Crystal's Wishes

Chapters

Moonlight Shadow
Hope
Doubt
Acceptance
Resolution
Joy
Her Wonted Life
The Brides' Mare
Heated Thoughts
Cautious Conversation
Private Meetings
Blast from the Past
A Whole New World
Halcyon Days
Keeping Secrets
Country Roads
No Doubt
Pieces of the Puzzle
Wonderful Tonight
At Her Doorstep
Facades
Burdens
Charades
Bridges
Sensual Desires
Union of Minds
Union of Words
Union of Hearts
New Love, Old Love
A Glimmering Start
A Glimmering Stay
A Glimmering Stone
A Glimmering Step
Golden Doubts
A Brewing Storm
A Latte Love
La Vida Mocha
Brought to Light
Hiding in the Dark
Little Fury
Reaching Forward
Fighting for Love
Putting on a Show
Waylaid Plans
Minute Moments
Drawing Conclusions
Best of Intentions
Slice of Another Life
In Bocca al Lupo
Bolt from the Blue
Something Old, Something New
Something Borrowed, Something Blue
Always and Forever
Wishes Come True
Epilogue: Happily Ever After
Sparks of the Beginning
The Trembling Truth
Consort in the Chaos
Fading Moonlight
Fluttering Hope
An Intimate Affair
A New Flame
Mare of the Night
The Faltering Step
A Secret Discovered
A Secret Shared
Delicate Time
The Unwilling Stallion
Princess in the Mirror
The Brave Resolve
Whispers of Maidens
Flirtatious Fancies
The Dangerous Date
Wounded Recovery
Yearning History
Treasure in the Moment
The Sound of Silence
Torn Illusion
High Hopes
Rendezvous with Reality
A Friendly Word
The Step Forward
Gateway to the Future
The Royal Pain
The Mare's Temptation
Ups and Downs
Moving On
Moving In
A New Chapter
All's Quiet in Canterlot
The Princess of the Knight
At the Gala — First Dance
At the Gala — Second Dance
A Great Wave
Tumultuous Revelations
Confessions at the Convention
The Silver Reward
Close Encounters
Hearths on Fire
Propositions
Provocations
Repercussions
Mare Contraire
Thinking Out Loud
The Little Things
Protests of the Lady
Silent Conspiracy
Chocolate Roses
I'll Be Thinking of You
Letters of Love

Moonlight Shadow

Two hours went by before Pepper Ridge finally stumbled out into the waiting room. His coat, normally the lovely color of toasted bread, was dark and matted with sweat, but a tired smile was on his face. "Girls, you want to come in and meet him?"

Crystal and Velvet scrambled off the bench, nearly knocking each other over in their hurry to follow him to the room. Crystal's breath caught in her throat when she walked through the doorway and beheld a scene of pure tranquility.

Bathed in the flickering fluorescent light from above, Sunbeam rested on the lone bed in the room, wearing an unflattering aqua-colored gown. Her mane had been long since pulled out of its curls and instead clung to her neck and shoulders. From any physical aspect, she was a bedraggled mess; however, there was still something that had taken Crystal's breath away for a moment.

Sunbeam looked down at the little blue-wrapped bundle in her forelegs with such fondness and love that she radiated beauty. The sounds of the hospital—the beeping machines and murmuring staff—faded away around the family in front of her in that moment. Pepper Ridge stood at one side of the bed and Velvet climbed up on the other, all three faces looking down at one little one, all three ponies overwhelmed with a strangely calm joy.

Slowly, Sunbeam lifted her gaze to look at Crystal. "Sweetie, why are you standing over there?" She smiled. "Why don't you come say hello?"

Crystal swallowed. One hoof lifted and took a tentative step forward, then another. The closer she was to the bed, the more fluid her movements became until the face that had captivated the three of them came into view.

Nestled in the blue bundle was a sleeping, dark red foal. A tuft of off-white, almost cream-colored hair rested over his forehead. The blanket moved ever so slightly from his tiny but even breaths.

Crystal's eyes stung with tears. "Oh, Sunbeam," she whispered, "he's absolutely perfect."

Velvet stroked the mane tuft and looked up at her mother. "What's his name, Mom?"

"Red Velvet," Sunbeam said, giggling when Velvet gasped.

"You gave him my name?" she asked in a quiet but incredulous voice. "Mom, Dad, I'm Velvet!"

Pepper Ridge reached behind Sunbeam and over to Velvet, pulling his wife and daughter into a hug. "We're not replacing you, honey."

"But we knew we wanted him to having something in common with you, and the name just seemed right," Sunbeam continued.

"Plus," Crystal added in, all eyes turning on her, "we'll just call him Red."

Velvet scrunched up her nose, looked between them all, then sighed. "Fine, but I'm only calling him Red." She looked down at the blissfully unaware foal. "Got that? You're Red, and I'm Velvet."

A snort and a grunt came from the foal before his eyes opened, the same violet color as Velvet's. He blinked a few times and yawned, a small gurgling sound in the back of his throat.

Velvet's ears dropped to the sides as she melted into a smile. "Aww, all right. You can be Velvet, too, if you want."

Red focused his gaze on her. He opened his mouth and she smiled wider, eager to know what he was going to do next… and a loud wail burst forth from his tiny lungs. It sounded much more like full-grown lungs were powering his cries as they echoed throughout the room.

Velvet recoiled and exclaimed, "What did I do?!"

"Nothing, sweetums," Sunbeam assured her with a tiny chime of laughter. "Red is hungry, that's all." She carefully rolled onto her side. "If you want to turn away, now's your chance!"

"Turn away?" Velvet asked. Her eyes followed the bundle as it was lowered to the bed and set down beside Sunbeam. Red, driven by pure instinct, wriggled himself forward and buried his face against their mother. "Oh—Oh!" She blinked, then tilted her head. "Weird."

Crystal reached out and lightly bopped Velvet on the shoulder. "It's not weird! It's natural. How do you think you were fed as a foal?"

Velvet shrugged. "I dunno. I never really thought about it. I've never really given much thought to foals in general." She looked back at Red. "They're kinda cute."

"Oh, you." Crystal laughed and looked at the new-again parents. "Congratulations, you two," she said while Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge gazed at each other fondly. "I'll let you get some well-deserved rest. Velvet, are you staying here?"

Velvet replied with an emphatic nod.

"All right." She giggled and walked to the door, waving just as she closed it behind her. "Again, congratulations!"

The moment the door shut, the sounds of the hospital became much more apparent, despite it being so late in the night that it was almost morning. Crystal paused to look around at the nurses that walked up and down the halls, a few guiding patients to or from their rooms.

A small shiver ran down her spine. The smell of rubbing alcohol and hoof sanitizer was thick in the air, and the lights overhead continually flickered just enough to be noticeable. There was a faint, nauseous smell of somepony nauseated somewhere nearby, and the disorienting white on white on white of the surroundings made her hurry to the nearest exit.

The night outside was quiet and serene. Crystal took a few deep breaths to clear the stagnant air out of her lungs, then smiled up at the moon before she started the long walk home.

♡

Crystal nibbled on the quill's tip as she read her latest draft, the ink still wet. There was only a little under two months left of summer break before she'd be back to school and tied to a desk most hours of the day. While she still had some freedom left, she was determined to make more progress on the story.

The thought made her giggle. If Silent Knight came home when he wrote that he would, then she could work on her Silent love, as well. She giggled again and lowered the paper to the coffee table. Her gaze wandered the joined living room and kitchen. The condo was calm and quiet, despite being a Saturday for which Velvet would normally be around.

She yawned and stood up, her joints popping and creaking as she stretched out her forelegs. The clock on the wall indicated it was just shy of noon and she had skipped breakfast in favor of getting an early start on writing. Her stomach made its opinion on the matter quite known with a loud rumble.

Crystal put on one of her floppy hats and walked out into the hallway. While she walked out of the building, she mused on what seemed most appetizing: a salad, a sandwich, or perhaps some brunch? Biscuits and jam sounded rather nice, and nopony made them better than Papa Pepper. Of course, it was also a convenient excuse to drop by their place.

The air outside was hot and a little humid. Even though it was a short walk to Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge's condo, she worked up a light sweat and was eager to get out of the sun.

She knocked on the door and waited until it opened. When it did, Velvet's smiling face greeted her. "Hey! Come on in!"

Crystal walked inside, setting her hat on one of the coat hangers. "How's little Red?"

"Perfect, of course." Velvet rolled her eyes. "He only cries when he's hungry or needs changing. Otherwise, he's just, uh, happy. Not like, super happy, just baby happy, I guess."

Crystal glanced at the door that led to the nursery. "Who's managing the shop right now?"

"Dad." Velvet tilted her head. "Why?"

"Aww." Crystal laughed softly and sat down on the couch, shaking her head. "I was hoping for some of his biscuits and jam."

"Oh, I can reheat some for you, sweetie," Sunbeam said as she walked into the room. She had a sweatband around each ankle and another around her forehead to pull loose strands of blonde mane out of the way. "Let me finish my exercising and I'll get right on that."

Velvet huffed, stepping in front of her mother. "I can reheat them, Mom! Just relax, okay? If you wear yourself out trying to exercise and take care of Red and take care of Crystal, you won't have any attention left for me!"

Sunbeam giggled. She wiped her forehead along the back of one of her hooves. "Ever the selfless girl, you are. It's okay, I can finish up on the way to the kitchen!"

With a huff, she stepped around Velvet. Her movements were somewhat exaggerated, one foreleg and one hindleg stretching as far forward as possible before stepping down and stretching out the others. Once in the kitchen, she started to jog in place on three hooves while the other retrieved a wrapped bundle of biscuits from the fridge.

Crystal watched her with a smile, saying to Velvet, "She's really dedicated to losing the baby weight, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is." Velvet shrugged. "Anyway, are you really just here for biscuits and jam?" She took a seat beside Crystal and swung her hindlegs absently.

Crystal nodded, paused, then shook her head. "I was, but now that I think about it, I did want to talk about something." She glanced at Velvet out of the corner of her eye. "Can you not make a big deal out of my birthday this year?"

Velvet gasped with obvious exaggeration. The sound was louder than necessary and both hooves raised to her chest. "What? No! I would never do that! This birthday isn't any more or less special than any other!"

"Besides, we already have the cake planned!" Sunbeam called from the kitchen in the middle of her push-ups while the stove preheated.

Crystal turned on Velvet, frowning and prodding at her with one accusatory hoof. "You are planning something! Velvet, I don't want you making a big deal out of my birthday."

Velvet crossed her hoof over her chest. "I'm not making a big deal out of it. Honest! I'm making an appropriately sized deal. Just trust me, okay?" She leaned back into the couch and tilted her head. "Anyway, why? Last year it was just you, me, and Horsey because you didn't have any other friends. Now you have a lot. Don't you want to celebrate that?"

Crystal shook her head. "It's embarrassing! Birthday parties are for fillies and colts, not a mare my age."

"That's not true," Sunbeam chimed in. "We do birthday cakes for grown ponies all the time. It's perfectly normal!"

"Not helping!" Crystal chimed back. She sighed and looked down at the floor. "How much have you already planned?"

Velvet hummed thoughtfully. "If I were planning something, then I would definitely be pretty far along. It's only, like, two weeks away." She jabbed a hoof at Crystal. "So don't ruin this for me, hypothetically!"

Crystal whined for a moment, pleading with her eyes, but Velvet didn't budge. Finally, she dropped her head. "If it makes you happy."

"Yay!" Velvet threw her forelegs in the air. "—is what I would say if I were indeed planning something!"

Sunbeam jogged over to the couch with a plate of biscuits topped with strawberry jam, which she set on the coffee table. "If you can stay for a while, Crystal, Red will be up from his nap soon."

Crystal's eyes went wide. "Could I play with him?"

"Certainly." Sunbeam smiled, then lunged her way to the nursery. "I'll bring him out when he's awake."

Crystal took a bite of one of the biscuits and relished its buttery flavor underneath the layer of jam. "Your dad can really cook," she murmured in bliss.

"Yep! Though with Mom stuck here with Red, I'm going to have to keep taking shifts at the bakery so he doesn't get overworked." Velvet sighed. "I'm sorry. I know that means you'll be stuck alone a lot of the time, but maybe you can be good and go out more?"

"'Be good'?" Crystal raised a brow. "What am I, a pet?"

Velvet's mouth wriggled before she grinned, nodded, and laughed when Crystal feigned a shocked gasp.

"Well, we'll just see how you feel about it when I—aww!" Her tone rose to a quiet but high-pitched squeal as her gaze was torn away from Velvet at the sound of a gurgle. "Look who's up!"

Sunbeam cradled Red in one foreleg as she walked over to them. "Here you go, Big Sis." She held him out to Velvet, smiling at Crystal. "She's his favorite when he wakes up from a nap."

"Of course! That's because Big Sis knows what Li'l Red likes!" Velvet raised the gurgling foal into the air, then gently wiggled him from side to side. "Choo-choo! Wook at mah widdle face!"

Crystal stared at her before she grinned. "Wow, Velvet, maybe you didn't want a cat after all."

"Huh?" Velvet lowered Red to cradle him in both forelegs. "What?"

Her grin widened. "You clearly wanted a foal!"

Velvet blinked. She looked from Crystal to Red. He looked up at her with a big, drooling smile. "What? But cats and foals are totally different. Cats are fun but foals are adorable and look at the way he smiles and oh my gosh I want one." Her eyes grew big as the realization sunk in.

Sunbeam gasped from across the room, dropping a small dumbbell to the ground. "What?!"

"I mean, not right now!" Velvet hurriedly clarified. "Now is definitely not the right time! Crystal needs to move out and in with Silent Knight first before I can even consider that. Also, the whole problem of, well, making a foal." She shook her head. "That means I'd need somepony, right?"

"You could always just adopt," Crystal offered.

Velvet blinked slowly. "I could always just adopt…" She shook her head again, more rapidly this time. "Anyway, let's focus on the real situation at hoof! Silent is going to come home soon and Crystal's finally going to tell him how she feels!"

Sunbeam, after having just picked it up, dropped the dumbbell again. "What?!"

Crystal rubbed the back of her neck and grinned sheepishly. "Oh, yes, I said I'd do that, didn't I?"

Velvet gave a stern nod. "Yup!"

"You won't let me go back on that?"

Velvet shook her head. "Nope!"

Crystal laughed, looking at the approaching Sunbeam. "Then I guess it's true!"

"Oh, honey, that's wonderful!" Sunbeam embraced her, then pulled back. "Velvet, let Crystal play with Red to celebrate!"

"Okay, okay." Velvet transferred Red to Crystal's hold. "Now, be careful, he's a little finicky with how you hold him. No, put your hoof here, and hold him around here…"

♡

Crystal trotted through the streets toward home with a saddlebag full of radishes, a small chuckle escaping her at the thought of them. Clearly, it was time for her 'surprise party'. Why else would Velvet wake her up and send her to the store to get "twenty-one radishes, each two-thirds more red than white"?

She rolled her eyes as she opened the door and called, "Oh, look at me, coming home so unsuspecting into a dark room!"

She waited. The lights remained off. Not a sound was heard. She blinked.

"Uh, hello? Birthday filly is here?"

Nothing.

She huffed and wandered around the room, checking behind the sofa, revealing nopony. She looked in the bathroom, under both beds, and even the kitchen cabinets.

"Seriously?" She walked back into the living room and slumped down onto a pillow just as she noticed a piece of paper taped to the back of the door. Her magic retrieved it and, once it was within reach, she read aloud, "You're a real treat."

Crystal stared at the note for a while before she gasped. "Sunridge Sweets! Of course!"

Just when she opened the door and barreled out into the hallway, she squeaked and collided into a grinning Velvet.

"What?!" Crystal looked down at the mare she had knocked over. "What are you doing here?"

Velvet laughed, getting back onto her hooves. "Waiting to see how desperate you were for the party you didn't want!" She winked. "Guess you wanted this after all?"

Crystal puffed out her cheeks. "Well, I just, if you did it anyway I might as well enjoy it!"

"Great! So now that I've distracted you…"

"Distracted me?" She glanced up, to the left, then the right. "From wha—"

"Surprise!" several voices yelled from right behind her, most laughing when she squealed and jumped into the air.

Crystal whirled around to see everypony standing in the hallway: Raven was accompanied by Moore, Horsey with Savoir, Painted Wave with Verdant Wellspring, and, of course, Runic, who probably would have been holding hooves with Miley if she weren't overseas.

She feigned a laugh as the reality in front of her set in. Almost all of her friends were in a relationship. How did she, the most desperate of all of them, end up the only single pony? She glanced at Velvet and mentally corrected, The only unwillingly single pony, that is.

Finally, her smile lifted into sincerity as she said, "Oh, you all didn't have to do this!"

"But we haven't done anything yet," Runic said before grabbing a phial from his vest. "But now—"

"Runic, no!" cried those that knew what was to come.

"—it's started!" he finished, rather innocently or intentionally ignoring them and throwing the phial to the ground.

Pink smoke filled the hallway and likely disturbed several neighbors. However, it had the pleasant smell of roses, and quickly dissipated into a thin haze, as though looking through rose-colored lenses.

Runic smiled with pride. "Made it just for you! It's my version of a bathless bomb!"

Crystal and a few others laughed through their coughing. Velvet ushered everypony inside, closing the door and hurriedly opening the kitchen window.

Sunbeam, Pepper Ridge, and Red were already waiting inside, having snuck past while Velvet kept Crystal distracted to deliver the cake. It was a two-layer white cake with a chocolate topper shaped like her cutie mark and a rosy pattern along the sides in pink. Several swirls of a dark shade of blue were interspersed throughout and Velvet leaned over to explain, "For, yanno, your Knight."

Crystal giggled and swatted at her. "Oh, you."

Cake was served first, as Crystal's sweet tooth couldn't let such a testament to all things sugary sit untouched. Painted Wave wandered over to Crystal while the others mingled, especially Raven and Horsey who seemed particularly gossipy about each other's love lives. After all, Moore had officially proposed on Hearts and Hooves Day, so Raven was excited to show off her engagement ring to everypony.

"Hay," she said, levitating her plate of sweet hay fries and strawberry dipping sauce. "I saw your changeling invasion article in Mares Monthly."

Crystal glanced nervously up at her. "What did you think?"

Painted raised her brow. "Does it matter what I think? Well, if it does, then I think the real question is, how are you doing?"

"Much better. I still have a nightmare once in a while, and I can't go into Runic's back room yet without breaking out in a sweat, but I know that'll get better with time." Crystal smiled, looking out at the room. "I didn't realize it until Velvet pointed it out, but I really do have a lot of friends now. I don't think I appreciated that before. I'm sure that helps more than anything."

"Good." Painted munched on a fry. "So, Velvet said we're hoping for a surprise late arrival?"

Crystal giggled and shrugged. "That'd be quite the birthday miracle! The stallion I have a bit of a crush on might be returning from overseas, but I think if that were going to happen he'd be here already." She looked over at Velvet across the room. "I'll keep hoping, though."

Painted patted her on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! Now, come on, Velvet told us that you're a devilish Timberwolf player." She grinned. "I have no idea what that means but I want to find out!" Her head turned toward the room and she called, "Timberwolf!"

"Where?!" Runic looked around and reached for his phials.

Velvet yelped and tackled him, though it was more like a leaping hug, as he didn't budge at all. They all laughed and gathered around the coffee table while the remainder of the cake was moved to the kitchen.

It was a tight fit for the group, so the stallions sat out to enjoy some stallionly chat. Red dominated the conversation with his gurgling and babbling, however, seeming to have very strong opinions about construction, Wonderbolt races, and how long mares took to get ready for parties.

"So," Crystal started, looking across the table at Velvet, "this game is growing on you, huh?"

Velvet smirked. "Only because I have a secret weapon now."

"Secret weapon?" Horsey asked.

Velvet merely chuckled, then burst into a full-on cackle. The other mares looked at each other in concern, save for Sunbeam, who hummed a little tune while looking at her dealt role card. Crystal had a feeling that mares in that family all hummed when they had something up their sleeve.

Sunbeam, it turned out, had the ultimate poker face: her sugary disposition paired with her terms of endearment made it nigh impossible to call her a liar. Raven did so once and was so burned by the look of hurt on Sunbeam's face that she believed even the most improbable of claims from the mare. That included Sunbeam saying she was a Clairvoyant when Raven herself had been that role.

Painted, on the other hoof, was immune to Sunbeam's charms. "Objection! You couldn't be the Scandalmonger, because I was the Burglar and stole Velvet's card. She was the Scandalmonger!"

Sunbeam pouted. "Are you calling me a liar?"

"If the horseshoe fits!" Painted grinned.

The last grains of sand fell; time was up. They voted and several hooves pointed at Sunbeam. She flipped her Timberwolf card over with a small huff. Laughs went around the table, interrupted by a knock on the door.

Crystal's heart stopped, but her hooves moved faster than ever. She flung the door open to see the mailpony standing outside.

"Hello!" he said, held out a hoofful of envelopes, and winked. "Is it somepony's birthday?"

Crystal nodded. Her magic brought over a small plate with a slice of cake on it. "Here you go!"

He licked his lips. "Boy, that looks good! Thanks, you have a happy birthday!"

Crystal sighed after she shut the door. All eyes were on her, so she lifted a smile. "Just the mailpony."

"Yes, and?" Velvet rolled her eyes. "What if there's a letter from you-know-who in there?!"

The thought drew a gasp from Crystal and she flipped through the mail. A bill, something from her parents, something from her grandparents, and—"There is!"

Velvet cleared her throat as she stood. "Small intermission, everypony! Resume games and chatter like normal!" She grabbed Crystal by the hoof and dragged her into the nearest bedroom, shutting the door behind them. She whirled on Crystal like a ravenous timberwolf.

Crystal already had the envelope opened and was reading the letter, her heart pounding, her lips moving to mouth the words.

Dear Crystal Wishes

The time is finally here for us to say goodbye to our gracious hosts and return home. I imagine that we’ll be hot on the trail of this letter. Fortunately for it, mail moves faster than royal entourages.

I’ve made a fool of myself here. I let my distrust of gryphons blind me and I acted rashly. I realize now that I need to reevaluate irrational judgements. Thankfully that did not jeopardize the lasting good that has been done by ponies with cooler heads.

Our mission has been a great success and I think much has been done to bring pony and gryphon together. Please know that I look forward to seeing you and the crowd at your earliest convenience.

If I’ve done my math right this letter should arrive precisely on your birthday. Velvet Step told me the date before I left and urged me to hurry home for what she had planned. Please accept my deepest apologies for not being there myself but know that you’ll be in my thoughts.

Happy Birthday, Crystal Wishes. I know you’ll have a wonderful party.

Your friend

Silent Knight

"Friend?" Crystal sighed and folded the letter. Her ears drooped low. "I'll be in his thoughts, but he's only a friend?" She sighed again. "Oh well. It looks like he won't make the party, Velvet."

Velvet kicked at the ground. "Shucks! And I had the perfect lunch planned, too!"

Crystal blinked. "The what?"

"Well, we have exactly enough plates for every pony here, plus two." Crystal stared blankly and Velvet continued, "I ordered some spaghetti with zucchini and tomato sauce from Mangiatoia to be delivered, enough for every pony here, plus three." Velvet waited, then sighed when Crystal just continued to stare. "That means there'd have been enough plates for Miley and Princess Luna, but not for Silent Knight. Forcing you and him to have to share and end up kissing from a single spaghetti noodle like in the film!"

Crystal made an 'o' shape with her mouth in realization and laughed. "I don't think that works in the real world, but I appreciate the effort." She looked at the letter, then set it aside. "Well, it says he'll be home soon. I hope he means it this time because all this 'friend' business is quite seriously killing me inside!"

Velvet put a reassuring hoof on her shoulder. "Don't worry. Come on, let's get back to the party, okay?"

Crystal smiled a little reluctantly and nodded. "Yeah, let's."

♡

The rays of the sun travelled slowly across the room, creeping toward where Crystal was on the floor. The stillness in the air was interrupted occasionally by her tapping the quill against the paper that held no words, only irritated, restless dots. She sighed and dropped the quill as she dropped her head.

"It's no use," she muttered. "Without knowing how he feels, I don't know how Stoutheart feels!"

The only reassurance she received was the blinds-filtered slat of sunlight reaching her hoof and warming it. It was also a reminder that it was nearing dinner time. She glanced at the door, frowning. Velvet had said she'd be home for dinner to help with finishing off the leftover spaghetti. Even after five days, they had barely made a dent in the surplus of servings.

"Liar," she grumbled, getting to her hooves. "I've been replaced by a foal." She stuck her nose in the air and started for the kitchen when three short knocks resounded from the front door.

Three short knocks. Her heart skipped three beats, or so she thought. In reality, that probably would have killed her, but such logical thinking escaped her right then.

Only one pony she knew knocked on the door that way.

Her stomach went from hungry to nervous excitement in an instant and she scrambled to the door. She paused to primp her mane and face with one hoof. She had to look her best when she opened the door, because standing there was a white-coated, blue-maned guard.

Her excitement lulled. Not only was the guard wearing the wrong color armor, but they were a she.

Crystal furrowed her brow and asked, "Winterspear? Why are y—" She gasped and one hoof raised to cover her mouth.

There was only reason why Winterspear would be visiting, her helmet tucked under one foreleg, sadness in her eyes.

Crystal's heart clenched, then sunk into the very pit of her stomach.

Hope

"What happened?" Crystal almost didn't recognize the sound of her own voice; it was cold and distant and every bit unfeeling as she was emotional.

Winterspear took a sharp intake of air. "Crystal, I'm here as—"

Crystal's expression hardened and she repeated, "What happened?"

Winterspear gave a slight nod of her head. She stalled for a while, though whether that was for Crystal's sake or her own was hard to tell. "He's in a coma," she replied in a near whisper. "There was an ambush and... What are you doing?"

Crystal had walked away from the door to retrieve a hat. The act of putting herself together, even just that little bit, was enough to provide her some sense of normalcy. Every part of her ached, but she instead focused on straightening the hat over her ears. "Where is he?"

"I'm sorry, Crystal, but I think we should talk about his condition so you're prepared before you see him."

"And I disagree." Crystal turned back to face her. She glanced away after she realized just how apparent the tears in her eyes were when Winterspear winced. "If he's not dead, then I want to see him." Her tone grew softer as she added, "Please, Winterspear... I don't want to hear how he is. I want to see him for myself."

Winterspear hesitated a moment longer, then nodded. "Okay... All right." She donned her helmet. "Come with me."

They walked in silence up the street in the direction of the hospital. Her heart pounded hard to punctuate each step that brought her closer to the cold, unfeeling building that had housed such joy less than a month ago. She hated it: the sight of it, the thought of it, the reality of it.

The front doors were pulled open to let them inside and everything seemed to be covered in a haze. Winterspear led her down a hall, still not saying a word, though she did nod to the guards that were standing in the hallway. Crystal kept her gaze firmly focused on the mare's backside to avoid seeing their faces or the looks in their eyes. Would it be sadness? Pity? Anger? Or nothing at all? She didn't want to know.

Her head was spinning and light. She knew there were all sorts of noises in the halls, but her hearing didn't seem to work quite right. Everything sounded so distant until Winterspear pushed a door open and every sense caved in on her at once.

The steady beep, beep, beep of machinery throbbed against the inside of her skull. Rubbing alcohol turned her stomach on itself. The light was blinding, but not enough to where she couldn't see the vision before her.

Silent Knight laid on the bed. His eyes were closed and his chest just barely rose and fell. He looked like he was sleeping, save for the bandages around his wing, his legs, his chest, his head... It would have been easier to list the parts of him that weren't bandaged. He laid there, small and weak, nothing like the pony she knew. The sight of him was almost a mockery of the strong protector she loved.

Winterspear glanced at her from where she stood beside the bed. "Are you okay?"

Crystal blinked a few times. Her feelings caught up with her and she had to cover her mouth to keep a sob from escaping when the wave hit her in full force. Everything hurt. Nothing made sense.

Crystal asked in a quiet, muffled voice, "Why?"

The simple question brought a bitter look to Winterspear's eyes. "He had to be a hero, of course! Things got bad over there and he saved nearly everypony but himself. Thank Celestia for Ferrel, or else... else..." The bitterness was replaced with sadness and Crystal went to her side to comfort her. "Stupid pony," she muttered.

"I'm sorry," Crystal said. It was the only thing she could think to say. "I'm sorry."

Winterspear's breathing was ragged as she struggled to regain composure. Her gaze flickered from the floor to her brother and each time she looked at him, her jaw clenched and her brow furrowed. Once she calmed down just enough, she straightened up and looked back at Crystal. "Look, I know you and he are close, so, I wanted to tell you myself. I need to make the rounds and gather up his other friends."

Crystal nodded, her gaze drifting to Silent's nearly still form. "I appreciate it, Winterspear. I really do." She stroked a small circle against what was exposed of the mare's shoulder. "I'll keep an eye on him."

"Thank y—"

The door opened and a brown stallion leaned into the room. "Miss Winterspear?"

Winterspear jerked her head to look at him, hope springing into her voice. "Dr. Emerai! Do you have any news?"

Dr. Emerai kept a perfectly neutral face. "I do." His gaze landed on Crystal. "Will you give us the room, please?"

Crystal nodded and hurried to the door. "I'll be right out here if you need me, Winterspear!"

The door closed behind her with an ominous click, but she kept a smile on her face while she sat just outside the room. The doctors in Canterlot were some of the best around. It would be fine. She clenched her jaw. He would be fine.

At that hour, there seemed to be a lull in activity. Most of the guards that had gathered in solidarity had already left to attend to their duties, leaving two positioned by the door: Thunder Tumble and Lightning Flash. Though determination was firmly plastered on their faces, she knew them. They were just as worried as she was, and however twisted it may be, that thought brought her some amount of comfort.

However, that lull paired with the lack of proper soundproofing gave way to the very uncomfortable detail of unavoidable eavesdropping.

"I'm sorry, Miss Winterspear," the doctor's muffled voice could be heard saying, "but there is only so much we can do given his condition. He's lucky to be alive. His luck ends there, I'm afraid."

"What do you mean?" Winterspear, on the other hoof, was hardly muffled at all when she verged on yelling at him. "I don't care about his luck. You're a doctor! It's your job to save him!"

There was an audible sigh. "Please understand, Miss Winterspear. Likely the only thing that saved him was his armor. Even with it, he took a considerable amount of damage. He has several fractures in his right wing, along with broken ribs that..."

Crystal clamped a hoof over her mouth when her stomach did an unexpected flip. She hurried to the nearest filly's room. Her magic flared, twisting the faucet knob a little too hard. It squeaked but obeyed the demand and water poured forth.

Of course she had seen the bandages. Ponies got bandaged up for scrapes and cuts all the time... but they didn't go overseas and get attacked by gryphons. She splashed some water on her face, then dried off and stared at her reflection. They scowled at each other while Crystal primped herself into suitable condition before she returned to the seat by Silent's room. The door was still closed and she could still hear Winterspear and Dr. Emerai inside.

"... do you understand?" he asked.

"I understand." The fire was gone from Winterspear's voice. "Thank you, Dr. Emerai."

The door opened and the stallion walked out. Crystal hurried in after he left to find Winterspear slouched against the wall, her gaze fixated on the ground.

Crystal hesitated. "I... I'm sorry, Winterspear."

Winterspear stomped a hoof and snarled, "How am I supposed to be 'glad that he's alive'?" She pointed at the bed. "How can I be glad about this?! I swear, if the doctor had come a step closer, I'd have wrung his neck for telling me to be glad!" She huffed, panted, and slumped forward. "Stupid pony... What am I going to do without him?"

"Don't even think that!" Crystal jerked her head from side to side. "He'll make it through. He's too stubborn to give up that easily!"

Wintersepear sighed. "I'm sure you heard what the doctor said ab—"

"Oh, forget what the doctor said! You know Silent Knight better than I do and even I know he won't leave us! And he definitely won't leave you." She glanced at the window, then back at the mare and quietly suggested, "You should go gather everypony while visiting hours are still open. I'll keep watch over him while you do."

To Crystal's surprise, Winterspear stepped toward her and wrapped a foreleg around her neck. She buried her face against her shoulder and mumbled, "Thank you. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up."

Crystal smiled and returned the half-hug. "Maybe go to Iridescence first and let her take care of you for a little while."

Winterspear nodded as she pulled away. "I think I'll do just that. I'll be back as soon as I can, though. You won't have to be in here by yourself for long."

"I don't mind. Honest. There's nowhere else I'd rather be right now, anyway."

Once Winterspear left, Crystal kept staring at where she had been, purposefully not looking at the bed. How wonderful it would have been to turn and see him awake, but when she finally turned her head, nothing had changed.

"Oh, Silent Knight..." She took a seat in the bedside chair, then wrapped her hooves around one of his. "Why did you have to be a hero?" Her voice cracked and her eyes glossed over with tears. She bowed her head to stare at the floor, watching her own tears fall. Her shoulders trembled as she put up a struggle. Finally, she lost the battle against herself and slumped forward onto the bed and wept.

After an hour of planning and coordination, the group had a schedule worked out of who would be with Silent Knight and at what times to ensure he was never alone. Crystal finished transcribing the last copy and levitated it over to Runic.

"Really, guys, I can close up shop for a while," he muttered, looking over his schedule. "I'll be fine, and that way Crystal can have more breaks."

Winterspear had regained her leadership mentality, evident in the way she shook a stern hoof at Runic. "That's not good for business. What would Silent think if you had to lose the shop because of him?"

Runic's ears pinned back, but he nodded. "All right, all right..." He perked up. "But if something comes up for anypony, I can fill in! There's a pony who can manage the store for me. He's reliably, occasionally available most of the sometimes!"

Iridescence turned her attention to Crystal. "Are you sure you can spend this much time here?"

Crystal nodded. "Absolutely. I can write anywhere, after all."

"I know that, but I mean... here." Her expression softened and she looked across the waiting room in the direction of Silent's room. "It's not going to be easy to be with him for so many hours, every day, when we don't know how long it's going to be." She looked back at Crystal. "Somepony like you isn't—"

Crystal's chest puffed and she snapped, "Somepony like me? And just what do you mean by that?"

"What?" Iridescence frowned. "I mean exactly what I said. You're not a soldier. You didn't sign up for this sort of thing!"

The others fell silent and stared while Crystal bristled. "Soldier or not, I care for Silent just as much as you do!"

Iridescence snorted, but before the tiff could escalate, Winterspear put herself between them. "Ladies! We all care about Silent Knight. That's why we're here, isn't it?"

Crystal and Iridescence nodded, neither looking at the other. "Yes, ma'am," they muttered.

"Good. Because we haven't even started shifts yet and if we start fighting now, it's going to be a long... a long..." She swallowed.

Guilt tugging at her heart, Crystal glanced between Winterspear and Iridescence. "I'm sorry, Iridescence. I'm just—"

"I know. Me, too." Iridescence rubbed the back of her neck. "I think we're all just a little on edge. I really did mean that I was just concerned that it might be hard on you, as a simple—normal—ugh!" She groaned and got up off the chair to pace around the waiting room. Her tail flicked in agitation. "I don't mean it the way it's sounding! I'm just worried it will be harder than you realize, that's all I'm trying to say."

"I understand." Crystal slid off the seat and tucked her copy of the schedule away. "I'm going to head home and get my things. I'll see you all later!"

Once she was out of the hospital and on her way to the condo, she visibly melted. Her ears fell to the sides, her tail drooped, and her hooves dragged as she walked. Like the hospital lights she hated so much, her emotions kept erratically and annoyingly flickering between on and off. She was in for a long however-long-it-would-be...

Her gaze lifted to the sky where the sun looked down at her, blissfully bright. She tried to glare, but it was more of a blinded squint. "Fie on you, happy day," she muttered and kept walking.

When she walked through the front door, Velvet leaned out of the kitchen to chime a greeting. Crystal grunted in response, prompting Velvet to walk over.

"What's wrong? Look, I'm sorry I didn't come home yesterday. Mom was tired so I was on Red duty all night!"

Crystal didn't meet her gaze. "I..." The anger melted back to sadness and she dropped her rump to the floor. Her head lowered down past her shoulders. "Silent Knight's back."

Velvet furrowed her brow and sat in front of her. "And? What, did he bring a gryphon back as a bride or something?"

Even Crystal couldn't fight a small laugh at that. "No. He hardly brought himself back, much less a gryphon bride."

"He"—Velvet's ears shot straight up and she gasped—"What?! What happened?! Oh my gosh, Crystal, is he okay?!"

"He's alive, but he's in a coma." The floor beneath her started to blur. "They were ambushed just as they were leaving by gryphon soldiers. Some... some ponies died, Velvet. I should consider myself lucky that he's alive at all, but—" She was interrupted by the sudden weight of Velvet against her, forelegs wrapped around in a tight hug.

"Oh, Crystal, I'm so, so sorry. I had no idea!" She buried her face against Crystal's shoulder. "What are you going to do?" she asked in a soft whisper.

Crystal put one foreleg around Velvet. "Wait for him, of course. We've all put a schedule together so he'll never be alone until he wakes up."

Velvet pulled back to look at her, a hesitant look on her face and in her voice. "What if he... doesn't?"

"He will!" Crystal's ears pinned back. "Of course he will!"

"Hey, I just said 'if,' all right?" Velvet frowned and pulled completely away. "You have to be realistic, Crystal, or it's going to hurt worse if—if—he doesn't wake up."

Crystal stood and skulked to her room, gathering up her draft papers, a notebook, and a couple quills into a rucksack. "Or I can have faith and hope that he'll pull through."

Velvet glared at her and muttered, "If that were enough, then we wouldn't need hospitals."

"And what do you want me to do?!" Crystal whirled around to face her. The tears she had been fighting back fell freely down her cheeks. "Just give up on him and say 'oh well, I'll find another one'? You and Horsey always complain that I give up too easily. Well, I'm not giving up this time, and now you're telling me to give up!"

"I'm not saying that!" Velvet shouted, rising to stand on all fours. "I'm just saying to give it most of your all and save a little bit of yourself so in case something goes wrong, it doesn't totally and utterly devastate you!"

Crystal rubbed at her face with the back of one leg. Her voice fell to a tired, empty mumble, interrupted by the occasional hiccup. "I don't want to even th-think about that, Velvet. If I do, it hurts t-too much. I just... I just want to believe that he'll..." She leaned against the doorway and sobbed.

Velvet remained where she was, though her face showed her empathy openly. She bit her lower lip and looked away, her own eyes watering up. "Fine. Then for as much as you think he'll make it, I'll prepare myself to take care of you if he doesn't." A sniffling sigh escaped her. "So, you're heading back there, then?"

"Mmhm." Crystal nodded. She rubbed her face again, then started to walk to the door, but Velvet stepped in front of her to block the way. "What?"

"You can't go to your stallion looking like this. Celestia's sake, he'll think something's wrong." A weak smile pulled at her lips. "Wash your face and put on something nice. It'll give the guy all the more reason to pull through sooner, yeah?"

Crystal stared at her for a quiet moment, then smiled and turned toward the bathroom. "You're right." She forced a haughty spring in her step. "Can you get my yellow ribbons?"

"Can do!"

After washing her face and applying a fresh coat of make-up, Crystal finished the job by tying the yellow ribbon into a bow around the dock of her tail. She tucked a spare one into her bags, then left to go back to the hospital. As the building came into sight, a gloom started to cloud her mind, but she chased it away by humming. She would keep her spirits up. She had to.

Stepping around the corner, however, caused her heart to race. Reality was behind that door. Perhaps this time he would be awake when she opened it...

... He wasn't, of course. His eyes were still closed. The monitors continued their job of watching his vital signs. A nurse was tending to one of his bandages and Crystal looked away just before it was unwrapped. She stood, awkwardly, off to the side, waiting for the nurse to finish her work.

"Thank you," Crystal murmured to the nurse when the mare finished and walked past.

The door clicked shut, leaving her alone with Silent Knight. A bitter chuckle escaped her.

"Alone, huh?" She finally looked at him again and winced, but pressed on with a smile. "Just what I always wanted. Well, you know what they say about wishes, eh, Sergeant?" She pulled the chair closer and sat down. "You have to be careful what you wish for, or you just might get it."

Her voice trembled despite her effort to keep it even and calm. She was probably out of tears by that point, but she didn't want to find out. All she had to do was keep talking and focus on that instead.

"Do you remember how I told you I had stories about my adventure while you were gone? Well, now's as good as time as any. It's not like you have a say in the matter." Another painful chuckle. She crossed her forelegs over one another and looked up at the ceiling. "I went with Velvet on her trip. Can you believe it? Me, who avoids leaving the house if I can help it, went all around Equestria. Well, I suppose I only went to a few cities, but it was a big step for me, you know."

She swallowed; her throat was dry. Her magic lit up and levitated a glass over to the sink, filled it up, and brought it to her lips.

"The first stop was at Las Pegasus. Have you ever been? I've been told about all the casinos and gambling that goes on there, but never about all the shows. Oh, I went to at least three! By far, my favorite was the Blue Pony Group. The music was good, certainly, but I enjoyed the show itself. I don't know how they found three identical blue stallions." She paused, then tilted her head. "Oh, perhaps they used dye!"

She tapped her hooves together. Talking aloud to a comatose pony was more awkward than she had realized. Her eyes flickered to the clock and back.

"I'd love to go with you sometime. When you recover, perhaps I'll just ask you." She stared at him. Of course, he did nothing. She leaned closer. "As a date, because I like you, Silent Knight. I've never told you that, but I do."

Silence. Nothing but silence, save for the machines' beeping and whirring.

"I... I don't know if you just don't know that, or if you do but don't want to hurt my feelings. Which is it, Silent Knight?" She raised a hoof to gently wipe her eyes, careful not to muss her mascara. "No, I'm not crying. A lady doesn't shed tears in public." She paused, then shook her head. "Though I suppose this isn't public, now, is it?"

Crystal's ear twitched at the sound of the door handle turning. She blinked and looked up at the clock on the wall. There were still four hours before Runic would come by for his turn. As the door opened, she said, "You're early."

A mare stood in the doorway, one brow raised. "Excuse me?"

Crystal jumped out of the chair. "Oh! I'm sorry, who are you?"

The mare's other brow raised indignantly. "His mother. Who are you?"

Doubt

Crystal gasped and froze, dumbstruck. Silent Knight's mother regarded her with impatience by walking past and instead focusing on the machines attached to her son. Her hoof traced the display screens and she nodded to herself, muttering something under her breath, then turned back to Crystal.

"Excuse me, but I would like to be alone with my son." She peered down her snout, a chill in her voice. "You are dismissed."

"Oh, I, well..." Crystal's ears drooped. "Yes, ma'am." With her tail between her legs, she grabbed her belongings and hurried out of the room. The door shut behind her and she slumped against the wall to catch the breath that had suddenly escaped her from the way Silent's mother carried herself.

There were no tears in his mother's eyes. Her voice didn't crack with emotion. Instead, she moved the same way Silent moved when he was on duty: with careful, well-practiced precision. It was chilling.

Crystal sighed and found the nearest bench to rest on, a few paces away from the room. Even if he was under his mother's care, she didn't feel right just leaving. She wasn't there solely to watch over him. She was there to be with him, mother or not.

Wrapped in pink magic, her quill lifted and lazily jotted down her ideas for the next scene. It was slow but steady progress; though her muse was strong, she kept having to scrap scenes that poured forth faster than she could really consider them. Stoutheart going off to battle and coming back wounded... Stoutheart contracting a serious illness and being hospitalized...

Each time the story snaked its way too close to reality, she had to crumple up the paper and throw it away. It just didn't fit with the rest of the story, no matter how easily she could write about it.

Crystal's ear twitched at the sound of rapidly approaching metallic hoofsteps. She turned her head to see Winterspear hurrying down the hall toward the room. As she zipped past and inside, she didn't stop to acknowledge Crystal. In fact, she was pretty certain Winterspear hadn't seen her at all.

She shrugged and returned to her writing. Winterspear and her mother's voices drifted through the too-thin door.

"Mom! I'm sorry, I got caught up in a—"

"It's quite all right. I already told you that you didn't need to take off work just for me."

Winterspear hesitated. There was some shuffling of hooves. "Are you okay?"

"Of course I am." Her mother snorted lightly. "Do you think this is the first time I've been in a hospital room?"

"I, well, no, Mom, but..." Winterspear's voice hardened. "Why are you so calm about this?! It's Silent Knight lying there, you know!"

Another derisive snort. "I can see that. Your father's blind, not me." She sighed and hoofsteps indicated that she moved, perhaps closer to Winterspear or to the bed. "He's a royal guard, Winterspear. This is what he signed up for. Your father made it perfectly clear to him what he was getting into and he chose to follow this path."

"Did he?! Or did Dad force him to follow in his hoofsteps?!"

"Mind your tone, young lady. I accepted these consequences when I married your father... I knew I would be wife and mother to ponies who put their lives in danger to keep the rest of us safe. The least I can do for them is respect their decisions."

Winterspear stomped a hoof and yelled, "But he's your son! He's in bad shape, Mom! He might not ever wake up!"

"And it won't change anything if I cry over it. Do you think that's what he wants? Of course not. Anypony who gets involved with a royal guard and cries when things get rough was a fool to get involved in the first place. This is the life of the wife of a soldier."

There were a few sounds of incomprehensible words as Winterspear sputtered, trying to find the right retort.

"All of that aside, I do have a letter from your father in response to yours."

A moment of quiet passed after an envelope was opened. Paper crinkled as if squeezed by a hoof and Winterspear spat, "If that's all he has to say, then why did he bother writing anything at all?"

Before her mother could reply, Winterspear stormed away. The door ripped open and Crystal watched her continue on her fiery departure, each hoof landing with angered resolve. She turned her head to see the mother step out to watch Winterspear leave. There was a brief look of remorse on her face, but when she noticed Crystal sitting there her expression hardened.

They stared at one another in silence. Though Crystal's head was spinning from the mare's words, she stood up and matched the look with a determined one of her own.

Finally, Silent's mother raised her brow. "I see you're still here."

"Yes, ma'am. You dismissed me, but I'm not ready to leave yet. I'm fine waiting out here, however." After a brief moment of consideration, she added politely, "Ma'am."

Another staring contest took place until the mare said, "Wallflower."

Crystal tried to not look as offended as she felt. "I beg your pardon, I am not—"

A brief laugh escaped the mare. "No, not you. My name is Wallflower."

"Oh." Crystal's ears folded back and she smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I just..." She shook her head and straightened up. "It's nice to meet you, Wallflower."

Wallflower nodded. She turned and walked back into the room, returning to the side of the bed. "You're a friend of my son's?"

Crystal shut the door behind them. "Yes, ma'am."

"That's nice. I knew he was making friends, but I haven't been able to meet any of them until now." She shook her head. "What pitiable timing."

Crystal bit her lower lip, then moved to stand on the opposite side of the bed, looking up at Wallflower. "If you have time to wait, Runic Phial will be by in a few hours."

"Runic Phial?" Her eyes flicked up and to the left. "The cousin?" She shook her head. "No, I can't stay that long today. Stratus will do something foolish if he's left alone for too long." She sighed and returned her gaze to him. "I will have to visit in small bursts whenever I can give him something to keep him occupied while I'm here."

Crystal looked at her for a while longer, then dropped her head and stared at the sheets. The ticking of the clock on the wall paired with the occasional beeps and whirrs of machines filled the otherwise awkward silence. They stood there a while longer, perfectly and almost uncomfortably motionless, until Crystal's ear flicked at the rather peculiar sound of Wallflower chuckling, if only just slightly.

A small, almost bittersweet smile played on Wallflower's lips when Crystal glanced up at her. "He's so... quiet. Of course, he's always been the quiet type, especially as a foal, you know." She looked across the bed at her. "Perhaps you don't. Did Silent Knight or Winterspear tell you how he got his name?"

Crystal shook her head. Her magic flared to pull the nearest chair closer so she could sit down. "How?"

Wallflower sat down as well, folding her hooves neatly in her lap. "I don't know what you know about my husband or our family, but the Knight name is a proud name. My son is certainly not the first in our family to become a proud soldier." She smiled as she looked down at him. "He was only named Silent for quite a while, though."

"What?" Crystal furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, Stratus was very particular about who he would give the Knight name to. Winterspear didn't make the cut in his eyes. Mares shouldn't be soldiers, he believes. When Silent was born, he wanted to make sure he was the right one." She sighed. "His decision was delayed because Silent was an odd foal. He was... well, silent in every way. He never cried. He never made a sound, really. Stratus was concerned something was wrong with him. It wasn't until he was a few months old that Stratus looked at me and said, 'Yup, I got a good feeling about him. He's a Knight for sure.'"

Crystal didn't meet her gaze, instead staring at the white sheets that covered Silent's form. A strange feeling of anger bubbled in her chest and she struggled to keep her expression calm. "He just... withheld the family name from his own son?"

Wallflower shrugged. "That's the way my husband is." She cleared her throat and shifted in her seat. "Now, who exactly are you, again? How are you acquainted with him?"

"Oh." The fire was quenched as quickly as it flared, replaced by a moment of fear. How much should she divulge? She glanced at Silent Knight, as if to seek an answer from him, then back at Wallflower and straightened up. "I'm Crystal Wishes. A writer, ma'am. I met Princess Luna through my work and Silent Knight through her."

Wallflower's brow raised. "You are a friend of Princess Luna?"

Crystal hesitated. "It feels awfully pretentious to say that. I am friends with a mare who happens to be a princess."

"And that doesn't also sound pretentious?" Wallflower waved a hoof. "You are talking to the mother of a member of Princess Luna's House Guard. You are no more pretentious than me."

They sat in companionable quiet, both of them gazing at Silent Knight with similarly sober expressions.

"My husband believes he'll pull through," Wallflower said softly. "It seems that it is becoming a family tradition to be injured in the gryphon kingdom now."

"Really?" Crystal glanced at her, then pursed her lips. "Oh, yes. His father—I mean, your husband was injured in the knee, was he not?"

Wallflower nodded. She rose to her hind legs, sliding the chair back to make room for her front legs to drop. "And speaking of him, I should start the flight home. I will try to visit again today, but I likely won't be back until tomorrow. It was nice to meet you, Crystal Wishes."

Crystal stood as well, making her way around the bed to walk Wallflower to the door. The older mare stopped her by raising a hoof and gently touching Crystal's braid. That day, she had decided to weave a yellow ribbon in with the blonde and pink locks. She glanced between it and Wallflower, who stared for a moment and then retracted her hoof.

"Thank you for caring about my son." She smiled. "It brings a mother some sense of peace knowing that he has ponies here in Canterlot that are here for him." She turned and, with more poise than most of the ponies in Crystal's old social graces classes, walked out of the room, her head held high, her ears facing forward, and her tail appropriately perked to not drag on the floor. "Have a good day."

"You, too." Crystal blinked a few times, just as dumbstruck as she was when she met the mare. One hoof raised to stroke her braid and she turned to face the bed.

The door clicked shut after Wallflower left and suddenly, she felt alone. The room grew smaller and she was left with nothing but his mother's words ringing in her ears.

"This is the life of a wife of a soldier?" Crystal muttered under her breath, approaching the bed. "Are you going to do this to me again, Silent Knight? Is this just... the way it will be?" Her voice trembled, as did her whole frame. She lowered herself into the seat. "I don't understand. This... This is normal? But why?"

Crystal felt her lower lip tremble and clenched her eyes shut. "No, I mustn't cry." She lifted her head high and proudly, rubbing at her eyes with the back of her hooves, and looked at him. "That'll do no good for anypony, and you wouldn't like to see me cry, now would you, Silent Knight?"

Silent breathed in response. The machines beside the bed beeped in agreement.

A crack ran across her pride from forcing it too hard and she broke down with trembling and tears. "Th-then you'll just have to deal with n-not liking my tears, because I don't like your ban-bandages."

By the time Runic finally arrived, Crystal had stopped crying. In fact, she had stopped feeling after a while; it was as though she had cried herself numb. She lifted her head and greeted Runic with a small smile.

"You okay?" Runic approached her, his brow knitted in concern as he glanced between her and the bed. "Did something happen?"

"Huh? Oh, no." She stood up and walked past him. "I'm just tired, that's all."

Runic stopped her by flying over and landing in front of the doorway, his wings spread to block the path. "I thought we had an agreement about this! Aren't you supposed to talk to me when you have a problem now?"

Crystal opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. Her gaze fell to the floor. "Yes," she responded in a near whisper. "We did have an agreement, and I'm still keeping to it." She jerked her head back up. "I don't want to talk about it with anypony."

Runic's wings drooped. "It's about Silent Knight, isn't it? Don't worry, Crystal. He'll wake up, I'm sure of it!"

Crystal stepped around him, muttering, "That's what I'm worried about." She trotted down the halls with a brisk pace, the numbness wearing off enough that her chest tightened.

It was hard to breathe. The smells and sounds of the hospital were already familiar after only two days and that was a suffocating realization. Wallflower had known exactly what all the information on the machine displays meant. Her son being in the hospital hadn't seemed to bother her any more than him having a simple scuffed knee or failing an exam at school. Would that be Crystal someday?

She hurried toward the main doors and out into the open air, gasping for its freshness. The world outside was bright and sunny and carrying on as normal. But what was normal, really?

She shook her head when it started to throb. She needed a break. She needed to get away. She needed something, anything—

"Darling, are you all right?"

Crystal blinked. Her vision cleared to focus on the mare in front of her. "Mom?"

Upper Crust stepped closer, concern in her eyes. "Why are you at a hospital?"

"I..." She frowned. "I could ask you the same question."

Upper Crust gave an exaggerated sigh. "What did I do to deserve your hostility, darling?"

"What did you do?" Crystal's lips curled into a brief sneer. "You criticize every aspect of my life!"

"I only criticize a few things that I think could be improved. There's no need to be so dramatic." She waved a hoof as if to dismiss the topic. "But, fine, if it will move this conversation along, I heard you had been seen spending time here and came to check up on you."

Crystal eyed her with clear suspicion. "Well, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern, Mother."

Upper Crust returned the suspicious look with an even stronger one. "Your father wanted me to tell you that he will be making your favorite for dinner if you wish to join us."

Crystal hedged as she considered her options. Velvet would likely either be with her baby brother or part-timing at the bakery in her mother's place, which meant if she went home, she'd be alone with her thoughts. However, her father was somepony she could talk to if it weren't for the annoyance of her mother's nosy presence. Finally, with a sigh and a feigned smile, she said, "I'd love to."

"He'll be so glad to hear that. Now, why don't you explain to me why ponies have seen you here while we walk home?" Upper Crust turned and started down the street, giving Crystal no real choice but to follow.

"I have a friend staying here for... a while, that's all." Crystal walked beside her, matching her pace.

"A friend?" Upper Crust whipped her head toward her daughter. "It's not Velvet Step, is it?"

"What? No, no. If it were Velvet I would have said as much." Crystal sighed. "You don't know this friend, Mother."

Upper Crust stared at her a moment longer, then looked back ahead, nodding. "Well, it's good that you have more friends, I suppose, even if they're not ponies everypony should know."

The hairs on the back of Crystal's neck and shoulders bristled and she clenched her jaw. If only her mother knew just who her friends were—but the truth would just give her a reason to be even more irritating. "Yes, Mother."

"Now, is this a permanent choice, hmm?" She gestured at Crystal's braid. "Yellow doesn't suit your complexion, you know."

Crystal scowled at her. "Is that really all you care about? Whether yellow matches my coat? If I were in a coma, would you just gripe about how the hospital gowns aren't in vogue?" She quickened her pace to trot bitterly ahead, but Upper Crust reached out a hoof to stop her. The scowl remained in place, returned by a sincere, confused look that threatened to snuff the fire in her.

"A coma, darling? Is that what's wrong with your friend and has you so riled up?" Upper Crust lifted the hoof to caress her daughter's cheek. "Of course those awful gowns would be the least of my concerns. Do you really think I'm that heartless?"

Crystal shook her head, mumbled an apology, and started walking again. Just like that, anger turned to guilt. There was no middle ground when it came to her mother: she either irritated her beyond reason, or made her feel awful for feeling that way. It was completely different from talking to her—

"Dad!" She smiled, perking up at the sight of him in his usual recliner when she opened the door. "How are you?"

Jet Set looked up from his newspaper and smiled back at her. "Hello, dear. Did your mother mention the zucchini fettuccine?"

Crystal fluttered her eyelashes as she walked toward him. "Oh? Are you making that tonight? I had no idea!"

Jet Set chuckled. "You are still a terrible liar. Come on, why don't you have a seat?"

Crystal hesitated, glancing at her mother instead of responding. When she looked back at him, his brow was quirked.

