On the train

Chapter 1: On the train

Lyra’s fidgeting in her seat was beginning to drive Bon Bon nuts
"Lyra Heartstrings! If you don't hold still right now, I swear I'll tie you up for the rest of the ride."
Lyra stopped and tried to look apologetic but she couldn't stop grinning all over
"I'm sorry, but I still can't believe it. We're going to the Crystal Empire and we'll play at the crystal faire! I'm just excited."
Crystal Note on the seat opposite of her nodded and even Vinyl seemed more upbeat today
"Yeah! And not just that, but we're on stage right after the princess. Could this be more awesome or what?"
Lyra and Vinyl exchanged a hoof-bump and grinned but Bon Bon just curled up a little more in her seat
"Well I'm glad you're not the least bit nervous at all..."

Lyra immediately stopped grinning and put her hooves around her friend with a far softer smile
"Hey, don't worry Bonnie. I know you'll do great. Besides, I'll be with you the whole time when we're on stage."
Bon Bon smiled and leaned into the hug, now visibly relaxing as she closed her eyes. Next to her, Crystal Note saw Vinyl and Octavia exchange a knowing look and a smile before Octavia went back to her note sheets.
Out of all the ponies, the two of them had the most experience with big stages and large crowds. Lyra once told Crystal Note she'd been playing some concerts as well when she was still living in Canterlot, so she might come close, but most ponies of their little music ensemble only had a few small gigs yet. For Bon Bon it would be the second time on a stage overall.

Crystal Note looked around the train car they all shared and saw Clear Skies laughing at one of her own jokes as usual and next to her Neon Lights twirled his drumsticks with his magic. Those two, together with Lyra, Octavia and Crystal Note had started the ensemble, with Vinyl joining in shortly after. Now a dozen other ponies sat in the car, all of them eager to perform for the crystal ponies in the Empire. The back of the car was filled with suitcases and instruments.

From what she could see, only Bon Bon seemed to be nervous yet. Crystal Note never had much of stage fright, she simply enjoyed playing music with the others too much, but she was particularly nervous about this performance in her old home.
She had been visiting Rose Quartz a couple of times but tried to keep a low profile about it. Which had been rather hard, since she was the only crystal unicorn in all of Equestria. Now, she'd be out there for everypony to see again. Hopefully this time things would turn out for the better. She still remembered how the crystal ponies had reacted on her first appearance in the Empire, most of them had been afraid and some even angry. Only a few had even talked with her during her later visits and she was sure that most of that had only been as a favour to her sister in all but blood, Rose Quartz.

With Bon Bon calmed down by Lyra and Vinyl joining Octavia for some last minute preparations, Crystal Note ended up staring out of the window and losing herself in her thoughts for a while. She remembered the night a year back when she had been alone in a similar train cart. Back then she'd been both terrified by the Crystal Empire but also desperate to find out more about herself.
She smiled softly when she remembered how trapped she'd felt that day despite the cart being almost empty. Now, the car was full with her friends and none of those feelings remained. She would not be alone in the Empire and maybe this concert would a chance to change how she was seen by the crystal ponies.

In the distance, she could see the Crystal Mountains coming closer already, it wouldn't be too long until they reached the Empire. Octavia had planed well ahead, they'd arrive two days in advance so they could all get a chance to relax after the long train ride as well as a last rehearsal before the crystal faire started.
It would be the third faire since the return of the Crystal Empire. The first one had been improvised by Twilight Sparkle and her friends, only days after the crystal ponies and the crystal heart had been returned to its former power. The second faire had been shortly after, this time organized by Princess Cadance herself. It had been a very traditional one with lots of old customs and without any outside visitors. Crystal Note had been invited but declined, she didn't really feel like a crystal unicorn would fit into festivities, especially considering how most of the crystal ponies had to suffer from King Sombra’s unicorn soldiers. She didn't want the faire to be spoiled by bad memories caused by her appearance.

The crystal faire this year was destined to be different. Princess Cadance had invited ponies from all over Equestria. There would still be old customs and traditions, but the princess had seen that each event would receive some contribution form another region as well. There would be competitors from Canterlot joining the jousting tournament, Appleloosa agreed to set up a stand where they'd give out their famous apple goods, and the Ponyville Music Ensemble would be a part of the grand ceremony.

"You doing okay, Crissy?"
Crystal Note blinked and looked away from the window. With a hoof wrapped around the other, Lyra and Bon Bon were watching her now with a worried frown. Crystal Note smiled softly and nodded but Bon Bon was not convinced
"Are you sure about that? You don't look like it."
Crystal Note looked down and noticed her coat had turned a little more grey than usual. She closed her eyes and took a deep, cleansing breath, then looked back at her friends as her usual silvery-white self
"I was just thinking about something and..."
"It'll be different this time."
Crystal Note blinked confused and Bon Bon rolled her eyes
"Oh, come on. You shouldn't be surprised we figured it out, after you told us what happened a year ago."
Crystal Note blushed and looked down at the floor, but then nodded
"Wanna talk about it?"
She shook her head
"Maybe later?"
Another shake of the head, then a nod.

Lyra and Bon Bon looked at each other and sighed at the expected silent treatment. Both got up and sat down left and right from the crystal unicorn and joined her in staring out of the window. Crystal Note said nothing but she didn't move away. The two friends knew Crystal Note well enough to know their gesture was appreciated, so they stayed at her side silently.
The ponies around them kept up their cheery chatter and laughter. Crystal Note didn't notice much of it, all words directed to her were lost in a blurry of her thoughts.
Luckily Lyra and Bon Bon were there watching over her, so she allowed herself those minutes of worry and insecurity. She had those little relapses every now and then, but she only trusted a handful of ponies enough to let them know.

The three friends remained on their seats as the train went on and reached the mountains. Crystal Note’s ears perked up when she heard some singing from behind them and finally pulled her gaze away from the window. She smiled when she saw Spring Meadow and the other vocalists had gathered for a little practice. Crystal Note was usually on her violin when they performed but since she was also very practiced in singing, she’d quickly taken charge of their little choir during practice and rehearsals. On occasion, she’d join in for background singing but unlike Bon Bon, she didn’t perform as a lead singer in a song yet.
Her two friends gently nudged her sides and with a soft smile, she got up from her seat and joined in the singing. Vinyl and Octavia joined Lyra and Bon Bon as they watched and listened with smiles of their own. As usual, the moment Crystal Note joined in all the other ponies followed her lead and fell quickly into a melodious harmony. Although she seemed to be oblivious of it, Crystal Note always managed to find the right melody for every pony to shine in their singing without overshadowing the other members of the choir. Even Bon Bon who wasn’t a professional singer or musician could notice the difference in their performance as soon as Crystal Note decided to sing along.

At some point of their singing, Crystal Note suddenly fell silent and her ears perked up. She stared into nothingness with a confused expression just for a few moments, but long enough for the others to notice and stop singing as well. Lyra and Bon Bon even exchanged a worried glance, but then Crystal Note broke into a huge smile. She stepped to the front of the car and close to the window, her nose almost pressing against the glass. The others gathered behind her and tried to get to see what would be out there but all they could make out was a wall of rock, probably one of the mountains they’d seen earlier.
Then, the train passed the mountain and revealed the Crystal Empire in the distance. Most ponies gasped and stared as it was the first time they’d actually seen it and even those who’d visited for the Equestria Games some time ago found themselves overwhelmed once more.

In the distance, many buildings of different heights reached into the sky, all made of crystal and shining in all colours of the rainbow. The sun stood high above the Empire and the colours seemed to shift and blend into each other. Every crystal structure glimmered and shined as the train kept moving closer. The ponies of the ensemble pressed their noses against the window to take in as much of the breathtakingly beautiful display as possible.
Soon, their attention was draw away from their sight when Crystal Note started singing. The silvery mare kept her eyes on the Empire, her voice as clear as the crystal the buildings were made of and equally bright and colourful as she sang a song they hadn’t heard before

Shining crystal peaks
Down to the frozen ground below
We’ve worked the artic earth
And reaped the bounty that we’ve sown

Gleaming in the sun
Our colours shine in every hue
We’ve fought off every foe
And seen our troubles through

Standing side by side
Our nation fortunate and free
A righteous pony empire
For us all to see

Crystal Note continued to hum and sing her song without words and the others smiled when they noticed her friend’s coat getting more and more sparkly. At some point of her song, Crystal Note had closed her eyes but when her song was finished and she opened them again, they shone as much as her coat
“Welcome to the Crystal Empire, everypony!”

