crystal swallowed. "You weren't joking about the change." She tried to crack a light grin as she shifted her gaze to Velvet. "You realize I left all the furniture as a courtesy to you."

"I know that!" Velvet grabbed Crystal's suitcase and carried it inside. "I didn't get rid of anything. I just, well, rearranged some stuff. The bookshelves are in my room now, and your room has the couch. And the table. So your room is kind of part living room, part guest room now."

The grin strengthened with sincerity as Crystal teased, "Oh? Do the guests not stay in your room with you?"

Velvet's head snapped toward her before she sputtered into laughter. "Yeah!" She rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah, they do." The hoof slid down to scratch her shoulder as she mumbled, "Awkward..." She cleared her throat. "So, anyway, lunch?"

"Yes, please." Crystal smiled and walked alongside her as they made their way back out of the building. "I've done a little reading. Not a lot, mind you, as I have to be careful with what I read at the library, but I've read some things nonetheless."

"What do you mean, 'reading'?" Velvet's ears flicked, a nervous look flashing across her face.

Crystal beamed back at her. "I want to understand what it's like to be you! Or, at the least, as best I can. You don't want a special somepony and you know what? You're not alone!"

"Okay." The caution didn't leave Velvet's tone. "Great."

"But there are still a lot of questions I have, and if you're willing, I'd like to talk about them with you." Crystal ducked her head to try to catch Velvet's gaze. "Velvet, I would very much like to write my next book based on you. Loosely, of course! But I want you to know you're not alone or strange."

Slowly, the tension in Velvet's face and shoulders seemed to ease and she even offered a light smile. "Don't be silly. You can't be a romance writer who writes a story with no romance. Especially not after you just went public! Great interview, by the way. I especially liked the part where you talked about your friend, Velvet Step." The smile lifted into a grin. "She seems like a fabulous mare."

Crystal nuzzled their cheeks together. "She is, and that's why I'm willing to bet I can write a perfectly good novel about a mare who doesn't end up with anypony without enraging my readers. I know somepony who is a strong advocate for the power of a pony as an individual, after all. That's a perfectly viable angle."

"If you're sure." Velvet laughed. "It's your career, not mine!" She raised a hoof to point at a building up ahead. "So, anyway, this is the place. Zest. Somepony bought that old store that sold silly hats and turned it into a cafe."

Crystal tried to wrack her brain, glancing at their surroundings. "Magnificent Millinery?" She frowned when she spotted the sign for the store in question. "Oh, no. The Stallion's Stetson?"

Velvet waved a hoof. "No, no. It was Belle Beret. Proves my point, though. Way too many hat stores! Anyway, Zest is pretty cool." She pushed open the door and the smell of vegetables wafted out. "The schtick is that you order your meal in pieces. First you pick a base, like lettuce or bamboo. Then your toppings. Then a dressing."

Crystal's eyes went wide as she looked at the menu behind the counter that listed just about every vegetable one could think of as a topping, along with at least twenty different dressings. She quickly glanced them over, then looked to Velvet for help and squeaked, "What do you recommend?"

"Oh, definitely the bamboo." Velvet nodded. "Some ponies think it's too tough, but it's so much sturdier than the lettuce wraps. They've also got zucchinis as a middle ground, but I really like the bamboo."

"Okay." They shuffled forward in line. "I've actually never had bamboo before."

Velvet patted her on the back. "Well, then, today's the day to try something new! Something to... add a little zest to your life!" She grinned.

Crystal blinked. "Is that their slogan or something?"

"No, but it totally should be." Velvet smiled at the cashier as they approached and chimed, "Two bamboo boats, please! With shredded lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber slices, and cheese—on just one, please, no cheese on the other." She looked at Crystal. "What kind of dressing do you want?"

"Oh, uh, um." Crystal stared at the list of options with wide eyes. "I, uh. Thousand Island? Yes?"

Velvet looked back at the cashier. "Thousand Island on the one with no cheese. Raspberry vinaigrette on the other. Please and thank you!"

After paying for their order, Crystal was surprised to see a tray waiting for them with the meals already prepared. She lifted her gaze to see several ponies behind the counter, putting orders together as they were being placed. Everything was laid out efficiently for the fastest service she'd ever seen.

"So," Velvet started as they sat down at a small table against the window, "how is life in the Empire?"

Crystal offered a light shrug. "Oh, I can't complain. It's different, that's for sure. But I think it's different in a good way." Her ears perked before folding back. "Speaking of, thank you so very much for the letters you've been sending to Lady Cadence."

Velvet grinned in between bites. "Anything for you!"

"Of course." She rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. Before she could continue, a stallion walked up to their table. She blinked, her gaze immediately drawn to him and his unique appearance.

Overall, he was fairly normal, with a white coat and a shaggy brown mane. What set him apart, however, was that his legs and ears were black. "Good afternoon, ladies," he said, glancing between them. "I just wanted to thank you for stopping in to eat at Zest today. We're still trying to spread the word, so here are some coupons to entice your friends." He set a hoofful of papers on the table. "Is there anything I can do for either of you today?"

Velvet shook her head. "Nope, we're good, but thanks, Sprouts!"

He smiled, though there was a small twitch at the corners of his lips. "Great! Enjoy your meal and have a good day, you two." He bobbed his head before moving on to the next table.

Crystal leaned in and whispered, "Who was that? The owner?"

"Yup." Velvet took another bite and said around it, "Harvest Sprouts. Nice guy. Serious 'bout sprouts. Doesn't like to be called Sprouts, though."

"I see. And so you call him that because?"

Velvet grinned. "It's funny?"

Crystal sighed and bit into her vegetable-laden bamboo shoot. The texture was a little tougher than she was expecting, but it had a pleasant enough flavor that went well with everything else Velvet had ordered for her. "This is really good, by the way. A good recommendation." Her ears wiggled and she dabbed a napkin to the corner of her mouth to catch any stray dressing before she asked, "Well, then, how are things at the Royal Ballet? How are your parents?"

"Good and great. It's only been a few weeks, Crystal." Velvet waved a hoof. "Life doesn't change that fast."

♡

"Hi, Crystal! Hi, Velvet!" Horsey beamed at them as they stepped off the train. Her brown mane was tied up into a messy bun and her blue coat was a few shades darker from sweat. "I'm sorry to spring this on you when you've only just gotten here, but I've gone into labor."

"What?!" Crystal shrieked. Her suitcase fell to the platform and she rushed over, her gaze darting between Horsey and Savoir. "Why aren't you at a hospital right this instant?!"

Savoir chuckled and shook his head. "You know how she can be. She wanted to be here to greet you both." He leaned down and nudged his head against hers. "Now can we go, mon coeur?"

Horsey bit her lower lip. "But their luggage—"

"Forget the luggage! Horsey, you're about to have a foal!" Velvet gawked at her. "Seriously how can you be thinking of anypony else at a time like this?!"

"It's really not that urgent," Horsey replied with a small giggle. "It only started an hour ago. There's still time." Her breathing was slightly erratic and she grunted as she took a step forward. "Let's at least get your luggage settled before—"

"Nope, nope, nope." Crystal gathered up Velvet's bags and her own in her magic, stuck her nose in the air, and started trotting. "Savoir, I don't care if you have to drag your wife. She is going straight to the hospital and that is that."

Horsey let out a high-pitched whine as Savoir chuckled and said, "Oui, Madame." He nudged Horsey gently. "I am sorry, ma mie, but Crystal is right. It is time to get you off your hooves."

"Ohh..." Horsey sighed and walked with some noticeable effort to follow after Crystal. "All right, if you're sure."

"We're sure," the three quickly responded, then laughed.

Velvet pranced alongside Horsey, an almost painfully big grin on her face. "I can't believe it, I can't believe it! Horsey, you're going to be a mom!"

Horsey's cheeks flushed and she nodded. "Y-Yes. Yes, I am."

"Life really does change super fast. Sorry, Crystal! I was wrong about that!"

Horsey blinked a few times. "Super fast? But I've been pregnant for almost a year..."

Savoir smiled down at her. "I believe it is a joke between Crystal and Velvet, ma mie."

"Oh... Aww." Horsey's ears drooped. "I remember when I used to be in on the jokes."

Savoir chuckled and nuzzled his face close to her ear as he mumbled a single word: "Taillevent."

Horsey squeaked and bubbled into a fit of giggles, swatting at him with one hoof. "Sav! Don't remind me! Oh my gosh, that was awful! Awful. Dreadful."

Crystal looked to Velvet, who shrugged, then over at Horsey. "What did he say?"

"It's kind of a long story, but—" Her ears perked. "Oh! Oh, I see!" She beamed up at Savoir and started giggling all over again. "They're not in on the joke! We have a joke! Oh, Sav, you're the best."

"I do try." Savoir nodded his head toward the big hospital building they approached. "Now, will you behave for the doctor, mon coeur?"

Horsey huffed lightly. "Of course, now that Crystal and Velvet are here."

Crystal swallowed as she eyed the building, large and wide and perfectly white. Eerily white. A chill coursed through her veins and her stomach turned on itself as images of Silent's time spent in the hospital flashed in her mind's eye. Flickering fluorescent lights. The stench of rubbing alcohol.

Just as Crystal's knees started to feel weak, Velvet gently coaxed, "Hey, you okay? You look like you're gonna pass out."

"Yes. I'm fine." Crystal swallowed, though her mouth was dry, and she flashed a smile. "Just nerves."

"Well, there's nothing to be nervous about!" a voice chimed from above just before a pegasus landed beside Horsey. "Hey, girl. Today's the big day, huh?"

Horsey nodded. "I've been doing the yoga stretches you recommended! And the breathing exercises."

"Great!" Cloud Kicker grinned and tossed her bright yellow mane. "When you've recovered, we'll have to get you back on your workout regimen." She winked. "You can only use this 'pregnant' excuse for so long!"

When they walked through the double doors that led into the hospital, a bright mulberry-colored earth mare looked up and smiled. "Hey, Savoir, Horsey," she called as she stood and approached them. "Glad I caught ya 'fore you go in. Here." From her saddlebags, she produced a bottle of wine and held it out. "For the special occasion. Barreled it when you two got married." She winked. "Thought it'd have more time to age, but you two had other plans, it seems."

Horsey's face turned a bright red and Crystal stifled a giggle. Velvet looked at Berry Punch and said with a grin, "Well, you know how it goes. First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a foal in a foal carriage."

Berry returned the grin. "Sometimes not exactly in that order, huh?"

Velvet laughed, Crystal flushed with sympathy for Horsey's embarrassment, and Horsey squeaked, "Okay! Well! Berry, thank you for the wine. Savoir, please take the wine from Berry. I need to lie down!"

A look of concern filled Savoir's expression as he lowered his head to hers, brow furrowed. "Are you okay? Or are you just embarr—"

"The pregnancy! Labor. Definitely labor pains!" Horsey hurried to the front desk, her movement somewhat stilted, her face bright red.

Crystal smiled as she stood with Velvet, Cloud Kicker, and Berry while Savoir followed after Horsey to help check her in. "I'm so happy," she mused aloud in a soft voice.

"Why's that?" Velvet asked, her gaze wandering the much-too-clean waiting room.

Crystal looked between all the ponies looking back at her. "Horsey has really made such a great life for herself. She has such wonderful friends, an even more wonderful husband, and now she's going to have the most wonderful foal. Moving to Ponyville was the best thing that could have ever happened to her."

Velvet nodded idly. "Yeah, that's true. Well, maybe moving will be just as wonderful for you, or something."

All Crystal could do was smile in response, but her heart wasn't in it. What could the Empire hold for her that she didn't already have? Finally, she managed to say around the lump in her throat, "I certainly hope so."

Stars in their Eyes

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Hospitals. Crystal would be perfectly content if she had never seen one again after Silent's coma almost two years ago. There was some relief in that she wasn't there for something awful, but something wonderful—a little bundle of joy-to-be.

Her pounding heart and the sweat beading on the back of her neck didn't seem to care about the reason, however. It still looked, smelled, and sounded like a hospital. The light chatter between the ponies that had gathered wasn't enough to keep her fully in the moment rather than stuck in the past.

"Hard to believe that Horsey's gonna be a mom already," Cloud Kicker commented. She was lounging on one of the chairs, one hindleg draped over the side and her head tilted back to stare up at the ceiling. "I remember when she first came to town. Doesn't feel like that long ago..."

Berry Punch raised one brow. She sat on the floor with her head resting in the seat of a chair so she could stretch out her legs. Her usual drawl was mitigated by speaking softly and quietly as she said, "Really? I'm surprised it took this long. Nice mares like her become mothers fast."

Velvet nudged her elbow into Crystal's side and whispered, "You okay?"

Crystal blinked a few times. "Hmm?" She looked at Velvet. "Yes. Why?"

"You stopped breathing." Velvet glanced around before leaning in closer to Crystal. "Are you thinking about—"

"I'm fine!" Crystal snatched a Filly magazine in her magic and brought it over. "I'm just nervous. About Horsey. I just hope everything goes well."

Velvet eyed her with clear skepticism, then shrugged. "All right, fine, suit yourself." She rose her voice to ask, "Hey, Berry, do you think you could teach me about what wines pair well with what?"

Golden Harvest, who had been sitting quietly with a fashion magazine, looked up to grin and say, "If Pinot can't teach that, then she's been wasting her time as a vintner."

"Ha, ha." Berry stuck out her tongue. "You're hilarious, Carrot."

Golden's smile fell as she huffed and raised the magazine to cover her face. "Rude!"

Crystal stifled a sigh as she feigned interest in an article. It was about the latest celebrity news. She remembered when she was young and knew all the popular ponies in fashion and music, but now she recognized none of them. Idly, she flipped through the pages until she got to a section of reader-submitted short stories.

Finally, something she could get invested in! Just because the audience was younger, that didn't mean the writers couldn't put out quality works. Crystal felt the tension at the back of her mind ease as she started to read the first submission.

Day Mac averted his gaze, his cheeks darkening to a deep shade of red. "I..." His light purple orbs shimmered a bit as his gaze crept back to her. "I forgive you, Miss Saline."

In a fraction of a second, she smiled and threw her forelegs around him in a gesture widely known as a "hug." He was not prepared for the physical contact and stared straight ahead with a look that read, 'What do I do?'

Crystal read the passage a few more times before she blurted aloud, "What are orbs?"

A strangled snort was Velvet's only response as she leaned toward Crystal to read over her shoulder. After a moment, she replied, "I was going to say I knew, but I've never seen orbs that shimmered. That does give me some ideas, though."

"What?" Crystal glanced between her and the story.

Velvet laughed and waved a hoof. "I think it's supposed to be eyes, or something."

"Then why not simply say 'eyes'? Why 'orbs'?" Crystal's ears folded back. "Do ponies really write this way these days?"

"Well, to be fair, Filly is aimed at ponies fresh out of elementary school," Cloud Kicker teased.

Crystal sighed and tossed the magazine on the table situated between all of the waiting room chairs. "Well, this 'Juvenile Quartz' pony can keep their orbs. That is the strangest way to refer to eyes I have ever read."

"I don't know," Berry mused. "I've seen 'em described as endless pools."

"Don't forget soul windows." Velvet laughed. "In one of the Prima Donna books, they were windows to the soul."

Crystal shook her head. "Those are meaningful metaphors! Orbs is just—" She waved a hoof. "Oh, it doesn't matter." Her gaze fell to the floor and she muttered, "It's been two hours. Everything's all right, right?"

From where he had been pacing off to the side and out of they way, Hors D'oeuvre stopped to look at the group of mares, his sights set on Crystal. "Sans doute! My brother would never let anything go wrong." He offered a weak smile. "This is simply something that takes time and patience."

"Says the colt who's been wearing a hole in the floor." Cloud Kicker laughed.

Hors shot her a playfully dirty look before he returned to pacing, gaze fixated firmly forward.

Velvet chimed in, "Hors is right, though. It does take time. It can take anywhere between half an hour to six just to start the process. Then there's all the post-labor stuff, and..." She blinked when she noticed all eyes on her. "What?"

"You seem to know an awful lot about this for a mare who doesn't have a foal," Crystal said with one brow raised. "Unless you're keeping a secret that I need to know about?"

Velvet rolled her eyes and swatted a hoof at Crystal while the others laughed. "It's not like that! I just did a lot of reading when my mom was pregnant with my little brother, jeeze."

Before Crystal could respond, the front doors opened and an apricot-colored mare trotted in with a box balanced on her back. "Hi! I'm sorry I'm late." She stopped and looked between them all. "Am I late?"

"Nope. Just in time, Marmes," Berry said. "Velvet was gonna tell us 'bout her secret foal."

"There's no secret foal!" Velvet whined.

Marmes blinked a few times as her gaze shifted to Crystal and Velvet. "Velvet? I recognize that name." She slid the box into an empty seat before approaching them. "You two must be Velvet Step and Crystal Wishes. Horsey dear has told me so much about you two. I don't think we've met formally, though." She smiled and raised a hoof to shift her orange braid out of the way before reaching out in greeting. "I'm Marmes Malade. Savoir and Horsey are two of my favorite customers."

"Nice to meet you," Velvet said, accepting the hoof. "What do you mean, customers?"

"Marmes makes the best marmalade in all of Ponyville," Golden Harvest said, leaning toward the package Marmes had brought. "What's in the box, Marmesy? Tell me you brought enough for everypony."

"Well, yes, and no. I only brought a jar for the new parents-to-be." Marmes smiled softly. "If you want, dearie, I can bring a batch by your house tomorrow."

Golden beamed at her. "That'd be great!"

Crystal tilted her head and glanced between Marmes and the box, which could easily have fit twenty or so mason jars. "It must be a very large jar of marmalade."

Marmes tilted her head, then raised a hoof to hide a chuckle. "Oh, no, dear. I brought some gifts for the foal." A light red hue showed through her coat. "I'm a bit of a hobbyist crocheter, you see. Usually just cozies for the jars. But when I found out that sweet Horsey was going to be a mother, I just couldn't help myself."

"So what you're saying, Marmesy, is that you've brought a giant box full of foal blankets." Cloud Kicker grinned and looked down at Berry.

Berry snickered. "Sounds 'bout right."

Marmes shifted on her hooves before sitting down beside the box and putting a hoof on it. "It's not just foal blankets." A shy smile crossed her lips. "It's also little hats and booties." In a quiet voice, she added, "But, yes, it's mostly foal blankets."

Crystal looked around the room and started to smile. How lucky Horsey was to be surrounded by so many friends and so much love. She had truly earned it, too. An overwhelming sense of pride for Horsey calmed Crystal's nerves, at least for the time being.

Two hours turned into three and was nearing on advancing to four when Nurse Crimson Cross walked over to the group. "Hello. Are you all here waiting for High Horse and Savoir Fare?"

Everypony scrambled to their hooves and surrounded the nurse, showering her in a cascade of questions. Crimson Cross raised a hoof to stop them when Crystal asked, "Is she okay?"

"Yes, she is okay." Crimson turned and gestured for them to follow. "And she is waiting for you all to meet her."

Hors stopped in his tracks, his eyes going wide. "The foal is a she? I have a nièce?"

Crimson just nodded in response, the squeals of the other mares keeping her from saying anything.

"Oh my gosh, they have a baby girl!" Velvet bounced with each step. "They have a daughter!"

Crystal smiled brightly. "I bet she is beautiful, just like her mother."

There was a bit of a scuffle when they reached the door. It was only wide enough for one pony, and none of them had agreed on who would go first. Nurse Cross simply stood off to the side, waiting for them to sort it out, an amused smile on her face.

"Hello, everypony," Horsey called softly from the bed, a bundle of pink cloth cradled to her chest. Her brown mane was matted with sweat and her eyelids drooped with exhaustion, but she practically glowed.

Hors was the first to speak after tearing his gaze away from the bundle to look at Savoir. "Comment est-elle?

Savoir stepped forward to greet his brother with a tight embrace. "Elle est parfaite," he said, his voice hitching some. "Absolument parfaite." He pulled back to smile. "Come along, everypony. Please meet our daughter, Claire de Lune."

Quietly, they gathered around the bed while Horsey pulled back some of the blankets with utmost care. Sleeping in a field of pink was a unicorn foal, her coat a light grey color that was tinged with blue. A shock of white ran through her otherwise light purple mane. The chorus of awws that went around the room roused the little filly from her slumber and, after a wide yawn, she blinked her eyes open.

"Oh my word, Horsey," Crystal breathed more than said. "She has your eyes."

Velvet let out a dreamy sigh. "I forgot how perfect foals are... Red's already grown up so much I forgot how tiny he used to be."

"You've done good, you two." Cloud Kicker smiled. "Really good."

Berry nodded in agreement. She turned her head away to hide the quick movement of a hoof wiping tears from her eyes.

Marmes clasped a hoof to her cheek and cooed, "She's so beautiful that I don't even mind that I forgot to grab the box before we rushed in here..."

"Bonjour," Hors said, lowering his head to Claire. "I promise, ma petite, I will spoil you more than either of your parents would prefer."

Horsey giggled, though the sound was a little breathless. "Thank you, everypony."

While the group fawned over the newborn, Crystal's focus was instead on Horsey. The mare gazed fondly down at her foal and was positively radiant. She had never looked more unspeakably beautiful than she did at that moment, not even on her wedding days.

If nothing else, there was one thing that Crystal knew for certain. Whether Claire wanted it or not, Horsey would raise her with love and acceptance. Claire would want for nothing, and Crystal had no doubt that Horsey would make sure of that. History would not repeat itself with this generation.

♡

"Keep up! We do not have all day, Mademoiselles," Beignet shouted over the noise of his cooking. Though he had seemed like a nice enough stallion when he briefed Crystal and Velvet on waitressing at Haut-Savoir, once the lead chef got behind the stove, his demeanor had changed completely.

The new waitress that would take over Horsey's shift wouldn't start until the day after next, so Crystal and Velvet had foolishly volunteered to help out. It was barely past noon and Crystal was pretty sure her hooves were ready to give out. Velvet fared better, but she struggled with taking and remembering orders.

"I can't believe some ponies enjoy this," Velvet muttered to Crystal as they took their respective trays from the kitchen. "Horsey is lucky I love her, otherwise I would have walked out hours ago."

Crystal giggled. "Just keep thinking of that cute little foal upstairs. That's how I'm managing!"

"Yeah. That and the fact you have magic to carry these trays. Seriously, you—Hi! Here's your spinach quiche, ma'am." Velvet smiled a little too wide. She had never quite mastered the Canterlotian plastic smile.

Crystal just giggled again as she kept walking toward her own table. "Here you are, Mademoiselle. I have your gratin dauphinois ready for you." Her magic set the plate down and levitated the other. "And for you, Monsieur, your roasted vegetable crepe cake."

Once certain the customers were satisfied, Crystal turned to take the tray back to the kitchen when she spotted Horsey coming down the stairs. "Horsey?" She started toward her. "Is everything okay? Is Claire okay?"

Horsey skidded to a halt, then nodded. Her movements were hurried and almost erratic. "Yes! Claire is fine. She's sleeping right now. I have to warn Beignet." She made her way to the kitchen. "Beignet! Please get the beignets ready!"

"What?" The stallion looked at her, his eyes going wide. "They did not have a reservation for today!"

Crystal glanced between them. "Who are 'they'?"

Horsey ignored her for a moment to reply to Beignet, "I know, and I'm sorry! But I just saw them coming up the road. They're on their way."

Beignet muttered various words in Prench, the meaning of them made clear by the less-than-pleased tone he used.

Horsey turned to Crystal with an exasperated smile. "It's going to be okay. You just may need to stall them for a moment while Beignet gets the beignets together."

"All right. That's fine, but who are they?" Crystal's gaze flickered between Horsey and Beginet as he started furiously rolling out dough. "Are we under siege?"

"What?" Horsey bubbled with giggles and shook her head. "Oh, no, no. Luxury loves his Sweets, and his Sweets loves sweets."

Crystal blinked slowly. "What?"

"You'll see." Her ear twitched and swiveled at the sound of the front doors swinging open. She turned to flash a smile. "Good afternoon, Luxury, Sweet Baby."

Luxury, a somewhat rotund earth stallion with a bright orange mane and moustache, made a scoffing noise. "Little Miss High Horse, now, I do believe my eyes deceive me! Are you up and about on your hooves instead of restin' upstairs with your brand new foal?"

Before Horsey could respond, Sweet Baby jumped forward. While Luxury's whole figure was rounded, Sweet Baby was rounded in a very voluptuous way. Her blonde mane was tied up in a tall bouffant that, if included in her height, made her nearly as tall as Luxury. "Oh, Daddy Lu! Don't worry so much! If Horsey thinks she's good to be on her hooves, then why, I say that means she's fine!" She batted her long eyelashes as she wiggled about. "Horsey, sweetie, I'm just so happy for you! You're gonna be a perfect momma!"

Horsey smiled and bobbed her head. "Thank you, Sweet Baby. Have I told you about my Canterlot friends?"

"Canterlot?" Sweet Baby practically squealed. "Oh, honey, you've not mentioned that before!" Her big blue eyes turned on Crystal. "It's so divine to meet you!"

Luxury sniffed the air, idly musing, "I do hope that's beignets I smell..."

Sweet Baby swatted at him. "Daddy Lu, where are your manners? How can you be thinkin' of food when we're in the presence of a proper lady?"

Luxury grunted and said nothing further, but he did give his attention to Crystal.

"Oh." Crystal glanced at Horsey, who quietly excused herself and backed away to return upstairs. "Well." Stall, stall, stall... She smiled. "I suppose I would still be her Canterlot friend, though I've recently moved to the Crystal Empire."

"The Crystal Empire?" Sweet Baby gasped and covered her mouth with a hoof. "Oh my sweet sweets, aren't you just fancy?" The way her eyes sparkled with delight matched the little silver tiara atop her head. "It's like I'm in the company of royalty!"

"And what is your name, little miss?" Luxury smiled at her. "Don't believe we caught it."

Crystal ducked her head. "I'm so sorry, how rude of me. My name is Crystal Wishes. Horsey and I—"

"Did you say—" Sweet Baby took a step toward her. "—Crystal Wishes?"

"Y-Yes?" Crystal blinked.

"Daddy Lu." Sweet Baby grabbed onto his foreleg and tugged it. "Daddy Lu, Daddy Lu, Daddy Lu! Do you realize what is happenin' right now?"

"'Fraid I don't, pumpkin pie."

"Crystal Wishes. Born and bred Canterlot lady, moved to the Crystal Empire. Nice and pretty as can be." Sweet Baby squealed, "Daddy Lu, we are not in the company of royalty, but one of my most favorite authors in the whole entire world!"

Luxury eyed Crystal a moment before he broke into a smile. "The C.W. Step? Why, my sweets was just talkin' the other day 'bout an interview she read of yours."

Sweet Baby beamed up at her. "Miss Wishes, I would be so very touched if you would dine with us."

"And speaking of, where are our beignets? And when are we going to get ourselves a table?"

"They're almost ready," Beignet called from the kitchen. "Almost ready!"

Crystal glanced around and gestured at a nearby empty table. "Please have a seat. I don't know if I can—"

"She totally can," Velvet cut in, her sudden appearance startling a small yelp from Crystal. "Don't worry, Crystal, I'll cover your tables." She winked and added in a quiet voice, "You wanted to go public, right? Well, reap the benefits and have some sweets with these nice ponies."

Crystal hedged at first, but finally relented by taking one of the chairs. She smiled at Velvet before looking at Sweet Baby. "It's such a pleasant surprise to get to meet one of my fans."

"Fans? Oh, my word, 'fan' is such a tiny little word." Sweet Baby wiggled in her seat. "That does not even begin to describe my depths of my devotion to your works! As I always tell Daddy Lu, he's my Prince Highborn, my Sir Chevalier, my Stoutheart!" She dropped her chin to rest in her forehooves. "You absolutely must tell me everything."

Crystal blinked. "Everything?"

"Everything," Luxury repeated. "My sweets is always talkin' 'bout how she wants to know how you come up with your stories. So, Miss Wishes, if you will oblige us?"

"Oh, well, all right." Crystal took a breath in and tried to decide where to start. She hadn't really prepared herself for running into a fan in such a casual, unexpected way. What was she supposed to say? What questions would Sweet Baby ask? How would she answer?

Finally, Crystal smiled and felt the tension leave her shoulders as she relaxed into her seat. This was what she wanted, and as Beignet came over with an oversized plate that must have had forty or fifty beignets on it, she resolved herself to enjoy every bit of it. And that included having some of the sweet little puff pastries while she chatted with a fan.

A Little Black Rain Cloud

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"I'm home," Crystal called as she opened the door to her and Silent's quarters. The lights were off and it was just a bell before noon, so it was no surprise that Silent was at work. That didn't keep her tail and ears from drooping a little at the empty home, however.

Crystal sighed and brought her luggage in, dropping it on the sofa while she collapsed on the rug. A soft groan dragged out of her, starting as a low moan and ramping up into a high-pitched whine.

She had come to the complete and total conclusion that a job that required her to be on her hooves for hours on end was her definition of Tartarus. And she had only done it for two days.

After a final snort to relieve the remaining frustration and exhaustion within her, Crystal rolled over to sit upright and looked around. The space was emptier than she remembered. Hadn't she gone shopping recently? Why were there no personal touches? Savoir and Horsey's home above the restaurant was full of memories and love. Velvet had made the condo her own. This place was still cold and smooth—too smooth.

A shopping trip was definitely in order. All she needed was a couple picture frames, some vases, a few doilies… Crystal smiled, rising to her hooves and retrieving her saddlebags. And, perhaps, she could surprise Silent and drop by for an impromptu lunch. He might enjoy that half as much as she would! In fact, that seemed like a wonderful place to start.

The sights of the Crystal Empire were wondrous as always and had yet to grow old. Though she was fairly sure it would have to happen eventually, she had some doubts about that. The stained glass murals in Canterlot Palace always took her breath away whenever she had stopped to really look at them. Perhaps casual strolls through the Empire would become less brilliant with time, but if she ever took a moment to take in the sights, it would likely still glimmer and sparkle with the same radiance that it had on her first visit.

Crystal smiled to herself, trotting down the wide street that led toward the palace. It loomed above without any sense of looming; instead, it was a beacon of all that was good in the world with the way it stood tall and proud. A symbol of peace and harmony. And there was no better pony to occupy it as its keeper than Lady Cadence… even if she had developed the unfortunate habit of listening to Velvet's advice on Crystal's likes and dislikes.

"Hello!" a crystal pony greeted from the street corner. "Hello, would you like to try a sample?"

"A sample?" Crystal stopped and turned her head to look at the stallion. "A sample of what?"

The answer, however, couldn't have been more obvious. He stood in front of a candy store and had a tray of different, colorful sweet treats held in his magic.

The stallion smiled. "Some of our candies, of course! The Crystal Candy Corner has anything you might like, I guarantee! Why don't you try some?"

Crystal walked closer, her gaze darting between the options and her mouth watering in anticipation. Of course, she had already been a mite peckish with the time of lunch approaching, but the candies did look very appealing. "Oh, my, they all look wonderful! What do you recommend?"

"Why not a bit of everything?" He winked and held the tray closer to her. "We have more! Lots more!"

Crystal giggled and shook her head, pawing at the air in his direction. "I'll spoil my appetite if I try everything, sir! But if you have a box of samples I could purchase and enjoy for dessert?"

Quick as a blink, an oversized box just as colorful as what it contained levitated over. "Of course! Normally it's thirty bits, but on such a lovely day for such a lovely lady, who could charge anything more than twenty-five bits?"

A bubble of laughter escaped her and she retrieved the bits. Though it was all a sales tactic, it still felt genuine. Everything about the crystal ponies felt that way, but perhaps when her base of reference was Canterlot, that was just a side effect of culture shock. "You, my good sir, have yourself a deal. I look forward to enjoying them!"

"I look forward to seeing you again as a repeat customer, I'm sure of it!" He waved as she tucked the box into her bags and started on her way back toward the palace. "Have a wonderful day, ma'am!"

"You as well!" she called over her shoulder before settling into a merry little hum. It already was a wonderful day. Their house might not yet be a home, but the Empire and its citizens were certainly growing on her.

When she approached the large double doors that led into the palace, the guards standing at their posts straightened to attention. One cracked a light smile and said, "Good afternoon, Mrs. Wishes. Visiting your husband?"

Crystal bobbed her head in a light nod. "I am indeed! Just a quick little visit before I go shopping."

"Very good, Mrs. Wishes." He pulled the door nearest to him open as she reached the top of the stairs. "Have a nice visit and good luck with your shopping."

The Crystal Palace was unnecessarily large, in her opinion. She couldn't fathom there being a pony in existence that needed doors so wide or rooms so tall. It sometimes made her feel small and insignificant against the crystalline grandeur, a stark contrast to the culture of the Empire. Of course, that didn't detract any from how gorgeous the architecture was. She just wished it was on a more reasonable scale.

As she made her way along the halls, guards greeted her here and there. It hadn't even been three weeks and they were polite enough to remember her name, though she was still learning theirs. She really needed to work on that. Unlike Luna's House Guard, however, there were just so many of them and she had yet to spend any time with them out of the armor. It was hard to remember the name of a pony who had no distinct personality around her.

Brushing the thoughts from her mind, she arrived at Silent's office and knocked, a little jolt of joy jumpstarting her mood when she heard his voice call her in. She pushed the door open, chiming, "Hi, honey!"

Silent froze. He sat behind his desk with a partially eaten sandwich held in his hooves. He glanced between her and his lunch, which he slowly lowered as he said, "Oh. You're back."

One brow arched, Crystal strode over and put her forehooves on his desk. "Yes, I am. Why do you look like a colt stuck in a cookie jar? And where did you get that sandwich? Hmm?"

His wings drooped and his ears folded back. "Sorry. I didn't know you'd be home so soon. I packed my own lunch." He started to stand up. "But I can put it away and we can—"

Crystal sputtered into giggles, waving him back down. "Oh, don't be silly! You're almost done with it, so just finish." She leaned in as far as she could toward him, the desk proving to be quite the barrier between them.

"All right. If you're sure." A smile lit up his face and he met her halfway with a light kiss. "Welcome home."

With a small hum of delight, she stole one more kiss before sitting down. "It's a shame you couldn't come with. Horsey's foal is absolutely perfect."

Silent said around a bite of sandwich, "Yeah? What's 'er name?"

"Claire de Lune," Crystal purred more than said. "A perfect name for a perfect foal. Oh, Siley, she has her mother's eyes, and looks like a beam of moonlight came down from the heavens to grace us with how perfect she is." She hooked her forehooves together to rest her chin on them. "She'll grow up to be a beautiful mare, and with a personality to match it if she has even half of Horsey's kindness."

"Wow." He blinked. "That must be some foal. We'll have to invite them up sometime so I can meet this Claire."

She gasped and jolted upright. "Oh! That's a wonderful idea! When Claire is of age to travel, we should absolutely invite them. They can enjoy the sights of the Empire while you and I sit the foal!"

After a brief pause, his brow knitted and he tilted his head. "Sit the foal? Don't you want to spend time with Horsey?"

"Well, yes, certainly, of course." She waved a hoof. "But you don't understand! Red was an adorable foal. Is an adorable foal. But it's as Velvet said. He's grown so much that I hardly remembered how wonderful little foals are."

There was another pause and he asked slowly, "Are you trying to tell me you want a foal?" One ear flicked. "I'm not against the idea, but we only just got married, and—"

"What?" She scrunched up her nose, then gave a quick shake of her head. "What? No! I'm talking about Horsey's foal, not having a foal! If I talk about somepony's pet, that doesn't mean I want to have a pet."

He eyed her with a look of suspicion before he shrugged. "It's okay. I think it would be normal for you to want to have foals. You'd make a great mother."

She huffed lightly. "I'm not saying that, either. I just want to talk about Claire, and—" She blinked, tilted her head, and then smiled. "Do you really think that? That I'd be a great mother?"

The tension seemed to leave his shoulders as he relaxed back into his seat, nodding. "Of course. Just… in a month, maybe. Or two. I'd like to get settled here in the Empire before then. If that's okay with you."

"Oh, honey, I'm fine with waiting much longer than that." She shifted one hindleg to cross over the other. "If it's okay with you, I just want to enjoy the married life for now. Besides, I can enjoy Horsey's foal in the meantime." She giggled and inclined her head toward the saddlebags resting on the floor beside her. Her magic sought out the flap and retrieved the box of candies. "For now, why don't we have dessert?"

Silent's ears perked and angled toward her, interest glimmering in his eyes. Even he, who had never expressed an excessive fondness for sweets, was drawn in by the colorful box that promised a delightful experience. "What's that?"

Crystal set the box between them and pulled back the lid. "A sampling of what they sell at the Crystal Candy Corner." A shiny yellow, spherical candy with a swirl of white in the center rose in her magic and bobbed over to him. "Try it and see what you think!"

"What is it?" he asked, but opened his mouth and accepted it nonetheless. His nose wiggled when he tried to bite into it and the sound of his teeth clacking revealed it to be much softer than anticipated. "Oh," he said, chewing the sugary remains, "it's lemon. And soft. I thought it would be a hard candy."

"Me, too!" She retrieved a half-pink, half-white sphere for herself, bit down with much more care, and giggled as an explosion of flavor burst along her tongue. "Mm, strawberries and cream…"

Silent picked up another—this one yellow with a green stripe—and balanced it on his hoof to give it a closer look. "You should get more of these." His gaze lifted to meet hers. "Unfortunately, my lunch break is almost over, so—"

"Oh! Right!" She scooped the box back into her saddlebags. "I'm sorry, I got carried away. I have some shopping to do, so I'll see you at home?"

He smiled and rose to his hooves when she stood. "Of course. Do you have what you need to buy what you want?"

Suppressing a giggle, she leaned in to kiss him one more time before turning to the door. "Don't worry about my bitpurse! It and I are just fine. Have a good day, dear!"

♡

While unpacking yet another box from the pile that never seemed to grow any smaller, Crystal had made a most wonderful discovery.

Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee.

Her record player and collection of records had been safely tucked into a box at the bottom of a stack. Oh, how she had forgotten the joys of song in her life! She hummed along with the tune as she dusted the shelves and rearranged her most recent purchases.

Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away.

The world was so much brighter with music. It made the hours pass by like leaves on a stream, and soon Silent would be home. Yes, home—it was starting to feel that way after the past few days of shopping since she got back from Ponyville. A cute collection of pink, blue, and white shimmering vases had been an absolute must-have she couldn't pass up.

Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody.

Frames were affixed to the walls with secure strips, sans any pictures. She couldn't decide which ones she wanted on display; Silent would just have to help her with that when he got home. There was still some time before he would, however, so she was arranging and rearranging and re-rearranging the vases. On the table? On the counter? On top of the bookshelves? So many options!

Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

Her ear twitched at the sound of somepony undoing the lock and she flipped the player off. So perhaps she didn't have as much time as she thought. Music did have a tendency to take away the time she wanted to pass as well as the time she tried to watch. The door would open at any moment, and the vases were scattered in different locations. She had to pick a place, she had to—

Silent walked in, their eyes met, and her time was up.

"Welcome home, sweetie!" she chimed, hoping to look casual as she hurriedly decided on top of the bookshelves would be a suitable place for the time being.

"Thanks." His gaze followed the floating vases while he shut the door behind him. "Somepony's been busy today again, I see."

"Somepony has indeed!" She puffed out her chest with pride. "Every time I go out, I find inspiration to decorate our home with everywhere." Tossing her mane, she looked around at her accomplishments. Individually, they weren't much—little knicknacks, at best—but collectively they really brought the place together. "Even though it looks more like any old Royal Guard base than a Crystal Empire home, it still feels like we're living in a crystalline wonderland. The glamour has yet to wear off for me." She returned her attention to him and smiled. "How was work?"

Silent continued to take a scrutinizing look around, as if playing a game of spotting the differences. "Hmm. Work was fine. Cadence was busy, as usual. Same for Shining Armor. I did have lunch with Russet today, though, so that was nice."

"Good for you!" While he looked at the new decor, she looked at the old. His armor, to be precise. Sometimes it was nice to take a moment to appreciate how well he filled it, and how despite what it covered, she could still see his firm, muscular form. She blinked and tried to focus on the conversation. "Have you made friends with the any of the other guards yet?"

He met her gaze and an unreadable look was on his face. Finally, after a moment, he shook his head. "Not yet. There are a few junior officers I am around more than others, but not a lot. Besides, I have you and Russet."

She huffed and waggled a hoof at him, trying to look stern. "As well and good as that may be, you should make some friends! The ponies here are so nice that I'm surprised one hasn't just declared themselves as your friend already." Her expression lightened as she giggled. "Oh well. I made some good progress today on unpacking. It's your turn soon, mister. When are you going to unpack the one you put in the closet?"

His wings twitched before tucking close to his sides. "Do you need the closet space?"

"No, but it's the last box of yours, so wouldn't it be nice to mark that task complete?" She tried to flutter her eyelashes. Really, she was just obnoxiously curious about its contents. Too many times she had opened the closet, stared at it, and felt like it was staring back at her. She was fairly certain that at one point, a flap twitched as if to ask her to tear it open.

He smiled and shrugged. "Maybe next week?"

The fluttering of her lashes ceased and a frown took over her lips. "But that's what you said last week."

"I'm sorry, sweetie." He lifted his helmet, set it on the stand, and walked over to kiss her cheek. "I just don't feel like unpacking it. I'll take care of it on my next day off."

Curiosity would have to wait. Whatever was in that box was clearly not meant to be revealed just yet. "Oh, it's fine." She giggled and nuzzled her nose to his. "I'm just fulfilling my duty as a wife to nag you a little." With another giggle, she teased, "Get it? I'm a little nag for you?"

One of his brows arched. "I do, but you realize that you are saying that you are, yourself, a nag, right?"

Her ears flicked back and she pulled away from him to shoot him a full-faced dirty look. "Okay, that didn't work out how I intended." She tried to turn her head away from him in a huff, but instead caught sight of the mail resting on the kitchen counter. "Oh!" She returned her gaze to him. "I almost forgot. Mindful Soul sent a letter saying that she'll be here on Friday for your appointment. She requested for you to pick her up at the train station when she arrives, and I believe that's the least you can do since you're having her come all this way."

He nodded and said in a perfectly even voice, "Of course… nag."

A gasp escaped her and she swatted at him. "Hey!" She squeaked when he wrapped his forehooves around her, pulling her to him. "Don't hug me!" She struggled—not too much, of course—and glared up at him. "You called me a nag!"

He nuzzled her cheek. "You called you a nag first."

"Of course! That's my word." She turned her head away from him. "You can't call me my word."

With a soft chuckle, he lowered his head to instead nuzzle her exposed neck. A tingle shot down her spine and almost reflexively, she started to melt. He always knew how to find that particular spot there that sent a wonderful sensation to the very tips of her hooves.

"Stop that…" He kissed and her muscles relaxed. "Don't…" He nibbled and her knees gave out. "Mm, don't stop…"

He put his weight against her and guided her into a tumbling fall to the floor, one hoof on the back of her head and the other around her middle. His wings flared out almost like a blanket to shield them from the rest of the world as he nibbled a trail down her neck.

She giggled at first, then gasped and pushed a hoof against his chest. "Siley!" She tried to move her head away from his ministrations. "What if the neighbors hear us?"

"Then they'll be jealous," he mumbled, the movement of his lips and jaw sending more of those pleasant tingles through her.

Her will to fight him was waning, but she had to at least try. They had missed the rug, and the solid surface beneath her wasn't entirely comfortable, though the cool crystal against her hot coat wasn't entirely unwelcome, either. It was actually a little thrilling, in a way.

"I'm a lady," she tried to say without moaning. "We have a perfectly nice bed and—" She squeaked at the sound of somepony knocking on the door. The neighbors had heard! How would she ever face them after this?! Her face grew hotter than the rest of her while Silent grumbled and they stood up. She tried to smooth out her mane to prepare herself for whoever was on the other side of the door when Silent opened it.

"Sorry to bother you, sir!" a crystal pony said, standing at rigid attention. His gaze was aimed high, which only made her feel all the more embarrassed. He must have heard something. Oh, she needed to figure out who he was so she could never talk to him again.

Silent shook his head and put a hoof on his helmet, ready for the inevitable. "Is something wrong?"

The pony didn't lower his gaze or relax his stance. "The governor sent me to get you herself. She didn't say anything but given that it couldn’t wait…"

"Yeah." Silent looked over his shoulder at Crystal, his eyes asking for permission as well as forgiveness.

Did she want him to go? No. She wanted him to stay. But he would be home later, and she'd be waiting for him. She put on her best smile and waved a hoof. "Go. I know how this works."

Silent picked up his helmet, stole a kiss that was quicker than she wanted, and just like that he was gone. The silence that followed the door shutting was almost harrowing. She waited a while longer, however, in case he might change his mind and deal with whatever it was in the morning. It could happen.

It didn't, but it could have.

She sighed and turned her head toward the record player. "I know how this works," she mumbled as her horn lit up to put the needle down. Wandering over to the couch, she dropped down and settled in for a long night of patiently waiting, hugging a throw pillow close to her chest.

Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
Even as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me…

Time is Racing Toward Us

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There was tension in the air. It buzzed inside Crystal's skull, nipped at her ears, and pinched her nerves. She didn't want to be, but she found herself extremely irritated with Silent.

Not because he had left to take care of his job; she had signed up for that. Not because he sent one of his guards to inform her he wouldn't come home; she had signed up for that, too. No, her mood was foul because she had found out where he was going.

Canterlot. He had been summoned to Canterlot.

Oh, yes, it was bound to happen at some point. Something was going to call him home sooner or later. But she would have liked for it to have either happened much sooner, before she could become attached to the Empire—or much later, after the glimmering appeal had lost its luster.

She knew exactly how things were going to play out. He would be a good guard and not leave Cadence's side until Princess Luna asked for a moment alone with him. It wouldn't even take a full conversation for Silent to miss being her guard. Luna could put in a transfer for him to return to her with no issue. After all, who would deny a princess?

Crystal glared at the room around her and flopped onto the couch. Her magic brought over the box of candies, grabbed one at random, and tossed it in her mouth. The life of the wife of a soldier was troubling. How often would she have to move? She had gotten the towers of boxes down to a single stack! The house was feeling like a home!

She had told herself to not get attached to the Empire and want to stay. She had warned herself that he would miss Luna and they would be back in Canterlot. Well, she hadn't listened, and now she was bemoaning moving again.

After a few more pieces of candy, she sighed and rolled onto her back to stare at the ceiling. It wasn't that she didn't want to go move back to Canterlot… it was just that she didn't want to move back to Canterlot. The Empire was such a happy place. The ponies were so friendly! Yes, she missed Luna, Raven, Painted, Sunbeam, Pepper, Red, and—most of all—Velvet. How could she not?

But the Crystal Empire was like living in a wonderland of bright colors and genuine smiles. Ponies didn't care about how much they made or what they owned. It was a veritable utopia, especially after a life lived in the ruthless high society of Canterlot!

She glared at the suddenly empty box of candies. "I wasn't finished eating," she whined, dropped it onto the floor, and rolled again to face her back to the door. Her tail flicked in agitation.

There was no doubt that she would follow him to the ends of Equestria and beyond if that was what it took. But did that have to mean she accepted uprooting her life, settling in, and uprooting it again with a smile? Couldn't she have some time to be petulant about it?

A long sigh escaped her and she finally sat up, shaking her head. No, no, she had agreed to the oath. She swore to commit herself to a pony whose life was not in his control. She swore to respect the oaths he had taken before marrying her.

Repacking everything, however, was not high on her list of things she wanted to do. After all, there was always the possibility that he would remain dedicated to Cadence. It was small and improbable, especially if he saw Winterspear, Iridescence, Runic, and Miley while he was there.

What she did want to do was get more candy, and so she started toward the door just as a knock resounded. She blinked and, when she answered, she saw Runic standing just outside.

"Runic?" She smiled. "What are you doing here?"

He jumped forward and hugged her tight. "I came to see you! And Silent!" He tilted his head to look past her and into the room. "Oh, is he at work?"

After returning the hug, she pulled away to meet his gaze. "You just missed him, I'm afraid. Ironically, he is likely already in Canterlot by now, or should be soon."

"Canterlot? Really! It would be especially ironic if he was going there to see me. Is he? I can fly back and meet him there! Oh, but first, I have some science to conduct."

She shook her head. "He was summoned on official business, but I'm sure he was looking forward to seeing you while he was there…" She trailed, noticing the crystal stallion standing behind Runic. "Oh, hello?"

"Hi!" The stallion beamed at her. "I'm a science experiment!"

Crystal's ears folded back as she glanced between them. "Runic, what is this about?"

"Science!" He clapped his hooves together. "I'm going to discover what makes crystal ponies crystal!"

"Isn't that great?" the stallion chimed.

Crystal put a hoof on Runic's shoulder, her expression going neutral. "And how do you plan to do that?"

"Well, first, of course, I have to determine if they're actually made of crystal or if it's just a quality of their coat. So I'll need a sample. Do you have a chisel? Or perhaps a scalpel? I can settle for scissors, but that will be less precise."

Crystal gawked. The crystal pony just kept smiling, as did Runic. She shook her head. "No, no, no. I—"

"Hmm, that's unfortunate." Runic tapped his chin. "Perhaps we can ask your neighbors. I'm sure they won't mind!"

"No!" Crystal grabbed him by the collar of his vest. "Nopony is going to conduct science on anypony!"

The crystal pony's ears drooped. "Aww, but I wanted to contribute to science…"

Crystal waved at him. "No, no, I don't believe you do. Why don't you run along now, and be more careful of what you agree to?" Her gaze returned to Runic while the crystal pony walked off, both stallions looking dejected. "Runic, you can't just go around taking a chisel to ponies. How would you feel if they did that to you?"

Runic seemed to ponder this a moment, then smiled. "It would probably hurt. But—but! I'm not potentially, theoretically made of a crystalline material!"

With a sigh and a shake of her head, Crystal led Runic inside and sat him down on the couch. "I am fairly certain crystal ponies feel pain just like everypony else. Now, why don't I make you some tea while you tell me how things are with you?"

"Well, I can't complain, other than missing Silent. Maybe I can still make it home before he leaves Canterlot." He leaned back into the couch, swinging his hindlegs like a foal. "Miley misses him a lot, but she said there was important stuff she had to do so she couldn't come with me to visit. I guess she'll be surprised!"

Crystal nodded, idly filling up the kettle and prepping the teacups. "And how is business?"

He shrugged. "Business is business. It's not as much fun as game nights. We haven't had one of those in a while…"

She flicked the stove on and set the kettle down, then walked back into the living room. "On his next day off, I'm sure it won't be too terribly hard to convince Silent to come to Canterlot for a game night."

"Speaking of—" He sat upright, clapping one hoof against the other. "I almost forgot! When do you two want me to bring the gaming table? Or the dinner table. I guess for you it's a dinner table."

Crystal paused to let her gaze wander the room. "Oh, dear. I didn't think about that. I'll have to do some rearranging… Does next week work for you?"

Runic shrugged. "As long as the trains are still running! I thought about trying to bring it for this trip, but Miley said she doesn't trust the strength potion I'm working on to not stop working halfway through. Something about unpredictable results and the reward not being worth the risk." His bright smile returned. "She worries too much, but it just means she cares!"

"Then next week—by train, please, because I do agree with Miley—I will have the place ready for the table." She smiled and sat beside him. "But don't book the tickets just yet. Between you and me, I'm sure that once he sets hoof in Canterlot, he'll grow homesick and we'll likely move back."

His ears perked straight up and his eyes widened. "Really? Do you really think that? Because that'd be great!"

Crystal raised her hoof to her lips. "I obviously won't know anything until he comes back, but that is what my intuition tells me." Her ear flicked as the kettle started to hiss and she stood to tend to the rest of the tea-making process. "He hasn't really made any friends here, so it won't be too difficult for him to say goodbye."

"Aww…" His wings drooped slightly and he looked genuinely sympathetic, what with the way his brow knitted and his lips pursed. "That's sad. Why hasn't he made any friends?"

"Oh, you know how he is," she said in a teasing tone as she brought over the tray.

He tilted his head. "A loyal friend and a great cousin who takes time to do science with me? Why wouldn't everypony be friends with him?"

"Well—" She laughed. "Well, yes, but he is also not always the most socially inclined." Her magic offered him a teacup and took one for herself. "There's a part of me that thinks he is doing it on purpose, though. That he doesn't want to get attached to this place."

There was a pause while Runic sipped the tea, then finally he said, "But Silent is very social. He and I talk all the time, you know."

She looked at him with a soft smile. For all of his eccentricities, Runic was truly and wholly a good pony with a good heart. She reached out and patted his hoof. "I know."

It wouldn't be so bad to move back to Canterlot. Silent really was more social with the friends he had. In time, he probably would have made new ones, but the friends he had were hard to replace.

♡

Sunlight filtered in through the curtains, rousing Crystal from her slumber. After yawning, stretching, and getting her bearings, she looked to the side to see the pillow beside hers. Empty. As it had been for the past week.

There were rumors that something was happening, but very little was known for certain. The grapevine whispered that every leader—from the mayors of small towns to the governor of the Crystal Empire—had gathered for some secret assembly, and that Canterlot was swarmed with royal guards everywhere.

While two days turned into three, and three into four, and so on until a week had passed by, Crystal felt more and more unsettled. Nopony knew anything, but everypony had something to say about it.

Some believed it was a conference about the economic state of the Empire since its return. But why would that involve ponies from the opposite side of the land? Crystal chalked that theory up to the fact she was surrounded by crystal ponies concerned with the state of their home.

If Crystal had to take a guess, however, she would hazard that it had something to do with the mysterious nox ponies. She knew very little about them, only that Silent had gone on several missions to find them for Luna, and that they lived in nigh complete seclusion. The meeting was likely in regards to the matter of reintroducing a long-lost civilization to the modern world.

She rolled out of bed and went through the steps of making it. Tucking the sheets, fluffing the pillows… She had heard that the best way to start one's day was with a victory, and what better victory was there than a freshly made bed?

Her thoughts wandered while her magic did most of the actual work. It wasn't all that surprising that ponies would be wary of the unknown, but the various leaders would work it out. She was certain the princesses would guide the matter in the right direction. If the nox ponies wanted to return, then why deny them?

With a pleased nod when she finished folding the comforter over, she turned and left the bedroom to head toward the kitchen. Her next victory would be breakfast. Then she'd do some dusting. There wasn't much to clean as, for the most part, she had spent the days sitting in one spot and working on her next novel. Velvet may have been skeptical, but Crystal was confident.

The plot was worked out, more or less, and she had several pages of notes on the characters. There were still some components up in the air—the setting being the most important, of course. Her overarching goal for the day would be to determine where the story would take place, and she had just the collection of inspiration sources for that.

A writer by the name of Sure Stroke had penned several guidebooks that covered various societies within and outside of Equestria's borders. The most wonderful part of all were the illustrations that accompanied the guides. With them, Crystal could translate the vivid drawings into the detailed landscapes in which her characters lived.

Crystal's horn lit up and levitated her collection of those books in front of her. She pursed her lips while her gaze darted between the covers. A setting… a setting… a setting… "Aha!" One moved closer to her and the others returned to their shelf. "Perfect."

Saddle Arabia: Secrets Among the Shifting Sands. She didn't know much about that particular land across the sea, but she could already see her leading lady as a beautiful but dangerous desert rose.

"Oh!" Crystal nearly dropped the book as her focus switched to her quill and she scribbled that down across the top of the open page. "The Desert Rose. Ooh, that is a perfect name." She smiled at the guidebook as she started flipping through it. "Now, let's see—"

The kettle whistled, demanding her attention and forcing her away from the couch. With a huff, she set everything down and hurried over to achieve the victory of breakfast: a nice, fresh cup of tea, a bagel with strawberry cream cheese, and an apple. "Good job, me," she congratulated herself as she settled back down.

Where was she? Ah, yes. Saddle Arabia. Crystal found the section of inhabitants and blinked. There was a scale showing the size difference between the average Equestrian pony and the average Arabian horse. "They're so tall!" she mused under her breath and made a note of that.

She had already written several pages of thoughts, interesting facts, and ideas when her stomach grumbled and she realized her breakfast was completely untouched. Lifting her gaze to the cup of room temperature tea, she frowned. How long had she been caught up in exploring the land of Saddle Arabia?

After closing her notebook and setting aside her research, she levitated the apple from the plate and slid off the couch. Given how her joints ached, the answer of how long was: too long. She groaned and walked with an extra-long stride to stretch out her suddenly sore muscles as she made her way toward the door. A light jog would do her some good. Fresh air, too.

She winced when she stepped out from under the shade of the building and out into the main street of the base. The sun was close to its highest point in the sky, but on the wrong side of it—was it already past noon?

Commotion filled the air and through the squint her eyes were temporarily stuck in, she saw guards going everywhere. Another silly drill. They had drills all the time, or so it seemed to her. She did have to commend them on their dedication, however; each and every one of them had determined expressions on their faces, as though something were really happening.

Crystal waited patiently, finishing off her apple and tossing the core in a bin. When she saw an opening in the stream of guards, she did her best to match their pacing to avoid being trampled on her way to the main gate.

All of the guards seemed to be going to the left, so she hung a right and slowed her pace to a light, casual trot. The further she got from the base and the further she got into the city proper, however, she noticed something very strange.

There wasn't a single pony in sight. Was there a festival going on that she had forgotten? Her gaze darted about as her hooves started to move faster. Perhaps Cadence had returned and everypony was at the train station to greet her.

The sound of the base and the marching guards faded into the distance. Everything aside from her own hoofsteps was silent. Perfectly silent. Too silent.

She approached the town center and didn't hear any fanfare at all: no sounds of a festival nor the governor's return. The pounding of her heart filled the void in her ears. Had all the crystal ponies disappeared again? But why hadn't she disappeared with them? And why was the Empire still there? Was it not a drill at all, but the Guard mobilizing to deal with the situation?

She came to a halt at a four-way intersection and glanced down all the streets. When she spotted a colt standing on a corner with a stack of newspapers, relief spread throughout her chest, calming and cool like the gust of wintry air that tore across her coat.

"Ma'am!" he called, waving a hoof in the air. "Special edition! Free of charge! Important news!"

Crystal tried to smile as she walked over. "Oh, thank you." She took the newspaper offered and paused at the look in the colt's eyes before he turned his head away from her. It was one of trepidation, of uncertainty. But why?

Slowly, her gaze lowered to the page in front of her. A sudden chill froze her blood and stopped her heart. The newspaper dropped out of her magic and trembled in her hooves as she read the headline over and over, as though it might change if she blinked and tried again.

Two words dominated the page. Two words stole the warmth from her.

War Declared

Be a Hero to Us All

View Online

War. Ponies didn't go to war. So why had war been declared?

Crystal swallowed around a lump in her throat as she shifted her attention to the article under the awful headline. Two of the gryphon kingdoms were going to war, and Equestria had pledged its support to its ally, Nordanver, against the invading Sudramoar.

Her head started to spin. Nordanver. Nordanver was where the attack had been that put Silent in a coma. Her stomach clenched and her knees went weak. He was going back to Nordanver. He was going to war. There was no way Silent would stay behind, especially not when the gryphons were involved.

She needed more information. The newspaper gripped in her magic, she started walking, then jogging, then full-on galloping to the library. Tears stung at her eyes from the thoughts swirling through her mind.

Equestria was at war.

Ponies were going to war.

Silent was going to war.

Ponies died in wars.

Silent was going to die.

The doors to the library stood little chance when Crystal found them. They may have been locked for all she knew, but her panic-fueled magic shoved them open with such force that nothing could have stopped it.

Sapphire Pageturn sat behind the front desk, her eyes wide. "H-Hello?" She cleared her throat. "May I help you?"

Crystal's cheeks were hot with tears, and the hitch in her voice only made her feel worse. "I need—I need information. About the Gryphon Kingdom."

Sapphire looked at her with clear concern showing in her knitted brow. "Oh." Her gaze shifted to the newspaper clutched in light pink magic, then lowered to the same one on the desk before her. Slowly, she nodded. "I understand. Please, come with me."

The war hadn't started yet and already it had sunk its teeth into her life and the ones around her. Sapphire, normally overeager to share knowledge to an almost extreme level, was quiet and somber as she led Crystal through the library. The air was heavy with near total silence, the only noise keeping it from being perfect their hoofsteps and Crystal's sniffles.

"Here you are," Sapphire said, gesturing at a collection of books. "These rows contain all the books we have on the Gryphon Kingdom, past and present." She glanced at Crystal. "Is there anything I can help with?"

Crystal remained still for a moment, then tried to smile. "Do you have any tea?"

"Tea?" Sapphire's lips twitched upward and she shook her head. "Normally, we don't allow food or drinks in the library."

"Oh, right, of cour—"

"But," Sapphire interrupted, "I think certain situations call for certain allowances. So long as you don't spill it on anything."

Crystal's smile grew more sincere and, without thinking, she embraced Sapphire. The mare tensed from the physical contact, then relaxed and returned the gesture.

"Thank you," Crystal whispered.

Sapphire pulled back and nodded. "Trying times are ahead of Equestria, but we'll endure. The princesses will make sure of that. I have faith in them."

Crystal just nodded. It was all she could do. What was there to say? She was still crying and not one bit of her had any faith in anything at that moment. She watched Sapphire disappear around a corner, then she sat down and slumped against the towering bookshelf beside her.

Her magic reached out to grab one of the books and brought it over. The History of the Gryphon Kingdoms. It seemed like as good of a place to start as any.

The information filtered in slowly, page by page. The Gryphon Kingdom was originally under the banner of a very powerful gryphon emperor who had no heirs and selected no successors. Upon his death, the four major duchies split from one another and declared themselves independent kingdoms.

Their culture seemed so different from the one to which she was accustomed. Small skirmishes at the borders of the kingdoms seemed frequent throughout their history. Competition was the driving force for them. Sudramoar had made several attempts to expand its territory to seize the resources of the continent.

Crystal lightly sipped the tea Sapphire had brought her and flipped ahead several pages. Useless. This information was useless! Her brow furrowed as she cursed herself. What was she going to do with a history lesson?

She paused when her eyes glanced over the word 'Equestria' and she started the section from the beginning. It was about the conflict from a couple decades back, when King Kronson of Sudramoar had requested aid from Equestria. Ponies were sent to protect civilians from the territorial battle between his gryphons and those of Austveger, the eastern kingdom, as they fought for control over resource-rich lands. Always with the resources.

A chill ran down her spine. She knew about this. This was where Silent's father, Stratus Knight, had been injured. Tears jumped to her eyes at the thought. Was this war where Silent would suffer a similar fate? He had said that Stratus never came back the same. Would she end up like his mother, Wallflower, after all?

The life of the wife of a soldier. Wallflower had explained that concept to her when they met, and she did her best to hold onto those words. Crying would do no good. She raised a hoof and wiped away the tears, then went back to reading.

She just had to find something in one of these books that would help. What? She didn't know. She knew nothing. She just wanted to know something. Anything. Whatever it took to make the fear dull, even just a little.

♡

Crystal jolted awake at the sound of somepony turning the front door's lock. After hours of fruitless research at the library, she had given up and came home to wait for Silent. She must have fallen asleep at the dining room table, where she had been reading the article about the war declaration over and over.

The door opened and Silent stepped inside, freezing when their eyes met. His gaze flicked briefly to the newspaper, and he knew. They both knew.

"Welcome home," she said into the silence, but the words were hollow. She wasn't the one that needed to speak.

Silent bobbed his head in a light nod and removed his helmet. "Thank you." He set the helmet by the door, glanced at her, then started toward the bedroom.

Her gaze followed him a moment. Was he stalling? She slipped out of the chair to walk behind him. "How was your trip?"

"The trip was fine." Short responses. She didn't like it when he gave her short responses; it never meant anything good. "The reason for it was awful."

That was an understatement. "I can imagine," she replied cautiously, eyeing him as he pulled a box out of the closet. The box he'd been avoiding. "What are you doing?"

He didn't look at her. "Unpacking, like you asked."

She opened her mouth to respond, but he pulled back the lid of the box and sighed. Her mouth snapped shut when she saw the contents. A helmet, a cloak, and a sword.

Tears jumped forth and she swallowed to keep them at bay as he took out each item and examined them. He was going to war.

"Silent Knight," she whispered, her voice trembling with the rest of her as she stepped toward him. Maybe he was going to donate them to the cause rather than volunteer himself. Maybe... "Why are you unpacking that now?"

After a pause, his head lowered and angled away from her. "Because disharmony has consequences."

Her brow furrowed. "What?"

He heaved a sigh and put a hoof on the box. "When we do the wrong thing, there are consequences. It was something Luna said to me once." His wings pressed in close to his sides. "I have done the wrong thing, so now I need to do the right thing. I'm not sure what that is, but... I have a guess."

She watched as he picked up the helmet that had been inside the box. It was an older style that didn't have the crest built in, but instead allowed the wearer's mane through the top. Her heart sank, but she fought to hold onto that glimmer of hope.

"I see," she said in a soft voice. "I'm sure you'll figure it out." She reached out to put a hoof on his, but thought better of it and withdrew. It was time to press the topic head-on. "The papers say the Guard is looking for thirty thousand royal guards to volunteer."

He nodded. "They are, to protect Nordanver's cities. Not to fight their battle. The Army likely won't fight much, either. The princesses want a show of force to discourage King Kronson and end the war without combat."

The papers hadn't said that much. It brought her some small relief to hear, actually. "Oh. Well, that makes sense." She shifted from one hoof to the other. "So, then—"

"Russet is going." He drew his hoof over the edge of the helmet, never taking his eyes off it. Never shifting his gaze to her. "He volunteered right away."

She knew where this was going, and she felt a strange numbness in her limbs as a result. "I see."

"It might be bad, though." His hoof dropped down to the floor. "You can never tell upfront. Last time, there weren't supposed to be any casualties, either. Look how that turned out. Ponies died over there while things were quiet here." His ears folded back and he finally glanced at her. Uncertainty was in his eyes. "Perhaps it will be exactly like that again. It really doesn't seem fair."

She shook her head just slightly, maintaining eye contact with him. "No, I suppose it's not."

They stood in silence for a while. Silent stared down at his father's belongings. The feathers on his wings started to shake, as did his right forehoof. "Crystal... honey."

Her chin followed his example and trembled. At first, no sound came out when she opened her mouth. She finally forced out a quiet, "Yes?"

"I—" He swallowed. "I'm sorry. I think I should volunteer." He closed his eyes. "I don't want to. I really don't... but I think I should."

There it was. She knew it was coming, but it still hit her in the chest with a dreadful force. Her body went numb at first, then her blood ran cold. "No." She held her ground even though she wanted to run. Or to hit him. Or to do anything but just stand there, frozen. "Silent Knight, no!"

His tail twitched and drooped. "I don't want to go, but I'm not sure I could look myself in the mirror if I didn't. Do I really have a choice if I feel that way?"

"You do!" Tears blurred her vision. "You have every choice! You're a security chief. That's important! Let the Army go. Let the other royal guards. Let those ponies go. Stay here and protect the governor." A small sob choked her voice as she pleaded, "Stay here with me!"

After a pause—just long enough for her to believe he was thinking about it—he shook his head and looked at her. He winced at the sight of pain showing on her face. "I don't know that I can do that. Not after what happened. There is more to it than you know."

"How can you say that?" Anger overshadowed the rest of her feelings and flared in her chest like a thorny bloom. "What about me? What about us?! It isn't just about you anymore, you know!"

He flinched, closed his eyes, and turned his head away. He said in a low voice, "There is no way I can live with myself or be a good husband to you if I stay here while other ponies go to war in my stead."

"It doesn't have anything to do with you!" The tears falling down her cheeks were hot. "You have a duty to Cadence. You have a duty to me!"

A light sigh escaped him. "Unfortunately, it does. It has a lot to do with me. I know my duty, Crystal, but all of this is partially my doing. I facilitated this."

"What?" She rolled her eyes and stomped one hoof. "Don't be so dramatic! That's the guilt talking. You've got it up there in that stupid head of yours that you have to go everywhere soldiers go and die like them. There is more to life than that, Silent! I promise you'll be fine if you don't die on some battlefield!"

"Do you think I don't know that now?" he snapped, his head jerking to the side to glare at her. "Do you really believe I don't want to just stay here with you? You'd be right about the old me, but there is something you don't know. It changes everything!"

She glared back at him. "What does? What don't I know?!"

The muscles along his jawline tightened as he set his jaw. His wings were clasped tight to his sides and his ears were pinned back. Sucking in a breath and releasing it through his nose, he closed his eyes again. "This whole thing started over the death of the King Kronson's grandson."

Irritation joined in with the rest of her swirling emotions. "Yes, I know all that! The Nordanver gryphons assassinated or imprisoned him or whatever it was they did to him. And now they're under attack because of it and want us to bail them out."

He opened his eyes and looked at her. He was calm. Almost resigned, like a pony who had nothing left to lose. "No, they didn't."

"Yes, they did! That's what I read in the papers. It was something like that." She tried to understand the look on his face, but it only muddled her feelings all the more. "I can't think straight and it doesn't matter anyway!"

"It does matter, because it's all lies! Lies told by Sudramoar's king that couldn't be disproved by the princesses so that they could protect a stupid pony." He turned away, blocking his face entirely from her view. His voice was quiet and even as he continued, "That gryphon had another name: Alastair."

Her breath caught in her throat and her eyes went wide. Alastair. The gryphon captain that had nearly killed him in Nordanver? A trembling hoof rose to clasp over her mouth as the first piece fell into place.

"Crystal... The moment I got well, I started hunting him down. I fell in with some other ponies that wanted him dead. We called in every favor, used every trick, and hounded him."

More pieces lit up and she started to shake. "Silent Knight..." She already knew the answer. She didn't want to believe it. She couldn't comprehend it. But she knew. "What are you saying?"

"There was nowhere for him to hide over there. We made sure of that. So he and his soldiers came here to avoid prosecution. They thought no one would look for them in Equestria. He fell right into our trap. When the time was right, I set up an ambush."

No.

"Remember when I missed your birthday?"

No, no, no.

"In the middle of the night, we attacked them. We slaughtered them all. I killed him myself and several others. I have a huge part in this, Crystal. I know it is all a ruse to start a war, but I gave it to them. I played right into their claws."

Crystal just stared at him. There was no more trembling, no more tears. How was she supposed to feel? Silent, her husband, her love had killed someone. It was an awful thought. She couldn't fathom the concept of death and slaughter.

And yet, what had Alastair done to deserve her sympathy? He had tried to kill Silent and nearly done so. He had killed several guards. Guards whose deaths still haunted Silent.

"Right or wrong," Silent continued, giving up on a response, "retribution doesn't come without consequence. It is time to go pay what is owed. I'm sorry, Crystal. I really am. If I could do it again, I'd do it differently. Not because I don't believe he was a threat, but because I realize now what I'm doing to you. What I've done to you.

"It hasn't been fair even if you thought you knew what you were getting into. You're a better wife than I deserve, so if you're not here when I get back, I'll understand."

Crystal watched in shock as he collected his father's belongings. "How dare you," she whispered, but he didn't seem to hear her. Instead, he walked past her to go to the front door. The fire reignited within her and as he pulled the door open, her magic thrust outward and slammed it shut. "You are not dismissed," she said through clenched teeth, walking toward him. "You'll 'understand' if I'm gone?" She tossed her mane over her shoulder. "Don't you dare walk away from me, Silent Knight."

Silent ducked his head, but he was stallion enough to turn around and face her. "I have to go."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, I'm certain the war can wait another hour. I am not done yet. Not by a long shot." She gestured at him with one hoof in a circular motion. "I don't get it. This whole killing business is unnatural, but I guess I just have to accept it is part of who you are."

His ears folded back. "I don't like killing..."

"Fine." She snorted. "But it is still your business. And this is mine." She stormed the remaining distance between them, lifted a hoof to his chin, and forced his head up. "Every day you're gone, I'm going to be sitting here, waiting and worrying. Every day, I'm going to live in fear that I'll get a letter saying you died because you couldn't live with the idea of somepony dying for you."

She withdrew her hoof and spat, "Go to your stupid war, but just know that I won't be gone. I won't walk away. I'll be right here, Silent Knight. I'll be right here waiting. Waiting on you. So every day, you get to live with that."

He met her gaze briefly, a great shame clouding his expression, and he whispered, "All right."

"All right," she repeated. Suddenly, she felt exhausted. The fire burned out and she wanted to cry again as she wrapped her forelegs around his neck. "Come home safe... please. I nearly lost you to this once. Don't do that to me again."

His own walls seemed to fall as he dropped onto his haunches and embraced her, holding her tight to him. "I won't make a promise I don't know that I can keep, but I'll be careful. So careful. I'm not going for some glorious death. I want to be with you, but this is something I have to do. It is my penance. That might not be something you can understand, and I'm sorry."

He buried his face into her mane and murmured, "I love you, Crystal. I'm sorry that this is my job and who I am... but it is who I am."

"I know." She buried her face against his neck as the tears returned in full force, falling from her cheeks and onto his coat. "I've always known. I'll just have to hope that you find a way through it." Her head lifted and she kissed his jawline. "I love you, too."

They remained in each other's embrace for a while, Silent's grip remaining strong, Crystal's tears slowing down. She wasn't ready, but he finally started to pull away to look down at her. The pain she felt was reflected in his eyes. "Until next time, Mrs. Wishes."

She gazed at him and tried to smile, but it fell short. "Until next time, Mr. Knight."

He nodded, turned away, and disappeared as the door shut behind him. She stood there a while longer in the suffocating silence, staring at it. Hoping it would open again. Hoping he would change his mind, come back to her side, and promise to never leave. It could happen; there was still time.

It didn't, but it could have.

I Hold You In My Heart

View Online

"I'm sorry," Silent said, walking toward her, but he never grew nearer. "I'm sorry."

Crystal shook her head, running toward him, yet the distance between them remained the same. "It's okay! I forgive you!"

"I'm sorry," he kept saying over and over. His form became blurry. It was hard to see him clearly no matter how hard she tried.

"No!" she shouted as she jolted upright, the comforter falling to her lap. Sweat clung to her coat and she panted heavily. Her eyes darted back and forth in an attempt to find him before she realized he was gone. "No…"

A dream. No, a nightmare.

She looked over at the pillow beside hers, fresh and untouched. Just as sweat dripped from her forehead, tears started to fall down her cheeks.

Why wasn't reality the nightmare instead? Why couldn't she wake up from this and the war be an awful, awful figment of her imagination?

In a fit of anger, she cried out and pushed his pillow off the edge of the bed, flopped back down, and buried her face in her hooves.

She wanted to believe his words, that the conflict would be resolved without combat. She wanted to believe that the princesses would ensure that. But everything she had read about the gryphons told her otherwise.

Their history was riddled with battles, and they had betrayed the ponies once before already. Nothing was stopping them from doing it again.

The quiet air was disturbed by her soft sobs and sniffles. She tried to remind herself that crying would do no good. It wouldn't change reality. It wouldn't change a thing. Slowly, as she repeated the mantra in her head and transitioned into repeating it under her breath, she lulled herself into a numb, empty state.

Her hooves dropped from her face and she stared at the ceiling, feeling nothing for a while. She was too tired to stay awake, but at the same time, too tired to sleep.

Eventually, she slipped out from under the covers and turned to stare at the bed while her magic started to remake it. Small victory. Whatever that meant anymore.

It felt like somepony else was guiding her as she went through the motions of brushing her teeth and starting a shower. Her heart wasn't in doing anything at all, but she did it anyway. It was what she had to do. Keep moving. If she stopped, she might start to cry again, and she was done with crying. It didn't change a thing.

While she stood under the stream of hot water and scrubbed her face, she went over the to-do list. Shower first. Then hair and makeup. Then breakfast. Then writing.

Just because she wanted the world to stop didn't mean it would. She had deadlines to meet and they wouldn't wait for her to get things together.

When she finally sat down to work on the outline for Desert Rose, nothing happened. Her mind was a complete blank. The quill hovered above the empty page.

Words. She needed words. In order to get those words, she needed a direction. What was her direction?

Forward. Her direction was forward. She took a deep breath and slowly released it. It didn't matter if they were good ideas or ones she'd scrap. Just get something on the paper.

Leading Lady: Arabian horse. Name?

Crystal paused to levitate the Saddle Arabian guide book over and flipped through. How were Arabian horses named? She blinked at some of the examples. Oh, their names were quite long. A characteristic… Their mother's name… And their family's name?

She rubbed the bridge of her nose and kept reading. What characteristics were there about Velvet she could use? Ballerinas were graceful. Graceful, graceful… Jamilah! And mother's name? Sun… Junah. Jamilah bint Junah.

With a frown, she scratched out Jamilah. Too many J's.

It took a fair amount of trial and error, but she finally settled on her leading lady.

Leading Lady: Arabian horse. Name? Fatinah bint Junah al-Khibaz

What a mouthful! Did Arabian horses really have such long names? Crystal played with saying it aloud a few times when there was a frantic knock at the door.

Her heart started racing and she froze. There was no reason to panic. Silent hadn't even left Equestria yet. What trouble could he have possibly gotten into in less than twenty-four bells?

"Crystal!" Velvet's voice yelled from outside. "Crystal, open up!"

"What?" Crystal hopped off the couch and hurried over, her magic undoing the lock. She skidded to a halt as the door burst open. "Velvet?"

Velvet ran past her, head whipping back and forth to look around. "Where is he?" She pivoted on her right foreleg and gave Crystal a bone-chilling glare. "Where—is—he?"

Crystal just stared at her for a moment. "Velvet?" she repeated, somewhat dumbly. "What are you doing here?"

"You know exactly why I'm here." She closed the distance between them and shoved her face in Crystal's, determination in her tightly clenched jaw. "Did he leave you?"

Crystal averted her eyes. "He volunteered. That's what guards do."

Velvet stomped a hoof and snarled, "I knew it! As soon as they made the declaration, I knew it—I knew he was going to—" She shook her head, glaring at Crystal again. "I don't care if he's a guard! I don't care if Celestia herself asked him to go! Aren't you more important? Wasn't that the whole point of getting married?!"

"It's not that simple," Crystal said softly. "I knew what I was getting into." Her ear flicked as she recalled her vows, "I committed my heart to a pony whose life is not within his control. He swore oaths before me. I swore to respect that."

The muscles of Velvet's face twitched as her expression shifted through confusion, frustration, and anger. "I don't care about that! There's no reason for him to go! Are you seriously trying to tell me you're not upset?!"

A surge of emotion brought tears to Crystal's eyes and she shook her head. "Of course not! Of course I'm upset!" She choked on her words as she yelled, "I don't want him to go! I'm terrified of him going! But I can't stop him!"

"Why not?!"

Crystal thrust a hoof toward the newspaper still sitting on the dining table. "The Guard asked for thirty thousand volunteers. Thirty thousand, Velvet! If every wife and husband begged for their loved ones not to go, then who would go?"

Velvet stared at her, eyes wide, then scowled again. "There are lots of other guards! Somepony else would take his place. His place is here with you!"

"No…" Crystal dropped her head to look at the floor. "No, it's not. The job has to come first. It has to."

"Crabapples!"

Crystal shook her head. "Right now, thousands of wives, husbands… Mothers and fathers… Daughters and sons… They're saying goodbye and going off to volunteer. Do you really think they want to?"

Velvet started to pace, each hoof falling with an angry thump. "I don't—I don't know! I don't care about them. I care about you, and I care that you're crying, and I care that he's responsible!"

For a while, Crystal said nothing. She simply listened to the sound of Velvet pacing back and forth and tried to wade through her own feelings. No, her feelings weren't the issue. Silent was the one in question. "He couldn't stay," she said softly, closing her eyes. "He had to go."

Velvet stopped and glared at her. "Says who?"

"Says me." Crystal sighed. "He's not going there to fight, but I don't trust that it will stay that way. The gryphons are different from us. If he didn't go and news arrived that ponies were attacked and killed… the guilt would be too much. He'd hate himself for not going."

"The guilt? What guilt?" Velvet rolled her eyes. "Seriously? He can't take responsibility for every guard that ever gets injured doing anything!"

Crystal bit back a bitter laugh and just snorted instead. "It—It doesn't matter. He has to go. When… If things turn sour, they'll need a pony like him. Perhaps he's not a soldier, but he might as well be."

Velvet walked over and sat down in front of her. "But what about you?" She took Crystal's hooves in her own, giving them a tight squeeze. "I don't give a donkey's flank about what he has to do or what he thinks or anything. What about you?"

Crystal lifted her head to look at Velvet. "What about me?"

"He's left you in the Empire, away from your friends and family! How long is he going to be gone? How long are you going to have to be here alone?" Velvet's eyes were glossed over with tears that she kept from falling. "What if he never comes back? What if—"

"I get the point," Crystal interrupted in a sharp tone. "I don't know. Okay? I don't have the answers. Is that what you want to hear?"

"No," Velvet muttered, her ears pinning back. "I want to hear that you'll move back to Canterlot. I—Nightingale just moved into your old room, but I'll talk to her, she—"

Crystal blinked a few times in surprise, then shook her head. "No, that's not fair to her… And either way, I'm not moving back."

"So you're just going to stay here all alone?! That's a stupid idea!" Velvet squeezed Crystal's hooves tighter. "Silent may think it's okay to leave you, but I don't! If you won't move back, then I'll just move here, and—"

"Don't be silly." Crystal smiled and slipped her hooves out of Velvet's grasp to bop the mare on the nose. "You can't leave your job and your family behind. No, nopony is moving anywhere. I'll take the train when I'm lonely. But this is our home. When he comes home, this is where he'll go, and I want to be here when he does."

Velvet frowned and crossed her forelegs over her chest. "Just leave a note or write him a letter or something that you moved back. Problem solved."

It wasn't that simple. Well—yes, it was, yet at the same time, it wasn't. Crystal didn't want to abandon their home. They hadn't lived there long, but it would be waiting for him. That was where she should be. Where she would be.

Smiling, Crystal rose to her hooves and gestured to the couch. "Why don't I tell you what I've worked out so far for your story?"

Velvet eyed her with a furrowed brow. "Are you changing the subject? It sure sounds like you're changing the subject."

"That's because I am. Now, get off the floor and join me." Crystal sat down on one of the cushions, her magic lifting her notebook from where she had left it to answer the door. "I've picked a setting. How do you feel about Saddle Arabia?"

Velvet's ears twitched with piqued interest and, reluctantly, she went over to sit beside Crystal. "I don't have an opinion one way or the other. Why Saddle Arabia?"

"Why not?" Crystal's smile widened. "It seems exotic."

It was nice: talking. Talking about anything. Anything but Silent, anything but the war. If she just kept her focus on the story, then life seemed normal.

"So the book version of me is an Arabian horse with a really long name?" Velvet glanced up from Crystal's notes. "Are you sure this story is about me?"

Crystal waved a hoof. "Absolutely! Her name means Captivating, Daughter of the Sun, the Baker. Or, at least, I hope so. I'm afraid I'm butchering the language with this dictionary."

Velvet glanced between Crystal and the notes, then tilted her head. "Okay, so I kind of get it. But I'm not a baker."

"Oh, well, perhaps I'm not translating it quite right. That would, if I've understood their culture correctly, be a family name, of sorts. I just wanted to include your mother and father, really." Slowly, she frowned. "Except perhaps I should reconsider that, given that the family names are matrillineal…"

Velvet picked up the guidebook and started to flip through it, tilting her head the other way. "Nah, leave it. My mom sometimes wishes she could bake like my dad. And my dad sometimes wishes he was more like my mom. So, it's cool. Let them have that dream come true."

Crystal smiled, the quill floating over and making a few notes of this. "I still have a lot to figure out, of course."

"Like how you're going to make this work when you're a romance author and there's no romance." Velvet snorted and looked up. "Seriously, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Absolutely," Crystal said with a curt nod and without hesitation. "It speaks to me. That is what I need to write a novel. The rest are simply details!"

Velvet raised one brow. "Pretty important details, but whatever. So what else do you have?"

"What else?" Slowly, Crystal's ears drooped. "That is as far as I have gotten, aside from some notes about Saddle Arabian culture." She scooted closer to Velvet. "You haven't exactly been forthcoming with details of your private life for me to work with, after all."

Velvet frowned and shoved the book in Crystal's face to push her away. "Well, maybe I don't want to talk about it. Make up whatever you want, I don't care."

Crystal leaned around the book, returning the frown. "Why can't you talk to me about it?"

"Because." Velvet stretched her forelegs over her head, then stood up and shook out her coat. "Because I'm hungry, and you've been a terrible host and haven't offered me a thing to eat or drink. So now you owe me lunch!"

Crystal sighed as she slid off the couch to follow Velvet to the door. A smile quirked her lips upward. "You're beginning to sound like a cousin of mine."

Velvet glanced up at her. "What? Who?"

"Nevermind, nevermind." Crystal laughed softly and shook her head. "It doesn't…" She trailed off when they left the building and were standing on the base grounds, a chill running down her spine.

Everything was quiet. The noise and chaos of guards going everywhere from the day before was gone. There were a few ponies going to or from a building. It was like any other day before the declaration.

Velvet looked over her shoulder, frowned, and followed Crystal's gaze to one of the guards. Her ears flicked back and she muttered in a bitter voice, "Why isn't he going to volunteer, huh? He's a guard, isn't he?"

Crystal's eyes darted to look instead at the main gates. "Not every guard can go. We do need some to stay, after all."

"That's not what you said before!" Velvet practically snarled. "You said Silent has to go because guards have to go. Now you're saying not all guards have to go. So why couldn't Silent be one of those that stayed?!"

"I don't know!" Crystal's walking shifted to an irritated trot. Irritated at Velvet. Irritated at Silent. Irritated at herself. "What do you want me to do?!"

Velvet matched her quickened pace with ease. "What do you want to do?!"

The burning sting of tears coming back again only furthered her irritation. "I don't know! I really don't! I wish he weren't going, and I hate that I'm thinking like that. I promised to support him, and now that I have to, I don't want to!" She choked on a sob and came to a sudden halt, dropping her head and clenching her eyes shut.

Velvet was quiet while Crystal trembled and cried. She just stood there, not saying a word until Crystal finally looked up at her. Putting a hoof on Crystal's shoulder, she asked, "So, what are you going to do?"

Crystal shook her head, sighing. "I don't—I don't know. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now. I thought I was prepared for this, but… I'm not. I don't want him to leave, but I understand that he can't stay. How can I be for and against something at the same time?"

Velvet's nose scrunched up. After a moment of thought, she sighed. "If you think you've got it rough, then imagine how I feel. Somepony made my best friend cry. I want to kick him in the family jewels, but I can't because he's not here, so, yeah."

A short laugh escaped Crystal and she rubbed at her eyes. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't stop to consider how this would affect you. I'll send word to him right away that he can't leave until you kick him."

"That'd be appreciated. Then at least I would feel better." Velvet leaned in to rest her forehead against Crystal's, lowering her voice. "Seriously, though… I don't get it. Not at all. He should have stayed."

Crystal sighed. "He swore his oaths, and I vowed to respect that. That's just the way it is. This is the life I've chosen. I have to accept that, and so do you."

"Nope." Velvet pulled back and started walking again. "I don't have to accept anything that makes you cry. When he gets back, I'm kicking him."

Crystal tried to smile as she followed behind her. "Please don't."

"Too late. My mind's made up." Velvet stuck her nose in the air and stomped a hoof on the ground. "Wham! Right in the pecker."

"Oh, in the face, not the jewels?" Crystal's ear flicked. "Well, I suppose I can accept that compromise."

Velvet tossed her mane to grin over her shoulder. "The pecker is part of the jewels, sweetie."

Crystal's brow furrowed, but she couldn't help a laugh. Velvet making lewd jokes, the two of them walking to lunch… it was like things were normal. Almost. There was a haze, a shadow in the back of her mind, but she would keep a smile on her face. She would just have to fake normalcy until it became real. Fake it until you make it—isn't that what they always say?

Daylight Finds You

View Online

Crystal stared at the freshly made bed, her lips curling into a sneer at how it mocked her. A small victory, she called it, as though that was supposed to mean something. What good were tucked sheets and a folded comforter when she was alone?

In a fit of anger, her magic tore the sheets from their resting place and mussed up the whole bed. The comforter ended up halfway on the floor, the pillows rested askew at opposite corners, and the sheets twisted around themselves like windswept debris.

There. Now her bed looked as awful as she felt. How was that for a small victory?

Her tail lashed while she stormed her way out of the bedroom. She was angry. She was sad. She was angry that she was sad. All she wanted to do was just stay in bed and sleep until Silent came home, but whatever bit of rational thought she had held onto managed to urge her to do otherwise.

Bills had to be paid. It was a pathetic excuse to keep moving in the grand scheme of things, but it worked nonetheless. At least enough to get her out of bed.

What came after that? A shower? Right. A shower and then breakfast. That was how normal life went, and that was what she would do.

The hot water was a temporary comfort, a warm hug that eased the tension in her muscles. But when the shower was over, all she was left with a bitter cold that soaked in all the way to her bones. Drying out her mane was a tedious chore and no matter what she did, there was no volume to it. The blonde and pink locks were more like a blanket draped listlessly over her head.

Oh, what was the point? She had no plans to go out, so she dropped the brush onto the counter and contemplated makeup. That also seemed like a useless endeavor, so she just turned away and left the idea of primping for mares who cared. She certainly didn't. She would just have some breakfast, work on her novel, and eventually go to sleep to start the whole pointless process all over again the next day.

Her stomach, however, refused to cooperate when it came time to pick something to eat. Nothing seemed appetizing. She didn't want anything in the pantry or the fridge, and she most certainly didn't want to go out. Was she even hungry at all? A churning, twisting sensation deep within said no—no, she most certainly was not.

Crystal snorted as she turned away from the kitchen and dragged herself onto the couch. It was fine. Breakfast was just one meal out of several. Perhaps lunch would be a better time. For now, however, she was going to write.

Or so she told herself. Hours slipped by at an agonizingly slow pace. She tried lying on the couch, sprawling on the rug, sitting on the bed, and even pacing with her notebook levitating in front of her. There was no muse, no inspiration, no spark of creativity at all. A part of her wondered if she'd ever had any of it at all, or if she had simply gotten lucky a few times and that wellspring had dried up.

A whimper bubbled up and she clenched her eyes shut. Her notebook fell to the floor with a despondent thump, followed by silence. The lack of sound was slowly filled with a buzzing noise.

Recently, she had come to the uncomfortable revelation that silence wasn't actually silent. Something was always lurking, ready to fill her ears with noise that didn't exist. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought she was going insane.

Crystal's eyes snapped open and she glared down at the notebook. Going insane! Her? After hardly a few days alone? What sort of weak-willed mare was she to be so lost after so short a time?

No, she refused to be a wilting flower. She would stand tall. She wouldn't succumb to things like this. She…

She was crying.

"No, no, no," she mumbled, nearly hitting herself from how quickly her hoof flew to wipe the tears away. "Don't be a stupid filly."

The harder she fought, the weaker she felt. A shudder seized her muscles and she dropped down to the floor as a sob racked through her very core. The anger was lost to a wave of self-loathing, which receded rather suddenly back into an ocean of grief.

How long would he be gone? How long was she supposed to do this? Would it ever get easier? Why hadn't she been prepared for this?

A heavy knock resounding in the silence snapped her out of the suffocating thoughts. She quickly wiped her eyes and called, "One moment!"

Before she opened the door, she practiced smiling a few times until she was satisfied. The forced turn of her lips grew sincere when she saw the mare standing at her doorstep. "Painted?"

"Hi, darlin'!" Painted Wave grinned. "Hope I'm not dropping in unannounced at a bad time."

Crystal shook her head. "Not at all!" She stepped to the side and gestured her in. "I would say you couldn't have shown up at a better time."

Painted set a full satchel by the door and whistled as she looked around. "Nice place you've got here! But since it's named after you, that's not much of a surprise."

"Named after me?" Crystal blinked, then laughed and waved a hoof at her. "Oh, don't be silly. The Empire was named such a long time ago."

"Semantics!" Painted plopped down on the couch, stretching out and propping her head up with one forehoof. Her expression shifted to a soft, somber smile. "He volunteered, didn't he?"

Crystal's jaw tightened and her gaze darted away. "Yes," she replied in a more delicate voice than she intended. She sucked in a quick breath to try to regain composure.

"You don't have to act like that with me." Painted sat up and patted the space beside her. "Why don't you sit down and tell me about how you're doing?"

"I—" Crystal gave a quick shake of her head. "I haven't offered you tea yet. Would you like some?"

With a light snort, Painted patted the cushion again. "I'd like for you to treat me like a friend and not a guest."

Crystal resisted for a moment longer, then relented by walking over and taking a seat. "I don't see why I should treat a guest better than a friend."

"I didn't hop a train for tea time." Painted wrapped a foreleg around Crystal's shoulders. "I came to make sure you were doin' all right, among other things."

It was hard to keep her voice even, but she did her best. "What other things?"

"All in due time, Mrs. Deflecting Wishes." Painted's voice lowered to a soft, soothing tone as she continued, "You're a newlywed mare whose husband has volunteered for war. You think a fake smile is going to fool me? Really? I'm almost insulted."

Her best wasn't good enough. "I—I don't—" All at once, the tears returned in full force and fell down her cheeks while she blubbered through a response. "I don't want to in-inconvenience you aft-after you came all this wa-way!"

Painted pulled her close and hugged her, one hoof stroking her back. "Shh, shh. It's okay. This is what I'm here for. Why don't you just cry a bit and then we'll talk?"

It was an easy suggestion to follow. Crystal buried her face against Painted's neck and cried the tears she wanted to hide. Wanted to pretend weren't there. "It d-doesn't change anything to cry," she muttered bitterly.

"What?" Painted pulled back and held Crystal by her shoulders at foreleg's length. "What did you just say?"

Crystal sniffled and averted her gaze, ears folding back. "It doesn't change anything to cry."

One of Painted's brows arched, then she withdrew her hooves to fold them over her chest. "Well, that's a load of ponyfeathers. Of course it changes something. Just look at you—your eyes are red and puffy. That's a pretty noticeable change, I'd say."

"Ohh…" A small laugh sputtered past Crystal's lips and she lightly pushed Painted. "I don't mean like tha-that."

With a small grin, Painted nodded. "I know. But look, it made you laugh." She sighed and leaned back into the couch, her eyes closing halfway and her head tilting back. "I'm not going to sugarcoat it. Things aren't going to get easier. It's only been a few days, for Celestia's sake. This is a lot to take in and a tiny sum of days isn't nearly long enough to adjust."

Painted lolled her head to the side to look at Crystal with a somber frown. "I can't promise that you'll feel better in a week. It might take a month. But you're tough under that pretty little face, and you know what? It's okay to cry. It's better than bottlin' it up and making a hard situation even harder."

"But—" Crystal bit her lower lip and hesitated a moment. "But what good does it do? What good does any of it do? Crying won't keep him safe!"

"Not crying won't, either, now will it? So what harm in there is crying?" The frown lifted into a small smile. "You feel better without all that negative energy in your chest, don't you?"

Crystal blinked a few times. She couldn't deny it: the tension had relieved. The feeling that she was going to fall apart wasn't gone, but it wasn't at the forefront of her mind. She relented with a small, meek nod. "Actually, I do."

"Exactly. Crying is your body's way of making room for other thoughts and feelings to have a chance to breathe. Quit suffocating yourself." Painted paused to let her words settle in before she nodded, her magic lighting up and pulling the large satchel open. "Now, if you're up to it, I have two other reasons why I'm here."

"Oh, of course." Crystal wiped her eyes and put on her best sincere smile. "What are they?"

A stack of cards and an object wrapped in cloth lifted into view, floated over, and lowered onto the coffee table. "First thing's first." Painted took Crystal's hooves in her own. "I wanted to let you know as soon as I could. I'm going to be traveling for work for a while and won't have my art supplies with me."

Crystal tilted her head. "Traveling? Really?" Her ears wiggled with interest. "Are you going somewhere fun?"

"Fun?" Painted snorted. "I wish. It's going to be a bunch of business stuff in a couple places. I'll be lucky if I'm not bored into old age by the time it's all over."

"Well, that's unfortunate to hear. But I suppose business isn't always glitz and glam for an artist." After a pause, she added in a quieter voice, "So you'll be gone quite a while by the sounds of it, then?"

Painted nodded, and her magic brought over the stack of cards. "Yeah. I don't know exactly how long, but I know you're working on a new novel so I wanted to make sure you weren't left high and dry when it's done. I have some business cards for a couple artists whose work I think you might like."

Crystal's heart sunk just as low as her ears drooped. Painted was the artist she had worked with since she had the freedom to choose one outside of Reindom House's art team. They had worked together on covers and promotional materials, but beyond that, Painted was a dear friend.

The idea of another artist being in charge of her covers felt wrong somehow, but she forced herself to nod. "You didn't have to, but I appreciate that you did. It won't be the same without your creative genius, though."

A grin tore across Painted's muzzle. "I know, but you'll manage. Just make sure to save a copy of it for me when it's done, all right?"

"Absolutely!" Crystal nodded again, more emphatic this time. "I wouldn't dream of doing otherwise!"

Painted laughed. The sound quieted as she turned her head to survey the room, her gaze taking in the full sight of it. "I wish I could have done this sooner given the circumstances, but I've also got a late housewarming gift for you."

"A housewarming gift? Oh, no, no, Painted, it's absolutely fine, we don't—I don't—" The words became trapped in her throat and she struggled against a surge of emotion. Whose home was it now? It was still 'we' and 'our', wasn't it? Of course it was!

Raising a hoof to stop her and levitating the wrapped item, Painted shook her head. "Just let me do this, all right? I brought it all this way just for you." She smiled. "I know you're surrounded by 'em on all sides here, but I wanted you to have one that had a bit more to it than just a shiny polished surface."

With a soft rustling sound, the bindings on the foreleg-length bundle unraveled and layers of thick cloth were pulled back, one by one. The rustling sound became a soft hum and when the last bit of cloth was unwrapped, the light in the room seemed to shift around the many facets of a single white crystal.

The breath Crystal had held disappeared suddenly in a soft gasp. She had seen it many times hanging over Painted's easel, sparking to life under the guidance of iridescent magic to create wonderful works of art.

Ripples of magic that kept the crystal aloft passed through the facets and, within the center, transformed into a rainbow of all shades and hues that danced among each other, swirling and leaping together but never muddying.

Painted watched the shifting colors for a moment before her gaze darted back to Crystal. The soft smile on her face grew into a beam and a firmness entered her voice as she said, "This is now yours. It has spent a good long while singing to me while I create, and now it will sing for you as you do the same. Put it somewhere where it'll catch the sun and it'll sing even louder."

There was a long pause as Crystal just tried to get her thoughts back on a mental path. This was no ordinary crystal. No, this was something cherished, something important, and not something to be given away as a simple housewarming gift.

Crystal's brow furrowed as she met Painted's gaze, uncertainty facing off against resolution. "Are you… sure? Painted, this—this is too precious for me to take like a bottle of wine or a set of cutlery!"

Painted's beaming smile quirked into an askew grin. "Mind's already made up. I'm not changin' it." She stood from the couch and started toward the door. "So—catch!" The crystal whistled as the iridescent magic chucked it in Crystal's direction.

It spun around in a slow trajectory, but fast enough for Crystal to squeak in surprise. She caught it in her own magic before it got too far, and she squeaked again when it seemed to react to her aetherial touch. An array of swirling ribbons in every shade of pink imaginable overtook the full-spectrum rainbow within the crystal.

While she was captivated by the sight, she was moved to tears by the harmonic chime that resonated through the air, a bittersweet yet perfect combination of hope and melancholy. It was almost as though the crystal, touched by her magic, reflected her soul.

Emotions swelled in her chest as she looked up at Painted and stammered, "I-I, I can't, Painted…"

Painted tossed her satchel over her back and winked. "Yes, you can. I know you can. It's yours now. Treat it and yourself with love, all right? I've got a train to catch, so don't make me late by arguing."

Her chin trembled, but she smiled and nodded. She got up from the couch and hurried over to embrace Painted in a tight hug. "A-All right. But when you get back, I'll return it to you."

"We'll see about that." She placed a soft kiss on Crystal's forehead. "Take care, sweetie. Remember what I said."

Crystal nodded again. "I will… I promise." She took a step back and inhaled deeply to regain her composure. "Have a safe trip."

And with that, Painted disappeared from view when the door closed behind her, and Crystal tried to be strong. Doubt and worry plagued her mind. Was Painted off to the war? Why would she be? There was no need for artists in a war!

Crystal had to know. She threw the door open and ran out to catch her before she could get too far, but Painted was nowhere in sight. Her eyes darted to spy a guard going one way and a large, shaggy grey mare going the other.

A lump formed in her throat, but she smiled as she retreated back inside. It must have been just as painful for her to leave as it was for Crystal, so she had already fled. Slowly, she slumped to the floor under the weight of uncertainty.

We'll see about that. What ominous parting words. She couldn't shake the feeling of worry that clouded her mind. First her husband, then her sanity, and now her friend? What else would the war take from her?

Crying didn't change anything… but Painted said it was okay to cry, and so she did.

In the Valley and Glen

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Knock, knock, knock.

Crystal jerked upright and paused for a moment when she didn't recognize her surroundings. Where was she? She was sitting on a hardwood floor. She didn't have hardwood floors…

She was in Canterlot. Had she ever left? Her mind worked through a haze while her hooves carried her to the door, which opened as she approached. Standing in front of her was Winterspear, her face distorted with despair.

"He's dead," she said without moving her lips.

Though her vision didn't blur, Crystal knew she was crying. Tears were falling down her face and hitting the floor, even if she couldn't see them. The walls started to close in around her. The room started to grow dark and cold.

Winterspear just stared at her, eyes empty of emotion. Why wasn't she upset? What was wrong with her? Her mouth opened and those awful words fell out again. "He's dead."

Just as the darkness caved in and left nothing but Crystal and Winterspear's unfeeling eyes, there was a blinding light. When it receded, Winterspear was gone, replaced by the glowing figure of—

"Wake up."

The voice echoed in her skull and her eyes snapped open. Was she awake? Her coat was matted with sweat, her breathing was ragged, and her cheeks were wet with tears. She certainly felt awake, for better or for worse.

Crystal slid off the bed to sprawl on the floor, the cold crystalline material a welcome sensation. From that vantage point, she noticed several dust bunnies congregating under the bed. With a sigh, she pushed herself up to retrieve a broom and dustpan.

Cleaning was a nice distraction. It gave her a sense of peace from her restless sleep, though that dream had been different. She couldn't put her hoof on what, but something in the fuzzy memory felt like it should have been remembered. A glowing pony? A powerful voice?

She shook her head and continued sweeping. None of her dreams made any sense beyond the looming fear for Silent's safety. That part she understood perfectly well.

After the monotonous routine of making the bed, taking a shower, and putting the kettle on, Crystal was faced with her most daunting adversary: writing. The blank pages lounged in the notebook as a stark reminder of her ongoing failure to accomplish anything of substance. Today, however, was going to be different!

With the quill levitating and at the ready, she clenched her eyes shut and forced the words. She had to get something written for Mares Monthly. The last thing she wanted to do was capitalize on the war, even though that would likely be on the forefront of everypony's minds.

No, she would be the distraction she wished something was for her. She would help her readers remember that there was still a life to live. What was a story she could tell? Something sweet and endearing, or funny and uplifting… Her eyes snapped open. Of course!

She jumped off the couch and hurried into the bedroom to retrieve a stack of notebooks. How could she have forgotten? The princess and the stablehoof! She had worked on it last month, but set it aside in favor of focusing on The Desert Rose.

Once she found The Princess and the Stablehoof, she settled back in the living room to begin work. Where had she left off in her story notes?

One rather stormy night, while Shepherds Crook was bathing in the rain, he heard the bleating of a sheep nearby. His herd should have been safe in the barn, so he quickly set off to investigate.

There was a ram prepared to charge at a well-dressed and frightened mare. A stallion was doing his best to calm the angry sheep, but it was clear the animal wasn't listening.

Shepherd sprung forth, startling them with both his sudden presence and how the ram was soothed by a subtle touch of his hoof to its side. "Whoa, whoa now," he cooed, the sheep seeming lulled by his voice.

Crystal scrunched up her nose. Had she really written that? Granted, it was an outline, but she expected better of herself! She tossed the notebook on the table and readied her quill. Now, she was prepared to write. The story was there. She just needed to give it life.

The wind howled under the weight of heavy rain that—

No, no. Too dark of an opening for a romance. The world was full of enough howling wind and heavy rain as it was. She scratched the line out and started over.

The air was alive with the smell of midsummer rain and freshly turned earth.

She tilted her head one way, then another. What did that smell like, exactly? Perhaps she needed to visit Ponyville and spend some time on a farm. She sighed and scratched that line out, too. Normally, she had no trouble envisioning places and situations she had never been to or in herself. Now, they just seemed like empty words on a page.

Her gaze lifted from the paper to Painted's crystal. It was suspended in its own magical aura in front of a window, humming softly in the gentle morning light. Painted said it had sung to her while she worked. How did that work?

Reaching out with her magic, she attempted to bring the crystal over to her; when it was encircled in her pink glow, however, a melancholy melody resonated from within. It was sad and slow, and hearing just a few notes of it moved her to tears.

Was that how she felt? A hoof raised to her chest and her gaze fell to the floor. No, she was fine! She had cried until she ran out of tears and now she was ready to move forward. She thought she already had, but the crystal seemed to disagree.

That was when she realized she was empty. She felt nothing. When had she pushed her feelings into the back of her mind? Why was every day a new challenge—crying too much, not crying at all, feeling too sad, and now no feelings? Was it going to be like this forever?

The crystal's tune had shifted to a light rumbling, much like distant thunder rolling in. Crystal shook her head to dislodge the thoughts weighing on her mind and took a deep breath, then held it. As she calmed, so too did the crystal.

She smiled as she focused her mind on happier things. Silent had promised her that he would try to be safe, and she believed him. Horsey had a beautiful, healthy foal. Velvet's career was doing well.

Slowly, the melancholy tune started to pick up more. It became a bit of a cycle; the better she felt, the happier it sounded, which made her feel better. Soon she was humming along and starting to write again.

While frogs croaked in harmony to express their joy for the shower, Shepherds Crook quietly enjoyed the feel of cold water hitting his face. It had been a long day of tending to the herd, ensuring their safety as though it were his own.

"Hah!" Crystal tapped a hoof on the paper and looked over at the crystal. "Do you see this? It's certainly not my best work, but I dare say I've got something here finally!" She let out a sigh of relief. "I've not lost it after all… I can write."

The crystal continued its jovial series of chimes, the ribbons of pink within it dancing along.

"You know," she said, standing up and walking over, "I don't quite like calling you 'the crystal'. It's becoming rather redundant, don't you think?" She laughed softly. "Crystal's crystal, living together in the Crystal Empire? In a home made of crystals? No, no, I think you need a name."

She sat down in front of the crystal and gazed at it. The light filtering in from outside reflected a wide array of pink hues from each facet. What word encompassed something so beautiful and wonderful?

"I know," she murmured under her breath, then smiled. "I think I'll call you my Aria. I do believe Painted would agree that that name fits. It's a lovely word for a lovely crystal. What do you think, hmm?"

Aria simply hummed and glimmered in response.

♡

"Thank you, Prism," Cadence said as the crystal mare set out a tray of tea and biscuits. "That will be all."

Prism bowed her head. "Yes, my Lady." She gave Crystal a small smile before she turned and left the two alone on the balcony.

Cadence lifted the teacup to her lips and took a measured sip—the proper amount of time outlined in charm school. There had already been a tension in the air, but that gesture only made Crystal feel all the more on edge.

"I know you must be busy, so thank you for taking time for tea." Crystal shifted in her seat. "It's a little late, but given the timing of the announcement, I figured it would be the last thing on your mind." Her magic lifted the small wrapped gift she had brought and set it on the table between them.

Cadence's expression went vacant as she stared off into the horizon. "I can't believe it's only been a week since our anniversary… and that awful declaration." She shook her head and tried to smile, but it didn't reach her weary eyes. "You didn't have to do this, however."

Crystal smiled and pushed the gift closer. "I didn't, but I wanted to. It's not very much. When you're shopping for a lady of nobility that governs an Empire, it's a bit difficult to feel like anything is good enough."

"It's the thought that counts," Cadence said almost monotonously as she levitated the gift and pulled back the paper. Her ears perked and her head tilted. "What's this?"

"A picture frame," Crystal explained sheepishly. "I've found that it's important to have reminders of why we're happy, especially with everything that's going on. A friend showed me that, so I wanted to pass the discovery on."

After a quiet moment of staring at the frame, Cadence looked up at her with a heartfelt smile. "It really is the thought that counts, then. Thank you." She took another sip of tea, this time quick and casual. "How are you doing? You sound and look well."

Crystal gave an idle bob of her head, smearing raspberry jam on a biscuit. "It comes and goes. Getting up in the morning and falling asleep at night are when it's the hardest, but during the day I can distract myself well enough."

"Distract yourself?" Cadence blinked. "How do you do that?"

"Writing, mostly. I've made great progress on a serial for Mares Monthly." She paused to think it over. That sounded like she had just been sitting on the couch for a whole week! What else had she done? "And—ah—well, cleaning. It's surprising how much dust collects in a place with only one pony living there."

Cadence's brow started to furrow. Her voice lowered into one of concern as she asked, "Are you prepared for when they ship out?"

Crystal blinked. "Ship out?"

"Yes? They—" A hoof rose to cover her mouth as it dropped open. "They haven't left for the Gryphon Kingdom. Did you not know that?"

The teacup suspended in Crystal's magic dropped to the table, bounced off, and clattered against the floor. She just stared for a long, quiet moment before remembering to breathe. "What?" Her voice came out as a raspy squeak of air and she cleared her throat. "You mean—"

Cadence nodded just slightly, not taking her eyes off her. "He's still in Equestria. They didn't leave right away. They all gathered in Manehattan and are supposed to leave sometime this week or the next."

"So, then…" A strange sound escaped her. It was something between a laugh that descended into a strangled sob and bounced back in an almost manic manner. "I see. I've worried, I've fretted, I've cried, and I've died a little with fear, and it hasn't even begun!" She cradled her face in her hooves as she cried tears that burned as they welled up and fell.

Cadence rose from her seat and walked around the table to put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Crystal. I didn't realize that you didn't—"

"You must think I'm such a fool." She withdrew from the touch and looked away. "Married to the Guard, but I had no idea he hadn't even left? And now, just as I was starting to find a rhythm, now I'm scared all over again!" Her frame trembled as she tried to get her surging feelings under control.

How could she have been such an emotional wreck when he hadn't even left the continent? This should have been the easiest week, and it had felt like the worst! Now she was reminded of what had been making her cry in the first place.

The war. The awful, awful war. He was in Manehattan preparing for it, and soon he would be finally, actually leaving for it. The hardest times had yet to even start.

"Not at all," Cadence said in a soft, even voice. She reached out and stroked Crystal's mane. "For the past week, the wives and husbands of the guards that have been serving in this palace have come to me for emotional support. For the past week, I've had to console them and their fears, all the while knowing how much of a hypocrite I look like."

Crystal lifted her gaze, brow furrowed. "A hypocrite?"

Cadence nodded. "Yes. Shining Armor couldn't volunteer. I still have my husband. How can anypony trust me to understand the terror you must feel?"

"I—I don't—" Crystal chewed on her bottom lip. That thought hadn't occurred to her. After a pause, she shook her head. "Because you've always been such a kind and caring mare. When we first met, you reassured me, and I was a complete stranger. I can't imagine you as anything but earnest."

"That's sweet of you, but I know some ponies whisper otherwise." She sighed and moved to stand at the edge of the balcony, overlooking the Empire that shimmered in the sunlight. "Dark times are coming, and nopony is prepared for it. How could we be?"

Crystal didn't say anything. What was there to say? She simply got up and walked over to stand beside her.

There was a moment of stillness before Cadence continued, "I will tell you what I tell every wife and husband: don't lose hope. It's the one thing we can hold onto that is truly good, a light in the dark that's looming over us." She turned her head to smile at Crystal. "Our soldiers, your Silent Knight, they are just supposed to keep the peace and stay out of the conflict itself. But that doesn't stop the fear, does it?"

Crystal shook her head and sighed. "No. I've done some reading on the history of the Gryphon Kingdom. They're not like us."

"No, they're not… But we have to hold onto hope. And remember to—" Cadence took a deep breath of the cold air, raising a hoof to her chest. As she breathed out, the hoof swept away from her until the leg was fully extended. "—breathe."

Breathe. Right. She had been forgetting to do that a lot as of late. As she went through the same motions, the focus gave her a small sense of relief.

A light breeze drifted over them and below, things seemed to continue as normal. She could see ponies walking the streets and carrying on as if it were any other day. Perhaps it was, at least for the time being.

"Lady Cadence?" Crystal looked up at her.

"Yes?" Their gazes met and she tilted her head.

"Thank you for overlooking my… little outburst." Her cheeks heated up with visible embarrassment. "I was just—"

Cadence interrupted her with a raised hoof. "Say no more. I already told you: you're not the first pony that I've talked to on this subject. I can't count the number of wives that I've held as they cried. This hasn't been an easy time for anypony."

"I know, but I suppose I just expected better of myself." She sighed and went back to her seat at the table. "I'll keep your advice in mind, though. Silent told me that he'll try to be safe, and so I'll hope for the best."

"And breathe," Cadence teased. "That's just as important, if not more so."

Crystal smiled and nodded. "Of course. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk of nicer things while we finish our tea and biscuits."

With a soft laugh, Cadence sat across from her and levitated her teacup. "I'll allow it."

It wasn't easy, but Crystal just kept smiling through their conversation. All of the progress she had made felt like it had suddenly dropped out from under her. Silent wasn't even in danger yet and she had cried like a filly. How was she going to get through the days knowing, for a fact, that he was in harm's way?

Right Where I Belong

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Keep moving forward. That had been Crystal's mantra all morning. Don't stop, don't think, don't do anything except find a way to keep moving forward. As long as she did that, she was fine.

Definitely don't dwell on the fact that Silent was still in Equestria. Or how she'd been plagued by nightmares and terror when he wasn't even in danger. Or how she wasn't sure how she was going to get through the next week… month… two months… How long would he be gone?

Crystal shook her head and lightly slapped a hoof to her cheek. Stop thinking. Keep writing.

The royal stable was beautifully built, with intricate stonework and cobblestone floors. The sheep poked their heads through the slats of their stalls to peer at Shepherd, some curious, others wary. He spied a couple barrels set against one wall that, upon closer inspection, were filled with—

Pausing a moment to consult the book she had borrowed on raising sheep, she frowned. The diet of sheep consisted mainly of plants. Would those be stored in a barrel? Did they eat oats? She needed to consult a shepherd on the matter.

That interruption was all it took to throw her off course. The quill levitated above the page, waiting for instructions that never came. Her mind was blank again.

She groaned and rubbed at her eyes. Was it time for a break? Perhaps she could just lie down and close her eyes. Not sleep, of course—just rest for a moment. She scooped up her writing supplies in her magic and moved them over to the coffee table so she could stretch out on the couch.

A feeling of relaxation and numbness soothed her body into a comfortable state. The edges of her worried mind dulled. Her eyelids felt heavy, but she tried to keep them open just a little while longer.

What if she just slept until he came home? That would be fine, wouldn't it? Then she wouldn't have to keep herself busy. And it was so comfortable to just put her head down and close her eyes…

The lock jiggled before clicking into place, and the door creaked open. She jerked her head up, freezing when she saw Silent Knight standing there.

"Silent?!" She scrambled to her hooves and tried to jump off the couch, but there was no floor; instead, she fell.

Silent remained at the doorway that now hovered above her, growing further away as she plunged into darkness. She could do nothing except fall and watch the distance between them grow, a scream trapped in her throat. He just stared, making no effort to save her, his expression blank and void of emotion.