"Actually," he said and pushed himself up out of the seat, "why don't you come out onto the balcony with me? There's something odd in the neighbor's yard that I'd like your opinion of."

Upper Crust snorted. "Jet, dear, we've talked about this. They're crocuses, not tulips."

"We'll see what Crystal thinks. Come on, dear." Jet Set held open the prench doors that led outside.

Though it was off the first floor, the yard at the back of the house was sloped so steeply that what was a deck on some of the houses in the neighborhood was just a balcony for theirs. A back yard and a full deck was a rare commodity on the side of a mountain, after all, and her parents could never afford that luxury.

"See?" He pointed a hoof. "Those are clearly tulips, are they not?" The door clicked shut behind them and he lowered his voice. "What's wrong, dear?"

Crystal leaned against the railing, gazing at the little lilac, cup-shaped flowers planted against the side of the neighboring house. "Crocuses," she said with a small giggle that quickly died down. "Dad, you love Mom, don't you?" He nodded and she continued, "Even though she's a serious headache?"

Jet Set looked over his shoulder. Inside, Upper Crust had already settled onto the couch and was poring over a magazine. "Of course. Why?" He smiled down at her. "Is this about one of your novels?"

"No." She sighed. "Dad, I thought I was serious about a stallion, but..." She bit her lower lip, continuing to stare at the flowers. "I don't know now. I don't know if I can handle the consequences of that love."

Jet Set's expression grew serious and he wrapped a foreleg around her shoulders. "Why don't you elaborate on consequences? I'm sure it's more than him being a headache, hmm?"

Crystal sniffed. The tears she had thought were all dried up returned and stung at her eyes. "He's a royal guard, Dad, but... but he acts like he's in the Equestrian Army or something. He's in a coma right now because of something that happened overseas, and if he wakes up, I, I'm scared he'll just get himself right back in the hospital." Her chin trembled as she fought off a sob. "I don't know if I can live this way."

Jet Set nodded slowly, listening carefully while she spoke and thinking just as carefully when she finished. Finally, he said in a gentle voice, "Crystal, I know you've never dealt with something of this nature before, but you have never been the sort to just give up."

"'Give up,'" Crystal repeated a little bitterly. "Why do those words keep coming up? We've not even been on a real date. I like him a lot, but that's all there is currently. How is it giving up if it hasn't even started?"

Jet Set shrugged. "How is it not giving up if it bothers you this much, dear?" When Crystal had no response, he smiled and continued, "You've fought your mother and I for years and hardly ever relented. You've finally found a stallion that suits you and now you're afraid?" He squeezed her shoulder. "Isn't now the most important time to be stubborn, of all the times you've dug your hooves in?"

Crystal turned her head and buried her face against his shoulder while she trembled. "I-I don't know, Dad," she whispered. "I just don't know."

Acceptance

Crystal fought the urge to lick her lips as a plate of steaming zucchini and pasta, lightly coated in alfredo sauce, was set in front of her. Instead, she politely thanked her mother for bringing the plate over and began to unwrap her napkin, which she rested over her lap, while she waited for both of her parents to be seated.

"Now, darling, are you still writing successfully?" Upper Crust asked, raising her wine glass with her magic wrapped around the stem to take a sip. "You aren't struggling to pay the bills, are you? You know that your father and I are still willing to send you money while you're in school."

"I—"

"She's an independent mare," Jet Set interrupted. "She doesn't need her parents' support anymore."

Upper Crust snorted lightly. "Need and want are different things."

Crystal's ears flattened and she glanced between them. "I'm fine," she said, her voice raising from the irritation already buzzing in her chest. "My writing is fine. My finances are fine. Velvet and I are fine. Pass the salt, please?"

The salt and pepper shakers floated over and she seasoned her meal while Upper Crust said, "Yes, that's right. Velvet just gained a brother, didn't she?" She clicked her tongue. "At her parents' age, I'm just glad the foal is all right."

"They're younger than you and Dad." Crystal had to focus to ensure she didn't slam the salt shaker on the table when her magic lowered it.

"And you don't see us with another foal so late in our lives, do you?" Upper Crust twirled some fettuccine around her fork.

Jet Set frowned at his daughter. "Now, dear, I don't mean to pry, but as your father I have to make certain... Have you talked to Velvet about what we talked about?"

"Yes, what did you two talk about on the balcony?" Upper Crust glanced between them.

"Not yet," Crystal admitted, blatantly ignoring her mother by looking directly at him. "She's been so busy with little Red that we haven't had much time to talk lately."

Jet Set balanced his silverware on the outer rim of his plate, steepled his hooves, and furrowed his brow. "It won't affect your friendship with her, will it? You have been friends for so long."

Upper Crust frowned at them, sighed loudly, and resigned herself to merely listening while she ate.

"Huh?" Crystal tilted her head, then shook it. "No, of course not. She'll understand."

Jet Set tapped his hooves a few times. "I see." A smile crossed his lips. "Ah, I don't understand you young ponies. So free-spirited these days. But, as long as you're happy, dear, then your mother and I are."

"Don't speak for me," Upper Crust chided. "I don't know what you two are discussing without me, so how can I be happy about it?"

Jet Set glanced between the two mares, then looked to Crystal, gesturing for her to speak.

"Oh." Crystal bit her lower lip before she straightened up. "The friend in the hospital is a stallion that I... like." The word was difficult to say, not because it wasn't true, but because—

"Like?!" Upper Crust squawked. Her magic flickered out and her fork clattered to the plate. "As in, like? Crystal, you—" She sputtered. "I didn't—" She jerked her head toward Jet Set, and Crystal watched the two engage in an unspoken conversation using a language she was pretty sure was reserved for married couples.

Finally, after a few gapes, brow raises, and shrugs, they looked back at her, Upper Crust staring wide-eyed and Jet Set keeping a calm expression.

Crystal rolled her eyes. "I know, okay? Velvet and Horsey have been on my case about it for years. Honestly, I'm surprised you weren't, Mom. But it might not matter anyway because I was talking to Dad about how I don't know if he's the one for me."

Upper Crust took a hurried sip of her wine before she said with careful precision, "Darling, could you tell me more about this stallion?"

"Why?" she muttered. "What's the point?"

"Why? Is it wrong for a mother to want to know her daughter's interests so that she could keep an eye out for a partner that might suit her?"

Crystal glared at her. "I don't need you playing matchmaker, Mom."

Jet Set cleared his throat and shifted his attention to Upper Crust. "He's a royal guard, dear."

"Dad!"

He shrugged almost helplessly. "She would interrogate me later, and I don't keep secrets from my wife. I think it makes more sense for you to be here to answer her questions."

Crystal sunk down in her seat, crossing her forelegs over her chest, scowling at the table. This conversation wasn't going anywhere near the direction she liked, but when did they when her mother was involved? "Fine."

Upper Crust started intently at her. "A royal guard? Is he one of those unicorns that just stand around all day at the palace?" Her nose scrunched up briefly. "Well, I suppose that's a step up."

"Not all royal guards just 'stand around all day,' Mom," Crystal said, clenching her jaw. "And he's not a unicorn, he's a pegasus. A lot of royal guards are actually earth ponies, you know."

Upper Crust hummed as she mulled the information over, then nodded. "You could do better, darling."

Crystal blinked a few times. Her gaze darted about as her mind kicked into gear before she jolted upright, chair sliding back and napkin falling to the floor. "Step up? Better? Oh my Celestia, Mom, is that what this is about?!" Her voice rose as the anger boiled in her. "It's because Velvet's an earth pony, isn't it? That's why you're always judging her?"

She kicked the chair out of her way, dropped down onto all fours, and stormed out of the room, ignoring her parents' pleas for her to calm down. "I don't care if she's a donkey! And for that matter, I wouldn't care if Silent Knight was a donkey. I still love him!"

The front door slammed behind her to punctuate her sentence, though it likely startled her more than her parents. A hoof flew to cover her mouth, but the words had already escaped. Her ears folded back and the anger deflated into trembling uncertainty as tears rushed to her eyes.

I still love him.

Crystal sighed, sprawled on the floor in the back room of Sunridge Sweets while Velvet and Sunbeam rushed about with a large order. She tried to find some kind of joy or disgust in the way Red gurgled happily while chewing on her braid, but instead she just sighed again.

"Keep it up, Crystal, and I'm going to put you in time out," Velvet scolded, pulling a batch of cupcakes out of the oven. "You're going to teach Red that it's okay to mope around all day."

Red giggled and turned his bobbing, wobbling head toward Velvet at the sound of his name. Velvet made a silly face at him as she hurried past to put the cupcakes onto a cooling rack and he squealed in delight, then returned to chewing on the braid.

"How are you not upset?" Crystal rolled her head to peer up at the mare. "My mother is acting like a barbaric pre-Equestrian!"

"Oh, sugar, it's not her fault," Sunbeam coaxed from the decorating table. "From my experience, that sort of attitude is common in Canterlot, even if nopony says it outright." She giggled and added, "My, my! It looks like the students are besting the master in Canterlot culture!"

"Indubitably!" Velvet cheered.

Crystal scrunched up her nose. "I mean, I knew some ponies were like that, but... my own mother?"

Velvet turned toward her after rescuing all the cupcakes from overcooking in their hot tin cells. "Are you really surprised, or are you just upset for me?" Crystal grunted, and Velvet smiled. "Aww, that's sweet! But I don't care what your mom thinks of me. I've got way bigger problems than her."

Crystal rolled onto her stomach and straightened up. "Like what?"

Velvet tapped one hoof against the other as she listed off, "Well, there's my mopey friend and her mopey love, there's the ever-annoying Perennial, and this little guy!" She bent down and scooped Red into her forelegs. "Who's a little drool monster? Huh? Yeah! My little drool monster!"

Sunbeam giggled and stacked the last cupcake onto the tray. "Now, now, I'm not so tired of him yet that I'm ready to give him away! He still has that new foal smell."

"Aww..." Velvet bounced him up and down. "You're so greedy, Mom! You got to have me and now you get to have him?"

"Well, I did go through the whole labor ordeal." Sunbeam playfully stuck her nose in the air. "I think that entitles me to some amount of greediness."

Velvet sat down beside Crystal, setting Red in her lap and playing with his hooves. "Uh-huh, yeah, whatever. I could do it. Maybe." She turned her head to look at her friend. Her voice fell to a serious level when she asked, "So, how are you doing?"

Crystal didn't meet her gaze. "I don't know. I thought I knew what I was signing up for, but..."

"But you rushed in headfirst and tripped over your hooves?" Velvet smiled halfheartedly. "Can you get somepony to cover your shift? Maybe you shouldn't be there six hours a day every day."

"I could ask Runic... Maybe I'll offer to work the shop so he doesn't go out of business?" Crystal sighed. "Iridescence was right, though I'm loath to admit it."

"Oh yeah?" Velvet tilted her head.

Crystal nodded and dropped her head down to rest on her forelegs, closing her eyes halfway. "She said normal ponies aren't prepared for situations like this."

"That's true," Sunbeam interjected, "but you're not a normal pony, sweetiecakes."

Crystal's head lifted to look up at the mare, brow furrowed. "Aren't I?"

Sunbeam shook her head. "Certainly not! You're my precious little daughter from another mother!" A chime of laughter escaped her. "You got Pepper and me this wonderful bakery when you were just a filly. Surely that counts for something?"

Crystal smiled, but the downtrodden look didn't leave her eyes. "That's a little different from getting involved with a stallion who puts his life in danger as part of his job."

Sunbeam hummed in thought while she stirred a bowl of frosting. "Is that really true, though?"

"Huh?" Crystal blinked a few times. "Of course it is. He's in the hospital, isn't he?"

"You've known him for about a year, right?"

Crystal pursed her lips. "Give or take."

"And how many times has he been in the hospital?"

"Only this once," she admitted in a quiet voice. "But—"

Sunbeam giggled. "No buts, muffinlump! Until it happens a second time, you can't know if it's going to happen again. Pepper Ridge forgot our anniversary once." Her expression darkened. "And only once." The smile returned. "He learned his lesson, so I forgave him!"

Crystal laughed, albeit somewhat nervously, and looked at Velvet. "Remind me to never forget your mom's birthday."

Velvet gave a stern nod of her head. "Never forget Mom's birthday."

"That's my girls!" Sunbeam winked and turned back to her decorating work.

It had been several days, and though Runic had been happy to take on some of Crystal's hours, she still had three hours to spend with Silent Knight and they never got easier. She sat in the usual chair beside him, looking at him, the clock and machines filling the silence.

"Did I tell you about Baltimare?" she said rather suddenly. "I don't remember what I've already told you, so just let me know if you've already heard this, all right?" She groaned a laugh. "Right..." There was a pause as she took a slow breath in. "They talk so strangely there. I didn't explore too much because everywhere I went, I was so confused that I ended up hiding in my hotel room. I did get a crabapple pie, though. It was worth the time it took trying to figure out how many bits the vendor wanted."

She licked her lips. They were dry. "The ocean was beautiful, too. I watched the moon rise over the sea. I wonder if you were watching that moon, too? It would have been rising over the gryphon kingdom, wouldn't it?" Her ears fell to the sides and she looked down at her lap, adding in a tentative whisper, "I thought about you the whole time you were gone. Did you think of me?"

A knock from the door startled her and she raised her gaze to see it open, revealing the instantly recognizable figure of the Captain of the Canterlot Guard, Shining Armor.

"Hello?" he asked, his voice firm but gentle. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I'll come back later."

"Oh, no, no!" Crystal nearly stumbled trying to stand. "It's perfectly fine, sir."

Shining Armor inclined his head to look at her with a smile. "You don't have to call me sir. I'm off duty."

Crystal felt the blood rush to her face. Though he was somewhat imposing, given his position and well-built figure, his smile was casual enough that it stirred butterflies in her stomach. Few ponies made her feel starstruck, but he was one of them. "O-Okay. Anyway, I'll wait outside, so don't mind me."

"Thank you." He paused, then asked, "You're Crystal Wishes, aren't you?"

Her knees threatened to buckle. "How did you know?"

Shining grinned. "You're on Princess Luna's access list. I'd not be doing my job very well if I didn't know who you were."

"Oh. That makes sense." She smiled lopsidedly. "I'm leaving... Actually, this time." She stepped toward the door. "Bye."

A sigh escaped her as she walked out into the hall. One of the most notable things about Shining Armor that got her all twitterpated was that he was married to—"Lady Cadence!"

The regal mare sat on one of the benches with all the poise befitting somepony of her bloodline. "Yes?" She tilted her head. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

Crystal lost all sense of self. Lady Cadence was regarded as the Lady of Love and Crystal would be lying if she said she wasn't infatuated with the idea of her. She squeaked, "S-Sorry, I'm nopony. Nopony at all." She tried to back away down the hall. "Don't mind me."

Cadence smiled, though her brow knitted curiously. "If you were in Sergeant Knight's room, then I highly doubt that." She patted the empty space on the bench beside her. "Why don't you wait here while my Shining visits him?"

Crystal obeyed with her head held submissively low and sat down. She crossed her legs and twiddled her forehooves.

"How do you know Sergeant Knight?" Cadence asked. Her voice was light and airy and wonderful.

"Oh, I, well." She glanced up at her. "My name is Crystal Wishes. We're... friends."

Cadence looked at her in a strangely familiar way—not in the sense of being friendly, but as if she had been looked at by somepony else in the same manner. It was a briefly intense stare, not quite focused on her face, instead somewhere lower. Cadence's gaze then wandered away and a smile illuminated her face. "That's not quite true, now, is it?"

Crystal's ears folded back and she leaned away from her, then looked down at the floor. "I-It is, Lady Cadence. We're just friends."

"Hmm..." Cadence tapped a hoof to her chin. "Well, if you want to be in denial, I suppose I can't help you with that!"

They sat in silence for a moment while Crystal's mind rapidly worked over the encounter until she sighed. "How do you cope with it?"

"Cope with what?" Cadence blinked. "You being in denial?"

"No, I mean"—she raised her hooves to gesture at the door—"this. You're married to a soldier. How do you cope with knowing he might end up in a hospital, too, someday... or worse?"

Cadence's expression grew serious. She didn't respond at first, instead just staring intently at Crystal before she said, "I don't cope with it. I accept it." The smile returned, softer than before. "It's who Shining Armor is. He cares so much about the safety of everypony, which is why he takes his job seriously and it's my job to accept that about him."

"But—"

"Why do you think I married him?" Cadence interrupted.

Crystal hesitated, then replied, "Because... you love him?"

Cadence nodded. "And that means I love all of him, for better and for worse. This may not be what you want to hear right now, but it's the truth and I think you need to hear it."

"Okay," Crystal said tentatively, her ears pinned back against her mane. "I'm listening."

Cadence wrapped her hooves around one of Crystal's. "You don't just get to pick and choose what you love. You're either in, or you're not. You can't change a pony, and you can't change your heart." She smiled and squeezed the hoof she held. "The heart wants what the heart wants, Crystal."

Crystal opened her mouth to say something, but Cadence raised a hoof to close it.

"You're both still young. There's plenty of time to figure things out." She smiled and patted Crystal on the head.

"Are you patronizing her, Cady?" Shining Armor teased as he walked out into the hallway.

"What?" Cadence gasped in mock offense. "No!"

"You look like you're patronizing her."

Cadence giggled and slid off the bench to walk over to him. She nuzzled her head under his, then turned to look at Crystal. "I was giving her love advice. Isn't that right?" She winked.

Crystal flushed when Shining Armor looked at her with his brow raised, waiting for an answer. All she could do was gulp and nod.

"Well, that's good." He placed a kiss on Cadence's temple. "It was nice to formally meet you, Crystal Wishes. I just wish it could have been under better circumstances. Keep an eye on my sergeant, will you?"

"Oh, I'm sure she will." Cadence giggled again. "Go on ahead, Shining, I'll catch up with you." After he nodded and started away, she approached Crystal and lowered her voice. "Sergeant Knight will pull through. I like to believe only good things happen to good ponies, and from what Shining tells me, Sergeant Knight is one of the best." She put a hoof on the other's shoulder. "Try to smile, okay? It makes things a little easier when you add a little sugar to a tough situation."

Crystal nodded slowly. "I... think I understand, Lady Cadence."

Cadence winked before she turned to walk away. "He'll have a lot to apologize for, though, making a pretty mare cry. Remember to smile!" Her voice raised to address her husband. "Oh, Shining, dear, wait up!"

Crystal waved her off as she struggled against the redness heating her face. "Try to smile?" she mumbled under her breath, forcing the corners of her lips upward. Once they were out of sight, she turned her head to look at the door. As usual, two of Princess Luna's House Guards stood on both sides, not because they had to but because they wanted to. Today, Miley Hooves and Harvest Moon were standing at attention. Though their armor alone stood out against the overly white surroundings, with how still they remained at all times, it was easy to forget they were even there.

She offered them a small smile as she walked past. Miley broke form to smile back and Harvest Moon cleared his throat to pull Miley's focus back to the task at hoof. At the castle or at the hospital, if they were on duty, they were expected to act accordingly.

Inside, Silent Knight was, unsurprisingly, right where she had left him. "I'm back," she said with feigned cheer in her voice. "Did you have a nice talk with the captain?" She tugged the chair into place and sat down. "I got to talk to his wife, the Lady Cadence. She's wonderful." Her brow furrowed. "She reminds me of somepony, but I can't put my hoof on it."

She sighed and leaned forward to take one of Silent's hooves into her own. "Nonetheless, I think she more than anypony else can understand how I feel. I'm scared, Silent Knight. I thought this would be fine, that I'd just sit here and talk to—talk at you, and that it'd be a little bit fun to tell you all sorts of secrets." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Like how last week, I told my parents that I love you. I didn't mean to, it just... it just happened..."

As always, there was no response. His hoof remained limp in her grasp and, slowly, she set it back down. She simply sat there for a while, just breathing, though somewhat raggedly as emotions rumbled around like billiard balls after being struck by their lone white counterpart.

"I need you to wake up," she pleaded. "Not just for me. For everypony. Do you know how many visitors you receive? I mean..." She gestured around the room. There were several vases filled with bright, hopeful blooms strewn about. It had been a bit of a creative struggle to arrange them on the limited furniture available. "Do you really appreciate how many ponies care about you?"

A knock came from the door and it creaked open. Miley's little head poked in, her helmet off to let her long black mane cascade down her shoulders. "Hi! Is it okay if I come in?"

Crystal smiled and leaned back into her seat. She wiped her eyes to ensure they were dry before she said, "Of course, Miley."

Miley trotted over to the bed. "I just finished my shift, but before I left, I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay?" Crystal tilted her head, brow furrowed.

Miley turned her attention on Silent Knight. "Sorry, boss, but I hope you'll forgive me for saying what I'm going to say." She looked back at Crystal. "And I hope you'll forgive me, but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with Lady Cadence."

Crystal's gaze fell to the sheets. "Yes?"

Miley took a deep breath, then said all at once, "I know that you're worried about Sergeant Knight getting hurt again but you shouldn't be because he made the decision he did to save the rest of us and it was really brave of him, not reckless or anything like that, and he made that decision at the last possible"—she gasped desperately for air—"moment because if he didn't we'd all probably be dead."

Crystal stared at Miley while the little mare panted. Sweat was visible on her dark brown coat, beading around her forehead and dripping down her temple. Finally, Crystal smiled. "I think I understand what you're trying to say. It's just a hard pill to swallow."

Miley stuck her chin in the air to assert her mini-dominance. "It's not easy for us, either, Miss Crystal. But we have to do what we have to do because if we don't, then something will happen to the ponies we care about. That's why we put ourselves out in harm's way. We don't want to get hurt, but if that meant keeping my friends and family safe, then I'd have done the same as Sergeant Knight."

Miley cleared her throat and her smile returned. "Anyway, I've got to go get ready for my date with Runic. We're actually going out tonight." The smile faded once more, a distant look in her eyes. "Out on the town, in open spaces. Actually, we haven't gone out of the shop for a date since I got back..." She shook her head quickly. "Anyway, have a good night, Miss Crystal. Try to think about what I said, okay?"

"I will. Thank you, Miley." She smiled. "Have fun on your date!"

"I hope so!" Miley chirped before she left the room.

The door clicked shut. She was alone again with Silent Knight, though she didn't look at him for a while.

"Everypony seems to agree, Silent." She stared at the wall. "I shouldn't give up on you. I should forgive you. I should accept who you are. I should understand your motivations. That all sounds so easy, but..." Finally, she turned her head and sighed at him. "Oh, who am I kidding? If I could give up on you, I would have already."

Crystal breathed in, then back out slowly. "You're strong, Silent Knight. I hope you can be patient, too, because I don't know how long it will take, but I'll learn to accept this." She placed her hoof on his and smiled. "I'll learn to accept you, for better and for worse."

Resolution

Misty waited at the end of the pier, clutching a white lily to her chest while she whispered a simple request under her breath. "Please return him to me..." She closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the flower. If there was no ship cresting the horizon when she opened them, then she would toss it into the sea.

How long, she wondered, could she keep her eyes closed? What if she simply never opened them again? Then she would never have to see the empty seascape that would break her heart...

Crystal's ear flicked at the distinct intonation of her teacher's lecture coming to a close. He always started to use a more questioning tone when he was finishing class for the day, so she looked up and feigned attention.

"—and that just about wraps up today's lesson, everypony, okay? Remember: it's not the size, it's how you use it!" The professor smiled as he set an oversized test tube on the table.

Crystal blinked a few times. "What the hay did I miss?"

"A lot, as usual," her classmate, Clarity, teased and giggled. "Do you need to borrow my notes again?"

"Maybe... Yes," Crystal admitted with a sheepish smile. "Do you mind?"

She floated her notebook over. "Nope! Just be sure to give it back to me tomorrow, okay?"

Crystal slid the notebook into her saddlebags and the two started to walk out of the room together. "It must be nice to have such a good memory."

Clarity shrugged. "What good is remembering things, anyway? At least you can be an author or something someday! What kind of job am I going to have with my talent?"

"I don't know." Crystal hummed in thought as she pulled her locker open. "I'm sure you'll think of something when you're not having to study for exams." She winked. "I'll see you tomorrow! Thanks again!"

Crystal trotted down the hall and toward the main doors. The next half hour was one she could do with her eyes closed: take a right once off school grounds, two blocks up the street, one block left, and she'd be right outside the hospital. Of course, Canterlot's sprawling layout meant the blocks were hardly straight lines like in Manehattan, but they were close enough.

She smiled when she opened the door to Silent Knight's room. The scent of flowers overwhelmed the usual hospital smell. "We could run a flower shop out of this room," she commented as she walked over to the bed.

Runic inclined his head to look at her. "A flower shop, huh? I wonder if there are any rules against shopkeeping in a hospital." He rubbed his chin. "I wonder if I could run my shop from here?"

"A flower shop is less likely to explode at random, so I think I like that idea better." She floated a vase over to the sink, raised the flowers out, and emptied the water to replace it.

"How do you know?" Runic huffed. "Flowers can be volatile. Especially when you mix them together!"

Crystal shot him a light frown. "And how many innocent flowers have you combusted?"

Runic shrugged and got up from the chair. "Potions have to come from somewhere, you know! Anyway, how was school?"

"School?" She rolled her eyes and returned her attention to the next vase, replacing its water before moving onto another. "Pointless, but I just have to make it through this last year and then I'll be done with the whole waste of time."

"Aww, school isn't so bad! At least, it wasn't while I was there." He tilted his head with a small frown. "Did school change after I left?"

Crystal waved a hoof at him. She laughed softly and set about rearranging the freshly watered flowers. "I'm sure it's not so bad once it's over. Nonetheless, you have a store to get back to."

Runic nodded, offered a coltish smile, and started for the door. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Of course." She waited until the door clicked shut before she sighed and shook her head. The room was quiet for a moment as she avoided turning around, instead keeping her focus on the flowers. "Everypony is so certain they'll see me tomorrow," she finally said, glancing over her shoulder at Silent. "What about you, hmm? I'll see you tomorrow here as well, same time, same place, same condition?" A small smile briefly lit up her face. "Perhaps tomorrow you will open your eyes and see me, too?"

There was no reply, of course.

"Well, I suppose you wouldn't want to see the state of your room." She giggled and prodded at a tulip. "Look at this one! Drooping its head so low. How disrespectful!" Her horn lit up as she focused on the wilting petals. "Want to see something neat?" She squinted, directed all of her thoughts toward the flower, then clenched her eyes shut as a burst of energy bubbled from her chest to the tip of her horn and shot out in a concentrated beam.

When she opened her eyes again, the tulip stood tall and proud among the rest of the bouquet.

"Hah! See there? See what I did?" She panted lightly. "A florist taught me that when I mentioned just how many flowers you have in here. It's only temporary, but it's a neat party trick, don't you think?" Walking over to the bedside chair, she gave a breathless laugh and tossed her mane. "You're right, it's a very neat party trick."

Once seated, her smile wilted, and there was no magic spell to fix it.

"So!" she exclaimed, clapping her hooves. "I made more progress on my novel. I've decided to just let my muse lead me instead of trying to guide it myself. It is determined that Stoutheart goes overseas, and so he has." She rested her elbows on the bed, hooked her hooves, and lowered her chin onto them. "Poor Misty Glen... She doesn't know if he'll ever return..."

She swallowed. The air was dry and stagnant. Through the floral scent she could detect the stench of over-sterilization.

"Have you figured it out yet? Her Silent Love?" Her lips quirked into a coy smile. "Hmm?" A somber expression overtook her face. "Oh, why aren't you smiling, Silent? Do you still not get it? It's not a very well-conceived hint, you know. In fact, I don't know if it's a hint at all."

Her gaze wandered the room. "I was thinking they would dance, and that is when she would tell him. Of course, she's not a very good dancer, being a mare of simple upbringing." She giggled softly. "The problem is I'm afraid I don't know any true knights, and the only things I can find at the library are romance novels." The giggle returned as a laugh. "But you're a Knight, aren't you? Perhaps you can tell me."

She finally looked at him again, her eyes soft as her brow knitted. "Would a Knight know how to dance? Is that part of chivalry? I'm not making too wide of a leap by assuming that is part of their training, am I?" As she continued, her voice grew weaker, almost desperate as she pleaded, "Do you know how to dance, Silent Knight? Could you tell me?"

He said nothing. As usual.

"Please?" The last question fell out in a breathless whisper before her throat caught on a lump. She shook her head quickly, patted him on the hoof, and said with forced cheer, "It's all right. A stallion is entitled to his secrets. Nonetheless, my readers will like a knight that dances. I certainly would."

An image flashed across her mind and goosebumps prickled her skin. She imagined it all: the music playing and swaying their hearts as they swayed across the floor, his forelegs wrapped around her, silently promising to never let go... The daydream was cut short by her sighing heavily. "Is it strange for me to dream like this of you when I don't even know what you think of me? Am I a lovelorn fool? Could you just open your eyes long enough to tell me once and for all?"

He did neither, so she stood rather abruptly and walked over to the nearest vase. She busied herself by rearranging the flowers. "I'll keep waiting for your answer, Silent Knight, but I do hope you'll give me one soon. It's rude to keep a lady waiting."

The aroma of coffee and pastries enveloped Crystal as she stepped through the doorway into the cafe. She breathed it in before sighing contentedly. It was a much welcome reprieve from a month of rubbing alcohol and hoof sanitizer. After looking around, she spotted Raven sitting at a table over against the wall.

"Hello, Raven!" she chirped as she walked over.

"Oh!" Raven's magic flickered out as her focus was torn away from the notebook floating in front of her. "I didn't think you'd get here so soon."

Crystal sat down across from her, brow raised. "When you say it's important, I assume that means important."

Raven flushed lightly. "W-Well, yes, but perhaps I exaggerated a little." Crystal stared at her with an expectant smile, and she continued, "It's still a way's away, but Moore and I are starting the wedding planning now."

"Oh my goodness!" Crystal squealed in delight. "How long is a way's away? Six months? A year?"

"Seven months, currently," Raven replied. She turned the notebook around to show its contents: a timeline.

Crystal scanned the dates until she found the current day's date and gasped. Next to the date was written, 'Ask Crystal Wishes to be a bridesmare.' When she looked up, her words were halted by Raven's guilty expression.

"I'm sorry," Raven said. "My brother is going to be my stallion of honor. When he found out I was engaged, he jumped on the assumption that because we are related, he would have the honor." Her nose scrunched up. "But he is stuck in Vanhoover for his job and is only going to be in town for the wedding. I... I can't say no to him, but I need somepony here to do the work he should be doing." She stared at the table, her ears folded back. "I know it's very gauche, but could you stand in for him in duties but not in title?"

Crystal smiled, nodding with enthusiasm. "Absolutely! I don't mind at all! I'm just happy you'd consider me at all." The smile darkened into a playful grin. "So does that mean I am in charge of the bachelorette party?"

Raven looked up at her, wide-eyed. "I-I suppose? What are you planning?"

"Oh, nothing yet." She rubbed her hooves together, then giggled. "But I will do my best to make it wonderful. Now, let's see." She looked over the timeline again. "Wow, you went all-out with this schedule, didn't you?"

"Yes and no." Raven's ears pinned back and she sighed. "Loath as I am to admit it, Willow helped me put this together. She has a spectacular eye for arranging these things."

Crystal laughed behind a hoof. "Oh, don't look so green. Yes, she's good at scheduling, but you're good at managing the castle as a whole. I'm sure if you had to swap jobs for a day, she'd be the one grumbling with envy."

Raven visibly fought it, but she eventually smiled. "I suppose you're right."

"Now, back to this." Crystal tapped on the notebook. "You want to have the dress picked by next week? We should start shopping now, then! Oh, no, I see, you want to start dress shopping on Friday..."

Raven tapped her hooves together. "I hope it doesn't seem strange, but I'd like to keep to the timeline as much as possible. Willow and I accounted for buffer days to reduce stress so not too many things happen all at once, especially since I will still be working throughout all of this."

"Don't worry," Crystal assured. "Nothing ever goes according to plan, but we'll try anyway."

They laughed, then Raven said in a serious tone, "We'll do more than try. Isn't that right, honorary mare of honor?"

Crystal gulped and nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Raven straightened her glasses. "Now, let's discuss when and where we'll meet on Friday to look at dresses. How do you feel about wearing yellow?"

Crystal nodded again, somewhat dumbly. What exactly had she gotten herself into?

Crystal hummed while she flipped through the pages of Bridal Bridle. "Look at this!" She faced the magazine to show a selection of bouquets toward Silent Knight. "White roses with blue hydrangeas. What do you think?" After a pause, she turned the magazine back to herself. "I agree. It's a little too simple for Raven."

Her left hind hoof tapped lightly against the floor in rhythm with her occasional humming. "What about something exotic, like a bird of paradise? Hmm? No, you're right, she's not that showy."

The sound of conversation outside the door caught her attention. "Oh, come on!" cried Velvet's recognizable voice. "Do we have to do this every time? Just let me in!"

Crystal wrapped her magic around the door handle across the room and opened it. "Thunder Tumble, don't be contrary. You know Velvet."

"Protocol, ma'am," Tumble mumbled.

Velvet upturned her nose at the guards as she walked past, huffing. "I know I don't come by very often, but I'm not a total stranger."

"You've only come by once." Crystal smiled and looked back at the magazine in her hooves. "That pretty much makes you a stranger around here. Anyway, what brings you by? Shouldn't you be at the bakery?"

Velvet stared at her for a little while, glancing up and down before she said, "Well, I came by to say hi, but now I'm here to ask... is that legal?"

Crystal blinked. "Is what legal?"

"Planning a wedding with a stallion in a coma," Velvet deadpanned.

"What?" Crystal furrowed her brow before she gasped and laughed. "Oh! No, no! I'm sorry, I didn't get to tell you the news last night. Raven asked me to be one of her bridesmares, so I'm helping with that. This isn't—No, this isn't for me."

"Oh." Velvet sat in the seat on the other side of the bed. "That makes more sense. Sooo..." She swung her hind legs. "How are you doing?"

Crystal floated the magazine over to her friend. "What do you think of peonies for Raven?"

"I don't care about Raven's wedding." She swatted it away. "I asked how you're doing. You seem so... content lately."

Crystal stuck out her lower lip in a pout. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Velvet raised one brow and gestured at the stallion between them.

"Well, yes, I see your point there." Crystal grabbed the magazine out of her magic. "It's easier to be happy than sad. Every day is another day he might wake up. Isn't that better than dreading every day as another he might not?"

"You know how I feel about that attitude," Velvet said slowly and carefully.

"I know." Crystal smiled. "I know, and don't worry. I won't sit around here forever. I don't know when I'll give up, but I know I'm not ready to yet. I'll be all right either way."

Velvet eyed her with clear suspicion, then smiled. "You've changed." Her tone grew more playful as she teased, "So how many pages in that magazine have you marked for your own wedding?"

Crystal's face heated a bright shade of red. "Three, of course." She bit her lower lip and leaned closer. "Do you want to see?"

"D'uh! Why else would I have asked?" She rolled her eyes. "Hoof it over!" Eagerly, she looked over the pages with the corners folded in. "Uh-huh, I see... So you want a princess gown? Big surprise there. Rose garden venue?" Her gaze raised from the magazine. "I take it back. You haven't changed in the least."

Crystal stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry.

"Nope. Definitely haven't changed at all."

They stared at each other before both breaking out into giggles that slowly died down into simple smiles, neither looking at the stallion for a while. Finally, Velvet glanced at him first.

"I don't know how you can spend hours here," she said, standing from the chair. "It's a little creepy with him just... there, unmoving, totally silent."

Crystal shrugged. "I can't describe it, but I don't mind. It's worth it if I can get to see him open his eyes."

Velvet scrunched up her nose as she started for the door. "Well, I'm going to go to the bakery and have some fun with ponies that talk back. I'll see you tonight?"

"Of course." Crystal waved her off and waited for the door to shut, then sighed and slumped in her seat. "She has a point, you know. I wouldn't necessarily call it creepy, but I do feel a little crazy, sitting here and talking to you for hours." She sighed again, flipping the Bridal Bridle back to where she had left off. "Anyway, back to Raven's bouquet. I know she doesn't have that on her schedule for another two weeks, but you won't tell, will you?" After a pause, a bitter laugh escaped her. "That's what I thought."

Crystal rambled on about flowers and eventually transitioned into accessories and, after about an hour, silence. The machine continued to drone its usual beep, though it was faster than normal. Her attention was fixated on her surging emotions, however, and not the monitor, while Silent Knight groaned ever so slightly.

Her resolve wavered and brought her to the point of begging. Though she didn't know to whom she pleaded, she couldn't keep the questions trapped inside. "What more do you want from me? What have I not done that I still need to do?"

Her lower lip quivered. "Oh, Celestia, please help him. Please help me. There is so much I want to say to him, so much I didn't say because I was afraid." She choked on her words as she continued in a quieter voice, "Did you know that I got his last letter just a few days before I found out what happened to him? I was so excited, so determined to tell him how I feel, and then..."

She sniffed and rubbed at her stinging eyes. "And, well, if you can hear me, then you already know the rest, don't you?" She bowed her head. "Please, our story can't end this way. Not like this. This isn't how it was supposed to end at all. Anything but this..."

Silent Knight's eyes opened just long enough to wince and clench back shut, then slowly cracked open again.

Crystal blinked through her tears and, when she saw him staring at her and that it wasn't just her imagination, she gasped. "Doctor!" she cried, jerking her head toward the door. "Somepony, quick, get the doctor! He's, he's awake!"

The sound of metal hoofguards scrabbling against the floor responded as the guards outside mobilized to track down the nearest doctor. She looked back at him to see half of his mouth curled up in a smile, the other wriggling its way up but not quite making it.

"Hello, beautiful," he whispered in a raspy, tired voice.

Crystal's ears stood straight up. It was hard to tell if he was truly seeing her or if he was just hallucinating a mare in her place, but the feel of his gaze on her sent electricity up her spine. She could have sworn her heart jumped into her throat as she added, "And he's delirious!"

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: All Good Things... - Part 1

Joy

Crystal stood off to the side when the door opened and a doctor rushed in, several nurses following behind him. She watched, nervous and excited all at the same time, while they worked to assess his health.

Dr. Emerai lifted a chart and smiled pleasantly at Silent Knight. It was a well-practiced smile that had likely seen countless patients through all sorts of ailments. "Sergeant, do you know your name?"

Silent's ears swiveled forward to acknowledge that he heard the doctor, but his gaze was wandering the room. "Silent Armor," he said with groggy certainty.

Emerai paused, then shook his head. "Try again."

Silent squinted up at him. "Shining Knight."

It would have been funny if Crystal weren't suddenly terrified that the stallion had brain damage. She paced just outside the circle of nurses, peering between them to try to get a look at him.

Emerai shook his head again, and Silent frowned. He opened his mouth, closed it, then finally asked, "Silent Knight?"

"There you go, you got it," Emerai said. "You're Silent Knight. Now, tell me, do you know where you are?"

Crystal let out a sigh of relief while the doctor and Silent discussed his memory and condition. When the nurses dispersed enough to free up some space around the bed, she walked over.

"You've been in a coma for quite a while," Emerai finished. "Welcome back."

Silent's head bobbed some as he took everything in. "Thanks, doctor." His eyelids started to droop before snapping back open. "Where is the princess?!" He hurled himself forward to sit up and his eyes rolled back just long enough for him to fall back down, groaning.

The pain visible on his face stopped Crystal's heart for a moment and her breath caught in her throat. "She's fine," she quickly assured him, putting one of her hooves on his. "She didn't suffer any injury at all. Please, you need to be still, Silent Knight. You're still unwell."

Silent looked up at her, or at least in her general direction, and asked in a low voice, "How many?"

Crystal swallowed. "What?"

His gaze focused on her, but rather than bringing her a sense of calm, the look he gave her hurt to see. "How many did we lose? How is the lieutenant?"

"The lieutenant is fine," she said, averting her eyes. "His injuries were mostly superficial, though he still has a limp. It's almost worked out, though. His doctor said he'll recover completely..." She trailed off, grasping at proverbial straws. "He'll be so happy you're all right. He comes by every day to give you his thanks. He owes his life to you, as do—"

"Crystal," he interrupted, "please. How many?"

Crystal's ears drooped. Having no other choice, she replied in a tentative whisper, "Ten in all did not return. From what I was told, most of the gryphon entourage was lost. I'm so sorry, Silent Knight."

Silent turned his head away, his face twisting into anger and disgust. He started to sneer when Dr. Emerai cleared his throat. "Sergeant." When the stallion didn't respond, Emerai clapped his hooves. "Sergeant!"

Silent blinked and shook his head to clear it. "Yes, sir?"

"You're not out of this just yet. Your body is still going to need rest to fully recover. For now, we need to make sure you don't have too much excitement and start eating whole food as soon as you can. You may be a soldier, but that doesn't make you immortal." He slid the clipboard into its holder at the end of the bed. "A nurse will be in to go over the new rules now that you're awake."

Silent's face hardened. "Understood," he said with a voice void of emotion.

The doctor left the two of them alone. It felt so strange now that Silent was awake; if Crystal spoke, he would actually talk back. She glanced at him to see he was facing away from her, but just enough of the anger in his expression showed at that angle to form a pit in her stomach. "I'm sorry, Silent Knight," she said. He didn't respond, which almost amused her at how that felt normal. "Please, look at me."

His movement was sharp as he jerked his head toward her, but the anger quickly subsided when their eyes met. He relaxed back against the pillows that propped him slightly upright. They stared at one another for a moment before his brow furrowed. "You've been here, waiting for me to wake up? Why?"

Oh, the answers she could give to that question. She nodded and said with a soft smile, "Yes, but not just me. Everypony has been here for you. We set up a schedule to take shifts so that there was no chance you would wake up alone. Of course, the hospital tried to enforce the visiting hours rule, but Princess Luna overruled them. She has sat by your bedside, too."

Her gaze faltered and she added, almost embarrassed to admit it, "I have been here the most... since my job is the most flexible. I can write just as well here as I can anywhere else."

"Really?" Silent tilted his head and started to look around the room again. "It sounds like I've been out a while if you had to make a shift schedule. How long have you all been waiting?"

Though she wasn't sure what possessed her, a hoof reached out to stroke his mane. She had done so countless times while he was unconscious, mostly to keep it straight and proper rather than as a comfort. At that moment, however, it seemed appropriate.

"You have a lot of friends and family who all wanted to be here," she said, stalling as she contemplated her options. "You scared us. Winterspear the most, I think. But you're a stubborn pony. Dr. Emerai said you didn't seem interested in... leaving." She retracted her hoof and held it close to her chest as she added, "It... was a month. A bit longer, actually."

Silent smiled and nodded. "Sounds about right. There's still work to be done here before I give up the fight." His hooves started to poke and prod at his own body while he asked, "What happened to me?" He winced as he felt a few particularly tender areas but seemed satisfied with his self-check.

Crystal took a breath. She had heard it enough times from the doctors and nurses through the door that talked as though they couldn't be heard. She shook her head to clear the voices of the past and started to recite his injuries. "Your right wing suffered multiple fractures and a couple broken ribs did some nasty things to you when they shattered. You took... I think they called it a bolt near the base of your neck. There were several other wounds and bruising."

Her voice grew soft as she added, "They brought your armor for Winterspear to decide what should be done with it. When I saw... it, I nearly screamed at the sight. It was barely together."

"It probably saved my life." Silent looked around again. "Speaking of which, how did I get here? The last thing I remember is separating the train cars."

Crystal nodded absently. "Iridescence told us what happened and said that Exemplar Ferrel was the one who saved you. She used some sort of powerful teleport spell to bring you back to their car, then stabilized you herself. It was miraculous... at least, that is what the doctor said." Tears stung her eyes and she stared down at the sheets. "He, ah, well... He wasn't sure you would ever wake up."

He watched her with gentle concern in his gaze while she wiped the tears away and continued, "Ferrel was certain you would, however, after you survived Baltimare. I don't know why, but I believed her." She tried to smile. "I have never met a mare like her before. She never seems to be quite 'here,' but she was at least in the present enough to check in on you a few times."

Silent gave a small, pained chuckle. "I'll have to thank her, then."

"That would be the polite thing to do." Crystal nodded, then straightened up. "Now, if you can behave long enough to sit still and not injure yourself further, there are a lot of ponies that will want to hear the news. Winterspear will probably be your first visitor the moment I tell her."

"I'll behave." He waved a hoof to usher her on, then paused and added, "Thank you for being here, Crystal Wishes." He smiled. "It is nice to see you."

Crystal stopped at the door. Her heart sang at hearing her name rolling off his tongue and she had to brace herself against the doorframe when her knees went weak. She struggled to keep her voice above a wistful whisper as she said, "It is really nice to see you, too."

Her heart pounded as she left the room calmly, then broke out into a gallop. She nearly skidded when she turned the corner and ran out the front doors. Joy-fueled adrenaline coursed through her, urging her hooves to move faster along the streets in the direction of the castle.

He was awake. Finally awake. The squeal of delight that escaped her startled the ponies she ran past, who looked on with mild disdain at her unladylike display. Their disapproval was the last thing on her mind, of course.

When she finally reached Winterspear's quarters, she was sweaty and out of breath. That didn't stop her from rapidly knocking on the door, which opened after a few moments.

Winterspear peered at her with understandable concern. "Crystal, are you all right?"

Crystal couldn't reply. She tried, but all she could do was gasp, wheeze, and try to smile. The smile was key, otherwise her other behavior might send the wrong message.

Then, it clicked. All at once Winterspear was overtaken when realization struck her. Her breath hitched in the middle of a gasp that fell into a happy sob. Tears glossed over her eyes and her whole frame shook. "Is he—"

Crystal nodded. "Yes," she managed breathlessly. "He's awake."

Winterspear shoved past her—not with malice, but with pure single-minded focus—and she started the run that Crystal had just finished, but she had the advantage of wings. She took to the sky to make a direct flight toward the hospital.

Crystal watched while she failed to regain even breathing. She collapsed on the doorstep and leaned against the door, deciding it would be best to rest before she started running around again. Her ear twitched as hoofsteps drew near.

"He's awake?" Iridescence's voice asked from behind her.

Crystal inclined her head to look at the mare, then responded with a nod and a smile.

"Oh, thank Celestia." Iridescence let out a sigh of relief, then stiffened with newfound worry. "Is he all right? Does he have any"—she swallowed—"brain damage?"

Crystal took a breath and let it out. Her heart was still pounding, but it was easier to breathe now. "I don't believe so," she said, shaking her head. "He held a normal conversation with me. I think the only concern is how long we can keep him in bed before he tries to get back to work." She tried to laugh, but it came out dry and forced. With a bit of effort, she forced herself back onto her hooves. "I need to go tell Runic."

Iridescence nodded and waved her off, then started to trot in the direction of the hospital. Once alone, Crystal sighed heavily. The adrenaline had worn off and halfway to Phial and Filly, her legs threatened to give out underneath her. She just barely made it, collapsing onto the floor beside the counter.

"Crystal! Are you okay?" Runic hurried around the table to crouch down by her. He put both hooves on her shoulders and steadied her, brow furrowed. "What happened?"

Crystal smiled up at him. "He's awake. Silent Knight's awake."

At first, Runic's face lit up with excitement, but the fire was quelled by concern. "Wait, then why don't you seem very happy?"

"Oh, I am. Believe me." She giggled and waved a hoof at him. "I'm just exhausted from running all over Canterlot. Winterspear and Iridescence are already at the hospital. Go on, I'll manage the store for you."

He nodded and hurried toward the door. "Thanks! Rest up!"

She leaned back and spotted a wide-eyed mare. "What?" She scrunched up her nose as she examined the bottle the mare held. "That'll be seven bits. Leave them by the register. Thanks, have a great day, come back soon!" After the mare paid and left, Crystal mumbled to herself, "Now, I just need a notebook and quill before I forget..."

When Crystal opened the door to their condo, Velvet gave a startled yelp from where she was stretched out on the floor, one hind leg in front of her and one behind. "Oh!" She toppled over and squirmed to get back onto her hooves. "Hey! You're home early. Shouldn't you still be at the hospital?"

Crystal smiled and plopped down onto a pillow, her whole body aching. "He's awake."

"What?!" Velvet gaped. "Then what the hay are you doing here?!"

"Letting other ponies that care about him have a turn." She dropped her head down onto her forehooves. "And resting. I'm exhausted. Thank goodness Rossby showed up when he did, because I didn't realize how utterly boring working a register is. It gave me some time to write, though, so that part was nice..."

Velvet just sat there, staring, her hooves raised almost pleadingly. Finally, she blurted out, "I don't get you!"

Crystal opened her eyes halfway and peered up at her. Before she could say anything, Velvet grumbled in frustration and paced in a circle.

"You mope, and then suddenly you're okay, and then, now that he's awake, you're just going to rest?" She stopped in front of Crystal and lowered her head to the other's eye level. "Are you in love with him or not?!"

A heavy flush filled her cheeks. "I, I am, but—"

"Then get off your plot and go tell him! You said you were going to confess. So why aren't you confessing?!" She stomped a hoof. "I swear to Celestia, the only pony standing in your way is you!"

Crystal raised her head and snorted. "He just woke up, Velvet! He has a lot more important things on his plate than my feelings!" Her ears folded back. "I can wait. He needs to focus on getting better."

Velvet's expression twisted from anger and confusion to a strange look of sorrow. "Haven't you waited long enough?" she asked in a soft voice.

"What do I gain by confessing right now?" She turned her head away. "I'm just grateful he's alive, mine or not."

Velvet started pacing again, each hoof falling with conviction. "I swear, you're the single most confusing mare I know!" She finally collapsed onto one of the available pillows and sighed. "Why do you want to be in love, again? It doesn't seem worth it at all."

Crystal smiled softly. "Because it feels wonderful, even just loving him from afar." The smile fell. She admitted with tentative caution, "I'm also... afraid that I've built it up too much. How can any stallion compare to the one I've imagined him to be?"

"You have to start somewhere." Velvet rolled her eyes. "Fine. Stall. Wait. But if another mare sweeps him up while you're just stalling, I am seriously not going to feel bad for you. I won't say 'I told you so', but my shoulder will be cold."

Crystal rolled onto her side and laughed, pawing at Velvet. "Thank you. You're the best friend I could ever hope for!"

Velvet waggled a stern hoof. "I'm serious!"

"I know." Crystal giggled. "It'll be fine..." Her brief cheer subsided and she sighed. "When he's better, I'll tell him. I promise."

"You promised you were going to tell him the moment you saw him," Velvet grumbled.

"That was before I found out he was in a coma." Crystal squinted at her. "You can't hold me accountable for things I said in ignorance!"

Velvet squinted back. "I have, I do, and I will! Do you think I'm making a fuss about this for my own sake? Good grief, Crystal, you're basically writing a love story about you and him!"

Crystal flushed again and buried her face under one foreleg. "Y-yes, that's true. Speaking of..." Blindly, she reached out with her magic to where she had dropped the notebook and floated it to Velvet. "Do you mind reading what I wrote? I-it's still a rough draft, I only just wrote it, so..."

"I do, in fact, mind." Velvet grabbed the notebook and held it closer to herself. "It's just going to make my case, you realize that, right?"

"Right, right. Please?" Crystal fluttered her eyelashes.

Velvet sighed. She opened the notebook to where the quill marked the end of what was written, flipped back a page, and started to read aloud.

"She opened her eyes and the breath was forcefully expelled from her lungs by the sight. There it was, bobbing along the horizon, tossed lightly by the waves but moving steadily closer: the ship she had seen in her restless dreams. Tears of joy fell freely down her cheeks while she struggled against the urge to jump off the pier and swim the distance that separated her from him.

"He had returned to her. All she had to do was wait a little longer and her dreams would come true. Her heart danced in her chest, fluttering with excitement and pounding with nerves, while the ship drew nearer. Once it finally docked and the passengers, all soldiers, began to descend the ramp that was lowered, she was certain her heart would seize right then and there when one figure in particular came into view. She knew the cut and build of his form better than her own; there was no doubt in her mind that it was her beloved Stoutheart.

"Misty hesitated while he walked onto the pier, his head hung with the weight of months spent overseas. Should she run to him? He had no reason to expect her to be waiting there. Her hesitation turned into doe-like frozen terror when their eyes met and he started toward her, his gait hurried to close the gap between them. Before she could stammer out a reason for being at the pier, he threw his forelegs around her and kissed her with a desperate passion she thought only existed in her heart."

Velvet's pink coat couldn't hide the red flush of her skin. She paused to lick her suddenly dry lips and continued with rising interest in her voice.

"Words failed her when their lips parted, and he didn't give her time to find them. Instead, he smiled and nuzzled his nose to hers as he whispered fondly, 'Hello, beautiful.'"

Velvet glanced up at Crystal when she reached the end but said nothing for a while. The clock on the wall ticked idly, not sharing in Crystal's nervous suspense while Velvet remained still and quiet.

"So?" Crystal asked after the silence had gone on too long. Her heart pounded all the way up to her ears. "What do you think?"

Velvet finally relented with a sigh and mumbled, "I think if this is what love is like, then sign me up." She flashed a grin, which she quickly dropped when Crystal returned it. "I'm kidding! Whatever you're thinking, stop it. Just stop it right now."

Crystal's grin widened. "I do believe I have Lovey Dovey's address. I could set you up with an appointment..."

Velvet dropped the notebook as she jumped to her hooves and backed away toward her bedroom door. "Nope, nope, nope." She kicked the door open with a hind hoof to continue her escape. "Nope!"

The distinct click of the lock sliding into place finalized Velvet's sentiment, and Crystal couldn't help a much-needed, full-bodied laugh.

Her Wonted Life

"Here you are, Miss Crystal," Willowy Tempest said as she set a teacup and saucer on the table, then poured the tea. "Two lumps of sugar"—she dropped the cubes into the liquid—"and a honey-laden stirrer, yes?" She carefully set the stirrer into the cup before she held it out to Crystal.

Crystal smiled, tilting her head. "How in Equestria do you remember that? You've only made tea for me once."

Willow puffed out her chest with unabashed pride. "You're a regular guest of Princess Luna's. Not knowing your preferences would be an embarrassment for myself and for Princess Luna."

Approaching from behind Willow, Luna smiled and said, "It would not be an embarrassment at all, actually."

Willow's ears turned before her head did, all the while gasping. "Princess Luna! When did you get here?" She dropped her head low. "I thought you were still in your Contemporary Equestrian lesson!"

"I cut it short because I knew Crystal would be waiting. Besides, I believe I now have a perfect grasp on Contemporary Equestrian. The lessons are becoming rather boring." Luna sat on the couch opposite of her guest. "It has been nearly two months, Willow. You need to learn to relax; you'll live longer if you stress less. Trust me on this." She smiled and started to turn her attention to Crystal.

"I'll relax when there's no more work to do," Willow mumbled with a small frown as she turned away.

Luna looked at her with feigned surprise. "Willow! Did you just talk back to me?" Her voice was playfully stern, but it didn't seem to be playful enough for her aide.

Crystal giggled behind a hoof while Willow's mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for water. "She's teasing you," she whispered, and Willow stared at her with a look that begged for an answer. "That's a good thing."

Willow finally huffed. Her wings fluttered to relieve her tension before tucking back in close to her sides. "I apologize, Princess Luna. I've... never had a superior tease me before."

Luna clicked her tongue before she gestured at an empty chair. "Why don't you tell us more about yourself? I'm afraid you and I haven't been able to be fully acquainted... if Crystal doesn't mind, that is."

"Not at all," Crystal assured with a shake of her head. "It would be a nice change of topic from the usual."

Luna's ears stood straight up. "Oh, do you intend to say that you don't enjoy talking about Silent Knight?"

Crystal turned a bright shade of red and tried to not fumble the teacup in her magic. "That—What I mean is—"

Luna broke into a delicate chime of laughter. "Yes, of course." She waved a hoof to dismiss the stammering and returned her attention to Willow, who was sitting with rigid posture. "What did I say about relaxing?"

Willow slumped forward. "That I should do it?" She sighed. "But I have so much work to do, Princess."

"Make time for a chat, then." Luna smiled, but her voice was serious and almost stern. "That's why I chose you, after all."

Willow squinted at her somewhat petulantly, then straightened up. A thousand-yard stare gripped her and they all sat in silence for a few minutes before she said, "Fifteen minutes. I found fifteen minutes in my schedule." She leaned back into the seat and glanced between them. "So, what is it you want to know?"

Crystal jumped in to ask, "What exactly did you do before this? I know the general details, but..."

"I was a weather coordinator." Willow shrugged. "I was in charge of the Northeast Division for the Equestrian Weather Coordination Team."

Crystal looked to Luna, who pressed, "And what did that entail?"