Arrival

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Chapter 2: Arrival

The train rolled into the station in the southern parts of the city and ponies climbed out of the cars. The last cart with the Ponyville Music Ensemble took the longest since they also had to unload lots of instruments, sets and even some costumes along with their personal luggage.
When they finally had everything out, they were approached by a group of ponies wearing the uniforms of the palace guards. Leading them was a white unicorn stallion they all quickly recognized as Shining Armor, the husband of Princess Cadance and co-ruler of the Crystal Empire.
Octavia, dutiful as always, stepped forward to greet the Prince appropriately with a formal bow, although the stallion didn’t seem to bother too much about that and answered in a casual tone
“Welcome everypony, glad you all made it. We’re here to help you with all your bags. There’s been a little change of plans, we’re having so many visitors all inns are out of rooms. So we’ll take you and your stuff to the palace instead.”
He laughed when the Ponyville musicians quickly fell into excited whispers and even cheers
“Seems like you’re not going to mind that too much, I see.”
Octavia rolled her eyes but with a smile as Clear Skies and Lyra started a silly victory dance and bowed again to the Prince
“We’re honoured to be invited into your home, Prince Shining Armor. I hope we get a chance to show you how grateful we are during the faire.”

Shining Armor actually blushed at Octavia’s formal attire and waved for his guards to help with the luggage
“Princess Cadance and I are very happy you could make the time to perform, there’s no need to prove anything. Anyways, let me show you how to get to the palace.”
He pointed his hoof towards the biggest building in the centre of the city
“Although I admit it is hard to miss.”
His laughter was joined by most of the ponies and the heavily loaded group marched on behind him.
Octavia noticed Crystal Note staying at the end of things, she avoided approaching Shining Armor as well as the crystal guard ponies. She let herself fall back so she would walk next to the by now pale-grey crystal mare, with Lyra, Bon Bon and Vinyl within hearing range
“Is there something wrong, dear? I’d expected you’d be more excited to be here.”
Crystal Note blushed but surrounded by friends, she felt save enough to admit
“I’m always happy to be here, but at the same time it feels so strange. I’ve never fit in in the past and I still don’t fit in today.”

Octavia took a small step sideways to close the distance to her friend, their sides touching as they kept walking. Although Octavia took her role as head of the ensemble very serious and often seemed to keep a professional distance, she cared a lot about every pony of their little group and more so for Crystal Note since they’d become close friends even outside of the ensemble.
Bon Bon was quick to take Crystal Note’s other side and Lyra and Vinyl stayed close as well. Reassured and comforted by this display of friendship, Crystal Note quickly changed back into the silvery-white colours and thanked them with a few mumbled words.

By now, they’ve reached the exit of the station and Shining Armor lead the group towards the palace. Crystal Note however turned her head towards the west and slowed down. When she turned back to the group, her four friends were looking at her already. She blushed and whispered
“Actually, I know the way to the palace very well. Would it be okay if I took care of some personal business first? I’ll catch up with you later?”
Octavia didn’t even let her finish her question and simply took the bag Crystal Note carried into her mouth while motioning with her head to go. Vinyl’s horn glowed and the saddle bags lifted up from Crystal Note’s back and were added to her own.
Crystal Note gave them all a thankful smile, then turned around to follow a smaller street. Just before Vinyl had taken her bags, she’d pulled out her bandana and now bound it over her mane to disguise her horn. All four friends frowned at that. Crystal Note had stopped wearing the bandana around Ponyville and even during their performances. It seemed she was still feeling on the edge in this place and needed that little bit of extra security, even though it was supposed to be her home.

Lyra turned her head to Bon Bon but whatever she wanted to ask turned into a smirk. She saw right away that the pony next to her had been replaced by special agent Sweetie Drops and from the looks of it, she already had set her mind on a new mission. Lyra whispered so only she could hear
“You’re going after her, right? I’m in.”
“You’ll blow my cover, Lyra. I’ll tell you what I found out later.”
“Uh-uh, no way. You know our deal, I promised to keep your secret and you promised not to leave me behind again. Not after what happened with the bugbear.”
Bon Bon sighed and agreed. Since they wouldn’t both get away unnoticed from their friends, she turned to Vinyl and Octavia
“I think Lyra and me should go after her and make sure she’s okay.”
Octavia’s brow furrowed into a sceptic frown
“I don’t know, Bonnie. She said it would be something personal.”
Bon Bon held her gaze and shook her head
“You saw how much she changed colours today. This place is stressing her out. I just don’t want my friend to suffer alone through something we could help her with.”
Octavia and Vinyl looked at each other, then with a defeated sigh Vinyl’s horn glowed again as she took hold of Bon Bon and Lyra’s things as well and split them between the two of them. Octavia’s frown didn’t vanish but she nodded
“Just try not to pressure her into anything. And try to be at the palace in time, we have a lot to do tomorrow and our biggest performance yet coming.”
“Yes Ma’am!”
“Sure thing, Tavi. You’re the best!”
With that, Lyra and Bon Bon turned around and with a short canter vanished into the same street as Crystal Note had earlier.

Bon Bon quickly took the lead and guided Lyra through the streets in safe distance from Crystal Note. Luckily for them, the crystal unicorn in disguise seemed to shun the more crowded streets and therefore they both of them didn’t need to work too hard to stay out of sight of the other crystal ponies in the Empire.
Soon enough, Crystal Note passed the last buildings and went through a large iron gate. Lyra and Bon Bon came to hold in front of the gate leading to the cemetery and looked at each other
“So this is what she meant when she said personal. We’re still going after her?”
“We’ll take a peek and see how she’s doing. If she’s alright, we’ll go back, if not…”
Lyra nodded and slipped in behind Bon Bon, unnoticed by the greyish crystal unicorn a few yards ahead already.

The next time they stopped, each of them peeked out from behind a tombstone. Crystal Note sat on the ground a few feet away from them in front of a couple of graves. They were different from the others, as they had no weeds on them and even some flowers growing instead. Crystal Note had told them about her past, so Lyra and Bon Bon had no trouble guessing to whom these graves belonged. They watched their friend as she sat silently on her haunches, her lips moving but if she said anything, the words didn’t travel that far. Lyra was just about to turn around and leave when Crystal Note’s shoulders began to shiver and tremble. Both of them flinched when a heavy sob broke the silence and within a blink, the silvery-white mare turned into a dark grey and slumped on the ground. Heart-breaking sobs shook through her and tears ran down her cheeks.

Lyra and Bon Bon dashed out of their hideout simultaneously and rushed to her side. Bon Bon sat down on the ground next to her and gently pressed her cheek against Crystal Note’s, Lyra took the other side, her hooves reaching out for a comforting hug.
Crystal Note froze up for a second, but then leaned into the comfort her friends offered, like she had on the train. The three friends stayed like that for a while, until Crystal Note’s tears finally stopped.

A friend from the past

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Chapter 3: A friend from the past

The sun had long crossed its highest point when Crystal Note finally thought she could talk without sobbing again. She sat up but didn’t dare to look into the eyes of her friends when she whispered
“I’m sorry.”
She felt two hooves poking her muzzle at the same time and Lyra and Bon Bon called out in unison
“Stop apologizing!”
Crystal Note blinked, then all three of them fell into a soft giggle and Crystal Note got up on her hooves again, her colours somewhat back to normal
“Thanks girls. I guess I needed that.”
“A good cry or a poke?”
Bon Bon rolled her eyes
“Probably both.”
All three friends giggled, not because it was particularly funny, just to relieve some of the tension. Crystal Note threw one last look at the graves, then they headed back towards town.

When they reached the first houses again, Lyra’s tummy started making loud grumbling noises. Bon Bon threw one of her famous looks at her and Lyra blushed
“Hey, I was so excited this morning I skipped breakfast and we missed lunch as well.”
“Well, seems like we’re gonna miss dinner too, it’s already getting dark.”
Crystal Note nodded and tilted her head
“I guess Princess Cadance even scheduled an early dinner since she knew we were arriving past lunchtime. Oh, well.”
She turned to head into one of the smaller streets instead of following the broad main street that led straight to the palace. When Lyra and Bon Bon didn’t follow, she looked back at them with a smile
“Come on, I know a nice café on the other side of the market. My treat.”
For Lyra, that was all she needed to hear and she more or less pushed Bon Bon after Crystal Note. The two best friends giggled and after a quick nuzzle followed Crystal Note through a series of smaller streets and alleys.