"Wake up," a voice thundered in her ear and her body seized up before it felt like she hit the cushion.

Her heavy breathing was the only sound she could hear for a moment until a pounding heartbeat overtook it. No, no, no! She wasn't supposed to fall asleep, and this was exactly why.

That voice, though… It was familiar, and not just because it had been in her nightmares last night and the night before. Or was that familiarity just a figment of her imagination, too?

It didn't matter. What mattered was she no longer allowed to close her eyes. She couldn't be trusted with not falling asleep, and one nightmare per day was more than enough for her.

Her magic snatched her notebook and quill. Keep moving forward. The stablehoof story wasn't holding her interest at that moment, so it was time to work on The Desert Rose.

What did she have so far? A protagonist and her family, a setting, and a vague idea of a plot that ended with the protagonist accepting she didn't want a romance. Velvet was right… How was she going to sell that to her readers?

Perhaps if there was still romance, but it didn't directly involve Fatinah. Crystal's ears perked up and she started to take notes. That could work! Fatinah could help her sister or a best friend find love, and through those efforts learn more about herself.

Crystal jotted down the final thought before she smiled with satisfaction. Finally! Progress! Now all she needed to do was—

Knock knock, knock knock.

—not panic. Unfortunately, her heart didn't get the memo and it went off to the races without her. What if she had just fallen asleep again? A trembling hoof reached out to test the ground. It was solid. A second hoof followed it, then a third, then the fourth.

She was standing. That was a good start. Taking a step forward brought her closer to the door instead of just walking in place. So far, so good.

Knock knock.

Oh, right, she hadn't said anything. "Coming!" she tried to call, but her voice was a raspy mess. Her vocal chords must have forgotten how to work, given that she hadn't spoken aloud since the lunch with Cadence.

When she pulled the door open, her suspicion that she was dreaming was confirmed as far as she was concerned. Princess Luna was standing on her welcome mat.

"Hello, Crystal." And she was speaking.

Crystal just stared at first, then looked around. She was still in the Crystal Empire, right?

Princess Luna laughed softly and shook her head. "You are not dreaming. May we come in?"

"We?" Crystal squeaked. Had Luna reverted to her old manner of speech?

"Yes, we," came a voice from out in the hall. Luna stepped inside so that a pegasus mare could follow her: Willowy Tempest, her personal aide. Right at her heels were two house guards, Miley Hooves coming inside and the other taking up position at the door.

Crystal didn't quite recognize the second guard, a delicate-looking unicorn with a dark blue coat under her armor. She did, however, know the lieutenant's pin the mare wore. This was Luna's new House Guard commander—Silent's replacement.

"Oh, right. Of course!" Crystal smiled. "Hello, Willow, Miley. Would any of you like some tea?"

Luna stopped in the middle of the room and took a moment to look around. Miley was doing her very best to stay professional and remain two paces behind the princess, but she did sneak in a smile and a wave before resuming her serious expression.

While Luna surveyed the surroundings, Willow cleared her throat and said, "No, but thank you. We don't plan to be here very long. Isn't that right, Princess?"

"You have made a lovely home here, Crystal," Luna said in an absent tone. "Your walls are bare, however."

Crystal flinched when Luna's gaze landed on her. The weight of it was too much to bear and she felt compelled to lower her own to the floor. "I—"

The weight grew heavier. Was Luna somehow forcing her into honesty? Or was it her own loneliness that made her want to tell the truth?

Telling even a simple white lie seemed impossible with Luna staring at her so intensely. In a quiet voice, Crystal admitted, "I want to wait until Silent comes home so we can pick pictures to put up together."

Luna hummed thoughtfully. "I see."

When Crystal glanced up, she saw Luna's gentle, motherly smile looking back at her. "Luna?"

"Willowy is right. We will not be here very long, and neither will you." Luna put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder, interrupting her before she could say anything. "I am here to take you home."

"Home?" Crystal glanced between the hoof, Willow, Miley, and Luna. "I don't understand. I am home."

"I told you she'd say that," Willow mumbled, shaking her head.

Luna's eyes grew soft and she gave the shoulder a squeeze. "I will not allow you to remain here without support. I have been blind enough already to the suffering of those close to me. That is why I will not allow you to endure yours alone."

Crystal sucked in a breath and held it to keep from betraying the surge of feelings that rose up from Luna's words. Instead, she forced the best smile she could manage. "But I—Luna, with all due respect, I don't…" She trailed off, looking away and over at the couch. "I don't want to leave this place. This is the home Silent and I made, even if it was only a short time."

"So you plan to remain here with your nightmares?" Luna inclined her head to put it in Crystal's line of sight. The crease between her furrowed brow seemed almost pained. "I cannot save you every night."

"Save me? What do you—" Crystal's eyes went wide as it clicked into place. The voice. The figure. The strange sense of familiarity. "It was you?"

With a small nod, Luna replied, "It was, but I have many ponies under my care. There are many who are plagued by nightmares after the declaration. I cannot guarantee that I can be there for you each time you have one… So I want you to come with us to Canterlot where you can get the support, help, and love that you need."

Willow cleared her throat, reaching into the planner she had tucked into the crook of one foreleg and retrieving a pamphlet. "There is a support group for military spouses that meets once a week that the princess and I believe would be a good idea for you."

"A support group?" Crystal bit her lower lip and gave a quick shake of her head, though she did accept the pamphlet in her magic. "I don't need therapy. There's nothing surprising about having nightmares, given the circumstances."

Luna withdrew her hoof while a soft sigh escaped her. "While that is true, nightmares can be consuming. I cannot stand by and allow a pony I care for to suffer. Not again."

Not again? Crystal could understand those words coming from Princess Celestia, but who had Luna lost? What was the story there?

Crystal didn't respond at first, merely standing there and sorting through her thoughts. Willow was lost in the planner and mumbling to herself. Luna, on the other hoof, stared directly at Crystal with a forlorn look in her eyes.

It was that sadness that convinced Crystal to reply, "All right."

Luna's ears perked and relief washed over her face with a smile. "All right?"

"All right," Crystal repeated, nodding. "I'll spend the weekdays in Canterlot and the weekends here." She raised a hoof when Luna opened her mouth. "Silent bought me an unlimited train pass, so the only thing I'll spend is time."

After a moment, Luna's smile widened. "That is a fair compromise, and I accept. Pack your things and we shall take the next train as soon as you are ready."

Crystal simply nodded and walked into the bedroom to pack a suitcase. Where was she going to stay while in Canterlot? She didn't want to impose on Velvet and make Nightingale feel uncomfortable. And she certainly wasn't going to stay at the castle. That just left one place she could think of… as much as she dreaded to even consider it.

♡

"Hi, Mother."

Upper Crust just stared, eyes wide in surprise, flinching when Jet Set called from inside, "Who is it, dear?"

Crystal's ears flicked back. "May I come in?"

"What?" Upper Crust blinked, then took a step to the side. "Of course. Of course you may." Her brow furrowed, but she kept quiet while Crystal walked past her.

Jet Set glanced up from his newspaper and a smile spread across his face. "Crystal?" He folded up the paper and set it aside so he could sit up straight. "My darling, what are you doing here?"

Crystal hesitated. She wasn't ready to have this conversation just yet. Instead, she smiled, set her suitcase by the stairs, and walked over to sit on the couch. "I am spending a few days in Canterlot and was hoping I could stay here, if that's all right."

"Of course it is." Jet Set looked at Upper Crust as she lingered at the door. "Isn't it, dear?"

"Yes." Upper Crust took a step forward, hesitated, then walked the rest of the way to sit beside Crystal. "Your old room is still a bedroom, so you're welcome to sleep there." She glanced at the door. "Is your husband not joining you for this trip?"

"It's just me," Crystal replied in a voice she hoped wasn't too quiet. She tried to smile wider to cover up the nerves fluttering in her stomach. "How have the two of you been?"

Jet Set sighed and tapped the newspaper with one hoof. "As well as can be expected with the dreadful times. It's truly an appalling thing. Equestria, at war? I never thought I'd see such a headline. It's really taken its toll. Why, some of our friends have even volunteered."

"Truly dreadful," Upper Crust parroted, her wary gaze locked on Crystal's form.

"But enough about such things." Jet Set waved a hoof, smiling. "How is life in the Crystal Empire? Tell us all about it!"

Crystal's smile grew more sincere as she relaxed into the couch. "Oh, the Empire is lovely. The ponies there are just so wonderful. Nothing like—" She cleared her throat. "Nothing like what you'd expect from ponies who have been gone for so long."

Jet Set hummed in agreement. "Yes, yes, quite. I would imagine the culture shock would take some adjustment, but it sounds as though you like it well enough."

"Where is your husband?" Upper Crust said, her tone somewhat pressing, almost insistent.

There it was. Crystal's stomach dropped and she shook her head. "If you're asking, then I think you know the answer, Mother."

Jet Set sat upright. "You don't mean—"

"—he volunteered?" Upper Crust shook her head and sighed. "I see. I understand, darling. We completely support your decision."

"My decision?" Crystal frowned lightly. "What do you mean by that?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Upper Crust gestured at the suitcase with one hoof. "You've come to stay here while you sort out the details of your marriage."

Crystal's ear flicked. "The 'details of my marriage'? What do you mean by that?"

Jet Set cleared his throat. "What I think your mother is trying to say is that we understand why you would want to… move back to Canterlot."

"I'm not moving back to Canterlot. I'm simply here for a few days." A feeling of uncertainty mixed with preemptive irritation stirred her to jolt upright. "This has nothing to do with my marriage."

"Well, then, perhaps this would be a good time to consider… alternatives," Jet Set said in a cautious tone. "I know you love Silent Knight, but love isn't going to take care of you while he's at war."

Upper Crust huffed. "And it certainly won't take care of you if he, Celestia forbid, dies."

Tears stung at the corners of Crystal's eyes, but her flaring anger staved them off. "How can you even say such a thing?!" She wanted to lash out and strike her mother. Throw something against the wall. Instead, she simply trembled. "He's not going to die!"

"We're just thinking of your best interests, dear." Jet Set tapped his hooves together. "We don't like the idea any more than you do."

"Nopony would blame you, darling," Upper Crust said, reaching out to put her hoof on Crystal's. "Divorces aren't unheard of."

Crystal recoiled and stood up, glaring at her mother. "Divorce?! I'm not getting a divorce, Mother!"

Jet Set clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "You should at least consider it, dear. He did leave you, after all."

"Leave me?!" Crystal turned her glare on him as a boiling heat spread through her veins. "He didn't leave me! He volunteered at the behest of the princesses to do his duty! To uphold his oath!"

"And what of his oath to you?" Upper Crust shook her head. "There are plenty of guards that could volunteer in his place. Any number of them would suffice. He, however, is a husband, and should have respected that if he thought himself a good husband. Why did he have to volunteer?"

A bitter laugh escaped her and she took a few steps back to put distance between herself and them. "Why? Why! Because he had to volunteer, in the stead of those who can't." She glared at her father again and spat with bitter emphasis, "And in the stead of those who won't."

"Crystal Wishes!" Jet Set frowned as he sat up in his seat. "That's quite unfair. What good would I be over there?"

Her eyes narrowed as the anger boiled within her chest. "What good are you here?"

And with that, she snatched her suitcase in her magic and stormed out the door. When it slammed shut behind her, her resolve broke and tears fell down her cheeks while she walked blindly down a street. She had to get away. She didn't care where she ended up. Just as long as it was as far away from her parents as she could get.

How could they even suggest such a thing? The very notion twisted her stomach into a knot. It was almost as though they'd been thinking it and just waiting to spring the awful idea on her!

Why had she thought she could spend so much as a minute with them, much less several days? As her hooves carried her across the city, she just tried to breathe without choking on a sob. It wasn't until she had calmed down that she realized where she was going.

Thinking about it, she should have just gone there to begin with. It made perfect sense—much more sense than going to her parents'. When she finally arrived at the door, she sucked in a breath, knocked, and smiled when a mare answered.

"I'm sorry to show up out of the blue," she said, ducking her head, "but could I stay with you for a few days?"

Winterspear didn't miss a beat. She put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder and guided her inside. "Absolutely. Come on in."

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A cup of tea was set on the table in front of Crystal and pulled her out of a daze. "Thank you," she mumbled, wrapping her hooves around the smooth, warm ceramic.

Winterspear nodded and took the seat beside her. "It's the least I can do." She reached out to put a hoof on Crystal's foreleg. "It's going to be okay."

"Of course it is," Crystal said almost reflexively, flinching and wanting to pull away from the physical contact. She held her ground, however, and stayed otherwise still. Her defenses fell when she looked in Winterspear's eyes and saw her own uncertainties reflected there. "… At least, I hope so."

"It's not as bad as the papers make it seem," Winterspear said, shaking her head. "They're not going to the battle itself. They're just there to relieve the gryphon troops from having to defend the cities so that they can fight instead."

A pit formed at the base of Crystal's stomach as she struggled against the words at the tip of her tongue. She couldn't say it. She shouldn't say it. And yet—"Isn't that what they said about the war your father was in?" Crystal asked softly, instantly regretting it.

"That was different!" Winterspear snapped. Her ears folded back and she averted her gaze to not meet Crystal's. "They were too close to the fighting and got caught up in it. This will be different. Silent won't end up like our father."

This time, it was Crystal who reached out to offer Winterspear the comfort of a simple touch. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm not thinking straight. I shouldn't have said that. I just came here from fighting with my parents, so—"

Winterspear's gaze returned to hers, eyes narrowed with wary suspicion. "What happened?"

"Oh." Crystal withdrew her hoof and wrapped it around the teacup again, gazing down into the light brown liquid. She collected herself by taking a slow sip from it. "My parents don't understand much of anything outside of the show and pomp of high society."

"They said something stupid, didn't they?" Winterspear snorted. "I'm not surprised. No offense, but ponies like your parents have been saying some horrible things since the declaration."

Crystal sighed, shaking her head. "No offense taken. Though… I've thought some horrible things."

Winterspear hesitated, her wings tucking in tight against her sides as the gears visibly turned while she searched for words. "Like... what, exactly?"

After biding her time again with another slow sip of tea, Crystal muttered, "Like how he should have stayed. That if he truly loved me, he wouldn't have gone. He's my husband first and foremost, isn't he?" Her ears folded back and she sighed, her breath pushing the steam from the tea through the otherwise still air. "But then I remember my vows, and that he took his oath before he took his vows."

Neither of them said anything for a while. Crystal just sipped her tea to pass the time while a clock on the wall ticked the seconds that passed. Winterspear looked around the room as though the couch or the rug were supposed to help her.

Finally, Winterspear rubbed the back of her neck. "We grew up pretty different, didn't we?"

A giggle bubbled up from Crystal's chest. "Oh, I would dare say that is an understatement."

Winterspear gave a short laugh in response as she leaned back into her seat, then cleared her throat. "Stratus drilled it into our heads that it's the Guard or nothing. That if ponies don't dedicate themselves a hundred percent to the Guard, then they're going to get somepony killed. Of course, Stratus saw stuff most ponies never even think about or could even imagine."

Crystal watched the mare as she spoke. Her gaze was fixated on nothing in the distance, and her tone was void of emotion. The tightly clenched jaw, the rigidly set shoulders, and the light flare of her nostrils gave away all the emotions boiling under the surface, however.

"He was bitter," she continued. "Always so bitter. When he was overseas and under attack, everything was normal here. He didn't come back to the heroes' welcome he expected. 'They'll never be grateful,' he said all the time."

Winterspear shook her head and refocused her gaze on Crystal. "Just because Silent left doesn't mean he doesn't love you. I would have volunteered, but—" She sucked in a breath and just below the table, Crystal caught sight of her wrung hooves. "I knew Silent would go no matter what, so I had to stay for Mom's sake. I can't let her be alone again, not after what she went through with Stratus."

There was a light hitch in her voice as she continued and her ears folded back under the weight of some unseen guilt. "And I—Iridescence and I already struggle taking care of Dot, just the two of us. I can't abandon her." She looked down at her lap. "Who am I kidding? I'm just a big hypocrite."

"Oh, Winterspear," Crystal murmured, shifting in her seat to face the mare and reaching out to grab her hooves. "You don't have to explain anything to me. I'm not begrudging you for staying! You don't think I do, do you?"

"You should!" Winterspear tried to pull her hooves away, but Crystal held on tighter. "I'm sitting here talking about how you shouldn't blame Silent because of the way he was raised, but I was raised just the same way. What excuse do I have?" She glared at her. "Why aren't you mad at me for staying?"

Crystal didn't know a lot about Winterspear. The times they had spent together were never very long. She knew the unfortunate highlight, however: Stratus Knight had never treated her right, favoring Silent instead.

The shadow cast by Silent under Stratus's lingering light was still looming over Winterspear. Him volunteering for war while she opted to stay behind must have been gnawing away at her all this time. It wasn't fair—it wasn't her fault.

Finally, Crystal smiled and shook her head. "Because you're not Silent."

Winterspear blinked a few times. "Huh?" Her nose scrunched up and she frowned. "But—just like that? It's that easy for you?"

"Of course. The only pony I blame here is Silent." Crystal laughed, though it was half-hearted and quickly faded away. "I just… I don't understand." She heaved a sigh and withdrew her hooves. "If they haven't left for the Gryphon Kingdom, then why did he have to leave me right then?"

"Oh." Winterspear hesitated, then straightened up. "You wouldn't know, would you?"

Crystal's brow furrowed. "Know what?"

"Of course not. They don't include a manual or anything for ponies like—for ponies that didn't grow up like we did." Winterspear sighed and rested her hooves on the table, tapping them together. "It's not as simple as 'war declared, soldiers ship out'. Silent and the other volunteers have to be there as soon as possible. That way the Guard knows how many ponies they have so they can decide how to assign them."

Crystal looked down at her teacup as guilt seeped into her chest. "But I just—" Her voice cracked as the feelings bubbled up into her throat. "One more night couldn't have hurt. Just one more night…"

Tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. Then one more night after that, and another, and 'just one more night' until the war was over and he had never left because she kept begging him to stay.

Winterspear reached out to set her hoof on Crystal's again. "I'm sorry, I know this isn't what you signed up for."

Those words pulled Crystal out of her downward spiral and she quickly shook her head. "No, no, this is exactly what I signed up for! I knew. When he was in a coma, I was terrified. I wanted to give up and run away, but I decided that the risk of losing him was worth the reward of loving him." She shook her head again. "It's just harder than I thought."

Another moment of silence fell on them until Winterspear broke it with a light laugh. "You know? Sometimes I underestimate you. I guess that's because you're… well, you're just a civilian."

Crystal smiled softly, waving one hoof. "It's all right. Honestly, you can do no worse underestimating me than my parents do."

"Right… right." Winterspear's ear flicked. "Do you want to talk about what happened with them?"

Crystal shifted in her seat. She both did and didn't. If she felt so much offense at her parents' suggestion, how would Winterspear feel? Not only was she a guard, but it was her own brother that they were suggesting Crystal leave. "Not particularly. Actually, I would much rather talk about your mother."

Winterspear straightened up and pursed her lips. "What about her?"

"Would it be possible for me to see her?" Crystal paused to sip her tea. "I think I could use her perspective on some things."

"Oh." Winterspear glanced at the clock, then stood up. "Why not right now?"

Crystal blinked. "Right now? As in, this very moment? I—" She smiled. "That sounds perfect."

After finishing what remained of the tea, the two mares walked out of the complex and into the open space between the buildings. Winterspear stretched her wings while Crystal prepped herself for the visit. What mood would Wallflower be in? Was this a mistake?

"Do you want me to carry you, or would you rather sit on my back?" Winterspear asked, testing her wings with a few strong flaps that rose her off the ground.

Crystal shook her head. "I don't have a preference. Which is easier for you?"

Winterspear stretched out her forelegs toward Crystal. "Carrying is easier, actually."

"Then carrying it is." Crystal stepped closer to her, unsure of how to help. Silent normally would just sweep her off her hooves, and—

Well, he swept her into his embrace just the same as Winterspear did right then. There were differences, of course—such as the way she smelled and the feel of her forelegs—but it was a little startling to be held like a princess by somepony other than Silent.

"And off we go!" Winterspear said, taking flight without much of a running start, given that she only had her hindlegs available. It was a slower ascent than a pegasus could achieve when they had the use of all four legs, but several powerful pumps of her wings got her soaring soon enough.

It had been a while since Silent had taken her for a flight. The experience was nigh indescribable: the feeling of wind whipping through her mane, the view of Equestria from so high up, and the sounds of the world fading away. It was like becoming one with the sky.

Neither said anything as they made their way toward Cloudsdale. Crystal assumed Winterspear knew the way, because a cursory glance at the view ahead revealed an endless sea of clouds drifting in grey-blue skies. How did pegasi know where to go to find their home that never stayed in one place, anyway?

Crystal tried not to hum while she mulled that thought over. Perhaps it was a whisper on the wind or some sort of internal compass that guided pegasi home. Did she have anything like that? Well, there was a song unicorns were taught as foals to help focus their magic…

Of course, she didn't know any spells that required enough concentration for it, so she could hardly remember the melody, much less the words.

"Are you okay?" Winterspear asked into the silence between them. "You're not nervous, are you?"

"Nervous? Oh, no." Crystal inclined her head to smile up at her. "Not about meeting your mother, anyway. I'm just thinking. Honestly, I wish I were a pegasus at times like this. It's so… peaceful up here, isn't it?" She breathed in the fresh air and sighed contentedly. "It's easy to forget everything up here."

Winterspear listed to the right to navigate around a stray cloud. "Yeah. It's nice to just get away from everything."

Crystal's head tilted the other way to look at the nondescript Equestria below, wrapped in a hazy shade of winter. It could have been any continent or land mass, really. She wouldn't have been able to tell from that high up. "It really makes you feel small, too, though, doesn't it…"

"Small?" Winterspear's ears wiggled. "I just feel free."

Free. What did that mean? Had she ever felt free before? Crystal nestled close to Winterspear as a gust of wind chilled her to the bone—or perhaps it was just her own thoughts that felt so cold. Of course she had felt free. The weight of the present was just clouding the past.

She had felt free when she moved in with Velvet. Free when Silent dropped her in the middle of their dance. Free on her wedding day and her honeymoon. The only thing that had threatened her feeling of freedom was the war, but she couldn't let it win. She just wasn't sure how to stay strong.

Wallflower would have the answer. Wallflower had endured more than Crystal could even begin to imagine, and yet she was still standing. If she could just impart some magic words of wisdom to make things easier, then that was all Crystal needed.

They came up over a large group of clouds to reveal the marvelous sight that was Cloudsdale. Crystal had only seen it in books and from afar, but both failed to capture the beauty before her.

Rainbowfalls cascaded off the sides of the picturesque cloud city that stretched out in all directions. Pegasi were everywhere, little specks of color against a mostly white canvas. It was a haven for the winged ponies, so different from Canterlot and Manehattan and Chicagoat that it almost didn't even feel like a part of Equestria.

"My mom's house is right over there," Winterspear commented as they neared, gesturing with a nod at a section of homes on one side of the city. "As a warning, she's changed since the last time you saw her."

"Changed?" Crystal blinked. "What do you mean?"

Winterspear grinned down at her. "You'll see." She leaned back to flare her wings at an angle, slowing down as she neared the clouds that served as a ground in front of a little cottage. There was a planter out front, barren of any greenery, and the windows were propped open to let music drift out through them.

Carefully, Winterspear kept herself balanced with gentle flaps of her wings, walking on her hindlegs toward the front door. "Mom?" she called in a loud voice. "I've got a visitor for you!"

"What?" the mare's voice called from inside as the music turned off. Wallflower poked her head through one of the windows, her pale blue pixie-cut mane a wild mess. "Oh, Crystal?" She disappeared and a moment later, the door opened. "Please, come in, before Winterspear falls and drops you through the clouds."

Crystal's eyes widened as that horrifying thought flashed through her mind. "O-Oh my word, I hadn't thought this through at all. How is this even going to work?"

"It's fine," Winterspear grunted as she half-walked, half-flew Crystal inside and set her on the couch. "The furniture has to be imbued with cloudwalking enchantments to stay on the clouds."

"Oh." Crystal blinked and relaxed into the cushions. "That actually makes a lot of sense."

"Just don't walk off the edge of the rug and you'll be fine," Wallflower said from where she jogged on a treadmill. Though she was moving at a steady pace and had been for a while—judging by the sweat darkening her muted pink coat and the messy state of her mane—she hardly seemed out of breath. "Winterspear will catch you if you forget. Isn't that right, Winterspear?"

Winterspear nodded, sitting down beside Crystal. "Yes, ma'am."

Wallflower looked over at them without breaking her stride. "Now, what brings the two of you here? Is this about my son?"

Her voice was different; there wasn't a guarded wall of ice around it like normal. Crystal didn't quite know how to react at first, so all she could do was nod.

"I see." Wallflower jogged for a few more moments before she hopped off and walked over to them. She stared at Crystal with a piercing gaze that seemed to be weighing her against some unknown metric. Finally, she smiled. "Dear, we need to stop meeting when the circumstances are unfortunate."

Crystal laughed behind a hoof and nodded again. "Yes, ma'am."

"Oh, would the two of you stop with that?" Wallflower lowered herself into a rocking chair. "Call me anything but ma'am. I'm not your superior officer." She crossed her hindlegs, one over the other. "Now, you've come all this way to talk, so talk. I'm listening."

"I—" Crystal choked on her words. What was she going to say? How was she going to say it? She sat up taller in a show of false bravado. "My parents suggested I divorce Silent."

"What?!" Winterspear practically shrieked, jumping to her hooves. "They told you to do what?!"

Wallflower didn't take her eyes off Crystal. She lifted a hoof and waved it in Winterspear's direction. "Sit down and calm down." The hoof lowered back to her lap. "And?"

Crystal maintained the eye contact as well, though one ear did flick back for a brief moment. "I have no intention nor desire to do anything of the sort, but I could use your help, ma'a—… Mom."

The corners of Wallflower's lips quirked into a small smile. "What for?"

"How did you do it?" Crystal's resolve wavered and her shoulders slumped. "It's been hardly any time at all, and I've already run the gamut of emotions. I already regret letting him walk out the door. I already miss him." She bit her tongue to fight back the tears. "How did you stay strong?"

For a while, Wallflower said nothing. She just stared at Crystal. Finally, just when it seemed like she'd never say anything, she looked over at Winterspear. "Do you mind getting something from the kitchen for us to eat? I'm sure you must be hungry after flying her all the way here."

Winterspear went to the kitchen without delay and without a word. Once she was gone, Wallflower returned her gaze to Crystal. "You want to know how I stayed strong?"

Crystal just nodded.

"I didn't." Wallflower shrugged. "I just pushed it all down. I stood there and did nothing as he tormented our foals. I stood there and did nothing as you fretted over my son in the hospital. Stratus never truly came back from the Gryphon Kingdom. He died a long, long time ago, and so did I."

This wasn't what she wanted to hear. She felt her throat close up and clenched her hooves to keep from trembling. "B-But, you said—the life of the wife—"

Wallflower snorted. "I know what I said. I said it to myself every time I didn't recognize the mare in the mirror." She leaned forward and reached out a hoof. When Crystal hesitantly took it, Wallflower continued, "Silent isn't Stratus, and you, dear, aren't me. The two of you won't make the same mistakes we did."

Crystal looked down at their joined hooves to try and keep some of her composure together. In a voice as fragile as she felt, she asked, "How do you know that?"

"Because you're here asking for help." Wallflower smiled. "I never had the strength to do that when I was in trouble." She squeezed the hoof she held. "There are support groups for ponies like you. You should join one."

Crystal's ears folded back. "Ponies like me?"

Wallflower gave a soft chuckle and nodded. "Yes, ponies like you. You're a military spouse, dear, and it's time for you to benefit from the services the military provides, such as support groups. I go to one now. You should, too."

For some strange reason, just being called a military spouse made Crystal feel suddenly better. Not 'a civilian' or 'a normal pony', but actually a part of the Guard she had married into. A smile started to spread across her face as she stood from the couch, took a few steps forward, and threw her forelegs around Wallflower in a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered, burying her face against the older mare's neck. "I will. I promise… Thank you."

To the Life We Knew

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"Just sign here, ma'am."

Crystal glanced between the sheet and the stallion sitting at the desk. He wore a uniform, rather than armor, and a gentle smile, which she returned. "Thank you."

Her magic guided the pen across the fields to fill in the information: her name, Silent's name and rank, where they lived, and the like. It was a little strange—it felt like she was back at the Academy, about to take a final exam.

"Thank you very much, ma'am," the stallion said, gesturing to the door beside him. "Go on inside."

Crystal's heart fluttered with nerves as she took a step forward. What were support groups like? Would this be group therapy, where they all sat in a circle and talked about their problems? Or would somepony stand in front of them and give lectures about how to be strong and have some magic answers for surviving this war?

When she crossed the threshold, she found herself in an ordinary conference room. A long wooden table dominated the space, lined with chairs pushed in as far as they could go. An assortment of refreshments were set out on one end of it, the other overflowing with stacks of papers. There were a few ponies waiting inside, and two mares stood by the door and at the ready with pamphlets.

"Welcome," one said, a crystal unicorn mare with a glimmering onyx coat. "Thank you for coming."

"Crystal?" the other inquired in a surprised tone.

Crystal's brow furrowed as her attention shifted to the pink-coated, older mare standing to her right. After a brief moment of mental searching, the lightbulb clicked: Radiant Orchid, Silent's first sergeant that had retired.

Orchid's weary eyes widened with realization. "Oh, no." She set her hoofful of pamphlets on the table and stepped toward her. "He volunteered?" She winced. "Of course he did…"

Crystal ducked her head. "Y-Yes, he did."

Orchid embraced her much like a mother would a foal, gave a tight squeeze, then held her at foreleg's length. "I'm so glad you've come, then. Good for you. If you ever need anything, my door is always open." She smiled. "That's true for everypony attending, but doubly so for you."

Crystal just gazed up at her for a moment. The mare's braided red mane had highlights of grey, and the creases at the corners of her eyes told of a lifetime spent with love. They had never spent much time together, but she knew Orchid was important to Silent, which made her important to Crystal as well.

Finally, she returned the smile. "Thank you, Orchid. I appreciate it."

Orchid nodded and stepped back, retrieving her pamphlets and offering one to Crystal. "Here is the general information about the services available to you. Derelict and I will be covering everything in more detail and can answer any specific questions you might have, but this is a good start."

The crystal unicorn's ear flicked. "Oh, you remembered me. Thank you." She offered a hoof to Crystal. "Derelict Apathy. I'm studying under Radiant Orchid. I apologize for the lack of formality. This situation is new and unfamiliar to all of us."

Orchid laughed softly. "I'm still just a pony, you know. A lack of formality can be forgiven once in a while."

"But where is the line drawn?" Derelict turned her gaze to Orchid. "If you're not formal with this mare, but you are with the next, what does that mean? Favoritism leads to discrepancies and differences, which lead to separation. The point of bringing these spouses and loved ones together is to build a community, is it not?"

Crystal quickly took the hoof that still hovered in the air before Orchid could respond. "It's nice to meet you, Derelict. Thank you for your time."

Derelict blinked at her. "And thank you for your service."

Service? She wasn't the guard; Silent was. Nonetheless, she just kept smiling. "I suppose I'll get out of the way and leave you two to greeting." She waved the pamphlet in her magic. "And I'll start looking through this, thank you."

Orchid nodded. "We'll cover it once everypony is here. Feel free to mingle with the other ponies. Oh, and enjoy the refreshments."

As Crystal walked further into the room, she heard Orchid say to Derelict, "You really need to learn to lighten up, Derry."

"Derelict," she corrected. "And I'm simply trying to do my job."

Crystal tried to smile to cover her nerves as she shifted her attention to the two stallions and mare huddled by the refreshments. Nopony was talking, instead opting to stand near-but-not-too-near to one another and looking at anything but each other. To be fair, sticking strangers in a room together during trying times didn't seem like the most comfortable situation to be in.

"Hello," Crystal offered as she approached.

One of the stallions smiled, though his blue eyes looked to be on the verge of tears. "Hi."

"I'm Crystal Wishes," she said, stopping to stand where she could engage the three of them, even if the other two didn't seem keen on making eye contact.

"Toffee Strudel." He shifted from one hoof to the other.

Crystal waited for the second stallion and the mare to chime in, but the former was staring off at nothing and the latter just looked down at her cup of juice. An awkward tension filled the air like the buzzing of gnats. "S-So…"

The other stallion jerked his head toward her and snapped, "Army, Navy, or Guard?"

Crystal blinked. "Excuse me?"

"Are you Army, Navy, or Guard?" His steel grey eyes bored into hers as if weighing her soul. Perhaps he was. But what for?

"G-Guard, I suppose." She felt like wilting under the weight of his gaze but did her best to hold her ground. "At least, my husband is."

"You suppose?" He frowned. "Either you're part of the military, or you're a civilian. Which is it?"

Irritation sparked in her chest and she countered his frown by squaring her shoulders and standing tall. "I married into the Guard, so I do believe that makes me a part of it."

Silence held the group of ponies until the stallion cracked a smile. "Good." He thrust his hoof out to her. "Starlit Bastion. You may call me Bastion. Navy through my wife. Nice to meet a spouse who's got a backbone, unlike these two."

"Hey," Toffee mumbled, but took a step back when Bastion stared him down.

Crystal glanced at the offered hoof, one brow raised. "Backbone or not, we're all here for the same reason." Her eyes narrowed. "Sir."

Slowly, Bastion's hoof lowered back to the ground. "Beg to differ, ma'am. I'm here because we were requested to attend, and I follow orders. They're here because the vows they made are too tough for them to uphold." His eyes grew cold once again. "Why are you here?"

"Because these are trying times nopony could have prepared for, and I'm not strong enough to handle them on my own." Although she was much shorter than the large earth stallion, she angled her head in just the right way to give the impression of looking down her nose at him. "But I am strong enough to admit that."

Though she was certain she meant the words, her heart was racing. What exactly was she doing? She was here to mingle, not to start a fight!

Toffee swelled with newfound courage. "She's right. I-I support my wife, sir, but that doesn't mean that it's not hard to."

Bastion snorted and looked over at the silent, light grey mare. "And you?"

She winced and her ears flicked back, but her gaze remained focused on her juice cup. Determined to stay out of the conversation, she just gave a small shrug in reply.

"I see." He glanced between them all. "Well. Perhaps I misjudged some of you." He shrugged, picked up a little triangle sandwich, and didn't seem inclined to say anything more.

Crystal stared at him a while longer before she turned her attention to Toffee, smiling. "Don't worry. I'm certain there will be more supportive spouses attending."

"I hope so," Toffee mumbled. "This isn't what I expected."

"I don't think any of this is what any of us expected," a familiar voice said from behind Crystal.

Her heart racing again, she slowly turned to face the owner. A large, stocky, yellow earth stallion stood there, his expression a mix of a half-hearted smile and nervous eyes. She knew his face. She knew him: Verdant Wellspring, husband of Painted Wave.

"Hi, Crystal," he said.

"Verd, what are you—" She couldn't finish the question. Her heart had already jumped into her throat and then sunk to the pit of her stomach. She knew the answer. "Why did she—"

Verdant rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. "You know how she is," he replied in a soft voice. "Once she makes up her mind…"

"There's no changing it." A short, breathless laugh escaped her, but it died out like a snuffed flame. Her ears folded back and she quickly said, "I'll get the crystal for you when I go back to the Empire. She gave it to me, but—"

"There's no but." He shook his head. "She gave it to you, which means it's yours. Besides… she wanted you to have it."

"But I—" Tears jumped to Crystal's eyes and her chin trembled. "But she—"

Verdant raised a hoof and set it on her shoulder. "Don't worry about her." He offered a light smile. "That's what I'm here for. You have your Silent to worry about, don't you?"

Crystal swallowed, smiled, and shook her head. "We can worry about them together. That's why we're all here, after all."

A hoof clapped against the floor, drawing all attention to Radiant Orchid. "It looks like just about everypony we're expecting to have is here. First of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for coming. I know taking a step like this couldn't have been easy."

It was right then when Crystal noticed how many ponies had arrived during her conversations with Bastion and Verdant. Stallions and mares—old, young, and everywhere in between—were crammed into the space that wasn't occupied by the large table. Even with all the chairs pushed in, it was still a tight fit.

"Derelict and I are here to go over the resources you have at your disposal. For example, free foal and elderly care is available to military spouses." Orchid tapped a hoof to a stack of papers sitting on the conference table. "The forms for applying for that aid are right here. There's one less caretaker in your household now, so don't be shy to ask for help if you need it."

After a pause, Orchid continued, "There are also cards on the table for counselors, including mine. Sometimes it can just help to talk to somepony. Sometimes you may need specific help. We are here for you, so reach out to us if you need anything. None of you have to schedule appointments; we will fit you in if you show up. We would appreciate it if it were scheduled, of course."

Orchid worked on down the row of papers, gesturing at the next few. "Here are volunteer programs that are focused on military families, the most important of which is Helping Hooves. Normally, they are a volunteer group for the elderly, but they've stepped up to offer their services to you."

She turned her head to look at a silver-coated unicorn mare standing to attention off to the side. "Lieutenant Melodic Ward is here as the liaison for the local Helping Hooves chapter. Lieutenant?"

Melodic Ward bobbed her head. "Thank you, Warrant Officer." She took a moment to make eye contact with all of the ponies that were huddled in the room. Finally, she smiled. "You are all brave ponies, braver than I think most will give you credit for. Because of that, Helping Hooves is here to help you all stay on your hooves."

A light chuckle circulated the room.

With an appreciative nod, Melodic Ward continued, "What our volunteers typically do is yard work, household chores, grocery shopping, and things of that nature. If your spouse or loved one was the one who fixed the leaky faucet, then a Helping Hooves volunteer will take care of it. Let us do what we can for you so you don't get overwhelmed. Don't be afraid to reach out to us for anything. Thank you for your service."

There it was again. Was that a normal thing to say? Crystal tried not to make a face, but her nose did twitch. What service was she being thanked for?

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Derelict Apathy said, her half-lidded eyes belying nothing of how she may have felt at that moment. "The main reason we have arranged this time is for all of you to meet each other. There are no other ponies in Equestria that will understand what you are going through better than the ponies in this room.

"While we cannot force you to do anything, research shows that building a community of peers in similar circumstances promotes a feeling of belonging and negates loneliness. I highly recommend that you take this time to get to know your peers and work together to build a rotating schedule to have informal meetings at each others' homes."

After a few moments that were filled with confused murmurs, Orchid explained, "What Derelict is trying to say is that it's good to have a support group, and while we could establish facilitated meetings to gather you all together, it would feel more natural and comfortable if you were all in charge of when you met up."

Derelict blinked. "That's one way to put it, I suppose."

Orchid patted her on the shoulder before smiling at the crowd of mares and stallions. "Lastly, if you need help staying busy or putting your focus elsewhere, there are forms at the end for groups looking for more volunteers, including Helping Hooves."

"In the meantime," Derelict said, "please enjoy the free refreshments, mingle, and form your support group before you leave today."

Orchid nudged her in the side and corrected, "And consider forming a support group. It's absolutely optional, but highly recommended."

Derelict's brow furrowed as she looked at Orchid. "But research shows—"

Orchid clamped a hoof over the mare's mouth and smiled brightly at everypony else. "Enjoy, mingle, and thank you for your service!"

The ponies in the room had varied reactions to all the information that had been thrown their way. A few wandered over to the stacks of papers to find what seemed useful to them. Some just continued to stand by themselves, glancing around awkwardly. Others struck up idle conversations. And the rest waited for somepony to get things going.

Crystal sucked in a breath. Well, it was time to find some use for the training she'd been trying to escape her whole life. When the room has no star, shine the brightest, her mother's voice said in the back of her mind.

"Well, I love the idea Derelict put forth about a rotating schedule for getting together," Crystal said, putting on her best smile as all eyes turned on her. "Would anypony else like to join me?"

Verdant smiled. "I would."

"I'd like to," Toffee said in a quiet voice that carried in the quiet room.

A reddish-purple mare approached Crystal. Her face was somewhat contorted in a pucker, as though her eyes and her lips were all trying to reach her nose. "L-Lemon," she stammered out.

Crystal blinked. "Beg your pardon?"

The mare sucked in a breath. "Bit a lemon." She screwed up her nose, let out a heavy groan, then smiled once her face had relaxed. "What I was going to say before I bit into a lemon was, that sounds like a good idea."

"Oh, great!" Crystal looked around the room. "Does anypony have some paper and a writing utensil so we can start coordinating?"

Orchid raised a hoof, then pointed at the table. "There are some right there."

Crystal flashed her a smile. "Oh... Thank you!" Once she spotted them, her magic grabbed one of the pens and a few sheets of paper. "So we have myself, Verdant Wellspring, and Toffee Strudel." She wrote that down and looked up at the mare in front of her. "And your name?"

"Passionfruit," she replied, bobbing her head.

Crystal wrote that down, then glanced at the nearby faces. "Anypony else?"

One by one, ponies stepped up to have their names written down. There were some hesitant and avoidant faces that kept quiet, but the list grew to a sizable length. Crystal smiled as they started to work on coordinating addresses into a schedule. This felt right. It felt like she belonged.

When You Wish Upon a Star

View Online

The Zest café was exactly the same as when she had visited it with Velvet over a month ago. There was not a single thing about it that seemed to care what she and thousands of other ponies were going through, not even so much as a faltering smile. It was almost as if nothing had happened at all.

Crystal stared down at the bamboo boat full of different vegetables that begged her to eat it. Her stomach didn't seem as compliant as it did before she arrived. All she could do was think about her surroundings—and the sound of countless conversations colliding.

"My new dress has an extra button and…"

"Can you believe that she's wearing a…"

"Are vegetables low fat?"

"… but her begonias aren't nearly bloomed enough!"

"… and that's why you don't pair orange with neon green, darling."

It was all so mundane. So petty. Just as Crystal was starting to feel nauseated, she saw a familiar light pink figure in her peripheral vision.

"Crystal, Crystal, Crystal!" Velvet embraced her before she could react. "Sorry I'm late! You know how it is."

Crystal smiled, a sense of comfort washing over her at the simple sensation of being hugged. "It's quite all right. I do know how it is."

Velvet slid into the seat across from her and beamed. "So, where are you staying? How long? Are you moving back?"

"One question at a time, please!" Crystal laughed softly, shaking her head. "I'm not moving back, per se. I'll spend my weekdays here in Canterlot and my weekends at home."

Velvet's smile started to fall. "At home…" The smile was gone, replaced entirely by a frown. "How can you call the Crystal Empire home? I mean, really? How is it more home than Canterlot?"

"Do we have to have this conversation?" Crystal dropped her gaze to where the bamboo boat sat, patiently waiting to be devoured. "I'm trying to work up an appetite."

"Fine." Velvet sighed and leaned against the table, propping her head up against one hoof. "So, why don't you have an appetite?"

Crystal's ears flattened to the sides as she hesitated, allowing the silence to fill up with the noise around them.

"… and then he said…"

"I would never dream of being seen wearing…"

"… they ran out of my special brand of hoof polish…"

"… it was the worst, possible, thing, ever!"

"This place," Crystal practically spat, pushing the tray away. "I can't stand it."

Velvet blinked. "Zest? You're the one that picked it! We can—"

"No, not Zest. Canterlot." Crystal tried not to look as sour as she felt. "There's a war and they're still talking about hoof polish and petty gossip!"

"They? They, who?" Velvet looked around, her brow furrowing. "Are you spying on other ponies' conversations?"

Crystal sighed and shook her head. "Not intentionally, no. Force of habit. An awful habit, but it is what it is." She tried to offer a smile. "Can we go somewhere else?"

Velvet snatched up the bamboo boat before sliding out of her seat. "Sure! But I'm eating this."

A bubble of laughter escaped as Crystal followed alongside her out of the restaurant. "All right, but you owe me one later when I do regain my appetite."

"We'll see about that." Velvet chomped on one end and said around the mouthful, "So, 'sup wit' you?"

"What's up? Well, there's a fair question." What should she share? What would Velvet understand? Finally, Crystal just shrugged. "I'm still figuring things out. Princess Luna thought it would be a good idea for me to move back here."

Velvet nibbled on a cucumber. "Mmhm. I knew there was a reason I liked her."

Crystal's brow arched. "Liked her? I thought you were terrified of her?"

"Water under a bridge! We're besties now. Or, well, we would be if…" Velvet trailed off, then finished in a somber tone, "How long has it been since we had game night?"

Crystal's mood fell with Velvet's tone and she averted her gaze. "It's been… a while."

Velvet bumped her shoulder to Crystal's. "Maybe we should do that again. Get the whole gang back together?"

"Not the whole gang," Crystal muttered before she could stop herself.

A silence fell on them as they walked along the street. Velvet just went back to finishing off the meal while Crystal muddled through her feelings. Perhaps some semblance of normalcy—a positive normalcy—wouldn't be so bad.

Crystal glanced at Velvet and smiled. "I think it's a great idea. I'm sure Runic and Luna would love it."

"Yeah?" Velvet's ears wiggled. "Do you mind if I invite Nightingale?"

"The more the merrier." Crystal felt her smile widen as trepidation filled her chest. A gaming group… without Silent. It almost seemed wrong.

"Hello!" a voice cried from above. "Hello! Is that you, Mrs. Crystal Wishes?"

Both of them looked up to see a white pegasus mare flying toward them, the wind catching in her short blue mane and flowing tail. A little hat on her head and a messenger bag around her shoulders marked her as a courier.

"Yes?" Crystal blinked. "May I help you?"

The mare landed in front of her and started to rummage through her bag. "I'm so glad I found you! I have a letter for you."

Crystal's brow furrowed. "What? Why would you track me down for a simple letter?"

"It's courtesy of the crowns, Mrs. Wishes! Letters from overseas get free priority courier service. I've been looking for you all day!"

"Letters from—" A jolt ran through her and she nearly jumped on the mare from the surge of emotions. "You have a letter from Silent?!"

The courier pulled out a plain white envelope. "I think so!"

Velvet just stood there with wide eyes as Crystal's magic grabbed the letter and tore it open. A sound that was a muddled, sobbing cry of joy escaped her at the first words she saw:

My Beloved Crystal Wishes

"Is it from him?" Velvet asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Crystal nodded with so much enthusiasm that her head hurt for a moment. "Yes! Yes, it is!" The relief that flooded her senses overtook her and she pulled the courier into a hug. "Oh, thank you so much! Thank you!"

The courier gave a squeak of surprise. "H-Happy to help!"

Crystal quickly pulled back, an embarrassed flush heating her cheeks. "I'm so terribly sorry, Miss…"

"Snowy Haze." The courier smiled. "And it's okay. You're not the first! I have to get started on tracking down the next pony, but, um…" She fidgeted, red showing through her white coat.

Crystal blinked. "Yes? Oh! I'm so sorry." Shifting her focus to her bit pouch, she started to count out the coins in her magic. "Yes, a tip, of course, I—"

"No, no, no! That's not it." The red grew more intense. "I'm happy to help out how I can, even if it's just delivering letters. What I wanted to ask was, if… If you don't mind…" She reached into her bag, pulled out a pen and a copy of Her Silent Love, and said as quickly as she could, "Could you please sign this, I'm sorry to spring this on you, I was just so excited when I saw your name and I knew it had to be you, I'm a really big fan of yours!"

Velvet sputtered into laughter. "Ooh, look at you! Getting stopped in the streets for autographs!"

Regaining her wits, Crystal giggled behind a hoof. "Oh! Of course! It's the least I can do after you've brought me the best news I've received in weeks." The pen became enveloped in pink magic and she smiled as the mare opened the book to reveal the blank inside cover.

Snowy Haze — Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and determination. Forever Grateful, Crystal Wishes

"There. Thank you," Crystal said, returning the pen and pulling the letter close to her chest. "Truly, thank you."

Snowy beamed at her. "Thank you for your stories!" With a cheerful squeal, she pushed off the ground and took to the skies.

Crystal's heart raced as her gaze darted about. She spied the nearest outdoor seating of an inconsequential café and trotted toward it, Velvet following close behind her.

"What does it say?" Velvet asked as she took a seat. "Is he okay?"

Crystal laughed softly, nervously. "I don't know yet!"

Her hooves started to tremble while she kept looking at Velvet. She was almost afraid to read it. Of course, what was she expecting? He wouldn't start off a horrible letter with 'My Beloved', would he? No, certainly not. It was a good letter.

"Well? Read it already!" Velvet waved her forehooves.

"All right, all right." Crystal sucked in a breath and finally lowered her gaze to the hoofwritten words.

My Beloved Crystal Wishes

Once more I find myself in Margull and filled with trepidation. I had intended to write you a bland letter promising you that I was far from the front and safe but that seems like a waste of time.

We are setting up camp, I am currently safe, and in a position where I will likely remain so.

My grandfather is here. Stratus Knight's father, I mean. I see so much of Stratus in him that I get irrationally angry every time he walks by. Before we arrived I even yelled at him. Tonight he came to me while I was trying to write this letter and asked about the funeral.

He was concerned about whether or not we'd treated Stratus appropriately. I assured him we had. Then he asked me if I would be the one to treat him the same way when he passes. I agreed to do so.

There seemed little point in denying a pony his final wishes out of spite. Not that I anticipate his death anytime soon. He looks as fit as ever.

The encounter made me miss you all the more. Clement Knight is not family. You are. Winterspear is. I've taken that for granted to some extent and now that I am surrounded by nothing but the job your absence is unnerving.

Tonight I will go home to a dorm room with three other junior officers in it. They do not know me, they will not cuddle with me, and they will certainly not do any of the other things you do for me when we're alone.

I miss your warmth, I miss your voice, and I miss you.

May we see each other soon

Your husband

Silent Knight

Crystal released the breath she had been holding. Or perhaps it was a different breath. She had lost track of her own breathing.

"Hey… Is he okay?" Velvet asked in a soft, tentative voice.

"Mm." Crystal nodded, blinking a few times to fight back the tears. "He misses me."

Velvet snorted. "Well, d'uh. Even he's not that stupid." Her ears flicked back. "Sorry, I'm sorry. I'm still bitter about him leaving."

Crystal gave a small shake of her head. "It's all right. I am, too, sometimes. But there's not much I can do about it now except support him." She smiled, rising to her hooves. "Do you mind if we go to your place so I can write a response?"

"Sure." Velvet stood and walked alongside her. "So, uh. Speaking of your fan… How is my story coming along, anyway?"

"Your story? Oh!" Crystal added a little skip to her step. "Tonight, I'm going to focus on finishing the proposal to send to Reindom House for an advance. I hope they like it as much as I do!"

Velvet glanced at her, a small crease appearing between her furrowed brow. "An advance? Are you okay?"

Crystal nodded. "I am, but I'd just like a cushion. I'd feel more comfortable with one right now to ensure I stay okay."

The crease didn't ease any. "If things get tight, you let me know, okay? We can figure something out." Her expression relaxed into a crooked grin. "So, anyway, how are you doing it? What's the twist?"

"Well, I've given it a great deal of thought, and I think I have it. Let me know what you think: Fatinah is pursued by a mare and a stallion, but ends up with neither. The message is self-reliance, independence, and the strength and value of a mare on her own."

Velvet's ears wiggled as she laughed. "That's not really much of a romance, you know."

Crystal stuck her tongue out. "Maybe she helps them find their own companions! Or they end up together. I don't know! I don't have to figure out all of it just yet, just enough to sell it to Reindom."

"Mm… Fine, fine. But change one thing for me?"

"Of course!" Crystal giggled. "It's your story, more or less, after all."

Velvet flashed a wicked grin. "The stallion that's after her?"

"Yes?"

"Make him end up with another stallion."

Crystal's brow furrowed and she tilted her head. "I have no problem with that, but why?"

"Because it'd be hot. Stallions kissing is hot. Like, that'll sell the story right there alone. In fact, forget the rest. Just write about stallions kissing."

A rush of heat filled Crystal's cheeks and she swatted at her. "Oh, you! Take this seriously!"

Velvet laughed. "I am serious!"

"Fine." Crystal huffed and pushed the door open to the condominium building. "Any other lewd suggestions you'd like to make?"

"Nope. Just the stallion thing." Velvet pranced ahead of her and up the stairs. "The rest sounds like, well, it sounds like you're gonna need to write a seriously great proposal!"

Crystal rolled her eyes. "I find your lack of faith disturbing. You're talking to the C. W. Step!" She tossed her mane and struck a pose while Velvet unlocked her condo's door. "I could spin romance out of a tragedy. This will be an easy feat!"

Velvet sputtered into laughter. "Okay, sure, fine! Whatever, Miss Overconfident." She pulled open a drawer in the kitchen to retrieve some paper and a pen.

"No quill and ink?" Crystal put on her best fake pout. "They write so much better than pens…"

"Yeah, and they're, like, really difficult for earth ponies to use. You want to write to Silent or not?"

Crystal's magic snatched the pen as she walked over, Velvet setting the paper down on the counter. "Oh, fine. It'll do." She flashed Velvet a playful smile. "Thank you."

"Mmhm." Velvet went to the lounging pillows and flopped down on one. "When you're done with that, we can try to find some lunch that doesn't come with a side of Canterlot Snob."

A laugh escaped Crystal and she waved a hoof before turning her focus on the blank sheet in front of her.

This would be her only way of staying in touch with him. Her only connection. It was a little daunting… She had to say what she wanted to say and say it just right so that her feelings could travel across the sea.

My Dearest Silent Knight…

♡

The sky shifted through a brilliant display of yellows, oranges, reds, and even purples as the sun descended past the horizon. Crystal nuzzled her muzzle into the folds of her scarf when a light breeze brushed through her coat, but she kept her gaze skyward.

She was waiting for the stars, and a little chill certainly wouldn't deter her from that task.

When the sky had turned to a vast, dark landscape high above, the shy moon began to peek over the mountains in the distance. Her beautiful face, pale and smooth as porcelain, that hid behind a glowing white veil. Gracefully, she ascended into the night sky, bringing with her an entourage of shimmering, diamond stars.

"Crystal?" Winterspear's voice asked as the mare approached. "What are you doing out here?"

Crystal looked over at her with a smile. "Good evening! Are you off to see Iridescence?"

"I am... That doesn't answer my question, though." She sat down beside her, armor clinking against the cobblestone. "Are you okay?"

"I'm more than okay." Crystal returned her gaze to the sky, finding the brightest star she could and fixing her eyes on it. "I received my first letter from Silent today."

Winterspear's ears shot up. "You did?! How is he? Where is he? What is he doing?"

Crystal giggled and shook her head just slightly, never taking her focus off that star. "He's well." The smile fell into a somber, straight line. "He's serving with your grandfather."

"My grand…" Winterspear trailed off. Silence held them for a while until she said simply, "Oh."

Crystal reached out a blind hoof. After two misses, she managed to find Winterspear's shoulder. "I'll read you that part of his letter when I'm done here."

"Done here? What are you doing, anyway?"

"I told him that I would send my love through the stars, so that's just what I'm going to do until I feel they've been sufficiently supplied for the night to carry him through tomorrow."

Winterspear went quiet again, and Crystal was content to say nothing more. She had work to do. She had so much love to give to the stars for them to pass along.

While Crystal reflected on their wedding day to fill her chest with warmth, Winterspear stood up and stepped closer. "Hop on."

"Huh?" Crystal finally looked away from the sky to give Winterspear a curious frown. "What?"

Winterspear smiled and nodded her head toward her back. "I'm going to take you as close as we can get to the stars to make sure there's nothing lost between you and them."

Crystal blinked a few times, then gave a quick shake of her head and a small wave of her hoof. "Oh, no, no. You'll exhaust yourself, and you're supposed to go spend time with Iridescence and Dot."

"I think they'll understand if I'm late, and, let's be honest! You don't exactly weigh that much." Winterspear laughed, nudging Crystal with one hoof. "I'm not going to take no for an answer when it comes to my little brother, so you might as well just hop on already."

Crystal relented with a giggle and carefully climbed onto Winterspear's back. With a proper running start, Winterspear got them into the air with no trouble at all. A few pumps of her wings took them higher until the wind caught up and sent them soaring.

There was no time to appreciate the majesty of flying or the world below her. Crystal had her eyes fixed on the stars again as they danced and shimmered in the sea of deep blue and purple hues. She had a promise to fulfill.

Winterspear's wings flared straight out to the sides and slowed their progress so she could land delicately on a cloud. "Be careful," she said, stretching out on her stomach to keep Crystal upright. "I'll catch you if you fall, but it'd be better for both of us if you just stayed on my back."

"I will." Crystal leaned down and nuzzled the top of Winterspear's head. "Thank you."

"You don't have to thank me." Winterspear's ears wiggled and she inclined her head to look up at the stars with Crystal. "I'm just glad my brother has somepony like you that can fill a whole sky with love. So... thank you, Crystal."

Crystal took a deep breath in. The air was much colder this high up, but it was worth it. She could see the whole sky now that she was where the clouds couldn't block her view.

Slowly, she released the breath and smiled. To the brightest star she saw, she whispered, "I miss you, too."

Forget About Your Worries

View Online

"Here you are," Willowy said as she set a silver tray on the coffee table that separated Crystal and Luna. She removed the plate of little triangle-shaped sandwiches, then set about pouring two cups of tea. "Two lumps of sugar and a honey-laden stirrer for you, Mrs. Crystal."

Crystal laughed softly. "You may just call me Crystal, you know." She winked. "I did take you on a date once. Doesn't that put us on a first name basis?"

The tips of Willow's ears turned red and she huffed lightly. "I-It wasn't a date!"

Crystal couldn't help laughing again. "I'm sorry, no, of course it wasn't." Her magic accepted the teacup offered to her and she smiled. "I'm impressed you still remember what I like."

"It's my job," Willow muttered, her wings still showing her agitation in the way their feathers were ruffled. "I know the tea and coffee preferences of every important guest the princess receives."

"Oh, really?" Luna made a playfully poor attempt at concealing her grin behind a hoof. "You can remember all of that, but you neglected to remember my sister's favorite flavor of cake?"

The flush spread to the whole of Willow's face, showing easily through her light brown coat. "I-I—Well, Princess, she's not my princess to remember these things about!"

Luna just laughed and took her own cup of tea in her magic, though she brought it to her hooves and held it.

"What is Princess Celestia's favorite flavor?" Crystal asked before she took a quiet sip of tea.

Willow huffed and muttered, "It was a trick question, apparently. No matter what answer I gave, the princesses were going to laugh."

At first, Luna's expression was relaxed by the smile on her face, but the corners of her lips slowly fell and the sparkle left her eyes. "It is good, I think, to find any reason to laugh during these times. I do apologize that it was at your expense, Willow, but you can be so serious all the time. My sister and I thought you would take the joke better."

Crystal stared down at her watery reflection in the cup, her own mood growing somber. Slowly, she stirred the tea, watching the honey as it was warmed and melted away from the spoon. "I went to the support group meeting," she blurted out, blinking a few times at how loudly she had spoken into the silence.

"Oh?" Luna smiled. "That's wonderful to hear. How was it?"

Crystal scrunched up her nose. "I suppose it went better and, at the same time, worse than I expected. I don't quite know what I had in mind, but that was not it." She waved a hoof. "But that's neither here nor there. Next week, I'll meet up with the other ponies at Toffee Strudel's home. He's a spouse, like myself. Very sweet.

"That does remind me, though." Crystal set her teacup down onto the table and straightened up to prepare herself for an impending wave of guilt. "I think it might be fun to put the group back together for game night."

At first, Luna's expression lit up with excitement—and then she must have had the same thought that struck Crystal the other day when Velvet brought up the idea. What about Silent? Could they really have a game night without him? A look of regret and reluctance crossed Luna's face as she almost recoiled into the couch and averted her gaze.

Crystal just waited patiently, holding the smile in place. Their lives simply couldn't stop just because Silent was overseas. That was what she kept telling herself, anyway.

"I think," Luna finally said, hesitated, and then finished, "that sounds like a wonderful idea. We should send word to Runic, Miley, Winterspear, and Iridescence to coordinate schedules as soon as possible. I assume you will talk to Velvet." She turned her head to look at Willow. "Will you coordinate that, please?"

Willow nodded, her planner already out and open. "Yes, Princess. I—" She snapped her mouth shut and ducked her head.

Luna's brow raised. "Yes, Willowy?"

A light flush returning to her cheeks, Willow mumbled, "I would like to join in this game night, if it wouldn't be intruding."

"Oh, certainly not!" Crystal clapped her hooves together. "The more the merrier! It's always fun with more ponies."

The flush darkened to a deeper shade of red as Willow shifted almost uncomfortably. "And, perhaps... I could invite somepony? Depending on when the game night is?"

Luna gasped and stared at her with wide eyes. "Somepony? Willowy, surely you are not suggesting—"

"—your special somepony?" Crystal finished, an excited squeak in her voice.

Willow raised the planner to hide her face, but her reddened ears were still exposed. "Y-Yes, Frank is coming to visit next week. Hopefully."

Luna tossed her regal mane and declared, "Then the game night shall not commence until the elusive Frank may attend. Willowy, make it so!"

"Yes, Princess," Willow mumbled, keeping the planner in front of her face as she flipped through it. "I shall draw up invitations for Runic Phial... Miley Hooves... Winterspear... Iridescence..." She paused, then peered over the top of the planner. "Princess?"

"Yes?" Luna looked over at her.

There was a moment of hesitation that filled the air with trepidation until Willow finally asked, "Should we invite Lieutenant Snow?"

Midnight Snow. Silent's replacement. The silence in the room was deafening. What business did she have intruding on their time together? She was a guard—just a guard. She couldn't replace Silent. She wouldn't. It was petty and foalish, but Crystal refused to look at Willow. If she just didn't acknowledge her, she wouldn't have to voice her awful feelings.

"Perhaps," Luna finally said, "another time."

"Yes, Princess." Willow took a step back, her gaze falling. "I..." Her ears fell as well. There was a moment where her chin quivered before she finally said in a quiet, trembling voice, "I never wanted this. I just wanted him to take his duty to you more seriously, but this isn't how I wanted it. Not at all." She lowered her head. "I'm sorry, Princess." With those words, she retreated to the secretary's desk that stood near the door and disappeared into her work, leaving the two in a moment of awkward silence.

Crystal shifted uncomfortably. Luna sipped from her tea. Willow made no sound at all. A grandmother clock made of deep-hued mahogany ticked from its post against one wall. The merriment had been drained from the atmosphere. Somepony needed to put things back in order.

"It's interesting," Crystal said, a smile forming on her lips. "To me, at least. Isn't the joke that a wife doesn't get along with her mother-in-law?"

Luna blinked a few times, then bobbed her head in a small nod. "That is the common story told, I believe. Are you and Silent's mother having trouble?"

Crystal shook her head. "Quite the contrary! I get along fine with her. It's her home that has it out for me."

"Her home?" After a moment of thought, Luna burst into a chime of laughter. "Of course! She lives in Cloudsdale! Yes, that would complicate matters, wouldn't it?"

"I have heard that some mares fear their mother-in-law, but in my case, it's my mother-in-law's home I fear." She giggled, waving a hoof. "But it's nice to have her. She understands me."

Luna's demeanor shifted, the smile fading and her posture straightening. "Then perhaps you should make it a habit to see her. A pony of your means could afford a cloudwalking enchantment, after all."

Crystal leaned back in surprise. "A cloudwalking enchantment?"

"Of course. An amulet of some sort, enchanted with a cloudwalking spell." Luna blinked. "Were you not aware of such things? They're primarily made here in Canterlot, I would think—"

"W-Well," Crystal sputtered, her cheeks heating up with a light blush, "yes, I'm aware of them! I've just never had a reason to need one before, so the idea didn't cross my mind... And they're so awfully expensive, aren't they?"

Luna waved a dismissive hoof. "It depends on the spell and how much of a charge it holds. As long as you don't mind having to recharge it more often, the price can be quite affordable for a pony with your income. Of course, if it is too much of a burden, I wouldn't mind—"

Crystal quickly shook her head. "There's no need! I'm sure it won't be a burden at all. After all, it will allow me to more comfortably visit Wallflower, so it's worth whatever price."

After a moment, Luna arched a brow. "Do you interrupt Cadence the way you keep interrupting me? Are you picking up this bad habit from her?"

"What?" The blush returned in full force. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't intend to, I just—"

Luna's eyes narrowed, trapping Crystal's breath in her throat. Then, just before the tension grew too thick, Luna broke the silence with laughter. "Oh, I missed you! Few ponies are as much fun to have tea with as you." Her laughter bubbled up again before she settled into a somber smile. "I'm glad you have not changed."

"It's hardly been two months since I left," Crystal said, a light sulk seeping into her voice as she tried to keep her ears from folding back in embarrassment. "A pony doesn't change that suddenly."

"No, I suppose not. Not if they were a normal two months." Luna's gaze drifted the room, her eyes and voice growing distant. "And this past month has been anything but."

Crystal could only nod, her head rising and falling in a slow motion of its own accord. The tea had already cooled to a lukewarm temperature, but she idly sipped from it nonetheless. "Quite," was all her mind came up with in response.

"But enough of such topics." Luna returned her gaze to Crystal, playful expression back in its rightful place. "What is next for you? Your interview mentioned nothing of what your next work shall be."

A fluttering sensation filled Crystal's chest with warmth as her lips curled into a smile. "Oh! It's still somewhat of a secret, as the details aren't finalized yet. I've sent in the pitch to Reindom House in hopes of an advance. This one will be special, so I'm hoping they'll like it."

Luna drummed her hooves against the couch cushion. "Special! Was your previous work not special enough, telling your own story? What could be more special than that?"

Crystal winked. "I don't want to spoil too much, but this one won't be a typical love story."

"Not a typical love story? Well, consider me intrigued!" Luna smiled as her magic raised her teacup. "To your continued success."

Giggling, Crystal levitated her own cup over and gently clinked them together. "To my continued success."

"I hate to interrupt," Willow said as they drank to complete the toast, "but, Princess, you have a meeting with Princess Celestia soon." She walked over and held out a piece of paper to Crystal. "I've taken the liberty of writing down the address to a nearby shop where you can find a cloudwalking amulet." Her ears flattened to the sides. "Please remember to charge it."

Crystal laughed softly, accepting the paper and glancing it over. "Of course! I would hate for it to stop working mid-step."

Willow stared at her with an intense, serious gaze.

Crystal waved a hoof. "I understand! I understand. I won't forget, I promise."

"Mm..." Willow sighed. "Just to be safe, try to ensure you have a pegasus nearby at all times. All right?"

"I will, don't worry about me. I will only be going to visit my mother-in-law, not to sightsee." She stood, stepped forward, and wrapped a foreleg around Willow's neck. In a soft whisper, she added, "And you have no reason to apologize. Nothing is your fault."

Willow said nothing. She tensed at first, but the tightness of her muscles eased as, for a moment, she slumped her weight against Crystal. Just as quickly as she relaxed, she recoiled and straightened up. "We should be on our way, Princess."

"Yes." Luna nodded her head for Crystal to follow her out. "I hope we can have tea again soon."

Crystal smiled, having to maintain a slightly quicker pace to keep up with Luna's longer stride. "Absolutely! It's my pleasure. And thank you for the advice about the amulet."

"Of course, just remember to—"

Crystal laughed. "Yes, yes, I'll remember to charge it!"

Luna's ear flicked. "You continue to interrupt me..."

Heat coursed through her veins as she reddened all the way from her cheeks to the tips of her ears. "S-Sorry, Luna!"

"We'll have to curb that habit." At an intersection, Luna stopped to put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "I am glad, however, that you have somepony you can relate to." She smiled softly, almost motherly. "You should cherish that bond with your mother-in-law."

Crystal bobbed her head in a light nod. "I do. Thank you... for convincing me to come here. I cherish my bond with you, as well."

After a brief pause, Luna's smile brightened. "As do I. Good day, Crystal." She turned and took the hall that joined the one they had walked, Willow at her side, Harvest Moon two paces back and one to the left.

♡

The Woven Spell was a store like no other that Crystal had ever visited. The closest comparison she could come up with was an antique jewelry store, except all the trinkets had auras. Some of them were powerful auras that pulled at her, called for her, whispered through the aether to her. Others merely sparked with glimmers of magic.

All along the shelves, each amulet was kept safe inside a glass container. They came in all shapes, sizes, and styles—there were simple necklaces, large pendants, delicate anklets, ornate hornlets, and exquisite winglets, all ranging from gold to silver with gems of every type.

It was almost intoxicating. Magic was all around her. The air was practically buzzing with it. Was this what it felt like to be a powerful unicorn that was more in tune with the aether? Her spells merely scratched the surface of magic's potential.

"Hello!" a voice called from somewhere in the labyrinth of shelves. Light flashed from behind one of them, and after a pop, another flash of light appeared in front of her. When it receded and she blinked a few times to clear her vision, she found herself face-to-face with a purple-coated stallion. "I'm Spell Weaver. May I help you?"

Crystal was still blinking rapidly. "I-I, oh." Teleportation. She didn't see that very often, and certainly not so close! "I'm looking for a cloudwalking amulet."

"You, too?" He smiled and she felt the sensation of magic being pulled in from the air around them. "Right this way!"

Light filled her vision. Her head spun, throbbed, ached. The ground disappeared and her stomach did a flip when she touched down again. Her surroundings came back into view, different from before. Had he just—

"Here you are. This row here"—he gestured to his left—"has all of our cloudwalking amulets. The ones labeled with a cloud symbol. Let me know if you have any questions!" With a small wave, he disappeared in another flash.

Crystal nodded dumbly. She needed to sit down, and her hindlegs complied. Her rump hit the ground a little hard, but she was just grateful to feel how solid it was. "Uh-huh." Still a little shaken, her head lolled to the side to look at the options contained in glass.

"Have you never teleported before?" a mare's voice asked, and Crystal turned to look in its direction at the light green unicorn standing there. "It's overwhelming, isn't it? I can't believe he just does it so casually. I don't think he even remembers how it feels to be unaccustomed to it."

"O-Oh, it's fine." Crystal stood despite how her legs wobbled. "I just wasn't expecting it, is all." She smiled lopsidedly. "I suppose when he said 'you, too', he was referring to you? Are you shopping for a cloudwalking amulet as well?"

The mare nodded. "Yup! I have some research to do in Cloudsdale, myself. What about you?"

"Visiting my mother-in-law." She held out a hoof. "Crystal Wishes, by the way."

"Ley Lines. Nice to meet you!" After they shook, Ley Lines levitated two of the glass cases into the air between them. "I'm having trouble deciding between these two. This one"—the right one bobbled—"is so much prettier, but more expensive. What do you think?"

Crystal glanced at the cases. The right one contained a silver, coiled hornlet with a teardrop sapphire suspended on a chain at the tip. The left was an amethyst pendant that hung from a silver choker.

"Oh, they're both lovely," Crystal murmured, her gaze returning to the blue gemstone. Blue...

"You think so? Well, I guess that means I should save the bits and just get the necklace." Ley started to return the right case to its spot on the shelf, pausing when she noted Crystal's eyes following it. The case changed course and made its way closer to Crystal. "This would look really pretty on you, though."

Crystal flushed, though she did take the case over in her magic. "Was I staring that much? I'm sorry! I just... I'm just rather fond of the color blue."

Ley smiled. "Don't worry about it!" She started walking down the aisle and Crystal followed alongside her under the assumption she was heading to the register. "Have you ever used an amulet before?"

Crystal shook her head. "This is my first one. I've never really had a need for one before."

"They're really useful, as long as you remember to charge them. Especially with ones like these!"

"Yes, so I've been told," Crystal said with a somewhat strained laugh that faded with realization. "How do you charge them, exactly?"

Ley's eyes widened. "I'm glad you asked! That's the most important part! It's easy, though. You just pour energy into them."

Crystal tried not to frown as she glanced at the hornlet. "What do you mean, 'pour energy into them'?"

"Uh... Here, Spell will show you." Ley set her case on the counter as they approached it. "Crystal's never used an amulet before, so make sure you show her how."

Spell Weaver smiled. "My pleasure! Let me just check you both out, then I'll give you a small demonstration."

"Thank you," Crystal said, though a bit of trepidation filled her. Ley had said this one was more expensive, but she had neglected to even look at the price. How much was she going to regret that mistake?

Putting the necklace in a bag, Spell said, "That will be a hundred and twenty bits, please!"

While Crystal gawked, Ley simply retrieved the gold and silver bits from her saddlebags. "Thanks again!" She turned and smiled at Crystal. "Have fun visiting your in-law! Don't forget to charge it!"

"Yeah..." Crystal watched her go, then slowly slid her gaze back to the shop owner. He smiled, and she smiled back.

"Yours will be—" He paused to look it over. "Oh, normally two-hundred bits. But also since it's your first, I'll give you a discount and drop it down to a hundred and sixty bits."

She could only imagine Silent's face in the back of her mind as she counted out the coins from her bitpurse. A hundred and sixty bits. Oh, he would faint from shock over such a frivolous purchase! But she would hopefully be getting her advance from Reindom House for The Desert Rose soon, so it would be all right. She would be all right.

"Thanks!" Spell put the bits in the register and lifted the lid off the case to retrieve the amulet. "Here you are. Try it on and I'll show you how to use it."

Pink magic overtook the green aura and she carefully slid it on, nerves fluttering in her chest. The flexible coil expanded and contracted to fit over the smooth ridges and settled along the natural spiral that curled along her horn. It was so lightweight that she could hardly tell it was there, save for the swaying motion of the gem as she moved her head.

"There. Now you can walk on clouds!" Spell beamed at her. "And all you have to do to keep the spell going is to give the gem energy. Since it's a hornlet, that will be easy! Just put magic into your horn."

Crystal's brow furrowed. Put magic into her horn? How did she do that, specifically? Her nose scrunched up and she did her best to focus on her horn, on the focal point where aether gathered. After a bit of effort and strain, she finally felt the pull of magic and gasped when she could see a blue glow emanating from just above her vision.

Spell held out a bag for her to take. "Perfect! And there you have it. Enjoy your amulet, and whatever you do, don't forget to—"

"Charge it, I know!" Crystal said with a huff, snatching the bag. "Thank you very much!"

As she made her way to the exit, she carefully levitated the hornlet off and put it away. It was certainly more expensive than she had prepared herself for... but it was fine. Everything was moving forward. She just had to keep moving forward, too.

Put All Our Hopes Together

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Toffee Strudel lived in a quaint, humble space above his bakery, Strudelicious. Sunbeam and Pepper had a similar space available to them, but chose to keep their condo to avoid becoming workaholics. That small bit of separation kept them from baking and decorating all through the night. Toffee, on the other hoof, seemed to relish in the opportunity to bury himself in work.

Crystal couldn't blame him. Quite the contrary, actually; she was a little jealous of him. While she and the other ponies attending the first meeting were mingling in the living room, he was in the kitchen, working on another batch of cookies. It kept him calm, whereas whenever he wandered back in with a plate, he trembled like a leaf.

There was uncertainty in the air. They devoured the cookies like pigeons being fed by an elderly pony at the park. Conversation was kept to a cordial minimum—"these cookies are delicious", "oh what a nice home this is", "the weather is lovely today, isn't it" were the three sentiments repeated each time there was a quiet lull.

It was time to do something. Anything. "Toffee," Crystal prompted on his fourth or fifth trip—she had honestly lost count—with more cookies, "why don't you sit down? You've been rushing about since we got here. Rest your hooves!"

Toffee flinched. Those big blue eyes looked at her almost as if she had betrayed one of his deepest, darkest secrets. Reluctantly, he took off his oven mitts and sat down on one of the assorted chairs that had been brought into the living room. "A-All right."

Crystal folded her hooves in her lap, sitting as prim and proper as she could, despite the weight of everypony's stares turning toward her. "I don't believe any of us have had too much of an opportunity to get to know each other. Why don't we go around the room and introduce ourselves?" She wiggled her ears. "I'll start. My name is Crystal Wishes, and..."

Her mind drew a complete blank. What was there to say about herself? What about her mattered to these ponies who were suffering like she was?

A quiet voice offered into the silence, "You're a writer, aren't you?"

Crystal blinked. The light grey mare who hadn't said a word at the meet-and-greet was sitting across from her, amber eyes filled with nervousness when the room's attention became hers.

"Oh, yes." A smile spread across Crystal's face. That was a good place to start. "I am. I have published a few novels with Reindom House and am working on another."

Starlit Bastion snorted. He was sitting on a chair that was much too small for him, reminding her of the little chair Silent'd had to balance himself on during their date at Sunridge Sweets. It would have been comical if Bastion's face and voice weren't so cold. "Oh, let me guess. You write romance novels, don't you?"

Keeping her smile in place, Crystal inclined her head to look down her snout at him despite the distance between them and the difference in height. "I do, in fact. I hope that is all right with you."

"I'm just not surprised." His ear flicked, and he opened his mouth to speak further, but one of the other mares in the room interrupted him.

"Well, I think that's wonderful." The mare pawed a hoof at the air. "I'm Bonnie Vivant, and I'm a writer, too—well, sort of. I'm a food critic for Le Manger, so I write reviews for restaurants in Canterlot."

A stallion leaned in with interest. "Really? Have you reviewed Le Bernardin?"

Bonnie cocked her brow. "Several times. After all, my boss comps my meals." She gave an exaggerated glance around, then whispered, "Between you all and me, they overcharge simply because their reputation allows it. It really isn't the best food in Canterlot, but with those bit signs, you simply expect it to be, therefore it seems to be."

Laughter went around the room, calming the atmosphere and easing the others into their introductions. Even Toffee relaxed enough that he didn't notice when the cookies ran out, and neither did any of them; save for Bastion, they just enjoyed each other's company.

"So," one of the stallions, Champron, prompted, "who are ye all waitin' fer? My headstrong daughter's the one who went and joined th'Army soon as she could carry a sword."

"My wife," Toffee said with a soft, sad smile. "She is a palace guard. As soon as I heard the declaration, I knew she was going to volunteer..."

Bonnie sighed, folding her hooves in her lap. "My brother. He's a doctor, not a part of the Guard or Army or anything military at all. But he has a good heart, and has exceptionally fine-tuned control over his magic."

The mare who had quietly introduced herself as Dawn Walker flinched when their eyes turned to her. "Oh... M-My coltfriend. He's a guard and volunteered..." Her ears drooped. "He's just my coltfriend, not my family or my husband or wife or anything like that." She started to stand. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here, I don't belo—"

"Nonsense." Crystal's magic caught Dawn by the hoof and she nodded her head, giving a small tug. "Does anypony feel insulted that she's worried over her coltfriend?"

Heads shook and smiles were offered. Reluctantly, Dawn sat back down.

Bonnie reached over to pat Dawn on the shoulder. "Why don't you tell us about your coltfriend?"

"What?" Dawn squeaked, ears jolting upright. "I-I-I—" She swallowed. "But he's not..." Her eyes searched the room and landed on Bastion, whose disinterest was clear on his face. "It's fine. I'm fine."

"Okay, let me try this a different way." Bonnie cracked a grin. "Tell us about your coltfriend, please."

After a round of soft laughter quieted, Dawn sighed. "All right... My coltfriend is a guard. He, um, he works at the palace." Her shoulders hunched as she ducked her head. Quickly and nervously, she added, "He's on Princess Luna's House Guard."

Crystal gasped, nearly jumping out of her seat. "What? Who? Who is he?"

Dawn glanced up at her with a strange look of uncertainty in her eyes. "Thunder Tumble..."

"Tumble?!" Crystal's face lit up with excitement, her voice rising in pitch. "You're dating Thunder Tumble?! Oh my word, I didn't know he was seeing anypony!" She giggled at the confused expressions on the other ponies' faces. "My husband, Silent Knight—"

Bastion stiffened next to her. "What?"

Crystal waved a hoof to dismiss him. "Silent was similarly a part of Princess Luna's House Guard, and he and Tumble are good friends. Or, at least, they were before we moved." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, I hope they end up in a unit together. I think that would be wonderful for him if he had a friend to keep him company."

Slowly, Dawn smiled. "He really looks up to Silent Knight, so... I hope so, too." She sat up straight and looked at the mare next to her. "I'm sorry, it's your turn now. I'm done."

The discussion carried on, but Crystal only heard just enough of them to remember the basic details. The rest of her was focused on the news. Thunder Tumble had a marefriend, and that mare cared about him enough to go to a support group meeting. How wonderful for him!

♡

"Tumbler has a mare?" Velvet kept walking forward as she and Crystal made their way to the Phial and Filly for the first game night re-get together. "Good for him!"

Crystal's brow furrowed. There was something off about Velvet's tone, but she couldn't recognize what it was. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah?" Velvet glanced at her. "Why?"

"I can't put my hoof on it, but you don't sound like you meant that at all." Crystal frowned. "You do know who I'm talking about, right? Thunder Tumble, the stallion you terrorized whenever we visited the palace?"

Velvet huffed and rolled her eyes. "I didn't terrorize him! Jeeze, I just had a little fun at his expense, that's all." She rolled her shoulders in a shrug. "Look, don't freak out or anything, but I already knew. Tumbler and Dawn and I are friends."

"What?!" Crystal's eyes widened. "You already knew and you didn't tell me?!"

"Of course not! I didn't know that was something you'd care about. Like, do you keep up with the lives of any of the other house guards? How was I supposed to know that Tumbler was important to you?" She quickened her pace. "Come on, let's just enjoy our first game night reunion, okay?"

Crystal opened her mouth to speak, but instead just snapped it shut and kept walking. She had so many questions! How long had she been friends with them? How long had Tumble and Dawn been dating? How did they meet? Dawn was so shy, it was hard to imagine she had been the instigator of the relationship... but the same could have been said for Tumble.

The questions would have to go unasked, however, as before she knew it, they were walking into the Phial and Filly and her thoughts were flung back to reality at the sight that lay before them.

All of the product shelving had been pushed against the walls to clear a space in the center of the shop. The oversized, custom gaming table that Runic'd had made for Silent as a wedding present was fully loaded with every game they had ever played.

"Welcome!" Runic beamed. "You two are the first to arrive! Well, other than me. But I'm always here." He paused, looking at the little mare beside him. "And Miley. But she was here to help me set up." His beam brightened. "You two are the first non-hosts to arrive!"

Crystal laughed and wrapped a foreleg around him and the other around Miley. "It's good to see the both of you." She paused when her new vantage point of looking past them let her see a buffet table of unusual delights. "Runic... What is all this?"

"Only the best game night spread money can buy, inspired by some of the different games we've played!" Runic pulled away from her to fly the minuscule distance, his excitement guiding his wings into action. "I've got spark lemons from Kingdom Harts; koopasta from Paper Mareio; some Shyrim mead, leeks, and fondue; Legend of Zyrda elixir soup; Ponemon lava cookies..."

Velvet licked her lips as her eyes took in the mouth-watering sight. "Wow, Runic, you really went all out, didn't you?"

Miley giggled. "He's been really excited since the idea was brought up. I just hope it tastes as good as it all looks. We've only tried a few things..."

"Don't worry!" Runic waved a hoof. "With how much this all cost, it has to taste good."

Crystal's hoof flew to her mouth as soon as she heard the laugh that had escaped. When a few questioning looks were shot her way, she grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, that just reminded me of something. Don't mind me."

The sound of the rocks Runic set up in place of a door chime clattering against the doorframe drew their attention to the front of the store, where two of Luna's guards walked in to secure the entrance. Luna followed close behind them, a big grin on her face.

"Greetings, fellow gamers, on this wonderful eve!" she announced, tossing her mane. "I hope everypony is prepared for this eve to turn to dawn before this game night is through!"

Velvet pumped a hoof in the air and managed to cheer around the cookie already in her mouth, "Yay!"

Luna's gaze darted about. "Has the elusive Frank not yet shown his face?"

"Fwank?" Velvet choked as she tried to swallow the cookie as quickly as possible, gasped for air, then grinned. "Frank's coming?"

Crystal nodded. "That is the hope, anyway. Willow said he would be in town this week and that she would bring him by."

"Oh my gosh. This is going to be the best night ever." Velvet's grin widened as she lowered herself into one of the seats. "Like, seriously, I will bet ten bits that he twisted an ankle and had to go to the hospital."

"Velvet!" Crystal hissed. "Don't be rude."

Luna strode over with her magnificent aura firmly in place, a calm but stern look on her face. "I will raise you ten more bits if he came down with a cold."

Crystal gasped, eyes widening. "Luna!"

"What? Have you not grown weary of the excuses that prevent us from meeting Frank as well?" Luna smiled. "It's all in good fun. If he shows, then we will pay you the bits we bet."

"I'm not getting involved in this," Crystal muttered, snubbing her nose in the air and turning away from them. "What reason would Willow have to lie to us about him?"

Velvet shrugged. "She has kind of a jealousy thing going with Silent, right?"

The pang of guilt felt by Crystal, Luna, and even Velvet at the mention of his name was palpable in the air, but Velvet pressed on to gloss over it.

"So, like, maybe it's all just a part of that." Velvet waved a hoof in a circle. "He has somepony, so she has to have somepony. She just hasn't found a real somepony yet so she can break up with Fake Frank and bring the new stallion around."

"It's not entirely easy to know what to think," Luna admitted, her ears folding back. "Willow discusses so little of her personal life. Were it not for my position and Raven's nigh insatiable desire to impress my sister, I would not know a detail about her family. She is not forthcoming with such things. It is always business, business, business from the moment I awaken to when I lay down my head."

Crystal sighed, doing anything she could to avoid looking at them. Willow wouldn't lie about such things! Yes, she had a strong, almost unshakeable sense of pride, was particularly reserved about herself, and had invented a concept of competition between her and Silent...

... but she was just outside the window with somepony at her side. Crystal's heart skipped a beat with excitement. "They're here! Frank is here!"

"What?" Velvet jumped to her hooves. "Seriously?"

The door opened and Willow walked in first, mid-giggle. "Don't be silly, of course—" She came a sudden halt when she saw the intense stares focused on her. "Oh... Hello."

Luna gestured for Willow to keep walking. "Come in, Willowy. Do not stall. You know what we are after. Bring him in and introduce us!"

Taking a deep breath in, Willow let it out as a sigh as she stepped out of the way of the door. "I told you not to be silly, Frank. They do want to meet you. Desperately."

A head poked into view, a stark contrast to everything around it. The stallion—Frank, presumably—looked as if he had stepped out of a film. He was an odd, monochrome mix of varying shades of grey: his coat was a dark grey, his eyes were almost white, and his short-cropped mane was three different colors of light, medium, and dark grey.

"H-Hello," he stammered, ears flicking back as he stepped all the way inside. His wings were quivering and tucked in tight to his sides. "I'm sorry for letting Willow barge me in on your night together."

Willow huffed. "You're not barging in. Look at them, they're practically drooling with excitement to meet you."

Frank blinked a few, rapid times. "What? Why?"

"Because you kept hiding him from us, Willsy," Velvet said, trotting over and slapping him on the shoulder. "Nice to finally meet you, Franky! Get on in here and tell us everything."

Before Velvet could drag him away, Willow grabbed him by the hoof. "Frank will not be telling you everything, thank you very much. He will sit safely between me and..." She paused as she weighed her options. "... Crystal."

Luna took a step forward, peering down at her with a stern frown. "I could command you to reconsider your choice, Willowy Tempest."

Willow's wings ruffled as she stood protectively in front of Frank. "I most sincerely request that you don't, Princess. Frank is here for fun, not an interrogation."

"If you'd just be a bit more open about yourself," Frank offered quietly, stepping around her and smiling at the others. "She's always been like this. It took me three years just to get her to go on a date with me."

Willow huffed as Frank sat down at the table, and everypony—including Runic, which surprised Crystal a little—sat down and waited eagerly for him to continue speaking.

"Well," he started, clasping his hooves together and setting them on the table, "first of all, my name is Franklin Gothic. But most ponies call me Frank. I'm a writer for The Cloudsdale Chronicle. I cover upcoming local events in the towns the city will be floating to next..." His ears flattened to the sides. "Which, unfortunately, means I have to travel a lot when Cloudsdale is on the move. And, more unfortunately, sometimes sends me to events I really do not care for."

Crystal was not going to say anything, but if she had to, she wouldn't lie, either. A part of her had hoped for something exotic that explained why Willow had been so secretive about his identity. That wouldn't stop her from enjoying a long and loud night of gaming with her friends, however, especially not when Winterspear and Iridescence walked in a moment later, Dot in tow.

It was going to be a good night. No—a great night. A much needed great and wonderful night.

Move Along, Blue Shadows

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Crystal yawned as she walked down the hall toward home. Her and Silent's home. The base was quiet and still, which was just fine by her. All she wanted was to go straight to bed, but a small stack of letters that had been pushed through the slot demanded her attention.

With another yawn, Crystal floated her luggage over to the bedroom door and levitated the letters. Bill... fan letter... fan letter... interview request... oh! Her ears perked and her mood lifted. A letter from Reindom House!

The other envelopes were set on the coffee table while she flopped onto the couch. How much were they going to advance her for The Desert Rose? How many changes and tweaks were they going to request?

Dear Crystal Wishes

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to consider your latest proposal.

Regretfully, we do not feel that The Desert Rose is in line with what readers have come to expect from C.W. Step nor what the market we cater to is currently looking for. Therefore, it is our belief that Reindom House is not the right publisher for it.

Thank you for your continued efforts, and we wish you every success in providing us with the next C.W. Step bestseller.

Yours sincerely,

Perfect Pen

A strange feeling gripped Crystal's chest. She read the letter over a second time. A third time. Again and again until she could define how she felt: angry. She was angry! How could they just... reject it? Were they allowed to do that? Was she just supposed to give up, roll over, and try to find a new muse?

Crystal's hooves trembled as the letter and its envelope fluttered to the floor, her magic instead snatching up her suitcase. She jumped off the couch and stormed back out the door. No, she was going to do none of that. She was going to find a way around them! The Desert Rose deserved a chance, and if it wasn't with Reindom House, then she would just have to look elsewhere. And she just knew who to go to.

Determination guiding her, she marched right back off base and through the town, retracing the steps she had just walked moments before. There was no need to hurry, as she had long since missed the train's departure, but there was a storm raging within her.

They hadn't just rejected her idea; they had rejected Velvet! Her story wasn't interesting enough, even after the addition of an exotic setting? Crystal blinked a few times when her vision started to blur. How could she possibly tell Velvet that her story wasn't worthy of being told?

She wouldn't have to, because she was going to fight. So what if Reindom House didn't want the story? There were other publishers.

"Hello!" she said breathlessly when she arrived at the ticket counter. "Ticket to Manehattan, please!"

The old stallion blinked a few times, adjusting his glasses. "Afraid you'll be waiting a while, miss. Next train isn't due for another two hours."

Crystal shook her head. "It's fine. That's fine." She floated the bits onto the counter, then pushed them toward him. "Ticket, please."

With her ticket clasped in pink magic, Crystal sat on a bench, gazing at the empty tracks. A cold breeze ruffled her coat and she tugged a shawl tighter around her shoulders. She was alone, save for the ticketmaster, though he was hardly any company. As far as she could see from looking around the platform, she was the only pony there.

A moment passed. Perhaps it had been a minute, thirty seconds, or not even a second at all. However long the moment had been, it was long enough for darkness to creep into the corners of her mind.

What was she doing? Running off to go fight for a story? Silent Knight was where ponies were fighting for real, or at least going to be, and here she was all worked up over something inconsequential. She was wasting her time.

Crystal shook her head. No! It wasn't a waste of time. She was fighting for Velvet. That was important... wasn't it?

Did Velvet even care?

Slowly, her ears started to sink. Did anypony care? It was just a story. There were hundreds of thousands of stories. Reindom House didn't think hers was worth publishing.

Her chest tightened and, unbidden, a choking sob fell from her lips. She quickly clamped a hoof over her mouth and glanced around, easing when she confirmed she was still alone.

Alone.

Why did he have to leave her all alone?

♡

The train's whistle cut into the dream that vanished as soon as she opened her eyes. She must have fallen asleep after the transfer to the second train, because it had hardly felt like time had moved, but the surroundings outside the window certainly had changed. Manehattan stood on the coast, overlooking an ocean that was barely illuminated by the first rays of sunlight.

Crystal gathered up her belongings and readied herself for when the train pulled into the station, doing her very best to keep her mind on track. Should she wait at the office, or just go directly to his house? Sunset Coffee was a notoriously early riser. For all she knew, he was already at his desk, sipping his coffee and starting his day.

Then again, whether he was there or not, it would be nice to drop off her belongings at his place instead of lugging everything through Eminence Tower. She just hoped he and his family didn't mind the sudden drop-in with no advanced notice.

Her body jolted forward when the train came to a complete stop, squealing wheels and hissing steam filling the air for a moment. Then everything went quiet. She was the only pony in the car, and after hours spent on trains, the silence was starting to feel comforting.

The whole of Manehattan was covered in a light fog. Sounds of a city stirring with life reached her ears when she stepped off the platform and into the city proper. Taxi carts were already zipping through the streets and the sidewalks were about half as full as they were during the midday lunch rush. The fog, however, kept everything shrouded in an air of melancholy, especially with how nopony took the time to greet one another as they passed by.

Even though she was now surrounded by ponies, she still felt a sense of loneliness clinging to her withers like a ragged shawl. She pulled the real one she wore tighter around herself in an attempt to chase away that clawing, chilling sensation.

"Extra, extra," a colt's voice called among the haze. "Read all about it! Nordanver forces moving toward Rindaire to engage their enemy!"

Crystal had to stop and catch her breath. The words knocked the wind right out of her. Tears filled her eyes and she quickly shook her head to chase them away, urging her hooves to keep moving.

No matter where she went or what she was doing, the war followed her. It was the feeling that nipped at her, clung to her, suffocated her whenever she was alone.

Faster. She had to get to the apartment complex faster. The sooner she had company, the sooner she'd feel better. This all-encompassing darkness would be chased away by the light of a friend.

She made her way to and inside the building, hurried up the stairs, and rapidly knocked on the door. She prayed somepony was home as she waited, each beat passing in the pounding of her heart, a drum of war that throbbed in her skull, until—

The door opened and Sunset Coffee blinked. "Crystal Wishes!" He beamed at the sight of her. "What a surprise! I was just on my way into the office."

Crystal nodded. "Good morning! I was hoping to catch you. I'm sorry it's so short notice, but do you mind if I drop off my luggage here and chat with you while you walk to work?"

Sunset's brow raised, then he chuckled and, after she levitated her bags inside, pulled the door closed behind him. "All right. Is this for business or pleasure?"

"Business, though it's always a pleasure to see you." She winked, trotting alongside him. "How are the girls?"

"Great! Can never complain about my little flowers. Cocoa loves the little mare care packages you send her, by the way." After a pause, he glanced at her, concern in his eyes. "So. What's up?"

A soft sight escaped Crystal while her magic retrieved the letter from her saddlebag. "Here."

Sunset stopped to take the letter in one hoof and read through it. His expression grew serious and his tone remained even. "I see. I imagine you want to talk about this. You've not had a rejection before, have you?"

"No." Crystal's ears flicked back and she did her very best not to pout, though she very much wanted to. "It doesn't mean the story is dead, is it? I just simply have to find another publisher?"

"Well... It's somewhat tricky, isn't it?" He cleared his throat and continued leading her out of the apartment complex and onto the street. "You have a contract with Reindom House. C.W. Step is a publisher pseudonym... more or less, they own it. Our parent company owns it, to be precise. So the only way to use C.W. Step for—" He paused, glancing at the folded-up letter. "Sorry. What was it called?"

"The Desert Rose," she replied in a quiet mumble.

He nodded. "Right! The Desert Rose. If you want to publish that under C.W. Step, either we fight to prove to Reindom House it is what they're looking for, or—"

Her ears perked up, hope fluttering in her chest. Such a simple little word could have so much meaning. "Or?"

"Or you rework your idea to a more serial-suitable format and we publish it in Mares Monthly." He bumped his shoulder to hers. "I believe in you. You haven't let me down yet. If you're willing to fight for this story, then I'm willing to fight for you."

The hope exploded into joy as she threw her forelegs around him in a tight hug. "Oh, thank you, thank you! Yes! A serial's fine!" She withdrew and continued walking beside him, a happy skip in her step. "It's not quite what I wanted for this story, but at least it'll have my name on it. I don't want to have to hide behind a different pseudonym, not for Rose."

His brow knitted slightly as he glanced down at her. "Hmm... You seem particularly attached to this one."

A smile spread across her lips and she giggled, nodding. "I am. This one is special. More special than anything I've written so far, I think. I want to prove to a friend—my very best friend—that her story, her life, who she is... That she's not strange or bizarre."

"Well." He puffed his chest, holding one of the doors that led into Eminence Tower open for her. "Tell me all about it, and I'll pitch it to Kahuna. I know it won't pay as much as if Reindom House had taken it, but at least it will get out there, eh?"

The smile faded some, but she nodded. "It's something. It's not what I wanted, but I suppose we can't always get what we want."

"You never know!" Sunset winked as they made their way toward the elevators. "It could take off swimmingly and Reindom House will approach you, begging for your forgiveness!"

Crystal laughed and waved a hoof. "Oh, wouldn't that be a wonderful turn of events?" After he pressed a button and they waited for the elevator to make its way down to the lobby, she sighed wistfully. "It is what it is. Now, then, let me tell you about The Desert Rose. I've set it in Saddle Arabia to add an exotic appeal."

Sunset's head bobbed. "Okay. I like it so far."

The gilded doors slid open and they stepped inside, a unicorn wearing a tuxedo collar operating the elevator while Crystal continued, "The... complicated part, I suppose, and why Reindom House rejected it, is the protagonist does not fall in love, nor does she want to."

"Oh?" He blinked at her. "That's, well. I'll be honest. That's a bold move for you, given your reputation as a romance writer."

"I know, but I want to do it. I want to write it." She nodded, mostly to reassure herself and her nervous heart. "I have a stallion and a mare that pursue her, seeking her hoof in marriage. As such, she finds them companions better suited for them than her, which is how I tie in the romance part."

Sunset hummed in thought. He didn't say anything as they arrived at the sixty-third floor, instead just nodding his head to gesture for her to keep following. He led her into the Mares Monthly wing and all the way to his office before he finally said, "It has potential."

Crystal released the breath she forgot she had been holding. Lowering herself into the seat across from his desk, she asked in a quiet voice, "You think so?"

"I do." He steepled his forehooves. "Of course, you know just as well as anypony else that comes into this office that a serial publication is different from a novel."

She nodded quickly, her nerves tingling with excitement. "Oh, absolutely. What do you think needs to be pared down?"

Tapping his hooves together, he pursed his lips, then said, "The suitors and your protagonist helping them find love... That will be a few too many plot threads to keep track of with a monthly publication. What if she simply helps the two of them get together? That would simplify things a great deal."

"Oh..." She bit her lower lip.

One of his brows raised. "'Oh'? Is that a problem?"

"No, I—well, it's just that—" She took a sharp intake of air and released it as a sigh. "It's not a problem, per se. I would simply have to change the mare suitor into a stallion."

Sunset blinked a few times. His confusion was entirely understandable. She kept her gaze averted as he puzzled through her words for a moment and finally asked, "Why is that?"

Oh, how could she put it? She raised a hoof to rub the back of her neck. "Well, you see, Velvet—this is written for and loosely about her... She, well." She swallowed, the hoof sliding down. "She thought it would add a certain—a certain appeal if the stallion pursuing the main mare ended up with another stallion. She said it would be"—her voice lowered into an embarrassed tone—"hot."

The immediate response she received was a snerrk. He slapped his hooves on the desk and threw his head back, laughing without any restraint. The sound stirred Crystal into joining him, first with giggles, and then full-on laughter.

"I—" He gasped for air. "I see!" He wiped his eyes with both hooves. "Well, that's a great idea. The mainstream market could use more hot stallion love." The moment she felt her face turn red, he started laughing again.

"Ohh!" She tried to pout, but giggling made it a difficult look to maintain. "Could you please be professional about this, Mr. Coffee?"

He snorted and waved a hoof. "Okay! Okay, okay." He breathed in and out. "I'm just surprised. You've talked about Velvet before, but I had no idea how different you two were. In seriousness, though, that gives you two unique hooks. I think our audience will love it. We don't have anything on the schedule set in Saddle Arabia, and I can't remember the last time there was a story in Mares Monthly that was set there."

She twiddled her hooves. "You don't think it's... too unique, do you? Too far out there?"

"Not at all. It will be fine. After all, you believe in it, don't you?" His smile was still in place, but his eyes had a serious look in them.

"What?" She blinked, then steeled her resolve. "Of course. No—" Tossing her mane over her shoulder, she straightened her back to sit as tall as she could. "Not just of course. Absolutely! I know I can write this well."

His eyes softened and he tapped a hoof on the desk. "That's the spirit! Well, I'll present it to Kahuna. Why don't you head back and hang out with the girls? I'll let you know how things go when I get home."

Crystal nodded and rose to her hooves. "I'll do just that. Thank you, Sunset. I really appreciate it."

"Anything for my favorite client!" He winked. "This'll work out just fine for you, I'm sure of it."

"I certainly hope so!" As she made her way out of his office, she couldn't help but feel a strange bitterness in the back of her mind.

Nothing was going to take her writing away, not the war, and certainly not Reindom House. Oh, she'd show them what her readers expected! They expected good, quality writing, and that was exactly what she was going to deliver.

A Spoonful of Sugar

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"Happy birthday!" Crystal cheered as soon as Velvet walked through the door of Sweet and Smooth, a small café that specialized in smoothie flavors that couldn't be found anywhere else. It was a quaint little shop that boasted a whole rainbow of colors on the walls and furniture, and the whole place just felt happy.

Velvet laughed, trotting over with her tail perked and swishing. "Aww, you remembered! And here I thought this was just going to be a lunch I'd have to awkwardly sit through."

Crystal's ears wiggled and she drummed her hooves on the table while Velvet sat down. "Of course I remembered, silly! It's not as if the date changes each year. Now, I've ordered something fun, so settle in."

"Fun?" Velvet arched her brow. "What are you up to?"

Crystal just grinned. Only a moment later, the owner of the shop, Tropical Smoothie, pranced over with a tray balanced on her back. Her wings held it securely in place, which was especially important given what it carried: twenty shot glasses, all filled with smoothie samples as colorful as the shop itself.

"Here you go!" Tropical chirped, one wing stretching out to expertly slide the tray onto the table. "The 'Mares Just Wanna Have Fun' special!" She winked before turning away. "Enjoy, ladies!"

Velvet stared at the glasses with a curious quirk in her smile. "I've never heard of that special before."

"It's a secret menu item," Crystal practically purred. "Go on! Try one. They're all unique, and you can't get these any other way."

Tentatively, Velvet picked up an orange-filled glass and lifted it up to sniff. "Oh!" Her ears perked upright and her lips curled into a grin. "Oh, I know that smell. These are special. Bottom's up!" She raised the glass before tossing it back.

Each shot was, more or less, from the section of Sweet and Smooth's menu titled Gourmet Smoothies. There were blends of fruits, vegetables, nuts, spices, and herbs all mixed together to create unique and wonderful flavors. The 'more or less' part came in with the special addition: vodka.

Velvet smacked her lips and gave a contented sigh. "You did order something fun." She pushed the tray closer to Crystal. "You try one! It is called Mares Just Wanna Have Fun, after all. Mares! Plural!"

"All right, all right." Crystal giggled, pink magic wrapping around a matching pink glass. Strawberries, she hoped—and was right. The silky texture of the smoothie complemented the burn of the alcohol perfectly.

"So how did your meeting go?" Velvet asked, selecting a purple one for herself. "You had one today, right?"

Crystal's ears flicked back and she rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me."

Velvet frowned. "Wow, that bad, huh?"

"Oh, no, no, don't get me wrong." Crystal waved a hoof, sighing. "I'm grateful for the get-togethers. It's nice to sit and talk to ponies who understand. There is just a stallion who grates my nerves, and, well." Another sigh was dragged out of her. "Today, Bonnie suggested an idea of 'care companions'."

Velvet tossed back an orange-and-green smoothie shot. "Whassat?"

"With the recent news that Nordanver forces are moving, the war is going to be starting in earnest soon. Or, rather, it likely has already, given how slowly news travels across the ocean." The muscles along Crystal's sides and flanks twitched with nervous agitation that she tried to ignore. "In the event that something happens, we have a designated pony to go to. To ensure that everypony has somepony and doesn't face bad news alone."

Her brow furrowed, Velvet idly poked a hoof at one of the remaining glasses. "Uhh... Okay? That sounds like a good thing?"

Crystal quickly nodded. "Oh, it is! It's a wonderful idea. The only problem is that there is one pony with whom nopony wanted to be paired, so I foolishly volunteered to be his care companion." She rolled her eyes again. "Starlit Bastion. He's rude and callous. He was marginally more respectful toward me this time, but that doesn't mean he grates my nerves any less."

Velvet slowly pushed the tray toward Crystal. "Sounds like you're going to need this more than me."

With a snort and a giggle, Crystal took another shot. Banana, kiwi, and... thyme? She ran her tongue over her teeth, pausing a moment to decide how she felt about the flavor combination, then shrugged. The alcohol warmed her from the inside, and that was what really mattered. "He's like... He's like... Oh, he's just such a pompous stallion." She huffed. "But I will be his care companion. I will be the best care companion!" Another shot went down. Raspberry, lime, and mint. Ooh, she liked that one.

"I'm sure you will," Velvet said in a teasingly airy tone, reaching across to pat Crystal's hoof. "You're like Horsey that way." She hesitated, then said in a softer tone, "You're both going to be great mothers..." Her ears folded back and she averted her gaze.

"Huh?" Crystal blinked. "Are you all right?"

Velvet bobbed her head in a light nod. "Uh, yeah. I am. I've just been thinking. You know... A while back, we talked about foals. For me. And how I couldn't have one because I didn't want to settle down. And you said I could adopt. Do you remember that?"

Crystal offered a weak shrug. "I remember as much as you've just said, yes. What about it?" Her eyes widened. "Wait, Velvet, are you preg—"

"No!" Velvet hurriedly interrupted and shook her head. "I'm not! I just. Well, Red's kind of grown out of his Si-Si phase, you know?" She sighed, rubbing the back of her neck and slumping in her seat. "He's getting bigger. He's turning two this year. Two! He doesn't laugh at my silly faces anymore and he is more interested in watching Dad bake or Mom decorate."

Crystal did her best to smother a giggle. "Well, he is their son and your brother, after all."

Velvet shot her a dirty look and crossed her forelegs over her chest. "So?! I'm supposed to be there for him. I am there for him. Forever! Except, he doesn't..." The fire was snuffed and she slumped again. "He doesn't need me anymore. And I miss that bond."

The lightbulb flickered on and Crystal leaned in with interest in her wide eyes. "Wait, Velvet, are you saying you want to adopt a foal?"

After scrunching her nose and looking anywhere but at Crystal, Velvet muttered, "Kinda, yeah... I think so. I miss that bond with him, and I'm jealous of Horsey... They're planning on having a second foal. Because I guess one just isn't enough for them."

"Velvet, that's so exciting!" Crystal practically bounced in her seat. "How long do you think it will take? Do you get to pick a foal, or will it be a surprise? When do you start the process?"

"I don't know, I don't know, and I don't know!" Velvet tried to glare again, but a grin on her lips kept the look playful. "Jeeze, I've only, like, just started seriously thinking about it, okay? I don't know any details! I just—I just kinda wanted to know what you thought. If you thought it was a good idea. For me."

Crystal nodded as quickly as she could. "Oh, absolutely! Velvet, I've seen the way you handle Red. If you loved another foal half as much as you love Red, they'd never want for anything! You should start right away. The sooner the better!"

Pausing to take another shot, then another, and then a third, Velvet finally sighed. "What about my career, though? I don't know if I can raise a foal and do ballet at the same time."

"Surely you are not the first pony to become a parent and a ballerina at the same time." Crystal waved a hoof. "Don't worry! You can leave the foal with your parents and Little Uncle Red while you work. I can't imagine your parents minding having to foalsit in the least."

"Yeah, maybe." Velvet leaned her head back to look up at the ceiling. "Maybe." She rubbed the back of her hoof against her cheek and straightened up. "Come on! We've still got, like, half of these left. Forget foals and care companions. Let's drink these as fast as possible, order another, and get totally smashed!"

♡

Crystal giggled.

"Shhh," Velvet hissed, bumping their shoulders together. "Be cool! Stay cool. Gerds around. Be cool."

"Of course there's a guard around," Crystal whispered back loudly. "We're in the castle!"

"Shhh!" Velvet bumped her again. Their shoulders bumped together a lot. Were they walking, or just playing bumper carts? No, they were supporting each other, one wobbly step at a time. "Be cool."

The guards standing post by the door kept an eye on them. They didn't intervene, however. That was probably because they were being kept in a room with only one door. Because they had gotten caught trying to sneak into the palace.

Well, emphasis on trying. They had barely made it to the front gates before they were stopped, asked what they were doing, and Velvet brilliantly invoked the name of Princess Luna. Crystal had backed her up, reminding them that she was a friend of the princess. Luckily for them, the guard who had stopped them recognized her.

Unluckily for them, they were clearly and utterly drunk, which landed them in a guarded room while they waited for somepony to come take them home. Velvet had no interest in partaking in any of that, so now they were working on their escape.

"We're just gonna go out the windur," Velvet said in a wholly casual tone. "Don't mind us."

One of the two guards left his post to step in their way. "If you'd just sit down, ma'ams, somepony will be in as soon as she can."

"She?" Velvet straightened up to her full height, head still tilted back to look up at the stallion. "She! Who is she? Hmm? She who?"

The guard glanced at the other, who shrugged. "We've contacted Mrs. Wishes's husband's sister."

Crystal gasped. "Winterspear? Nooo, no." She shoved her face near Velvet's ear. "I don't want her to see me like this. She'll tell Silent."

"You bet your flank I'm going to tell him."

"Nooo," Crystal whined, her ears going flat against her mane as she turned to see Winterspear standing in the doorway, a big grin on her face. "You can't!"

Winterspear waved a hoof to gesture them to her. Crystal made it one step, squeaked when the room spun around her, and looked to Velvet. Velvet staggered forward, pressed her shoulder to Crystal's, and nodded. Together, they wobbled their way over to the waiting, grinning mare.

"What in Equestria did the two of you do to end up this way?" Winterspear looked down at the two of them, shaking her head. "I don't think I've ever seen you drink like this before, Crystal!"

Crystal stuck out her tongue and tried to blow a raspberry. It didn't quite work, but her point was made. "Velvet's birthday! Had to celebrate!"

"Uh-huh. Well, looks like you definitely succeeded at that." Winterspear lifted her gaze to look at the guards standing on either side of Crystal and Velvet. "I'm sorry for the trouble they caused. I'll take them straight home and send them to their room without any dinner."

"Aww..." Velvet's ears drooped.

"It's quite all right, ma'am," one of the guards said. "We're just doing our job."

Crystal jerked her head to the side to look up at him and, once her head didn't feel so fuzzy, she huffed. "Your job is to arrest mares? Is that so?"

"Ma'am, you weren't under arrest, just supervision." He bobbed his head. "Have a nice day."

Winterspear stretched out a wing and gently pressed it to the back of their necks, pushing them forward and walking along beside them. "Come on, fillies. Let's get both of you home. Velvet, you're coming with us so you can sleep off all the alcohol. Crystal, since it was for Velvet's birthday, I won't tattle on you... this time."

"Yay!" Crystal's legs wobbled as she tried to prance unsuccessfully. "Thank you! You are the best! The literal best!"

Velvet flicked her tail. "Best birfday ever. Shotses, breaking into the caystle, and arrested by gerds."

Winterspear just laughed. "Oh, you two..."

They had hardly made their slow, giggling way out of the palace before a shadow landed on them and a voice called, "Mrs. Wishes! Found you! Hello!"

"Huh?" Crystal looked down at the vaguely pony-shaped shadow. "Oh, hello there. Who are you?"

"Me!" A white pegasus mare landed in front of them, startling a squeak of surprise from Crystal. "Snowy Haze, reporting for duty!"

"You stepped on it! Her! Them!" Crystal batted at the shadowpony beneath the mare's hooves. "Rude!"

Snowy blinked and brushed her windswept, blue bangs out of her eyes. "Huh? Uh... um? Are you okay?"

Winterspear stepped forward, putting a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "Somepony just had a little too much to drink, that's all. I'll take her letter and give it to her when she's sobered up."

Snowy glanced between Crystal and Winterspear with confusion clear in her knitted brow. "Oh, but, um—"

"Letter?" Crystal tilted her head one way, then the other. "A letter for me?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Snowy reached into her satchel. "It came in just this morning. I've been looking everywhere for you. Glad I found you finally!"

Crystal looked at the envelope that was held out to her. Her gaze meandered at first, trying to meet Snowy's for polite eye contact, but lingering on the simple piece of paper.

A letter for her.

Delivered by courier.

A courier she recognized.

Wait, why did she recognize her?

Something clicked into place and adrenaline surged through her blood, replacing the fuzzy feelings of alcohol with an icy burn. All at once, her senses returned and she had to brace herself from the impact of a sudden, aching headache. She had more important things to think about than how awful she felt, however.

"I—" Her mouth was dry and her throat hurt. How much had she had to drink? She had never felt so dehydrated before. Or was that from the nerves? "I'll take it. Please. Now."

Snowy nodded and let go of the envelope when pink magic sparked to life around it. "Have a great day, Mrs. Wishes! Hope you feel better!"

Crystal heard nothing else. She saw nothing else. All of her attention was focused on opening the envelope and removing the letter. If magic could tremble, hers certainly was.

There it was: Silent's hoofwriting.

To the Rose Princess

The smell of your letter has reminded me more of what I’ve left behind and what I now fight to return to. Each day will be easier now, however, knowing that when I get through it I will be rewarded. I can look up at the stars and share a moment alone with you.

It will be our moment. Our peace and harmony. With you at my side I know I can persevere.

I am lonely this evening. Princess Luna paid us a surprise visit on the eve of what is going to be an experience I'm certain I'll never forget. We are to follow the gryphons to battle and observe from a distance. That is not why I am lonely, however.

My former guards rallied around me and for a mere few hours it was as if I was back home in the role I never should have left. I spoke quietly with the Princess and she offered me the chance to leave the general's command but I couldn't bring myself to do it. I am safe enough here and making a difference.

We head south tomorrow. Toward the battle I romanticized as a foal. How foolish. Soon countless lives will be lost while we sit upon our airships watching.

Fear not for me though. I'll be aboard the general's flagship surrounded by the Army's best archers... and of course you are aware I'm pretty good in a fight still. Not that I'm expecting a fight.

I've dispatched Iridescence and Winterspear to your side. I don't know if they'll arrive before this letter but I wanted you to have them nearby.

Tomorrow my love, it all begins tomorrow. Look to the heavens and know that I will be looking back because I will get through tomorrow. For you.

Your Knight

Her chest tightened from the emotions surging and swirling. They headed south... tomorrow. The day after his letter. Letters took so long to travel. He had already gone south. He had already been there. What happened? Was he okay?

Crystal gave a quick shake of her head to clear it. Focus on the positive. Her love in the stars had reached him. It hadn't been a silly, foalish gesture... It had, even if only in a small way, helped. She had actually done something.

And he, her Knight, was protecting her, even from afar. Despite what he was going through, he still took the time to take care of her. Of course, he didn't need to know that she had already sought out Iridescence and Winterspear on her own. As far as he would know, he had sent them to her.

Tilting her head back, Crystal gazed up at the sky. The sun still dominated it and would for several more hours, but the heavens still looked down on the both of them at the same time. They were together, even if they were so far apart. Somewhere out there under the same sun was her Silent Knight, and she would continue to send him all her love each and every night.

The Stormy Darkness

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The endless horizon of shifting sands stretched out before her, but she knew her way. The stars guided her through the desert. She was never lost as long as she had them to lead her home.