"Huh? Oh, hmm." Willow rubbed the back of her neck as she glanced down at the table. "Well, the main part was going over reports of the current status of different regions' temperatures and humidities in Northeast Equestria. We pegasi only control so much. The rest is up to nature, so most of the time it's a cat-and-mouse game trying to keep things moderate for ponies. Then, there's watching out for signs that inclement weather is necessary, because we can only stall it for so long before nature takes over."

A smile started to grow across Willow's lips. "But that was just the routine things. What I really enjoyed? Scheduling. It's my passion, as boring as it sounds. I loved working with the weather teams' schedules and making sure nopony was overworked, that the right weather got to the right places at the right times... That was when I really felt like I was accomplishing something." The smile fell into a frown. "I've never understood that, though."

"Oh?" Luna blinked. "Well, it is your talent, so what is there to be confused of?"

"My name's Willowy Tempest. Ponies assume I should be in the business of inclement weather. And this, well." She gestured at her flank, which featured an hourglass that more closely resembled a swirling tornado than the time-measuring instrument it was. "I got it when I found my mother's day planner and reorganized it for her. She was angry at first, then surprised that I turned her fifteen minute lunch break into a full hour. When it made her happy, that made me happy enough that I discovered my talent.

"But Willowy Tempest? Why did I end up with a name like this? What went wrong when the magic of naming missed my parents completely?" Willow sighed heavily, then straightened up. "Anyway, I think that's enough information that Miss Wishes could ghostwrite an autobiography."

Luna pursed her lips and furrowed her brow. "Truly?" Her eyes closed briefly in thought, then she smiled. "In the days before my... before either of you were even thought into existence, tempest and other words we now use only for weather were also terms for periods of time. I would believe that your name pertains to your flexibility in managing time."

Willow gazed at Luna with wide but soft eyes, as though the secrets of the universe had been unravelled before her. She swallowed and bowed her head low. "M-my parents could never explain why they picked my name, so I've always felt out of place, like I messed up my destiny as a weather pony... Thank you, Princess!"

"You are most welcome, my little pony," Luna said and placed a hoof gently on Willow's shoulder.

Crystal hesitated, then asked, "Is that why you work so hard, Willow?"

"Huh?" Willow tilted her head.

"Well, what I mean to say is..." Crystal offered a sheepish smile. "You work harder than even Raven does, and she used to be the hardest working pony I knew. I just thought, perhaps, that you worked hard because you felt out of place, as you said."

Willow puffed out her chest. "I work hard because Princess Luna deserves only the best! Not some petty overcompensating inferiority complex."

Luna snorted in an attempt to smother a laugh with a hoof pressed to her mouth. "O-oh Willow," she managed to say, "you are too much!"

"Hmmph!" Willow pinned her ears back and slipped out of the chair. "Well, I'm glad you are amused, Princess, but I have work to do!" Her wings ruffled in embarrassed agitation as she walked over to the secretary's desk near the main door.

Crystal and Luna looked at one another in silence before they both broke out into laughter.

"Now, how are you doing?" Luna asked once her amusement subsided into sincere concern. "I have yet to hear any good news pertaining to you and your Knight since he has awoken."

"Oh." Crystal focused her gaze on her teacup as she turned it slowly. "Perhaps when he has recovered..."

Luna frowned. She stared at Crystal with a clear look of displeasure, but eventually snorted and tossed her mane. "If you wish to spend your days pining away when the stallion is ready and waiting, then I shan't be the one to force you into days of happiness!"

Crystal nibbled on her lower lip. "I can wait a little while longer, until he's able to at least walk on his own."

"Nothing motivates a stallion more than a lady waiting on them." She sipped her tea. "But if the lady insists on waiting, so be it. Now, how is your new novel coming along?" A curious, playful smile curled her lips. "You have been so tight-lipped with the details!"

Crystal responded with a tell-tale flush.

Luna's smile twisted into a devious grin. "Oh my! Is this your first foray into more mature fiction?"

"What? No!" Crystal stiffened, her eyes wide. "No, no, no! Nothing of that sort!"

"Oh." The grin fell, and her cheeks darkened just slightly in embarrassment. "Is that so? But then why the reaction?"

Crystal ducked her head and muttered, "B-because, the title alone will tell you all that you need to know." Luna waited patiently, and she continued in a quieter voice, "Her Silent Love."

"Truly?" When Crystal nodded, she clapped in delight. "You are much more bold than I realized! You will do that much, yet you won't tell him yourself? How perplexing!"

"In time." Crystal finished off the remaining tea, then set the cup down on its saucer. "I will... in time. Just not now."

"Well, then, in the near term, I will expect a courier to greet me no later than the overmorrow with a copy of what you have written so far." She inclined her head and called to Willow, "Willow, take a note! If a courier does not bring me a package from Crystal tomorrow or the day after, then revoke her pass!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Willow chirped and wrote down the dictation.

"You can't be serious!" Crystal pouted, but Luna returned the look with a challenging raise of her brow.

"Do you wish to find out?" Luna stuck her nose in the air.

Crystal lowered her own head to catch the light in her eyes and fluttered her eyelashes but to no avail. She sighed and slumped forward. "No, I do not..."

"A wise mare you are. Now," Luna said, leaning back with a pleasant smile, "the time has come to talk of other things..."

"I still don't like hospitals," Velvet muttered as they walked toward the looming building and entered through the main doors. "They're so creepy."

"You didn't mind when it was Red we were here for." Crystal glanced at her with one brow raised.

Velvet shook her head. "That's different! I was too excited to notice how... white and clean everything is." She shuddered. "It's just not natural."

Crystal huffed with playful petulance. "Oh, I see! Your baby brother is exciting, but visiting Silent Knight isn't?"

"Not unless I'm going to witness the confession of a lifetime. Or any confession, really." Velvet rolled her eyes and grumbled, "At this point, I'll take whatever I can get."

"Hush, you." Crystal bumped her shoulder to the other's. "Behave while we're here, okay?" She cleared her throat to address the guards posted outside the door. "Good afternoon!"

A slight nod of Lightning Flash and Thunder Tumble's heads acknowledged her. Velvet stepped close to Tumble and leered up at him.

"Got anything to say, Tumbler?" She pushed her face closer to his by standing on the tip of her hooves. Given their height difference, she didn't have much of an imposing stature, but her tone and expression more than made up for it.

Tumble swallowed. "No, ma'am."

"Ah-ha! You do, because you did!" She snubbed her nose at him while Lightning rolled his eyes. "I've got my eyes on you, buddy!"

Tumble glanced at Lightning Flash, who broke his composure just long enough to shrug.

"You should be nice to him," Crystal gently chided as she opened the door. "He's such a sweetheart."

"But being nice is no fun." Velvet snorted and then lit up with a big grin. "Huh. Well, this is different."

The hospital room was hardly anything like a hospital room and much more like the Canterlot Gardens when somepony had gone rogue with the decorations. Bursts of color from balloons tied to everything and flowers strewn everywhere filled the room, scattered in well-wishing disarray.

"Hi, Silent Knight!" Velvet chirped as she tried to find a way through the maze. "Are you still in here somewhere?"

"Hello?" Silent Knight's voice called from one direction.

Crystal and Velvet giggled as they met a few tight spaces they couldn't get past, then eventually stumbled out to his bedside.

"We almost gave up trying to find you, Sergeant," Crystal said, still giggling. "This is getting out of hoof."

Silent chuckled and nodded. "Agreed, but every gift is from a pony who was happy to send it, so who am I to spoil their fun? I'll get it all cleaned up soon enough, anyway."

Velvet squeezed herself over to the nightstand where a pile of cards were scattered all about and started to organize them by size and shape.

Crystal smiled at Silent. "Because you're to be released tomorrow, if I understood correctly?"

"Yes!" Silent perked up at the notion, sitting up straight and proud. The proper posture accentuated how skinny he had gotten from lying in bed for so long, the seafoam green gown hanging loosely from his torso. "Tomorrow I'll be in my own bed and, hopefully, back on light duty. About time, too. I've been stuck here too long."

"Well, I wouldn't say stuck so much as—"

"Say," Velvet interrupted, "Silent Knight... what is this?" She picked up an open wooden box and tilted it to show him.

Silent's ears flicked back for just a moment as he stiffened. "Oh. They are just some medals. Nothing important."

Crystal turned her head to look and mirrored Silent's posture, her shoulders thrusting back and her head raising high. "Nothing important?" She shook her head. "I don't know very much about military medals, but even I know a Celestia Cross when I see one."

Velvet huffed. "Well, I don't. What is it?"

"It is the highest honor the guard has to offer, and extremely rare! I've never seen one myself before!" She swelled with pride for Silent. "Earning one is quite the accomplishment, since a pony usually has to d—" Her words were cut off by a strangled swallow when she noticed the dark expression clouding Silent's face. "Do you know what?" She reached out a hoof and snapped the lid shut. "Why don't we keep our hooves to ourselves."

"Oh." Velvet frowned, looking as though she wanted to argue, but Crystal's pleading eyes quelled the urge. "Okay." She set the box down as quickly as she could, eyes downcast.

Crystal bit her lower lip and glanced at Silent. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"No need to be." He shook his head, then a small smile washed away the lingering darkness. "Crystal Wishes, I need to ask you a favor." He shifted slightly in the bed. "It is a lot to ask of you and you know I normally wouldn't ask something of you if it weren't important."

Velvet squeaked in an attempt to smother a squeal and glanced quickly between the other two while Crystal's heart jumped into her throat.

"Yes?" Crystal stepped closer to the bed. Her voice grew almost breathless as she added, "Anything!"

Silent cleared his throat. "I am going to be going to the Royal Equestrian Officer's Academy at Shining Armor and Princess Luna's recommendation. The military stuff should be no problem." He snorted, looking down at himself, then back up. "I'm concerned about the other side of being an officer in Canterlot. I don't know the first thing about proper etiquette and, well, you're such a fine and proper lady. The most proper I know. I thought, perhaps, if I could have you tutor me I might be able to fit in with all the Canterlot socialites... if you'd be willing to, that is."

Crystal did her very best to not sound as disappointed as she felt, which was difficult to do given that her heart stopped pounding and dropped to a lulling beat. "Of course."

On the other side of the bed, Velvet rolled her eyes and returned to organizing the 'Get Well' cards.

"When do you start?" Crystal asked, forcing a smile.

"Not soon," Silent replied. "The current class is still going, so I will start with the next one. By then I should be through with my physical therapy and back to good health." He chuckled. "The last thing I want to do is show up in this condition and be unable to do basic training."

Crystal's smile grew soft and sincere. "Well, then, it sounds like we have a head start. Come by my place once a week so we can go over the finer points of Canterlot society."

Silent nodded. "I can do that. Thank you, Crystal Wishes. You're the best."

"Anything for you, sergeant," Crystal said, unable to help a wink. She tried not to blush when Velvet grinned from the other side of the bed. "A-anyway, Velvet and I just wanted to see how you were before we had lunch. So." She took a step backwards, bumping her flank against a flower vase and hurriedly catching it in her magic. "We'll be going, then."

"Oh." It was Silent's turn to sound a little disappointed, but he covered it with a smile, though that didn't stop Crystal from feeling a pang of regret. "Have a good lunch, you two."

Velvet pranced around the bed and led Crystal through the maze. "We will. Don't you worry about that! Bye, Silent Knight!"

Crystal hesitated at the edge to glance over her shoulder. "Goodbye, Silent Knight."

Once they were outside, Velvet made no attempts to hide her amusement. She grinned up at Crystal while they walked down the hall.

"What?" Crystal glanced at the devious grin leering at her. "What?"

"Come by my place, she says." Velvet rolled her eyes. "Is that a hint for me to clear out during your 'lessons'?"

Crystal frowned. "Why the sarcastic emphasis?"

"Isn't it straight out of a filly flick? Guy meets girl, girl likes guy, guy goes through some kind of huge ordeal and ends up needing girl's help, they enter a student-teacher relationship that will obviously end in the bedroom?"

Crystal sputtered and glanced around to double-check their privacy as they left the hospital, then glared at her. "Shh! Don't say it like that!"

Velvet's grin widened even further, an almost impossible feat by that point. "Oh, sorry, forgive me, Madame Manners." She cleared her throat. "It would obviously end up in the boudoir."

"That doesn't help!" Crystal exclaimed, though her voice was laced with a suppressed laugh. "That's not going to happen, anyway. It's strictly business, just like it was with you."

"Just like it was with me? Oh, so it is going to end up in the bedroom eventually." Velvet trotted on ahead to avoid getting swatted.

"Velvet Step!" Crystal hurried after her. "Nightmare-induced bed sharing doesn't count!"

"Maybe not, but cuddling does!"

Crystal's face turned bright red and she urged her legs to move faster, but Velvet stayed a good few paces ahead. "Lies! It wasn't cuddling! Lies and slander!"

As embarrassed as Crystal was, Velvet's gleeful laughter was a nice return to normalcy. The prospect of private, alone time with Silent Knight wasn't too bad, either—especially since he'd be conscious for it. Life was back on track and that made her smile in spite of the fact she had absolutely no chance of catching up to the lithe ballerina who taunted her without remorse.

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: All Good Things... - Part 2

The Brides' Mare

"This is the worst possible thing, ever!" Raven exclaimed in an uncharacteristically dramatic, diva-like way. She buried her face in her hooves. "How did we not foresee this happening?!"

Crystal winced. "I-I'm sorry, I forgot that some flowers are season-dependent!"

Raven raised her head to glare at her. "I had never even considered a bird-of-paradise until you brought it up!"

"I'm sorry, Raven..." Crystal took a small step back. "There are a lot of other lovely flowers, though! L-like, well, this, here." She gestured randomly, then paused when she followed the direction of her own hoof to a bouquet of odd, ball-like silver brunias. "Okay, perhaps not this, but—"

"No, now that you showed me some sample bouquets, that's what I want. But now they have to be put on special order from some greenhouse in who knows where because they're not in season." She frowned and loomed over Crystal. "Do you know what special order means?"

Crystal gulped. "Extra...extra costs?"

Raven threw her hooves in the air and exclaimed, "Exactly! I have a tight budget and a tight schedule, neither of which coordinate well with special orders!"

The florist, Scarlet Begonia, stood off to the side safely out of danger, but tripped over a verbal mine when she muttered just loud enough to be heard, "Great, another bridezilla..."

"What?!" Raven's ears turned before her head and she shot the florist a dirty look. "How dare you, I—" She choked. Slowly, she looked back at Crystal. "... am completely blowing this out of proportion, aren't I."

Crystal ducked her head but smiled. "No offense, but yes, you are."

Raven walked over to a chair and slumped into it, her hooves raising to rub her temples. "I'm sorry. I just don't understand why nothing is going according to plan. The dress is backordered, the flowers are out of season, the shoes I liked aren't available in a color that matches the dress..." She heaved a great sigh. "I just want this to be perfect."

Crystal smiled, sat down beside her, and put a foreleg around the other's shoulders. "It will be. I promise. Maybe we just need to take this"—her magic grabbed the schedule from where it sat on the table—"and do this." She tossed it to the far side of the room. The florist huffed in protest, but they paid her no mind.

Raven stared at where the small planner had landed, a small frown on her lips. "You know," she finally said, "there is more in there than just the wedding schedule."

"You don't need any of it!" Crystal pulled her closer. "You are a strong, independent mare that doesn't need a schedule to tell her what to do!"

"Perhaps not, but Princess Celestia would likely be disappointed if I couldn't tell her when her meetings were." Raven straightened her glasses in an attempt to distract from her small grin. "You don't want to be the one who causes her to be late for an important dignitary meeting, do you?"

Crystal's enthusiasm deflated as her horn lit up to retrieve the planner. "Fine, perhaps you're a mostly independent mare who needs some of this schedule to remind her what to do."

Raven took the book out of the air and held it close to her chest. "Then what, you expect me to just... wing it?" Crystal nodded, and she rolled her eyes. "I never wing it."

"Flank on fire."

Raven blinked. "Excuse me?"

Crystal giggled and prodded her shoulder. "Liar, liar, flank on fire. What did you do during the changeling attack?"

"The changeling attack?" Raven frowned briefly, then smiled. "It interrupted the whole castle's flow entirely, so I had to run around trying to keep things in some semblance of order. It wasn't until three days later that things got back on track."

"There you go, then." Crystal nodded. "For the next few months, your wedding is a changeling attack."

Raven frowned again, but this time it was marked clearly as playful by the small snort that accompanied it. "Thank you so very much for that comforting image."

"Excuse me," Scarlet Begonia interrupted, "but I am going to continue following my schedule, if you please, and your appointment time is almost up. What flowers are you ordering?"

Raven's mouth opened and shut a few times before she sputtered, "Wh-white roses!"

Scarlet flashed a plastic smile before she looked down at a sheet to make a note. "White roses. Very nice. Okay, thank you, have a nice day." She waved a hoof to usher them along.

Crystal slipped out of her seat and marched to the front desk. "Hi."

Scarlet glanced up at her. "Yes?"

"I understand that you are so very busy, but need I remind you that it is we who are paying you?" She smiled sweetly. "I hate to point that out, but it seems you've forgotten that."

Scarlet's expression remained unfazed. "Need I remind you that there are other florists and you can kindly take your business elsewhere?"

Crystal hedged a moment. She thought to look back and gauge Raven's expression, but instead held her ground and raised her nose. "Then we will. Come along, Raven. There are indeed other florists in Canterlot."

As they walked out, Raven hissed, "There may be others, but Scarlet Begonia is the best floral arranger in all of Canterlot! Do you know how long it took me to book an appointment?!"

Crystal shrugged and kept walking. "Oh well."

"Oh well? Oh well?!" Raven cried in an exasperated tone. "You just fired her! For what, being rude? Need I remind you we are in Canterlot?"

"Why should that be an excuse?" Crystal glanced at her with a small frown. "I'm not rude. You're not rude... all the time." The frown twitched into a grin.

Raven huffed and puffed while they walked toward the castle, then finally grumbled, "Fine, but it's on your plate to find a new, good florist now. And fast."

Crystal pranced on the tips of her hooves. "Of course! Don't worry, I already have just the florist in mind." When they came to an intersection, she stopped and said, "I'll go talk to her right now, if I can remember where her shop is."

Raven poked her with a menacing hoof. "Next time, consult me before firing somepony, all right?"

"All right, sure, of course," she replied quickly and almost evasively as she turned away. "Have a good day at work!"

"Crystal!" Raven yelled after her, but realizing she was being ignored, she stomped a hoof, grumbled, and stormed her way back to the castle.

Crystal hummed to herself while she walked along the cobblestone streets, squinting and frowning as she traipsed the edges of her memories. Somewhere, there was a flower shop with a very sweet florist, and Crystal intended to find her.

She retracted her steps from what little she could remember; she headed to Canterlot High and, upon reaching the gates, turned right back around to navigate the way toward Looney Lanes. As luck—or logic—would have it, she had hardly made it three blocks before she spotted what she was after.

"Hello!" she chimed just as a bell chimed to announce her arrival when she walked in through the door.

A light green mare squeaked from behind the counter and clamped a hoof over her mouth in embarrassment. "H-hello," she responded quietly.

Crystal smiled, approaching the mare. "Do you provide flower arrangements for weddings?"

Leafy Roots nodded. "Yes, I do, miss."

"Perfect. I would like to place an order, then." Crystal's smile widened.

Crystal sighed as she walked into Café au Lait, the familiar smell of coffee enveloping her like a warm hug. The real treat, however, were the subtle undertones of herbal tea that lingered underneath. She sat at her usual seat in the corner, took a notebook out of her bag, and opened it up to where she had left off.

"Let's see," she muttered under her breath. "Stoutheart needs to... Needs to..." The quill dropped out of the air when a menu was shoved into her face.

"Hi, welcome to Café au Lait," a monotonous voice said with complete disinterest. Crystal looked up to see Rossby staring down at her, holding out a menu. He frowned, glanced around, then said, "Just because we had a moment where you forgave me, or whatever, doesn't mean we're friends, but it doesn't mean you have to avoid me, either."

"Huh?" Crystal blinked a few times. "What?"

Rossby pushed the menu closer to her. "You're avoiding me."

Crystal returned his frown. "I am doing no such thing."

"You're not?" Rossby paused, his frown lightening to a straight line. "But it's been a month since I've seen you here. Or at the spa. Or at the grocery store. Or—"

"I get the point," she interrupted. "But I'm not avoiding you. In fact, I said 'hello' when you came by Runic's shop to work the register."

"And then you left as quickly as you could," he retorted almost bitterly.

Crystal held up a hoof and rubbed her temple with the other. "Are you actually upset, or are you just being contrary?"

Rossby pulled the menu back to himself. "Chai it is, then." He turned and walked away, ignoring her when she called after him.

"I swear," she muttered as she lowered her gaze to her writing, "stallions are impossible."

Equally impossible was her muse. The impending alone time with Silent Knight should have thrilled the fickle thing, but it was completely silent instead. All she could think about was Silent Knight, not Stoutheart. She sighed again for the—

"That's the third one," Rossby commented when he returned, setting a cup of tea in front of her. He glanced at her over the top of his glasses. "Here." He placed a cookie beside the teacup. "On the house." There was an awkward pause before he added, "You know, stress really ages a pony."

Crystal furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. "Are you saying I look old?"

Rossby simply shrugged.

Crystal's magic snapped up the cookie and she took an irritated bite. It was a little dry and crumbly, especially when she was accustomed to the ones Pepper Ridge made, but it was decent enough for free. "What's your point?"

Rossby released an exaggerated, drawn-out sigh and looked directly at her as he said, "We're not friends, but you can still, you know, talk. Or something. You know, anything that's not avoiding me like the plague?"

"Fine." The cookie dropped out of the pink aura and onto a napkin. She stared up at him, steepling her hooves. "I really like a stallion, and he's all I can think about, which would normally be a good thing, but in this circumstance, it's an undesired distraction."

Rossby's nose scrunched up. "Sorry, but I don't like you like that." He paused, then amended, "It's nothing personal, of course. I just don't."

"Not you!" Despite her light irritation, she laughed. "Why would I like you?"

"I don't know. Why wouldn't you?" He shrugged. "Isn't it a common trope to go from hate to love?"

She sputtered. "But you're—I mean, you're—"

"Yes?" He raised one brow.

"Oh, forget it!" She shook her head and raised the cookie back up. "Thank you, but I think I'll handle this myself."

Rossby shrugged again. "All right. Good talk. We should not do this again sometime." He turned away to tend to other customers in the cafe.

Crystal watched him a moment before she smiled. "What an odd cookie," she said, looking down at the partially-eaten sweet, "don't you think?"

It dropped a few crumbs on the table.

She giggled, then abruptly stopped, her expression going blank. "Well, now I can't eat you." She returned it to its napkin bed. "I really shouldn't talk to my food. Or myself." She drew a hoof over her lips, rolled her eyes, and focused her attention on the writing dilemma at hoof.

She outlined a few chapters by the time Velvet showed up and sat across from her, chiming, "Sorry we're late!" She smiled. "How's the writing going?"

"It's not," Crystal grumbled and looked up, then jumped in surprise. "Wait, we?"

"Hi, Crystal," Horsey said from off to the side, smiling bashfully. "Sorry to show up without writing first, but it's really important. I... I, um..."

"She's getting married!" Velvet threw her hooves in the air. "Savvy proposed!"

Crystal gasped and glanced between them, Velvet grinning and Horsey blushing. "Really!?" Horsey nodded, and she squealed, "Ohmygosh!"

Horsey walked over to sit down, her ears folded back as she looked at Crystal. "I'm sorry."

Crystal's eyes widened. "Why the hay are you sorry? Horsey, this is wonderful news!"

"Getting married before you seems, I don't know..." She twiddled her hooves. "You're not mad?"

"Oh, I'm immensely envious of you, but I'll get over it." Crystal giggled and wrapped her forelegs around the other to pull her in for a tight hug. "Currently I'm just very, very happy for you!"

Horsey finally giggled and her smile returned. "I'm so relieved to hear that. I mean, when he proposed, the only thing I was thinking about was how happy I was, but then, I started to think about you and how you might react. I've been dreading telling you."

With a heavy but playful sigh, Crystal shook her head. "Oh, Horsey, we've been over this before. I still believe that since you had the courage and strength to chase your stallion down, you've earned the right to have all the happiness in Equestria. And I wish nothing less for you."

Velvet drummed on the table with both hooves. "So, when's the date?"

"There isn't one, yet." Horsey smiled softly. "He only proposed yesterday, so we haven't really planned much of anything. It will be in Ponyville, though."

"Ponyville?" Velvet and Crystal asked together, giggled at the simultaneous response, then resumed a mote of seriousness.

"Why not Prance?" Crystal pressed.

Horsey sighed. Her gaze fell to the table. "I knew you would ask that. I don't know, I just, I like Ponyville. Prance is beautiful, but it's not home for me or Sav. He and his brother moved away from Prance when they were young, so it just seems right to wed where it would feel most comfortable."

Crystal sighed as well, though it was more wistful. "But I wanted an excuse to go to Prance..."

"Th-there's something more pressing that I wanted to talk about." Horsey's ears pinned back. "We're all friends, right? The three of us?" She didn't look up from the table.

"Of course," Velvet said, putting a hoof on hers.

"Absolutely," Crystal agreed.

Horsey clenched her eyes shut and said as quickly as she could, "You're both very important to me, but Sav is only going to have one best stallion, and his family is very traditional, so having two mares of honor might be strange, and—"

"It's fine, really," Crystal interrupted. "You and Velvet have always been closer."

Horsey looked up at her with tears glossing over her eyes. "I don't like that you think that, though! Yes, I was back then, but both of you are my best friends now." She sniffled and dropped her head back down.

"Then make Crystal your mare of honor," Velvet said, gesturing at the mare in question. "She knows a lot more about being one, and weddings, and all that. I'd probably just be asking her for advice all the time, anyway." She grinned. "Besides, she didn't get the title in Raven's wedding."

Horsey rubbed at her eyes with both hooves, then looked at Velvet. "You won't be offended?"

Velvet quickly shook her head. "No, no, not at all. I'm better at standing around in a dress and looking pretty than having to coordinate the flowers with the button ears."

"Boutonnières, " Crystal corrected, laughing.

"Exactly my point." Velvet grinned. "I think we've reached an amicable conclusion, then?" The other two nodded and she clapped her hooves. "Good! It's settled. I don't have to do anything! Yay!" She pumped a victorious hoof into the air.

Horsey let out a sigh of relief. "I'm so glad neither of you are mad."

Velvet leaned in, her grin widening as she asked, "So, will the reception be at Haut-Savoir?"

"Oh, no." Horsey shook her head. "Sav said that'd look too cheap, and he..." She flushed and giggled. "He said this isn't the kind of thing to be cheap on."

"Aww, how sweet," Velvet cooed.

Crystal watched the two while a smile played with her lips. Her magic raised her notebook and quill to scribble down one final thought: Always a bridesmare... She sighed, closed the cover, and returned her attention to her excited friends.

Heated Thoughts

Crystal sat, frozen in frightened anticipation as an unopened envelope hovered in front of her, addressed from Sunset Coffee. Fear coursed through her and kept her still as a statue while worries bounced around her mind.

She hadn't been by or sent him a status update in quite some time. Was he angry with her? Was this a notice that he was no longer her agent? She swallowed and slowly opened it to pull the letter out. A small picture fell when she unfolded it and, after catching it to get a better look, she smiled.

It depicted all of Sunset Coffee's foals playing in the fall leaves in one of Manehattan's parks, each wearing scarves of different colors of autumn. The youngest, Violet, chewed on a maple leaf the size of her head.

He always knew how to soften her up, which only made her more nervous about the letter's contents. Finally, she looked over the writing.

Crystal:

Haven't heard from you in a while. I assume that means things are either going really well, or not well at all. Either way, just let me know, all right? It would be great to debut the novel at this year's Equestrian Writers Convention, if you're far enough along. No pressure if not.

Always here,

Sunset

P.S. You should come to Manehattan soon. The fall foliage is beautiful... very inspiring for writers, heh!

Crystal read the letter over one more time before she let out a sigh of relief, then laughed at herself and shook her head. With renewed vigor, she sorted through the rest of the mail, reading each one while she went back to making tea.

"Hello!" Velvet called as she threw the door open.

The teacup dropped onto the counter with an unpleasant clank as Crystal startled by the sudden entrance.

Velvet continued in blissful ignorance. "What's for dinner?"

Crystal glared playfully at her. "Broken china and spilt tea."

"Oh." Velvet stopped in her tracks. "That doesn't sound worth coming home early for."

"Well, when you tell me not to wait up, that's what you get." She huffed and returned her attention to the mail. "Anyway, I haven't started dinner yet. I was waiting until I was hungry."

Velvet sighed, walking into the kitchen. It was a tight fit with the both of them, and she made sure to exaggeratedly bump her rump against Crystal's as she turned to the fridge.

"Fine, fine, fine, I'll get out of your way," Crystal said with a laugh and walked out into the living room. "So what happened that brought you home?"

"Club was full," Velvet explained simply while she unwrapped a leftover sandwich. "Couldn't get my groove on."

Crystal plopped down onto a pillow. "Ah, yes, the elusive and illustrious groove. Didn't you tell them never to throw off your groove?"

Velvet snorted around a bite of daisies and spinach on whole wheat.

Crystal tilted her head when she flipped a new letter to the top of the levitated stack. "Oh!"

"Oh?" Velvet walked over. "What?"

"It's been a while since I got a fan letter." She smiled. "At least, I assume that's what this is. It's forwarded from Manehattan, so..."

Velvet sat down beside her and took another bite of sandwich. "Well, fans don't really like to write to say 'Hey, that book you didn't publish yet? Yeah, good job on that.'"

Crystal huffed. "No, but new readers could always write."

"Would you just open it and read already?" Velvet nudged her.

Crystal giggled while her magic handled the envelope. Once it was opened, she read the letter aloud, "Dear C.W. Step, It embarrasses me to admit this about such a thing as romance novels, but I am a huge fan of your books."

"It's a stallion," Velvet interrupted, grinning eagerly. "It's totally a stallion."

Crystal huffed. "If you're not going to let me read it, then I'll keep it to myself."

Velvet sighed and leaned back. "All right, carry on."

Crystal cleared her throat before she continued, "Please don't take my embarrassment the wrong way, though; I love them, but I am apparently not supposed to enjoy that sort of thing as a young stallion trying to be respectable."

"Called it!" Velvet cheered, then lowered her head. "Continue."

Crystal eyed her for a long, quiet moment. "Ahem. Keep quiet. My father especially would disapprove, so I am a mere closet fan. The way you manage to make the characters just come to life on the pages is magical. I hope that someday I will find a special somepony to call my own and I know that, even if it's only half as amazing as books tell me, it'll be wonderful. I went—"

The borborygmic rumble from Velvet's stomach interrupted her this time. She rubbed her grumbly tummy before standing up. "Ugh, one sec."

Crystal snorted. "That's it, I'm done sharing this with you."

While Velvet huffed and complained her way to the kitchen to rummage for more leftovers, Crystal continued to read the letter to herself until Velvet returned with a bowl of soup.

"This is so sweet, he—" Crystal did a double-take and stared at the bowl in Velvet's hooves. "How long has that been in the fridge? What even is it?"

"Dunno." Velvet's stomach rumbled again. "Too hungry, don't care, what's so sweet?"

Crystal's nose scrunched up before she explained, "Apparently, he was at last year's Equestrian Writers Convention but didn't stop by the booth because he was embarrassed. And listen to this: Life should really be like one of your stories, where the reader knows it'll all work out in the end, but maybe I should start treating it like one. Maybe, if I work up enough courage, it'll all work in the end. I shouldn't worry about my silly fears and just take a leap of faith. If anything, that is one thing your books have taught me."

Velvet slurped her mystery soup, then put in, "Sounds like some pretty great advice. You should listen to him."

"Listen to his advice that he garnered from my own writing?" Crystal giggled. "That seems a little strange."

Slurrrp. "Whatever it takes to make you take a leap of faith into Silent Knight's armor!"

Crystal rolled her eyes and contemplated magically ripping the bowl away from the mare, but then thought better of it and instead stood up. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to work on my next book for my number one closet fan."

"See?" Velvet pointed at her. "By taking so long, you're depriving him and your other adoring fans! In fact, you're a downright villain. For shame, Crystal. Didn't your parents raise you better than that?"

Crystal flicked her tail as she started toward the bathroom, her notebook trailing after her. "Yes, yes. I'm going to take a bath to try to get my groove on. Try not to eat us out of house and home."

"No promises!" Velvet called just before the door shut behind Crystal.

While the bath was filling up with hot water, she tied her hair up into a loose bun and slipped in. "Now, let's see... Misty is done being coy. So what does she do?" She nibbled on the tip of her quill while she looked up at the ceiling. "Mm..."

The heat rose from the water in thin, wispy tendrils of steam that faded away into the cool air. She shivered at the drastic difference in temperatures as the water slowly rose around her. Once it reached her middle, her magic flicked the faucet off and closed her eyes.

For a moment, there was nothing but the sound of a few residual drops falling and hitting the water. Slowly, her body relaxed while her mind roamed for answers to the dilemma of where to take the plot.

The weight of other ponies waiting on her to finish writing started to smother her. Sunset was waiting. Luna was waiting. Her fans were waiting. Everypony was waiting.

Her eyes snapped open. It was too much! The weight of their expectations was too much. A shuddering gasp escaped her and she shifted uncomfortably against the porcelain tub.

She needed a distraction, but her greatest distraction was writing, and that was the source of her stress. An idea formed in the back of her mind at that conundrum and her notebook opened up to a new page. She just needed to write something else, something with no strings attached. Her eyes closed once more to let her mind wander freely.

The moon hovered above her, looking down with argent compassion. It was finally time. With Luna's blessing, she was going to cast off her self-conscious doubts and become a new mare.

"Hello?"

Ah, that voice. That wonderful voice sent a shiver down her spine, and she turned to see him approaching with those sturdy legs carrying him forward. Her knees went weak, but she forced herself to be strong. There would be time for weakness later.

"You said it was urgent. What is the matter?" His deep voice and silver eyes were full of gentle concern.

What could she say? For so long she had hesitated, had shied away from her true feelings. But now she knew that it was not words that she needed, but action. The path lay before her only if she were brave enough to walk it. Taking a step toward him and a deep breath, she prepared herself.

There was no turning back now. Tonight was the night. Tonight, she would be his.

The quill pulled away and Crystal tilted her head to reread her own writing. She yelped when she got to the end and nearly threw the notebook across the bathroom, recoiling to the far side of the tub. "Wh-what?!" The mixture of her embarrassment and the steaming water resulted in an overwhelming heat from which she felt like fainting.

She took a few ragged breaths as she stared, wide-eyed. "Luna! That's Luna's fault. She put the idea in my head, not me!" Splashing water in her face, she shook her head quickly to try to clear it. "I would, I would never..." Slowly, the notebook returned with the aid of her magic. "I couldn't... Could I?"

She swallowed, flipped a few pages further into the unexplored depths of the notebook, and tentatively lowered the quill to paper.

"I wish we had decided on Prance instead," Horsey mumbled as she drowned her wedding sorrows in a bowl of ice cream. She and Crystal were in the living quarters above the restaurant, both wearing fluffy robes and soaking their hooves in warm, lavender-scented water. "This has been a disaster so far."

Crystal blinked. "But it's only been a week! How can it already be a disaster?"

Horsey sniffed. "Every pony has an opinion, and with Sav busy at the restaurant, I have to make the decisions. A-and I'm not good at saying no to ponies." She looked at Crystal with big, soft eyes. "Can't you just move here for a few months?"

"We'll see... What exactly is going wrong?" She raised her spoon and took a delicate nibble of mint chocolate.

"Everypony is too nice, that's what." Horsey stuck out her lower lip. "And they're all so excited for the wedding that they're all offering to help out so they can be a part of it." She jerked her head up to look at the other with a small frown. "I have twelve flower fillies. Twelve! I don't even know all of their names!"

Crystal sputtered, nearly choking on the ice cream were it not for its quickly melted consistency. "That's more than Lady Cadence had at her own wedding!"

Horsey's ears drooped. "I know. I don't want his parents to think I'm being pretentious! Heavens to Betsy, I just want to be married. I don't want to make a show of it."

Crystal offered a small smile. "Don't worry. Tomorrow morning, I'll go around and take care of things, all right? I'll straighten it out if you just give me a list of ponies I need to let down."

"You don't mind?" Horsey looked up from her third bowl. "That's not embarrassing?"

"Anything for you, Horsey," Crystal replied, winking. "As your mare of honor, I swear on that honor that your wedding will be everything you dreamed of and more, even if that means I have to make little fillies cry."

Horsey leaned over from her seat to nuzzle Crystal's cheek. "Thanks so much, Crystal. You're the best."

"What do you mean I can't be a flower filly?!" a foal shrieked and stomped. "Fine, then if I can't be a flower filly, then I'll be the flower filly! Just wait, I'll tell Daddy. He'll straighten this out! Come on, Silver Spoon." She snubbed her nose and stormed away, the other filly following behind her after sticking her tongue out at Crystal.

Crystal blinked a few times, her head tilting slowly to one side until she sputtered into a laugh. Every generation had its Golden Pants, it seemed to her, and as she crossed Diamond Tiara off the list, she hoped the silver one would find her own path like Horsey.

She paused to look at the remaining names of fillies to fire. The last one was Twist, who apparently lived at the local confectionary, so Crystal started trotting down the street in the direction of the shop.

Ponyville truly was an idyllic little town, when it wasn't under attack or upside-down or run amok by whatever disaster was happening that week. Luckily, so far during her visit, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. She stopped, glanced around to see if she had jinxed herself, then giggled and continued onward.

Once she arrived at the confectionary, she knocked a few times. The top half of the stable door swung open and a filly poked her head out, a full head of red curls bouncing with the excited movement. She looked up at a Crystal through a pair of thick-framed glasses and smiled brightly. "Oh, hello? Can I help you?"

"Yes, you may," Crystal replied, returning the smile. "Are you Twist?"

The filly nodded. "Yeth, I am. Who are you?"

"I'm a friend of Horsey's, and—"

"Oh, yeth!" Twist hopped up and down. "The wedding! How ith that going?"

Crystal put a hoof on the half door separating them. "May I come in and talk?"

"Of courth, come on in!" Twist undid the latch and opened the door, gesturing to the nearest table. Her tone dropped to one of concern as she asked, "Ith everything okay?"

Crystal sat down and waited for Twist to sit as well. "There's been a small miscommunication, and there are too many flower fillies, I'm afraid."

Twist nodded slowly. "I kinda wondered that, 'cauth all the girlth at thchool talked about it." She giggled. "It kinda theemed like too many. Tho doeth that meanth I'm not a flower filly anymore?"

Crystal offered a small smile. "I'm afraid so, sweetie. I'm sorry."

Twist sighed, her ears drooping, but made a clear effort to keep a smile on her face. "Aww, that'th okay. I underthand. Thank you for taking the time to tell me fathe-to-fathe, though..." The smile grew sincere again. "Do you want thome peppermint candy?"

"Would it make you happy if I said yes and you'd forgive me for the bad news?"

Twist nodded, and the two giggled before the filly trotted behind the counter. After she returned with a bag of peppermint sticks, Crystal stood from her seat.

"Thank you for being so understanding, Twist," Crystal said as her magic took the bag. "It has nothing to do with you, all right? Horsey just got overwhelmed with all the offers."

"Yeah, 'th'okay." Twist smiled brightly. "Maybe nexth wedding I'll be a flower filly. Have a nithe day!"

Crystal nodded. "Keep your chin up and hooves crossed. And thank you for the peppermints!" She waved and walked out the door.

It was done. The disappointed faces, the tantrums, or the sad acceptances would probably haunt her for a while, but she smiled and carried on her way. At least it was done, and she still had some time before Horsey got off work.

A familiar red stallion caught her eye, and she turned her head to get a better look. "Axel?" She smiled. "Hi, Axel!"

Axel froze in place before his expression relaxed with recognition. "Oh, hi." He changed his course to head in her direction. "What are you doing in Ponyville?"

"My friend's getting married, so I'm helping with that." Her ears perked up. "Speaking of! Do you simply repair carts or do you also build them?"

Axel rubbed one foreleg with the other's hoof. "I build 'em. Why?"

Crystal rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "I would love to commission something special from you for the wedding. If you're not busy, why don't you let me buy you a drink and we'll discuss the details?"

"Well, um..." He hesitated, his eyes flicking about as he seemed to contemplate his options before nodding. "Okay, sure, I guess."

"Great!" She clapped her hooves. "Come along, then. I have a lot of ideas and I don't know a thing about cart-building!"

Axel chuckled and followed alongside her. "Then you're talking to the right pony, Miss Crystal."

Cautious Conversation

"I'm home," Crystal announced in a low, tired voice as she walked into the condo. She dropped her luggage by the door and slumped onto a pillow, burying her face into the plush material.

Velvet looked over the top of a magazine, one brow raised. "You were gone a while. Everything okay in Ponyville?"

Crystal groaned. "It is now."

Velvet waited for a further explanation and when none came, she returned her gaze to the magazine. "All right. Well, while you were gone, Winterspear dropped by to tell us that Silent Knight's 'welcome home' reception is next week."

"Next week?" Crystal lifted her head to frown up at her. "But you'll be in Manehattan!"

Velvet nodded and flipped a page. "Yeah, which is a really big disappointment, assuming you pony up and do something at the reception." She didn't look over at her, instead making a clear effort not to. "Because he's out of the hospital, you know. He's still single, not busy 'with other things,' but you're still procrastinating." Her voice dripped with disappointment and slight irritation.

"Velvet, I will, eventually, but right now—"

Velvet held up a hoof. "I don't really want to hear your excuse this time. I don't understand you at all, Crystal. Just confess to him already! Do you really want to live with regrets?"

Crystal bit her lower lip, then shook her head.

"Then when I get back, I better hear about how your first date went." She snapped the magazine shut and turned to Crystal with a big grin. "Wanna come with me to the shop? Mom's there with Red!"

Crystal stared at her for a moment before relenting with a smile. "All right."

"Who's a little cutie?" Velvet cooed, slipping the last button into place of a new onesie she had purchased for Red. "You are! Yes, you are!"

"Velvet," Sunbeam chided from where she stood by the decorating table, "if you keep buying these kind of outfits for him, he'll have an identity crisis."

Velvet picked him up in both hooves and held him in the air for Crystal and Sunbeam to see. Red squirmed in her hooves, giggling and wriggling about, looking every bit like the caterpillar outfit he wore. "And I also got a butterfly one, too!" She grinned. "Isn't he adorable?"

"As long as he doesn't start forgetting that he's a pony, yes." Sunbeam giggled.

Crystal took Red into her own hooves and cradled him with one foreleg, tickling his stomach with her other. "I think he's positively wonderful, Mama Sunbeam. You did well with this one."

Velvet gasped. "Hey!"

Crystal stuck out her tongue before returning her attention to Red. "Don't you mind her, Red. She's just jealous." She rocked him back and forth and looked over at Sunbeam. "So, Mama, do you think you could go dress shopping with me in the next few days?"

Sunbeam glanced between the two mares. "Of course, sugarplum," she replied tentatively, "but why me instead of Velvet?"

"Yeah, why her instead of me?" Velvet crossed her forelegs over her chest, sulking.

"Because I need a classy dress, not a clubbing dress," Crystal retorted simply with her nose stuck in the air.

"A dress?" Sunbeam's ears twitched to face Crystal while she worked on her cupcakes. "What's the occasion?"

Crystal returned Red to Velvet and stood. She stretched her limbs before walking over and aiding Sunbeam as best she could. "Silent Knight is having a reception now that he is out of the hospital and doing well. I'd like to wear something nice, but not too nice. I don't want to look desperate for his attention, since I'll be surrounded by guards in armor."

Velvet snorted. "You know, once upon a time, that's all you would've cared about."

"What?" Crystal glanced at her.

"Being surrounded by big, muscular stallions clad in armor," Velvet explained, her voice rising to a high pitch while she wiggled her ears to make Red laugh.

"Oh..." Crystal trailed thoughtfully. The only image that came to mind was that of Silent, back to full health, standing proudly with his armor hardly weighing his strong frame down. Finally, she shrugged and turned back to the decorating table. "Anyway, I was hoping you could help me pick the right outfit."

Sunbeam giggled and closed a filled box, placed a sticker on it, and slid it aside to start a new one. "You'll be the belle of the ball, lollipop!"

Crystal's tail flicked in light irritation as she heard her parents' voices in the back of her mind. She shook her head and forced a smile. "I hope so. Oh, before I forget, you need to try these!" She floated a bag over to the mare, two peppermint sticks remaining inside. "I got them from Ponyville."

Sunbeam tugged the bag open, broke one of the sticks in half, and took a bite. Instead of a hard crunch, her teeth easily found their way through the peppermint. Her eyes widened and her ears perked straight up in surprise. "Oh, my goodness! It's so soft!" She took another bite, more gently this time. "It's like one of those fancy little peppermint pillow puffs they serve at the fancy restaurants! Crystal, you must give me the name of the shop. Could you imagine these on a cupcake? No sticky, crunchy bits that get stuck in your teeth!"

Crystal giggled. "Believe it or not, but a filly made them." She laughed at Sunbeam's shocked expression. "I know! I'll be back in Ponyville to help Horsey out soon enough, so next time I'm there I'll see about setting up an order for you... assuming she takes them. She is a filly, after all."

Sunbeam stared at the remaining peppermint, her eyes wide. "Amazing! Yes, please, find out for me. I would love to talk to Pepper about a new line of peppermint cupcakes using these."

Velvet gave an exaggeratedly loud sigh. "It's like I'm not even here, Red." She nuzzled her nose to his. "You've got my back, though, right?"

Red drooled, flopped over, and wriggled away from her and toward their mother.

"Oh! Fine!" She threw her hooves in the air. "Everypony can just go off and buy dresses and eat peppermints without me, I don't care!"

Crystal and Sunbeam looked at each other with varying degrees of amusement on their faces before both sputtered into laughter.

The room was alive with the sound of light conversation as the gathering of ponies waited for Silent Knight's arrival. The majority in attendance were guards, most from his unit and others appearing to be high-ranking officers. Princess Celestia stood at the front of the room, a gentle smile on her face as she conversed with a guard at her side.

Though she wasn't entirely familiar with every guard, Crystal found it more than easy to navigate the idle chat. It was much like all the other events she had attended in her life; all she had to do was smile, agree, and laugh politely behind a hoof. Sunbeam had found a dress of light and dark purple hues that matched the look of the armor of Luna's House Guard almost perfectly, and somehow that made her feel more at peace. She didn't stand out so much that she seemed like she didn't belong there or, more importantly to her, that she was fashionably screaming for attention.

After a while, Runic and Miley walked over and she excused herself. "Hello!" she hugged Miley briefly, then smiled at the both of them. "How are the two of you? I feel like it's been forever since we all got together for game night."

"Well, that all changes tonight!" Runic grinned. "I got the new expansion for Timberwolf!"

Miley's helmet bobbed as she inclined her head to look up her. "You look very nice, Crystal."

"Thank you, Miley. I'm sure if you could be out of uniform you would look just as nice. Don't you think so, Runic?"

Runic blinked. "Huh? Well, without seeing it"—he noticed the stares he received from both mares and cleared his throat—"yes?" He relaxed when Crystal nodded. "Yes."

Miley patted his foreleg, giggling. "You'll figure it out someday, Runic." Her mouth opened to continue, but a pair of doors off to the side opened and Silent Knight was led inside with Iridescence and Winterspear at his sides.

The mares were not merely walking at his sides; they were physically supporting him. Crystal's heart sunk seeing him in his armor for the first time since he left to go overseas. Lying in a hospital bed didn't give much context for how much muscle he had lost while being in a coma for so long. In his armor, she could see how weak he had grown and at that moment she wanted nothing more than to be the one by his side to support him.

Princess Celestia looked up at his entrance while the other ponies stamped their hooves and cheered and Luna strode across the room to stand by her sister. "Ah, it appears our guest of honor has arrived."

Both princesses stood side-by-side, and Silent Knight approached them with as much strength in each step as could be expected. He held his head high, however, and kept his expression cool and calm despite the clear strain the armor put on him.

In her usual way, Princess Celestia spoke with calm, quiet authority that silenced the quiet, whispering conversations that still lingered. "Silent Knight, in recognition of your dedication to Equestria and your selfless willingness to sacrifice yourself for the protection of Princess Luna and your fellow guards, it is my distinct honor to present you with the Celestia Cross."

The lieutenant called for attention and the others stiffened at the command. Crystal, feeling quite out of place all of a sudden, did her best to straighten up and match their rigidity. Runic had a foreleg around Miley's shoulders, but looked straight ahead to watch Silent.

Luna's magic lit up and raised the Celestia Cross from its place in the wooden box. Silent bowed his head as it neared him and slipped up and over to rest at the base of his neck. He hesitated a moment with his eyes downcast before forcing his head back up.

"Thank you for your service to Equestria, your fellow guards, and your princesses," Luna said.

Celestia stepped back and raised a hoof to gesture for Silent to speak while the ponies stomped and cheered. He turned to face them all, a blank look on his face.

There was a pause. Silent simply stared for a long moment until the noise had died down and everypony went quiet. Finally, he started to speak, slowly and carefully.

"I accept this honor, not for myself, but on behalf of the ponies that are here with us in spirit today." His voice was smooth, but Crystal couldn't imagine what he was actually feeling. "May we never forget them or their sacrifice. May we never become callous to the loss of others. As guards, we must always be willing to lay down our lives for our duty and our friends, but we should never seek to do so needlessly."

He took a breath. The rise of his chest pushed the medal higher and it glinted in the light. "When you look at this medal, do not think of what must be lost to earn it. Look to it as a reminder of all those ponies who have given their lives in the pursuit of the dream that someday, there will be no need for soldiers at all. Thank you."

Civilian or guard, nopony could not be moved by his speech, and all of them roared with stomping applause and heartfelt cheers.

"I think I speak for us all when I say: welcome home, Silent Knight," Celestia said above the noise. "Eat, drink, and be merry, ponies."

Luna walked over to and laid down on a pile of pillows, gesturing at the available space beside her. "And Silent Knight shall sit with me."

Silent collapsed onto the pillow beside her with a graceful descent. Despite it all he seemed determined to keep appearances in front of all the guards.

Crystal bit her lip when a line formed, consisting of the unfamiliar officers in attendance. They would step up, shake Silent's hoof, then exit not only the line but the room as well. It wasn't a very quick ordeal, so Crystal returned to Runic and Miley while she waited.

"So, an expansion of Timberwolf, you said?" Crystal asked.

Runic lit up at the question. "Yup! It adds a bunch of different roles. It's a shame Velvet can't be here. Or, wait, is Timberwolf the game she loves or hates?"

"Hates," Crystal corrected with a laugh.

"Oh." He paused to think for a brief moment, then smiled. "Then it's a good thing Velvet isn't here!"

"How is that going, by the way?" Miley asked, standing on the tips of her hooves to try and physically put herself in the conversation. "Is she still in the corpse... the cords..." Her brow furrowed.

"The corps de ballet, and yes." Crystal smiled. "The role as a soloist was only temporary, but we're hopeful that it'll help her in the annual exam." Her ears folded back and she sighed. "I never fully realized how hard it is to get noticed as a ballerina in the corps. They all have to move and act in sync, which means it's nearly impossible to stand out."

Runic tilted his head. "Huh. Doesn't sound very rewarding for how hard she works."

Miley furrowed her brow, looking up at him. "You spent weeks trying to grow blue rocks on blueberry bushes, and how did that turn out?"

"With a lot of burnt blueberries?" He grinned sheepishly. "Why?"

"Exactly. But why did you keep trying?"

Runic paused, then grinned wider. "Ah-ha! I see what you're getting at! You're making a metaphor. I get it. Clever mare!" He pulled her closer for a one-legged hug.

Crystal glanced between them, then shifted her gaze to Silent. He still had several more officers to exchange pleasantries with, so she looked back at Runic and Miley.

"Anyway," she continued, "Our hooves are crossed. It would be nice if she made it higher in the corps. It would be great, albeit highly unlikely, for her to make it to a soloist position!" Her voice softened as she added, "Now, you two don't need to stand here and keep me company. Feel free to mingle with other ponies. It might look like we're unsociable."

"Oh. That is a good point. I don't want to look unsociable in front of Miley's peers!" Runic smiled down at the little mare. "You wanted to get some punch, right?"

"Well, yes, I am thirsty, but—"

"Then let's go talk it up at the buffet line!" He grabbed her hoof and tugged her in the direction of the display of cake, snacks, and punch. "Bye, Crystal!"

Crystal waved them off, then looked around. The nearby guards were engaged in their own conversations already, so she remained where she was, idly smoothing her dress. She would be patient until he had time for her. She—

"Hi," Silent said, approaching her from the right, nearly startling her if the sound of his voice hadn't melted her surprise into elation. He smiled at her and she reflexively smiled back.

"Hi, Silent Knight." All sense of self escaped her for a moment and she said the first thing that came to mind: "You looked dashing in your new armor."

Briefly, she panicked. What if he was feeling down about being underweight? Her ears started to fold back, but before she could apologize, he nodded.

"It was a wonderful surprise. I only wish I could fill it, but it might be best for today that I don't so you and Runic aren't the only ponies out of armor." His gaze flickered briefly to look her over and he smiled. "Thank you for coming, though. It is nice to see you."

Crystal giggled and winked. "Oh, I don't mind being around ponies in armor, but thank you for considering our feelings. I wouldn't have missed this for the world."

He looked around the room, a curious look overtaking his expression. "Where is Velvet?"

"Unfortunately, she is away in Manehattan on another weekend tour, but she sends her best wishes"—for us getting together—"She wanted to be here"—to ensure that we did—"but we didn't know when this ceremony would take place, so..." She cleared her throat as the amused thoughts spiraled briefly into sadness. "Well, Winterspear wasn't sure when you would be ready for this."

Silent glanced in the direction of Winterspear, shook his head, and looked back at her. "This is a party, after all, so why don't you escort a wounded pony over to the punch bowl? I'd love to hear how your newest story is coming along."

Crystal tried to contain her excitement in a smile as she moved to stand beside him as they walked. "I'd be delighted, on both accounts. The story has been quite the struggle lately. I can't get the characters just right."

"I remember something about that," he mused, bobbing his head in a light nod. "I remember talking about a stallion and lists." He chuckled and accepted a cup of punch her magic offered him. "Thanks. Anyway, I feel like we've talked about the stallion more than the novel itself."

Her heart fluttered. She lifted her gaze to his, certain her nervous joy was plastered on her face, and she tried not to stammer. "I, well, yes. I suppose you would feel that way, wouldn't you?" A bubbling giggle erupted from her and she shifted from hoof to hoof. "It seems a little strange, as I have already told you everything while you were, well, that is. That is to say, while you were... The title of it is Her Silent Love."

There. She had said it. Not what she was trying to say, but the words related to 'hospital' and 'coma' were impossible to bring to audible life with him standing right there in front of her. If it weren't for how hard it was working to beat so fast, her heart likely would have stopped the moment the title slipped past her lips.

Silent sipped his punch, then nodded. "Seems like a good title. It sounds a little melancholy, but from what I remember that is the goal." He paused curiously. "Or am I remembering wrong?"

It would be the biggest lie of her life if she denied feeling disappointed by his reaction, but she smothered it with a smile. "Oh, a little, I suppose," she finally responded, gazing up at him, her heart pounding all the way to her ears. "The story of a mare in love with a stallion who is oblivious to her feelings is sad... at least until they get together."

He tilted his head. "Do they?"

The smile on her lips twitched as she struggled to keep it in place. "Of course. It is a romance, not a tragedy, after all."

"Ah, that's good to hear." He smiled and turned his head to look out at the room. "Shall we join the others to play some games?"

Crystal nodded and, when his attention was elsewhere as they started to walk toward their friends, allowed her tail to lose its perk and drag behind her. While they ate cake and played board games, all she could do was hear the same question looping over and over in her mind: Why am I such a coward?

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Some Measure of Peace

Private Meetings

Crystal gripped a piece of paper in her hoof as she navigated the quiet streets of Ponyville. A blue bonnet was tied over her ears and her pink streaks were tucked into it so that her mane appeared to be only blonde. Her tail was adorned with two matching blue ribbons, one tied off at the end of the carefully orchestrated braid and the other at the dock in a bow so large that it obscured her cutie mark.

It was a little ridiculous, but she wasn't there to visit Horsey. She was on a personal mission.

On the outskirts of a small park sat a simple enough house. The address matched the one in the letter, so she took a breath, stepped up to the door, and knocked. A few moments later, the door flung open and a blur of pink tackled her in a tight hug.