From time to time, Crystal Note told them a little about the buildings they passed along the way, like the famous library or places she knew from her foalhood. They passed a good number of crystal ponies on their way and most of them ended up staring at the trio. Crystal Note had not reapplied her bandana to hide her horn but even so, with Lyra being a unicorn and Bon Bon an earth pony, they stood out enough to be noticed anyways.
Most of the crystal ponies just went back to whatever they were doing. A minor few of them slipped into their houses or into another street when they came close. Some of the crystal ponies smiled and waved, some even greeted Crystal Note with her name. The trio smiled and waved back, Lyra in her usual carefree manner and Crystal Note understandably a little more subdued, although she returned each greeting she received. No pony stayed long enough for a chat and everypony seemed busy despite the late hour.

After a while, the three friends reached a big circular plaza, not too far from the palace. In the middle, Lyra and Bon Bon could see a spire made out of blue crystal. The few ponies who walked by stayed away from the middle and when Crystal Note led them closer, they understood why. On the tip of the spire, they saw heart-shaped crystal, floating and spinning slowly
“So this is it. The famous crystal heart that was used to defeat King Sombra and that protects the Crystal Empire.”
When Bon Bon didn’t get an answer, she turned her head to look at her friends. She saw Crystal Note bowing down her head towards the heart, her forehead even touching the ground, but a peaceful smile on her face. She remained in that position for a few beats, then stood up again and nodded
“Every crystal pony is connected to the crystal heart in some way. When it shines brightly like now, it means the Empire is safe and the crystal ponies are happy.”

Without any further explanation, Crystal Note led them towards another, way bigger plaza. On the far end of it, they could see the main entrance to the Crystal Palace
“This is the market place. Normally it’s full with stands and ponies but I guess since the faire will be held here the day after tomorrow, market ended earlier today.”
Lyra and Bon Bon nodded, they could see a big stage already set up closer to the palace and Bon Bon shuffled a little closer to Lyra as the nervous jitters she had in the train returned at this sight. Luckily she didn’t have to watch it for too long as Crystal Note now headed to a small café. The inside was empty no tables were set up in the front anymore, but Crystal Note went to knock on the door anyways.
After a few moments, a stallion opened and broke into a big smile at their sight
“Harmony! Welcome home. Should have told me you’d be here already, didn’t expect you this soon. Oh, you brought friends?”

Lyra and Bon Bon snickered a little when Crystal Note was pulled into a tight hug and blushed, then they smiled and nodded
“We all arrived early so we could prepare for the festival. Sour Berry, meet Lyra and Bon Bon, from Ponyville. We’ll perform together at the faire. Um, we kind of missed dinner with the others, so…”
Crystal Note didn’t even finish her sentence before she was pulled inside by Sour Berry, the door was left wide open for Lyra and Bon Bon as well
“Come on in, grab a seat, I’ll fix you something real quick. Business is off because of preparations, but if you give me a minute I’ll make it worth your wait.”

The three friends walked in and took a seat on one of the smaller tables in the middle of the room. The room was normally lit by candles and a few lamps, but right now there was only the dim light from outside. Without thinking about it, Lyra used her magic to create a small glowing orb, a mage light. It floated up to the ceiling and spread enough light to illuminate the entire café. Lyra looked around and smiled at the simple but nice decors that gave the place a cosy and homey feel.
It took her a minute to notice Bon Bon’s angry glare and Crystal Note’s fearful expression before she realized what she’d done. After what she heard from Crystal Note’s stories, she had no idea how Sour Berry might react to magic, especially in his own house. At this point, the door to the kitchen opened and Sour Berry froze in the doorway with wide opened eyes.
Lyra blushed and rubbed the back of her head and threw an apologetic smile to the crystal stallion while Bon Bon took a deep breath to apologize for Lyra’s thoughtlessness. Crystal Note just turned her head away so Sour Berry couldn’t see her horn, and looked at the ground.

Sour Berry surprised them all when he just shrugged and put away the few candles he’d brought. He made his way to their table and put down a cup of tea for each of them along with a plate with candies.
“I’ll be back with dinner in a few. Have some of these for now, as long as you tell me what you think of them.”
He refused to talk about the light floating above the table, even though he glanced up at it once or twice. Bon Bon picked up one of the candies but instead of eating it she held it in her hoof and stared at it like it was some rare species of unknown origin she’d just discovered
“Are these homemade?”
“That’s right. Whipped them up myself, old family recipe, although I admit I’m not reaching my grandmother’s quality.”

With a last glance at the light, Sour Berry returned to the kitchen and soon the scents of baked goods filled the café. Lyra, now relieved and even more hungry, shoved a few candies into her mouth but then her face turned into a silly grimace at their taste
“Uh, sour! But not in a bad way.”
Crystal Note was chewing on one as well by now and smiled softly, her eyes closed
“They’re made of crystal berries. I remember those, but something is missing I think.”
Bon Bon, always the professional when it came to sweets, still held the candy she picked up earlier and turned it in her hoof. She took a sniff and tilted her head, before she finally put it in her mouth. A few moments of savouring the taste, she shook her head and grinned
“Oh, I know what’s missing. Be right back.”
Leaving behind a confused Lyra and Crystal Note, the candy maker from Ponyville made her way to the kitchen and soon they heard them two ponies talk and discuss over recipes. Lyra just shrugged and went for another candy to appease her grumbling tummy. Crystal Note giggled as lips twitched from the sour taste again and stayed with tea for now.
They didn’t have to wait long for Sour Berry and Bon Bon to return with different pies and cakes, almost all of them made with crystal berries. Together, the four ponies sat down and enjoyed their extensive dinner.

Lyra finally pushed away her plate and slumped back on her seat with a contend sigh
“Oh, if I take one more bite, I’ll explode.”
“Don’t you dare, Lyra. Think of all the mess you’d leave behind for us to clean.”
Sour Berry and Bon Bon had just returned from the kitchen, Bon Bon was visibly pleased she could give the crystal stallion some pointers on his berry sweets while Lyra had still been shovelling cake inside her. Crystal Note volunteered to get the dishes back into the kitchen and picked everything up with a glow of her horn, now less shy to use her magic.

As she left for the other room, Lyra and Bon Bon shared a quick nod before Bon Bon addressed their host
“Sour Berry, you called Crystal Note ‘Harmony’ when we arrived. That’s her old name, right? You know her from before..?”
“Before she turned into a crystal unicorn? Yeah, I knew Harmony, the earth filly from Canterlot. Wouldn’t say we were as good friends as we’re today, but we got along well enough, most of the time. Of course, everypony worked together when it went against the dark king.”
“So you were both in the rebellion?”
Sour Berry gave a bitter laugh
“Rebellion? That’s too strong of a word for what it was. We were more a band of thieves than anything. My father worked for King Sombra’s army, he had been a trader before and back then, he was responsible for deliveries, mostly weapons but supplies and food as well. Sometimes, he made a ‘mistake’ in his lists so a delivery would be short a few crates of food. Other times, he’d accidently tell me about a shipment that would happen soon, and I passed the info to the other ones. My father and I couldn’t actively do anything, it would have been too obvious and the king might have found out. That’s when Harmony and the others came in.”

Lyra and Bon Bon listened attentively when Sour Berry talked so casually about things that made Crystal Note almost cry whenever they asked her about it. Bon Bon reached over the table to put her hoof on Sour Berry’s
“That was very brave of your father and you. You risked your lives for other ponies.”
“Not really.”
He looked up at Lyra and Bon Bon, fixing them with a sad glare
“My father was just a simple trader who sometimes disobeyed a minor order. I was just a colt who was too stubborn most of the time. Compared to what Harmony did, it was nothing.”
He sighed and took a drink from his by now cold tea
“Did she tell you her father summoned her to the palace every week, to an audience with King Sombra? And you know what she did when she was inside? She convinced some staff ponies from the royal kitchen to help her smuggle out some food, right under the king’s muzzle. Sure, she always claimed she was safe because her father was a royal advisor, so the king would never punish her even if she got caught. But didn’t change the fact that Harmony had guts like no other pony back then. And she used it to inspire us, most of us, to keep resisting in whatever little ways we could.”