Crystal nibbled on the end of her quill while she paused to read another passage from the Saddle Arabian guide book by Sure Stroke. Before she could glean anything useful, however, the front door opened and Winterspear walked in.

"Oh!" Crystal sat up from where she had been sprawled on the couch. "You're home early. Aren't you on shift for another few hours, or did I lose track of time?"

Winterspear sighed, removing her helmet. A chill ran through Crystal at the somber look on the mare's face. "There is an emergency address today at the palace. I don't know the details, but I know every guard in Canterlot is being called in to attend for crowd control. I'm—" Her wings drooped and her voice softened. "I'm worried. The papers don't know anything, either. I grabbed one on the way home..."

One of Winterspear's wings shifted and she retrieved a newspaper from where it had been tucked underneath. "It just says: 'Princesses Call for Emergency Wartime Address'." The paper trembled in her hooves. "It can't be good, Crystal."

Though her stomach had curled up into several aching knots, Crystal slipped off the couch and walked over to her. "I don't think anything good can come out of this war."

"What if something awful happened?" Winterspear's eyes met Crystal's. They searched, pleaded, and begged for comfort. "Crystal, I..." She trailed off—there were no words necessary. They both knew.

Crystal quickly shook her head. "It may not be that! It may not be. There's no sense in getting worked up just yet." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "When is it at?"

Winterspear raised a hoof to wipe her eyes. "At noon. Iridescence and I will be on duty, so, please, go find Velvet and make sure you're not alone. Just in case."

"I will, I promise. I won't be. I'll go find her right now." She stepped forward and nuzzled her cheek to Winterspear's. "Will you be okay?"

Winterspear didn't reply beyond a soft sigh. She pulled Crystal into a hug and just remained there for a long, quiet moment. Crystal could feel the tense trembling of Winterspear's muscles and did her best to stay still. To stay strong. She could be weak later.

"It'll be okay," Crystal whispered. "He's tough. He's survived before, he'll survive again."

Winterspear sniffed as she let go of her and grabbed her helmet. "I hope you're right. I need to go report and get my assignment. Go find Velvet."

In fearful silence, they walked out together, then parted ways. Winterspear made her way toward the palace while Crystal trotted into the city. Everything felt so normal. Ponies walked the streets to go about their daily lives with shopping, eating, chatting... Crystal wanted to scream. Didn't they see the news? Didn't they know what it meant? Didn't they care?

Her hooves moved faster. She begged them to take her to Velvet's apartment—no! Velvet would be at work. She made a sharp turn, stumbling when her body complained that it wasn't ready for the sudden shift in direction. How fast was she moving? When had she broken into a full gallop?

The large studio where the Royal Ballet practiced came into view. It was so far away. It felt like she was in a dream where her destination never grew any closer, but, mercifully, it did. She nearly tripped on her way up the stairs and if the doors hadn't opened under the pressure of her magic, she was certain she would have broken them down.

A stallion looked at her in surprise when she burst into the foyer. "Can I help you?"

"Velvet—" Crystal wheezed. "Step—" She gasped for air. "Please."

The surprise shifted to concern. "Is everything all right?"

Crystal shook her head. It was all she could do to stay standing. Talking was out of reach for the time being.

"I'll get her right away. Please, have a seat." The stallion hurried through a pair of doors set against one side of the room.

A comfortable-looking couch sat a few paces away, but Crystal didn't make it. Her legs gave up and her rump hit the floor a little too hard. Panic had overtaken her completely.

An emergency address. If it were good news, then surely the papers would have been told so and then shared on their front pages. No, it had to be bad news. Awful news. Terrible news. The kind of news that had to be given from Princess Celestia herself.

Hoofsteps quickly approached and Crystal looked up to see Velvet hurrying toward her. "Crystal! Oh my gosh, Crystal." She skidded to a halt, dropping down onto her haunches and putting both of her forehooves to Crystal's cheeks. "Is this about the speech this afternoon?"

Crystal whimpered and nodded.

"You don't know what it is! Nopony knows!" Velvet's brow furrowed. "You can't just freak out every time something might go wrong!"

"But—" Crystal sniffled. "But—"

Velvet sighed, slid her hooves down from Crystal's cheeks to wrap them around her neck, and pulled her close. "Okay, okay, don't look at me like that... I'll allow it this time." She sighed. "It's gonna be fine. Just because the princess wants to talk doesn't mean... well... It doesn't mean that."

Crystal's lips parted to speak, but her voice was weak from the tears she was failing against. "How do you know?" she managed to ask, a hitch in her words.

"Because, I mean, like... I don't know, but I can't imagine it not being okay." Velvet sighed. "Sorry, I'm not good at this. Come on, practice was almost over for today anyway because of the speech thing. Let's just go home until it's time, okay?"

"Okay," Crystal whispered.

They walked together in silence. In fact, after that meek, single word, Crystal found herself unable to say anything else, and Velvet was awkwardly accepting of that. They merely waited for the time to pass by, Crystal sitting on a pillow and Velvet finishing up her practice by herself.

Once the afternoon hour drew near, Velvet took Crystal by the hoof and they started the walk toward the castle, still no words shared between them.

Ponies were everywhere, all heading in the same direction. Some of them were chatting about inconsequential things—the weather, the latest fashion news, recent coffee prices… It raised bile into the back of Crystal's throat. They acted as if Princess Celestia gathered everypony in Canterlot for emergency addresses every day.

Did they not understand, or did they just not care?

Crystal's gaze darted about, seeking a kindred spirit. Somepony who understood. On the other side of the street, she saw a mare walking with her hooves scuffing the cobblestone, tail void of any perk, and ears flat against her mane. It was a depressing sight, and yet it brought Crystal some twisted sense of comfort.

At least she wasn't alone.

By the time they reached the castle, the majority of the palace courtyard was already filled with ponies. Crystal and Velvet managed to get a spot where they would be able to see, for all that was worth. The voice of an alicorn was able to carry long distances, but Crystal wanted to see her.

She wanted to see her face, to know the truth before a single word was said.

The minutes dragged by, and soon the entire courtyard was packed with ponies. The crowd spilled out of the gates and into the streets. City guards were positioned on street corners and on sidewalks to keep an eye on the crowd outside of the walls, while palace guards took up posts in the courtyard.

At the center of the courtyard rested a podium that was encircled by members of both House Guards. An insurmountable wall of gold and violet kept civilians a respectable distance from where the princesses would stand on the ground level as opposed to the balcony.

There were too many guards. Too many guards for good news.

Crystal stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Velvet. Strangers were in every direction, but Crystal's gaze was locked on the clock tower. The pointers moved at an agonizingly slow pace, until—

Ding, dong, ding, dong...

The sound echoed into the silence. Heads turned toward the front doors of the palace, which started to slide open.

Dong, ding, ding, dong...

Princess Celestia walked into view with Princess Luna at her side. Their hoofsteps resounded in the pauses between the clock's chimes.

Dong... dong... dong... dong...

Raven and Willow trailed behind the alicorns and stood off to the sides while Princess Celestia approached the podium. She raised herself up and set her forehooves on it, taking a moment to look out into the crowd.

Tension buzzed in the quiet. Even at a distance, Crystal could feel that something was wrong. The princess exuded none of her usual aura, and it was wholly unsettling.

Velvet reached over and squeezed Crystal's hoof just as Princess Celestia began to speak, her voice carrying across the crowd with ease.

"My little ponies, I've called you all here today to share with you an update on the war with King Kronson of Sudramoar. To my dismay, he did not take our intervention seriously and has not sought diplomatic avenues to resolve his discourse with King Ranald of Nordanver.

"That is known by many. It has been in the newspapers and personal letters returning from our loved ones abroad. What is yet to be known is that roughly one week ago, the Nordanver army marched south to meet their Sudramoar opponents in an attempt to dislodge them.

"Our allies failed in this task. They were brought low by a superior force and their army lies in ruins. Unfortunately, with a heavy heart, I am here to say that the Equestrian Army also participated in this battle."

Gasps erupted like wildfire and echoed off the walls. The crowd moved with a nervous energy as ponies whispered to others and looked to their companions for reassurance. Crystal just stood there, waiting, strangely numb.

"At the behest of King Ranald and his commanders, General Ironhoof dispatched our fleet to observe from behind friendly lines. It was meant to be a show of force to hopefully dissuade our enemies. In the course of the battle, due to how badly our allies were defeated, the fleet and the soldiers with it were swept up into the melee."

This was it. This was what she had feared. The figure of the princess became hard to see as tears filled Crystal's eyes and she started to sway, her head becoming heavy and her knees becoming weak. Her hoof pulled away from Velvet so she could brace and steady herself.

"Many of our airships were badly damaged. The TMS Harmony was destroyed, taking almost every hoof aboard with it. It pains me to say this, but in an instant, nearly five hundred lives were lost."

The collective sound of every heart breaking filled the air. Wails of mothers and fathers, cries of wives and husbands, sobs of sisters and brothers... Grief was felt by every pony in attendance.

A hoof grabbed Crystal's, and when she looked at its owner, she blinked in surprise. It was an older mare that she didn't recognize, but she did see something they had in common.

They were both terrified.

The hoof that clutched hers trembled, and tears were falling down the mare's cheeks as she held onto Crystal almost desperately. Crystal responded in kind by turning to face the mare and throwing her foreleg around her neck to squeeze her in a tight hug, and they wept together.

"At this time, we do not have all of the names of the fallen. The enemy routed both what remained of the Nordanver army and the forces we sent further back to hold the line. We are in full retreat and have not had a moment's rest to completely understand what has happened.

"We are truly at war now. At this very moment, while I stand here speaking to you, brave Equestrian soldiers fight for their friends. They fight for our allies. They fight against disharmony. I give you my word that I will exhaust every avenue I can to bring this bloodshed to an end as quickly as possible, but King Kronson does not seem inclined to listen.

"The moment we fully understand all that we have lost, we will share it with you. Families will be contacted and arrangements will be made. Until that time, I implore you not to give up hope for your loved ones."

Princess Celestia bowed her head. "I am truly, truly sorry, my little ponies. I wish I could undo this tragedy."

"My son," the mare that Crystal held gasped out. "My son was on the Harmony."

Crystal stiffened. "What?"

"He was assigned to the Harmony. He wrote to me how excited he was about it!" The mare shook her head, tears falling freely and her whole body shaking. "My son is dead!"

There were no words. Crystal simply held onto the sobbing mother and gazed off at nothing in particular while her own heart broke. It broke for the mother in her embrace that wept for her son. It broke for the ponies she saw around her that grieved and cried.

It broke for herself, because she didn't want to comfort, but to be comforted. Silent might be dead. She knew he was on an airship. Which airship? Had he said? Was it the Harmony?

A hoof touched her back and she turned her head to see Velvet standing there, sadness in her eyes. "Crystal..."

Crystal shook her head. "I'm fine," she said in a soft voice. "Take care of somepony else."

Velvet hesitated, then nodded. To her right stood a lone stallion whose expression was that of shock and disbelief. Velvet stepped toward him and put a hoof on his. He flinched away from her, blinked at her a few times, and wilted.

"My wife..." was all he could say.

That was all anypony could say. Crystal's ears were bombarded by who ponies feared they had lost. Although every pony in the city was gathered in one spot together, never had she heard so many lonely, desperate voices.

"My son..."

"My dad..."

"My daughter...."

"My brother..."

Crystal's shoulders trembled at the thought of losing him. Her Silent Knight...

"Thunder," cried a quiet voice that reached her among all the others that she recognized, and she craned her neck to look for it. Through the legs of all the ponies nearby, she saw four light grey hooves and the tip of a faded blue braid.

"Dawn?" Crystal cleared her throat. "Dawn Walker?"

The legs shifted and moved closer, tentatively at first, then quicker until the mare came into view. Sticking close to her side was Toffee Strudel, both of their cheeks wet with tears.

"Mrs. Wishes?" Toffee asked. "Oh, Mrs. Wishes. H-How awful for you..."

Crystal still held onto the weeping mother with one foreleg, the other shifting to rub her eyes. "Awful for me? Awful for everypony!"

Toffee winced. "I mean... Your care companion, he's... He's not here with you."

Care companion? Crystal stiffened, then quickly shook her head. "It's fine." Was it fine? She hadn't even thought about it, or about him. His wife was Navy. His wife could fly, so surely... if she had been aboard the Harmony, then surely...

The mother pulled herself together just long enough to lean back and look up at Crystal. "I'm so sorry, dear. So sorry. If you have somepony—somepony that you should be with right now—"

Velvet cleared her throat from where she sat with the stallion crying on her shoulder. "I can look out for these two if you want to try to find him."

"We'll help," Dawn offered quietly.

Crystal frowned. "And how would I find him in this crowd?" She shook her head. "No. I belong right here."

"But—" Toffee winced. "He doesn't—well, he doesn't seem like the kind of pony that has any friends, so he's probably all alone right now."

The thought of that, despite her feelings about him, hurt. It hurt deeply. She couldn't fathom not having the support of friends, especially at a time like this. Reluctantly, she gave the mare a tight squeeze before rising to her hooves. "I'll check his home. I doubt he left a note like he's supposed to, but it's the least I can do. Finding him in this crowd would be otherwise impossible."

Carefully, Crystal navigated the crowd, trying not to break down at the faces all around her. Every single pony believed that their loved one was one of the lost. It was hard to believe otherwise with no proof to the contrary. After all, Crystal wanted to believe that Starlit Bastion's wife was all right because she was a pegasus, and yet that same logic failed to soothe her own heart in the least.

The further she went into town, the fewer ponies there were. Most remained at the gathering to grieve together. Some had wandered away, perhaps to be alone, perhaps to seek out somepony just like she was. When she turned into the neighborhood where Bastion lived, the empty streets sent a chill down her spine.

There was, however, a single figure in the distance. A large, burly earth pony carrying some kind of bulging satchel. She quickened her pace to get closer and his recognizable features came into view.

"Starlit?" she called, but he didn't stop. It had to be him! There weren't many big, stocky earth ponies in Canterlot that had feathering on their legs. "Starlit Bastion?"

He came to a halt. "What?" His voice cut through the air like a sharpened blade, stopping her in her tracks.

"I was just looking for you." Her ears drooped. "Were you at the castle? Did you hear the—the news?"

One of his ears flicked. "Yes. I was there. I heard it. What do you want?"

She swallowed. Was he just being his normal self, or was he trying to act tough because he was hurting? How could he not be hurting? How could anypony not be? "I'm your care companion, so—"

"Care companion?" He turned to face her, his steel grey irises a stark contrast to the bloodshot white they rested against. "I never asked for that. You could make yourself useful, however, and take care of Jet Ventures."

Crystal blinked a few times, then furrowed her brow. "Jet Ventures? Wh-What are you talking about?"

"Take it over, then shut it down." He stepped toward her, his looming shadow casting darkness over her form. "You're the heir to it, aren't you?" His voice became hauntingly cold and dripped with ice. "Then go to your Celestia-forsaken company that just murdered Equestrian soldiers, and burn it to the ground. The Harmony should have never been there."

"I don't—" Her heart raced with fear. Fear for his sanity. Fear for her safety. "I don't know—How did you know—"

"How did I know?" He chuckled. "Oh, little filly, of course I know who you are. Crystal Wishes, a romance writer? Wife of Silent Knight? How could anypony not know who you are? You're the spoiled, rich mare who's playing the little military wife with your trophy husband and doesn't know a thing about real sacrifice. My wife, my wife who I love, may be dead right now because of your family, and you're here to comfort me?" He snorted, his breath hot against her face, and he straightened up to his full, towering height. "Just get out of my sight."

Without another word, he turned away and continued toward his home. Crystal stood there, dumbfounded for a moment, her mind a swirling mess of confusion. He was wrong. She wasn't any of those things! She loved her husband just as much as he loved his wife. She wasn't to blame for the Harmony. She hadn't had anything to do with it other than by blood!

Something gripped her deep inside and that blood she shared with her father started to boil. Bastion was right about one thing—the Harmony should have never been there. Jet Set should have known better than anypony that it wasn't battle-ready. How did it end up there? How could her father have allowed it?

There was only one pony who could answer that, and her hooves were already taking her there to him. His pointless, useless airship that boasted luxury and decadence and everything wrong with Canterlot had gone too far. Hot tears ran down Crystal's cheeks as she marched down the road that would lead her to her parents' home.

Had suggesting she divorce Silent not been enough for them?

When she arrived, she didn't bother to knock. They hadn't changed the lock since as far back as she could remember. Her magic wrapped around the knob and turned it effortlessly. "Mother! Father!" she yelled as she stormed inside, gaze darting about. The recliner was empty, but her mother was where she always was: stretched out on the couch with some awful beauty magazine. "Where's Father?!"

Upper Crust jolted and jerked her head up, staring at Crystal with wide eyes. "Darling, what—"

"I want to talk to him! I don't care that you couldn't be bothered to go to the emergency speech, I—"

"Now, see here!" Upper Crust sat up and stepped off the couch. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but you do not raise your voice at me. What are you talking about, couldn't be bothered? We just got home from it. I've not yet read even one page of my magazine before you barged in here, yelling like an uncivilized filly." She frowned. "As for your father, he's upstairs, getting ready for work."

"Work?" Crystal frowned. "Dad doesn't have a job to go to!"

"He does now. He is going to go speak to his father about working at Jet Ventures."

The blood-boiling sensation was quelled by ice. "What?"

"Yes," her father's voice cut in as he descended the stairs. "I'm on my way right now. What do you need, dear?"

"You're going to work there?" Crystal stared at him, her lips parted as she panted lightly, exhaustion from all the running catching up to the anger-fueled adrenaline. "What are you thinking?! Was one airship destroyed not enough for you?!"

His ears snapped forward and his eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Father! Your airship! The Harmony!" She stomped a hoof. "Your airship is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of ponies, and you're going to go make more?!"

Upper Crust opened her mouth to speak, but Jet Set's magic flared and snapped it shut as he strode across the distance between him and Crystal. "No, I'll deal with this," he said, glaring at his wife. "Go back to your magazine."

With a soft huff, Upper Crust snubbed her nose in the air and returned to the couch, stealing a glance over her shoulder at them while Jet Set returned his narrowed gaze to Crystal.

"Young lady, I have heard a lot of absurd things from you," he said, his teeth clenched shut, "but this is by far the most absurd. I understand you're upset, but to come into my home and accuse me of murder? Are you out of your mind?"

He snorted. "You may have your differences with us, but this is too far. I designed that airship for luxury, not for war. It should have never been there! You think I'm going crawling to my father for the job I've never wanted because I suddenly now want to? No, Crystal, I'm going because I need to! I can't let this happen again. I can't let this ever happen again."

Agitation showing in his twitching muscles, he pointed a hoof at the door. "I love you as my daughter, but right now, I don't want to look at you, so please, get out of my house. I can't believe you would say such things to my face at a time like this."

Crystal blinked back tears as shame filled every inch of her soul. Shame and guilt. She opened her mouth, but the tingle of magic around her muzzle silenced her.

"Go."

She had no choice. Slowly, she turned away from him and walked back out of the home. She winced when the door slammed shut behind her. How could she have said such awful things? A lump formed in her throat and she stared down at the cobblestone beneath her hooves. Something had gotten in her head... She frowned. Or somepony.

Bastion had planted that horrible thought in her mind, along with all the other cruel things he had said. She wasn't a spoiled mare. She knew about sacrifice. Silent wasn't her trophy husband! Bastion was wrong about her. He was wrong about everything!

She started walking forward, then trotting. She was going to give him a piece of her mind. He could have the venom back; she wanted nothing to do with it. Yelling at others wasn't a healthy way to grieve. She needed to find and be surrounded by her friends again, but not before she settled the score.

The streets were becoming busy once again as ponies were dispersing from the castle and back into the city. Faces were gaunt, eyes were puffy, and cheeks were stained with tears. How could Bastion be so cold and callous during such a tragic time?

His house stood tall and proud, goading her to come closer. The curtains were closed to shut out the world. Well, he couldn't hide from it forever. Not everything was going to go his stubborn way. She marched up to the door and attempted to knock, but the moment her hoof touched the wood, the door creaked open.

Light poured into a dark room, her shadow stretching over a few discarded long-necked bottles and her nose scrunching up at the pungent smell of hard cider in the air.

"Starlit?" she called into the eerie stillness. Something stirred past where she could see. "Bastion, is that you?"

A groan was the only response.

Cautiously, she stepped forward. The further she got to the darkness, the more her eyes started to adjust to the lack of light and sought out any recognizable forms. Something was not far in front of her, but was it a loveseat or a sprawled stallion?

"Bastion?" she repeated with a small, uncertain quiver in her voice.

The form shifted and a pair of eyes caught the light before they quickly shut. "Wha—?"

Her hind leg stretched out and found the door behind her, gently kicking it shut. "Bastion, it's me. Crystal Wishes. Are you okay?"

He groaned and shifted again. She could just barely see his dark form moving against an even darker background and watched as he tried to push himself up, then slumped back down. "Wha'you want?"

"I'm here to..." She trailed off. What could she say? She couldn't kick a pony who was down—literally. "I'm here to make sure you're okay."

Bastion snorted. "Sure."

She frowned and sat down beside him, squeaking when her rump landed on a bottle that nearly sent her sprawling. "How much did you have to drink?"

After a pause, he said, "Bought the store out. So..." She heard a sound that she gathered was his shoulder sliding across the floor in a shrug.

Well, that explained the overburdened satchel. She sighed and shook her head. "You could have just said something instead of lashing out at me, you know. Surely you didn't want to sit here in the dark, drinking alone."

"I did, so I did." The more distinct features of his form started to come into view. She could make out his head not just from the direction of his voice, but because she could see the curves of his ears.

Crystal sighed. "I didn't want to be your care companion, you know."

He didn't reply.

"I find you utterly obnoxious. You're rude and cold. You always have this air about you that pushes ponies away." Her tone started to soften the more she spoke. "Military spouses or not, we're still ponies. We can be weak. You can be weak."

There was nothing but the sound of his labored breathing for a while until he said, "I married into this. I knew what I was getting into."

Crystal reached out a tentative hoof to gently touch his mane. He recoiled and snapped his head to stare at her, what little light there was catching in his eyes so she could feel their weight. "I knew what I was getting into, as well. I've nearly lost him to gryphons once before."

"Right. I know about that." He settled back down, keeping a safe distance between them. "How long was he in a coma for?"

Her gaze wandered the room, though she couldn't see very much of it. There was something against one wall. A bookshelf, perhaps? "A little over a month. I feared every day that he would never wake up."

He groaned, shifted, and rolled onto his side to face away from her. "My wife has never been in danger. I thought I was ready for anything, but I wasn't. Not for this."

"I know," she said softly, reaching out again. This time, he didn't recoil and allowed her to stroke his mane. "Nopony could be ready for this."

Silence settled between them and both were content to say nothing more. The darkness surrounded them, an all-consuming gloom lurking in the shadows, but at least they weren't alone.

At least they weren't alone.

A Golden Stream of Light

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"Thank you all for your patience," Derelict Apathy said from her spot at the head of the long table. "I apologize for the delay. The warrant officer is ensuring there are no more ponies to bring in before we get started."

Crystal shifted in her seat. An emergency support group meeting had been called, and they all knew why. The discomfort slithering through the air kept all of them on edge, the tension too thick for conversation. Instead, they all merely sat and waited.

Verdant was sitting beside her and staring down at the table, an unreadable expression on his face. On her other side was Dawn Walker, the poor, sweet mare. She clutched both of her hooves around one of Crystal's and had just about squeezed the life out of it by the time Radiant Orchid finally walked in.

"It looks like everypony who is going to be here is here," Orchid said, a tinge of disappointment at the edge of her words. "I want to thank all of you for coming here on such short notice, but I know you understand why we're here."

The older mare stood beside Derelict, the two stark contrasts of one another. Orchid looked every bit like a loving mother in the way her sorrowful eyes sought them all out, while Derelict was merely observing. She had the eyes of a hawk that scanned for anything of note that might slip by. What that might be, Crystal couldn't quite fathom, but she was certain there was something Derelict was watching out for.

"I'm so sorry," Orchid started. Her voice was heavy with unabashed sorrow. "My heart, and the hearts of every pony across our kingdom, are with the fallen, the ones who had to witness the tragedy, the ones who now fight for their lives, and you brave, strong ponies here at home."

Derelict nodded idly. "As soon as we know any names, we will begin dispatching grief counselors, including myself. If you want or need one sooner, reach out to me and I will schedule an appointment for you."

"Don't be afraid to reach out to somepony, anypony," Orchid continued. "And on that note, you may see new faces here. Yesterday, Derelict and I sent a letter to every pony in Canterlot that has a loved one that went overseas. These new faces are here to join your support group and become involved in the weekly meetings."

Crystal's gaze wandered the room. There were seven ponies she didn't recognize. Only seven? Her ears drooped. How many ponies had been too scared, too bereft, or too stubborn to come? Surely there were more ponies than that in need of a community. Perhaps they already had one of their own. She certainly hoped that was the case.

"I recommend introducing yourself as a first step," Derelict suggested in her usual monotonous cadence.

After an awkward silence, Crystal piped up, "My name is Crystal Wishes."

"Dawn Walker," Dawn quietly chimed in.

"Toffee Stru—"

One of the doors opened with a loud, high-pitched whine. All heads turned to see a golden mare standing in the doorway, an almost horrified look on her face that snapped into a scowl when her eyes met Crystal's.

"You?!" the mare practically snarled.

Crystal felt her hackles raising, but the feeling of a whole room watching them kept her from lashing out on foalish instinct. "Au?"

With a huff, Au inclined her head to leer down her snout. "What a surprise that you're here."

Now it was Crystal's turn to squeeze Dawn's hoof and find strength from the gesture. "The same could be said to you, honestly."

Au started toward the small table set against one wall that held snacks and a punch bowl, all of which she eyed with clear disdain. "Did your little guard leave you all alone? You poor thing. I can't imagine why he'd do that."

That was it—she could hear the sound of her resolve snapping in that moment. She couldn't just sit idly by while Au marched in and all over her ponies, not when they were all at their weakest and most vulnerable. There was no way in Tartarus she was going to smile politely and bite her tongue like a civil little mare.

Her chair nearly toppled over from how quickly she stood up. She marched up to Au to put herself between the mare and her support group, almost protectively of them. "What are you doing here? Are you just here to laugh at us? Is this some kind of joke to you?!"

The simple question resulted in an awkward pause. Au's blue eyes darted away from Crystal and she huffed again. "You couldn't possibly begin to understand."

"I—" Crystal was cut off by a wall of magic sparking to life between her and Au, pushing them apart. She looked over to see Derelict Apathy approaching, horn glowing.

"Calm down," she said in an even tone. "What is the problem here?"

Au waved an absent hoof. "This little mare is the problem, of course."

"I'm the problem?" Crystal felt her temper flare like a burst of heat across her face. "I'm the problem?! You're the—" The magical barrier pushed her again.

Derelict looked up at Au. "If you're not here for the support group, then I'll have to ask you to leave."

"That won't be necessary," Radiant Orchid cut in, trotting over, a nervous smile on her face. "I remember sending her a letter given that she's, well, a notable pony. Miss Au is a welcome, invited guest."

Crystal blinked a few times. "What? Why?"

"Why else?" Derelict glanced at Crystal, then back at Au. "I apologize, in that case. Please, have a seat."

Why else? Why else?! There was only one good reason for a pony to be there, and that was if—

Crystal bit back the lifelong, blinding disdain to take another look at Au. The mare stood there and, despite her glimmering shawl, something was amiss. Her eyes were void of fire; instead, they were drowning in sorrow and pain.

"Au?" Crystal asked quietly.

She glared in response.

"What happened? Who is it?" Crystal reached out to put a hoof on the mare's shoulder, but it was slapped away.

"Oh, and I'm to believe you suddenly care?" Au rolled her eyes. "Please, don't bother. You and I know better."

Crystal's muscles tightened, but she held her tongue. "Golden—"

In one fluid motion, Au lunged forward, and Derelict's magic pushed her back. She snarled and spat, "What?! What, you want to be friends now that you've faced adversity for the first time in your precious, charmed little life?!"

"Excuse me?!" Crystal straightened up as tall as she could. "And just what do you know about my life?!"

"Ladies," Radiant Orchid tried to cut in, but neither paid her any mind at all.

"What do you know about mine?" Au's eyes narrowed. "I know that you are the beloved C.W. Step, that you have your fairytale prince, that you have had everything you've ever wanted and more"—the tears that had been hiding somewhere deep inside started to well up and fall down her cheeks—"while I've lost everything!"

The anger inside Crystal was extinguished all at once, and the room fell into stunned silence. All eyes were on them while Crystal just watched Au break down in front of her, like a proud castle that crumbled and dropped into the sea below. The grand structure of her image built over so many years was lost to the deep, dark depths of despair in a single moment.

"I've had to work—work so hard for everything that I've had, while you—you've just had it all given to you!" Au dropped down and raised a hoof to hide her face, but the tears still fell into view. "And now, the one thing I had, the one thing that mattered... He's gone!"

There were too many questions running through Crystal's mind for her to think straight. Both she and Au jumped when Dawn seemingly came out of nowhere to embrace the sobbing mare, followed by Toffee. One by one, several ponies in the room left their chairs to come over and add onto the growing group hug.

Crystal just stood there. Not because she didn't want to comfort Au, but because she wasn't certain if it would do any good.

"Golden Pants is the daughter of Lieutenant Pants," Orchid said, her soft voice cutting the silence as she read from a clipboard held in one hoof. "He volunteered, got his commission after training, and was assigned to the quartermaster corps."

Crystal's ears perked and she took a step toward Au. "Your father volunteered? But—" She quickly shook her head. "Did you hear that? He likely wasn't there, Au. He's fine. It's okay."

Au jerked her head up. "So what if he wasn't?!"

The ponies hugging her hesitated, then—just as slowly as they came—they slowly pulled back to give her space. She rose back onto all four hooves and glared down at Crystal, fire in her eyes once again.

"You don't know anything! You don't know my father! Even if he wasn't there, once he heard about it, he probably charged headfirst into the Sudramoar lines! You don't know what he's like!" She sniffled and trembled. "He'll... He volunteered without a second thought, a pony like him, who's never held a sword in his life! What was he thinking?!" Her head drooped and tears pattered against the floor beneath her hooves. "He left me... all alone... How can you possibly understand?"

"We all understand," Dawn said in a surprisingly firm voice, moving to stand by Crystal. "All of us are here because somepony we love is over there right now."

Au opened her mouth to speak, but Orchid reached out a hoof between them and waved it. "I think we've all said enough. We're here to help each other, not to hurt, so why doesn't everypony take their seat?"

Begrudgingly, Au walked past Crystal, avoiding eye contact with her. She took a seat at the far end of the table, an empty chair between her and Starlit Bastion, who was similarly avoiding Crystal's gaze.

Crystal sighed. A confusing mess of guilt and frustration boiled in her chest, but she kept her mouth shut and returned to her seat with Dawn sticking close to her. That small gesture of companionship calmed some of her nerves; it helped her to feel a little less like the group's villain.

Orchid cleared her throat and put on a calm smile. "The meetings scheduled and run by you all seem to be effective. Those of you who have been attending them already seem to be close. I'd like for the new ponies here to have the same support available to them, especially now more than ever."

"There has also been a lot of research conducted in the past few weeks," Derelict said, her magic distributing envelopes to each pony at the table. "Exercise is highly recommended. Time spent out of the house, as well. We recommend coordinating events together on the weekends. I've collected free vouchers from businesses in Canterlot and other cities that offer entertainment and distractions for group events."

"That is something to think about later, though," Orchid cut in. "We'd like to take this time, in this safe, non-judgmental space with ponies who understand, to do an informal group therapy. If anypony wants to talk, you are in a room full of listening, compassionate ears."

Uncomfortable shifting and glancing went around the room like a wave of tangible awkwardness. Finally, the voice of one of the newcomers piped up, "Does anypony else still feel lonely at night?"

There wasn't a head in the room that didn't, in some small or large way, nod in reply.

The mare stared down at the table, her ears pressed flat against her mane. "Just as I'm about to fall asleep, it's like a wave crashing over me. I... I just feel so incredibly lonely."

"It was worse last night for me than ever before," Crystal said, trying to keep a smile on her face. "I had this awful thought of, what if he was on the Harmony? What if he never comes home? What if I've lost him?"

A sniffling sob fell from Dawn, who buried her face against Crystal's neck. "M-Me, too."

"I felt that way the first night without my wife," Bastion said, his voice deep, a startling contrast to the delicate ones that had spoken before him. "And then I thought, 'I can either let this break me, or I can let it make me stronger.' So I bucked up." His ear twitched as he turned his head to look out at the room of eyes staring at him. "Buck up, fillies and colts. Letters are going to be arriving from our soldiers, and they're going to need us to be strong after what they went through. What they're going through."

Nopony said anything at first. It was harsh, but it was true, and Crystal knew it. She straightened up in her seat and nodded. "Bastion is right. We will take today to mend, and tomorrow, we'll prepare ourselves to reply to our loved ones with the strength they need us to give them. That is our job now."

Pink magic wrapped around the envelope in front of Crystal and she retrieved its contents. Warmth filled her at the voucher sitting, almost miraculously, at the top. "And I know just what we should do. How about dinner in Ponyville? A little trip away from Canterlot, some fresh air, and some free food. I think that will do wonders."

"Ponyville?" Dawn's ears perked as she turned her head to look at the papers in Crystal's magic. "Oh, if we go, I should see my family while we're there..."

"You've got family in Ponyville?" Bonnie asked, smiling.

Dawn rubbed her eyes and pulled away from Crystal to sit up straight on her own, then nodded. "Mmhm. My family owns a farm just outside of town."

"A farm! How wonderful." Bonnie clapped her hooves together. "I think this Ponyville trip could be exactly what we all need."

There was just one more thing Crystal needed to do now that she had regained some semblance of calm: extend an olive branch. Slowly, she leaned forward and looked down the table at Au. "Golden, do you think you could help me organize this?"

"Would you stop calling me that?" Au snapped, glaring. "And what do you need my help for?"

Crystal smiled despite her urge to frown. "You have connections here in Canterlot that I don't have. I was hoping you could help us get into the more comfortable seats in first class. I understand if—"

"Oh, is that all?" Au gave her mane a dignified toss. "That's a simple task. Honestly, you can't manage that yourself?" That perfectly practiced smile flashed its way across her face. "Don't worry. I can take care of that."

Crystal just kept smiling. It was easier said than done, but she managed it. "Thank you, Au. Now, how many of you will be coming, by a show of hooves? I'd like to go tonight, unless anypony has any plans already."

A few hooves raised, followed by a couple more, and even more until every hoof was in the air save for two: Bastion and Toffee.

"Toffee?" Dawn asked, blinking at him.

"O-Oh, don't get me wrong!" Toffee quickly waved his hooves. "I'd love to! But I don't do trains well." He laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. "They just make me nervous. So, you all have fun. I'll be fine."

"Don't worry, brother," a stallion piped up, his wings flaring out. "I'm 'ere for you. I'll get you to Ponyville, no train needed."

Toffee's ears wiggled and his face lit up. "Oh, really? You don't mind?"

The stallion winked. "My honest pleasure. No pony left behind, an' all that." He looked over at Bastion, a crooked grin on his face. "Doubt I could carry the both of you, though."

Bastion snorted. "I'm not afraid of trains. I'm just not interested."

"Well, I'm afraid Mr..." Crystal glanced at the pegasus.

"Weather Front, ma'am."

"Mr. Front is right." Crystal smiled at Bastion, struggling to keep it from curling into a grin. "No pony left behind. It's a free dinner, Bastion." The grin finally won the battle and took over her expression. "Buck up and come along."

Though his ears flattened to the sides, Bastion didn't frown. Instead, he chuckled and shook his head. "Well played, filly."

"Then it's settled." Crystal nodded. "Au, if you'd please make arrangements with the train?"

Au rose from her seat and trotted to the door, her usual aura returned; her head was held high, her tail was perked, and her stride was long and graceful. "Yes, yes. You're lucky I decided to come... here." She paused at the doorway and lingered a moment. After a quick glance over her shoulder, she started forward again and disappeared from sight.

Dawn wasted no time in whispering, "So, um, you two know each other?"

Crystal snorted and nodded. "We've known each other since elementary school." The burst of amusement faded as her gaze slid over to the door, watching it slowly close. "And yet, I suppose, I know very little about her..."

"So," Bonnie started, clearing her throat to draw their attention, "where are we having dinner? I've been to a few good restaurants in Ponyville."

"Right! Yes." Crystal's magic picked her stack of papers back up. "Everypony, please make sure to bring your voucher for Haut-Savoir, though if you lose yours on the way, I'm sure the owners will trust that you're with us." She smiled. "More than sure, in fact."

Just Wait and See

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Crystal had never seen or experienced anything like it.

Instead of the usual benches, their private train car was lined with plush reclining chairs... that gave massages. They weren't anywhere near as relaxing as a true massage, but even she had to admit it was nice. Every ten or so minutes, an attendant would come in to refresh their drinks and take snack orders.

It was luxury. Pure, unnecessary luxury. This was the life Au lived, and Crystal had to admit—it was nice to be pampered.

"I feel like a celebrity," Dawn said with a soft laugh as she enjoyed the massaging feature of her recliner. "I wonder if this is how Miss Au feels every day?"

Crystal's ear flicked and she turned her head to look over at the mare in question, who had taken up residence in the car as far away from her as possible. "I wonder." She pushed herself up out of the recliner and trotted down the aisle toward Au. "How are you doing?"

Au glanced at her, the fire gone again from her sapphire blue eyes. "What do you want?"

"To talk." Crystal slipped into the recliner next to her. "There were some words exchanged earlier that I don't think should be simply brushed aside."

Au frowned and her ears folded back. "I don't think there is anything for the two of us to talk about."

Crystal arched one brow. "Really? How about the part where you said I took everything from you? Or how you think I live a gilded life?"

"Oh, and I suppose this is the moment where you explain the hardships you've suffered, I pity you, you pity me, and"—her voice raised mockingly high as she clasped her hooves together—"we become just the bestest of friends?" She scoffed and waved a dismissive hoof. "Don't kid yourself."

Crystal felt her hackles raising, but swallowed the urge to fight and just leaned back. "I don't think we could ever be that. But I do believe you need a friend. If not me, then I recommend you drop the ostentatious facade and get to know the ponies here." She rolled her head to the side to stare at Au. "We are all suffering."

The fire within Au's eyes surged as she sat up straight and made a wide gesture at the train car full of ponies. "Oh, yes, they do seem to be suffering quite a bit! Suffering so much that I don't see a single tear! Suffering so much that I can hear them chatting and laughing back there!"

Everypony went silent and all eyes turned on Au as she shuddered, her breathing ragged. Crystal just sat there quietly and waited until the breaths heaved with a sob, and at that point, she stood up, moved closer, and wrapped her forelegs around Au's shoulders.

"I'm sorry," Crystal whispered into the golden mane that smelled heavily of mare care products. "I'm sorry that you feel alone, but you aren't. We're all smiling over our pain. It's the only way we can get through the day."

Au struggled at first, but Crystal didn't loosen her grip in the least. She tried to just sit there until the trembling and sniffling overtook her and she buried her face against the side of Crystal's neck.

"I just don't understand," Au managed in a weak, cracking voice. "Why can't I smile over my pain? How do you do it?"

Crystal gently patted her on the back. "Because, I think, you've been trying to do that for so many years that it doesn't work anymore."

Nothing more was said; there was nothing more to say. Crystal simply held Au while the mare cried, and she pondered a sudden realization: why did she keep being the pony that held other ponies? At the very least, she knew she could go to Horsey for comfort. Her ears perked and she bit her lower lip.

"By the way, Au, there is something you should be aware of."

Au quickly pulled back, a guarded look taking hold of her tear-stained face. "What?"

Crystal tried to smile. "The restaurant we're going to is owned by Savoir and his wife, Horsey. High Horse."

At the name, Au stiffened and her guard fell, leaving her expression open. Open and afraid. "What?" She shook her head. "She owns a restaurant? In Ponyville? But—how?"

"That's a long story that you can ask her about yourself. But—" Crystal's eyes narrowed slightly, just enough to make a point. "—if you so much as say one pompous word to her, I will ensure that you suffer for it. Miss Au is not welcome in this group. Golden, however, is."

Au's mouth opened, but no sound came out. She blinked a few times, furrowed her brow, then finally huffed. "Fine, I'll play nice. But only because High Horse was kind enough to donate free meals to the group. I certainly won't bite the hoof that feeds." After a pause, a light blush filled her cheeks when she glanced down to see Crystal's forelegs still draped over her shoulders. "And you can let go of me!"

Crystal couldn't help a soft laugh as she released Au from the oh-so-awful hug. "All right. I'll leave you be, Golden."

"Don't ca—" Au sucked in a breath, then released it in a sigh through clenched teeth. "Thank you."

Returning to her own seat, Crystal wasted no time in flipping the little switch that activated the massaging feature of the recliner. She blew her bangs out of her eyes and sighed.

"So, um," Dawn whispered, leaning in toward her, "how exactly do you two... know each other, again?"

Bonnie turned around in her seat to peer over the back, ears perked with interest. Verd leaned around his seat, the same curious expression on his face.

Crystal glanced between them, then looked around to see all the nearby eyes on her. Finally, she laughed softly, waving a hoof. "Oh, you bunch of gossiping ninnies!" She laughed again. "There isn't too much to tell. Golden and I were classmates, and we didn't get along." Her smile faltered as she looked at Golden, who was making a clear and obvious effort to not get caught eavesdropping. "But we were fillies then. We're adults now, and we can move past foalhood squabbles, I'm certain of it."

"That explains a lot," Dawn said. "Sort of. Kind of. Why does she hate you so much?"

Crystal's ears flattened to the sides and she shook her head. "I don't entirely know for certain, but I have an inkling as to why." She lowered her voice, trying not to grin when she saw Golden lean toward them just slightly. "I believe she's just a very, very lonely mare."

Dawn tapped her hooves together. "That's awfully sad. I would think a mare as popular as her would have lots of friends." Her chest puffed as she took a deep breath in and clapped one hoof against the other. "That's that, then! We should make Miss A—Golden feel as welcome as possible. Nopony should be lonely at a time like this!"

With a smile, Crystal watched the other ponies in the group get up and migrate over to Golden's corner of the train car, reintroducing themselves and showering her with a barrage of questions and reassurances. A famous model should have been accustomed to such attention—from fans and paparazzi alike—but she seemed utterly overwhelmed. Her guard was still down, and Crystal was certain that was a good thing. Perhaps even a great thing.

Crystal looked down at her satchel while her magic retrieved her notebook and pen. Train rides and ink pots rarely got along, so she would just have to make do with an easier writing utensil for travel. There was still time to fill, and she had no luxury of time. The pressure of publishing The Desert Rose on a serial schedule weighed on her, but she would be fine. For Velvet's sake.

Fatinah dug her hooves into the sand and leaned forward to peer over the top of the dune. "Are you quite all right?"

The stallion sprawled in a disheveled mess grunted and lifted his head to look at her. When their eyes met, however, the annoyance in his sharp features softened into a look she recognized: attraction. And that only meant one thing...

She was in trouble.

♡

No time was wasted in getting from the train station to Haut-Savoir. Savoir must have spotted the large crowd of ponies heading toward his restaurant, because he was quick to greet them himself.

"Bonjour, mademoiselles et monsieurs. Welcome to—" His eyes landed on Crystal and, with a surprised chuffle, he strode toward her. "Crystal! You—" His ears folded back as his gaze darted about and his voice lowered to a somber tone. "Are these... friends of yours?"

Crystal leaned in and kissed his cheek. "We're here for the military special, Savoir."

"Mais non, cherie," Savoir said in a breathless voice. "He didn't."

"Is it really a surprise?" Crystal gave her best smile, which faltered when Savoir took her hoof and squeezed it. "I'm not the only one, Sav. We're all here for the same reason. Thank you, by the way, for the generous vouchers."

Savoir shook his head. "Absolument. Horsey and I would have it no other way." He cleared his throat and addressed them all, "S'il vous plaît, tout le poney, come inside."

As they followed him inside, the stallion began to order around his staff in rapid Prench. Two waiters scurried over to push some of the tables together to make one long seating arrangement, then diligently seated each pony at the group.

"I will go get Horsey," Savoir said to Crystal, smiling. "She will be so pleased to see you." With a bow of his head, he made his way over to the door hiding the stairs that led to the living space above.

A waiter nearby cleared his throat. "And what to drink for you, mademoiselle?"

Crystal blinked, shifting her attention to the stallion. "Oh. Perhaps I'll indulge in some wine tonight! Surprise me with a nice white wine, please."

The waiter nodded, made a note in his pad, and trotted off to the kitchen. Crystal leaned forward to glance up and down the table at all the faces, then smiled. This was a good idea. The relaxing environment of Ponyville coupled with the familiar comforts of Canterlot in Haut-Savoir's decor kept everypony at ease. Even Golden and Bastion were engaged in conversations with the ponies near them.

Just as she started to look over her menu, she heard a familiar, wonderful voice carry across the room. "Crystal! Crystal Wishes!"

Crystal could hardly make it to her hooves before she was enveloped in a tight hug. "Hi, Horsey," she managed through laughter.

"I'm so, so happy to see you!" Horsey nuzzled their cheeks together. "When I heard the news, I knew..." She trailed off, pulling back to look her in the eyes, the joyous glimmer quickly falling into empathic sadness. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. I'm fine." Crystal rested her forehead against Horsey's and, for just a moment, allowed herself to enjoy the warmth of Horsey's embrace. Being held, being comforted, being looked at with pity—it was sickeningly nice. She almost hated herself for wishing she could just stay like that and let Horsey take care of her until Silent came home. "I'm fine," she repeated, pushing on Horsey's shoulders to break the hug. "There's somepony here that you should say hello to."

Horsey hesitated. Her instinct to nurture and to care for others was almost palpable. Finally, she relented with a smile. "Oh, who is that?"

Crystal turned and gestured at the golden mare who was doing everything she could to go unnoticed, even levitating a menu in front of her face. "Golden Pants."

Horsey's expression went through a rapid series of different emotions. Surprise—excitement—confusion—pity. "Golden?" She trotted around the table over toward her. "Golden, I'm both so happy and so sorry to see you."

Golden glanced up from the menu, lips pursed. "And why would you be sorry, hmm?"

"Why?" Horsey blinked. "Because if you're here, then that means... well..."

"Out with it. That means I need your pity? Your condolences?" She snubbed her nose and returned to looking over the dinner options. "Spare me, I know you don't mean it."

One of Horsey's hooves raised to her chest, her eyes widening slightly. "N-No! I don't think you need any of those, of course not! I'm just, well, I'm just sorry that you have to go through this." She looked at all the other ponies at the table. "I'm so sorry that any of you have to go through this, but at least you all have each other. I hope nopony is alone during an awful time like this." Her gaze, gentle and compassionate, returned to Golden as she finished in a soft voice, "If you think I hate you over something that happened so many years ago... then I'm even more sorry."

Golden said nothing further, but her ears did fold back as Horsey walked away from her.

"Please, get whatever you'd like," Horsey said, addressing them all with a smile. "It's absolutely on the house. Thank you all for your service."

There it was again. Crystal flinched as she tried to keep an even expression. For some reason, she normally loathed those words, but from Horsey, they seemed so sincere. If she was saying them, then perhaps there was an earnest reason for it.

♡

After dinner—and, of course, dessert—they split into two groups: those who would go with Dawn to her family's farm, and those who were going straight to a hotel to turn in for the night. There was only one exemption to the groups, and that was Crystal, who stayed behind to catch up with Horsey.

"I'm really glad you joined a support group," Horsey said, her gaze on little Claire as the foal wiggled around her play space in their living room. "That's such a wonderful idea."

Crystal bobbed her head idly. She wanted a foal, too. She wanted a quaint little house with a white picket fence, her husband and a bunch of foals making the house a home. Horsey had Savoir and Claire, and Crystal just knew that one foal wouldn't be enough for them. They'd likely have five or six soon enough.

"They seem like such nice ponies, too." Horsey smiled, then giggled. "Well, most of them. The big earth pony seemed a little bit... scary."

"Oh, don't let him fool you. He is scary." Crystal giggled along with her.

Horsey glanced around almost conspiratorially, scooting across the couch to sit closer. "So, um, what happened to Golden? Does she have a husband who's in the war, or?"

"It's—"

"—my father," Golden cut in, her head appearing over the stair's railing. "My father volunteered for the war as soon as it was announced."

Horsey's ears shot up and she even squeaked like a little mouse. "Golden! I-I—" She paused, smiled, and patted the empty spot on the couch. "Won't you join us, please?"

Golden didn't move from the landing, instead looking down at Claire. "Is this... your foal?"

Claire gurgled and drooled on herself in an attempt to chew on the floor.

"Yes." Horsey smiled fondly at her daughter. "My pride and joy, Claire de Lune."

"I see. Motherhood fits you." Golden continued to remain where she was, looking around the humble space. So many pictures lined the walls, all telling the story of a life well-lived once Horsey had moved to Ponyville. "Your husband said I could come up here if I wanted."

"And he was right. So why don't you sit and join us?" Horsey's magic lit up and she picked up Claire, gently levitating her closer so she could take the foal in her embrace and hold her close. "We're just chatting a little before I put this little princess down for the night."

One step at a time, almost as if she were afraid of the offer being rescinded, Golden walked closer. She stopped just a few paces away from the couch and peered at Horsey with a strange wariness in her face and voice. "You want to just accept me onto your couch, as though we're old friends?"

Horsey smiled and replied simply, "Aren't we?"

"No! How could we be?" Golden's gaze fell to the floor. "I... You left me... How could we be friends after that?"

"Oh, I didn't say we were." Horsey giggled as she gently rocked Claire, lulling the foal to sleep. "I said we were old friends... We were friends before then, weren't we?"

Golden didn't respond. With a small sigh, she walked the rest of the way over and dropped down onto the couch.

What an odd trio they were—a broken model, a selfless mother, and... Where did Crystal fit in? What was her prominent role in life? Her nose scrunched up in thought.

Horsey continued before Crystal could mull things over too long, "So much time has passed since we were kids, Golden. Do you really want to hold onto those moments at a time like this?"

Softly, Golden mumbled, "Not... particularly, no. But I don't know how to just forget everything. You left me."

"And you made me hate myself." Despite the words, Horsey's voice held no contempt whatsoever. "I think that makes us even."

"I—" Golden's voice was cut off when she snapped her mouth shut. She breathed in and out a few times, then sat up straight and looked directly at Horsey. "I'm sorry."

Horsey giggled and rose from the couch, shifting Claire to hold her with one foreleg. "I already forgave you a long time ago. Now, if you'll excuse me, somepony's almost late for their bedtime."

An awkward silence fell on Crystal and Golden once Horsey left the room. Crystal was still puzzling over who she was, and Golden—who could tell with her? She was so tightly wound with nigh countless layers of grudges.

Oh, what did any of that matter? Crystal turned her head to look out the nearby window at the night sky outside. Stars twinkled and danced, calling for her. She had something more important to do.

"Excuse me," she said, standing up and going over to the window to open it. A cold breeze drifted in and brought with it the crisp scents of the countryside. It smelled nothing like Canterlot. Ponyville was just so open and free. A pony could really get lost in the comforts of the open space...

Silent Knight was out there. He just had to be. What would she do without him? She looked up at the stars and did her best to focus all of her thoughts on him. All of her wishes, all of her hopes, all of her dreams... all of that and more had to travel across the sea with the aid of the stars above. He needed her love now more than ever.

Crystal was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of a sniffle. She looked over to see Golden with her head bowed and her mane hiding her face, but she couldn't stop the telltale trembling of her shoulders.

"Golden?"

"I just... I don't understand," Golden muttered. "I don't understand how you can just be... okay after what happened. With what's happening. Aren't you terrified? What's wrong with you?"

Crystal heaved a sigh and returned her gaze outside. "Come here."

"What?" Skepticism was clear in her voice.

"I don't believe my words were vague or unclear." Crystal's tail flicked. "I said, come here."

After a moment's hesitation, hoofsteps drew near until Golden was at her side. "What?"

"Do you see all these stars?"

"Uh, yeah?" Golden glanced between her and the sky. "What about them?"

Crystal smiled as she breathed in the fresh air. "Every night, I fill them with my love for Silent. My husband. And until I hear otherwise, I assume he's on the other side receiving that love."

"But—" Golden frowned at her. "But I don't understand. How can that bring you any sense of peace? What if he's dead and you're wasting your time?"

"Because if I didn't have these stars to hold on to, I'd fall apart." She inclined her head to look at Golden without turning it to face her completely. "You're so far from alone it's almost laughable, Golden. The soldiers in the Army are there. Thousands and thousands of Guards are there. Ponies like your father are there. Do you really think nopony can understand how you feel?"

Golden clenched her jaw to bite back a retort. She jerked her head to the side, glaring at something down below them. Quietly, she hissed, "I just... hate that it's you, of all ponies, that I have to hear this from."

Crystal almost laughed. She bumped her shoulder to Golden's before leaning against the windowsill and closing her eyes. "Well, get used to it, because now that I know you need help, I'm not leaving you alone."

"That makes you sound like a stalker, you know." Golden huffed and dropped her head down to rest it on the windowsill. "But..." There was a pause. A long pause.

Crystal was more than content to wait. She had stars to focus on, anyway.

"... Thank you." Golden's ears flattened against her mane. "For not throwing me out of the group after how I yelled at you."

Crystal reached over and put a hoof on hers. "You're welcome."

"Do you... really think they're okay? Your husband and my father?" Golden sighed, looking up at the sky. "Do you think we'll hear from them soon?"

"We'll hear from them," Crystal said, squeezing Golden's hoof. "They've already written to us. We just have to wait for the letters to arrive."

Golden's gaze remained fixed on the stars above, tears welling up in her eyes and falling down her cheeks. "I hope you're right."

In a voice more like a whimper, Crystal mumbled softly, "Me, too."

Troubles Always Seem to Scatter

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"Thank you so much for breakfast," Crystal said, smiling down the long farmhouse table at the mare and stallion sitting at the head of it. "It's really generous of you to feed such a large group on such short notice."

Dawn's mother, Sunrise Surprise, waved a hoof and giggled. "Think nothin' of it, sug!" Almost all of her was a perfect sunrise—an orange coat to match the setting sun, its final golden rays turned into luscious curls—and a single pink swirl served as a cute surprise.

To her right was her husband and Dawn's father, Hawthorne. He chuckled as he brushed a few muffin crumbs out of his white coat, his shaggy green mane nearly obscuring his deep red eyes. "We've got the means. Most we can offer to the cause is a meal to y'all. Well, save for sendin' Acreage off to volunteer."

A choking cough signaled which of the children was Acreage. "Dad! I'd do no good in war. I'm a farmer, not a fighter."

Laughter went around the table, and Crystal's gaze followed it. Smiling faces sat at each chair, some belonging to Dawn's family and the rest her support group. A whole spread of farm-fresh goods lay before them: pancakes, muffins, toast, porridge, biscuits, gravy, and jam of every kind from plum to honeysuckle.

It was a beautiful breakfast, and their hosts were unspeakably gracious. Honestly, Crystal couldn't understand why Dawn would ever willingly leave for a place like Canterlot. She would trade the splendor of high society for the simple but wonderful comforts of this farm and its keepers any day of the week.

"So, Dawny, you said there were some sorta vouchers for military support groups?" Sunrise waggled her butter knife in her daughter's direction. "We didn't hear nothin' 'bout this."

Dawn's ears flattened to the side. "O-Oh, I—"

One of her older sisters tossed her head back, laughing with a careless snort. "Mom! We ain't a business. Don't be silly."

"Don't call your mother silly, Barley," Hawthorne muttered, his lips hardly moving beneath his beard.

With a smile, Dawn shook her head. "Yes, but—"

"Besides, we still got goods," the older stallion continued, gesturing at the table of food that all ponies there freely enjoyed. "We can share."

Dawn opened her mouth, but before she could even speak this time, one of her other sisters chimed in. This one seemed to be the youngest of the bunch, with Dawn just ahead of her in age. "I'm sure Dawn didn't mean any harm by it, Papa."

"Could y'all stop interruptin' me?!"

The room fell silent and all eyes turned on sweet little Dawn, an unfamiliar scowl on her lips. Everypony else from the support group—Crystal most certainly included—gawked in disbelief at how a rough country accent had completely overtaken her normally soft and gentle voice.

Sunrise Surprise giggled with unadulterated glee, clapping her hooves. "There she is! There's my little buttercup! I thought Canterlot had taken her away, but now I can recognize her again."

Dawn huffed and ran a hoof along one of her twin braids, her brow furrowed and lips pursed. "Ponies don't talk like we do in Canterlot, Ma! I've gotta fit in, okay?" She glanced down the row of faces staring at her, then sighed. "An' now y'all ruined my friends' impression of me..."

"Ruined!" Bonnie Vivant took a swig of orange juice and set her mug down with a forceful thud. "Little filly, you just became three times cuter! But that aside, let me have your parents' attention for a moment." Her eyes narrowed just slightly with coy intrigue. "I would love to write a review of this establishment. It's a little out of the ordinary, since it's not a restaurant, but these pancakes are easily the best I've ever had."

Hawthorne chortled and drummed his hooves against his stomach. "Mighty kind of you, but nah. Helpin' ponies like y'all is one thing, but we ain't got interest in bein' a tourist trap for Canterlot folk."

Bonnie hummed, then gave a wave of her hoof and winked. "I understand. I'm disappointed, but I'll get over it. Somepony pass me another pancake to soothe my broken heart!"

Laughter lightened the mood once more. At Crystal's side, she heard Toffee whispering to Dawn, "Don't worry, I don't think anypony will think less of you because of an accent..."

Crystal smiled and gently interjected, "Toffee's absolutely right. I'm really impressed, though. I had no idea you had an accent at all!"

A light red flush overtook the pale blue of Dawn's cheeks, and her soft-spoken voice returned. "Normally, it's easy to hide, but then that happens..." She sighed. "I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for my family. Somethin' about being around them just brings it out in me."

"Aww, you know ya love us," Dawn's youngest sister said, nudging her in the side. "I mean, at least you did before y'up and abandoned us all. No hard feelin's, though!"

"Ellie..." Dawn shot her a light glare, but it was softened by a giggle as she pulled her sister in for a hug.

Toffee quietly cleared his throat. "A-As much fun as I'm having, I should really get back to my bakery." He glanced a few seats down at Weather Front. "Whenever you're ready, of course!"

Weather shoved a biscuit in his mouth and responded with a muffled, "Mmhm!" He pumped his hoof into the air for extra measure before scooting his chair back. He gave what could only be assumed as his gratitude said around the mouthful of food to Sunrise and Hawthorne before he gestured for Toffee to follow him outside.

The room fell back into a casual lull of conversation between bites of food. Crystal took the time to observe; pony watching was good for her writing, or so she believed. Committing to memory the various different ways in which ponies moved and talked was a useful pastime.

Bonnie savored every bite she took, sometimes even closing her eyes to focus on the taste of something. Bastion, on the other hoof, ate everything in one bite and so quickly that Crystal had to wonder if he could tell what flavor of jam he used. At his side was his polar opposite: Golden, with her dainty little knife and fork to ensure each bite was perfectly portioned for a lady.

Personalities, mannerisms, habits—all of these things fascinated Crystal. There was no end to them. It did make her wonder about her own characters, too. Fatinah likely ate each meal with a voracious appetite that contrasted with her bliss at savoring the flavors. She loved food, and with how she roamed the Saddle Arabian desert, she needed the sustenance to keep up with what the sun and the sand took from her.

Before she knew it, breakfast started to wind down. Plates were pushed away and ponies leaned back into their seats with full stomachs and happy smiles.

"There's still an hour before the train arrives," Crystal said, slowly rising to her hooves. "Would anypony like to do a little shopping in town with me?"

"That sounds like fun," Dawn said, glancing at her parents. "I'll go with them."

Sunrise put a hoof to her cheek and sighed. "And now she's leavin' us again, right after we finally found her..."

Dawn puffed out her cheeks. "Mom!"

"I wouldn't mind a little shopping, either," Bonnie cut in. "I want to find a little souvenir or something to remember this trip."

That idea seemed to stir the others into action, and once gratitude had been given to their hosts, the group started their way down the dirt road that led back to town. Crystal reveled in the scent of sun-baked wheat and the feeling of fresh air against her coat. She more than understood why Horsey moved to Ponyville. The town, despite being so small compared to Canterlot, was brimming with an unfiltered, pure essence of life.

"I'm sorry for my family," Dawn muttered, her ears flat to the sides. "They can be a little—"

"There's nothing to apologize for." Crystal giggled. "You have a wonderful, loving family. You shouldn't apologize for that at all!"

Dawn sighed, but flashed a smile and rolled her shoulders in a shrug. "I guess nopony appreciates what they have. They're my family, so I just think they're embarrassing. But... I love them anyway."

Crystal's gaze faltered as it fell to the ground beneath their hooves, then quickly looked back up to the town ahead of them. "I suppose you're right."

Nopony appreciated what they had; she certainly was no exception to that, was she? She had a father who had done his best to support her all her years, and she had repaid him by lashing out at the worst time. When she got back to Canterlot, she would have to go apologize. It was the very least she could do.

"It's such a shame," Bonnie commented from her spot a few paces ahead of them. "I almost don't want to go back home." Her tone dropped into a melancholy depth. "I feel like the war can't reach me if we stay here."

Crystal hurried into a trot and nudged her shoulder against Bonnie's. "Don't think of it that way. Just—"

A distant, incoherent yell tore through the air, and everypony came to a halt. Heads jerked in each direction, trying to find where the sound had come from, until one of them shrieked, "What is that?!"

All eyes followed the direction of a pointed hoof to see several figures in the sky. Crystal squinted, as did a few others. All that she could discern was that whatever they were, they were heading straight for them.

"Is it a flock of birds?" Passionfruit tilted her head to the side.

"No." Bastion snorted. "It's a bunch of personal airships. Just some rich ponies' kids out for a joy ride."

Dawn gave a startled gasp and exclaimed, "No! Look! It's Toffee!"

Crystal looked at Dawn. "What? Are you certain?"

"Yes!" Dawn nodded. "Absolutely! It's Toffee, Weather Front, and, um—"

The yell echoed over them again as the figures grew nearer, and this time Toffee's voice could be heard clearly from where he clung to Weather Front's back for dear life while the pegasus flew as fast as he could.

"The couriers are here!"

Everypony on the ground responded with various exclamations, ranging from whoops of joy to cries of relief. Crystal just stood there, terror seizing her heart. The couriers. Her gaze darted between the figures that were starting to have distinct features the closer they got. A stallion, a green mare, a purple mare, another stallion, and—

A familiar white-coated mare with a short-cropped blue mane.

Tears pooled in Crystal's eyes, but she tried not to get too worked up just yet. Snowy wasn't her special, personal courier. She would have letters for other ponies. She might only have letters for other ponies.

Weather Front landed first, followed by the other pegasi. There was a pause as the thought that plagued Crystal's mind seemed to overcome them all and, for a moment, it was as if time had frozen. The couriers sensed the apprehension, leaving everypony afraid for the process of letter distribution to start.

None of them wanted to be without, and yet... none of them could wait any longer, either.

The green-coated mare cleared her throat. "Well, we're here! We've been looking for you all. Warrant Officer Radiant Orchid told us that we could find you here in Ponyville, and thank Celestia we ran into these two on the way. Especially Toffee, since..." She reached into her satchel and pulled out three envelopes. "I've got a letter for him, as well as Passionfruit and Bastion."

Toffee nearly fell off Weather Front's back in his scramble to get to the courier. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" His cheeks were already wet with tears.

Passionfruit was quick to get her letter after him, and Bastion just stood where he was. His expression was completely void of emotion, but Crystal knew he had to be feeling something. There was no way he couldn't.

"Here you are, sir," the courier said, holding the envelope toward him and giving it a small shake.

"I heard you. I see it." He didn't move for a moment longer, then reached out a trembling hoof to take it from her. "Thanks."

Crystal's heart pounded as she tried not to look at Snowy. She didn't want to see her face. She didn't want to know until it was her turn to either hear her name, or fall apart.

The air was thick with tension as the next courier stepped forward. "I have letters for Weather Front, Dawn Walker, and Au."

Weather surprised a squeak out of the stallion when he picked him up, enveloping him with both his forelegs and his wings, squeezing him tight. "Just what I wanted to hear!" He set him down and took the envelope, trotting to the edge of the group to read it with some semblance of privacy.

Golden's magic snatched the envelope and she tore it open right then and there. Her chin trembled as she breathed, "Thank Celestia..."

A sigh of relief escaped Dawn as she clutched her own to her chest. "You can say that again. I'm so happy he's all right. Your father and my—"

"What about me?" a weak voice interrupted and fell into a soft sob when the courier gave a reluctant shake of his head.

It was awful, but Crystal couldn't muster the empathy right then. She was too consumed with waiting. Waiting for her turn. Waiting to know her husband's fate.

The process continued with some names called—to much joy—and other names skipped—to much despair, until Snowy stepped up to deliver the last set of letters. Crystal felt her heart start to race and a cold sweat overtook her when Snowy's lips parted. She didn't even hear the other names listed. Her mind was flooded with dizzying elation when she heard the only one that mattered to her.

"—and Crystal Wishes."

He had written her a letter. He had survived the Harmony. He was okay. He was alive.

As she tried to step forward, she discovered that her whole body was trembling. She instead remained where she was and took the letter offered to her with magic, bringing the wonderful piece of paper closer. It was such a delicate thing that could be lost to a splash of water or a pair of scissors, and yet it was, at that moment, the most important thing in her world.

Crystal

I do not have long to spend on this missive and I apologize for it. It is a miracle that the messengers are even getting these out now. I will not lie to you with flowery words and half-truths. It is your right to know the truth.

By now I cannot imagine you haven't heard about the Harmony. I survived it. Since that time we have been in fighting retreat. The Sudramoar army harasses us endlessly and I fear there are far more casualties to be reported soon. I will keep my promise though. I will return safe regardless of the cost.

You may worry for me but do not let it consume you. There is no future in that. Hope that this ends soon and that I will be home in your hooves. Until then know that I fight for you and those we've lost. Know that I struggle against aggression. Believe that I will overcome it.

Silent

"No."

Crystal glanced over to see Bonnie, tears falling down the older mare’s cheeks.

"No, you're mistaken." She stepped toward one of the couriers. "Check your bag again. You have to have one for me."

The stallion's ears folded back and he said with a weak attempt at a reassuring smile, "There are still letters coming in, Miss Vivant. It could just be delayed. Don't lose hope."

Crystal closed her eyes and took a deep breath in, pushing out the sounds of Bonnie breaking down into tears for a moment. She'd had her fill of selfish moments. She relished in Horsey's embrace, she ignored the suffering of her friends while waiting for her letter, and she had gotten one when others did not.

It was time to be the pony in charge again. Her vacation was over.

"Bonnie." Crystal stepped toward the mare, watching her slowly wilt and crumple to the ground. Carefully, she reached down and put a hoof on her cheek to force their gazes to meet. "Bonnie, look at me. It's going to be all right. You're not alone."

The only response she received was an incoherent series of whimpers and whines.

Crystal moved the hoof to wrap it around Bonnie's neck and pulled her in for a hug. "It's all right. I'm here for you. We're all here for you." She ran a hoof along her back in a circular motion as the mare started to sob. "Shh... It's all right."

Over Bonnie's shoulder, Crystal saw all the different expressions. Relief. Joy. Fear. Sorrow. Guilt. What was she supposed to do? She wasn’t prepared for this. Holding one another had worked during the news of the Harmony, but this was different. She needed to say something, she just didn't know what that was.

"Ladies and gentlestallions," Crystal began as she pulled away from Bonnie and stood tall under the weight of so many varying gazes on her, "this was unexpected... and yet, at the same time, it wasn't, was it? We all knew that the letters were going to arrive soon, and we all knew that not all of us would get one. We came here to Ponyville to try to not think about that awful reality looming over us. But we can't simply hide from the war forever.

"It's back, and it doesn't care for whom it hurts. Remember the reprieve we enjoyed, but also remember that our loved ones have had no such luxury. If you received a letter, then it is your duty now to support those that didn't." Crystal reached down and took Bonnie's hoof in her own. "Who is Bonnie's care companion?"

Weather Front cleared his throat. "That'd be me, ma'am."

Crystal nodded and squeezed Bonnie's hoof. "Then I entrust her to you. Ponies, pair up with your care companion. If one of you is without a letter, then I expect—I demand that you stick together. If, for some reason, you can't stand beside your companion due to work or family or otherwise, then find somepony in the group to take your place." Her ear flicked and she added, "Golden, for now, you'll be my care companion alongside Bastion."

Hooves shuffled and soft words were exchanged as they all moved into groups of two. Tears were wiped away, hugs were given, and, then, all eyes returned to her. Expectant eyes. Waiting eyes. Eyes that reflected the uncertainty and need for guidance she herself felt.

Bastion, who stood at her side, nudged her. "What now, oh great leader? Hmm?"

Careful to keep the surge of annoyance at him from bleeding into her voice, Crystal shook her head and said, "What else? We go to the train station. We wait for our train. We go home, we ensure nopony is alone, and we keep moving forward. That's all we can do."

A melancholy gloom surrounded them as, some in pairs and some in groups of three, they continued on their way. One hoof in front of the other, step by step, they kept going. While Silent fought to keep his ponies safe, Crystal would try her hardest to do the same for hers. That was all she could do.

Break the Frozen Heart

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The low hum of the train's wheels clicking against the tracks filled the air as they were gently rocked from side to side, not a word spoken since they had left the station. Massage chairs were no comfort for any of them, with or without letters. It was hard to relax or rejoice when there was somepony nearby in pain.

Crystal stared at the ceiling, a cold feeling crawling along her spine. Had it been a mistake to drag the group to Ponyville on a whim? Had the distraction been worth this awful ride home? Would similar excursions be tainted by the memory of this moment?

"It's too quiet," Bonnie said, her voice raspy from crying. She let out a shaky sigh and tapped her hooves together. "Somepony talk. Tell me about your letters."

Crystal turned in her seat and opened her mouth to speak, but Weather Front—who was sitting beside Bonnie and holding her hoof in quiet comfort—spoke first. "You sure 'bout that? Why don't we pick something else to talk about?"

Bonnie nodded, the only thing about her weak demeanor that seemed certain. "Yes. I want to hear something wonderful." She inclined her head to smile up at him. "You heard from your brother, didn't you?"

Weather's wings fluffed with a surge of pride, but he quickly shook them out to temper their spirit. "Yeah. He wasn't able to write much with all that's goin' on, but enough that I know he's all right." A chuckle escaped him. "He signed off with, 'I'll keep keeping you safe, as always.'"

"Tell me about him." Bonnie shifted in her seat to face him. "Please."

Crystal, along with everypony else that was seated nearby, quietly listened as Weather struggled through his understandable hesitation.

"If you're sure, Bon..." He took a breath in and relaxed into a lopsided grin. "Well, I wasn't always the big stud sittin' here with you, you know? I was a bit bullied as a colt. Storm was always there to jump in and protect me, though. Now he's out there protectin' everypony, and I couldn't be more proud of him." His wings drooped just slightly. "Right now, I can't help but feel like I should be there with him, not in the factory... I know I—I am helping out, too, but he... he—"

Bonnie reached out to put her hoof on his cheek, a soft smile on her face. "Shh, no, don't think like that." She pulled her hoof back as her chin started to tremble. "I... I'm sure that's not what he wants. That's not what my brother wanted."

Weather winced and shook his head. "Bon, maybe we should talk about something else."

"No. No, I don't want to sit here in silence." She clenched her eyes shut and sucked in a sharp breath. "With everypony so quiet, all I can do is think about how he shouldn't have been there. He just wanted to help ponies. He was just a doctor. Just a civilian. He should have stayed here, he—" She shook her head, wringing her hooves, and snapped her eyes back open. Her gaze locked on Dawn's. "You got a letter, didn't you, sweetie?"

Dawn chewed on her lower lip and looked to Crystal for guidance. What was she supposed to say? 'Give her what she wants, even if none of us think it's what she really wants?' With a weak attempt at an encouraging smile, Crystal nodded and Dawn returned her focus to Bonnie.

"I did." Dawn's ears wiggled as she squirmed in her seat. "He wasn't able to write much, either, like Weather's brother. Just that he's okay and that he—he misses me."

Bonnie gave a quiet, soft laugh. "Oh, how nice it must be to be young and in love..."

"Love!" Dawn squeaked, her face turning a bright shade of red. "I-I-I don't know if it's love! We've only really dated for... not even three months before he left. I—"

A strangled laugh came from somewhere in the train car. Crystal's ears flicked in the sound's direction, guiding her to its source: Golden. The mare had a hoof clasped over her mouth, but it had been just a moment too late.

Dawn looked over at her as well, ears flat against her mane. "Is something funny, Miss Au?"

"Oh, no, please, carry on," Golden said with a small wave of her hoof. "I'm sure the deep bond between Bonnie and her brother is entirely relatable to you and your stallion of three months."

"I'm sorry." Dawn slid out of her seat and walked down the aisle. At her approach, Golden straightened up, but Dawn didn't back down, instead getting up close and personal. "I'm sorry, but you sound like you have something you want to say, Miss Au. Why don't you say it?"

Golden glanced around as if to seek help from others, but none was offered. She huffed lightly, returning her gaze to Dawn, then rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll say it. We're all thinking it, anyway, I'm certain. Why are you wasting our time here? He's just a coltfriend. You can get another one of those. I can't get another father. Bonnie can't get another brother. You don't belong h—"

The loud, distinct sound of a hoof making contact silenced Golden as Dawn slapped her across the face. A chorus of gasps followed, Crystal and others staring in shock as Dawn kept her hoof raised, as if to threaten a second blow.

"How dare you!" Dawn practically spat. "Just because I've only been dating him a few months, that means I don't care about him?! That I should just break up with him and move on?! Maybe that's the kind of life you lead, Au, but it's not mine!" Her tail flicked in agitation. "We're all here to support one another, so if that's not what you're here to do, then maybe you're the one that doesn't belong!"

Golden's mouth flapped open and closed a few times. She started to reply, but the words she attempted to say came out instead as unintelligible blubbering. Finally, she rose from her seat and trotted at a brisk pace to the nearest exit. Quiet murmuring filled the air once Golden disappeared through the door to the next train car.

"Settle down, everypony," Crystal called, walking over to where Dawn still stood. "We're all just a little tense right now."

Dawn turned her head to look at Crystal. Tears were falling down her cheeks, but she didn't tremble or stammer. "I'm not going to apologize. We have too much negative energy with the war for her to keep bringing more. We're here to help each other, but we can't let her repay that with her rude comments and sour attitude!"

Crystal hesitated. She looked at the door Golden had left through, back at Dawn, then sighed. She had to protect the group as a whole for now. She could reach out to Golden later. "I know. I know, nopony's blaming you. Let's just sit back down and continue our conversation."

When they got back to their seats, Bonnie broke out into a ragged laugh. "You really are full of surprises, aren't you, little filly?"

Humility caught up with her and Dawn ducked her head. "S-Sorry."

"Don't apologize. It's about time somepony put Miss Fancy Pants in her place." Bonnie waved a hoof. "Go back to telling me about your colt."

While Dawn talked about Thunder Tumble's sweet and kind personality, Crystal's gaze had wandered back to the door. Golden would be all right, wouldn't she? What would the group think if she went after her?

Slowly, Crystal's ears drooped. The needs of her group outweighed the needs of one mare, was that it? Was that how she was going to justify it to herself? Well, what an awful sentiment for Golden. No wonder she felt so bitter and alone.

♡

Exhaustion seized all of Crystal's muscles as she dragged herself to the door of Winterspear's condo. It was a deep ache, one that neither massaging chairs nor a hot bath could solve. Guilt was weighing on her mind and wearing her out.

"Hey, welcome home!" Winterspear jumped up from the couch and hurried over. "I got a letter from Silent! He's okay. He's all right."

Crystal smiled and nuzzled her cheek to Winterspear's. "Thank you. I know, I got mine this morning."

"Really?" Winterspear pulled back, blinking at her. "But weren't you down in Ponyville?"

Crystal winked as she trotted past, levitating her luggage into the room she occupied. The room that was technically Silent's. "The couriers are absolutely amazing! To be honest, if I had wings, I would join up just to help lighten their workload."

The room was so bare and empty. Nothing decorated the walls. The bed was strictly regulation standard: white sheets with a white comforter. She wanted to do something to lighten it up, but what was the point? When Silent came home, they'd go back to their home in the Empire.

"So," Winterspear said from the doorway, a bit of hesitation in her voice, "how was the trip? Did you all have a good time?"

Crystal's ears flicked back, pushing away the first image that jumped forth. "More or less. It was wonderful to see Horsey, my fillyhood friend." As she turned around, she put her best smile in place. "Her daughter is absolutely precious! A tiny little bundle of joy. Drooling joy, but joy nonetheless."

Winterspear laughed and went back into the living room, Crystal following close behind. "Well, great." She froze, her wings tucking in close to her sides, and slowly she looked over her shoulder at Crystal. "So, your support group... Did they all get letters?"

"I'm afraid not." Crystal sighed as she dropped down onto the couch. "It's awful. This whole thing is awful. I just want to wake up and discover this was one horrible nightmare... Not just for my sake, but for everypony's."

For a while, neither of them said anything. Winterspear stood somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the room, a distinct tension about her from the rigid, flat feathers to her tightly pursed lips. "Oh." Finally, she relaxed some as she stepped forward and stretched out a wing to push a small stack of letters across the coffee table. "You have some mail, by the way. Looks like stuff from your agent or something?"

"My agent?" Crystal perked up a little. "Oh! The first chapter of my new serial went out this month."

"Well, I hope it's good news." Winterspear walked around the corner into the kitchen. "Are you hungry? I'm going to have a snack before I go to the gym."

"I'm fine, but thank you." Her magic levitated the envelope and tore it open to retrieve the letter inside. "Let's see..."

Crystal!

Great news! We need you to

A knock at the door tore her gaze away from Sunset's hoofwriting. A chill ran along her spine, but she tried to quell it by clearing her throat. "Are you expecting anypony?"

Winterspear shook her head. "I'm not, and if you're asking, I'm guessing you're not, either."

Crystal set the letter down and rose from the couch to walk over to the door. Pulling it open revealed a wilting mare that she hardly recognized as—"Golden?"

"Hi." Golden rubbed a hoof against her foreleg. "I got your address from Radiant Orchid."

Crystal blinked a few times to shake off her surprise before a surge of excitement bloomed in her chest. Was this a second chance? "Oh?"

Golden dropped her head, her tousled mane falling to obscure her face. "I really screwed up, didn't I? I don't—" Her voice hitched and she sniffed. "I don't know why I said what I did to Dawn. I just can't help it. I can't stop these awful feelings of jealousy and bitterness."

"Mm." Crystal leaned against the doorframe, trying to angle her head to get a better view of Golden's expression. She saw a tear fall from her chin, followed shortly by another. "What do you want?"

"What do I want? I don't know. I… I suppose I thought you could, perhaps, help me." She glanced up at her. "I don't have anypony else I can turn to. As depressing as it is to say, you are the closest thing I have to a friend."

Nodding slowly, Crystal straightened up. "All right. I'll help you, but only if you really want this. I don't want to waste my time if you're not fully and wholly committed to being a better pony."

Golden heaved a sigh that carried with it years of frustration and loneliness. "I am. I'm tired of feeling this way. I just want to be happy and normal like you."

This really was a second chance to make things right. There was hope for something good to come out of this war after all.

A smile lit up Crystal's face and she hopped to the side. "Then come on in!"

With a furrowed brow, Golden didn't move from where she stood. "Why do you sound so happy about this? What part of 'I feel empty and alone and hate myself' makes a pony happy?"

"Because I abandoned you on the train, and I regret it more than words can express," Crystal said faster than she could consider if honesty was the best policy; the openly startled and almost hurt look on Golden's face confirmed that it was. Those walls needed to come down and stay that way, for good. "I want to make that right."

Golden's gaze flickered to the side, but she reluctantly took a step inside. "How can you make it right? You did nothing wrong. I'm the pony who can't keep her mouth shut."

Crystal just shrugged and smiled, turning away. "Winterspear, we have a guest!"

"Oh, yeah? Who is—" Winterspear froze when she leaned around the corner. "Oh my gosh!"

A weak shadow of a grin spread across Golden's muzzle. "Au my gosh, indeed." She cleared her throat. "Charmed to meet you. So, you two... live together?"

Crystal waved a hoof as she dropped down onto the couch. "She's my sister-in-law, and I'm only here on the weekdays. On the weekends, I go back home to the Crystal Empire. But, let's skip the small talk."

"Yeah, let's skip the small talk," Winterspear repeated, her eyes wide. "Let's skip to the part where you explain why there's a supermodel in my living room."

Golden opened her mouth, but Crystal cut her off. "There isn't a supermodel here. There's just a mare who is in need of a friend, and since she showed up here, I'm assuming she knows I'm that pony." She turned to look at Golden with a smug smirk. "Unfortunately for her."

"Unfortunately? Why unfortunately?" Golden's ears folded back. "What's wrong with you? Why are you so... whatever it is that you are?" She glanced at Winterspear. "Is this normal for her?"

Winterspear gawked.

Laughing softly, Crystal levitated the letter from Sunset and waved it in Golden's face. "Because I already know exactly how to bring you down to my level and keep you there. I'm going to train you. If I can train a stallion as dense as my husband to be a proper Canterlot officer, then I can train you to stop being a proper Canterlot snob."

Silence held the room. Golden stared at Crystal, then looked over at Winterspear, who just kept up her masterful impression of a surprised statue. With a low, drawn-out groan, Golden practically dragged herself over to the loveseat and dropped onto it like a sack of potatoes.

"Now, your first lesson is going to be in empathy." Crystal brought the letter closer, drumming her hooves on the cushion beneath her. "When ponies get good news, even if you want to be a bitter pony about it, you smile and rejoice with them. And I do believe I have great news to share."

"Besides being friends with a supermodel?" Winterspear squeaked.

Crystal waved the question away and cleared her throat. "Crystal! Great news! We need you to write more of Desert Rose, pronto. The first chapter is hot. Really hot! It being set in Saddle Arabia is just what ponies need right now. Critics are calling it 'the start of a charming escape' and 'an adventure to get lost in that's only just begun'. So, Kahuna is pressuring me to pressure you into agreeing to doing a double feature each month. Front and center of the literature section, two chapters a month! Can you do it? Of course you can! Yours, Sunset."

A double feature! She'd never had one of those before. This really was great news, and it couldn't have come at a better time—she got to share it with the pony who wanted to hear it the least but needed to the most. Silent would be so proud of her, too. She couldn't wait to tell him all about it!

The happiness swelling in her chest started to deflate. Silent was over there, fighting for his life. He was suffering through things she couldn't even begin to fathom. He didn't have time to care about such inconsequential things like her serial.

"Wait." Golden pawed at the air. "Wait, wait, wait. You're telling me that you've published a single chapter of something, and it's already well-received?" A frown tugged at her lips. "And you want me to be happy about this? Happy that you're getting yet another success."

Crystal smiled and nodded, forcing herself back into the moment. "That is the basic gist, yes." Her magic flew the letter toward Golden and bopped her on the nose with it. "Smile for me, Golden."

Huffing and swatting the letter away, Golden rolled her eyes, then put on her picture perfect smile. For that, she received another bop on the snout. "What! I smiled!"

Winterspear sat in the space between the living room and dining area, rubbing her temples with both forehooves. "I'm sorry, what's going on! You got a great letter and you're hitting the Au with it?"

"That is also the basic gist." Crystal just couldn't help herself as a giggle escaped her. Joy was overflowing in the space where guilt and regret had once occupied. Golden had come to her for help, and by Luna's moon she was going to give as much of it as she could.

"I think I've made a terrible mistake," Golden groaned, dropping her head into her hooves. "You're mad. Absolutely mad."

Crystal's magic brought the letter back to her so she could look over the wonderful news again, smiling. "Perhaps I am. But it's the next logical step. You had a whole group of ponies hugging you and wanting to help you, but you pushed them away. Now you've come to me, so I'm going to pull you close and never let you go." She looked up from her letter, grinning. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

Golden glared at her, but there was no malice in her eyes, only uncertainty and a bit of fear. "Who would want somepony mocking them, taunting them with their success, and hitting them with a letter?"

"A pony who has nowhere else to go and simply has to accept their last chance." Crystal's mirth faded, as did her grin, and she straightened up. "If you want a friend, Golden, then you're going to have to change. Keep lashing out and I'll give up on you. I don't expect you to walk out of here tonight a new mare, but I won't endure your bark and bite indefinitely."

Golden didn't say anything. She didn't have to. Her folded ears and downcast eyes said it all: she understood.

Crystal smiled once again. "Now, I am absolutely exhausted from everything that has occurred in such a short amount of time. You're welcome to stay the night here, or I'll come get you in the morning. I'm sure Winterspear wouldn't mind staying at her marefriend's for an evening so you could have her bed."

"What?!" Winterspear jumped to her hooves, wings flared out in surprise. "No! My bed's not made! The sheets are—they're not—Au's a—"

With a groan and a sigh, Golden lolled her head to the side to gaze at Winterspear with a neutral expression. "I don't want your bed. I'll sleep in my own bed, thank you very much." She stepped down off the couch with the grace of a falling rock. "And you do not need to come get me. I'll come to you when I'm ready."

"I can already tell that we are going to have the most wonderful time together." Crystal laughed, waving a hoof. "I'll see you tomorrow, Golden."

Once the two of them were alone again, Winterspear wobbled and looked as if she might faint. "You... have so much to explain in the morning. For now, though, I am going to the gym. I cannot even right now."

Crystal giggled and slipped off the couch, carrying her letter along with her as she trotted to her bedroom. "Have fun!"

A second chance. How often did a pony get one of those? Certainly not often enough, given how wonderful she felt. Golden was a pony in need, and she had turned a blind eye for the sake of her group. Now she could make up for that by keeping Golden so far out of her comfort zone that she'd have no time to build any walls.

The Wonder of it All

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"Hello, beautiful," the figure in front of Crystal said in a soft, soothing voice. It was Silent. It had to be Silent. She'd recognize that big, sturdy frame and blue mane anywhere. He was turned away from her, looking out over a field of grass that moved without wind.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out, so she started walking toward him. No matter which way she went, however, his back remained to her. She circled him three times and yet she never reached his front.

"I'm home," he said, but his voice didn't come from him. It came from behind her.

Cautiously, Crystal angled herself to keep him within her sights while also looking for the origin of his voice. There was nothing but gently swaying grass as far as the eye could see. No sky, no mountains, no trees—just an endless field of green.

"No, you're not," she finally managed to say, and darkness crept into her vision like a heavy fog. "You're not home."

Silent turned to look at her, but his face was vacant. There were no eyes, mouth, or nose at all. A blank space of white stared at her, the last thing she saw before everything went black.

"Silent!" she cried out, jolting upright and trying to reach for him, but her hoof found nothing there. She was back in bed, a cold sweat matting her coat and a chill deep in her soul.

With a shudder, she looked around to reaffirm her surroundings. Silent's room in the condo he and Winterspear used to share. She was in Canterlot. She was still alone.

Another restless night, another day to cross off in her mental calendar. How many more were left? The future seemed so distant and uncertain that she wanted to crawl under the covers and cry herself back to sleep, but she didn't want to see him again. Not like that.

A soft pink glow illuminated the room as her magic sought out the picture frame sitting on the nightstand. Bringing it close, she smiled wistfully at the photograph of her and Silent on their wedding day, their forehooves entwined and their gazes full of love and happiness. It wasn't all that long ago, and yet it felt like it had been forever already.

She wiped her cheeks dry—of either sweat or tears, she wasn't entirely certain—and slid off the bed to begin the early morning. There was too much to do to sit and wallow.

While she waited for the shower, she stood in front of the mirror and stared at her reflection. Tired eyes looked back at her, eyes that hadn't seen a good night's rest in months. Her whole face was haggard and if she were a stallion, why, she wouldn't have been surprised at all if a beard had taken up residence along her jawline.

Steam billowed up and around the curtain, beckoning her into its warm embrace. A much more tempting offer than the fog of darkness that plagued her dreams. She shivered and hurried under the hot water to let it work its soothing magic.

Slowly, the tension was worked out of her muscles and her posture relaxed. It was going to be another long day, especially now that Golden was under her care. Between writing a double feature, mentoring Golden, and essentially running the support group, she wasn't sure when she was going to fit in any time for herself, much less the other parts of her life. Game night was coming up soon and she wanted to be excited for it, but she couldn't muster the energy.

Her magic shut off the shower, and she shook out her coat before stepping onto the bath mat by the vanity. It was time to put herself together. Drying off, brushing and braiding her mane, applying whatever makeup was necessary to look less tired, and the final touch: the little heart-shaped beauty mark just below her eye. Once the mark was in place, she was complete. She was ready to face the day—or so she convinced herself, given she had no other choice.

"Good morning," she called to the empty home when she left her bedroom. Winterspear had already left for work, but the silence was starting to get unnerving. "What do you want for breakfast?" She hummed, prancing into the kitchen. "Something I can eat on the go, please. I have a busy day planned."

She rummaged through the fridge, selected an apple, and levitated it in front of her face to eat as she left the condo to start the first item on her to-do list: get Golden.

Canterlot was quiet, and not because it was early. The loss of the Harmony was still a fresh wound that overshadowed the usual gossip of fashion and fame. The average pony was ill-equipped to deal with tragedy, and that left the city in a soft shade of gloom.

That couldn't keep her down, however. She wasn't an average pony. She had to keep moving forward no matter what. Others were depending on her, so she had to shove her own feelings down and keep one hoof in front of the other.

The trip to Golden's condo wasn't very long, given that Crystal was staying near the Guard base and Golden lived in Canterlot Heights, the closest residential district to the palace. The nicest condominiums in all of Canterlot were in the Heights and boasted the best views in Equestria. Golden lived on the top floor of the furthest building, which put it in the prime spot to see over the walls and out across the land. It also had to cost a small fortune, since the whole floor was Golden's.

Crystal knocked three times, cursed under her breath, and quickly added a fourth. When the door opened a few moments later, she smiled and waved. "Hello!"

The stallion standing there stared with an even gaze. His mane was a curly, wild mess that almost resembled the head of a mop. "Hello? May I help you?"

"Yes! Good morning. I'm here to pick up Golden."

His ears stood straight up before flicking in light irritation. "Excuse me?"

Crystal couldn't help a small roll of her eyes. "Au. I'm here to pick up Au."

"And who are you?" He looked her over, sizing her up, judging her value. "She doesn't have any appointments this morning."

"Oh, she may not think she does, but she most certainly does." Crystal giggled. "I'm Crystal Wishes. We're old friends, in a sense."

The stallion snorted. The humor of Golden having friends must not have been lost on him, which was actually a little sad. Whoever he was, he was clearly close to her, given that he was answering her door. "Oh, I see. You're Crystal Wishes? Well, I'm afraid Miss Au does not wish to see you."

Crystal's tail twitched. "She said that, did she?"

He started to close the door. "She didn't have to."

"Golden!" Crystal yelled, thrusting a hoof in the way before the door could shut. "Get your flank out here right now!"

"What?" Golden's voice yelled back. "No! I told you I'd come get you!"

Crystal snorted. "Too bad! Get out here or I'm coming in there."

"You most certainly are not," the stallion said as he tried to push her hoof out of the way.

Behind him, Golden came into view, a scowl on her face and curlers in her mane. "Fine. Fine! Dusty, let her in, but don't offer her a cool beverage. I'm going to get ready for a day with this tyrant."

With a reluctant pause, Dusty withdrew from the door, but the one eye visible through his bushy mane didn't leave her. "As you wish."

Crystal pranced inside, dropping the apple core she had been carrying into the nearest bin she spotted. That was when she stopped to admire the overly spacious condo. There were two seating areas, separated by a dining table and a long kitchen. One entire wall was made of floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased a breathtaking view of Equestria's rolling plains, lush forests, and tall mountains that stretched out into the horizon.

It almost felt like she was on top of the world. That must have been why Golden chose it.

"There," Golden said from behind her, "I'm ready when you're done gawking."

Crystal turned to see Golden transformed into her beautiful persona, the curlers replaced by luscious curls and makeup applied in just the right amount. Her cheek where Dawn had struck her looked flawless. Whatever foundation she used must have been custom made to match her coat so perfectly.

Finally, Crystal smiled. "Very good. First, we're going to go to visit Velvet. Do you remember her?"

"Velvet Step?" Golden's ears flicked back as she levitated a pair of oversized sunglasses to rest on her muzzle. "The filly you abducted."

"I didn't abduct her. We became friends." Crystal shook her head, laughing softly as she walked toward the door. "You're awful."

Dusty reached out a hoof to stop Golden from following. "Miss Au, is everything all right?"

Golden sighed and waved him off. "Yes, yes, of course it is. Would I be doing this if it weren't?" She huffed. "Once you finish cleaning, you're dismissed. I imagine Crystal has a full day planned for me." She picked up the pace to walk alongside Crystal, brow raised over the sunglasses. "What do you have planned?"

"Well, first, you're going to bear witness to me giving Velvet the great news I received yesterday. And then I'm going to leave you in her care, because if there's anypony I trust not to put up with your attitude for one moment, it's her."

"What?" Golden frowned. "You can't be serious. What am I supposed to do with Velvet? I haven't spoken to her since..." She trailed off in thought before she sighed. "Since a very long time."

Crystal bobbed her head in a light nod. "I know. And that means you'll have all that time to catch up on in a nice, cordial, non-antagonistic way."

They walked in silence for a while, Crystal focused on Golden's long, elegant stride and Golden—well, with those giant sunglasses, it was hard to tell what was going on with her. It seemed silly to wear them, anyway. Golden stood out in a crowd with them on or off. Ponies stopped, stared, pointed, and whispered. When they finally arrived at Velvet's condo, they had already been stopped for Golden's autograph three times.

"It must be exhausting," Crystal commented aloud while she knocked on the door.

"What?" Golden slipped her sunglasses up to rest atop her head. "Walking?"

Crystal sputtered into a laugh. "No! I mean being a famous model. Is that why you have that stallion... Dusty? To get things for you like groceries?"

"Dusty is my valet. He takes care of the house and my schedule. That does include groceries, but it's not because I want to avoid the public." Golden put on a smile as the door started to open. "It's because I have better things to do than chores."

"Uh, what?" Velvet stared up at Golden, frowned, then looked over at Crystal. "Hi. What's going on?"

Crystal threw her forelegs around Velvet's neck. "I have great news! Also, Golden is our friend now, even if she acts otherwise."

"Oookay." Velvet nuzzled her before pulling back and stepping aside. "Come on in, then, I guess?"

Crystal pranced inside, flopping onto one of the sitting pillows. Golden took a tentative step inside and looked around, lips pursed and ears alert.

"Your place is... interesting," Golden said as her gaze fell on the wall of mirrors. "Hmm. And Crystal acts like I am the vain one."

Velvet snorted. "Is that a joke?" She looked at Crystal with a grin. "She's terrible at jokes. You need better friends."

Crystal laughed and shook her head. "No, Golden, Velvet's a ballerina. The mirrors are for practice, so she can see her posture and things of that nature."

There was an awkward pause—with Golden looking almost sheepish, Velvet furrowing her brow, and Crystal waiting for one of them to speak first—before Velvet raised a hoof. "Okay, so before you share your good news, can you explain to me why Golden's suddenly our friend now? 'Cause that's a pretty big development."

Golden glanced at Crystal for guidance, so she took in a soft breath and explained, "Her father volunteered for the war, leaving Golden with the feeling of loneliness and a desire to rectify that."

"Thank you so much," Golden grumbled. "You really have a way with words. No wonder your story is doing so well."

Velvet's ears perked. "Wait, Desert Rose is doing well? Really? But you've only gotten one chapter published so far, I thought!"

"Isn't it shocking?" Golden rolled her eyes. "She writes one chapter, ponies lose their minds, and now she's being asked to do two updates every month. It's almost as if she doesn't even have to try."

After a pause, Velvet's ears went flat to the sides. "Are you sure you want to be friends with her?"

Crystal waved a hoof. "She'll grow out of this phase, I'm sure of it. That aside, yes! Sunset just wrote to me saying that Mares Monthly wants to do a double feature of it." She tossed her mane, stuck her nose in the air, and said smugly, "I told you I could write this."

"Okay, okay, don't get high and mighty." Velvet frowned, one hoof drawing a circle in the floor. "It's only one chapter. Nopony has any idea that it's not a normal romance. They're going to be really disappointed, you know."

Crystal pushed herself up from the pillow and walked over to put a hoof on Velvet's shoulder. "Of course they're not. Have a little faith in me, won't you?" She gave the shoulder a squeeze. "Now, push all of those thoughts aside. I have somewhere I need to be, and Golden can't come with, so I'm leaving her in your care."

"What." Velvet's frown deepened and she glanced at Golden.

"Don't look at me," Golden said, raising her forehooves. "This wasn't my idea."

Crystal gave a soft laugh as she started toward the door. "You two will get along just fine, I'm certain. Velvet, she's learning to be a better pony, so feel free to call her out on antisocial behavior."

The frown lifted into a mischievous grin. "With pleasure."

Golden started to protest, but Crystal hurriedly shut the door before she could be stopped. She only made it a few steps down the hall before she burst into giggles. They would be fine. In fact, she was of the mind that if the two gave it a chance, they might actually become friends. Golden's biting remarks could be pulled back and simmered down to sass, which Velvet was practically made of.

Slowly, however, the good mood she had found started to fade away as she shifted her focus to the next task ahead of her. It wasn't a very long walk to the Jet Ventures building, but her hooves weren't cooperating. Each step was slow, precise, and almost pained. She didn't want to do this, but it was necessary.

How would it go? Would it be a tearful conversation, or would it turn into another fight? She winced. Some awful words had been shared between her and her father the last time they spoke. She was ready to make amends, but he may not be. There was only one way to know, however, and she was going to find out soon enough.

The headquarters for Jet Ventures was a three-story building with a few small airships parked on top for transport to and from the construction berths north of Canterlot. Its first floor was dedicated to making sales, with pictures and models of the different luxury ships on display, while the actual offices occupied the upper two.

Trotting up to the front desk, Crystal opened her mouth to speak, but the receptionist cut her off. "Good morning! How can Jet Ventures help you venture into the skies and beyond?"

Crystal tried not to roll her eyes, smiling instead. "Hello. I'm actually here to see my father, Jet Set."

The receptionist's hooves flew to her mouth. "I-I thought you looked like his daughter, but I didn't want to assume!" She cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, Miss Wishes! Mrs. Wishes! Sorry! He's on the third floor in a meeting with Mr. Ship, but I'm sure they won't mind if you drop in."

"Thank you." Crystal walked over to the stairs and started the journey up them, her heart racing. She could turn back now. She could deal with this later. She could—

Her magic pushed the door to the third floor open and she felt the weight of eyes from nearby desks turning to land on her. Recognition reflected in the faces she saw and, sheepishly, she made her way past them all toward the large double doors that led to Jet Ship's office.

How these ponies knew her was no mystery. Above the doors to his office was a painting of them all: Jet Ship with Diadem, Jet Set with Upper Crust, and a much younger but still recognizable version of herself in the center. Let nopony ever say Jet Ship didn't love his family, even if he and her parents hardly ever got along.

"Here!" a pony chimed, jumping up from his desk and pushing open one of the doors for her. "Nice to see you, Miss Wishes!"

"Mrs., but thank you," she muttered under her breath, flashed a smile, and crossed the threshold with her heart pounding all the way to her ears. Her gaze landed on her grandfather first, those powerful orange eyes piercing through her in an instant.

Jet Ship's somber expression lightened. "Well, well, isn't this a surprise?"

Jet Set turned in his seat and straightened up when he saw Crystal approaching. "Crystal! What are you doing here?" He cleared his throat, hurriedly rising to his hooves. "What I mean is, it's good to see you, dear."

Crystal stopped just a pace away from him and offered a soft smile. "I was hoping I could speak with you, Dad."

"Let me go see what Arch is working on," Jet Ship said as he circled his desk and walked past Crystal, pausing to levitate a butterscotch off his desk and over to her. "Nice to see you, sweetheart."

"You, too, Grandfather." She took the candy in her own magic and stared at it while she waited for Ship to leave the room. Once they were alone, she mumbled, "I'm here to say I'm sorry." Her ears fell. "I said some terrible things."

"It's fine. It's okay. Of course it's okay." He stepped toward her and wrapped a foreleg around her neck. "It was an emotional moment for everypony. And that aside, your mother and I did our own share of terrible things. I suppose it was only revenge."

Crystal snorted, unable to help herself. "You mean when you and Mom suggested—"

"—that you divorce Silent? Yes, in fact, I do mean that." He pulled back to look down at her, his brow furrowed with concern. "You have to understand, dear. War isn't something that ponies like us understand. We were terrified."

Her nose scrunched up and, after a moment of thought, she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I—I think I forgive you, but I don't have to understand. I don't understand. I thought..." She frowned and looked away, over at the wall that featured blueprints of airships from the beginning of Jet Ventures to the current day. "I thought, after our talk at my wedding, that you understood me."

Jet Set sighed and cupped her cheek in one hoof, forcing her to look at him. "I know, dear, but I hope you can see that I don't understand, either. He's not a soldier, so that means he must have volunteered. Why would a husband leave his wife behind to volunteer?"

Crystal frowned. So it was going to be a round two of their fight, then. Before she could respond, however, he moved his hoof to cover her mouth.

"But what I do understand, however, is that you do, and that it doesn't matter what your mother or I think. All that matters is what you decide to do." He smiled. "And you are doing wonderfully, from what your mother has heard."

"Really?" A groan escaped her. "What, does Mom have ears in my support group or something?"

Jet Set chuckled lightly and withdrew from her to walk over to the desk. "She has an ear everywhere, I'm afraid. Now, come here. Your timing is actually quite impeccable. I was just going over one of my design ideas with my father, a design I think will be of interest to you."

There was an initial feeling of revulsion that turned Crystal's stomach. She didn't want to look at airships, not even a design of one. All she could think about was the news of the Harmony. With a forced smile, she pushed through that wave of nausea and watched as his magic levitated a large sheet of paper.

All she could really tell was that the sketch was a large yet sleek ship of war. There was no mistaking it for a luxury cruiser, not with the heavy hull and the outlines she recognized as weaponry of some sort. The tiny pony figure standing on the deck for scale made it seem all the more imposing.

"There is so much work to do before we can even begin construction. We've never built anything like these ships before." Jet Set glanced between his drawing and her. "But we've already decided the names for it and the other designs I have drafted."

"Oh?" Crystal asked idly, her gaze still traversing the various lines and curves, trying to make sense of them all.

"We'll be working on three classes of warships: the Squire, the Errant, and—" He cleared his throat. "And the Knight."

Her blood ran cold at the name and her attention snapped to him. The clink sound of the butterscotch candy falling to the hardwood floor as her magic dissipated brought her out of the momentary daze. "What?"

Jet Set bobbed his head in a light nod. "Yes, the Knight class. This is the initial design for the Knight. A big, powerful ship that will keep the ponies that crew it safe and give back what those blasted gryphons gave to us." In a softer voice, he added, "It seemed fitting. I mean it only out of respect, of course. I hope you don't find it offensive."

"Offensive?" Crystal stepped closer and touched a trembling hoof to the design, trailing the outline of it. A class of warship sharing the name as a family of warriors. It was almost chilling, really. Stratus would have been proud, but what about Silent? Would he see it as an honor, or an insult?

The questions that raced through her head were halted by the uncertain look on her father's face. He was trying to apologize in the most sincere, heartfelt way he knew how. It would have just been easier to say 'I'm sorry', of course, but he went a step beyond that. He had desgined a ship that would keep her husband safe and named it after him.

Finally, she stepped forward and hugged him tight around the neck. "It's perfect, Dad," she whispered. "Thank you."

Put Your Mind at Ease

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Crystal hummed lightly as she watched the quill dance along the page, transcribing the images in her mind into words. The deadline was looming and the pressure was high, but her companion kept her spirits up.

Aria dangled from a silver chain that was attached to the light fixture above the dining table. She glowed with Crystal's magic and sang inspiration with delicate chimes. Pink shimmers of light danced across the walls and along the table beneath her.

"You seem to be in a good mood," Crystal commented idly as she dotted her i's and crossed her t's. "Things do seem to be... all right, for the time being, don't they? Yes, I think things are all right."

Aria glimmered her agreement.

The quill paused as Crystal chanced an upward glance. "Aria..." She lowered her quill to the table and leaned back to look at the crystal. In a soft voice, she asked, "Do you miss Painted?"

Aria merely dangled, the magic having faded as soon as Crystal stopped writing.

"I miss her." Crystal raised her hooves to wipe at her already damp eyes. "I'm worried about her. Verd got a letter, so I know she's all right." She laughed softly. "I suppose I didn't get one from her because she doesn't know I know? Or perhaps she just doesn't know what to say." Her ears drooped. "I do wish she'd write to me, though."

There was no response, not that that was much of a surprise.

Crystal's ears perked back up. "Do you suppose Verd would mind if I had him include a letter from me the next time he writes to her?" She smiled and levitated her quill again while retrieving a blank parchment. "It couldn't hurt to ask, now, could it?"

Painted,

The quill froze. Her mind was blank. Aria was completely still, having no interest in matters of personal correspondence. What could she say? 'I know you're over there, so please talk to me'? Her brow started to furrow and she slid the parchment aside to return her attention to where she had left off in Desert Rose. Perhaps it would be wise to talk to Verd first. He knew her best, after all.

"Fatinah, you are going to get yourself into trouble. You understand that, don't you?" Khalil lowered his head to her eye level, his nostrils slightly flared with a mix of amusement and, simultaneously, irritation.

Fatinah shook her head to toss her mane as she trotted past him. "You've been saying that since I was a filly, Khalil, and I'm still standing. I'll be fine."

When she looked over her shoulder to toss him a teasing grin, the look on his face stopped her in her tracks. In all the years she had known him, he had never worn that expression. She had seen the surprise in his eyes countless times, but it was tempered with a softness she didn't like.

"You're certainly not a filly anymore," he said, almost breathlessly.

A short series of knocks drew her out of her thoughts. "Coming," she called, rising to her hooves and walking over to open the door. "Oh! Good afternoon, Golden." She blinked and glanced at the clock. "Is it time already?"

"It's past time," Golden said with a small frown. "Did you get lost in your writing again? Honestly. If I didn't need him, I'd have Dusty manage your schedule." She slipped her sunglasses down to cover her eyes. "Are you ready to go?"

Levitating a wide-brimmed hat onto her head, Crystal nodded. "This week is at Weather Front's, right? That's not too far of a walk."

Golden huffed lightly. "It's far enough on hoof to be annoying. And everypony's homes are so small. Can we not simply have it at my condo each week? It would be easier for me, and there would be more than enough room without having to sit on upturned trash cans."

"Golden..." Crystal laughed, shaking her head. "It's about socializing, not convenience. Besides, what would the press say?"

"Nothing worse than what they're already saying." Golden rolled her eyes, her stride quickening just enough to catch Crystal off guard. "Honestly. Can a mare not hang out with another mare without it spurring gossip? If Velvet and I were stallions, everypony would just assume we were friends. But no, Velvet and I are clearly lovers."

Crystal couldn't help another laugh, this one more boisterous. "No! Really? Oh, Velvet must be loving that."

With a light snort, Golden added a small, annoyed stomp to her hoofsteps. "It's no matter. I'm going to win the bet, gossip or not."

"Of course, of course." Crystal inclined her head to peer up at Golden around the brim of her hat. "What is it this week?"

"Salsa." Golden's posture relaxed as she eased into a satisfied smirk. "I'll show her that I'm the better dancer, even if I still don't understand the 'twerking' thing from last week."

Crystal giggled. "I don't know whether I'm glad I left you two alone or not. This whole 'dance off' thing is ridiculous."

For a while, Golden was silent, sending Crystal's good mood down into a worried spiral, but the mare finally said, "It is absolutely ridiculous. Dusty says I should stop before it ruins my image. But... it's fun. Getting together with Velvet to dance is fun. It's not really about winning the bet, you know."

"I know." Crystal flashed a soft smile before she turned her attention to the apartment building they approached. "Well, are you ready for something less fun but equally important?"

"Not particularly," Golden muttered, following Crystal up the stairs nonetheless.

When they got to the apartment and knocked on the door, Bastion was the one to answer. He looked down his muzzle at Crystal, a coldness in his eyes. "Glad you finally decided to show up. We've got a situation."

A chill ran down Crystal's spine. "What's wrong?"

"This, you'll have to see for yourself." He stepped to the side to let her in, nodding to acknowledge Golden.

Golden stayed close to Crystal's side as they walked into the living room, where Bonnie sat on the coffee table in a circle of their peers, all of their attention on her.

"—so wonderful to see him again, you have no idea."

Crystal smiled as she politely interjected, "See who, Bonnie?"

Bonnie turned her head to look at Crystal, her expression at first one of surprise before melting into a distant half-smile. "My brother."

A gasp escaped Crystal, the chill turning into a warmth that spread throughout her chest and down to her hooves. "Bonnie! He's alive? That's wonderful!"

The smile fell as Bonnie shook her head. "No... No, he's still dead." Her lips twitched in an attempt to recapture the smile, but to no avail. "But I found Madame Ouija. She let me speak to him again. It was only for a moment, but as soon as I have enough bits, I'm going to go see her again." She wiped the tears from her eyes.

"Madame—" Crystal glanced at Bastion, who made no attempt to hide the skepticism that curled his mouth into a sneer. "Madame Ouija?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yes! One of the most talented unicorns I've ever met. She can confer with the spirits of the dead. I never knew such a thing was possible!"

"Because it isn't," Bastion muttered a little too loudly, perhaps intentionally so. He grunted when Crystal jabbed her elbow into his side.

Bonnie continued, seemingly unfazed by his remark, "I ran into her at a cafe, as if by destiny. Fate brought us together. She gave me a free consultation, and even let me see my brother... for a moment." Her chin trembled. "I need to see her again. I need to talk to him for more than a few seconds. I need to say goodbye, and tell him how proud I am of him."

An ache grew between Crystal's eyes, but she kept her smile in place. A pony who could commune with spirits of the dead? She didn't know enough about magic to know whether that was possible or not, but it reeked of foul play.

Somepony was preying on ponies who had lost loved ones overseas. The very idea of capitalizing on the war in such a way was despicable. It turned Crystal's stomach into a series of knots wound so tight that she wanted to hunt down this Madame Ouija right then and there.

Instead, however, she walked forward and took one of the unoccupied seats. "That's wonderful, then, Bonnie, if it brings you peace."

"It will. It's worth every bit." Bonnie looked over at Weather Front, who had a comforting hoof on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, I was so excited to tell my story that I never let you offer anypony refreshments."

"Oh! Right." Weather rose to his hooves and looked around the room. "Can I get a hoof? Or, rather, a horn?" He grinned lopsidedly. "Easier with magic."

Crystal nearly hopped out of her seat. "Certainly, let me help."

Weather bobbed his head and led her into the kitchen. He flapped his wings to fly up and grab a tray from the top shelf of a cabinet, then lowered back down to set it on the counter.

In a hushed tone, Crystal asked, "Weather, could I get your opinion?"

His wings tucked in close to his sides. "I bet I can guess what about."

"I don't mean to gossip, but you are the one who is closest to Bonnie in this group." Crystal glanced at him while her magic retrieved several glasses that he gestured to. "What do you think of this... situation she's in?"

Weather rubbed a hoof against one leg. "I don't much believe in the 'spirit-talking' stuff myself, but I also don't have magic, either. Besides, real or not, it's helping her cope with losing her only brother. What's the harm in it?"

Crystal thought of a hundred different retorts of exactly what kind of harm there was, but she bit her tongue and kept them to herself. As she helped pour water into the glasses, she mumbled, "Just keep an eye on her, please."

"Of course!" He puffed his chest and flared his wings just slightly. "That's what care companions are for, after all, eh?"

"Mm." She levitated the tray of glasses while he grabbed an already prepared vegetable platter and they returned to the living room. "Here we are! Refreshments for everypony."

Bonnie had returned to a normal seat, leaving the coffee table available for the trays. Once Crystal and Weather sat back down, Toffee cleared his throat.

"A-As I was saying," he said in a soft voice, his gaze lowered to avoid making contact with anypony else's, "things are going well at the bakery... I can't complain."

Passionfruit smiled. "That's good. Same with me and my frozen yogurt shop. Oh! I participate in the vouchers, but with or without them, everypony here is welcome to free fro-yo anytime."

They continued around the room discussing the state of their lives and requesting any help from the group, such as Passionfruit needing a foalsitter for the weekend and Toffee having a large armoire that needed moving. Crystal, on the other hoof, plotted. Bonnie was too kind and too fragile for Crystal to allow her to be taken advantage of. She would protect all the members of her support group. It was her duty.

"I'm... doing better," Golden said with an unfamiliar humility that it stirred Crystal out of her thoughts. "It's not easy to change. I've had to take care of myself as there has been nopony I could trust all my life except for my father. Now I'm suddenly supposed to let you all in?" She frowned, wrapping her forelegs around herself. "I don't know. I feel foolish talking like this. Like an absolute buffoon."

Dawn reached over to set a hoof on Golden's shoulder. "It's really brave of you to keep trying, though. Instead of just giving up."

Golden snorted and shot her a sour look. "Says the pony who slapped me. You certainly know a lot about bravery."

"O-Oh." Dawn's hoof recoiled and she clutched it to her chest, gaze falling. "I'm sorry about that, really. I was just—"

"Don't apologize in the least," Crystal interrupted, waving a hoof. "It was the humbling experience I think she needed to take things more seriously."

Golden shot her a glare, but said nothing. She just sat there practically bristling while Crystal's mind returned to her plans. Once they were done, she was going straight to the Canterlot University Research Library. She may not know enough about magic to prove Madame Ouija was a scheming fraud, but the countless tomes of research at the library certainly did.

Crystal gave a small, quick shake of her head. She wasn't listening to anypony. They could have been expressing a horrible loneliness and she was just sitting there, her mind elsewhere. Her ears, which were normally quite adept at paying attention to conversations without her, were pinned back flat against her mane.

"But, it is what it is." Weather gave a weak, halfhearted shrug. "I can't blame the restaurant for being Storm's favorite. Still gotta give it my patronage, you know? Even if it's hard going there without him."

"Why don't we all go there for dinner sometime?" Crystal suggested, offering a gentle smile. "No vouchers, on our own bit. Truly give it some support, and a happy memory for you to keep it from being a source of sadness."

Weather straightened up, his wings flicking out and back in. "That would be great, if anypony was interested!"

"Absolutely," Bonnie said. "I've been there before and it is well worth another visit."

This was why she needed to stay focused on the group and not let her mind wander. They could do so much good for one another. They needed each other.

It wasn't long before a clock on the wall chimed the hour and the first pony stood up to leave. It was like dominoes: once one fell over, the rest came tumbling down. "I should get back to my foals," Passionfruit said, followed soon after by Dawn excusing herself. Toffee wasn't long behind, and when Verdant stood up to leave, Crystal practically jumped to her hooves.

"I'll walk you home, Verd." Crystal smiled, looking around the room. "I'll see you all next week. Let's have dinner with Weather then instead of meeting at a home?" When general agreement seemed had, Crystal turned to follow alongside Verdant out the door. "I have a quick question for you, if that's all right."

Verdant bobbed his head. He hardly said much these days. His eyes always seemed tired, but his lips still lifted into a kind smile. He never complained at the get-togethers, however, only waving off questions of concern with the same explanation of having trouble sleeping without his wife.

"Do you think it would be all right if I gave you a letter to send to Painted?"