"Oh my gosh, you're finally here!" Lovey pulled back to hold her at leg's length and beamed. "When I got your letter, I said to myself—no, actually, I said to Juniper, which reminds me"—she turned her head to call the mare's name over her shoulder, announcing their guest, then looked back at Crystal—"Anywhoo, I said to myself, 'Now she is a mare I'd like to see again!' And here you are!" She tugged Crystal inside. "Please, come on in! Right this way!"

Crystal's head spun with the mare's rapid manner of speech but she smiled nonetheless. "I hope I'm not imposing too much, Lovey."

Lovey paused to blink at her. "Imposing?" She bubbled with giggles and her wings fluttered. "Why, how can a friend I invited over be an imposition? That's just silly! Now, make yourself comfortable."

Crystal glanced around the main room of the house, and Lovey flew over to a door off to the right. It was a simple dwelling with an odd juxtaposition of pink and green decor strewn about. When the other mare, Juniper, walked into the room, the reason clicked: Juniper was an earth mare with a green coat and likely favored that color, while Lovey was obviously the pink culprit.

Juniper smiled and offered a wave before she sat down at the small coffee table sized appropriately for two. "Hi. You must be Crystal." The calm, cool way with which she spoke was a stark contrast to Lovey. "Nice to meet you."

"Oh, yes, that's—"

Lovey poked her head out of the side room into which she had disappeared. "There will be time for chitchat later, Cryssie! You said it was an emergency, so don't dally with Juniper!" She giggled and added, "No offense, Juni."

Juniper simply shrugged while Crystal quietly excused herself to follow Lovey into what seemed to be an office. It was a little hard to tell what it was intended to be, as the whole room was pink, including the walls, ceiling, floor, and furniture. Crystal had to pause just to get her bearings and discern what was something she could sit on and what wasn't.

"So," Lovey started, lowering herself onto a pillow, "what happened?" Her gaze drifted downward. "Everything seems all right to me."

Crystal unconsciously put a hoof to her chest where Lovey was staring. "I just, I just need to know, Lovey. Who is my special somepony that you see for me?"

Lovey's gaze lifted back up to meet Crystal's. "Oh, I don't know that."

"Then how can you say everything's fine?"

"Because it is!" Lovey smiled happily.

Crystal frowned. "How?"

Lovey paused, then repeated in the same chirping voice, "Because it is!"

Crystal groaned in frustration, rubbing her temple. "Lovey, I don't understand! How can it be okay? I don't know how he feels, I don't know if he's the one, I don't know anything! Can't you tell me something?"

"But I did." Lovey tilted her head one way. "Most ponies come in here with weak or tangled love lines and that's why they're confused. Yours is strong, which means you're on the right path and don't need any help from me." She paused, then continued in a slightly more serious voice, "Why are you confused? If your heart says he's the one, then isn't that the answer you need?"

Crystal's ears drooped and she stared down at the table in silence for a moment. "Haven't you ever had a case where a love line only went one way, where a mare loved a stallion but the stallion didn't love her?"

"Nope! I mean, I've had a mare who loved a mare who didn't love her, but not a mare who loved a stallion who—" She stopped when Crystal gave her a less than polite stare. "Um, what I really mean is, in that situation, there wasn't a love line. Love lines connect ponies. They don't just go one way. At least, I've never seen one like that, anyway..."

"What if mine is?"

"Oh, now you're just looking for worry." Lovey giggled and waved a hoof to dismiss the question. "But if it'll make you feel better, I'll find the end to your love line and see if it goes both ways. I'll have to charge you for my time, though..."

Crystal nodded quickly. "Absolutely! Tell me the price and I'll pay you immediately. I can't stand not knowing if Silent Knight cares for me or—"

Lovey clamped a hoof over Crystal's mouth to silence her. "Ah-ah-ah! You told me last time that you didn't want any spoilers, so I'm not going to tell you those kind of details, silly filly!" She pulled back with a big smile. "I'm only going to follow it, prove it leads back to you, and that's it! Nada more!"

"Oh..." Crystal sighed and retrieved her bit purse. "Well, I suppose that's for the best. It would be more exciting to find out from him rather than you, assuming he's the one at all."

"Exactly! Love is much more exciting when there are surprises!" Lovey gazed out the window dreamily. "Don't you worry, Crystal Wishes. Love is waiting for you, and it's going to be wonderful when it finally arrives..." She shook her head and returned her attention to Crystal, smiling wide. "Anyway, I'll let you know as soon as I know something!"

Crystal nodded and tried to smile back, though she felt a little down about the whole thing rather suddenly. If it turned out Silent wasn't the special somepony for her, then who could it be? Nopony else made her feel the way he did, and she wasn't sure she was ready to let go of her feelings just because an intangible force decided she should. But she was also too afraid to say anything to him, so what was she supposed to do?

"Crystal, Crystal, Crystal!" Velvet's voice shrieked, followed by the sound of Crystal's bedroom door being thrown open and hoofsteps rushing toward her.

Crystal hardly had enough time to peek groggily out from under the covers before a shadow was cast over her. Her eyes widened and she yelped in surprise when Velvet landed on top of her.

"What!" Crystal squirmed under the squealing mare. "What happened?!"

Velvet rolled over to land on the empty bed space and kicked her legs in the air. "We just got the Equestrian Writers Convention mailer!"

Crystal eyed her with reasonable irritation before checking herself for bruises. "And? They send those out every year the month before."

"Oh my gosh, I'm not an idiot." Velvet rolled her eyes. "Let me finish?" The excitement returned in full force when Crystal begrudgingly nodded. "I was flipping through it while waiting for you to wake up, since you're sleeping in today I guess—"

"I was," Crystal muttered. She had been up all night stressing over a cryptic letter from Lovey that had simply read 'S'all 'Kay!' and had several hearts all over. It had done nothing to assuage her doubts, so all she wanted to do was sleep.

"—and in the section for authors in attendance, there was your name, of course, but there was also an even more amazing name!" Her eyes were wide as she stared, waiting for Crystal to fill in. Silence hung between them for a moment before she groaned and answered, "Rose Quartz!"

Crystal paused to think on the name before it clicked and she gasped. "Rose Quartz is going to be there?!"

Velvet squirmed about much like Red after one too many cupcakes. "Yes! I need all of our copies of Prima Donna, because I want her to sign each and every one of them! I don't care how many times I have to stand in line to make it happen, either!"

Finally, unable to stay mad at the rude awakening, Crystal laughed and tugged the blanket back over her head. "That sounds great. When I wake up on my terms, I'll work on getting all our copies together. Are you going to be at the bakery today?"

"Yeah." Velvet slid off the bed, still smiling. "I have practice after that, so I might be late tonight. Just a head's up." Crystal simply responded with a loud, exaggerated yawn and Velvet laughed as she shut the door behind her. "Sweet dreams, Sleeping Beauty!"

Though she kept her eyes clenched shut, her mind was firmly standing by the notion of being awake and started to swim with doubtful thoughts. The convention was a month away and she had nothing to show for it. What if somepony started asking questions about her next novel? What if nopony came to her booth at all because she had nothing new since last year?

She curled up into a tight ball as the questions buzzed around her like a swarm of locusts. Her eyes snapped open when the sound of the front door shutting tore her focus away momentarily. Now that she knew she was alone, the condo sounded deafeningly quiet, making her thoughts resound even louder.

So much for sleeping in. She sighed and slipped out from under the covers, dreading another day of little to no progress on Her Silent Love. The writing was complete, more or less, but some of the scenes were painfully dull and in need of serious reworking.

Crystal sat hunched over the scattered pages of the third chapter, a light frown on her lips while the quill tapped absently on the paper. There were some gaps and holes she hadn't noticed when she wrote it that were glaring mistakes now and had halted her progress entirely for the day.

She dropped everything and stood abruptly. "Ugh!" Starting to pace the room, she grumbled under her breath, "I can't believe I missed that the first time. Of course Stoutheart wouldn't have reacted that way. Fancy Flight was just—"

Three knocks on the door interrupted her and she froze, ears perked upright and lopsided smile on her face. "One moment!" she called as she gathered the papers into a neat pile before prancing over to the door.

Silent Knight stood outside, and her heart fluttered at the sight of him. After only a few weeks of physical therapy and eating right, he was already looking much more like his usual, strong, swoon-worthy self.

"Oh, Sergeant, what a pleasant surprise." She smiled, hoping she didn't look too much like a fool. "Won't you come in?"

Silent nodded and walked inside. "Thank you." He paused to remove his helmet, which he set down by the door, then smiled at her. "I hope I didn't interrupt you. I'm sorry for coming by unannounced, but Velvet said I wouldn't be intruding."

Crystal turned toward the sitting area. "And Velvet was right." She sat down on a pillow and gestured to the one across from her. "What brings you here?"

Silent settled down carefully, given that edges of armor and fabric don't often get along. "I am working on Runic Phial's surprise birthday, which is less than three weeks away. I would be honored if you would attend and I know he'll be delighted, too." He hesitated just long enough to add before she could reply, "Also, I'm here because I need your advice on something."

Crystal smiled brightly to cover her curiosity. "Absolutely! I wouldn't dare miss it. You can consider me RSVPing a definite yes." She shifted, her ears perked and facing him with interest. "Now, what sort of advice do you need?"

"You see, I have the palace gardens reserved for the party, so there's a bit of an expectation for us to maintain a certain level of decorum. Understandably so. But lately, Runic is really into rock music, so we were hoping we could find a classical musician to play those songs. Is there any chance you might know of any?"

Crystal's gaze lowered to the floor as she went over the list of musical acquaintances at her disposal. Zerox came to mind first and foremost, especially given that he had gotten her the tickets that sparked Runic's rock music obsession to begin with, but classical wasn't exactly the stallion or his band's strong suit. There was the group that had played at the Grand Galloping Gala last year. Such short notice might be a stretch...

Finally, she looked back up with a smile. "That is a tough request, but I think I can manage the task. I certainly know whom I'll ask, at least. Leave the music with me."

"Great! Thank you, Crystal." His forelegs shifted to push his weight up as he started to stand. "I knew I could count on you."

Crystal's breath caught in her throat before she managed to ask, "Are you in a hurry?"

Much like an obedient dog, Silent sat back down, shaking his head. "No, I'm done for the day, but I wouldn't want to impose on your time."

Crystal giggled behind a hoof. "Sergeant, you're never an imposition. Besides, I think it's about time we discussed that tutoring you had asked for."

Silent nodded slowly. "I think you're right. I'll be starting at the academy soon and I'd hate to squander the time I have before then." He tilted his head. "Did you already have a chance to look over the materials I sent?"

"I have, yes." Her tail flicked behind her and she tried not to look too excited. The private alone time was finally happening! "You seem to be well-spoken and polite enough to skip most of the etiquette items. Honestly, all you have to do is treat ponies the way you treat officers. The etiquette is the same overall it seems. I mean no offense, but I imagine you're going to be weak in polite conversation, fine dining, dancing and..." She hesitated, fighting back a grin. "... lying about insignificant things."

One of his ears twitched and he briefly frowned when the word 'lying' crossed her lips. He cleared his throat. "No offense taken; however, I'm not really comfortable with lying, insignificant or otherwise."

Crystal shifted again, this time to cross her forelegs. "Then we'll call it creative interpretation of the truth, no outright lying. Now, as I see it, these are things we'll need to work on together, since I can't simply give you a pamphlet on them. I've studied all that you gave me already, so we can start right away. If it works for you, then perhaps you should come to see me twice a week after hours." Her heart skipped a beat with hope. "Is that acceptable?"

He hesitated again. "That sounds like an awful lot of your time being invested in helping me. I really don't want to be an imposition, especially since I don't have any way to pay you back. It would just be me taking advantage of you."

It took everything in her power not to turn too red at how the recently formed and socially indecent little voice in the back of her mind reacted to his words. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "As I said, sergeant, you can never be an imposition." The little voice continued to nag at her and she tried to laugh. "And you can't take advantage of me if I'm willing."

The back of her neck heated up—that wasn't what she had meant to say at all. "I want to help you with this," she quickly amended. "Helping ponies fit into this awfully fickle society is a labor of love, moreso when I was a filly and had more time to do so but I still enjoy it now just the same. It may very well be my secondary calling in life, just overshadowed by my writing." She winked. "I have no idea what that cutie mark would look like, but I'd have it."

Silent nodded. "Then I accept." He smiled and she melted. "I'm yours two nights a week."

He certainly wasn't helping keeping her thoughts on the straight and narrow. "Excellent," she said, certain her excitement was showing on her face. "Would you care for some tea before you left?"

"No, thank you." He started to stand up. "I should really be going."

"Ah, ah," she playfully scolded, shaking her head. "First rule of polite company: you cannot go until you've said no politely. You should allow your host to offer something twice, refusing it once if you want it and both times if you don't."

He simply tilted his head, brow furrowed.

She giggled and explained, "By refusing the first time, you're showing your host that you're not there just to take advantage of their hospitality. They will insist and then you may accept. If you're truly not interested in their offer, then refuse a second time."

He nodded, but his expression was still confused. "Thank you for the offer of tea," he said, lowering back to his pillow, "but not this late in the evening."

"Are you certain you don't want any?" she pressed. "Perhaps just half of a cup to keep you warm?"

His ears folded back and she fought against another giggle while he worked through his clear irritation at how unnecessary refusing twice seemed. Finally, a forced smile found its way onto his lips. "I really shouldn't. Winterspear is waiting at home with my special dinner, and I would hate to waste any of it." He started to rise, then paused to look at her for more instruction. When she nodded, he stood the rest of the way. "Thank you."

The giggle escaped her and she stood with him. "With enough practice, it'll become second nature," she assured as they walked to the door. "Have a safe walk home. Give Winterspear my warm regards."

He nodded. "I will. Thank you again, Crystal Wishes. I really do appreciate your help."

"Anytime," she said with a soft smile. She leaned against the doorframe and watched his retreating form before it disappeared down the stairs, her smile disappearing with him.

A heavy sigh escaped her and she returned inside, shutting the door behind her. No progress on her Silent love, either, it seemed.

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Section Sergeant No More

Blast from the Past

"Is this really necessary?" Silent asked, staring down at the cup of tea cradled in his hooves.

"Absolutely." Crystal smiled from across the table. It was their first lesson and she was doing everything she could to stay focused on the task at hoof. She had to be a teacher first... a potential, possible special somepony second. "This is going to be difficult for you, I know, but it's very important that you learn."

He frowned and glanced between her and the tea. "I don't understand. Why is it important to lie?"

She waggled a playful hoof. "Creative interpretation of the truth," she corrected. "It's important because you'll be faced with many situations where an honest mouth will get you in a great deal of trouble."

He snorted and grinned briefly before frowning again. "So you want me to tell you that this awful tea is good?"

"Not necessarily." She giggled. "I want you to find another path in the conversation." She leaned in toward him, folding her hooves and resting her chin on them. "Now, let's try again. How is your tea, sergeant?"

Silent sat in silence as he mulled over his options. Slowly, he took a sip, kept his expression even, and said, "Fine."

"Fine? Is that all you have to say?" She pouted and looked every bit disappointed as she would be were she not simply roleplaying a typical Canterlot socialite. "I made it just for you, Sergeant."

He stared at her for a while before saying, "Thank you for taking the time to do that just for me, Miss Wishes. I appreciate it."

She fluttered her eyelashes. "Then you like it?"

"I don't dislike it," he hedged uncertainly.

Crystal waited a moment, then broke out into a laugh. "I'm sorry, but you're awful at this, Silent. I suppose this is why you always play a stalwart paladin in Oubliettes and Ogres."

He sighed and set the cup on the table to free his hooves to rub at his temples. "I'm sorry, too. I just don't understand why I have to do this. Slaying fictional dragons is one thing, but this is just difficult."

"Think of it as rescuing a maiden with words instead of a sword." She got up off her pillow to shift around the table, nestling down onto the one beside him so that she could look up at him more closely. "Do you want to offend me?"

He shook his head quickly. "Never."

"Then you can't tell me the truth about my awful tea, because that would hurt my feelings, obviously. But you don't want me to serve you tea like this ever again, do you?"

He hesitated, then shook his head again. "Not particularly."

The teacup lifted in her magic and floated to her. She took a sip, blinked a few times, then smiled at him. "My, my, Mr. Knight, are you trying a new brew?"

He blinked a few times, his brow furrowed, then caught on and puffed his chest in feigned pride. "Yes, it is."

"Have you considered adding mint?" She set the teacup down. "It's all the rage in Manehattan, you know. They're saying it helps with relieving colds!"

Silent pondered her response while he tapped his chin. "I see. So that way I might consider changing the tea and it sounds like you're helping me. But how am I going to know that mint does that or that it's popular in Manehattan?"

Crystal giggled and waved her hoof. "Most ponies don't know either of those things. Trends change all the time and everypony claims everything does anything."

"So... you just, lied?" The look on his face was one of curiosity and almost surprise.

"You believed me, didn't you?" She winked. "Keep calm, talk with confidence, and everypony will believe you. That's the key. If you absolutely don't know what to say, then just find something to compliment. Such as... My, Mr. Knight, where did you get this teacup? I love the pattern on it."

He gave a heavy sigh and his ears drooped while he shook his head. "This is more complicated than I thought."

She patted him on the hoof. "You'll get the hang of it, I'm sure. Just remember that the goal is to not offend the other pony and that will make it easier. If you can not offend them and find a way to not be in that situation again, all the better."

"I'll try to keep that in mind." He smiled at her. "I really appreciate you helping me with this. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Her stomach did a small, excited flip and she bubbled with giggles. "Oh, the pleasure's all mine. Trust me."

The area reserved for Runic's birthday was perfectly decorated. Most of the decor was rock-themed, of course, but all of it was done with a touch of class befitting of the location. Nearly everypony was already there, hiding behind the bushes and waiting for the signal. The only ponies missing were the birthday colt himself and Miley, who had been tasked with retrieving him.

"I still think you're an idiot," Velvet hissed in a whisper to Crystal, their close proximity keeping her words private. "You've been alone with him four times the past two weeks and you've made no moves?"

Crystal swallowed. The whispering conversations of other ponies gave her some peace that their own would go unheard, but she wasn't eager to risk it. Instead, she simply shook her head and looked away.

Velvet's eyes widened. "Don't you look away from me!" She frowned, jerking her own head away. "Oh, two can play at this game, Crystal Wishes."

"Ho-who! Ho-who!" Winterspear called in her best owl impression and swooped down from her perch to hurry over to the others. They all crouched down low as Miley's voice came into earshot.

"Just wait until you see it, Runic!" she said in a loud, squeaky voice to ensure she was heard. "It's the biggest flower I've ever seen! We can totally make a potion out if it, I bet!"

Miley turned the corner first, followed closely by Runic as she practically dragged him behind her. He seemed less than excited about seeing a giant flower, but allowed her to lead him nonetheless. When they were both in view, everypony jumped out in front of Runic to yell, "Surprise!"

Runic's expression snapped into one Crystal recognized from the changeling attack, and her eyes widened. Before any of them could react to his hoof slipping under his vest, he reacted first by throwing several vials to the ground, filling the air with smoke.

There was a pause before Silent's voice came from the haze to state rather than ask, "Runic."

"Yes, Silent Knight?" Runic responded, his tone equally flat.

"Surprise. Happy Birthday."

Another pause. "I see that now," Runic said almost bashfully.

After a round of laughter and near-sighted chatting for a while, the smoke finally cleared. The string quartet, now able to see their sheet music, went to work filling the air instead with music. The fact they were playing popular rock songs didn't detract any from the beautiful sound of violins, viola, and cello in harmony.

While Runic and Silent exchanged words over the smoke bombs, Miley walked over to the rest of the ponies. "Val!" she exclaimed, hugging a grey unicorn mare that had been very casually mingling with the other two that were clearly Miley's friends, as Crystal didn't recognize any of them. "I'm so glad you could make it!"

Val smiled and put a foreleg around Miley to return the hug. As they pulled back, she raised a hoof to push her muted purple-and-blue mane out of her eyes. "You asked me to. You know I can never say no to you. Besides, it's about time I get to meet your guard friends."

"Oh! Right!" Miley giggled and tugged on Val's hoof. "You have to meet Silent Knight!"

Val turned her head to wave at the others she had been talking to before following after Miley. The two mares she left behind stood perfectly still, looking a little lost.

"So," Crystal said as she walked over to them, "you're Miley's friends?" She offered a hoof. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Crystal Wishes."

The first mare smiled and took the offer. Her coat was such a light shade of blue that it was almost the same off-white color as her mane and tail. "Yeah! I thought maybe you were Crystal! Miley says you're a really popular author."

Crystal flushed lightly. "Miley's prone to well-meaning exaggeration."

"What she meant is 'Hi, I'm Bianca Winters, and this is my friend, Robin Song,'" the grey-brown mare cut in, nudging her friend in the side. She had a reddish-orange blaze down the middle of her face that matched her mane and tail in color.

"Oh, right." Bianca flushed. "Hi, I'm Bianca Winters, and this is my friend, Robin Song."

Velvet cleared her throat. "And I'm Velvet Step!"

Robin gasped and squealed, hopping on the tips of her hooves. "The dancer! Miley mentioned you!"

"That's right!" Velvet puffed her chest and stuck her nose in the air. "I'm sure she told you a lot about me, and let me just say... It's all true. The good stuff, anyway. The bad stuff is all lies."

Bianca laughed while Robin just stared at Velvet with adoration.

"Good evening, ladies," Silent politely interjected as he walked toward them. "Don't you all look lovely tonight?"

He looked to Crystal for confirmation when all of them giggled and she reassured him with a wink. "You're looking like your old self again, Sergeant," she said. "Perhaps even stronger than before. They'll need to make you a new new set of armor at this rate. What is your secret?"

Silent's confidence visibly swelled as his chest puffed and his wings ruffled slightly, all in a proud display. "I owe it all to Winterspear." He chuckled. "She has been quite the tyrant with my diet and exercise regime. In fact, I've recommended her to to the Royal Guard Training Academy as an instructor. If my time under her iron hoof has taught me anything, it's that they've gone soft."

Silent looked pleased with himself as Crystal and Robin twittered with giggles and Bianca laughed behind a hoof. Velvet gave a feigned laugh, her attention focused on sending small signals of dissatisfaction to Crystal in the form of gentle nudges, light glares, and brief snorts.

"If you'll all excuse me," Silent said before Velvet could physically knock Crystal into him, "there is a special little filly that needs some attention." He bowed his head and backed out of the circle of mares.

"Oh, he's dreamy," Bianca cooed, fluttering her eyelashes. "It's a wonder that Miley picked Runic instead of him!"

Crystal's blood briefly ran cold. Her mouth opened to speak, but Velvet cleared her throat and cut in, "Yeah, it is a wonder! But he is single. Anypony could come along and snatch him up." She looked from Bianca to Crystal, an eerily plastic smile on her face.

"Is that so?" Bianca raised her brow.

Robin's ears stood straight up and her eyes widened. "He's way out of your league, though, Bia!"

While the two bantered back and forth, Velvet stared pointedly at Crystal, saying nothing further. Slowly, Crystal's ears folded back until she tore her gaze away from Velvet's.

"Coward," Velvet hissed and turned a smile on the other two mares. "I'm going to go get some punch. Be back in a second!" She snubbed her nose at Crystal as she walked away.

Crystal sighed, but put on a smile. "So, Bianca, Robin, what do y—"

"Wow!" a filly's voice screamed. It sounded like Dot, Iridescence's youngest sister who had recently moved to Canterlot from Manehattan. The filly was prone to small bouts of excitement, so the exclamation wouldn't have been so strange if it hadn't sounded like it came from above. Dot was distinctly a unicorn, not a pegasus.

Crystal looked up and gasped. Silent Knight flew high over the gardens with Dot on his back, the little filly squealing and cheering the whole time.

When was the last time she had seen him fly? It was such a natural thing for pegasi, but to her, and to most if not all ponies without flight, it was a truly awesome sight. She would never understand how it felt to be wholly free in the sense a pegasus was. On top of that, she also appreciated just watching him move. He was strong again, and she loved that.

"And he's good with foals?" Bianca fanned herself. "Why, I—"

"Velvet was mistaken," Crystal said with a light airiness to her voice, her eyes never leaving his form as he circled Canterlot from above. "He is most certainly spoken for."

Bianca blinked a few times, then pouted. "Oh, is that so? What a pity!"

Velvet was suddenly at her side. She must have been nearby, feigning disinterest, but now she was beaming up at Crystal with a big grin. "Is he really?" Her voice cracked as she struggled against a squeal.

Crystal nodded and replied in a private whisper, "I'll tell him. I promise. Let me finish his lessons first, though, all right? I committed to helping him and I want to fulfill that obligation first."

Velvet's excitement waned as her skepticism showed on her face, one brow raised and lips curled into a slight frown. "Crystal, I—"

"Cross my heart and hope to die," Crystal interrupted, crossing a hoof over her chest, "or I'll live in a pig's sty."

They stared at each other a moment before breaking out into gleeful smiles. Velvet garnered a few odd looks when she finally let out a high-pitched squeal, but she ignored them and instead threw her forelegs around Crystal's neck.

The convention center was throbbing with noise: brief discussions between fans and authors, elated conversations between fans and other fans, and various sounds to fill the spaces in between like hoofsteps and scrawling quills. It was a thrilling chaos that chased away all worries and doubts for most ponies involved.

Velvet, on the other hoof, seemed to be the opposite of thrilled as she cowered behind Crystal's booth table, her forelegs squeezing the life out of her bag of books. "I can't do it," she whispered, rocking back and forth. "I can't do it."

Crystal smiled politely at a pony as she returned the signed book, then looked down at the trembling ball beside her. "It's all you've been talking about for the past month! Why are you so scared now?"

"Why are you scared of like, every choice you ever have to make, ever?" Velvet retorted, then winced. "Sorry. Nerves."

Crystal giggled and looked back up. "Hello! Thank you for dropping by! To whom should I make this out?"

"Cl-Click Drag," the stallion on the other side of the table said, his gaze darting nervously from the table to her, a shy smile on his lips.

Crystal nodded. Her quill started to write out a message as she said, "It's really nice to see stallions interested in the romance genre!" She winked and levitated the copy of The Princess of the Knight back to him. "I hope to see you again next year!"

Click's ears perked up right and a blush showed through his aquamarine coat. He bowed his head and quickly said as he hurried out of line, "Thank you, I love your books, okay, bye!"

"See?" Velvet seethed. "He was nervous. Why didn't you lecture him about being nervous?"

Crystal reached over to pat her on the head. "At least he found the courage to come by. You, on the other hoof, have been sitting here for hours. Rose is just an author like me, you know."

Velvet scowled and clutched the books closer to her chest. "That's not true! Rose Quartz is, like, in a league on her own!"

Crystal gasped in mock offense, jerked her head away, and pouted at the pony waiting patiently across the table. "Can you believe it? My own best friend likes another author better than me!"

The pony froze, eyes wide with uncertainty. "U-um, well, that, uh..."

"Oh, don't mind me." She laughed and patted the space between them. "What am I signing and to whom?"

While Crystal worked her booth, Velvet muttered incoherently to herself and eventually talked herself into rereading the first Prima Donna book. The hours ticked on and by the time she reached the third book in the series, Crystal yawned and stretched her forelegs over her head. "All right, I think it's about time for a break. Are you ready to go meet Rose Quartz?"

"No!" Velvet shrieked and clamped the book shut. "I can't!"

The book lifted out of her hooves along with the others, all wrapped in pink magic, and they followed behind Crystal as she started to prance away. "Well, I'll just go have her sign all of these to me, then!"

"You wouldn't dare!" Velvet stormed after her, desperately trying to snatch the books out of the air. They danced just out of hoof's reach and Crystal laughed at her. "They're my favorite books, not yours!"

"Oh, really?" a voice unfamiliar to them asked. "Well, I appreciate you saying so."

Velvet skidded to a halt. She looked around to get her bearings, Crystal looking on with a wickedly mischievous grin. They had reached the next row over and were standing at the front of a line right by a booth. The pony behind Crystal looked a little perturbed at having been cut in front of, but didn't say anything about it. Velvet gasped and froze when she saw the books on the table: all of them were from the Prima Donna series.

A rosy-colored mare sat on the other side, a soft smile on her face as she peered at Velvet curiously. "Hi," she finally said after an awkward moment of silence.

Velvet's eyelashes fluttered as she seemed to struggle against swooning. All at once, she stumbled forward, placed both forehooves on the table, and exclaimed, "You're the reason I got my cutie mark and I really love your stories, ever since I was a filly! You are amazing and I think you're the best and please sign all my books, I have them all! Some are first editions! I love your books!"

Rose Quartz blinked a few times in surprise, then her smile returned. "It would be my honor, Miss... ?"

"Velvet Step! The honor's mine!" Velvet grabbed one of them out of Crystal's magic and put it on the table with nervous, wooden movements. "Thank you, okay!"

"Good thing your alchemist friend isn't around," a familiar voice said from behind Crystal.

Crystal turned and tilted her head at the sight of Painted Wave standing there. "Why is that?"

She grinned. "Velvet seems to be having a pretty strong reaction, and who knows what kind of crazy potion of his it might trigger." Crystal sputtered into a laugh, and Painted continued, "Sorry, I can't help myself. Alchemical puns are a bonding experience and I'm in my element here, I zinc." She waved a hoof, chuckling to herself. "I'm done. Honestly. How are you? It's been a while."

"Clearly," Crystal agreed, giggling and gesturing at the mare with a hoof. "You changed your hair! When did you do that?"

Gone were the pink and purple stripes, replaced by an ombre gradient of purple fading into pink fading into blue that contrasted with her otherwise dark brown hairs.

"I just needed something new, that's all." She shrugged.

Crystal smiled and properly greeted her with a quick hug. "It suits you! To answer your question, I'm fine. Velvet is just meeting her favorite author, which apparently isn't me." She pouted playfully when Painted gasped. "It's shocking, I know."

Painted shook her head in feigned disbelief. "And to think I liked her because she liked cats. Perhaps that was all a lie, too!"

"It was a phase," Crystal corrected. "Now she's into foals. Her little brother was born a few months ago and that's been her obsession lately."

Painted's nose scrunched up. She looked over at Velvet, who continued to hand Rose Quartz books to sign, then shrugged and diverted the topic. "Any news about a new novel?"

"Yes!" Velvet exclaimed, whipping around to face them. "Prima Donna and the Final Showdown!"

"What?" Crystal and Painted asked together.

Velvet hopped up and down with a big, foalish grin on her face. "Rose Quartz is going to release a brand new book in the Prima Donna series! Isn't that amazing?!"

"Yes, Velvet," Crystal replied in the tone of an absent mother as she turned her gaze back to Painted. "And somewhat. I have something I'm working on, but it's not quite ready yet. Will you be available to do the cover when it's ready?" Painted smiled so wide that Crystal had to laugh. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Good, I was worried I might send a mixed signal with that reaction." Painted clapped her hooves together. "I look forward to it! Now, I'll leave you to your half-crazed, foal-loving, cat-and-Crystal-betraying friend." She waved to Velvet before walking on down the aisle to visit other booths.

Crystal giggled and walked over to Velvet. "So, are all your books signed now?"

Velvet nodded enthusiastically, clutching as many as she could carry to her chest. "Yes! And I placed a pre-order for the new one!"

"I'll make sure to sign it," Rose added in with a polite laugh.

Crystal smiled at Rose. "Thank you for your time, Miss Quartz." Her gaze returned to Velvet and her magic gathered up all the books. "Let's go get lunch, shall we?"

"Bye, Rose Quartz! Thank you! You're the best ever!" Velvet called while Crystal practically dragged her away. She sighed, shaking her head. "That was the most amazing experience of my life. You have no idea. These books... changed my life." Her tone grew more soft and serious and she looked over at Crystal. "Don't think I've forgotten that you introduced me to them. I owe you just as much as I owe her. I don't know how long it would have been before I discovered how much I love ballet if it weren't for you and these books."

Crystal leaned over to nuzzle Velvet's cheek. "I forgive you for not making me your favorite author. Now—"

"Velvet Step?" a mare's voice asked, a little cautiously.

Though it shouldn't have come as a surprise, given just how many ponies attended the convention, Crystal was still surprised at how they kept running into other ponies. This one was unfamiliar to her, but one glance told her everything she needed to know: her blue coat, mane, and tail all shimmered in the light with a crystalline magnificence.

"A crystal pony," Crystal said, almost breathless at the sight.

The details were made fuzzy by the extraordinary amount of contradicting gossip surrounding the Crystal Empire's return just over a month ago, but what she did know was that its inhabitants were only half as mesmerizing as the Empire itself. If the mare in front of them was any indication, then she absolutely had to catch the next train to the Empire.

Velvet blinked a few times. "Lazuli?"

"It is you!" The sparkling blue mare hurried closer to them. "Velvet, do you know who is in charge of this convention? Hmm?"

"Uh..." Velvet furrowed her brow. "No? Why?"

Lazuli frowned and looked upward at the ceiling. "The lighting in here is horrendous. It's as though they just got whatever bulbs were cheapest and installed them haphazardly. It's not good for the eyes, and it's definitely not good for the displays! If only they used—" Her gaze dropped back down to land on the gawking Crystal. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I interrupt you two?"

Velvet shook her head. "No, Crystal and I were just getting lunch."

"You can join us," Crystal added quickly, her face lighting up. "I'd love to hear more about how awful the lights are in here. As well as how the lighting is in the Crystal Empire."

Velvet shot her an odd, confused look before she rolled her eyes and laughed. "Right! I forgot, you're a crystal pony, aren't you?"

Lazuli raised one brow, though her lips lifted in a pleasant smile. "How can you forget?"

"You've been working with us long enough that I just... forgot?" She shrugged. "Anyway, Crystal, this is Lazuli Luminaire, our newest addition to the ballet. She's the best lighting technician we've got from what I can tell! Being in the spotlight isn't nearly as uncomfortably hot as it used to be."

"Well, that's what happens when you focus the throw properly," Lazuli grumbled, then perked back up. "If you don't mind me joining you for lunch, I'd be happy to talk about the Crystal Empire."

Crystal's eyes widened with excitement. "I don't mind at all! I want to hear everything."

Lazuli giggled softly. "I don't know if you actually mean that, but I'll do my best to sate your curiosity. Lunch first, though?"

"Lunch first," Velvet agreed and marched on ahead, forcing the other two to follow her.

Crystal couldn't help but stare at the crystalline mare beside her. She had so many questions swimming around her head that she wasn't sure she'd ever make it back to her booth, and right at that moment, she was completely all right with that. After all, the first draft for Her Silent Love was nearly complete, so it couldn't hurt to see if the Crystal Empire had anything to tickle her muse for a new novel...

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Happy Birthday Runic

A Whole New World

After a lull in conversation so they could eat lunch, Crystal was the first to speak. "So, what is the Crystal Empire like?"

Lazuli looked at her with a half smile. "Better, now. Better than it ever was before, I think. Working with the Canterlot Ballet lets me travel around to the major cities, which has been a great opportunity to see just how much everything has changed."

"That's right," Crystal mused, tilting her head. "It's been gone for quite some time. But..." Her ears perked straight up. "Wait, does that make you—"

"Old?" Lazuli finished. Her smile lifted into a grin at Crystal's flustered reaction. "I don't feel old, no, but I suppose it depends on how you perceive the spell cast on us. I feel the same age as I did before we disappeared, give or take the months since the Empire returned."

Velvet nudged Crystal's side. "And besides, it's rude to discuss a mare's age! You of all ponies should know that!"

Crystal pouted and tried to come up with a response, but Lazuli cut in before she could. "It's all right. At this point, I think every crystal pony is used to hearing the question." She laughed softly. "We ask it to each other, honestly, since none of us really know. It's... confusing, but it's worth the confusion to be back."

"Why did the Empire disappear in the first place?" Crystal tilted her head.

Lazuli shook her head. "We don't know. One minute, everything is fine, and the next we are in a new era. It was like waking from a deep slumber without remembering falling asleep in the first place. I was disoriented for quite some time before I got my bearings. But that's in the past; we're free to rejoin the rest of Equestria as we please again. I have a great job, so I can't really complain." She waved a hoof to dismiss the lingering awkwardness in the air. "Anyway, you wanted to know about the Empire itself? It's magnificent. Of all the cities I've toured with the company, the Crystal Empire puts them all to shame with its splendor." Her smile lifted to one of beaming excitement. "You should visit sometime!"

Crystal sighed dreamily. "Oh, I've seen a picture or two. It sounds like a magical place." Her gaze focused on Lazuli, almost predatory. "Are there any particular romantic stories prevalent in the Empire?"

"Really?" Velvet rolled her eyes.

Lazuli's brow furrowed. "Romantic stories? You mean romance novels?" She shrugged. "There are some, though I don't know how relatable they'd be down here in the south."

"Like what?" Crystal pressed.

"In times past, we had contact with frost ponies." A small grin crept onto her lips. "Big, burly, strong ponies, they are. Like earth ponies but with a shaggy coat that you just want to run your hooves through." She tossed her head back, laughing. "Stories of encounters with frost ponies while lost in the Frozen North were pretty rampant, now that I think about it!"

Crystal pursed her lips, humming quietly in thought. "You're right. I don't know if I quite get the appeal of shaggy coats." She slowly started to grin mischievously. "But I'm sure I could do a little research, if I got my hooves on a copy of one such book."

Her favorite time of the week was drawing near: private time with Silent. Crystal had already set up the coffee table to resemble one of a high class restaurant, a silk white tablecloth draped over it and two proper place settings on both ends. While she waited for those three knocks to resound from the door, she sprawled on the couch with a copy of The Winter Soldier.

The setting was unfamiliar to her, but it was so beautifully written that she felt cold just reading about the Frozen North. She had selected it for the militaristic angle and had been captivated by the setting. A crystal pony had gotten lost in a snowstorm searching for her younger sibling and was found near frozen by a frost pony during his patrol. She was almost disappointed when Silent knocked to announce his arrival, but her magic returned the book to a shelf while she went to answer the door.

"Hello, Sergeant," Crystal said as she stepped to the side to let him in. "I hope you brought your appetite."

Silent stopped to look at the table, his ears perked. "I haven't eaten yet." He glanced at her with the faintest hint of a playful smile. "Let me guess, civilized ponies don't eat like normal ponies? Is that today's lesson?"

Crystal giggled and walked over take a seat at one end of the table, Silent sitting at the other. A pink-enveloped salad bowl levitated over to rest in front of him. "Civilized ponies don't do anything like normal ponies. If you don't know that already, then we might as well give up now."

"I'm sorry, Teacher. I'll endeavor to do better." He eyed the bowl warily. "So... ?"

She gave him a smile filled with utmost sugar and sweet. "Do you wish to eat?"

He sat perfectly still as he tried to figure out the catch for himself. The bright colors of the salad seemed to be too enticing and he finally questioned rather than replied, "Yes?"

"Can you think of a reason why you shouldn't?"

He stared at her, then assessed the situation with a quick glance across the table. His ears twitched when he spotted the difference. "You don't have a bowl."

She nodded. "One must always wait for all guests to have food before beginning their own. There is an exception, of course."

"Of course," he repeated with a small smile.

"I have chosen to not have an appetizer for this meal, so you may start on yours."

Happily, he picked up his fork and speared a slice of cucumber. Crystal waited a moment, much like a cat perched on a ledge, then pounced with an innocent two words: "Excuse me." She got up to stand and he dropped his fork to stand with her. A giggle escaped her. "Very good. But there's a new complication to the rule that you must stand when a lady is not sitting."

His ears fell to the sides, the surge of pride from his success quickly deflated. "And what's that?"

"Once you've picked up your cutlery, it never touches the table again. Rest them on the plate, crossed together if you are not finished and side-by-side if you are." Before he could ask, she answered, "This lets the server know whether or not you are done and if they can take your plate."

"I see." Just like that, his demeanor shifted to a more relaxed, confident one. His shoulders squared up and he held his head high. "So fine dining is rote memorization, then?"

She hummed to consider the question, then nodded. "Yes." She added with a small giggle, "You don't have to worry about lying to your meals."

A handsome smile took hold of his expression and her heart fluttered. "I can do that."

"I can't do this!" Crystal shrieked, a shower of papers raining down on her after she threw everything in front of her in the air.

Velvet watched with vague amusement from where she was sprawled on the couch. "What, is planning two weddings at the same time too much stress?"

Crystal shot her a withering stare. "Why are you enjoying this so much?"

"Because you asked for it?" She shrugged. "The mare of honor doesn't have to do everything. You told Horsey she didn't need a wedding planner because you'd take care of it. You told Raven she didn't need a schedule, so now she's relying on you for everything. This is stuff a real wedding planner gets paid for."

"Well, it seemed like a waste of money at the time." She ran her hooves through her mane and let out a long groan. "I can't do this. I'll have to cancel with Silent Knight tonight. There's just too much to do."

Velvet rolled off the couch to land on all fours. "Do you really want to cancel? Since he started officer school, he hasn't been able to get away, and now after not seeing him for two whole weeks you're going to let stress get in the way?"

"Tonight's lesson is in formal dancing. I need my head in the game for that!"

"Really?" Velvet walked up to her and into her personal space. "Crystal?"

Crystal looked down at the mare, one brow raised. "Yes?"

"We're close right now, aren't we? Physically?" Velvet was close enough that her breath tickled Crystal's face.

"Yes?" Crystal repeated, her tone and expression growing more confused.

"Formal dancing is even closer than this, isn't it?"

Realization crept up on her like the blush that started to take hold. "It is."

Velvet grinned a little too wickedly. "And there's touching, isn't there? With hooves? Wrapped around bodies?"

Crystal's knees went weak at the thought of Silent's forelegs wrapped around her, holding her close, and she replied breathlessly, "Oh, yes..." Her heart fluttered "You're right, I think I won't cancel after all." She pranced on the tips of her hooves around the room as her magic reached out to all the furniture, clearing a space the living room.

"Whoa the-there!" Velvet laughed so hard that she struggled to speak clearly. "Sl-Slow down, fris-frisky britches!"

"What?" Crystal looked at her with a pout. "You're leaving soon, aren't you? It can't hurt to be prepared."

Velvet sucked in a breath, held it despite her laughter struggling to break free, then grinned. "Five hours in advance? Yeah, that's some kinda prepared, all right." She stood up on her hindlegs and stretched her forelegs to the ceiling. "Well, since the space is available, I guess I could do another round of practice. Never hurts to be extra limber!"

Crystal trotted over to the couch, which was blocked off by the coffee table. She bounded over it and flopped onto the cushions, her magic carrying The Winter Soldier to her. "Sounds good! I'll just do some reading. Don't mind me."

"Haven't you already finished that book?" Velvet sat on the floor with all legs stretched in front of her, reaching for her hindhooves. "Is it really that good?"

"Oh, yes." Crystal practically purred the words. "I've never read anything like it. Ponies back then truly knew how to craft a tale!" She paused, then looked over at Velvet. "How long was the Empire really gone, anyway? History books always say everything happened a thousand years ago, which seems somewhat improbable, unless times were dreadful enough to warrant so many disasters all at once."

Velvet shrugged. "A thousand years, two thousand years, nine hundred years... I think it's just the easiest way to say 'a long time ago' without sounding like the beginning to a foal's tale." She shifted to balance on the tips of her hooves, stretching the lower muscles of her hindlegs with her forehooves hovering near the table to catch her if she lost her balance.

Crystal watched her for a moment, then returned her attention to the novel floating in the air, opened to the page she had read last.

Bitter winds chilled her to the very core. Everything around her was white, an endless expanse of snow in every direction. Was she moving forwards, backwards, or just going in circles? Was she making any progress at all?

Her legs gave out, too numb to feel pain. Her eyes fluttered, too tired to stay open. Her head dropped, too heavy to keep upright...

After she had finished her stretches, Velvet stood up. "Well, I'm off! Good luck with your dance lesson!" She winked. "Be sure to tell me all about it when I get home!"

"Yes, yes." Crystal shivered in anticipation. "I'm sure there won't be much to tell, but if there is, I'll tell you."

Classical music quietly drifted out of the record player, enveloping the room in a soft, comforting melody. Crystal walked in a circle around Silent Knight as he stood upright on his hindlegs and she examined his posture after completing a successful succession of dance steps.

"I suppose being a soldier has its uses in high society," she finally said, stopping in front of him. "Your posture is impeccable. You've done well tonight."

He smiled down at her. "It also helps to have a wonderful teacher." The smile fell when she rose up onto her hindlegs. "Huh?"

A giggle bubbled up from her chest, which was tight with nerves. "You can't truly learn from dancing alone all evening, now, can you?" She guided his forelegs, resting one around her middle and holding the other's hoof with her own. "It's different when you're dancing with a partner."

There wasn't exactly a sensation of fire or electricity when he touched her, like she had read in novels; instead, she just wanted to melt against him in perfect contentment. She felt safe in his embrace, even if it was forced for the lesson. At their new closeness, she could feel warmth radiating from him. He was so close and yet, at the same time, so far. A pang of bitter and sweet tightened her chest at the thought.

"Remember, right hoof first, then bring the left to join it," she instructed. As she breathed in to continue speaking, she inhaled the heady scent that she could only describe as 'Silent Knight', and it sent a shiver down her spine. She found the electricity after all! "We're just going to do the box step for now."

Silent cleared his throat as he fumbled the movement. "Shouldn't Velvet be here for this?"

She blinked. "Velvet? No." She shook her head and tried to guide him through the steps. "Velvet isn't this kind of dancer." She looked up at him with a coy smile. "Are you worried I can't do it? I was trained in the waltz when I was a filly, you know."

He quickly shook his head to chase the concern away. "That isn't what I meant at all."

After successfully making their way through a complete box, she said, "One more box, then we'll try a spin." He nodded and she asked, "What did you mean, then, Sergeant?"

"Cadet," he said simply.

Crystal's brow arched. "Pardon?"

Silent frowned when his hooves seemed to misunderstand the instruction, crossing over one another. His wings flapped to aid him in regaining his balance, and once he was steady, he replied, "I'm not a sergeant anymore. I'm two weeks into officers' school. That makes me a cadet now."

She tried not to laugh. "I see. Be that as it may, I know a deflection when I hear one. Now, stop fidgeting and answer the question." She nudged him with her hoof on his shoulder to signal that it was time to spin. "Why would you rather Velvet be here, Cadet?"

Her heart raced. Oh, she hoped this wouldn't be the moment where he told her he was actually in love with Velvet. She wanted to stay like they were forever. Him holding her, music swaying around them, the world fading away...

"Well, we're awfully close." He swallowed. "I don't want her to get the wrong impression if she came home early."

The music in her head skipped; the music from the record continued on undisturbed. "What?" They swept into an elegant turn, his focus on her seeming to distract him just enough from dancing to not overthink the steps. "Why would she get the wrong impression?"

His ears pinned back nervously. "You know. You and Velvet." His gaze flicked away from hers. "I'm taking up all of your private time." As he dipped her—which he did quite well, but she was too focused on trying to decipher his meaning to remember to congratulate him—his gaze returned to hers.

Uncertainty swam in the silver depths that she wanted to get lost in. She looked up at him while they held their position, his forelegs cradling her like a treasure, and suddenly the music in her head screeched to a halt.

"Wait, private time?" She blinked. "We don't have private time... Do you..." It couldn't be. She almost laughed as she asked, "Do you think Velvet and I are a couple? Of course not. We're just friends."

His eyes widened and his grip on her loosened; she squealed in surprise and fell to the ground with a thud. His hooves reached down to help her back up after he recovered from his momentary shock. "I'm so sorry!"

She accepted his offer and he righted her. "Did you really think Velvet and I were dating?" When he nodded, she blinked a few times in surprise, then frowned. "You're the only one who thinks that... right?" His head shook and her brow furrowed. "What? No, Velvet and I... We're just..." She trailed off as her mind diverted all energy to thinking.

They were just friends. Close friends, but that was to be expected given how long they had been friends. After all, sisters were affectionate, and they were like sisters. Her eyes widened as she gasped. "Oh, Celestia..." But they weren't sisters. Just because they felt that way didn't make it true. Reminiscing on all the dates that had ended awkwardly after she had introduced the stallion to Velvet, she dropped her face into her hooves and felt like crying. Now she suddenly understood why there were never any second dates. "So many stallions thought..."

Silent slipped a hoof around her shoulders in comfort. "I'm sure it isn't that bad."

She lifted her head to stare at him, her expression anything but comforted. "Really?"

"I've just gotten used to mares that like mares." He shrugged. "Maybe I just assumed?"

Her ears fell flat to the sides. "And everypony else just assumed along with you?"

He puffed his chest in playful confidence. "Of course. I have that effect on ponies. After all, I'm the boss."

Though she fought it for a moment, a laugh broke free. She covered her face with both hooves to smother it into a giggle. He took a sharp intake of air and his grip on her not only loosened, but vanished completely, and she fell to the floor.

"Silent Knight!" All sense of decorum was lost and she glared up at him. "What the hay?"

"I'm so sorry, Crystal!" He reached down once again, but she just stared at his hooves with skepticism clear on her face.

After a moment of weighing her options, she placed her hoof on his and he pulled her back upright. "What is wrong with you today?"

Silent sighed and looked into her eyes, his gaze chasing away all of her feelings except for fondness—and a little soreness, but that was to be expected after landing on her rump twice in a row. "You're a sweet and selfless mare and you always help me out. I just thought you were being a good friend and left it at that. Then we're dancing very close, you tell me you're not into mares, and giggle at me. That's a whole lot to take in all at once."

Crystal's heart found its familiar, fluttering pace and she leaned in a little closer to him. "Oh? Do go on."

He wrung his hooves and as he rambled, his gaze darted about. "I'm not very good at relationships, or a lot of things not related to being a guard. But I believe Winterspear would say you've been sending me signals. And, honestly, now that I think about it, Velvet has been trying to help you all this time, which just confused me for a while. I thought she was trying to wrangle me into a three-pony relationship."

Unable to help herself, she started to laugh again, though she was careful to not giggle. Being dropped a third time was three times too many.

He looked more nervous the more his mouth continued on without his permission. "I'm not against ponies being in multi-pony relationships, and I'm not against being in one myself, I guess, but to be frank, I think my capabilities will limit me to a single mare."

Laughter overtook her and she tumbled backwards, clutching her sides. When he settled onto the floor next to her, she rolled over to face him and wiped the amused tears from her eyes. "Oh, Silent Knight, you silly pony."

His sense of self restored, he said in a low voice, "If you're not seeing Velvet, then I would really like to ask you out."

Before she could even think to respond, the door opened and Velvet took a step in. "Hi!" She stopped, tilted her head, and looked between them. "Well, then. This doesn't look like dancing."

Crystal scrambled to her hooves and beamed. "Velvet! He thinks you and I are a couple! Everypony does, in fact! Isn't that great news?"

Velvet arched one brow, her expression otherwise blank. "Reason tells me no, but your expression says... yes?"

Crystal couldn't delay it a moment longer and cheered, "He finally asked me out!"

"What?!" Velvet gasped and leapt through the air to bound closer and threw her forelegs around Crystal. "That's the best news ever!"

"I know!"

The sound of Silent clearing his throat interrupted their rejoicing and they quickly pulled away from each other to look at him, then Velvet looked back at Crystal. "So, everypony thinks we're a couple, huh? I mean, that would explain why neither of us have been asked out in a long time, though I thought it was just obvious you were after Silent Knight and me, well." She shrugged. "We're not that bad, right?"

Crystal said in a monotonous voice, "Just think about it for two minutes."

Velvet stared off into space, her eyes searching for an answer, then widened. She slapped a hoof to her forehead and sighed. "Oh, wow. We totally are that bad, aren't we? I'm sorry, I had no idea, but we act exactly like a couple, especially with me being... Well, you know. Me."

Silent tilted his head in understandable confusion. "Don't blame yourself, Velvet. Crystal was just as, uh, familiar toward you." He stood up and walked over. "Unfortunately, I have to get back to the academy. Cadets get very little liberty with their time." He smiled at Crystal. "Keep your date book open, please."

He hugged them both out of habit, then paused and glanced between them, as if to be reassured that it was okay. Crystal giggled and ushered him with a wave of her hoof. "Go on. I don't want you to be late."

After the door shut behind him, Crystal and Velvet looked at each other. The record player continued to play its song, but the sound of it was quickly overtaken by their high-pitched squeals of excitement.

"I can't believe it!" Crystal hopped up and down. "He asked me out!" She giggled and her magic lifted the needle from the record. The pink aura then brought over two pillows, which they settled onto as the adrenaline died down into companionable silence.

Velvet crossed her forelegs and looked at Crystal, her brow knitted. "So, then, you two'll start dating?"

Crystal sighed happily, flopping over onto her side. "Oh, soon, I hope!" She shot back upright and gasped. "Ah! What if he discovers he doesn't like me when we go on a date? What if I make for poor company?!"

"Seriously?" Velvet rolled her eyes. "Is there no end to your worrying? Why do you even want to be in a relationship in the first place?"

Crystal paused to stare at Velvet with brief confusion on her face. "I don't know how to answer that. I just... do? When I see him, my heart knows. Isn't that enough?"

"Not for me, but whatever," Velvet muttered. She shifted to face Crystal more completely. "Then what? You two date, then get married, and you'll move out?"

Crystal's face heated up at the question and she shook her head. "I don't know about that! I mean, yes, of course, if things get serious, I suppose I will move in with him." At Velvet's response of a light snort, Crystal asked, "What?"

"I don't know." Velvet's ears pinned back and she dropped her head down to rest on her front hooves. "I just... I never imagined you'd move out. I thought we'd be friends 'til we were old and grey."

Crystal furrowed her brow. "Just because I move out doesn't mean we're not friends anymore, Velvet."

"Oh, right, we'll write, won't we?" She rolled her eyes and sat back up. "We'll meet for lunch once in a while and call each other 'friends'." Her hooves raised to gesture air quotes around the last word, which she spat with a heavy tone of sarcasm. "Face it, how often do we really hang out with Horsey?"

Crystal clasped her hooves to Velvet's cheeks and forced the mare to look at her straight on, which allowed her to see the tears in her friend's eyes. Crystal's expression softened and she asked in a quiet voice, "Velvet, I don't understand! Aren't you the one who was pushing me to confess to him?"

Velvet sniffed and nodded. "Yes, but, but now it's real. Now, you're actually going to be together, and I'm not going to see you anymore." She rubbed at her eyes and continued, her breath hitching, "I just, I just don't think it's fair. You were my friend first, so why do I have to give you up to him?"

"Oh, Velvet, it's not like that at all." She moved her forelegs to wrap around the other's neck and pulled her in for a hug, resting her muzzle on Velvet's head. "He could never take me away from you. Even if things do work out and I move in with him, I promise I'll always be here to be a pain in your rump." She grinned when the mare laughed. "Remember our first year at Canterlot Academy?"

"Mmhm." Velvet nodded just slightly, her movement hindered by their closeness.

"And do you remember what you said when we had that fight in the cafeteria?"

Velvet paused, then mumbled, "I dunno. That was, like, almost three years ago."

Crystal laughed. "That no matter what, we'd always be friends, silly."

"Did I really say that?" Velvet scrunched up her nose. "That's awfully naive. Ponies change... you and I have changed. You're serious about a stallion now, a specific, singular stallion, not just any hunk of muscle that crossed your path."

"I'm so glad that that's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of how I've grown over the years." Crystal rolled her eyes, but continued to smile. "Are you really worried we'll drift apart just because I might get serious with a stallion?"

Velvet hesitated a moment before she shrugged and simply replied, "Yes?"

Crystal squeezed Velvet closer to her. "Absolutely not. Sisters before misters."

Velvet broke out into a short laugh. "Nevermind! I forgot how lame you are! Maybe it's better if we do drift apart." She leaned back to look up at Crystal, smiling. "I'm okay. Honest."

"Clearly you're not okay, if me going on a date with a stallion shakes you up so much..." Crystal's expression turned serious. "What's really the matter?"

There was a brief frown that flashed across Velvet's face, but she shook her head and the smile returned. "You're just my one and only best friend, all right? The idea of you just suddenly disappearing from my life scared me a bit. That's all. Double honest."

Crystal eyed her suspiciously. Velvet continued to smile. Finally, Crystal relented with a sigh. "Fine, fine. Just remember, best friends talk to each other about their problems, otherwise, what's the point of having a best friend?"

Velvet hummed in thought. "To have somepony around who makes dinner?"

"Is that a topic diversion, or a hint?" One of Crystal's brows raised, amusement toying with her lips though she tried to keep a straight face.

"Can't it be both?" Velvet beamed at her.

Crystal pulled away to stand on all fours, stretched out her legs, then walked toward the kitchen. "Then this topic-diverted best friend is going to make you dinner."