Lyra and Bon Bon stared at Sour Berry, then at each other with unbelieving expressions. Sure, they had seen Crystal Note drive and give her all for her friends, but she always had that aura of insecurity around her in nearly everything she did, except music. Unable to hold back, Lyra blurted out
“So, what happened to her?”
Sour Berry laughed bitterly again and shook his head
“She left one day, or that’s what we thought back then. One day, she was just gone and we got scared. King Sombra had hit the pony we all thought was one of our strongest, so our little resistance fell apart within days. Many joined the army in hopes to keep their families and loved ones safe. My father was executed a year after for speaking out of line and I took over the trading business. Never dared doing anything shady though. Been too afraid of those cursed crystal unicorns the king let loose on us.”
Lyra flinched when Sour Berry suddenly slammed his hoof on the table and his voice filled with anger and frustration and his coat turned a few notches darker even
“When she came back and we saw another crystal unicorn, I was one of the ponies who demanded for her to be punished. Then Rose Quartz told us she was actually Harmony and that she’d been cursed like the rest of us. Most were confused on how to feel about that. Me? I felt guilty above everything else. That filly risked her tail for us more than a dozen times and even when she got cursed, she took a hit far worse than we did. How low was I to hate Crystal Note, even for a few hours?”

He took a deep breath and blue colour of his coat returned before he continued
“We all suffered, from the war, from the curse. Many a pony did something they regret nowadays. But we stick together and get over it, that’s how it always worked in the Crystal Empire. Harmony though? She was suddenly one of the beasts we all hated, or at least feared. More than a few didn’t know how to react when we learned she was one of us, one of the best of us if you ask me. And I guess you’ve seen what that led to.”
Lyra nodded sadly and Bon Bon spoke out what they both thought
“When ponies don’t understand something, they’re afraid. And they stay the heck away from it.”
The room went silent for a minute, the only sounds came from the kitchen were Crystal Note was still busy with doing the dishes. Then Lyra looked up and stared at Sour Berry
“You said you’re better friends with her now than back then. How come you’re not afraid of her?”
Sour Berry shrugged and managed a slim smile
“Frankly I have no idea. She showed up at my doorstep one day and asked if we could talk. I thought least I could do was let her say what she needed before I would apologize for avoiding her. I was floored when she suddenly apologized instead.”

Both Lyra and Bon Bon glanced towards the kitchen, they focused back on Sour Berry
“She blamed herself for the death of my father. The last time we saw before she vanished wasn’t the nicest of moments. Gave me a good beating with her crazy earth pony strength and threatened to reveal my father’s ‘crimes’ to the king if he didn’t give her food. Don’t blame her anymore, ponies do weird things when they’re desperate and Rose Quartz’ father was almost starved to dead. He was like a father to Harmony as well, she’d have done anything to save him. In the end though, we both couldn’t save our fathers. When King Sombra was gone, I dropped my father’s business and started up this here café. But the past has a way to come back and bite your flank eventually. You can either accept it and move on or it’ll haunt you forever. Guess which side of the weigh Crystal Note’s on right now.”

Lyra nodded and asked
“Is that why you didn’t freak out when you saw my magic?”
Sour Berry nodded with a grin
“Princess Cadance has magic, best pony ever to rule the Empire. Shining Armor has it too, mighty nice fellow that one. And Crystal Note got magic now as well. Can’t be all bad then, right?”
The three shared a hearty laugh and most of the tension that had built up faded away before Crystal Note joined them again.

Sour Berry swiftly changed topics and they talked about the upcoming faire, but soon the three ponies from Ponyville said their goodbyes and left. The arrived at the palace when everypony else had already retired but Crystal Note knew the way to the guest wings and quickly found their rooms for the night. Lyra and Bon Bon went to their shared room and only Bon Bon noticed Crystal Note heading down the corridor deeper into the castle. Too tired to be worried, she yawned and followed Lyra inside and enjoyed her comfy bed.

Rehersal

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Chapter 4: Rehersal

The next morning came with a big and tasty breakfast in the main dining hall of the palace. The ponies from Ponyville sat together with some of the crystal ponies who worked at the palace and soon the two groups mixed up a little for some friendly chatter.
Octavia noticed Crystal Note was missing and stood up to question Lyra and Bon Bon. The two mares sat at their table, Bon Bon looked like she was going to fall asleep at any moment and Lyra was mechanically putting food into her mouth and chewing, obviously very tired as well.

Before she could reach them, the big doors opened and Princess Cadance walked in, followed by two crystal mares. The crystal ponies from the staff quickly jumped to their hooves to bow and Octavia who was already standing did the same in behalf of her fellow musicians. When she stood up again she smiled, one of the ponies behind Princess Cadance was Crystal Note and from the looks of it, the mare was in good spirits. Her coat shined and sparkled and her lips curved into a carefree smile.
The mare walking next to her was a little older than Crystal Note and Octavia herself. Her pink mane was bound up into a bun that would have given her a very stern appearance if it wasn't for the giggles she just shared with Crystal Note and the almost foalish way they bumped their flanks together when they walked in.

Princess Cadance quickly asked the ponies to get up again with a wave of her hoof
"Good morning everypony. I hope you all had a wonderful night at the Crystal Palace and got some good rest. I'm Princess Cadance and in behalf of the entire Crystal Empire, let me thank you for coming to join our crystal faire."
Octavia smiled and did the same formal bow she'd greeted the Prince with the day before
"And in the name of the Ponyville Music Ensemble, thank you for inviting us, Your Highness."
All the crystal ponies giggled when their Princess barely suppressed a roll of her eyes at the formal behaviour and then smiled
"I'm sorry I wasn't here to greet you at your arrival, but organising the faire keeps me rather busy. In fact, I'll have to get back to preparations right away. I'm leaving you in capable hooves though."
She turned her head and the crystal pony with the pink mane stepped forward
"This is Rose Quartz, she's one of my advisors and in charge of preparations when I'm busy. If there's anything you need or need to ask, she'll be there to help you."
Rose Quartz nodded and bowed her head towards Octavia with a smile. Octavia returned the gesture, finding a liking in the mare right away.

Princess Cadance nodded satisfied and her smile grew brighter
"Enjoy your breakfast, everypony. I'll see you all later."
With a wave of her wings, she left the dining hall again while Crystal Note joined Lyra and Bon Bon at their table, soon followed by Octavia and Rose Quartz
"Hey girls, meet my sister Rose Quartz. Pinky, these are Bon Bon, Lyra and Octavia, some of my best friends from Ponyville."
Rose Quartz smiled to each as Crystal Note pointed and said their names
"It's a pleasure to meet you all, Crissy keeps talking about you whenever she visits."
Lyra rubbed her head with a shy giggle
"Only good things, I hope. Nice to meet you too."
Crystal Note and Rose Quartz exchanged a grin and a wink
"Oh, real sisters share everything with another, you know?"
Lyra blushed and made everypony else laugh softly before they returned to breakfast.

Soon everypony was ready and Rose Quartz led them all to the room with all their instruments and props
"You can use this room all day for practice. Later tonight, we'll have some of the staff help you get the bigger things set up at the stage already. Miss Octavia, if you have time to go through the schedule for tomorrow with me that would be most helpful."
Octavia nodded and turned to the others
"Everypony get ready for rehearsal, I'll be right back. I want to go through the entire concert once before we focus on the parts that still need a little touch."
The ponies nodded and minutes later, their music filled the room.

Octavia smiled pleased. Rehearsal went fluently and everypony did their best, all they needed were some minor adjustments at most. At some point, Rose Quartz had been called away to take care of some other things. Through the open door, some of the staff ponies and even some guards threw in curious looks from time to time and Octavia was very satisfied to see them all smiling when they left. All the hard work seemed to pay off already as the crystal ponies enjoyed their music. Now they only had to bring it all together on stage.

Rose Quartz had left her a copy of the schedule and Octavia checked it once more with Lyra and Vinyl while the choir did another practice run. The day would start with a short greeting from the royal couple and the morning was dedicated to the traditional market, where the crystal ponies could offer their goods to the ponies from outside the Empire, and a few stands from other towns were to be set up as well. Stands with games and food and even a petting zoo were planed as well. An hour before lunchtime, the jousting tournament would start and last to about three in the afternoon. Next came Princess Cadance' official speech, followed by their own music performance that led right into the grand ceremony where every crystal pony would pay their respect to the crystal heart and fuel it with their love and light, just like they'd done since the very first crystal faire.