The name perked his ears upright and his hooves stopping in their place. "Of course," he quickly said. "Why wouldn't it be?"

Crystal nibbled on her lower lip. "I'm not sure. I suppose a part of me is worried how she'll react if she knows I know where she is. She did deliberately not tell me, after all."

Verdant chuckled and reached over to tousle her mane before resuming his light trot. "I think she'd be grateful to feel less alone." His voice grew softer, almost hesitant as he added, "She could likely use the company, even if it's at a long distance."

Crystal shifted from one hoof to the other. "What should I tell her, then? 'Hi, I know you're off at war, even though you tried to keep that a secret, but I miss you and wanted to talk to you.' I'm not sure how well that would go over, and with the war the way it is, I don't want to add to her stress…"

"How about this," Verdant said, perking up with a smile. "I'll let her know in my next letter that you want to talk to her, and when I get a reply, I'll pass her response on to you."

Crystal nodded. "That works for me! Thank you, Verd." She stopped and, when he did the same, she leaned in to hug his neck. "I have some business to take care of. You take care of yourself, though, all right?"

He gave a light chuckle and leaned his head down to nuzzle his cheek to the top of her head. "Yeah, I'll do that. You, too. See you later."

She watched him for a moment as he walked away, concern bubbling up, but she pushed the feeling down. He would be okay. She would just check in on him later. Nodding in agreement with herself, she turned to head toward Canterlot University.

Information. She needed information, and lots of it. The more informed she was, the better-equipped she would be. And if the library at Canterlot University couldn't help her, then surely Princess Luna could point her in the right direction. The School for Gifted Unicorns, perhaps?

Of course, she also needed to finish her chapter. Mares Monthly wasn't going to wait for her, after all. But she could spare a few hours for this task, right?

A voice cut through the haze of her swirling thoughts. "Where are you going?"

Crystal skidded to a halt and jerked her head to the side to see Golden trailing behind. "Huh?"

Golden took a step closer, frowning. "I asked where you're going. You're going to go see that Madame Ouija, aren't you?"

"I'm not, but what if I were?" Crystal turned all the way around to face her. "Would you have a problem with it?"

"Maybe." Golden's gaze darted away, a strange look of concern crossing her pursed lips. "I know that's why you went to help Weather in the kitchen. So you could ask him about her, obviously. It wasn't subtle whatsoever. But if she is what Bonnie thinks she is, then she seems like the kind of unicorn you don't want to cross."

Crystal blinked a few times before her wariness faded away into a smile. "Oh, Golden! Are you worried for my safety?"

"Don't say it like that!" Golden snapped, glaring. "Of course I am! I need you. The group needs you. Let this fraud take Bonnie's bits. It makes her happy, so why does it matter to you?"

Crystal felt her smile widen despite her efforts to keep it under control. "That was perhaps the greatest combination of both the nicest and most narrow-minded words I've heard from you yet." She stepped forward and put a hoof on Golden's shoulder. "Of course it matters to me. If a stallion were trying to get close to you to simply capitalize on your fame, I would send Weather and Bastion over to show him the door.

"I want everypony to be truly happy, especially the members of this group. We are going through enough as it is. We don't need fame-hungry stallions or bit-craving charlatans saying what we want to hear. What if Bonnie spends all of her savings on this Madame Ouija, only to discover it was all a scam? Can you imagine how devastated she would be?"

Golden stared down at the cobblestone beneath their hooves with a deep frown. "Can you imagine how happy she would be if she never found out? Honestly, just because you want 'true happiness' doesn't mean that's what's best for everypony else."

"I'm sorry, but I disagree." Crystal slowly pulled her hoof back. "Something like this will fall apart eventually, and I'd rather it fall apart now when we can catch her to help her back on her hooves. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be." She turned and walked away, the tension in her shoulders relaxing when she didn't hear Golden following her.

A Brand New Way

View Online

"Hello!" The light green mare sitting at the desk looked at Crystal with a smile, something vaguely familiar about her. "Welcome to the Canterlot University Research Library. My name is Ley Lines. What can I help you with?"

Crystal gave a cordial nod of her head as she approached. "I'm looking for books on magic involving the spirits of the deceased, if you have any."

Ley Lines blinked once. Twice. "Um…" Thrice. "Wow, that's a tall order. I know there's been research done on the topic, but…" She shrugged. "Well, how much time do you have?"

Crystal opened her mouth to speak, paused, then slowly closed it. How much time did she have to track this information down? She still needed to finish her chapter and get it sent off to Sunset.

"If you want," Ley Lines chimed, "I don't mind looking into it for you. I honestly don't know anything on the topic, so now you've got me curious. If you want to leave your address, I can bring you what I find."

"Really?" Crystal smiled, her magic reaching for her bit purse. "How much?"

"Free of charge! I'd probably end up doing the same research anyway for my own curiosity. Plus, you look like a busy mare."

Crystal's smile faltered. She looked busy? Was it because she had hesitated, or something else? Did other ponies think she looked busy and avoided asking her for help because of it?

She gave a quick shake of her head to clear it and said, "Well, if you insist, I certainly won't say no." When a pen and slip of paper was offered, she wrote down her address and nodded. "Thank you very much, Miss Ley Lines. I greatly appreciate it. I'd still like to do something, though. Could you point me in the right direction and I'll do a little reading before I go home?"

"Certainly! The eastern wing is where all the texts we have on magic are." Ley Lines gestured, then clapped her hooves together. "You might want to check out Star Swirl the Bearded's book, The Limits of Magic. It might have some insight!"

Crystal bobbed her head and turned toward the door labeled 'East'. "Thank you!"

When she passed through the doorway, however, she quickly realized that calling it a 'wing' was an understatement. Stairs lead down into a sunken four-story atrium with a tiered labyrinth of shelves in the center and bookshelves lining every inch of available wall space. Seating space and even room to comfortably move about was an afterthought; all that seemed to matter was how many books they could fit in the giant room.

After she was finished gawking, she noticed a sign at the very bottom of the stairs: 'Information Retrieval'. Getting closer to the sign revealed smaller print that instructed her to press a button and say what she was looking for.

Tentatively, she touched her hoof to the button and blinked as it lit up a curious blue. She cleared her throat and asked, "Star Swirl the Bearded's The Limits of Magic… please?"

The button shifted into a deep purple that faded in and out before flashing a brilliant yellow. The yellow slid down the sign and onto the floor, lighting up several arrow-shaped runes that urged her to follow.

Fascinating! She knew that there were unicorns with magical abilities far above her own, but as she followed the trail of lights that guided her through the labyrinth and up a flight of stairs, doubt started to creep in.

If unicorns could put together a feat such as the one she was marveling, then how was she so certain they couldn't speak to the dead?

Her head shook faster than she could chase the thought away. Because it was simply too conveniently timed! If it were a truly altruistic and legitimate service, then why was she charging so much for it?

The yellow light stopped in front of a bookshelf, beamed a happy green, then faded away. Crystal's gaze traveled over the rows of books until she spotted a large tome with silver script on the spine that read, The Limits of Magic.

Crystal settled onto a nearby bench with the book levitating in front of her, opened to what she hoped would be a table of contents but was, instead, a letter to the reader.

Greetings, Fellow Purveyor of the Arcane! No doubt thou hast come into possession of this book seeking to know the deeper, aetherial mechanisms that drive the magic we unicorns oft take for granted. Prithee, 'tis only through legitimate means that thou hast acquired my writings! Ha-ha, 'tis naught but a mite jest.

Take heed, Fellow Purveyor. Magic is not a force to be taken lightly. Though it is capable of the most wondrous of feats, 'tis also a means of destruction in the wrong hooves… or, dare I say, the wrong horn! Ha-ha! 'Tis yet another jest. Or, rather, 'tis a play upon words. The power of magic is nary a jest.

I will henceforth assume that thou hast read my works on the principles of magic, theories regarding advanced applications of it, and its variances under different psychological and environmental conditions. Therefore, I will not bother with the reiteration of mine earlier explanations and introductions and jump straightforth into my findings on magic's limitations.

From the perspective of an outsider, magic is fraught with fallacies and inconsistencies, refuted by its own existence. Magic, however, is no such thing and is its own universal axiomatic system. It cometh complete with logical limitations such that no rational agent could possibly objecteth to its use, free from unjustifiable and parochial assumptions. That said, like all axioms, magic's acceptability and application riseth or falleth within the context by which it is defined, its usage intrinsically linked with the theoretical system as a whole.

Crystal stared blankly at the pages with the strange sound of emptiness in her mind. They were words, certainly, and they were strung together, yes, but the meaning as a whole was entirely lost on her.

"Isn't it fascinating?"

With a shriek of surprise, Crystal jolted upright and flung the book out of her telekinetic grip in the direction of the voice. This elicited a similar shriek from the speaker, who turned out to be Ley Lines, her own magic catching the book just before it hit her right in the face.

"Sorry!" both exclaimed at nearly the same time.

"M-Magic jerk reaction," Crystal blurted out, eyes wide. "You startled me!"

Ley Lines smiled sheepishly and lowered the book. "I'm sorry. I was just sitting there thinking about how much I enjoy this book, and if you weren't reading it, I was going to bring it back to the front to read myself. Then I saw you reading it and couldn't help myself from reading over your shoulder."

Crystal glanced between the mare and the book, then laughed softly. "You really understand all of that?"

"Yes?" Ley Lines tilted her head. "Do you not?"

"I'm afraid I was never one for the deeper aspects of magic beyond simple levitation," Crystal admitted as she stood upright and sighed. "I suppose I'll leave the research to you. It is just far too high over my head."

Ley Lines beamed a smile. "Leave it to me! I'll make sure to write down my findings with as many laypony's terms as I can."

Crystal would have been insulted if it weren't necessary, and it certainly was. She did feel a little embarrassed, however, and was certain her face was turning red. "Thank you. I'll be on my way, then."

As she made what felt like a walk of shame out of the wing and through the lobby, Star Swirl's words swirled around her mind. Parochial assumptions, axiomatic systems—what did all of that even mean?

A cheerful voice cut through her muddled thoughts. "Hi, Miss Wishes!"

Crystal stopped and looked up to see Snowy Haze standing on the steps outside of the library. "Oh." She smiled. "Good afternoon, Snowy."

"Afternoon! I have a letter for you!" She reached into her satchel and held out an envelope. "And I wanted to say I'm really enjoying Desert Rose so far."

"Thank you and thank you," Crystal chirped, taking the letter to her chest. Her heart was fluttering. She really needed to hear from Silent right then. "Honestly, how do you do it?"

Snowy blinked. "Do what?"

"Find me in places like this." Crystal gestured at the campus around them. "It looked like you were waiting for me, but how did you know where I was?"

"Oh!" Snowy giggled. "Well, I usually check your home first, then some of the places where I know you visit. Then I'll start asking your friends and the ponies in your support group. Today, Miss Au helped me!" She pointed off to one side.

Crystal followed the direction she indicated and blinked. A flash of gold disappeared behind a statue. Slowly, her lips curled into a grin. "Oh, that makes sense. Well, thank you again."

"My pleasure!" Snowy stood up straight, waved, then galloped off to get a running start before taking flight.

Humming to herself, Crystal trotted over to the statue and sat down at the base of it. "Let's see," she said in a playful tone. "I seem to be all alone, so I suppose I'll just read this letter."

My Dearest

It breaks my heart to know that those close to you did not receive word from their loved ones. It pains me to say but by the time this letter reaches you I imagine many others will not. We have been routed. We made our stand at a place called Dreyri River and failed. Many ponies were slain, far more than the tragedy of the Harmony. It was a day that will haunt me forever and it is best left there.

We are now far from where the war began and growing ever closer to the seat of Nordanver's power. It seems, by some small miracle, the enemy is running out of momentum. We may have at least found enough footing to stop them but moving forwards seems to be unfathomable.

My role will be changing. Due to my experience and abilities I'm being tasked with a particular mission outside of the normal day to day of war. I cannot give any more details other than to say my letters may now be further delayed.

Know that I am safer in this endeavor and keep hope alive. I love you, Crystal. I will see you again.

Silent

It was hard to breathe. Her throat had closed up and when she tried to gasp for air, she wheezed.

More ponies lost than in the Harmony tragedy? She trembled and read the letter over again. Equestria had just returned to a bitter normalcy. The Harmony had been forgotten by the elite of Canterlot, who returned to their pointless parties and plays for power.

So many conflicting emotions boiled within her. She couldn't fathom so many lives lost and mourned for their families. On the other hoof, she was, in some twisted way, glad that Equestria would be reminded that they were at war. Perhaps this time they wouldn't forget so easily.

"I can't believe it," Golden said, at some point sitting down beside Crystal. "I can't believe that there's more deaths."

Crystal slowly folded the letter, not looking at her. "We are at war."

Golden shuddered. "Don't say it like that. It's creepy. We're not supposed to be at war like this!"

Crystal took a deep, measured breath in and released it through her nose. She didn't want to talk about this. Not right now. "Why were you following me?"

"What?" Golden leaned away from her. "I wasn't following you."

Crystal lolled her head to the side and just stared, one brow raised.

The standoff didn't last very long before Golden caved with a sigh. "Velvet's at practice. I don't have anywhere to be today or anything to do."

"Oh." Crystal blinked, her irritation falling. "Really? I thought you were here to confront me about Bonnie again."

Golden rolled her eyes. "I don't care about that. If you want to take away what makes her happy, that's your decision."

Well, there was some progress, at least. Her empathy for others was still lacking, but at least she was reaching out—in her own fashion—for company. Perhaps that meant it was time to move forward with the master plan.

"All right." Crystal tucked the envelope away and stood up. "Well, if you have nothing else to do, then I think you're ready for phase two. Come along."

There was a pause before Golden hurried to trot alongside her. "'Come along'? I'm not your servant."

Crystal giggled. "And yet you came along."

"I—" Golden snorted and lengthened her stride to remain just ahead of her. "What else would you have me do? Hmm? I already told you that I have nothing better to do."

"Yes, yes, of course." Crystal did her best to keep up with the long-legged mare. The letter bubbled up in the back of her mind despite how she tried to push it down. Silent was going on some sort of secret mission. How long would he be gone? How long had he already been gone?

How many more ponies in her group were about to receive awful news?

"Where are we going?" Golden asked, interrupting the downward spiral of her thoughts.

Crystal shook her head to clear it. "Have you ever been to the Phial and Filly?"

Golden snorted. "I know of it, but I don't shop at stores. All of my products are exclusively crafted by the best designers in Equestria."

"Well, now that you're done with being Au, it's time to try our meager commoner's products, Your Highness." Crystal glanced up at her with a light grin.

Though she grumbled something under her breath, Golden remained otherwise quiet as they navigated the streets of Canterlot toward Runic's shop. It had been a long time since she had shopped there. Game night was coming up soon, wasn't it? Good. She could use a night of fun. A night away from reality, burdens, stress, responsibilities…

"What, exactly, are we here for?" Golden eyed the store as they approached it. "And what does it have to do with me?"

"You'll see." Crystal's magic pushed the door open and they walked inside. As always, business seemed to be going well for Runic. Mares and stallions alike—though the former more than the latter—wandered the aisles with little baskets, some already filled with different products.

"You!" a voice shouted from across the shop.

Startled by the sudden exclamation, Crystal looked over to see a familiar sage pegasus standing upright behind the counter and smiled. "Hi, Rossby," she chimed, changing direction to head toward him.

The young stallion glared at her and crossed his forelegs over his chest. "Don't 'hi' me. Seriously. How could you not tell me who you were?"

Crystal stopped short, head tilted to the side. "What are you talking about?"

Golden raised her brow. "Who is he?"

Rossby reached under the counter and produced a stack of books she quickly recognized as her own. One of each novel she had published faced her, all in pristine condition. "And then you move to the Crystal Empire and don't even say goodbye? You are the worst. Now sign these." He paused. "My mom is a big fan."

Crystal glanced between him and the books, then grinned. "Do you mean to tell me that for the past four months, you've been keeping these books, waiting for me to show up?"

"No." His ear flicked and his frown deepened. "I've kept copies here in case you showed up—which I assumed would be sooner than this—and copies in my school bag. And then you didn't. Until now. So." He pushed the books closer to her. "Sign."

With a soft laugh, Crystal levitated a pen he offered as well as the top book in the stack. "So, then, which of these is your mother's favorite?"

Golden waved a hoof between them. "Hello? Are you going to introduce me?"

"What? Oh! Yes, yes." Crystal bobbed her head toward Rossby. "Golden, this is Rossby Waves, my second cousin… once removed… or some such thing. He's adorably annoying."

Rossby scowled. "I resent every word you just said."

"See?" Crystal giggled, returning her attention to signing the books. "Adorable."

Golden eyed Rossby with clear disdain before she turned away. "I'm going to look around. Let me know when you're ready to pay attention to me again."

"Of course. This won't take very long." Crystal smiled as she finished the first book off with Thank you for being my biggest fan. "There we are." She returned it to the counter and levitated the next.

"Uh, why did you address it to me?" Rossby stared down at the signing. "I said it was for my mother."

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Of course it is. Well, then, you'll just have a funny story to tell your mother, won't you?"

Rossby huffed, picking up the book and setting it back under the counter. "You're dumb."

"I know, I—"

"Is that Crystal?!" Runic's voice practically squealed as the stallion bounded through the backroom door. "It is! Hiya! What are you doing here? What do you need? I've got it!"

Crystal laughed and set down the book to walk over to him, wrapping one foreleg around his neck in a tight hug. "Hi, Runic. It's good to see you. Do you think you could do me a favor?"

Runic's wings quivered slightly with excitement. "Absolutely!"

"I need your best, safest dye remover." She paused to raise a hoof. "Just for mane and tail. This was a normal dye job, not a whole-body mishap like you're used to."

Runic rubbed his chin, humming in thought. "I have that in stock… I have some that has serum built in to make sure the hairs don't get damaged in the removal process. Just don't get it in your eyes."

Crystal glanced up at him. "What happens if you do?"

"I don't know, but it just seems like a bad idea. Let me get you a bottle!" He clapped Rossby on the shoulder. "It'll be on the house, sorry."

Rossby glared down at the hoof touching him. "Why are you apologizing to me?"

Runic blinked. "Because ringing up customers is your job, and I'm taking your job!"

"Whatever. Just go get it."

Crystal couldn't help giggling. Some things never changed. "And…" She added the last stroke to her signature. "There you are! Is that all you need from me?"

Rossby rested a hoof on the cover of Her Silent Love, looking down at it and avoiding her gaze. "Maybe it would be nice if you dropped by more often than never. The regular customers are boring."

"Got it!" Runic exclaimed as he bounded back into view with a crystalline, elegant bottle balanced on one hoof, the liquid inside a light purple in color. "Here it is! The best dye remover I sell."

"Dye remover?" Golden squeaked from a few paces away and trotted closer. "Excuse me, but why are you buying dye remover?"

Crystal waved a hoof at her. "Because it's time to let go of Au completely. Thank you, Runic."

Golden's magic grabbed the bottle and levitated it over to her. "I'm not going to put some random pony's product in my mane! What is it made of? Who has vetted it? Can you guarantee it won't damage my hair?"

Runic smiled. "It shouldn't, I vetted it, and the primary ingredient is lilac extract!" He raised a hoof to hide his mouth as he whispered loudly, "But the lilacs are just for the smell."

After a pause, Golden seemed to almost wilt as she looked at the bottle. "Lilacs?" Her magic pulled the top off and she took a tentative sniff. With a small jolt, her ears perked up before falling back down. "Oh. It… smells like something from my foalhood." She paused again, then looked over at Crystal. "I can't use this. My mane is part of my identity."

Crystal poked Golden in the chest with a hoof. "No, it's part of your façade. You're done with that. Just be Golden."

Runic clapped his hooves. "Ooh, I like that! That could be your slogan!" He waved his hooves in a wide, slow arc as he enunciated, "Just be Golden."

Golden's gaze fell back to the bottle. "'Just be Golden'?" She turned the bottle slowly in her magic, then smiled softly… sincerely. "I like it, too."

Make Your Choice

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"'Just be Golden'!" Iridescence waved the Cosmarepolitan magazine in her magic at Crystal, Winterspear, and Dot to ensure they all saw the cover that featured Golden's return to herself. "Everypony's talking about it! Do you think it's just a publicity stunt?"

Crystal smiled, idly twirling pasta around her fork. "I certainly hope not."

"I think she's prettier this way," Dot said in a voice that still had a bit of a foalish squeak to it.

Winterspear inclined her head to look at Golden's image on the cover. "Yeah, I can definitely agree with that," she purred more than said.

Iridescence gasped in mock offense, put her hoof on Winterspear's face, and gave it a light push. Winterspear huffed and tried to glare at her, but when their eyes met, both burst into giggling laughter.

They were a happy couple. No matter how busy they were, they made time to get together.

A small pang of envy shot through Crystal's chest and she dropped her gaze to the table. "Dot," she said, doing her best to keep her voice even, "could you pass the rolls?"

"Yeah!" Dot's ears wiggled as she picked up the bowl of rolls with her hooves. The filly refused to use her magic whenever her hooves would suffice, as it allowed her to show off her lanky legs that had grown out during her most recent growth spurt. Her body was still roughly the same size, however, so it was more comical than anything, but she was proud of her new legs. "Here you go!"

Crystal flashed her a light smile. "Thank you, sweetie."

"So, Crystal," Iridescence asked, lowering the magazine to the table, "how is the writing going? The double feature isn't stressing you out too much, is it?"

Crystal shook her head. "Not at all. Actually, I'm grateful for the work to keep me busy. The normalcy is nice."

"And the bits!" Dot chirped, swinging her hindlegs that still didn't reach the floor.

With a soft laugh, Crystal reached over to pat Dot on the head. "Yes, and the bits." She idly smeared butter onto a roll and looked around the table. "It's fun to write, though. Fatinah is living a carefree life in Saddle Arabia, so it's a nice escape from the war and everything."

Winterspear's ears drooped slightly. "Yeah..."

The uncomfortable silence only lasted a moment before a knock at the door interrupted the light tension. Dot stumbled over her own hooves in her scramble to get out of her seat. "I'll get it!" she shrieked, bounding toward the door. She reared back and flailed her forehooves to twist the knob. "I got it!" After a pause, she hollered, "It's a stranger!"

"N-No," the mare outside quickly said, "I'm not a stranger! I'm here for Mrs. Wishes!"

Crystal leaned forward to get to an angle where she could see. "Oh!" She slid out of her seat and trotted over. "Hello, Miss Ley Lines!"

Ley Lines glanced between Dot and Crystal. Dot held her ground, but once Crystal walked up behind her, she perked up, waved, and galloped back to the dinner table.

Crystal giggled, shaking her head. "Sorry, don't mind her." She shifted from one hoof to the other. "Did you find anything?"

"Weeell," Ley Lines started, glancing down at the folder of papers she clutched to her chest. She wrinkled her nose, pursed her lips, and sighed. "It's an absolute stalemate! I checked every book and research paper I could find in the library. For everything that said it was impossible to be a real ability, there are just as many ponies who cite that it's impossible to disprove. I can't find anything definitive!"

Slowly, Crystal's ears started to droop. "What? Are you certain?"

Ley Lines blew a puff of air to briefly move her mane out of her face. "Unfortunately, yes. I mean, short of studying a pony who claims to have this ability, I've exhausted myself trying to get a conclusive answer!"

"I see." Crystal lowered her gaze to the folder. Inconclusive. What was she supposed to do, then?

"Sorry." Ley Lines scrunched up her nose. "I've looked in every book I can find, but the best answer I have for you is that it may or may not be a thing."

With the best smile she could muster, Crystal straightened back up. "I understand. It's not your fault. Thank you so much for your diligent research. I hope it didn't waste too much of your time."

"Oh, not at all!" Ley Lines sighed. "I mean, I'm frustrated with the answer, but it is what it is. There is a lot about magic not even Star Swirl understood, so this isn't the only thing I've looked in to and came up with nothing. Anyway, do you want what I found?"

Crystal bobbed her head in a light nod. "Certainly. It'll give me something to read, at least. I wouldn't want your efforts to go to waste." She flashed an appreciative smile as her magic took the folder. "Thank you."

Ley Lines waved as she turned away. "Be sure to drop by if you have any other research requests! Hopefully something I can answer next time! Have a good day!"

"You, too..." Crystal sighed, pushing the door closed and tossing the folder on the coffee table. When she turned around, she found three pairs of eyes on her. "Yes?"

"What was that all about?" Iridescence blinked. "Is it research for something you're writing?"

Crystal waved a dismissive hoof, walking back to her seat. "Nothing, nothing at all. It was just an idle curiosity." As she sat down, she felt her gaze drawn to the folder.

Inconclusive... short of studying a pony who claimed to have the ability. Slowly, Crystal lifted her fork to take a bite of spaghetti. Well, then, perhaps it was time to do some research of her own after dinner.

♡

Madame Ouija's shop was rather unassuming on the outside from what Crystal had expected. There was no writing on the windows to lure ponies inside, only a single image of a brass incense bowl sitting at the base of a crystal, oval wall mirror. Silver tendrils of smoke rose from the bowl, and where they overlapped the mirror, she felt the strange sensation that there were eyes looking back at her through the haze.

Crystal glanced around to ensure the feeling wasn't just somepony actually watching her, but everypony seemed content with going about their own business and paying her no mind. Her gaze returned to the building and a frown crossed her lips.

Madame Ouija must have found ponies in need, not the other way around. Her shop certainly didn't boast of her extraordinary abilities. The thought conjured an image in Crystal's mind of a predatory timberwolf stalking the darkness of the Everfree Forest, hungry eyes seeking out the lost and the afraid... It chilled her to the bone and boiled her blood all at the same time.

Determination fueling her every step, Crystal marched up to the door and crossed what seemed to be a threshold into another dimension.

The air was heavy with wispy smoke that smelled of frankincense and myrrh. The lighting was dim, just enough to illuminate each individual, smoky strand that wrapped around her and tried to envelope her in a sweet, intoxicating embrace.

Her head felt light while her hooves were suddenly made of lead. She tried to take a few more steps forward into the room, but she struggled just to remain upright. Dark, plush velvet was draped along the walls as though she had stumbled into the inside of a jewelry box.

Through the fog, the sharp scent of citrus hit her nose and cleared her senses all at once. She saw movement ahead of her as striking turquoise eyes caught in the light. Slowly, a unicorn mare formed out of the darkness and stepped forward.

"Welcome," Madame Ouija said in a voice as smooth as silk. "I've been expecting you."

Crystal could only stare at the ethereal beauty in front of her. Ouija wore gossamer fabric over her lithe, dark caramel form that looked more like a glowing aura than a dress. Her voluminous silver mane was pulled into an elegant, four-stranded braid that glittered with small crystals throughout. Trinkets adorned her from head to hoof, such dangling earrings and jingling bracelets. None of it, however, compared to her eyes, which drew Crystal in with unspoken promises.

"Won't you have a seat?" Ouija gestured at a large sitting pillow in front of the low, round table in the center of the room.

Crystal merely nodded and stumbled over and onto to the pillow. The incense seemed less dense around the table, but she still felt light-headed and dizzy.

Ouija delicately lowered herself onto the pillow across the table from Crystal and gave a gentle smile that didn't reach her eyes, which were instead sharp and keenly focused. "You are, no doubt, Crystal Wishes. I was wondering when you would grace me with your visit."

"How?" Crystal blinked, surprised at the sound of her own voice in comparison to Ouija's. Did she always sound so raspy? "How do you know who I am?"

Ouija chuckled and shook her head. "The better question, my dear, is how could I not?"

Crystal narrowed her eyes. "I beg your pardon?"

"The little lamb I shepherd, Bonnie, breathes your name with reverence, Mrs. Wishes. You are the lighthouse and, as it would seem, I am the shore." Ouija spread her hooves wide. "You tell your lambs to seek help, and so she sought me. And help I have provided. Help I can provide to you."

"To me?" Crystal leaned back as if distance between them would protect her. "I'm terribly glad to say that I have no need of your services, Madame."

Ouija raised one eyebrow and looked at Crystal with a piercing gaze that seemed both focused and distant all at once. "Are you so certain of that?"

Crystal's blood ran cold. "Certain?" She almost jumped to her hooves, but her legs were frozen in place. "Yes! Of course I am! My husband's alive!"

"And because of this, you do not wish to see him? To see his face? You do not long for the vision of him, instead content with a slowly fading memory that grows dull with time?"

The image of Silent's vacant face from her dreams sent a shiver down her spine. "That's not the point. He's not dead, and you—you allegedly communicate with the dead."

Ouija waved a hoof, her silver bracelets ringing a melodic chime, and an oval mirror levitated from its spot on the wall over to the table. "I am capable of many things, my poor dear. I can show you your husband, dead or alive. If he were departed, I could bring his spirit here for you to say your goodbyes... But as his spirit is overseas, I can only show it to you."

Crystal reached out to push the mirror aside so she could stare into Ouija's hauntingly beautiful eyes. "No, that's quite all right. That's not why I'm here. I'm here to—"

"Take away the unfortunate Bonnie's happiness. I am aware." Ouija smiled and the mirror slid back between them. "Perhaps, however, you should seek to understand her better before you try to interfere. Gaze into the mirror, my dear... Gaze into the mirror and you shall seek out your beloved."

Crystal frowned at the mirror, then blinked in surprise when she noted something distinct: the surface was a subtle shifting of silvery hues that showed no reflection at all.

Thoughts of Silent suddenly crept into her mind. The war that escalated with each passing day, the danger he was in, the secret mission he was on... Longing seized her heart in a tight grip.

The mirror's surface rippled and, slowly, a blurry figure of white and blue started to form. Her heart raced and she leaned forward, squinting as if that would help. Then, all at once, everything came into focus.

His surroundings were an indeterminate swirl of varying turquoise hues, but the image of him was crisp and clear. There he was, walking forward and yet not moving at all, looking around at whatever was around him.

More importantly, however, his face was there: his silver eyes she loved, his stoic expression she missed. For a moment, she could have sworn she saw his head turn and his eyes meet hers, a smile briefly crossing his lips.

Tears started to fall down her cheeks and she reached out a hoof to touch him, but when all she found was cold, smooth glass, everything within the mirror vanished.

"No!" she cried out, nearly jumping onto the table. "Bring him back! Please!"

The mirror floated back to its spot on the wall and she was faced with Madame Ouija once again, a compassionate smile on the mare's face.

"You understand, then? You understand why it is that I do what I do?" Ouija rested her forehooves on the table and leaned in. "Your husband is alive, Crystal Wishes, and yet you are crying and pleading me to bring him back. Can you imagine, then, how Bonnie feels? That poor, unfortunate soul?"

Crystal recoiled and covered her eyes with both hooves, trying to drown out the racing thoughts in her mind. Silent was there. She had seen him. Hadn't she? Her head was heavy and full of confusion. It was an illusion. Just an illusion. How else could Ouija do it?

"No, no." She shook her head. "No, it's not real. It's not real. That wasn't real. It's just a trick. You're tricking me. You're tricking everypony!"

Ouija clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Am I?"

Slowly, Crystal lowered her hooves, glaring across the table. "Yes! You must be! It's too convenient. It's too easy! It's just an—just an illusion, a trick."

"Then you did not see your husband?"

"I—I saw an illusion." Crystal shook her head, silently praying for the tears to stop. "You're awful, doing this to ponies."

"Doing what?" Ouija's eyes narrowed just slightly. "Bringing them peace? Bringing them a sense of closure? Allowing them to say goodbye to the ones this war has stolen? Your Bonnie came to me a broken mare, and I have put her back together. Tell me, how is that so awful?"

"Because it's not real." Crystal wiped her eyes. "It's not real."

Ouija rose to her hooves and glided around the table, setting a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "You poor thing," she cooed softly as she lowered onto the pillow, never breaking eye contact, not even for a moment. "You carry so much weight here, don't you? So much weight, and yet you won't allow anypony to help you with it. I can, Crystal Wishes. Stay with me a while and I can ease your troubled mind."

The cadence with which Ouija spoke was almost like a lullaby. Her voice drifted into Crystal's ears, and her intense gaze became all that Crystal could see and feel. She felt her eyelids getting heavy, her heart slowing down, and her nerves fading away.

"I..." Crystal swallowed as she tried to look away, but found herself frozen in place. "I..."

She wanted to see him again. His face so close to hers. His eyes, his lips, his ears, his mane... She would give anything to see him again.

The thought jolted her back to awareness and she shifted to put distance between herself and Ouija.

"No!" Crystal shook her head. "No, it's not right. It's not right. I can't do this. I have too much to do! This isn't right, it's—it's not right."

Ouija put a gentle hoof to Crystal's cheek and stroked it with a cool, soothing touch. Her hoof slipped down to cup Crystal's chin, locking their gazes again. "I certainly can't force you to stay, but I would like for you to."

Crystal shivered at the sensation of Ouija's breath on her face from their sudden closeness. "Why?"

"Because I want to help you, Mrs. Wishes... and I can. I can soothe the aches and worries that plague you. Imagine never having to worry another day for his safety. Every day, you can know he is safe and sound, because you can see that he is. Because I will be there, for you."

Ouija leaned in, an intrusion into personal space becoming an invasion of private space as their faces neared. Crystal felt all the breath leave her at once as she gasped and withdrew, rising to her hooves and backing away a few steps.

"I—" Crystal swallowed. "I have to go. I need to go." She clutched one hoof to her chest as if to comfort herself and the thoughts and emotions that raced through her. What had happened? Her mind was a haze.

A part of her wanted to run from a strange fear looming in the back of her mind, and yet a part of her wanted to stay because of the words she could remember. Ouija would let her see Silent. Whenever she wanted. Whenever she needed.

She could afford it. Whatever the price was, she had the means. Wouldn't it be better than waiting for his letters? Instead of worrying, she could spend her time helping others!

Ouija stood with one fluid motion, the auric gown shifting from the sudden movement. "Why don't you sit back down, Mrs. Wishes? You don't have to leave. After all, your husband is here. I can show him to you again. Wouldn't you like that, hmm?"

"No."

Crystal turned to run for the door, but the incense filled her nostrils and invaded her lungs. She stumbled over her own hooves, coughing for air.

Ouija tapped her hoof on the floor, her teeth flashing in a brief sneer. "Then, since you don't wish to see him, at least heed my words."

Crystal squinted through her tears to see Ouija's eyes half-lidded and distant. The tendrils of smoke in the air stirred to life, coiling and twisting like snakes rising up to strike.

"Your husband fights. He fights to protect his comrades. He fights, most of all, to return to you." Ouija's lips curled into a ghastly smile. "And he will, but beware, my dear: he will not return alone."

A chill sent Crystal's coat standing on end and she did the only thing she could think of through the incensed haze, through the questions that bubbled up, through the fear and the doubt... The only thing that made sense to a mare who came to fight and was so deftly disarmed.

She ran away.

Doing the Best I Can

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Crystal took a deep, measured breath. It was going to be okay. Everything would be just fine. She was in control. The air was clear, free of incense and confusion.

She had to save Bonnie. She would save Bonnie. She was the only pony who could. With the support of the group, she would ensure Bonnie saw reason.

Madame Ouija had no power here.

As she opened her eyes, she smiled and looked around the living room of her and Winterspear's home from where she stood. "Thank you all for coming here on such short notice. I apologize for the lack of seating, but this is an emergency."

Dawn shifted some from where she sat on the coffee table. "Is everything okay? Did you hear something about the war?"

Crystal shook her head. "No, it's something sinister here at home."

Golden let out a groan and put a hoof to her right temple. "Why did I not suspect it was about this?"

A few glances were shot Golden's way before all eyes returned to Crystal as she tapped a hoof against the floor. "I'm worried about our group's members. All of you, but Bonnie especially."

Bonnie looked up from her spot on the loveseat, hooves clasped around one of Weather Front's. "What?"

"I went to see Madame Ouija for myself." A shiver ran along her sides at merely saying the name. "She is preying on Bonnie, and—"

"That's a lie!" Bonnie gave an almost frantic shake of her head. "You don't know what you're talking about!"

Crystal sighed and kept her gaze on the other ponies present. She had led them since the beginning, and she would continue to do so. It was her duty. "There is something not right about Madame Ouija. I have never met a pony who was truly evil, but I can say with full certainty that Ouija is the closest I think I will find."

Bonnie jumped to her hooves. "You're wrong!"

"We are a group," Crystal continued, "because we understand each other. We know each other's pain. Ouija conjured an illusion of Silent and it nearly broke my heart. I can't even begin to imagine how Bonnie feels, but this isn't the way to heal."

"Oh, shove off, will you?" Bastion set down his forehooves and bucked his chair over to stand. "You can't go around making every pony with a little damage your pet project. You can hardly keep up with the ones you have already."

Crystal blinked, recoiling a few steps. "E-Excuse me?"

Bastion snorted and lashed his tail. "First you tried to help me, and I almost fell for it. The moment you thought I was well and good, you moved on to Au. Golden. Whatever you told her to call herself now. Now you're going to fix Bonnie? You think you can just bounce around, putting band-aids on everypony?"

"That's not—"

"Who next?" Bastion narrowed his eyes. "You're gonna try to fix this whole group, and then what? Then what will you do to feel good about yourself?"

The hairs around Crystal's shoulders stood on end. "I beg to—"

"I don't need your help," Bonnie said through her trembling chin and the tears falling down her cheeks. "I don't want it." She reached over and grabbed Weather's hoof. "Come on, Weather. I'll take you to see Madame Ouija. She can help."

"That's enough, please."

Though not a shout, there was a firmness to Verdant's voice that was otherwise usually absent. Calm, measured steps brought him to stand near Crystal and he looked at Bastion before continuing, "Nothing good can come from a shouting match. It won't put a stop to the war; it'll only create further strife here when that is the last thing we need."

He began looking around at other faces, Crystal's included. "Take a moment. Breathe. Remember why we are here. Our loved ones are going to need a place of peace to return to. Not more chaos."

The room fell into an awkward silence. Crystal stared down at her hooves, trying to sort out the buzzing in her mind. She was trying to help. Her intentions were good; she knew that in her heart. Slowly, she lifted her gaze to look around the room and was met with Bastion's contempt, Golden's indifferent shrug, Bonnie's glare, Weather's avoidance... What was she doing wrong?

Crystal's gaze lingered on Weather Front. Something was different about him. He didn't meet anypony's gaze and seemed to be desperately holding onto Bonnie. "Weather Front?"

Weather's muscles twitched and his wings snapped in close to his sides. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Are you all right?" She took a small step forward, freezing when he finally looked up at her.

Though he wasn't crying openly like Bonnie, she could see the pain clear in his eyes despite his effort to smile. "Storm did what Storm always does, ma'am. He—" His voice cracked. "He was at the Dreyri River battle. He stayed behind to protect his unit and—" He paused, swallowed, and shook his head as tears started to form. "The counselor said he died valiantly, isn't that gr-great? Valiantly, hah! He'd be so—so proud—"

Bonnie squeezed his hoof. "You don't have to talk about it here, Weather. At least not to her."

A pang shot through Crystal's chest. Weather Front's brother had died? She sucked in a breath that felt cold against her hot lungs. How had she not noticed the way Bonnie's focus had been strictly on him? The way she held his hoof so tenderly?

Crystal felt herself start to wilt when a hoof landed on her shoulder. She glanced at it, then followed it back to its owner: Verdant, who offered her a reassuring smile. It gave her enough courage to look back at the room and assess the situation with a level head.

Dawn's eyes were the only sympathetic ones she met. The rest were in varying states of uncertainty, scorn, and distrust.

A shiver ran along her coat, filling her with an almost dizzying sense of deja vu. She knew this feeling. Power and control were a palpable force, and she had lost hers. There was only one path left for her now.

"If Madame Ouija helps you," she said, her throat feeling tight as she forced the words, "then I'm glad for that. I'm sorry. Visiting her the other day just scared me so much, and I earnestly worry about you all."

At first, Bonnie's glare didn't lessen any, but after a moment she eased into an uncertain wariness. "I... can understand that." She settled back onto the couch. "I was overwhelmed when I first visited her, too."

Just as the room seemed to settle, a sniffle broke the momentary calm. Crystal looked over to see Toffee huddled on one end of the couch, doing his best to hide his lonesome expression.

"Toffee?" Dawn reached forward to put her hoof on his foreleg. "Toffee, what's wrong?"

He pulled his leg away from her and rubbed at his face. "I-I'm tired. I'm tired of sitting quietly and listening to everypony worry over everypony else while nopony cares about me."

Crystal slowly lowered to sit on the ground, defeat weighing on her shoulders as she quietly watched the scene unfold. What now? How else had she failed?

Dawn scooted forward to be closer to him. "What are you talking about? Of course we care about you! I care about you!"

Toffee recoiled to pull his hindlegs up onto the couch and hugged them to his chest. "I know you mean that, but..." He sniffled. "But it's hard. When we rode the train back, nopony noticed me. Nopony remembered how scared I am of trains. Nopony—"

Bastion snorted. "Oh, great. Another weeping case for Her Graciousness to resolve."

"Oh, that is quite enough." Golden stood up and moved to the center of the room. "Toffee, I'm sure these ponies are so very sorry they forgot about your fear of trains, but buck up. They were distracted by those who had just lost somepony. Be grateful that your wife is still alive."

She stomped a hoof, then pointed it. "Bastion, you can shove your attitude right up your plot. Either stand together with the group, or get out of the way. And as for you, Bonnie, I don't care if this Madame Whatever is real or not. Appreciate the fact that somepony cares about you enough to want to protect you."

Golden tossed her mane and stood to her full height. "With all of that said, I think we're done here today. Bonnie, take care of Weather. Dawn, comfort Toffee. Other than that, everypony, get out of here and go home."

Crystal raised one hoof to wave absently as the group of ponies left through the front door, which shut after the last one, leaving her alone with Golden and Verdant. "I don't understand," she murmured. "Why am I in the wrong?" She lifted her gaze to look at Golden, then at Verdant. "I'm not wrong. Madame Ouija is—if you met her, you'd understand, she—"

Verdant put a hoof on her head and gently tousled her mane. "You can tell a pony the truth about something a hundred times, but some truths need to be felt first for them to have any impact or hope of taking root. For Bonnie, this may be one of those times."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I know you mean well. Give it time. You cannot spare her a grief she desperately wishes to cling to right now. I know you want to ease that hurt, but she's not ready. It hasn't run its course."

Crystal gently wiped the corners of her eyes. "I suppose." She sighed and tried to smile. "I'm sorry. I'll see the both of you at the next meeting?"

Verdant nodded. "Don't worry. This will pass, as all things do."

Golden, however, remained where she was, waiting until Verdant had left before she said, "You're an idiot."

Crystal frowned and got up to walk over to the couch, which she dropped onto and stretched out on the more comfortable surface. "Why?"

"Why? Because you care too much." Golden gestured with one hoof in a vague circle. "Look at you. You're an absolute mess. So, I'll ask you in return: why?"

Slowly, Crystal closed her eyes and draped her foreleg over her face. "Because—Because what else am I to do? This is my job. My duty. I have to protect these ponies. I have to!"

Golden snorted, and Crystal heard hoofsteps moving away. "I'm going to go see Velvet. Maybe she can explain your insanity to me."

"Okay." Crystal peeked out from under her foreleg just in time to see Golden's blue tail disappear and the door shut. "... Okay."

The room was perfectly silent. Silent... Crystal sighed and closed her eyes. She missed him. She could deal with all of this if he were there. He gave her strength. He made her strong.

A hoof touched her shoulder and gently shook it. An equally gentle voice cut through the haze in her mind, "Crystal?"

Crystal lifted her head, freezing when she saw him standing in front of her, concern on his face. "Silent?" She raised her hooves to cup his cheeks. "Silent, you're home!"

"No." He grabbed her hooves. "Crystal, it's me. It's Winterspear."

Blinking a few times, her vision focused on the feminine features of his—her face. "Oh, I'm sorry." Crystal yawned and rubbed her eyes as she sat upright. "What time is it? If you're home already, I guess I fell asleep at some point."

Winterspear laughed softly. "It's almost dinnertime. I was thinking we could eat out tonight?"

"Actually." Crystal slipped off the couch and started toward her bedroom. "I was hoping, if you don't mind, we could go visit Mom."

"Mom? Like, my mom?" Winterspear trotted after her. "My mom Mom?"

Crystal levitated the hornlet over and slid it onto her horn. "If that's all right with you. I—I could really use her advice."

Winterspear reached out a wing to drape over Crystal's back and pulled her close. "Of course it's all right with me. Come on, if we leave now, we can have dinner there."

"Thank you," Crystal mumbled as she nuzzled her cheek to Winterspear's.

Winterspear smiled. "Anytime. Besides, I really need to see her more often."

They walked in relative quiet, making their way outside and finding a clear spot for takeoff. While Winterspear stretched her wings and limbs, Crystal focused on the amulet. She could feel it drawing her energy into the small gemstone that glowed with power. Her power. It was nice, even in a small way, to feel like she had control over something.

"Ready?" Winterspear flared her wings and hunched low.

Crystal nodded. She climbed onto the offered back and wrapped her forelegs around Winterspear's neck, burying her face into the soft blue mane that smelled of lavender and mint. With a giggle, she asked, "Is Iridescence trying something new?"

Winterspear inclined her head while she ran forward and leaped into the air to take flight. "Huh?"

"I don't recognize the smell of your shampoo. Lavender and mint? Sounds fancy and feminine, like Iridescence."

They wobbled some as Winterspear gasped, her wings flicking in from embarrassment before snapping back out. "Y-Yes, it's Iridescence's." Her ears turned red all the way to the tips. "We're in a committed relationship, so it's not strange!"

"I don't believe I said it was." Crystal laughed softly, resting her head against the back of Winterspear's and closing her eyes. There was no view to enjoy, not when her mind was riddled with uncertainty and doubt.

It was a quiet ride, the air growing colder the higher they soared. The peace gave her time to become keenly aware of herself: the slow, melancholic beating of her heart; the feeling of Winterspear's muscles tightening and relaxing beneath her; the twirling and dancing of her mane and tail in the wind. She fell into a calm, zen-like state while they traveled.

She was also aware of when they started to slow, and she opened her eyes to see Wallflower's home just ahead of them. Winterspear carefully landed on the fluffy cloud yard, glancing back at Crystal.

"Ready to try out that amulet?"

"Only if you promise to catch me if it doesn't work," Crystal muttered, glancing down at the puffy, potential death sentence.

Winterspear laughed and hunkered down. "Cross my heart."

Crystal tested one trembling hindhoof first. It found a solid surface that felt like the softest down-feather pillow and was followed behind by the other three hooves, each less tentative than the last until she was standing. On a cloud!

"Magic is amazing," Winterspear said, eyeing the glowing amulet.

"Oh, pish-posh." Crystal braced herself as she raised one hoof to wave it, ready at any moment to scream for help if the clouds gave way. "You can do this all of the time. I think that's more amazing."

Winterspear shrugged and started forward, though she kept one eye on Crystal. "If you say so. Come on, the sooner we drop in, the sooner we can eat."

Crystal just smiled, her attention focused on her hooves as they landed on the soft but solid surface. It felt like a dream. She wanted to bound and prance and roll around, but a stray sound of Bonnie's voice from earlier that day snapped her back to why she was there.

"Well, hi, girls!" Wallflower called from where she leaned through the kitchen window. "If you haven't eaten yet, you're in luck. I was making extra to freeze and reheat for later this week, but it should be plenty for the three of us. Door's unlocked, let yourselves in." She smiled before disappearing back inside.

When they went into the house and turned the corner to the kitchen, they were met with the wonderful aroma of vegetable stew. Wallflower wore a floral apron and had her mane pulled back with a matching scarf.

"What brings you two by at this hour?" Wallflower paused to stir the soup, test it, wrinkle her nose, and then add a pinch of salt and pepper. "Surely not my cooking."

Winterspear trotted over to peer inside the pot. "Crystal wanted to see you. She said she needed your advice on something."

"Is that so?" Wallflower turned her head to look at Crystal. "What is it?" All it took was a droop of Crystal's ears and Wallflower lost her soft and gentle air. "Winter, mind the stove. Crystal, let's go into the living room."

Crystal followed her, watching as the mare untied her apron and scarf and folded them. Each movement was precise and careful, just like when Silent would remove his armor. The image of her when they first met during Silent's coma jumped to the forefront of Crystal's mind, cold and uncaring and methodical.

"What's happened?" Wallflower asked, her back to Crystal, each muscle tight and her posture perfect.

"I—" She bit her lower lip, hesitating. Wallflower was a changed mare in some aspects, but she was still a military wife and mother. Did that mean she would understand, or find her issues petty?

"Is it Silent?" Wallflower turned around, her eyes soft and the very opposite of what Crystal expected. "Did something happen?"

Crystal's ears jolted upright. "No! No, he... He's fine, or at least, he was fine. I haven't heard anything to the contrary. No, this—this is about me."

Though the tension in Wallflower's face relaxed, the guarded tone in her voice didn't lessen. "What happened, dear?"

"My support group." Crystal dropped down to sit on the floor, feeling too weak to walk over to the couch. "What is yours like?"

Wallflower hummed as she walked over and sat beside her. "We get together, we have tea, and we talk about our worries. We confide and enjoy the company of ponies who understand our fears."

Crystal furrowed her brow. "Is there a pony... in charge? A pony who makes sure the rest are safe, even if they don't want it?"

"No?" Wallflower inclined her head to meet her gaze. "We're equals. We take care of each other." Her ear flicked. "Why do you ask? Is there a pony in your group being a bully?"

Crystal open her mouth, but no sound came out. Slowly, she wilted against Wallflower and whimpered out, "I believe I'm the bully, Mom. I didn't mean to be, but... it seems that intent doesn't matter in situations like this."

There was a pause—perhaps out of surprise—before Wallflower wrapped a foreleg and a wing around her and pulled her closer. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm certain that's not true. Why don't you tell me what happened and we'll figure things out?"

"I... I tried to stop one of the members from seeing a vile mare who claims to help. I'm trying to save her from Madame Ouija." Crystal shivered. "I thought it was my duty to keep them safe. Am I wrong? When we all met for the first time, I brought them together, and—"

"Shh, shh." Wallflower lightly bopped her on the nose. "I think you've lost sight of what's important, sweetheart. Perhaps they needed you when everything was chaos, but not anymore. Now, you all need each other. Equally. Stand strong together with them, not in front of them. You're not a soldier. We're not soldiers. We're just civilians trying to survive. I learned the hard way that we're just not meant to shoulder everything ourselves."

Civilian. That word had such a new meaning to her. Before, she didn't want to be treated like one. She wasn't 'a pony like you', she was a pony who understood. And now that she truly understood, she almost wished she didn't. Life was so much easier when she lived in a comfortable bubble of ignorance.

Crystal inclined her head to gaze up at her. "Then—What do I do instead? How do I stay busy? If I'm not busy, I think about him." Her breathing grew slightly erratic as her heart started to race. "If I think about him, I start to worry. And when I worry, I feel like I'm going to fall apart. You feel that way, too, don't you? It's not just me?"

"You're not alone, dear. When I thought you were going to tell me something about Silent, my heart was already broken." Wallflower tucked Crystal's head under her own and stroked her mane with one hoof. "As for what you do, well, as a wise mare once suggested to me when I was in need of distraction: find a hobby. Of course, you have something better than a hobby. You have your serial, and we're enjoying it."

"'We'?" Crystal blinked. "We who?"

"Oh, well, I suppose I should clarify what I meant when I said we have tea at my support group." Wallflower chuckled softly. "We drink tea while we talk about what we've read recently, and two of the mares in my group also read serials in Mares Monthly." She rubbed Crystal's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "So focus on that to keep the worry away, all right? That is enough stress to carry."

Crystal looked down at the white cloud beneath them, then forced a smile. "I suppose you're right. I have been feeling so stressed lately. It might be nice to... refocus." She nuzzled closer to Wallflower and closed her eyes. "Thanks, Mom."

"Anytime, sweetheart." Wallflower gently patted her cheek. "Anytime."

Bother Me a Little Bit Longer

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Crystal stared at the deep, rich mahogany wood as her forehoof traced the pattern of it. The surface was almost perfectly smooth, rivers of black running through the dark brown that created the subtlest of ridges and valleys. A tree had been cut down to make this table. A tree that had grown in a forest—tall and strong and proud—until somepony came along and tore it down.

How did that tree feel, having survived for so long only to be felled in one, single moment?

A hoof waved in front of her face and Miley's voice squeaked, "Hi? Equestria to Crystal?"

Crystal blinked and lifted her gaze to see several pairs of eyes on her. "Huh?" She flushed. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry. I must have gotten lost in my thoughts."

"Yeah, we noticed," Winterspear lightly teased. "You didn't close your eyes for the night phase. You've just been sitting there with your eyes open the whole time."

"I thought something was strange when I opened my eyes for my night action and you were awake, too," Runic said, his nose scrunched up. "But then I thought, maybe she just forgot how the Clairvoyant works."

The Clairvoyant. Crystal's coat bristled as she stared at the role's token in the middle of the table and spat, "There's no such thing."

Runic tilted his head. "Huh? Of course there is! That's one of the roles." His hoof started to reach for the face-down card in front of Crystal. "Let me just—"

"Runic!" Miley swatted at his hoof. "Don't cheat!"

"Why not? She cheated first! I just want to see what she was supposed to do. Maybe she has a special role I've never seen before?"

Winterspear tapped a hoof on the table to draw attention to herself. "I think I know what this is about."

Crystal glanced up at her, ears folding back. "You do?"

"I overheard your talk with Mom," Winterspear admitted with a sheepish smile. "Is that what's bothering you?"

Crystal didn't respond; she didn't have to. The traitorous tremble of her lower lip said everything she tried to shove aside and ignore.

Luna leaned forward to catch Crystal's eyes. "Would you like to talk about it?"

After a moment of hesitation, Crystal sighed and crossed her forelegs on the table, shaking her head. "Princess—"

Luna's ears stood up at the formality, but she said nothing.

"—you know a great deal about magic, don't you?" Crystal furrowed her brow. "How much do you know about magic relating to conjuring spirits?"

A rustling sound of her friends at the table shifting in their seats and glancing at one another filled the air with confused tension.

"Spirits?" Luna straightened up. "As in of the dead? I am aware of much speculation, but little proof." Her eyes narrowed just slightly. "What brings this topic to light?"

Crystal's chin trembled. The gazes on her turned sympathetic and concerned, and all at once, she hardened her resolve as she looked up at Luna. "There is a pony who claims she can reunite ponies with their lost loved ones by conjuring their spirits. Is such magic even possible?"

The crease of Luna's brow smoothed and her lips pulled into a taut, thin line. She met Crystal's gaze and held it, a serious, contemplative look in her eyes until she finally asked, "Are you asking me as a friend for my personal opinion, or as a princess for the reality of the matter?"

"Both?" Crystal asked in a soft voice.

"Very well." Luna leaned back in her seat and sighed, her flowing mane glimmering with countless stars. "I do not believe in such magic. To my knowledge, it is beyond even my sister's powers and she is the most magically proficient pony I've ever known, alicorn or unicorn alike. No tome or scroll I've read has ever proven such magic to be true."

Crystal's heart leaped into her throat. If the princesses spoke out against Madame Ouija and her ilk, then surely—

"But," Luna continued, interrupting Crystal's thoughts, "I cannot prove that it is an impossible feat. More importantly, however, that matters not. It is a service not unlike a stage magician, and ponies like the one of which you speak fall under the purview of..." Her nose scrunched up and she finished with a distinct tone of distaste, "entertainment."

And just as easily as she was elated, Crystal felt as though a rock had fallen to the pit of her stomach. "Entertainment?"

Luna gave a solemn nod. "Yes. It is not within my rights to deny ponies a service for which they willingly pay. Just as my sister and I cannot force a pony to cease drinking to excess or spending bits on frivolous luxuries, the same is to be said for entertainment." The word came out with the same venomous note as before. "My personal opinions cannot interfere with a pony's freedom."

"But—" Crystal's throat felt tight. "But, Luna, she—I just—"

Luna reached out a hoof to gently stroke Crystal's cheek. "I know this is not the answer you sought, and I'm sorry for that."

That wasn't fair. Luna couldn't do anything? But she was a princess! An alicorn! She could move the heavens, but she couldn't stop a charlatan?

Winterspear snorted. "It's despicable. So Crystal just has to watch as Bunny—"

"Bonnie," Crystal quietly, almost sadly corrected.

With a small, strangled sound of a chuckling snort, Winterspear tried to keep her expression from showing her amusement by scrunching up her nose. "—as Bonnie throws away her life on a lie?" She shook her head. "This Madame should be ashamed of herself."

Luna turned her empathetic but strong gaze to the whole table. "Please understand. It is not my place to say what is and isn't acceptable in a situation like this. Ponies go to mediums of their own free will. They are spending their own bits. There is no serious, undeniable harm done to themselves or others. Many ponies would call pastimes such as what we do"—she gestured at the game on the table and the cards in front of them all—"a waste of bits and a waste of time. That we are harming ourselves by not using our time toward more substantial pursuits."

Runic sighed, idly hoofing at his card. "Some ponies say I'm a menace with my experiments."

Iridescence winced and rubbed a hoof along her foreleg. "And I buy way, way too many cosmetics. Even Winters teases me about it."

"But that's not the same!" Winterspear looked at Iridescence with wide eyes. "Cosmetics and—and that aren't the same at all!"

Luna shook her head. "Where is the line to be drawn, then? Who decides where that line is? What is fair to everypony?" Her magic started to gather up the role cards into a pile. "It comes down to harm. Were I to have, beyond any shadow of a doubt, certain proof that mediums cause harm to others, then I could urge the parliament to take action. Otherwise..."

After they were shuffled together, one by one, each card was dealt back out. Luna offered a small smile. "Shall we try again, this time closing our eyes appropriately?"

Normally, the distraction would be welcome, especially with the way Crystal felt drained as her last option had vanished into thin air. She had to accept the truth: Bonnie was free to make decisions for herself, and Crystal could do nothing about it.

The game, instead, felt tiresome and slow. All she wanted to do was go home, make some tea, and go to bed. Perhaps she'd feel more like herself in the morning.

Crystal caught a pair of violet eyes on her and she flashed a weak smile. Velvet returned it with a frown, then cleared her throat. "Sorry, guys, but I need to go. I just remembered that I have practice, like, tomorrow morning." She stood up and glanced at Crystal. "Hey, Crystal, can you come with me? I found something of yours the other day when I was cleaning your old room."

"Aww," Runic said with a foalish pout. "You're turning in early?"

Velvet waved a hoof. "It's, like, almost midnight! That's not early."

"'Tis early for us, thy Princess of the Night," Luna said in a haughty tone, mock offense on her face. "Hardly hath my moon reached its zenith and already thou seekest to leave us?"

"Yup." Velvet faced her with a grin. "I mean, come on, Princess. You want me to stay cooped up when I could be out under your glorious moon?"

Luna's lips quirked into a smile before she cleared her throat and waved a hoof. "Very well. Thou hast our permission to steal away fair Crystal and enjoy our night."

Crystal slowly stood, smiling at the table of ponies. "I'm sorry to leave early. To be fair, I'm not quite feeling like myself. I'll bring my normal self to the next game night, though, I promise."

"Don't worry about it," Miley chirped. "Just rest up and feel better!"

Crystal nodded and waved to them all before she trotted after Velvet, who was already making her way out of the room and into the hall. As they made their way out of Luna's wing, the House Guards would nod in acknowledgement of her passing by. However, when they were out in the common hall, she noticed a palace guard that seemed out of place. She paused to look up at his face beneath his helmet, her lips pursing in a moment of thought.

He was young. Young and inexperienced. His eyes wandered rather than remaining fixed forward. Somehow over the years, Silent’s experience had rubbed off on her; she could spot everything wrong with the way this guard stood.

Her lips curled into a smile and she stood to attention. "Like this."

He blinked and looked down at her, then flushed as he snapped into action like a spring-loaded toy. "S-Sorry, ma'am!"

"You'll get the hang of it." She winked and turned to see Velvet staring at her. "What?"

"Are you flirting with him?" Velvet whispered, glancing around almost nervously.

Crystal's ears jolted upright, her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open. After a moment to recover her senses, her expression dropped into a scowl. "Velvet Candylicious Step! The gall of you to even suggest such a thing!" She shoved her shoulder against Velvet's and trotted forward, tail held high and nose stuck in the air. "Honestly."

Velvet hurried to fall into step beside her. "Well! I mean, you know. You know? It's been a while, right?" Her ear flicked. "Aren't you... lonely?"

"Of course." Crystal's playful air deflated into a somber mood as her tail drooped and her eyes lowered to the ground. "But you and I are opposites. You have intimacy with no love. For me, I can't fathom being intimate with a pony I don't love."

There was a pause before Velvet replied simply, "Oh."

They walked in relative silence out of the castle and courtyard, Crystal merely following Velvet's lead until they started to wander into what she recognized as the more Velvet-friendly district of Canterlot. Rave music permeated the air from a nearby club when a door opened to let a group of giggling mares out.

"Uh, Velvet?" Crystal sidled closer to her. "Where are we going, by the way?"

Velvet shot her a lopsided grin. "Where else does a pony go at midnight to feel better?"

"The club?" she squeaked. The idea of alcohol was tempting, granted, but Velvet sometimes pushed it to the limit and she wasn't looking forward to a hangover.

"Okay, where else does a pony that's not me go at midnight to feel better?"

Crystal blinked, tilting her head. "Bed?"

Velvet let out a playfully frustrated sigh. "Oh my gosh, the Pancake Shack, of course!"

"The... what?" Crystal furrowed her brow. "Pancake Shack?"

Velvet came to a sudden halt and looked at her with wide eyes. "Wait, seriously? I mean, I know we've never gone there together, but you've never been to the Pancake Shack?"

Crystal gave a slow, cautious shake of her head. "I have no idea what that is."

"Wow, okay, Mrs. Apparently-Too-Good-For-Pancake-Shack." Velvet grinned and hooked her foreleg around Crystal's to tug her along. "I don't know if our commonfolk fare will be good enough for your high class tastes, but hopefully you can survive the experience!"

A laugh escaped Crystal and she hurried to keep up with Velvet's excited gait. "I'm sure I will, but I thought we were going to your place?" She gasped. "Wait, did you lie? To the princess? Velvet! What would your mother say?"

Velvet snorted. "Probably something like 'Velvet Candylicious Step'. Seriously, where did that even come from?"

"It seemed appropriate." Crystal giggled lightly, the sound dying in her throat like a fading ember. "I... don't feel quite like myself lately. One moment I'm fine, the next I'm grasping desperately for something to make me feel normal."

Velvet's expression grew serious as she nodded. "I get ya. Kinda. I mean, sort of. I know things are—well, they—they're different for you than they are for me."

Before Crystal could press her for more details, Velvet gestured at the building they came to a stop in front of. "Here it is! The Pancake Shack!"

The little eatery was nestled between two larger, more prominent buildings, and seemed insignificant by comparison. It had one large window that had an image of a stack of pancakes on it and the door was a deep pine green in color, some of the paint flaked and faded. The interior, Crystal discovered when Velvet led her inside, did not make up for the exterior. The tacky black-and-white checkerboard floors paired with the seafoam green booths just screamed desperately for a serious renovation.

"I know, I know," Velvet said, sliding into the nearest booth. "It doesn't look like much, but they make great, cheap pancakes and are always open."

Crystal paused to examine a tear in the seat she was supposed to take. The material around the rip was crackled, like a refining mask that had dried too long. Gingerly, she settled onto the cushion, trying to ignore the mental image of what was beneath her. "It's fine." She levitated the menu in front of her and blinked. "Oh. Well, that's rather straightforward, isn't it?"

The menu was split into three sections: a short square of the prices per pancake stack that got cheaper the more you ordered, a long list of ingredients that could be baked into the pancake, and an even longer list of syrups, toppings, and creams. The variety was, admittedly, quite impressive, even if the font was somewhat gaudy for such a down-to-earth establishment. And the corner of her menu had a coffee stain on it—at least she thought that was coffee. Or was it maple syrup?

Velvet's voice cut into her thoughts and brought her back from the land of critical overthinking. "Yeah, right?" She grinned. "But the problem is narrowing it down. Seriously, though, one day, I want to bring a bunch of friends and just be like, 'Bring me everything!' Just a huge trough of pancakes and fruit and syrup and, well, yeah. Stuff."

Crystal shot her a sly smile. "With you involved in eating it, I'm not sure you need a bunch of friends. Just one or two."

Velvet tossed her head back as she laughed freely. "Rude!"

A companionable silence fell on them while Crystal mulled over what she wanted to eat, the stillness disturbed by Velvet asking, "So, uh... You okay?"

Crystal glanced up at her, one brow raised. "Hmm? What do you mean?"

"With, stuff. Life." Velvet rubbed her neck, gaze darting down and away. "Like, I know we're living different lives right now. The—the war doesn't really affect my stuff. I'm doing ballet, I'm trying to adopt, I'm hanging out with my family... like normal."

Normal. The word rang in Crystal's mind with a certain hollowness to it. It echoed from her ears down to her chest, which clenched with a strange, bitter feeling of envy. "It is what it is." She smiled, waving a hoof to dismiss the topic. "Tell me more about the adoption. How is that going?"

Velvet scrunched up her nose. "I dunno. I guess it depends. It's great, but not for me."

"Why not?" Crystal dropped her gaze back to the menu, though her ears remained alert and facing toward Velvet.

"There just aren't a lot of foals in need of parents." Velvet sighed as she set down her own menu. "Which is, you know, great! Great that there aren't orphanages everywhere overflowing with lonely foals. But, well, not great for me. There's a long list of ponies ahead of me that have been waiting a while. I'm—I dunno. I guess I'm feeling down about it. And I feel guilty for not—for not knowing how to understand you? For not being on the same page? I dunno, I just..." She trailed off with a shrug.

Settling on poppyseed pancakes with lemon syrup, Crystal put her menu aside and reached out to take Velvet's hooves in her own. "I admit, it's strange for me to imagine living a life right now that's not consumed with the war." She smiled, giving a brief but comforting squeeze. "But our lives have always been different from each others', haven't they?"

Velvet snorted and grinned. "Yeah, that's one way to put it."

"And yet, we've still found ways to support each other." Crystal leaned across the table to press her forehead to Velvet's. "So, I'll encourage you while you struggle with adoption, even though I can't fathom how you're not brought low by the war."

Velvet's grin softened to a smile and she nodded just slightly. "And I'll encourage you while you struggle with the war, even though I can't fathom how you're not brought low by my adoption woes."

After a moment of holding each other's gazes with serious expressions, they burst into laughter and pulled apart. For one night, at least, Crystal could enjoy a taste of normalcy, a taste of the way things used to be before she lost her sense of self to the war. And, wonderfully, that tasted like delicious pancakes and sweet friendship.

Always Afraid of the Change

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The air was stagnant and suffocating. Crystal had already thrown her covers aside and lay on the bed with her limbs stretched in every direction, but her coat was still matted with sweat. She stared up at the ceiling, praying for sleep, begging for slumber, wishing her eyes would close and the world would drift away for even just a few minutes.

Coming back to Canterlot was a mistake. She didn't belong here. She should just pack her things and stay in the Crystal Empire where her days were filled only with insignificant, small victories. The weight of failure was too much and not worth the chance of success.

With an aching groan, she rolled over and off the bed. Her hooves fell as softly as she could manage while her magic brought over her satin evening robe to wrap around her form in a soft embrace. Who was she kidding? She was a writer and a housewife. She was no leader. She had no business trying to manage other ponies. Her place was on the couch with a quill and a fantasy. Reality was not her place.

The apartment was bathed in moonlight, illuminating her path to the kitchen. Tomorrow she had another support group meeting where she would have to listen as Bonnie spoke about the wonderful Madame Ouija. Her and Weather's outlook certainly seemed better, but it left a sickening feeling in Crystal's stomach to see their smiles. That happiness was based on a lie.

Crystal quietly set about the task of making herself a batch of tea. It was the only true comfort she had left. She had read Silent's letters so many times that she knew them by heart, and she had no clue when the next would arrive. He was still on his secret mission, or at least she prayed to Luna that that was the case. She didn't have the strength to find out otherwise.

"And he will, but beware, my dear: he will not return alone."

A shudder coursed through Crystal and her magic flickered out, dropping the teacup she had been levitating to the counter. It hit the ground and the sound of it shattering echoed throughout the stillness. Crystal winced when she heard the muffled sound of movement through Winterspear's bedroom door before it opened and the mare came barreling out.

Their eyes met and Winterspear's combat-ready posture relaxed, though her expression shifted to one of furrowed concern. "Are you okay?"

"Mm." Crystal nodded while her magic collected the broken shards to dump them in the waste bin. "I'm sorry. I lost my focus and—"

"It's fine." Winterspear walked over and glanced at the boiling kettle. "Can't sleep?"

Crystal sighed, closing her eyes. "It seems that way."

"Would you like some company?" Without waiting for a response, Winterspear leaned against the counter, reaching up into the cabinet to grab two teacups.

Crystal reopened her eyes with a soft smile. "I wouldn't say no, though I don't want to keep you up." She focused on retrieving two bags of tea and set them inside the teacups, then poured the hot water. "I would hate for you to fall asleep while on duty because I have a little case of insomnia."

Winterspear's eyes softened as she stared at Crystal, worry creasing her brow. "It's not a little case, though, is it?" She cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck, gaze darting away. "I may spend a lot of time at Iridescence's instead of here, but I'm not blind. This isn't your first late-night cup of tea, is it?"

"No," Crystal admitted, sighing. She idly bobbed the teabags up and down in the water that grew increasingly darker shades of brown as it steeped. "But I'll be fine." She flashed a smile. "Besides, being up at this hour gives me more opportunity to talk to Silent."

"Oh yeah?" A smile spread across Winterspear's lips as she looked out the window over the sink. "How is he doing?"

Crystal hummed in thought while she gazed up at the twinkling stars. They danced with confidence, their certainty in his safety never wavering. "Alive and well. He's thinking of us, I'm certain of it."

Winterspear tapped on the glass that separated them from the outdoors. "You tell him to come home as soon as he can, all right? He has a pretty wife and a big sister who need him."

The stars continued their graceful dance of twinkling, a few standing out as bright beacons. Crystal smiled. Those contained their love, carrying the precious feelings across the sea to wherever Silent was.

A companionable silence reigned supreme as they merely watched the night sky, idly sipping their tea once it was ready. Crystal felt her body start to weaken with a hunger for sleep, but her mind was far too awake. If she tried to go to bed now, she would just lie there in a horrible state of buzzing exhaustion.

"Why don't we have a sleepover?" Winterspear asked, looking over at her.

Crystal blinked a few times. "A sleepover? Where?"

Winterspear nodded her head toward the living room. "Here?" A shy smile and a scrunched nose overtook her muzzle. "I never had sleepovers as a filly, but I do know they're more about companionship than sleep, and after the teacup scare, I don't know if I'll be able to go back to bed."

A sleepover. When was the last time she'd had one? The tension in her tired muscles eased as she giggled. "All right."

"Great! I'll get some pillows and blankets." Winterspear started to walk away, then paused. "Do we need anything else?"

"Oh, yes." Crystal turned toward the pantry cabinets and hummed as her magic rummaged through them. "We have some... ah, here!" She showed Winterspear the canister of popcorn kernels. "Popcorn!"

A laugh bubbled up and Winterspear cocked her head to the side. "Popcorn? What, for a film? We don't have a projector, though."

Crystal pawed at the air with one hoof. "Trust me. If this turns out to be a proper sleepover, we'll have much more interesting things in need of popcorn than a film."

Winterspear laughed again, shrugged, and trotted off to start collecting pillows and blankets while Crystal made the popcorn. Soon, the quiet night air was filled with the sound of kernels popping and mares giggling, especially when Winterspear retrieved a bottle of wine from the fridge to replace their tea.

The living room floor was transformed into a sea of fluffy comfort, and Crystal couldn't help but be reminded of Cloudsdale as she settled onto one of the two piles of pillows. Memories of her foalhood up until the night she and Velvet moved in together swirled about her mind, filling her with a warm nostalgia. Or perhaps that was the wine taking an early hold of her weakened state.

"So, what do we do first?" Winterspear asked, sipping from her glass before grabbing a hoofful of popcorn.

Crystal's tail swished. "We talk. About anything. Or nothing at all. Sleepovers are just a wonderful excuse to gossip."

"Gossip?" Winterspear snorted. "As if you Canterlot mares need an excuse for that."

Crystal gasped in mock offense, a hoof raising to her chest. "Well! I never!"

Winterspear returned the look with a grin. "The truth hurts, doesn't it?" She snickered and took another sip. Her tone softened as she continued, "Are you still upset about the Bunny and Ouija situation?"

Crystal stared at her a moment, then pursed her lips. "You're doing that on purpose this time, aren't you?"

"Huh?" Winterspear furrowed her brow, then laughed. "Right! Bonnie. Bonnie. My question still stands, though."

For a moment, Crystal didn't answer. She had to sort through the flood of thoughts going through her mind. Slowly, her mouth opened, but no sound came out. After a quiet whine, she mumbled, "Yes... and no."

Winterspear shuffled her forehooves and lowered her head down, peering over her wine glass, waiting.

Crystal sighed. She ran a hoof through her mane, tousled it, then rolled over onto her side. "I've lost my sense of self. I'm gravely upset about Madame Ouija, certainly, but more than that, I'm lost. Who am I? I thought I knew. I promised Silent that I would protect my ponies here while he protected his there, but it turns out I was a fool." The muscles along her sides twitched in agitation. "I was deluding myself into a false sense of authority."

They fell into another silence, this one less companionable than before. There was a tinge of awkwardness on the air. Winterspear searched for the words to say, but Crystal knew they wouldn't help.

"It is what it is." Crystal inclined her head to carefully sip from her glass without spilling any. "I'm exactly what I've always been: not a pony like you or Iridescence or Silent. I was playing house, but now I need to return to what I'm good at. Spinning fantasies is what a mare like me does."

"Okay, now just a minute." Winterspear reached out and lightly slapped her hoof to Crystal's nose. "You're the most us-like pony I know that isn't us. Even Mom's said it."

Crystal looked up at her, lips pursed. "But what do I do, then? I've lost my position in the group. What can I do to help? To make a difference?"

Winterspear booped her again. "I think it's more important for you to make a difference with yourself. But if you want to make a difference with me, pass me the popcorn."

With a soft giggle, Crystal pushed the bowl across the blanket. "Oh, I feel so fulfilled and complete. Thank you, Winterspear." Her ears wiggled. "Or, dare I say, thank you, Winters."

The white of Winterspear's coat offered no shelter for the flush that invaded her cheeks. "I—" She huffed. "I-I'm not embarrassed that we use nicknames!"

"Then why are you blushing?" Crystal grinned. "Are you still in the newlywed phase of your relationship?"

A squeak and a quick movement later, Winterspear had her face buried beneath two pillows, her wings flared out. "Mmph!"

Crystal wiggled to crawl forward. "Hmm? I'm sorry, I can't hear you!"

The pillows on top of Winterspear went flying as she jolted upright with another squeak. Her face was a shockingly bright shade of red that reached all the way to her ears. "I'm—" She sucked in a breath. "I'm thinking... of proposing."

"What?!" Crystal jumped up, dropping her wine glass and knocking over the bowl of popcorn in her rush to get closer. "Winterspear, what?!"

Winterspear ducked her head and hunched while her wings stretched forward to cover her face. "Y-You heard me!"

Crystal leaned down to duck her head under the wall of feathers, beaming up at her. "That is amazing! When are you going to propose? Have you picked the ring already? How are you going to do it?!"

The wings flared out and Winterspear backed away. She puffed out her chest and quickly said, "I don't know, I don't know, and I don't know!" She took a few deep breaths, then settled against the side of the couch that she had nearly crashed into. "It's... I'm scared."

Excitement quelled into a nervous confusion. "Scared?" Crystal lowered her rump to sit down. "Wh—oh." Her ears folded back. "Winterspear, it won't end up like that."

"How can I be sure?" Winterspear's frame trembled as her gaze fell. "I was so certain with Caramel, and look how that turned out."

Crystal swallowed. She scooted closer and put her hooves to Winterspear's cheeks, forcing their eyes to meet. "Were you?"

"Was I what?" Winterspear nibbled on her lower lip.

"Were you certain?" The nervousness was infectious as Crystal hesitated, but she forced herself to press on. "I've only loved Silent, but that love is certain to me. When I knew, I simply knew. Did you know?"

Winterspear went silent. Her eyes glossed over and her shoulders slumped. "I—I thought I did. But—" She paused to take a deep breath and a weight seemed to be lifted from her as she smiled. "But when I think about how I felt compared to how I feel, I think I was wrong. This relationship with Iridescence, I thought it was just a fling and she was just using me to stand in for Silent.

"I love her, though." Winterspear's voice was soft as she said the words. "I love her. I truly, truly love her. More than I ever thought I loved Caramel. I love raising Dot together, and I—"

Crystal put a hoof over Winterspear's mouth. "I don't think these words are meant for me. Save them for Iridescence." She winked. "I know she'll say yes."

"But you can't know. What if she says no? What if she says I'm just for fun?"

"I can and I do! Iridescence is an honest mare and my friend. She'll say yes."

With a soft smile, Winterspear pulled her into a tight hug. "I'm so glad Silent has you," she whispered, burying her face into Crystal's mane. "He better come home, or else I might just take you for myself."

Crystal couldn't help a laugh. "What was all that about loving Iridescence!"

"What, are you saying I can't have a mistress on the side?" Winterspear leaned back to grin at her. "Fine, fine, I'll just marry you both. Since you're an honest mare, too."

The laughter only returned in twofold and Crystal flopped over onto the scattered pillows. Winterspear joined her, leaning back against the couch and draped a foreleg over her eyes, but Crystal caught sight of a tear falling down her cheek.

"Winter?" Crystal sat up, stifling her laughter.

"I'm fine." To the contrary, Winterspear's voice hitched. "I just started thinking about—what if he—if he doesn't return?"

Crystal's lips fell into a somber smile. "He will."

A chill seized Crystal and froze her in place as she heard that awful voice once again. "He will not return alone."

Trembling, Crystal shook her head and repeated, "He will come home."

"This war wasn't supposed to be like this. My father's war wasn't supposed to be like it was." Winterspear pulled her hindlegs in and wrapped her tail around them. "My father didn't return the same way he left. What if Silent returns, but not the Silent we know?"

Crystal's ears drooped and she felt the trembling return. "Do you think—" Her throat felt dry as she forced the raspy words out from her nervous depths. "Do you think that, perhaps, your father did return the same, but... perhaps, he returned with..."

Winterspear raised her foreleg to peer at her, brow furrowed. "With who?"

"I don't know." Crystal shook her head. "I don't know. I'm sorry. My head is a mess right now. Why don't we—oh." She looked over at the spilled wine and winced, though simultaneously grateful for the easy change of topic. "Mm, I'm going to invoke sleepover rule number nineteen: all messes are to be dealt with by the parents in the morning."

Winterspear blinked a few times, following her gaze to the mess. "Uh, but won't we be the parents in the morning?"

Crystal shuffled over to her pillows and picked up a stray piece of popcorn. "That's for us to decide in the morning. I could also make Golden do it. I'm sure she'll drop by for our lessons bright and early."

"How is that going, by the way?" Winterspear tilted her head and grinned. "I know the media is loving her new campaign. Iridescence sure is. She bought some new earrings from Golden's new line."

Crystal waved a hoof while her magic righted the wine glass and retrieved the bottle to refill it. "We'll see. She's changing, that's for certain. She smiles more." The very thought of it brought a smile to her own face. "I think she's less lonely, and at the very least, that's worth everything."

Winterspear picked up her own glass and clinked it to Crystal's. "Maybe the group leader thing didn't work out the way you wanted, but you're a good friend. And your story's doing well from the volume of fan mail I've seen. Isn't that better, anyway?"

Crystal giggled, taking a sip with her. "I suppose it is pretty nice." She kept the smile as sincere as she could, but her mind drifted.

She wasn't a leader. She never had been. So, instead, she was going to write and focus on the friends she had. Once upon a time, that was all she ever wanted, so why should that be any different now?

If I Can Be Strong

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Crystal idly read over a fan letter and sipped from her teacup, enjoying the relative silence. There were so many things said in the stillness while she waited for Golden to recollect her senses.

"What in Celestia's good name happened here?" Golden finally asked, her eyes wide as she looked over the living room, tugging her shawl tighter around her shoulders as if that would shield her from harm.

The pillows and blankets were strewn about, popcorn scattered here and there, and a few spills of drinks dotted the landscape. It was a crime scene that—assuming the spills were juice rather than wine—normally only had one culprit: fillies. Crystal simply smiled and hummed.

Golden was still standing just inside the doorway, one hoof raised to gesture at the mess. "Did you host a sleepover for that little filly? The one that is always making a mess?"

"Dot? Oh, no." Crystal waved a dismissive hoof. "Dot doesn't come over very often anymore. She's discovered colts, though they haven't discovered her yet, much to her disappointment."

Golden glanced at her. "Well, are you going to explain who made a wreck of your living room, then?"

Setting the letter aside and opening the next envelope, Crystal replied, "Winterspear and I."

At first, Golden just gawked. Then, once she regained her composure, she scoffed and walked the rest of the way inside. "Honestly. How old are you?"

"Old enough to know it's all right to have fun from time to time." Crystal tilted her head to spy a few pieces of popcorn, which she gathered up in her magic and flung in Golden's direction. "Give me a moment to finish going through my mail and I'll clean up."

Golden frowned as she smoothed out her coat where she'd been pelted. "So you want me to wait while you do chores? Why didn't you take care of these things before I got here?"

Crystal giggled lightly. "Because I wanted to see how you'd react." She gestured at the loveseat. "Make yourself comfortable. I thought you might like to hear how ponies are reacting to my current story."

"Of course." Golden rolled her eyes, but when she sat down, her gaze was intently—eagerly, almost—on Crystal when there was a drawn-out moment of silence. "Well?"

"Oh, I was just giving you a moment to complain." Crystal grinned behind the letter that levitated in front of her.

Golden huffed and tossed her mane. "Foals complain. Ladies quietly seethe. Now, what did this fan say?"

While Crystal quoted bits and pieces from the heartfelt letter, she glanced occasionally over at Golden. Genuine interest was in the mare's smile, but there was something in her eyes that seemed almost lonesome. They made it through three letters before Crystal lowered the remaining two.

"Is everything all right?" Crystal asked, furrowing her brow.

"What?" Golden straightened up and regained a stoic, guarded composure. "I was listening. Is that a crime?"

Crystal made a vague gesture in Golden's direction. "Something seems to be on your mind. We're friends now, you know. We can talk about things."

There was a long moment where Crystal was uncertain whether Golden would speak or not. Her expression was flawless and betrayed nothing; that was hardly a surprise, given that while Crystal had flitted in and out of the elite world, Golden had drowned in it.

"Your fans say such nice things," Golden finally muttered, looking down at her hooves with feigned interest. "When I receive letters, they're either obsessive claims, vulgar suggestions, or pompous nothings." She snorted. "'Oh, Au, your golden visage is only rivaled by your sapphire eyes. I dream of you each night, hoping to meet you one day.'"

Crystal's nose scrunched up. "Ponies really write that to you? Without ever having met you?" A gasp escaped her and she clasped a hoof to her mouth. "Oh..."

"What?" Golden frowned. "What's that look?"

"I just had a sudden, unsettling revelation." Crystal returned the frown. "That is a common scenario in romance stories. A stallion loves a mare from afar, or the other way around. Too shy to approach them, but consumed with an all-encompassing love."

Golden rolled her eyes. "Yes, it sounds so very romantic until you're the target of at least a hundred far away, all-encompassing loves. All of them are so hollow. What I really want is a stallion to look me in the eyes and say those things after spending a week with me." Her ears folded back and her gaze darted away. "Most stallions can't last a few days before they decide another mare is more preferable."

Sympathy gripped Crystal's chest in a tight clench and she opened her mouth, but Golden continued speaking.

"I wouldn't mind a letter detailing something other than my looks." Golden sighed, her eyes closing halfway and her head lowering to rest on the loveseat cushion. "But what would they say? Nopony knows me. I'm not certain I know me."

Crystal went quiet while she pondered how to help. What could she do, though? She had no influence on Golden's fans, and no helpful advice jumped to mind. "You—I suppose—" She nibbled on her lower lip. "You could..." Trailing off with uncertainty, her gaze landed on the remaining two letters. She offered a playful smile and levitated the one on top over to Golden. "Until we figure something out, here. You may have this."

Golden eyed the envelope, then burst into a short laugh. "If only it were that easy."

"Why isn't it? We could just pretend for a moment." Crystal floated it closer so that it poked Golden on the nose. "Take it. It's yours."

With a dramatic sigh, Golden's own magic snatched the envelope and tore it open. There was a long moment of silence while her eyes drifted over its contents before lifting up to meet Crystal's gaze. "I think this is intended for you."

Crystal sputtered into a giggle. "That's beside the point!"

"No, I'm serious." Golden waved a hoof at the letter as her magic carried it over to Crystal. "Just read it."

Crystal's brow furrowed, but she accepted it nonetheless and saw a formal letterhead at the top. This wasn't a fan letter.

Dear Mrs. Crystal Wishes:

I am writing to you on behalf of my employer, Inner Harbor Films. We are a small film production company based in Baltimare and have produced several films in the romance genre. Your track record of successful novels in this genre has been noticed by our company's president, and we would like to express our interest in working with you to bring The Desert Rose to life through a film adaptation. We reached out to your agent, Sunset Coffee, and he has forwarded us your direct contact information.

What has caught the president's attention is the exotic setting of The Desert Rose as well as what is shaping up to be a unique plot. Given the current status of Equestria, it is our belief that a film of this nature would be a successful one. While we are a small company, we have the experience to make a quality film on a small budget.

As you are certainly well aware, The Desert Rose is still a work in progress and, therefore, the screenplay would require your direct guidance. This would be an extensive undertaking, but our services and finances are at your disposal should you choose to accept this proposal. Please reach out with a reply to this letter with your availability so that I can set up an appointment with the president for you to discuss the full details of our offer.

Sincerely,

Miss Ive

Inner Harbor Films Representative

Crystal stared at the graceful hoofwriting, waiting for the words to change. Slowly, a bitter laugh was dragged up from her depths and she raised a hoof to rub her forehead. "Wonderful."

Golden's ears twitched upward. "Isn't it? It's quite an accomplishment. I've never heard of Inner Harbor Films, but then again, the film industry isn't of much interest to me."

Crystal lowered the letter to the coffee table, laughing again as her head swirled with awful thoughts. An accomplishment? At that moment, she didn't care. It was a perfectly understandable reason for ignoring everything. Bonnie, Bastion, Ouija... She could run away and work on this 'extensive undertaking' and forget about the rest.

"Crystal?" Golden waved a hoof. "You look like you're about to be sick. I understand that feeling. Excitement can—"

"I'm glad." Crystal touched her face, which felt hot and feverish. Hurriedly, she slipped off the couch and started to focus on cleaning up the sleepover debris. "They're not my problem anymore."

Not moving from the loveseat, Golden just watched her, brow starting to furrow. "Who?"

The cases were tugged off their pillows to be washed. "Bonnie. Bastion. Weather Front." She started to fold the blankets. "I didn't know what to do about them, and now I don't have to do anything."

"What are you talking about?" Golden asked with a note of wariness in her tone. "Of course you do. Who else will push them and the others to stay together?"

Crystal waved a hoof. She felt like she was suffocating from an unseen but unbearable weight pressing on her chest. "They seem to do a fine job of that on their own. Nopony needs me. I can focus on this film endeavor instead."

Golden snorted, shifting her hooves to cross one over the other. "I see. I had no idea you were such a hypocrite."

Crystal froze, ice filling her veins. "Pardon?"

"A hypocrite," Golden repeated with venom seeping into her voice. "All this time, you told me to better myself for the sake of others, but at the slightest confrontation, you turn tail and run away."

Whatever dam kept the feelings bottled up in her chest broke and Crystal turned sharply to glare at her. "The slightest confrontation?! Were you not listening at that horrible failure of an intervention? I have no authority! I'm not wanted there, so why should I force the issue?!"

Blue eyes bored into her as they narrowed. "Because the apparent lie you fed me was that we do things to help others. That that is the right and decent thing to do. But I suppose Bastion was right—you merely help others to make yourself feel better."

"That's a lie!" Crystal stormed across the distance between them. "Feel better?! I wanted you to be happy! For you, not for me!"

The narrowed eyes lifted from the smile that curled Golden's lips. "There you are."

Crystal blinked, her anger dying down into confusion. "What?"

"I was worried for a moment you had forgotten yourself." Golden raised a hoof to push Crystal's forehead. "You're just wounded. I understand that. But don't forget the mare that you are. I've grown attached to that mare."

Feeling suddenly drained, Crystal dropped down to sit on the floor. "I—I just..." She sighed, lowering her head. "It feels futile. I care so much that it blinded me, and I'm not sure how to recover. Running away seems so much easier..."

Golden rolled her shoulders in a light, graceful shrug. "Yes, it does. And that is why I can't fathom why that's the path you would choose."

"Because it's easier," Crystal repeated in a sullen voice.

Silence held them for a while until Golden gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. Run away for a bit, then. Recover your senses. I'll keep an eye on the group while you focus on this opportunity. As soon as your work is done, however, I'll expect you to resume leadership." Her brow arched. "I'm much better at keeping ponies in line than caring for them, and I'm sure they'll note that."

Crystal gawked at her with open surprise plastered on her face. "What?"

Golden sighed again, louder this time, and inclined her head away to stare at the wall. "I'm doing you a favor. Thank me and let's finish cleaning up this mess of yours."

A smile creeping onto Crystal's face, she stood up and threw her forelegs around Golden's neck, giggling when the mare huffed at the gesture. "Thank you."

Golden lifted a hoof and gingerly patted Crystal on the back. "Thank yourself. I'm merely putting into practice the concepts you've given me." The smile she gave was palpable in her voice as she added, "But you're welcome."

Crystal squeezed her before pulling away and glancing at the letter while she collected the discarded wine glasses. A break. A little mini-vacation, as it were, to focus on work. With everything else going on, she hadn't done a single tour or book signing that Sunset Coffee had said would come with going public with her name. She would really need to get serious about that soon if she was going to bolster her career with a film.

Perhaps this mini-vacation might be longer than Golden wanted, but that was a bridge to cross later.

"You know what? I can clean all this up later." Crystal turned and started toward the door. "Come on. I'd like to share the good news with Sunbeam and Pepper."

"Velvet's parents?" Golden slipped off the loveseat and trotted after her. "What about your own?"

Crystal's ears flicked back. "My father, sure. But he would just tell my mother, and I'm not quite ready to know what her thoughts on the matter are."

Golden clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth, nodding. "Ah. I understand."

Crystal opened her mouth to speak, but snapped it shut and just kept walking. Golden rarely spoke of her mother, and never in a way that wasn't backhoofed. There was something strangely satisfying in the quiet understanding between them.

The walk to Sunridge Sweets took twice as long with Golden not wearing her sunglasses. The 'Just Be Golden' campaign had spurred her to be as open and honest with herself as possible, and that meant not hiding behind shades or under giant hats.

One pony in particular stood out as she approached Golden, her ears folded back. "A-Are you really Golden?"

Golden raised her brow and flashed a flawless smile. "What do you think, darling?"

"Oh my gosh, you are!" The mare shuffled her hooves. "I just—I wanted to tell you how pretty you are."

Crystal felt her heart sink. Pretty. How awful for such a nice word to become so painful.

Golden, however, took the tainted compliment with perfect grace. "Oh, my. Thank you for saying so. My looks are vital to my career, after all."

"I, um, no, sorry." The mare sucked in a breath. "I don't mean like that. I mean—I mean now that you're... you. That you're just being Golden. It's really inspiring. You're... not unreachable, anymore, and it's made me feel like I can be pretty, too."

Composure fallen, Golden blinked a few times. She glanced around as if to seek out an explanation for the words before looking back at the mare. "Oh." She blinked again, then smiled, sincerely this time. "In my opinion, any mare who can say such nice words must be pretty. What's your name?"

"Thistle," she squeaked. "My name is Thistle Song."

"Thank you, darling Thistle." Golden's magic undid the glimmering shawl she wore, wrapped it around Thistle's shoulders, and tied it off neatly. "Your timing is impeccable."

Thistle merely gawked and flushed a bright shade of red, stammering nonsense as Golden turned to walk away. Crystal couldn't help a giggle at the extra spring in the mare's step.

"That must feel better than a fan letter," Crystal commented, trotting to keep up with the elongated gait. "Hearing it said right to your face!"

Golden chuckled lightly. "It truly does. I don't know why I had my little spell of weakness this morning. Clearly, I just needed more patience."

Crystal rolled her eyes and bumped her shoulder against Golden's. "Perhaps it was because you showed some humility that you were rewarded?"

A light huff was her only response. They walked in silence the rest of the way to the bakery, coming to a halt at the sight of a line that flowed out the door and spilled into the street.

"My goodness. I wonder what all the fuss is about?" Crystal tilted her head. "I don't think anything special is going on today."

Golden let out a long sigh. "And I suppose we'll have to stand and wait? Can we not simply come back another time?"

"Certainly not!" Crystal took a step when the line shuffled forward. "Aren't you the least bit curious?"

Saying nothing, Golden merely stood beside her, gaze wandering their surroundings. After a few more shuffles, she quietly asked, "Do you remember when they opened this place?"

A fond smile crossed Crystal's lips. "Of course. It was thanks to your father, and no thanks to you."

"I—" Golden's ears pinned back. "I'm not apologizing, if that's what you want. I was just a filly." She shook her mane out and stood taller. "I cried in my room the whole day, cursing your name. You always won. No matter what, things always worked in your favor." Her eyes grew distant and almost cold as she continued, "I can't help but feel that is still the case. But I find myself glad for that, rather than spiteful."

"I, ah, thank you?" Crystal glanced up at her, brow furrowed.

Golden bobbed her head in a light nod. "Mm. Life has a strange way of working out. I would never have thought I would call you my friend one day."

Warmth spread throughout Crystal's chest and she giggled while they crossed the threshold into the bakery proper. "Well, I never would have thought that—Red?!"

Golden shot her a look of confusion before following her gaze. Strutting across the room was little Red Velvet, a tray balanced on his head and a bowtie around his neck, Pepper close at his heels. He looked as happy as could be, and everypony oohed and awwed as he did his best to deliver treats to tables.

"That explains everything," Crystal managed through the laughter that had overcome her.

"Sugarpop!" a voice called above the noise, and Crystal looked over to see Sunbeam behind the counter, waving them over. When they were close enough, she launched into a tittering babble. "Oh, isn't he absolutely darling?! Pastries know what came over me, but I had the idea to dress him up and let him play pretend, and he enjoyed it so much, Pepper thought we should let him do a delivery!" She beamed with excitement. "My little Red is so popular! Nopony even minds how long they have to wait because we're fretting over my little babycake, and some even asked we do this!"

Wiggling her hooves, Sunbeam gestured at a glass jar that had a crayon drawing of Red on it and read: 'Cutie Tips'. The jar was half full with silver and gold bits.

Crystal hid a giggle behind one hoof. "Aww, that's wonderful! Well, I came by to deliver some news of my own, though it pales in comparison to this!"

Golden huffed lightly. "She's being humble."

Sunbeam looked at Golden as if having only just realized she was there. She stared blankly, then gasped. "Oh, muffin dough! I know you! I promise, Miss Golden, we're not normally this scattercookied, we just—"

"I know." Golden waved a hoof. "Velvet has made me more than aware of Red's effects on ponies."

Sunbeam's eyes widened. "Velvet? My Velvet? My Velvet Step?"

"The one and only," Crystal chimed. "Velvet and Golden are friends of a, uh, of a sort."

With a loud gasp, Sunbeam leaned in toward Crystal. "You don't mean that Velvet and she are—"

"No!" Golden practically shrieked, flushed, and cleared her throat. "No, not of that sort. Crystal is just trying to not speak for me." She sighed. "And making things worse. No, Velvet and I are friends. Normal friends. Everyday friends."

Sunbeam nodded slowly, but her expression didn't seem entirely convinced. Given Velvet's history, of course, Crystal wasn't entirely surprised, so she just cleared her throat and said, "Anyway, Mama Sunbeam"—she gave a tiny shake of her head when Golden shot her a curious look—"I want to tell you my news."

"Oh! Yes, sugarsnack, what's up?" Sunbeam smiled at her.

Crystal took a breath in. She knew what the reaction would be. She was hoping for it, really. "It's certainly not a done deal yet, but there's a film company interested in turning the serial I'm working on into a film."

A quiet squeak erupted from Sunbeam's sugary depths and, like a boiling tea kettle, the sound escalated into a high-pitched squeal as she enveloped Crystal in a tight hug. The smell of sugar and frosting and everything wonderful filled her senses, lulling her into a momentary state of overwhelmed bliss.

"Pepper!" Sunbeam bounced lightly, still clinging to Crystal. "Pepper Pumpkin Ridge! Get over here now!"

With Red on his back, Pepper practically stumbled over himself in his rush to hurry over to them. "What? What happened?" He noted Sunbeam's wide, beaming smile and his unease settled into curiosity. "What?"

Sunbeam nuzzled her cheek to Crystal's forehead. "Our sweet little sugarplum fairy is going to be a film star!"

Golden cleared her throat, amusement playing on her lips. "Not exactly."

Sunbeam either didn't hear her, or didn't care. She just kept squeezing Crystal and snuggling her, chittering sugary praises while Pepper proclaimed a celebration was in order.

Her surrogate parents were overflowing with excitement—excitement that should have been infectious and absorbed into her. It should have illuminated the swirling darkness around her heart. Instead, she felt consumed with the disturbing sense of relief that she was given the golden opportunity to run away from her problems.

She could just leave the support group in Golden's care. The mare was already surpassing her in empathy and kindness, although her methods were vastly different from Crystal's. Perhaps that was for the best. She would just focus on her career and leave her—those ponies to Golden.

It wasn't as if anypony would miss her overbearing, foalish nature, after all.

Play it Brave and Bold

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"Crystal Wishes!" Sunset Coffee cheered when she stepped off the train, his expression bright and cheerful as always. He rushed toward her and wrapped his forelegs around her, rearing back to lift her into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

Crystal squeaked as the air was squeezed out of her lungs. "S-Sunset—"

He laughed heartily as he put her back down. "Sorry, sorry! This is just one of the most exciting things of my career. I know I'm not technically a real agent, but if I were, this would definitely be the highlight." He grinned like a giddy colt. "Who am I kidding? This is still the highlight of any career I've had! A film!"

She laughed behind a hoof, shaking her head. "You must be excited. Your tie's on straight!"

With a quick glance down at his prim and proper tie, he shrugged. "Well, we have to make a good impression. My normal 'casual boss' look won't work here! And you, look at you." He chuckled as he gestured at the scarf around her neck. "Your lucky scarf!"

Touching a hoof to the soft, pink material, she gave a light nod and smiled. "This is likely a highlight of my career, too."

"Yeah!" Sunset started to trot forward, then stopped and spun around to face her, his expression suddenly serious. "Before we go, though, we need to talk."

Crystal's ears folded back. "Y-Yes?"

"This company. Inner Harbor Films. I watched some of their films after I got their letter, and I want to make sure your expectations are set straight." He put a hoof on her shoulder. "They do small films. Not quite low budget, but... don't expect the glitz and glam of a Bridleway production. As exciting as this is for both of us, keep that in mind, okay?"

A knot twisted her stomach. She should have done research on her own. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind!

"Oh, don't make that face." He winked and resumed leading her out of the train station and into the bustling city. "It's my job to think of these things! You just keep writing these stories that ponies love and we'll call it even." He stopped at the edge of the sidewalk, raised a hoof, and bellowed, "Taxi!"

Coming to a sudden halt in front of them, a stallion pulling a yellow cart flashed them a grin that was just a little too wide. "Hey! Whar yoose headed?"

Sunset gestured for Crystal to climb onto the seat first, then followed her. "421 East Hayette Street, my good sir!"

Crystal idly ran a hoof along the edge of the scarf as the taxi started forward. "Do you think it's a good idea?" She glanced up at him. "Is this a good idea?"

Sunset blinked a few times, then grinned. "Well, meeting with somepony never hurt! It's not like you have to agree just because we show up. At least hear what they have to say!" He clapped her on the back. "Don't worry. I'll make sure you don't get suckered into a bad deal. That's why I'm here!"

"And I'm grateful for that." She let out a sigh and watched the city go by.

While Canterlot was made of white stone and gilded accents and Manehattan was skyscrapers, Baltimare was a sprawling mix of stone and steel. Buildings rose high—but not so high that they interfered with pegasi flight paths—and stretched out all along the coast. All throughout the city, crabapple trees flared their pink petals against the neutral tones of their surroundings.

The cart came to a halt and the stallion looked over his shoulder. "Dat'll be sex bets!"

"Six bits!" Sunset puffed his chest. "Why, good sir, you barely broke a sweat!"

"Zarrite?" The stallion raised his brow. "An yoo can tellat frum dere?"

Crystal put a hoof on Sunset's, glancing up at him and then smiling at the driver. "Six bits it is." She floated the coins over to him, tugging on Sunset's hoof to guide him out of the taxi. "Thank you!"

"Have a goodun!" He trotted off, leaving the two of them on the sidewalk.

Sunset's nostrils flared. "Outrageous. Six bits for a short jaunt! We could have walked the distance ourselves and saved the money!"

Crystal giggled and looked up at the small, two-story building in front of them. She swallowed the nerves that suddenly fluttered up from her stomach. "But then we'd be exhausted and haggard. Didn't you say we need to make a good impression?"

"Well, that is true..." He smiled and started forward to get the door for her. "I'm just excited. I've never done this before!"

Crystal looked around the lobby, which was much more functional than decorative, but did have several framed posters along the walls. "What have you done before?"

Sunset added a small bounce to his step. "One sec." He smiled at the receptionist. "Hi there! Sunset Coffee and Crystal Wishes to see Prince Majesty." His attention returned to Crystal. "I've done a lot of things before! Journalist, editor, manager, coffee colt, janitor... When I met Bouqy, I worked for Cosmarepolitan, but she was avidly against them. So I was an accountant for a while, then I joined up with Mares Monthly!"

The words went right in one ear and out the other, her mind still hung up on—"Prince Majesty?" Her eyes widened. "There's a prince living in Manehattan?!"

"Nah!" Sunset waved a hoof. "I think it's just a pseudonym. Like a stage name or something. Or maybe he really is a prince! I didn't think there were any real princes, though, at least not in Equestria." He shrugged. "Maybe he's from overseas?"

Crystal stiffened. Overseas? Her mouth went dry and she gave a dumb nod, eyes darting about. The receptionist was a pony, but what if the producer was a gryphon? Could she do business with a gryphon?

The da-ding of the nearby elevator arriving drew their attention to it as its doors slid open. A stallion walked out into the lobby, flowing blonde locks caught in an invisible breeze, an aura of power emanating from him. His indigo coat shined in the light—not the shimmer of a crystal pony, but rather the gleam of exceptional grooming and care.

As he approached, he regarded the two of them at first with indifference, and then with a wide smile.

"So, I am graced with the presence of the C.W. Step." He bowed so low that the tip of his horn touched the floor. "Oh! Pardon me. Not C.W. Step, but Mrs. Crystal Wishes, yes?"

Crystal flushed and glanced up at Sunset, who just shrugged and grinned. She wanted to pout. Why had he come, then, if he was just going to react that way? Honestly!

"I am Prince Majesty, as I'm sure you surmised." Prince Majesty straightened up and gestured with a hoof toward the elevator. "Please, come this way. We have so much to discuss. I want to hear everything about this wonderful Arabian tale of yours."

The three of them filed into the elevator, Crystal trying not to suffocate on the lavender cologne the stallion wore. Being so close to him, however, let her feel the magic circling him, like a warm current; glancing him over, she guessed that was how his mane and tail seemingly moved on their own.

"I'm sure you have just as many questions as I do, Mrs. Wishes," Majesty continued. "Feel free to ask away. I am but your humble servant."

Sunset cleared his throat. "Well, our first question—"

"Tsk, tsk," Majesty interrupted, flashing a charming smile. "I am speaking to the lady! We can deal with the matters of business later. For now, I want to hear from Mrs. Wishes herself on a more personal level."

Crystal swallowed the lump in her throat. "Oh! I suppose my first question would be, why Desert Rose? Wouldn't one of my completed stories be better suited?"

Majesty chuckled. The elevator doors slid open to reveal a spacious office that was no more lavish than the lobby, the walls similarly adorned with posters. The far wall was floor-to-ceiling windows, and before them sat a wide desk.

"Why, because I'm completely enamored with your Saddle Arabia!" He circled the desk and sat, leaning into his chair, his bright red eyes dancing with interest. The light from the windows illuminated him from behind, catching in his flowing mane like spun gold. "I would almost think you have been there yourself. How do you do it!"

"I read, a lot," Crystal admitted with a small giggle. "I read almost as much as I write."

"Really! Well, I suppose from how well you convey scenes, it's not that much of a surprise that others can do the same." He winked. "I'm aware that Desert Rose is still a serial in progress, but I am not a patient stallion. If I see something I want, I don't wait until it's convenient. By then, who knows what other companies may approach you before I can!" He tapped a hoof on his desk. "No, Mrs. Wishes, I don't care for the idea of better suited. To me, there is only what interests me, and that is your Arabian tale."

A flush filled her cheeks and she did her best not to fidget. Ladies didn't fidget, after all. "Oh. I'm flattered that you've enjoyed it so much even though there's not very much of it out yet, thank you."

"Of course!" Majesty winked. "I've enjoyed your other works, but this one—this one is special. I can envision it! I can hear it! I can feel it! Now, my dear, I want to see it." He folded his hooves, his eyes just slightly narrowing. "I suppose now is when the talk of business begins, assuming you are interested in proceeding."

Crystal looked at Sunset and, trying to keep her smile small and dainty, nodded. "I am."

Sunset returned the nod and focused on Majesty. A serious but warm expression took hold of his usually jovial face. "First and foremost, Prince Majesty—"

Majesty clicked his tongue. "Please, call me Maj! Prince is my father's name."

"Right, right! Maj. First and foremost, there's the obvious issue of the fact it's an incomplete serial. Crystal has an outline that was approved by Mares Monthly, but doesn't have the actual content written. How do you plan to work with that?"

"Wonderful question!" Majesty spread out his hooves in a wide, welcoming gesture. "Of course, we'll compensate Mrs. Wishes to have her work with our screenwriter to finish the story. She'll be employed as a contractor." His hooves came back together, steepled this time. "Unfortunately, that means we'll require her time. The serial will have to be put on hold or cancelled. That, my dear, is entirely up to her."

Sunset looked at Crystal, his brow knitted with concern. "Crystal?"

Crystal bit her lower lip and looked anywhere but at either of them. She was a writer—did she really want to put her writing on hold to pursue this path? What would it lead to? Was it worth the risk? How would it impact her career, her fans?

When Sunset reached out to put his hoof on hers, she looked up at him with a smile. "What would you do?"

"That's not fair!" Sunset's coltish grin returned. "I've always taken any opportunity that comes my way. But I'm not you. Like Maj said, this is entirely up to you. If you want to do it, I'll deal with Kahuna so you don't burn bridges with us."

Slowly, Crystal breathed in and held it. She enjoyed films, even if they weren't popular. If this were a chance to have her work adapted into a Bridleway play, she'd be a fool not to take it.

Her gaze darted to meet Majesty's patient one. "How long would it take?"

Majesty hummed in thought for a moment, then shrugged. "If I pulled our best writer off what he's working on and dedicated him to this, and he had your full support, he could likely turn it around in four to six weeks." His lips quirked upward in a smile. "You could return to work after that, assuming you weren't interested in working with the director during the filming process."

Sunset gasped. "Ooh! That sounds like fun!" He quickly cleared his throat. "Again, it's up to you. Totally up to you." He rubbed his nose to try to hide his grin.

"It certainly does sound like fun, but..." Crystal shifted her hooves to cross one over the other. "I have to ask once more. How long would that take?"

"Well, certainly, the trip to Saddle Arabia alone would—"

Crystal's ears jolted upright. "The trip to Saddle Arabia? You mean to say that it would be filmed in Saddle Arabia? Actual Saddle Arabia? With actual Arabian horses?"

"Of course!" Majesty waved a hoof. "As if it could be filmed with Equestrians. That would be insulting to the setting I've grown to love! No, no, that wouldn't do at all. To Saddle Arabia my crew would go and, if you desired, with you to oversee and supervise."

"To Tartarus with the timeline, then!" She turned in her seat to face Sunset, seeing her own excitement mirrored on his face. "Do you think—"

"Yes!" He grabbed her hooves. "You should do it! I support you a hundred percent! A hundred and ten percent!"

Crystal felt her heart flutter and dance in her chest. Travel to Saddle Arabia, see sights she never imagined, try food she never tasted, be directly involved in the filming...

"Oh." The elation deflated in an instant as she turned back to Majesty. "There is only one problem, a question I would imagine you have, Mr. Majesty." She ducked her head. "The plot."

Majesty leaned in, clapping his hooves together. "Do tell! I am dying to know which of the stallions that Fatinah chooses. Oh, both are wonderful options, certainly, but the option you have picked for her is the most important."

Nerves replaced the fluttering, little butterflies that begged to flee. She swallowed. "That is the thing, you see. She chooses neither."

"Neither? Ah, a third suitor appears, then?" He nodded. "What a twist, I—"

"No, sir." Crystal shook her head. "Fatinah is not interested in romance or love. She's strong and independent; she doesn't need a stallion to complete her."

Majesty looked over at Sunset as if to seek confirmation from him. Blinking a few times, he returned his gaze to Crystal. "Pardon me, but Mrs. Wishes, you're a romance writer... writing a story without romance?"

"Not entirely without romance," Crystal said, her voice faltering to just above a mumble. "Khalil and Ghareeb's rivalry grows into respect, and respect into love."

"The stallions. Her suitors? They are the story's pairing? And Fatinah is all alone?" Majesty furrowed his brow. "I will be honest, Mrs. Wishes: that is quite peculiar. Avant-garde, dare I say." He looked at Sunset. "And Mares Monthly approved this?"

Crystal sat up straight and tall, drawing attention back to her. "They did. It's non-negotiable, I'm afraid. Fatinah is alone, but she isn't lonely. She is happy without love. So many stories—my own included—venerate love and romance as though that is the only path a mare should ever dream of. While that is the path I walk, it is not the path for a very dear friend of mine. I cannot fathom that she is the only mare who doesn't seek a romantic partner, so this story is for her and for them." She sucked in a breath, then finished, "If that is a problem, sir, then we'll stop wasting your time."

For a while, nothing was said. Majesty lowered his head in deep contemplation, the flowing of his mane ceasing as his focus went elsewhere. Then, all of a sudden, he rose up onto his hindlegs and applauded. "Brava! Brava, indeed! That is what I like—what I need. Passion, unyielding and unrelenting passion! I can already see the tagline: 'True love comes from within.' Brava, Mrs. Wishes."

Sunset perked up and looked between them like an overexcited foal, grin wide and eyes glittering. "So, then, we can move forward?"

"It would be my absolute pleasure," Majesty said as he lowered back into his seat. "I’ve had an option draft prepared so that we could go over the details right here and now..."

While Sunset and Majesty pored over the fine print, Crystal's mind drifted away, their words becoming a distant buzzing noise. The Desert Rose was going to become a film. She was going to go to Saddle Arabia. Oh, she'd have to get in touch with the courier service right away... Did they deliver overseas?

Her heart clenched. Or would she have to wait until she returned to get Silent's next letter? She had no idea when it might arrive. Would Silent understand if her reply was late? He wouldn't think she had given up on waiting for him, would he?

Crystal wrung her hooves and focused on breathing evenly. This was an opportunity of a lifetime—she couldn't pass it up to sit, wait, and worry. Life marched forward on the home front, for better or for worse. He would understand. He always did.

Take Hold of My Own Dream

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Crystal yawned as she walked into the main living space above Haut-Savoir, her hooves dragging across the wooden boards. "Good morning."

Horsey looked up from where she sat on the floor with Claire in front of her. "Oh, good morning, Crystal!" She giggled. "I wasn't sure when to expect you up. You showed up so late last night that I'm surprised you can even walk."

"Mm. Tea." Crystal walked over to the kitchenette and stood there, squinting at the cupboards. "Tea?"

"I'll take care of it, cherie," Savoir said from behind her with a small chuckle in the back of his throat. "Sit down before you accidentally hurt yourself, s'il te plaît."

Crystal gave another yawn and simply fell over onto the soft padded mat that sectioned off Claire's play area. "So tired," she muttered, draping a foreleg over her face. "Too much happening too fast."

"You're telling me!" Horsey clapped her hooves against the little filly's. "Not that we're not happy to see you. Of course we are! You know that! It was just so sudden, and you were half-asleep on the doorstep that you didn't quite explain why you're here." There was a pause, the sound of clapping hooves ceasing. "Is everything all right?"

With a small moan, Crystal rolled over and peered up at her, offering a weak smile. "Yes. Everything's fine. I have an appointment today with a screenwriter."

Horsey's ears shot up. "A screenwriter? Why? What about? What's going on?"

Claire squeaked, gurgled, and babbled in a similar cadence to her mother's rapid series of questions.

"Here you are," Savoir said, setting a teacup and saucer by Crystal's head, then looking over at Horsey. "Mon coeur, give her a moment."

Crystal laughed breathlessly and levitated the cup to her lips. The warmth spread across her tongue, down her throat, and all the way to her hooves. "Mm, no, no, I'm all right. I just needed some tea." She sat upright and gave Horsey a smile. "There's an opportunity for the serial I'm currently writing to be made into a film. The screenwriter lives here in Ponyville, so I'm hoping to stay with you while I work with him."

"Of course! Absolutely!" Horsey grabbed Claire's hooves and wiggled them. "Do you hear that, Clairebear? Aunt Crystal is going to stay with us for a while!"

Savoir nodded, settling down beside his wife and filly. "Our home is your home, Mademoiselle. Toujours."

Looking at the small family, Crystal couldn't help but smile. Horsey had found happiness by working hard for what she wanted. Now, Crystal was going to do the same and hope for the best. "Thank you both. I didn't mean for it to be so short notice, but this is all moving so quickly for me, too."

Horsey shook her head, beaming brightly. "Not at all! I'm happy to see you as much as I can whenever I can. I don't regret moving here, but I do miss having you and Velvet around."

"Really?" Crystal feigned an attempt to hide her grin. "How can you find time to miss us between the restaurant, your little filly, and your loving husband?"

"Easily! I find time for it right between this—" Horsey placed a kiss on Claire's nose. "—this—" She kissed Savoir's cheek. "—and this." Leaning back, she fluttered her lashes at him. "Sav, could I take the morning off to help Crystal get right as rain for her meeting today?"

Savoir chuckled and nodded, the only appropriate answer anypony could give in a moment like that.

Horsey wiggled her ears, looking back at Crystal. "I knew Silver was a writer, but I didn't know he wrote for a film company. I wonder why he's living here, though, and not there?"

"Oh, well, from what Prince Majesty—"

"Prince?" Horsey squeaked with excitement.

Crystal quickly waved a dismissive hoof. "He's not a real prince. Apparently, that's his name: Prince. Prince Majesty. But, that aside, from what he said, Silver Script is—" She bit her lower lip. 'Talented but impossibly frivolous' was what Maj had said, but that certainly wasn't what she was going to repeat. "—very particular."

Savoir made a small sound, like a chuckle being smothered in his chest. "Silver Script? I know him. He is the brother of a friend of mine. Oui, I would agree that both of them are très particulier, indeed. But they are good ponies."