"Yay!" Velvet cheered, clapping her hooves.

Crystal rolled her eyes, but smiled nonetheless and set about making dinner for two. Whether Silent Knight and her worked out or not, there was no way she was going to lose her friendship with Velvet. If that was the cost for romance, then romance would just have to find another currency, but she wasn't too concerned. Silent Knight seemed like a low maintenance gentlestallion who wouldn't give her an ultimatum. He was, however, going to take her on a date. A small squeal of delight escaped her at the mere thought of it.

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Silent Knight, Cadet - Part 1

The Winter Soldier has nothing to do with Marvel or Captain America and was picked because it's a very generic string of words representing what I imagined Crystal was reading. The term predates the movie so, please, I'm aware now it's a movie, but it's completely unrelated, okay?

Halcyon Days

A small sound that resembled a choking snort bubbled in Luna's throat, her ears swiveled toward Crystal and her eyes widened. "Pray, come again?" She blinked a few times, keeping her voice low so that the conversation remained private despite the overwhelming crowd of ponies in the vicinity. "He was under the impression you and Velvet Step—?"

Crystal rubbed the back of her neck. "It would seem that way."

Luna stared at her a moment longer, then tossed her radiant mane and laughed. "Everything is much clearer now! It seemed too strange that he had not properly courted you despite the attraction clear as starlight between you."

"In hindsight, I appreciate your efforts at matchmaking." Crystal smiled up at her. "Silent Knight wasn't the only one oblivious to outside influence."

"I did not seek gratitude for my actions," Luna said with a soft, motherly smile as she looked at Crystal. "But you are welcome." The smile lifted into a grin. "Henceforth you are on your own, however. If you wish to keep the stallion it is in your hooves now."

Crystal giggled and nodded. "Yes, Princess."

She turned her focus to the still closed academy doors. The time was approaching. Soon, the graduates would march onto the field and a speech would be given. Silent Knight would become a new stallion, or so they said of the cadets that became officers. She shook her head. If he changed any further, then he would be an entirely new pony altogether!

The more she thought about those doors opening, the more nervous she felt. She had no reason to be, of course, and scolded her heart that thumped so hard against her chest she could hear it in her ears. He was the one who had gone through twelve weeks of officers' school, not her, and that aside he had already graduated. All that remained was ceremony. Yet, there went her heart, pounding away while she waited with the others on the stands.

Strangely, she was gripped by the sudden fear that she wouldn't recognize him in the crowd of other guards that would soon march onto the field. She wanted to see him, her stallion, standing at attention with all of the pride he had earned through his accomplishments. She wanted to see his face when he saw the section filled with ponies that had gathered solely for him. All of his friends were there, ready to cheer for him, ready to show him how much support he had. After all, how many cadets could say that one of the alicorn princesses attended for their sake?

Of course, a selfish part of her was even more excited to see his face when he saw her. She wore an elegant silver gown that shimmered beautifully, more so than any dress she had ever seen before. Lazuli had tipped her off that fashion in the Crystal Empire was different from anywhere else, so Crystal had placed an order right away and was grateful she had. Clothing that was crystalline in appearance would be all the rage in Canterlot soon enough, but right then, it made her stand out and that was exactly what she wanted. Now that she knew how he felt, she would be bold. She would do whatever it took to be worthy of his affection and that day, she would look her very best and cheer with all her strength.

The pounding of her heart found rhythm when the sound of drumming filled the air. As the doors were pushed open, everypony on the stands broke out in cheers at the sight of whomever they were waiting for; Crystal's whole being lit up with glee when her gaze instantly found him. She put everything she had into cheering and stomping her front hooves against the stand beneath her.

There he was. Silent Knight, the stallion who had already done so much and still had so much left to do. The stallion who, only three years ago, wouldn't say a word during rehearsal of Romehorse and Julimare. Who the other hoofball players called antisocial. Who spent so much time alone.

Who now never had to be alone. All around her were ponies that would do anything for him. Iridescence and Winterspear stood in the front row in their highly polished ceremonial armor; despite the rocky road that the three had travelled, they had come out stronger for it. Behind Crystal cheered Runic, whose eccentricity had been tempered—but not fully quelled, for who would he be without it—by his relationship with the happily screaming Miley Hooves, the little mare who could because Silent had helped her find the confidence to overcome anything.

And, of course, he had Velvet's unwavering support, even with her reservations about what changes may be on the horizon. She had and would stand by them through whatever happened. Of course, that meant standing a little further away now, given the recent revelation about their perceived relationship. Velvet was a better friend than she could ever ask for.

The cheering quieted down as the commandant called for attention and began his speech, but Crystal heard none of it, too busy thinking of how many friends he had. She took a sharp breath in as tears started to prick the corners of her eyes and she blinked them back. Yes, they were his friends, but they were also hers, too. She had gotten to know them before gaming night associated them with Silent in her mind. That had never truly occurred to her until that moment and it overwhelmed her.

For as much as she had thought of his changes, she then reflected on her own. After all, Velvet was right: the same three years ago, Crystal panted and drooled over every stallion that came her way. She had no direction, no friends outside of Velvet and Horsey, and no real commitment to anything. Now, all of that was different. She had two novels under her belt, a third one in the final stages, and a fourth brewing in the back of her mind; more friends than she realized, presently nearby and elsewhere; and, most importantly to her, a love in her heart.

Which brought her back to the stallion standing tall and proud on the field. Briefly, their eyes met and her thoughts were swept away in his gaze. If he wasn't the one, then why did her soul feel glad? If her love line wasn't made for him, then why did her heart tell her that it was?

Her eyes widened and the tears she fought returned with a joyful fury. It all made sense. Lovey had been telling her the simple truth all along. Her heart said he was the one; therefore, he was. It was so stupidly simple that she almost broke out laughing in the middle of the commandant's speech, which was coming to a thankful close.

"Mares and gentleponies, it is my pleasure to present to you this season's graduates!"

The cheering surged from the crowd and showered Silent and the other graduates with adoration and pride. After a moment of letting them bask in the attention, they were allowed to break rank and start toward the stands. At that moment, Crystal and the others hurried onto the field to meet him halfway, forming a pony barrier to block one secret attendant in particular from his view.

Luna walked in the front, her wings spread in proud display with an ulterior motive. The rest of them glanced at each other in secretive excitement. None were very good at keeping secrets, but this one, of all secrets, was worth letting Silent find out for himself.

"Silent Knight," Luna said with elation clear in her voice, "we have a surprise for you."

Silent's face clouded with confusion until she stepped aside to reveal Shining Armor, former Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard, current Commander of the Crystal Empire's Royal Guard. For a third time that day Crystal wanted to cry. Shining Armor had been many things to Silent Knight over the course of his career—commander, instructor, mentor, and, most of all, friend. There was no more perfect pony for such an occasion.

"If you will allow it," Shining said as he approached Silent, "I would like to do the honors of pinning you, cadet."

Silent puffed up with pride. "It would be a privilege, sir."

Shining stepped closer with a small wooden box levitating in his magic and Winterspear fell in beside him. They all watched as the box was opened to remove a shiny silver bar, which Shining raised and pinned to Silent's uniform before he stepped out of the way.

Silent angled himself just enough to face Winterspear, who stiffened to attention and saluted him. He returned it, then gave her a silver twenty bit piece. It was an old tradition: a newly minted officer paid for his first salute to acknowledge that he had yet to actually earn it, that his duty had only just begun.

Crystal gently touched the corners of her eyes to wipe away the tears that threatened to fall while the rest of the crowd stomped. Winterspear threw her forelegs around Silent and hugged him tight.

"I'm so proud of you!" Winterspear exclaimed, squeezing even tighter.

When she let go, Silent shook hooves with Shining. Runic hopped forward and offered his hoof for a shake as well, which Silent gladly accepted.

"You have done well, Silent Knight. We are all very proud of you," Luna said.

Silent looked up at her, smiling. "Thank you, Princess. I would have never made it this far without you and the colonel. I owe you both a lot."

Shining shook his head. "You owe us nothing. Just keep looking after your ponies; that's all I ask."

"Verily!" Luna cheered. "Come, it is time for us to return to the palace and celebrate, for on the morrow we must return to work!"

Everypony turned and started to leave the field. Crystal hesitated a moment when Silent approached her. There was so much she wanted to say, but she hadn't quite found the words yet. Instead, she smiled and started to follow the others, walking alongside him. "I'm so proud of you, Silent Knight."

Silent smiled. "Thank you. And thank you for coming."

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world." She let her gaze drift to the other cadets with their loved ones. "I—frost pony!" she squeaked when she spotted a dark grey, thick-coated stallion the size of an earth pony but with a horn on his forehead. Her eyes went wide. A frost pony, no more than thirty paces away!

Silent blinked a few times, following her gaze. "Frost pony? I... Oh." He chuckled. "That's Cobalt Thane. Yes, he's a frost pony, but how did you know that?"

Crystal tore her attention away from the dark grey stallion to look up at Silent with excitement plastered on her face. "I've been doing research on them for my next novel! To think I would see one here in Canterlot, of all places!" She leaned forward to peer around Silent at him again. He had a very light blue mane that extended to his shoulder and chest, much like the mane of a lion. "What is he like? Did he tell you anything about his homeland?"

Silent chuckled and shook his head. "He doesn't talk much, though he is working on that. We could go over and talk to him, if you'd like."

She gazed up at him a moment, then giggled. "Thank you, but perhaps another time. Today, you are the center of my attention."

"If you're sure." He shrugged in mid-step without altering his gait. "I don't mind."

"I do." She held her head high. "You've come a long way, Silent Knight. The least you deserve is a day to celebrate that."

He arched his brow, but simply shrugged again in response. They continued onward toward the palace and light conversation resumed, mostly regarding how grateful Silent was to be done with officers' school and start his new life as a lieutenant. Crystal just smiled and nodded, more than happy to listen to anything he had to say in that wonderful voice of his.

Crystal was not ashamed to admit that despite her words, her attention had strayed to the beautiful mare in front of her, Lady Cadence of the Crystal Empire. Fun pop songs played over the speakers of the makeshift DJ table, which was a surprise given that Runic was in charge of the music, and everypony was dancing. Crystal was well aware of her limitations after the last time she danced, so she sticked to just bobbing lightly from hoof to hoof.

"I'm just so, so happy for you two!" Cadence beamed at her. "I was wondering how long it would take."

"Huh?" Crystal tilted her head to one side, pausing her bobbing for a moment. "What do you mean?"

Cadence waved a dismissive hoof. "Oh, well, I figured it out when we met at the, you know, hospital. You kept saying that you were just friends and that didn't make any sense. I asked Shiny about it and he told me the same thing. It was very confusing!"

"Admittedly, I've pined after him for quite a while now." Crystal shook her head and sighed. "And apparently he felt the same way, but everypony was under the impression that my friend Velvet and I were a couple."

"Yup!" Velvet chimed in, bouncing closer to force herself into the conversation. "Mares can't just be friends these days, I guess! What's up with that?"

Cadence glanced at Velvet, then smiled after a moment. "Well, all's well that ends well, right?"

Velvet nodded and repeated, "Yup!" She flashed a grin at them before twirling her way back into crowd.

The two of them laughed before Cadence nodded her head away from the others and they walked off to the side. Crystal felt a momentary wave of dread wash over her until Cadence asked in a quiet voice, "I take it this means you made up your mind since we spoke at the hospital?"

Crystal nodded quickly and resolutely. "I have. I know what I want"—she put her hoof to her chest, feeling her heart beat with excitement as she looked toward the balcony where Silent stood, talking to Shining Armor—"and I'm willing to face the good and the bad. They are our stallions, and it's our job to support them through it all."

"That's wonderful to hear." Cadence smiled, though it didn't fully reach her eyes, a hint of sadness lingering at the corners. "If you ever need to talk to a pony who understands, you are always free to come visit."

Crystal looked back at her. "At the Crystal Empire?"

Cadence nodded, then perked up. "Actually, you and Silent Knight should come visit us sometime! We can have a double date!"

"Oh, please!" Crystal's ears stood straight up. "That would be wonderful! I've actually been doing some research on the Crystal Empire for a potential novel set there. Actually, if you—"

Cadence interrupted her with a gasp. "You're going to write a new novel based in the Crystal Empire?"

"Maybe!" Crystal shrugged. "Or maybe the frozen north. I found an old novel from before the Empire disappeared and am currently a little obsessed with frost ponies!" She giggled behind a hoof.

"Obsessed?" One of Cadence's brows arched, a playful little smile on her lips. "But I thought you said you were going to stand by Silent Knight? Have you already changed your mind?"

"What? Oh, no! No, not like that!" Crystal's face turned bright red. "I meant—I just—You see—"

A melodic laugh bubbled up and Cadence tried to cover her mouth before it escaped, but it was too late. "I'm just teasing! Come along, we should get back to dancing before somepony notices."

As they started back toward the crowd of dancing ponies, Shining Armor cleared his throat to get everypony's attention. He stood at the threshold from the balcony back to the main chamber, Silent at his side. "Mares and gentleponies, Silent Knight!"

The crowd cheered and waved for him to join the dance party. Silent lit up with a bright smile as he looked at all of them, nodded, and walked over to join the festivities.

"I got this!" Runic shouted from his spot behind the DJ table and cut off the music rather abruptly. When all eyes were on him, he grinned sheepishly from the suspicious looks he received. "Hey, I said I got this." He flipped a new record into place and dropped the needle.

Soft and slow music drifted out of the speakers and the lights dimmed. Runic winked at Crystal, then walked around the table to go to Miley's side. Shining went to Cadence and greeted her with a loving nuzzle, brushing his neck against hers. Velvet rolled her eyes, then looked up at Princess Luna, who returned the blank stare. They shrugged, then faced one another and swayed with the gentle rhythm.

"Well, Lieutenant," Crystal practically purred as she turned to face her stallion. "It looks like it's time for you to put your training to use."

Silent nodded and bowed low to her, then held up a hoof. "My lady?"

Crystal placed her hoof in his and melted when, with one fluid motion, he rose from his bow to stand on his hind legs and pulled her to him with his free foreleg around her middle. Cadence squealed in delight at the sight and Velvet clapped her hooves, then everypony went quiet to watch when Silent began to lead.

It took everything in her power to not completely melt in his warm, firm embrace. Their eyes were locked as they glided through the steps. She hardly noticed the smiling faces around them; in that moment, everything she was belonged to him.

Oh, if there were a way they could stay like that forever, she would gladly sacrifice whatever it took.

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Silent Knight, Cadet - Part 3 & Epilogue

And with this chapter, we have reached the end of Memoirs. Next chapter begins Secrets of a Royal Guard! :pinkiehappy:

If you enjoy the story so far, please consider taking a look at Anzel and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, an Ask Us form, and rewards for those who support our Patreon.

Keeping Secrets

Crystal took a deep, shaky breath. According to the time, Velvet wouldn't be home for at least two more hours, giving her plenty of time to herself. She glanced around to ensure she was alone before opening a manilla envelope and pulling out the Cosmarepolitan magazine inside. The cover was emblazoned with a mare posed in the most provocative way, the words 'Satisfy Your Stallion' boldly plastered over her lower half.

Her face turned bright red and she quickly opened the magazine to get away from the image only to be presented with another. She swallowed. "This was a bad idea," she muttered, flipping through the pages. Finally, she arrived at the Erotic Shorts section and, after another glance around, started to read.

Just as she wandered into the more dangerous territory, a low, sultry voice whispered in her ear, "Tonight's da night, huh?"

Crystal screamed and whirled the magazine around in her magic to slap the surprise guest in the face. She stared, wide-eyed, as Velvet's laughter turned into coughing. The mare's eyes were droopy and slightly dull and there was a somewhat nasal tone to her voice when she said, "Calm down, 's'just me."

"Wh-what are you doing home?!" Crystal shrieked as she snatched the magazine out of her magic and clutched it close.

Velvet sniffed. "Godda cold. Di'n't go in today." She grinned lopsidedly. "Sooo... ?"

Crystal stared at her with wide eyes. Inwardly, she cursed herself for not thinking to check Velvet's room or just hiding in her own in the first place. "It's not what you think!"

"What isn't?" Velvet's grin widened. "Looks like you're readin' 'bout—"

"N-n-not true!" Crystal squeezed the magazine as though she might force it out of existence, her face turning bright red. "You've got it all wrong!"

"Don't think I do." Velvet raised her kerchief and blew her nose, then continued, "You godda date wif Silent. You're readin' sexy stuff. I can do da math." She gave a cracked, wheezy snicker. "Wan' me to go to my parents' house tonight?"

Crystal shook her head quickly from side to side. "Nope! Not necessary! This is just a date, a normal date!" She jumped off the couch and ran to the kitchen, where she stuffed the magazine into the trash can. "Now, let's get you back in bed, and hopefully your delirious mind will forget all about these absurd notions."

With a small roll of her eyes, Velvet turned and flicked her tail. "Fine, but if you change your mind, I godda lodda advice. Like ignore dose magazines. Bad advice in 'em."

"Not necessary!" Crystal repeated, her voice squeaking. "Back to bed!"

The door shut after a small cackle from the sick mare, and Crystal sighed heavily. Her heart still pounded from the shock, surprise, and embarrassment. After a brisk pace around the living room, she collapsed back onto the couch and buried her face in one of the throw pillows. A high-pitched whine escaped her into the smothering embrace of the pillow until she ran out of breath, and she just laid there with a sense of dread clouding her thoughts.

The bell chimed to announce Crystal's entrance into Sunridge Sweets, but the sound could hardly be heard over the cacophony of ponies talking in all directions. Her eyes widened as she looked around to see the bakery completely full and she approached the counter to ask Pepper Ridge, "What's going on?"

Pepper Ridge beamed at her. "Isn't it great? Since school's out for the day, everypony decided to come here! Looks like you had the same idea, huh?" He winked.

Crystal's ears folded back and she looked around at the busy tables. "It's not great!" She glanced at him when he frowned curiously. "Well, of course, it's great for your business, but I was supposed to meet Silent Knight here for a date."

"Oh!" He frowned. "Really?" He rubbed the back of his neck, glancing around the bakery. "I mean, there is the kitchen, but Sunbeam's rushing about trying to keep up with all the orders. Wouldn't want to get in her way. There is—" He cut himself off with a chuckle. "That is, if you're desperate to have your first date here..."

Crystal twiddled her hooves. "Somewhat. This place is important to me."

Pepper reached across the counter to pat her on the head. "Aren't you just the sweetest? Well, we do have the little table in the corner open."

"The little table in the..." She trailed off when her eyes landed on the small, foal-sized table and chairs that sat unoccupied off to the side. Her skeptical gaze returned to him. "Papa Pepper, you can't be serious."

He shrugged helplessly. "It's all we got left!"

She dropped her face into her hooves, releasing a long groan, before she held her head high and started over to the tiny table. "I'll make do... Somehow."

"Good luck!" he called and she acknowledged him with a bob of her head.

Crystal sat herself at the table. No matter how many different ways of sitting she tried, she felt silly. She finally hunkered low to peer through the forest of hooves and table legs. Not long after, four white hooves moved across the floor and her gaze followed them up to his unmistakable face. "Silent!" she tried to call above the noise. "Over here!"

Silent approached and tilted his head when he saw her at the tiny seating. "Hi?"

Crystal's tail curled around herself bashfully. "Hi. It's, um, rather busy today, it seems. I suppose I forgot that every other student would have the day off, as well."

"I see." Silent stared at the available chairs for a moment, then very carefully lowered himself onto one. "Why do you not have school, again?"

"Some old holiday." She shrugged. "Neighbraham Lincoln Day. My history teacher said he unified..." Her nose scrunched up. "I don't know, but he had a lot of speeches I was supposed to memorize."

Silent arched his brow. "I guess you didn't memorize them very well," he teased.

"Well!" Crystal's ears shot straight up. "I don't find most history lessons very engaging, so..." She pouted. "You're messing with me."

He laughed softly. "I am, I'm sorry." He tried to shift to get more comfortable. Pepper Ridge came over with two cups of tea before he hurried to get back to the other orders. "So, then... How is the writing coming along?"

Crystal flushed and hurried to raise her glass to take a sip in the hopes the heat of the brew would explain her reddened face. "Fine. It's fine. Her Silent Love will be ready to send off soon. I don't have a title for the new one yet, but I'm fairly prepared already."

"The frost pony one, right?" He picked up his cup of tea and took a sip. "Do you need me to arrange a meeting for you and Cobalt?"

She nodded. "That would be wonderful!"

A moment of silence fell between them, though they were surrounded by noise. Silent shifted and nearly slipped out of his little chair.

"I'm so sorry, Silent," she said in a quick voice, guilt causing her to tremble slightly.

He shrugged and replied, "It's okay."

"It's not." She glanced up from the table. "This isn't what I had in mind for our first date at all!"

He shrugged again. Slowly, he picked the cup back up to take another sip, then worked to set it down without knocking it or himself over from the rigid movements.

"I just..." Her ears fell while she looked around. "I just thought it would be fun to have a trip down memory lane, at least for me. You may not remember, but you and your hoofball teammates had come here to celebrate after winning some sort of tournament." She sighed, shook her head, and added in a quiet grumble, "I have no idea where all these ponies are coming from. Sunridge Sweets is never this busy, no offense to Pepper or Sunbeam."

Silent's gaze focused on nothing in particular while he thought for a moment. "Oh." He smiled. "Oh, yeah, senior year. We were unstoppable back then... Didn't know you were here, too. What a coincidence." His gaze returned to her, his smile melting her nerves away. "I'm glad you have a good memory here. Now you'll have a silly one to go with it."

Crystal laughed softly, shaking her head. "Too silly for my liking. Would you like to go?"

"Very much so, yes."

She stood and he followed suit, though he continued to move slowly and carefully. She had to smother a laugh with one hoof at how ridiculous he looked, a large stallion seeming even larger by the tiny furniture. He dropped some bits on the table, then followed her out of the bakery.

"Now where to?" she asked, looking around their surroundings, then at him.

Silent's brow knitted in thought. "Well, Dot and her friends are having a sleepover at my place. I don't want to get in their way." His expression lightened and he glanced up at one of the tall buildings that stood out on the Canterlot skyline. "We could go to the observatory and look at the constellations."

Crystal nodded and smiled. "That sounds like a lovely idea." She paused, then tilted her head. "Why is Dot at your place?"

"Iridescence is on duty later tonight. Winterspear decided to play denmother to the fillies." His ears flattened to the sides as he said in a droll tone, "The place was total chaos. I can't go back. Not after what I've seen. I wasn't aware that four fillies could wreak such havoc in such a short period of time."

A soft laugh bubbled up from her chest. "It's probably wise to stay away, then, especially since you have duty tomorrow." She looped a hoof around his foreleg and shifted closer to him to enjoy what heat she could feel from their closeness in the brisk evening air.

Silent nodded and they started on their way before he stopped suddenly to look down at her. "Wait. We went to secondary school together?"

"Academy," she corrected. "In Canterlot, we call it academy."

He rolled his eyes and playfully retorted, "Calling it an 'academy' doesn't change the fact that it is still secondary school."

She giggled. "Oh, you." She squeezed his foreleg briefly. "Yes, we went to school together." She giggled again. "Although, you were a senior when I was in my first year, and you were always on some team doing something. Usually solo despite being on a team, which I think rather defeats the purpose." Her ears perked up and she gazed up at him, smiling. "You were in my theater club, though."

He furrowed his brow and corrected with a light frown on his lips, "I wasn't in theater club. I built sets."

"Yes, I remember that..." She trailed, her smile lifting into a grin.

"I never realized we were there at the same time," he continued with a small chuckle, "Then again, I never had any friends back then. I just went from team to team, anything to stay fit and work on my group dynamics."

She laughed under her breath. "By group dynamics, you mean in sports. The stallion I remember wasn't exactly known for being very social."

He simply shrugged in response. When they reached the observatory, a sign taped to the front doors read loud and clear in bold lettering: 'Closed for Renovations!'

"Really?" Crystal stuck out her lower lip and her ears drooped low. "I hope this isn't some sort of bad omen. This has been a lousy first date."

He nudged her lightly and said, "I wouldn't call spending time with you lousy. Dates are more about the company, aren't they?"

She paused to think on it for a moment before smiling up at him and nuzzling close. "It sounds like I trained you too well."

He snorted. "We didn't have a class on simply being polite. That is all me." He puffed out his chest, then took a step away from the observatory and gently tugged to guide her away from it. "Come on, let me walk you home."

She sighed, but relented with a nod and allowed him to lead the way. Despite her disappointment, she couldn't really say that she regretted their date. After all, she was walking close to him, her hoof around his foreleg. What more could a mare want?

Her ears shot straight up as her mind jumped back to the morning's magazine perusal, instantly coming up with several ideas of what she might want. She gave her head a quick shake of and did everything she could just to focus on the present.

Before she knew it, they were standing outside the door to her condo. She held onto his foreleg a while longer, not quite ready to call it a night. Her ears perked up and she offered, "Won't you come in for a bit?" She giggled. "I have seating sized for a stallion."

He chuckled. "There has never been a more tempting offer from a mare to a stallion in all recorded history."

She winked over her shoulder as she opened the door and walked inside. "Oh, I can think of more tempting ones. For now I'll just settle on making you tea."

When she went to the kitchen while he sat down on a pillow, her gaze fell on the trash can and she froze. There was no way he would go rooting through her trash, was there? Her face heated up and she shook her head quickly, focusing instead on making tea. "It didn't go quite as I had planned, but I had a nice time with you tonight."

Silent glanced at her with a smile. "Me, too. Besides, I like the way it turned out. You're cute when you pout."

"Pout?" She huffed and shot him a light frown. "A lady does not pout, and neither did I."

He returned the frown with one of his own. "If I take back the part about pouting, then I have to take back the part about you being cute."

They stared at one another, neither giving ground until the tea kettle whistled and she broke off with a small laugh. As she poured the tea into two cups, she said, "Fine, I pouted, but you had best not tell anypony about it. I have a reputation to maintain." She winked as she set his cup in front of him.

"I won't. And thank you." He raised the cup to take a sip.

A strange moment of quiet fell on them. It wasn't exactly awkward, but it wasn't completely comfortable. It simply was, nothing more, nothing less. They sipped their tea and seemed to be testing the situation of being in each other's presence without an agenda.

Crystal swallowed. Perhaps she was mistaken and it was an awkward silence. "You're being quiet."

"Oh? Sorry." Silent smiled, his shoulders lifting and falling in a small shrug. "I guess I'm content with how things are now. They're different. Every time I've been here before it was as a friend or a student. Now I'm not."

"I see." She waved a hoof absently. "Sometimes, things change for the better. I think this would be one of them, myself. Now I don't have to try to subtly hint at my interest in you and embarrass myself when you miss the signals."

They both laughed, and he said, "In my defense, I didn't miss them. I just misinterpreted them. You and Velvet did make a cute couple." He set down his empty teacup and started to stand. "Anyway, I should get back. I'm sure things will go smoothly on our second date. Perhaps a ride through the country?"

Crystal's ears perked up and she tried not to squeal at the delight that surged through her. A second date! She smiled as she sidled up to him. "Yes, please. Although it is rather late and your place is full of fillies. Why don't you stay?"

He stopped and arched his brow. "Stay? But what would the neighbors say?"

She shrugged. "Probably something along the lines of, 'What is that fillyfooler doing with a stallion?' That is what I'd say, although perhaps in more polite terms."

"I see." He laughed, but kept his brow raised. "And you're not worried about having a stallion stay the night?"

She walked toward the front door to secure the bolt, her tail flicking playfully. "You've been a perfect gentlestallion thus far." She looked at him over her shoulder. "Is there something I should know?"

He retrieved his cup and took it to the kitchen, placing it in the sink and turning on the faucet. "Evidently, I snore."

"Oh, yes, you do." She went to the small closet set near the door to retrieve a set of spare blankets. "If you recall, I was at your bedside in the hospital for quite some time. We'll just have to make do. Now, come along, I'll make the couch and deal with the dishes tomorrow. You need your duty sleep and I need my beauty sleep."

"I see." He laughed softly and turned off the faucet to return to the main area. "You shouldn't need too much beauty sleep, I think." He stopped just a pace away from her, his eyes gentle and warm when their gazes met.

"I-I," she stammered, her face heating up, and she hurriedly spread out the blankets and tossed a pillow on the couch. "Good night, Silent Knight." She turned away from him to try and hide her embarrassment as she walked to her bedroom.

"Good night, Crystal Wishes," he said as he climbed onto the couch and pulled the blanket over himself. "Thank you for everything."

"Mm." The door shut behind her and she leaned against it, the sound of her pounding heart filling her ears.

The door to Crystal's bedroom burst open and a newly rejuvenated Velvet stood proudly, the light shining in from behind her making her seem larger than life. Crystal blinked a few times at the vision before groaning. "What?"

Velvet grinned wickedly. "He stayed the night."

"On the couch," Crystal added. "He stayed the night on the couch."

Velvet huffed. "Semantics. The point is he totally stayed the night which means next time it won't be on the couch."

Crystal jolted upright and shot a glare at her. "We've only just started dating!"

"And?" She shrugged, turned on her heel, and pranced out into the living room. "You're the one reading Cosmare, not me."

Her tired eyes widened and she ran after her. "I told you, it's not like that!" Though she intended to only give a light but meaningful tug on Velvet's tail with the aid of magic, an abrupt series of knocks threw her focus to the door and Velvet gave a yelp of pain.

"Crystal!" she whirled around to face her, a mixture of surprise and irritation on her face. "I was just teasing!"

"Magic-jerk reaction!" Crystal exclaimed, then walked to the door. "Who is it?"

"Horsey!" the unmistakable voice squeaked. "Are you two fighting in there?"

"Yes!" Velvet snarled while Crystal yelled, "No!"

There was a pause before Horsey asked, "Can I come in?"

Crystal undid the locks and opened the door, tilting her head when she saw Horsey and Savoir standing at their doorstep, holding hooves. Horsey trembled slightly with visible nerves. "What's wrong, Horsey?"

Velvet walked over, misgivings forgotten. "Horsey?"

Horsey sniffed, but Savoir gave her hoof a reassuring squeeze. She tried to smile. "I-I'm getting married."

Crystal raised her brow. "No offense, but I think I know that."

"No, I mean—"

Crystal lifted a hoof and sighed. "What happened now? Do you have more flower fillies again?"

Savoir cut in, "Mademoiselle Crystal, we—"

"You could just ask him to do something about them." She gestured at Savoir. "I don't mind, but he's just as capable of firing little fillies as I am."

Horsey puffed out her cheeks. "Crystal, it's not flower fillies!"

"Ring bearers?" Crystal arched one brow. "Something wrong with the cake? What is it?"

Vevlet swallowed and nudged Crystal's side with her elbow as Horsey started to look more and more frustrated. "Um, Crystal..."

"I'm not trying to be rude, I just,"—Crystal sighed—"it seems a little excessive to take the train all the way out here for—"

"Oh my gosh, Crystal, shut up!" Velvet clamped a hoof over Crystal's mouth, then smiled at the other mare. "What is it, Horsey, sweetie?"

Horsey took a deep breath, then said quickly, "I can't take the stress anymore so Sav and I are getting married. Today. Right now. So, please come with us?"

Velvet and Crystal gasped, the latter pushing the former's hoof away to exclaim, "What?! Today?! But how?!"

"We shall go to the town hall and sign the papers," Savoir explained. "My brother and you two are here, so it makes sense to wed in Canterlot." He looked down at Horsey with a soft smile. "I wanted a big wedding for ma cherie but it is too much for her. So, we will sign the papers, be wed, and be happy."

"Just... sign papers?" Crystal furrowed her brow, her gaze darting about for an explanation. "But you already bought the dress, ordered the cake and the flowers..."

Horsey shook her head. "I don't care about any of that. I never cared! I thought Sav wanted the big wedding."

"And I thought it was she that would want a big wedding," Savoir added with a small chuckle.

"So," Horsey continued, "I told him the truth and we decided to get married in secret. We'll still do the wedding so the ponies at Ponyville aren't disappointed, but I just want to be married." She leaned against Savoir, smiling softly. "That's all I want." She blinked a few times, then looked back at them. "What were you two fighting about?"

"Huh? Oh." Velvet waved a hoof. "She tugged on my tail too hard, that's all. Water under the bridge. What's more important is that you're going to be a married mare today!"

Horsey giggled. "I am!"

Savoir cleared his throat. "My brother is waiting already at the town hall. Shall we go?"

"Yes!" Velvet bounced forward and the three started to leave. She paused when she noticed Crystal lingering behind. "Crystal? You coming?"

Crystal blinked a few times. "I, yes, I just... didn't expect this." She started to follow along, then came to a halt with a stomp of her hoof. "Oh, you all go on without me! There's something I need to do first!"

Velvet regarded her with a suspicious look and one raised brow. "Uh, okay. Just be quick. This is Horsey's wedding, not yours, so we're not gonna wait for you."

Crystal pivoted on her hind legs and hurried back to the condo. "I'll be there as soon as I can!" She urged her hooves to move as quickly as they could as she ran into her bedroom. Town hall wedding or not, she was determined to make it special.

"Really?" Velvet asked, her tone dripping with disbelief.

Horsey clasped a hoof over her mouth as she struggled against laughter. "C-Crystal..."

"What?" Crystal stuck her nose in the air and posed in the light blue bridesmare's gown. "Horsey picked this dress, and by Celestia, I am going to wear it to the real wedding." Her magic levitated the bag she had brought closer to Velvet. "I brought yours, too, in case you changed your mind."

Velvet pushed the bag away. "No offense, but I think you're crazy."

Crystal huffed as she turned to face Horsey. "Here." A silver tiara rose out of the bag and nestled on top of Horsey's head. "As your mare of honor, it's my privilege to make sure things are perfect. Now, they are."

Horsey finally released the laugh she had been holding back. "Oh, Crystal! You're too much!" She stepped forward and hugged her. "Thank you."

Savoir put a hoof on Horsey's shoulder, smiling when she looked up at him. "Are you ready, mon coeur?"

"I am." She nuzzled against him, then they all walked up the steps and into the town hall.

While Savoir and Horsey waited in line, Velvet and Hors D'oeuvre stood off to the side. Crystal was just behind them, pacing back and forth, worriedly glancing around the building.

Hors glanced down at Velvet and started, "So, you are..."

"Velvet Step. Crazy over there is Crystal Wishes." She offered a hoof. "We haven't really met, have we?"

Hors shrugged. "I have heard many things of you and Crystal through Horsey and Savoir. That is enough to know I am happy they have friends like you two."

Velvet giggled and looked to Crystal to say something, but rolled her eyes instead. "Oh, would you stop pacing already? It's not a test. They can't fail."

Crystal spun around to frown at her. "No, but what if two, three, five, ten years from now, Horsey resents me because I didn't force her to have a proper wedding?"

"A proper wedding?" Hors raised his brow. He stepped closer and used his height to his advantage, nearly leering down at her. "This is their decision. Do you not think what they want is what makes it proper?"

Crystal squeaked and shrunk back. Her ears flattened against her mane, then perked back up when he laughed.

"I tease." His stern look lifted into a smile. "But my point still stands. This is what they want, and I support them."

Crystal sighed. "Of course I support them, I just... wanted this to be perfect for them."

Savoir cleared his throat, drawing Hors and Crystal's attention to himself and Horsey. "It's our time."

They moved from the main area into a small room where a stallion stood on a raised platform. He turned to face them all with a smile. "Good morning. Who is the happy couple?"

"We are!" Horsey responded with a big smile, squeezing Savoir's hoof.

"Then step on up here so we can get you two wed," the stallion said, gesturing at the platform beneath him.

The ceremony was rather simple. The judge gave a standard speech about commitment, but Crystal didn't hear it. Instead, all she could pay attention to was the look of pure love and adoration on Horsey's face as she gazed up at Savoir. They exchanged their vows, kissed, then turned to their witnesses with big smiles as they were presented as wife and husband.

It couldn't have been more perfect.

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Day One

Country Roads

With a triumphant smile, Crystal closed the lid to the wicker picnic basket, a corner of the pink plaid tablecloth that was tucked inside peeking out. She had crafted a perfect picnic to go with what would be a perfect date. To her delight, Silent had arranged for their country ride the weekend after their first date. That he would be eager for another so soon filled her with absolute glee.

She set the basket by the door and hummed her way to the bathroom to make sure everything was still where she had wanted it. Her mane and tail were brushed at least a hundred times each and gone over with an application of Liquid Crystalline, a shine serum that was a little too expensive but worked wonders without weighing the hair down. Her Crystal Empire addiction was going to be the death of her savings, but she'd be the shiniest homeless pony on the street, that was for sure.

After a quick touch-up of her lip gloss and mascara, she turned to head back into the main area and settled herself on a pillow. A book levitated toward her, wrapped in her magic, and she idly opened to where the bookmark indicated to pick up where she had last read.

The door to Velvet's bedroom opened and Velvet wandered out with a loud yawn. "Morning." She paused, blinked a few times, then chuckled. "You're up early."

Crystal huffed lightly. "I am capable of waking up before you. I just choose not to."

"Uh-huh." Velvet flopped onto the pillow beside hers. "You probably didn't wake up because you didn't go to bed in the first place. Did you stay up all night practicing kissing with your Silent Knight doll?" She puckered her lips and smooched the air, then laughed.

"I did and have no such thing, thank you very much." Crystal snubbed her nose and hovered her book between them to break line of sight. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I just got to the good part." At the sound of three knocks on the door, the book dropped almost unceremoniously onto the coffee table. "There he is!"

Velvet snickered. "What happened to the good part?"

"This is the better part, obviously." Crystal's ears flicked and she picked up the picnic basket in her magic. She opened the door, offered Silent Knight a smile in greeting, then looked over her shoulder. "Bye, Velvet!"

Velvet reached out to pick up the book Crystal had discarded, waving the other hoof absently. "Yeah, yeah. You two have a good time. Bring her home in one piece and don't stay out too late. Do anything you want whether I'd do it or not!"

"Oh, hush!" Crystal huffed as she hurriedly shut the door before the mare could continue. "I swear, sometimes..." She sighed, shook her head, and smiled up at Silent again. "Anyway, shall we go?"

Silent nodded. "Yes. I found the perfect spot. I went scouting yesterday to find a nice place for a ride."

"Sounds wonderful." Crystal shivered lightly in anticipation. Depending on the carriage, it could mean some potentially close encounters. As they walked down the stairs, she imagined how wonderful it was going to be, riding through the countryside snuggled up to her stallion...

When they walked out the main doors, she paused and glanced around. There was no carriage in sight. "Are they late?"

Silent stopped a few paces ahead, turning to look at her. "Is who late? Oh." His ears lowered some. "Did you invite somepony else along?"

"What? No! I would never!" She furrowed her brow. "I just meant, is the carriage late."

"The carriage?" He mirrored her confused expression.

"Yes, the carriage." She gestured between them. "To take us on a ride."

There was a pause before he simply replied, "Oh."

"Oh?" Her forehead almost hurt from the further knitting of her brows.

"I, well." He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "I meant a ride."

Crystal's head started to tilt. "And so do I. A ride, in a carriage, to see the countryside."

Silent fidgeted slightly, a small, awkward laugh escaping him. "I meant a ride as in a run."

"A run?" Her eyes widened. "Well, that..." She trailed, trying to find the right words. "That's certainly a first." She laughed her surprise away and stepped toward him with a small smile. "Let's go for a run, then."

A look of relief washed over his expression and his confidence returned, his shoulders squared, and his head lifted. "Climb on and hold onto your picnic basket, then." His wings spread out and slightly forward to expose the whole of his back.

"On your—Are we going flying?!" The question came out more like a squeal and she was not ashamed to admit she bounced up and down a little. He nodded and giggles bubbled up from her chest as she started to climb onto his back, then froze. "Um, how exactly do I do this?"

He shrugged. "However's comfortable. We won't be going too fast. We have all day, after all."

She stared at him, working out various positions in her head until she settled on what seemed the easiest, albeit the least ladylike. Rising up onto her hind legs, she braced her front against him, pushed herself up, and swung one hind leg around to straddle his middle. The idea of the word 'straddle' brought a flush to her cheeks, but she shoved the notion away and instead focused on hugging the picnic basket to her chest.

"All set?" he asked, inclining his head to look up at her, smiling when she nodded. "Then we're off!"

She squeaked when he trotted forward and braced herself with her free forehoof clutching his shoulder. Nerves kicked in and clenched the pit of her stomach. What if she fell? What if she gripped him too tightly? What if she dropped the picnic basket?

When she opened her eyes, she squeaked again. They were already airborne and with a few more flaps of his wings, they lifted higher and higher.

"We're flying!" she exclaimed, staring down at the ground that grew further away in awe.

He laughed. "We are!"

They rose above the taller buildings and a breeze ruffled through her mane. She took a sharp intake of air at the sight. Sure, she had been on an airship before with her grandparents when she was a filly, but it was nothing like being flown on the back of a pegasus. The whole of Equestria lay before her in all directions as far as she could see, beautiful expanses of fields giving way to dark forests, mountains cropping up like magnificent guardians of the lands at their bases.

"It must be amazing to be a pegasus," she said in a breathless voice. "I wish I had wings."

"I take it for granted sometimes," he admitted, "but it kind of is. Magic is pretty amazing, too, though."

Crystal shook her head. "Not like this. At least, not mine. Perhaps if I was capable of more spells." He flew them near a cloud and she wrapped the basket in her magic just long enough to free her foreleg. She reached out and touched the cloud, which felt like little more than a light mist. "I would trade it for flight, I think."

They crested over the Unicorn Range and rolling hills came into view. "Really?" He chuckled. "Then you'd have to write all your novels with your mouth. It's not very convenient."

She hummed in thought. "Perhaps I would make friends with a unicorn and hire them so I could dictate my stories."

"That could work. Anyway, how does there look?" He pointed to a valley below, nestled between mountains that sheltered it from winter's snow. "I saw it yesterday and thought it'd be perfect."

"Seems as good as any place." She giggled. "This is all new to me, you know."

He angled forward just enough to begin their descent. "I hope you like it. I do. It's... Well, it's different. Just like flying is different, running is different. Feeling the wind beneath your wings or the earth beneath your hooves. It's nice to get out from the towering buildings and off the hard cobblestone streets."

"I never thought of it that way before," she mused quietly, smiling.

After he landed on a flat stretch of grass, she slipped off his back and looked to him for an indication of what to do. He stretched out his legs so, while the picnic basket hovered beside her, she followed suit. Crystal felt her muscles tense before a warmth spread through them as though they had been waiting for her to do that all along.

Silent shook out his coat before he started a brisk trot forward. "Always warm up first," he explained as she followed alongside him. She had to add an extra step to her gait to keep up with his. "You'll hurt yourself if you don't."

"Right." She nodded. "Velvet always stretches before she goes off to practice. She just stretches more there, but she takes her physical health so seriously. I think she'd be lost without ballet."

Their talking subsided when Silent started to canter and Crystal's focus went to her unsteady breathing. A mare like her who spent most days sitting on a pillow was not exactly suited for physical exercise, but she was determined to keep up with him. This clearly meant something to him and, by proxy, it meant something to her.

Once she got into a rhythm, her mind was freed up to appreciate their surroundings. A cold breeze swept across her coat, a welcome reprieve from the hot sweat that was already starting to bead around her sides and flank. The air she breathed in was fresh, clean, and tinged with the crisp taste of winter. Most of all, it was quiet. Her ears could pick up the sound of wind rustling the few leaves that clung on to their branches, but other than their hoofsteps and breathing, it was perfectly serene.

The sun came out from behind a cloud and warmed their backs, urging them onward. A surge of excitement shot through her and she broke into a full gallop, darting across his path and calling over her shoulder, "Warm up time is over! Show me what you're made of, then!"

He laughed between breaths and chased after her, though he remained a few paces behind. She urged her legs to move faster, knowing that if he were so inclined he could easily catch up and pass her. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst, but she couldn't help herself. It truly was fun to throw all caution to the wind and run like she had never run before.

She gasped for air and tried to tease, "You—You must not be—be very fit for a guard if—if I can outrun you!"

The thundering sound of his hooves fast approaching startled a squeal out of her that turned into laughter when he tackled her. The picnic basket dropped onto the ground when the concentration was broken, but managed to land right-side up. His forelegs wrapped around her and he tucked his body under hers so that when they hit the ground, he broke the fall. As the momentum carried them further, his wings curled around the both of them to keep her from harm, but once they slowed down he let go. She tumbled onto the grass beside him, laughing and panting at the same time.

"You were right," she finally said once she caught her breath, rolling her head to the side to beam at him. "Running—is exhilarating." Her head lolled to the other side and she raised a tired, trembling hoof to point at a nearby tree. "Lunch?"

He nodded. "Sounds good." With a small grunt, he pushed himself up onto all fours, then helped her to her hooves. "What did you pack?"

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that." Her magic retrieved the picnic basket from where it had fallen and they walked up the small hill to rest under the shade of the oak tree. She set the picnic basket down, spread out the blanket, and listed the items off as they were lifted out, "Dandelion and avocado sandwiches, some fruit, a couple muffins... If I had known we were going for a ride I would have packed more protein. Oh, and some cucumber water, though the ice may have melted." She squinted at the clear liquid, a few slices of cucumber floating within. "Correction. The ice has definitely melted."

"That's all right. Cold or not, I could really use a drink." He took one of the bottles from the pink aura and twisted the cap off. After a long, slow sip, he smiled down at the food. "Wow. You really went all out. Is that a pasta salad?"

She nodded and pushed the covered bowl toward him. "I just used olive oil and some seasoning. I didn't want to include anything that might spoil, but I know how much you like it."

He picked up a fork and took a bite of pasta and tomato, his eyes closing briefly in food bliss. "It's delicious!"

She smiled, retrieving one of the small sandwiches for herself. "I'm glad." Her head turned to look out across the idyllic scenery. "This was a wonderful idea."

"Good. I was a little worried back there when you said you were expecting a carriage." He chuckled and paused for another bite. "I thought maybe I had screwed up and we hadn't even started the date yet."

"What is it a very wise pony told me before?" She tapped her hoof to her chin in mock thought. "Something about dates being more about the company?"

He grinned much like a sheepish young colt. "I guess a wise pony did say that."

"A very wise pony," she corrected, giggling.

Companionable silence fell on them as they ate until Silent broke it by saying, "I know I don't have a lot of dates under my belt, but I think this is the best yet. It really helps that you're simple."

A small snort of surprise escaped her and her brow arched. "Simple?"

His eyes widened. "Oh, no, that's not what I meant! Not simple. Um, easy?" When her expression didn't change, he rubbed the back of his neck. "No good? Worse? Sorry, I just mean, you're easy to be around. I don't feel like everything's a test. Well, except for this. Am I still failing?"

Finally, she laughed and reached out to pat his hoof. "It's okay, I understand. I'm glad you think I'm simple." She winked. "It's a good thing you can't read minds."

"Why is that?" He tilted his head.

"Oh, you'd realize how very wrong you were if you could." She laughed again. "Sometimes I think I'm crazy with all the things that go through my head."

A frown crossed his lips. "I doubt you're crazy. You're a writer. It's probably just necessary for that."

Her horn lit up to pluck a grape off the bunch resting on a plate and floated it over to him. He paused, then accepted it and while he chewed, she said, "Maybe so. Still, I'm just happy to be with you, even if I do fantasize a little too much for my own good."

There was a pause as he seemed to consider her words more seriously than she had meant. He nodded just as she started to get nervous. "I understand. I'll try to be more romantic."

"No, you won't." She waggled a scolding hoof at him. "I didn't mean it that way. I like you the way you are! I didn't say I'd fantasize less, did I?" She tossed her mane over her shoulder and smiled. "I'm not going to change, so I'm not expecting you to, either. Just be you, okay?"

Another pause and another eventual nod. "If you're sure. You do write about stallions pretty different from me, you know."

She plucked another grape and offered it to him, pushing it a little forcefully against his lips. He chuckled and opened his mouth to take it, but she tugged it just out of reach when he bit down. "If I wanted a different stallion, I think I would have given up months ago."

"Months ago, huh?" He chomped at the grape again, successfully this time. His ears wiggled triumphantly as he enjoyed his hard-earned snack.

"If I recall correctly," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, snubbing her nose at him, "I developed a crush on you just after the changeling attack."

He swallowed and blinked a few times. Open surprise showed on his face. "Wow, really? That's kind of more than a few months. That's..." He shook his head. "Really?" When she nodded, he continued, "That's embarrassing. I really had no idea this whole time." He looked down at the remaining food and picked up a sandwich to literally chew over his thoughts.

The expression he had was contemplative, so she sat still and waited, nerves starting to flutter in her chest. Perhaps that was a detail she should have kept to herself.

Surprisingly, once he seemed to make up his mind, he laughed. "So I guess that really does mean I don't have to change." A playful grin tugged at the corners of his lips though he tried to hide it behind the sandwich he held in both hooves. "I could ignore you and you'd be happy."

"That's not true!" She puffed out her cheeks. "Fine, perhaps I want you to change a little bit. Happy?"

"I am." He finished off the sandwich before he said, "I feel pretty happy knowing I had a mare like you waiting for me that long."

The pout faded into a smile as she teased, "A simple mare, you mean?" She laughed when he nodded. "Well, you were worth the wait, it seems." She started to put the empty plates into the picnic basket. "I don't think any other stallion would have asked me on a running date. To think, I might have gone my whole life without doing this!"

"We should do this again, then, if you liked it that much. But," he raised a hoof almost plaintively, "next time, how about I just take you to dinner?"

Next time. He said the words so effortlessly that she nearly giggled herself silly. "That would be nice, too, I think."

No Doubt

Frost ponies were easy to spot in the middle of just about any crowd, so Crystal had no trouble finding him at the cafe. He sat at a table furthest away from anypony else, his back straight and rigid, eyes and ears forward.

Crystal had to giggle to herself as the excitement bubbled up in her chest. A real, honest-to-goodness frost pony was sitting at a cafe in Canterlot. After having read The Winter Soldier so many times, it almost seemed comical to her. He belonged in the Frozen North, the bitter wind whipping through his lionesque mane, looking out into a blizzard...

She shook her head quickly to clear it, returning her attention to the present. "Hi!" she called just before approaching the table. "You're Cobalt Thane, am I correct?"

Cobalt nodded.

She smiled and sat across from him. "I'm Crystal Wishes."

"I know." He stared at her, his expression void of emotion.

She waited a moment, then pressed, "Have you ordered already?"

He shook his head.

A twinge of annoyance shot through the back of her mind, but was quickly replaced by a nostalgic warmth. It was theater club all over again, except this time, she couldn't speak for the stallion. "Well, then, let's order first before we get down to business, as they say."

He nodded and levitated his menu, drawing her attention to the horn atop his head.

"So, would they call you a frost unicorn?" she asked, glancing at him over her own menu.

"No." His gaze remained firmly on the selection of sandwiches.

Her mouth tightened as she struggled against a frown. "Just a frost pony with a unicorn horn, then?"

He paused, then shook his head. "Just a frost pony."

"I see." Her magic clenched the menu a little too tightly. She coughed when she noticed the edges starting to crease, and forced a smile.

This was going to be the longest lunch of her life.

Crystal groaned as she dropped the book and rubbed her eyes with both hooves. "I don't understand."

"How can you not understand?" Velvet looked up from the magazine she held. "That's like, your fifth time reading that stupid thing."

"No, not that." Crystal tossed the book onto the coffee table, staring at it as though it had offended her honor. "Suddenly, the frost stallion's stoic behavior is so very... annoying." She flopped onto her side to give her back to the world. "Now what am I going to do? I can't even read The Winter Soldier without thinking about Cobalt and how awfully awkward that lunch was." Her ear flicked in agitation.

Velvet dropped her gaze back to the article she had been reading. "Isn't your job as a writer to take the unromantic and make it romantic?"

The ear flicked again. "There has to be some kind of spark to get my creative interest piqued, and that stoic rock of a stallion quelled my fire."

A long, drawn-out sigh groaned from Velvet as she slapped her magazine shut. "Oh, then just focus on your other story about Silent Knight, jeeze! Isn't there a lot of fire going on for you there? I mean, you practically finished it before you started chasing this frost pony stuff."

Crystal rolled over to shoot Velvet a curious look. "Forgive the Horseyism, but what kind of bee is in your bonnet?"

Velvet's lips twitched into a lopsided grin. "Horseyism? You know 'bees in the bonnet' was a thing before Horsey said it, right?"

"Yes, well, I never heard it until she said it." She snorted. "And don't change the subject." She waggled a stern hoof in the mare's direction.

Velvet rolled her eyes. "You changed the subject to bonnets first. What happened to Her Silent Love, anyway? I haven't seen you touch the manuscript since you started dating Silent."

Crystal's gaze darted away and she curled her tail around herself, frowning. "It's, well, it's almost complete. I just need to go through it one more time, that's all."

"Uh-huh. And when are you going to do that?" When Crystal merely shrugged in reply, Velvet sighed. "Fine, whatever. It's your life, not mine. I'm sure I'll be taking care of the rent on my own soon enough, anyway, so I'll just get used to that now while you go broke."

"I feel like you're trying to say something to me." Crystal sat up and looked at her again, the frown deepening. "Why don't you just get it off your chest already?"

Velvet opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Instead, her ear swiveled around, followed by her head. "Did you hear that?"

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Oh, real mature, Velvet. I—"

"No, seriously, listen!" Velvet's brow furrowed. "I swear I heard something like a really loud chicken."

"A really loud chicken?" Crystal stared with disbelief clear on her face until the very distinct sound of a chicken screeching hit her ears. "Okay, I heard it this time." She blinked a few times, stepped off the couch, and walked over to the window.

Out in the near distance of Canterlot, several oversized cockatrices loomed above the buildings, seeming to be on some sort of rampage. Crystal just stared for a moment, then dropped the curtain back into place.

Velvet waited until the city alarm filled the silence. "Well?"

"Nope." Crystal took a step backwards.

"Nope?"

"Nope, nope, nope." Crystal's horn lit up and grabbed onto Velvet's hoof, tugging her as Crystal trotted toward the front door. "Nope!"

Velvet frowned and tried to struggle against the pink aura enveloping her hoof, but rather than risk injuring herself, she followed behind the mare. "The hay does 'nope' mean? What did you see?"

Crystal shook her head and started down the stairs at a brisk pace. "Nope means I'm just not dealing with this. I'm not dealing with that, with this, with anything."

"Oh my gosh, is this because—"

"Nope," Crystal interrupted and they skidded to a halt in front of a reinforced steel door where the old but sturdy wooden basement door used to be. Crystal tilted her head at the sight of it. "This is new."

Velvet sighed, rubbing her hoof when Crystal released it. "They installed it after the changeling attack. Didn't you read the newsletter?"

Crystal shrugged, then tested the door. It didn't budge. "Hello?" she called, knocking. "Anypony in there?"

A slot in the center of the door slid open and a pair of eyes peeked at them. "Who's that?" Earl Grey paused, then smiled. "Oh, Crystal and Violet!"

Velvet frowned and begrudgingly corrected, "Velvet. We've met like, hundreds of times now."

The sound of metal sliding against metal followed as Earl undid the locks and latches until the door swung open. "Come on in! You saw 'em too, eh?"

"Saw what?" Velvet glanced between them as Crystal nodded and they walked inside. "I didn't get to see anything."

Earl chuckled and followed them down the stairs. "Never seen anything before in my life like it. Glad we renovated the basement when we did."

Velvet whined, "What is 'it'?!" She paused when they reached the basement proper, blinking a few times. "Oh, wow, that's a big change."

The whole basement had been completely refurbished to look more like a small town bar. The hard concrete was replaced by plush carpet, a few benches and tables lined one side of the room, and a small serving station took up the other side. There were bottles of apple cider and barrels of water at the ready, as well as sacks of potatoes, a small crate of apples, and a couple barrels of oats and barley.

"We could live down here for days!" Velvet grinned, then dropped back into a sulking frown. "Which I hope isn't necessary due to the unseen terror that forced us down here. And, by the by, that is... ?"

Crystal sat down on one of the benches and levitated an apple over, offering it to Velvet. "Cockatrices."

Velvet peered at her over the bobbing red apple. "Aren't those primarily a problem in scary dark forests, and we're on the side of a mountain?"

"Not when they're of astronomical proportions." Crystal waved her forelegs high in the air and far apart. "They were huge! Taller than the buildings!"

Velvet's brow arched. "Uh-huh. Giant cockatrices." She turned her head to look at Earl Grey. "So, what are we hiding from?"

"Giant cockatrices," Earl Grey replied with a nod.

Velvet took a bite out of the floating apple and chewed very slowly as she glanced between them. "Right." Her attention shifted to a couple sitting off to the side at a different table. "And what are you all hiding from?"