"I think it'd be best if we all meet up when the jousting tournament is done. We can set up most things today anyways."
"I'd say. We'll have enough time for your pep talk while the Princess is holding her speech, Tavi."
Octavia nodded in agreement and took out another list
"What about our own line up, though? If we want to change it up, now is our last chance to do so."
Vinyl nudged Octavia gently and grinned
"Stop worrying so much, Tavi. You've been working on this for weeks and everypony agreed on it. It's fine as it is."
Octavia smiled and nodded once again
"Fine as it is, got it. How about after lunch, the two of you get everything to the stage and help set it up. I'm not sure how much experience the crystal ponies have with speakers and microphones or even turntables. Could you do that, Vinyl?"
The DJ nodded and grinned
"No problem. We'll take Neon along and do our sound check as well."
"Good idea. You should take Bon Bon with you then. If she spends the whole day at rehearsal, I'm afraid she'll only get nervous again."
Lyra sighed and nodded
"We better have Crissy come as well. I don't think she'll get nervous, but better give her something to do than give her the chance to overthink everything."

The three ponies turned around and watched Crystal Note in the middle of the others. Her eyes were closed and as always, she was oblivious to the world around when singing. The choir finished practice their final song and everypony smiled satisfied at their performance. Crystal Note shared some words of praise and a few pointers to the others before the split up into pairs to work individually on their parts.
Crystal Note smiled, but it didn’t seem to reach her eyes. When she thought nopony was watching her, she bit her lower lip and a small frown appeared. A soft cough from Octavia had made her head snap towards the three of her friends and with a soft blush, the frown vanished as quickly as she joined them.

Setting up

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The market plaza was busy with ponies as the stands for faire where set up. With the last train, a troop of ponies from other towns had arrived, including the large group of vendors from Appleloosa and multiple ponies who looked like they would join the joisting tournament.

Most of the outside ponies used the time for a little sightseeing, but Appleloosa went straight to work. They started building up a huge stand, far bigger than the booths and tents of the crystal ponies around them, with a large field kitchen in the middle of it. The earth ponies from the south carried in crates of apples and all sorts of goods which made the crystal ponies throw curious glances at them. Especially when they set up a large cauldron on a cooking fire and a heavenly scent surrounded their stand.

The crystal ponies kept to themselves and finished their work in small groups. Of course, they've seen ponies of other tribes in their Empire during the Equestria Games, but that had been different. The crystal faire was an old crystal pony tradition, as old as the Empire itself. For the tribe that had vanished for centuries and lived secluded for decades even before, it had to feel strange to suddenly share this even with strangers from the south. Unsurprisingly, some crystal ponies felt conflicted about the Princess' decision to invite other tribes to their faire.

While the earth ponies from Appleloosa chatted and laughed happily, the crystal ponies worked quietly, although the noise and bustle from the large stand made them throw looks at it, ranging from fear and irritation to blank curiosity.
Crystal Note watched from the centre of the stage and bit her lip. She knew those stares very well, she’d seen most of them directed at herself on earlier visits. The underline tension and fear of the crystal ponies seemed almost tangible to her and it worried her. Rose Quartz had told her how excited everypony had been when preparing the last crystal faire, but this was almost the complete opposite of it.
She hoped that the mood would change in time for the big ceremony. The crystal heart was fuelled by the light inside the crystal ponies, but at the moment she couldn’t see much of it yet.

“Hey Crissy! Help us out here, will ya?”
Vinyl’s raspy voice cut through her rambling thoughts and pulled her back on stage. Vinyl Scratch and Neon Lights finished setting up microphones as well as Vinly’s set of turntables. In the back of the stage, Bon Bon, Lyra and Clear Skies already put some of the props in place for tomorrow. Crystal Note took the place at the main microphone Vinyl was pointing at
“Let’s do a little check and see if everything works. Got a song for us?”
Crystal Note nodded and closed her eyes, but another call from Vinyl stopped her from singing
“And don’t you dare go for one of your sad songs!”
She blushed under Neon’s snickering as Vinyl put on her headphones and gave her a sign with her hoof.

She hesitated for a moment. Normally she would just sing what’s on her mind, but Vinyl was right of course. A sad song would maybe help her sort out her thoughts, but it wouldn’t put the ponies around her in a better mood. And despite the fact that not every crystal pony thought she belonged here, Crystal Note knew that their happiness mattered far more than her own. It has always been that way, even before she became a crystal pony.

A memory came to her mind, of a group of fillies laughing and playing together, and of an old song they sung together, with just a few tweaks to make it more upbeat. Following her guts, she closed her eyes and started to sing

Wherever you go
Whatever you do
shouldn't you know, I'm bound to follow

Like fire and wood
Like paper and glue
I give you a clue, I’m gonna follow

And the stars will show,
Where the waters flow
Where the gardens grow
That's where I'll meet you.

And the sun will glow,
Melting all the snow,
Knowing all I know
That's when I'm with you.

Crystal Note kept her eyes closed and went for another verse of the song when Vinyl Scratch mixed in an upbeat tune from her turntables.

The crystal ponies looked up from their work, their attention drawn in by the song. It was an old song from a time when the Crystal Empire had not been ruled by an evil unicorn king. Most of the crystal ponies had learned this song from their parents or grandparents even, passed from generation to generation.
Although the song wasn’t exactly the same, it was similar enough for them to recognize and remember. It seemed strange to see a unicorn sing their old song, but then something changed. The earth ponies, unicorns and pegasi from the south probably wouldn’t even notice it, the change was far too sublime, but for the crystal ponies it was visible.

Crystal Note sung with all her heart. The timid and tiny voice they had come to know of her was now strong and vibrant. And as she sung, her body seemed to light up and sparkles danced over her coat and her mane. Through her song, she embraced the light inside her and her body showed the signs.
Just like any other crystal pony would.

In the crowd, the ponies exchanged a glances and mumbles. Most seemed surprised, other fascinated, some frankly confused. Only a few seemed opposed. The fact that a crystal pony, even if she had a horn, was still a crystal pony like them surely called forth some mixed emotions.

The song ended and Crystal Note’s voice faded through the speakers. Vinyl gave her a sign that sound check went well, so Crystal Note stepped away from the microphone and back to the edge of the stage. Her eyes fell back to the crowd of ponies, now chatting and laughing with each other. Nearly everypony was smiling and she could even see some of the crystal ponies mingling with the visitors from Equestria.

“Well, we’re all set up and ready to go.”
Vinyl Scratch and Neon Lights joined her, soon followed by Lyra and Bon Bon. Clear Skies hovered behind them with the help of her wings as the watched the ponies setting up the rest of the faire
“Seems like there’s still a lot left to do.”
“I’ll say.”
They watched the busy bustling for a while longer and Neon Lights put in words what they were all thinking
“Well, since we’re half a day ahead of schedule, what are we waiting for?”
Lyra and Vinyl nodded, Bon Bon and Crystal Note exchanged a look
“Let’s do this.”

The six friends jumped down from the stage and went to work. Bon Bon and Lyra approached a stallion who had just arrived with a cart full of crates and baskets. The stallion stared at them for a moment but at Bon Bon’s disarming smile, he just shrugged and thanked them as they helped unload the goods.
Neon Lights and Clear Skies headed to an almost set up booth with a mare who tried to climb up and put on some decorations. Before she could fall down, Clear Skies took over and easily set the pennant on the top of the booth, thanks to her wings. Neon Lights handed her more flags and streamers with his magic and with a few pointers from the crystal mare, the booth was fully set up within a few minutes.

Vinyl and Crystal Note meanwhile found a pair of ponies who struggled with setting up one of the bigger tents all by themselves. They each took a rope and helped them stretch out the flysheets which gave them a thankful smile from younger of the crystal ponies. Even with four ponies, they still struggled from the size of the tent, so Vinyl used her magic as an extra pair of hooves.
“Vinyl, like this.”
Crystal Note’s horn glowed and her turquoise magic moved the strings to attach them properly. She worked slowly and her brows furrowed in concentration as she directed her magic. Vinyl grinned and took care of the rest with far more ease, she had way more practice in magic after all.
The crystal ponies stepped back as soon as they noticed magic, both with wary expressions. However, once they tested the tent’s sturdiness, they both smiled and thanked them sincerely.