"When do you meet him?" Horsey asked, scooping Claire up into her embrace. "If it's not too soon, I was going to take Claire for a walk around town. She loves meeting everypony, and everypony certainly loves meeting her."

Crystal looked at the filly with a soft smile. She was almost six months old and already she radiated with beauty and charm. A pony would have to be truly cold-hearted to not melt at the sight of her, especially when she smiled.

"I'm supposed to meet him for lunch," Crystal said, rising to her hooves. "I'm all yours until then."

"Great! Do you hear that, Claire? Aren't you excited?" Horsey placed another kiss on Savoir's cheek before standing and shifting Claire to hold in the crook of one foreleg. "We'll be back before the lunch rush!"

"Have fun," Savoir called as they descended the stairs into the restaurant proper.

Crystal took the brief moment to look around while following behind Horsey. Haut-Savoir was an interesting combination of rustic and chic—the outdoor seating featured bundles of hay, brightly colored tables, and a casual atmosphere while the interior was full of sharp lines, deep colors, and classy furniture. Most ponies seemed to prefer the former for lunch and the latter for dinner.

"Little Miss Claire doesn't know it yet," Horsey said, inclining her head to look at Crystal, "but she has a date with Red next month. It'll be the first time they meet!"

"A date?" Crystal blinked, then grinned playfully. "How scandalous! He might as well be her uncle!"

Horsey giggled. "We'll see about that! She's going to be wearing the prettiest dress to his birthday party, and I'm sure they'll hit it off."

Birthday party? Crystal felt the color drain from her face. Red was turning two years old. Silent was going to miss this birthday. Life just kept moving forward without a care.

Quickly, Crystal shook her head and returned herself to the present. "You just want them to like each other so you and Velvet can be sisters."

Horsey gasped loudly. "You say that like it's a bad thing!" She stepped closer as they walked and lowered her voice to whisper, "Don't be jealous. Savoir and I are trying for a second foal." She smiled with playful mischief in her eyes. "That one can marry your future foal so the three of us can be sisters."

After a moment, the two of them broke into giggling laughter. Crystal lifted her head high, a warm sensation rolling over her in a gentle wave. Ponyville always seemed to have that effect; it was such a quiet, quaint place to live most of the time. Sure, there was the occasional ruckus with timberwolves or bunny stampedes or parasprites, but the day-to-day life was peaceful.

Crystal looked over the nearest building to see the silhouette of Canterlot jutting out from Alicorn Spire, its grandiose architecture invading the blue sky above. Canterlot was too cramped, too artificial, too secluded.

As they made their way through Ponyville, ponies would stop them to fawn over Claire. She was, currently, the youngest foal in town, which made her extra doted upon by everypony. Some would talk to Horsey like longtime friends—which they were. Horsey had a whole life that didn't involve Crystal. A whole life she'd been living for years without her. Friends and memories that Crystal wasn't a part of.

That was natural, of course, but watching the reality in action left a bittersweet feeling in its wake. Of course, when Crystal spotted a familiar face, that sentiment lifted right into pleasant surprise. "Dawn?"

The pale grey mare blinked a few times before beaming. "Oh! Mrs. Wishes! What a surprise!" She trotted over, pausing briefly to coo at little Claire before her attention returned to Crystal. "I was worried when you didn't show up to the last meeting. Is everything okay?" She ducked her head. "I know things got a little out of hoof when—"

Crystal raised a hoof to interrupt her, shaking her head. "It's fine. I'm fine. I'm just... taking a break, so to speak." She breathed in the clean air to try to clear the dread rumbling within her. "How was it? The meeting, that is?"

Dawn opened her mouth, but hedged on actually saying something—which said everything. The unspoken reality shot conflicting emotions through Crystal's chest like barbed arrows, but she gritted her teeth to force a smile.

"So then Golden managed it well," Crystal said, bobbing her head. "Good. She is accustomed to managing ponies in large numbers." Her ears flicked back. "I was foolish to think I could handle the job."

Horsey glanced between them with a furrowed brow but remained quiet while she bounced Claire to keep the foal occupied.

"Don't say that!" Dawn jolted forward to put her face in Crystal's. "It—It was just a tense situation. It wouldn't be like that all the time! I know you had good intentions. Other ponies in the group do, too. We were worried when you didn't show up. Bonnie and Bastion, they—" She nibbled on her lip. "They just have flour in their ears, that's all."

Crystal's nose twitched as she tried not to grin, swallowing a giggle. "Flour in their ears?"

"It's what my grandma calls it," Dawn said with returned sheepishness. "I'm spending more time on the farm these days. It keeps my mind off things. I forgot how... country my family is."

"That's good." Crystal nosed her cheek. "I hope things work out for the group. I'll likely be away for some time. An opportunity has come up with my career, and I want to pursue it."

Dawn smiled, her ears perking up. "Oh! Well, that's great, then! So you will come back? You're not leaving for good? I'm so relieved to hear that. Golden isn't the same as you."

What was this new feeling? Pride? Ego? Satisfaction? Crystal didn't know exactly what it was, but it twisted her with an unsatisfying pleasure. She knew it was wrong to smile, and yet she did anyway. "I appreciate the sentiment. Yes, I'll be back. I just want to follow this opportunity the best I can while I have it."

"Okay!" Dawn seemed to glow with delight. "I hope you tell us all about it when you do! I've got to get back to the farm, but I'm really glad I ran into you. I was so worried, but... I'm glad. I'm glad you won't be alone."

Crystal was sure she said some form of farewell before Dawn left, but her mind was in a momentary haze. Suddenly, the weight on her shoulders didn't feel so heavy; she wasn't a failure.

"What was that all about?" Horsey asked, sidling up to her. "Did something happen with your support group?"

"Yes, but—" Crystal flashed her a light smile and started in the direction of Haut-Savoir. "But it's all right now. I need some more time to sort out my feelings, but that certainly helped."

Horsey hummed thoughtfully, walking beside her. "I suppose I'm glad, then? Though I hope you know you can always talk to me. Sharing is caring, after all."

All it took was a tiny giggle from Horsey to prompt Crystal into following suit. Life in Ponyville was perfect. Perhaps the extended stay would be the most beneficial part about this whole film endeavor. Of course, having her writing turned into a moving picture was fairly high up there, too.

As they rounded the corner and Haut-Savoir came into view, she spied a purple-coated pegasus sitting outside the restaurant with a plethora of notebooks in front of him.

"That's him!" Horsey whispered conspiratorially despite their distance. "That's Silver Script. Your big moment is here! I'll take Claire inside and get to work while you get to work." Her tail swished to swat Crystal's rump and she shifted Claire to ride on her back before trotting ahead. "Good luck!"

Crystal shook her head, laughing softly, then took a deep breath. This was the first step. She had to do this right and not start off on a sour note. Be cordial, be polite, be kind. She repeated those words in her mind like a new mantra.

"Silver Script?" she asked, approaching the stallion.

He leaned back on the hay seating and looked at her with a cordial smile, tossing his silver bangs out of his eyes. "You must be Crystal Wishes! Very punctual… too punctual, but since you're here, won’t you sit down?"

Crystal returned the smile and sat across from him. A warm, gentle breeze caressed her face, as if to tell her she was finally in the right place. "How are you?"

"Well, I was doing just fine working on the screenplay for what might be Inner Harbor's best film to date." He raised a hoof to rub the spot between his eyes. "And then what do I get? Pulled off it to work on an incomplete serial. No offense, I'm sure it's great, but come on. Seriously! Maj does this to me all the time."

Her ears fell back. This wasn't exactly what she had expected for their first conversation. "Does what, exactly?"

Silver's hoof lifted to gesture broadly at the sky. "He's whimsical! He's spoiled! His rich daddy bought him a company because he wanted to play film producer. Whatever he wants, he just asks his father to make it happen, while ponies like you and me"—he gestured between them—"we have to actually do the work."

"Oh." Crystal idly poked at some of the loose hay beneath her, uncertain of the mixed feelings swirling in her chest. "Then why do you still work for him?"

"Why else?" He shrugged. "The pay is good, and since he usually picks up obscure projects, I'm never bored. But this goes beyond 'obscure'. He wants the script done in four weeks. Four weeks, and you don't even have the story done yet." Silver threw his hooves in the air. "It makes me want to quit right now!"

She fidgeted and looked down at the table. "It is a rather tricky situation, isn't it? I do know where the story goes, on the whole, so if you work on what's already written and I—"

He let out a long sigh. "Oh, you think it's that easy, don't you? Do you know nothing about screenwriting? I don't just look at a chapter and—poof!" He clapped his hooves. "A script is born. I need the whole thing! I need the vision. I need the direction. I have to take all of your pages and compress them!"

"Th-This is new to me, I'm afraid." Her ears folded back as she swallowed the urge to bite back at him. "Then, what if I tell you the plot? Will that work?"

"Can I just tell you the plot and you understand the whole story? No, you need to read it to understand it, right?" He shook his head, clicking his tongue. "Listen, Maj always makes outrageous requests. Normally, whenever he asks for four weeks, I say eight, and deliver six. That's how it works when I have something tangible to work with."

Crystal merely nodded. A buzzing sheepishness filled her chest, then constricted as a prickly defensiveness overtook it. His attitude was so flippant that it sent her nerves into a trembling state. This was the best screenwriter Prince Majesty had to offer? What was the rest of his company like? Would the whole process be like this?

Silver picked up his glass of lemonade and took a sip. "So, he wants four. I can maybe do six, but I think we're talking an actual eight. So I'll just tell him ten, and—"

He continued to prattle on, but Crystal stopped listening. She didn't want to hear any more. He didn't care about her wishes, her hopes, or her dreams. So far away from the big city, he had the freedom to do whatever he wanted. How could Maj control him or keep him on track from so far away?

Ponies needed somepony to take charge. Her mother's lesson, for better and for worse, held steadfast all of Crystal's life. It was a universal truth that seemed like an inescapable destiny, but perhaps that wasn't such a bad thing.

Crystal grabbed her trembling hoof, sending a glare its way before she lifted her head to look at Silver Script. A fire burned in her chest that chased away the chilling touch of self-doubt and apprehension. "Mr. Script, forgive me, but I'm not interested in dallying. My husband is at war, I've not heard from him in quite some time and likely won't for quite some more, and I won't even begin to list the rest of the stressors on my back. This opportunity is the first piece of driftwood that's come by that looks as if it could support my weight when I'm so dragged under by uncertainty and fear."

Her eyes narrowed. "I am prepared to do whatever it takes to work with you to make this happen. Will you meet the deadline or will you not?"

All sense of self seemed to leave the stallion, as he merely gawked at her for a while. Finally, he snapped his mouth shut and gave a stern, resolute nod.

"Good." Crystal levitated her quill, gesturing with one hoof for him to follow suit. "Then let's get started right away."

Here Beside Me

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There was tension in the air while quills danced across pages, hooves jabbed out accusingly, and accusations fired back and forth.

"—I thought you said Fatinah would—"

A nose scrunched with disdain. An ear flicked in retaliation.

"—yes, yes, yes, yes, but that was before we had the idea for—"

Coffee was nearly spilt on pages. Pages were torn out and tossed aside.

"—and then we can, here, we can pan in to show—"

This organized chaos had reigned supreme for weeks. Day after day. Hour after hour. Crystal had seen so little of Ponyville that she sometimes forgot where she was, instead only knowing one thing: work. Horsey brought snacks and refreshments like a doting mother, and Savoir, like a protective father, shooed Silver away to let Crystal sleep once the hour chimed midnight.

Today, however, would be different. Crystal pushed her notebook across the table toward Silver and stood up. "All right! I'm afraid I have a train to catch now. I'll be back as early as I can tomorrow morning."

"What?" Silver looked up from the scattered pages in front of him. "What?! You're leaving? But we still have so much work to do and the deadline is closing in!"

Crystal scrunched up her nose. "Well, Majesty shouldn't have scheduled the shooting without a finished script. I have somewhere to be and I'm not going to miss it for this. And that aside, it's just one day! You'll survive, I'm sure."

Silver snorted, his nostrils flaring before he crossed his forelegs over his chest. "Fine. But I'll expect you on the first train into Ponyville tomorrow! Got it?"

Her expression lightened with a smile. "Yes, of course."

"Crystal!" Horsey called as she walked out of the restaurant, Claire riding on her back. "Are you ready to go?"

"I thought I was, but now I feel underdressed." Crystal lowered her head to more closely inspect Claire's yellow dress of frills, tulle, and sequins. "My, my, you weren't kidding about this, were you?"

Horsey puffed out her chest. "If my baby is going to meet her potential future husband, then she's going to meet him with style."

"Mon coeur, she cannot even speak yet," Savoir said, closing the restaurant door behind him and locking it. "Perhaps we should focus on that before we begin to arrange her marriage."

Claire beamed up at her father with adoration when he stopped to nuzzle her.

Horsey dismissed him with a wave of one hoof. "Don't be a sour apple. Claire is as pretty as can be, and Red has good tastes."

"Oui, oui." Savoir chuckled while gathering up an assortment of carefully wrapped presents in his magic. "Shall we go, then?"

Crystal smiled. "Yes!" She offered Silver one final wave before trotting alongside the happy family as they made their way to the train station. "I can't believe he's turning two years old already." Her smile softened. "Time truly does fly."

"It does." Horsey craned her neck to look back at her daughter. "Little Miss Claire's well on her way to her own birthday. She's grown so much already, but I know she has a lot more room to grow, too."

Savoir bobbed his head in a light nod. "I do not wish for time to fly with us, but for you, Mademoiselle Crystal, I would not mind if it simply skipped to the return of your Silent Knight."

Crystal's ears drooped slightly, but she kept her pace without missing a step. "I wouldn't mind that, either, but I know better. That's not how it works in real life. It does happen that way in novels, but usually only if you skip over everything just to get to the end."

"What's wrong with that?" Horsey pursed her lips. "Are you saying if you could just skip the next few months, you wouldn't do it?"

Crystal sucked in a breath. The next few months? No, it would be longer than that. She could feel it in her soul. There was going to be quite some time before she would be reunited with her husband.

"No," Crystal finally replied, "I wouldn't. Life is about the journey, not the destination, isn't it?" She flashed a smile at the two concerned faces looking at her. "Besides, if I simply ran through my life without stopping to enjoy it, I would miss these moments. Now, are we going to mourn something we cannot change, or are we going to cheer up and look forward to Red's birthday?"

Claire gave a tittering giggle and tugged on Horsey's mane, as if urging her to move faster.

Horsey took two side-steps to bump her shoulder to Crystal's, smiling. "When we get back, remind me to have Beignet make you a whole bunch of beignets on the house."

A small, cheerful skip worked its way into Crystal's gait. "Deal!"

♡

"Happy birthday, Red Velvet, happy birthday to you!"

Confetti was thrown into the air, streamers were tossed, and balloons rained down on the little colt. He grabbed a light green balloon between his forehooves and squeezed it lightly while squealing in delight. Claire sat at his side, eyeing the cake with big, hungry eyes.

"Okay, little guy," Velvet said, standing right behind him, "make a wish and blow out the candles!"

Red's ears wiggled. He hugged the balloon closer to his chest. "Wish?"

"Yeah, wish!" Velvet lowered her head to nuzzle into his mane. "You know, whatever you want. Like a new set of blocks. Or for lots of kisses and cuddles. Make a wish in your heart and blow out the candles!"

"Wish..." Red let go of the balloon to touch his hooves to his heart.

Everypony watched and waited in silence. Red didn't move. Crystal glanced around to see a few wandering, confused gazes as the seconds dragged on into a full minute.

"Sugarplum?" Sunbeam finally prompted, stepping forward. "Have you made your wish?"

Red shook his head.

Sunbeam giggled and gestured a hoof at the cake. "Well, then, hurry up and blow out the candles before the frosting melts, cuddlebutt!"

With a small, almost irritated wiggle of his nose that sent giggles and chuckles throughout the room, Red huffed and blew on the candles. He managed to get them both in one breath before looking up at his mother, his brow furrowed and lips puckered as if to say, 'There, are you happy now?'

Hooves clapped against the floor and, while Pepper started to cut the cake, gifts were set in front of Red from him to open. Each one earned a squeal of delight from the little colt.

"And this is from Auntie Azurite," Velvet said, giving him the present while she opened the card to read it. "She says she's sooo sorry she couldn't be here, but Sandy needed backup in Las Pegasus over the case of the missing bowling ball. Since Mr. Peepers had to be her chaperone, she hopes this will take his place."

Red pulled the wrapping apart and stared at a goldfish doll. It stared back with its oversized eyes. He looked up at Velvet, confusion on his face.

"It's, uh, Azurite says it's Mr. Plushy Peepers." Velvet shrugged. "Just hug it next time she visits, okay?"

Sunbeam sidled up to Horsey, peering down with the best icy stare she could muster. "So, my little cinnamon roll, word has it that you gussied up your little filly to impress Red."

Horsey flushed and sputtered, "W-W-Well, it's—it's a joke, Mrs. Sunbeam, just—"

"You do remember that he's my son and not Velvet's, right?" Sunbeam arched one brow. "And your daughter marrying him would make you my sister-in-law?"

Velvet's head jerked toward them so fast it was a wonder how it didn't hurt. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait, what? Horsey, you're trying to marry off my sweet little baby brother to Claire? He's two!"

Horsey's face was nearly purple from the heavy blush underneath her blue coat. "C-Crystal!"

Crystal shoved a slice of cake in her mouth as quickly as she could, then gave a helpless shrug. "Mmph?"

"So very mature," Golden sneered, but there was a bit of levity to her tone. "I believe I overheard your exact words as—" She cleared her throat and raised her pitch. "'Oh! Mama Sunbeam! You won't believe what Horsey's planning!'"

Horsey whimpered, dropping her head low. "I'm never telling you anything ever again."

"Don't be that way, sister!" Sunbeam threw a foreleg around Horsey's shoulders and pulled her in close for a tight hug. "Just think of all the super fun we'll have! Oh, it'll be great! You can tease Velvet and make her call you Auntie Horsey!"

"I—I—" Horsey swallowed. "O-Oh! Claire got frosting all over herself." She slipped out of Sunbeam's embrace and hurried over to collect her daughter. "Sav and I will take her upstairs for—for a quick bath!"

Just as the three of them made their way upstairs to leave a playfully sulking Sunbeam behind, the front doors to the bakery burst open. All eyes turned to see Winterspear skid into the room, Iridescence clinging to her back, the both of them laughing.

"Everypony, I—" Winterspear paused to gasp for air between pants and laughter. "—I have an announcement!"

Red was the only one to make a sound, devouring the rest of his cake with wild abandon. The rest of the crowd merely stood and stared in surprise.

Winterspear turned to the side and flared a wing as if to show Iridescence off like a prize. "She said yes!"

Confusion washed over the initial shock of the sudden intrusion, and Pepper cleared his throat. "Well, uh, Winterspear, Iridescence! That's great news! Isn't it, everypony?"

Iridescence's brow furrowed and she raised a hoof to hide her mouth as she loudly whispered, "I told you it wouldn't be the normal Thursday cake day."

"Oh my Celestia," Winterspear gasped out as her face turned red. "Is this—Is this a party?"

Sunbeam nodded slowly. "Yes, honey. It's Red's birthday party."

Iridescence slid off Winterspear's back and patted her now-fiancée on the shoulder, giving the gathering of ponies a half-smile. "We're so sorry for interrupting. Winterspear just couldn't wait to tell everypony and said you'd all be here for a cake day."

"It's fine! Of all things to interrupt with, this is perfectly wonderful!" Crystal exclaimed as she trotted forward and threw her forelegs around Iridescence's neck first, then Winterspear's. "Congratulations!" She lowered her voice to a whisper and added, "Told you."

Winterspear grinned, nuzzling against Crystal's neck. "Yeah, yeah."

Sunbeam clasped a hoof to her cheek, looking at Velvet. "Oh, dear. Do we really have cake days that often?"

"Yes," Winterspear and Iridescence answered together, glanced at each other, and laughed.

"Well, nevermind that!" Sunbeam bumped her flank to Pepper's. "Go get another cake, dear! Now we have two things to celebrate today!" She smiled down at Red. "My little bumblebee won't mind sharing, I'm sure."

Red tilted his head back to look up at her, sucking on his cake-covered hoof. "Maa?"

Golden strode forward to take up center stage with the way her golden coat shimmered. "You are Crystal's sister-in-law, if I remember correctly?"

Winterspear looked as if she might faint while Iridescence nodded, eyes wide. "Yes! That's her. Winterspear." She wrapped a foreleg around Winterspear's shoulder and pulled her in close. "I'm her marefriend. Her fiancée. Sorry about her staring, she's just in love with you."

"Is she now?" Golden gave a playful smirk. "I hope not, since I'm not the one she's marrying."

Winterspear gawked. "It's just because Iridescence talks about you all the time! And leaves her filly magazines lying around! That's all!"

Golden laughed good-naturedly behind one hoof while Velvet and Crystal tried to smother their own giggles.

"It's about time," Velvet said, grinning as she clapped Winterspear on the back. "You two have been dating longer than Crystal and Silent!"

Iridescence glanced at Winterspear with a shy smile. "Everypony moves at their own pace. I'm just happy she proposed."

Crystal wiggled her ears. "Is it too soon to ask if you've set a date?"

There was a long, somber pause. Iridescence put a hoof on Winterspear's and said, "We're not sure yet."

"I want Silent to be my stallion of honor, so." Winterspear looked down at the floor, then jerked her head back up with a smile. "But a long engagement is normal. I'm going to enjoy calling her my fiancée for now."

"Oh, I'm just so, so, so happy for everypony." Sunbeam pranced in place. "Red's turned two years old, Horsey's my sister-in-law-to-be, Crystal's a movie star, Winterspear's getting married... This is all just too much! What next?"

Crystal's ears perked up. "Actually, that does remind me of my own news. In a few weeks, I'll be leaving for Saddle Arabia."

Velvet jolted upright. "Wait, what? What?"

"Saddle Arabia?" Winterspear tilted her head. "For how long?"

"I'm not sure, to be honest." Crystal walked over to where Red ate in blissful ignorance. "Prince Majesty is all over the place. He's already trying to schedule the auditions to be held on the boat ride over." She let out a frustrated sigh. "He's like a foal that can't sit still."

Golden lowered herself onto the nearest seat, her lips pursed into a tight, thin line. Sunbeam squealed with delight, Pepper brought Winterspear and Iridescence a small cake, and Velvet shoved her face in Crystal's.

"I don't have a good feeling about this," Velvet grumbled. "Isn't he moving things way too fast? Won't it be a disaster?"

Crystal gave a weak shrug. "What can I do? I already signed the contract. Everypony who works with him says he always does this, and he's made several films already, so perhaps there's a method to his madness. That's what I'm hoping for, at least."

"So you'll just leave and go have a wonderful time in Saddle Arabia, then," Golden said with a strange distance in her voice.

Crystal's ear twitched, but before she could respond, Sunbeam cut in, "So exciting! So very, very exciting! Pepper! We need more cake!"

Pepper blanched. "Honey, don't you think—"

"Cake!" Red squeaked, and just like that, Pepper was off to the back room in a flash.

Velvet sat back on her haunches and crossed her forelegs over her chest. "You know it's, like, really hot there, right?"

Crystal snorted lightly. "Of course it's really hot! It's a desert!"

"Velvet has a good point," Winterspear said in between bites. "It doesn't get remotely that hot here in Canterlot."

"Exactly. I'm just saying. You're kind of, you know." Velvet looked over at Golden, who tensed up at the eye contact. "What's the word?"

"Delicate," Golden suggested.

Iridescence nodded and waggled the fork in her magic at Crystal. "You're delicate."

With a flick of one ear, then the other, Crystal stood up straight and glared at all the faces looking at her. "I am not delicate! Perhaps I'm exceptionally well-suited to desert life. I've never been in one, so we could all be surprised to how adaptable I am."

Sunbeam burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh, sugarstick, you're my little filly who went into a panic because the store was out of tea. I love you! But you're about as adaptable as a soufflé."

"They're right, you know. There's no reason for you to go, is there?" Golden stared at Crystal, ears pinned back.

Crystal returned the stare with a light scowl. "What is your problem?"

"Problem?" Golden put a hoof to her chest. "I have no problem! You're the one with a problem, as far as I can see. A ridiculous timeline with a ridiculous producer. I don't know why you're going through with it at all."

"Because it's an amazing opportunity," Winterspear said before Crystal could even think of a response through the haze of irritation. "And she'll get to go to Saddle Arabia! That alone is worth the rest."

Golden rolled her eyes. "She could go to Saddle Arabia at any time as a tourist. Why go with work looming over her? By the sounds of it, this Prince Majesty won't give her a moments' rest."

"Oh my goodness." Crystal couldn't help a short, startled laugh. "You're envious!"

Golden glowered at her. "Hardly!"

Crystal put a hoof to her forehead and groaned. "I thought you were over this. I thought we were friends! But the moment I get a wonderful opportunity, you—"

"I am not envious!" Golden jerked her head to the side, silence reigning for a moment before she muttered, "I'm happy for you. I just—I just simply don't want you to leave. I don't want you to leave me behind. I'm not ready for that to happen again."

The air escaped Crystal's lungs as if she had been bucked in the chest. She blinked a few times, all the irritation leaving her and replaced with guilt and sympathy. "O-Oh." She glanced at the various eyes on her, seeking an answer in them.

Winterspear, Iridescence, Sunbeam, and Pepper all shared looks of confusion—they were no help. Velvet, however, had pity in her furrowed brow.

Pity wasn't right, though; that implied Golden was weak, but she could be strong with a little help. That sentiment took hold of Crystal's heart and she looked back at Golden. "Then come with me."

Golden's ears perked upright and Velvet gasped out, "Hey!" She pouted. "What about me?"

Crystal couldn't help a small giggle. "You can come, too, then."

"Nahh." Velvet waved a hoof. "Thanks for the offer, but I have to go to the adoption agency in Fillydelphia to get on their list. I'm just, you know, super busy."

"Then why—" Crystal stopped herself, rolling her eyes, but grinning all the while. "Honestly."

Golden dropped her head, pawing a hoof at the floor. "You don't have to make such an offer simply because I'm wallowing in a little self-pity. Besides, I can't. You left me in charge of the support group." She paused, then added, "But, of course, they are adults. We don't need to treat them like foals. They have Radiant Orchid and Derelict Apathy for dire news from the war."

Crystal swallowed her muddled feelings on that particular matter and held out a hoof. "Will you come with me to Saddle Arabia? As you said, it would not be as tourists, but at least I would have somepony there I knew."

For a moment, Golden just stared at the hoof. Then, slowly, she raised her own to place on it. "If you're certain."

"That settles it, then!" Velvet squealed and clapped her hooves around theirs. "I can't believe you two are going to Saddle Arabia! This is so exciting!"

Crystal looked down at their joined hooves, a smile spreading across her muzzle. It was exciting, wasn't it? Everything seemed to be moving in a good direction today; she just hoped life kept that momentum going for a while longer.

More Than My Thoughts

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"I can't believe you two are going to Saddle Arabia," Velvet said, her bottom lip stuck out in an exaggerated pout.

Crystal wrapped a foreleg around Velvet's neck and hugged her tight. "I offered for you to come with. You decided you'd rather spend time pursuing adoption agencies across Equestria." She giggled and pulled back to smile at her. "I expect a little Velvet running around when I get back."

"You realize that if I adopt a foal, they won't be a 'little Velvet', right?" Velvet quirked one brow. "Do you even know how adoption works?"

"Of course I do!" Crystal huffed, puffing out her cheeks. "Can't you let me have this? I won't see you again for months!"

Velvet gave a derisive snort and put a hoof to Crystal's chest. "Okay, okay." She pushed her away, then waggled the hoof to shoo her. "You better get going before one of us starts crying about how we'll miss the other, and then it'll just be a whole dumb mess."

There was a pause as they merely stared at each other until Crystal smiled softly. "I'll miss you."

"Same, d'uh." Velvet waggled her hoof again. "Now go!"

Crystal scrunched up her nose—albeit grinning all the while—before she turned away and trotted up the ramp, pausing briefly to admire the ship.

It reminded her of her grandfather's luxury airships. Its white hull was long and sleek, with an intricate design along the sides that resembled the twisted and gnarled roots of a large tree.

As she finished her ascension, she discovered Golden already standing on the deck, waiting with all of her luggage stacked in a neat and orderly pile beside her.

"I've just been informed," Golden said with a toss of her voluminous mane, "that your producer, Prince Majesty, wants to speak with you." Her lips curled into a light grin. "Apparently, they think I'm your personal assistant."

"Well, it's a better title than 'friendly freeloader', don't you think?" Crystal giggled. She lowered the suitcases held in her magic beside Golden's and kept walking forward. "Then, Assistant Golden, please take my things to my cabin. I'll go see what the prince wants!"

"Dusty!" Golden called, giving Crystal pause to look over her shoulder and see the mop-headed stallion step around the pile of luggage. "Dusty, get to it."

Crystal blinked a few times. "You brought him?"

The stallion locked eyes with her. Though his drooped slightly, there was a distinct fire burning in them. "Of course. I am an actual personal assistant. This is my job."

Why did she get goosebumps from his stare? It was almost as though they were embittered rivals, but she hadn't a clue what they were fighting over. Golden?

Crystal blinked a few times, then smiled. "Well, I'm sure she'll be very grateful for your assistance in the desert. I look forward to getting to know you, Dusty!" With the most casual wave she could muster, she turned back to walk away.

"Cast off!" a pony called from somewhere, and she paused to hold her ground.

She tilted her head back at the sound of the sails unfurling, smiling as she watched the white sheets cut through the air like the talons and feathers of a white bird, eager to catch and ensnare the wind.

With a creak and a groan, the ship started forward at a slow and cautious pace. The ships on either side at the dock bobbed lightly as if to wave farewell. Crystal looked back to see Velvet standing at the edge of the pier, both forelegs flailing in a desperate goodbye.

"Be safe!" Velvet yelled into the wind.

Crystal reared onto her hindlegs to wave back at her. "I will!"

Velvet dropped down, a bright smile on her face, but Crystal's heart ached. Even at the slowly growing distance, she could see the sad look hiding behind that smile. They would miss each other.

"He's waiting," Golden reminded her, nodding her head. "Don't delay."

Crystal nodded and broke into a light trot. Her hooves clicked against the wood that was almost too smooth, too polished. So long as she didn't gallop around haphazardly, it felt like she would maintain her balance. That, of course, would likely be challenged when they hit the open waters and the world as she knew it became a rocking, tilting, lurching mess.

An airship hitting a bit of turbulence was one thing. A boat in the water, however, was an entirely different matter. She had never gotten seasick before, but she'd also never been out to sea. The air was tinged with salt from the ocean beneath them, a stark reminder of what lay ahead of her: a long journey filled with potential bouts of nausea.

She reached the cabin that served as the captain's quarters, sitting boastfully tall and proud in the middle of the deck. After knocking, she pushed the door open and started to speak, but the sight in front of her froze her in place.

Three ponies—no, three horses stood around Prince Majesty. Their svelte bodies towered over the stallion who was, himself, taller than Crystal, making her feel like a little filly in a room of adults. They were around the same height as Princess Celestia, but were otherwise so very different from ponies, from herself. It was like meeting an entirely new species.

The mare turned to acknowledge Crystal first. She had a deep brown coat that glistened in the light to accentuate the taut muscles of her frame. A blaze of white went down the middle of her face, and the black tresses of her mane were parted to one side and fell in gentle waves.

"Greetings," she said in a voice that carried an unfamiliar accent. "You must be Crystal Wishes, daughter of Upper Crust, the Writer."

Crystal blinked, mouth agape, speechless.

At the mare's side, one of the stallions flared his nostrils. His off-white coat was speckled with grey spots that congregated along his shoulders and flanks but thinned around his middle. His mane, similarly parted only to one side, was like a mix of salt and pepper. The end of his muzzle was dark grey, almost black, and parted with a lopsided grin.

"It must be so," he said. "She is the one."

The third stallion was a bright chestnut color, offset by patches of white that rose from his hooves and reached for his knees, and he had a long blonde mane that was braided in several places. He said nothing, merely watching her with deep brown eyes.

Prince Majesty trotted forward, waving his hoof to urge her inside. "Come in, come in! Meet your Fatinah, Khalil, and Ghareeb!"

A pang of realization crashed down on her as she looked between the three horses. These were Arabians? She had seen pictures during her research, yes, but they hardly prepared her for reality. They were so foreign, so exotic, so beautiful, so strange.

Finally, she came back to her senses and quickly shook her head. "Forgive me. My who? But what about auditions?"

"Oh, tut, tut." Majesty clicked his tongue. "That was the plan, yes, but it turns out that there are so very few Arabians qualified. They don't have films, you see, so there are hardly any aspiring film actors in Saddle Arabia. Then there are only so many of them that speak Equestrian! We can't very well have somepony who can't speak Equestrian, now, can we?"

The mare's ear flicked and she looked at Majesty with a strange curiosity on her long, elegant face. The chestnut stallion rolled his shoulders in a light shrug, and the grey stallion kept grinning and watching Crystal and Majesty. They must have seemed like foals. Crystal felt so very small under the weight of their towering gazes.

"It's a wonder we even found these three! Well, we found four, but the mare was just not right. Not right at all!" Majesty shook his head, then beamed at her. "Aren't you pleased? Don't they look wonderful?"

Crystal furrowed her brow. "I... Forgive me, Maj, but I thought you brought me along to be involved. I would have liked to have met all of the candidates."

With a light snort, the mare stepped forward. Her piercing gaze tore right through Crystal's moment of defensiveness. "Are you displeased with me, Crystal Wishes?"

"No!" Crystal quickly shook her head. "I hardly know you! I just—I am just surprised, that's all."

Majesty reached up to put a hoof on the mare's shoulder—or at least as close as he could get, instead touching just below it. "Won't you give me a moment with Mrs. Wishes? We have some things to discuss after all you've told me."

Things to discuss. Crystal's stomach tied itself into a tight knot. Was it more news of decisions made without her? They had hardly left port and already she was feeling adrift.

The three Arabians nodded. They each bade polite farewells before exiting the cabin, leaving her alone with Majesty. When she looked back at him, his expression was worryingly serious.

"I was going over the script so far with Djamila, and she explained some complications." He sighed, walking over to the desk set against one wall and dropping into the seat. "Didn't you research Arabian culture?"

Crystal's ears folded back. "I—I did research, yes, but now I have a sinking feeling I missed something important."

Majesty threw his hooves into the air as if to beg the heavens for aid. "Oh, it's awful! Your precious story must be changed!"

"Changed?" she repeated in a quiet voice. Her ears went completely flat against her mane. "What needs changed?"

"Khalil and Ghareeb cannot simply be together. They would be looked down upon and treated poorly by their families and friends! You don't want that for them, do you? You want them to live happily ever after?"

Crystal could only nod. Her throat felt dry. She had never looked into Saddle Arabia's views on same-sex couples. It had never crossed her mind! Did they have something against it? Why?

Majesty smiled. "Good! Then we just have to make a small change. Just a tweak. I'm sure you understand. We have to respect their culture, after all. Djamila has a very easy solution: Khalil and Ghareeb should both marry Fatinah."

"What?" Crystal's eyes went wide. "Majesty! That's not a small change! That's changing the entire message of the story! I'm sorry, but—"

He raised a hoof, laughing. "No, no, no! It doesn't change a thing! She doesn't have to love them. She just marries them so that they can be her husbands and, thus, be together. It's quite genius, actually. An ultimate show of friendship and kindness. For them, she sacrifices her freedom. Isn't that a much more wonderful message?"

Crystal dropped her gaze to the desk and slowly shook her head. "I don't understand. Why? Why does she have to marry them?"

"Oh, Djamila explained it so well." He pursed his lips much like a pouting foal. "How did she put it? Hmm, well, you see! In Arabian culture, it is a stallion's duty to take care of a mare, and it is a mare's right to be cared for. Stallions must do their duty or they'll be looked down on, you see. Don't you?"

Conflicted feelings stirred in her chest. "I... I suppose, yes."

Majesty nodded. "Therefore! If Fatinah marries them, the problem is solved. It's really such a simple change that I don't see any reason to make a fuss. It's all right with you, isn't it?"

Crystal didn't say anything for a while. Majesty continued to prattle on, but she stopped listening. Respecting the culture of Saddle Arabia was important; however, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was lost. That she had lost. Lost what? Control? Power?

No, it had nothing to do with either of those things. The Desert Rose was precious to her. For so long, she had been oblivious to Velvet's feelings about her, and about herself. Velvet suffered quietly with feelings of uncertainty and self-loathing. This was Crystal's apology, Crystal's affirmation that Velvet was wonderful and to not feel ashamed of who she was.

And now, Majesty wanted to change things. The story was no longer hers. She had relinquished it to him.

Pressure built up inside Crystal's chest and she nodded when it seemed Majesty was asking her a question. It didn't matter what he asked; he was the one in charge.

Majesty clapped his hooves together. "Great! Then I look forward to the finished script. Silver is already in his cabin, whittling away at what remains. Remember to have some fun. We'll be at sea for a while!"

"Yes. Thank you." Crystal smiled and turned for the door. The echoing of her hooves resounded in her hollow heart. What else would change? Would she even recognize it when it was over?

She descended the stairs to the sleeping quarters, gaze darting at the numbers on the doors. Four, five, six—there it was! Seven. Her cabin. With a sigh, she turned the knob in her magic and peered inside the room.

It was fairly modest, with a large bed and a small porthole that gave a glimpse of the blue skies outside. The room swayed just slightly as she stood there, so she dragged herself inside, shut the door, and collapsed on the bed.

Her muscles ached, but not from any physical exertion. One conversation with Majesty had drained so much of her mental strength that she felt exhausted. Doubt swirled in her chest and it felt like the walls were closing in on her, so she quickly snapped her eyes shut and instead focused on her surroundings.

Back, then forth. The ocean's waves cradled the boat, rocking her into a lull. For how still her body was, her mind was racing that much faster.

In her mind, Fatinah had been a brilliant white mare that shone like the sands she called home. Djamila was still lovely, of course; but she wasn't Fatinah. Not in Crystal's eyes.

And Ghareeb! He was supposed to be a dark stranger wandering the desert. Both stallions' coats were far too light. It would make him seem less mysterious than Crystal had imagined.

A sigh escaped Crystal, followed by another. There was nothing she could do. At the least, she could try to enjoy seeing new sights. Majesty couldn't take that away from her, could he?

"Crystal," Golden said as the door opened and she stuck her head in. "I have a concern."

Crystal squirmed on the bed to look at her. "What is that?"

"I... do not believe the motion of the ocean agrees with me."

Crystal blinked a few times, sitting upright. Golden's luxurious coat seemed dull and without life, and her eyes sagged. When the boat gave a particularly noticeable lurch, a sound bubbled up from Golden's throat that was less than pleasant.

"Wh-What can I do?" Crystal slipped off the bed. "Should I get Dusty? Or Majesty? Or—"

It was too late. Golden's head dipped, and a foul smell hit Crystal in the face, sending her own stomach into a twisting flip. For a moment, the both of them stood there, unmoving and silent. Neither seemed to want to acknowledge the reality they were in.

"Sorry," Golden managed in a weak, raspy voice. She took a small step back. "Sorry."

Crystal tried not to sigh to avoid breathing in the smell a second time. "It's... fine. Let's get you up and into fresh air. I'll—I'll just have somepony take care of it." Gingerly and carefully placing each step, she walked out into the hall. With her shoulder against Golden's for support, they made their way back onto the surface.

A gust of salt-licked air hit their faces, both a cooling and a stinging sensation. Golden gasped it in as though the air below deck had been suffocating her. She started drifting toward the railing, and Crystal had no choice but to follow alongside her.

"How long are we on this boat?" Golden asked, leaning over the edge preemptively.

Crystal winced. "I think a whole week."

Golden groaned and slumped against the railing. "I regret all of my life choices that brought me here."

The sails fluttered wildly in the wind that whistled through their manes. For a moment, Golden merely focused on breathing in and out while Crystal tried to think of a solution. The shore was still so close that, if she had to, she was certain she could swim to it. Golden wouldn't survive the trip if she was already this sick.

"I'll go see if Majesty has anything," Crystal said, taking a step back. "Just stay right here and keep breathing."

Before she could make it to the captain's quarters, however, she spied Dusty coming up from below deck. He had a look of concern on his otherwise tired features, his gaze darting about before landing on Golden. His expression shifted between surprise, then back to concern, deeper than before.

"Dusty!" Crystal winced when his lips pulled into a taut, disapproving line when their eyes met. "Dusty, Golden appears to be seasick already. Did you pack anything for that?"

"Of course." He turned to head back down the stairs. "Make sure she breathes. I'll get it."

Crystal wanted to question him why he seemed to dislike her so much, but there wasn't time for that. The sound of a second round of nausea hit her ears and she hurried over to return to Golden's side. She rubbed a hoof along Golden's back and said softly, "Shh, shh. You're all right. Dusty is on his way."

Golden's frame trembled with a quiet sob. "This is—"

"It's fine," Crystal tried to reassure her.

"This is so embarrassing." Golden dropped her head low. "What if—What if somepony important saw me like this?" She groaned.

Crystal couldn't help a breathless laugh. "Oh, thank you."

The clicking of hooves approached from behind and Crystal turned, expecting to see Dusty. A light squeak accompanied her sharp gasp when she saw one of the Arabians—the chestnut stallion—walking toward them with a bag held in his mouth. Once he was just a few paces away, he lowered his head and gave it a small bob as if to throw the bag, drawing her attention to it.

"Huh?" Crystal's magic encircled the bag to take it from him. "What's this?"

He lifted his head and smiled. "To settle the nausea of your friend." His accent was even thicker than Djamila's, but his words were clear.

Golden's magic snatched the bag out of Crystal's and she tore it open to look inside. "What?"

"It is the root of zanjabeel," he explained, though Golden's expression remained skeptical and uncertain. "It will settle."

Crystal stood on the tips of her hooves to take a peek, spying the thick, gnarled root inside that was the color of sand. One whiff was all it took to confirm her suspicion. "Oh! It's ginger root, Golden. Ginger root."

That seemed to be enough for Golden as she crammed one of the roots into her mouth. Her nose scrunched up, but she diligently chewed on it nonetheless.

"Thank you, ah—" Crystal blinked. "I'm afraid I didn't get your name."

"Faizan bin Aqila al-Shefa'a." The name rolled off his tongue like smooth grains of sand gliding through an hourglass.

Crystal struggled to contain her smile. "Faizan, son of Aqila. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with what shefa'a translates to, though, but I know it is important."

Faizan's ears perked and he lowered his head to her level. "Al-Shefa'a: the Healing. My family is versed in medicinal herbs. You surprise me, however, little pony. Equestrians are not named as we are, yet you know of the meaning behind my name?"

"Although I'm ashamed to have discovered my research was not extensive enough, I know at least that much." Crystal sighed and looked at Golden, who had her eyes closed and was still chewing on ginger root, then back at Faizan. "I apologize for whatever offense my story may have caused."

"Think nothing of it." Faizan smiled and straightened back up. "Djamila is the one who took issue with it. Wajdi, her brother, argued that the film is intended for Equestrians, and our culture should not restrict it. You ponies will not understand why the issue exists."

Crystal shifted her hooves, glancing down at them. "Admittedly, I don't understand the issue, either. But—" She jerked her head back up, quickly smothering that train of thought.

It would be terribly rude to say such things to his face. No, she would just have to accept that what she wanted and what she had planned were no longer relevant.

"I respect it," she continued. "I respect your culture. There are so few stories set in Saddle Arabia that I would like to do it justice, even if that is at the expense of my story."

Faizan chuckled. His muscular yet thin shoulders rolled in a light shrug. "So be it. It will be a pleasure to work with you, Crystal Wishes, daughter of Upper Crust, the Writer."

Before she could argue against the formality, he flashed a knowing, playful smile, and she snapped her mouth shut.

"Your friend should find relief," he continued as he turned to walk away. "Keep the zanjabeel in case the nausea should return."

Crystal nodded. "Thank you!" She looked at Golden to urge her to give her thanks, as well, but the mare still seemed to be fighting a battle at keeping her composure. Crystal smiled and leaned against the railing, looking out across the vast, empty ocean that lay ahead of them. It filled her with a sudden sense of dread.

A week at sea. Months of filming. All that time, she would receive no word from Silent. Her smile faltered. Was this really okay for her to do? What would he think of her having an adventure while he struggled to survive?

Hooves approached at a brisk pace. "Miss Golden, I—" The clicking stopped, and Crystal turned her head to see Dusty staring at Golden. "What are you eating?"

"Finfer," Golden managed around her full mouth.

Dusty looked at Crystal with narrowed eyes. "What is she eating?"

Crystal returned his aggressive stare with a soft smile. "Ginger root. I think she's feeling better already. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Golden nodded and mumbled, "Forry."

While Dusty made a fuss over where the ginger came from and what it might do to Golden's health, Crystal returned her gaze to the ocean. The gentle waves glistened under the afternoon sun, reassuring her that it would be all right. Everything would be all right.

This wasn't an escape. She wasn't running away from the war, from the support group, from her worries. She was doing exactly what Silent would want her to do: keep moving forward and not shackle herself to fear. The thought brightened the smile on her lips.

He would be proud of her, just as she was proud of him.

A Dazzling Place

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After days spent staring into an endless view of the blue sea reaching out into a blue sky, there was finally something new to see: Saddle Arabia.

Crystal leaned against the ship's railing, the salty air brushing through her mane with the exciting taste of the adventure that lay ahead. She had spent too much time shackled to Silver Script's side, writing and revising the script tirelessly. Now, she was enjoying a welcome reprieve while he finished the last scene so she could watch them pull into the harbor.

Al-Jawhar, the Jewel of Saddle Arabia, truly lived up to its name. While the surrounding desert was barren, the city was graced with palm trees and lush greenery in between the buildings that rose up like tall dunes of sand. Spiraling towers reached higher and higher to oversee the goings-on below, their tops glinting with brilliant blue roofs that matched those of a large building that had to be the palace.

With several large and wide domes, the palace looked down from its perch high above everything else, its walls made of smooth white stone that stood out against the sand-colored city. Its extravagance was palpable even at a distance; Crystal guessed it was the same size as the entirety of Canterlot itself, and it absolutely took her breath away.

"Beautiful, is it not?"

Crystal's ears perked and she looked over her shoulder to see Faizan approaching. "Oh, yes! Absolutely magnificent."

Faizan smiled, his gaze fixed on the city ahead. "My home. I have known no other. She is an oasis in a cruel desert." Clicking his tongue, he looked at her. "How much do you know of my home?"

Crystal opened her mouth to respond, but hesitated. Slowly, her ears started to droop and she recoiled like a scolded foal. "I thought I knew enough, but I'm starting to doubt that." She offered a weak smile. "Tell me about it, please?"

A swell of pride was visible in the way the stallion stood tall. "We do not have your magic. Saddle Arabia does not have your unicorns, your pegasi, your alicorns. There is only us, and we are strong."

Quietly listening to his every word, Crystal looked between him and his home, wonder and excitement filling her. Al-Jawhar had been built with painstaking labor around a natural oasis, expanding the bountiful resources to support an entire city of horses. Horses who had no magic and did everything with solid hooves incapable of the feats Equestrians could accomplish with their own.

She knew these details from reading books, but they were only details before. Now they were intimate. Real. Powerful.

"Malika Shafiqah has brought a prosperous time for Al-Jawhar. We have more than we have ever had before. I pity those who do not live within our walls."

Crystal scrunched up her nose, trying to connect what she knew with what he was saying. "Malika Shafiqah, she is your—?"

Faizan smiled at her. "She is our Princess Celestia. Kind, benevolent, and wise beyond her years." A wistful sigh escaped him. "If only the malika were an alicorn. In my lifetime, she will pass into the next world. I can only hope the next malika will continue her legacy."

"Oh," was the only response she could give. The idea of Princess Celestia or Luna passing on was nigh unfathomable to her, and almost gave her chills. Somepony else raising their sun and moon? Somepony else sitting upon their thrones? Somepony else caring for everypony in Equestria, protecting them, and—in Luna's case—playing board games with them?

She couldn't imagine an Equestria without Celestia and Luna, and hoped she would never have to live in one.

"Ah, but these are not the things you wish to hear." He chuckled, raising a hoof to gesture at the port they neared. "We will walk through the souq. Do you see all of the bright colors?"

Crystal followed the direction he pointed and squinted. Sure enough, just past the docks were countless stalls, their cloth roofs each a bright white, red, green, or yellow. "Yes."

Faizan smiled. "You will find anything your heart desires in the souq. We are prosperous." The smile fell into a light frown. "Ah, but I do not believe we will have time for that. What a shame."

"Really? Oh. That is a shame..." She sighed, watching the robed figures move about the open bazaar. The closer they got, the more details she could see: namely the colorful garb the Arabians wore as protection from the sun. Though it was the same sun that she knew in Equestria, it was somehow different. It felt closer, hotter, harsher—almost cruel.

"I'll just have to come back some time," she continued, "as a tourist instead of on business."

Faizan bobbed his head. "So long as you ensure you have a guide." He raised a hoof and set it on her head, much like a parent teasing their foal. "A little pony like you would get lost in our big city."

Crystal huffed lightly, shooting him a playful glare. "I am an adult little pony, thank you very much."

He gave a good-natured laugh. "Is that so? It is hard to tell. Equestrians are all so small and live like children."

The thought startled her into silence, and he quickly amended, "I mean no offense. We simply come from different worlds." His gaze shifted back to Al-Jawhar. "We do not have the love and protection of your alicorns. Equestria is... How to say it? Sheltered?" He frowned, flicking his tail.

A somber feeling took hold of her chest as she nodded slowly. "You're right, so no offense taken. I've come to realize just how sheltered we are these past few months."

Before they could say anything further, Silver Script's voice from above broke the mood. "There you are!" He tucked in his wings to dive down, landing between them. "I've been looking all over for you! Here, here, read. I'm finished. Read!"

Crystal tried to smile at how Silver sounded like an excited foal, but her heart was sinking. The last scene. The scene she didn't write, didn't want. She did her best to keep her expression even as she held the papers in her magic and read over them.

FATINAH (narrating): I knew this was the right choice. Khalil and Ghareeb looked happy—truly happy, a happiness I had never felt. I stood between them not as their wife, but as the mare who brought them together.

Camera pulls back as FATINAH looks out across the desert and starts to walk away, still wearing her bridal dress. KHALIL and GHAREEB follow her, side-by-side.

FATINAH (narrating): That was when I knew that, somewhere out there, was my own happiness. I just had to find it.

Fade to black on the setting sun.

"It's perfect, don't you think?" Silver puffed his chest. "It's open for a sequel, as well! Perfect!"

How could Crystal describe the way she felt? There was a complicated, muddled mess in her head. The only thing she understood was that she wanted to cry.

Fatinah wasn't happy? No, no, no. That wasn't how it was supposed to end. Fatinah was supposed to be happy at the end! What was the point of it all if Fatinah wasn't happy?

Silver's chest deflated, his wings drooping slightly. "You don't look like you like it."

"It's what Majesty wants," Crystal said in a soft, defeated voice. "I don't know if it matters how I feel."

Silver furrowed his brow and went silent. The three of them stood there for a while before he sighed and snatched the papers out of her magic. "Well, it's done, and with no time to spare, either." He tucked his wings in to his side. "We'll be docking soon. Come on, we need to all go get dressed."

"Dressed?" Crystal tilted her head as he started to walk away.

Faizan bobbed his head to urge her to follow Silver. "Yes. Your fragile Equestrian coats will burn under our sun."

"Oh. Oh!" Crystal flashed him a smile before trotting after the pegasus. "Right, of course."

Descending into the sleeping quarters made the need for proper clothing all the more evident. She had been out on the deck for less than an hour, and stepping into the cool shade below deck brought to her attention how hot she was.

A pile of folded pink clothing waited on her bed, and she lifted them up in her magic to put them on. There were three pieces to the ensemble that she recognized from her books: the thwab, a large robe that went all the way from her shoulders to her hooves; the keffiyeh, a headpiece that had holes for her ears and an opening for her eyes; and an agal, a rope to go around her forehead to secure the keffiyeh.

Excitement replaced all her previous feelings of gloom as she pranced out into the hall. These were the clothes Fatinah wore! Well, these were much more extravagant, with silver embroidery that she marveled at, especially knowing the work that went into such intricate patterns. Fatinah was a simple mare and wore simple white cotton, but nonetheless—it felt like she had stepped into her own writing.

"Crystal?"

Ears flicking, Crystal turned to see a pair of blue eyes peering out through the opening of a light yellow keffiyeh. "Oh!" She beamed. "Golden! You look so pretty!"

Golden's brow furrowed. "There's absolutely no form to this. I might as well weigh twice as much as I do under this shapeless cloth."

Crystal waved a hoof, giggling at the way the thwab shifted and moved from the gesture. "What do they say? Sometimes the imagination is better than the reality? You could weigh half as much as you do, too!"

"Then I would likely be dead," Golden muttered, but Crystal could see the smile reaching her eyes. "Nonetheless. I believe we are docking shortly. Shall we?"

"We shall!" Crystal pranced up the stairs. "I feel like a little filly on Hearth's Warming morning. The reality of Saddle Arabia is so much more than books can describe!"

Golden walked alongside her, her natural gait the same speed as Crystal's prancing. "Well, then, it's a good thing your story will be a film."

The casual statement felt like a kick in the gut and Crystal nearly tripped over her own hooves. She swallowed, slowing her prance to a normal trot. "Oh, yes." She laughed woodenly. "Yes, I suppose that's true."

Above deck, Saddle Arabia was in view again, much closer now. The extravagant boat seemed terribly out of place in the Arabian waters, surrounded by wooden fishing boats of simple design. There were a few merchants' ships near the docks with colorful sails, but they looked like toys next to Majesty's ship.

The three Arabians aboard stood where the ramp would be lowered as if they could not get off the boat fast enough. Crystal could hardly blame them. Prince Majesty had sent the boat to pick them up, brought them to Equestria, and turned them right back around. It made little sense, but that seemed to be Majesty's way.

As Crystal and Golden approached them, the sounds of their native tongue reached her ears. It was a rapid language that sounded like music, with the way vowels and consonants flowed together like wine. The occasional guttural sound slipped in with ease and without interrupting the cadence.

"Ana afham," Djamila said, pausing to look over at Crystal with a pleasant smile. Instead of engulfing cloth, she wore layers of gold jewelry and a mixture of solid and sheer purple fabric. Every movement she made was accompanied with a light tinkling. "Are you ready, Crystal Wishes, daughter of Upper Crust? Golden Pants, daughter of Lyrica Lilac?"

Golden winced and shifted beneath her thwab. "Golden is fine, please."

Crystal nodded quickly. "As is Crystal."

Djamila arched her brow. "But that is impolite. We are not friends."

"Dja..." Wajdi flashed his teeth as he nipped at her side. "We will be working with them for quite some time. Make amends."

"Amends?" Crystal's ears folded back. "I apologize if we've offended you, it certainly wasn't intentional, whatever we did."

"Offended? Oh, silly little pony." Djamila laughed, but there was little mirth in the sound. "You know nothing. You write this story, but you know nothing of us. Of our home. I find you of the same caliber as my niece, who has seen her fourth year. She tells tales of her own imagination, as well."

Crystal's breathing grew haggard as she tried to focus on it rather than Djamila's words. Could she argue? No. The Arabian wasn't wrong. What did Crystal know? Nothing. She did know nothing.

"Oh, please." Golden stepped forward to put herself between Djamila and Crystal. "You think you're better than us? You know nothing." Golden's thwab swished as her tail lashed. "Crystal is more than the daughter of Upper Crust, the Writer. She is stronger than you, certainly. You're just hiding behind your little barbed words."

Djamila's nostrils flared and she lowered her head to Golden's. "Mind yourself, little pony."

Laughter broke the tension, startling them all to look over at Faizan as he laughed freely. "Djamila, you—" He gasped for air. "Djamila, you are acting like a child, yet you are calling them children?" He shook his head. "Your anger betrays your sulking."

Djamila whirled to face him, her legs splayed slightly as they slipped on the smooth wooden planks. "Faizan!"

Crystal blinked a few times. "Sulking?"

"Yes." Wajdi sighed. "Djamila has always wanted to visit Equestria. She took this opportunity because she thought the filming would be there, but when the ship turned around, she threw a tantrum."

"Agleg famak!" Djamila yelled, glancing between them all, her demeanor shifting to that of a shy filly.

"Oh, then—" Crystal felt a weight lift off her shoulders and she stepped forward. "Then, perhaps—perhaps what you said to Majesty about changing the ending, was that out of anger?"

There was a pause before Faizan shook his head and said, "It may have been brought up out of anger, but she was still right." His gaze fell. "Two stallions should not wed without a mare."

Wajdi snorted, but said nothing.

Golden cleared her throat. "Well, it is what it is. I expect now that the air has been cleared, Djamila, you will call us Golden and Crystal. And you'll treat my friend with more respect."

Djamila didn't look at her, instead staring angrily at the two stallions. Crewponies came over and started to lower the ramp, and Crystal looked up, startled to see that the boat had already stopped. All prior thoughts vanished when she looked at the port, at the bazaar, at the city—all so close she could hear, smell, and feel it.

Horses moved from stall to stall, the pockets of their gilded and embroidered saddles filled with their purchases. Voices yelled over other voices to grab attention, likely advertising better and better prices than their neighbors. The scents of fresh fruits and spices drifted on the breeze, enticing her to try them all.

The moment the ramp was lowered, Crystal just couldn't help herself. Perhaps she was a little foal-like pony after all, but for the time being, she didn't care. Her hooves hit the uneven planks of dark wood and she looked around at the dockworkers carrying boxes on their backs. She heard her name being called and hoofsteps following her, but she kept moving forward.

Saddle Arabia. Al-Jawhar. Arabian horses. She was among it all! Her hooves stumbled when she stepped off the docks and onto the hot sand that gave way under her weight. The strange sensation of walking on sand didn't slow her down too much, but it did give time for her pursuer to catch up.

"Little pony," Faizan's voice called and the stallion was at her side in an instant, unhindered by the shifting sand. "What did I tell you about getting lost?"

Crystal didn't look at him and allowed her gaze to wander freely. The air was hot, the sand was hot—everything was hot. A fountain stood in the center of the bazaar, crystal clear water jetting into the air and falling down in a dazzling display. Was its water hot, too? Crystal wanted to find out!

Faizan, however, put a hoof down on the hem of her thwab and she nearly fell from the sudden force. "Stay. We must all stay together. Calm your excitement."

"But—" Crystal beamed up at him, her heart racing. "It's all so wonderful! I didn't understand! I read about it, I dreamed about it, but I didn't understand! I feel like I'm in a whole new world, Faizan! I'm so excited!"

"Then you will have to come back as a tourist, as you said." He chuckled and looked over his shoulder. "We do not have the luxury. Your Prince Majesty, son of Prince Success, the Producer"—the formality dripped with a bit of sarcasm that brought Crystal back to reality—"has set quite a tight schedule."

Crystal's ears drooped slightly and she relented with a sigh. "I will have to do that, certainly. All right." She looked behind her to see the entourage of ponies heading their way. She forced a smile, even if it couldn't be seen. "This will be its own fun, I'm sure."

"I am sure," Faizan repeated without an ounce of certainty.

Prince Majesty trotted forward, his thwab and keffiyeh both a deep royal blue and embroidered silver stars. "Crystal, Crystal, Crystal! You gave me quite the scare, running ahead like that! I know you're half as excited as I am to begin filming, but you ran right past a very important pony!"

Crystal blinked. "I did?"

"Yes! Please, now, settle down so I can introduce you to the film director, Magic Hour." He stepped to the side to reveal a lanky pony with glittering, sequined, and feathered garments.

The copper eyes that looked at Crystal seemed to bore into her soul, accentuated by eyeliner and mascara. However, the voice that came from them was—albeit airy and a little feminine—decidedly that of a stallion. "Oh. My. Stars! Finally, we meet, pet!" A hoof the color of the evening sky slipped out to touch her cloth-covered cheek. "Aren't you just precious? Tut, tut, running off like that! If you think this little hub of mercantilism is fascinating, sweetheart, then you are in for a surprise."

Crystal could only gawk, even if she wasn't surprised. Such a large personality fit Majesty so well that she had expected the director to be the glamorous, over-the-top pony he clearly was.

Magic Hour winked, the glitter of his eyeshadow catching in the sunlight. "Just follow my lead and I will take you to paradise! Yes, everypony, let's be on our way! If the little princess wants wow and ooh-la-la, then she must get to the set immediately. Come, come!" He trotted ahead, giving nopony any option but to follow him.

As they walked through the bazaar, Crystal's sense of wonder returned. The Arabian language shot through the air from all directions, and her ears got quite the workout trying to keep up with all the foreign words. She saw merchants haggling with customers; she watched a colt running after a filly; she felt the abundance of life flowing through the entire city.

"Oh!" She perked up and looked over at Golden, who was walking at her side. "Look! Equestrians!"

Golden glanced around, then spied the same group Crystal spotted and rolled her shoulders in a light shrug. "Tourists, most likely."

Crystal giggled like a filly and started to prance, but the slippery sand scolded her by giving way. She cleared her throat and resumed her normal pace. It was a struggle to walk through the sand, more so than she had anticipated. "It's too bad we can't stop to say hello. I wonder where they're from, what they're going to see, who—"

"Keep up, pet!" Magic Hour called from ahead. "I scouted the absolute perfect location for filming, but it will take us two hours by walking, three by dawdling!"

The excitement was once again drained from Crystal and she nearly collapsed under the sun that felt suddenly a lot hotter than hot. "T-Two hours?"

Golden swallowed audibly. "Why did I agree to come along?"

"We could hire a caravan," Djamila said in a light, mocking tone as she looked over her shoulder with a smirk, "to carry the dainty little ponies."

Crystal glanced at Golden and saw the same hardened resolve in her heart reflected in those big blue eyes. "No," they said in near unison. "We're fine."

The group moved out of the bazaar and onto a large street that led to what appeared to be the main city gates. They stood tall, much taller than had to be necessary, and were flanked by equally tall statues of rearing horses with fiery manes. The hindlegs of the statues were slightly off; instead of ending in hooves, they seemed to be rising up out of something. Swirling sand, perhaps?

Beyond the gates lay the Great Desert that Crystal had read so much about. It was a desert of ever-shifting dunes, traversed by nomadic herds known as Bedouins, who believed in powerful, unseen forces called Jinn. Fatinah belonged to a herd that followed the Jinn of Fire. Would Crystal encounter an actual Bedouin while out in the Great Desert?

The possibilities were endless, just like the horizon of sand that stretched forever onward, and her heart pounded with anticipation.

I Can't Go Back

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"Cut! Cut, cut, cut, cut, cut!"

Crystal had lost count of how many times Magic Hour had cried that word the past couple months, waving his forelegs and clicking his tongue. She groaned out a sigh and dropped her head down to rest on her forehooves. "What this time?" she grumbled, glancing at Golden.

The two of them sat in the shade of an open-faced tent, watching the filming process from the sidelines like fans rather than part of the team. Everypony else was on set, which was really just a sandy location that didn't get battered by the wind as much as the rest of the desert. Which was more sand.

Saddle Arabia was just a bunch of sand. Hot, sweltering sand by day—frigid, freezing sand by night. Sand, sand, sand. Sand to the north. Sand to the south. Sand in her mane. Sand in her mouth.

Crystal hated sand.

Golden continued to fan herself, her keffiyeh tossed onto the rug beneath them so she could feel the air directly on her coat. "Who knows? More importantly, who cares?"

"I do." Crystal sat upright, wincing at the ache in her muscles, and raised her voice. "What now, Director?"

"They were forgetting—" Magic Hour spun about, his sudden motion kicking more of that dreadful sand into the air. His thwab flared out as his wings tried to expand for emphasis. "—the sparkle! The pizazz! The wow and ooh-la-la, my darling! Acting is just acting without it! I need to taste the moment, not merely see it!"

What did it matter? What did any of it matter? Crystal sighed and relented with a nod. "I understand."

While the Arabians got back into their roles, Crystal and Golden sat in relative silence. The wind blew sand into her eyes. Her ears felt rough and worn from the grains blown into them. If she survived this trip, she'd never take the safety and comfort of her house for granted ever again.

"I really thought this was going to be more, I don't know—fun." Golden scrunched up her nose. Her mane was matted with sweat and plastered along her neck as if she had just stepped out of a shower. "It would be slightly more tolerable if Dusty would cut that mane of his so he didn't sweat himself into a heatstroke every time he steps out of his tent." She fluttered her fan for emphasis: ever since their arrival, she'd had to—Celestia and Luna forbid—take care of herself. "No offense, but I regret coming."

"Me, too," Crystal muttered, dropping her gaze to her hooves. "I thought this would be a wonderful adventure of seeing Saddle Arabia and getting to help bring my story to life."

The sound of Golden's fan stopped. Crystal looked up to see the mare staring at her, a serious look in those blue eyes. "And why aren't you? Why are you just letting Majesty and his goons trample all over you? Far be it for me to tell you what to do, but I thought it was your story."

Crystal didn't respond at first. She returned her attention to the filming. This was the scene where Khalil and Ghareeb begged Fatinah for help.

"I love him, Fatinah," Wajdi said, turning his eyes to Faizan. His voice wasn't Khalil's at all; his eyes weren't, either. There was a sincerity in both that sent Crystal's heart fluttering. "I want to spend the rest of my life with him, no matter the cost."

Faizan stammered over his line. Had he noticed the same thing as Crystal?

"Cut!" Magic Hour stomped his hooves. "Darlings, sweethearts, precious ones—please! Faizan, take a lesson from our absolutely magnificent Wajdi. I believe his words! The passion! The fire!"

"Seconded," Golden purred. "That was some hot stallion love."

Crystal laughed, albeit somewhat breathlessly. "You sound like Velvet." She tilted her head to the side, watching as Faizan avoided Wajdi's gaze. "Though, I am starting to wonder. Have you noticed—"

"—how Wajdi is always watching Faizan like a lovesick colt?" Golden gave an enthusiastic nod. "I keep hoping to catch them making out behind one of the tents."

Crystal's face heated up from more than just the desert sun. "Now you really sound like Velvet!"

A companionable silence fell between them as they watched the filming go on. When a break was called, Crystal scrambled to her hooves and hurried to Wajdi's side. "May I ask you a personal question?"

He blinked down at her, the lean muscles of his neck tightening. "Perhaps." He nodded his head to urge her to follow as he walked away from the others. Once they were a safe distance away, he turned toward her. "Yes?"

Crystal felt her face got hot again, but pushed through the embarrassment. "How do you feel about the, ah, the ending?"

Wajdi's ear flicked. "The ending?"

"That Fatinah gives up her freedom for Khalil and Ghareeb, that they have to take her freedom to be together." Crystal glanced up at him, then quickly dropped her gaze. "How do you feel?"

For a while, Wajdi was silent. When Crystal looked back up, there was a fire of immeasurable depth in his eyes that vanished as quickly as she noticed it. "It is the way life is here. I understand that, in Equestria, you have the freedom to love anyone you choose." This time, he was the one who looked down. "The version you imagined is a nice fantasy, but it could never come true."

Crystal took a small step back as a wave of deja vu washed over her. "Say that again?"

He blinked. "The version you imagined. It is a nice fantasy, but it could never come true."

A bubble of giggles surprised even herself as they escaped her. "You're right." She reared back onto her hindlegs and stretched her forelegs as far as they would reach in an attempt to clasp his cheeks. He obliged her by leaning down. "You're right! Thank you!"

As she turned away and started to trot toward where Magic Hour and Prince Majesty stood, Wajdi called after her, "You are welcome?"

"Crystal?" Majesty smiled at her approach. "There you are! We were just going over the script, and—" His mouth snapped shut as pink magic engulfed his muzzle.

"I apologize, Prince Majesty, but I have something to say." Crystal cleared her throat as all nearby eyes turned to her. "I refuse."

Majesty gawked, and Magic Hour asked, "You refuse what, princess?"

Crystal waved her hoof in a large, vague circle. "I refuse to support this film if you continue filming with the script as it is written."

With a flare of his own magic, Majesty broke the hold she had on him and stormed up to her. "Mrs. Wishes! I thought we agreed that this was the best ending? You and Silver Script did such a wonderful job, after all!"

"Silver did a wonderful job." Crystal shook her head. "Not one word of the current ending is penned by me, and I will publicly state as much if you insist on going with it."

Majesty's ears fell and he looked around as if to seek support, but everypony remained silent. "I don't understand. What happened? Haven't you had fun these past few months watching your story come to life?"

"I haven't, and that's why I don't want to see it end this way." Crystal tossed her mane as she held her head high. "I forgot something very important that a dear friend told me once. Readers don't want the truth. They want to believe in happily ever afters, and it's my job to deliver on that."

Behind the crowd of wide eyes staring at her, Crystal caught Golden's gaze—and saw the same pride she felt at that moment. Regardless of the outcome, she had finally stood up and spoken her mind. Somewhere along the way, she had forgotten that she was not just a writer, but a successful one. One who had fans that trusted her, who had done this long enough to know just what to do.

Djamila's brow arched. "What would you have, then? An impossible dream?"

Crystal inclined her head to look up at the mare, but utilized the proper angle to give the appearance of looking down her muzzle. "I have an idea for a compromise. What if Fatinah were to form a new herd?"

"A new herd?" Faizan blinked as his ears swiveled forward. "What do you mean?"

Crystal nodded. "I fully admit that there are aspects of your culture I didn't study thoroughly enough. I apologize for that. But I don't want to ruin the message of my story trying to make amends. I respect your culture, but I am also a romance writer, not a historian. I've written impossible dreams before."

Djamila didn't respond at first, giving Majesty time to jump in and say, "But Mrs. Wishes! We already have a script, and it's a wonderful one! Last minute changes are—"

"Pretty normal when working with you, actually," Silver Script muttered.

Majesty shot him a light glare. "This is different!"

Silver Script just shrugged. Magic Hour tapped a hoof on the sand and sighed. "Well, then, wow me, princess. Convince me that this is the ending of this story with your heart, not your words."

Crystal nodded confidently even though nerves started to set in. Her mind raced to come up with the words fast enough. Closing her eyes, she carefully and slowly said, "Khalil and Ghareeb discover their feelings have grown for one another, not for Fatinah. They resolve themselves to find a mare to wed and deliver the news to Fatinah. Fatinah sees in them the same struggle that has been raging in her heart: a desire for freedom. Their herds would look down on them for wanting to wed each other, and her herd looks down on her for not wanting to wed at all.

"That is when she knows what she must do. She cannot change what already exists, but she can try to start something new. A new herd. One of acceptance, of freedom." Crystal opened her eyes. "Perhaps it is an impossible dream, but in the world of literature, nothing is impossible."

Silence reigned for a while until Wajdi spoke up. "I do not see a problem in dreaming." His gaze was fixed on the distant horizon. "I would like to believe in such a herd."

"Me, too." Faizan lowered his head, sending a quick, shy glance at Wajdi. "I have never considered a life outside of Al-Jawhar, but..."

Djamila looked between them with wide eyes. "A herd! You would leave the safety and security of home for a herd? Roaming the desert as a Badawi? Why?!"

"Hurriyah," Wajdi said in a soft voice that was nearly lost on the wind.

Faizan nodded. "Freedom."

It was at that moment that realization seized Djamila's expression as she stared at her brother, then at Faizan. Slowly, her gaze slid to Crystal, and she blinked a few times before straightening up. "So be it. You are Crystal Wishes, the Writer."

"I am." Crystal smiled and repeated, more to herself than anypony else, "I am."

Magic Hour's head suddenly flew up, the feathers around his neck and shoulders ruffling from the sudden movement. "I have heard your heart, pet. You have been sitting so quietly that I thought you simply didn't care." His eyes sparkled—possibly from passion, but most likely from the copious amounts of glitter he wore. "Now I see! You were hiding this passion all along! Why would you lock away such earnest desires? Sweetheart, I have been trapped in a desert without a drop to drink, and you've been hiding an oasis!"

Majesty furrowed his brow, gaze locked on Crystal. His eyes seemed to search her for something. Weakness? An answer? Whatever it was, he didn't find it. "Well, if everypony thinks it's a good idea..."

"Chop, chop!" Magic Hour tapped his hoof to thud against the sand. "We haven't a moment to waste! Darling, keep that passion rolling. We'll do it live! To Tartarus with a script!"

Crystal nodded and turned her attention back to the Arabians. "What do you need from me?"

"You have already given what I need." Wajdi walked over to take position on the set. "I understand Khalil."

Djamila hesitated before following her brother. "I need nothing, as well. I understand Fatinah."

"I will take your assistance in their stead, then." Faizan laughed, shaking out his mane and looking down at Crystal. "I am not sure if I know what to say without a script."

Crystal bit her lower lip, then nodded and started walking to where Faizan would stand beside Wajdi. "Let's do a practice run, then. I'll show you what I see in my head."

Wajdi glanced down at her, then broke into a whinnying laugh. "Oh, this will be fun."

Magic Hour clapped his hooves. "Settle down! Settle down. Get into character. Feel the moment."

Crystal breathed in through her nose. She was Ghareeb. She was in love, desperately, but there was a chasm between her and Khalil. A chasm she could do nothing about.

"Taste the scene. And—action!"

"I love him, Fatinah," Wajdi said, turning his eyes to Crystal. The passion from before was gone, but it would suffice. "I want to spend the rest of my life with him, no matter the cost."

Djamila's brow furrowed as she looked between Wajdi and Crystal. "But—Khalil, you're both stallions."

"Why is that our fault?" Crystal asked, remembering all the time she spent pining over Silent to fuel the feelings behind her voice. "I didn't ask to be born a stallion. I didn't ask to fall in love with another stallion. But I am asking for your help. We are asking for your help."

Djamila paused before she took a step back, eyes locking with Wajdi's. "You want me to give up the life that I know for your happiness?"

Wajdi didn't hesitate. The fire returned and he held Djamila's gaze without wavering in the least. "What other option do we have? Our herd will not accept us without you."

A beat of silence held them until Djamila sighed. "And our herd will not accept me as I am."

Crystal stepped closer to Wajdi, pressing her shoulder against his leg; it would have been a more romantic gesture were she taller. "Please, Fatinah. In return, we will take care of you as husbands should."

A well-timed wind washed over them, stirring their manes. It was as if time stood still and refused to move until they were ready—a patient but encouraging force that reassured them to move past the part where Fatinah gave up. This felt right: being involved, ending it her way, standing for what she wanted.

"No." Djamila's voice was firm as she straightened up. "No, Khalil. I have known you too long to allow this. I love you like a brother."

Crystal felt Wajdi tense by her side and she glanced up to see an uncertain look in his eyes while his sister continued to speak.

"We cannot be the only ones who feel this way." Djamila gave a soft but beautiful smile—one that was sincere. "I cannot find a place that accepts me, so I will make one. Follow me, Khalil, Ghareeb, and let's all make one together."

Faizan stepped forward, and Crystal took that as a cue to back away as he said, "Make one? How?"

Crystal quietly trotted over to where Golden stood off to the side and felt her heart flutter at the pleased smile sent her way. "What do you think?"

The fan in Golden's magic paused, folded up, and bopped Crystal on the nose. "I think you took too long to finally say something." She laughed as she shook her head and resumed fanning herself. "Magic Hour seems pleased."

Crystal looked over to see Magic Hour trotting in place, practically glowing with excitement. Majesty had the expression and posture of a sullen teenager. But as the Arabians ran through several variations of the scene—each time growing more confident in their words and actions—even he started to perk up. Soon it was hard to tell if they were acting or not, and nopony could take their eyes off them.

Was this the magic of film? This was certainly not an experience Crystal could ever enjoy through her writing alone. She wanted to write it down nonetheless, however, so she could remember it forever. Did that count as ironic?

"We'll have to celebrate," Golden said with a confident nod. "You finally grew a spine."

With a soft laugh, Crystal shook her head. "No, I didn't. I merely found it again. I—I don't know why, but I forgot that I have authority. That I have opinions that matter. Isn't that embarrassing?"

"Hmm." Golden lowered herself onto the shaded rug and stretched out on her side, drawing one hoof across the sand. "No, I think it's perfectly normal. I spent so many years listening to others tell me how to model: how to pose, how to smile, how to dress. I've always known these things. My mother made sure of that. But I didn't trust that I actually knew anything. I don't know why, but I think the more we know, the more we doubt."

Crystal smiled as she watched the sand move under Golden's ministrations. "Then how did you stop doubting?"

Golden's lips curled into a grin and she lifted her head to look up at her. "I got so angry that I blew up at a designer who was making a fuss over nothing. He backed down like a coward, and I realized that I had power. After that, I never forgot."

"Power." Crystal breathed in the hot air and held it for a moment before sighing. "I don't know if I feel like I have power yet, but I certainly feel weight removed from my soul. I suppose that's power in and of itself."

Magic Hour whirled around to look at them. "Sweetheart, you can't sit down now! We have so much to do! This is such a pivotal moment. You want it to be perfect, don't you? Don't you? Of course you do! Now get your little rump over here!"

Crystal almost squeaked as she scrambled to her hooves. "Coming!"

Golden waved her fan like a dainty kerchief. "Have fun!"

Fun was not quite the right word, but Crystal certainly enjoyed herself. Hours slipped by much faster than they ever had before as she and Silver Script tweaked the lines that the Arabians spoke from their hearts. This wasn't just about her story anymore. This meant something to these three. Wajdi and Faizan grew closer, and Djamila saw her brother in a new light.

Watching her ideas change lives in front of her very eyes was suddenly more important to her than getting her way with the film, and she was lucky enough to get both at the same time.

When the air started to chill under the sun's retreating rays, Magic Hour clapped his hooves. "All right, everypony! Fabulous work! I think we made real progress today, and I'm loving it! Bright and early tomorrow, all right, my sunshines?"

Crystal practically had to drag herself to her tent. She had spent so much of the filming sitting on her rump that it was almost as if her body had forgotten how to move about. Everything ached, but she felt better than ever.

Just as she collapsed onto the numerous pillows that served as her bed, she heard the tent flaps move behind her.

"Going to bed?" Golden's voice asked, and Crystal looked to see the mare leaning in.

"Of course," Crystal groaned, nuzzling into the pillows despite the stray grains of sand that rubbed against her face. "Aren't you?"

Golden chuckled almost ominously. "Well, I was thinking we could celebrate your triumph today." A large bottle of clear liquid floated into view. "If you're not too tired and can keep a secret from Dusty..."

Crystal jolted upright. "Where did you get that?"

"Do you really want to know?" Golden walked in and settled across from her. There wasn't a lot of room for the two of them, but they made do. "Today was a good day."

"I'll drink to that," Crystal teased, her magic overtaking the bottle and pulling out the cork. "Do you have any glasses?"

Golden's magic snatched the bottle back. "Nope." And just like that, she took a swig directly from it.

"Oh." Crystal blinked. "Well, I suppose sacrifices must be made in the desert." Cautiously, she brought the bottle to her lips and sipped from it.

It was entirely different from the wine she was used to. How did stallions refer to hard cider—sipping cider and drinking cider? Whatever this liquor was, it was definitely ill-suited for drinking too fast. The sour bite stung her tongue and felt like fire going down her throat.

"Wh-What is this?" she managed through her coughing.

"I don't know. The Arabian mare called it arak. She teased me to take it slowly." Golden snorted as Crystal passed the bottle to her. "They think all Equestrians are foals, but they're just biased because they're so big. Honestly. I can handle a little alcohol."

With the large gulps Golden took, Crystal could hardly call what she consumed a 'little' alcohol. How did she even handle it? Every time it was Crystal's turn to drink, she felt like she was being bucked in the chest.

It was strong, she knew that much. Strong enough that Crystal started to feel its effects fairly quickly. Her body felt warm and fuzzy, and giggling became easier. They weren't even talking for a while, merely glancing at one another and snickering for no obvious reason.

Golden tipped the bottle for another swig, then gestured at Crystal with a vague swing of her hoof. "So, what's your plan? We'll enjoy the rest of this vacation now that you've gotten what you wanted, then we go back to Equestria and you'll stress yourself to wits' end all over again?"

"Dunno." Crystal scrunched up her nose and pawed a hoof at the ornate tapestry rug beneath them. "I don't want to. Can we just stay here?"

"Nah, it's too hot and sandy. I couldn't live here, and I bet you couldn't, either."

Crystal stuck out her tongue. "Could, too."

"Uh-huh. And what 'bout your husband?"

There was a long pause before Crystal's ears drooped. "I… guess I should… go home at some point." She groaned as she dropped her head down to rest on one of the numerous pillows inside the tent. "But I don't want to get stressed out again. Today was the first day I've felt this good in a long time."

Golden hummed, tilting the bottle this way and that to slosh the remaining drink inside. "So then, done? You're done? Just going to give up?"

"No. Can't." Crystal nuzzled deeper into the pillow. "I can't… do nothing."

"Then what?"

For a while, Crystal just sat there, lost between her muddled thoughts and the alcohol-induced buzz. She suddenly became aware of many things: the sound of the wind pouring in through the tent flaps, a distant yeowl of some desert creature, the discomfort of sand burrowing its way into her coat with every movement…

She jerked her head up. "I got it."

A sound between a gasp and a snort escaped Golden as she jolted out of a dozing slumber. "Wha—huh?"

"I don't have to do everything." She pushed herself up with wobbly legs that felt as though they were made of gelatin. "I can get other ponies to do things for me."

Golden squinted at her. "This sounds devious." She grinned. "I like it."

"No, no, no." Crystal wobbled her way over to the tent flaps. "I'm going to make ponies all over Equestria take care of each other. Take care of the soldiers. Take care of ponies like you and me." She stuck her head out of the tent and hollered off to her right, "You hear that, Equestrians?! You're gonna take care of 'em! All of 'em!"

Golden snickered loudly behind a hoof. "Okay, all right. There's just one problem with that."

Crystal looked at her over her shoulder. "What?"

Golden pointed to the left. "Equestria is that way."

Scoffing at first and then sputtering into laughter, Crystal tumbled over to land back on the pillows. Golden joined her, falling onto her side and laughing freely. The bottle hit the rug with a soft thump and a splash of the burning clear liquid inside fell out, but that was all right. They had certainly already had enough.

As Crystal's laughter settled down, she gazed up at the roof of the tent, imagining the stars beyond it. "I'll take care of the homefront for sure this time," she whispered, bringing her hoof to her lips, "so don't worry, my love..."

A World for the Changing

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"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...

Something Wonderful

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Jet Ship sat behind his desk with his hooves steepled, his eyes closed, and his expression entirely unreadable. Crystal could have heard her own breathing in the silence between them if the looming pressure hadn't suffocated her into perfect stillness.

Throughout her whole explanation of the Flower Foundation, he hadn't said a single thing. He had hardly even blinked. Instead, his orange eyes pierced into her and judged her every word. And when she finished, he merely closed his eyes in thought.

How much time had passed? More than a minute, certainly—perhaps two or even three. She tried to force herself to breathe evenly. What was the worst that could happen? If he denied the request, then she'd not only have to look elsewhere, but face her mother who had told her to start small.

She didn't want to start small. She didn't want to back down. She raised her head a little higher and continued to stare at him, waiting, hoping.

Jet Ship clapped his hooves suddenly, eyes snapping open. "Splendid idea! I'm glad you came to me about this, dear. This would be absolutely perfect for Jet Ventures's image."

Crystal kept her smile firmly in place. He was a business pony first and foremost, after all—and she desperately needed his financial backing. "Of course."

"Now, how much do you need?" His horn lit up and levitated a bitpurse, the coins inside jingling.

"I—" Her gaze fell to the little pouch and her heart sank. "Well, Grandfather, obviously an endeavor of this scale is going to be quite an undertaking."

Jet Ship nodded idly as he opened the bitpurse and started to riffle through it. "Mmhm."

Nervously, Crystal wrung her hooves. "I've spent a good deal of time with my mother-in-law doing research into what it would take, financially."

"And?" He looked up at her with a smile. "How much, dear?"

Her voice fell weak as she replied, "A million bits, Grandfather."

There was a long moment of silence. Jet Ship's smile fell into a flat line and his gaze shifted back to the bitpurse. "Oh." The bitpurse slowly lowered out of sight. "I see. That is not a paltry sum, Crystal."

"I know." She tried to keep from shrinking into her seat, feeling very much like a little filly under the weight of his piercing gaze. "I know, Grandfather, but there is so much involved in starting a charity organization. I want it to be built on as strong a foundation as possible, so there's no doubt in anypony's mind regarding our dedication."

Jet Ship chuckled, raising a hoof and waving it. "Yes, yes, dear. I understand. I'm not saying no. But for a million bits, I'm going to need more than some good press for the company."

Crystal swallowed as her throat went dry. "Such as?"

"I'll require a seat on the board in exchange for being such a charitable benefactor." His expression hardened into that of the serious, confident stallion who had become a wealthy, prominent business pony. "I want to have direct insight into the foundation, as well as influence in any board decisions. I don't want a single bit spent without having one of my lawyers take a look at where it's going."

"The board?" Crystal's confidence faltered. Wallflower had offered to come along for this discussion, but she had assured her mother-in-law that it wasn't necessary. Now, she regretted those words.

Jet Ship waited, gaze unwavering, expression unchanging. He didn't look at her as a grandfather to his granddaughter. This was purely business to him.

Crystal fought the urge to bite her lower lip. She had to set aside her personal feelings, even though they ran deep into the very core of the foundation. All of it was personal to her. However, she was going to face many challenges in getting it off the ground, and she couldn't let her feelings get in the way.

The fact was that she needed him, and it was easier to be in debt to somepony she knew than a bank she didn't—assuming a bank would even make the loan at all. Her grandfather was considering it, so she had to take the offer.

"Of course. It's only fair."

"Splendid." Jet Ship reached across his desk, smiling when she accepted his hoof and they shook. "In that case, I'll loan you one of my best lawyers to work for the foundation, pro bono. I'm sure you'll have need of him. Now—" He dropped his hoof to clap it on the desk. "—have you thought about your grand entrance?"

Crystal blinked a few times. "Grand entrance?"

Jet Ship chuckled. "Of course! You have to give in order to get. Show Equestria your dedication with a big unveiling. A publicity stunt, if you will. Something that will etch into the minds of everypony that the Flower Foundation should be at their foremost thoughts when it comes to military charities. Turn all of Equestria's eyes onto you."

Her heart jumped in her chest, eager to escape from the nerves that fluttered up from her stomach. "Oh."

Yes, she had known that starting a foundation that reached all across Equestria would put her in the public eye. Yes, she had known that she would have to give speeches and attend events.

But when he looked her in the eyes and spoke of a 'grand entrance' of that magnitude and importance, she felt paralyzed with fear. How could she express her dedication? How could she convey her feelings to ponies she had never met?

Was she ready for this?

"I'll—I'll give it all my thought," she said, her voice faltering from the fear that gripped her from the inside out.

"I know you will. You've always been such a thoughtful filly." He smiled the smile not of a business pony, but of her grandfather. "I expect there will be a board meeting to discuss ideas and strategy once you've thought it over?"

All she could do was nod. There was some comfort, at least, in knowing that the board consisted of ponies who cared about her.

"Wonderful." His magic grabbed a little butterscotch candy wrapped in gold foil from a glass bowl and levitated it to her. "Well, then, I have a meeting with your father to attend, but I'm glad we had this talk. I'll arrange the funds and when I'm ready, send the details to you with my lawyer, Goodwind. I look forward to working with you."

Crystal accepted the candy with a small, fond smile. "And I with you, Grandfather." She stood up from her seat and placed her forehooves on the desk to prop herself up so she could lean across, planting a kiss on his cheek. "Give Father my regards."

Jet Ship chuckled and patted her cheek before she pulled away. "I will. Take care, dear."

As Crystal left his office and made her way out of the building, every step felt like new weight was added to her hooves. Each pair of eyes on her felt like needles pricking at her sides.

She had thought she was ready for this, but she suddenly felt uncertainty clouding her mind. The general release of The Desert Rose was in a few days, and the Equestrian Writers Convention was at the end of the month. Sunset had made it clear that she was not to skip it, especially with her lack of commitment to her writing career as of late.

Who was she these days? A writer who went public, and then did nothing. A writer who started a series, then dropped it to chase a flight of fancy with a film. A writer who might give up her career to start a charity.

Crystal paused once she was outside to look down at her cutie mark. Between her special talent and her heart's desire—between what she was supposed to do and what she wanted to do—who would win in the end?

With a quick shake of her head, she broke into a light trot toward the palace. Once the war was over and Silent was home, she could turn the Flower Foundation over to somepony else. Until then, she needed to do her part, and writing romance wasn't contributing enough to keep her sane while her husband fought overseas.

As she made her way through Canterlot, she looked around in hopes of spying inspiration. What was Equestria to her? What was Equestria to everypony?

The ponies she walked past stirred a strange bitterness in her rather than ideas. Every time she walked the streets, she was reminded of how many lives continued on as normal. She overheard gossip about who was seen with whom and what fashion designer was currently in the spotlight.

It made her want to go home and never leave again, but that just wasn't an option. There was too much to do. For now, she had to focus on her meeting with Luna.

Her pace quickened the nearer she got to the palace. She nodded to the guards posted outside the main gates—stallions she didn't recognize, stallions that looked more like mere colts. Was she getting older, or were they getting younger?

Once she crossed the threshold, it felt as though the weight was lifted from her. The courtyard was open and airy, with lush greenery to the right interrupted by a small cobblestone path that led into the royal garden behind the palace. She felt like she could breathe here without the looming of close-packed buildings or the smiles of blissfully ignorant ponies.

At the doors into the palace were more unfamiliar guards, but she nodded politely to them nonetheless. To her surprise, Luna was waiting for her just inside the main hall with Willow in tow.

"Good afternoon, Crystal," Luna said with a tired smile. Everything about her seemed to be dragged down by exhaustion; even her mane didn't sparkle and shimmer like it used to. "I was beginning to worry."

Crystal blinked, tilting her head to one side. "I'm sorry, am I late?"

Willow gave a light snort. "No, you're exactly on time. With how busy the princess is, on time might as well be late these days."

"Mind her not," Luna said. She turned away and nodded her head to gesture for Crystal to follow. "We are all under a great deal of stress. I can imagine you understand why."

"Yes, of course." Crystal's ears flicked back as she felt a twisted sensation of empathy.

While the average citizen may have continued on as normal, neither princess was unaffected by the war. Both were struggling under what must have been unfathomable depths of guilt and concern. Although they were alicorns of great power, they were also ponies with hearts that loved their citizens and ached with every report of casualties overseas. Such was the burden of the crowns they wore.

"Now, what is it that you wished to discuss?" Luna glanced down at her. The weariness in her voice was tempered only by her soft smile.

Every time Crystal explained her plan, she felt closer to making it a reality. Each word repeated had more power behind it than the last time. It was like when she received the first proof of The Mare's Temptation, the feeling of seeing her dreams come to fruition.

"... and I just confirmed the funding from my grandfather, who wants a grand gesture to start the foundation off in the public eye." Crystal briefly scrunched up her nose. "Regardless of what that is, however, I know I will need your help in getting the proper social connections."

Luna had taken the whole thing in with calm but noncommittal responses, Willow following behind them as they wandered through the halls of the palace. Finally, Luna came to a stop and turned to regard Crystal with a smile. "If this is the path you wish to follow, then you have what I can offer of my support. Willow can arrange a meeting with the mayor of Canterlot so you can make that introduction."

Crystal paused to glance around at their surroundings to get her bearings. They were in the middle of a long hallway that glowed with light filtered through colored panes of glass—the Hall of Memories. Her breathing softened as she looked at the nearest stained glass mural that depicted Celestia and Luna in their younger years of ruling together as bonded sisters.

"Thank you, Luna." Crystal took a few steps to look at the next mural—it showed Celestia with her wings spread out, the sun rising behind her. A Summer Sun Celebration. Perhaps the first? "I appreciate it."

Willow asked her something, but she didn't quite hear it when her eyes found an alcove that shimmered with the colors of six murals. She felt herself drawn to it and before she knew it, her hooves were leading the way.

There were seven windows in all—a clear pane of glass in the center with three murals to the left and three to the right. They were a series of portraits, each featuring one of the six ponies she recognized as the Bearers of the Elements of Harmony.

Her gaze wandered each pony from left to right: blue pegasus, orange earth pony, white unicorn, purple unicorn, pink earth pony, and yellow pegasus. All faced the window that overlooked Equestria, which stretched on into the horizon.

"This is the Alcove of Harmony," Luna said as she walked over to stand beside Crystal. "Twilight Sparkle and her friends have done great deeds for Equestria, but none greater is the mere act of wielding the Elements. Once upon a time, it was my sister and I who held them and, before us, six other ponies." Her expression grew somber as she gazed through the window at the distant mountains.

"When she was forced," Luna continued, "to use them against me—against Nightmare Moon—the harmony between us was broken. It is the only time I know of that a single pony was able to wield the Elements, as you cannot have harmony on your own, but that act came at a great cost: we both have lost our connection to the Elements.

"They remained dormant for a thousand years until their time of need came once again. Six ponies who exemplify each Element came together and are now their bearers." A wry, almost sad smile lifted the corners of her lips. "When all seems lost, Harmony will always find a way."

"Harmony will always find a way," Crystal repeated in a soft murmur. Something warm and wonderful rose up from within her and encircled her heart. "What a beautiful sentiment."

A quiet laugh rumbled under Luna's breath. "It is more than a sentiment. Harmony is what guides Equestria."

Crystal looked at each mural again, this time at the Elements rather than the ponies themselves. Their names were stretched across the bottom of each window: Loyalty, Honesty, Generosity, Magic, Laughter, and Kindness. Crystal didn't recall much about the Elements of Harmony from her history classes, but she knew enough. They were relics of power, yes, but more than that. They were ideals that each and every pony should take into their heart and hold true. They were the key elements to living in harmony.

A pang of icy pain shot through the warmth she felt when she brought her thoughts to the present. The war had felled the TMS Harmony. The gryphons could have taken any other ship, but they had taken the Harmony. They had taken Equestria's Harmony by taking so many lives all at once.

Crystal breathed out through clenched teeth as she looked around the alcove again. Six ordinary mares made extraordinary, all facing a magnificent view of the land she called home. Luna's words became clear when she took it in as a whole scene rather than as individual murals of individual ponies: Harmony would always find a way, through ponies working for the good of Equestria, for each other.

The fall of the TMS Harmony was tragic and had plunged their soldiers into the front and center of war, but it had also brought everypony together. Yes, many quickly returned to their normal lives, but for that period of time, they stood together as Equestrians, not as Canterlot elites or Ponyville farmers. Ponies from all walks of life mended each other's broken hearts.

"I have it," Crystal blurted aloud into the silence. Her voice echoed in the small space around them.

"Have what?" Luna tilted her head to one side, regarding Crystal with one brow raised.

"The grand gesture for the Flower Foundation. I know it will be a lot to ask, but—Willow, I need your help." Crystal turned to face the pegasus with rejuvenated hope and purpose. There was only one grand gesture appropriate for not only the Flower Foundation, but for all of Equestria. "I need a sizable plot of land here in Canterlot, permits, a contractor, a gardening supplier, and a meeting with the mayor."

Willow blinked a few times, her gaze flickering to meet Luna's. "Princess?"

"If you don't think you can manage it," Luna said in a soft voice that belied the mischievous look in her eyes, "you could always ask Raven for assistance."

After working so close for several years, Luna and Willow knew one another very well—including how to push each other's buttons. Willow's wings snapped in to her sides and frowned. If she knew she was being played, she either didn't show it or didn't care. "Of course I can manage it. I was merely looking for your approval, Princess."

Luna waved a hoof. "You have my approval. See to Crystal's needs." She turned her head to look at Crystal with a smile. "I look forward to what it is you have so suddenly in mind. If there is anything else you require, Willow is at your disposal."

Crystal smiled and gave a cordial bow of her head. "Thank you, Princess. I promise it won't disappoint you."

How Far You Go

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Hooves clattered against the floor as ponies hurried down the main hall of the Canterlot Convention Center. Posters, books, and other merchandise were dragged along via magic, on backs, or in bags. There was still half an hour before the convention officially began, but authors and artists were already clamoring to get their booths set up.

Crystal trotted along at a light pace. She knew exactly how long it would take to get her own booth ready, and she had plenty of time to enjoy the walk to her dedicated space. There were so many things along the way that she enjoyed getting a good look at: the nervous-but-hopeful new authors, the laidback-and-experienced regulars, and—her favorite of all—the various posters advertising new books.

The row that included her own booth was, obviously, home to all sorts of romance authors. Some of the samples of cover art caused her to blush and avert her eyes, while others caused her to stop and stare, especially when one seemed particularly familiar.

"Hi!" the mare behind the table chirped.

"Hello," Crystal replied absently, her eyes fixed on the pair of violet eyes in the artwork that gazed up into the moonlit sky. The stark white coat, the scruffy blue mane, the little patch of blue facial hair below his pursed, shiny lips—

"I just got my fanfiction printed," the mare happily explained once she followed Crystal's gaze. "It's kind of niche but I got a lot of good feedback, so I'm here to advertise it!"

Crystal blinked a few times and raised a hoof to point at the poster. "Is that Sir Chevalier from The Princess of the Knight?"

The mare's face lit up. "Yeah! It's my favorite story!"

"Really?" Crystal couldn't help a small, shy blush at the earnest exclamation. Her heart skipped a few beats in her chest. There was fanfiction about one of her characters! "What is your story about?"

Without any reservation or hesitation, the mare dove right into the heart of the story: "It's about Sir Chevalier, whose noble character is tainted by Princess Selene's advances. You know, folks want to see a darker side in their bedrooms, everypony wants to see that! So I wrote this, where a year after Mare's Temptation, Selene wants to have a foal, but Chevalier feels he's not quite ready.

"So, our princess uses her seductive talents in ever more and more scandalous situations to, you know, uh, encourage Chevalier. Oh, you have to read this part where Chevalier walks into a room, and Selene is wearing the hottest horn sock—"

Crystal's head felt like it was spinning. "Excuse me? Horn sock?"

"Oh, it's a big thing in C.W. Step fanfiction, believe me. In chapter thirty-one, after the rope problem on the balcony, Chevalier finally has enough, and using the help of his best friend, Mighty Polearm, teaches Selene a lesson! It doesn't go quite as planned, teehee! Oh, but I won't spoil the rest."

Crystal looks at the cover art again. That was when she saw Princess Selene in the background, a devious look in her narrowed eyes as she appeared to be stalking Sir Chevalier from the shadows.

The mare continued, "Do you like the tagline? I thinks it's really clever. 'Can Chevalier resist the temptation of Selene's Fuller Moon?' What do you think?"

"I—" Crystal swallowed, trying to quickly clear the confusing mess that was her state of mind. This was a fan of hers, so she certainly couldn't be rude, but it would be an understatement to say that she was lost. How had her story inspired something like that? Could a fan interested in such themes really also be interested in what she wrote?

"It's okay, it's breathtaking, isn't it?" The mare laughed and waved a hoof. "What do you write? I mean, you're here, so I assume you're off to set up your own booth?"

Crystal's ear flicked and she glanced down the row at where she had been headed. "Oh, well, I, that is—" She bit her lower lip. It felt strange to not be recognized. Perhaps being a fan of her writing didn't equate to being a fan of her specifically?

"Don't be shy!" The mare leaned in, a sly grin forming on her lips. "Is it dirty? I love dirty! I'll trade you a copy of my book for a copy of yours!"

A part of her wanted to run and hide, but a strange, almost mischievous part of her wanted something else entirely. The darker side urged her with the assurance that it might be fun to see how the mare would react. Tentatively, Crystal opened one of the bags floating in her magic. "All right, you have a deal."

With an excited squeal, the mare slid a book across the table, then reached out with both hooves for what floated toward her. "Let's see, it's—"

Silence. A blank stare that gradually shifted into a wide-eyed gawk. Ever so slowly, the mare—whose name was printed on her cover as Dreamy Zucchini—lowered the book to the table and raised her gaze to meet Crystal's.

"You're C.W. Step," Dreamy said in the tiniest voice with just a hint of a squeak.

Crystal nodded, unable to hide the smile from her face. The dark side of her was right: this was indeed fun. "I am."

"Oh my Selene." Dreamy dropped her face into her hooves. "Oh my sweet Selene. I can't believe I didn't recognize you! The face, mane, the cutie mark, the beauty mark—you're totally, obviously her. I'm sorry, I was just so excited to talk to somepony about my book that I wasn't even paying attention!"

Crystal giggled and waved a hoof. "Don't apologize! This was—How should I put it?" She tucked the copy of Dreamy's book into her saddlebags. "A unique experience I've not had before, so thank you! But if you'll excuse me, I need to go set up my booth before the convention doors open."

Dreamy could only give a small, meek mumble in response as Crystal trotted away. She couldn't wait to share the find with Velvet; this sort of dirty thing was right up her alley. For the time being, however, she had a day of sitting and signing ahead of her.

Unlike previous years, the large poster that would sit behind her wasn't cover art of one of her books, but an advertisement for the premiere showing of The Desert Rose in just a few days. She couldn't wait to see the finished film on the big screen rather than against a sheet on her wall!

With a happy little hum, Crystal unfurled the poster and its stand, set books out on the table, and readied her quills and inkwell. There wasn't much to do to get ready, but she liked to take it slow and meticulously plan the placement of everything.

The books were arranged to take up the right half of the table. A stack of Her Silent Love was front and center of the display, as it was her most recent novel. The Princess of the Knight, being her most popular, was fanned out on both sides of the stack. And, lastly, a few copies of The Mare's Temptation were propped up at the back; while she was partial to it, it didn't seem to carry as much favor as her other stories.

Voices and hoofsteps filled the air as ponies flooded the room, pouring down the rows in search of their favorite authors. Crystal put on her best smile as she watched the crowd go by. Some ponies were decked out in elaborate costumes of their favorite characters, while others had bags ready to fill with merchandise.

One by one, ponies stopped at her table with books they wanted signed until a line started to form. It was nice—she hadn't published anything in quite a while, and yet there were still smiling faces vying for her attention.

A copy of Her Silent Love was set on the table in front of her, and Crystal smiled as she flipped it open. "To whom should I sign this?"

There was no response; instead, the mare who had set it down just stared at her. Was she shy? No, her jaw was set tight and her ears were standing tall. The muscles in her face twitched as she seemed to fight against opening her mouth.

"Are you okay?" Crystal asked as her brow furrowed. "Ma'am?"

One of the mare's ears twitched. "Is your husband away at war?" she finally asked, something sitting at the edge of her voice: anger.

Crystal felt her chest tighten as she straightened up in her seat, the quill dropping out of her magical grasp. "Ye—Yes. Why?"

The mare's nostrils flared. "You sit here, a smile upon your face and indifference in your laugh. Reading Her Silent Love, I thought you actually understood what it was like to be a military spouse. But you are just like every other author, selling a book to make a bit.

"I don't know what I expected," the mare continued in a low, venomous tone. "I suppose I thought I would meet a comrade in heart, not a trophy wife."

The nearby ponies gasped and backed up to give the mare space, glancing at one another and whispering just below hearing range.

Crystal's ears perked upright before flicking back to fold flat against her head. "Excuse me? Who are you, even?"

"A real military wife. It is not entirely surprising that you cannot recognize one when you see one."

Crystal wanted to fight fire with fire as she felt her own anger swell inside her, but when she stared into the mare's eyes, she saw something else that quelled her burning feelings.

Hurt.

Confusion.

Frustration.

All things Crystal had felt plenty of times ever since Silent left. It was a dark sea, the depths of which she couldn't perceive—most times she could tread the water, but other times a wave of loneliness and anger would wash over and pull her under. And through all of her struggling, she was often times surrounded by so many happy, smiling, normal ponies that she felt lost and alone.

With a sigh, Crystal stood up and walked around the booth. The mare took a step back at the approach and stiffened when Crystal embraced her. A few nearby ponies gasped and one even cried out in envy, but the mare just stammered, "Wha—"

"It's so hard, isn't it," Crystal whispered. "The world just keeps turning while it feels as if we're standing still, incapacitated with sadness." She squeezed the mare tight. "Yes, my husband is at the war. He's fighting on the front lines, and I'm terrified he might not come home."

There was a moment of stillness between them until the mare started to tremble. "Then how do you keep smiling as if your life holds no worry or care?"

Crystal laughed breathlessly. "Because I have to be strong for him, so when he does come home, he doesn't come home to a broken mare." She pulled back to smile at her. "That's our duty. I know it's hard, but it's what we have to do. Why don't you tell me your name?"

"I—" The mare's voice hitched. "Lily Forest. My name is Lily Forest."

"Lily. That's a pretty name." Crystal smiled and took a step back. "Do you have a support group?"

Lily raised a hoof to wipe her eyes, glancing around with a sudden uncertainty at all the eyes on them. "No, I don't. I was invited to join one months ago, but I found no solace in the company of those ponies. They sought ways to find distractions and how to move on, but I'm plagued with fear that I simply can’t let go." She gave a short quip of a laugh. "I managed well enough on my own until I saw you just now. I don't know why, but I had an image in my head of who I expected you to be, and—"

"It's all right, really." Crystal opened the copy of Her Silent Love on the table as she went back to her seat. A quill lifted in her magic and she wrote down the contact addresses for Radiant Orchid and Derelict Apathy. "I completely understand, but I do think you should give the support group another chance, and these mares—" She slid the book toward Lily after adding her signature. "—can get you in touch with a group of good ponies."

After a thoughtful silence, Lily relented with a light nod. "I'll give it a second chance." Her ears folded back and she glanced at the line behind her. "I'm sorry for taking so much of your time." She flashed a smile before hurrying away from the table.

"Just remember that you're not alone." Crystal returned the smile twofold and waved Lily off, then turned her smile on the next pony in line. "Thank you for your patience! Who should I sign your book to?"

The stallion's lower lip trembled. "That was—"

"Right?!" the mare behind him exclaimed. "Totally!"

Crystal blinked. "I'm sorry?"

"That was such a beautiful moment," the stallion said. "It was like something out of one of your stories! I can't wait to tell everypony in the fan club about this!"

"Fan—Fan club?" All at once, Crystal felt her cheeks heat up with a blush while, contradictory, the color drained from her. Icy hot embarrassment seized her magic and the quill fell to the table. She knew she had fans—the ponies that stood in line just to talk to her made that evident enough—but a club was a whole new level.

The stallion nodded. "Yeah! Of course! We get together every few months to share our fanfiction and fanart and stuff! Oh, and don't worry, we already have tickets for the premiere!" He gestured a hoof at the poster behind her. "We are all so excited. You're going to still finish the written version, though, right?"

"I hope to," she said absently, her mind whirling elsewhere. "Do you mind if I ask you a strange question?"

"Huh?" The stallion blinked, then nodded. "Yeah, sure, anything!"

Crystal breathed in through nervously clenched teeth. "Would you say that you're a fan of my writing, or of me? What—That is to say, if I took a temporary detour in my career to pursue something else, would you still support me?"

After some quiet thought, the stallion shrugged. "Both, I guess? I mean, we really like your stories, but you always seem like a good pony in interviews, too." His ears wiggled. "What are you going to do?"

"It's a surprise, but—" Crystal rummaged through her saddlebag for one of her notebooks, which she set on the table and flipped open to the first blank page. "If you have some way I can get in touch with the fan club, I would love to invite you all to my next venture. It would mean so much to me to have you there."

Jogging in place and grinning excitedly, the stallion nodded. "Of course! Totally! Absolutely! Just, uh, just send it to 59 Moonrise Way here in Canterlot. I'll make sure the Manehattan club gets the invite!"

Crystal blinked a few times, then giggled. "Please and thank you. I'll send the invite as soon as I know the details." She closed the notebook and put it away before returning her attention to the book he had tucked under one wing. "Now, what do you have for me to sign for you?"

"Huh? Oh! Right!" He stretched out his wing and retrieved the book he had been holding. It wasn't one of her novels, but instead a binder that, when he opened it, was filled with Mares Monthly clippings. "Could you sign this for me?"

Crystal's magic enveloped the notebook and brought it closer. "Oh my goodness, is this everything I've written?"

The stallion beamed. "Yeah! Including the article you wrote about the changeling invasion."

It was hard to decide between the feelings of flattery and uncertainty. Where was the line that differentiated a fan from a stalker? She glanced up at him and smiled; his expression was so earnest, more like a colt's than one of ill intentions.

"If you could make it out to Bold Counsel, please," he said, the feathers on his wings ruffling with excitement.

Crystal nodded as she danced her quill across the empty first page, flourished with her curvy signature, and slid the binder back to him. "Thank you so much, Counsel. I really appreciate it."

As the stallion bounded off with a gleeful whinny, Crystal giggled. She had almost skipped coming to the convention, but thankfully, Sunset had convinced her otherwise. She had fans who wrote fanfiction, fans who joined clubs, and fans who collected her works in a binder—but most of all, she had fans who continue to be there while she wrote a new, bold chapter in military charity history.

Through Despair and Hope

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"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.

Through Faith and Love

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Despite being the middle of winter, the local weather team had cleared away the clouds above the park to let the sun melt the snow and warm the air. Crystal stood on a podium in front of a towering monument with a large white cloth concealing it from the curious eyes all around it.

Crystal looked out at the crowd of ponies gathered in the pathways running between the empty flower beds and around the monolith. From the rich elite to the average pony to the princesses themselves, ponies from all walks of life were together as one collective group.

Princess Celestia and Luna stood front and center before her, dressed in full regalia with their aides at their sides. Crystal struggled to keep a calm expression at the telltale rounded stomach Raven sported, or the multitude of notes tucked between the feathers of Willow's wings. Both alicorns held somber, almost mournful expressions; Luna already knew everything, and likely had told her sister.

Standing near them were so many familiar faces of friends and family, ponies who had spent the last week pouring sweat and tears into preparing for this day. It wasn't just the launch of a charity. It was the beginning of something new and wonderful that meant something special to all of them.

Crystal cleared her throat, the sound echoing through the vocal amplifier and silencing the whispers that filled the air. She put on an even smile as all eyes turned on her and, despite the nerves that bubbled up in her chest, she began her speech.

"Ladies and gentlestallions, I want to personally thank you all for coming today despite the questions I am sure so many of you have. What is the Flower Foundation? What are we doing here? And what is this behemoth behind me?"

A polite chuckle circled through the crowd before settling back into quiet for her to continue.

"First and foremost, I would like to take a moment to personally thank several ponies gathered here today. To the mothers and fathers, wives and husbands, sisters and brothers, and the children of our brave soldiers: thank you for your service." She gave a small bow of her head and went silent for a moment. "But what does that mean? I've had those words uttered to me and been confused by them. Over time, after much reflection, I've come to understand the meaning of these words.

"None of us asked for this war to happen. None of us even expected it. Our lives before were simple: the greatest struggle was not knowing if they'd be home in time for dinner. Now, however, we are burdened with true fear. Fear that they might not come home. Fear that they might come home as somepony changed by the horrors they’ve endured.

"And yet, not long ago, somepony asked me how I could smile in spite of all that. The answer is because that is my duty as my husband's wife. Someday, he will come home, and on that day I will be there to stand by him, to support him, and to love him through the trials that are still to follow."

Crystal felt her throat tighten as tears threatened to fall, but she caught Luna's gaze, one filled with a bittersweet fondness. She saw the same look in the eyes of all of her friends and family, and she returned it with a smile. They supported her, giving her the strength to keep going.

"That is the service for which I am thanked. Support, strength, and love. And that is the service for which I thank you all. It has been almost a year since we lost the Harmony—since we lost so many of our loved ones. No moment in remembered Equestrian history has resounded so deeply within all of our hearts with grief and despair as a kingdom.

"But in loss, there is hope. There is always hope. We must stand together, work together, and build together. Today, I am formally announcing the Flower Foundation, a charity organization built on the hopes and dreams of those who have felt and know the pain of loving a soldier. We will help the wounded veterans, and remember the fallen. Together."

Crystal turned her head and nodded toward the stallion standing just off to the right of her little podium. His horn lit up and projected three emblems, each corresponding to her next words above their respective branch leaders.

"The Flower Foundation is composed of three branches: the Red Poppies—"

Upper Crust stood up straighter as attention fell on her and the image of three red poppies set in a golden triangle, representing the power and strength of the families, the soldiers, and the Foundation. The words 'Remember Together' were inscribed on a white banner that stretched across the bottom of the symbol.

"—the Forget-Me-Nots—"

Orchid Bouquet smiled beneath the wreath of light blue forget-me-nots wrapped around a golden ring, a circle with no beginning and no end, its banner proudly stating: 'Never Forgotten'.

"—and the Carnations."

Verdant Wellspring kept his composure calm and collected. The golden cross of hope and health above him featured four carnations entwined around each limb, their stems joined at the center, and a banner that read 'Moving Forward'.

"Please reach out to anypony you see wearing a badge that matches these symbols to learn more about the services their branch offers. I will not go into the details at this time because I have something more important to share with you all." Crystal sucked in a breath while her magic grabbed a corner of the cloth behind her, signaling for Verdant, Orchid, and Upper Crust to join her in the unveiling.

Under their guidance, the cloth fell away to reveal the tall, white marble monument beneath, and a hushed gasp filled the air. The sunlight illuminated the entire structure, lighting up the engravings along the square base with glowing honor and pride. Inspiration from Crystal Empire architecture had been implemented into the design to harness and utilize the natural light, and though it had been difficult to replicate, the result was more than worth the effort.

"You are all standing in what is now the Harmony Memorial Park. The names of every soul lost to the tragedy of the Harmony bear witness to what we, as the kingdom of Equestria, hold onto in their memory: hope. Hope that they will never be forgotten. Hope that their sacrifice will not be in vain. Hope that our loved ones overseas will come home."

Crystal bobbed her head and smiled as her ponies fanned out to group up at each flower bed that stretched out from the center in the shape of large petals. "And as a symbol of that hope for these names to see, today, I invite you all to join us in planting flowers that will bloom by the time the remembrance day for the Harmony arrives. From the barren soil of despair, we will plant the seeds of hope for a future where our loved ones return home safely, where there is no more war and no more fear—and, together, we will work toward seeing that future become reality.

"Thank you all for coming today. We will be here all day tending to the flower beds and hope you will lend a hoof in honoring our fallen sisters and brothers. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask." She bowed her head. "Thank you."

As she descended from the podium, she was met with somber, polite applause. Ponies dressed in their finest attire seemed wary of gardening, though she had expected that. What surprised her—and everypony else—was four discarded hoofguards hitting the stone walkway with a resounding ting-tating-ting, drawing all attention to Princess Luna.

"Princess!" Midnight Snow exclaimed, her professionalism slipping from surprise. "What are you doing?"

"Setting the example," Luna replied with a toss of her flowing mane as she approached the nearest flower bed and struck her hoof into the earth.

A warmth spread throughout Crystal's chest when nearby ponies glanced at one another, then a few began to remove their heels and roll up their sleeves. Princess Celestia smiled and levitated her regalia off, trotting over to the neighboring bed without a word.

"Very wise," Sunny Day said in an exaggeratedly cool voice. "I see you're setting the example as well, Princess." She looked over at Midnight Snow and smirked.

Celestia looked over her shoulder at Sunny. "Captain, I believe you have something on your nose."

Sunny blinked and went cross-eyed to stare at her muzzle. "Huh? What?"

Reaching out a hoof, Celestia smeared some dirt right on Sunny's nose. "There."

"Hey!" Sunny's feigned decorum was dropped in an instant. "That's not fair! I can't retaliate when we're in public!"

"We are. But, my dear captain—" Celestia waggled the offending hoof. "—the regalia is off. The rules do not apply to the here and now."

"Oh. Well, in that case!" Sunny kicked off a hoofguard, stomped over, shoved her hoof in the dirt, and flung some at the princess.