The couple offered quietly, "Giant cockatrices."

"I see." Velvet stood there a moment before her eyes widened. "Wait, so there are seriously giant cockatrices wreaking havoc on the town right now?!"

Crystal, Earl Grey, and the couple all nodded. Velvet plucked the apple out of the air and walked over to sit beside Crystal. "Wow. That's kind of too ridiculous to believe."

"Thus why I decided to say nope." Crystal patted her on the back. "In the meantime, you can tell me all about your bonnet bees."

Velvet recoiled away from her, glaring. "Can't you just drop it?"

"Nope." Crystal smiled brightly.

Velvet rolled her eyes and took an emphatic, almost angry bite out of the apple. "You want to know what's bothering me? Seriously, you can't figure it out yourself?"

Crystal paused to think it over, then quietly replied, "Is this about Silent Knight and me?"

"It's about how there's no you and me anymore," Velvet snapped. "You go to school, you go on dates, you sit on the couch and read, you go off to do wedding stuff. There's no us anymore and it's kind of pissing me off!"

"Oh, no," the older mare sitting nearby mumbled just loud enough to be heard. She covered her mouth with a hoof. "Did you two break up?"

"What?" Velvet and Crystal responded at the same time and shook their heads.

"We didn't break up!" Velvet furrowed her brow.

"Not at all," Crystal agreed. "We weren't dating in the first place!"

The mare lowered her hoof to her chest. After an awkward moment of silence, she asked, "Are you sure?"

Velvet glared at her. "I think we'd know!" She turned to face her back to the mare and chomped on the apple.

Crystal sighed, returning her attention to her friend and rubbing a hoof to her temple. "I don't know what to tell you, Velvet. I don't know what you want to hear."

"I don't, either," Velvet bit back, her ears pressed flat against her mane. "But whatever it is, I need to hear it." She sniffed and wrung her hooves in her lap. "I just want some kind of proof that we're going to be friends no matter what."

"Proof?" Crystal stared at her, expression blank. "How? Why can't you just trust me that you're too important to me to lose?"

Velvet stomped a hoof against the floor. "I don't know, I just—"

"I'll break up with him."

Velvet's ears shot straight up and she jerked her head to look at Crystal. "What?!"

Crystal returned the surprised look with a serious one, her lips taut and her brow knitted. "I'll break up with him if that's what it takes. Velvet, you're my very best friend in the whole world. I can find another knight. I can't find another you."

They sat in awkward silence while Velvet's face shifted through all sorts of conflicted emotions. Her ears flicked up and back, her brow twitched, and her lips tugged in all directions until her eyes glossed over with tears. "Don't be stupid. You waited on him for a year."

Crystal jabbed her hoof lightly but meaningfully against Velvet's chest. "And we've been friends much longer than that, but a year qualifies him as important?"

"I..." Velvet sniffed and continued in a fragile whisper, "I just have these ugly emotions sometimes, and I don't understand them, and I'm scared you'll hate me if you knew I had them. I can't remember life without you and I don't know if I ever want to know what that's like, and sometimes, I hate Silent because he might take you away from me."

Crystal jabbed her again. "So then do something about it. Either tell me to break up with him, or tell me to pay attention to you. If you're feeling neglected or lonely or jealous, just say something!"

"I don't want you to break up with him," Velvet said firmly, pushing the hoof away. "It's stupid and confusing but no matter what I'm totally happy for you. You two deserve each other. I just... I just don't want to be forgotten in your fairy tale ending."

"Okay, then that means I'll be more attentive and take you on a date from time to time." Crystal's face lit up with a smile. "I can give both of you my affection!"

Velvet winced and glanced at the mare staring at them. She tried to smile, but the mare simply nodded with misguided understanding. "You're really not helping our case, you know."

Crystal giggled, reaching out and wrapping her forelegs around Velvet. "Aww, don't be shy after we just had a moment! We should be closer than ever now!"

"That's exactly the problem!" Velvet squirmed, but to no avail, as Crystal just held on tighter.

"We can start right now! This will be our first 'renewed best friends forever' date!"

Velvet finally got a hoof between them and shoved Crystal away. "If this is your idea of a date, then I weep for Silent Knight!"

They stared at each other a moment before Velvet broke into laughter first, followed shortly thereafter by Crystal. When they lulled into companionable silence, Velvet rubbed at her eyes and offered into the quiet between them, "I'm sorry."

Crystal looped a foreleg around her and pulled her closer. "Why?"

"I don't know why I'm so scared of losing you. I can't explain it." She sniffed.

"Because we've been friends forever"—Crystal squeezed her shoulder—"but we've never really had any hurdles to jump. If this is our first real hurdle, then it's a pretty easy one, seeing as the solution is I just make sure you know you're not forgotten. I can do that."

Velvet sighed and closed her eyes, tucking her head in the crook of Crystal's neck. "I can jump. I'm pretty good at jumping, you know. I can do a split in mid-air, even."

Crystal giggled. "Yes, yes. Now let's just hope we still have a place to go home to when this cockatrice business is over." The air grew tense as she continued in a somber tone, "I hope nopony gets hurt."

"It'll be fine. I'm sure Silent Knight is out there leading his guards into a valiant victory and everything will be just fine."

Crystal sighed and looked up at the ceiling that separated them from the potential chaos above. With her own safety and Velvet's emotional state on her mind, she had almost forgotten that Silent would be out there defending the city. Quietly, she mumbled, "I hope you're right."

It seemed like forever had passed until the thundering of giant cockatrices moving around Canterlot came to a halt. The ponies in the basement all glanced around at one another until Earl Grey broke away from the pack to head up the stairs. They all waited in nervous silence until the door creaked open. A few moments later, he called down to them, "All's clear!"

"How does it look?" Crystal asked as she started up the stairs.

"Could be worse, I suppose," Earl replied with a sigh from where he stood, waiting just by the door. He shook his head. "At least most of the building is still standing."

One of the cockatrices must have stumbled into the building from the looks of it. Off to the right, the front lobby was caved in, the hall was blocked off on one end, and the stairs were littered with rubble. The view to the left, however, looked as though nothing had happened. While the other ponies ascended from the basement, Velvet and Crystal stood off to the side and out of the way.

"Thank Celestia we live over there," Velvet whispered to Crystal, who nodded in response.

"Let's see." Crystal tapped her chin, brow furrowed in thought. "I'll check on the condo while you check in with your parents and make sure they're all right. Mother and Father are in Manehattan for a fashion show, so they're fine, unless cockatrices attacked there, too."

Velvet shook her head. "I'll come up with you and then we can go together. Mom and Dad have a pretty cozy storage room under the bakery, so I'm sure they're fine." Her ears folded back, but she tried to smile. "Besides, I don't want you to be up there crying all alone in case something happened to your books."

Crystal nodded and they walked over to the stairs, very carefully making their way around the rubble. Same as the first floor, the view to one side was a disaster, and the other was perfectly fine. As they started down the hall, Crystal's ear flicked at the distinct sound of her name being called. "Strange. I swear I just heard Silent Knight."

"Isn't that what being in love is like?" Velvet nudged her side. "Seeing his face and hearing his voice everywhere?"

"Crystal!" Silent's voice rang out from the direction of their condo.

Velvet blinked. "Huh. Either he's really here or I'm in love with him, too."

Crystal's pace quickened and she stopped in the doorway, the door already open. In the darkness, a figure stood with their back to her. She could hear heavy, frantic breathing in the stillness before she spoke up. "Hello? Silent Knight, is that you?"

There was movement as the distinctly Silent Knight figure turned. He tore off his helmet and dropped it to the floor as he rushed toward her, the panic on his face overtaken by relief and he swept her into his embrace. Her eyes widened in surprise when his lips met hers and at first, her body reacted with a euphoric shock that coursed through her, sending tingles from the tips of her hooves all the way to her ears. The wave of electricity receded into blissful calm and she melted against him, her eyelids fluttering before they closed and she wrapped her forelegs around his neck.

Silent pulled back and they gazed at each other for a moment before she whispered, "I don't know exactly what happened today, but if this is the result then good or bad, I think I approve."

Off to the side, Velvet released a squealing aww, her hooves raised in an attempt to hide the grin on her face.

A sigh of relief escaped Silent and he tightened his grip on her. "I'm so glad you're all right. I was worried about you. Both of you... but, you."

Crystal still felt breathless, but swallowed her butterflies and smiled. "We're fine, Silent Knight, see?" She leaned up to nuzzle his cheek. "We're both fine, not a single scratch. And I'm happy to see you are, too."

Silent hesitated a moment before he finally let go of her. "I have to check in on the others," he said while retrieving his helmet and putting it on. "Be careful in here. A lot of your things have fallen off the shelves or toppled over and I think I spied some broken glass." He paused just in front of Crystal on his way out the door. "I'll come back for you later. All right?"

She nodded. "All right, I'll be here." She softly touched her nose to his. "Go be a hero."

He smiled and trotted out the door, leaving Crystal and Velvet alone.

Slowly, the butterflies returned and Crystal giggled. "He kissed me." She dropped down onto her hind legs to free her front ones. She touched her heated cheeks and pinched them to ensure it wasn't a dream. It wasn't. "Velvet, he kissed me!"

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on already." She walked over to the nearest mess and set about cleaning up. "It was just a kiss. I mean, it looked like a pretty good one, but—"

"I don't think you understand," Crystal interrupted, tracing her lower lip with her hoof, smiling softly. "That was our first kiss."

While Velvet gawked before bursting into excited squeals, Crystal just sat there, her mind swirling with dumbfounded glee. The shock, surprise, and bliss of that moment all melded together and she felt warmth spread throughout her chest at the mere recollection.

Pieces of the Puzzle

Crystal sighed, tilting her head one way, then the other. All she had written for the last chapter for Her Silent Love was sprawled out on the floor in front of her. She had sent the draft off to Reindom House for editing, but she wasn't happy with how it ended. For some reason, it bothered her so much that she couldn't stop reading it over and over. Should it just end at the happily ever after? Or continue one or two chapters further to show after the happily ever after?

"Morning, Crystal!" Velvet called when she walked out of her bedroom and toward a pillow.

Crystal glanced up from her papers with a smile. "Good morning. The kettle's still hot, if you'd like some."

Velvet nodded, changing course to head instead into the kitchen. "What are your plans today? Let me guess. Date with Silent Knight?" She giggled. "That's the only reason why you get up early on a weekend."

"I'll have you know, I have plans to meet with Raven this afternoon." She paused, then added quietly, "And then I have a date with Silent Knight. It's a double date, actually, with Runic and Miley." She tilted her head. "I'm not sure how late we'll be out. Would you like me to make you something for dinner and leave it in the fridge?"

"Nah." While her tea cooled, Velvet set about spreading jam on a piece of bread. "I've got plans to eat out tonight, so don't worry about me."

Crystal blinked a few times, then nodded. "All right." She took a sip of her tea before cleaning up her mess and reorganizing the living room to make space for Velvet's morning stretches.

"Thanks." After she finished off her breakfast, Velvet walked over to the center of the living room and stretched out her legs.

Crystal climbed onto the couch and watched Velvet go through her morning routine. The fascination Crystal felt for how limber she was never faded or lessened despite all the years. Velvet could hold positions that Crystal couldn't even fathom.

Velvet glanced over to see the stack of papers on the table, her ears perking with interest. "Working on your Silent story?"

"Oh, well." Crystal shrugged. "The Crystal Empire can wait, so I sent this one off yesterday. There's no need to strike while the iron's hot, per se, as there are already several novels out. I think I'd rather see what the readers are interested in than jumping on the bandwagon, as they say."

"Good for you. I was beginning to think you would waste a perfectly good story." Velvet tucked one hind leg in and stretched the other straight into the air. "That scene where they meet under the moonlight is pretty steamy."

Crystal furrowed her brow. "What? There's no—" She choked and an almost painful heat spread from her neck to the tips of her ears and she shrieked, "There's no such scene!"

Velvet turned her head to grin wickedly at her. "Oh, I guess you're right. That was something else I read."

"S-something else, indeed!" Crystal tried to preoccupy herself by shuffling and stacking the papers. "I would never write such a thing!"

"Uh-huh." Velvet's ears wiggled. "You know, I've been reading your stuff since we were fillies. I think I can recognize your writing style by now."

Crystal slammed the papers on the desk, jumped from the couch, and marched to the door. "I think I'll take a stroll before I meet up with Raven! I'll see you tomorrow!"

When she slammed the door shut, Velvet's intentionally loud laughter could be heard from the other side and Crystal buried her face in her hooves. She was doomed. Absolutely doomed. There was no way in Tartarus Velvet was going to let her live this one down.

Crystal groaned with painful satisfaction as skilled hooves kneaded the knots in her back. "You don't know how happy I am that the spa was not damaged in the cockatrice attack," she purred.

Golden Fish giggled. "Us, too."

"Did you see the newspapers?" Crystal turned her head to look over at Raven while the spa ponies worked their magic. "'The Royal Guard Saves the Day', the headlines say." She giggled.

"It was rather impressive," Raven mumbled, her eyes closed in bliss. "They—oh—yes, there, please."

Conch Shell rubbed her hoof in a circle and when Raven moaned, she smiled. "Yes, you do always carry your stress in your shoulders."

"I'm surprised there weren't any fatalities with the damage the cockatrices did. Also," Crystal furrowed her brow, "why were there giant cockatrices?"

Raven snorted. "The Secretariat Comet passed over. Its proximity affects magical creatures, though the effects vary depending on magical prowess. I felt nothing, but from what I heard, the more attuned unicorns at the School for Gifted Unicorns caused their own little chaos. It seems that the cockatrices were particularly affected and decided to siege Canterlot."

"I see." A small shiver ran down Crystal's spine. "But they didn't turn ponies to stone, did they? Isn't that their power?"

"Princess Celestia explained that the increase in size made it difficult for them to focus on then-comparatively small objects such as ponies," Raven mumbled while Shell continued to massage her tense shoulders. "Would you believe that both princesses decided to charge into the fray?" She snickered. "I should have invited Willow here, now that I think about it. I thought she would quit right there on the spot."

Crystal's ears twitched. "Well, I suppose all's well that ends well. Now, we should get down to business." She took a breath and steeled herself for what was to follow. "You mentioned you had news about the wedding?"

"Oh, yes." Raven opened her eyes, which creased at the corners when she smiled brightly. "I'd like to push the wedding back a month."

"When you say 'back', do you mean—"

"To the day before Hearts and Hooves." A blush showed through her off-white coat. "I was thinking about it, and that's when Moore proposed, so we'd like to go on our honeymoon a year after he proposed. It's a little bit of a romantic whimsy, so I hope you won't mind."

Crystal jolted upright, but Fish pushed her back down. "Not at all! In fact, I think it's an absolutely wonderful idea! I'll set about rescheduling everything. I'm sure it won't be a problem, given who you are." She giggled. "There are benefits to being you, aren't there?"

Raven shrugged just enough to not interrupt Shell's work. "I suppose there are, aren't there?"

After their allotted ninety minutes were over, Raven released a heavy but satisfied sigh as they walked out into the lobby. "Thank you so much, Crystal." She looked at the other mare with a smile. "We should do lunch sometime with no wedding agenda."

"Sounds good." Crystal paused, catching sight of Rossby behind the counter. She waved idly to Raven. "I'll see you later."

Crystal tilted her head. Rossby's attention was firmly focused on a book in front of him while he nibbled on the pencil held in his mouth. He hadn't greeted her sarcastically when she came in; in fact, he didn't even seem to know she was there at all.

"Afternoon, Rossby," she said as she approached the front desk. "What are you working on?"

Rossby glanced up at her over his glasses. He spat out the pencil and replied, "Homework."

"Oh?" Her ears perked and her head tilted. "Really?"

He raised his brow. "Yes, really. Why would I lie about doing homework? Ponies only lie about not doing homework, you know."

"No, no, it's not that." She giggled behind a hoof, shaking her head. "I just assumed you had already graduated. I don't think I've ever seen you at school."

"Well, I'm still in school." With a small snort, he picked his pencil back up and returned to working on the sheet in front of him.

Crystal waited a moment before she leaned forward to peer at his work. "Oh." She blinked a few times. It was a sheet of mathematic equations and even though math wasn't her strong suit, they were surprisingly simple. "Oh..." Her ears folded back. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize—"

He spat the pencil out again. "Realize what? That I was doing homework and don't really want to chat?"

"Sorry." She winced, taking a small step back. "Look, it's all right. I'm not very good at math, either. You don't need to be embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?" His irritated expression lifted into light confusion. "What are you talking about? Why would I be embarrassed? I'm in the advanced class."

She just stared at him while the gears ground to a halt in her mind. With a sputtering jolt, they spun back up and then clicked into place. "Wait. Are you... You don't go to Canterlot Academy, do you?"

Rossby's brow knitted. "No. I'm in middle school." When Crystal gawked, he rolled his eyes and continued, "Yes, I know. I look old for my age. I'm so mature. You're so surprised and shocked. Can I get back to my homework now?"

Unable to process this new information, she just nodded and backed away toward the door. "Good talk! I'll see you later, Rossby! Good luck with your homework!"

The door closed behind her and she sighed, shaking her head. She would have to sort out that confusion later; if she didn't hurry, she would be late for her pre-date drinks with Silent Knight at the palace officer's club, and the idea of being late—fashionably or otherwise—was appalling to her.

"Hi there, hero," Crystal said as she slid into the seat across from Silent Knight, offering him a wink. "How does it feel to save the day?"

Silent blinked at her, then chuckled and shook his head. "I didn't save the day. The royal guard did." He pushed a strawberry smoothie across the table toward her. "I went ahead and ordered for you since I know... Since I think you like strawberries."

"Thank you." Crystal giggled and sipped from one of the straws. "I like just about any fruit, so you can't go wrong." She nudged the tall glass to sit in the very middle of the table.

Silent stared at her, his brow furrowed just enough to indicate he was thinking deeply on something. She allowed her gaze to wander while she waited for him to sort his thoughts out, looking around the lounge. It was a quiet, private space for officers to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the palace.

"Next time something happens," he finally said, his gaze dropping to the table, "I think you should come to the palace. You and Velvet, I mean. It would be far safer here."

She tilted her head to think it over, then shrugged. "Honestly, I wasn't that scared. The sight was so farcical that I almost laughed. Once we heard the alarm and saw the overgrown cockatrices, we headed down to the basement with our neighbors. That place is practically a bunker, after all, especially now that they've remodeled it." She waggled a hoof at him. "Besides, I think it would have been more dangerous to try to get here. Could you imagine us running through the streets of Canterlot trying to get to the palace?"

Silent's ears pinned back and his nose scrunched up briefly. "You've got a fair point there."

"If we happen to be near the palace, then we'll come here, all right?" She smiled. "But it was a nice surprise to see you in the condo afterwards..." The smile curled into a playful grin. "You seemed awfully worried about me." She leaned forward to take a sip from her straw.

"I won't lie. In the heat of battle, I was worried about the unit and the princess." He shook his head. "But once the adrenaline started to wear off and I saw the other ponies were thinking about their..." He paused. "Their..." His right ear flicked, he licked his lips, and decided on, "special ponies, it hit me hard."

It was difficult, but she swallowed her desire to giggle at his struggle for words. "And that was what prompted you to fly straight over to find me?"

He nodded firmly. "Yes."

"That's very sweet, but you don't need to worry about me." She reached across the table to put her hooves on his, smiling softly. "I'm scrappy."

His brow arched and he tilted his head, saying nothing, simply staring at her.

She stuck out her bottom lip in a small pout. "Okay, fine. How about I've got a good head on my shoulders and will make safe decisions?"

"That I'll believe," he said with a nod.

Over his shoulder, she saw a figure lean into the lounge, stare at them a moment, and start to walk toward them. Crystal blinked and whispered, "Silent, there's a mare coming our way."

Silent looked behind him and rose to his hooves. "Ma'am."

Crystal, uncertain of what to do, followed suit.

The mare, whose bar and two sunbursts on the armor marked her as a major, waved a hoof. "Forgive my intrusion, lieutenant. I was passing by and saw you. I wanted to tell you good work yesterday. That was really something. It wasn't protecting the princess, but it was something!"

Silent's lips cracked into a light smile. "They are overly willful, ma'am, but thank you."

The major cleared her throat and purposefully glanced at Crystal, then back at him. He followed her gaze, stared at Crystal a moment, and then lit up with realization. "My apologies. Major Ruby Measure, meet my marefriend, Crystal Wishes."

Major Measure smiled and bowed her head politely. "How do you do. I believe I recognize that name. You're on Princess Luna's access list, are you not?"

Crystal returned the gesture, then brushed her braid back out of her face. "I am. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Very good, then." Measure patted Silent on the back, her tone relaxing as she continued, "Please take good care of my lieutenant. He's very useful, you know, and I need him in top form."

"Oh, I intend to, ma'am." Crystal giggled. "Have no concern there."

Measure's smile widened and she winked at Silent. "As you were, lieutenant."

After the major walked away and they sat back down, Crystal took a sip of the smoothie then said, "She seems nice."

Silent nodded. "She is. She's a very different officer than most I've dealt with, though. If you're doing what you're supposed to she just ignores you."

Crystal tilted her head. "Isn't that good?"

"Yes, it is. It's just, well." He pulled the smoothie toward him to sip while he thought it over. "It's just different. Some commanders are really hooves-on." He shrugged. "Either way, I like the autonomy her style gives me. Enough about my work, though. How is the book coming?"

Crystal's ears flattened to the sides. "It isn't my best work, I think. The draft is with the editor but I just feel like there was something missing in this one. I was"—she hesitated and her mind raced to find the simplest explanation—"struggling with myself instead of just letting my muse run wild, for lack of a better way to put it. I think the stallion may have come out a lot more plain because of that."

"Maybe you were just preoccupied with thoughts of a stallion of your own?" Silent asked, his tone somehow both sincere and playful.

Well, that was certainly one way to put it. Fantasizing so much about a stallion of her own that she feared Stoutheart might come across too wonderful and may have scaled him back too far was another. Crystal glanced up at him then back down at the smoothie. She leaned out to take a long, slow sip. "Maybe so," she finally agreed and added with a small smile, "I was thinking about you an awful lot while writing it."

Silent smiled, raising one brow. "Perhaps next time you should write a story about two mares that are just friends." The smile widened to a grin. "It will probably be your greatest romance yet."

She puffed out her cheeks and turned her head to the side to distinctly look away from him. "Oh, laugh it up all you'd like. If that were true then you, sir, would be missing out."

He chuckled. "You made a cute couple."

She snapped her gaze back to him. "Hush!"

Though he laughed at her reaction, he nodded and drew a hoof across his lips.

"I swear," she grumbled, rubbing her forehead, "if I hear about that one more time, I don't know what I'll do."

He made a small muffled but curious sound. When she stared at him, he pointed at his tightly drawn lips and then at her, and she giggled.

"Permission to speak granted," she teased.

After drawing his hoof the opposite way, he asked, "How many ponies are teasing you about it?"

She rolled her eyes. "While we were in the basement, we found ourselves in a discussion about you and I. A neighbor asked if we had broken up."

Silent grinned in a clear attempt to not laugh. He glanced at the empty glass between them and shifted the topic. "Ready to go? I imagine Miley and Runic are all set and waiting."

Grateful for the change, she nodded and stood. "I am! This is going to be fun. At least, I think so. Miley is so sweet and with Runic around, it won't be boring, that is for certain."

Silent offered the crook of his foreleg to her, which she happily accepted, and they started on their way out of the palace. She had heard about double dates but never been on one herself. The idea had always seemed a little strange to her. Why would she want to share personal time with her stallion with other ponies? She glanced up at Silent and smiled. Now, it seemed like a perfectly fun and different way to keep things interesting. She just hoped that would be the case.

Author's Note

Companion Mask Chapter: Two-Faced Mare

Wonderful Tonight

"Hello, we're here!" Crystal called when she and Silent Knight walked into the shop. Runic and Miley were waiting just inside, turning their heads to look at them.

"Hi, Crystal!" Miley chirped, hopping a little with the exclamation. She wore a cute yellow sundress with white lace along the hem of the skirt, a pleasant contrast to her dark mane and coat.

Crystal approached the two and Miley threw her forelegs around her neck in an excited hug. Crystal blinked, then smiled and returned the embrace. "You look lovely, Miley," Crystal said as she pulled away.

Miley's ears wiggled as she beamed up at her. "Thank you so much! You, too!"

Crystal giggled softly. She was only wearing a pink scarf around her neck, but she accepted the compliment with a light nod of her head.

Miley looked between the three ponies and clapped her hooves. "So, where are we going?"

They turned their eyes to Silent and waited expectantly. Noticing the attention on him, he blinked, then looked at Runic with an equally expecting expression.

Runic shrugged and suggested, "Why don't we try the Fillyharmonic?"

Crystal's ears perked at the name. "Seconded. I've heard their food is excellent."

"Then let's go there!" Miley cheered and bounded for the door.

Crystal followed behind Miley while Runic and Silent walked side by side to catch up on each other's lives. While one of Crystal's ears remained focused on their conversation about recent events and such things, she trotted a few paces to pull up alongside Miley. "How have things been lately?"

Miley smiled. "Good! Great, really! I couldn't be happier." She bobbed her head from side to side in time with the rhythm of their hoofbeats. "How is your writing?"

"I can't complain, I suppose." Crystal shrugged lightly. "I'm hoping to finish this novel soon. I'm a bit stuck in the refinement and editing stage."

"Oh." Miley paused before she inclined her head and asked, "Which one is this novel? I've kinda lost track, I think."

Crystal swallowed and said after a hesitant moment, "I've been working on the novel titled Her Silent Love."

Miley stared. Slowly, her eyes shifted to the side to look back at the stallions behind them. After she stared at Silent for a pointed amount of time, she looked back at Crystal, grinning wide. Crystal's face heated up but she just kept walking.

There was a line out the door when they arrived at the Fillyharmonic. The other three looked to Crystal, who shrugged and said, "I did say I heard their food was excellent." The line shuffled forward and she gestured ahead of them. "And it doesn't seem like the wait will be that long."

After settling into the line, Crystal glanced down at Miley. "You know, Miley, I don't believe I know anything about your family."

Miley perked back up and smiled brightly. "Oh! What do you wanna know?"

"Well, do you have any siblings?"

Miley nodded. "Yup! I have eleven."

Crystal's eyes went wide. "Eleven?!"

"Yup!" she repeated with a happy little bounce. "Five sisters and six brothers."

Crystal turned her head to look at the stallions, gawking, but their attention was elsewhere. She looked back at Miley and blinked a few times. "How does that work? Wouldn't that drive you insane, to have so many ponies in one house?"

Miley tapped her chin in thought, then shrugged. "I mean, it was a little tight sometimes, but we were happy, and that's all that matters, right?" She gasped. "Wait, I just realized! You're an only child, aren't you?" When Crystal nodded, Miley giggled. "Only children can never understand having a lot of siblings."

Crystal just continued to gawk while Miley explained the nuances of a large family until it was their turn to be seated. Mare sat across from mare with their respective stallions beside them. The server set a basket of fresh rolls between them all and, save for Silent Knight, they all took one.

Miley picked up the basket and held it closer to the stallion. "Would you like a roll, sir? There's only one left."

Silent shook his head. Crystal giggled behind a hoof, then waved the notion away. "You don't have to call him sir, Miley!"

Their gazes snapped to her and Miley replied, "Yes I do."

At the same time, Silent said, "Yes she does."

Crystal blinked. "But you're both off duty and we're on a date."

Silent hesitated and Miley explained, smiling, "That's true, but he's an officer and we're both royal guards. That kind of thing doesn't just turn off. We're guards all the time. If he wasn't my commanding officer, we could be less formal, but, um..." She tapped her chin. "Think of it this way: what would everypony else think if they saw us sitting here and I treated him any differently than we were at work?"

"That he wasn't a stuck-up jerk?" Runic offered, his head tilted to the side.

Silent chuckled. "Perhaps, but no," he replied, shaking his head. "They would think I was favoring one sergeant over others and we can't have that. We're fine, though. Miley and I will keep it professional and everypony else can just act like normal."

Crystal glanced between the two, a small pout on her lips. "That doesn't seem as fun, but all right, if you two are sure that's what you want to do." She cleared her throat and picked up her menu, continuing in a lighter tone, "What should we get to eat? Does anypony want to share an appetizer? The cheese sticks sound good!"

Silent cleared his throat and leaned in toward her to say in a more private tone, "Are you sure? Velvet told me you had a bad experience with cheese before."

"What?" she squeaked as she took a sharp intake of air. "Oh, Celestia." Heat spread across her face and all the way to the tips of her ears. She turned away to hide her reddened face. "I'm going to murder her," she finished in a quiet mumble.

Miley interrupted, "How about the potato wedges?" She glanced around the table. "Nice, inoffensive, simple potato wedges? That sounds good to me!"

"I do love potatoes!" Runic grinned and clapped his hooves together. "They make excellent batteries. Let's do that!"

"Make batteries or eat the potatoes?" Silent raised one brow.

Runic paused as if to seriously consider the question, then shrugged. "These are probably meant for eating and I don't need any batteries right now, so... eat?"

Crystal jumped on the topic shift and nodded. "Potatoes it is!"

After the server returned with complimentary salads, he took their orders for appetizers and entrees. Runic broke the momentary silence by saying, "Have you ever thought about getting to the moon?"

Crystal and Miley shook their heads. Silent tilted his and asked, "No, why?"

"Moon rocks, of course."

"Of course." Silent blinked. "How do you plan to get to the moon?"

"Well, I have some theories." Runic paused to take a bite of salad, then continued, "The one that seems the most likely to me would be using a booster of some sort. I've made some models that worked pretty well. Just need to get the good push of force and the rest will be a piece of cake!"

Silent stared for a while. "I'm not following."

Crystal quietly added, "Neither am I."

Runic's eccentric interests were usually comical, but a lot of the science that went along with those eccentricities went over her head. She was fairly certain even if she had paid more attention in her science class she would still be lost.

"Okay, follow me here." Runic set his fork down and raised his hooves, one resting on top of the other. "Imagine a rocket filled with an immolation potion, then you set it on fire and..."

The more he and Silent talked, the more her mind seemed to buzz with confusion, uncertainty, and, most of all, boredom. All of those emotions were washed away by a sudden pit of dread in her stomach. Was this what it was like for other ponies when she talked about her writing?

Silent seemed to notice the look on her face and cleared his throat. "Hey, did you see that they released the Airship Armada starter box? That looks like a lot of fun." He glanced at her.

Her expression must have reflected her true feelings too much because his ears flicked back for a moment. The dread curled in on itself and doubt wriggled its way into her mind. Whenever Silent and Runic got to talking about their miniatures, there was usually no end in sight.

The movement of Miley standing caught her eye. "I'm just going to go to the filly's room real quick," the little mare said. "Be right back!"

"I'll go with you!" Crystal nearly jumped to her hooves in her hurry to stand up.

Miley blinked. "Um, okay. Wait, why?"

Crystal bit her lip and glanced at Silent and Runic. "Oh, well, that is what mares do in filly flicks and..." She trailed, gesturing at the stallions with a hoof. "In situations like this. Isn't it?"

"Right, okay!" Miley shrugged and they walked toward the restrooms.

Once they were safely inside the tiled room that smelled vaguely of incense and hoof soap, Crystal slumped against the counter. "Does Runic talk about flying to the moon and miniatures when Silent's not around?"

Miley paused before she headed into one of the stalls. "Um, yeah, sometimes."

Crystal buried her face in her hooves. "Oh, no, no, no."

"What?"

"I'm not interested in either of those things! Silent is very much into strategy games and miniatures, and for as much he is, I am not. I find them utterly boring!" She looked up and stared at the door that separated them. "What am I going to do?"

There was a pause before the door opened and Miley stepped out, her head tilted. "I don't think you do anything." She hopped up onto her hind legs beside Crystal and washed her front hooves.

Crystal frowned at her. "But how does doing nothing fix anything?"

"It doesn't!" Miley returned the frown with a smile. "It's okay to not like the same things. At least, I think it is! Runic likes rocks a lot." Her lips tightened into a straight line. "A lot." The smile took its place back on her face. "But we're still happy, so, I think it's okay to like different things."

"Oh, I hope you're right." Crystal sighed, following her out of the restroom and back to their table.

The stallions were still engaged in a discussion about Airship Armada, though the potato wedges had finally arrived. Crystal was grateful for their presence; it allowed for a small distraction to the seemingly ceaseless talk of miniature airship warfare. The one time she had been taken on a tour of the airship museum that was her grandparents' house had quelled any interest she might have in the subject.

"Here you are," the server said, interrupting the conversation and her thoughts. He set a plate in front of Crystal, then around the table until they all had their entrees. "Does everything look all right?"

"Absolutely," Crystal replied with the others, her mouth drooling at the sight of the mushroom lettuce wrap before her. "Thank you."

The conversation lulled to be replaced by eating. Halfway through their meal, a spotlight lit up a stage on one side of the room and a pony walked into it.

"Good evening, everypony!" the pony said into a microphone. "I hope you're all having a wonderful time at the Fillyharmonic, because it's about to get better. The karaoke bar is now open! Step right up and croon your favorite tune!" He winked at a nearby couple. "Show your mare what you're made of, stud?"

The stallion made a clear effort to go unnoticed, raising a hoof to cover his face, and the announcer laughed. "Well, surely somepony out there is willing to kick the night off right!"

Crystal gasped, giggled, and nudged against Silent. "Come on, stud," she teased, "you have to!" She tried to shove him and force him to stand, but his larger size and sturdier muscles resisted her with ease.

"I think not." He shook his head. "I just build sets."

After a moment, Runic shrugged and stood. "Fine, I'll go first."

"Still no whether you go or not." Silent's ear flicked in light irritation. "I had no idea this was that kind of place or I wouldn't have agreed to it."

"With all due respect, sir," Miley said before her laughter got the best of her. She quieted down and continued, "It is called the Fillyharmonic. How could it not be a karaoke restaurant?"

Crystal sighed and gave up the one-sided fight, settling back into her seat. "Oh, fine, you win."

Runic got up onto the stage much to the announcer's delight and a few ponies, including an enthusiastic Miley, cheered. He flipped through a song book, tapped on a page, and dropped the record onto the player. Music drifted out of the speaker and words appeared in front of him via an enchanted lantern.

To everypony's surprise, Runic began to sing. Of course, the act of singing was not surprising, but that he had perfect pitch, tone, and rhythm as he sang was somewhat unexpected.

"How does it feel, how does it feel?" he belted out along with the song. "To be without a home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone?"

When he finished, there was a pause as everypony sat in dumbstruck awe. Miley was the first to clap and led the others into stomping their hooves and cheering. Runic set the microphone back on the stand, nodded, and returned to the table. He glanced around at the wide eyes staring at him.

"What?" He blinked. "I have other interests."

"I had no idea you could sing," Silent said.

"Me neither!" Miley beamed at him. "That was amazing! You're amazing." She snuggled up against his side, giggling.

Runic shrugged. "None of you ever asked."

Crystal giggled behind a hoof. "You should go again!" She nudged Silent with her elbow. "Maybe you two could do a duet."

"I just build sets," Silent grumbled, then raised his brow at her. "And are you trying to pair me with him now?"

Crystal scrunched up her nose. "If it will get you to sing, then yes." He shook his head and she sighed. "You're no fun."

"I just build sets," he repeated and returned to his meal while they all laughed.

They stood outside of the restaurant for a while, still engaged in conversation long after having paid. Finally, Crystal broke the cycle by hugging Miley and saying, "We should do this again soon!"

"Yes!" Miley giggled and bumped her hoof against Silent's after he hugged Runic. "I had a lot of fun! But next time we should do something that the sir might actually participate in."

Silent's ears flattened to the sides. "I just build sets."

"We know, honey," Crystal said, patting his foreleg. "We know."

Runic laughed and waved. "Night you two! See you around." He looped a foreleg around Miley's shoulder, and the two started walking in the direction of his shop.

"That was so much fun!" Crystal smiled up at him. "I'm glad we did this."

Silent nodded. "Yeah. I'm glad you get along with both Miley and Runic. That makes things easier."

"Well, I've known Runic a while," she replied, glancing over at their retreating forms, "and Miley isn't hard to get along with at all. She's so sweet." Her gaze returned to him and her smile softened. "Walk me home, handsome?"

"Do you even need to ask?" His brow arched and he offered his hoof. "After you, beautiful."

Crystal glanced down at his hoof, accepted it in her own, then giggled as they started walking. "You know, I fell for you when you walked me home one time, just like this. Minus the hoof holding, of course. I think Luna was playing matchmaker that evening, to be honest."

He squeezed her hoof gently. "And in a year, you really never thought to tell me?"

"You never asked," she replied with a wink.

"Of course." He chuckled and nudged her shoulder with his own. "Well, anything worth having is worth waiting for, right?"

Her heart fluttered and she returned the nudge by leaning against him for a few steps. "I think so," she murmured. The fluttering slowly calmed down and her mind started to spin until she asked, "So, you and Miley can't be friends? Is that the case for you and Iridescence?"

"Life changes when you become an officer," he replied with a small shake of his head. "I have to keep a safe distance between us to avoid complications for either of us. That is just how it is."

She looked up at him, her brow knitted and her lips pursed. "But she's your best friend. How can you just be okay with that?"

He stopped walking and stared off at nothing in particular. She watched him for a moment as the wheels visibly turned though his expression remained unchanged.

Finally, she asked in a soft voice, "Silent Knight? Are you all right?"

His eyes hardened. "That is just how it is," he repeated. "I don't have a choice." He glanced at her. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Of course. What would you like to talk about?"

There was another pregnant pause before he leaned down and nuzzled her cheek. "Let me just get you home safe."

They walked in silence the rest of the way to her condominium building. Once they were inside, up the stairs, and standing outside her door, she turned to face him. "I had fun tonight."

He nodded. "Me, too."

She swallowed and hesitated, then said, "Good."

It was a little awkward, but she had her heart set on a kiss goodnight. He seemed to catch the hint because his ears stood up with realization and he leaned in, placing a brief kiss on her lips that sent tingles down her spine.

"Goodnight," he said, straightening back up and turning to leave.

"Goodnight." Crystal sighed happily as she waited for him to walk out of sight, then she opened the door and stepped inside. She froze when she saw Velvet staring at her, equally frozen in mid-step. "Oh!" She smiled. "You're home." The smile fell at the mare's bedraggled appearance, her mane and coat clinging to her like wet rags. "Why are you soaked?"

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Oh, you know. Rogue pegasus. I swear, it's like they're always in a bad mood or something."

Crystal clasped a hoof to her cheek. "I hope it wasn't Rossby. I did irritate him the last time we met..." Her brow furrowed and she started to pace the living room. "But he shouldn't take it out on you. I think I'll have a talk with him!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Velvet waved her forehooves. "I don't know if it was Rossby or not. Maybe just forget it before you start a war with the guy."

"I suppose you're right, but still. Whether it was him or not, pegasi are supposed to be responsible with their clouds." Crystal sighed, then smiled and shooed her toward the bathroom. "Go on and dry off before you catch a cold."

Velvet laughed and trotted just out of reach when Crystal pushed her, then flicked her wet tail and disappeared out of sight. "I don't think it works like that, but all right. So how did your double date thing go?"

Crystal flopped down onto a pillow, another dreamy sigh escaping her. "Oh, he was wonderful." She blinked. "The date was wonderful, I mean."

"Uh-huh, sure," Velvet's playful voice replied and Crystal could just imagine the grin on her face.

Crystal stuck her tongue out in the direction of the bathroom, then dropped her head onto her hooves and giggled. She could certainly get used to the goodnight kisses. She just also had to get used to hearing about—in her opinion—overly complicated and utterly boring miniature games. That was a fair trade-off, wasn't it?

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Aftermath
Companion Mask Chapter: Saving Face

At Her Doorstep

Raven peered at Crystal over the rim of her glasses from across the cafe table. "How are... things?" she asked, her tone guarded.

Crystal giggled after taking a sip of her tea. "It's all right, Raven. We can talk about wedding things."

"No, we agreed this would be a lunch date between friends!" Raven hesitated, then twiddled her hooves. "But, well, if friends talk about the current status of rescheduling for the wedding, I suppose that still falls within the boundaries."

Crystal set her teacup down and crossed her forelegs, leaning forward. "I've gotten most things rescheduled for the new date with little to no issue. There is a problem with the musicians, however. They go on tour the day before and won't be available."

"I see..." Raven sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "Well, I suppose there are worse problems to have. Can you find a new quartet?"

"For you, Princess, anything." Crystal giggled when Raven shot her a dirty look.

Raven straightened her glasses, lowering her gaze to her own untouched teacup. "Thank you for all of your hard work. My brother hasn't even offered to lift a hoof." Her nose scrunched up and her brow furrowed as she frowned. "I really cannot thank you enough."

"It's all right, really." She reached across the table to gently pat Raven's hoof. "That's what friends are for!"

"I suppose." Raven shook her head. "Enough talk about my wedding! Let's talk about yours." A sly grin curled the corners of her lips. "You and Silent Knight have been spending an awful lot of time together as of late."

Crystal's ears shot up and she cleared her throat, her gaze darting about to look at anything but Raven's cat-like grin. "We're only dating."

"Oh, I'm sure," Raven cooed. "You're graduating this year, aren't you?"

Crystal blinked and, wary of the sudden topic shift, answered slowly, "Yes. Month after next, in fact."

Raven hooked her forehooves together and leaned in closer. "Then you'll be a full-fledged young mare..." She winked. "Assuming you aren't already."

Crystal blinked a few more times. "What?" The mare just grinned at her. "I don't..." Her eyes widened and she waved her hooves while her face felt like it was on fire. "Oh, no, no, no! We're only dating!"

Raven's mischievous expression fell into a light frown. "No juicy gossip, then?"

"None!" Crystal squeaked, then dropped her face into her hooves. "Why is everypony so intent on embarrassing me?"

Raven shrugged. "I can't speak for anypony else, but I find it to be adorable when you get flustered."

"Adorable is a word one uses for fillies and colts." Crystal frowned. "I am neither."

Raven shrugged again and rested her muzzle on one hoof. "So, truly, how far has your relationship gone?" She smiled. "Give me something to giggle over."

Crystal stared at her, down at the table, over at another table, then she sighed. "We've had our first kiss."

"How tame! I expected better from a romance novelist." Raven shook her head, clicking her tongue with disappointment.

"I'm not that sort of romance writer, you know!" Crystal jabbed a hoof in the air to accentuate her point. "My stories are quite clean, thank you very much."

Raven giggled. "Perhaps that's why you're not rich! Have you considered that there is a much more profitable genre of romance?"

Crystal's face started to heat up. "I—that is—I'm aware of such a market, yes."

"It's just an idea." Raven winked, then rose to her hooves. "Now, unfortunately, I need to get back to work."

Crystal tossed a few bits on the table and stood to follow her, mumbling, "I'll walk with you. Silent said he needed to see me today, anyway."

"Oh?" The excitement returned to Raven's voice as they walked out of the cafe. "Oh, yes." She deflated, her gaze facing forward. "I think I know what it is about."

"You do?" Crystal tilted her head. "How?"

Raven hummed in thought before she shook her head. "It is probably a topic better for him to broach."

Confusion swirled around Crystal's emotions as they trotted toward the palace. Once there, Raven went straight toward the throne room while Crystal turned right into Luna's wing. She paused to smooth her mane with one hoof, then knocked on the door to Silent's office and called, "Hello, Silent Knight?"

"Come in," his voice responded.

Crystal pushed the door open and stuck her head inside. "Hi." She smiled. "How are you, Lieutenant?"

Silent bobbed his head, rising from his seat. "Fine. Why don't you sit down?"

Her ears stood straight up, but she nodded and complied. Sudden terror gripped her. He was breaking up with her. There was another mare. There was another stallion! She swallowed her thoughts and widened her smile.

"There's something I need to tell you, but the problem is I can't tell you very much." He sat back down once she was seated and took off his helmet. His gaze followed it as he set it down on the desk between them, then he looked back at her. "I have a... mission that I need to leave for."

Relief swept through her and her smile relaxed. "Oh? Is that all? Silent Knight, you've had missions before." A new sensation clenched the pit of her stomach. "Is there something special about this one?"

He folded his hooves on the desk. "I could be gone a while."

"A while," she repeated. "How long is a while?"

He hesitated, then repeated, "A while."

"I see." She glanced away from him. "Well, I'll miss you, certainly." Her gaze returned to him. "When are you leaving?"

"This afternoon." He sighed and his ears folded back, a guilty look briefly darkening his expression. "I meant to tell you this sooner, but I've been, well. I've been busy."

"I understand." She smiled and reached across the desk to place her hooves on his. "The life of an officer is not always convenient."

He looked up to meet her gaze, smiling softly. "I'm glad you understand. I'm sorry I can't tell you more... Do you have time to sit with me a while before I leave?" He nodded his head toward a tall stack of paperwork. "I still have work to do so it might not be very interesting, but it's nice to have company, especially when that company is you."

She giggled and leaned in, placing a kiss on his cheek. "I'll do anything you'd like if you keep up that flattery."

"I do my best." He settled his helmet back onto his head, then slid a paper off the stack and focused his attention on it.

She shifted in her seat to get more comfortable and gazed fondly at him, if a bit solemnly. How long was a while, indeed?

Crystal walked alongside Silent as they stepped out into the courtyard where two sky chariots were parked. They carried a waiting Princess Luna and other guards, but Crystal's eyes were fixated on her stallion. She maintained her smile, though her chest ached with worry and a tinge of loneliness already. "Quite the entourage you have. This must be a very special mission."

He shifted uncomfortably after they stopped a few paces away from the chariots. "I'm afraid I can't really speak to that."

One of her ears started to fold back but she flicked it into place. "Of course. You're a big, important pony with big, important things to do." She giggled, though the cheerful sound subsided just as quickly as it bubbled up. She asked in a quiet, tentative voice, "Should I be worried for your safety?"

Silent hesitated, then shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't speak to that, either. But..." He glanced at her. "I don't believe so."

Crystal's heart clenched in her chest and, for a moment, she forgot how to breathe. She took a sharp intake of air and smiled. "I understand. Please come home safely, all right?"

They stopped just a few paces away from the chariots and turned to face one another. He looked down at her with a soft smile. "I'll do my best." They just stared at each other until he continued, "I should go. They're waiting on me."

Her ears drooped. "No kiss goodbye before you head off into uncertain territory and unknown danger?"

"Oh." He glanced at the chariots, all eyes suddenly on them, and he swallowed.

She followed his gaze, then huffed. "Oh, come now, Silent Knight." She returned her focus to him. "They don't care."

"Yes, Silent Knight," Luna called from her chariot, "we do not care. Do not make me order you to kiss her so we can go."

Silent shot the princess a polite but serious glare. After brief consideration, he leaned in and placed a quick peck of a kiss on her lips. "See you soon."

"I hope so," she replied, watching him as he straightened up. "Be careful."

He nodded, then trotted over to the chariots and climbed into the larger one. Crystal stood there, a throbbing ache in her chest but a smile on her face while she waved them off. Once they were airborne, she allowed the tears she had been biting back to blur her vision. He was frequently away on guard duty, but rarely like this. It scared her that he might not return, and it scared her even more that she had to let him go. Her head knew that duty came first but her heart didn't want to believe it.

She wiped her eyes and turned to start the walk back into the city proper. This was the life she had agreed to and she certainly wasn't going to make a fool of herself by going back on her word. He would be fine. Princess Luna was with him.

Of course, Luna had been with him last time, but she tried to push that thought out of her mind.

"Velvet, do you think I'm a proper socialite?" Crystal asked absently while flipping through a magazine.

Velvet blinked a few times. "Uh, I don't know. What answer do you want to hear?"

Crystal glanced at her with a small frown. "The truth?"

"Oh." Velvet shrugged. "I guess not, but isn't that what you wanted? To get away from your parents and their smothering social crap?"

Crystal clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and snapped the magazine shut. "That was before I began dating a royal officer." She hopped down off the couch to pace around the living room. "This simply won't do! If I'm serious about him, then I should be a good and proper match. It won't be so difficult." Her brow furrowed in thought. "One event a week should suffice to elevate my status. Of course, that means I'll be attending events again."

"Well, yeah, most ponies generally attend events when they plan to attend events." Velvet snorted. "They kind of go hoof-in-hoof."

The frown returned and Crystal's pacing became more fevered. "That means more time spent with my parents. My mother will begin to ask questions. She'll want to meet him!"

Velvet's head lolled from side to side as she tracked Crystal's movement. "I see. Then don't go!"

Crystal stopped to stare at her. "But I need to if I plan to be in a serious relationship with him!"

"You're not in a serious relationship already?" Velvet crossed her forelegs over her chest. "Celestia's sake, dating is unnecessarily complicated."

"Of course we're not in a serious relationship yet! We've only just progressed past hoof holding to kisses goodbye." She flopped down onto a pillow and buried half of her face into it. "I'm serious about him, and I believe he is committed to me, but there is still a great deal of time until he invites me to his condo on the beach!"

Velvet stared for a long, quiet moment until she said, "Crystal, he doesn't have a condo on the beach."

Crystal huffed. "No, but that's the type of situation that implies a serious relationship."

One of Velvet's hooves raised to rub at her left temple while she groaned. "Okay, whatever. Let's get back to this whole event-going thing. Do you want to?"

"I want to be a good mare by his side," Crystal replied hesitantly.

"That is totally not the question." Velvet waggled a scolding hoof. "If you don't want to go, then I think it's a stupid idea. If you want to elevate your social status, then it's really your only option. Just don't forget you still have final exams coming up. Can't this wait two more months so school's off your plate?"

Crystal sat up and shook her head. "I don't think it can. I have the perfect opportunity to attend events on the weekend while he is away. I'm sure he'll have an officers' gala at some point and when that happens, I want everypony there to know he is with the right mare." Her eyes widened. "And I have just the idea of how to ensure that!"

In a flurry of excited movement, Crystal's magic retrieved a quill, an ink pot, and parchment, and she began to write out a letter.

Velvet watched her with a raised brow. "And just what is your idea?"

Crystal glanced up at her. "I'm going to ask Axel if he can make me a custom sulky. Something that will impress every pony when I arrive at an event. Of course, I'll have to hire somepony to pull it, but I can deal with that issue later. The sooner he can get started on it, the better." Her gaze returned to her letter. "It would be good for his business, as well, so I'm certain he won't mind."

Velvet shifted on her pillow, her shoulders rolling to stretch out the muscles before she asked, "How can you afford it, especially with all the crystal things you've been buying lately?"

Slowly, Crystal's ears folded flat against her mane. "Things are getting a little tight," she quietly admitted. "I've been writing short stories for Mares Monthly for the extra bits, but that only goes so far." She looked at Velvet, smiling. "This will be my last big expense. It will be worth it. Then I'll restrain myself until my savings are back in order. I can still cover my part of the rent, of course."

Velvet sighed and shrugged. "Okay. Just try to keep your wits about you, okay? I don't want you to be miserable just to fulfill some stupid obligation you made up yourself."

Crystal nodded while she folded the letter and tucked it into an envelope. "Some sacrifices must be made, and if all I have to do is attend one or two events a week, then I believe I have it pretty easy."

"Sacrifices." Velvet scrunched up her nose. "Now you're making dating sound like a cult."

Crystal paused, then turned her head to grin at Velvet. "Join the love side," she hissed. "Resistance is futile!"

Velvet stood with a huff and turned away, snapping her tail as she walked toward the kitchen. "I'm not listening!"

Crystal pointed at Velvet's retreating form. "You will be assimilated!" She held her serious face for as long as she could before bursting into a fit of giggles.

Sunday marked the beginning of her re-entry into the socialite world, and she was more than prepared. Of course, the personal carriage was hardly ready yet, but she had put together a stunning ensemble for that afternoon's art show. Crystalline attire was already all the rage, so she retrieved a silky gown of varying shades of blue from the back of her closet. After all, if everypony was going to sparkle, then she was going to stand out by not standing out.

That didn't stop her from adding a little glitter to her coat, of course, but she otherwise remained without shine. Snapping a black feathery clip just behind her ear, she examined her reflection before giving a nod of approval. That left her with two and a half hours before she would be fashionably late.

"Let's see," she muttered to herself, pacing around her bedroom. "Who will be there? My parents, of course." She rolled her eyes. "I presume Fancy Pants will make an appearance. Perhaps Fleur will be with him." Another roll of the eyes. "I swear, if she does another impromptu fashion show..." She blinked when realization struck her. "Wait, is Fleur still his top model? Or is she at a new agency?" Her heart started to race as panic set in. "Is anything I know still relevant anymore?"

It would be fine. She would be fine. She had known the ponies everypony should know all her life, and even if she had been out of the loop for a while, she was born and bred to be a social elite. It was about time her upbringing actually had a use beyond playing puppet for her mother's whims.

Her pacing ceased at a new, distracting thought. "Art show. I wonder if Painted will be there?" A smile crossed her lips. "It would be nice to see her, though I don't know how much time I'll have to chat..." She shook her head to clear it of thoughts and started toward the bedroom door. "Let's give this a trial run, then."

She swept into the living room to make her grand entrance, nodding at the furniture in greeting. "Hello, darlings. Oh, my." She stopped beside the floor lamp in the corner of the room. "You're looking absolutely divine, Mrs. Lamp." She smiled and batted her eyelashes. "Have you lost weight? My goodness, if you keep this up, Mrs. Lamp, you might disappear!" They shared a laugh, though it was really just her laughing behind a hoof.

Three knocks interrupted her mirth. They resounded throughout the condo like a drum of war and shattered her nervous but cheerful disposition, replacing it with an overwhelming sense of dread. "No," she whispered as she turned to face the door.

The pony on the other side knocked again. Crystal swallowed and walked forward, her magic turning the knob. "Hello?"

Winterspear stood at her doorstep.

She was out of uniform, but that detail did nothing for how suddenly difficult it was for Crystal to breathe. Winterspear's eyes were bloodshot and widened when she met Crystal's gaze. "No, wait, it's not—I'm not here about Silent Knight. As far as I know he's fine. It's his..." Her ears folded back. "It's our father. He's—he's dead."

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Preparations

Facades

Admittedly, Crystal had no idea how to react to the news. She certainly didn't feel glad or happy, but on the other hoof, what she had heard of Stratus Knight didn't give her an immediate feeling of sorrow. The emotion that did bubble to the surface after a moment of numbness, however, was sympathy.

"Why don't you come in and I'll make you some tea," Crystal said in a soft voice.

Winterspear drew a ragged breath and looked Crystal over, then shook her head. "No, I'm sorry. It looks like you have somewhere you were planning to go, I'll just—"

Crystal raised a hoof to interrupt her. "Right now, I think that somewhere is inside, making a cup of tea." She turned and started into the kitchen, her magic retrieving the kettle and starting to fill it with water.

A smile appeared and disappeared in a flash. "If you're sure..." Winterspear took a tentative step inside before walking in all the way and shutting the door behind her. "You look nice."

"Thank you," Crystal replied simply.

Winterspear sat on the couch and allowed her gaze to wander freely, almost nervously. Silence fell on them and seemed to grow too heavy because she blurted out, "I just ran away."

Crystal moved into the living room to settle on a pillow while the kettle heated up on the stove. "Hmm?"

Winterspear's ears flattened against her mane. "From my mother. I had to get away. I couldn't stand sitting at home with her another minute. She's so... so..." She groaned.

After a moment of recollection, Crystal offered, "Unfeeling?"

"Yes." Winterspear looked at her with a furrowed brow. "How did you know?"

Crystal drew a small circle in the fabric of the pillow beneath her. "I met her, while Silent Knight was in the hospital."

Winterspear paused, her gaze focused on nothing in the distance, and idly nodded. "Right, yes, you were there." She dropped her head, her mane falling into her face. "I just don't understand. How can she always be so okay with everything? Does she just not care?! Silent Knight, he—" Her breath hitched and a shudder ran through her. "He's going to be s-so upset!"

Crystal chewed on her bottom lip but remained quiet. Sometimes, it was better to say nothing at all.

A tear slid into view and down Winterspear's cheek before it fell onto the couch. At the sight of it, Winterspear jerked her head up, wiped at her eyes, and stared directly at Crystal with a hardened expression. "I can't stand it. I can't stand that he just gets to die and we're supposed to be okay with that and there's nothing I can do or say to change it! How am I supposed to protect Silent Knight from this?!"

Finally, Crystal spoke up to say in a soft voice, "I don't think you can."

The words struck a pained look across Winterspear's face. "But that's my job!"

A whistling sound from the kitchen drew their focus away, and Crystal went to attend to the kettle. She set out two teacups, added a green powder to them, then poured a few drops of hot water to make a pasty mixture before filling the cup.