The six friends moved on and offered their help where they could. While Clear Skies had no troubles showing off her wings and flying skills, Vinyl and Lyra used their magic in moderation. Some crystal ponies still were wary of the unicorns and Lyra had learned her lesson the other day with Sour Berry.
Once Crystal Note was aware of the stares, she stopped using her magic and relied on her hooves instead. However, she didn’t stop smiling and like the day before, she was greeted by many crystal ponies with her name and some friendly chatter.

They kept working and helping for a few hours. At some point, Bon Bon started to hum a familiar tune. Lyra picked it up as well, and Crystal Note was the one to put words to the melody

A true, true friend helps a friend in need
A friend will be there to help you see
A true, true friends helps a friend in need
To see the light that shines form a true, true friend

The six friends from Ponyville joined in singing and soon, more of the ponies around them did as well. Encouraged by the song, the crystal ponies reached out to help one another, just like they always had. Crystal Note felt a wave of relief as the song washed away the tension she noticed earlier and the crystal ponies around her started to glitter and shine, just like her.

Eventually the song ended but the crystal ponies immediately started another one. Crystal Note recognized the melody from her foalhood and joined in right away while her friends needed a few minutes to pick it up. When the sun started to set, nearly all of the faire was finally set up and ready.
The friends from Ponyville and the crystal ponies admired their work when they heard a loud voice with a southern drawl call out from the middle of the market plaza
“Soup’s on, everypony! Get them while it’s hot!”
Everypony turned to the large stall from Appleloosa where the earth ponies gave out bowls of food from the big cauldron over the fire.

Crystal Note and her friends approached and Lyra took a whiff of the scent that made her grin widely
“Is that what I think it is?”
The earth pony with the white cowboy head winked as she passed a bowl to her
“Sure is! Famous Appleloosa chili, as hot as you can’t get it nowhere else!”
“Sweet!”

The crystal ponies, now far less shy but even more curious, took some of the offered food as well. A group of young ponies gathered near the friends and was about to eat when Bon Bon chimed in
“Fair warning: If you don’t do well with spicy foods, be careful with that.”
“Or you might end up like them.”
Crystal Note giggled and pointed with her hoof at Lyra, Clear Skies and Vinyl Scratch.

The three each had a bowl of chili in front of them and stared at each other with some serious game faces. On a signal from Neon Lights, they started shovelling down the chili as fast as they dared.
The results were immediate. After only a few spoons, Lyra’s eyes started watering and Clear Skies had drops of sweat on her brow. Vinyl kept her poker face behind her sunglasses, but her face slowly turned from white to pink and soon red.

The audience watched curiously, but the race was soon over. Lyra was the first one to drop her spoon and yowl out
“Can’t take it anymore! Too… spicy…”
Clear Skies followed only a moment later and started to fan some air to her face with her wings while she panted
“Hot, hot, hot, HOT!”
Vinyl grinned and basked in her victory for a few seconds before she let herself collapse on the ground and started panting as loud as the others.

The Appleloosan ponies guffawed loudly and their laughter seemed infectious to crystal ponies around them. Several glasses of water later, the three combatants managed to grin and smile along as the watched some brave crystal ponies try their luck with the spicy chili as well, with similar results.
In the end, everypony cheered for those who could finish a whole bowl.

Once sated, the crowd quickly broke up as the ponies went to their homes. Tomorrow was the day of the faire and everypony wanted to get some rest.
Crystal Note and her friends thanked the earth ponies from Appleloosa for dinner, before they made the short way back to the palace themselves. Tomorrow would be their big day as well.

The Concert

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Chapter 6: The Concert

The crystal faire turned out to be a great success overall. From the early morning hours when the ponies were lured into the market plaza by the scents of breakfast and warm drinks, to the time the morning train arrived and brought dozens of new visitors, ponies filled every street and corner of the city. The lively bustle and chatter of many voices echoed from the crystal buildings that surrounded them.

Merchants from Canterlot, Trottingham and Manehatten praised their goods in loud voices and called for buyers, but it seemed the more quiet crystal ponies drew far more attention from everypony with their traditional wares and the many shiny trinkets and knickknacks made of crystal and precious stones. As those could not be found anywhere outside the Crystal Empire, the tourists from the south happily spent their bits on a souvenir or three.

By the time Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor reached the market, many of the stalls had already refilled their goods at least once. The eagerly greeted their Princess as well as the flock of ponies of all tribes that followed her. Princess Cadance, as usual, spent a lot of time talking to each vendor and visitor as she strolled aimlessly through the large plaza.

As the sun rose higher, more and more ponies gathered at the stadium were the joisting tournament was about to take place. The competitors warmed up as the seats filled and among the professionals from Canterlot and Cloudsdale, the small team of crystal ponies stood proud and confident. Most of them were members of the crystal guard and received training from non other than Prince Shining Armor, after all.

For the next few hours, excited calls and cheering echoed through the stadium, while things at the main plaza quieted down some. For those who weren’t that interested in jousting, like Octavia and Crystal Note, this was the chance for a quiet stroll through the stands and stalls and get a bite for lunch. Both friends chatted easily with each other, but Octavia noticed how most of the crystal ponies timidly looked away when she addressed them. Everypony was very friendly, but their clearly were some reservations towards the visitors from outside the Empire.

Just as Octavia was about to mention something to her friend, they ran into a group of foals. The young ponies pointed to the sky were a few pegasi put up an impromptu flight show, as it seemed. Crystal Note smiled brightly as she watched the fillies and colts, mixed of all four tribes, with aahs and oohs each time a pegasus performed another daring swirl or loop.

Behind the curtain of the main stage, preparations were in full swing. Sets stood ready, instruments were tuned and most of the ponies had put on their performance outfits. Rose Quartz was doing the finishing touches on Crystal Note’s mane. They somehow managed to tame the long curly mass of hair into an art piece of complex braids and buns. Traditionally, there would be gems woven into the strands of mane as well, but even without Crystal Note looked like a crystal princess, especially since she also wore a long dress, almost a gown, made by Rarity of course.

Everything seemed ready, but Octavia noticed right away that her ensemble was not. With the exception of Vinyl Scratch, herself and maybe Crystal Note, although she had that neutral stoic expression which made it hard to read her, all the ponies seemed extremely nervous. Most of them had peeked out through the curtains and saw the mass of ponies gathered for Princess Cadance’ speech and their concert right after. Each of them had returned either pale or with wide opened eyes. It was their biggest performance yet and now, minutes before curtain rise, stage fright spread out like a wildfire.

Lyra and Vinyl desperately tried to calm down Bon Bon who seemed ready to just turn around and run all the way back to Ponyville. Clear Skies sat silently in a corner, none of her loud cheeriness rubbing off on the others this time and Crystal Note, now fully dressed up, ran from pony to pony to share some encouraging words in her soft voice.

Octavia and Vinyl shared a look fraught with meaning. Vinyl glanced over the rim of her glasses and they nodded. Octavia stepped into the middle of the room, her voice raised over the nervous mumbles around her
“May I have your attention, please? Everypony gather up. Come on, this is important.”
She turned around to meet everypony’s eyes as the ensemble gathered around her in a loose circle. Once she was sure to have their attention, she took a step back to take her spot in the circle between Vinyl and Clear Skies like she had done before every performance. She always gave a last few encouraging words before they met their audience, but she always made sure everypony knew she was part of the team above anything else.

As always, she put her hooves on the shoulders of the ponies next to her and the others followed her example as they huddled up. All eyes were on Octavia, waiting for a pep talk of some kind.
Instead, what they heard was Octavia starting to sing in her high-pitched soprano voice

Three months of winter coolness
And awesome holidays
We kept our hoofsies warm at home
Time out from work and play

Every trace of nervousness vanished and utter confusion took its place. Of course, they recognized the song, they were all living in Ponyville after all. But the sight of brim and proper Octavia of all ponies singing the silly song, completely out of season nonetheless, and just minutes before their performance was mind-boggling.
Lyra exploded into a snorting chuckle when Octavia sung “hoofsies”, a word the proper mare would never use and that made the whole situation even more absurd.
When her laughter slowed down, she continued with her raspy singing voice

But the food we’ve stored in running out
And we can’t grow in this cold

A few more ponies giggled and another voice took over

And even though I love the snow
This weather’s getting old

The entire ensemble was smiling at this point and they swayed together in tune with the song when Crystal Note started singing the first verse

The time has come to welcome spring
And all things warm and green
But it’s also time to say goodbye
It’s winter we must clean.