Crystal smothered a giggle while gasps resounded from those nearby, but none gasped louder than Midnight Snow. Her expression was priceless—eyes wide, ears perked, and mouth agape. While Celestia laughed in her perfectly perfect way and Luna focused on tenderly tending the earth, ponies began to break off into groups at each petal-shaped flower bed.

"This seems to be a success," Jet Ship commented as he approached Crystal from the side. She turned to see a light smile on his face. "I believe you owe that to the princesses."

Crystal shook her head. "I owe it to everypony. To the princesses, to you, to my friends and family."

Jet Ship chuckled. "The speech has already ended, dear. You can be candid with me."

"But I mean it. I truly do." Crystal's gaze wandered the view all around them, the warmth in her heart spreading down to her hooves.

There were no lines drawn to separate ponies. There weren't groups of military spouses versus 'ignorant' civilians. All were as one, working together in harmony, fancy attire cast aside for spades and seeds. At each flower bed was a representative from the Forget-Me-Not branch to explain the various aspects of proper gardening.

"Hi there!" a cheerful voice called, and Crystal turned to see a creamy orange-colored mare with the curliest set of pink pigtails she'd ever seen. "How do I sign up?"

Crystal blinked. "Sign up? Oh, there's no need for that. Just pick any flower bed and join in. Everypony is welcome."

The mare giggled. "Oops! I mean, how do I sign up for the Flower Foundation?"

Crystal's heart sunk at the very thought of such a bubbly, cheerful mask hiding grief and pain, and she reached out to put a hoof on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry. Yes, absolutely. We can help you right away."

"Help me?" The mare tilted her head. "But I want to help you."

The feeling of sympathy was replaced by a wave of confusion. Slowly, she pulled her hoof back. "With what?"

"With the Foundation!" Another bubble of laughter, pigtails bouncing. "Let's start over, which is super okay, misunderstandings happen all the time. Hi! I'm Dream Pop. I'd like to volunteer to help out!"

"Oh!" Crystal's ears perked up. "Really? That would be wonderful! What would you like to do?"

Dream Pop smiled. "What do you need?"

Crystal hummed in thought, her gaze wandering before returning to the smiling Dream Pop. "I suppose that depends on what you enjoy doing. We need ponies for all three branches."

"I enjoy doing anything! Here's my card." Dream Pop reached into her side satchel and held out a business card toward her.

Taking the card in her magic, Crystal gawked. Dream Pop, Specialist, the first line read, followed by a long string of alphabet soup. MD, PhD, ABR, CPM, CFA, RFP, AICP, CCCA, CPCM, RPL, MS, CCM, CVA, NP, CLA, OTR, PSM, CPRC. At the bottom of the card was the statement Full list of credentials available upon request. in small font.

"I—uh." Crystal blinked a few times. "I suppose you could do whatever you wanted, by the looks of it. Why don't you just pick a branch and try it out for a while, then move around until you find what you want to do?"

"That sounds super okay to me!" Dream Pop smiled and looked around. "Eenie, meenie, minie... there!" She started trotting in the direction of Verdant. "Bye!"

Crystal could only wave, her gaze falling back to the card and the pile of designations on it. "How in Equestria—"

"I've heard of her," Jet Ship said idly, looking at the card as well. "Or, rather, of ponies like her. Ponies that just seem to have an endless source of raw talent and end up specializing in everything. We should bring her on board before she becomes bored and moves on."

"Verd will take care of it." Crystal tucked the card away and looked up at him with a smile. "If you'll excuse me, Grandfather, I'm going to make the rounds to ensure everything is going well."

Jet Ship nodded. "Certainly. Be sure to be seen digging as well. It looks good for the founder to be involved."

"Of course." That was what she said, but her nose scrunched up just briefly.

Digging. She could use her magic with a spade, of course, but the princesses were using their hooves. They were setting the example by not using their magic, therefore including and inspiring all ponies. It was admirable—and it was also troubling. Did she think herself above the princesses that her hooves weren't allowed to get dirty? Yet the very idea of digging into the ground made her skin crawl beneath her coat.

As she trotted around to check in with each volunteer, she came across a most amusing sight: Azurite stood on Soarin's back while the stallion dug.

"Dig, dirt pony, dig!" she squealed, her forehooves grabbing onto his mane to keep from falling off.

Soarin snorted and kept a good-natured smile on his face. "Hi, Mrs. Wishes."

Azurite's little ears perked up. "Mrs. Wishes?" Her head jerked to the side to look at Crystal. "Oh!" She squeaked. "Crystal! This, uh, this isn't what it looks like!"

"It looks like," Crystal said teasingly, "you are putting this stallion in his proper place. Good work, Warrant Officer."

"Proper place?" Soarin snorted again.

Azurite puffed out her chest. "Yeah! That's exactly it! Soarin was all 'we should work together' and I'm like, no way! If I'm not careful, somepony might try to plant me like a flower! You work and I'll stay safe!"

Crystal's hoof flew up to smother a giggle. "Is that your concern? Well, that certainly won't happen if you stay up there."

"Exactly!" Azurite tugged on Soarin's mane. "Hey! Who said you could stop digging!"

Soarin turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "Tug on my mane one more time and we'll see who the dirt pony is."

Azurite blinked slowly, her hooves still holding onto his mane. With a small, mischievous swish of her tail, she gave his mane another tug, then squeaked when he stretched out a wing and leaned to the side. She tumbled down the makeshift slide and landed right in one of the holes that had already been dug.

"Nooo!" she squealed, scrambling back up onto all four hooves. "Soarin!"

Crystal smiled, shaking her head, and trotted to the next bed. Golden and Velvet were hard at work, albeit one more than the other—in fact, it looked like Golden had never seen a spade before with the way she ineffectually poked at the dirt with one. Crystal vaguely recognized the tawny brown mare standing at Velvet's other side, but the three mares seemed to be getting along well enough that she didn't want to disturb them.

Then, at the last bed she checked, was a group of familiar faces. Toffee Strudel, Bastion, Champron, Weather Front, and the rest of the support group were working together digging and planting seeds.

All except one.

"Hello, everypony," Crystal said as she approached the group, pushing the absence out of her mind. "Thank you all so much for coming."

Toffee smiled weakly and trotted up to her. "Hi!" His ears wiggled. "This is really great, what you're doing here."

"What can we help with?" Weather Front asked, chest swelling with bravado. "We're at your service, ma'am."

"Oh." Crystal's gaze darted between Weather Front and Bastion, the latter of whom had a cold look in his eyes. "I, um." She felt the weight of his stare suffocating her, and she gave a quick shake of her head. "I'm sorry. Give me a moment with Bastion?"

The others blinked in surprise, then nodded. Bastion didn't move and gave no indication that he would, so they made their way to another area of the flower bed.

Once they were relatively alone, Crystal looked up to meet Bastion's gaze. "I believe you have words for me," she said, her soft voice betraying her nerves.

Bastion snorted. "Words? Oh, little filly, there aren't enough words for ponies like you. You make a mistake, get scared off at a little confrontation, and run away to Saddle Arabia? Then you come back like some kind of savior of Equestria with this charity?" His ear flicked in annoyance. "You are a piece of work. I'd expect this kind of endeavor in earnest from the wife of Silent Knight, but you just prance around playing pretend."

Crystal kept her breathing even while her heart raced. She wanted to slap him, to yell, to pour out all of her pent-up doubts and frustrations. Instead, she simply held her ground and didn't look away. "What does my husband have to do with any of this? I may be his wife, but I am also my own mare."

"Are you? Isn't this a cute little stunt to show everypony just how important the wife of Silent Knight is?" He rolled his eyes. "He may be a hero, but you aren't. You haven't done anything. This is just a charade."

"Listen," Crystal snapped, her ears folding back flat against her mane and her tail giving a sharp lash. "Before I became Mrs. Wishes, I still existed. Yes, I want to make my husband proud. Yes, he is with me in my heart in everything I do. But the Flower Foundation isn't about him. I understand this may be difficult for you to comprehend, but I care about ponies. I actually give two snips about others, hard as it may be for you to imagine."

Bastion took a step forward to tower over her, raising one brow when she didn't flinch. "I stand by what I said the last time we spoke. You want the good feeling of helping ponies without the actual work. It's all a fun little feel-good game to you."

Crystal's coat bristled. Her temper flared. Knowing no other way to express herself, she stomped one hoof to loosen the soil beneath her, scooped up a hoofful of dirt, and flung it right in his face.

"What!" Bastion sputtered in surprise and nearly stumbled over his own hooves from backpedaling. "What's wrong with you!"

"Oh, what's wrong with you!" Crystal huffed. "Could you please stop being a little foal about whatever wrong I did to you and just mare up and talk about it?!"

"Crystal, what's going on here?" Verd trotted up, concern clear on his face.

Crystal jabbed a hoof at Bastion, whose expression was still unguarded from the surprise attack. "Him! He's what's wrong here!"

Verd raised his brow in both surprise and amusement, the latter indicated by the small upturn of his lips. "Oh, I see. Bastion, would you please not antagonize Crystal? We talked about this."

"She threw dirt at me!" Bastion exclaimed, much more like a colt than a grown stallion. "She threw dirt! In my face!"

"And I'll do it as many times as it takes until you stop being a pain," Crystal shot back.

"Foals, please." Verd chuckled lightly. "Or I'll send the both of you to time out."

Crystal huffed. "I don't know what I've done wrong, but I'll apologize for it if he would simply and clearly state it."

Bastion's nose scrunched up and he quickly shook his head to shake off the dirt. "You—" His ears flicked. "I let my guard down around you. I showed you a moment of weakness, and then you moved on. I don't want your apology. I just want my dignity back."

At first, Crystal wanted to roll her eyes and just walk away, but then her ears drooped. She sighed and shook her head. "I didn't move on, Bastion. I just—I suppose I just didn't understand. I consoled you as a friend. If you needed it again, I would have gladly done so, but you seemed to return to your normal self. How was I to know what you wanted?"

Bastion stared at her with an incredulous expression, mouth slightly agape. "You think I can recover from a shock like that overnight?"

Crystal threw a forehoof into the air. "How would I know to think differently when you acted as if you had recovered!" She sighed and stepped forward, reaching up to flick a piece of dirt out of his bangs. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you needed me and I wasn't there. But I earnestly, truly had no idea. Would it have been so much for you to simply ask for comfort?"

"I think," Verd interrupted before Bastion could respond, "that is enough progress for the two of you. On that note, Crystal, everypony in the support group wants to know if you would be joining our regular meetings again."

"What?" Crystal blinked and looked past Bastion to see the other group members standing awkwardly off to the side, watching them. "Why?"

Verd chuckled. "Silent is still overseas, isn't he? That makes you one of us. Assuming you won't be so busy with the Foundation that you'll have no time for the little ponies."

"Oh. I—Of course." Crystal looked back up at Bastion, who avoided her gaze. She sighed and looked back at Verd with a smile. "But only on the condition that Bastion is my care companion again."

"Deal," Verd said right as Bastion opened his mouth to speak. "The next meeting is at my place. Bring a snack. Come on, Bastion, let's leave Crystal to focus on the event. You can speak with her at the meeting."

Bastion snorted his displeasure, but nodded and followed Verd over to the rest of the group. Crystal watched them a moment, catching Verd's mouth moving and Toffee's face lighting up. Her nerves settled into a calm warmth and she turned to look at the rest of the park.

Ponies from different walks of life working together, planting seeds and smiling. Princesses worked alongside the most ordinary of ponies under a midwinter's sun without reservation. More than anything, she cherished those smiles; they filled her with the confidence that this was the right path to follow.

Where Do I Go From Here

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Jet Ship cleared his throat and tapped a hoof on the long meeting table he sat at the head of. "First and foremost, I would call the Harmony memorial party a success."

"Party?" Crystal's nose scrunched up. "That makes it sound trivial. It was an event, not a party."

Jet Ship waved a dismissive hoof. "Nonetheless, the pamphlets given out during the party had a one-to-five response ratio. We gained twelve volunteers from the party alone. Not perfect, but good enough for a beginning."

Crystal swallowed. "Yes, but—"

"Unfortunately," Upper Crust cut in, the tension along her jaw adding a rigidity to her voice, "because of the nature of the event, it was the Forget-Me-Not branch that saw the majority of the volunteers. I only have a minuscule amount of helping hooves in my branch by comparison."

Jet Ship stared down his muzzle at her with only the slightest narrowing of his eyes. "Your branch's services are in less demand, so that is not on my list of current concerns."

Upper Crust's lips curled into a light sneer, but before she could respond, Orchid Bouquet said, "We could use more volunteers, actually. We have a backlog of requests for flowers and trees to be planted."

Violet, who sat in Orchid's lap, giggled. "We got trees in our house!"

"They're not trees, dear," Orchid chided with a smile. "What are they?"

"S—" Violet scrunched up her nose. "Sap. Saplings?"

Crystal smiled behind a hoof. Violet was still young, but the squeakiness in her voice was starting to fade. That didn't make her any less cute, of course.

Upper Crust gave a loud sigh. "Getting back to the point, we certainly can't put together another memorial garden. What do you suggest?"

"If I may?" Verdant smiled as all eyes turned on to him while he shifted uncomfortably, his earth pony frame too big for the unicorn-sized chair. "I think we should put ads in the papers."

Jet Ship leaned back, crossing his forelegs over his chest. "Newspaper ads cost money. How can we be certain of a worthwhile return on investment?"

Crystal's ears folded back and she dropped her gaze. Her grandfather's words held no compassion or care, and each one felt like a pinprick in the back of her neck.

"Oh, please." Upper Crust stretched out a hoof to paw in his direction, though the venom in her voice made the gesture a mocking one. "Jet Ship, everypony reads the newspaper. I would think you would have the business sense to know that much."

Jet Ship's expression remained unchanged. "Be that as it may, I would still like to know the facts going in, rather than your word."

Crystal stomped a hoof on the arm of her chair. "I'm sorry, but could we please stop talking about this as if we're dealing with material objects? We are working with ponies—living, breathing, hurting ponies! Matters of the heart cannot be simplified with matters of the mind!"

The look Jet Ship gave her was not one she was accustomed to. No withering stare from her mother or embarrassing moment in her academy years compared to Jet Ship's disapproving glance. It made her feel smaller than she ever had before; she didn't feel like a filly, but a mere foal.

"While that may be true," he said with ice in his voice, "my financial backing is a matter of the mind, not the heart. This is not a happy, simple little game." He smiled, though it brought her no comfort, and levitated a butterscotch over to her. "Now, mind your tongue while we talk."

Irritation bloomed, but she swallowed it and merely nodded as she accepted the candy in her magic. She flinched when a hoof landed on hers, and she looked up to see Wallflower looking at Jet Ship with determination.

"Excuse me, Mr. Ship," Wallflower said, "but Crystal's opinions are just as valid as anypony's in this room. She is the reason we're here together, after all."

One of Jet Ship's brows arched. "As I said to Upper Crust, I am in the business of facts, not opinions."

Before anypony else could speak through the tension that filled the room, Verd cleared his throat. "I think it might be better to call it a night and reconvene tomorrow. The little one looks like she needs a break."

Crystal and the others looked over to see Violet squirming in an attempt to free herself from Orchid's embrace. When all the attention turned to her, Violet froze, then slowly settled against her mother's chest.

"Yes," Orchid said, patting Violet on the head. "Violet is getting restless. Come on, sweetie, let's go to the hotel and see how Blue Belle and Cocoa are doing."

As Orchid rose, so did Upper Crust and Verdant. Wallflower stayed where she was and, given that she was holding onto her hoof, so did Crystal. Wallflower kept her gaze locked on Jet Ship, who returned the stare twofold. Crystal could almost feel the fire raging between them, both daring the other to make the first move.

"Come on, Mom," Crystal whispered and gave Wallflower's hoof a squeeze. "Let's go to Sunridge Sweets and check on the volunteers."

Jet Ship nodded. "Yes, I have important business to attend. We have the first prototype of the new ships ready for testing tomorrow."

A chill ran down Crystal's spine, but she buried the feeling and swallowed the questions. Instead, she tugged Wallflower's hoof to lead the mare out of the office. "Bye, Grandfather."

Once they were outside, Wallflower wilted against Crystal. "Oh, dear, I'm so sorry. I wanted to stand up for you. I tried, but—"

"No!" Crystal quickly shook her head and smiled. "I really appreciate it. I don't have the will to challenge him, so it means a lot to me that you even tried."

They made it only a few steps before Wallflower came to a halt. "Why don't you head home early? I think Winterspear mentioned she had the day off. Spend some time with her. I'll take care of the Foundation for what's left of today."

Crystal opened her mouth to argue, but the words didn't come forth. She felt emotionally drained. After a day of working in their makeshift headquarters above Sunridge Sweets followed by the meeting with her grandfather, she wanted nothing more than to slip into a bubble bath and forget about the world for a while.

Finally, she relented with a smile. "All right. Thank you." She gave Wallflower a tight hug before trotting off in the direction of home. If only she could send a courier on ahead to beg Winterspear to draw a bath so it would be ready when she got home.

Crystal's gait slowed as her thoughts started to spin backwards. Could she endure more meetings like that? Would it be like that with anypony she got funding from? Was he being extra harsh because Upper Crust was involved?

No matter how many times the questions echoed in her mind, there were no answers. She sighed and tried to clear them by shaking her head and hurrying back to a trot. It was only going to get harder from here on out. There would be more events to host, more galas to attend, more ponies to coordinate with. There would be grieving widows and wounded soldiers. The road ahead was not one she had ever expected to tread, but it was the one she had chosen to follow.

Heaving a sigh, Crystal put on her best smile and pushed the door open to the place she shared with Winterspear. "I'm home."

Winterspear jolted upright from where she was sprawled on the couch, snorting lightly. "Wha—huh?" She rubbed at her eyes and yawned. "I wasn't sleeping. You were sleeping."

"Of course." Crystal giggled. "Enjoying your day off?"

Winterspear scrunched up her nose. "Not particularly. It's been boring. You were handling Foundation business, Iridescence is working, and Dot is out with all her coltfriends."

"How many does she have following her now?" Crystal shook her head as she made her way to the bathroom to start heating up the water. "Does she actually plan to date any of them, or is she just going to enjoy the attention?"

"She's young and she's growing into her body." Winterspear followed after her, hanging back to lean against the doorframe. "What, didn't you leave a string of broken hearts behind when you were her age?"

Crystal gasped in mock offense. "When I was her age? I'm not that much older than her!"

Winterspear merely replied with a raise of one brow and a quirk of her lips.

Giggling, Crystal tested the running water with a hoof and nodded, satisfied. "I don't believe I did. I dated a few stallions, but I doubt I broke their hearts. I certainly didn't have a following like Dot does, that much I can guarantee."

"It's really going to stick in Opalescence and Luminescence's craw when she fully matures." Winterspear grinned. "They're drop-dead gorgeous, which intimidates ponies into thinking twice before pursuing them. Dot is pretty without being too pretty, you know?"

While the bath filled, Crystal set about finding her bottle of rose-scented bubbles and retrieving some rose petals from a jar. "Mm."

Winterspear flicked one wing and tilted her head to the side. "Hey, are you all right? Did something happen with the Foundation today?"

"Oh, when isn't there something?" Crystal rolled her eyes, measuring out the bubble bath liquid and pouring it into the hot water. "But I suppose it's all normal for a venture of this scale. I'm just not accustomed to my grandfather acting this way toward me." Her magic worked to undo her braid and instead tied her mane into a loose bun.

"It's always dangerous, mixing family and business." Winterspear walked inside and sat on a stool by the tub as Crystal climbed into the bubbling water. "But you're doing really good work, so whatever it is, it'll be worth it. I have confidence in that."

Crystal sighed, letting the heat seep into her muscles, and leaned her head back to stare up at the ceiling while the bubbles rose around her. "I know. I just wish it were easier."

Winterspear snickered and shook her head. "Good things never are. Anyway, I'll let you enjoy your bath. When you're ready, we can decide what to do for dinner."

"Thank you, Winterspear." Crystal rolled her head to the side to smile at her. "You have no idea how much your support means to me. You're a better sister than I could have asked for."

"I know." Winterspear winked and walked out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

A single drop fell from the faucet, the sound of it hitting the bathwater echoing throughout the otherwise quiet room. There was a low hum of tiny bubbles quietly popping, reminding her that there was always a limit. The bubbles would disappear. The warmth would fade. The bath wouldn't last forever.

Crystal released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding in. The steamy air was filled with the scent of roses, a luxurious treat for the senses. It made her feel normal, like everything was as it always had been. War, soldiers, fear, and death were so far away in that moment.

Slowly, Crystal lowered until she had sunk down just low enough for her chin to touch the water's surface, her eyes clenched shut. The popping sound grew louder as bubbles tickled her ears; it was all she could hear. It was all she wanted to hear.

One of the rose petals bumped against her chest and she straightened up to look down. In the few patches where the bubbles had already faded, she spotted a couple red petals. Once upon a time, she was contented by a bath with some oil and scattered petals. Now it took bubbles to find peace. Her indulgences were going to be impossible to feed if she kept going at this rate.

The magic of the bath lost, Crystal sighed and reached out for the stopper to drain the tub. Bubbles still clung to her coat, but a wet hoofcloth took care of that soon enough before she dried off with a towel.

Wrapping herself in her favorite pink robe, Crystal left the still-warm bathroom into the cooler living room. "What are you thinking for dinner?"

Winterspear turned around, a somber look on her face and an envelope in her hoof. In a low voice, she said, "The courier came by while you were in the bath."

A strange mix of tension and excitement filled Crystal's chest as she glanced between the two. "Is it—"

"Yeah. It's from him, for you." Winterspear held it out with a trembling hoof, her ears pinning back. "I mean, I assume it's from him. I hope it's from him. It's from Nordanver, at least."

Crystal's magic started to open the envelope, but she stopped and sucked in a breath. Winterspear gave her a curious look and she returned it with a smile. "Would you mind giving me a lift up into the clouds so I can be nearer to him?"

"Oh." Winterspear's expression relaxed and she smiled. "Of course, sure."

"Thank you." Crystal's magic unwrapped the robe and set it aside before retrieving her hornlet. While she began to pour energy into the charm, she walked out the door behind Winterspear. She shivered lightly as a cold breeze washed over her once they stepped outside, but she smiled nonetheless. "With the stars out, I want them to carry my feelings the moment I read his words. It feels like it's been so long."

Winterspear fanned out her wings to offer her back to Crystal. "Well, you've been busy the past few weeks." Once Crystal was seated and holding on, she started trotting forward, then broke into a gallop and leaped into the air.

They flew in relative silence, the winter's wind biting the patches of Crystal's coat that were still wet. The stars were out in full form even despite the cold haze that covered Equestria. Crystal looked down to watch Canterlot grow smaller, leaving her worries behind.

In the sky, there was no grandfather, no Foundation, no stress. The sky was true freedom. She smiled and lifted her gaze upward, spying the group of puffy clouds that they neared. From below, they seemed to be a dark grey, but when Winterspear flew higher, the moonlight shining down lit them up to a brilliant white.

"Here's a good one," Winterspear said, though how she could differentiate clouds from each other was a mystery to Crystal. She landed gingerly and lowered herself to let Crystal off. "Be careful, it's full of snow, so it's pretty cold."

The moment Crystal set a hoof down, a chill ran up it as if she had stepped into icy water. She clenched her teeth and pressed on, however; if she wanted to be closer to Silent, this was the price.

"All right." Crystal breathed in and out before looking at the envelope she clutched to her chest. Was she trembling out of fear, because it was cold, or both?

Winterspear wrapped a wing around her for comfort and a little warmth, but gave the privacy of looking away. Crystal smiled; the simple gesture gave her the strength to finally open the envelope and retrieve the letter inside. The sight of Silent's hoofwriting calmed the latent nerves that had been buzzing in the back of her mind.

My Love Crystal,

As I write you I am still of sound body. Though I've been injured off and on, no sword, spear, or arrow has yet to do me any serious or permanent harm. The enemy has learned to fear me and I am concerned that a dark legend is being born. My soldiers and I have made a pact that we will come home to our loved ones. We will do what is necessary to make it through. Unfortunately, that comes at the cost of many of our enemy's lives and it leaves a great deal of blood on my hooves.

I think of you every night as I look up at the stars. You are my motivation and what keeps me moving forwards. I wonder what you'd think of me if you knew what I did each and every day. Am I the stallion you married? The one you want to be with? Did you know I was capable of what I now do? It is my life's goal to keep this world from you and everypony else. This was not meant for us.

It pains me to say it but this letter shall likely arrive near our anniversary... our first one. There is no chance that I will be there to hold you in my hooves. For that I am deeply sorry. I know that this was not the world you wanted to marry into. It was not mine either, truly. I wish I could be there at your side. We'd have a small party with our friends and then I'd whisk you away for a romantic week in Colton Head Island. It would just be me, you, and the beach.

Remember that small lagoon that wasn't far down from our room? We'd have a picnic there and play in the water. And the evenings... well, those are best left up to your imagination.

Happy anniversary, Crystal. May this be the only one we ever spend apart.

All of my love,

Silent Knight

"Crystal?" Winterspear asked in a soft voice after a while of silence between them. "What does it say?"

Crystal opened her mouth to speak, but tears jumped to her eyes and her throat closed up. When the first tear fell down her trembling cheek, Winterspear's pupils constricted to the size of pinpoints.

"What happened?" Winterspear reached for the levitating letter. "What happened to him?!"

"No—" Crystal gave a quick shake of her head, her voice raspy and strained. "He's—He's all right." Her shoulders quivered as the pain of realization racked through her. "I just—It's just that he reminded me of something."

Winterspear's hoof slowly lowered, but the tension in her muscles didn't ease any. "What?"

In a voice so fragile she wasn't sure if she had spoken at all, Crystal replied, "Our anniversary."

Silence held them for a while, the wind gently brushing against Crystal's face to chill the streaks left behind by the tears that fell in quick succession. Through her blurred vision, she noticed the cloud they rested on start to darken before a rumbling sound filled her ears. She leaned forward, blinking away her tears just long enough to see a heavy downpour of snow below, emanating from their cloud.

"Sorry," Winterspear said with a hitch in her voice, and Crystal looked up to see her crying. "I didn't realize it was that time already. That he's been gone so long. I—I miss him, Crystal."

Crystal reached out and wrapped her forelegs around Winterspear's neck to pull her in for a tight hug. Winterspear returned it with twice the strength needed, but Crystal ignored the crushing discomfort. It was no worse than the pain in her heart.

"I know. I miss him, too," Crystal whispered, clenching her eyes shut. "He'll come home soon. I'll have a late anniversary, you'll have a wedding, and we'll have Silent back. All will be well soon."

Winterspear buried her face into Crystal's mane. "Yeah." There was no conviction in her voice; it was just a hollow word spoken to fill the silence for a brief moment.

There was little conviction in Crystal's heart, either, but she didn't voice that awful thought. She kept that to herself so that as she looked up at the stars, only her feelings of desperate, lonely love were conveyed.

A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes

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Deep breath in, deep breath out. That was what Crystal was intending to do, but instead, she was fairly certain the signals crossed and she was trying to breathe in both directions at the same time. Was she hyperventilating? She was hyperventilating.

Just as her chest started to hurt from the rapid expansion and contraction of her lungs, she knocked on the door to force progress. There was a delay between her knock and an answer, long enough for her to start to feel lightheaded. Too many questions and doubts ran through her mind, but they all disappeared when she saw the door open to reveal Verd's face.

"Hey," he said, offering a smile that soothed Crystal's nerves. "There you are. I was starting to get worried."

"Worried?" Crystal's voice hitched as she saw the group of ponies behind him, and her breathing started to grow erratic again. "Why?"

Verdant chuckled and reached out a hoof to pat her on the head. "I think we both know why. Come in, I just made some tea."

Tea. Crystal sniffed the air and caught the aroma of the earthy tones that urged her inside. Yes, a warm cup of tea was just what her anxious soul needed right then. She froze, however, when Bastion rose to his hooves at her approach.

Bastion said nothing as he walked up to her, his expression unreadable. She felt as though her knees would give out as he stopped and loomed like one of the castle's towers. Finally, he lowered his head to her eye level and said, "I'm—I apologize for antagonizing you last week." His nostrils flared before he straightened back up, turned away, and returned to his seat.

Crystal blinked a few times as her jaw dropped. "Huh?"

Verd chuckled. "After the little incident between you and Bastion, we've spent some time today going over emotions. As Painted would say,"—he shifted his voice to a fond, playful mimicry—"you can't get rid of 'em, so you have to learn how to deal with 'em properly."

A pain clenched Crystal's chest in its icy yet burning grip and she glanced away from the group to look up at Verd. "How is she?" she asked in a soft voice. "When did you last hear from her?"

"I got a letter a few weeks ago. She's fine." Verd bobbed his head as he walked over to the couch to take a seat. "I told her about your film. She says she can't wait to see it when she gets home."

When. It was a beautiful word filled with hope that ignored reality's dark possibilities, and it brought the ache in Crystal's heart a sense of momentary peace. She smothered a smile, lowering herself to sit beside Verd. "I want to write her myself, but I—I still just don't know what to say."

Toffee Strudel cleared his throat and gave a weak smile. "I understand how that feels. I have an old friend from school who's in the war, but I still haven't sent him a letter."

"Better do it before it might be too late," Bastion said, earning him a light glare from Dawn Walker.

"Excuse you," Dawn said in her sweet little voice.

"What?" Bastion crossed his forelegs over his chest and leaned back in his seat that had been pulled in with the others from the dining table. "I'm sorry if you want to ignore the facts, but I think it's better to face them."

Dawn gave a light huff and reached out a hoof to push his shoulder. It was ineffective given their size difference, but it made her point nonetheless. "You could still find a nicer way to say it."

Bastion snorted and turned his gaze from Dawn to Crystal, staring her down; yet, there was nothing malicious in his eyes. In fact, despite his gruff tone, he seemed sincere and almost gentle—for him, anyway. "Write her sooner rather than later so you have no regrets."

Verd cleared his throat. "How about we write the letters we've been putting off? Perhaps if we do it together, it might be easier." He smiled at Crystal. "And you can go first."

The first name that went through Crystal's mind wasn't Painted Wave. Instead, it was Silent, and the letter she had yet to write a reply for. Tears welled up in her eyes as the thought of trying to respond to him broke her heart all over again.

"Or not," Champron cut in. "We could not. Not is fine."

"Maybe next time," Crystal whispered, quickly raising her hooves to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Verd put a hoof on her shoulder, concern knitting his brow. "She understands. She's not mad at you."

It was hard to stop the tears once they had started, so Crystal just covered her eyes with both hooves. "It's not that," she managed to say around the lump in her throat. "I've been trying to ignore it after Silent's last letter reminded me, but—but today's our anniver—"

A gasp that was unmistakably Dawn's interrupted. "Oh my goodness!"

Crystal's quiet sniffling was the only sound in the room for a while. Nervous tension filled the air before a soft mew broke the silence and something furry rubbed against one of her legs. Crystal pulled back her hooves to look down and see both of Painted's cats, Khan and Panic, looking back up at her.

"They want to know about Silent," Verd said, chuckling lightly. "Why don't you tell us all about him?"

"Oh. But—" Crystal's gaze darted across the faces around her, all in varying degrees of assurance. Panic pawed at her hoof and she relented with a weak smile. "If you're certain."

Khan gave a meaningful meow, stirring a chorus of quiet laughter from the group.

Crystal settled into the cushions of the couch and levitated one of the already prepared cups of hot tea over. She took a moment to sip the relaxing beverage, then sighed. "Silent Knight and I went to Canterlot Academy together, briefly. We shared theater club in my first year and his last."

A giggle tore through the air and Dawn quickly smothered it with a hoof over her mouth. "Sorry!" She swallowed and lowered her hoof. "It's just, Velvet told me that story before. Or, well, she told Tumble, and I listened." Her ears drooped just enough to earn a consoling nudge from Toffee.

"Oh, that sounds like Velvet." Crystal laughed softly and shook her head. "Yes, she loves that story. Silent was in my theater club, but he didn't want to do any acting. 'I just build sets' was his motto." The laugh returned, more full and sincere this time, before she settled into a nostalgic smile. "He grew so much, though, between that time and when I met him again over a year later at the Equestrian Writers Convention. He was with Princess Luna as one of her house guards. I didn't recognize him at first; I just thought he was cute."

Crystal sighed, pausing to take a sip from her teacup. "I had a little crush on him that grew out of hoof, especially given that he was completely unaware of my feelings. I kept pining for him, and Velvet kept pushing me to confess. Once we discovered how we felt about one another, then things became—they became perfect."

Tears started to fill her vision and the teacup trembled in her wavering magic. Verdant reached out a hoof to take it from her, offering a comforting smile. "I remember all the talks you and Painted had about your budding love life. She would tell me how happy she was for you after you'd go home."

That was it. That was the last piece of resolve she had left. All that was holding her together crumbled away, and she leaned forward to hug herself as pain welled up deep inside. A mournful sound passed her lips, somewhere between a sob and a whine.

Painted, her friend, was overseas at war. Visions filled her mind of watching Painted work on a new art piece, attending her exhibits only to end up mocking other patrons, sitting on the couch with a pot of coffee to talk long into the night about cover art, story ideas, and Silent.

Silent, her husband. Her best friend. Her strength. Somewhere in that same war, he fought hard on the front lines. In a single shuddering breath, she remembered every lunch date, every run in the fields, every picnic, every simple moment she had taken for granted. She would give anything for just one more day together. They didn't have to do anything special—she would be content just to see his face and touch him again.

But there was nothing she could give to make that dream come true.

A hoof gently touched her own to bring her back to reality, followed by a second on her shoulder. Crystal looked up and, through blurred vision, she saw Dawn in front of her, Verd at one side, and Toffee at the other.

"It's okay," Dawn said in a soft voice, tears falling down her own cheeks. "We're all here because we understand. That's why we're together. It's okay to cry. We all have."

Toffee's lips quirked in a light but playful smile. "Except Bastion, of course."

"Excuse you." Bastion snorted from his spot right behind Toffee, his ears flat against his mane. "Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it hasn't happened."

Toffee looked at him with wide eyes—then flushed with embarrassment. "I—oh, I'm sorry. It was—well, it was a joke in bad taste, I—"

Bastion waved a hoof and straightened up to look over Toffee's head at Crystal. "Buck up, kiddo. Today's only going to get worse. You got somepony that can go home with you so you're not alone?"

Crystal gave a small nod, sniffling. "I live with my sister-in-law. His sister. She'd normally go see her marefriend, but she'll be home tonight."

"Good." Bastion nodded and said nothing more, his gaze fixing forward.

There was an emptiness in Crystal's chest that the memories of Painted and Silent had been hiding in. It was difficult to breathe, much less sit still and have worry and comfort forced in her lap. Loneliness and the desire to be alone waged war within her until she pushed Dawn away to stand suddenly.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to sound stronger than she felt. "I'm sorry to leave early when I've been missing so many of these get-togethers, but I want to go home."

"That's all right." Verd stood and moved alongside her toward the door. "I'll let you know which house we're meeting at next time."

Crystal gave a noncommittal sound in reply, but stopped just before she crossed the threshold. There was one unresolved issue plaguing the very back of her mind. She looked over her shoulder to meet all the gazes that followed them, then looked up at Verd and asked in a whisper, "What happened to Bonnie?"

Verd's ears flicked back and he didn't quite look her in the eyes as he replied, "She picked up a few jobs that occupy her time, last I heard."

Jobs. Something sour turned her stomach and she tore her gaze away, feeling the hairs of her coat stand on end. "All right. I'll see you next time." She took one step forward and said over her shoulder, "Please give Painted my love. I promise I'll find the words to write to her soon."

"I will," Verd said and waited until she had turned the corner before she heard him shut the door.

She wanted to be alone in a dark room with some ice cream and sad music. She wanted to turn around and run back into the comfort of others. Everything she wanted conflicted with everything else she wanted. Every step landed with uncertainty and, at the same time, conviction.

If she made it home, then she would have Winterspear. One pony was like being alone, but not as lonely. It would be safe to cry there.

Crystal made an effort to avoid eye contact with everypony on her way to the apartment they shared, the place that held so many memories of Silent. The tears started up again and she bit the inside of her cheek to stave them off.

This apartment was the place where she had tiphoofed through the living room like a schoolfilly to sneak with Silent to his room. It was where they had tried to make pancakes one morning and gotten a few stuck on the ceiling. It was where she had sulked while he stayed at work later than she would have liked. It was where she had consoled him and his family over the death of his father.

It was a place of love and loss.

And, when she finally arrived, it was where three ponies waited, not one.

"Welcome home, Aunt Crystal," Dot said as she hopped up from the couch and ran over to hug Crystal around the neck. "Happy anniversary!"

Iridescence bolted upright. "Dot! I told you not to say that!"

Dot's ears folded back and, carefully, she extracted herself from the embrace. "I'm sorry, Auntie."

Crystal forced a smile through the new ache in her chest. "It's all right. Thank you."

"I thought it'd be better if we were all together," Winterspear said, rubbing one leg against the other. "I wasn't sure where you’d be so I could ask you if it was all right."

"Of course. " Crystal leaned down to nuzzle Dot's cheek before she started walking toward her bedroom door. "Why don't you three enjoy the evening? I'm just going to go straight to bed. I'm exhausted."

Winterspear trotted after her, her wings flicking with uncertainty. "I don't know if it's okay to leave you alone."

"Okay?" Crystal paused at the doorway and turned her head to look at her, brow raised. "I don't know what you mean. I just—" Her gaze darted away, then she shook her head. "I just don't feel very sociable, and I don't want to drag anypony else down with me." She smiled and gently pressed her nose to Winterspear's. "Please be with Iridescence and Dot."

Winterspear let out a soft sigh and gave a half-hearted smile. "If you're sure. I'll come check on you first thing in the morning before my shift. Can I at least treat you to breakfast?"

"I'd love that." Crystal nosed her again, then cleared her throat. "Thank you all for being here, but I'm all right."

There was little belief in the eyes of Iridescence and Winterspear, but neither stopped her as she walked into her bedroom and shut the door. She heard the hushed sounds of them whispering to one another, holding her breath as she listened and waited.

"I don't want to leave her," Winterspear said with a bit of strain in her voice.

"If she wants to sleep, then we should let her," Iridescence replied. There was a pause before she continued, "I know you're worried, but I don't think anything will happen."

"Happen?" Dot asked a little too loudly, earning her a quick shh in response. "What?"

Winterspear kept her voice quiet, but not quiet enough. "It's nothing, Dot. I'm just being paranoid. I've heard stories of something bad happening to spouses, that's all."

The pounding of Crystal's heart drowned out the rest of their conversation until she heard them leave. That was when she felt all the energy drain from her body and she barely made it to the bed before she collapsed. What Winterspear suggested was unfathomable! How could she even say it? How dare she even think it?

A brief respite of reason gripped her. It wasn't out of nowhere, though; stories had circulated about darkness consuming the minds and hearts of ponies who had lost their spouses to the war. But such a thing was the furthest thought from Crystal's mind. There was too much light in her life for a single day's despair to extinguish.

Of course, rationality gave way to another surge of emotion. Tears pattered against the pillow as she reached out a hoof to touch the picture frame on the bedside table. They looked so happy—he in his ceremonial uniform, and she in her wedding gown. In that moment, there had been nothing to fear. There was only the love and joy they saw in one another.

A hollow, empty feeling filled her chest and she clamped a hoof over her mouth to smother the sob that was pulled from her aching heart.

"Happy anniversary," Crystal whispered, her eyes slowly closing, their smiling faces the last thing she saw before she drifted off.

Some nights, she was able to make it through without a dream she could remember. The numbness when she awoke was a welcome gift only sleep could afford. This time, however, it seemed she would dream.

Waves crashed on a shore that stretched far off into the blue horizon. Sand, water, and sky were her only companions. Crystal smiled as she stepped forward, her hooves scuffing the warm sand before cool waves lapped at them, urging her to keep going. She waded out until the water was around her knees, then stopped and simply enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Though there was nothing distinct about her surroundings, she knew in her heart that she was at Colton Head Island. The water was so blue and the sky so clear, where else could she be?

Her head tilted when she noticed something out of place, however. Though it was a bright and sunny day, a full moon hung high in the sky. It glowed with a white halo that, somehow, brought her comfort.

All of a sudden, the sound of beating wings disturbed the stillness and two strong forelegs wrapped around her middle, pulling her into the air. She tried to scream, but no sound came out of her mouth. She tried to struggle, but no movement came from her legs.

"What?" a familiar voice said in surprise. "I—I caught you?"

Crystal's heart plummeted. Ever so slowly, she tilted her head back to look up at her captor.

Silent Knight's face looked back down at her, the surprise in his eyes reflecting her own.

"You have a face!" she exclaimed, then screamed when he dropped her. Strangely, rather than crashing back into the water, she landed on the sandy shore with a thump.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" Silent landed beside her, reaching out a hoof that froze in mid-air. "You can speak?"

Crystal stared at the hoof as if it might bite her. "You have a face," she repeated as her gaze lifted to meet his.

There was only a moment of further hesitation before Silent grabbed her and pulled her in tight against his chest. "I caught you," he said, his voice strained with so much emotion that it nearly brought her to tears. "This is the first time I've caught you. I've finally caught you before you disappear."

Crystal's trembling hooves raised to return the embrace, waiting to wake and be torn from him.

To her joyful surprise, nothing happened.

He was warm. His heart pounded loud enough for her to hear. She felt his breath brush against her ears.

"I won't disappear," she managed to say through the laughter she couldn't contain as she squeezed him tight. "I'm here. I'm right here, Silent."

The light around them dimmed and the moon grew brighter, the dark craters on its surface blurring together into the shape of a pony. Crystal gasped as the shape grew big enough for her to discern its features.

"Luna?" she breathed.

Silent didn't loosen his grip any, but he did turn his head to look over his shoulder. "Luna? But then, that means—" He stiffened. "This is real?"

"In a manner," Luna said as she stepped from the moon onto the sand beside them. Her voice echoed with an ethereal power behind it, and her mane seemed to be filled with more stars than normal. "I have joined your dreams into one. It requires much from all of us; I am afraid neither of you will awake well-rested, for neither of you are in your own dream." She smiled down at them, though there was a sadness lurking in her eyes. "This is all I can give for your anniversary. May it be enough."

Tears fell down Crystal's cheeks as she looked into Silent's eyes that gazed back into hers. "It's enough," she whispered. "Thank you, Luna. Thank you."

"It's more than enough." Silent shifted one hoof to cup her cheek, wiping the tears away. "It's perfect."

Luna's horn glowed and their surroundings blurred together until there was more than sand and water: there was a beautiful cabana, seagulls in the sky, and a bottle of champagne resting beside them. "Happy anniversary, Crystal and Silent. I will depart now so that you may have privacy." The soft smile grew momentarily playful before she turned and walked away to return through the portal in the moon.

Crystal opened her mouth to speak, but Silent cut her off by pressing his lips to hers. Her eyes fluttered closed and she melted against him, draping her forelegs around his neck. It felt so real—he felt so real.

His weight shifted to push her down onto her back, but instead of sand beneath her, they were inside the cabana on the soft white bed. A warm breeze played with the sheer white drapes that hung from the ceiling all around them as if they were floating inside a cloud.

Silent leaned over her, his weight a comfortable presence, and stroked her mane while his gaze searched her as if to catalogue everything he saw. "You look beautiful," he whispered.

Crystal smiled and she tore her gaze from his face to look over his form. Scars she didn't remember marred his white coat, but underneath them was more muscle than he had ever carried before. He was big, strong, and built like a true stallion. More than that, he was her stallion.

"There's just one thing I have to ask." Silent's expression grew serious as he paused just a little too long. "What did you mean by 'I have a face'?"

A sputtering giggle escaped her and she lightly shoved against his chest. "Exactly what I said! Whenever you're in my dreams, you—" She swallowed. "You never have a face." Her hoof trembled and she nibbled on her lower lip. "It's haunting. Every time, your back is turned to me, and I struggle to get to your front. When I finally do, your face is just—it's just empty."

"I'm sorry." Silent leaned down and cherished her face with several featherlight kisses, mumbling sweet nothings between them of his love and longing.

Crystal let out a soft moan as more of his weight was pressed against her while his kisses trailed down her neck. She had forgotten how it felt, and each brush of his lips sent warm shivers down her spine until she couldn't stand it any longer. "Silent?"

He paused his ministrations to look up at her. "Yes?"

"Do you remember the letter you wrote me?" She smiled softly, drawing her hoof along the scar that ran down his cheek and crossed his jawline. How many more would he have when he came home? "I just received it a few days ago."

After a moment of thought, he nodded, brow arching just slightly. "Yes."

Crystal discovered that she had also forgotten how to look coy. It had been so long that she wasn't sure what kind of face she was making, but she gave a good effort of half-lidded eyes and slightly curled lips. "It would seem the evenings you planned for our anniversary do not have to be left to my imagination."

Whether it was her look, her words, or just their shared feelings, Silent took no time pondering her meaning. He smiled and leaned in to kiss her once again, this time with purpose, their body heat mingling as their love joined together in passionate harmony.

New and a Bit Alarming

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The bed was warm, but no warmer than the memories that lingered within the groggy fog of Crystal's mind. She giggled and nestled deeper into the thick comforter that held her in a soft embrace. A tingling sensation reached the tips of her hooves as she closed her eyes and saw a vision of Silent's face.

Sunlight tried to reach her through the curtains, but she was in her own world. Her mind and body were exhausted. She was tired—so tired—so very, very tired, but she didn't mind. It was a small price to pay for the most wonderful night of her life.

A moment of panic shot through her and she bolted upright, heart racing. What happened to a soldier who was too tired to get out of bed? Could he take a sick day? Would they send him into battle? Were there battles every day? Would today be a day without conflict, without consequence?

Just as quickly as it came, the adrenaline faded and she dropped back down onto the bed, her eyelids fluttering closed. The weight of drowsiness was too much to bear. She had three meetings that day for the Flower Foundation, but perhaps she could tell Wallflower she was ill. Being lovesick was a legitimate ailment.

A giggle slipped past her lips as her thoughts cycled around to return to the dream. Silent's wingtips trailing along her sides, his hooves holding her like a precious gem, his lips—

"Crystal?" Winterspear called from the other side of her bedroom door, knocking three times. "You have a visitor."

The only response Crystal could muster was a groan. She tried to sit up, but her muscles gave a rebellious seize to hold her in place. If she just closed her eyes and fell asleep, would everypony go away? It was a tempting theory to test, and her body was more than relaxed when Winterspear knocked again.

"Hello? Crystal?" Slowly, Winterspear pushed the door open. "Are you feeling all right? You're normally up early, but I was going to let you sleep in since—" She cut herself off with an abrupt clearing of her throat.

Crystal groaned again and buried herself under the comforter. The darkness and warmth enveloped her, coaxing her back to sleep. "Fine."

Light and cold air washed over her face as the comforter was pulled back, and Winterspear leaned in to get a closer look at her. "You look awful! Did you catch a cold?" Winterspear touched the back of her hoof to Crystal's forehead. "You don't have a fever..."

"I just—" Crystal burst into raspy giggles as memories of her dream flooded her mind. "I just had a busy night."

Winterspear furrowed her brow. "A busy night? How? Did you sneak out after you went to bed? I—" She withdrew her hoof and sighed. "It's not my business, sorry. You can go back to bed, but I already invited your guest in. She says she's your aunt? I honestly didn't know you had an aunt."

"Aunt?" Crystal clenched her eyes shut hoping to make everything go away until a gear clicked into place and she looked up at Winterspear. "Is she Itailian?"

Winterspear's ears perked up. "Yeah, now that you mention it, that's exactly what her accent was. Come on, I'll make tea while you say hi."

"No tea," Crystal grumbled as she managed to push herself almost upright. "Coffee. Strong."

"Coffee?" Winterspear came to a halt just before she reached the door and looked over her shoulder. "Wow, you really are tired." She shook her head, saying as she walked out into the main area, "She'll be out in just a moment. Sleeping Beauty stayed up a little too late last night."

Crystal remained with her forelegs holding her up, then flopped over to lie on her side. If she just closed her eyes for a second, then she'd have enough energy to get up all the way. One lid slid down, soon followed by the other.

"Crystal!" Winterspear hollered. "Did you fall back asleep?"

Jolting up and off the bed, Crystal hurriedly replied, "No! I'm up! I'm coming!" She trotted out into the living room and smiled when she saw Pretzel Crust, Whisperwind, and their foal Focaccia, the three of them sitting on the couch. "Good morning. It's been a while!"

"Crystal Wishes! Hey, it really has been a while, ain't it?" Pretzel rose to her hooves, her movements a little strained from her rounded stomach. "So good to see ya!"

Crystal blinked through the returning haze and smiled as Pretzel wrapped a tight foreleg around her neck. "It's good to see you, too, Aunt Pretzel."

Pretzel snorted and laughed, pulling back to look at her. "Oh, Celestia, we're practically the same age! Don't call me that! Call me Pretzi." She looked over at her husband and foal. "Whispy, ain't ya gonna say hi?"

Whisperwind offered a light smile. "Hi, Crys—"

"Oh!" Pretzel interrupted, slapping a hoof to her forehead. "Before I forget! Mamma and Papà wanted me to give ya this." She waved a hoof at Whisperwind, who gave her a small package that she then held out to Crystal. "Some herb-and-cheese stuffed breadsticks, made this mornin' by Papà himself."

Crystal smiled and accepted the bread in her magic, walking to the kitchen to set it on the counter. She spied Winterspear in front of the coffee maker, ears turned toward them to listen in but otherwise facing away.

"Not that I mind having family drop in," Crystal said, returning to the living room, "but I assume there's a reason for this visit?" She paused, her vision starting to blur and her head growing heavy as exhaustion set back in. "Wait, is it—" She squinted. "Are you pregnant?"

"Ain't you a sharp one?" Pretzel giggled as she set her hoof on her stomach. "Yep! We 'ave our second foal on the way. And this time around—" Her voice dropped slightly with a sudden flux of emotion. "I want my big sister involved."

Winterspear cleared her throat and held out a mug of dark brown, almost black coffee. "Here you are."

Crystal mumbled incoherent gratitude, her magic enveloped the mug, and she took a long sip. It was bitter, heavy, and unpleasant; and it was just what she needed. The aroma alone was enough of a kick in the face to get her back on track.

"So," Crystal started, pausing for one more sip, "if you want my mother involved, then why are you here?"

While Whisperwind idly bounced Foccacia on his knee, Pretzel huffed and explained, "Why do ya think? I didn't even know I had a sister up until you came along, nipote! Can you imagine suddenly having a big sister, eh?"

"That is a good point." Crystal hummed while the wisps of steam from her coffee tickled her nose. Aggressively. It kept her focus on track, and she nodded. "All right. Let me have about—" She leaned to look at Winterspear. "How much coffee did you make?"

Winterspear's ears perked as she looked up from her mug. "Huh? Oh, uh, there's, maybe, three cups left?"

Crystal nodded. "Let me have this cup and three more, and then I'll be ready." She lowered herself onto the loveseat and gave Whisperwind a smile. "How is little Foccacia?"

"Good," Whisperwind replied, pausing to look at Pretzel. When she didn't interrupt him, his ears perked and he continued, "She's almost got her complete alphabet memorized."

"That's great," Crystal mused before taking a long, slow sip. The hot liquid ran over her tongue like mud—heavy, thick, and unpleasant. Once she finished it off, her magic grabbed the coffee pot and levitated it over to refill her mug. "What is your plan, Pretzi?"

Pretzel looked up, blinked, and tilted her head. "Plan? Plan for what?"

Crystal vaguely gestured with one hoof. "You can't simply engage my parents in a conversation without a plan. There's no telling how my mother will react to your arrival."

Pretzel's ears started to droop. "What do ya mean? Won't she be happy t'see me?"

"It's complicated," Crystal muttered. "She's not like anypony in your family. Her life is built around high society, which means everything must have a value. What value will she perceive this visit as having?"

"Crystal," Winterspear cut in, "that's a little harsh, don't you think?"

Crystal blinked and looked up from her coffee to see the distraught look on Pretzel's face, both hooves on her stomach. She winced and quickly said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that! My mother is just—she—" She sighed and set her mug down on the table. "Why don't we simply head there now so you can see what I mean?"

Pretzel glanced at Whisperwind and grabbed his hoof. "Maybe—"

"Maybe nothing." Whisperwind leaned over to nuzzle her cheek. "Come on, we didn't come all this way for you to get cold hooves now. The mare I married never backs down from anything."

"Yeah." Pretzel's bright smile slowly returned and she stood up. "Yeah, you're right, Whisp. Besides, she's my sister, no? What could go wrong?"

"Famous last words," Crystal mumbled as she snuck in one quick, last sip of coffee before dragging her hooves toward the door. "But all right. I'll be back in a bit, Winterspear."

Winterspear waved from where she sat. "Have fun. I'll probably be at work by the time you get back, so I'll see you tonight."

Crystal yawned and kept walking, her ear flicking at the sound of hoofsteps following her. "It's a bit of a walk, but they don't live too far."

"Okay!" Pretzel chirped. "Just lead the way and we'll follow."

Focaccia giggled and pointed at a mare they passed from her perch on Whisperwind's back. "Donna!" Her little hooves wiggled at a stallion. "Uomo!"

"Sì, sì," Pretzel cooed in a soft, gentle voice. "You wanna play with everypony, eh? Sorry, Foccaciana, but we've got a date with your Zia."

Focaccia bobbed her head as she tried to focus on her mother's face while Whisperwind's gait bounced her slightly. "Zia Cannoli?"

Pretzel wiggled her ears. "No, you don't know this zia. But we're gonna fix that!"

A yawn escaped Crystal, so wide that she thought her jaw might lock up. Exhaustion was settling in her mind again as the memories from the night resurfaced. The corners of her lips lifted in a small, giddy smile. The gentle warmth of the winter's sun on her back paled in comparison to nestling into her husband's loving embrace, the scent of stallion filling her senses, the weight of him giving her—

"Crystal?" Pretzel's voice prompted, ripping her out of the fuzzy, sleepy state. "Are you all right?"

Crystal blinked and looked around; they were just standing in the middle of the street. Had she stopped walking? How long had she been standing there, lost in her mind?

"Yes, I'm fine. We're almost there." She shook her head quickly, then spotted her parents' house just up the road and pointed at it. "That's their house, actually."

"Oh! Look at that, Whisp!" Pretzel ambled ahead, her gait strained just slightly. "Upper and Jet live in a fancy house! Bunch of rich ponies, eh?"

"Seems that way," Whisperwind said with a small chuckle.

Crystal followed after them, feeling an ache seeping into her muscles. Perhaps she could sneak away into her old bedroom and sleep on the floor. Upper Crust would likely make such a scene that nopony would notice her absence, after all.

When Pretzel happily knocked on the door, Crystal rolled her eyes as she began to count down the seconds until her mother would answer. Five... four... three—

The door opened and Upper Crust gasped. "Pretzel!" she exclaimed, the mirth in her voice startling Crystal fully awake. "Che piacere vederti!"

Crystal stared as Pretzel and her mother began to chirp at each other in Itailian. Was she at the right house? Was this the mare she grew up with? Why was she smiling, embracing Pretzel, kissing her cheeks, and practically giggling?

Wiping a tear from the corner of her eye, Upper Crust beamed at her sister. "What brings you here, Pretzi?"

"Well, as I'm sure ya can see, I've got a foal on the way." Pretzel giggled, shifting her weight to put one hoof to her stomach. "If it's a filly, I wanna name her after you, and if it's a colt, after Jet."

Upper Crust gasped and pulled Pretzel back into another embrace, more heartfelt Itailian falling from her lips. "Non sto più nella pelle!"

Crystal's jaw dropped. Was she still in a dream? Yes, that had to be it. After giving Silent and her an amazing anniversary present, Luna was having a little fun. That was the most logical explanation for the situation she was in.

While Upper Crust led Pretzel and Whisperwind inside, Crystal turned away to look up at the sky. There had to be a moon somewhere that held a giggling alicorn, but all she could see was a dusky blue-grey sky and the sun behind the clouds.

"Crystal?" Jet Set asked from behind her, his hoofsteps signaling his approach. "Aren't you coming inside?"

Crystal kept her gaze upward as she continued her search of the skies. "Not yet. I'm looking for the moon."

Jet Set stood beside her and lifted his head as well. "The moon?" After a pause, he sighed. "Ah. I see you have had a nightmare saved by the grace of Princess Luna. I'm sorry to hear that, dear."

"What?" Crystal blinked and finally looked at him, then frowned when she took a moment to really look. Grey speckled his black mane, and his upper eyelids sagged to give him an ever-tired stare. "What do you mean?"

"Your mother is acting strangely to you, right?" When she nodded, he chuckled lightly. "You must think this is a dream. No, this is reality. I think you should talk to her, dear." He leaned down and nosed the side of her forehead. "Your endeavor with this Flower Foundation business has had quite the effect on her, especially after yesterday."

Crystal nibbled on her lower lip, scuffing one hoof against the cobblestone before she asked in a soft mumble, "Dad, are you having nightmares?"

Jet Set's ears perked upright, then swiveled back. "Yes." The muscles along his sides twitched. "Production of the new airships is well underway." His lips briefly curled in a sneer. "Or, as the Army calls them, battleships. I've designed battleships, dear. I've put weapons on them, to kill gryphons. I knew a gryphon once—not well, mind you, but I knew him. Are they really that different from us that I should feel nothing for their deaths?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but he sighed, shook his head, and continued with a weak smile, "I'm doing what I can for the safety of our ponies, and for the safety of my son-in-law. There is some peace in that, at least. Now, let's head back inside. I'll entertain our guests while you talk with your mother."

"All right," Crystal said softly, watching her father turn back into the house. There was a strange chill in her chest; had he always sounded so old?

She swallowed and shook her head to clear it, then started to follow after him. One problem at a time. Her mother's friendliness was much more unexplainable than her father's sudden aging.

"Dear," Jet Set called, smiling when Upper Crust looked at him, "have you offered our guests any tea?" He clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "Crystal, would you please help your mother prepare some tea and biscuits?"

Upper Crust rose to her hooves with hurried movement. "Of course, where are my manners? Please, forgive me. It'll take just a moment."

Jet Set winked at Crystal before he focused his attention on Pretzel and Whisperwind. Crystal ducked her head, mumbling to excuse herself as she followed her mother into the kitchen. "I'll start the tea," she said, glancing at Upper Crust.

The mare seemed almost frantic as her magic grabbed a platter, teacups, and mismatching saucers. She kept her gaze fixed firmly forward and away from Crystal. "That's fine. Thank you."

Crystal breathed in to smother her nerves with fresh air, then exhaled it all away. "Mom." She turned to face her mother completely with what she hoped was an empathetic look. "What happened yesterday?"

Crash!

"Oh, darling, you shouldn't startle me like that," Upper Crust muttered as she stared down her nose at the shattered remnants of a saucer. "Now I have to find a replacement. China doesn't simply grow on trees, you know."

Crystal gathered up the broken shards in her magic while her gaze never left her mother's tight, guarded expression. "Mom."

Upper Crust sighed, turning away. "Honestly, it's nearing time I replaced my china, so I suppose it isn't a disaster."

"Mom." Crystal stepped forward, but froze when she saw the tremble of Upper Crust's silhouette. "What happened?"

After a while, just as Crystal was about to press further, Upper Crust's quiet, quivering voice pierced the silence between them. "I was a fool when I said this Red Poppy business would be easy compared to social events, you know." A hoof raised to touch her face—was she wiping away a tear? "I met with a wounded soldier. He wished to connect with the family of another soldier, one who had saved him but died in the rescue. And do you know what I discovered?"

Crystal swallowed, though her mouth was dry. "What?"

"He had none. His parents had passed years ago, both of whom were only children, as was he. A pony sacrificed his life for another, and there is no family to mourn him." The hoof returned just as her voice cracked. "The soldier looked so lonely when I told him this. I sat with him for hours, listening to stories from the war." She shook her head. "We're really at war. We've been at war for almost a year now, darling, and I only just realized this."

It was all Crystal could do to keep silent. So many emotions flared within her, but the two that raged for dominance were pity—and exasperation. Her mother lived in a tiny, sheltered world that the war had been unable to touch. Bitterly, Crystal felt it was about time she tasted the pain of reality.

Shoving down her darker feelings, Crystal forced the pity to the forefront of her mind and stepped forward to stand beside her mother, nudging their sides together. "It's awful, isn't it?" she whispered, closing her eyes as she ducked her head under Upper Crust's.

Upper Crust raised a foreleg and wrapped it around Crystal's neck to pull her close while she buried her face into the blonde and pink mane. "I don't know where you developed the strength to carry on. You certainly didn't get it from me. I would be delighted to never meet another soldier like that again."

Crystal bit her lower lip. "If you want to quit, then—"

"Quit?" Upper Crust snorted, the puff of air billowing through Crystal's mane. "Hardly. It is the least I can do after the ignorance I've paid the war. I merely wanted to complain. I thought that was what this was. If I was mistaken, then you may resume prepping the tea." She pulled back and turned away. "I've spent more than enough of my life ignoring my family. I intend to be grateful that I have one."

Crystal watched as her mother diligently put together a platter of cookies and took it out to the living room, where her cheerful smile and fluent Itailian returned. Finally, Crystal smiled and turned back to the stove to pour the kettle's boiling water into the teacups. She hadn't considered any impact the Flower Foundation would have on the ponies who worked for it, but she certainly wasn't going to complain if this was the result.

Who I'm Meant to Be

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Sunridge Sweets was a den of activity. The storefront below was as busy as usual with hungry customers seeking sweet treats, while the Flower Foundation occupied the living space above. Crystal sat in one of the repurposed bedrooms that was filled with ponies and paperwork. She had never anticipated how many forms there were to fill out.

Every donation had to be recorded and filed, as did every expense. There wasn't a single bit that could move without having some documentation attached to it. Of course, it was all a pointless formality; none of this was necessary—or even expected—for running a charity. Jet Ship, however, had firmly insisted on it and refused to budge on the matter.

Crystal groaned and pushed all the paperwork as far away from her as possible as she slumped onto the desk. "If I have to fill out one more form, I quit."

Wallflower laughed softly and reached over to pat her on the back. "Why don't you take a break? You have a deadline coming up, don't you?"

With another groan, Crystal rolled her head to the side to look up at Wallflower. "I do, but it's hard to write here. I get interrupted ev—"

"Who's ready for some cupcakes?" Sunbeam chimed as she walked through the doorway, her expression as cheerful as ever. At her side was Red with a tray balanced on his head and a little bowtie around his neck.

The ponies in the room chittered with delight as they left their various activities to retrieve a cupcake from the little colt. He stood tall—as tall as he could at his tiny size, of course—and smiled at them all as they fawned over him.

"See?" Crystal sighed as she gestured at the scene with both hooves. "There's no peace while I'm here."

"How is the serial going, by the way?" Wallflower returned her gaze back to the form in front of her.

Crystal relaxed into a smile and closed her eyes. "Wonderful, actually. I was worried that working after the film would make it difficult to write—and in some ways, it is. I don't feel as though I can deviate too much from how it happened in the film. But having been to Saddle Arabia, sweating in their desert and shivering in their nights, I feel so much more connected to the characters."

A clock on the wall chimed and Crystal's eyes opened to watch a unicorn look up from the work he was doing. His horn glowed, illuminating the door that led to the once-nursery-now-therapy room in the blue glow of a silencing spell. It shimmered in the absence of his magic as he returned to the folder in front of him.

Crystal watched the door with a light smirk hidden behind a hoof. If only she could learn such a spell; she couldn't even count the number of uses it could have when, say, she and Silent had foals.

Briefly, pain shot through her chest as a chilling thought followed: would it be when, or if? There were no foals or uses for silencing spells if Silent died in the war.

With a quick shake of her head, Crystal straightened up and returned to the stack of papers in need of her attention—in need of her focus. Fill out a form, set it aside, start on the next. One thing at a time. Stay in the here and now.

"Mrs. Wishes," a voice called, tearing through her thoughts, "there's a mare here to see you."

Crystal looked up with a smile. Interruptions were welcome when boring paperwork was the task at hoof. The smile quickly fell into a look of surprise when she recognized the haggard mare standing in the doorway. "Bonnie?"

Bonnie smiled, the creases at the corners of her tired eyes growing in number. "So good to see you, Crystal." She walked over to take a seat at Crystal and Wallflower's table. "I'm sorry, I'd ask if I could sit first, but I'm exhausted. Double shift at the SunBucks."

For a moment, all Crystal could do was stare. Bonnie had lost her vibrant colors, instead looking like a pale imitation of her former self—in both senses of the phrase. How long had it been since she'd slept?

"SunBucks?" Crystal blinked. "Why are you working there? What happened to your job as a food critic?"

"I ran into some problems," Bonnie said, waving her hoof. "That's actually part of why I'm here. You're doing such good work with this charity, Crystal. I thought when you left that you had given up and gone back to the Crystal Empire, but you came back stronger than before. It's really inspiring, to be honest."

Crystal started to relax into a smile. "Thank you, but I can't take all of the credit. I have a lot of help from my friends and family."

"So modest." Bonnie gave a raspy laugh. "I hope you have enough charity in your heart to hear me out."

Crystal's head tilted. "What is it? The Foundation is here to help all ponies, especially spouses."

"Exactly! I knew you'd say that. Spouses need just as much help as the soldiers themselves." Bonnie leaned in, desperation seeping into her eyes and voice. "You could help so many of us. Madame Ouija—"

The hairs on the back of Crystal's neck stood on end as she felt herself bristle, and she clenched her jaw to keep her lips from dipping into a scowl.

"—would help so many ponies like me, and if the Foundation paid for her services to offer them to the public, she could help so many more. Money shouldn't keep ponies from saying goodbye to their loved ones!"

Crystal wanted to be cordial. She wanted to say the right thing that would placate Bonnie but promise nothing. She wanted to do anything but what she did.

She jumped to her hooves and yelled, "Don't be an idiot, Bonnie!"

Bonnie reeled back and gawked, staring at her with the same wide eyes that everypony in the room had. The room went silent to allow Crystal's voice to carry further.

"Look at what she's done to you! Have you looked in a mirror? You're a victim, Bonnie!" Crystal ground her teeth to try to stop herself, but the anger bubbled in her chest and urged her to continue. "I absolutely refuse to have anything to do with that white-livered, thorough-paced scoundrel!"

Nopony moved or spoke. The silence was filled with Crystal's furious, uneven breathing that she tried to calm to no avail. The rage was on the verge of subsiding when Bonnie's expression hardened into a sneer.

"I should have known you wouldn't have changed. You're still a judgmental little mare with her head in the clouds!" Bonnie rose to her hooves, her knees shaking slightly from either anger or exhaustion. "Good luck running the Flower Foundation with blinders on. I hope you never lose somepony and have to understand why I need Madame Ouija."

Crystal's shoulders rolled as she straightened up and barked at Bonnie's retreating form, "You need therapy, not a fabrication!"

Bonnie said nothing; she kept walking, her hoofsteps echoing throughout the still room. Once she disappeared, Crystal felt all the attention shift to her. The weight of all the gazes was too much to bear, and she started to shrink back when a chipper voice called, "Sounds like she isn't the only one!"

Crystal blinked and looked over to see Dream Pop standing in the doorway of the therapy room, a bright smile on her face. "What?"

"Well, I have a half hour before my next appointment," Dream Pop said, waving a hoof to gesture Crystal closer, "and from the sounds of it, you're my new next appointment!"

"Oh, no, I—" Crystal swallowed. "I'm sorry. I just lost my temper."

Dream Pop smiled. "And that's super okay! Why don't you come in so we can talk about it?"

After a moment of hesitation, Crystal took one step forward. She nearly wilted from all the gazes following her every move, and she quickened her pace to shorten the suffering. Once she was out of the room and the door was shut, she let out a sigh of relief.

Dream Pop trotted around Crystal to plop down on one of the big, oversized pillows. "So, you had a little tiff out there, huh? Why don't you tell me what happened?"

"What happened?" Crystal's ears flicked back. She glanced at the unoccupied pillow as if it might bite her if she got too close to it and remained where she was near the door. "It's a bit of a long story."

"I love stories!" Dream Pop beamed at her. "And together, we can give this one a happy ending. How does it start?"

Crystal shifted from one hoof to the other, glancing away from Dream Pop's overly happy expression. It was at such odds with the anger at Bonnie and her disappointment with herself; she just wanted to hide in shame, but that wasn't what a leader would do. She squared her shoulders, set her jaw, and walked forward to take her place on the pillow across from Dream Pop.

"It was when we received the news of the Harmony," Crystal said, her chest tightening from the memory. "One of the members of my support group, Bonnie, didn't take the death of her brother well. Who could blame her? He was a civilian, a doctor who volunteered." She sighed and shook her head. "But she went outside the group for help. She found a—a pony who claims to talk to spirits, who convinced Bonnie that she could say goodbye to her brother.

"But it didn't end with goodbye!" Crystal's jaw clenched as she tried to keep her tone even. "Ouija keeps her coming back for more and more, and Bonnie can't see through the blindfold Ouija put on her to realize how much trouble she's in!" The anger faded, replaced by numbing guilt. "Unfortunately, I tripped over my own hooves when I attempted to help her understand, and made things hostile between us."

"I see! Well, it's super okay to want to try to help ponies, but—" Dream Pop picked up a small red ball and chucked it right into Crystal's face.

Crystal cried out in surprise and her hooves flew to her sore nose. She stared at Dream Pop with wide eyes, words thoroughly escaping her from disbelief.

Dream Pop merely smiled as the ball rolled to a halt on the floor between them. "Even if we try really hard, sometimes we just can't control what other ponies do!"

"I could have understood that without the demonstration," Crystal muttered, keeping her hooves raised in wary defense.

"Oh, sure, but now you super understand, right?" Dream Pop leaned forward, picked up the ball, and bounced it from hoof to hoof. "But I'm more concerned with the anger you feel about it. Why are you angry? Why do Bonnie's decisions upset you?"

Crystal furrowed her brow and finally lowered her hooves. "Why wouldn't it? How could I not be upset by watching somepony's life fall apart and them not let me help?"

Dream Pop hummed. She stopped bouncing the ball and held it just below her eye level so that she could stare at Crystal with a prying gaze. "I see why that'd make you upset, but that didn't sound just upset out there."

"Just upset?" Crystal repeated, blinking a few times. "Well, no, I was more than upset. I can't stand it. Ouija is taking everything Bonnie has, and Bonnie is defending her with every breath! I know with nigh complete certainty that Ouija is a fraud, but I can't prove it beyond any shadow of a doubt."

"Why?" Dream Pop bounced the ball against the floor. "Are you friends with Bonnie?"

After a pause, Crystal sank into the pillow. Her hooves came together to clasp one another as if in a small, hoof-sized hug. "Friends would be a strong word. We were support group partners." Her ears folded back. "No, even that is too strong. We belonged to the same support group. Bastion was my partner. Bonnie was simply a name and face I recognized each week."

Dream Pop bobbed her head in time with the bouncing ball. "So why do her choices make you so mad that you yelled at her like that?"

Crystal sighed as her hooves lifted to rub at her forehead. Each thwump of the ball against the floor or a hoof sent a throb through her skull. "Because if she'd listen to me, I could help her."

Thwump. "Why do you think that?" Thwump.

One of Crystal's ears twitched in growing irritation. "Why? Because it's true! I could! I wanted to! I still do, if she'd just let me!"

"But why are you mad?" Thwump. "Why are you angry?" Thwump.

For a moment, Crystal's vision was blinded by a fire that surged from her chest to engulf her entirely, and her magic shot out to grab the ball in mid-air, open the door, and fling it out into the other room. The cries of surprise and scrambling of hooves outside brought her back to the moment and she could only inhale and exhale in ragged, shuddering breaths.

Dream Pop smiled an annoyingly expectant sort of smile. "You mad?"

Crystal blinked a few times as tears started to fill her vision. Why was she mad? Why was she acting this way? Why did it matter to her so much?

"Sometimes," Dream Pop started, interrupting Crystal's spiraling introspection, "emotions are complicated and we don't always understand them, but that's super okay. That's normal! It helps to have somepony else to take a step back for us and see what we might not."

"And what do you see?" Crystal asked in a soft voice, wiping the corners of her eyes.

Dream Pop stretched her forelegs over her head, then settled back into the pillow and shrugged. "Well, from what I know and from what I see, you're a pony who was born and raised to be an elite Canterlot mare, but decided to become a military wife instead. Then a war starts, which isn't anything anypony ever expected, and your husband goes overseas, and you're left behind trying to figure out your place."

With her hooves gesturing in vague, meandering circles, Dream Pop continued, "And like any good Canterlot elite, you were taught to take charge! Be the star! But how do you be a star in a support group? You keep the peace, so you tried to keep the peace. But this wasn't a group of elite ponies who can be swayed with confidence. Your parents' training never prepared you for this. You tried your best, but you failed.

"You let Bonnie down. You let the group down. You let your husband down. These are the thoughts that ran through your head, right? You doubted yourself and wondered why you even tried? Then you ran away and got the wonderful idea of the Flower Foundation, but then Bonnie came back, and you still couldn't help her. So all of those feelings came back, and you got mad."

Finally, Dream Pop smiled. "And that's super okay."

"What?" Crystal blinked. "How? That sounded awful! How is it 'super okay' for me to act like a petulant foal?"

"Because now you're aware of it, and you can actually deal with it! Now, here." Dream Pop reached behind her to retrieve a stuffed pink rabbit. "Do you want to hold Flopsy?"

Crystal could only continue to blink, though her gaze fell from Dream Pop's face to the smiling pink rabbit. "Flopsy?"

Dream Pop gave a quiet giggle. "In my experience, I've found that it's not just foals who like hugging plush dolls. Flopsy gives great hugs, I'm told."

"Oh. I—um, all right." Though it seemed awkward, Crystal wrapped her magic around Flopsy and brought it over as she shifted on the pillow so she could set it in her lap. It was extraordinarily soft, so much so that she couldn't resist wrapping her forelegs around it and hugging it to her chest.

"See? Don't you feel better already?" Dream Pop clapped her hooves. "And that's only just the beginning! So, how do you feel about the situation with Bonnie now?"

Crystal's ears flattened to the sides. "Embarrassed. I really shouldn't be so upset over things like this." She sighed, shaking her head. "How do I stop?"

"You repeat after me: I will fight for what I can control and let go of the rest, because I am super okay."

A soft laugh escaped Crystal. "I will fight for what I can control and let go of the rest, because I am super okay."

"Great!" Dream Pop waggled a hoof at Flopsy. "Now, hug Flopsy and fill your mind with positive thoughts as you repeat it again. Then when you go home tonight, look in the mirror and repeat that one more time. That's your homework! We'll meet again next week at this time, okay?"

Crystal nuzzled into Flopsy's soft pink fur and replied with a playful smile, "Super okay."

Dream Pop laughed and clapped, bouncing just slightly. "Oh, we are going to get along just super! I can tell already!"

The Thought of You

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My beloved Crystal

"Need I remind you," Golden said, her lips curled in a sneer, "that I am a model. A supermodel. Mares and stallions either want to be me, or be with me."

Crystal laughed softly under her breath as she gripped a weed in her magic and tugged it out of the ground. "Yes, Golden."

"I won Miss Equestria. I have more medals, trophies, and awards than you could ever dream of."

"Yes, Golden." Crystal tossed the weed into the wheelbarrow and lifted a watering can above the sprouting flowers.

Golden groaned and set her dirtied hoof on the side of the raised planter. "And you have me spending a Saturday afternoon gardening."

Crystal watched for the soil to change to a precise shade of dark brown and then set the watering can down, just as she had been instructed. She took a step forward to begin work on the next row of flowers. "Yes, Golden."

"Are you even listening to me?" Golden snapped, her ears pressing flat against her mane.

"Yes, Golden," Crystal managed through a giggle.

A sound of metal on stone rang through the air. It was a quiet sound in reality, but each clink resounded in Crystal's chest with physical pain. Against her better judgment, she looked over to see a stoneworker inscribing names into a new section of the monument's base.

More lives to mourn. More names to honor.

The war was never sated.

Crystal tore her gaze away and stared down at the flowers that had sprung forth from their beds not long ago. They were a vibrant green, full of life and hope, the promise of their beautiful petals wrapped in shy buds.

They gave her hope in the face of despair. If flowers could bloom in winter, then Equestria could bloom in war.

In dark times, it is amazing to me how even the smallest light shines brightly enough to renew the spirit. Princess Luna’s gift to us did just that for me, as the sight, smell, and touch of my wife reminded me all the more of why I fight so hard.

"You're not listening to me," Golden muttered. "Where is Velvet? She would listen to me."

Crystal blinked and looked up at Golden, her head tilting to the side. "That's a good question, actually. She said she was busy, but wouldn't say with what."

Golden's irritation lifted into amusement as she snorted. "Oh, is that so? She must be with a stallion, then."

Heat filled Crystal's cheeks and she hurriedly returned her attention to the flower bed. "I—I see."

Velvet had been spending an awful lot of time with stallions as of late. It wasn't Crystal's place to judge, of course, but she did worry. Was Velvet happy, or was this just something to fill the void that was left once she’d given up on adopting a foal?

"Well, I'll have you know that once you release me from this tortuous affair," Golden continued, trying to step around a scattered pile of dirt and fertilizer that had fallen onto the path, "I have a date with a stallion of my own. It'll be our second date."

Crystal didn't voice it, but she was surprised. Golden always seemed to prefer short relationships for one night; a second date was quite the rare occurrence. "Who is he?"

Golden huffed. "A lady doesn't ask and a lady doesn't tell."

That always meant it was somepony more famous than her. Golden hated being the pony in the lesser limelight, after all. Smothering a giggle, Crystal just nodded and returned to plucking weeds with her magic.

"Hey there, Aunt Crystal!" Dot called, prancing over with four stallions following behind her. "Need any help?"

"Hello, Dot." Crystal straightened up to greet the young mare with a smile. "Actually, our wheelbarrow is getting too full for Golden to push without complaint, if you don't mind."

Dot's head bobbed. "Sure thing!" She looked over at one of the stallions closest to her. "Hey, Blaze, can you take their 'barrow and get them a new one?"

"Yeah!" The stallion hurried over with an eagerness that made Crystal struggle not to laugh.

"Blaze?" Crystal asked him in a soft voice. "But isn't your name Shimmer Stone?"

Shimmer paused to look at her, his expression momentarily confused before he shrugged. "I don't care!" He hooked himself up to the wheelbarrow and trotted off to empty it in the growing pile of compost.

If nothing else, his enthusiasm was admirable.

I am not shocked by what you say. We often have civilian administrators visit us and they’re horrified by what they discover.

As Dot and her entourage moved on to the next group, Golden saw them off with a derisive snort. "When I was her age, I had twice as many stallions at my hooves."

"Oh, don't be envious of the youth." Crystal finally allowed herself to laugh. "Let her enjoy her popularity. She endured a rough foalhood; it's the least that she's earned."

Golden's ears flicked back and her eyes almost seemed to gloss over as she watched Dot prance about without a care. "You speak as if she is the only one."

A somewhat lonesome silence fell upon them. Crystal went back to work, and Golden said nothing. Wounds were difficult to heal, even with time, and Golden seemed to have more than her fair share.

Something small and pink caught Crystal's attention and she turned her head to spy the orchid mantis, Petal, climbing up onto the planter's edge. She smiled, lifting her gaze to see Orchid Bouquet nearby and fussing with a pony about their weeding technique.

"Did you get bored of sitting through another one of Bouquet's lectures?" Crystal asked the mantis, gaze falling on her again.

Petal stared with unblinking eyes while one antenna moved in a circular rotation.

Golden's ears twitched. "Why do you always talk to that bug?"

There was a small click sound as Petal tapped one of her elongated forelegs against the ground as she shifted to face Golden. Her wings slipped out from under their protective covering and splayed to the sides in an aggressive display.

"Excuse me?" Golden lowered her head and snorted at the mantis. "What did you just say?"

Petal stared, then gave a small buzz of her wings before tucking them back against her abdomen and turning to face Crystal again.

Golden snorted again, this time with amusement. "That's what I thought."

"Golden, would you please cease the constant antagonization of my Petal?" Orchid Bouquet said in an absent tone as she walked past her to approach Crystal. "Hello, dear."

Crystal stood to her full height, brushing off some of the dirt that clung to her legs. "How are things coming along?"

Bouquet hummed as she examined a nearby flower's bud with one hoof. "They were perhaps planted a bit too soon, but they’ll bloom. The key now is proper aeration, fertilization, and weeding in the time leading up to the ceremony."

It was Crystal's time to feel her wounds come to the surface. Her gaze fell as her determination wavered. There was just a few short months until Remembrance Day. The tragedy of the TMS Harmony was looming in the horizon, and she wasn't ready for it. The war was going to hit its year mark.

That meant Silent had been gone for a year.

They do not understand the callousness that we present as we execute our duty. It is unfathomable to them that we go out, kill, and return without losing our minds.

"With that said," Bouquet continued, "there has been a significant increase in requests for the Forget-Me-Not branch's services. The approach of Remembrance Day has brought feelings to the surface that I believe ponies had underestimated."

Crystal gave an absent nod. "Oh, I see. Of course. Do you have the resources you need?"

Bouquet's lips quirked into a light but brief grin. "Yes, and I'll be sure that all receipts are kept appropriately for your grandfather's love of documentation."

With a groan, Crystal rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Please don't remind me about that just yet. I'm rather enjoying the fresh air and calming effect of gardening, thank you."

"You're welcome." Bouquet reached out a hoof to offer it to Petal, who obediently climbed onto it and up the extended leg. "We will be planting daffodils in a field north of here. A farmer has donated a portion of his land for the endeavor. For every pony that orders one, they are given a wreath to hang on their door. We have already begun deliveries, in fact."

"Oh." Crystal blinked a few times. Bouquet had already decided so much on her own? It was her branch, after all, but Crystal suddenly felt out of the loop.

Bouquet arched one brow. "I went to discuss this with you, but Wallflower informed me that you were recovering from spending Hearth's Warming with one too many mugs of eggnog. I discussed the plans with her instead."

Crystal felt her face heat up when Golden burst into a brief, sharp laugh. "We—Well, yes, I suppose I remember Wallflower telling me about something while I was, ah, recovering in Velvet's apartment."

"I assume there's no issue?" Bouquet's voice held no ire; instead, she sounded almost amused, as if she were talking to one of her own foals.

In response to such a tone, Crystal tried not to pout. She was Bouquet's boss, or akin to one, at least! Pouting didn't demand much respect, however, so she wiggled her nose to keep her expression even. "Of course not!" She smiled. "It sounds like a beautiful project. I look forward to the field of daffodils."

Bouquet nodded. "We are having them brought in from a greenhouse in Prance. As soon as the snow breaks, we will have them planted."

Golden gave a bored hum as she deigned to pluck a weed in her magic and dropped it in the wheelbarrow that Shimmer Stone had left near their planter. "You really are living up to the 'Flower Foundation' name. It's cute."

Bouquet looked over her shoulder to stare at Golden. Petal sat atop her head, stretching out her forelegs. "Speaking of which," Bouquet began with a smile curling her lips, "your mother had a daffodil requested. Would you like me to send you a wreath, as well?"

"My mother?" Golden's face blanched before turning red. "I won't have a wreath riding on the skirt of my mother's daffodil! I will have my own daffodil for my father and my own wreath, thank you."

"Very good," Bouquet said as she turned and trotted away, her tail held a little higher with self-satisfaction.

Blinking a few times, Golden looked at Crystal. "Why do I get the feeling she just played me?"

"Because she did," Crystal replied, giggling.

The truth is we do. Little by little, death by death, a tiny piece of us is pulled free.

The sun continued its ascent above, watchful of the ponies below who tended to the flowers of the Harmony memorial. Finally, as the hours drew into the late afternoon, a call for lemonade rang out and everypony gathered to receive a glass of the sweet-and-sour drink.

"Good work today," Bouquet said to the crowd. "The flowers appreciate your tender love and care. We'll reconvene in a month to check on their condition for the last time before Remembrance Day."

Golden downed her second lemonade and tossed the paper cup in the recycling bin. "Thank Celestia that's over. I'm going to go home, take a long, hot shower, and think about nice things like what I'm going to do with my stallion tonight."

Crystal tried not to blush as her mind, rather unnecessarily, filled with memories of her anniversary night. "Okay!" she squeaked. "Have fun!"

After a brief suspicious look, Golden turned and trotted away. She seemed, despite her words, happy, and that brought a smile to Crystal's face. It was a well-earned happiness.

While the volunteers dispersed to enjoy the rest of their weekend, Crystal sat down at the base of the monument and leaned her head back to gaze up at the white monolith. It reached up into the sky, surrounded by the names of the fallen, guiding them up into the heavens.

What happened when a pony died? Crystal released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding and closed her eyes. It wasn't something she had ever thought about before, and it wasn't something she ever wanted to think about again once the war was over. And yet, she knew that her life was forever changed. Death was a more frequent part of her reality now.

But she would be okay, so long as Silent came home. Of course, she wanted everypony overseas to come home, but she wasn't perfect. Selfishly, she was certain she would be fine if it was only Silent. What a truly awful thought.

"I thought I'd find you here," a calm, collected voice said.

Crystal opened her eyes to see Raven standing at the entrance to the Harmony memorial. Her mane was still in its tight bun, and she still wore her castle pass around her neck. "Did you just get off work?"

Raven glanced down at the pass and gave a quiet chuckle as her magic lifted it over her head to float it in the air between them. "For the last time for quite a while, actually."

The first few take the biggest toll, but then it becomes more subtle. Still, little by little, I can feel myself being pulled away.

"What?" Crystal sat upright. "What do you mean?"

After a moment of staring at her, Raven broke into laughter. "Crystal, what do you see?"

What did she see? Crystal's brow furrowed as she looked the mare over. Her mane and tail were in their usual tight bun, her glasses were the same as always, and her collar was crisp. "I see—" She stopped when she saw it: Raven's round stomach. Slapping a hoof to her forehead, she mumbled, "I see a very pregnant mare who is starting maternity leave."

"Good job," Raven teased. She lowered herself to sit beside Crystal, heaving a sigh. "It's an awful time to leave her in another pony's care. The war is still weighing heavily on the princesses, especially with Remembrance Day approaching, and I'll be gone."

Crystal hesitated before she asked, "Aren't you excited to be a mother soon, though?"

Raven waved a hoof. "Of course! Of course. But I've been working as the princess's aide for so long. Imagine if you had to give up your writing career to have a foal."

"Oh," Crystal murmured, her brow furrowing. "I think I understand." She smiled. "Well, I'm sure the princess will be happy when you return."

There was a long pause before Raven gave the kind of smile that seemed distant. "I have a feeling that the princess has something else in mind."

"What do you mean?"

"When I was leaving today, she put a hoof on my shoulder and thanked me for my dedication." The smile on Raven's face spread with warmth. "And then she said, 'I am looking forward to meeting your daughter.'"

Crystal's ears perked straight up. "She—"

"Yes." Raven laughed softly, putting a hoof on her stomach. "Some mares have to wait so long for an audience with the princess to learn the gender of their foal that, by the time that audience is granted, they've already found out the hard way. And yet she looked at me as if it were a mere farewell and revealed that I am having a filly."

Crystal beamed as she clasped her hooves around Raven's. "Oh my word! That's so exciting! A filly, a little princess of your own!"

"And I already know her name."

"What?" Crystal blinked. "You do? How?"

Raven looked away from the distant horizon to meet Crystal's gaze. "I can't quite explain it, but when Princess Celestia smiled at me and told me I'm having a filly, I just knew. It was as if I saw the name in the princess's eyes, as if she told me herself."

Blinking one more time, Crystal relaxed into a curious smile. "What is it?"

"Hope."

And then I saw you.

"Oh," Crystal breathed more than said, "that's a beautiful name."

"And I just know she'll be a beautiful filly." Raven squeezed Crystal's hoof, then grunted as she pushed herself upright onto all fours. "I'll let you know as soon as she's born. I know we have drifted apart some because of our responsibilities, but I still consider you a dear friend."

Crystal smiled and stood with her. "And I, you. I can't wait to meet her."

With a parting hug, they went their separate ways. Crystal felt the shift in the atmosphere like a cold breeze when she stepped out of the memorial park and into the normal streets of Canterlot. Life was so normal for the ponies bustling about with their shopping bags or SunBucks drinks, as if there wasn't a need for a memorial at all.

It was what it was, however; Crystal simply shrugged off the chill and started making her way home. She trotted into a higher district, closer to the castle, and the shops around her transitioned into houses and condominium buildings.

That was when she saw something new: on almost every door was a yellow wreath.

A strange battle of emotions suddenly surged in her chest as she looked around to see yellow in every direction. They were her Foundation's flowers, and that brought her joy. The necessity for them due to the war brought sadness.

And, for some strange reason, there was, predominantly, anger in the midst of it all.

Crystal felt the hairs of her coat bristle and she urged her hooves to move faster. All this time, they had done so little! Carried on with their lives, attended their useless parties, designed their pompous fashion lines—all the while, she and those like her with loved ones overseas suffered, feared, cried.

Now, when they had no choice but to acknowledge the war, did they decide to partake in the pain she had been feeling for a year?

She broke out into a quick trot as she turned onto the road that led to home. Yellow wreaths mocked her at every step. These ponies likely just saw their neighbor with a wreath and sought to have one, too. Disingenuous flowers perpetuating a frivolous game of pretending to care. Pretending to ache.

Crystal, I would gladly let this war pull me apart piece by piece as long as I get to return to your side. I no longer fight for Equestria. I conduct my duty with one goal in mind: to return to my wife.

By the time Crystal got home, she was out of breath. Her chest was tight with pain, both physical and emotional. She wanted to rip every wreath off every door, to throw them off the side of Canterlot and rejoice as she informed her grandfather that they had spent money to decorate the base of the Alicorn Spire with broken wreaths.

It was a dirty, awful feeling, but she didn't care. She just wanted to get inside and hide in her room, but there was a small obstacle.

In the living room sat Pretzel, Whisperwind, and little Foccacia on the couch with Winterspear in the recliner. At her sudden arrival and out-of-breath state, they stared in surprise for a moment before Winterspear asked, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Crystal panted out and straightened up to regain some sense of composure. "Hello."

"Sorry for bein' 'ere unannounced," Pretzel said with a smile. "We just wanted to say goodbye before we went back home. It's been one gran bell of a few weeks, gettin' to spend so much time with Uppsy."

"Uppsy?" Crystal was pulled out of the dark thoughts in her mind to furrow her brow.

"Yeah!" Pretzel clasped her hooves together. "Your madre is a real treasure, eh? Took us all around Canterlot. They may not make Itailian here quite like my papa, but it ain't bad."

"Ain't bad at all," Whisperwind added, chuckling.

Pretzel stood from the couch and took Foccacia in the crook of her foreleg. "We got a train t'catch, but it was real good seein' you, Crystal." Her smile grew soft and earnest. "It's like I gained two sisters, no?"

Crystal returned the smile, stepping forward to embrace Pretzel. "It was my pleasure as well. Please give the rest of your family my warmest regards."

"Sure will! And I'll write as soon as we know if we're 'avin' a little Upper or a little Jet." Pretzel started for the door, Foccacia gurgling and chewing on one of her own hooves.

Whisperwind stood to his full height and grabbed Crystal with both forelegs, pulling her to his chest in a tight hug. "It's nice to have somepony normal in the family," he said in a soft voice, the chuckle in his chest reverberating against her. "Come visit us sometime, okay?"

"Okay." Crystal did her best to return the hug, though his large frame and the awkward angle made that difficult.

And just like that, Crystal and Winterspear were alone, left in silence until Winterspear cleared her throat. "So, what happened?"

"What?" Crystal glanced at her, the darkness from before returning. She didn't want to talk about it. She didn't want Winterspear to know how ugly she was on the inside right then. "Oh, nothing. Just one of those days." She offered the best smile she could muster and made her way to her bedroom door. "I'm exhausted, actually."

Winterspear eyed her with clear suspicion, rising from the recliner. "You're going to bed before the sun?"

Crystal paused at the threshold to her bedroom, the threshold to safety. "I'm sorry to be a poor housemate. I'll see you for dinner." She took the necessary steps inside so she could shut the door, surrounding herself in the shadows that reflected her feelings.

Anger. Pain. Frustration. And, most of all, the desire to act on them.

Little by little, death by death, I will prosecute this war to the bitter end so that I will hold your hoof as I did on our anniversary.

Crystal felt her way in the dark room over to her bed and slid under the covers. Perhaps she would skip dinner. Winterspear would ask questions, and she didn't want to answer them. She was a good mare. A sweet mare who cared for others and was selfless.

Yet right then, she felt anything but. Ponies who had turned their backs on her when she cried suddenly turned around with yellow wreaths in their hooves, wanting to be a part of what she had been enduring for a year. As if those wreaths made up for everything they hadn't done.

Perhaps most of all, it was the knowledge that she had provided them those little facades of hope and loss.

Crystal clenched her eyes shut. The memories of every day she had walked the streets and heard the useless gossip of ponies carrying on with their normal lives washed over her like crashing waves. Every invitation to some pointless fashion show or art exhibit that she had torn up and thrown away seemed to be piled on her chest, heavy and suffocating.

She had half a mind to skip the Remembrance Day ceremony entirely, hiding in her room, waiting for the fake tears to return to plastic smiles. Once it was over—once they had returned to their normal lives so she could have hers back—she would emerge.

Would anypony notice? Wallflower clearly handled the Flower Foundation affairs just fine without a mare who had gotten drunk from too much eggnog. Winterspear was busy with her ongoing physical therapy training. Velvet and Golden both had their own preoccupations with stallions. Anypony could fill out paperwork.

It would be fine. She would never have to see another plastic smile, pretentious invitation, or yellow wreath again. She would just wait until the war was over.

The war...

Slowly, Crystal's body relaxed and she felt the weight start to lift. But how could she face Silent when he came home, knowing she had been a selfish, bitter coward?

Crystal took a deep breath in, and as she exhaled, she let go of the anger within her, even if only for a moment.

No. Tomorrow, she would go back to work. She had to keep these ponies safe, even if they took the war for granted. It was her solemn promise to her husband.

For today, however, surely he would forgive her for staying in bed just a little while longer.

Know that you are always on my mind and in my heart.

Silent Knight

Healing of a Heart

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"You spent a whole day in bed?"

Crystal could barely lift her gaze to look at Dream Pop, her lips wriggling between an embarrassed frown and a shy smile. "Yes?"

Dream Pop gave a cheerful smile and waved a hoof. "That's super okay! Sometimes we just need to hide so we can process feelings that overwhelm us. So, how do you feel now?"

"Better," Crystal admitted, dropping her gaze again. "I can't begrudge ponies for going on with their lives. We're not meant for war, after all. I should be appreciative that, at the least, they're willing to face the horrible thing when it's most needed."

Dream Pop nodded. "That's a mature way of looking at it!"

Mature. Crystal wrung her hooves. That was such a big, heavy, suffocating word.

"But it's not the whole story, is it?" Dream Pop's voice was suddenly soft, and when Crystal glanced up, she saw a gentle smile.

Crystal's mouth went dry. "What do you mean?"

Dream Pop waggled a hoof at her in a playfully stern way. "You can't hide the truth from me, missy! I have a PI license. That, and you're really easy to read." She settled back in her seat and shook her head. "Nope, there's more to the story than you hid in a cocoon of blankets and came out a beautiful, perfect butterfly."

"Oh." It was all Crystal could say at first as her eyes flicked between Dream Pop and the suddenly very interesting wall. Nerves bubbled up in her chest at the thoughts that swirled through her mind. "Well, I—I did indulge in some chocolates, yes."

Dream Pop just stared at her, waiting.

Crystal swallowed around the lump that formed in her throat and tried to smile. "I have a feeling that isn't what you meant."

Giggling, Dream Pop shook her head. "Nope!"

"Of course." Crystal's ears flattened against her mane. Shame gripped her throat and made it hard to speak. "I—" Tears welled up in her eyes and she asked in a quiet, trembling voice, "Must I say it?"

"I think it'd be healthier than keeping it in."

"Of course," Crystal repeated. She clasped her hooves in her lap, dropped her gaze, and muttered, "I'm still angry."

"Why?"

Crystal clenched her eyes shut. The ugliness inside her was seeping out, a terrible infection that she couldn't hide from Dream Pop's keen eyes. "Why? Because, I don't know! Because I'm tired! I told Winterspear I was feeling ill so she would leave me be. I can't let ponies see me like this! What would they think? Nopony in the support group feels this way. Everypony in the Foundation seems to be fine. Why am I different?"

The sound of clapping startled Crystal upright, and she saw the familiar beaming smile on Dream Pop's face. "Yay! Good job! See, doesn't it feel better to let it out?"

Crystal's brow furrowed. "To be honest, no, not particularly."

"Well, doesn't it feel better than lying?"

With a sigh, Crystal turned her head to look off to the side, guilt starting to fill the void where compassion and understanding should have been. "I'm regretting saying anything, so I think I preferred my story better."

Dream Pop giggled. "Okay, let me put it this way! Let's say you asked a friend for a favor. A super important favor, but they forgot! Would you rather they told you a convincing lie that made you forgive them, or that they told you the truth?"

Crystal glanced at Dream Pop out of the corner of her eyes. "Of course I would rather have the truth, but I—"

"No buts!" Dream Pop waggled her hoof. "What if the truth was that they got in an accident and broke a leg, but they didn't tell you that and you found out later?"

Crystal blinked. The dark feelings in her chest started to subside to confusion. "I'd feel awful, of course. Whatever favor it was wouldn't be nearly as important as their health."

"Uh-huh. And what if it wasn't a broken leg, but a broken heart?"

"It doesn't matter," Crystal replied, the tension in her muscles easing as she started to smile. "A broken leg or a broken heart, they both can hurt a great deal."

"Exactly!" Dream Pop clapped again, bouncing up and down this time. "You see? It'd be super embarrassing for them to admit that they let you down over a broken heart, but you don't care! So why would your friends or family care?" She blinked. "Well, of course they'd care. But not like that. What I mean is, you should tell them how you feel!"

Crystal finally laughed, albeit only softly. "I suppose I can't argue with you on that. All right, you win." She pushed herself upright and raised a hoof to brush her mane out of her face. "I'll see you in a few weeks, then?"

"Oh, I hope you see me before then, otherwise you'll need to send a search-and-rescue team!" Dream Pop wiggled her ears. "Yep! Just remember, all feelings are super okay. You can't appreciate a smile without frowning every once in a while!"

"Yes, yes." Crystal flashed a smile before she turned to the door and walked out into the main area where the volunteers of her foundation were hard at work.

For a moment, she just stood there, taking it all in. However she felt didn't change the fact that good work was being accomplished. She could take some comfort in that for the time being.

There was a problem she suddenly noticed as a mare bumped into a stallion in her attempt to cross the room: space. They were growing as a group, but their surroundings weren't. Her nose scrunched up as she realized she would, soon, need to speak to the board—which included her stingy grandfather. He would likely have her submit a twenty-page analysis on the pros and cons of moving, an in-depth report characterizing the different locations, and who knew what else.

Crystal sighed and started to make her way over to the table she normally occupied when she spotted Wallflower hurrying toward her. "Hi, Mom. What's the matter?"

Wallflower smiled. "Oh, nothing's the matter. I just wanted to catch you before you got occupied in something. There's a mare here who wishes to volunteer."

"All right." Crystal blinked, tilting her head. "Then let her volunteer?"

Wallflower's smile wriggled as if she were trying to keep laughter at bay. The hitch in her voice confirmed it as she replied, "I think you should speak with her first. She's waiting just outside."

Brow furrowed and curiosity piqued, Crystal nodded and changed orientation to head for the door that led out into the hallway. When she opened it and stepped out, she understood Wallflower's reaction immediately.

Derelict Apathy, Radiant Orchid's partner in guiding the support group, stood in the middle of the hall, a Flower Foundation brochure floating in her magic. She was just as neutral-faced and dark-coated as always—by looks alone, she wasn't exactly the kind of pony that seemed interested in charity work. Crystal knew her better than that, however.

"Hello, Derelict," Crystal said as she trotted the distance between them.

Derelict looked up while her magic folded the brochure. "Hello. I was informed that you needed to interview me before I could volunteer."

"Oh, well, somewhat." Crystal tried not to giggle. "We're still figuring out processes."

"Is that so? I could help with that. I would rather help ponies directly, but if processes would help you help ponies better, then I can do that instead." Derelict stared at her, eyes betraying nothing of emotion.

Crystal waved a hoof. "It's wholly up to you. If you want to help ponies directly, then that is what you'll do. Which branch are you interested in?"

Derelict glanced at the brochure, then back at Crystal. "I feel I am best suited to the Carnation branch. I am a therapist, after all."

"Oh." Crystal froze as the gears in her mind ground to a halt. Dream Pop had just instructed her to tell the truth, but her years in finishing school had told her otherwise—white lies weren't lies at all. What was she supposed to do? "I, uh."

Derelict's brow raised. "Is there an issue? I am not very good with gardening, but if that is what you would prefer, I—"

"Oh, no, no." Crystal quickly shook her head and tried to smile. "It's not that! We are in dire need of more therapists. It's just." She hesitated. "Well." She shifted her hooves. "How to put this delicately?"

"I find that just saying things as they are is easiest," Derelict said, tilting her head.

Crystal sucked in a breath and ducked her head. "It's—It's nothing, really. I just hesitate because, well, you see, the thing is, our current therapists are Sweet Stuff, Dream Pop, Good Cheer, Twinklepaw..." She trailed, glancing up at her.

Derelict stared for a moment before her ears perked and her lips flinched with amusement. "Oh, I see. My parents' poor sense of humor when it comes to naming their foals is the problem."

"No, no!" Crystal winced. "Problem makes it sound as if it is an impediment. It was a momentary hesitation, nothing more. I'm sorry I even brought it up."

Derelict rolled her shoulders in a light shrug. "It's understandable. It's also an objective fact. Ponies have often been put off by my name."

"What about code names?" Dream Pop's voice interrupted, the mare bouncing into view. Her curly twin pigtails continued bouncing well after she stood still beside them, a bright grin on her face. "We could have code names!" Her hoof shot to her nose. "Dibs on Dr. Kitty!"

"Code names?" Derelict tilted her head. "That's an interesting idea."

Crystal blinked, glancing between them before she started to smile. "It's all right, really. You shouldn't have to hide your name. That's simply ridiculous."

Derelict raised a hoof. "No, I like this idea. I could be Dr. Euphoria. It is, after all, the happiest state a pony can be in, so there should be no apprehension from clients." She paused, then added, "It's also my mother's name."

It was difficult, but Crystal tried to push aside the question of why in Equestria a pony named Euphoria would name her daughter Derelict Apathy.

Instead, Crystal nodded. "All right. Dr. Kitty, would you please introduce Dr. Euphoria to the other therapists and explain the new code name system to them?"

"Sure!" Dream Pop wrapped her hoof around Derelict's. "It's super nice to meet you, by the way! I'm Dr. Kitty!"

"I know," Derelict simply replied, then added in a slightly lilting, almost playful tone, "I'm Dr. Euphoria."

Crystal watched as they trotted over to the room that was supposed to be a bedroom. There were only three rooms above the bakery; she would need to speak to the board sooner rather than later.

For now, however, she had work to do. She always had work to do. She returned to the room that served as their headquarters and made her way to her seat beside Wallflower, asking as she sat down, "What's on the to-do list for today?"

Wallflower tapped a hoof on the table as the other drew across her planner. "There are a lot of bills to document this morning, but that's no surprise anymore. Then we have a meeting with the mayor of Manehattan after lunch to discuss Bouquet's plans for taking over some greenspace there to plant flowers. The Helping Hooves group wants to spend some time discussing how our organizations can help each other more. There's a banquet at the city hall tonight, which..."

As Wallflower went into the details, it was all Crystal could do to keep smiling. A banquet with rich ponies who had to be asked for donations. Rich ponies who couldn't find it in their hearts to do so without being wined and dined. Ponies who would have pretty smiles as they bragged about their generosity, glossing over how much effort it took to pry their bits from them.

They probably had wreaths on their doors, too.

"I hate it," Crystal blurred out, then slapped a hoof over her mouth, eyes going wide.

Wallflower blinked. "I thought you liked zucchini? Oh." She dropped her gaze. "No, I'm sorry, that's Silent's favorite, isn't it? I—We can serve something else."

Crystal raised the hoof to wipe the growing tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry. It's not that, it's—" She hesitated, glancing away. "It's awful to admit," she mumbled in a low voice so that only Wallflower could hear, "but I can't stop being angry."

"Angry?" Wallflower repeated, taking Crystal's hooves in her own. "Why? What happened?" Her brow furrowed, casting a shadow over her eyes. "Is it your mother? Do I need to speak to her?"

Crystal snorted as a giggle overtook her and she quickly shook her head. "No, Mom. It's me. This is all me. I'm full of anger at the ponies the banquet is for, I'm angry at the ponies who bought wreaths, I'm angry at everypony that gets to live each day like normal while you and I and everypony here are suffering."

Somewhere along the explanation, Crystal found herself crying again. It wasn't until she heard the hitch in her own voice did she start to tremble with fear and uncertainty. How foalish did she sound? How selfish? What would her mother-in-law think of her after that admission?

Wallflower just looked at her for a while, then raised her hooves to clasp Crystal's cheeks and forced their eyes to meet. "Do you remember what I told you when we first met?"

Crystal's ears folded back, the weight of Wallflower's hard stare pushing her down. "Wh—What?"

"That this is the life of the wife of a soldier." Wallflower's expression remained unmoved. "But I don't think you ever figured out what 'this' is, did you?"

Crystal could only shake her head. Her lower lip started to tremble at the sudden realization that she quite possibly just ruined her relationship with Wallflower, and that terrified her.

"'This' refers to the terrible feelings that eat away at us from the inside out." Wallflower finally gave a soft, sad smile. "When Stratus went to war, it was awful for me. That was a war that was so small in scale compared to this that I was completely alone. Some days, I wasn't sure how to make it to the next day. When I met you, I couldn't imagine a mare as dainty and fragile as you enduring even a fraction of what I had."

Wallflower's hooves squeezed Crystal's cheeks before lowering to pull her in for a hug. "I looked down on you because of that. For a while, I was even angry with you for being at my son's side as if you belonged there. But I misjudged you. It has taken quite some time, but now I am at peace with the anger at others for not caring—the anger at Stratus for being who he was—the anger at myself for not being stronger.

"Now, it's your turn to find your peace. I don't know how to help you find it, but perhaps it will be easier if you understand that you're not alone in feeling this way."

Crystal buried her face against Wallflower's neck. She smelled of rain-kissed flowers, a gentle combination of scents that was wholly unique to her. It soothed her, as did the hoof stroking her mane, and finally Crystal had the strength to mumble, "It—Hearing that does help, Mom. Thank you."

"Good." Wallflower pulled away to smile down at her. "What would you say to skipping the documentation and going downstairs for a hot cocoa? It's not as if your grandfather will notice." She huffed, the feathers on her wings ruffling slightly. "There's so many papers, he can't possibly be reading through all of them."

Crystal's nose scrunched up before she laughed. "I have a feeling he'll notice, but I'm not sure I particularly care at the moment. Hot cocoa sounds perfect."

Just as Crystal started to rise from her seat, she caught her mother's gaze—her real mother. Upper Crust stood at a table with the other ponies in her branch around her, but her attention was clearly on Crystal. There was a distinct loneliness in her eyes that sent a pang of guilt through Crystal's chest.

With a smile she hoped would mask her true feelings, Crystal navigated the crowded room to make her way to her mother, the smile growing sincere as Upper Crust quickly did her best to look busy. "Mother?" She hesitated, then corrected, "Mom?"

Upper Crust feigned only just then noticing her. "Yes, darling? I'm a little busy at the moment. What is it?"

"I'm heading downstairs to get some hot cocoa." Crystal rubbed a hoof against her foreleg. "You've been working hard this morning, so I thought perhaps you might enjoy a break. With me."

Upper Crust's gaze flickered to Wallflower, who lingered at the door. "With you? Or with you and your mother-in-law?"

Crystal swallowed. "With us."

There was a moment where it seemed as though Upper Crust would fabricate an excuse, but instead, she smiled. "I suppose it would be nice to get to know her better, since she clearly means so much to you. And I suppose these ponies are perfectly capable of working without my oversight."

"We'll be fine!" a mare said, waving a hoof. "Go on and have fun with your daughter."

Upper Crust chuckled as she strode over to Wallflower, regarded her with a cordial nod, and said, "I must thank you for supporting my daughter through the things I don't quite understand. All of this Royal Guard and war nonsense is just that to me." She bobbed her head. "Thank you, Wallflower."

Wallflower blinked and looked at Crystal, then back at Upper Crust. "Oh." She blinked again. "You're welcome?"

With a brief smile, Upper Crust walked out into the hallway and headed for the stairs. Wallflower looked once again to Crystal for an explanation, and all she could give was, "She had told me that she was striving to appreciate family more after a difficult encounter. Perhaps she truly meant it."

"Is that so?" Wrinkles formed at the corners of Wallflower's eyes as she smiled, looking at the stairs Upper Crust had descended. "I'm happy, then. It's nice to find clear examples of the good rising from the bad."

"Yes, it is." Crystal released a soft, almost content sigh, and the tension left her all at once. There was good in the bad—it was a nice sentiment to hold onto instead of anger and guilt.

A Roaring Thunder

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The day was supposed to be partly cloudy.

Crystal stared at the view outside through her bedroom window, the overcast skies wrapping the city in a grey haze. The weather team had lost control of the clouds—it was as if nature was in mourning.

With a sigh, she turned away and walked across the room. Melancholy filled her chest with a cold, aching sensation; anxiety and uncertainty nipped at her hooves. She stopped at the threshold into the bathroom when her gaze locked with her own in the mirror.

Who was that mare who looked so tired and worn, with her sagging eyelids and mane wrapped up in a messy bun? She sat in front of the vanity and touched her own face, seeking the warm and shiny coat she had in her youth.

A soft laugh escaped her. In her youth? When had she become an old mare? She was still young, though it hardly felt like it lately. The past year weighed heavily on not just her mind, but her body, as well.

Her horn lit up and set to work on her face, first pampering it with a light moisturizing foundation to try to rejuvenate the color and quality. Then came makeup—today, she would focus on eyeliner and mascara. Adorning her eyes would cover up how tired they looked.

Last, but most of all, she put her mane together. All of her blonde and pink locks were pulled back into a single braid and tied off with a yellow ribbon. It was going to be a long day, and she needed her mane out of the way. If it were down, she'd feel inclined to hide behind it.

But this was not the time to be hiding, as much as she wanted to.

"Are you ready, Crystal?" came Winterspear's voice from behind her, somehow neutral and full of emotion at the same time.

Crystal breathed in and turned around with a carefully placed smile. "Almost."

What a picture-perfect moment she beheld. Winterspear stood tall—tall enough to escape the tension that clung to her tightly clasped wings—in her ceremonial Guard uniform. Each button was highly polished and there wasn't a single wrinkle to be found. Silent would have been impressed with her, what was it called? Perfectly dress right dress.

Speaking of dress, Iridescence wore a modest one that, on her, looked gorgeous on her elegant frame. Crystal didn't know why Iridescence had foregone her own uniform, but then it seemed all too obvious. She was going not as a member of the Guard, but as Winterspear's fiancée and support. It was a sweet unspoken gesture that told volumes.

Between them stood Dot, who seemed to grow more and more with each passing day. In the last month, she had begun experimenting with makeup in bright colors and wild styles, but today her eyes were adorned with only a bit of eyeliner. Though she didn't have Iridescence's body quite yet, her yellow sundress gave her a youthful beauty of her own.

And then there was Crystal herself, sitting in the bathroom with only her mane and makeup done. They were three beautiful ponies ready to face the day while she felt like an old mare who wanted to sit in a rocking chair all alone.

"Okay." Winterspear bobbed her head. "We're going to head on to the memorial. You'll be with your support group, right?"

"Yes, I'll go straight there. I promise not to dawdle." Crystal giggled as she pulled herself off the stool to walk over and embrace each of them. "Please see me after the speech," she whispered into Winterspear's ear.

Winterspear only nodded and squeezed her tight, then turned to walk with Dot to the door. Iridescence, on the other hoof, lingered where she stood, her gaze full of soft and gentle concern.

"Are you sure you'll be all right today?" Iridescence put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "You've loaded yourself up with a lot of responsibilities. It's okay to let the volunteers handle the Foundation, you know."

Crystal shook her head. "I'll be fine. It gives me purpose and focus. Surely you understand that."

Iridescence gave a soft laugh and squeezed the shoulder before retracting her hoof. "I guess I do. We'll see you tonight, then."

"Absolutely." Crystal hesitated and, just as Iridescence started to turn away, she reached out and grabbed her foreleg. "Wait, Iridescence, I—I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" Iridescence blinked. "Why? What for?"

Crystal heaved a small sigh. "You are important to Silent and to Winterspear—but you're also my friend, regardless of them. I haven't been very open or depended upon you. I know you don't mind, but I feel as though I'm not including you in my life as much as I should."

"Oh, is that all?" Iridescence waved the hoof away. "Don't be sorry. You've been pulling yourself in a hundred different directions, and I've been focused on Dot and Winterspear. It's not like I've really made myself available to you." She paused, then added, "Not because I don't care, but because, well, you didn't need me to be there, so I wasn't. If you do, though, I will be. You know that, right?"

After a pause, Crystal offered a weak smile. "I suppose I didn't, but I do now. Thank you."

Crystal watched her leave with Winterspear and Dot—and then slumped once she was alone. Such a strange feeling swelled in her chest. She certainly held no animosity or jealousy toward Iridescence; she didn't even regard her as 'Silent's ex-marefriend'. The problem, for lack of a better word, was that they followed parallel but different paths, so that the time they spent together was little even though their lives intersected.

A part of her wanted to make more of an effort to grow closer to Iridescence, but was there a need to force it? She didn't resent Iridescence, and Iridescence didn't seem to resent her. Perhaps that was enough.

All of this could be debated later, however; she needed to finish getting ready. She had her dress sitting out on the bed, waiting to be slipped into. It was both simple and extravagant in design, form-fitting along her sides and hindlegs only to flare out around her knees for a short but gently pleated skirt.

The designer had named it after its inspiration, the primrose—the symbol of eternal love.

Her heart swelled as she looked in the mirror at the pale yellow gown against her creamy white coat and, with a smile, thought of Silent. Could she have a picture taken and sent to him? Would that be too vain, or would it only distract him from his duty? She shook her head and pulled herself back to the present.

Finally ready, she trotted out the front door and headed straight for the Harmony Memorial. Princess Celestia had announced it as the location for her address instead of balcony at the palace. It was an honor, certainly, but she knew it was nothing personal. The princess simply selected the most apt place to speak on the anniversary of the fall of the Harmony.

Canterlot was quiet, held in the familiar dissonance of mourning and hope. Ponies walked the streets in solemn silence, the only sounds the shuffling of hooves and the brushing of dresses against pavement. She was a part of the crowd; they were all as one as they made their way to the memorial grounds, at different speeds and apart yet together in harmony.

There was a beauty in that: the Harmony had fallen, and yet harmony still stood strong. Nothing, not a war nor anything else, could take that away from Equestria.

At the edge of the crowd that filled the memorial grounds and surrounding space stood her support group. Dawn Walker noticed her first and smiled, her lips moving to speak quiet words Crystal couldn't hear at the distance. The other ponies around her did hear, of course, and turned to greet Crystal with the mere comfort of their existence.

Golden, of course, was never one to be 'merely' anything. She tossed her mane and strode forward to meet Crystal halfway. "Well, that's certainly unfair."

"Huh?" Crystal blinked, glancing over her shoulder before looking back at Golden. "I'm sorry?"