While she did, Winterspear continued, "You don't understand. My—Our stupid father means—meant so much to Silent!" She flinched with every word that came out wrong and her gaze darted about in search of some kind of answer. "Despite everything he did to us, and now he's just—he's just gone. That's it. There's nothing I can do about it."

Crystal's magic set the cups of foaming green tea on the coffee table and she nestled back into her pillow, remaining otherwise quiet.

"And Mom, she just drops the news in my lap like he broke a leg or something again. But he's dead. She's not even crying! She's just sitting there, reminiscing on her life, talking about it like it's nothing." She slammed a hoof against the cushion. "How can she just be so calm?! Her husband's dead!"

"I'm sorry," Crystal said. She took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. "I've not spent a lot of time with your mother, but when I first met her, I thought she was horrible for how little she seemed to care for Silent's wellbeing." She ducked her head, afraid of seeing Winterspear's face as she finished, "But she does. I don't know if that is any consolation, but after a while, I was left with the distinct impression that she cares."

Winterspear sneered, "It'd help if she acted like it." She picked up the tea cup in front of her, blew the steam away, and took a sip.

Crystal glanced up to watch as the tension visibly escaped the mare. Her wings were no longer tucked in close to her sides, her ears raised from their flattened position, and her jaw unclenched.

"What is this?" Winterspear asked, looking down at the vibrantly green liquid.

"Matcha tea." Crystal smiled "I learned how to make it in my first year of tea club. That was more ceremonial, though. This is my home version."

"It's good." Winterspear kept her gaze focused on her tea until she set the cup down and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I should go so you can get back to your life."

Crystal's smile fell into a firm, straight line. "This is my life." She paused, then quickly corrected, "I mean, supporting a friend. I would much rather be here to help you than off courting the socialites all evening." She rolled her eyes.

Winterspear sighed and stood. "I should still go. I just left Mom sitting there without saying anything." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I don't know what we're going to do about Silent Knight."

Crystal tilted her head, rising to her hooves as well. "Can't Iridescence get in touch with him?"

The feathers on Winterspear's wings raised and quivered slightly. "I don't know. I haven't really talked to her about it, yet, so..." Her gaze darted off to the side. "I don't know."

"Oh." Crystal blinked a few times. "Why not?"

Winterspear looked directly at her, as if weighing her very soul, then sat back down. "It might help to talk to somepony," she muttered, looking away again. "Do you know about Caramel Mint?"

Crystal hesitated to mull the name over before she finally shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't."

"The short of it is I was serious about her, and she hurt me pretty bad." Winterspear shook her head. "I thought I was over it when Iridescence and I started dating, but it just sits there in the back of my mind. I can't just forget it, and when I look at Iridescence, I sometimes just wonder how much time we have left together before it happens again." She raised the teacup and took a long, slow sip.

Crystal's expression softened. "Oh, Winterspear." She walked around the coffee table to sit beside her, placing one of her hooves on the mare's. "I can't begin to understand how you feel, and I won't pretend I do. But I can tell you that I'm terribly sorry."

Winterspear glanced at their touching hooves before raising her gaze to meet Crystal's. She stared at her for a while until she finally smiled and said, "It's okay. I think this is something I have to figure out for myself, but..." Her wings ruffled to shake out her nerves and she stood once again. "I think I just needed to tell somepony. But I really should get back to Mom." She started for the door, then paused to look over her shoulder. "Could you come over sometime soon? Mom might talk to you differently than she does to me."

"You mean without fighting?" Crystal lightly teased. As soon as she heard herself say the words, she froze, and her eyes widened. "I'm sorry, that—"

Winterspear interrupted her with a short bark of laughter. "No, no, no, don't apologize, you're right. I do mean without fighting." She waved a hoof and made for the door. "Good luck courting the socialites."

Crystal rubbed the back of her neck, laughing softly. "Thank you. I'll drop by tonight after the art show."

With a nod of the her head, Winterspear let herself out. Once the door shut behind her, Crystal slumped against the couch and released the mournful groan she had been biting back.

Silent Knight's father was dead, and he had no clue. It was such an unsettling notion that for a moment, nausea crept up from the pit of her stomach. She clenched her eyes shut and breathed in through clenched teeth, out through her nose. After breathing that way a few more times, she opened her eyes to stare at nothing in particular.

There was nothing she could do about it. All she could do was keep moving forward, so she pushed herself up off the couch and went into the bathroom to retouch her makeup and mane.

Crystal was only halfway to the art exhibit when her ankles threatened to give out. She was an absolute fool for thinking she could just jump into a pair of heels and walk her way across Canterlot. The first few blocks had been easy, but now it felt like a death march. The dread she was feeling for the event itself didn't help any, either.

"Miss Crystal?" called a voice from behind her. "Miss Crystal, wait up!"

Crystal stopped and turned her head, blinking at the sight of a red stallion trotting toward her. "Axel?"

Axel smiled as he drew closer. "I was hoping to surprise you. Your neighbor said you had left already... Glad I caught up with you." He turned to the side to swing the sulky he pulled behind him into view.

It was exactly as she had imagined: a shimmering white fabric covered the seat with gold and pink seams and her cutie mark was emblazoned on the sides. Simple and not over-the-top, but certainly an eye-catching statement piece.

Crystal's eyes went wide after she took the sight of it in. "You finished it?!"

Axel bobbed his head in a small nod. "Yup. You sent the payment in advance, and... I know Canterlot ponies have events all the time. I assumed you'd need it soon." He grinned sheepishly. "And it looks like I was right, huh? You look nice."

"Oh, thank you." Crystal giggled and pranced over to get a closer look, her ankle pain quickly forgotten. "How did you get it done so quickly, yet it looks so exquisite?"

"I got some help." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm not too great with all the decorative stuff. But there's lots of ponies that are pretty generous with their time... So, yeah, I got some help." He lifted his head to his full height. "Anyway, guess I'll be your driver for tonight. Don't want you to be late."

Crystal paused to lift each hoof individually, plucking off any dirt she could see with her magic, before she gingerly stepped onto the one-pony cart. "I would attempt to politely refuse your offer, but seeing as you made the journey out here and I'm already running later than I should be, I will gladly accept. Just keep going straight down this road, then take a right at the ballet studio."

Axel chuckled, checked the harness, then started forward. "Not a problem at all."

Despite the cobblestone street beneath them, the wheels glided smoothly with hardly any bouncing or rattling. "You are a master at your craft," Crystal commented in awe as she stared at the wheels. "How do you keep it from bouncing?"

Axel glanced over his shoulder and winked. "Trade secret."

Crystal giggled, straightening up to correct her posture. There was little sense in putting on a show of a custom sulky if she was just going to slouch. "You may want to stay for the event. It's an art exhibit. As long as you ignore the ponies, I'm sure it's wonderful."

"An art exhibit, huh?" Axel kept trotting forward. "I don't know."

"It shouldn't be too large of a crowd, if you're concerned about that." She glanced down at the wheels again, smiling with foal-like curiosity. "Though, if you'd like, I could drop your name and garner you some more business."

Axel shook his head. "No, that's all right. No offense, but... I don't much care for most Canterlot ponies. I prefer my Ponyville clients."

Crystal hummed in thought, then nodded. "That's all right. It will be more fun teasing about my secret sulky source." She giggled. "I really do appreciate this. Now, not to talk business when you're so kindly pulling me along, but how is Horsey's marriage carriage coming along?"

"Maybe halfway done." He bobbed his head. "I'll have it ready in time, for sure." As they turned the corner, the brightly lit building came into view. "That it up ahead?"

Crystal nodded. "Yes, it is."

He pulled up to the front of the building and slowed to a halt. Crystal paused to primp her mane casually before she stepped down from the sulky. With her nose in the air, she looked at Axel with a light smile. "Thank you, driver."

Axel blinked, then smiled and nodded. "No problem, ma'am."

Crystal turned her gaze to the ponies outside the art exhibit and simultaneously relished and hated the eyes on her. She got what she hoped for, but their greedy eyes and raised hooves to shield their gossip only reminded her of why she had stopped going in the first place.

The doors opened and Upper Crust trotted out. She stared at Crystal with clear disbelief on her face as she exclaimed, "Darling! I didn't expect to see you here!"

That was the other reason. Crystal kept her smile firmly in place. "Hello, Mother."

Upper Crust looked her over before her expression settled into that of mild interest. "You look well, darling." Her gaze fell to the sulky behind her. "My, my! Is that yours?"

"Yes, it is." Crystal tossed her gently curled mane over her shoulder. "I had it custom made, as you can see."

"Is that so?" Upper Crust turned and went back inside, her magic lightly gripping Crystal's hoof to force the mare to follow. "Jet Set, dear, look at this!"

"Yes, dear?" As he turned around, his expression brightened at the sight of Crystal. "Crystal! Fancy seeing you here!" He walked over, his glass of champagne levitating alongside him.

Upper Crust pawed at the air in Crystal's direction. "She's what all that ruckus was about, dear. She pulled up in a sulky. A custom one."

Jet Set smiled. "Is that so! Then I suppose we'll be seeing more of you from now on?"

Crystal lifted her shoulders and dropped them in a light shrug. "I suppose."

"You simply must come with me, then, darling," Upper Crust said with an airy, sweet cadence. "I will introduce you to all the ponies you should know."

"I—" Crystal snapped her mouth shut. Though she was loath to utter the words, her lips twitched into a smile and allowed her to say, "That would be most appreciated, Mother."

As they walked over to a group of ponies, Crystal saw it out of the corner of her eye. Her mother bobbed her head from side to side just ever so slightly. She jerked her gaze back forward and flashed a well-practiced smile at the ponies they approached while she tried to ignore the dread building in the back of her mind.

She could maintain the facade for one night a week. She'd done it all her life until she moved out, and that was not even three years ago. After all, her much-too-pleased-with-herself mother had ensured that she breathed the socialite world.

"Pardon my interruption," Upper Crust said and smiled when the three ponies turned their heads to look at her, "but my daughter has just arrived." She inclined her head to look at Crystal. "Darling, you remember Lyrica Lilac, surely?"

Crystal nodded. "Most certainly. How is your daughter faring as of late, Mrs. Lilac?"

The earth mare brushed back a blonde strand that had strayed from her carefully maintained pompadour, then smiled. "Oh, you know how the fashion world can be, cricket. Darling Au has just hit a bit of a rough patch, but I'm sure she'll be back in vogue soon."

Crystal didn't have to glance at her mother before Upper Crust tactfully explained, "Yes, it is dreadful for her that the crystal ponies have dominated the industry as of late."

Lyrica sighed and clicked her tongue. "I'm sure she'll make a wonderful comeback. Oh, cricket, have you ever met my brother, Sealed Scroll?" She looked at the stallion beside her.

"We have met before, I believe, albeit not formally introduced," Crystal said with a polite bow of her head. "It's a pleasure."

The stallion tossed his light blonde mane, which resembled a deflated version of his sister's pompadour. "No, no, the pleasure's all mine. You've grown into such a wonderful young lady, it seems."

"And this is my dear friend, Royal Ribbon," Lyrica said, turning her head to the mare standing at her other side. "She's Au's stylist, you know. Best in Canterlot."

Crystal kept smiling. It hurt to maintain it, but she wouldn't dare let it fall. "I did not know that. It's a—"

Upper Crust raised her nose as she interrupted, "My darling Crystal is a very popular author, you know."

Lyrica nodded. "That only seems fitting for such a thinky filly."

"And," she continued, pausing to examine her hoof, "as of late she has been in the familiar company of the Commander of Princess Luna's House Guard."

Crystal's blood ran cold when all three pairs of eyes turned on her with almost predatory interest. She wanted to grab her mother, shake her, and scream in her face for treating her relationship like a prop, but it was too late. Her smile tugged just a little wider to hide the rage boiling inside.

"What prestigious company you keep," Royal Ribbon purred. "Does that mean you spend time at the castle?"

"Oh, only as is appropriate," Crystal replied. She had to keep smiling. "Of course, to me, he is just a stallion."

Upper Crust huffed. "Darling, that's disrespectful to the owner of a Celestia Cross."

The eyes on her grew even more greedy. It was too late to back away now, however, so she shrugged and said, "I suppose, Mother." She made eye contact with Upper Crust and they both held firm, neither giving ground, both maintaining their trained smiles.

Just one night. That's all she had to endure. One long, painful night of being her mother's puppet.

Burdens

Crystal glanced at a clock on one of the walls and sighed inwardly. It was almost over. After smiling and engaging in ceaseless polite conversation for four hours, she had remembered every reason why she didn't miss the world of social elitism one bit.

As the crowd started to disperse, Crystal tried to follow a group out to the doors, but a familiar tug of magic on her hoof forcefully guided her away. She rolled her eyes, then smiled as her mother came into view. "Mother, I have places to be. Can we talk another time?"

Upper Crust peered down her snout. One brow started to raise before it dropped back into place. "So, darling, what brought you here?" She turned and looked at one of the paintings on the wall behind her. "You socialized only with important ponies, so it isn't a friend you came to see or support."

Crystal sighed and stepped forward to stand beside her. "I came to socialize, Mother."

Upper Crust's ears twitched upright. "I see. So this is about your stallionfriend." She tilted her head slightly. "Are you going to move out now that you and Velvet are no longer an item?"

Crystal raised her hoof and, very carefully due to the heels she wore, pressed it to her face while she shook her head. "Mother, Velvet and I are just friends."

"What?" Upper Crust jerked her head to the side to stare at Crystal with wide eyes. "You cannot be serious, darling! Does Velvet know you only see her as a friend?"

"Yes, Mother," Crystal groaned. "We both know. We're just friends! We've always just been friends!"

Upper Crust just stared at her for a while before she raised a hoof to paw at the air. "And this stallion of yours, when you said you only see him as 'just a stallion,' does that mean he is only a friend as well?"

Crystal glared up at her. "I didn't mean it that way! All I meant was he's not a commander or Celestia Cross bearer or anything but a stallion with whom I prefer to spend my time. Intimately." Her eyes widened and she sputtered to correct herself, "Not that kind of intimately! I just mean—friendly—but more than friends—"

Surprisingly, Upper Crust interrupted her with a small bout of laughter. It wasn't hidden behind a hoof, but instead seemed to have escaped before Upper Crust could even think to smother it. "Darling, this is the very reason why you should not have dropped out of charm school. You have no control over your composure in the face of embarrassment." She sighed and returned to admiring the piece of art before them. "What do you see?"

Crystal swallowed her embarrassment and irritation, then looked up. The painting was abstract shapes and colors that only vaguely resembled the figure of a pony. Crystal's ears flattened to the sides as she mulled over her options: an honest response, or the response her mother wanted. Finally, she sighed and recited, "A thought-provoking piece of work that showcases the clear talent of the artist."

Upper Crust snorted. "And why must we say it is thought-provoking when it is clearly little more than garbage?"

"Because you never know if the artist will be a pony of note, and it's better to praise a nopony than insult a somepony." Crystal glanced at her mother, who smiled back at her.

"Good, darling. You remember the basics. Now, back to the issue at hoof." She turned and started to walk toward where Jet Set stood with a group of other stallions. "When will we meet this stallion of yours?"

The hairs on the back of Crystal's neck and shoulders raised in a primal response of fight or flight. "I don't know, Mother."

Upper Crust sighed and shook her head. "That is hardly a 'when,' now, is it?" She cleared her throat as they approached the group. "Jet Set, dear, I'm so terribly sorry to interrupt..."

Jet Set turned his head, smiling. "Not at all!" He glanced back at the stallions. "Excuse me, boys, but I need to talk to my girls." He broke away to meet them halfway. "Hello, dear. Did you have a nice time?"

Crystal smiled. "Of course, Dad."

"Good, good. I hope we'll see more of you at these sort of events?" He lifted a champagne flute to his lips to take a sip. "In fact, there is one coming up in a few months that your mother and I were very much hoping you would join us for."

Crystal's smile fell just slightly and she glanced between them, noting the roll of her mother's eyes. "What is that?"

Jet Set beamed at her. "Jet Ventures will be holding an entitlement ceremony for a brand new line of luxury skyliners!" He puffed out his chest with familial pride. "The company's been stuck in a lull for quite some time, you know. The idea of a deluxe, luxury airship that could carry ponies across Equestria in comfort and style came to me in a dream. I sent the plans off to your grandfather and I suppose he rather liked it!"

Crystal blinked a few times, her brow starting to furrow. "I didn't know you decided to start working at the company, Dad."

"What? Oh, no, dear." He shook his head. "I just drew up some initial sketches, that's all." He chuckled and added with a wink, "The idea of working with your grandfather is as tempting as I'm sure it is for you to attend events with your parents."

Upper Crust shot him a cross look. "Darling, please refrain from making such comparisons between me and your parents."

Jet Set nodded at her, but winked to Crystal with the eye facing away from his wife. "Sorry, dear."

"I'll be there," Crystal said, smiling. "It's been years since I saw Grandmother and Grandfather. Now, if there isn't anything else, I really do have somewhere to be." She took a step back and, when neither stopped her, turned and started for the doors.

She was finally climbing out of one fire, but potentially jumping into another. She took a deep breath and just tried to focus on the tasks at hoof: flagging down one of the valets to get her sulky home, finding a safe place to park it out of the elements, then getting herself over to Silent and Winterspear's to assess the situation with their mother.

Though nothing was on fire, tension was in the air when Crystal arrived. Wallflower sat at one end of the couch with an urn on the end table beside her, Winterspear and Iridescence were side-by-side at the other end, and Dot was sprawled on the floor with an open coloring book. Nopony said anything other than a brief greeting after Winterspear let Crystal inside, and nopony looked at one another. They all just sat there, staring, while Crystal tried to busy herself with making tea.

It was just as relaxing to make as it was to drink, and with how on edge everypony was, she planned to make a triple batch.

"So," Wallflower finally said, "if I understand correctly, he didn't even tell you where he is going or when he will get back, Crystal?"

Crystal's ears perked upright at the sound of her name. "No, ma'am."

"It's a classified mission, Mom," Winterspear mumbled. "He didn't tell anypony."

Wallflower turned her gaze on her daughter. "Then why is Crystal here, exactly?"

Winterspear started to lower her head, then jerked it up with hardened resolve. "Because Silent needs all the support he can get. From all of us."

"I disagree." Wallflower's eyes narrowed just slightly. "This is a family matter. We will wait for him to return home, allow him some time to relax, and then you and I will give him the news. Alone."

From a safe distance, Crystal served the first round of tea, using her magic to set it in front of them without having to physically insert herself into the conversation.

Dot blinked when a teacup landed beside her in-progress drawing. "I don't want tea," she said with her nose scrunched up.

Crystal smiled. "I added extra honey and sugar in yours, though."

"Oh." Dot scooted forward, sniffed the tea, then took a tentative sip. "Okay, I changed my mind. Thanks!"

"I thought you would like it." Crystal lifted her gaze to see Winterspear and Wallflower still locked in debate.

Winterspear let out a frustrated snort. "Well, Mom, maybe if you knew him better you'd know why separating him from the ponies that care about him is a stupid plan."

Silence gripped the air and threatened to choke the life out of the room. Slowly, Wallflower lowered her teacup and turned to look at Crystal. "Crystal, would you mind taking Iridescence and Dot out of the room?"

Crystal could only nod, all sense of speech lost from the frigid eyes staring her down. Iridescence gave Winterspear's hoof a reassuring squeeze before she slid off the couch, scooped Dot up in her magic, and walked with Crystal into the next room.

Dot squirmed against the magic holding her, but to no avail. "Hey! I wasn't done drawing!"

Once the door was shut behind them and the sound of arguing started up almost immediately, Iridescence sighed. "This is going well."

Dot glared up at her sister. "Put me down!"

Iridescence returned the glare twofold. "Not until you say 'please'."

"Ugh." Dot rolled her eyes, then put on the sweetest expression and squealed, "Pleeease?" She was dropped a little forcefully onto the floor, at which point she turned away from Iridescence, pouting. "Meanie."

"Dot, I swear to—" Iridescence bit back the rest of her words with a groan. "Please, just sit still and quiet for a bit, okay?"

Dot looked over her shoulder to stick her tongue out.

Crystal put a hoof on Iridescence's shoulder, offering a small smile. "It's going to be all right." She crouched down by the door and peered through the crack between it and the floor, doing her best to ignore the less-than-polite words being exchanged between mother and daughter.

Instead, she focused on what she could see of Dot's scattered books and papers, wrapping one of the pages as well as a couple loose crayons in her magic. With slow and careful movements, she pulled them closer and slid them under the door. Dot gasped, but before she could resume her coloring, Iridescence's magic snatched the items away.

"Hey!" Dot frowned up at her. "Those are mine!"

Iridescence waggled a scolding hoof. "What do you say?"

"Please?"

"What? No!" She groaned, the hoof moving to instead point at Crystal. "What do you say to her?"

"Oh." Dot looked at Crystal, then frown flipping into a smile. "Thank you, pretty pony!" The paper and crayons were lowered down for Dot to grab them.

Iridescence leaned against the wall and rubbed her temples. "I don't know why I thought I could raise a filly..."

Crystal smiled, moving over to sit down beside her. She watched Dot as the little filly swirled the different colors together in a nonsensical mess of lines. "I think you're doing fine, especially given that she's your sister."

"Be grateful you're an only child," Iridescence muttered.

The argument in the other room came to a sudden halt. Iridescence and Crystal looked at each other with shared worry, then jumped when the door creaked open.

"We've come to an agreement," Wallflower said, glancing between the mares. "Iridescence, you will be in charge of finding out when he will arrive so that Winterspear, Crystal, and I will be here to give him the news." She arched one brow. "Is that acceptable to the two of you?"

They both quickly nodded and agreed in unison, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Wallflower turned to walk back to the couch. "And I will stay here with Winterspear until he returns."

Winterspear jerked her head up and her ears pinned back as her mouth opened to argue, but she dropped back down into a resigned posture. "Yes, Mom."

"And Crystal, if you intend to be here as Winterspear wishes for you to be, then you will need to be ready at a moments' notice to come over."

Crystal nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Wallflower folded her hooves in her lap. "The issue's resolved, then."

Iridescence went to Winterspear's side and Crystal walked into the kitchen to start heating up another kettle. The tension returned along with the silence, both of which were rather abruptly broken when Dot trotted into the living room.

"I'm done!" she squealed.

"Done with what, Dot?" Wallflower asked, looking at the filly with a faint smile.

Five pieces of paper swirled in Dot's magic and one of them moved out to hover in front of Wallflower. "This one's for you, Mrs. Wallflower," Dot said in a tone that teetered between serious and sweet. "It's you with a big smiley face because I think you need to smile more." Before anypony could react, she dropped the paper in Wallflower's lap to focus instead on moving a second one over to Iridescence.

"And this one's for you. It's Winterspear in a pretty dress, 'cause I know you like that kinda thing." She puffed out her chest as she waited expectantly for praise.

Iridescence furrowed her brow at the mess of blue and purple lines in the vague shape of a pony, though a grin started to twitch into place. "Thanks, Dot."

Dot nodded and repeated the process, this time offering one to Winterspear. "And this one is Iridescence in a pretty dress! 'Cause that's only fair, right?"

Winterspear hid a giggle behind a hoof and did her best to nod seriously. "She looks very lovely, Dot."

"I know, d'uh. I drew her that way." Dot pranced to the boundary between the living area and the kitchen to give Crystal her drawing. "And this is Silent Knight... but he's in a pretty dress, too. I don't know how to draw armor. Okay? It's really hard."

Crystal nearly fumbled with the teapot in her magic as she laughed. "It's all right, I don't know how to draw armor, either." She accepted the drawing with both hooves. "I'll put it on my fridge the moment I get home."

"Oh." Dot's ears fell to the sides. "You're not gonna hang it on the wall?"

Crystal paused. Her gaze flicked over to Iridescence, who gave an exaggerated nod, and she mirrored the motion. "Of course I'm going to hang it on the wall, Dot."

"Then why did you say the fridge?" Dot peered at her with clear skepticism.

"It was a joke?"

Dot pursed her lips, furrowed her brow, then sighed. "You're not good at drawing armor or jokes." She pranced forward to pat Crystal on one foreleg. "But it's okay, 'cause you're pretty. My sisters told me as long as you're pretty then a stallion will take care of you." She paused before tilting her head. "Is that why you're with Silent Knight? So he'll take care of you?"

Crystal's mouth wriggled in all sorts of directions as she tried not to laugh. Before she could formulate a response, Iridescence quickly asked, "Dot, what's the last one?"

"Huh?" Dot looked up at the paper still swirling in her magic. "Oh. This one's for Silent Knight."

The room went quiet, Iridescence hesitating a moment too long so Wallflower asked for her, "And what do you have for him?"

Dot lowered the drawing and stared at it, her little face falling into a small pout. "Well, I wanted to draw Silent Knight with his daddy so he could remember him, but then I realized I didn't know what his daddy looked like, so it's just Silent Knight standing alone." She looked up at the varying sad expressions and shouted, "I'm not done with it yet, okay?!"

Crystal stepped forward and smiled down at Dot. "Why don't you keep working on it, and then you can give it to him when he gets home?"

Dot pouted, staring at the lone pony figure. "But I dunno what else to put on it."

"You could draw yourself with him," Wallflower suggested, her voice turning all eyes to her. She disregarded the attention, instead keeping her own focus on Dot.

"That's a great idea!" Dot squealed and ran over to the rest of her crayons, flopping down on the floor and getting straight to work. "And I'll draw you and Winterspear and Iridescence and Crystal, too! It'll be a new family portrait!"

Wallflower looked over at Winterspear and Iridescence, then at Crystal, then straight ahead. "I suppose that's true."

Charades

Crystal yawned as she trotted with as much energy she could muster on her way to spend the evening with Winterspear and company. Between school, writing, and trying to find time with Velvet, she hardly had any time for herself before she would enter the most awkward part of her days: visiting with Silent's family.

Iridescence had been unable to garner any information on Silent Knight's whereabouts or expected return, which put everypony on edge. Wallflower hardly moved from her spot on the couch, staring at the door, waiting for it to open. Winterspear tried desperately to find some way to keep her own sanity while trying to engage her mother in any form of normal conversation. Iridescence did her best to support her marefriend, and most nights that meant keeping Dot occupied.

Crystal was left with the ill-defined role of making tea. Finally, that night, she looked up from the half-eaten cookie on her plate and asked, "Wallflower, do you have any hobbies?"

Winterspear's wide-eyed gaze turned on her and she opened her mouth to speak, but Wallflower cut in with the simple reply of "Hobbies?"

Crystal bobbed her head. "Yes, ma'am. Hobbies. Making tea is a hobby of mine and is very relaxing for me. My friend's mother has recently taken up knitting."

Wallflower slowly raised one brow. "Knitting." She turned her head to look at Winterspear. "She wants me to knit, as if I were an old grey mare."

Winterspear's ears folded back. "I don't think she means it that way, Mom."

"I would indeed hope not," Wallflower retorted with a derisive snort, returning her gaze to Crystal. "And why should I knit?"

Crystal turned the teacup slowly in her magic, then wrapped her hooves around it to absorb its warmth through them. "It doesn't have to be knitting, you know. A hobby can take your mind off an unpleasant situation."

"If the situation is so unpleasant for you, then I'll remind you that you don't have to be here."

Winterspear jumped to her hooves. "Mom!"

Crystal held Wallflower's gaze firm and steady. "I wasn't calling it unpleasant for myself, ma'am."

"Is that so?" Wallflower didn't waver. She certainly had nerves of steel for not being a soldier herself, only the wife of one. The tension didn't diminish any when she said, "Then I'll try it."

Two weeks went by at an agonizing crawl until, slowly, the unease that sat in the edge of every conversation began to lift. Crystal peeked over the cards held in her magic to see Wallflower's perfect poker face staring back at her.

"And the goal," Wallflower started to ask for the third time, "is to amass fifteen points?"

Winterspear groaned while Iridescence smiled politely. "Yes, ma'am."

"I see." There was a pause before Wallflower laid down a card. "Then all ponies will pass a treasure to their left, and because of my affinity, I choose what is passed. I will take Iridescence's diamond. That puts me at fifteen points and I win." Her ears pinned back. "How is this fun?"

Crystal tried to hide her smile. "It's usually even more fun when you win like that."

Wallflower sighed and pushed her chair back to rise to her hooves. "I think we can cross this off as another hobby that is not for me." As she walked into an adjoining room, the muscles along her sides and flank twitched with nervous agitation.

"We've tried everything," Winterspear said, dropping her head to the table. "That's it. Give it up. My mother is incapable of enjoying herself."

Iridescence rubbed her partner's back. "Aww, sorry, honey. I was sure that time we had her hooked."

Crystal idly gathered up the cards into their appropriate decks. She glanced up at Iridescence and asked, "Still no word on when he'll return?"

Iridescence's light smile fell and she shook her head. "Nothing that anypony will tell me, anyway."

Wallflower leaned back into the room, her brow furrowed and her tone hesitant as she asked, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but is this Princess Luna and Silent Knight on the cover of this book?"

All three mares jolted upright and stared at each other in perfect silence.

Wallflower waited before she looked at the novel in her hooves. "Is this a romance novel... about my son and a princess?"

Crystal finally sputtered, "I-it is a romance novel, yes, ma'am."

"But it's not Silent Knight," Winterspear cut in. "It's just a royal guard."

Crystal nodded. "That's right. Sir Chevalier's eyes are violet."

"Exactly, his eyes are—" Iridescence stopped to stare at Crystal, one brow raised, a puzzled grin on her lips. "What?"

Wallflower walked past where they sat at the dinner table to seat herself on the couch. They watched while she flipped the book open and paused to stare at the inside cover. One ear started to turn toward the mares before it flicked back into place.

"I'm so sorry," Winterspear whispered. "That's Silent Knight's copy!"

Crystal swallowed, chewed her lip, then shook her head. "It's fine. There's nothing to be embarrassed about. I only signed it with my full name trying to impress a stallion I thought was cute." She frowned and muttered, "Me and my stupid past self."

They all turned to look at Wallflower again, whose gaze was focused on the book. Iridescence reached over and patted Crystal on the shoulder while she and Winterspear gazed at her with pity.

The only saving grace that came to Crystal's mind was that the story was tame and aside from having her little secret revealed, there was nothing inherently embarrassing about it. The back of her neck started to feel hot as a few other, much more incriminating pieces of work came to mind and slowly, she buried her face in her hooves at how utterly inappropriate of a moment it was to think of them.

It was nearing three weeks and there was still no sign of Silent, which was becoming an ever-increasing source of stress—not in the family life, which had settled into an odd normalcy, but in the war of Crystal's mind.

She sat in the privacy of her bedroom, rereading her secret, unpublished short story. When she had written it, it had quelled the uncomfortable sparks of heat. Now, however, was a different matter. Her inner turmoil made everything so awkward. She wanted to run her hooves through his mane, to know what it was like to have his weight against her... and lately, those thoughts nearly sickened her.

With a frustrated sigh, she threw the notebook across her room and flopped onto her side, burying her face into her pillow. It was wrong! They were only dating and, to make matters worse, she was waiting for him to return so they could tell him his father was dead. There could not possibly be a worse time to have such heated thoughts.

Her eyes widened and she jolted upright. She needed a distraction, and a game store had just recently opened up not too far away from home. All she had to do was pick a nice, boring strategy game and take it over to play with Winterspear and Iridescence. Being around his family would remind her embarrassing little voice of just what sort of situation she was in.

Each step along the cobblestone streets seemed to land with a heavy weight as her thoughts spun around and around. Perhaps her mother had been right and writing romance novels was a 'tawdry affair' and would 'corrupt her mind'. Why couldn't she just keep these feelings under control a couple months longer?

The Crystal Delicacy, she discovered upon arrival, was quite the classy establishment, which wasn't much of a surprise given the more upscale district of Canterlot it was in. Crystal paused just inside the doorway to look around the posh interior, wide-eyed.

Most of the shelf space was filled with beautiful crystal figurines carved into the most wondrous of designs. Some were of the Crystal Palace while others were of the much more familiar Canterlot Castle. The other figures ranged from the well-known princesses to the more obscure Starswirl the Bearded, as well as mighty creatures such as dragons, chimeras, and more.

The further she walked into the store, the more the merchandise transitioned into the gaming world. The crystal figurines became painted miniatures and the shelves displayed all manners of games. Her gaze drifted over the selection of strategic war games and though she had convinced herself that was what she needed, each one looked terribly boring to her.

"Hello," a voice called to her right and Crystal looked to see a light red mare standing behind the counter. "Welcome to Crystal Delicacy. My name's Ruby Moon." She smiled. "May I help you find something in particular?"

Crystal shook her head. "Oh, no, I'm fine. I'm just browsing."

Ruby's two-toned pink mane bounced as she bobbed her head. "All right, just let me know if there's anything you need."

Crystal nodded and returned her attention to the collection of games. She spied the base set for Airship Armada and couldn't help a smile. Perhaps she'd buy it for herself and try to get interested in it, but on the other hoof, it was one of the ways Runic and Silent bonded. She struck that from her list of options and continued looking.

Off to the side of the second bookcase, on one of the higher shelves, a title caught Crystal's eye: Fantasy Affairs. Her ears stood straight up when she read the rather suggestive blurb and noticed the other games around it, such as Bedroom Bucks and the very unsubtle SexXx.

"Something catch your eye?" Ruby asked, her voice a little deeper than before, a cat-like grin on her face. "I recommend Bedroom Bucks if your partner is a stallion. If you have multiple partners—"

"That's quite all right!" Crystal practically shrieked, looking at Ruby with wide eyes. "I-I was just looking. Now I'm looking at other titles." Her magic grabbed the first game with a soldier on it she saw. "Now I'm buying this!" She almost slammed the box onto the counter.

Ruby chuckled as she lifted and dropped her shoulders in a lighthearted shrug. "If you're sure. I have even more intimate games in the back if you're—"

"N-not interested!" Crystal fetched the bits from her bag and picked the game back up, tossing the coins in its place. "Thank you!"

After she hurriedly left the store, she slapped her hoof to her face. That was the opposite of what she wanted! With a heavy sigh, she started the walk home.

Clearly, the distraction technique wasn't going to work. She had to face the issue head-on... but how?

A thought struck her and she changed her course to head toward a different set of condominiums. Doubt wriggled its way into her determination the closer she got, however. What if she was making a mistake? Could she really handle looking a pony in the eye, telling them what was going on in her mind, and accept their judgment? However, the better question was, could she handle letting these feelings fester and having something happen at the wrong time?

Crystal stopped to take a breath and, after a moment of hesitation, knocked on the door. When it opened, she dropped her gaze to stare at the floor.

"Crystal?" Sunbeam asked, then smiled. "What brings you by?"

Crystal shuffled her hooves. "I wanted to see you, if you're not busy."

"Not at all! Come on in!" Sunbeam stepped to the side to free the entryway. "Pepper's at the store shopping for the bakery, so it's just me and Red right now." Her tone grew a little silly as she called to the foal, "Look who's here! It's Aunty Crystal!"

Crystal froze when she locked eyes with Red. He was too young to understand regular conversation, right? Perhaps she'd just wait until he needed a nap. He was still of the age where those were a frequent occurrence.

Sunbeam sat down on the floor, pressing her hoof gently to Red's muzzle. "Boop! And isn't it great timing that you just woke up from a nap, my little sugarcake?" Red squealed in delight and waved his forelegs to grasp at her hoof and Sunbeam giggled. "Yes it is!"

Or not. Crystal sighed and sat down across from her, staring down at the foal. Her heart started to beat faster as she searched through her mind for the words she wanted to say. She opened and closed her mouth a few times to start to speak, but kept deciding against it.

"Mrs. Sunbeam?" Crystal finally and tentatively asked, her voice cracking from the butterflies that were turning into little nerve storms.

Sunbeam's ears shot straight up and she looked at Crystal with a furrowed brow. "What happened to Mama Sunbeam, creampuff?"

Crystal swallowed. "S-sorry."

Sunbeam moved around Red so that he was no longer between them, then wrapped a foreleg around Crystal's shoulders and pulled her in close for a hug. "Sweetiepie, what's got you so worked up? I swear I can hear your heart pounding!"

"I just, there's something, well, there's something that I'd like to talk to you about," Crystal explained in a hurried mumble. "But I'm scared."

"Are you pregnant?"

"Wh-what?! No!" Crystal jerked away to give her a wide-eyed stare. "I—No!"

Sunbeam smiled. "Then what could be so scary?"

Crystal groaned, shielded her face with both hooves, and turned away. "I, well, that is. I've never had... the talk."

Sunbeam tilted her head. "The talk?" When Crystal just nodded in reply, she gasped and exclaimed, "Crystal Sugarsweet Wishes! Are you talking about"—she clamped her hooves over Red's ears—"being intimate?!"

Crystal tried to curl up into a tight ball, a shiver of fear running through her. This was a mistake. She couldn't go through with it! "I, um, f-forget it!"

"Crystal Candydrops Wishes, look at me when I'm talking to you," Sunbeam said in a stern voice. She put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder and forced the mare to face her, then pulled at the forelegs blocking eye contact. "Do you mean to tell me that you plan to be intimate outside of marriage?"

Crystal squeaked and clenched her eyes shut.

Sunbeam frowned. "Little Miss Crystal Wishes, what did I just say?"

Crystal cracked one eye open. "T-to look at you when you're tal-talking to me?"

"Exactly. Now, I would think that you, of all ponies, would know that intimacy outside of marriage is—"

An overwhelming feeling of regret, dread, and self-loathing washed over her. She should have known better. She had to face the music, which would be a stern lecture from Sunbeam.

"—perfectly normal and nothing to be ashamed of at all!"

"What?" Crystal blinked. All emotion drained from her body, leaving only a tingling numbness in her skull.

Sunbeam burst into a fit of giggles and squeezed Crystal to her. "Oh, sweetheart, of course it's fine! I just couldn't resist teasing you with how scared you looked! After all, you don't want to marry a stallion and then find out his eclair doesn't satisfy your pie, now, do you?"

Sensation of emotion still hadn't returned, so Crystal replied in a soft voice, "Mama Sunbeam?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

Crystal tilted her head to look up. "Can you please not use baking metaphors for this?"

"Oh, fine, fine." Sunbeam giggled again. "So, things are getting serious between you and Mr. Knight, huh?"

Crystal's gaze darted away when a pang of guilt was the first thing she felt. "I, I guess."

Sunbeam hooked her forehooves together and rested her chin on them. "Then what's the problem?"

Crystal sucked in a breath, held it, then muttered, "Everything. Everything is the problem." She sighed and shook her head. "We haven't been dating very long, but I can't stop... feeling this way about him."

"Sweetie, there's no set timeline for this sort of thing!" She winked. "Besides, haven't you been pining after him for just about a year now? It's really not a surprise at all, I think."

The pounding of her heart refused to stop and the words fell out more easily. "Well, yes, but that's just the thing, Mama!" She buried her face in her hooves. "We're waiting for him to get home so that we can tell him his father died! I don't want him to think I feel this way out of pity, or—or to work up the courage and he rejects me because of his dad, and—" Her breath hitched as panic set in. "I don't know what I would do if he rejected me! What if I missed my chance and now it's gone forever?"

Sunbeam reached out to pull her into another close embrace, stroking her mane with one hoof. "Oh, Crystal, dear, shh. Calm, now. It's going to be all right." She smiled softly. "Trust me, if you worked up the courage to proposition him, I guarantee you the last thing on his mind would be his father."

Crystal did her best to breathe evenly. "But what if I never work up the courage? I always thought it would be the stallion, that I'd come home to rose petals leading to the bedroom, or we'd have a candlelit dinner and after dessert he'd sweep me up and carry me off and—"

Sunbeam interrupted her with laughter, then laughed harder when she saw Crystal's pouting face. "Honeybear, I know you're a romantic, but honestly." She put her hooves to Crystal's cheeks and gave them a smoosh and a squeeze. "You're overthinking it. When the moment strikes, you'll know, and neither of you will be thinking about his father or how long you've been dating or if there's onion in your teeth."

Crystal continued to pout for a while longer before she slumped forward, hiding her face in Sunbeam's chest. "I don't know," she mumbled. "I just don't know."

"You will," Sunbeam reassured her. "Now why don't you get some cookies from the kitchen and I'll tell you everything you need to know about proper, safe intimacy."

The moment Crystal opened the door to Silent's place, white hooves grabbed her and tugged her off to the side.

"Make her stop," Winterspear hissed.

Crystal blinked a few times. "Hi. Make who stop?"

Winterspear glanced over at her mother, who sat on the couch with a book. "Mom is reading The Mare's Temptation. Do you know how awkward it is that she's reading romance novels?!"

Crystal followed her gaze to stare at Wallflower, whispering back, "Do you know how awkward it is that she's reading my romance novels?"

Winterspear squeezed Crystal's shoulders. "All the more reason to make her stop it! When you suggested finding her a hobby, I thought that was a great idea, but this is the worst hobby imaginable!" She paused, then added, "No offense."

"What are you two girls talking about?" Wallflower asked after she cleared her throat.

"Nothing important, ma'am," Crystal chirped in reply as she pranced over to the couch. "Winterspear, Iridescence, do you two mind making some tea?"

As the two mares reluctantly complied, Crystal settled in beside Dot. "Hi, sweetie."

Dot glanced up at her, then returned her focus to the coloring book in front of her. "I'm gonna be an artist."

"Oh?" Crystal smiled. "Is that what you've decided?"

Dot gave a curt nod. "Yup."

"Practice makes perfect," Wallflower cut in, then flipped to the next page of the novel.

Crystal giggled and leaned over to watch Dot color, blinking when the little filly exclaimed, "Okay, fine! You can help me, so stop hovering already!"

"Oh, um." Crystal tried to smile. "I don't—"

"But you gotta stay inside the lines," Dot said with a huff, offering a crayon. "I just got this coloring book and I want it to be perfect, like Mrs. Wallflower said."

Crystal smiled. "Don't worry, I'll do my best."

After a moment, Wallflower looked up to watch them coloring together. Her even expression softened into a faint smile. "Do you plan to have foals, Crystal?"

"Mom!" Winterspear exclaimed from the kitchen.

Wallflower merely kept staring at Crystal, waiting expectantly, so Crystal cleared her throat and replied, "I would like to someday, yes."

"I see." Wallflower returned her attention to her reading. "You'll make a fine mother."

Winterspear leaned around the corner to glare at her mother. "Mom, stop being—"

The conversation came to a sudden halt when the lock on the door clicked and the handle started to turn. Crystal's magic sent her crayon sliding across the page, earning a squeak of disapproval from Dot, but she, along with the other mares, was focused on the door.

Slowly, it opened, and a bedraggled Silent Knight froze in the doorway, staring at them just as they stared at him.

After a stunned moment, Wallflower snapped the book shut and set it aside. "Hello, Son," she said in a soft voice. "Why don't you come inside? There is something we need to tell you."

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Haven - Part 4

Bridges

Silent didn't move at first. Even from across the room, Crystal could read the look on his face. He knew something was wrong, and it broke her heart more than she had prepared herself for.

"Mom?" His gaze darted about to all the mares in the room, then settled on Wallflower. "Mom, what's going on?"

Winterspear slowly lowered herself to sit on one of the chairs by the kitchen, the tips of her wings nearly touching the floor as she practically melted. Iridescence gestured for Dot to come to her and, understanding the gravity of the situation, the filly quickly complied.

The silence and stillness in the room made Wallflower's deep breath in all the more noticeable. She closed her eyes, held the breath, and, when she opened her eyes again, her expression was as close to calm as could be expected. "Silent Knight, while you were gone, your father had an accident. You know how he is..." Her voice hitched, an audible chink in her armor. "Blind or not, he always thinks he can do anything."

Silent turned to the side to tear his gaze away from them and removed his helmet. Some of his mane was matted against his forehead with sweat. "How bad?" he asked, setting the helmet on the table. There was no reply at first, so he looked over at them and repeated, "How bad is it this time?"

Winterspear stood rather abruptly. She moved toward Silent, pausing only to glance at Wallflower for a brief moment, and pulled him into a tight hug.

With both of her children in front of her, Wallflower's composure wavered. She blinked a few, rapid times, shifted on her hooves, and tried to hold her head higher. Finally, she said in a soft voice, "Silent, this time it was too much. His injuries were too severe."

Crystal raised a hoof to keep her mouth shut as a whimper bubbled up into her throat when Silent gasped. Surprise and shock tore across his expression, followed quickly by angry disbelief. "What?!" He pushed his hooves against Winterspear's chest, but she held on tighter. "What does that mean, too severe?!"

Winterspear whispered two words that froze him in place. "He's gone."

Silent stood there perfectly still, until a quiver of his lower lip rippled the surface and sent the rest of him into light trembles. The muscles along his jaw tightened to force his face into rigidity and for a while he just breathed. When the shaking stopped, he pushed himself out of Winterspear's forelegs. "Excuse me, please."

Wallflower nodded and took a step back, raising one hoof to gesture for Winterspear to do the same. "Of course."

As he walked to his room, all eyes followed him. The moment the door shut, Winterspear released a choking sob she had been biting back and Iridescence left Dot in the kitchen to rush to her side.

The sound of armor clattering against itself as Silent likely dropped to the ground broke the quiet and Crystal jumped to her hooves. She had to go to him. She had to be by his side. The last thing he needed to be was alone—

"No," Winterspear whispered, grabbing Crystal before she could walk past her.

Crystal whirled around to glare at the mare, but the pain in the eyes staring back at her quelled the fire, and she dropped her gaze to the floor. "But—"

"No." Winterspear shook her head. "Just... give him some space."

Crystal's hind legs gave out and she tried to sit rather than collapse. Her vision went blurry as tears stung at her eyes then fell one by one. This wasn't the plan. The whole reason she was supposed to have been there was to be there for him, and now she was supposed to leave him alone? Her shoulders started to tremble, and that was when she snapped her head up. She wiped the tears from her cheeks, took a deep breath, and dug deep.

It wouldn't change anything to cry. This was the life of the wife of a soldier, and if she truly intended to be one, then she had to buck up or pack up.

The sentiment repeated a few times in her mind until the pain dulled and her eyes, though still sore, dried. In some ways, it brought her a small measure of peace. If she were weak, he would be strong to support her, so she would do the same.

Silent's door opened and she rose to her hooves, turning to look at him along with the others. His gaze darted between them all before it landed on his mother and he walked over to her.

Wallflower's expression softened when he hugged her and she wrapped her forelegs around him as she whispered, "I'm sorry, Son."

Silent nodded. "I know. Me, too, Mom." He pulled back and looked between his mother and his sister. "What still needs to be done?"

"Not much, honestly," Wallflower said. "Stratus wanted a headstone in one of the Royal Guard cemeteries. He also wanted to follow tradition and be cremated and scattered to the winds."

Silent nodded again. "All right. I can get with veterans affairs for the headstone."

Quietly, Crystal moved over to the couch and sat down, smiling lightly when Dot hopped up to join her. She reached out and patted Dot on the head, whispering, "You've been a good filly."

Dot simply nodded.

Winterspear broke the silence that followed when she asked, "What about you, Mom? This changes everything. Why don't you move here with us so we can all be together? Well—" She winced. "Almost all of us."

Silent nodded and agreed, "I think you should, Mom."

"Thank you both, but no." She shook her head. "As a mother, I'm happy to know you two have made a home here. You both have lovely"—she trailed just long enough for her gaze to noticeably linger on Iridescence—"partners, and that's enough for me. I've lived in Cloudsdale my whole life. That is where my home and my friends are." She waved a dismissive hoof. "At any rate, I don't believe I would enjoy Canterlot society." The hoof lowered and her lips raised into a soft smile. "You'll just have to come visit more often."

Crystal felt her heart sink when Silent's composure fell just long enough for his eyes to water over, but he quickly wiped a forehoof across them. "Of course."

Just as she lapsed into wanting to cry for him, he looked over at her. She stiffened to attention and tried to cover it up by hardening her expression, but he had already seen the sympathy in her eyes.

"Have you eaten yet?" Iridescence asked into the awkward silence. "Or did you just get back?"

Silent shook his head and started toward Crystal. "Not yet." He sat down between her and Dot, one wing stretching out to wrap around her while he reached down to ruffle Dot's mane. "I could eat, though."

Dot chimed in to agree, "Me, too."

Crystal hesitated, then leaned in and embraced him, her forelegs gently encircling his middle. With her ear now to his chest, she could hear his heartbeat. It was pounding hard and strong, a little elevated but not racing. That brought her some measure of peace and she relaxed against him.

"I'll make a little something, then." Iridescence started into the kitchen, Winterspear lagging behind her to take one more look at Silent before she dove into the task of cooking.

Wallflower settled onto the chair and looked at Silent Knight, then at Crystal. "It seems that every time we have met, it has been under unfortunate circumstances. I hope that won't dissuade you from sticking by my son."

"Absolutely not, ma'am." Crystal shook her head and straightened up some, her cheeks heating up when she realized how close she was snuggled to Silent. He kept his wing and one foreleg wrapped around her, however, so she couldn't put too much distance between them. "If anything were to come between us, I can assure you it won't be because of something like this."

Wallflower nodded. "You certainly are strong-willed. Iridescence as well. It is somewhat curious that both of my foals have similar taste in mares."

Dot snorted before she burst into a fit laughter. "You've got no idea, Mrs. Wallflower!"

A small gasp came from the kitchen and Iridescence shot a withering glare at her little sister while Silent just pulled Dot close, one hoof casually landing over the filly's mouth.

Wallflower regarded the scene with one brow raised but said nothing. Iridescence cleared her throat and asked, "So, Silent Knight, any interesting stories from your recent mission you can tell us?"

Silent bobbed his head. "Several, actually. It was a complete and total success. Just wait until you see Princess Luna. She's grown."

Crystal blinked a few times, tilting her head to look up at him. "Did you say she's grown?"

"I did, yes." He smiled. "She learned a lot of night alicorn magic where we went and, evidently, that makes her grow bigger."

Dot rose to her hooves and propped herself up against Silent's shoulder so that she could peer at him with her nose scrunched up. "You're lying. When I learn spells, I don't grow!"

Iridescence, in the middle of setting the table, stopped to snort and shake her head. "Based on your grades, I'm not convinced you're learning spells or anything else, for that matter."

Dot smiled brightly and chirped, "C is for complete!"

Winterspear held up a plate to hide her mouth, which was battling against a grin. "I'm not sure that's how it works, sweetie."

Wallflower clicked her tongue. "Grades are very important, Dot," she said in an unforgivingly neutral tone. "Especially if you plan to make something of yourself in life. Hard work is rewarded. Just take a look at your sister: she's a sergeant in the House Guard. That is a very important position and she didn't get there by scraping by."

Dot's enthusiasm deflated and she dropped down to sit on her haunches, her ears folding back. "I understand, Mrs. Wallflower. I'm doing better, honest."

Just as the smell of steamed vegetables filled the air, Iridescence called, "Dinner is ready, everypony."

Silent stood and walked over to the small dining table. His brow furrowed as he stared at it and the lack of appropriate seating. Wallflower walked into the kitchen, patting Iridescence on the shoulder. "Have a seat. I'll take care of the serving."

"Yes, ma'am." Iridescence moved to sit in the nearest chair.

Wallflower cleared her throat. "Not that one."

Iridescence paused, blinked at the mare, then scooted to sit in a different one. Crystal tilted her head and glanced between the chairs while Silent set about dragging the living room chair over to the dining table.

"Crystal, you can sit here, if you'd like," he said once the chair was in place.

Crystal nodded and stepped over the side to nestle onto the seat. "Thank you."

Winterspear emptied out one trash can into another, then flipped it upside-down and placed a pillow on it. "Sorry, Dot," she said as she set it next to Iridescence's seat. "This will have to do."

Dot jumped up and settled in. "That's all right! It's me-sized."

Once all the plates were served at each setting, Wallflower sat at one end of the table, gesturing to the other. "Sit down, Silent Knight."

When Silent looked at the seat and shook his head, Crystal smiled, watching him. "No, ma'am," he said as he sat instead beside her.

Winterspear hesitated, then smiled at Silent. She sat at what Crystal suddenly recognized as the head of the table and held her head high before starting on her meal.

They ate in quiet, but it was comfortably so. With the loss of Stratus, a new family hierarchy rose to take his place and judging by the way Winterspear smiled, in that regard things were for the better.

Finding ways to support a partner was easier said than done when that partner was a Royal Guard officer who threw himself into seemingly nigh endless piles of work. Crystal tapped her hooves together as she sat across the desk in his office, the lunch she had packed spread between them.

Nothing she ever said seemed to come out right. Navigating a conversation with him when he didn't want to talk about anything beyond the weather was more difficult than she had imagined. However, she was determined that she would not let him walk this road alone, even if she had no idea how to walk beside him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked and immediately cringed with regret.

Silent glanced up from his sandwich and replied, "Fine."

"That's good." Her gaze wanted to dart away, but she kept it focused firmly on him. "You're not overextending yourself with all this work?"

"Nope." He took a bite and chewed slowly.

She tried not to sigh, though it would have been more at herself than at him. She always knew how to comfort a friend, so why was this so hard? Her ears perked up at a thought and she smiled. If talking about him was no good, then she would try something different. "Horsey's wedding is just around the corner, and Raven's is not long after. Soon I won't be spending so much time running around for them and can spend a little more time with you."

"That's good," he said with an absent bob of his head before he paused, blinked, and looked up at her. "Wait. I thought Horsey was already married?"

"She is." A giggle escaped her. Slowly, one of his brows started to arch, and she explained, "She's having a wedding in Ponyville so the ponies don't feel like they were left out."

Silent nodded and pushed the plate in front of him aside to fold his hooves and put them in its place. Crystal blinked as his posture shifted to remind her more of the school's principal than her stallionfriend. "I'm sorry," he said with a slight frown, "but I probably won't be able to take time off. Things around here are—"

Crystal sputtered into giggles and waved her hooves. "It's fine! More than fine. It's quite all right. With you having been gone so long, I know how work is piling up." She gestured at the stack of folders sitting off to one side of his desk.

"Oh." He visibly relaxed and nodded. "Well, that was easier than I thought. You're not upset?"

"What kind of pony do you think you're dealing with?" She giggled and reached across the desk to lightly tap him on the nose. "I knew what this was. The job always comes first. And all of that aside, I don't think you've spent enough time with Horsey to warrant sitting through her wedding." She winked as she straightened up.

He smiled. It was so nice to see him smile that her heart nearly jumped into her throat with excitement. "You have a pretty good point, I guess."

"Of course I do." She huffed playfully and rose to her hooves. "I'll let you get back to work. Velvet didn't go grocery shopping yesterday, so I need to get that taken care of."

"Oh. All right." He stood with her, walked around his desk, and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Thank you for lunch."

She lifted his helmet to return the kiss. "It's my pleasure." As she lowered his helmet, she added, "Don't work too hard, Lieutenant Handsome."

He chuckled and raised his hoof in mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."

Velvet stared at Crystal with an incredulous look that seemed to be her go-to expression as of late. "Are you serious?"

Crystal shifted on her pillow and raised the teacup to her lips, nodding.

"Oh my gosh, Crystal." She raised her hooves and shook them. "You're graduating! You're becoming a full-grown mare! And you aren't going to invite him?"

"That is correct." Crystal set the teacup down on the table. "Graduating from this farce with no more or less education than I had before is not worth dragging him out of work."

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Oh, right, work. Because he hasn't been doing enough of that the past week. He doesn't even drop by for dinner anymore to make me feel like an awkward third wheel." She sighed, shaking her head. "It's beginning to feel like you're single again with how much he's been working."

Crystal shot her a light glare. "Velvet, he's working so hard because he's trying to cope with his father's death. I think that warrants a little more respect."

"Respect, my plot." Velvet jumped to her hooves and paced in a circle. "Look, I understand! It sucks! But from what little you've told me, it sounds like his father wasn't exactly a great pony. You're only going to graduate once, Crystal, 'cause there's no way I can picture you going for a higher education." She dropped down to sit on her haunches. "Why the hay aren't you more excited about this? I mean, isn't this the catalyst?"

"The—" Crystal paused, blinked, then tilted her head. "—catalyst?"

A grin started to work its way onto Velvet's face. "What, you think Mom wasn't going to tell me?"

There was another pause before Crystal stood, turned away, and marched toward her room.

"Aw, come on!" Velvet sprung after her, grinning even wider. "Crystal, this is like, the most exciting thing ever! You're going to become a full-grown—"

Crystal slammed the door shut.

"—mare after you graduate and—"

Crystal's face turned hot and she shouted, "Don't finish that sentence!"

Velvet squealed right outside the door, pawing at it with one hoof. "When are you gonna do it? Mom said you sounded pretty determined!"