She started to chuckle just as loud and slowly the tension vanished from the ponies as they took turns singing the rest of the song. At the chorus, they all joined in together with bright smiles on each face

Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up
Let’s finish our holiday cheer!
Winter Wrap Up, Winter Wrap Up
‘Cause tomorrow spring is here!

A loud wave of laughter took over and when they ponies finally caught their breath again, Octavia called out
“That’s the spirit everypony. It doesn’t matter how many ponies are out there. And it won’t matter if we mess up or make a mistake. We’re having a blast out there and we’ll get everypony have a great time because of it! Are you ready for this?”
Everypony cheered and stomped their hooves.

When the group split up again, they were still very excited but no longer nervous. Octavia checked on each of the once more until they all shared her collected calmness. The last two ponies she addressed were Vinyl Scratch and Crystal Note who would perform the opening song. Two minutes before curtain, they already stood in position, Crystal Note with her traditional coiffure and her elegant dress, Vinyl wearing her usual shades.

Octavia knew that behind her shades, Vinyl had her focused expression as always when she performed, professional through and through. Crystal Note carried an almost serene smile on her face. She was clearly ‘in the zone’ as Lyra liked to call it.
Octavia exchanged a glance and a nod with them, Vinyl and Crystal Note bumped her hoofs together without even having to look
“Let’s do this.”
The curtain raised and the two walked onto the stage in a well-synchronized motion.

There was some polite cheering already, but most of the ponies didn’t really know what to expect from the ensemble of Ponyville. The crowd went silent and watched curiously.
Vinyl made took her place to her turntables and levitated her trademark headphones over her ears while Crystal Note kept going towards the centre of the stage where a single microphone was set up.

She heard whispers and mumbles as the crystal ponies took in her traditional attire. The only thing that stood out was her silvery-white unicorn horn, but Rose Quartz had managed to weave her mane around it in such a way that the horn looked like it was part of the coiffure. The whispers turned into gasps when her horn glowed in a soft turquoise light. Her violin floated up from next to the microphone and when Crystal Note sat next to it, the instrument descended safely into her hooves.

The crystal ponies stared surprised, as intend by the unlike duo. They only noticed moments later that Vinyl Scratch had already started a record. A low bass line, almost like a deep hum, filled the air through the speakers and the crowd watched Crystal Note as she sat with her instrument in position and her eyes already closed.
When she heard her cue, she let her bow travel softly over the strings and created a series of high notes, a stark contrast to the deep tune from the record.

Together, the DJ and the violinist picked up the pace of their song. Crystal Note’s bow danced and flew over the strings in a very wavy melody, long vibrant tones followed by lively passages in between. The melody was very old and formal, just like the crystal mare’s attire, and the crystal ponies recognized many themes of old, traditional songs from the Empire in it. Still, there was a modern touch to it, an almost chipper attitude that lacked in the old songs sometimes.
That modern touch was only increased by the heavy beats from the turntables. The crystal ponies heard that kind of music for the first time, but some of the visitors from outside recognized DJ PON-3’s distinctive dubstep style.

While it had been Octavia and Vinyl who had perfected the symbiosis of classic and electronic music, this song easily reached their level of skill and beauty.
Whenever the violin reached a slow part, a new beat was mixed in only for the violin to rise again and pick up the tune once more until the flowed together.
Old and new, tradition and stride, music and magic, all in perfect balance and creating something wonderful and amazing.

The effect on the crowd was tremendous. Any reluctance the crystal ponies had faded in the upbeat song and soon they were swaying along with the other ponies in crowd. Vinyl Scratch noticed this through her shades and waved encouragingly every time she saw a pony cheer. Crystal Note’s eyes remained closed, as always when she completely gave herself to the music, but her whole body started to glitter and sparkle in the sunlight, even her tail and mane. This time, the light of Crystal Note was strong enough for everypony to see clearly.

The performance ended with one last long note from the violin. Crystal Note opened her eyes and smiled into the roaring cheers of the ponies and Vinyl Scratch stepped out from behind her turntables. They stood next to each other and while Vinyl waved her hoof and grinned, Crystal Note took a deep bow instead.

Octavia took her place behind the microphone and welcomed the ponies in the name of the Ponyville Music Ensemble. Crystal Note barely heard anything she said as she made her way back behind the stage, still buzzing from the intensity of the song and the happy cheers from the audience.
The next group of performers stood ready and waited for their cue. Crystal Note smiled encouragingly to them and joined their laughs when Vinyl grinned and exclaimed
“Got them riled up for you guys, now go finish them off!”

Octavia finished her speech and the curtains rose for a second time.

Riding on the wave of the opening act, the concert went on swimmingly. Octavia and her ensemble made sure to offer the crystal ponies a variety of different styles of music, from a classic Canterlot string quartet with herself and Crystal Note, to a modern rock anthem with Lyra on guitar and Neon Light on drums.

The crowd went along most of the time and Octavia heard the excited mumbles in between acts and saw the smiling faces whenever she was on stage. She noticed something else as well, however.
The crystal ponies were the most enthusiastic early on, when the music was inspired by their old songs and melodies, and some stayed in their happy moods to the last song. A good part of them seemed to withdraw as the night went on and more music from outside the Empire found its way on stage. She couldn’t really tell the reason, but they seemed intimidated by the way the ponies from Canterlot and elsewhere cherished the songs they knew and even sung along whenever possible.

Crystal Note noticed this as well. She wouldn’t be on stage anymore except for the finishing act and watched the crowd from the side of the stage. She knew the crystal ponies well enough to notice the subtle changes, how they gathered among themselves rather than mingle with the other ponies in the crowd.
During Bon Bon’s song, the unicorns in the crowd had lit up their horns as they swayed and hummed along. In the dim evening light, the colours of their magic blended beautifully into the last sunbeams that hit the crystal buildings all around and from stage, the entire festival plaza turned into a glittering rainbow of light and sparkles.

The crystal ponies, most of them sadly, failed to notice the beautiful display around them and Crystal Note’s smile faded when she saw fear glittering behind their eyes as they backed away from the unicorns. She couldn’t blame them, really. She had seen what magic could be used for at its worst, just like they had.
Unlike them, she had also seen all the beautiful things magic could do. Like Princess Celestia raising the sun each day or Princess Luna painting the sky with stars each night. Rarity surrounded by twirls of silk and yarn when she created a new dress. Lyra Heartstrings and the songs she could play when she combined her hooves and her magic.

She had hoped that the other crystal ponies would see as well, but even now as they were in the middle of a magic display of happiness and joy, their fear won over anyways. In the end, that fear was so strong that not even the light and love inside them could break through at times. Even though she knew how strong it was, after all they had been able to drive away King Sombra for good.
Crystal Note sighed in deep concern. Right now, she feared, the light wouldn’t even be strong enough to empower the crystal heart.

Crystal Note, better than anypony else, could relate to the struggle the other crystal ponies found themselves in. They had all been gone for a thousand years while the world kept changing around them. Even before, they kept for themselves, but right now, there were so many new things and ponies around them and they struggled.
Add that to the fact that they had been suffering through times of war only be the hit by a dark curse. No wonder they retreated into their own little world in the north.

But today, ponies from all over Equestria came to visit and meet them. Those ponies were interested in their world and Crystal Note knew that the crystal ponies would find compassionate hearts with them, if they only had the courage to open up for just a few hours.
During the faire, Crystal Note had seen sparks of it. During the concert, she’d almost seen this final breakthrough, but at the last moment fear won out instead.
She knew that all they needed was another nudge and they could and would see as well. Her head went circles, desperate to find a way.

In the distance, she saw the crystal heart at its usual spot, glowing softly as the night fell upon the city. As she watched it, she heard something familiar and her ears perked up. For a moment, she stared silently, then she knew.

She turned around and rushed behind the stage. She quickly gathered her friends and while Princess Cadance flew up on the stage for her final speech, the musicians from Ponyville went to work.