"I thought it an unsuitable occasion to look too beautiful." A smile graced Golden's otherwise poised composure. "And then you show up."

Crystal raised a hoof to smother her own smile. "Oh, well, you know how it is. I have the Flower Foundation to represent after this."

Golden turned to walk back to the waiting support group, her tail swishing with her long black-and-gold dress. "I don't see why you can't simply take the day off."

"Of all days, this is the last I should skip," Crystal replied in a soft whisper before redoubling her smiling efforts. "Hello, everypony."

Dawn trotted forward and nuzzled her cheek to Crystal's. She was such a sweet, affectionate mare—a perfect care companion for Toffee, who looked like he might break into tears at any moment. Quickly, she returned to his side, her shoulder to his for both physical and emotional support.

"He hasn't received a letter from his wife recently," Golden explained with her head turned so that her muzzle was directly by Crystal's ear.

Crystal's heart clenched and her gaze fell. To Tartarus with this war and its Celestia-forsaken grip on those she cared about.

Bastion moved over to stand by her side, a looming presence she couldn't ignore. He wore no suit, not even a tie; his mane was unkempt and falling in curled locks down to his eyes; and his eyes were sullen and dark. Not a word was spoken, but he at least acknowledged her looking at him with a bob of his head.

"Him, I can't say," Golden continued, voice even lower. "I think he's just always like this."

No, he wasn't. Crystal's brow furrowed as she tried to search his face for something deeper. Bastion was a stallion of much emotion. He simply buried it so far out of sight that even she forgot sometimes. "Bastion?" she asked in a tentative whisper.

His ear flicked toward her.

"Your wife—?"

His ear faced forward again. "Wrote to me last week."

"Then—?"

"She lost three comrades in one night." His jaw clenched. "I'm not sure how much more I can take of this bloody war."

Crystal reached out to set her hoof against his, giving it a small squeeze. Whether it brought him comfort or not, his expression didn't show either way, but his hoof did move to hold hers.

A hush fell over the crowd as the golden-clad House Guard moved in formation to make way for Princess Celestia, who walked with three guards in front of her and two behind. Sunny Day was at the head of the group, her armor polished brighter than any other’s.

In the same formation behind them was Princess Luna and her House Guard. Crystal couldn't explain why, but she was momentarily confused when the lieutenant leading Luna wasn't Silent. That was where he was supposed to be, not overseas fighting in a war. There shouldn't have been a war at all.

Where Crystal had made her speech once before, Princess Celestia now stood with Luna at her side. Even at such a distance, Crystal could feel the weight bearing down on both princesses: the pressure of the war, the expectations of their kingdom, the consequences of every decision they made.

Finally, Princess Celestia held her head high and began in her soft, soothing, and carrying voice. "My little ponies," she began, and paused to allow her gaze to wander the crowd before her.

The city was silent. Nopony so much as even breathed.

"It is with a heavy heart but steely resolve that I come before you today at this most revered of locations." She turned her head to look up at the monolith that towered even above her. "The monument that you built to honor those you've loved that have departed this world before their time."

Her mane moved in an ethereal breeze, for even the wind itself stood still as she spoke.

"On this spot we are surely reminded of both who we have lost and of those that we may yet lose. I am also reminded of something else: the strength that is shared by all ponies to carry on no matter what adversity we face."

Crystal swallowed. It had been a whole year, and what progress had they made? How much had been accomplished since the speech the princess gave a year ago? The answer lurking in the back of her mind hurt more than how tightly Bastion was gripping her hoof.

"These are not easy times, my ponies. I will not pretend that the burden will lift soon." Celestia shook her head, her mane shifting and billowing about her face. "We are here again a year after the loss of the Harmony, and our loved ones are no closer to coming home now than they were then."

A tear slipped down Crystal's cheek at hearing her fears spoken aloud and she dropped her head, unable to watch the princess continue to speak. Her ear twitched at the sound of something humming in the air, and her aching heart dropped.

She knew that sound.

"We must honor those that we have lost," Celestia continued, her voice rising as the crowd began to murmur in confusion, "by staying the course and ensuring that what they died for is work that is not left undone."

From behind the spires of the palace, an airship born of nightmares slid into view. She was a feral beast, dark and imposing against a backdrop of grey clouds—a terrifying reality of the blueprints Crystal had seen but not fully understood. Weapons clawed at her sides and gnashed at the air with jagged teeth of bolts ready to launch at any moment.

As the Knight Class battleship loomed over the crowd with its gruesome might that meant to destroy anything in its path, two more moved to join her. And at the head of it all, Celestia stood with an expression of hardened determination: she truly and wholeheartedly meant war.

It wasn't right. Celestia should never make such a face. The sky should never be filled with such horrors. The world started to sway and Crystal felt lightheaded and nauseated all at once.

"We must double our efforts to protect our soldiers and ensure they come home safely." The words echoed in the momentary silence that was soon filled with a mix of cheers and fear.

This wasn't the Equestria that she knew. It certainly wasn't the one she loved.

"The Dread Knight," Bastion said in a low voice, startling her out of her thoughts.

"What?" she asked in a raspy voice.

Before Bastion could answer, Golden hissed, "Shut your mouth."

Crystal glanced between them to see anger in Golden's eyes and irritation in Bastion's. "What is the Dread Knight?"

Bastion ripped his hoof away from hers and shook his head. "You wouldn't know, would you?" A smirk tore across his muzzle. "What a pity. You should be proud to know."

"Bastion!" Golden pushed herself between them.

"Ask your dear sister-in-law," Bastion spat. "She thought to keep your own husband a secret from you."

"Most of all," Celestia's voice rang out, "we must send our love to those ponies that still remain in harm's way."

Crystal barely heard the rest of Celestia's speech as she took a step back. Golden turned to her with soft eyes—ones she never had. Why was she looking at her like that?

Winterspear. Crystal's gaze darted as she searched the crowd, her mind spinning. Dread Knight? Her husband? No, her husband was Silent Knight.

Through the haze of colors blurring together, she spotted a blob that came into focus when she saw the familiar white and bright blue. "Excuse me," she whispered, pushing her way past Bastion, past Dawn and Toffee, past Weather Front and the others.

"Crystal, wait," Golden called after her. "Hold on! Let me explain!"

Crystal came to a sudden stop, though the world continued to move around her. "Explain what? I don't even know what's going on!"

Golden's face came into view, and she was able to focus on those big blue eyes filled with concern. "Some things have been happening overseas, and Winterspear didn't want you to find out from anypony but Silent himself."

Celestia's voice drifted through the tense moment. "Until that time, let us honor the fallen and safeguard the living. Keep them and today in your hearts."

Silent. Crystal struggled to breathe and her gaze darted over to Winterspear's distant form, then back at Golden. "What about him?" she breathed more than asked.

Golden sucked in a breath. She turned her head away and shook it, her ears folded flat against her mane. "I don't know for absolute certain that it's him. It could be a coincidence. The newspapers keep it vague, and you don't even read those anyway. That's why we didn't want you to know."

"Know what?!" Crystal finally shouted. The sound of her voice was nearly lost even to her own ears in the cheers that followed Celestia's departure from the podium.

The world came into focus and Crystal stepped toward Golden, breathing gone ragged and shallow. "Golden, please, tell me! You're scaring me! What are you hiding? What happened?"

"Dread Knight."

Crystal's brow furrowed. "You and Bastion keep saying that name! Who is Dread Knight?"

"Your husband," Bastion's voice came from behind her. "How you've avoided reading about it in the papers is baffling. The hero of the war, slaughtering those bloodthirsty savages singlehoofedly at Dreyri River." She heard him snort and felt the air stir from his breath. "They should be proud to know him, and you should be proud to be his wife."

Slaughtering?

Crystal rapidly blinked as the word sunk in, confusing at first, then heavy and suffocating. The words of his last letter began to bubble up in her mind with a sickly darkness to them.

[indent[Little by little, death by death, I will prosecute this war to the bitter end so that I will hold your hoof as I did on our anniversary.She had given it so little thought before—death by death. Death at his hooves. The hoof that would hold hers would be the same hoof that had ended the lives of others.

All at once, Crystal felt her stomach tighten and she lurched forward. Golden jumped back, then quickly hurried around to wrap her foreleg over Crystal's back.

"Wonderful job, Bastion," Golden seethed. "This is exactly how she should have found out."

Barely able to hold herself upright, Crystal managed in a broken whisper, "Please—home."

Without a word, Golden nodded and guided her away from the crowd. The noise began to fade behind them, but the buzzing in her skull only grew louder.

We will do what is necessary to make it through. Unfortunately, that comes at the cost of many of our enemy’s lives and it leaves a great deal of blood on my hooves.

He had told her. There was no dishonesty on his part. She merely had accepted it as a fact of war, brushed it aside in favor of joy from receiving his letters, and moved on without allowing the awful notion a moment to settle in.

Her hooves scuffed the pavement as she stumbled at Golden's side. No words were exchanged; she couldn't speak, and Golden seemed devoted to the task of taking her home.

I will do whatever is necessary to reach you. I promise that. I will come home.

The words of her beloved clashed with the image Bastion had painted. A pony slaughtering gryphons left and right, tearing them down and ending their lives. Just thinking about it made her stomach twist in knots again, but she held her composure as best she could.

A single question burned in her mind, and all she knew was that she had to know the answer.

Who was Dread Knight?

Caught Up in a Daze

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Victory in Djarsker

This was why Crystal had avoided the newspapers.

Victory was such a positive word. The headlines painted things as either black or white; it was either a victory or a tragedy. They were either on the cusp of winning the war or utter defeat. From Silent's letters, and from the letters her support group members received, however, things weren't so simple.

Her eyes scanned the dark letters set against off-white paper, seeking details that were hard to find. Few things were specific, most instead focusing on the war as a whole, a division of the Army, or sometimes a high-ranking officer.

Equestrian Forces Run a Gauntlet Through Langreid

Cultural Landmark Preserved by the Salvagers

Lily Forest Raises Morale in Margull

General Superior Swims River Under Fire

Dragoons Carve 5 Kilometer Gain in Hvassdalr

Dragoons? Crystal paused and glanced underneath the headline to see two words that jumped from the page to grab her by the heart. 'Dread Knight'. Her breath caught in her throat and she forced her gaze to the beginning of the article.

Brigadier Hammer's Black Dragoons, led by the Dread Knight of Dreyri River, have made another valiant assault against the Sudramoar forces, pushing them back five kilometers in the province of Hvassdalr.

Dreyri River. Crystal knew that place—the place where Weather Front had lost his brother. What did Dread Knight have to do with that awful memory?

Her horn shone brighter as she levitated Silent's letters in her magic along with the newspapers she was scouring, surrounding herself with a veritable wall of paper. Which was it? Where had he written about it? Had she just been too blind to see the truth at the time?

A low hum filled the air, a hollow ringing sound that halted her thoughts and demanded her attention, so she stopped to look at Aria.

The crystal was hung by the window so that it would catch the light during the day. At this hour of the morning, there was no light to be caught, but Aria glowed all on her own. Different hues of pink faded in and out within her faceted walls, bright and dark at the same time.

Normally, she sang a beautiful song, one that lifted Crystal's spirits. This time, however, her voice seemed to carry a feeling of grim determination—low and slow, she echoed on a single note before another would join just as the previous faded.

It was a foreign music to Crystal's ears, reminiscent of but not quite like striking a large wind chime. Was this the sound of her feelings brought to life? She felt so much more chaotic, so much more like hooves racing across the keys of a piano or a drum rapidly struck over and over.

Crystal furrowed her brow as Aria continued on, and, slowly, she smiled with realization. Aria's chimes brought her a sense of peace the longer they filled her ears, and she returned her gaze to all the papers in front of her. "Thank you," she whispered, concentration renewed.

Each letter she skimmed filled her with a conflicting sensation of loving nostalgia and fearful apprehension. She could hear his voice in his words, and she was terrified of what she might find.

Finally, she saw it: Dreyri River.

We have been routed. We made our stand at a place called Dreyri River and failed. Many ponies were slain, far more than the tragedy of the Harmony. It was a day that will haunt me forever and it is best left there.

Aria hummed loudly. Crystal chewed on her bottom lip. The letter quivered in the flickering embrace of pink magic.

No, there was nothing concrete here. Silent Knight was haunted by the loss of life. Dread Knight could be anypony. She sighed and looked away from the letters to the newspapers, and finally let them all fall to the floor.

She needed answers, and she wasn't going to find them sitting still. Rising to her hooves, she marched out of her condo to begin the walk through Canterlot with all of her focus on getting to the train station as soon as possible.

The Crystal Empire would have exactly what—who—she needed.

♡

"This is a pleasant surprise," Cadence said with a soft smile as a servant set a tray of tea and biscuits on the table between her and Crystal. "I understand why you moved back to Canterlot, but it would be a lie to say I don't miss our lunch dates."

Crystal bobbed her head with a slight sheepishness. "I'm sorry."

"No need to apologize." In a quiet voice, Cadence added, "To be honest, before the war started, I wondered how long it would be before Silent Knight missed Princess Luna and found a way to return to her side."

Crystal's lips twitched with amusement, but her heart sank and she struggled to hold Cadence's gaze. "To be equally honest, I wondered the very same."

They exchanged a quiet laugh and both paused to sip from their respective teacups. Tension slithered into the air as Crystal tried to find the right moment to ask her question, and Cadence watched her with a curious smile and knowing eyes. Cadence seemed content to wait for Crystal to break the silence, and so she did.

"I'm afraid there is a reason for my sudden visit," Crystal admitted with a bit of guilt creeping into her voice.

Cadence's magic lowered the teacup to its saucer. Her expression didn't change, instead remaining that enigmatic look she often had. "Isn't there always?"

It was a response Crystal hadn't expected, and it set her guilt on fire. She shrunk back into her seat and felt suddenly small under the weight of Cadence's featherlight smile. As a governor and a lady of renown, Cadence must have been far too used to ulterior motives.

"I'm sorry," Crystal blurted. "I'm sorry. But please understand that I have to abuse our friendship this way. I understand if you'll think less of me, but I don't have many options that I can rely on."

A soft sigh escaped Cadence and she shook her head. "It's all right, please. I'm sure I already have a notion as to what this is about."

"You do?" Crystal found it difficult to breathe. The thought that Cadence herself knew the answer hadn't crossed her mind, and it chilled her blood. "I—I need to know, then. Please, I need to know who Dread Knight is."

There was a distinct perk of Cadence's ears at the name, and Crystal's stomach clenched into a tight knot. She knew.

Cadence said nothing for a while, her hoof raising to trace the rim of her teacup while her gaze—somehow both soft and stern—never left Crystal's. Finally, she lowered her hoof back to her seat. "I see. Are you asking me as a governor and wife to a brigadier, or as a friend and spouse to a military officer?"

Crystal swallowed around the lump in her throat. "As an understanding and sympathetic friend."

"Of course." Cadence's head slowly lifted and dropped in a single nod. "Are you quite sure you want to ask me this?"

"Completely," Crystal whispered. It was hard to do more than that with the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "Please."

Cadence released a sigh and nodded again, smile returning to her muzzle. "Well, then, why don't you drop by Shining's office tomorrow? I'm sure he'd love to see you."

It almost didn't seem worth the trouble. Cadence's reaction alone was all she needed to know. And, yet, there was a part of her that hoped she was misreading the situation. Perhaps Dread Knight was somepony else she knew. Perhaps Dread Knight was simply just so dreadful of a knight that Cadence worried for Crystal's sensitivities.

"Thank you." Crystal's magic wrapped around the teacup, but it trembled with her uncertainty and clattered against the saucer. "Cadence?"

"Yes?" The word came out like a tired sigh, but Cadence kept her expression pleasant.

Crystal glanced away from her. "What did you think I was going to ask? It clearly wasn't about Dread Knight."

Cadence seemed to ease at the question, especially when she laughed behind a hoof. "Oh, well, yes, you're right, it wasn't. I assumed you were going to ask for classified information on the war and how Silent Knight in particular was faring. Which, in a way, that is what you asked, so I suppose I was both right and wrong."

"Yes, I suppose," Crystal mumbled, lifting her cup and taking a sip. The warmth soothed her throat, but was otherwise lost to the chill in her bones. She forced a smile into place. "Let's discuss happier things, such as your foal-to-be? Do you know the gender yet?"

With a sincere smile that wrinkled the corners of her eyes, Cadence put a hoof to her stomach. "Yes! Can you believe it? We're having a little colt!" She giggled and rubbed a small circle. "He kicks just like his father does in his sleep."

"I'm sure he'll be just as strong and handsome as him, too." Crystal reached across the table, and Cadence took the offered hoof. "I'm so happy for you two! Let me know when he's born so I can come meet him as soon as possible."

There was a pause before Cadence squeezed Crystal's hoof, the smile fading with a gentle melancholy. "I look forward to you having one of your own, too. You and Silent will make wonderful parents."

Though she knew it was an earnest statement meant to reassure, Crystal felt suddenly suffocated under the depth of its meaning. It assumed Silent would come home, and that if he did, he wouldn't end up like his father. That their fleeting moments of wedded bliss weren't far behind them.

"The Flower Foundation is going well," Crystal said, her hoof recoiling and her smile returning as she forced her mind away from the spiraling thoughts. "We're looking for a building to move to as our official headquarters. Canterlot isn't exactly forthcoming in opportunities, but we'll find one."

Cadence eyed her with a sympathetic look before she relaxed into a nod. "I've heard very good things about the work your foundation is doing. I believe there is a branch starting up here in the Empire?"

The tension dissipated at the comfortable topic and Crystal straightened up with pride swelling in her chest. "Yes! There is. One of those 'friend of a friend' situations. One of my group leaders knows somepony who lives here. They're supposed to be handling all the business of permits, which makes things so much easier for me."

"Which I'll approve when they arrive on my desk, of course." Cadence sipped her tea. "What about your writing?"

Crystal's ears gave a sheepish dip against her mane. "I've been distracted as of late. I need inspiration, and I haven't had my head in the right place to seek it. I'm sure something will come to me when I least expect it, however." She waved a hoof in a quick, dismissive gesture. "What of you? Are you still enjoying your position?"

There was a pause as Cadence's gaze wandered out the open balcony doors to the endless expanse of the Empire and beyond. The buildings that stretched out from the palace glimmered in the setting sun, but there was an intangible haze of tension that covered it all from the wrinkles that formed along Cadence's brow.

"When Shining and I first arrived, the citizens of the Empire were lost. A thousand years had passed like a dream to them. But they were so eager—so desperate to return to normalcy, that they dove headfirst into their new lives. They learned Modern Equestrian, they built Glimmer World, they did anything and everything to become accepted as a part of modern-day Equestria.

"And yet this past year, I have worked with them to bring back the days forgotten to all but them. When Equestria was not so harmonious, when war was not such a foreign concept; we look to them to teach us now as we taught them. We've forced them to remember times they would rather not, but they do so out of love for their kingdom."

Cadence's eyes closed a moment and she slowly shook her head. "It is awful, and I feel responsible. I should do more to protect them from the memories they dredge back up to train others. In a way, it's ironic, as well."

Crystal tilted her head just slightly. "Ironic?"

"Don't you think?" She faced Crystal again with a wry smile. "Crystal ponies are the most beautiful with their glimmering coats, and yet they know more of the ugly thing that is war than even the pegasus warriors of Cloudsdale."

"Oh," was all Crystal could say as she returned her gaze to the view outside and they fell into a somber silence. With a sharp intake of breath in, she said, "I can't begin to understand the weight on your shoulders as a governor, but I can at least offer an ear to listen." She tried to smile. "Two, even."

This earned a soft laugh from Cadence, who waved a hoof. "I appreciate it, but perhaps not now. I think there is enough burden on the both of us these days. I would rather speak of more pleasant topics, such as your friend, Velvet."

Crystal's heart dropped.

"She hasn't written to me in quite some time. I assume she is busy, but I hope she's well?" Cadence asked, and when Crystal hesitated to respond, her ears flicked. "Is something wrong?"

"I wish I knew," Crystal admitted with a sigh and a drop of her shoulders. "As far as I know, she's well, but we spend so little time together. I'd love to say I didn't know why, or that it was simply a natural course of things, but neither is true. I know full well and why she avoids me."

Cadence leaned in with sympathy in her eyes and voice as she asked, "Do you want to talk about it?" After a pause, she continued, "I also have two ears, after all."

She couldn't help it. Crystal laughed; it hurt, as though her throat were raw and she was trying to swallow salt. "I thought you wanted happier topics?"

"I am entitled to change my mind as I see fit." Cadence put her hooves on the table and leaned in to lock Crystal in her gaze. "What happened?"

A soft, choking sound caught in her throat as she bit back a sarcastic remark. She turned her head to look at the sky that shifted between hues of orange and purple, feeling enough peace in the natural beauty to find her voice. "She doesn't understand war, which my life is entirely engulfed by. She can't forgive Silent for leaving, and—" Her breath hitched.

Sometimes, she couldn't forgive him, either.

Shame and guilt crawled up the back of her neck and she tore away from Cadence's soft gaze. She didn't deserve that gentle sympathy; she couldn't share that awful thought aloud.

"I'm sorry," Crystal said hurriedly, rising to her hooves. "It's late. I should let you enjoy the evening with your husband." Envy bubbled up and mingled with the dark feelings she tried to suppress with a smile. "Thank you for letting me steal your time from him."

Cadence had the distinct look in her eyes to argue, but she nodded and rose to see her out. "Do you have somewhere to stay tonight? You're more than welcome to stay here."

"No, thank you." Crystal's steps were almost frantic; she was desperate to escape the weight of Cadence's kind gaze. "I already have a room booked."

"All right. Good night, Crystal," Cadence replied softly, watching her leave without another word, and Crystal was grateful for it.

Outside of the palace, the air was cool against her coat that was hot with regret. She stopped and closed her eyes to focus on nothing but breathing for a moment until it became an easy, thoughtless action again. That was when she was ready to divert attention to walking where ponies could see her, to keep a pleasant expression on her face so that nopony would stop her and ask if she was all right.

The Fluorite Ferrier Resort came into view and Crystal felt a strange sense of blissful nostalgia and bitter regret. Perhaps she should have taken Cadence's offer; perhaps this was a mistake. Her hooves kept guiding her toward the inverted gemstone-shaped building that harvested the last rays of sunlight into the rivets running down its sides.

She remembered how much awe had filled her when she and Silent had first walked into the tall, glittering lobby. It filled her with a moment of warm nostalgia and she was able to, briefly, smile with sincerity. How happy she and he had been; how many tender moments they had shared in this place. The warmth was replaced by the chill when she thought about how long ago that was.

"Hello," a soft voice greeted, and her attention was drawn to the crystal pony standing behind the counter. "Welcome to the Fluorite Ferrier Resort. Have you been here before?"

Crystal's ears perked. Was this the same mare from her last visit? She didn't recognize her, but perhaps—

The mare smiled at the stare she received. "Most ponies are struck with awe at our lobby, but you walked straight for the desk."

"Oh." Crystal bobbed her head. "Yes, once before. I've booked a room under the name Crystal Wishes."

After a pause to look through a book, the receptionist finally nodded. "Yes, here you are." She reached behind her to retrieve a key from one of the several hooks on the wall. "The Ruby Room is ready for you, Miss Wishes."

"Mrs.," Crystal whispered under her breath, then winced. The mare didn't seem to hear her, and that was probably for the better. "Thank you," she said in a more conversational tone, took the translucent ruby key in her magic, and trotted away. She just wanted to lie down, to close her eyes, and to disappear from the world for a while.

The room was small, nothing like the suite she and Silent had shared, and that was all right. It allowed her to walk to the bed without distraction, without pain. She dropped down onto the comforter that was as puffy as a cloud and sank into its embrace, her eyes closing as soon as her body relaxed.

She was so tired. Tired of climbing into a sense of normalcy only to fall back into these feelings of guilt, regret, shame, and—at times—anger. Tired of the uncertainty and the doubt. Tired of being naive and unaware.

Slowly, the world faded away, and a sense of calm started to wash over her before sleep took over.

A Price to Pay

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Rain pattered against the canopy of foliage overhead like distant drums—pa-pat, pa-pat, pa-pat. Her heart pounded along with the beat as she sought a glimpse of something other than twisted trunks of trees, tendrils of fog snaking between them.

"Silent?" she called. "Where are you?"

Every hoofstep sank into mud and had to be forcefully pulled away with an awful, wet schluk. The fog receded as she continued forward but then filled in behind her, shifting the landscape so that no matter which way she walked, nothing changed.

"Silent?"

She knew in her heart that he was there, somewhere. She just had to figure out where.

Everything looked the same whether she looked ahead or over her shoulder. Just a field of fog-wrapped trees in every direction, no shrubbery or rocky outcroppings to give her any sense of whether she was walking in circles or not. But she kept walking nonetheless. She would find him eventually. She had to.

The rain grew heavier, beating against her coat and face with a frigid ferocity, and she raised a hoof to shield her eyes when she saw it: a figure in the fog. Her heart fluttered with joy and relief.

"Silent!"

As she struggled to get closer to him, more figures came into focus, lying prone on the ground all around him. Still. Lifeless. Her blood ran cold at the sight of them. Were they—

"Do not look. Awaken."

Crystal's eyes snapped open and she gasped for air. Fleeting visions of the nightmare faded away into the darkness that consumed her. Her horn flickered, seeking out the nearby lamp and pulling the chain. The shadows fled at the oncoming light, cowering in the corners and behind the furniture.

How was it she could sleep so much and yet still feel so exhausted in the morning?

As she forced herself upright, her joints ached, her head throbbed, and her chest tightened. Where was she? Awake. In the Crystal Empire. At the Fluorite Ferrier. She whittled down until everything felt familiar again and she let out a heavy sigh. Lunch could not come sooner; so many questions bubbled up from the fading haze of sleep.

For the time being, she had to get ready for the day. She dragged herself from the bed and stumbled to the bathroom, where she paused to look at the spa-like accommodations: a bath large enough for two and an open shower large enough for three. A ghost of a smile flashed across her muzzle at the memory of her and Silent's prior stay.

They had learned the hard way that, although intimacy in a shower was depicted as hot and steamy in romance novels, water was ironically a hindrance to being wet—every pun and innuendo intended, of course. Velvet would be so proud of her.

She ached at both the memory and the thought, and forced her gaze to the mirror. How many days had she looked at her reflection and thought, 'You poor mare'? With a determined furrow of her brow, she began the process of putting on her personal armor.

Moisturizing cream softened the ragged lines under her eyes. Foundation smoothed the faded color of her pale cheeks. Eyeliner and mascara drew attention away from her tired smile. And, of course, the heart-shaped beauty mark gave her a strange feeling of strength. What pony could be sad with a heart on their face? Certainly not her.

As long as she looked well, then she was well; it was as simple as that.

With a yellow scarf tied around her neck, she trotted her way to the streets. It had been a while since she had spent time in the Crystal Empire at length, but the unfamiliarity in the air was not due to being away so long. No, the very soul of the empire itself seemed to be darkened by the war.

Cadence had told her that the crystal ponies knew more of war, and it showed in their faces. Though they still glimmered like always, it was the shadows that lurked under their eyes and at the corners of their smiles that gave it away. They hurt just like she did, but without the pretenses and falsehoods.

They knew what war meant, and what it took.

A shiver ran along her sides and she quickened her pace. Perhaps there was comfort in Canterlot's denial of reality on a day-to-day basis. The late winter's air felt all the colder when surrounded by the downtrodden frost that seemed to nip at every pony's hooves.

She made her way to a cafe near the palace where she would wait until it was time. For a moment, she had considered going to the library to research what she could, but to what end? She understood enough to know that she would find nothing in old books. Instead, she would have a cup of tea—perhaps even two—and think on her writing in the spare time she could afford.

Settled at a table by the window, she waited for her order to arrive and occupied herself with gazing outside. The Winter's Soldier came to mind, a nigh forgotten story she hadn't read in quite some time. A smile tugged at her lips. She could delve into frost ponies again. The one she had met over a year ago certainly couldn't represent every frost pony, could he?

After all, she had been told that the Crystal Empire had an entire genre of romance novels dedicated to frost pony encounters. There must have been something there for ponies to keep writing about.

Her mind drew a blank when she mulled the subject over, however. She had hardly noticed the waiter bringing her tea, having just enough sense of self to thank him as he walked away. Idly stirring the light brown liquid in its cup, she pursed her lips.

No, she needed something truly inspiring. Something that would warm her heart, not freeze it over. Not hot like Saddle Arabia, but something still exotic. Then, as she took a sip of tea, her ears perked. Once upon a time, she had wanted to write the love story of Horsey and Savoir, and Prance was certainly exotic enough compared to Canterlot.

The spark of an idea here and a thought there kept her occupied until the clock tower chimed the time: it was, finally, the eleventh bell. She dropped a few bits on the table and made her way to the palace, the peace she had found fading away with every step.

It was no surprise that when she gave her name to a guard at the palace, they nodded and took her straight to Shining Armor's office. He was prepared for her visit.

"Mrs. Wishes is here, sir," the guard said, knocking on the open door.

Shining looked up from a stack of papers on his desk and, as he rose to his hooves, closed the folder that contained them. "Thank you. Dismissed."

The guard nodded, turned sharply on his hindhoof, and walked back down the hall. Crystal, meanwhile, hovered at the door, afraid of what would happen once she entered the room.

Shining's face softened as he looked at her and gestured at the open seat across from him. "How are you doing these days?"

Crystal bit the inside of her cheek, breathed in, and took the first step into his office. It was the hardest, and she felt as though something was left behind as soon as she crossed the threshold, but she made her way to the offered seat.

"Well enough," she finally said with the faintest bob of her head. The folder sitting between them on his otherwise neat and orderly desk looked dauntingly full.

"Good. I'm glad to hear that." His gaze flickered from her to the folder, a grimace flashing across his face. "I was just reading this after-action report. Classified stuff, of course."

She shifted a little uncomfortably in her seat. "Of course."

A sigh escaped him as he took off his helmet to set it on the desk, ran a hoof through his mane, and slouched back in his seat. "You're a good mare. I've heard about all the things you've been up to." His smile returned, albeit only for a moment. "Silent was always proud of you, but I can't imagine how he must feel about you now."

"I—" Her voice hitched and she dropped her head to look at her hooves, clasped in her lap and wringing together. "I wouldn't know." She glanced back up at him. "To be honest, it's not come up in our letters, though that is partly because I don't want to tell him."

Shining made a small sound that verged on amusement but remained in the range of disbelief. "You don't want to tell him that you've started a charity foundation from the ground up?"

She shook her head. "In the middle of a war, that seems like one of the last things he needs to hear. I write to him of my love for him and support of him and leave it at that."

"You really are a good mare." He chuckled softly, then paused, eyes going wide, before he asked, "He at least knows you had a film made about your novel, though, right?"

"No. That is the last thing, in fact," Crystal admitted in a small voice, gaze falling to the folder. "I don't understand the life he is living right now, but I am hoping you can help me with that."

He followed her gaze and frowned. "We can just talk, if you'd like. That's fine with me. I'd actually prefer it, in fact."

"No," she said, shaking her head with momentary resolve, "I'm prepared for the truth. You don't need to sugarcoat things for my sake."

His eyes were just slightly narrowed from the concern that was plastered on his face. Her stomach dropped. If he had good news, then he wouldn't make such a face.

With a roll of his shoulders, he placed his hoof on the folder. "I'll get you a refreshment, then. I'll be right back." His hoof withdrew, somewhat hesitantly, and his voice grew serious. "I assume I will be the only thing to leave this office until I return."

She gave a firm nod, gaze now locked on the folder. "Yes, sir. Everything will be as you left it."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." As he walked past her, he paused to put a hoof on her shoulder. "Now, I won't be far if you find yourself in need of something while I'm gone. Just outside the door, in fact."

"I understand," she replied, her voice falling to a near whisper that was lost in the silence once the door was shut.

The folder sat in front of her, still and waiting.

Within it were so many papers. What did they say? It seemed so far away and out of reach, as if she was growing smaller. Or perhaps it was getting bigger.

Finally, her magic reached out to levitate the folder over, opening it to reveal the report on top of the stack.

From the desk of Major Silent Knight

Commanding Officer

The Black Dragoons

Her blood ran cold and the world fell away at the sight of his name so close together with the Black Dragoons, but she hurriedly read on.

In compliance with orders from your headquarters, Report After Action Against Enemy for Operation Moonless, with supporting papers, is herewith submitted for this unit.

Under orders from Brigadier Lightning Hammer, the Black Dragoons were deployed to the province of Vinber to secure a site for a permanent camp and to engage any Sudramoar forces found in the vicinity. The Dragoons crossed the border at 0830 and searched and cleared the area. The company proceeded slowly through rather heavy woods at first.

The company received ambush fire of crossbow bolts, primarily from their left flank and rear from within the woods. Major Knight ordered the dragoons to split into two groups to determine the origin of the attack. The gryphons attempted to scatter when charged, but the Black Dragoons allowed none of them to escape. The ambush was successfully routed with no serious friendly casualties.

Crystal found it difficult to keep reading. The words were so cold, so unlike the ones that spoke sweet words of love and longing in letters. Had Silent really written this? She skimmed the rest, trying to find the stallion she knew within the impassive report.

The occupation of Vinber province was untenable, and organized, large-scale resistance no longer existed. The enemy's only significant capability was their ability to organize and reinforce defensive positions South of the Dreyri River. Over the course of the next few days, the enemy took heavy losses during several ambushes by the Black Dragoons, which rapidly degraded and disorganized their forces.

The Black Dragoons systematically eliminated enemy forces unable to get back to the Dreyri River. Resistance began to crumble.

Was it possible for blood to truly chill? If it could, then hers was most certainly frozen. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to block out the endless pages of words so that they would stop resounding in her mind in Silent's voice. Sucking in a breath through her nose, she looked down once more, glancing at the end of the report.

Result of Operation:

SG killed: 13 confirmed. No prisoners.

Killed. Such an ugly, hideous word. How many of them had died at Silent's own hooves? She shuddered and flipped to the next report. A raid against a platoon of invading Sudramoar forces, and at the bottom:

SG killed: 28 confirmed. No prisoners.

Over and over it was the same thing: killed, no prisoners. On the next report, more killed, still no prisoners. Confirmed kills. Estimated kills. But no prisoners, never prisoners. No gryphons escaped the Black Dragoons.

As she continued to flip through the papers with an almost frantic pace, words of his letters started to slip into the forefront of his mind, now backed by the words before her.

I would gladly let this war pull me apart piece by piece as long as I get to return to your side.

Extensive damage sustained from use of bolt thrower against the company. 41 confirmed. No prisoners.

Know that I struggle against aggression. Believe that I will overcome it.

Two casualties within the company during the ambush. 17 confirmed, 3 additional estimated killed. No prisoners.

I will come home to you. I will do whatever is necessary to reach you.

Enemy routed and driven back for an 800 yard gain. 62 confirmed, 10 additional estimated killed. No prisoners.

The enemy has learned to fear me and I am concerned that a dark legend is being born.

Her magic flickered out and the folder nearly fell, but she gasped and caught it just before the papers scattered. The folder landed haphazardly on Shining Armor’s desk while she struggled to keep upright. Everything was spinning around her, foreign concepts invading her throbbing skull.

Killed.

Casualties.

Prisoners.

Enemies.

Silent Knight—no, Dread Knight lived in a world of all these things, day in and day out.

Just as she felt her stomach twisting up in knots and a strangled sob escaped her, the door opened and Shining Armor's voice called in, "Mrs. Wishes? Are you okay?"

Crystal hurriedly brought her hooves to her eyes to wipe away the tears that had started to form. "I'm sorry. I think—I should go."

"Wait, please." He stepped inside and shut the door behind him before walking around to look her in the eyes, his own soft and full of concern. "Mrs—Crystal." Taking one of her hooves in his own, he sat down in front of her and sighed. "I tried to talk Cady out of letting you see these, but she said you'd insist."

Crystal could only whimper a small sound of despairing amusement. Cadence was not wrong.

"I have to read reports like those every day from ponies I know, and ponies I don't. It's hard to stomach all the death that happens on both sides." He squeezed her hooves. "Try to remember that he is still Silent. Dread Knight or not, he's still your husband, and he still loves you. He didn't ask for any of this. Nopony did."

"I understand," Crystal whispered in a voice that cracked and tried to die out. She didn't understand, at least not yet. "Thank you."

When she stood up, Shining didn't stop her and just watched her leave. Uncertainty, doubt, fear, and disbelief all crashed within her, quakes that shook her to the very core. It was all she could do to keep walking, to make her way through the Empire toward the train station. She didn't know when the next train was, but she would wait for it there.

There was so much death. So many 'confirmed kills' of SG. What was SG? Her nose wrinkled. Sudramoar Gryphons? It made sense.

Oh, how woeful it was that anything about those reports made sense to her.

A shudder ran through her as the onslaught of descriptions she had just read flooded her mind. The company ambushed in the forest. Losses of his fellow soldiers under his command. Enemies routed, pushed back, eliminated.

The image of Silent standing in the fog-wrapped forest with slumped, lifeless figures all around him suddenly made sense, and something within her snapped. It was as if a gate had been forced open and everything confined within was now free.

Silent and all of the soldiers of Equestria were living in a veritable nightmare of death. Every day was a struggle to survive, to hope there would be another day. Forget the prospect of coming home—they just prayed to see the sun rise again.

Tears fell down her cheeks, but her hooves moved with more determination than before. She hadn't understood. None of them had understood. They thought they had, but war wasn't meant for ponies. There was no way for them to sit in the safety of Equestria and comprehend all the horrible things that war encompassed.

The Flower Foundation had to do more. She had to do more. If her husband and everypony else came home that day, they would be so vastly unprepared for the burdens the soldiers would bring home.

Whatever it took, Crystal would ensure they were truly ready for when that time came.

Just a Little Longer

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There was only one place on Crystal's mind once the train pulled into the Canterlot station.

Only one place where she knew she had to go, only one pony she knew she had to talk to. Her hooves carried her there as if she didn't have a choice in the matter, and there was a part of her that was reluctant about the whole thing. Their relationship was strained these days; what if showing up unannounced was no longer something she could do?

But her heart overruled her fears and kept pounding away to guide her to the condominium building. It hadn't changed since she had last seen it, the double doors inviting her in as if she still lived there. Each step up the staircase echoed against the walls and down the halls to announce her presence, though she had a feeling her arrival would still be unexpected.

Why would she be? She hadn't visited Velvet in so long. They shared passing remarks when Velvet would drop by the bakery before helping her mother in the back or heading out for deliveries. The days of giggling over nonsense, staying up all night, and sharing their deepest secrets seemed so far away.

Crystal stood outside the too-familiar door, knocked twice, and inhaled sharply through her nose. When had she stopped breathing? Probably sometime between stepping off the train and right then. Her lungs hurt, pressing against her aching ribs to suck in more air while she waited.

It took too long. Perhaps Velvet wasn't home. Crystal cursed under her breath; of course Velvet wasn't home, the mare had so many things going on lately that—

"Yeah?" came Velvet's voice as the door opened, and violet eyes widened when their gazes met. "Crystal?"

Oh.

She was home after all.

Or, rather, she was at her home. Not their home, not anymore, and certainly much less Crystal's. It was a place she hadn't lived in for over a year.

Had she ever stood there, outside, like a guest who didn't belong? For years, this apartment had been hers and Velvet's, but now she felt so strange having to knock, wait, and to ask to be let inside.

Velvet's brow started to furrow. She was no doubt confused as to why Crystal said nothing and instead merely stared like a helpless foal. Words continued to elude her as the painful distance between them became all the more evident in the way Velvet didn't embrace her straight away or even seem excited to see her.

Were they even friends anymore?

That question sent something worse than a chill through her chest, and the fear of knowing the answer scalded more than a burn.

It was all Crystal could do not to start sobbing right then and there. She threw her forelegs around Velvet's neck and squeezed her tight, babbling with little coherence, "I'm sorry—Miss—I just—please—!"

Velvet's mouth flapped open and shut a few times, the feeling of her jaw flexing against the side of Crystal's face a strange sensation. "Oh, uh, okay, okay. Shh, okay." She sat down on her haunches and put a hoof through Crystal's mane to stroke the back of her head. "What happened?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Did he—"

"No," Crystal gasped out. "No, it's not that, I just, this, I can't do this without you. I can't." A shudder ran the length of her spine. "This war is awful and terrifying, and I can't stand—I can't stand losing you more than I already have. Please, don't pull away from me anymore. Please."

"Okay, all right." Velvet nosed her cheek. "I'm here, okay? Why don't you, uh, I guess you can come inside."

Crystal opened her eyes, about to let go just long enough to walk into the apartment when she froze.

Sprawled on one of the sitting pillows with his mouth hanging open was a familiar purple-coated pegasus. He stared at her with the same disbelief before he blurted out, "I know who C.W. Step is."

Velvet pulled back from Crystal to shoot the stallion an arched-brow stare. "What?" She laughed, shaking her head. "Silv, you are weird sometimes."

"'Silv'?" Crystal glanced between them. "You know him?"

"Yeah." Velvet turned the arched brow on Crystal. "Wait, you know him, too?"

"You two know each other?" Silver Script asked, his forehooves raising in front of him. "I don't know what's going on, but I have nothing to do with this. I just live here."

Crystal's eyes went wide. "He lives with you?"

Velvet shifted with an unfamiliar uncertainty, her hoof rubbing against the opposite leg. "Uh, yeah. He's been living here a, uh, a couple weeks? Not long." Her ears went flat to the sides. "How do you know each other?"

"He's the script writer that worked with me on Desert Rose," Crystal said and jabbed a hoof at him almost accusingly. "How do you know each other?"

"It's complicated," Silver quickly said, and winced when Velvet shot him a glare.

Velvet sighed and grabbed Crystal's hoof to tug her inside, shutting the door and shuffling her way over to one of the unoccupied pillows. "Listen, Silver, Crystal and I have some talking to do."

Crystal watched as Silver gave Velvet a peculiar look, and she rolled her eyes in return.

"What? No, this isn't part of your conspiracy theory. Crystal, Horsey, and I were fillies together. It's a coincidence. Jeeze, just give us some space, okay?"

Silver's wings flicked in tight against his sides and he grumbled something Crystal couldn't quite hear that earned a raspberry from Velvet. He glanced at Crystal with an expression that seemed almost like suspicion before he walked into the second bedroom.

The bedroom Crystal used to live in.

With a quick shake of her head to chase away the thought, Crystal leaned in closer to Velvet and whispered, "What's going on here?"

"It's not really important." Velvet patted the now available pillow. "I think what's important is why you showed up on my doorstep in a panic attack."

Crystal hedged, trying to decide if she wanted to press the matter of Velvet's roommate, but sighed instead and dropped down to burrow against the plush pillow. "I'm struggling, Velvet. There is so much pain in my chest that I sometimes find I can't breathe."

Clenching her eyes shut when tears sprung into her vision she continued, "We've been drifting apart, I know. I know that happens, that that's normal. But you and I aren't normal, so—"

Velvet hummed in her throat, not a cheerful sound, but a soft, thoughtful one. "What happened?"

There was a long pause as Crystal sorted through everything she had read, and what she could safely share. With hesitant pauses to keep her words in check, she mumbled, "The war is terrible. I've been seeing so much more of it. They die. Ponies die, and gryphons die. They're all over there killing each other, every day."

Crystal began to tremble as the reports began to invade her thoughts like a creeping fog. "I have so many things in my head that don't belong there, Velvet. I need to make it better, but I can't do that, I can't right now, not when it hurts so much."

Reaching out a hoof to set it on Crystal's side, Velvet said, "Okay. All right. I don't understand, but I get it, okay? What do you want me to do?"

Crystal sniffed and rubbed at her eyes before turning her head to look at Velvet with a weak attempt at a smile. "I want you to forgive me and be my dear friend again, if that is even a possibility for us."

"Forgive you?" Velvet's nose scrunched up and she withdrew her hoof. "I can't."

Pain spread from her chest and down her limbs, but Velvet continued before her heart could break all the way.

"Oh sweet Celestia, don't make that face, I didn't mean it like that! I meant I can't forgive you, because I'm not mad at you." Velvet groaned and shook her head. "I'm never good with this stuff, okay? I'm sorry. I've just, well, I've got my own things going on."

Crystal glanced at the bedroom door that separated them from Silver Script. "That is certainly an understatement."

Velvet seemed to ignore the muttering. "But that's a lame excuse for the fact that I just don't feel like I fit in your world right now. I mean, you're off doing charity work, saving the world and stuff. You're all war this and war that, and I'm trying to let you do all that instead of distracting you with my things."

"Oh, Velvet." Crystal nibbled on her lower lip, then moved to climb onto the pillow Velvet occupied, snuggling up against her. They didn't quite fit together like they did once upon a time, but she found her place while she ignored Velvet's huffs and puffs of playful annoyance at the invasion.

"I'm not saving the world," Crystal mumbled. "I've been trying, and I've been doing a poor job of it, so please, distract me with your things. I want to know what I've been so clearly missing about your life."

A short snicker escaped Velvet and she draped her foreleg over Crystal's middle. "You sure?"

"Absolutely positive."

Breathing in and out in a sigh, Velvet shrugged. "Okay, well, I might be trying the foal thing again. I'm not ready to give up, not just yet. I don't want to say too much because it's not certain, but—something might work out. Maybe."

Crystal peered up through her bangs at Velvet's plain expression that didn't betray a single thought, then looked at the bedroom door again. She didn't want to make assumptions, but they did spring forth unbidden. Instead of voicing them, she smiled and nestled closer. "I hope it works out, I really do. You've waited for so long."

"Thanks." Velvet hesitated before she lowered her head to rest it next to Crystal's on the pillow. "Can you, uh, I guess, tell me about the war?" Her nose scrunched up. "Not, like, everything. I just want to understand a bit better what you're going through."

"Maybe another time," Crystal mumbled, closing her eyes. "For now, I would very much like to know how your parents and brother are doing."

She could always count on the mention of Red to bring a spark of joy to Velvet's voice. "Oh, Red's great! Total and complete Daddy's colt now, poor Mom. Follows him everywhere and helps him with the baking. It's so cute, Dad even got him a little apron. Not like the one I got you way back when, but a real one."

A bit of heat burst across Crystal's cheeks as she recalled the frilly piece of clothing that could hardly be considered an apron, given that it would have protected so little of her coat from flour or icing. She could still remember how Velvet cackled when Crystal turned just as red as the hearts decorating the skirt of it.

"The bakery is doing well, as always," Velvet continued. "But I guess you know that. You spend more time there than I do these days. Oh! But did you know Mom's got a new hobby?" When Crystal shook her head, Velvet grinned. "She goes jogging with some other moms. They take the path down the mountain, have a little picnic, talk about life, and hop the train back up. She seems to really enjoy it."

Crystal tried to imagine Sunbeam out in the wilderness, her bright yellow curls mangled with twigs and leaves. A soft laugh escaped her and she inclined her head to smile up at Velvet. "I wondered where she's been lately. Good for her."

"Yeah." There was a pause before Velvet nosed Crystal's cheek. "So, are you just going to mope in my living room, or do you want to go out?"

Crystal blinked. "Out? Where?"

"Drinking, clubbing, dancing? I don't know, something fun? I can't really stand just sitting here." Velvet carefully rose to her hooves. "We can pick up Golden and really go wild. She gets me into the best places!"

Wild. Crystal's mouth went dry at the thought of shirking every responsibility she had to go 'wild'. Her throat closed up at the very notion of having fun to that degree while Silent—

Ambush. Confirmed kills. No prisoners.

In a sudden flash of a cold sweat, Crystal jolted upright and walked with unsteady knees to the door. "Could we drink first, then go wild?"

Velvet was at her side, watching her with keen eyes that saw too much. "Yeah." She gave an uncertain smile and bumped their shoulders together. "That's usually how it goes, after all. Oh!" She stopped just before shutting the front door to call, "Hey! Silv! I'm heading out! Bye!"

It took everything Crystal had to shift her thoughts from the darkness seeping into her mind to instead ask once they were walking down the hall, "Are you going to tell me the 'complicated' situation with Silver Script?"

"Sure, fine, okay." Velvet shot her a weak grin. "He got broken up with and escaped to Canterlot. He needed a place to stay, and I had a spare bedroom."

Crystal lowered her voice. "And he is going to help you with the foal situation?"

There was a suspicious flick of Velvet's right ear, but she offered a casual shrug. "Maybe. I'm not sure yet. I've still got a lot of details to work out, like how if I do become a mom, I'll have to quit ballet."

To say Crystal gasped would be putting it lightly. She came to a halt, stood up straight, and gave an exceptionally un-ladylike squawk. "What?!"

"What, what?" Velvet stopped to look back at her, glancing around at the ponies that stared at them. "I swear we've talked about this before. Of course I'll have to quit ballet. I can't be gone all day or going on tours or whatever if I'm a mom."

"But—Velvet!" Crystal rushed forward and grabbed one of Velvet's hooves. She gave it a tight squeeze. "You love dancing! You love ballet! What about your cutie mark? How can you just walk away from your passion, your destiny?"

Velvet tugged the hoof out of Crystal's grip, then used it to gesture at the outline of a pink heart beset by a quill that was Crystal's own cutie mark. "What about yours, huh? What does a charity have to do with writing?! I was thinking of quitting to become a ballet instructor, so I'm at least going to stay in my field! What are you doing with this whole Flower Foundation stuff instead of becoming Equestria's best author?!"

That stunned Crystal into silence, lips parted so she could take a sharp intake of air. She stared at Velvet, whose eyes seemed to darken with a strange pain that she had never seen before. The lithe mare's chest expanded with ragged breaths and her lower lip quivered. She was trying not to cry, but why?

"Velvet?" Crystal asked, a small hitch in her voice.

With a low growl, Velvet jerked her head to the side and spat, "I hate watching you turn into this totally different pony because of Silent. He left, and now you have to do all this stuff, this charity stuff, and this support group stuff." She took a step away from Crystal, practically snarling. "I was really happy when the film thing happened! Because I thought maybe you'd go back to writing and being happy, but instead you're showing up crying and talking about how you're filled with pain."

This was not what Crystal had expected when she wanted to see Velvet. These were not the words she had hoped to hear.

"I thought I could do this, just smile and act okay and go out and have fun, but I can't, okay? How am I supposed to be your happy, drinking, clubbing friend when I hate everything you're doing?!"

They stared at one another, Crystal feeling on the verge of tears, and Velvet looking no better off. The air was thick with tension that sparked with pain and uncertainty. A year's worth of not speaking—not really speaking—had culminated in this moment, and she felt the weight of guilt trying to crush her into the cobblestone.

So, she did the only thing that made sense. She pulled Velvet into her embrace and held her close, putting as much strength as she could into how tightly she held Velvet to envelope her in apologetic love. Ponies were staring even more now, but she didn't care, especially not when Velvet started to sob against her.

"I'm sorry," Crystal whispered. "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, Velvet."

Velvet didn't respond with words. She didn't return the hug, either, but she did cry, openly and freely. It was so unlike her that it spoke volumes in her stead, and all the while Crystal continued to mumble apologies over and over.

They remained that way for quite a while until Velvet settled down, or ran out of tears—or both. She kept her face hidden in Crystal's mane and finally returned the tight hug with a weak one. "I'm sorry, too. Ugh. I've just been bottling that up for so long that it came out ugly and wrong. That's not really what I wanted to say at all."

Crystal seemed stuck on repeat. "I'm sorry."

"Well, I mean, it was what I wanted to say, just not how I wanted to say it. I just, I can't stand it. You're supposed to be living happily ever after." Velvet snorted as she tried to breathe in. "This isn't the foal's tale ending I thought you'd have."

"No, it's not, is it?" Crystal's lips twitched into a brief smile. "I'm afraid I'm still under the wicked witch's spell. But my prince will endure his trials and come home to break the curse."

There was a long pause before Velvet started to snicker, prompting Crystal into soft laughter of her own. It hurt to laugh, but in a strange way, it was a good kind of hurt. The way a wound might ache as it was healing, or how stretching a muscle stung a bit until it eased into the motion.

Velvet finally pulled back, grinning, and glanced around while she wiped at her eyes. "We must look as dumb as we sound right now."

"Oh, who cares? I would rather this than you continue to bottle up your feelings." Crystal nosed her cheek, then stood up and gave a small smile. "Is there anything else you want to talk about? I'm listening."

"Nah, not really." As they started walking again, Velvet had that familiar prance in her step that Crystal hadn't noticed was missing. She was happy to see it again. "I mean, this is a good start, right? You know I hate talking about feelings. Can we just agree that we hate your life and drink the rest away for now?"

While Crystal wouldn't say she hated her life, she most certainly wasn't going to ruin the moment by correcting Velvet. Instead, they trotted side-by-side, spirits renewed.

"I just hope Golden doesn't have plans already," Velvet said with a roll of her eyes. "She's been spending time with her new stallion. I think this one might actually stick around. It's kinda weird, I never pictured her as the sort of pony to settle down, you know? I thought she was more like me."

Crystal chanced a grin. "I don't think anypony is like you."

Velvet puffed out her chest and added an exaggerated swagger to her gait. "Yeah, that's true, isn't it?"

The grin softened into a smile as the two of them broke into snickers and giggles. It was just like old times, and that gave her hope. She and Velvet could be friends again. Not everything was lost to the war. Piece by piece, she would pull her life back together, stronger than before.

You're Not Alone

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As the fog of sleep lifted, Crystal realized her side hurt. When she tried to lift her head to look at the offending ache, however, the world spun and the throbbing in her brain became evident. A groan rumbled in her dry, scratchy throat and she struggled to get her hoof aligned with her forehead to rub it.

Flashes of the night's events filled the dark space behind her eyelids. Velvet ordering shots after shots, Golden dancing on a table for bits, and Crystal—"Oh, sweet Celestia," she murmured with horrified realization.

Crystal had been the one who had been tossing bits at Golden's hooves in between downing the little glasses of burning alcohol. Which was a literal adjective in one case, where the alcohol had actually been set on fire.

She wasn't sure if she was going to be sick or bust out laughing, so she reached out a hoof to push herself up from the floor only to discover there was nothing there. Her eyes snapped open and though she was in the apartment she shared with Winterspear, there was something wrong: she was on top of the bookshelf.

The yelp of surprise she gave was like a hammer to the skull, and Velvet's voice from down below seemed to feel the same.

"If you make that sound again," Velvet practically growled, "I will end you."

Crystal glanced down to see that Velvet was strewn half on the couch and half on the floor. Her head lolled to the side and her swollen, dark eyelids narrowed to a seething glare.

"I think we drank too much," Crystal whispered.

A chuckle came from the dining table. "You think so?"

With painstaking care, Crystal angled herself from atop the bookshelf to look over and spotted Winterspear sitting down, a mug of coffee held between her forehooves. She grinned and leaned back to nestle into her fuzzy blue robe.

"You three came in laughing like loons," Winterspear continued, pausing to sip from her mug. "Ate darn near everything in the house before declaring yourselves victorious. Scared Iridescence and me half to death when we heard Crystal fall on her first attempt up there." She gestured at Crystal's roost with one hoof.

Crystal groaned. She shifted and tried to reach a foreleg down to brace herself on a shelf, but her limbs felt heavy and unwieldy. So, instead, she dangled. "Wait, first attempt?" That explained how sore she was. "How many times did it take?"

"Three," Winterspear said in a tone that barely concealed her amusement.

Velvet snickered and groaned as her own noise vibrated her headache back to throbbing life. "Celestia's sake, Crystal, you're the worst drunk."

Crystal opened her mouth to snap a reply, but a muffled sound from behind the couch drew their attention away.

Winterspear cleared her throat. "Oh, and Golden is lodged behind the couch."

"Seriously?" Velvet was up on her hooves without so much as a groan or a stumble; surprise was a fairly good sobering agent. "Oh my gosh!"

Crystal looked over to see a plump golden rump wiggling in the air, two long legs kicking uselessly just a hoof's length off the ground.

"I'm stuck!" Golden called, her voice muffled by the furniture that trapped her against the wall.

Velvet snorted and sat down, her head tilted for a better view. "Yeah, you are."

There was a sound between an indignant huff and a petulant whine before Golden asked, "Are you going to help me?"

"I am helping." Velvet gave a wicked grin. "I'm supervising."

The dining chair squeaked against the floor as Winterspear stood up and walked over to the bookshelf. Her wings flapped to steady herself on two legs so she could grab Crystal around her middle, gingerly bringing her down to the floor. "There, now, while Velvet supervises Golden, we need to get some breakfast and coffee into you."

Crystal shook her head to clear the dizziness from how the room spun. She tested her hooves and found them to be unsuitable; they wobbled far too much to walk, so she plopped down right where she was. "Why?"

When Winterpsear didn't answer right away, Crystal's heart pounded through the haze of hangover. Silent.

"What happened?" Crystal asked, forcing herself to her hooves. Just as surprise and mischief worked for Velvet, the thought of Silent could pull Crystal out of anything. "Winter?"

She watched as Winterspear's wings tightened in to her sides before the mare turned to face her. "A letter arrived by courier this morning."

Crystal blinked a few rapid times. "A letter! That's good news, isn't it?"

"Is it?" Winterspear asked in a soft voice. "You tell me."

There was a long moment of relative silence that was otherwise filled with the sound of Golden's futile efforts to free herself. Crystal felt a chill seize her muscles when the slots clicked into place.

"Oh," she breathed. "No. I mean, yes! Yes, of course it's good news." Her gaze fell to the lone letter resting on the dining table. "It means that a part of him is still Silent Knight."

Winterspear strode forward and gripped the underside of Crystal's muzzle in one hoof. Their eyes met, determination boring into sudden uncertainty. "This is why I didn't want you to know. Listen to me, okay? When Dad came back from the war, he didn't just change on his own. He had to change because nopony could understand what he had done. What he lived through."

Crystal swallowed, unable to look away. "I—"

"All of him is Silent Knight," Winterspear continued in a voice that was somehow both stern and desperate. "You can't blame Dread Knight, because that means you're rejecting what Silent's doing over there to survive. You can't reject him. I don't want him to end up like Stratus—please."

The hoof gripping her started to tremble the longer Crystal didn't respond, so she raised one of her own to set over it and squeezed.

"I'm sorry, of course." Crystal offered a soft smile. "It's hard to imagine they're the same pony, but I'll try. It might take some time to adjust, but when he comes home, I'll be ready."

Winterspear's ears drooped and her gaze darted away. "When he comes home," she repeated, defeat seeping into her voice.

"Winter?" Crystal tilted her head to the side to try to make eye contact. "He will come home. He will. He has to."

"I know. I know he will. It's not that." Winterspear withdrew her hoof with a heavy sigh. "I just—it's going to sound so awful and petty, but I don't know how much longer I can wait."

Crystal's brow furrowed. "Wait?"

With the shy voice of a schoolfilly, Winterspear mumbled, "I'm ready to be married to Iridescence now. I want Silent to be there, but there's no telling how long this war is going to last. His letter to me didn't sound very hopeful." She ran a hoof over her face and groaned. "How long do I put my life on hold?"

On hold. Crystal bit her tongue; how long, indeed? Her head ached from all the thinking she was forcing through it, and she settled onto the nearby dining chair with a sigh. "Do you want my opinion?"

Winterspear just nodded, apprehension flashing across her expression.

"My friend, Horsey, was so eager to get married that she was terrified of a wedding. She found a perfect compromise: she got married in private at the courthouse and then later had the wedding." Crystal smiled up at Winterspear. "Get married to Iridescence. Silent wouldn't want you to wait. Then, when he gets back, we can have the wedding."

Velvet chimed in, "Besides, you two are basically married anyway." At some point, she had given in to help Golden—who was busy checking herself over for potential injury—and was now moving to sit beside Crystal. "As much as I hate him, I know Silent wouldn't want this for you."

Crystal winced and glanced over to see Velvet not looking back at her. Though they had been able to build a bridge with a night of alcohol and partying, the chasm still existed.

"You really think so?" Winterspear asked with a small but growing smile. "You wouldn't hate me for getting married without Silent here?"

"Absolutely not." Crystal returned the smile with twice the bright sincerity. "I could never hate you, and certainly not over chasing your happiness. I would, however, like to be at the courthouse with you."

Velvet shot up a hoof. "Me, too!"

From her spot on the couch, Golden sniffed loudly. "I see nopony is asking for my opinion on the matter."

Winterspear looked over at her with a grin that was lopsided with surprise. "I, uh, I'm sorry, I just—" She shrugged. "I didn't think this was the sort of thing a pony like you would care about." Her eyes went wide. "By that, I mean, a famous pony! A model! You know, insignificant lives of insignificant ponies?"

Waving a dismissive hoof, Golden tipped her nose into the air. "While I appreciate the adulation, I spent the night passed out behind your couch. The least I could do is offer my opinion on the matter." She folded her hooves neatly in her lap and looked across the room at them. "This war is an ugly and hideous thing. If you can manage to find something beautiful in the middle of it, then you should do everything you can to hold onto it." Her lips quirked into a smile. "Marry that mare, already."

The grin on Winterspear's muzzle blossomed into a full-blown smile. "Yeah." Her wings quivered and she started to trot for the bedroom. "Yeah, I will. I'll go, right now. I'm going to talk to her. Thanks, girls."

Velvet snickered while Crystal just smiled, then their attention shifted to the envelope sitting on the table. It illuminated in pink magic and levitated to Crystal's eye level, the letter slipping out from inside and unfolding in the air.

Celestial Wife Mine

We have arrived once more at Dreyri River and I am frightened. The core of my being insists that I turn north and fly away from this madness. We lost more ponies here than we did with the Harmony.

It was our greatest defeat. Our time to stand proudly against the aggressors and they swept us aside as if we were nothing. They used those awful weapons that they had before… well… they don't have them anymore. That well has gone dry.

I fear losing myself again. I can still hear the screams of the dying and feel the burning in my breast and shoulder. Our leaders call it the small victory in our defeat but I call it surrendering who I want to be. I'm not sure how much longer I can play this horrible role. I've grown sick of killing and yet I know I will kill many, many more.

Dread Knight. That was the horrible role—it had to be. Had she not known about the truth, perhaps she wouldn't have paid much mind to the idea of what killing actually meant, too relieved to receive word from him. But she did, and now the notion twisted her stomach into knots.

I'll kill them all though if that is what it takes to come home to you. That is what I swore before and what I will swear again. I will come home, Crystal. I don't know when but I will. I just hope that when I get to the other side of this river of blood you'll still know me and love me.

Her hooves trembled and she clasped them together to keep Velvet and Golden from noticing. All she could imagine was the stallion she loved with his white coat stained red. The after-action reports bubbled to the surface of her mind: confirmed kills, no prisoners.

Your presence is sorely missed. Your scent, warmth, and soft touch seem like the finest reward a pony could ever receive but not deserve for this business.

Tomorrow it is likely I will march to battle as I can't imagine we'll linger here long and allow the enemy to prepare. Think of me and look to the stars.

I won't say goodbye. I shall simply say see you on the other side.

Silent Knight

The feeling of bile crawling up the back of her throat was eased by his final words. Killing, death, blood—stars. Their love in the stars would always be there, bright and constant in the darkness. A smile started to cross her lips as peace settled in the storm of her mind.

He was still her husband, and she still loved him. It was the war that surrounded him in such horrible things, and while he had volunteered to go, he hadn't volunteered for this. This was not his choice. The only choice he had was to survive so he could come home, and that was what he would do.

And when he did, she would be waiting for him, hooves open wide. She would be ready to help wash the blood away.

"So, given that none of you have valets," Golden said into the silence, "which of you is going to prepare breakfast?"

Velvet snorted. "With that attitude? You."

Golden's ears perked upright. "I don't cook."

"Now's as good a time as any to st—"

They all jolted in surprise at a rapid knocking on the front door. "Crystal!" a familiar stallion's voice called. "Sorry to bother, but it's important!"

Velvet grinned, giving a small wiggle of her ears. "What's this? Crystal has a secret suitor?"

"Oh, please." Crystal flicked her tail in Velvet's direction as she walked across the room. "It's my agent." As she opened the door, the sudden light from outside felt like a blow to inside of her skull. In what she hoped was a voice that didn't bely the remembrance of a hangover, she greeted, "Sunset!"

Sunset Coffee looked no more or less disheveled than he usually did, but it seemed exaggerated as he ran a hoof through his mane. "You're going to be upset. Please don't be upset?"

Crystal blinked a few times. "Why don't you come in first?"

"Right, yes, that's proper, isn't it?" He brushed past her with a nervous hitch in his step. "Hello, hello." He nodded toward Velvet and Golden before whirling to face Crystal. "Reindom House wants a sequel."

"A sequel?" Crystal tilted her head.

"Yes." His lips pursed into a light frown. "A sequel to Desert Rose. They're offering to advance you five thousand bits if you agree."

With a small gasp of surprise, Crystal looked over at Velvet before returning her attention to Sunset. "That sounds wonderful! Why would I be upset?"

Sunset ducked his head. "Because they're very much set on the sequel centering on Fatinah finding love. It is, despite my urging otherwise, non-negotiable."

"Excuse me?" Crystal tried to keep herself from sounding as if she had just been slapped. "But—What! That defeats the entire purpose of the story!"

"I know. I know, and I tried to tell them that." Sunset sighed. "But they say it's what the market wants."

Crystal's ears flattened against her mane as she growled out, "Well, the market can shove it right up their—"

"Just write it," Velvet cut in, facing away from them. Her voice, however, told Crystal everything she needed to know what sort of face she was making. "It's what they want, like I told you from the beginning."

"No." Crystal stomped a hoof. "To Tartarus with the market and what they want! I am working on a different story, anyway."

Velvet glared over her shoulder, anger in her eyes. "Don't be a stubborn—"

Sunset cleared his throat. "Unfortunately, Crystal, Reindom has the power here. They will refuse anything except what they want. Desert Rose is hot, and they've set their mind to a sequel."

"But why does it have to be that kind of sequel?" Crystal shook her head, starting to pace back and forth. "I won't do it. Power or no, I can't write something I don't have an interest in."

"I know. And that's why I have a proposal." Sunset gestured at the couch, where Crystal reluctantly took a seat. "I've worked at Mares Monthly longer than any job I've had before. I don't normally stay at a place long because, well." He laughed, settling down on the couch beside her. "I just have so many ideas of things I want to do that I rarely sit still."

"But you like working with Crystal," Golden supplied, her brow arched.

Sunset looked over at her with a mix of surprise and amazement. "Yes! Exactly! How did you know?"

Golden rolled her eyes and leaned back like a petulant foal. "Because she has that unfortunate effect on me." A shadow of a smile crossed her lips before she smothered it.

"I see." Sunset chuckled and returned his attention to Crystal. "Well, the point is, I have an idea. I've had it for a while. I just don't have the resources to make it happen on my own."

Crystal tilted her head. "What is that?"

Sunset's eyes glossed over with a distant, wistful glaze. "My own publishing company. One that doesn't stoop to the dirty tactics I see in Reindom House and Mares Monthly, that isn't stuck under the hoof of Eminence like every other company in Manehattan. 'Pure Leaf Press', eh? Named for my Bouquet."

Warmth spread through Crystal's chest and she found herself giggling. "I can hardly ignore my favorite agent and his dream when he has presented it with such a romantic notion, now, can I?" She took his hoof in hers. "I presume by resources, you mean bits."

"And lots of it," Sunset muttered, his happy fugue fading away. "More than I know you can afford on your own. The equipment alone, plus advertising and, oh, the licensing fees!" His shoulders slumped. "It's why it's always just been a dream."

Golden huffed lightly, examining her hoof with a nonchalant expression. "I am not without financial means, you know."

"No," Crystal said, rising to her hooves. "I don't remember much of last night, but I do remember that part."

Golden's ear flicked. Tension rippled across her face. "And what is that?"

There was a long pause as Crystal swirled the words in her mind first, testing them out before she spoke them aloud. "You told Velvet and me about your struggle to find work without your father's influence."

Embarrassment turned the tips of those golden ears red. "That doesn't mean I'm destitute."

Crystal shook her head and started toward the door. "I have my own means, though I appreciate the offer." She flashed a smile at Sunset over her shoulder. "I promise that we'll make Pure Leaf Press a reality. Give me an hour, two at the most!"

"Oh, okay, we'll just entertain your agent in the meantime!" Velvet rolled her eyes, but waved a hoof nonetheless. "Have fun storming the bank!"

Crystal gave an inward sigh as she stepped outside. To herself, she muttered, "I don't think he'd like being called a bank."

She had to keep herself busy. Writing wasn't enough, and the Flower Foundation was too close to the war to be a distraction. She loved the work, of course, but this would be perfect. This would be something else entirely.

A publishing company. She couldn't help giggling at the thought. If she could make this work, then she and Sunset could realize the dreams of so many authors struggling to get their work into print.

It was a noble endeavor, but expensive, too. Without even knowing everything involved, she knew she would need help. Her hooves moved into a brisk trot to carry her faster with an excited gait.

The tall building that was her destination finally came into view as she rounded a corner: the headquarters of Jet Ventures. It had been a while since she had dropped by. The image of the battle-eager airships was still too fresh in her mind to consider visiting its birthplace before now.

"Hello, Mrs. Wishes," the receptionist chirped when Crystal walked through the front doors. "Who are you here to see? Mr. Ship is in his office, and Mr. Set is currently in a meeting."

Crystal bobbed her head in a polite greeting as she kept walking. "Mr. Ship, thank you."

The receptionist smiled. "You know the way! Have a great day!"

As Crystal moved, a pony would jump up to get a door for her, offer a cordial hello, or thank her for her Foundation work. Was this what being a celebrity felt like? She tried not to smile too much at the attention she received as she walked the gauntlet of desks until she reached Jet Ship's large, imposing office.

Her grandfather was behind his desk, poring over all sorts of documents. "Yes?" he asked without glancing up. "What is it?"

"Hi, Grandfather."

His ears perked and his head snapped up, orange eyes focused on her while a smile wrinkled their corners. "Crystal, what a surprise! So sorry. Come on in, sit down. What can I do for you, sweetheart?"

Crystal returned the smile as she settled down in the seat across from him. "I won't take up too much of your time, I hope." She folded her hooves in her lap and sat up with as much confidence as she could muster. "The Flower Foundation has been very successful. The charity drives continue to bring in more than we're currently spending."

Jet Ship nodded, mirroring her posture. So it was to be a power play. "Agreed. You should be able to afford a new location without even touching the reserve funds from my initial investment."

"Yes." She smoothed the hairs of her coat idly to look disinterested in the conversation. "So, on that note, I would like to discuss another venture."

His ears perked before folding back. "Another venture? Of what nature? Another charity?"

"No, Grandfather, not a charity. A pony I know is looking to start a publishing business. Obviously, as a writer, this is something that professionally interests me." She sucked in a breath, hesitating a beat too long and inwardly cursing herself for it. "I have my own funds to invest, particularly with how well the Desert Rose film has done, but I need more."

"More," Jet Ship repeated, moving his folded hooves to rest on his desk as he leaned in. "And how competent is this 'pony you know'? How much experience do they have? What is the market like for new publishing companies? Have you done any business analysis at all?"

Crystal's ear twitched despite her willing everything to remain stoic. "I trust this pony."

"Trust! You trust them? Oh, well, if I simply gave money to every pony I trusted, I would be bankrupt." He snorted and shook his head. "Come back to me with a proper proposal and I'll consider it."

"Why?" Crystal spat out before she could stop herself, froze, and then gave in entirely. "Grandfather, you're beyond rich! You would hardly notice the loss if this completely failed. Haven't I proven to you with the Foundation that I can do this?"

Jet Ship narrowed his eyes and set his jaw. "A war-focused charity during war is entirely different from a publishing company. The need for the charity was obvious. You have to be responsible with your investments, dear. You don't stay 'beyond rich' by tossing a few bits here and a few bits there until it's all gone."

"But—" Crystal tried not to sound as frustrated as she felt. "The risk to you is so little. I'll take on as much of the risk as I can and put all of my royalties toward it, and—"

"See? All of your royalties! What nonsense!" One hoof raised to rub his temple. "I'm sorry, but I need you to understand good business sense before you take over."

That stopped Crystal's mind in its tracks. "Take over?"

There was a long pause before Jet Ship released a heavy sigh and settled back into his seat, looking suddenly tired. "I'm not a young stallion anymore, Crystal. I'm not as sharp as I once was. Running Jet Ventures requires more than I've got to give these days."

He looked up at her with a sad smile. "This has been a family business since it started, and you're the sole heiress. Unfortunately, it will fall on your shoulders soon. Your father was groomed for it starting when he was a foal before he walked away from the responsibility. I don't have as much time with you."

Crystal's mouth flapped open and closed a few times as she sputtered through attempted responses. What could she say? What should she say?

"Don't be ridiculous," her father's voice came from behind her, and the both of them jolted before looking at him. "She's not a Jet." A crooked smile was on Jet Set's muzzle.

Jet Ship's expression darkened. "She's the only option I have."

Raising a hoof to his chest, Jet Set gave a look of mock offense. "I can't believe you wouldn't even ask me first."

The dark shadows in Jet Ship's face faded with surprise. "You mean—"

"Of course." Jet Set cocked his head. "I assumed that was a given when I came back to work here."

Jet Ship rose to his hooves and walked around the desk to approach his son. "I assumed it was still off the table," he murmured as if speaking to a dream. "You'll really take it over?"

"Of course," Jet Set repeated, bowing his head. "It would be my pleasure."

With a deep laugh, Jet Ship hooked a foreleg around his son's neck and pulled him in for a half-embrace. "Splendid! Then all of this was for naught!" He looked at Crystal with a broad grin. "Dear, of course you can have this little publishing company of yours."

Crystal sputtered again. "I—Really? Just like that?"

He nodded with enthusiasm. "What use is having all these bits if I can't spend them on my only granddaughter?"

Crystal's gaze flickered between him and her father, who simply winked at her. Hope started to flutter in her chest. "Does this mean I don't have to fill out anymore forms?"

"Of course!" Jet Ship chuckled. "I only wanted you to be conscious of every bit you spent. Now that Jet Ventures will be in your father's hooves, I have no agenda. You just tell me how much you need, and it's yours."

"I, um, thank you, Grandfather." Crystal felt a smile growing on her face. "I'll still use my own bits for as much of this as I can, because it wouldn't feel right if I didn't. But thank you."

Shrugging, Jet Ship returned his attention to Jet Set. "So, my boy, when will you be ready?"

"I hadn't really thought much about it, but..."

While the two of them carried on, Crystal sneaked out of the office—after taking a butterscotch from the dish on the desk, of course. It was a lot to take in: one moment she was burdened with the responsibility of a company she didn't want, and the next she had her grandfather's entire funds at her disposal.

Perhaps the sudden shift would feel right once she told Sunset and they could dive into planning the next steps. At the very least, sucking on the candy helped everything seem better. That and the knowledge she'd never have to fill out one of those ridiculously long forms again.

Build Strong the Beams

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"Darling, you know I support you," Upper Crust said with strain clear in her voice.

Crystal gave a small, indistinct sound of acknowledgement, her focus instead on the paintbrush gripped by her magic.

"But do you have to paint it orange?" Upper Crust looked up at the building that was to be the Flower Foundation's new headquarters, currently under the renovative efforts of the entire staff. "Why not something more like a regal purple?"

"Oh!" squealed a voice from above. They looked up to see Dream Pop loosening the ropes of her harness's pulley system so she could dangle just above them. "I can answer that!"

Upper Crust sniffed derisively when a drop of paint from Dream Pop's brush landed right by her. "Excuse me?"

Crystal just smiled and continued her work while Dream Pop launched into the same animated explanation she'd already heard before.

"You see, orange is the perfect color! It symbolizes excitement and enthusiasm, and draws attention even from far away!" Dream Pop swung her hindlegs and started to turn in a half-circle while she dangled nearby. "It's the color of the sunrise and the sunset, which says, everything will be super okay: this bad day is over and a new, better one is on the way. It also stands out in Canterlot." She came to a stop to flash a bright grin at them. "And it's my favorite color!"

Inclining her head, Crystal offered her mother a coquettish little smile. "It's her favorite color, Mom."

Though Upper Crust rolled her eyes, the corners of her lips twitched upward. "I'm just trying to think of your grandfather's investment. While he has been unrelentingly generous as of late, I would hope that you would at least return his gratitude by taking care of where his money goes."

"And I am." Crystal waggled the paintbrush with feigned carelessness as it sent a few drops flying. "I know what I'm doing, because I've surrounded myself with very capable ponies."

From above, Dream Pop squealed as she swung through the air to paint the highest boards.

Upper Crust relented with a sigh and a shake of her head. "I just wish you hadn't picked orange."

"Your complaint is noted and will be filed with the appropriate authority," Crystal said, unable to keep the giggle out of her voice.

Things were going so well. Sunset Coffee was off in Manehattan starting up the Pure Leaf Press; the Flower Foundation had its new headquarters; and she was getting along with her mother. It was almost wrong to feel as happy as she did, because in the back of her mind lingered the dark tendrils of war.

A major battle had taken place. Silent's letter had told her that much, and now the news was filtering back home, detailing the fallout. They had stormed Dreyri River and delivered a serious blow to the Sudramoar forces there. A cold chill ran up her spine as she recalled the morning's headline: Marshall Varmond's Forces Routed at Dreyri River.

The news loved to take any and every victory to make the war sound like it would be won at any moment, and the Black Dragoons had delivered. Dread Knight always led them through enemy forces, and she couldn't bear to imagine the after-action report for this engagement.

"There," Crystal said under her breath as she finished the last stroke of the boards in her section. She took a step and looked around, smiling as she saw every inch of the building covered in orange, save for the white trim.

"Okay, everypony! Looks like it's time to toast!" Verdant Wellspring called, his voice drowned out by immediate cheers at the sight of him. On his back, he carried several trays piled high with glasses of champagne.

Once each glass had been doled out, all eyes turned on Crystal. The paint had been the last task: the building was finally ready. She cleared her throat and stood tall to address the crowd of staff and volunteers.

"I want to thank you all for taking the time to help with the remodeling of our new home. All of your love clearly shows within these four walls, and I know every pony that comes in search of aid will feel that love when they see the Flower Foundation. We are doing a wonderful thing here that couldn't be done without all of you.

"The timing could not be more unfortunately perfect. I have no doubt that all of us have read the papers. There is going to be one of the largest waves of injured veterans we have yet to see returning to Equestria after the recent battle at Dreyri River. Once they have healed enough to make the journey home, they will need our care and support."

Crystal's eyes sought Verdant's among the crowd of solemn faces. "Are the Carnations prepared for what's about to come?"

Verdant gave a curt nod. "Yes. We have the best doctors in Equestria—"

"Whoo!" Dream Pop cheered, earning a chorus of chuckles and stomps of agreement from the other Carnation volunteers.

"—and they're ready to heal the wounds in their souls and set them up with the right physical therapists. I have brochures printed and I'll have some of our volunteers at the Docks District to greet them as soon as we're allowed."

Coordination with the military had been non-existent at best. They, of course, wanted their hooves on their returning soldiers first and to keep them within their own system. Once they stepped onto the streets after they had been released from the official return procedure, however, the Flower Foundation was there.

"Thank you." Crystal turned her attention to Upper Crust. "And the Red Poppies?"

"Of course, darling," Upper Crust said with a soft, prideful purr. "My team has already begun making contact with those who know that their loved ones were going to be at Dreyri River. We are always a step ahead."

"You bet we are!" Dream Pop cheered, now among the group of Red Poppies. She was a pony of many talents, after all.

Crystal tried not to smile too much as she looked over at Orchid Bouquet. "And what of the Forget-Me-Nots?"

Orchid Bouquet allowed a small frown. "Our greenhouse in Chicagoat suffered an infestation of parasprites that ate all of their inventory, but we—well, honestly, I should give credit where credit is due. Dream Pop not only went and helped with their infestation, but she also got us a temporary partnership with another greenhouse in the area. We should have the stock for any needs there. We are as ready as can be."

A few of the Forget-Me-Not volunteers patted Dream Pop on the back while she beamed that always bright smile of hers. A pony of many, many talents.

"Then while it pains me to be in a situation where we must be prepared, I am grateful to you all that we are. I say this not as a founder, but as a mare whose husband is overseas: thank you." She raised her glass high into the air. "Thank you for all that you've done, all that you do, and all that you will do. May this building serve as a beacon of hope for many in their time of need."

Glasses clinked, ponies cheered, and champagne was downed. It was a big step for the Foundation: a proper headquarters. The location could not have been more perfect, because if she looked out from a window on the second floor, she could see the Harmony Memorial monument reaching up into the heavens.

"Okay, everypony," Wallflower said while the glasses were collected. "We have a buffet inside as our thanks for the hard work today. Please help yourself to all the food and drink you'd like. Then it's back to work like any other day, just in a much bigger and better place."

While ponies filed inside, Crystal lingered behind at Wallflower's side. She watched the faces, most familiar and some brand new but all full of an earnest desire to do good. It warmed her heart to see them all, and—if she dared to be so bold—she was proud. Proud of them, the Foundation, and herself.

Wallflower reached out and stroked Crystal's mane, smiling. "I'll take things from here. You go on. I'd hate for you to be late."

"Late?" Crystal blinked, then jolted, her ears perking upright. "Oh! I almost forgot!" With a quick embrace, she started off in a brisk trot. "Thanks, Mom!"

Verdant was waiting for her just past the Foundation's front gate, his gaze distant, somewhere out over the horizon and beyond. When she neared, his ear twitched to greet her before he turned his head and smiled. "Ready?"

"Yes." Crystal flashed a smile in return and they walked side-by-side down the cobblestone streets. That smile fell into a somber, thin line. "I hope we don't have another loss in the group."

"We've been lucky so far in that regard." He let a slow sigh out through his clenched teeth, then shook his head. "Painted doesn't think it's looking like it'll end anytime soon, either."

Crystal could only move her lips into the shape of an 'o', at a loss for anything to say. A burning sensation started to fill her eyes and she blinked back newly forming tears to blurt out, "She could be wrong."

Verdant just chuckled.

"She could be!" Her ears flattened against her mane. "I adore her, and she's never been wrong before to my knowledge, but that—that doesn't mean she's right about this." She glanced up at him. "What exactly is she doing over there?"

There was a tense pause as the two of them kept walking in the direction of Dawn's condo, where the group was meeting that week. Finally, he replied with careful measure, "If she hasn't explained it to you, then I guess you just have to ask yourself."

Crystal gave a playful roll of her eyes. "Oh, yes, because it's not awkward enough that it took me nearly a year to write her in the first place. I'm beyond eager to add interrogation to my next letter, thank you."

A chuckle rumbled in Verdant's broad chest and he shook his head. "Suit yourself."

Their topic moved on to lighter things, such as how her writing was coming along—fine, as usual—and what he was up to in his spare time—tinkering, also as usual. It wasn't long before they were at the condominium building that had seen better days but was affordable for ponies on a lower budget.

When they reached the second floor and let themselves in like normal, Crystal spotted a form that, although familiar, didn't belong among the ponies of her support group. She felt her heart pound against her ribcage as she stepped forward. "Raven?"

The mare turned and looked up at her with tired eyes that told of countless nights of lost sleep. "Hello, Crystal."

Crystal tried to swallow, but her mouth was dry. "Why are you here? Is Moore at—"

"No, I'm sorry, it's not like that," Raven quickly interrupted with a shake of her head. "I just knew you would be here."

Her worried heart settled and confusion rose in its place. "Not that I'm not happy to see you, but why—"

And that was when she chanced a downward glance and she saw a bundle. A bundle of pink cloth, with something wriggling inside.

"I'm sorry," Raven said, her ears folding back against her mane. "I wanted you to meet her as soon as she was born, but life got away from me. My family came to town, and Celestia needed me sooner than anticipated for a sudden meeting, and—"

"It's all right," Crystal said, returning the favor of interruption. "I'll forgive you if you let me see her."

Raven relaxed into a genuine smile. "Yes, of course. Crystal, meet my daughter, Hope."

The folds of the blanket were pulled back in Raven's magic and the biggest pair of bright blue eyes blinked up at Crystal. Sitting in a sea of plush pink was a soft periwinkle filly, with a darker purple mane that was already trailing down in to-be long locks. Her little nose wriggled about before she gave the tiniest little sneeze, a spark of magic lighting the tip of her budding horn.

A chorus of 'aww's at the squeaky sound startled Crystal from the sudden appearance of ponies all around them. When had everypony gotten up to come over and look? Had she been that distracted by the cute little thing?

"Bless her heart," Dawn said, putting a hoof to her own chest. "She is just the sweetest."

Hope giggled and gurgled, her ears wiggling at the sound of Dawn's voice. Raven smiled and leaned down to nuzzle the top of the filly's head. "She has been a true ray of hope for me these past few weeks. I was supposed to have maternity leave for a couple more months, but I can't stay away when the princess needs so much. Thankfully, Hope has been there to relieve the princess's stress."

"Well, she's following in the family hoofsteps at a young age, now, isn't she?" Crystal laughed behind a hoof.

Raven's lips twitched into a grin. "She has a long way to go if she wants to usurp my position as Celestia's aide." After a bit of polite laughter from the group, she shook her head. "I don't know if she will become an aide or not. I have a feeling she's destined for something else."

Crystal held out a hoof, which Hope sniffed curiously. "I find it amazing how mothers always have a sixth sense about their foals. Horsey's pregnant with her second, and—"

Her thoughts ground to a halt. Horsey had been 'pregnant with her second' for a while. How long? Her brow started to furrow. Since the premiere of her film, and that was months ago. Several months ago.

"Crystal?" Raven prompted when the silence dragged on too long.

"I think I have to go," Crystal said as she took a step backward. "I'm sorry." Her gaze flickered between the confused and concerned faces of her support group members. "I'm sorry, but I definitely have to go."

A few voices called after her, but she was already out the door. Panic set a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her neck. Perhaps she was just bad at math. That was not out of the question. She had gotten better at it with all the forms she used to fill out, but that didn't change the fact she had always been bad with keeping track of numbers.

Her heart pounded in her ears, nearly drowning out the sound of her hooves clattering against the cobblestone as she ran. How could she have lost track of her dear friend's pregnancy?

She ignored the looks she received for all-out galloping through the streets of Canterlot in her rush to get to the ballet studio where Velvet would be with the answers. It wasn't far; her muscles were aching, but she urged them to keep going. Velvet would laugh, call her silly, and tell her there was still a month to go.

The doors gave no resistance when her magic threw them open and she skidded on the smooth floors of the studio, all eyes turning on her. She gasped for air while her eyes darted, searching, seeking—"Velvet!"

Velvet looked around as if there were another pony Crystal meant, then cleared her throat. "Uh, sorry, Raine, ma'am. Let me just." She dropped down onto all fours and started toward Crystal. "One sec."

The ballet mistress rolled her eyes and barked out an order for the other dancers to resume practice while Velvet grabbed Crystal by the hoof.

"What's wrong?" Velvet whispered, her face close to Crystal's. "What happened?"

Crystal's mouth flapped as she tried to find words to push past the panting breaths. Finally, she managed in a hoarse voice, "Horsey. Did she have her foal?"

There was a long pause, during which Velvet's expression shifted several times: confused, thoughtful, uncertain, then despair. "Oh, crabapples."

They shared a look they both understood and, without a word, broke into a run. Velvet's ballet mistress called after her, but nothing could stop them from getting to the train station in record time. They had somewhere to be.

Horsey's foal had been born, and neither of them had been there for it. Neither of them had been there for Horsey—sweet, loving Horsey who would sooner break her own heart than give somepony bad news. She sent them a card for every holiday that went by and never forgot their birthdays.

And they had forgotten her.

Velvet was faster, sprinting ahead with wild abandon and leaving Crystal behind to hope that they didn't get separated. The express train didn't pass through nearly often enough for that. Mercifully, by the time Crystal finally reached the platform, she found no train and Velvet pacing beside the tracks.

"How could I forget?" Velvet blurted out when Crystal slumped down onto the ground. "You, sure, you're like, Miss Equestria over there trying to do everything, but me? How could I forget?"

Crystal wanted to retort, but all she could do was wheeze.

One of Velvet's hooves stomped the ground as she paced. "Why didn't she let us know? I wanted to be there!"

The ache in her very bones coaxed Crystal to lie on her side, the cool wood a stark contrast to the heat radiating from her. She could almost swear that the boards vibrated with the beat of her pounding heart.

"What else have I missed?" Velvet practically growled and came to a halt to glare at the tracks, then over at Crystal. "What are you hiding from me?"

Crystal just gasped out something unintelligible, even to herself.

Velvet's expression softened and she walked over to sit beside her, putting a hoof to Crystal's forehead. "Wow, you are out of shape. Don't you run all over Canterlot saving the world?"

With a squinted glare, Crystal swatted the hoof away. "Would you—" She panted. "Would you cut that out already? I understand, you don't care much for what I'm doing with my days."

"It's not that," Velvet muttered, returning her gaze to the tracks. "You forgot my birthday."

Crystal blinked once. "I—" Twice. "Your birthday." Her brow furrowed and she looked down at the ground. "That was a few months ago, wasn't it," she mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah." Velvet's ears flattened to the sides. "Guess what you were doing instead."

A heavy sigh escaped Crystal and she shifted to sit upright, facing Velvet. "Your birthday is right after Remembrance Day, so I imagine I was doing something with the Flower Foundation."

Velvet sniffed. It wasn't a meek little sniffle, but an almost derisive sound Crystal would expect coming from her mother. "You spent my birthday gardening at that field of flowers or whatever down there." She waggled a hoof in the direction away from Canterlot, out into the rolling hills and plains of Equestria. "The big daffodil field you can see from, like, forever away."

"Velvet, I—"

"And that was after you had holed yourself up in your place for days, and went right back there afterwards. Golden told me to leave you alone, that you found out terrible things about Silent and needed time to process them." Velvet's teeth flashed, an angry, tight-clenched snarl. "So, yeah, thanks to Silent once again for ruining yet another thing in my life."

"I'm sorry!" Crystal yelled, slapping her hooves over her ears. "I'm sorry, all right? I'll say it over and over, but if you don't plan to forgive me, then I don't know what you want!"

Silence held them for a long time until the nearing whistle of the train brought them back to the present. They said nothing, simply both rising to their hooves and waiting to board. Crystal couldn't handle it for very long, however, before she bumped her shoulder to Velvet's.

"I truly am sorry," she whispered.

Velvet sighed and shook her head as she stepped onto the train, Crystal following behind. "I know you are. I'm just not done being mad yet, okay? I'll get there." She sat down and flashed a lopsided grin. "You just owe me a belated birthday cake. A big one, with lots of frosting."

Crystal sat across from her, laughing softly. "Is that after we buy Horsey a 'sorry for being terrible friends and missing the birth of your foal' cake?"

"Why not both?" Velvet looked out the window with a sigh. "She'll forgive us with a smile, you know. I bet she's not even mad."

"There's only one way to find out, I suppose." Crystal leaned back into her seat. "And we have time to figure out how we're going to make it up to her."

Over the course of the ride down the mountain, they came up with several options: a cake, of course, plus balloons, a bouquet, some gender-neutral foal gifts, and something for Claire so the filly wouldn't feel left out. That would surely say that they were sorry, even if Horsey would insist it wasn't necessary. It most certainly was.

When they arrived in Ponyville, their first stop was to secure the cake first and foremost. Crystal vaguely recognized the incoherently babbling pink mare behind the counter who was more than happy to write a custom message for them, even throwing in pink and blue sprinkles for free. Then it was off to the general store, where they hoped to find the rest of the items on their list.

"What do you think of this one?" Velvet asked, holding up a yellow blanket.

Crystal's nose wiggled in thought. "Well, it is certainly happy. Happy is gender-neutral, right?"

With a shrug, Velvet tossed it into their basket of assorted gifts—a little plush kitten for Claire, some of Horsey's favorite chocolate malt balls, and bubblegum cigars for Savoir. However, just as they were checking out, the sweet old mare behind the counter changed everything with a simple question.

"Oh, is this all for Horsey's new foal?" The mare tutted softly. "Don't you think a blue blanket would work better for the little colt?"

"New foal?" Crystal repeated, her eye going wide.

"Little colt?" Velvet squeaked, somewhere between surprised and excited.

There was a pause as the mare glanced between them and the assortment of gifts on the counter. "Why, yes, the one born just yesterday?"

Crystal jerked her head to the side to look at Velvet. "Yesterday!"

"That's fantastic!" Velvet grabbed Crystal by the hoof and started to drag her to the door, barely giving her time to toss bits on the counter and collect everything in her magic. "Come on! We're not too late!"

All of this running would surely be the death of Crystal, but it would be worth it. She could relax at the spa later. They tore through the town and straight to the hospital. So few ponies lived in Ponyville compared to Canterlot that the receptionist knew exactly who they were there for and simply pointed down a hall.

The rushing about, the frantic laughter, the panic of it all—everything came crashing down into startled but blissful silence when they burst into the room. Fluorescent light shone down on three familiar faces in a gentle glow: Savoir sat on the bed next to Horsey, Claire between them and a bundle in Horsey's embrace.

They all stared at one another until Claire broke the silence with a squeal. "Aun-tees!"

Horsey's long lashes fluttered as she tried to regain some composure. "Velvet? Crystal? What are you doing here?"

Velvet puffed out her chest and stomped forward. "What are we doing here? What are you doing here without us!" She paused to ruffle Claire's mane before glaring at Horsey. "What, are we not invited or something?"

"No! No, no, goodness, no, that's not it at all!" Horsey glanced up at Savoir, who offered a reassuring smile and continued for her.

"Mon coeur worried that, with the busy lives the both of her dear friends lead, it would be better to visit later rather than to impose."

Crystal bit her lower lip as she trotted over to stand beside Velvet. "Horsey, is that true?"

Horsey gave a meek nod. "Yes, it is. You have so much—"

Velvet stuck out her tongue at Crystal. "See?"

"You both have so much going on," Horsey amended, shooting a confused look at Velvet. "Between the Flower Foundation and the Royal Ballet, how can I expect either of you to have the freedom to drop everything to come here on a moment's notice?"

Slowly, Crystal lowered the gifts in her magic to the foot of the bed. "Oh, Horsey."

Horsey shook her head and smiled. "But I am happy that both of you are here now. I don't know how you knew to come, but please let me introduce you to Amoureuse."

A dark chocolate head with a shock of bright pink mane popped up from the blanket when Horsey shifted the folds. He blinked a pair of ruby red eyes, staring up at Velvet and Crystal for a long while before yawning and burrowing back into his plush nest.

"He's a bit of a laze-about," Horsey said, giggling.

Savoir chuckled. "He heard of his aunts and how busy they are, so he is taking their rest for them."

"I'm just so very glad to meet him," Crystal said, smiling at the curled-up foal amidst the soft blue blanket. "You should have written to us, Horsey. We're—" Her voice hitched and she forced the smile to grow wider. "We're never too busy for you."

But the truth was, they almost had been, just as she had been too busy for Velvet. How was she going to balance everything, especially now that the Foundation was growing in size and Sunset was spinning up Pure Leaf Press?

Somehow, Velvet seemed to sense Crystal's thoughts, because she chose that moment to lean in and nuzzle close. "Hey, um, when we get back. Maybe you can show me around?" Her gaze darted between the white floor and Crystal. "You know, around the Flower Foundation. Maybe there's something I can help out with, I don't know."

A brief flare of hope bloomed in her chest and Crystal nodded. "Absolutely!" She giggled and nodded her head toward the bed. "But, perhaps, for now we should focus on congratulating the new mother?"

"Oh, whatever, she's not a new mother." Velvet gave a playful roll of her eyes. "This is her second. It's basically old news already. Maybe if it was, like, twins or something interesting, I might care more."

"How rude," Horsey said with absolutely no conviction in her voice. "If that's how you're going to be, then you can just go. But leave the cake. I saw a cake, right?"

Claire's ears perked straight up. "Cake?"

Velvet moved around Crystal to the pile of gifts they had nearly forgotten, lifting up the boxed cake. "Yeah! Though, uh, ignore the message."

Horsey's brow furrowed and she took the box in her magic, a laugh escaping her when she opened it. "'Sorry We Forgot Your Foal'? Oh, you two are too sweet. Look, Amour, your first apology cake."

Amoureuse just snored in response, and they all laughed. Perhaps it was the birth of a new foal, the sweetness of the cake Savoir served, or Velvet's small but meaningful gesture of forgiveness, but the world suddenly seemed brighter to Crystal in that moment.

Let's Go On Dreaming

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"Happy birthday, happy birthday!

"May the skies be blue

"May the sunshine follow you

"The whole year through!"

Red giggled as the song came to an end and he blew out the three candles on his cake—after, of course, touching his hooves to his heart to make his wish. He was then hoisted up to receive several kisses on both cheeks from Sunbeam while Pepper cut the cake.

"I can't believe he's three years old," Velvet said with a small hitch in her voice, gazing at him while she stood with Crystal, Golden, and Nightingale. "It feels like just last week, Crystal and I were pacing the hospital room, waiting for him to be born."

Crystal smothered a small grin by turning her head away. "And it feels like just a week before that, you were in our condo crying about being replaced by him."

Velvet's ears shot up and she swatted one hoof at Crystal. "I was not!"

On her other side, Nightingale twittered with giggles, her nose scrunched up. "Aww, did you really cry? That's so cute!"

"There is, like, nothing about me that's cute." Velvet glared between them before her gaze settled on Golden. "Back me up here, Goldilocks."

There was a brief moment of silence as a thoughtful expression crossed Golden's face—then it shifted to amusement. "Oh, Velvilocks, surely you know how adorable you are. After all, it was only a few nights back that I watched you turn to absolute putty in the hooves of that stallion at Synthaholic. What was his name again?"

Like a cat who found the cream, Velvet melted into a smile with a purring sigh. "Steel Courage."

"I'm sure his courage wasn't the only thing that was like steel, but somepony decided not to go home with him." Golden huffed, pausing to take a dainty bite of cake. "Honestly, you've been acting peculiar lately."

Just like that, Velvet's walls came back up. Crystal had known her for far too long to not recognize the signs: her dimples vanished, her eyes darted away, and her voice dropped just slightly in pitch. Their eyes met and, although they both knew that the other knew something was wrong, neither acknowledged it aloud.

"Yeah," Velvet said, looking away from Crystal and forcing a smile. "I was just, you know, tired."

Golden simply shrugged. "Nonetheless, are we going to do gifts soon? I've been waiting for Red to receive my gift for over a month."

"Me, too!" Nightingale squealed. "I found the perfect present for him!"

Golden regarded the little mare with one brow arched, and the look was met with a big grin. "Challenge accepted," she said with an upward tilt of her noise.

As if on cue, Sunbeam called over the noise in the room, "Okay, everypony! Presents time!"

While Golden and Nightingale clambered and clamored over who would give Red their gift first, Crystal remained at Velvet's side. They watched all of their friends and family fawn over little Red at a distance, the world continuing on without their interference.

She overheard Miley apologizing to Sunbeam for Runic's absence, strain clear in her voice. "He's taken another project for the Equestrian Army. You know how he can be with something new."

Sunbeam nodded, and Crystal shifted her attention to watch Winterspear and Iridescence standing together, sharing a slice of cake and glancing around nervously. Pepper came over to whisper something to them and grinned when both of their faces turned bright red.

It was a strange juxtaposition: Miley and Runic were drifting apart, and Winterspear and Iridescence were closer than ever.

Crystal struggled with deciding how to feel and what to do about it, so she turned her head to continue surveying the room. Dot was chatting with a rather good-looking stallion about the silliness of colts in her class, and he was nodding along politely. She recognized him as a member of Velvet's ballet company, which brought her back to the situation at hoof.

"So, I suppose that means things are going well with Silver Script," Crystal said quietly into the space between them.

Velvet's stance went rigid and she looked at Crystal out of the corner of her eye. "Something like that, I guess."

"Oh, Velvet." Crystal floated her plate over to the nearest surface so she could focus her attention on pulling Velvet into a tight hug. "Please don't be that way with me, all right? I don't care if you're just—just 'friends with benefits' or not even friends!" She pulled back to hold Velvet at length so she could look her in the eyes. "I just want you to be happy. Are you happy?"

Just a hint of tears started to well up before Velvet rapidly blinked them away and managed a smile. "Yeah. I will be. What about you?"

Crystal returned the smile as best she could. "I will be," she repeated in a soft voice.

"Crystal! Velvet!" Sunbeam called, her honeyed voice slicing through their tender moment. "Get over here, we're opening Horsey and Savoir's gift!"

They gazed at one another a moment longer before exchanging a nod of understanding and agreement—they would both be fine someday.

Velvet's demeanor shifted into what was expected of her as she trotted across the room, a lopsided grin on her face and a skip in her step. Red reached out his hooves toward her and she scooped him up to snuggle him close. "Let's see what Aunt Horsey got you, little guy, huh?"

"Horsey," Red squeaked, his ears falling back against his mane and his lower lip sticking out. "Where is Auntie?"

Sunbeam lowered her head to his. "Auntie Horsey is at home taking care of her own little foal who's too small to come visit you yet, but she'll come by as soon as she can."

The concept of another little foal being more deserving of attention was too much for Red to bear. He stared up at Sunbeam with a furrowed brow before he turned his frown up to Velvet, seeking clarification.

"Sorry, buddy." Velvet kissed his forehead. "It's true. But don't worry, he's not nearly as cute as you are."

Satisfied, Red cooed and accepted the gift. Beneath the shiny blue wrapping paper was a small bucket of Hay-Doh, which Red regarded with pursed lips and tapped it with one hoof to ask, 'What is this?'

"Let's see what Auntie wrote," Sunbeam said, opening the glittery card with only a brief grimace at the impending invasion of glitter for weeks to come. "Here we are! 'Happy Birthday, Red. I hope you enjoy practicing your baking and decorating with this activity dough.'" Sunbeam paused, then giggled as she continued, "'Don't worry, Mrs. Sunbeam; it's safe to eat.'"

Velvet used her free foreleg to pop the lid off the Hay-Doh bucket; Crystal leaned in to see the dough divided into the six colors of the rainbow; Red squealed with delight and shoved both forehooves right into the squishy substance.

"I think he likes it," Velvet said around a grin, and everypony laughed.

Before the party was through, Red had received a surplus of gifts. Golden had gotten him a vintage play kitchen complete with toy food made of the softest felt. When Nightingale presented her Basic Baking Oven and he immediately hugged it, she stuck her tongue out at Golden, who huffed indignantly.

It didn't take very long for Red to tucker himself out trying to play with everything all at once, and he instead ended up asleep among his pile of presents. Sunbeam draped his blue blanket over him and turned to the crowd with a smile.

"And I think that's the curtain call for this party," Sunbeam said, giggling. "Thank you all so much for coming."

While the rest of the ponies in attendance filtered out of Sunridge Sweets, Crystal nuzzled her cheek to Velvet's before she turned to approach Winterspear and Iridescence. "I suppose that makes it time, then," she whispered, smiling as both mares tensed. "Shall we get Dot and go?"

The tips of Winterspear's wings showed the most of her trembling as they quivered and bounced at her sides. Her nerves visibly settled, however, when Iridescence wrapped a forehoof around hers and replied, "Let's go. Together."

Crystal turned and went to where Dot was still talking nonstop at Velvet's ballet friend.

"… And, like, I really appreciate it, but my locker doesn't have room for books anymore. I guess it's okay, though, because all the flowers make it smell nice, and there are always colts to carry my things, but I'd like to put them away sometimes, you know?"

The stallion hummed in agreement, and his expression lit up when he spotted Crystal approaching. She felt sorry for him; few ponies enjoyed listening to Dot go on for hours about her school woes.

"Dot," Crystal said, flashing the stallion a smile, "it's time for us to go."

Dot blinked a few times before her lips curled with understanding. "It's time? Oh, great!" She started prancing to the door without a second thought for her gratefully abandoned victim.

Crystal laughed softly. "I'm sorry for her. She does have manners, I promise."

"It's no problem." The stallion gave a calm, casual flick of his wings. "It was entertaining, at least."

"That's nice of you to say." She hesitated and did her best to try to remember his name, but when she came up with nothing, she just smiled. "If you'll excuse me." With a quick nod of her head, she hurried out the bakery doors.

Canterlot was in the middle of transitioning between day and night when they stepped outside; the sky darkened into deep blue hues, but the streetlights had yet to flicker on. Winterspear and Iridescence walked hoof-in-hoof ahead of Crystal, caught up in their world of nervous giggles and soft whispers.

Dot walked at her side, all legs and hips from her most recent growth spurt that left her even prettier than the one before. "They're finally getting married, huh?"

"Yes," Crystal replied with a smile. "It's long overdue for them, I think."

With a giggling snort, Dot rolled her eyes. "Way overdue, if you ask me."

Crystal nodded and allowed her gaze to wander their surroundings, a dark shroud of melancholy draped over the buildings and streets. Life was continuing to march ever forward. It was Red's second birthday without his Uncle Silent there—how many more would he have until Silent came home?

She quickly shook her head and smiled as the city came back to life, streetlight by streetlight guiding the way to their waiting appointment. The present needed her focused on it, not on the past she couldn't change or the future she couldn't control.

"Okay," Winterspear said when they arrived at the old building of hewn stone that had been around since the founding of Canterlot. "This is it. We're really doing this."

Iridescence squeezed her hoof and tucked her head under Winterspear's. "If you're not ready, we can—"

"No." Winterspear puffed her chest and flicked her wings to shake off the lingering uncertainty. "I've been ready. I am ready." She turned to look at Crystal and Dot, relaxing into a smile. "Thank you for being our witnesses."

Crystal returned the smile with ease and pushed the doors open with her magic. "It's my absolute pleasure to be a part of this."

They walked inside together, their hoofsteps echoing in the relative quiet of City Hall. Wallflower was already inside with a bag that seemed overburdened with tulle.

"Mom," Winterspear said with clear apprehension in her voice, "what did you do?"

Wallflower's face brightened with a smile, and she rushed forward with the bag in tow. "I know you didn't want to make a wedding out of today, but I couldn't help myself. I'm sorry. But I'm just so happy for the two of you, and I wanted to do something for you. I just wasn't sure who wanted to, er—who wanted to be which, so I brought two of each."

Winterspear pursed her lips into a thin line. "Two of each of what?"

With a shy duck of her head, Wallflower reached into the bag and produced two veils as well as two tuxedo collars. "I just—" She fumbled with them as she tried to hold out all four accessories. "I don't care who, just—"

There was only a brief pause before Iridescence sputtered into a laugh. One of the veils illuminated under the glow of her magic and levitated onto Winterspear's head, and while she snapped the tuxedo collar around her own neck, she kissed Winterspear's cheek. "My princess," she whispered, just barely able to be heard even in the relative silence of the hall.

Wallflower looked between them, her eyes brimming with fresh tears. "You two look perfect. So perfect." She pulled them both in for a tight hug, then dove back into her bag. "I just have two more things, then I'm done, I promise."

"Mom," Winterspear started to whine, but her voice choked with emotion when she saw what Wallfower brought into view.

Little beams of rainbows scattered across the nearby wall and all along the floor from the teardrop-shaped prism. Suspended in the very center of it was a piece of cloud fluff, illuminated by the light and glowing with soft pastel hues.

Winterspear sucked in an almost reverent breath. "A cloudcatcher."

"I know mother-daughter wedding gifts are a bit old-fashioned and out of style, but—" Wallflower paused to wipe at her eyes. "What else can I do?" She held the prism out to Winterspear, smiling. "It's a piece of the cloud you grew up on. May the skies of your home be with you wherever you go."

The air was thick, heavy, and warm. As Winterspear clutched the prism to her chest, Wallflower turned to Iridescence. "You're already like a daughter to me, Iridescence. I couldn't imagine Winterspear without you at her side." Her ears drooped just slightly. "It's not the same, I know, however, I—" She retrieved a simple glass half-sphere, perfectly free of any bubbles or imperfection: an empty wishing stone.

"Since you were engaged," Wallflower continued, sounding strangely apologetic, "I have whispered to it all of my best wishes for the two of you and slept with it under my pillow each night. While I don't have unicorn magic, I hope—"

Iridescence surged forward and pressed her lips to Wallflower's cheek, whimpering out, "It's perfect, Mom."

When swelling emotions threatened to smother them all, Winterspear groaned as she tried to wipe away her tears, "Mom, you're turning this into a wedding! We talked about this!"

The laughter that followed eased the intensity, and Crystal stepped forward to catch their attention. "I'll hold onto your heritage gifts," she said, her magic encircling the cloudcatcher and wishing stone, "while you two go talk to that nice stallion over there and find out where our appointment is."

In the center of the far wall sat a stallion behind a desk of rich, dark wood, who waved when they took notice of him. "Hello! Welcome to Canterlot City Hall," he chimed as Winterspear and Iridescence approached, hoof-in-hoof. "You must be our last marriage of the day. Congratulations!"

"That's right," Winterspear said, raising her hoof that was joined with Iridescence's as if in salute. "I'm marrying this filly. Today!"

Crystal couldn't smother her laughter in time, but Iridescence gazed up at her wife-to-be with lovestruck fondness. The stallion clapped his hooves together and exclaimed, "How wonderful! Let's see, let's see." He scanned a list in front of him before continuing, "Just to be sure, you're Winterspear and Iridescence?"

"That's us," Iridescence murmured, her gaze still locked on Winterspear.

"Perfect! You'll be seen by Her Honor, Dr. Tart." He gestured off to his right. "She didn't have a prior appointment, so you should be good to just go on in! Congratulations!"

"Thank you," Winterspear said and started forward, almost dragging Iridescence along.

Even though it wasn't her special day, butterflies fluttered against Crystal's ribs as she followed the mares down the hall of stately doors, each adorned with a gilded nameplate. They finally arrived at the right one, and Winterspear didn't hesitate to push it open.

The smell of old books rushed out of the office from the floor-to-ceiling shelves filled with the aged spines of tomes Crystal was certain weren't for light reads, judging by their heft. Facing them was a wide, intricately carved desk that seemed too big even for two, full-sized earth pony stallions to carry.

And sitting behind it, looking at them with a level stare, was a pink mare.

For a moment, Crystal almost panicked at the thought of an unexpected encounter with her old friend Lovey Dovey, but she was relieved to note the distinct differences. Between the orange eyes and the short, tight curls of her mane, the honorable judge was definitely not Lovey Dovey. On the other hoof, there was something vaguely familiar about the combination of pink and orange that Crystal couldn't quite place.

"Hello," she said in a smooth voice as she looked between the three mares facing her. "May I help you?"

"Your Honor—" Winterspear began, but a sudden shift in the mare's interest cut her off.

They all watched as the mare looked down at the placard sitting on her desk that read: 'Dr. Sweet Tart, Barrister to the Crowns'. She reached out, flipped it around, and settled into a smile as the title 'Chief Justice Dr. Sweet Tart' now showed.

"Continue," Dr. Tart said with a small flick of one hoof.

Winterspear glanced at Iridescence, then returned her gaze to the judge and cleared her throat. "Your Honor, we have an appointment. To uh. To get married."

"Oh, good." Dr. Tart stood and moved around the desk. She was taller than Winterspear, which was an impressive feat even for an earth pony. "I love marrying ponies. It's such a wonderful break from settling disputes over whether or not neighbors' shingles are clashing in color and style." She chuckled under her breath, then put on a sober expression. "Before we get started, I'd like to know: why?"

"I—" Winterspear and Iridescence began at the same time, and both devolved into nervous laughter. "You fir—" The laughter returned again, more sincere this time.

Dr. Tart's lips lifted into a smile and she gestured at Winterspear. "You first."

Not even a moment of thought was needed. "I've made her wait too long just because I'm scared. I was hurt in the past by a mare I thought I loved, but then I met Iridescence and learned what love really is." She turned to face Iridescence with a smile. "I would go to Tartarus and back for this mare, so the least I can do is marry her to show my commitment."

Iridescence laughed, not with amusement so much as unbridled joy. "I'll be honest, Your Honor. Winterspear is one of the most irritating mares I've ever met. She tried to break it off three or four times when we were dating because she was afraid of that level of commitment, so when she proposed, I almost thought it was a joke."

Winterspear's nose scrunched up, but a grin still graced her lips. "Hey, now—"

Dr. Tart raised a hoof. "You had your turn. Let the mare speak."

"Yeah," Iridescence said with a tease in her tone. "She's irritating, case and point! She snores, she steals the covers, she leaves feathers lying around the bedroom, and she prefers coffee over tea." Reaching out a hoof, she gently stroked along the length of Winterspear's foreleg before clasping their hooves together. "And I want to be irritated by her for the rest of my life, because I love her."

Between Dr. Tart's smile, Winterspear's laugh, Dot's giggles, Wallflower's sniffles, and Crystal's tears, the room effused love. Crystal had to raise a hoof to wipe her eyes so she could watch as Dr. Tart drew herself up between the two lovebirds.

"Then it is my utmost pleasure," Dr. Tart said, "to join the two of you together in the vows of marriage."

A wave of emotion roiled up from somewhere deep within Crystal and she had to choke back a whimper as the ghost of a memory filled her mind's ear.

"Crystal Wishes and Silent Knight, today you celebrate one of life's greatest moments and give recognition to the harmony and beauty of friendship and love, as you join together in vows of marriage."

It hadn't been that long ago, had it? Over a year, but not by much. She could scarcely remember what the aisle had looked like, but she would never forget the visage of the stallion standing at its end. Her stallion.

"Marriage is a wonderful occasional filled with hopes and dreams," Dr. Tart continued, but all Crystal could hear was the voice in her head.

"Marriage is the promise between two ponies who love each other, and who trust in that love, who honor one another as individuals, and who wish to spend the rest of their lives together."

She remembered doubt—only a flicker of it, but there had been some. Was she ready for life as the wife of a soldier, she had wondered? No. She had been ready for the life as the wife of a guard, but not a soldier. Nothing could have prepared her for the desperate, aching loneliness that pervaded the shadows of each day.

But she had no regrets now, even when things seemed at their worst.

"It is a symbol of the promises you will make to each other to continue growing stronger as individuals and as partners, no matter what challenges or successes you encounter together in the years before you."

"No matter what," Crystal whispered as Winterspear and Iridescence and Dr. Tart all blurred together behind the tears filled her eyes.

"Today, your lives, which began on separate paths, will be joined as one."

She would do it all again just the same.

Dr. Tart's voice cut through her bittersweet reverie. "Who joins us on this day to bear witness to the union of Winterspear and Iridescence?"

"We do!" Dot chirped, her chest swelling with pride.

"And what gives you the authority to serve as witness?" Dr. Tart quirked a brow in a playful manner.

Dot cocked her head to the side. "Uh, well, Iridescence is my sister, so that's my authority. And she's never been as happy with anypony as she is with Winterspear!"

Chuckling, Dr. Tart turned to look at Crystal. "And you?"

Crystal tried to stifle a laugh. "Yes, I am honored to be Winterspear's sister-in-law. But more than that, I am their friend who has watched their relationship blossom from the very beginning."

Dr. Tart bobbed her head. "And you give your blessing to their union?"

"With all my heart," Crystal replied, her amusement melting into fondness.

"And you?" Dr. Tart tilted her whole body to the side to look past them at where Wallflower stood out of the way. "Are you here to serve as witness, or to use all of my tissues?"

Wallflower paused, a tissue still pressed to the corner of her eye. Her lower lip trembled before she managed in a wavering voice, "I'm the mom."

"To which one?"

Looking between all four of them, Wallflower grabbed a new tissue and buried her face into it as she blurted out, "All of them, and I'm so proud! So, so proud!"

"Duly noted. Thank you." She gave a quick smile before she looked at Winterspear. "Do you, Winterspear, take Iridescence to be not just your partner in life, but in all things forevermore?"

Winterspear smiled so wide it must have hurt as her gaze flicked to where Crystal held out the ring, which she took and gingerly slid onto Iridescence's horn. "I do."

Dr. Tart turned her attention to Iridescence. "And do you, Iridescence, take Winterspear to be not just your irritant for life, but in all things forevermore?"

With a quiet, shaky laugh, Iridescence nodded. Dot enthusiastically shoved the ring toward her, and Winterspear unfolded her left wing so that Iridescence could slip it onto one of the primary feathers. "I do."

"Then by the power vested in me by the crowns, it is my pleasure to pronounce you married." The corners of her eyes crinkled as she smiled. "You may now kiss each other."

It was a soft and tender kiss, interrupted by a shaky laugh from Winterspear as she whispered, "We're married."

"We are." Iridescence pecked her on the lips and grinned. "Wife."

Though the monotony of paperwork came next, not an ounce of the rose-colored aura of love faded from around the newlyweds. Their marriage became official in the eyes of the law, and Crystal was proud to have her name on the certificate as one of their witnesses.

They walked out into the quiet night, but only made it a few paces before Winterspear whooped with joy as she pulled Iridescence into a tight embrace and spun them both around.

"We're married!" Winterspear laughed, wings flared out to encircle them in their own world. The white gold band resting on her feather glinted proudly in the light.

Crystal watched them, suddenly feeling like an intruder. She took a few steps away, waited to see if she would be noticed, then turned to start the walk home alone.

"Wait, Auntie Crystal—Bye, Wallflower—hold on!"

She stopped and waited for Dot to prance up alongside her, trying to smile evenly. "Yes?"

Dot's nose scrunched up as her expression bordered on insulted. "Oh, I dunno, maybe I want to spend time with you? Or it's, like, really clear that you're missing Uncle Silent and shouldn't be alone right now. Or maybe both."

And just like that, Crystal felt her heart melt and she eased into a smile. "You're right." She turned her gaze skyward, sighing into the night air. "I am missing him, a great deal. But I was going to go talk to him, if you want to come along?"

"Talk to him?" Dot's ears flopped as she tilted her head. "Okay, it's definitely a good thing I'm coming with you. You've gone cray-cray."

"Cray—what?" Crystal blinked rapidly.

"Cray-cray. Crazy." With a snort of a laugh, Dot waved a hoof to dismiss the confusion. "Don't worry about it, Auntie. So, how do you plan to talk to him?"

Though Crystal wanted to learn more about the new slang and other words like it, she relented with a small nod of her head toward the street in front of them. "Follow me, and I'll show you."

They walked in relative silence, Crystal trying to think of anything except the future, and Dot was content to let her. There was so much uncertainty looming ahead of her that the excitement of Winterspear's and Iridescence's marriage receded under the weight on her mind.

Winterspear would move in with Iridescence. Crystal would live alone. Should she consider a roommate? A pet? Between the setup of the Pure Leaf Press with Sunset and the continuation of the Flower Foundation, did she even have time to take care of a pet?

"Where are we going?" Dot finally asked as they walked higher and higher through the city's tiers.

Crystal only gave a quick smile and a simple reply of, "We're almost there."

The petulant whine that Dot gave was a stark reminder that, despite her rapid growth, she was still just a filly. Crystal couldn't help laughing and upped her gait to a light trot. When they crested the cobblestone hill that gave way to a small greenspace, Dot slowed to a halt and frowned.

"A park? You dragged me all this way to a park?" Dot huffed, blowing her bangs out of her face. "We passed, like, three of these on the way here!"

Crystal slowed to an almost reverent walk as she approached a bench and climbed onto it. "Not just any park, Dot."

After a brief pause, Dot came over to sit down beside her. "Okay. What's special about this one?"

"From here," Crystal replied in a soft whisper, "I imagine that I can see all the way to Varrheim."

Her gaze dragged over the distant mountains and rolling farmlands that spread out far below Canterlot. Although it all faded into nondescript blue-green hues on the horizon, she knew she was looking toward ocean that separated Equestria and the Gryphon Kingdom.

The ocean that separated her and her husband.

"So this is how you talk to Uncle Silent?" Dot asked into the stillness.

Crystal shook her head and lifted her eyes to the heavens above. "I talk to him through the stars. Every night, I tell them of my love for him. And every night, he listens as they pass along my message." She laughed in spite of the swell of emotions that pressed against her throat. "It is, some nights, the only way I can fall asleep, knowing that I've done this for him."

Dot said nothing for a while. A breeze stirred the tree that stood alone in the greenspace, and somewhere nearby Crystal could hear the sound of ponies laughing. As always, the world carried on without notice.

Then, Dot sucked in a breath and said with a small quiver in her voice, "Hey, Uncle. If you're listening, I guess that means you're still okay, so, that's good."

Crystal raised a hoof to smother a light giggle, earning a flash of a grin of Dot before the filly continued.

"Um, so, this is going to sound silly. But you know that time a few years ago, when I was feeling lonely, and you let me ride on your back to cheer me up?" Dot's ears pinned back against her mane as she twiddled her forehooves, then jerked her head up and shouted, "You have to come home and do that again, okay? Because I could really use cheering up right now!"

The amusement faded and Crystal watched Dot's expression fall into poorly concealed sadness. "Oh, Dot, sweetie..."

Dot shook her head. "Irid and Winter are married. Uh, spoilers, I guess?" She sniffed. "But they're married, and I'm growing up, and stuff is changing, but you're not here for any of it. It's really easy some days to forget, 'cause I'm really busy with school, but then today happened, and I can't forget." Her nose scrunched up and she turned her head away from Crystal. "You're just... gone, and I miss you. We all miss you. So—Come back soon, okay?"

Wrapping a foreleg around Dot's shoulders, Crystal pulled her into a light hug that was returned with twice the strength. They sat in companionable silence, neither doing much more than breathing and holding onto one another.

Finally, Dot mumbled, "Did I do it right?"

Crystal gave a soft, shaky laugh. "Of course you did, sweetheart." She patted the back of Dot's head before pulling away and standing up. After quickly wiping the corners of her eyes, she offered a hoof and a smile. "Come on. Let's go home, make some tea, and you tell me all about the cute colts in your class, hmm?"

There was a brief moment of consideration before Dot lit up and grabbed Crystal's hoof in a tight grip. "Oh, did I tell you about Maverick? He is super cute! He hasn't asked me out on a date, though, and that's really weird, you know? 'Cause most colts ask me out on a date pretty soon after I meet them."

While Crystal dutifully listened to the truly awful plights Dot had to endure, she lifted her gaze to the stars and mouthed the same words she did every night: "Please come home, my love."

These Twists and Turns

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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.

Set the World in Motion

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Screams tore through the air—first one, then a chorus of them, all reaching higher and higher pitches. The wind sent a chill up and down Crystal’s spine and coaxed a rattling whisper from the trees’ dry leaves. All around her, shadows oozed with the potential for danger hidden within the dark alleys of Ponyville.

She nearly jumped as three small figures emerged from the gloom: a timberwolf, a ghost, and a lion that all ran past. Right on their tails was a dragon, large and lumbering and made of patchwork cloth. That explained the screaming, at least.

“Nim-night!” Claire de Lune exclaimed, dressed as a smiling pumpkin. “Swee-bite!”

At her side, Red the Little Prince said nothing, just held up his bag with big, sad purple eyes that spoke for him.

“Aren’t you just the sweetest things,” the pony at the door said, glancing up at Horsey and Velvet. “What can they have? I’ve got some mini pumpkin pancakes that I just cooked up.”

“Pumkin?” Claire’s eyes went wide and she bounced in place, which set her balance just askew enough that the girth of her costume sent her tumbling forward.

Horsey giggled, her horn lighting to help Claire get back upright. “That sounds perfect, thank you so much.”

While the stallion put two little individually wrapped pancakes in both foals’ bags, Velvet leaned over to Horsey and whispered, “But does she realize that will mean she’s a pumpkin eating pumpkin?”

“No, and I’ll thank you to not put that wicked thought in her mind.” To hide her grin, Horsey kissed the top of Amoureuse’s head, the colt fast asleep in the crook of her foreleg.

They all followed after Claire as she bounded off to the next house—periodically having to be picked up when her legs tried to move faster than her body—while Red trotted right by Velvet’s side. Crystal glanced between Horsey and Velvet until, after the third house, she couldn’t take it anymore.

“I’m sorry, but are we just not going to talk about the thing?”

Velvet’s ears pinned back and she shot Crystal a glare. “What thing?”

“Oh, come on, really?” Horsey rolled her eyes. “You’re wearing a toga. A big, draping, belly-hiding toga. As if I can’t tell that you’re hiding the most amazing news I could have heard all month.”

With a low, drawn-out groan, Velvet finally lowered her head in submission. “When did you get so clever?”

Horsey gave her a feigned look of hurt. “Do you mean I wasn’t clever before?”

“No, I just mean—agh!” Velvet kicked a rock off into a hedge. “It’s complicated, okay? You’re going to ask questions, and you’re not going to like the answers, and I don’t want to be judged by one of my best friends!”

Horsey’s expression softened, and she turned her head to watch Claire and Red knock on a door. “You know I’d never judge you.”

“That’s what I keep telling her,” Crystal said, frowning. “She never listens to me.”

Velvet rolled her eyes. “Fine! Fine. Okay, I’m pregnant, I’m going to be a single mom, and that’s how I want it to be. What else do you want to know?”

“What about your career?” Horsey asked, glancing over at her. “I thought you were doing really well at your new company.”

“I was.” Velvet sighed and dropped her head to stare at the ground while they followed Claire and Red to the next house. “I don’t know what I’m going to do yet. A lot of retired ballerinas go start their own studio to teach ballet, but my name doesn’t mean anything enough for that.”

Crystal chewed on her bottom lip. “I hate to be the negative one, but I’m worried. Foals are expensive.”

“And time-consuming,” Horsey put in. “Are you sure the stallion who—”

“He’s out of the picture,” Velvet snapped and started to walk a little faster. “I made a mistake, okay? I shouldn’t have done what I did, because he wants a loving wife, and I can’t be that. I watch my parents and I don’t want what they have, even if it makes them happy. I watch Crystal and I don’t want to—”

Horsey stopped her with a magical yank of her tail, then stood beside her and bumped their noses together. “I’m not asking you to justify anything, Velvet. I love you the way you are. It was just a question, that’s all.”

Velvet breathed in and out a few times, her eyes watery. “Yeah. I, um.” She cleared her throat. “Mom and Dad offered to let me move into the space above the bakery so I don’t have to worry about rent, but—I like my place. I like having my own space.”

“Let me cover the rent,” Crystal said as she moved to stand at Velvet’s other side. “Until you find a job, please let me do at least that.”

There was a long pause as several emotions played across Velvet’s face—uncertainty and guilt the chief two that Crystal could discern—before she landed on a forced smile. “I’m not really in a position to say no, so, yeah.” Her expression grew stern. “But as soon as I find a job, no more charity. Okay?”

Crystal’s ears flattened to the sides. “Don’t call it charity, because I know you, and I know you mean ‘pity’ when you say ‘charity’.” She stuck her nose in the air and trotted forward when Claire went squealing around a fence. “They are very different things, I’ll have you know.”

“That,” a voice of silk and refinement said, “is a distinction not many ponies always seem to grasp, Mrs. Wishes.”

The three of them looked over to see a mare to put all other mares to shame: a true beauty who made even Golden seem ordinary by comparison. Crystal had seen her visage in the Alcove of Harmony and in the papers.

Horsey stepped forward to greet her with a smile and a kiss on the cheek. “Hello, Miss Rarity! Happy Nightmare Night!”

“Same to you, sweet Horsey.” Rarity returned the gesture with an audible muah. “And where is that little filly of yours?”

A high-pitched shriek filled the air as the pumpkin-clad Claire went running past, Red walking behind her at a casual pace. She tripped over her own hooves and fell over; Red watched with curious amusement as her little legs waggled in the air uselessly.

Horsey’s magic lit up and she righted Claire with a sigh. “I preferred it when she hadn’t figured out how her legs worked.”

“Oh, weren’t those the days?” Rarity laughed behind a hoof. She turned her head, bright blue eyes locking onto Crystal. “I hope it won’t be too much of an imposition, but it’s been on my overburdened to-do list to invite the founder of the Flower Foundation to tea for quite some time now.”

Crystal blinked, then looked between Velvet and Horsey. “Oh, I—”

“Go on,” Velvet said, bumping her shoulder against Crystal’s. “Horsey and I will talk about foals and how you’re too popular for us peasant-folk.”

Crystal rolled her eyes before turning a smile on Rarity. “It would be my pleasure to accept your offer for tea, especially if it lets me escape Velvet’s witty commentary for a while.”

“Emphasis on witty!” Velvet chimed as Crystal started to walk alongside Rarity.

“Have fun,” Horsey called. “Don’t stay out too late, and be sure to give an offering to Nightmare Moon before the night is through!”

When they had turned a corner and were out of earshot, Rarity looked at her with a sincere smile that crinkled her nose as she laughed softly. “Your friends are an absolute delight. Horsey in particular. I would go so far to say that she and her little ones are the town favorites.”

With a small huff of laughter, Crystal lifted her gaze briefly to the dark sky above. “She’s come a long way from being my bully in elementary school.”

“What? Bully?” Rarity’s eyes went wide. “Surely you jest!”

Crystal paused to wait for Rarity to open the door to Carousel Couture. She explained as they walked inside, “I’m wholly serious. Horsey was notoriously mean, but it wasn’t her fault.”

She paused to look around the quiet interior of the shop, a smile playing at her lips. It felt like another lifetime when she had come here for her big job interview and walked away with the pink scarf that would become her signature look.

“Please do forgive the cobwebs,” Rarity said, nodding her head to lead the way through a door and into a kitchen. “I swear they are only décor for the evening, and not an actual representation of the cleanliness of my work and home. Or, as the case would be, the lack thereof.”

Sitting at the small breakfast table, Crystal waved a hoof. “Oh, I understand. Think nothing of it.”

For being one of the most beautiful mares Crystal had ever met, Rarity moved about the ordinary kitchen in such a simple, equally ordinary way. It was like she was having a casual chat with an old friend, not a stunning mare who was also an Element Bearer.

“Now,” Rarity said, her magic working to fill the kettle and set out two cups, “tell me how Horsey went from a dreadful bully to a sweet mother of two.”

Crystal laughed. “It’s simple, really. She was insecure, and so she fell in with another bully who led her down a cruel path.” She hooked her hooves together and rested her muzzle on them, shifting her gaze to look out the window. “Velvet, my other dear friend, was the catalyst for Horsey’s transformation. I likely never would have given her a chance, myself.”

Rarity turned her head to offer a dazzling smile. “Oh, I know just what you mean. There always seems to be a bully and her henchmare in each generation! My little sister has had a dreadful time with a mean filly of her own.”

“I suppose that’s true.” Crystal’s brow furrowed. “From what I’ve been told, my niece-in-law would have been a bully herself if she hadn’t been taken away from Manehattan.” She snorted lightly. “Instead, she’s the school heartbreaker.”

With a wistful sigh, Rarity drew her hoof across her forehead and fluttered her lashes. “I remember the days of my youth as a bit of a heartbreaker myself! I could hardly keep track of who sent me which roses, or which colt was supposed to be my date that weekend.”

Crystal glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, doing her best to not look too scandalously. If there were ever a mare to consider, Rarity would be at the top of the list.

“I’m afraid, however,” Rarity continued, “I have slightly ulterior motives in asking you to tea.”

“What?” Crystal nearly choked on an intake of breath. Her face grew hot, and she tried desperately to smother the prior thoughts. “I—Oh, I’m so sorry, but I—”

Rarity cleared her throat. “Nothing uncouth, of course. I simply wanted to see if, perhaps, you had advice from which I could benefit.”

After a pause to regain her composure, Crystal smoothed a hoof over her mane. “Advice? What of?”

It seemed, for a while, Rarity wasn’t going to speak. Crystal opted to say nothing, either, in case the silence was out of nervousness or apprehension. She simply waited until Rarity walked over and sat across from her.

“It’s so wonderful, what you do for ponies.” Rarity smiled, her bright blue eyes seeming to dull as she looked out the window and into Ponyville. “I admit, I find myself a little envious.”

Crystal blinked. “Envious?”

One of Rarity’s hooves moved in a broad, dramatic gesture. “You found a way to truly help others. Oh, yes, I help out with charity auctions, and I lend my aid when the opportunity arises, but you! You did not simply… sit around and wait for a way to help. You went out there, you made a way, and truly achieved something wonderful. It’s admirable, really, it is.”

“Coming from the Bearer of the Element of Generosity herself,” Crystal said softly, her cheeks flushed, “that is more of a compliment than I deserve.” She glanced around conspiratorially and leaned in to whisper, “In truth, I concocted the idea for the Flower Foundation while extremely inebriated.”

Rarity laughed, loud enough that she clamped a hoof over her mouth and cleared her throat. “Well, I suppose drastic times call for drastic measures, do they not?”

The kettle on the stove whistled, and silence fell on them again while Rarity set about pouring the water and bringing two teacups over, as well as a small tray of sugar and cream. They made up their respective drinks without a word, Rarity avoiding eye contact and Crystal uncertain if she should broach the subject.

Taking a breath in and releasing it slowly, Crystal lifted her head. “What advice did you want from me?”

“Oh, I suppose I can’t dance around it for much longer, can I?” Rarity sighed and offered a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “You see, my friends—the other Bearers, that is—we are all struggling in our own ways.”

“Struggling?” Crystal wrapped her hooves around the cup to let its warmth radiate through her. “What do you mean?”

“Some ponies get upset with us,” Rarity mumbled into her tea, eyes downcast. “They feel that we, as the Bearers of the Elements, should be able to put an end to this dreadful war. It broke Dash’s heart when some of her fans called her a coward, a traitor to her Element.”

Crystal shifted uncomfortably and glanced up at her. “Forgive my ignorance, but what is the reason you and the others can’t? I assume it must be can’t and not won’t, of course.”

Rarity met her gaze with a tired smile. “Because we’re the most ordinary of ponies. We’re not—warriors or soldiers. What could I do against a sword or a spear?” She shook her head. “We’ve never faced such brutality, such violence. Nightmare Moon simply wanted to dominate; Chrysalis, enslave; Discord—oh, who even knows exactly what he wanted, but it wasn’t our demise.”

Crystal nodded. “I—"

“And, shall I point out,” Rarity continued, anger edging into her voice, “if anypony thinks that Twilight Sparkle, of all ponies, hasn’t done every bit of research, read every book, sought every avenue in regards to war, diplomacy, and the capabilities of our Elements?” Her jaw tightened. “How is one supposed to simply magic away an entire army? A sentiment? A darkness so vast and widespread that it causes a war?”

Biting her lip, Crystal opened her mouth to speak again, but Rarity hardly paused to breathe.

“She has read every book in every library about war throughout history, across all continents. Do you understand what that does to a pony like her, a pony who believes in the goodness of friendship and harmony? And then to have others chastise her for not doing enough? If they would just--”

“Rarity.” Crystal reached out and grabbed one of the trembling white hooves across from her.

Blue eyes went wide before they softened. “Oh, dear, I’m so sorry.” She raised her free hoof to wipe a tear from her cheek. “It has been a very, very long year.”

Crystal offered a smile and squeezed the hoof she held. “I know it has. All of us are scared and angry. We were never meant to deal with things like this.”

She took in a breath and looked out the window into Ponyville, watching as parents followed their foals on a Nightmare Night like any other. They collected candy, bobbed for apples, and danced to the music.

“I look out there and I see no signs of war,” Crystal continued in a strained voice, “but it’s always with me in my heart. I’ve been angry at others for not hurting as much as me. I’ve been yelled at for not acting as hurt as I am.”

With a sigh, Crystal withdrew her hoof and looked back at Rarity. “I’m sorry ponies have treated you and your friends that way. I don’t know if I have advice that will make everything better, though.”

Rarity’s ears drooped. “Ah, well, yes, I’m sorr—”

“But,” Crystal interrupted, smiling, “I can tell you that I’m not as admirable as you think. Were it solely dependent on me, the Flower Foundation would be nothing more than a drunken memory. It’s because of my friends and family that it became a reality.”

“Friends and family,” Rarity repeated in a thoughtful murmur.

Crystal nodded. “There are many phrases we repeat to ourselves at the Foundation to give us what we need to get through each day. One in particular is that we are stronger together.” Her smile brightened as Rarity’s own began to form. “From the stories I have been told of the Bearers, it’s that you six are exemplary friends. I can imagine none better.”

The soft huff of laughter in response came with the tension in Rarity’s face visibility dissipating. “Yes, and I do believe we have been neglecting one another for too long. It is time to get back on the haycart, as Applejack would say.” She laughed again, freely this time. “Now I’m somewhat embarrassed by how obvious this should have been.”

“Sometimes, I find all we need is a gentle push from somepony outside of our situation.” Crystal levitated the cup and took a slow sip. “And, for me, it’s far easier to look objectively at somepony else’s than my own.”

Rarity pawed lightly at the air with one hoof. “When you put it like that, it doesn’t feel so embarrassing.” Her lips curled in a playful smile. “I’m sure you must hear this quite too often, but it’s not surprising that a writer such as yourself would have a way with words.”

A distant memory set off an ache in her chest, but Crystal just smiled through it. “I certainly don’t mind hearing a compliment more than once.”

“Who doesn’t?” Rarity waved away the rhetorical question and continued, “Nonetheless, I am grateful for the simple act of listening to me. I hadn’t realized how much of that was weighing on my mind.”

Crystal smiled around another sip. “It doesn’t bother me at all. If you can provide more tea, then I’m more than happy to stay and listen a while longer.”

There was a pause before Rarity’s ears gave the slightest mischievous wiggle. “Do forgive me for this, but it’s far too easy.” She cleared her throat, commanding attention in the brief silence that followed.

“That sounds tea-lightful,” she said in a giggly voice that was clearly a mimicry, but of whom, Crystal didn’t know.

A flash of lightning outside illuminated each worried line of her face that would take much longer than one conversation to heal. One conversation was, however, a start.

I Still Wish On The Stars

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Today was going to be the hardest day of her life.

For the next hour, Crystal would sit through poetry readings with other military spouses in one of the Canterlot Library's private study rooms. She would play her part to the letter: look somber, remain composed, and try not to smile.

In her heart, however, she was rejoicing. She wanted to dance with excitement and sing of love.

"Sweetest love, return again," Toffee recited in a soft voice that belied more courage than any of them knew him to have.

"Make not too long stay.

"Killing mirth, and forcing pain,

"Sorrow leading way.

"Let us not thus parted be

"Love and absence ne'er agree."

It was an older poem from before the Common Era, when times were more turbulent than modern ponies knew. In Crystal's Academy days, it had seemed like a sonnet of depth and beauty, something majestuous and distant; she had dreamed of having a love like it.

"But since you must now depart,

"And me hapless leave,

"In your journey take my heart

"Which will not deceive.

"Yours it is, to you it flies,

"Joying in those loved eyes."

Now, every heart in that room understood how Lady Marey Worth felt—and none of them found it majestic or beautiful.

It was cold and lonely.

Toffee's voice began to tremble as he continued, and Crystal lowered her gaze out of guilt. She couldn't stop the excitement threatening to bubble over, and she hated herself a little bit for it.

Crystal kept one ear focused on the rest of the poem and the start of the next so that she could stomp at the end and murmur words of empty appreciation—Oh, what a perfect poem, what a wonderful reading.

The other ear listened to every gentle tick of the clock on the wall. Each passing second brought her closer to the end of the day that she was longing for.

Tick...

Tock...

Tick...

A new sound broke the routine and drew her attention over to the door as it squeaked open and unicorn stuck her head inside.

"Mom?" Crystal mouthed softly, glancing around and politely excusing herself from the group to trot over. "What brings you here?"

Upper Crust's expression was difficult to decipher, somewhere between resignation and—nervous?

Crystal blanched. Her mother didn't get nervous. "Is everything all right?"

"I suppose it depends on how you define 'all right,' but I believe the answer is yes." Upper Crust nodded her head to gesture for Crystal to follow and stepped out of the room. "I would like to talk."

With a glance back at her support group, Crystal offered an apologetic smile and left, shutting the door behind her. She looked up to see Upper Crust shifting from one hoof to the other. "What do you want to talk about?"

Upper Crust breathed in and lifted her gaze, as if unable to look Crystal in the eyes. "I have done a lot of thinking since the Gala."

Realization ran down Crystal's spine like a hair-raising chill. It had been just long enough since their fight about the wishing stone that she had almost forgotten that she was mad. "I see."

"When you married Silent Knight, it didn't cross my mind to consciously forgo the heritage gift." Upper Crust sighed. "I hadn't received one myself, after all. Not from my mother, and certainly not from Diadem."

Crystal furrowed her brow, but nodded slowly.

"But to be honest, if I had thought about passing one on to you, I would have still not done it." She raised a hoof to draw a lazy circle in the air. "It's an archaic tradition, for one. It's useless. A knickknack that you'll have to find some place for in your home and feel obligated to display. Let's not mention my feelings at the time for your choice of husband."

Before Crystal could ramp herself up into an argument, Upper Crust's magic levitated a small, glittering half-sphere into view. Purple magic swirled within and shimmered with—wishes.

Upper Crust still didn't meet her gaze as she floated the stone over. "Please accept this belated gift as two things: my apology for its delay, and my sincerest wishes for only the very best for you and your husband. Today, more than any day, I wish for his safe return."

"Mom," Crystal managed to say around the lump of emotion in her throat. "You didn't—"

"I most certainly did. And please, before you begin, don't thank me for being a mother. It's dreadfully embarrassing when you do that." A playful upturn of her lips added a softness to her voice as she continued, "Now, I'm also here to let you know that your business partner is looking for you."

Crystal blinked back the tears while her magic cradled the wishing stone like the precious treasure it was. "Wallflower?"

Upper Crust quirked one brow. "No, dear. Your other business. Pure Leaf Press, I believe?"

"Oh!" Crystal gave a quick wipe of her eyes and nodded. "Yes, of course. I'll go talk to him right away. Is he at the Foundation?"

"He's waiting for you at Verbatim, the bookshop just around the corner so you wouldn't have to go far. He didn't want me to interrupt your support group meeting, but I believe what he has to say is of enough importance that you should go sooner rather than later."

Crystal smothered a small giggle. "He's so considerate." She stepped forward and wrapped her forelegs around Upper Crust's neck, whispering, "And so are you. Thanks, Mom."

Leaning into but not returning the embrace, Upper Crust huffed. "I told you not to thank me." She inclined her head just enough to nuzzle her hair. "Happy anniversary, my darling."

In reply, Crystal just placed a quick kiss on her mother's cheek before trotting through the large, circular foyer of the library and out the main double doors. Sunlight greeted her with a warm embrace, eager to accept the happiness within her.

The day was finally moving forward. One step closer to crawling into bed and seeing her husband after a long, long year.

Verbatim was only a short trot away, and as soon as she stepped hoof inside, Sunset Coffee's bright-eyed grin was right in her face.

"She's here!"

Crystal's gaze flickered past him to see five ponies, two of which she recognized right away: Lovely Prose and Rose Quartz, authors of critical acclaim and prestige.

The five ponies looked up from what they were doing and offered nods and smiles while Sunset exclaimed, "Oh, Crystal, isn't this great?"

Crystal swallowed and glanced between Sunset and the group she presumed were all famous authors. "I'm afraid you skipped over the proper introductions."

"Right! Yes, yes. Always one step ahead of myself." Sunset cleared his throat and gave a sweeping gesture with one leg. "Crystal, meet the lineup of new and renewed authors that will be publishing under Pure Leaf Press!"

She blinked a few times.

She looked at him, then at the smiling faces.

And she blinked a few more times.

"Perhaps we should start over," Lovely Prose said in a voice that matched her name perfectly. "Hello, dear. Your partner reached out to us with opportunities to publish under new pseudonyms through your company."

Crystal's brow furrowed. "But—"

"Or to get published for the first time!" a young stallion chimed, his smile so bright it was almost blinding. "You may not remember me, Mrs. Wishes, but I'm Bold Counsel. I run the Canterlot branch of the C.W. Step Fan Club."

Crystal relaxed into a small smile. "I do remember you. I didn't realize you were a writer."

Bold Counsel's feathers ruffled with excitement. "I started out writing fanfiction of, well, your stories. I didn't think I would ever make it to, you know, the big league. But Sunset says my original works have potential!"

"And they do!" Sunset slung a foreleg around Crystal's neck and pressed their cheeks together. "Pure Leaf Press is going to make dreams come true. Whether you're a saddle-rippin' romance writer who wants to try a new genre—"

"Present," Lovely Prose said with a soft laugh.

"—or an author with a long-running series whose publisher won't let them write anything else—"

Rose Quartz raised a hoof. "Unfortunate, but true."

"—or just fresh to the scene and struggling to get that first chance—"

Bold Counsel and the other two ponies beamed excitedly.

"—we are the publisher of opportunity." Sunset snickered and pulled back to turn his grin back on Crystal. "And we'll have our and their debut here, all in one big meet-and-greet event. I've already got the press releases all ready to go once you approve them!"

Crystal's gaze traveled over their faces with feigned scrutiny. Just as the silence started to grow tense, she sighed. "There's just one problem."

"Problem?" Sunset's ears fell. "What problem?"

"I honestly don't know how we can be called partners when you're doing all the hard work." She giggled behind a hoof. "Can't you leave something for me to do?"

Sunset sputtered into a laugh and dismissed her question with a quick wave. "You are something enough! With all the great press around 'Crystal Wishes' from the Foundation, and the popularity of 'C.W. Step' in the romance genre, both of your names have opened a lot of doors."

"To be honest, I would have taken any chance to get published," Bold Counsel admitted with a sheepish grin, "but the fact that you're involved makes this, well—like Mr. Coffee said, a dream come true!"

"See?" Sunset bumped his hoof to her shoulder. "So you just keep being you. Oh, and, well, the bits help, too." He winked. "That part's also really helpful."

Crystal hummed, looking between all their faces again, and smiled. "Well, then, what are we waiting for? We have a debut event to plan."

The group broke out into varying degrees of celebration that Sunset quickly calmed down so they could get to business. It turned out there was still a lot to put together: flyers needed to be printed and distributed, bookshop-friendly snacks determined and ordered, and so much more that it took nearly the whole day.

Of course, Crystal couldn't be more grateful for the fact that time got away from her. When she noticed the sun slipping toward the horizon, her heart started to pound against her ribs.

It was almost night.

It was almost time.

All that remained was to endure—enjoy dinner and go to bed. It was all too tempting to just skip everything and hide under the covers, but that seemed like cheating.

No, this was not something to take for granted. This was a special treat she would savor and enjoy when the time was right.

"I'm home!" she called as she opened the door to the condo, smiling as the smell of roasted vegetables and garlic.

Wallflower leaned around the wall that separated the kitchen from the living room. "Welcome home. How was your day?" Her eyes softened. "How are you?"

Crystal set her things by the door and did her very best to walk instead of prance. "I'm fine, Mom. Thank you for making dinner."

"It's my pleasure. Do you want me to stay, or—?"

"Please." It would help pass the time to have company, after all.

With a nod, Wallflower returned her attention to the oven. "Dinner will be ready in just a moment. Sit down, sit down."

Crystal took a seat at the dining table that hadn't seen much use since Winterspear moved in with Iridescence. Two plates were already set, and it briefly annoyed her that the back of her mind knew the silverware wasn't properly placed.

"The day was eventful, in quite a good way." Crystal idly drew her hoof along the edge of the chair's back. "Pure Leaf Press is coming along very well." A giggle bubbled up. "Sunset warned me that the business model may fail, but 'it'll be fun while it lasts', he says."

"Oh?" Wallflower glanced up. "What business model is that?"

Crystal smiled. "Anypony can publish through us. No demands, no restrictions."

Chuckling, Wallflower opened the oven door and pulled the pan out. Green, yellow, and purple vegetables were distributed between their plates.

"That does seem like a risk," Wallflower said as she sat down. "And you're not worried?"

Crystal shook her head and swallowed a mouthful of lemon-garlic zucchini. "No. If it fails, then it wasn't meant to be."

The corners of Wallflower's eyes crinkled as she smiled. "I wish you the best of luck."

They ate in companionable quiet, intermittent conversation disrupting the flow. Wallflower was onto a new hobby: scrapbooking. Nothing seemed to occupy her for very long, but she enjoyed the journey of discovery.

Briefly, Crystal wondered if she needed a hobby. Something to wind down with between the Foundation, Pure Leaf Press, and writing. But when would she have the time?

"Do you need me to stay overnight?" Wallflower asked, her voice gentle and uncertain. She wiped her hooves dry after washing the last dish. "I don't mind."

Crystal smiled and shook her head. "I'll be fine, Mom. But thank you. Honestly, I'm just ready for bed." More than words could describe.

"All right." Wallflower reached out to stroke Crystal's cheek. "Don't be afraid to go see Winterspear, any time of the night. I know she won't mind."

"I promise I will if I need to." Crystal nuzzled the hoof. "Fly home safe, okay?"

Wallflower nodded. She lingered a moment longer, concern in her eyes, but she finally relented and turned to walk out the front door.

The moment the door closed, Crystal broke out into a run. She clipped her hip against the doorframe as she barely rounded the corner, but the pain didn't register. With a single bound, she landed on the bed, bounced, and cocooned herself in the covers.

This was it. This was the moment she had been waiting all day for.

Falling asleep, however, wasn’t going to be easy. Her mind was too busy, racing with so many thoughts. Where would she be when she entered the dream? Where would he be?

She flopped onto her other side, kicking one hindleg out from under the blanket. A whole year had passed since she saw him last. Would he have more scars?

With a jolt, she sat upright. Oh! What would she look like to him? If she put on makeup and did her mane, would that transfer to her dream self?

Her horn lit up in the darkness to grab items from her vanity in rapid succession and apply them just as quickly: foundation, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick. She brushed her mane, giggling all the while, before settling back down—carefully, of course, so as not to muss herself up.

Silence throbbed in her ears as she lay there, desperately and unsuccessfully willing herself to sleep. Now she was starting to fret that she was taking too long and poor Silent was lost in a dream, waiting for her to appear. What if he woke himself up because he thought she wasn’t coming?

“Sleep, you fool,” she muttered to herself and shifted to stretch out her limbs so that none of herself was touching.

With all her might, she shoved out any further thoughts and worries. Her mind continued to buzz, but she did her best to not listen to it. Sleep would come if she just kept quiet and still.

Sleep would come.

Sleep...

She was standing in the middle of Canterlot, surrounded by ponies. What was she doing, again? Confused, she looked around to see they were all focused on the sky, so that was where she diverted her attention.

An airship—the Harmony—moved across the backdrop of blue sky, red flames swallowing it whole as it sailed toward the ground in rapid descent.

Screams filled the air and Crystal turned to run. She was running through a field, golden wheat tickling her sides as she urged her legs to move faster. The sound of wings chased her, pounding as hard as her heart, beating like an angry drum.

She was navigating the streets of a city she didn’t recognize. The buildings towered over her, daunting structures of glass and metal that glinted in the sun.

Her hooves stopped touching the ground and she was climbing stairs made of clouds, higher and higher until she was the towering one, but she didn’t look down. She kept her gaze fixed on the black sky above, starless and void of light, the sun fading away below her.

A chill wind blew across her coat, and a pair of blood red eyes glowered at her from a scant whisper away.

“Got you,” a voice of smoke and death hissed against the back of her neck, and she fell into darkness.

She was on the floor, panting, sweating, trembling. Awake.

Alone.

"No, no, no," she murmured, bringing her hooves to her face and blocking out the sight of her empty bedroom. "No, no, no!"

Just one night. That was all Crystal wanted, just one night out of the dreadful, lonely, long year to see her husband. It wasn’t that much to ask!

An angry, bitter voice in the back of her mind reminded her that there was a whole kingdom of ponies with loved ones overseas that didn’t get a single night–and might never again. Who was Crystal to think she was above them, that she deserved more than them?

She was just one pony. One small, insignificant pony who wanted too much.

Her whole body shook as she wept, sobbing so hard no sound could make it past the hard lump in her throat. The room was dark, and for a while, she silently begged for this to be another part of a dream from which she would wake.

When her tears ran dry, she knew better.

There was a pervasive emptiness that hollowed her out, carved into her lungs and heart and soul, and took away all the hope that had built up over the course of the day. She stared at the far wall, void of feeling and thought, until she realized this was it.

This was the moment she thought would never come.

Moving slowly but purposefully, Crystal stalked across the bedroom and over to the closet. Her belongings were still divided between Canterlot and the Crystal Empire, but everything important was here with her.

Her magic wound its way through the pile until, at the very back, she found the box.

Its lid opened with a mournful creak, and the glow of her magic illuminated its contents: a bottle of wine and two sealed letters.

"Hello," she murmured into the stillness before levitating the bottle from its resting place of dark velvet.

It was an expensive brand, made of only the finest grapes from the fertile soil of Prance. She remembered picking it out together before their wedding. Something coiled low in her chest, a mix of bitterness and loneliness.

"Oh, this one comes from a very prestigious vineyard," the memory of her voice chirped, young and naive.

She drew her hoof across the label, just as her former self had, and faltered through a smile as she remembered Silent's response.

"Isn't the goal to not need to open the box?" He had cocked an eyebrow. "It doesn't make sense to buy something expensive if we'll never drink it."

Sweet little, unaware Crystal had tutted playfully. "Yes, yes, but this isn't the sort of thing to cheap out on. In the dreadful event one of us needs it, they should, at the least, have something nice to drink."

It had been a joke.

Now—as her magic eased the cork out with care to keep the annoyingly cheerful pop! quiet—it was necessity.

The first bite of crisp acidity caused her nose to scrunch, but she held it on her tongue and sucked in air through clenched teeth. Notes of velvety rose and rich oak filled her mouth before she swallowed.

She paused, staring at the bottle.

And then abandoned all sense of proper wine decorum to chug another two mouthfuls.

Time melted somewhere between drinking and the resurfacing of tears, but she kept her focus on the next sip. When she took that, she thought about the next.

As warmth started to spread throughout her chest, her gaze flickered over to where the two letters lay, undisturbed, untouched since that faded memory of a perfect day.

A letter written by Silent's hoof for when times got tough. She sniffed, rubbed at her cheeks, and began to levitate the envelope she knew as his.

Each movement of paper unfolding sent her heart racing until her gaze fell upon the ink that seemed too fresh, as though she were peeking at something forbidden.

Crystal

If you're reading this letter, I can only assume that in some way I’ve gone astray. Up until the point I met you, I had great confidence in my life and my purpose: join the Guard, become the best, and serve honorably like my father before me. That is what I was prepared for, that is who I am.

She snorted and, unbidden, a smile pulled at her lips. It didn't feel all that long ago that he was a bright-eyed royal guard, standing against the wall in Princess Luna's quarters while she stole shy glances at him.

You were never meant to happen.

Her heart clenched.

Ponies like me were never meant to have a pony like you. What a sad life I would have led without you, though. I have seen what life can be and that is the life I want, the one I can't stray from. I love you and I want to be with you.

"Then why did you leave?" she asked aloud, her vision going blurry. "We could have—"

She cut herself off, wiped her eyes, and pressed forth.

And yet, you are reading my letter. I can only say that I'm sorry. I am the pony that I am. I will always put the Guard and my duty high on my priority list. I know of no other way to be.

The muscles around her mouth twitched as she grappled with realization.

He knew. He’d known he was going to leave her, and yet he’d proposed to her anyway.

How could he do that to her? To them? Didn’t he love her?

I don't do this for some vague notion of honor, though. Now, I do it for ponies like you.

What about ponies who were her, specifically—her? She clenched her jaw and tried not to crumple up the letter and throw it across the room.

There was a reason he wrote this, she reminded herself. A reason that wasn't meant to hurt her.

I want all of the Crystal Wishes of our kingdom to be safe. I want them all to have what we have. I need them to know the bounty of blessings that we enjoy. Whatever it is I have done, I have done in pursuit of that. My life for theirs.

Her anger started to melt away as a smile forced its way onto her trembling lips. Curse him and that good, noble heart she fell in love with.

Our life together will be hard. Not because of you, but because of who I am. Thank you for loving and trusting in me. All I have left to give, I swear will be devoted to you. Please be patient as I learn to be the kind of pony you deserve.

All of my love

Silent Knight

Two years ago, Silent had written this letter knowing full well what he had done. He had killed a gryphon in the name of vengeance and must have known that the consequences weren't far behind.

Her chest roiling with pain, anger, and loneliness, Crystal forgave him with a soft press of her lips to his name.

Because twice over, he had tried to let her walk away. She was the one who wouldn't give up on them then. She wouldn't be the one to give up on them now.

That was, after all, what her own letter said. She could still remember the way her quill danced lightheartedly but earnestly across the page.

... I could have sought and married a stallion who was sworn only to me and me alone. He would bring me flowers every day after he came home from his job. I would sit upon a velvet pillow and eat chocolates he bought me.

And I would have never known true love. Love is not perfect, nor is it easy. I am made stronger because of you. When you were in the hospital after Nordanver, I learned that I loved you because I couldn't imagine life without you.

Whatever it is that has come between us, I assure you that my heart remains the same: I needed you then, and I need you now. ...

A part of her wanted to send it to him, but she shook her head, the world spinning slightly from the motion. If she did that, then he would know that she opened the box—that she felt their marriage was in trouble.

It wasn't, but she was. She had been a fool to take the extraordinary gift from Princess Luna for granted. Greed had overtaken her, and now she realized how weak she truly was.

Slowly, she lowered the letter and lifted the nearly empty bottle. The first rays of a fresh sunrise filtered in though the window, catching the dark green glass and illuminating the remaining wine within.

As she tilted her head back for a final long, slow drink, fresh tears started to fall down her cheeks.

Today was going to be the hardest day of her life.

Haunting My Reverie

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Velvet was well and truly mad, that much couldn't be denied. The fact that her hoof was wedged inside a jar of pickles didn't help her case of looking serious about it, though.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me," Velvet snarled. Her hoof came free with a wet pop! and a self-satisfied grin; then she remembered she was upset and went back to glaring.

Crystal raised a plaintive hoof. "I'm not making her do anything! This is what she wants."

After taking a bite of the pickle, Velvet waggled it at her. "You could have picked any author. Anypony else and we'd be fine! But you just had to pick Rose Quartz."

"I didn't pick her, Velvet." If Crystal liked pickles, she would have taken a spiteful bite out of the one Velvet was waving about. That, and if they weren't in the back of Verbatim with the press just around the corner. "You know, that jar was meant for guests."

Velvet narrowed her eyes. "Oh, so I'm not a guest?"

Crystal sighed. "You are. But the wait staff was going to dispense the pickles onto plates. You just snatched it out of their hooves before they could even get the lid off."

Grumbling something incoherent under her breath, Velvet shoved her hoof back in for another pickle.

"It's not like the Prima Donna books are going to go away," Crystal said in a soft voice, lowering her head to try to catch Velvet's gaze. "They'll still be there."

A throat clearing nearby startled them both into looking over to see Rose Quartz herself standing there. "If I may speak my side of things?"

Velvet hurriedly hid the jar behind her back, ears folded back in embarrassment. "Um, yeah. Of course."

The older mare walked over with a smile on her face that wrinkled the corners of her eyes. "I loved writing the Prima Donna series, but it's too popular for my own good. My publisher rejects everything else I try to write, and I've never had a good opportunity or reason to start anew with another."

"But you have a reason to now?" Velvet bit her lip.

Crystal suppressed a smile as she watched the scene unfold. She already knew what Rose Quartz was going to publish; after all, she'd helped Sunset Coffee with the promotional materials.

"Oh, yes." Rose Quartz sat down and eyed Velvet. "When are you due?"

The question relaxed Velvet into a soft smile, and she rested a pickle-soaked hoof on her stomach. "Couple months. I'm hoping for a colt." She snickered. "Equestria couldn't handle another me."

Rose Quartz chuckled. "Well, I have a daughter myself, and now she's got two foals of her own. I want to write stories I can read to them."

Velvet's eyes grew soft and wet with tears. "That's—" She sniffed, brought the pickle jar into view, and hugged it to her chest. "That's really beautiful. I want to read your stories to my foal!"

Crystal walked away to leave the two in peace, moving instead see to the guests that were attending the Pure Leaf Press debut. Every time she had to be grateful to her mother, the filly within her who hated being forced into high society cried a little. However, she couldn't avoid giving credit where it was due; her mother had taught her the importance of three specific phrases.

Exclusive sneak peek.

Limited time only.

Complimentary champagne.

The bookstore was overflowing with ponies. She could tell at a glance who was there as a socialite desperate to not miss out, and who was a genuine fan of literature. Both were important, however. If they were lucky, Pure Leaf Press might land itself an investor.

"Crystal!" Sunset called from her right, and she turned to smile at him while he approached. "You won't believe the demand for you. Oh, well, perhaps you will. I'm not sure what your daily life is like these days. Maybe you're used to this. Anyway! There's an R.B. Dash who—"

Her ears perked straight up. "R.B. Dash? Do you mean Rainbow Dash?"

Sunset opened his mouth to reply, but a tired sigh cut him off. Crystal turned to see an earth pony stallion who, at first glance, looked quite a lot like Rainbow Dash. Though his periwinkle coat seemed to be the same shade, his mane and tail consisted only of red, green and blue.

"No," the stallion said with a roll of his eyes. "Reign Buckley Dash. Despite the name and unfortunate similarity of our appearance, there is no relation whatsoever."

Crystal felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Oh, I'm so terribly sorry, I—"

"It's fine," he interrupted in a tone that suggested otherwise, but he lightened his expression with a faint smile. "It happens. A lot." He waved a hoof. "Just, please, call me R.B. Not Reign, not Buckley, not Dash, and definitely not Dashie."

"Only I can call him that," a ruby-red filly at his side chirped, and Crystal openly gawked.

Lanky was an underwhelming word to describe her; in spite of her squeaky voice and soft features, her legs had outgrown not just her body, but her father's as well. She was nearly a whole head taller than him.

The filly grinned down at Crystal, her mane hidden under the black cat-eared beanie she wore. "And I don't, because he's Dad. And that is Other Dad."

A stallion standing a little behind them looked over from where he had been reading a sample of Lovely Prose's novel. "Hello. Don't mind me." His head lowered back down, lilac-and-blue mane falling to hide his face. "I'm just here for the free books."

R.B. cleared his throat. "Rhy, please."

"His name's Rhythm Emotion," the filly explained. "Don't call him Rhy, though. Only Dad can."

"Okay, sweetie," Crystal said, putting on her best smile as she glanced between the three of them. Sunset stood off to the side with an amused grin that he didn't even bother trying to hide.

The filly's nose scrunched up. "Sweetie? I'm a filly, not a foal."

Crystal smothered a soft laugh and nodded. "Of course, I'm sorry. What should I call you, then?"

"Ruby, or Rebel. Just not 'sweetie'. Okay?" She beamed again. "I know you're Crystal Wishes. Other Dad is a fan of yours, so I am, too."

"Yes, which is exactly why we're here," R.B. said, raising a hoof to place it gingerly on his daughter's head and rubbing between her knitted kitten ears. "Ruby has written her own story that she wanted to tell you about."

Both fathers glanced at one another with mirrored looks that meant something to them. Rhythm tucked the book into his saddlebag and moved over to stand beside Ruby, which brought attention to the fact that she was taller than him, too.

Ruby lifted up a cute little notebook covered in different cat stickers that she had been clutching to her chest. "Yeah! This is my story, Cathouse."

Crystal sputtered, eyes going wide. She looked at R.B. and Rhythm in a silent request for an explanation, but neither seemed at all inclined to give one.

"It's about a house of cats and the adventures they go on."

"Oh," Crystal breathed out with a huff of laughter. "Of course! A house of cats."

Rhythm snickered, and R.B. turned his head to hide his grin from his daughter.

"Yeah." Ruby blinked, looking between the three of them. "That's why it's called Cathouse."

Crystal tried to keep her composure, but another snicker from Rhythm sent her into a small fit of giggles.

Ruby frowned. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" Crystal focused on not laughing, then nodded once she felt safe to talk. "It sounds like a very cute story. If you want, you can send a copy of it to Sunset. We might even be able to publish it."

R.B. jerked his head forward to look at her. "What? Publish it?"

Crystal offered a light shrug. "We're in the business of making dreams come true, regardless of potential profit or loss."

"How can you run a company 'regardless of profit or loss'?" Rhythm arched his brow. "How long do you plan to stay in business?"

"Not long, I'm sure." Crystal glanced over to see Sunset gesturing for her attention, and she gave a quick nod to acknowledge him before looking back at the bewildered parents and ecstatic filly. "But it will certainly be a fun venture while it lasts. Now, I'm sorry, but please excuse me."

"Yeah," R.B. said, his eyes still clouded in deep thought. "Okay."

Ruby looked between her parents, grinning as she exclaimed, "I'm gonna be a published author!"

As Crystal walked away, she heard Rhythm mutter, "It took me seven years to finally get picked up by a publisher..."

Sunset clapped her on the shoulder as soon as she was within reach. "Isn't this fun? And that was just the beginning!"

"Well, it certainly is different from the Foundation work I've been doing." Crystal glanced around the room full of ponies, noting some of them watching her with intent gazes. "Who is next?"

Three voices cried out all at once—"Me!" "I just have a quick question!" "Hello!"—startling her into a squeak. She looked over at the three ponies and hurried to put her composure back in place.

"What is your question?" she asked the second, a light green stallion who gave a nervous smile at her attention.

"Oh, uh." He rubbed his hoof against his leg. "I actually have a book I'd like you to sign, too. If you don't mind."

Crystal smiled. "Of course!" When he held out a novel she didn't recognize, she hesitated before enveloping it in her magic. "What is this?"

The stallion offered a lopsided grin. "Well, it kind of ties into my question. You see, I was wondering, since I read that interview where you talked about how you got the name C.W. Step because of your friend, Velvet Step."

Crystal's gaze flickered to the corner around which the mare in question and Rose Quartz were still talking. She looked back at the stallion, smile renewed twofold. "Yes?"

He paused, then nodded his head at the book. "You see, this is a story about a mare who falls in love with her best friend. When I read your interview, it reminded me of this, and I'd really like to get both you and your friend to sign it."

There was a long pause as Crystal stared off into space, trying to decide what sort of expression she wanted to wear. Finally, she opted for a grin she struggled to contain. "Velvet!" she hollered over the conversations around her.

The stallion's eyes went wide and he whispered with almost reverence, "She's here?"

A moment later, Velvet stuck her head into view, brow furrowed. "What?"

Crystal put on her sweetest smile. "This kind stallion here—I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Daydream," he said, his still-wide eyes locked on Velvet as she walked over with some effort.

"Daydream wants you to sign this book with me." Crystal levitated a nearby quill over and wrote her signature down with a fanciful flourish, then floated both over to Velvet. "Would you be a dear?"

Velvet just stared at her and made no move to take the quill. "What?"

"It would mean a lot to me," Daydream said, finally taking on a grin as he looked between them. "Oh, wow, I didn't imagine you two would look so cute together."

"What?" Velvet finally looked at him, down at the open book, then back at Crystal. Her brow knitted a deep crease between them.

Crystal cooed, "Sign the book, darling."

Daydream made a sound in the back of his throat that was something like a strangled squeal.

Velvet's eyes narrowed, but she slowly raised a hoof to take the quill. "I don't know what's going on, and I don't like it." She lowered her gaze to focus on signing the page, muttering under her breath, "I don't even have a signature."

As soon as Velvet finished the last, careful swoop of ink, Crystal returned the book to Daydream and fluttered her lashes. "I can neither confirm nor deny anything, but please enjoy the daydream, Daydream."

With a satisfied grin, Daydream gave an enthusiastic nod, clutched the book to his chest, and hurriedly trotted away. Velvet stared after him before turning her frown on Crystal.

"Did I just become your marefriend in that stallion's mind?"

A colt walked by, saying into a cough, "Gay."

The mare following behind him gasped, grabbed him by the back of his neck in her magic, and yanked him over. "You apologize right now, young stallion!"

Rolling his eyes, the colt squirmed out of her magic. "It's nothing personal, Mom, jeeze." Before she could grab him again, he stuck out his tongue and darted off into the crowd.

"Shade! Don't—" The mare groaned and looked at Crystal and Velvet with an apologetic half-smile. "I'm so sorry. He's going through a phase. I think you two are a lovely couple." Her expression soured as she marched in the direction the colt had bolted. "Shade! Get back here!"

Velvet snorted and shot Crystal a dirty look. "I hope you're happy with yourself. Now that stallion and that rude colt's mother think we're dating. They probably think the foal's yours, too."

"If I were the father, our foal would be unstoppable." Crystal tossed her mane over her shoulder. "With my charm and your wit, there would be nothing to stop her."

"Him," Velvet corrected and tipped her nose in the air. "If you'll excuse me, there's a plate of pickles over there with my name on it." She took a step forward, then paused. "Scratch the pickles. I want ice cream, so I'm out of here. This place is full of weird ponies, anyway."

Crystal hummed, raising her eyes to the ceiling in a show of innocence. "It'll be less weird once you leave."

Velvet snorted and bumped her flank against Crystal's as she walked past her. "You mean it'll be less cool!"

"Yes, absolutely, that's what I meant." Crystal giggled, then jolted when she realized there were two ponies still waiting on her. "Oh! I'm so sorry. What can I do for, ah—" She glanced between them and opted for the stallion who seemed to be scowling. "You, sir?"

"Nah." He snorted and looked over at the other pony, a mare absently shuffling her hooves. "Mares first, and all that."

The mare's ears wiggled in surprise, but she shook her head. "Oh, no. I don't—It's not that important." She smiled, lips shiny and bright red, matching the red floral print of her skirt. "I'm just happy to be here, so I can wait. It's fine!"

"Suit yourself." Rolling his shoulders in a shrug that caused one of his joints to crack, the stallion drew himself up to his full height as the whole of his dark-eyed attention fixated on Crystal. "I'll make this quick. I should hate you. Everything about you screams 'little filly with her head in the clouds'."

"Oh," was all Crystal could say, her ears folding back against her mane.

"I mean, did you hear yourself earlier? A company set on making 'dreams come true' without looking at profit or loss. Publishing a random filly's story without reading it first." His eyes narrowed. "Basically a prancing, singing drongo."

Crystal blinked a few times. "A what?"

The stallion snorted. "Don't worry about it. The point is, you embody everything I can't stand." Tension hung in the air between them until he cracked a big, lopsided grin. "But to Tartarus with assumptions, mate, I can't get enough of you."

It felt, for a moment, like she was a puppet and somepony had cut the strings. Her body visibly sagged as she let out a sigh of relief. "Goodness," she said through a nervous laugh. "That's a good thing, right?"

He gave a good-natured roll of his eyes. "'Course it is. Don't be a numpty." With a relaxed grin, he offered a hoof. "Listen. Name's Wholesome Rage, and I'm a freelance journalist. Self-published, rather, though I do articles for hire here and there."

"Pleasure to meet you." Crystal inclined her head to one side at the sudden movement of a magenta-coated stallion storming up to them.

Wholesome followed her gaze, then groaned exaggeratedly loud. "For the love of—"

"Now listen here," the stallion said, shoving himself between Wholesome and Crystal, his narrowed eyes fixed on her. He spoke rapidly, his voice tinged with an Andalusian accent. "I don't know what you think you are doing, but he is taken. Super taken. And so are you, by the looks of it."

He gave a pointed glance up at her wedding ring, then paused. "Oh, wait, you're married, huh?" The anger shifted to confusion, then embarrassment. "Oh, uh, oops."

"Yeah." Wholesome smirked down at the smaller stallion. "Oh, uh, oops, indeed."

Pivoting in one quick flourish, the stallion tried to shove his face in Wholesome's, but came up a little short. "Hey! Listen! I have a good reason to be concerned! Not everypony can be married to a stud, but here I am, entangled with you!"

Wholesome chuckled. "Rasp, come on."

"Don't you think you can just wiggle your way out of this. I saw you. Grinning." 'Rasp' waved his hoof in a vague gesture at Wholesome's form. "Do you know how hard it is to turn my back, knowing that you're over here radiating raw appeal? Ponies can't help themselves around you!"

"Raspbe—"

'Raspbe' barely paused to breathe. "And another thing. You said you were here to get an interview with some Crystal mare. But here you are, gabbing away like we're not on a schedule here. The train leaves in half an hour. Half an hour! So if you don't mind, I'd—"

With a snort that was somewhere between frustrated and amused, Wholesome leaned down and kissed him. There was a muffled mumble as the stallion tried to finish what he was saying, then relaxed into a happy hum.

Crystal glanced between them, trying not to make a sound and draw attention to herself. The verbal thrashing was certainly not something she wanted targeted at her again. It was, however, hard to fight back a smile as she recalled Velvet's words from so long ago: 'Stallions kissing is hot.'

"Raspberry," Wholesome said as he pulled back, "calm down. Seriously. This is almost as bad as the time you punched that sweet little pegasus over your cutie mark."

Stealing a quick look, Crystal blinked at the sight of a blackberry sitting on his flank. When she raised her gaze, she found Raspberry looking sufficiently admonished, his eyes downcast.

"Okay, okay. Sorry." Raspberry turned to look at Crystal. "I'm sorry. I get worked up sometimes, okay? It happens. Now, we really do need to hurry, because if we miss our train, so help me—!"

Doing her best not to look as amused as she felt, Crystal raised a plaintive hoof. "I think I'm the Crystal mare he's looking for, actually."

"Oh." Raspberry tilted his head one way, then leaned back to offer a sheepish, upside-down smile to Wholesome. "Sorry again."

"'S'fine." Wholesome moved to hold out a business card toward Crystal, which she accepted. "Gist of it is, I want to write about this Pure Leaf Press you've got here. Fascinating stuff, really. Hope it succeeds. Now, if you'll 'scuse me, I need to get this stallion to the station before he has himself a fit."

Raspberry puffed out his cheeks in a huffy little pout. "I don't have fits, I just—"

Wrapping one foreleg around his partner's neck, Wholesome practically dragged him off. "Yeah, we know. Come on, numnums."

Crystal watched them go, feeling strangely numb herself. Was she still standing upright? She hadn't quite recovered from the initial shock and trepidation, and not even the prospect of free promotion for Pure Leaf Press eased the anxiety from her rigid muscles.

"You'll be okay," the mare from before said, placing a gentle hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "It's been a lot all at once, hasn't it?"

All Crystal could do was nod.

With a soft smile, the mare moved to stand in front of her, forcing their eyes to meet. "Just breathe, okay? You do good work, and everypony appreciates that. You should be proud."

"I am," Crystal said, relaxing into a sigh. "It's just been a while since I interacted with ponies like this. I've gotten so used to the world of high society that I've forgotten what regular ponies are like, and—" She blinked. "I'm sorry, how rude of me. Here I am, babbling away, and I haven't gotten your name."

The mare dismissed the apology with a giggle. "It's fine! I don't mind, but it's Poppy Flower. I just want to be sure that you're okay. I'll let you get back to it, if you promise me you won't let all these ponies overwhelm you."

Crystal smiled softly. "You're too sweet. I promise I'll endeavor to do my best, is that enough?"

"That'll just have to do!" Poppy stepped back, turning with a flourish that sent her skirt fluttering after her.

There was a brief pause, then Crystal jolted fully upright. "Oh! Wait, Poppy! What were you waiting on me for?"

"Exactly that. I just wanted to express my admiration." Poppy sent a playful wink over her shoulder and blew a kiss into the air. "Keep being fantastic!"

A quick survey of the ponies around her showed, at least for the moment, a lack of interest in her presence. She mumbled a small prayer of thanks to both Celestia and Luna for the time to breathe, and she hurried over to the nearest serving tray of champagne.

Half a glass was all it took for the bubbly liquid to soothe her fraying nerves. Though she would never admit it aloud, a part of her wished to be surrounded by snobby socialites. At least she knew exactly what to say to them and what to expect from them.

"C.W. Step?" a voice asked, and she turned to see a steel-blue stallion with a small journal and pen held aloft in his magic. "Could I get your autograph?"

Crystal held in a relieved sigh. A simple request. She could handle this. Her magic took over his, flipping to a blank page. "Of course! What's your name?"

"Chipper Blaze." His expression lit up with excitement as she drew the pen across the paper. "You have excellent calligraphy."

She paused in the middle of a curly swirl. "Oh? Well, thank you. It was one of the few clubs I enjoyed while I was in school."

"I can tell!" Chipper gave a shy smile. "Thanks. I know you're busy, but do you mind signing as Crystal Wishes, too? I only just found your interview from, like, nearly two years ago."

Two years. A deep, bone-chilling cold sunk in as she remembered how happy and carefree she had been then. That mare's biggest concern was whether she and Silent would fight over their vastly different concepts of 'a lot of bits'.

"Mrs. Wishes?" Chipper prompted, concern in his face and voice. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she quickly lied, flashing a smile and returning the pen to paper. "I'm sorry. I'm just tired from all the activity of today." She cleared her throat and returned them to him a little more hurriedly than she'd have liked. "Thank you for your support."

There was a look in his eyes that suggested he wanted to say more, but she turned back to her neglected glass of champagne and finished it off.

How could time have flown so quickly? And how could she have changed so much?

A few more ponies came by to talk to her, but her focus was lost to a haze. She absently listened to a critic named Lemon Light complain about authors who indulged in writing random cameos of their friends. One small stallion just seemed content to listen to her talk to others, only smiling in response when she tried to prompt him.

Somepony was excited to meet her and chatted about his own stories, but she had missed his name—Bravery? Brevity? Whatever it was, by the time she excused herself from the circle of watchful eyes, she was exhausted.

But then she heard Sunset's voice calling her. Normally, she would have smiled at the sound of it. Right then, she swallowed a groan and forced that smile into place.

"Crystal, I've just been told about a novel this gentlestallion is working on!" Sunset's grin verged on mischievous. "You have to hear this for yourself. It's titled Beanis Universe, and—"

"Beans?" Crystal asked, tentatively.

Sunset's grin widened and he gestured to the orange-and-yellow stallion at his side. "Oh, I'll just let the author himself explain. This is Margin Seeker."

"Hey." Margin gazed up at her through half-lidded eyes. "So, that's a common misconception when I talk to ponies about my story. It's beanis, not beans. Though beans are involved."

Crystal glanced between him and Sunset. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

"Yeah, it's okay. Let me start from the beginning. A scientist is tasked with crafting the beanis for her friend."

Though she was certain she didn't want to know, she had to ask. "But what is a beanis?"

Margin released a put-upon sigh. "That's the question, isn't it? What is it? Is it a revolution? A new way of thinking and feeling?" He clicked his tongue against his teeth, drawing a hoof in a lazy circle. "Me, I just think it's a bunch of beans in the shape of a pe—"

"Why?" Crystal squeaked, eyes going wide and heat burning her cheeks.

Sunset snorted and choked on a laugh.

"Oh, you're one of those ponies who like backstory and all that. Okay." Margin turned his head to one side. "Hey, Deep Lore."

A stallion with his back to them replied without turning around, "No."

Margin frowned. "Come on. You love backstory. Help me out here."

"No." Deep Lore took a step away. "You're on your own with this. We're not even that close."

"Wow, okay." Margin's frown deepened and he waved a hoof as if to dismiss the already-leaving stallion. "See if I ever give you some of my special brownies again."

There was a pause before Deep turned his head to stare at Margin, expression blank and tone deadpan. "Deep Lore relishes your animosity."

Margin snorted, stuck his nose in the air, and returned his attention to Crystal. "Anyway, so, uh, the beanis. The idea came to me when—"

"I'm sorry." Crystal flashed a brief attempt at a smile. "I think I just heard somepony call my name, over there." She hurriedly trotted past him and into the crowd, glaring at Sunset as he followed her. "Seriously?"

Sunset tossed his head back to bark out a laugh. "It was worth it for the look on your face!"

"I just. I don't think I can take much more of this." Crystal stopped to sit down and rub at her temples with both forehooves. "Have ponies always been this crazy?"

"Mrs. Wishes?"

Crystal jerked her head to the side and snapped, "No! No more—" Her heart leapt up into her throat. "Thunder Tumble?"

The straw-coated stallion stood in front of her, his aquamarine mane cut shorter than she remembered. At his side was sweet little Dawn Walker, her cheeks wet with tears fresh and old.

"Hello, ma'am," he said in a tight voice. "I'm sorry I didn't—"

Before he could finish speaking, Crystal surged forward and threw her forelegs around his neck. A strained grunt rumbled in his chest, but he returned the hug with one leg. Without regard for the eyes on them, she wept into his coat, trembling and happy and raw with sudden emotion.

Sweet, thoughtful, courageous Thunder Tumble had always been one of her favorites. It hadn't surprised her that he followed Silent to war; his near-worship of him was plain to everypony but Silent himself.

To see him standing there, to hear his voice, to hug him tight—Crystal was overwhelmed by her own joy. It soothed all the irritation and tension of the day, and it pushed aside the angry, bitter voice which whispered that Silent would never come home to her.

"Oh, Tumble," Crystal breathed more than said, pulling back and clasping his cheeks in her hooves. "Look at you." She tugged his head down to kiss his forehead. "You came home, you wonderful colt."

He chuckled, voice thick with emotion. "Of course I did, Mrs. Wishes." His head inclined so he could look at Dawn out of the corner of one eye. "Had a great reason to survive."

Dawn flushed all the way to the tips of her ears and smiled shyly.

"Survive?" Crystal's gaze darted over him and landed on a sight that stole her breath.

His chest was mottled with scars, three distinct grey-colored knots and a few raised tears from sternum to shoulder.

Tumble shifted under the scrutiny. "It would have been worse if it weren't for the major—for Silent Knight."

Crystal swallowed, hooves trembling as she tucked them in to her own chest. She could barely hear her own voice as she whispered, "How is he?"

There was just enough hesitation to steal the hope from her chest. When new tears started to fall down her cheeks, Tumble quickly said, "He's fine, ma'am. He's alive last I saw him. I just—" He swallowed. "Have you not gotten his letter yet?"

"No." Crystal slowly shook her head as her gaze fell to the scars again. "The courier service has been slower and slower." She looked back up to meet his eyes. "What happened?"

Tumble cleared his throat. "I'm not sure you want to hear this from me. I think he'd want you to hear it from him, ma'am."

"What happened?" she repeated with more resolve.

"I—" His wings drooped at his sides and sighed, gaze downcast. "We were breaking through the Sudramoar lines, but there were more with crossbows. The major protected me from what would have been a fatal volley, but..." He trailed.

Crystal wrung her hooves in a futile attempt to stave off more tears. "But what? What happened to him?"

"He likely won't be able to fly again," Tumble finally admitted. His expression twisted with pain as he shook his head. "I'm so sorry, ma'am."

Even though she heard the words and understood their meaning, there was nothing within her in response. No remorse, no anger, no sorrow. Instead, she just felt—nothing.

The idea of Silent without flight was inconceivable. She knew Tumble wasn't lying to her, of course, but how could she just accept something like this? How was she even supposed to react?

Slowly, she wiped the tears from her eyes and gave a weak smile. "Thank you for telling me." She stood up, turned her head, and wrapped a nearby book in her magic. "I would like to share something with you that expresses what I want to say but can't find the words for right now. Dawn, would you mind reading it aloud for me?"

Dawn blinked in surprise. "What? Me?"

The book floated over to the earth pony mare, its simple black cover inscribed with three crimson letters: WAR.

At the sight of it, Tumble's expression shuttered into something inscrutable and Dawn whispered, "Oh."

"Yes." Crystal guided it open, flipping several pages in until she found what she was looking for. "This is an anthology of literary works, written by anonymous military spouses."

Dawn skimmed over the words in front of her and shrunk back. "And you want me to read this?"

Crystal swallowed around the lump in her throat. "Please. I would do it myself, but I'm afraid I wouldn't make it very far before I broke down."

It seemed that Dawn would refuse. She looked ready to crumple in on herself, surrounded by so many ponies and faced with such a delicate subject.

And then her voice, soft and gentle and sad, began to recite the words that had been torn from Crystal one desperate, lonely night.

"The dread that takes a hold of all I am
"Would rend my heart in two halves cleanly split.
"The depths of dark despairing pools I dam
"O'er top a most alluring face is lit.
"The news of blood and vile tumult prolong
"The sense of ill that draws me to this state."

The conversations around them quietened, and ponies slowly began to gather to listen as Dawn continued to speak.

"What once I felt unthinkable and wrong
"Is now upon your back, a painful weight.
"You crossed the sea, a shameful penitence
"To right the wrongs you heaped upon your head.
"Such deaths would scarcely bring your recompense
"And my heart fears lest you should come back dead."

All of Verbatim had gone quiet and still. There was nothing except the lilting voice that covered Crystal's whisper of the words she knew by heart.

"A deeper fear within my heart does drill
"Would be you home alive, yet distant still."

Dawn paused to catch her breath around a shuddering whimper. Tumble stepped closer to drape his wing over her back and joined his voice in with hers.

"A soldier born to fight and to protect,
"I knew that knight who won my hoof and heart.
"And with each dread report I fear you flecked
"With bloody hooves as you act out your part.
"The careless gaze of war upon the land
"Seeks only to destroy, to rend and maim."

Several other ponies began to join in after having grabbed a copy and finding the right page. Crystal closed her eyes and let the harmony wash over her while she tried to hold onto what remained of her composure.

"You stand with others, friends at your command,
"Its end not in your sight, yet in your aim.
"I wish my words would cast your foes aside;
"I hope, my love, that you will come back whole.
"I dream of future's promise yet confide
"I cannot fathom what it's cost your soul."

She didn't know if somepony gave a signal while she couldn't see, but all at once, every other voice stopped. Hers alone echoed in the sudden silence.

"Though, even what this war has drained from me,
"I'd give to you the rest and live happ'ly."

A few hooves stomped politely against the wooden floor. Crystal remained where she was; if she moved, she feared she would find that she couldn't.

The brush of feathers against her shoulder forced her eyes open and she looked up to see Thunder Tumble gazing down at her with a pained expression.

"He'll come home," he said with conviction. "That is all he thinks about. I promise you."

Her lips twitched into a brief smile and she lied, "I know."

The Voice Inside

View Online

Equestria stretched out before Crystal, distant and vast and full of life. She could see snow-capped mountains reaching into the clouds, golden fields rolling over hills, and dark forests spreading out far and wide.

She knew there were ponies all over the land, but she couldn't see them. There were clusters she recognized as villages and towns, though their names escaped her. Geography had never been one of her best subjects.

Once upon a time, there had been an idle dream of hers to explore Equestria with Silent. She would have clung to his back while they soared through the skies, her hornlet allowing for cloud-bound rest stops. No train, no other passengers, nopony but the two of them and wherever they wanted to go.

That dream, now, was dead. Thunder Tumble's report had been confirmed when Silent's letter finally arrived.

Queen of my heart

I write to you fearfully. I did, in fact, endure the battle as you knew I would but it was not without a price. Once more I did my duty and woke to find myself in a hospital bed, grateful to be alive, but fearful of the consequence. In this case, the wound may be too much to handle. My wing was shattered and I was told I would likely not fly again.

It was as if I was being attacked at the core of my being. What is a pegasus without her wings? What is a pegasus without her ability to fly? Isn't that what defines us and makes us special? What will I be when I get home if I can't fly?

That just wasn't how I wanted to be. They said no and I said yes. Once I was well enough, I started to work on it. The wing is weak, I can tell that easily. It doesn't move right. Still, with determination and some degree of plan, I can make do. I can still be a pegasus. If I keep it up, perhaps I'll get strong and, more or less, fly well enough with the brace on.

I am saddened to say I may not be able to carry you anymore, my love. It is my largest fear when it comes to this. What will you think of your handsome knight that cannot fly you into the night's embrace?

Of course it all remains to be seen, however, as they told me I'd never fly again without the brace and I have proven them wrong. They do not know or understand the determination of the Knight bloodline.

Don't worry about me. This is just a moment of weakness and hurt. I'll be my old self soon enough. The stallion you fell in love with. The stallion you still love. The stallion that yearns to return to your warmth and never leave it again.

Your Silent Knight

Crystal took a deep breath in and moved to lay over on her side. She was stretched out near the path that wound down Alicorn Spire, a good fifteen minutes' walk outside the gates of Canterlot.

She wanted to be alone, especially today of all days. Everypony she knew was gathered at the palace in wait for Princess Celestia's Harmony Remembrance speech. If she went, there would be certain expectations of her: to be the heartbroken wife, the strong Foundation leader, the empathetic mourner.

Today, she didn't want to comfort others or be comforted through her tears. Honestly, she didn't even want to cry. She just wanted to be a mare who missed her husband.

A droplet hit her face and she tilted her head back to welcome the rain which was, as usual, right on schedule. The sky was full of grey, laden clouds that circled Canterlot without crossing the walls. As soon as the first drop had fallen, hundreds more came after it and Crystal was soaked to the bone within seconds.

This was, in fact, exactly why she had come so far out of the city rather than hiding under her bed covers. Sitting in the rain on such a gloomy day was beautifully cliché, like something out of a story, and she relished it.

At least, she did until the downpour stopped without warning. She frowned in both disappointment and confusion. The morning paper had clearly said there would be a two-hour storm outside of Canterlot.

The morning paper had also once told her that the war was progressing well, with the Sudramoar forces being pushed further back. A push that had cost her husband his flight, though they neglected to mention that part.

Weather reports, she'd learned over the past two years, were far better for her nerves than those of the war.

When she opened her eyes, little droplets stuck to her lashes and she had to blink them away. Her brow furrowed as her vision cleared enough to confirm that there was still rain all around her, but she was sheltered from it. A glance upwards revealed a happy little white cloud hovering just a few meters above her.

"Hello?" she called, ignoring the way her teeth clattered and her voice trembled. "Could you please move your cloud?"

"No," the cloud's owner replied in a voice just above the patter of rain.

Crystal paused, one ear flicking. "And why not?"

A water-soaked green head leaned over to look at her upside-down, braid dangling like a pendulum. "Because you'll catch a cold."

Her eyes widened in momentary surprise before she settled into a soft laugh. "Hello, Rossby."

The young stallion frowned at her. "Oh, look, you remember my name."

Crystal got up and moved over to sit outside the shelter. "Yes, yes. Snarky comment, playful reply, irritated retort to mask your fondness for me. I'm quite familiar with this dance."

He stepped off the edge of the cloud and glided in a tight circle to land where she had been. After a quick shake that sent a spray in every direction, he sat down and leveled a blank stare at her.

Some of Crystal's mane was plastered to her face, and though she had to blink as droplets fell into her eyes, she didn't look away from his challenge. They remained like that for a while, the rain falling in a steady rhythm, until Rossby heaved a great, put-upon sigh.

"I was trying to enjoy the barely moderate weather when I saw somepony just sitting here." He turned his head to look out at the view before them. "A pony has to be either really stupid or really determined to do that."

"Perhaps a bit of both," she mumbled, joining him in enjoying what could still be seen of Equestria through the haze. "I wanted to be alone."

Rossby snorted. "Whoops."

In spite of herself, Crystal smiled. "Yes, you ruined that quite nicely."

"Yeah, well." There was a pause before he asked in a voice that bordered on worry, "So, why are you out here instead of at the Remembrance ceremony?"

Crystal closed her eyes and tilted her head back to let the rain hit her face. Each drop was cold as ice. "Because I'm tired."

"Okay. That explains why you're not at the ceremony, but not why you're trying to catch a cold. I'm pretty sure that'll just make you even more tired, actually."

"Maybe I want to catch a cold." She blinked several times in an attempt to open her eyes, then shuffled to the side to sit under the cloud with a sigh. "I don't know. I thought it would spark a revelation about—everything. Anything. Something."

When she started to shiver, Rossby stretched out one wing to wrap around her. "That's stupid."

She gave a stuttering laugh. "I suppose it is."

Just as a companionable silence started to settle around them, Rossby broke it with a mutter. "I'm leaving Canterlot in a few weeks."

Crystal jerked back to look at him in surprise. "Leaving? Why?"

His brow furrowed and he dropped his gaze. "I was, uh, caught."

"Caught? What do you mean?"

A faint look of embarrassment crossed his face. "I was spinning up a tornado... or two." His wings twitched. "Okay, it was three. But I had everything under control. They weren't that big."

"What happened?" she asked, stuck somewhere between confused and amused.

"Well, even though everything was fine, this pony came out of nowhere and dispersed them, then started into this dumb lecture about how dangerous it is for the ecosystem, or whatever."

As he continued, his tone started to lighten and he looked back out across Equestria. "Turns out she was a member of the Stormchasers. I've never met a real stormchaser before." The corners of his lips turned up into a tiny smile. "She said that I could be one, if I tried."

Crystal raised a questioning hoof. "What exactly is a stormchaser?"

The smile vanished as his eyes rolled. "Only the most elite weatherponies get to join the Stormchasers. They go to places beyond Equestria to study natural weather patterns." His smile returned twofold. "It's unpredictable out there. Blizzards! Typhoons! Supercells! And I'd get to experience it all firsthoof!"

Her shaking hoof moved to cover her mouth as she giggled. "That sounds terrifying. I'll take my nice, pleasant, scheduled rain showers, thank you very much."

"Pff, boring." He shot her a small grin that fell when their eyes met, and he looked back away. "So, anyway. The timing works out. I'll finish my last year of prep school in a month, and start the internship process."

Her own smile faltered. "And this internship process will take you away from Canterlot?"

"Yeah, it will." His ears flicked back against his mane. "Before I can even try out, I have to have a year's experience in all the major regions of Equestria. North and south."

Crystal blinked a few times. "How long will that take?"

Rossby raised his forehooves to count off taps of one against the other. "There are four distinct regions in Northern Equestria, and three in Southern Equestria." He frowned and glared in Canterlot's direction. "Thanks to the stupidly long school system here, I'm already four years behind my peers. Yay."

"And then you'll be off in distant lands after that?" Crystal bit her lower lip, then took one of his hooves in her own. "Is this goodbye, then?"

For a while, he didn't reply. He just stared down at their joined hooves with a blank expression. "Yes... kind of. No." He gave a quick shake of his head. "No. Part of being a stormchaser is bringing weather knowledge back to Equestria. So, I'll see you when I'm forced to come back."

"Oh, how kind of you." Crystal smiled softly and looked back ahead of them. "I'll miss you."

"Yeah," he muttered, squeezing her hoof to say he'd miss her, too.

The rain filled the quiet space between them. Thunder rumbled in the distance—no, not thunder. Tens of thousands of hooves hitting cobblestone all at once in applause.

"I guess the ceremony's over," Rossby said.

Crystal gave a noncommittal sound in reply. She needed to get back to the Foundation and resume her role as its strong leader.

Instead, she closed her eyes and listened to the rain.

Rossby remained at her side, not saying a word and not letting go of her hoof. She hadn't realized how much she needed the silent company.

When the patter of drops against the ground grew softer, Crystal gave in with a sigh. "I need to go before my mothers send out a search party for me."

"Yeah." Rossby withdrew his wing first and then, reluctantly, his hoof. "It's been. Nice. Being your friend, I mean."

She sputtered a laugh. "Oh, thank you for such a magnanimous compliment, Your Highness."

With a light glare, he turned away from her. "I take it all back. I won't come visit you."

"Please do," she said with gentle sincerity that earned her a cautious side glance.

His head bobbed in the slightest nod before his wings lifted him off the ground. One hoof grabbed the underside of the cloud to tug it along. "Come on. I'll keep the path dry for you."

As she opened her mouth to politely decline, the only sound that came out was the clatter of her teeth. She instead gave a sheepish, grateful smile and started to stand.

Her joints complained from the cold, so she eased herself into a slow walk to stretch them out and warm them up. Rossby matched her pace, flapping his wings to keep aloft as they moved forward together in silence.

There was no wildlife about as they travelled the path to the city gates. Every other creature was smart enough to have taken shelter from the rain. It made the distance seem that much further, but she kept moving with one hoof in front of the other.

That tactic worked for most things in her life, after all.

Once they cleared the rain, Rossby dropped back down to land beside her. He regarded her with a slight furrow of his brow. "You're soaked."

Crystal snorted. "You're observant."

He stated at her a moment longer, then lowered into an odd stance and stretched out his wings. "Whatever. Just stay still."

Curious and intrigued, she nodded and braced herself for whatever he had planned. She watched as he sprung back into the air and flew around her in a quick, tight circle. He went around and around until the air began to stir, faster and faster until he became a blur. Before she knew it, she was standing in the middle of a funnel of wind that whipped through her coat. Her mane and tail flapped about helplessly, and she had to close her eyes to keep from getting dizzy.

Just as suddenly as it started, it stopped, and she found herself windswept but perfectly dry. Rossby landed in front of her, his own mane a mess.

"There," he said with a little grin. "All dry." He ran a hoof over his frazzled braid. "Try to avoid going out of your way to get caught in a rainstorm."

Crystal stepped forward and wrapped a foreleg around his neck to pull him in for a hug. She snorted a laugh when he went completely stiff at her touch. "It's a hug, doofus."

As quickly as he could, Rossby squeaked out, "I don't do hugs!"

"All right, all right." She let go of him, brow shooting up when he stumbled to avoid falling over. "Oh, goodness, you're not kidding."

He shot a glare at her once he regained his balance and backpedaled out of her reach. "No. I don't kid about these things. Or anything, really." With a huff, he jumped into the air and landed on his cloud.

Crystal raised an apologetic hoof. "I'm really sorry! I didn't know!"

There was a pause before he turned his head away, but she saw the tips of his ears turn red. "It's, uh. It's fine. The sentiment is appreciated, anyway. Just don't ever do it again."

"Okay." She eased into a smile and flared her magic to gently tug one of his reddened ears, earning a yelp and another glare. "Good luck with joining the Stormchasers. I know you'll do great."

He rubbed at his offended ear, then gave a faint smile in return. "Thanks." Silence followed, which he interrupted by clearing his throat. "I'm leaving now before this gets any more awkward."

And with a flick of his wing, he sent his cloud sailing off into the city proper, leaving her with a strange sentiment in her chest. Although she'd gone out of her way to be alone, now that she was, she felt lonelier than ever.

She tried to push the thought from her mind and instead trotted the rest of the way up the path. As she approached the gates, she nodded politely to the guards posted at both sides. Neither acknowledged her bedraggled appearance; they just nodded back and kept their eyes forward.

Though she really needed to drop by the condo and clean herself up, she opted to instead take the scenic route home. If she ran into somepony on the way, they would want to talk. Probably about the war. That was the last thing she wanted right then.

The lower district of Canterlot was a mix of old buildings set against the mountainside and new ones stretched out on platforms. Some of the shops there catered more to tourists who would have just arrived by hoof, carriage, or train, but there was a neighborhood of some note that she headed toward.

Harmony Hamlet was a quaint community of old homes that were typically passed down from generation to generation rather than bought and sold to new owners. Sentiment kept many of them reminiscent of the original Canterlot architecture.

Crystal walked slowly down the quiet road, taking in the sight of each quaint dwelling. There was a round cottage with more flowers than anything else, and off on her right sat a little one-story ranch with a wraparound porch. Leisurely, she turned the corner onto Storybrooke Lane where, between another cottage and a cute yellow two-story, there was a sight that stopped her cold.

It shouldn't have been a house of any importance. In fact, it was the ugliest home she had seen in the neighborhood. Somepony without any architectural sense had taken a two-story home with a pointed peak and built on a short addition, which instead had a sweeping roofline. The contrast went against all reason and sense.

To make matters worse, it was in a clear state of neglect and disrepair. The paint was faded and chipping off, dust coated the windows, and some of the shingles were missing.

The little 'For Sale' sign affixed to the crooked fence posts was almost laughable. What pony in their right mind would buy such a home?

Crystal tutted under her breath and told her hooves to keep walking. Instead, they carried her forward until she was standing by the fence and peering down at the sign, which held pamphlets for more details.

Her magic was already pulling one of the sheets out before she realized her horn had lit.

A diamond in the rough, this home has great hidden potential just waiting for its perfect owner. Featuring a wide pegasus loft that overlooks a spacious living room with a vaulted ceiling—

A pegasus loft? Crystal found herself both wanting to smile and wanting to cry. She moved to peer in through the window, but the haze of dust made it hard to see much.

She could imagine it, though: Silent lounging on a loft, his watchful gaze on her and their foals as they played on the floor below. Perhaps they'd have a little pegasus who would sleep up there, nestled under his father's wing.

Her vision blurred and she took a shuddering breath, raising one hoof to quickly wipe her eyes. This was foolish. What was she doing here?

With a tightness in her chest, she turned to leave, but her hooves wouldn't move. There were echoes of a possible future in the disrepair that filled her senses with more fantasies.

The weeds strangling what used to be a garden within the fenced-in yard showed her lazy afternoons spent applying what she had learned working at the Foundation toward growing vegetables. Zucchini, mostly. Silent's favorite.

A large kitchen had been mentioned in the pamphlet. She felt good-morning kisses exchanged over two cups of tea and freshly made muffins. She tasted simple dinners, sometimes made by her, sometimes by him.

Refinished hardwood floors captured every little hooffall as foals ran about. Two, three, maybe even four of them! They'd have her smile and his eyes. Her charm and his strength. Her creativity and his loyalty. They would be perfect.

But most of all, the dilapidated, neglected old building felt like home—and that both terrified and excited her.

The sound of ponies milling their way back into the neighborhood broke the strange spell she was under, and with an embarrassed flush, she hurried away from the house and back on her way through Canterlot. She kept her gaze forward to avoid unwanted eye contact, and moved at a hurried gait to ward off undesired conversation.

It wasn't until she finally arrived at the condo that she realized she was still carrying the pamphlet in her magic.

She stood just inside the door, staring down at where it had fallen when her attention shifted to the lock. It stared back at her, boasting the low price and great potential.

What point was there in keeping a flyer for a house she couldn't buy? Silent was overseas in a war, for Celestia's sake! All she wanted was for him to come home. Everything else was just a means to an end of waiting for that day without losing her mind.

And, yet, she wanted it. She wanted to keep it. Because it gave her—

Slowly, a smile bloomed on her lips and she levitated the paper back into the air. She walked across the living room and into her bedroom, where she pulled out a blue hat box that sat inconspicuously in the closet.

Inside was her secret collection: every letter Silent had sent her since he left; clippings of any newspaper article that featured the Black Dragoons or the rare mention of Dread Knight; and, now, a pamphlet for a house that gave her the one thing they all had in common.

Hope.

Precious to Me

View Online

There was something different about the condo Crystal and Velvet used to share.

It wasn't the fact that every hard corner had been foal-proofed with soft foam, or that there was a fabulously plush rug of multi-colored pastel hues in the center of the room. It also had nothing to do with her old bedroom now painted a gentle green color and home to a crib.

The something different was Velvet herself.

"All right, we're still safely in the first stage," Velvet said in a voice that sounded much calmer than she looked. She paced the living room, beads of sweat visible along her sides. "Everything is right on schedule."

She wasn't the shy filly Crystal met so many years ago. Nor was she the laughing, playful jokester she'd grown into. Most of all, there was no sign of the insecure, self-loathing mare Crystal had discovered was hiding under the grinning facade.

"Sweetie," Sunbeam said from where she hovered in the kitchen while Pepper baked another batch of worry muffins. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable at the hospital?"

Velvet was somepony new.

"No, I wouldn't." Velvet pointed at her bookshelf full of books on pregnancy, labor, and motherhood that had long since replaced the Prima Donna collection. "If I go now, I'll just be sitting there for hours."

Today, she was confident. She had been waiting for this day for so long, and now it was finally here.

"Besides," Velvet mumbled, her ears going flat against her disheveled mane as she glanced at the front door, "I'm waiting for somepony."

Well—mostly confident, anyway.

Crystal tilted her head. "Who? The rest of your family is at the hospital already, aren't they?"

The only response Velvet gave was a frustrated huff and more pacing. Crystal looked past her to offer Sunbeam a sympathetic shrug.

By the time Pepper was on his fourth batch of muffins—blueberry, apparently, was the flavor of worry—Velvet looked about ready to sweat through her entire body weight. She stopped her frantic pacing, sighed, and mumbled, "I guess she's not coming."

"Who?" Sunbeam trotted over to press her nose to Velvet's cheek. "Who, Sweetie? I'll go find her and drag her over here by the tail if I have to! Just, please, let's get you settled."

Two curt knocks drew a gasp from Velvet. "Oh my Celestia," she breathed, "she's here!"

They watched as Velvet hurriedly wobbled over to the door and threw it open. An old mare stood on the other side, head held high in perfect form and expression locked in disdain.

"Velvet Step," the mare said in a clipped tone. "I must admit, it is not often that I will go to a hospital for somepony. It is less often that I will then, after being told they are not there, go to their home."

A startled, almost manic laugh bubbled up from Velvet's throat. "Seriously? I've been waiting here for you instead of going to the hospital."

No change came to the mare's expression, much less amusement. "How ironic."

"Uh, yeah." Velvet looked over her shoulder and gestured for Crystal to get off the sitting pillow. "Sorry about the trouble, but—"

Before Crystal could get up, the mare raised a hoof to stop her. "There's no need to make any accommodations for me. Although I am still quite curious how you believe there is any plausible reason for me to take you on in spite of your letters, I'm simply here to tell you the answer is assuredly no."

Sunbeam shoved her way between Velvet and the mare, standing on the tips of her hooves to try to match her height. "Excuse you! I don't know what's going on here, but who are you to talk to my daughter that way?"

"Who am I?" The mare snorted.

"Mom," Velvet hissed as she tried to tug Sunbeam away, but to no avail. "Mom, don't you remember? This is my old teacher, Shimmering Waltz!"

Crystal gasped and Sunbeam wilted at the name: the single-most prestigious ballerina in living history. While Sunbeam just stared with wide eyes, Crystal broke the tension to ask, "The answer to what is no?"

Shimmering snorted. "Miss Step can explain. I bid the rest of you good day."

"Wait!" Velvet winced as she moved a little too quickly, grabbing Shimmering by a forehoof. "You went all the way to the hospital just to tell me 'no'? I don't buy that one bit! What's the deal?"

The hoof was quickly torn away and a withering glare sent in its place. "Because I realized, as I was walking here, that you have a history of quitting. You quit my lessons. You quit the Canterlot Ballet. And now you've quit the Royal Ballet. By all logic and reason, you are entirely unqualified."

Crystal heard the unspoken—"But?"

Shimmering's gaze snapped to her. "Excuse you?"

Crystal moved forward to stand beside Velvet. "I agree that it doesn't make sense to go through all of that effort just to tell her no for—for whatever this is. There's a but."

In the background, there was the sound of a muffin tin clattering against the ground as Pepper hurried over to join the united front. "Speak up, buttercup."

"I see you surround yourself quite well," Shimmering commented under her breath and shook her head, expression softening. "You're right. Despite my better judgment, I find myself... sentimental." Her sharp composure returned. "Do you know what happened the last time I allowed sentiment to override my judgment?"

Velvet chewed on her lower lip and said nothing as she shook her head.

After a long, tense pause, Shimmering relaxed into the faintest of smiles. "I gave up my career to have my daughter."

"Then you understand?" Sunbeam asked with a rush of sugary hope.

"Given that it was quite possibly the wisest choice I ever made, yes. I do." Shimmering held out her hoof to Velvet. "I expect to hear from you as soon as you find yourself physically able, Miss Step."

Velvet squealed and shoved past the hoof to throw her forelegs around the old mare's neck. Though the embrace wasn't returned, it was tolerated with only a slight frown.

Shimmering cleared her throat. "There is, however, one condition."

"Of course!" Velvet pulled back, settling on her haunches to look her in the eyes. "Of course. Whatever it is, I'll do it."

"I expect you to finish your lessons." The mare's expression tightened with stern sincerity. "And I expect you to do so without complaint."

Velvet paused long enough for Crystal to worry. Though whatever was on the table still eluded her, she wanted Velvet to have it. She needed Velvet to have it.

Finally, Velvet nodded. "Yeah. Okay, yeah. I agree." She held out a hoof. "Thanks, Ms. Waltz."

Shimmering accepted the hoof for a brief shake before stepping back from the door. "Yes. Well. I expect you are in dire need to be arriving at the hospital, so please stop delaying the birth of your foal."

Sunbeam gave an enthusiastic nod. "Listen to your teacher, honeybun!" She trotted over to where a pre-packed pink bag waited. "Let's go!"

While Shimmering had left and both parents were flitting about in a fret, Crystal stared at Velvet. The mare had her face buried in her hooves, just a glimpse of a smile visible around them. Though it filled her chest with warmth, there was still a question lingering in Crystal's mind:

"What exactly was that all about?"

Velvet's head snapped up and she blinked away the tears in her eyes. "I—"

"Walk now, talk later!" Sunbeam exclaimed, planting her forehooves on Velvet's rump and giving her a light shove upright. "Let's go, cakepops!"

Velvet snorted a laugh and ambled forward, emotion and pregnancy restricting her movements. "Jeeze, Mom, it's like you're more excited about this than I am."

"Or just taking it more seriously!" Sunbeam trotted ahead to reach the stairs first. She pivoted on her hindhoof and took a few steps down them backwards, her eyes locked on Velvet.

Velvet's brow arched. "Uh, I seem to recall a certain hypocritical mare standing on a train platform in full sweats from stalling her own labor, actually."

From behind them, Pepper cleared his throat. "Let's not antagonize your mother, okay? How about you tell us what that whole ordeal with your old teacher was about?"

Crystal nodded in wholehearted agreement, both ears swiveled to face Velvet as she started speaking.

"Okay, okay. Yeah, so, I started writing letters to Ms. Waltz about maybe teaching at her studio. It was the closest chance I had, you know? She at least knew me. All I had to do was convince her to give me a chance."

Crystal supported her as they started down the stairs together. "And how long have you been harassing her?"

"Harassing!" Velvet huffed, both from indignation and exertion. "Rude. I didn't harass her. They were just letters."

"How many?" Pepper asked, still vigilantly guarding the rear.

Velvet waited until they reached the ground floor before she sheepishly muttered, "One every week for the past four months."

"Velvet Chocosyrup Step!" Sunbeam exclaimed and threw open the lobby doors. "That's stalking!"

"It's determination, and it paid off!" Velvet yelled back.

Waiting outside the condominium building was a rented sulky, the carriage a veritable nest of pillows and blankets. While Crystal and Sunbeam helped Velvet settle in, Pepper strapped himself to the front. The two mares took up position on both sides of the cart and trotted alongside it as Pepper started forward.

"So," Crystal began, sending a sidelong glance up at Velvet, "how soon do you think you'll be able to start?"

"I guess not very soon. Which sucks, because I hate that you'll have to keep paying my rent while I..." Velvet's ears shot up, her jaw went slack, and she groaned. "Oh sweet Celestia's sunny flank—"

"Velvet!" Sunbeam shrieked and Crystal was startled into laughter.

"—I'm going to be taking dance lessons with teenagers! This is going to be so awkward!" She buried her face in both hooves and wailed dramatically.

Eyes turned and followed them while they made their way through the streets of Canterlot. A sign affixed to each side proudly explained: 'Pregnant Mare On Board'.

"Look at it this way, sweetie," Pepper said over his shoulder. "At least you'll have a great workout regimen to look forward to."

Sunbeam nodded. "That's true!"

There was a long pause before Velvet gasped. "Are you—Are you saying I'm fat?"

"You're pregnant," Sunbeam replied in a flat voice, her brow furrowed into a straight line. "Of course you're not fat. You're just carrying extra weight."

Velvet gasped again and clutched her forehooves to her stomach. "My foal isn't extra weight!"

With a soft groan, Sunbeam caught up with Pepper and shot him an exasperated look. "Please tell me I wasn't like this when I was pregnant."

Pepper cleared his throat. "Oh! Look! The hospital!"

"How convenient," Sunbeam muttered as she fell back into position.

Crystal tried to stifle her giggle, instead schooling her expression into one of placid concern. Her best friend was, after all, having a foal. This wasn't the time to be laughing.

Or perhaps it was exactly the time to be laughing. She wasn't sure.

The sulky came to a gentle halt and Sunbeam hovered over Velvet's every movement, cautioning her with continuous reminders to be careful. Velvet swatted her mother's hoof away, paused, then waved it back for assistance with the step down.

Pepper trotted off to park the sulky, and Crystal hurried ahead of Velvet and Sunbeam to hold the lobby door open. As soon as they crossed the threshold, somepony tall, golden, and angry stormed up to them, her face twisted in a snarl.

"Velvet Step, you better have a phenomenally good reason to explain your well-past-fashionably late arrival to your own labor!"

Velvet backpedaled a step, dropped her rump down to the floor, and raised her forehooves in a plaintive gesture. "Hey, whoa, calm down! I'm here now, right?"

"Careful with the pregnant mare!" Sunbeam squeaked.

Golden huffed and tossed her mane over her shoulder. She stared down her muzzle at Velvet, the left corner of her lips curled in an irritated sneer. "Do you realize how worried I've been?"

"Worried?" Velvet lowered her hooves with a growing grin. "Aw, Goldypants, you do like—" She doubled over from a sudden contraction, groaning out a strained, "—me."

Sunbeam paced a quick circle around Velvet before helping her back upright. "Yes, yes, yes, we can deal with friends later, for now can we please get my daughter to a room?"

A forest-green unicorn peered around Golden's lanky legs, his ears folded back and his head ducked in a submissive posture. In an uncertain voice, he asked, "Is this who we've been waiting for?"

Velvet's eyes went wide. "Oh my Celestia, Golden, is this your stallionfriend?!"

"Who?" Golden frowned and looked down at the stallion. Her brow furrowed in momentary thought before it shot back up. "What? No!" She cleared her throat and put on a sweeter voice. "No, no. This is Forest Shadow. He won my time for a day in a charity auction."

Forest raised a hoof to offer a meek wave. "Hi."

Sunbeam jogged in place, her nervous gaze darting between her daughter and the nearest nurse. "Velvet..."

"Wait." Velvet's grin returned in full force as her attention focused solely on the stallion. "You bid on a day with Golden, and she's making you spend it in the hospital?"

Golden rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't make me out to be a villain. It's not my fault the days collided. Besides." She looked down at Forest again—prompting him to flinch away—and flashed one of her practiced picture-perfect smiles. "We've had a lovely time, haven't we?"

Forest's throat bobbed with an audible swallow. "Well, it's been, uh, different than I imagined." He met her gaze and seemed to melt into a goofy smile. "Different is good, though."

"Exactly." Golden turned back to Velvet and waggled a dismissive hoof. "Now, run along before you give your mother a heart attack."

"I think I'm on my third one already!" Sunbeam exclaimed as she grabbed Velvet's hoof and tugged her forward. "Nurse!"

The nearest nurse turned to look at them with a tired but cordial smile. "Hello! What is the—" Her bright eyes flicked to Velvet and her lips pursed. "Please follow me to the maternity ward!"

"Finally," Sunbeam huffed out like a great weight had been lifted from her back, "somepony gets it."

Crystal trailed after them only to notice the entourage of ponies that stood up from the waiting room seats to follow. The sensation of her hooves dropping out from under her stopped her in place, and all she could do was watch them walk past and feel her heart swell.

So many ponies were there to be a part of the birth. Although it didn't surprise her, it did overwhelm her to realize just how much love surrounded Velvet.

Horsey pranced over and squealed, "I can't believe she's having a foal!"

"Where's Savoir?" Crystal asked, mostly because she didn't know what else to say.

"Oh, he's at the hotel with Claire and Amoureuse." Horsey's smile wavered for a brief moment. "Claire's afraid of hospitals, Celestia only knows why. And Amour is scared of anything Claire's scared of."

Crystal gave a sympathetic nod while she glanced at all the ponies passing them by: Velvet's grandparents, uncles, and aunts, all of whom she recognized but wouldn't succeed in naming correctly.

A voice of gravel growled out, "Can somepony find me a cup of coffee that doesn't taste like it was brewed with a sock?"

Except for Velvet's grandfather, Bitter Batter. It was impossible to forget him.

Crystal spotted some of Velvet's friends from ballet toward the rear of the group, as well as—"Mom?"

"Hmm?" Upper Crust stopped mid-step and turned her head to regard Crystal with a weary smile. Red Velvet was draped on her back, and his favorite blue blanket was draped over him.

"What are you—" Crystal sputtered. "I mean, why are you—"

Upper Crust raised a hoof. "I've been foalsitting Red for Sunbeam and Pepper. Shocking as I am sure this must be to you, I can do things such as this."

When Sunbeam had mentioned Red was being foalsat by a friend, this certainly wasn't what Crystal had expected. She just blinked, more than slightly dumbfounded.

"And if your confusion pertains to my presence, well." Upper Crust sniffed, tilting her nose into the air. "I would venture to say that Velvet and I are friends."

"Friends," Crystal sputtered in a half-laugh. Her mouth snapped shut with an audible click at the withering stare she received. "You're serious."

Upper Crust only replied with a sharp nod, though there was a glimmer of amusement in her eyes just before she turned away to catch up with the others.

They were all gathered in the hall just outside a room that Crystal assumed was Velvet's. A passing nurse gave a meaningful clearing of her throat at the crowd, but nopony would move. Instead, they huddled all together, arguing over who would be present in the room and who would stay in the maternity ward's waiting room.

The door opened and a nurse poked her head out. Everypony went silent as all eyes fell on her.

"The mom-to-be has requested a Crystal and Horsey be with her during this time."

"What!" Sunbeam's eyes went wild. "Oh, no, she doesn't! I will be right there beside her, and I will—"

The nurse smiled. "Are you Mrs. Sunbeam?"

"Her mother," Sunbeam corrected with a harsh tone.

With a small bob of her head in acknowledgement, the nurse continued, "The mom-to-be requested a Mrs. Sunbeam not be present due to, how did she put it?" She hummed in feigned thought. "I believe her words were, 'Tell Mrs. Sunbeam she has her tail tied too tight and it's stressing me out.'"

Sunbeam sputtered an incoherent string of half-started insults as Pepper took her by the hoof and softly said, "Dear, you are a little stress-inducing right now. Maybe it would be best to calm down first."

"You calm down!" Sunbeam finally yelled. "My baby's having a baby!"

The nurse turned her attention to Crystal and Horsey, waving a hoof to gesture them forward. "Please come on in."

Stepping into the room transported Crystal away from the nervous and excited tension that thrummed out in the hall. Soft lighting haloed Velvet in a gentle glow where she lay on the bed, white sheets drawn halfway up her stomach and her back resting against a large pillow.

"Hey," she said, the usual rasp of her voice made soft with emotion. Then her lips quirked into a grin. "How did Mom take the news?"

Horsey moved over to the far side of the bed and gave Velvet a light slap on the foreleg. "Be nice to your mother! She went through all this to have you."

Velvet stuck out her tongue. "I'm just having a little fun. We've still got hours to go before the action sta—" She doubled forward, her word stuttering into a groan.

"Oh," Horsey cooed, looking over at Crystal with empathy clear in her pinched brow, "contractions are the worst."

"You'd know." Velvet lifted her head and gave a wry grin, her teeth clenched tight. "Like, do you even have them at this point? Or do you just wake up to discover you've had another foal?"

Crystal snorted and looked at the readout of the nearest monitor: the foal's heartbeat, nice and steady. "She's only had two, you know."

Velvet waved a dismissive hoof. "You know she's not going to stop until she's had, like, forty. In fact, she's probably pregnant right now."

"Not that I know of," Horsey put in softly.

"Knock knock!" a stallion's voice called as he knocked and then let himself inside, the nurse from before following close behind.

Crystal had met Dr. Doctor only once before, when she'd accompanied Velvet on a prenatal checkup. He was an earth pony who, while large in stature, was neither lanky nor bulky; he instead had a pleasant build in between the two.

In fact, all of him could be summed up as pleasant: eyes of a blue summer sky, mane like a spring meadow, and fresh snowfall coat. All he was missing was autumn.

Perhaps, Crystal thought idly, he was just waiting to fall in love. She choked back a laugh at her own joke and tried to ignore the look Horsey shot her.

Dr. Doctor flipped through a chart before giving the smile that was, of course, pleasant. "Well, Miss Step, today's finally the day, is it?"

Velvet started to grin, but a soft smile overtook her lips instead. His demeanor was infectious. "I hope so, because if I have to deal with these contractions for more than twenty-four hours, I want a refund."

The doctor chuckled and unceremoniously lifted the sheet that covered her for a quick examination.

"So, Doc, give me the news." Velvet twiddled her hooves, trying to not look like she was on display. "How long until I never have to see you again?"

"Miss Step, I'm hurt." He lowered the sheet, muttered something about centimeters to the nurse, then flashed a smile. "I thought we had such a good time this past year."

Velvet gave a dramatic roll of her eyes, but whatever playfully sarcastic remark she had to give was lost under a pained groan.

Dr. Doctor patted the edge of the bed in a comforting gesture without actually making physical contact. "You've still got a ways to go, I'm afraid. Nurse Pomegranate will keep an eye on your and your foal's vitals." He smiled, though it was softened with empathy as Velvet came out of the contraction pain. "I'll see you in a few hours."

As the doctor left the room, Pomegranate fixed Crystal and Horsey with a serious look. "Which of you is serving as Miss Step's support pony today?"

Crystal exchanged glances with Horsey. "I suppose that would technically be her, since she has more experience. But I—" She gripped one of Velvet's hooves in her own. "I'm here, too."

Velvet managed a weak smile and squeezed the hoof holding hers.

The sentiment seemed lost on the nurse, who just focused on Horsey. "Help her regulate her breathing. If she's not responding, it's just a contraction. Ensure she changes position frequently. If you can encourage her to walk around the room, all the better."

Horsey nodded, the gentle demeanor she normally carried replaced with utmost sincerity. "Absolutely! I'll give her my very best care."

"Good." Pomegranate smiled, albeit there was fatigue around her eyes. "I'll be back for another vitals check soon."

"Thanks," Velvet offered in a weak voice. Sweat beaded along her forehead, and Crystal levitated a cloth over to dab it up.

When the three of them were alone, Crystal just watched as Horsey guided Velvet through a series of breathing patterns. Inwardly, she cursed herself for not learning any of this after she found out Velvet was pregnant.

She hadn't known what to expect. The few romance books that extended past the big moment of love declarations depicted foalbirth as intensity and speed. Everything was fine, the water broke, there was screaming, and then a foal was born.

Of course, Sunbeam's labor with Red had shown her that wasn't the case, but she'd spent all of that in a waiting room. Today, she was both fully prepared and not prepared at all to be a part of the whole thing.

There was a long pause of silence as Velvet tried to relax, intermittently broken by the beeps and trills of the monitors. Crystal hated the sound of them; they reminded her of days—weeks—months spent at Silent's side.

She didn't want to think about that today.

Velvet briefly closed her eyes and began to speak with careful measure. "Girls... I'm scared. I want this—Celestia help me, this is what I want." She winced, her ears folding flat against her mane. "I know I've made mistakes getting here. But I want this foal so, so much."

She took in a deep breath and looked between them. "But I'm scared I won't be a good mother. I'm selfish, and stubborn, and... reckless and stupid." A self-deprecating laugh forced its way past her lips. "What if I just keep making mistakes and ruin her life, too?"

"Velvet Sprinkle Step," Crystal said in her best Sunbeam impression. "Do you want to spend these hours feeling sorry for yourself over things in the past you can't change, or do you want to tell us all about what you've got planned for your foal's future?"

The worried lines of Velvet's face smoothed over with warmth and she nestled back into the pillow behind her. As she explained her vision of teaching her foal to dance and bake, words and time flowed together. Soon it felt less like they were in a hospital and more that they were just catching up over lunch.

Of course, that illusion was dispelled whenever Pomegranate came in to check her vitals, but they were quick to resume any interrupted conversation. When there were lulls, they played cards or looked at magazines. Whatever it took to keep Velvet distracted.

While taking a short walk around the room, Velvet regaled how her foal would be steadfast friends with Red and Claire and Amoureuse whether she liked it or not. Horsey doubted anypony could resist being friends with her foals. Velvet called her biased; Crystal laughed.

Crystal tried to understand the meaning behind Pomegranate regularly checking under Velvet's sheet. She knew what the nurse was looking at, but not what she was looking for.

Horsey suggested a game of charades, at which she was far better than Crystal. It kept Velvet amused—especially when Crystal did her very best impression of Princess Celestia, and Horsey guessed that she was a dragon.

After a couple of closely timed contractions that brought the charades to an end, Velvet made weary mention of how she was hoping for a colt rather than a filly.

Horsey tilted her head. "Why a colt?"

Crystal snorted. "Because she doesn't think Equestria can handle two of her."

"Oh!" Horsey covered her mouth as she laughed, eyes crinkling with delight. "Of course Velvet would say that!"

As they shared a giggle, Crystal noted Velvet's silence. She looked over at the mare to see an expression that was perfectly shuttered to hide all emotion.

"I'm sorry, did you want to deliver that punchline?" Crystal pawed at the air. "I didn't mean to—"

"No," Velvet gasped out, and that was when they noticed how tightly she was gripping the sheets. "I think I'm about to—deliver the foal."

Horsey stood up and glanced nervously at the door. "Oh, no, how bad is the pain?"

Velvet's eyes rolled back, her head hit the pillow, and she gave a low, agonized sound like a strangled scream.

"That's pretty bad," Crystal commented, entirely uncertain of what else to do.

Mercifully, Horsey did. She charged over to the door and yelled out into the hall, "Velvet's in transition!"

Crystal bit her lower lip and doubled down on her wish for having prepared more for this. "What does that mean?"

One of Velvet's forehooves shot out, grabbed Crystal's, and squeezed with unrelenting pressure. "It means shut up!"

"Okay!" Crystal squeaked as tears sprung to her eyes. "Okay!"

Pomegranate marched in, took one look at the scene, and nodded. "All right. This is the home stretch, Miss Step." She quickly recorded something down on a chart and glanced under the sheet. "You're almost there. I'm going to have to ask one of your friends to leave so we have enough space for the doctors and—"

"Absolutely not!" Velvet shrieked and somehow squeezed Crystal's hoof even harder. Her other hoof flung in Horsey's direction, but she had been smart enough to stay just out of reach. "They stay!"

Though Pomegranate arched her brow, she didn't argue further. She took up position on one side of the bed, focusing her attention on the monitors. "How bad is the pain?"

Crystal whimpered, "Bad."

"Not yours. Hers."

Velvet clenched her eyes shut and growled out, "Bad!"

Pomegranate took this in with a nod. "Are you feeling an urge to push?"

After a grumbling moment of thought, Velvet shook her head. Pomegranate nodded again and moved back to the foot of the bed. "We're very close. The next hour is going to be tough, but you have to let me know as soon as you feel like pushing."

Velvet panted and writhed against the bed. "If I say I feel like pushing, can we skip this part and I just hold my foal?"

Pomegranate chuckled softly. "I'm afraid not. You're almost there, Miss Step."

"Just keep breathing," Horsey said, then led by example, gesturing to Velvet to focus on her.

The grip on Crystal's hoof started to loosen and she briefly contemplated pulling it away, but then Velvet cried out and held on tight again. It would be fine, she tried to reassure herself; if Velvet broke it, at least she was already at the right place.

Two hours didn't crawl by. They snarled, snapped, and utterly threw a tantrum for every tortured second that passed. Crystal hardly noticed the arrival of two doctors and another nurse, but when Horsey's gentle suggestions to breathe became loud pleas to push, Crystal realized what was going on.

Velvet was having a foal. Right now.

At the end of a desperate push, Velvet's head snapped to the side to give Crystal a sweat-stained scowl. "This is all your fault!"

The doctor who wasn't Dr. Doctor glanced over. "What?"

"You did this to me!" Velvet tugged on the hoof she was still clutching and pulled Crystal closer.

"Are you—" The doctor paused and glanced at his peer, who was entirely focused on Velvet's progress. He looked back at Crystal and blinked. "Are you the... father?"

"How is this my fault?!" Crystal yelled, surprised by the volume of her own voice.

"Because you—you—" Velvet trailed off before crying out and turning her head away.

The doctor watched the exchange with confusion on his face. "But you're a... mare."

Crystal snapped, "Of course I am!"

"Then how are you—"

With a growl, Crystal flung her free hoof in the air. "I don't know!"

"But that's not—"

Horsey stomped a hoof against the floor. "Ponies! Focus! Please! She's about to—"

A new voice's cry tore through the air, and both the doctors and nurses immediately focused elsewhere. Velvet slumped against the pillows and gasped for air, then gasped again when the doctor and one nurse started to leave. "Where are you—Why are you leaving?"

Dr. Doctor took a side step to put himself in her field of view. "Don't worry, Miss Step. They're going to do a quick check-up to make sure everything's all right."

"All right?" Velvet jolted upright, then groaned and fell back again. "What's wrong? Why isn't she all right?"

"It's just standard procedure." He smiled and patted her still-raised flank. "You can relax. You did wonderfully. Now just relax and your foal will be right back with you before you know it."

Dr. Doctor and Pomegranate went back to work on—well, Crystal had no clue, but they seemed to be quite busy. Velvet stared up at the ceiling, her weary expression made worse with a bereft look in her eyes.

"They took my foal," she whispered in a hoarse voice.

"It's very, very normal," Horsey said as she levitated a damp cloth and wiped the sweat from Velvet's forehead and cheeks. "I promise. She'll be right back."

Velvet flinched and rolled her head to the side to look at Crystal. "Did you see? Is she a filly or a colt?"

Crystal glanced down at her hoof that Velvet still clutched as if her life depended on it. "I was somewhat preoccupied, I'm afraid."

Velvet groaned, her eyes slipping closed. "I want to see her. Or him. I want to see my foal."

"You will soon, I promise." Horsey leaned over to brush Velvet's bangs out of her eyes. "I promise."

They listened as Dr. Doctor and Pomegranate left the room, the door clicking shut behind them. Horsey came around the bed to help extract Crystal's hoof and replaced it with her own. "Velvet."

Velvet sniffed and cracked her eyes open. "Mm?"

"You're a mom now." Horsey's expression broke with a bright smile as a laugh slipped into her quiet voice. "Can you believe it?"

"No." Velvet huffed a laugh in return. "Everything is fuzzy right now."

Horsey giggled and looked over at Crystal, who felt lost after the frenzy of activity without it. "That's normal, too. I think it's so we keep coming back for more foals."

Crystal wanted to say something. She wanted to comfort Velvet, to do the right thing. But she didn't know the what, or how. Instead, she just stepped forward and put both forelegs up on the bed at Velvet's side to partially nestle in next to her.

"Hey, girl." Velvet snickered and rested her muzzle on top of Crystal's head. "Sorry for yelling at you."

"It's all right. I'm pretty certain I deserved it." Crystal closed her eyes with a sigh. "I didn't prepare at all for today."

After a long and thoughtful pause, Velvet angled her head to blow a puff of air into Crystal's ear. "Whatever. It's fine. I guess it makes us even, since I never did anything for your Foundation."

Crystal jolted upright to look her in the eyes. "What? You did something! You did a lot, in fact!"

"A lot?" Velvet snorted. "I wrote some letters and distributed some pamphlets."

"Do you understand how important both of those are?" Crystal shifted back to stand on all fours again. "I don't want to argue with a mare who just gave birth, but—"

"Please don't," Horsey squeaked.

Crystal breathed in to continue, but the door clicked and they all went silent.

Pomegranate walked in, cradling a bundle of cloth in the crook of one foreleg. "Hello, Mom. Are you ready to meet your new foal?"

Velvet's head jerked up and her eyes went wide. "Yes. Yes, please, yes."

As the nurse transferred the bundle into Velvet's embrace, she pulled back the corner of it to reveal the sleeping face of a little colt. His purple coat matched Velvet's eyes, which were glossed over with tears but no less brilliant.

"My son," she said in a breath that shook with reverence. "I have a son."

"He's perfect," Crystal said, pressing her nose to Velvet's cheek. "Absolutely perfect."

The colt gave a tiny little sneeze, whimpered, and settled back into a snore.

"You are perfect," Velvet whispered before she started to laugh and cry while holding the colt closer to her chest. "My little Velour."