Finale

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Chapter 7: Finale

Princess Cadance’ speech was met with cheers and applause from her audience. Crystal Note heard words of gratitude for everypony who contributed to the faire. The princess expressed her hope that future faires would be as successful as this one.
Most of the words flew past Crystal Note though. Behind her, Clear Skies gave her a sign with her wing and signalled she was ready. Octavia nodded from the side of the stage.

The Princess kept talking for a while. As it was tradition, she finished her speech by humbly addressing her subjects and asking the crystal ponies to share the love and light of the Empire with the crystal heart.
Her plea finished with a deep bow from the Princess and every single crystal pony bowed in return. The visitors from Equestria watched in awe as the alicorn bowed deeply and spread her wings, until her head and the tip of her pinions touched the floor. She stayed in this position until she noticed the first signs from her subjects.

The crystal ponies had gathered up during the speech while the visitors formed a loose circle around them. As they bowed, a soft light came from their midst. Some of the crystal ponies sparkled and shined in the soft light of the stars, some even glowed in inner light and the crowd of outsiders let out 'Aahs' and 'Ohhs' in amazement as delicate strands of this light arched towards the crystal heart in the distance.
However, not all of them found the light inside them. Princess Cadance and many others noticed that the light didn’t reach everypony and barely anything made it to the heart. The crystal heart reacted to the few ponies who embraced it anyways, but it was nowhere close to what they’d seen before.

Princess Cadance was about to address her subjects again, when her ears perked up. From behind the stage, the sound of a piano made it to the plaza. It was very soft at first, just enough to be noticed by the crystal ponies in the crowd as well. Then, the piano grew louder when somepony turned on the speakers on stage as well.

The visitors from outside smiled and cheered as the expected an encore from the band, but they quickly fell silent when they saw the expressions from the crystal ponies. Most of them seemed to recognize the melody that was played, but couldn’t place it. One by one, their heads turned towards the crystal heart. The ancient relic now glowed more brightly than before and spun softly on its pedestal. The heart recognized the melody and a wave of understanding ran through the crystal ponies.

Then the curtain rose and drew everypony's attention back to the stage. In the back, Clear Skies sat in front of the piano, using her hooves and her wings to play the melody she had learned from Crystal Note.

The crystal unicorn walked up to the centre of the stage with slow but confident steps. Like the other crystal ponies, she had gone too long hiding away the light inside her. Like them, she was afraid at times, overwhelmed by this new world, ashamed and scared of the things that happened in the past. Unlike them though, she had found friendship in this new world and through that, encouragement, trust and acceptance.
Now it was time to give some of it back to her own.

The music filled her mind with happy memories and events from her time in Ponyville, with her friends and with the ensemble. She went further and found the same in her past within the Crystal Empire.
She felt words rising up from within her, and she embraced them. Her voice blended into the piano music as the light inside her gifted her with a song and sparkles danced over her coat as she shared it with the ponies around her.

You’ve got the words to change a nation
But you’re biting your tongue
You spent a lifetime stuck in silence
Afraid you say something wrong
If no one ever hears it
How we gonna learn your song?

So come on, come on
Come on, come on!

Crystal Note sang with her eyes closed, so she didn’t see that every pony was watching her. She also didn’t see the crystal ponies as the stepped closer towards the stage. However, she did feel the sparks of light that flickered up within the other crystal ponies

You’ve got a heart as loud as lions
So why let your voice be tamed?
Maybe we’re a little different
There’s no need to feel ashamed
You’ve got the lights to fight the shadow
So stop hiding it away!

Come on, come on
Come on, come on!

The crystal ponies stared. At the pony with a horn who was so different from them but felt the same doubts they did. At the pony who had ran off into a new world, not to leave her home behind, but the carry out word of it into this new world.
They stared as Crystal Note, the crystal unicorn, embraced the light inside her and sang with all her heart

I wanna sing!
I wanna shout!
I wanna scream ‘til the words dry out!
So put it in books and on papers
I’m not afraid!
They can hear all about it
Read all about it!

Crystal Note's voice followed the melody of the piano without words, but just as much emotion. As she did, the light grew stronger around her, almost like a small halo in the beginning darkness of the night. Her eyes opened and as she took in the sight before her, her body shimmered and sparkled even more. Within the crowd, some crystal ponies had the same halo surrounding them. In the distance, the crystal heart glowed brighter.

Her eye sparkled like gemstones and almost glowed like the stars in the night sky as she watched more and more of the crystal ponies find and embrace the light inside them, a light that was always there, even if it was hard to reach sometimes.
Crystal Note's smile almost spread all over her face when her wordless vocals turned into lyrics again. She sang for the crystal ponies with confidence and joy

At night we're waking up the neighbours
As we sing away our blues
Making sure that we're remembered
Because we all matter too!
If the truth has been forbidden
Let's start breaking all those rules!

So come on, come on
Come on, come on!

Let's get the ponies of Equestria
all sing our tune again!
It's 'bout time we got some airplay
Of our version of events
You don't have to be afraid
I will sing with you my friend!

So come one, come on
Come on come on!

I wanna sing!
I wanna shout!
I wanna scream 'til the words dry out!
So put it in books and on papers
We're not afraid!
Let them hear all about it
Read all about it

Crystal Note beamed when she heard the lyrics picked up and repeated by some more voices from the crowd of crystal ponies. Along with their voices, their lights flared up brightly as they sang and embraced their magic as one. Everypony could feel the change going through the community of crystal ponies.

The melody of the piano slipped into a new tune and as Clear Skies added to the song, Crystal Note found new words of confidence and encouragement to share with her people

Yeah we're all wonderful, wonderful ponies
So when did we all get so fearful?
Now we're finally finding our voices
So take a chance, come help me sing this!

Oh we're all wonderful, wonderful ponies
So why did we all get so fearful?
And now we're finally finding out voices
Just take a chance, come help me sing this!

Quicker than before, the tune and the chorus was picked up by many voices. Soon all the crystal ponies sang or hummed along, each of them finding the courage and the confidence to reach out for the light and love inside them.

Yeah we're all wonderful, wonderful ponies
So when did we all get so fearful?
Now we're finally finding our voices
So take a chance, come help me sing this!

Oh we're all wonderful, wonderful ponies
So why did we all get so fearful?
And now we're finally finding out voices
Just take a chance, come help me sing this!

In a wave of bright light, the small halos of each individual pony blended together into a colourful beacon as the sang together.
Crystal Note's eyes perked up when a new voice joined into the song from beside her. Princess Cadance had taken the spot next to her on the stage and now raised her voice with the crystal ponies as the chorus was repeated once more.

The crystal unicorn smiled and bowed before her Princess. She quickly found the way down from the stage and into the crowd. The crystal ponies cleared a path for her, not out of fear, but to welcome her among them. She returned the smiles as she walked slowly, her voice blending into the chorus of voices. She found her sister in the crowd and took the spot next to her.
Now, with everypony in place, the crystal ponies returned their attention to the Princess of the Empire.

The Princess smiled to her subjects, her friends, surrounded by a crowd of ponies from all over Equestria who watched in awe and joined the song, humbly and almost reverent in soft voices. She watched the beautiful display of colours and light as she addressed the crystal ponies once more
“My little ponies, thank you for showing the light and love inside you. With your help, the Crystal Empire, our home, will be safe and prosper into a bright future.
But even more, I need to thank you for sharing this light, not only with me but with everypony around you. Hopefully, tonight will be the first of many times we see this. Tonight, everypony can see that the greatest treasure of the Empire doesn’t lie it its gems or crystals, but in the wonderful ponies who live here. Please, let your light shine and drive away any shadow of a doubt.”

The tall alicorn spread her wings and bowed like before. The crystal unicorns followed almost in unison and as they did, a bright wave of light spread out from the plaza through every street and every corner of the city. Every pony was bathed in this light and when the brightness faded, the magic of the Empire had been shared with them. Like the crystal ponies, their bodies shimmered and gleamed in the light of the crystal heart.

Princess Cadance spread her wings wide, but all her attempts to thank her ponies were drowned out by cheers from her subjects and more than one surprised squeal from the visitors. The Princess took it in stride and simply bowed her head before she joined the cheering ponies who quickly changed into a celebration that lasted long into the next morning.

Crystal Note - The Crystal Faire

by TalkingToMyself

On the train

Arrival

A friend from the past

Rehersal

Setting up

The Concert

Finale