Crystal grabbed one of her pillows and hugged it to her face so that it muffled her scream.

After a cackling laugh, Velvet called, "Okay! Okay, I'll be serious about it, okay?" There was a soft, resigned sigh. "Look, the reason Mom told me wasn't to embarrass you, but she just wanted me to keep an eye on you. To make sure you stayed calm, because what she really said was you were getting worked up and freaked out. So, let's talk, all right? I promise I'll only hold half of the things you say against you later."

Even though Velvet couldn't see it, Crystal shook her head. "No way."

"A third?"

"No."

Another sigh. "Fine, a fourth, but that's my final offer."

Crystal remained where she was, strangling the life out of her pillow, before she finally undid the lock on her door and turned the handle. Velvet squealed and pushed it the rest of the way open to jump into the room.

"On one condition," Crystal quickly said before Velvet could speak. "I'll talk to you on one condition. Okay?"

Velvet's brow arched. "I'm not agreeing without hearing the condition first."

"You have to be honest and tell me the truth." Crystal jabbed a hoof lightly but meaningfully against Velvet's shoulder. "Are you acting so excited to cover up another panic attack about Silent Knight and me getting serious?"

"Oh." Velvet rolled her eyes and pushed the hoof away. "No, I'm excited because I know how big of a deal this is if you went to my mom for advice." A smile lifted the corners of her lips. "You're not the only one that's been talking to her, okay? I mean, for different reasons, obviously. She put some stuff into perspective for me. I'm honestly fine, and honestly happy for you. Honestly."

Crystal just continued to stare at her, and after a moment, Velvet groaned and raised a hoof.

"Fine! Fine." She drew the hoof across her chest. "Cross my heart and hope to die, or I'll live in a pig's sty." The grin returned in full force when Crystal finally smiled. "So, tell me everything."

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Respect

Sensual Desires

Crystal groaned and adjusted the awkwardly shaped hat atop her head. The tassel slipped to the front, tickling her nose, and she blew a puff of air in an attempt to knock it out of the way. It bounced around before settling right back on her nose again.

"This hat is ridiculous," she grumbled to herself and glanced at the ponies in line with her to mirror the way they wore their hats. They waited just outside the auditorium while the principal gave some nonsensical speech about responsibility and the future.

More than the hat, the whole ceremony of graduation was ridiculous. Most of the ponies around her already had jobs and varying levels of success. They had learned responsibility and grabbed onto their futures without the help of this farce, which only served to lord over ponies without higher education systems.

But, there she was, standing toward the back of the line and waiting for it to start moving. Did that make her a hypocrite, or just a part of the herd?

Crystal sighed and let her gaze wander the line of ponies ahead of her. Not too far ahead, she spied the dark blue form of Midnight Poem and smiled.

"Excuse me," she mumbled as she broke formation to trot around and ahead. "Hello!"

Midnight blinked, then smiled. "Crystal! It's been a while!" He glanced behind him. "Shouldn't you be in line? It's going to start soon."

Crystal gave a small roll of her eyes. "We've supposedly been going to start soon for over half an hour now."

"That—" He paused, thought it over, and chuckled. "That is a good point." His ears perked upright as his tone lifted. "How are things with you, then?"

"They are well." A soft expression took hold and her knees went a little weak as her thoughts drifted to Silent Knight.

Midnight's lips curled into a grin and he pawed at the air. "Well, huh? Did you find yourself the right stallion?"

There was a pause before a flush shot from Crystal's ears down to her neck. "P-perhaps."

"Good for you! I mean, it's not a surprise. A mare like you doesn't simply stay single." He chuckled.

"Speaking of, how are things between you and..." She trailed, her eyes going wide as she drew a complete blank.

"Azure Dance?" Midnight offered. He shrugged while he rubbed the back of his neck. "They would be fine, if I weren't leaving after graduation."

Her eyes went even wider as a gasp escaped her. "What?" She stepped toward him. "Leaving? Why? Where?"

Midnight waved a hoof, laughing softly. "It's fine! Our dreams just don't align, that's all. I'm going to go with a small group of poets and tour Equestria's more remote locations." He smiled. "Hard to call myself a poet when I've never seen anything beyond Canterlot's walls."

"Oh." That was the only word she had, if it could even be considered a word at all. She just stared at him, certain her uncertainty was clear on her face.

He verified her visible uncertainty when his smile softened and he said, "It's all right, really. It was an amicable breakup. She wants to stay in Canterlot and I don't."

Crystal gave her best effort at a smile. "Then I wish you the best of luck and hope your travels give you what you're looking for."

"Thanks." His ear flicked and he glanced ahead, then behind. "You should get back in line, though. I really do think we're going to start moving soon."

"All right." She took a step backward, hesitated, and turned away to walk back to her spot.

The idea ate away at the back of her mind. Their dreams didn't align, so they broke up. Did her dreams align with Silent's? She scoffed under her breath and started to follow the line that shuffled forward. No, she wouldn't let silly doubts wiggle their way in. It was silly. No matter where his dreams took him, she would follow, because she could follow. A pony could write from anywhere, after all.

The whole graduating class strode out into the open with well-practiced precision so that no pony tripped another or missed their mark. They took up formation on one end of the stage and faced the crowd that had gathered in support of their respective graduates.

Crystal's gaze easily spotted Velvet's pink and mauve figure in the crowd and when their eyes met, the mare waved both her forelegs with enthusiasm. Crystal smiled and offered a small wave in return, but her mood deflated when she saw the empty seat next to Velvet.

Of course he hadn't made it. He was an awfully busy pony. That was why she hadn't wanted to invite him in the first place; that way, when he didn't show, it wouldn't hurt as much. She didn't even want to be there herself, so why should she care if he were? Hypocrisy seemed to be her middle name that day.

A sigh escaped her. Seeing an empty chair just reminded her of the life she was getting into. A life of late nights waiting up for a stallion who might, someday, not come home. Her mind had accepted that as reality, but her heart still ached at the idea.

Slowly, names were called and a pony walked out, accepted their diploma, then walked back to their spot while the next moved to take their place. It was almost agonizing. She was so close to being done with it all, and yet it felt like forever still stood between her and that diploma.

"Crystal Wishes," the principal called, pulling her out of her thoughts and back to the moment at hoof.

As with every pony who approached the podium, a light wave of polite stomps and cheers resounded, but one voice called out above the quiet noise, "Whoo! Yeah, you go Crystal! You're mah gal!"

Crystal's cheeks flushed as laughter followed, even more attention on her than there had been before. Her gaze darted about in embarrassment and landed on a sight that brought her an immediate sense of calm: a stallion standing at the very back of the auditorium, the unmistakable dark armor of Princess Luna's House Guard clashing with his white coat.

He had come after all. Her knees went weak as warmth spread from her chest to her face as her flush grew more intense. Though there was a fair amount of distance between them, she could feel his gaze on her, and she relished in it. She smiled and her heart fluttered when he nodded and smiled back at her.

"Crystal?" the principal whispered. "Step down for the next pony, please."

Crystal glanced up at him, then squeaked and hurried back to the line while he called the name after hers. She leaned to the side once she was in place to look at Silent Knight again.

The ever-busy, ever-important lieutenant had found time for her on such an inconsequential yet simultaneously important day. It sent a shiver down her spine while sparking a fire in her chest that wouldn't soon be quelled.

Normally, Crystal would be thrilled for game night in Princess Luna's chambers. It was always fun to spend time with her friends and to forget about the stress of daily life. That night, however, her mind was elsewhere. To be precise, it was on the stallion sitting across from her.

He seemed to be back to his normal self. The smile reached his eyes with sincerity, he was able to laugh and joke around, and most of all, he was there. He had been there and currently, he was there, so close that if she ignored the stares she would receive, she could touch him. Oh, and how she wanted to!

She swallowed and glanced down at her cards while Miley stared indecisively at the ones in the center of the table. What was her strategy, again? Her brow furrowed as she tried to puzzle it through until Miley broke the silence.

"Sorry, sir." Miley glanced up at him.

Silent shook his head. "No need to be. There's no rush, Miley. Tonight is more for socializing than playing, anyway."

Crystal frowned behind her spread of cards. He could speak for himself. The last thing she wanted to do right then was socialize.

"Speak for yourself, Silent Knight!" Princess Luna called from her separate table. There were eight ponies in attendance that night, so they had split up into two groups. Luna tossed her mane with a menacing cackle. "Tonight, we are out for blood!"

Crystal turned her gaze to Miley and offered a small smile. "Oh, don't you mind her, sweetie. That's why we sacrificed Velvet to the princess, so she couldn't scare you while you try to learn."

"What?" Velvet squeaked, looking over at them. "Gee, thanks, Crystal! Love you, too!"

"We're not dating anymore, honey." Crystal giggled. She kept her attention on her cards, still trying to sort through what her plan had been. "You'll just have to defeat Luna on your own this time. Keep your focus and, when she isn't looking, peek at her cards."

A hoof flew to Luna's chest as she gave an exaggerated gasp. "Such treachery and deceit! I remember when this evening was civil."

Crystal glanced up from her cards to watch Silent as he surveyed the table. She knew that look. He was planning his attack.

"Miley," he said as he casually reordered his spread of cards, "I noticed that your mane is finally back to normal."

Crystal watched Miley as the mare huffed and shot a glare at Runic. She naively took the bait. "Yes, it is, thank Luna. We had a long talk about labels after that!"

"It could have been worse." Runic shrugged. "The rock I tried the potion on caught fire."

Miley's eyes went wide and while she did her best not to shriek her baffled dismay, Silent reached across the table to buy one of the available estates.

Crystal giggled and whispered, "You're awful. I thought you were an honorable knight?"

"Strategy," he replied with a shrug. "Victory comes before honor."

"Is that so?" She did her best not to laugh while Miley and Runic fought over the semantics of 'near zero' risk. "I'll keep that in mind next time I have to make a choice between the two."

Several hours later, the games finally came to an end with Silent and Luna winning their respective games, to no pony's surprise. Crystal hesitated as the group started to disperse.

"Ask him," Velvet hissed in her ear, causing her to jump a few inches. "You've been giving him the stare all evening. Just ask him already!"

"What?" Crystal gave a hurried shake of her head. "It—it's late, Velvet. We should just go home."

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Lame excuse, but whatever."

With a spread of her mighty wings, Luna stretched out her sore joints, then said as she always did after a late night of gaming, "Silent Knight, please escort Crystal Wishes and Velvet Step home."

Silent nodded. "My pleasure." He looked over at the two of them, either ignoring or oblivious to the way Crystal sucked in a breath and went wide-eyed. Instead, he just motioned to the door. "Ladies?"

When Crystal just stood there frozen, Velvet bumped their flanks together to push her forward.

"Y-yes," Crystal stammered and shot a light glare over her shoulder. "Come on, Velvet."

Velvet grinned wickedly when her back was to Silent and whispered, "Don't you mean 'me'?"

Crystal's brow furrowed. "Yes, I did mean you. That's why I said your name."

"Oh, Crystal, Crystal." Velvet giggled and patted her on the shoulder. She pranced on the tips of her hooves as they made their way down the main corridor of Luna's wing. "Someday, you'll be on my level, but today's just not that day."

Silent followed behind them, so Velvet continued in a conversational tone, "Can you believe it? In less than an hour, you'll start your first full day as a brand new mare." She winked.

Crystal tried not to make eye contact with the devious mare. "I'm just thrilled to be done with going to school," she enunciated clearly. "Think of all the free time I'll have now that it's over!"

"Just think of all the sleeping in you can do," Velvet said. She upped the ante by looking over her shoulder at Silent Knight with a big grin.

Though her face was flushed, Crystal couldn't fight it when Velvet started giggling. The chime of laughter bubbled up from her chest and she swatted at Velvet. "Please, stop, okay? I don't even know if—if—" She swallowed and shook her head. "I just don't know, okay?"

"Crabapples and you know it." Velvet stuck her nose in the air. "I told you, you've been leering at him all evening."

Crystal groaned. "Leering is such a vulgar way of putting it."

Velvet shrugged. They walked the rest of the way in silence while the all-too familiar feeling of uncertainty and doubt churned in her stomach. When they were outside the condo, Velvet announced just a little too loudly, "I'm just going to head inside. Straight to my room. Right to bed!" She winked at Crystal as she opened the door and pranced inside. "See ya, Silent Knight!"

"Goodnight, Velvet," Silent called before his gaze settled on Crystal.

They stared at one another, neither moving. Crystal blinked when she realized she wasn't breathing and took a sharp intake of air. It was cold inside her hot lungs. All of her was hot, almost uncomfortably so. Every time she imagined this moment, it was so easy—Silent would say the perfect thing and she'd answer the perfect way and everything was perfect.

Instead, everything was quiet and awkward. Her pounding heart nearly drowned out the sound of her self-doubting thoughts. She wanted to pass out from all the stress rolling around inside her until, finally, she took another breath and dove right in. One hoof raised toward him in offering as she asked quietly, "Would you like to stay the night?"

Silent nodded and took her hoof. It wasn't the most romantic acceptance, but she also wasn't sure if he understood the romantic implications. A giggle bubbled up and she whispered, "This is a little fun. It feels like we're getting away with something." She tugged his hoof to gently tug him inside, her magic shutting the door behind him. "Come on."

They walked slowly and quietly across the living room, each hoof falling with little to no sound. When Silent nearly tripped over the rug and froze, staring at the ground as though it had attacked him, Crystal had to smother a fit of giggles.

"I feel like I missed out on this experience in secondary school," he whispered as they continued toward her bedroom. A rush of hope surged through her that he actually did understand, but the feeling was quickly smothered when he added, "Sneaking around this late at night, that is."

Her words ran away with her when she replied, "My parents would never approve, especially when you were in school." As soon as she heard her say it, a pang of regret hit her. Did she have to bring up her parents right at that moment? She gave a small but quick shake of her head to dislodge the thought.

"Oh?" Silent stopped just short of crossing the threshold. "Then maybe I should just sleep out here. The pillows just are fine."

Crystal rolled her eyes. She tightened her grip on his hoof and pulled him the rest of the way into her bedroom, shutting the door behind them while he gasped a small "whoa!"

Tonight was the night. She had spent too much time preparing herself for this to let him slip away with the excuse of being oblivious now.

Silent swallowed, the situation seeming to dawn on him the moment the door clicked shut. He looked at her with an uncertain tentativeness that shook her confidence. "Crystal?" he asked quietly.

She didn't move away from him, instead keeping so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his body. "Yes?"

"I don't—" His gaze flickered away from hers. "I don't have a lot of, well, experience in this."

This calmed the agitated butterflies in her stomach and she smiled. She raised a hoof to his cheek, gently forcing him to look back at her. "Neither do I." She pushed herself up to kiss him. "But," she finished in a low mumble against his lips, "there's only one way to learn."

His ears perked straight up and she felt his muscles tense. A shiver shot down her spine and she pulled away, walking toward her dresser with a small sway to her hips.

He remained standing where he was, though his gaze followed her. "What do I do?"

She paused in the middle of rummaging through a drawer and tossed her mane to look over her shoulder at him with half-lidded eyes that scanned his wonderfully masculine frame. "Well, first, you relax."

With a pleased flick of her tail, she retrieved an article of clothing and while he focused on his breathing, she slipped the black and pink lacy undergarment on. She turned to her bed, rested her forelegs on it, and posed in the most coquettish way she could imagine. She just hoped she wasn't overdoing it.

He froze when he took in the sight of her, the black undergarment contrasting with her coat so that his attention was immediately drawn to it—and what it covered. His brain must have overheated because he repeated, albeit with a hint of huskiness to his voice, “What do I do?”

She definitely wasn't overdoing it. A smile lightened her expression and she climbed all the way onto the bed, keeping her alluringly clad rear in his view. “What do you want to do?” she teased as she stretched out with enough space for him to join her.

Finally, the gears seemed to click into place and he strode over and onto the bed. Heated excitement shot from the tips of her ears to the tips of her hooves when she saw the eagerness in his eyes and felt his weight as he lowered himself onto her.

Their lips met in a passionate kiss that felt much like their first while she melted underneath him. This time, however, there was a stronger force behind it. Romance novels had always described it as 'want' and 'need', but the feeling in her chest and in his kiss was something else entirely. It was a deep, shared longing that simply felt right, and when they pulled away to gaze at one another, there was no more hesitancy.

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: The Graduate

Union of Minds

A bark of laughter tore across Crystal's consciousness, rousing her from a dream instantly forgotten the moment her eyes snapped open. Her ears twitched as the laughing continued somewhere beyond her bedroom door and she rolled her head to the side to stare at the empty space beside her.

Silent must have been intercepted trying to sneak out. She giggled to herself and stretched out her legs, then tugged the comforter over her head. The light sneaking in through the curtains indicated that he was probably already going to be late for work as it was. Though she felt bad for Silent, the longer she teased him, the longer Crystal was free from—

The door creaked open. It seemed it was her turn for torture. Crystal held her breath and tried to stay perfectly still.

Velvet's low voice pierced through the silence. "You two-bit dam. I know you're awake."

Crystal ripped the blanket away to look at Velvet with wide eyes. "What did you call me?!"

"You heard me." Velvet smirked and leaned against the doorframe. "Silent looked preeetty guilty, slinking out of your bedroom like he stole something." She winked.

Crystal felt heat rise to the tips of her ears and she flopped back down, burying her face against her pillow as an uncontrollable fit of giggles overtook her. "Oh, I think he did."

A gasp escaped Velvet before she tossed her head back, laughing again. "Wow! Must've been some night, huh?"

Giggling some more, Crystal grabbed the pillow to hug it closer. "Oh, I think it was."

Hoofsteps. Crystal braced herself for the impact of Velvet jumping on the bed until she noticed the hoofsteps were moving away from her. She lifted her head to see Velvet sashaying her way across the living room and toward the kitchen. "Velvet?"

Velvet stopped and looked over her shoulder. "What?"

"You're not going to come tickle me until I spill the details or threaten me with blackmail?" She frowned, one ear perked upright and the other limp to the side.

"No way! It smells like sex in there and I don't want to know how you two did it. There are some lines, yanno?" She laughed. "A mare is entitled to some secrets, and this is totally one of them."

Crystal stared for a moment before she said in a squeaky near-shriek, "It does not smell like—like—like that in here!"

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Fine, it smells like stallion sweat and mare scent. Now come on, I have breakfast ready."

Crystal glared daggers at Velvet's back, then paused and quickly sniffed the air. "It doesn't smell like anything in here," she muttered as she slipped out of bed. "What's for breakfast?"

"Celebratory love cakes!" Velvet exclaimed as she whirled around, holding out a plate with a heart-shaped cupcake on it. The frosting and fondant was layered suspiciously similar to a traditional lattice pie crust. Velvet glanced down at the space beside it littered with tell-tale crumbs, then admitted, "Well, singular. I ate the other one."

Crystal stared at the plate, one brow raised skeptically. "Love... cakes?"

"No, celebratory love cakes. My mom sent me home with them and had me keep them in the fridge until you were ready." She held the plate out closer toward Crystal, grinning. "And I think you're ready."

Slowly, a flush crept onto Crystal's cheeks and she pushed the plate back to Velvet. "I-I'm good, thank you."

Velvet gasped in exaggerated mock offense. "But my mom made it especially for you!"

Crystal stepped around her to walk into the kitchen, shaking her head. "I'll just have a nice, plain, simple bagel." She opened one of the cabinets and fished out the bag while her magic retrieved strawberry jam from the fridge.

"Okay, fine, have it your way. I'm not going to let my mom's baking go to waste. She so rarely actually bakes herself, you know, so to think that she would go to the effort to make this for you and you'd just reject it is really heartbreaking."

Crystal groaned, whipped her head to the side, and levitated the cupcake off the plate. "Fine!" She took a bite and mumbled around the mouthful, "Happy?"

"Yup!" Velvet set the plate on the counter and pranced toward her bedroom. "Now, I'm going back to bed, 'cause someponies kept me up all night."

Crystal nearly choked on her cupcake as she struggled to swallow it so she could exclaim, "Lies! Everything you just said was a lie! Our rooms don't even share a wall, and—and—" Her face felt like it was on fire. "It wasn't all night!"

Velvet stopped just short of disappearing into her room. Slowly, she turned her head, her brow furrowed and lower lip stuck out in a small, pitying pout. "Well, I suppose that's to be expected for the first time." She flicked her tail and winked. "Don't worry. Practice makes perfect!"

Crystal huffed, puffed, and threw the remainder of her cupcake at the mare, who laughed and ran forward to avoid the projectile pastry. "I'm never talking to you again, Velvet!"

"We'll see about that!" Velvet teased, leaning her head back through the doorway to stick her tongue out at Crystal. "It's gonna be a really boring ride to Ponyville tomorrow."

The flame of embarrassment died, replaced with wide-eyed dread. "Tomorrow?!" Crystal gasped and dropped the jar of jam out of her magic as she spun around to look at the calendar on the fridge. "That's tomorrow?!"

"You're the one who suggested Horsey schedule it for after you graduated so you didn't have to miss school, you know." Velvet leaned against the doorframe, crossing one leg over the other. "Did you seriously forget?"

Crystal slumped forward against the fridge. "Ugh, yes, I completely did." She sighed. "It's hard to get into the spirit knowing that this is the wedding they didn't want that I suppose I..." She trailed, frowning.

"Got distracted by something shiny?" Velvet offered with a grin.

"Something like that, yes." She straightened up and rubbed her temples. "Okay. It's going to be fine. We just have to take the train, show up, make sure Horsey doesn't have a panic attack, and stand pretty for the ceremony. They're going straight to the honeymoon and skipping the reception, so we shouldn't have to stay too long for that." She sighed again. "Then we can come home and life can get back to normal."

If Crystal had to describe Horsey's wedding in one word, it would be 'beautiful'. If, however, Crystal was given four words with which to describe the wedding, it would be 'beautiful, but not Horsey'.

She did her very best to stifle a yawn that crept up her throat, her jaw clenched tight and her eyes watering from the struggle. The mayor was in the middle of a speech more or less the same as the judge had given, but it didn't feel the same. The town hall was filled with so many ponies and while Crystal was delighted Horsey had a whole town interested in her wedding, she dreaded the reception. What sort of questions would they have? How long would she have to stay before she and Velvet could sneak to a train?

Her ear twitched when Velvet nudged her in the gut and nodded toward the happy couple in front of them, who Crystal realized were staring at her expectantly.

"Oh." Crystal flushed and levitated the necklace with the ring attached as a pendant toward Horsey. "Sorry."

Horsey giggled and whispered, "It's okay, it's almost over."

"For you, maybe," Crystal whispered back, grinning.

Horsey just giggled again and, when the mayor prompted her to, slipped the necklace over Savoir's head.

"I now proclaim you wife and husband," the mayor said, her tone lilting with excitement. "Savoir, you may kiss your bride."

The room erupted in cheers and stomping as Savoir leaned down to place a soft, chaste kiss on Horsey's lips. They turned to face the crowd and, as they walked down the carpet to the doors, were showered in rice and more happy exclamations. Crystal, Velvet, and the other bridesmares—Golden Harvest, Sassaflash, and Cloud Kicker—waited until the couple was halfway down the aisle before following alongside their groomstallion counterparts.

Crystal glanced up at Hors D'oeuvre as they walked together. "Congratulations on the public addition to your family."

Hors bobbed his head in an absent nod. "I suppose that is a way to put it. It is nice that they do not have to hide it now."

Crystal giggled. When she crossed the threshold to the outdoors, Horsey was waiting for her, wide-eyed. "Wh-what's this?"

A pure white carriage was parked in front of them, adorned with the same coral and orange peonies that Horsey had in her bouquet. The gilded wheels shimmered in the light and across the back of the carriage, in a matching gold-leafed script, were the words "Just Married".

"A wedding gift," Crystal said, smiling brightly. "To take you to your honeymoon in style. What, did you think I was going to let you go off on hoof, or in a hay cart?"

Horsey blinked a few times as her eyes glossed over with tears, then threw herself forward and wrapped her forelegs around Crystal's neck. "Oh, Crystal, it's beautiful! But you didn't have to! What are we going to do with this afterwards?"

Crystal waved a hoof. "I'm sure Axel will help you find a way to repurpose it. He's very good at this sort of thing."

"Thank you, Crystal," Savoir said. "This is perfect." He leaned down to nuzzle Horsey's cheek. "Are you ready to go, l'amour de mon coeur?"

Horsey let go of Crystal to look up at him, then nodded. "Uh-huh." With the aid of his hoof, she climbed into the carriage. Once both were inside and the stallions in front started to trot forward, Horsey leaned out the window. "Catch!" she called as she tossed the bouquet at the crowd of mares.

Velvet shrieked in exaggerated terror and backpedaled away while Crystal and the others jumped forward, forelegs flying in desperation.

"I got it!" squealed Golden Harvest. She hugged the bouquet to her chest and stuck her tongue out at the others. "I got it! It's mine!"

"Aww..." Crystal returned to Velvet's side, pouting. "Well there goes my turn."

Velvet laughed and flicked her forehead. "Really? Was it so good you're already ready to put a ring on it?"

Crystal's eyes widened. Her gaze darted to see who was nearby before she raised a threatening hoof. "Hush, you. Let's just go mingle at the reception."

"Or we could... not." Velvet looked at the crowd that poured out of the building and toward the town square where a buffet was waiting. She then turned her head in the direction of the train station. "We could just bail. I mean, Horsey and Savoir did, so why can't we?"

Crystal frowned. "Because we're her Canterlot friends and we'll look like snobs that don't want to mingle with Ponyville ponies."

"But we don't." Velvet shrugged. "I mean, they're not our friends, and we don't live here. What's the big deal?"

Crystal fell silent and simply watched the crowd of ponies. Velvet tapped a hoof to indicate her impatience until finally, Crystal sighed and turned away. "It seems wrong, but I would like to just go home."

Velvet's expression lit up and she patted Crystal on the shoulder before trotting toward the station. "Great! Then let's go! I don't know when the next train is but I don't want to miss it!"

"Why are you in such a hurry to get back home, anyway?" Crystal followed alongside her, one brow raised. "I know why I am, but I'm a little confused about your motivations."

"Maybe I have a date." Velvet squinted at her. "Ever thought about that?"

"No, because you've made it clear to me that you don't want a relationship," Crystal replied with a frown. "So I gave up considering that possibility."

Velvet tossed her head back as she laughed. "Okay, you got me there. Honestly? The performance is next week and I'm a little nervous. I want to get back to practicing."

Crystal's ears perked upright. "Are you going to get me tickets for this one or do I have to buy them myself?"

"What, Miss Custom Carriage can't afford tickets to a ballet?" After a brief moment, Velvet added in a serious tone, "How much did that cost, anyway?"

"I paid for it a while ago, so that's past bits." Crystal waved a hoof to dismiss the question. "And you're avoiding my question. You know how expensive the good seats are, and surely wanting to actually be able to see my talented, wonderful best friend in the whole of Equestria is worth getting in the VIP row?"

Velvet laughed again, shaking her head. "Okay, fine, fine! Do you want a ticket for Silent, too?"

Crystal fluttered her eyelashes. "Pretty please?"

Velvet climbed the stairs to the platform, flicking her tail in Crystal's face. "All right, okay. Two tickets it is."

Crystal hummed as she trotted down the main castle hall toward Luna's wing. When she arrived outside Silent's office, she knocked on the door and chimed, "Knock, knock!"

There was no answer. She waited a moment longer before knocking again. "Hello?" Still no response.

Her hooves shifted as a flurry of nerves overtook her. She wasn't supposed to go into his office when it was shut, but what if he were in there, passed out on the floor? Or perhaps he was sleeping, though she couldn't realistically imagine such an event. Slowly, the nerves settled to the pit of her stomach like a heavy weight that tugged her ears into a drooping position. What if something were wrong and he was shutting everypony out?

Uncertain of what to do, Crystal just started pacing. As more time went on and castle staff that passed by began giving her odd looks, she slumped against the door and stared at the ceiling. Where was he?

"Ms. Wishes?" came Willowy Tempest's voice, and when Crystal looked up at her, she continued, "Is something the matter?"

Crystal rose to her hooves and shook her head. "No, or at least, I don't believe so. I was just looking for Silent Knight."

Willow frowned. "Is the lieutenant not in his office?" Before Crystal could respond, Willow marched toward the door and opened it after a quick knock. "Lieutenant?" She stopped, then said in low voice, "Of course he's not here. Why should he be here? It's only his job to be here."

"Perhaps I'll come by another time," Crystal offered, taking a step back.

Willow whirled around to face her. "I understand that you and he are a couple, but I would have you know that your stallionfriend is the single most annoying colt I've had the displeasure of working with." She jabbed a hoof at the empty chair. "His job is to be here during certain hours, and this hour is one of those! His job is to handle House Guard affairs! Do you see that pile? There shouldn't be a pile!"

Crystal glanced to the side. "Yes, perhaps another time would be best."

"Whenever I need him to sign something, or whenever I have a question for him, that seems to be the exact moment he is away! His schedule shows that he should be here, but is he? No! And when I try to ask Princess Luna where she believes he might be, she says she 'knows where he is'." Willow groaned, rolling her eyes. "It is as though he can do no wrong! Princess's favorite or not, he has a job to do!

"At the very least I wish the princess would give me some kind of indication as to when his secret, off-the-books meetings are, because they are certainly not on any copy of any schedule I have. Or at least he could put a sign on his door to inform ponies such as you and I that he is away so we don't waste our time waiting on the off-chance he is in but preoccupied!"

As Willow stood there, taking ragged breaths to recover from her rant, Crystal shifted from hoof to hoof with indecision. Finally, she blurted out, "Do you have any plans Friday evening?"

Willow blinked a few times, then furrowed her brow. "What?"

Crystal offered a weak smile. What, indeed? "You seem awfully stressed, and Silent Knight seems to be the cause of that. Next week, the Canterlot Ballet is premiering Swan Lake. I have tickets." What was she doing?

Willow's brow furrowed further. "I'm glad for you?"

"What I mean to say is"—What did she mean to say, exactly?—"I have two tickets, one for myself, and one for you, if you'd like."

For a long, awkward moment, they just stared at one another. Willow broke the silence with a derisive snort. "Your stallion isn't here, so you're immediately giving away his ticket?"

"No, no, no." That was exactly what she was doing! Crystal waved a hoof, smiling wider. "I was going to ask him, yes, but you seem as though you could use a nice night out more than he. I am primarily there to support a friend who is in the ballet. It was hardly a date at all."

Willow's gaze drifted up and down Crystal's form, then wandered about, then returned to Crystal. "I don't have any plans for Friday evening."

"Wonderful!" Crystal clapped her hooves. "I also have dinner reservations for before the show at Le Bernardin, so we can meet there and walk to the theater together."

The skepticism returned to Willow's voice. "Are you certain this wasn't supposed to be a date?"

"It's simply convenient to the theater," Crystal deflected.

"All right, then." Willow took a cautious step away from Crystal, stared a moment longer, then started down the hall. "I'll see you for dinner on Friday, I suppose."

Crystal smiled and waved. "Give the princess my regards!" Once Willow had turned the corner out of sight, Crystal diverted the hoof from waving to instead rub her temple. "Seriously?" she muttered, shaking her head. Could she possibly have made that any more awkward?

Author's Note

Companion Mask Chapter: Facing Forward

Union of Words

"This was most certainly a date," Willow said in a low voice, peering through the centerpiece of two tall, vanilla-scented candles. She shifted and glanced around the quiet restaurant. "I don't understand. Why didn't you just wait to invite the lieutenant later? It's not as though you didn't have time between then and now."

Crystal waved her fork as she clucked her tongue. "Perhaps I did, but you know how busy he has been. And how busy you have been." A smile lit up her face. "It gives me an opportunity to apologize for Silent Knight's behavior toward you."

Willow paused, then slowly set down her glass of water. "Behavior toward me?"

"What I mean to say is, I was under the impression that you believed he and Princess Luna kept secrets from you."

"Believed?" The feathers on Willow's wings fluffed and her ears pinned back. "I don't believe they conspire behind my back. They do."

Crystal shook her head. "I'm sure it's not like that, Willow. Silent is just very serious about his job. It's all he's ever trained and worked for, to be a guard." She twirled pasta around her fork, hoping to keep things calm by carrying on with her meal.

It didn't seem to work, however, seeing as Willow's body language remained aggressive. If anything, her irritated aura grew more intense. "And since I didn't want to do this job my whole life, that means I should let him do whatever he wants because my job is less important?"

"That's not what I mean at all." Crystal sighed, lowered her fork, and folded her hooves in her lap. "I'm sorry. Willow, I know you're extremely talented. I've seen it myself many times over! I'm just trying to give you some perspective, that's all."

"Oh, I have perspective." Willow crossed her forelegs over her chest. "I'm aware of the facts. Silent Knight, son of Stratus Knight. Joined the then-new House Guard for Princess Luna straight out of the academy. I've read his file and know just how hard he has worked in the service of Princess Luna."

"Then... ?" Crystal pressed. "Why are you so antagonistic toward him?"

Willow narrowed her eyes. "Because he is not a foal. He is a grown stallion. If he wants my respect, then he should do his job, not run around in secret and have the princess continually cover for him. She has too many other things that require her attention, and the last thing I need her worrying over is her lieutenant. It is his job to manage her House Guard and her safety, not work in secret and shadows."

Crystal sat in silence long enough for Willow to give up waiting on the conversation and resume her meal. Finally, Crystal said, "I'm sorry. I don't know what he's doing, so I won't try to excuse him. But he does take his job very seriously, I know that much."

Willow sighed and shook her head. "I know that. I just... I feel left out, sometimes." Her wings started to droop as she averted her gaze. "He and the princess have such a bond that I feel like an outsider when they're together. Every time I think I'm making progress with gaining Princess Luna's trust and confidence, I look at her and the lieutenant and realize I might as well be a stranger."

"I think—"

"No," Willow interrupted, lifting her head to look Crystal in the eyes. "It doesn't matter what you or I think. I should just be happy to have this job, and on the whole I am. I can't expect the princess to see me as a confidante if she already has one." Her lips curling into a light frown, she added in a bitter mumble, "It has only been a year since I started training to be her aide, after all."

Crystal huffed, crossed her forelegs over her chest, and cocked one eyebrow. "As I was going to say, I think you should have a talk with Luna. She may be a princess, but she's also a pony. If you'd be more comfortable with it, I could talk to her for you."

Willow blinked a few times. "No, actually, I would be much less comfortable with that." She folded her napkin and set it on her plate. "Why don't we skip dessert and head to the theater? I don't care much for sweets, anyway."

"Oh." Crystal idly licked her lips as she contemplated arguing, but smiled and nodded instead. "All right." She inclined her head, raised a hoof to signal a waiter, and said when he approached, "Check, please."

Crystal and Willow sat in awkward silence as they waited for the lights to dim and the show to begin. One of Crystal's legs jiggled until the sound of her hoof tapping against the floor annoyed her more than the silence. She looked around for anything interesting of note until she finally whispered into the quiet between them, "My friend is one of the ballerinas."

"I know," Willow whispered back. "You've mentioned so three times now."

Crystal fiddled with the program clutched in her hooves. "She's in the corps de ballet, which—"

"—are essentially the background dancers. You've mentioned that three times now, as well." Willow turned her head to frown at her. "What is wrong with you?"

"It's just that, well." Crystal sighed. "It's been a while since Velvet let me come to one of her shows. She's weird about it. And we're so close to the stage that I'm worried that I'll throw off her performance."

Willow's brow furrowed. "Then I guess just act normal." Slowly, a hoof raised, then moved in a vague gesture of a circle. "Unless this is normal. Then please, don't act normal."

Crystal sputtered into a small laugh and shook her head. "I'll be fine. Once the lights dim, under the spotlights, I'm sure she won't be able to see the crowd at all."

Willow eyed her with suspicion. "Velvet is your foalhood friend, isn't she? And is your best friend?"

"Absolutely," Crystal affirmed, giving one quick nod.

"Then it'll be fine." The lights started to dim and the murmuring of various conversations died down around them. "Now just enjoy the show," Willow finished in a whisper.

It was difficult not to. Though Crystal knew the mare playing Odette was Velvet's rival, Perennial, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't in awe of the mare's fluid movements. Each mare was in perfect form, and though their costumes were designed to mask as much of their uniqueness as possible, it was hard to hide Velvet's mauve tail.

Crystal smiled when she spotted Velvet among the other swanmares. There was a bittersweet twinge at the corners of her joy; Velvet's job was to blend in, which meant she couldn't stand out. How could Velvet ever grow her career if she had to spend all her time matching her fellow corps dancers?

Nonetheless, Crystal was happy for her, and clapped her hooves with as much enthusiasm as was appropriate for an event when the curtains fell on the final act. To her surprise, however, Willow burst into all-out cheering.

"That was amazing!" Willow's wings ruffled and shook. "Can you imagine being able to move the way they do? Absolutely astounding!"

Crystal laughed softly and put a hoof on Willow's shoulder. "If you calm down, I'll take you backstage to congratulate the dancers."

Willow stared at her with wide eyes. "What? Can we really?"

"Of course! Why do you think we brought this?" Her magic lifted a small bouquet of white gardenias.

"I don't know." Willow frowned at the flowers. "I presumed you would just throw them on the stage."

Crystal giggled and stood, motioning for Willow to follow. "Hardly. That would defeat the purpose of the pretty foil wrapping." Once they turned a corner and faced the hall that led to the dressing rooms, Crystal froze.

Velvet stood at the end of the hall, waving good-bye to the retreating form of Upper Crust. Crystal frowned and quickened her pace to reach Velvet sooner.

"Was my mother bothering you?" she asked while she peered down the side hall and watched Upper Crust walk away.

"Huh?" Velvet blinked, then laughed and shook her head. "Nope! She always comes to my performances in Canterlot."

Crystal's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yup." Velvet shrugged. "Guess she likes bragging that she can come and say she knows somepony in the ballet or something. Who knows with her!" She smiled, turning her attention on Willow and asking, "So you're Crystal's date, huh?"

Willow just stared at her until she sputtered, "N-no! Not at all!" She grabbed the bouquet out of Crystal's magic and shoved it toward Velvet. "You and everypony in the ballet were amazing!"

Velvet accepted the bouquet with an exaggerated flourish of a curtsy. "Why, thank you ever so much, darling."

Crystal jabbed a hoof at her. "That, that right there is a sign you need to not talk with my mother so much."

Velvet stuck out her tongue, waved her away, and returned her attention to Willow. "So you enjoyed it, huh?"

Willow bobbed her head up and down in a vigorous nod. "Absolutely! I've attended ballets with Princess Luna before, but I..." Her enthusiasm gave way to a sheepish expression. "I've always been so busy planning what she had to do after the ballet that I never paid attention, I suppose. And now I regret not noticing how beautiful ballet is."

Velvet set the bouquet into her bag and slung it over her back before starting to walk down the hall toward the side exit. "I'm glad to hear my performance could touch you so deeply!"

Willow glanced at Crystal as they followed behind Velvet. "Perhaps," she started, then hesitated a moment. "Perhaps, some time, you could intentionally invite me to an event? I think I need to get out more."

Crystal blinked a few times before she smiled and nodded. "Absolutely."

"That's perfect!" Velvet chimed, stopping just at the door and turning to look at them. "Now that you two are buddy buddy, Crystal, you won't be mad."

"Won't be mad about what?" Crystal asked in a low voice, her smile fading away. "What did you do?"

Velvet shrugged. "I figured you wouldn't need it." She kicked the door open to reveal a familiar sulky, but a piece of paper had been taped over the heart and quill, featuring a drawing of Velvet's cutie mark. "So I borrowed it!" With unsurprising grace, Velvet sprung into the air and landed on the seat, twirled around, and dropped down. "I'll see you later!" she called over her shoulder as the valet trotted forward.

Crystal rubbed her temple but laughed softly. "She's so weird sometimes."

"She is, but you're lucky to have such a close friend." Willow's wings flipped out then tucked back in tight to her sides. "Anyway. I should be going. I had fun, though. Thank you for inviting me out of pity."

Crystal raised her hoof to argue, stopping when she saw the grin on Willow's face. Slowly, she lowered her hoof and nodded. "We will do this again sometime."

"I'd like that." The grin softened into a smile as Willow returned the nod, then turned to walk in the direction of the castle. "Have a nice night, Crystal!"

Raven's wedding had finally arrived, and Crystal couldn't be any happier while simultaneously so very nervous. Given that Raven was Princess Celestia's personal aide, the wedding had turned into a bit of a fiasco with the guest list growing in number every week up until the day itself. Raven was nervous about the large crowd, but for Crystal it just made things complicated every time she left the privacy of the bridal dressing room.

"Crystal Wishes, is that you?" Fancy Pants stepped forward to block her path, preventing her from progressing her current mission. "How wonderful to see you!"

Crystal smiled and tried not to imagine Raven pacing frantically and waiting for some ginger ale to settle her stomach. "Good afternoon, Fancy Pants."

It struck her as odd when Fancy Pants lifted a champagne flute and took a sip. The ceremony hadn't even started, much less the reception. She surveyed the room and noted the abundance of ponies drinking champagne. Who had green lighted releasing the bubbly alcohol so soon?

"You look absolutely charming." Fancy Pants winked. "Be careful not to make the bride jealous!"

Crystal offered a polite laugh behind one hoof. "Thank you, Fancy Pants. She picked the dress herself, so I would hope she thought of that."

"She picked the—" His eyes widened briefly before he laughed and straightened his monocle. "Right, right! You're one of her bridesmares, are you not? Yes, indeed, I had almost forgotten for a moment. Your mother must be so proud."

One of Crystal's ears betrayed her composure by flicking in irritation. "I suppose. I have yet to run into her. In fact, I—"

"Is that so? I was just talking to her, actually. She is just over there. Let me get her for you!" Fancy Pants turned and started to walk away.

Crystal swallowed. She glanced at the door that would take her away from the crowd of ponies and to the kitchen, but it was too late. She could feel her mother's gaze on her without even looking. Forcing her smile in place, she turned her head to watch her mother's approach. "Hello, Mother."

Upper Crust glanced her over. "Hello, darling. Are you going to wear your mane like that for the wedding?"

"Yes, Mother."

"I see." Upper Crust stared at her for a moment before she looked out into the crowd. "Do you plan to socialize at the reception?"

Crystal tried not to sigh. "It would be wise, I suppose."

Upper Crust bobbed her head in a small nod. "It would be, dear. Everypony is here and as one of the bridesmares, that gives you quite the advantageous position. You should capitalize on it while you have the opportunity."

"I'll keep that in mind." She took a step to the side. "If you'll excuse me, Mom, I—"

Upper Crust frowned at her. "And that is why you have made so little progress as of late, darling. You're always excusing yourself. Honestly, if you're not going to engage ponies in lengthy conversations, then perhaps you should consider attending events more than once every few weeks."

Crystal took another step. The irritation was crawling up her spine and if she didn't get away soon, she might snap. "I understand, Mother. I'll try to do better."

Just as she turned away completely to head toward the kitchen, she heard whispers starting up on one side of the room. The hushed, murmuring sound spread across the whole crowd until it culminated in loud and unadulterated gossip. Crystal's ears twitched independently, trying to pick up on what was flying around like an audible swarm of frenzied locusts.

"—what is he—"

"—I don't understand—"

"—Prince Blueblood—"

Crystal felt her blood run cold and for a moment, she thought perhaps it had frozen and that her heart stopped until the frigidity became a panicked burn. She jerked her head to the side and saw the source of the murmurs: Prince Blueblood stood in the entryway, surveying the room with a disinterested frown.

"Oh, no, no, no." She backed away, then turned around and ran back toward the dressing room. "No, no, no."

"Did you get the ginger ale?" Raven asked in an exasperated tone, her eyes wide and her mane unkempt. "Oh, Celestia, you didn't." She paused when she saw the look on Crystal's face and asked tentatively, "What's wrong?"

Crystal realized she wasn't breathing and gasped for air. Her heart pounded in her ears and made it difficult to hear herself when she whispered in response, "Prince Blueblood is here."

Raven blinked once. She blinked again. Then her eyelids fluttered and her knees wobbled. "Did—did—did you just say Prince Blueblood?"

Raven's brother, Hawk Eyes, rushed over to put his shoulder against hers and steady the trembling mare. "Prince Blueblood?" He looked over at Crystal, frowning. "What is he doing here?"

Crystal shook her head. "I honestly don't know. He most certainly wasn't on either Raven nor Moore's guest lists, I can guarantee that. I have them memorized from how many times Raven and I went over them." She leaned against the door frame and put a hoof to her forehead. "I know that some influential ponies found their way in, but—"

"Why would he even want to attend?" Raven blurted out, anger rising into her voice. "Is he here to try to ruin things for me?!"

Hawk put a foreleg around her shoulders. "Stay calm, Ravy. I'm sure he's just following the crowd of ponies. Like Crystal said, there are a lot of important ponies attending. It may have nothing to do with you."

"Like Tartarus it doesn't," Raven spat and pushed him away. "He took so many years from me, and now he's going to take away Moore!"

"Moore!" Crystal stiffened upright. "I should go warn him so he's not caught off-guard." When Raven nodded in agreement, Crystal turned and trotted down the halls with a brisk pace.

When she arrived at the groom's suite, she knocked on the door and it opened a moment later to reveal Moore's best stallion, Perfect Pace. He tilted his head and asked, "What can I do for you?"

Crystal leaned to the side to look past him and into the room. "I have to warn Moore!"

Perfect Pace matched her leaning to block her view. "What about?"

"Oh!" Crystal frowned up at him. "It's the bride and groom that shouldn't see one another. Bridesmares don't count."

Perfect Pace finally chuckled and stepped to the side. "All right, all right."

Crystal stepped inside and, when she spotted him, over toward Moore. "Moore, I'm afraid I have some potentially terrible news."

Moore jumped up from his seat, his eyes wide. "Is Raven all right? Did something happen to her?"

"She's fine, other than nerves." Crystal took a deep breath. "Prince Blueblood has seemingly invited himself. He's currently in the ceremony hall."

Moore blinked. "Oh. Is that all?" He waved a hoof to dismiss Crystal's sudden frown, returning it with a smile. "I'm not concerned. After all, Princess Celestia herself is presiding! I'm certain he'll behave in her presence."

"I suppose that is a good argument..." She sighed, righted herself emotionally, and tried to smile as she looked around at the stallions. "Well, there isn't much time left. Are you prepared?"

Moore gave a firm nod. "Certainly. I've been ready since before I proposed." He wagged a hoof at her. "Now, run back to Raven and ensure she doesn't panic." He winked and added, "Tell her if it comes to it, I'll sock him right in the face."

A small laugh escaped Crystal. "Oh, I'll be sure to let her know so we can hold you to that." Her magic lit up to straighten his boutonniere before she turned and walked to the door. "Just make sure he's at that altar before Raven walks down the aisle, boys!"

"Yes, ma'am!" the groomstallions responded in unison, each one offering a slight variation of a playful salute. Socialites weren't exactly trained in a proper salute, of course.

Crystal let out a sigh as she walked down the hall to return to Raven's side. Under her breath, she pleaded in a quiet mumble, "Please, for all that is good in this world, please don't let him ruin this moment for them."

Author's Note

Companion Mask Chapter: En Face

Union of Hearts

To the best of Crystal's knowledge, Princess Celestia was one of the most eloquent orators in Equestria. Her voice was as smooth as silk and typically enraptured those who listened to it. Judging by the faces in the crowd, everypony was hanging on her every beautiful word. Even Velvet was giving the speech her full attention and, after a quick glance around, wiped her eyes with one hoof.

Crystal, however, had something more important occupying her mind. She knew the speech: dearly beloved, sincere but somewhat humorous anecdote, explanation of significance of vows, exchange of said vows, so on and so forth until they were wed. Moore was just finishing up his vows, giving Crystal plenty of time to keep an eye on the crowd—or, at least, one pony in particular.

Finally, the words drifted into Crystal's ears and her muscles tensed. "If any pony in this room knows of any reason why these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The room was so silent that all Crystal could hear was the pounding of her heart. She watched as Prince Blueblood sat there, facing straight ahead, making no move to stand or speak. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Raven steal a worried glance.

Princess Celestia smiled and continued, "Then I am most honored and happy to proclaim you wife and husband." She lowered her regal head to their level. "Moore, do I even need to tell you what you may now do?"

"No, Your Highness, but I certainly would like to hear it anyway." Moore grinned down at Raven, whose face turned bright red.

"Very well." Princess Celestia chuckled softly. "Moore, you may now kiss your bride."

"With pleasure, Your Highness." Moore dipped his head low and as he pressed his lips to Raven's, the room broke out in polite but enthusiastic stomping.

When they pulled away and turned to face the crowd, Princess Celestia announced, "And now, to all the friends and family who have come to celebrate this union, I take great pleasure in presenting, for the first time in Equestria, Mrs. and Mr. Raven and Moore."

As the newlyweds descended the stairs and walked down the aisle together, they were showered in white and pink rose petals as well as cheers. The bridesmares and groomstallions followed behind them in pairs and, once they were all outside the ceremony hall, formed the receiving line. Raven switched places with Moore so that he was at the head and Crystal with Perfect Pace so that she was at Raven's side.

"I can't believe it," Raven whispered, a small, squeaky crack to her voice as she fought back a squeal. "I'm married!"

Crystal giggled. "Congratulations, Raven!"

Raven raised a hoof to rub at her eyes and took a sharp intake of air. "It's almost hard to believe."

Moore leaned his head down to interject, "Rav, you two can gossip at the reception. The guests are ready."

"Yes, Moore." Raven smiled and brushed her shoulder to his. "Spoilsport."

Moore's ears stood up straight. "Excuse me? Now I'm the spoilsport? Have our roles switched now that we're married?"

"It seems that way." Raven stuck her nose in the air with a playful huff, then put on her best smile when the first guest approached. "Hello! Thank you so much for attending."

Crystal doled out obligatory gratitude as the guests made their way down the line. Occasionally, she leaned forward to see how many ponies were left between them and Blueblood. The receiving line sounded good on paper, but in practice, it was awkward and boring, so she made a mental note to not have one for her own wedding That was a fantasy for a different time, though.

Blueblood's recognizable figure finally came into view and Crystal positioned herself closer to Raven without outright blocking his path as he approached. He was bigger than her, but she was scrappy, or so she chose to believe as she prepped her magic. If he made one wrong move, then he'd find his tail stuffed so far up his rear he'd never find it again.

Tension was thick in the air until Prince Blueblood's haughty voice cut through it like a razor. "Raven. Pony Moore." He glanced between them, peering down his snout, then settled his gaze on Moore. "It figures that it would take a common stallion to make a common mare happy."

And, with that, he walked on down the line without speaking to anypony else. Crystal blinked while Raven gawked.

Raven breathed in through her nose and growled, "That pompous—"

"I can't believe it!" Moore interrupted, his chest swelling and a smile spreading across his lips. "I do believe that's the nicest thing he's ever said to me!"

Raven glared up at him. "He called you a common stallion!"

"Yes." Moore leaned down to nuzzle her cheek. "And he said I make you happy, which is a lot better than what he's said in passing to me before."

Raven's expression remained unchanged. "He called me a comm—"

Moore interrupted her by leaning down and kissing her. At first, she mumbled the rest of her complaint against his lips, then gave in to his rather convincing argument.

Crystal smiled and turned her head to look out into the reception hall. Her smile fell when she spotted Prince Blueblood making his way through the crowd and straight for one of the exits. Watching him disappear, she just shrugged and returned her attention to the remaining guests in line.

After the last guest had given the newlywed couple their blessings and what had to be an hour of photographs had been taken, the reception officially started. Crystal walked into the hall alongside Perfect Pace and, when faced with a room filled with heart-themed decor, a thought nearly struck the wind out of her lungs.

The very next day was Hearts and Hooves Day. Not just her first with Silent Knight, but her first with a special somepony at all! What was she going to do? She smiled and did her best to enjoy the free meal and hours of dancing without thinking about it; of course, that meant it was the only thing on her mind the rest of the evening.

Velvet peered down at Crystal, who was sprawled on the floor and staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression. "So, I guess you partied hard last night, huh?"

Crystal replied with a simple groan.

Velvet took a bite of her breakfast bagel and continued, "What, are you mad because I bailed on the reception? I'm sorry, all right? I just didn't expect there to be so many ponies there."

Another groan. Crystal wriggled over to turn her back to Velvet and curled up into a tight ball.

"Wait... Are you hungover? How much did you drink?" Velvet prodded her with one hoof. "Did you embarrass Raven by bar diving again?"

"I'm not hungover," Crystal finally mumbled. "I'm meditating."

Velvet moved to flop onto the nearest pillow. She took another bite and chewed as loudly as she could until Crystal jerked upright to glare at her. "Whatchya meditating about?"

"Today's Hearts and Hooves Day." Crystal dropped her head back down. "I'm finding my inner peace so that I am able to embrace the day without expectations or disappointment."

Velvet nearly choked on the bagel as she laughed, covering her mouth with one hoof. "Oh, wow! That's right!" She lowered the hoof to reveal a wicked grin. "You're going to spend your first Hearts and Hooves Day with Mr. Unromantic!"

Crystal huffed. "He's not Mr. Unromantic! He's just, well, romantically challenged, that's all." She rolled her head from side to side. "I thought if I stayed at the reception, he might get away from work long enough to drop in so I could get a read on where his head was at. I didn't see him all evening, and now I have no idea what to expect. Thus, I'm trying to expect nothing at all."

"Okay, whatever." Velvet snickered and shifted on the pillow, shaking her head. "So what are your plans after you find your inner peace?"

Crystal blinked a few times before she inclined her head to look at Velvet. "About that. Do you think you could spend the night at your parents'?"

Velvet's amusement faded into a small frown. "Oh." Her expression bounced back to a smile. "Are you going to pick up the slack on the romance, then?"

"I hope to." Crystal twiddled her hooves. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask such a thing of you on such short notice, but with everything that has been going on, I—"

"It's fine!" Velvet rose to her hooves and stretched her hind leg. "Yeah, I can clear out and give you the place to yourself. Just clean up after you're done, all right?" She paused, then grinned and added, "Do you need me to run to the theater and get some coat glitter? Lazuli got the company a hook-up in the Crystal Empire for the Swan Lake performance and we've got a ton left over, if you want to really make a statement."

Crystal's head spun with all sorts of responses until she settled on, "Thanks, but I'm all right." She shook her head. "I'm just going to keep it simple with dinner and dessert. I don't want him to feel like he made a mistake if I make a big deal about it."

Velvet raised one brow and tilted her head just slightly. "I'd think not doing anything for the most romantic day of the year when involved with the most romantic pony I know is pretty much a huge mistake, but whatever. As long as you're happy!" She patted Crystal on the head before trotting over to the door. "I'll go make arrangements to spend the night elsewhere. Good luck finding your inner peace!"

"Thank you, Velvet." Crystal smiled. "I'll make it up to you somehow, I promise." She stood and, once the door was shut, allowed a downtrodden sigh.

It felt wrong to lie to Velvet when she probably knew the truth but was at least kind enough to play along. Crystal hadn't been meditating at all—she'd been sulking.

Crystal hummed to herself while she checked on the meal-in-progress. The noodles were boiling, the vegetables were sizzling, and the chocolate-covered berries were setting. All that was left was to blend the toasted almonds and tomatoes with the rest of the ingredients to make the pesto sauce and, as three brisk knocks on the door reminded her, for Silent to arrive.

When she opened the door, she started to greet him with a cheery hello, but her pride and enthusiasm washed away under the weight of surprise and what she said instead was, "Helloooh..."

Silent stood in front of her in a handsome suit. It was the kind of suit dashing stallions wore as they swept unsuspecting mares off their hooves and carried them into sunsets. Her knees nearly buckled underneath her, as if to challenge Silent into carrying out the rest of the suit-inspired fantasy, but she forced herself to stay upright.

"Oh?" He repeated, just the slightest hint of disappointment showing through his tone.

Her eyes widened and she gasped, "No!" She waved a hoof. "I don't mean, 'oh.' I mean, oh, I'm so surprised!" She glanced him over from head to hoof and her heart fluttered. "I'm really surprised. Why don't you come in?"

As he walked inside, he offered her a box of chocolates, which she stared at with wide eyes before taking it in her magic. "Just the first of many surprises, I hope. Did the flowers arrive safely?"

She idly nodded in response to his question, her gaze wandering over to the bouquet of a dozen red roses resting in a vase. They were beautiful, certainly, and she had been happy to receive them, of course, but they had been enough of a surprise. However, the box in front of her had the Sunridge Sweets logo on it, and that meant he had ordered it specifically for her.

Then there was the matter of his suit. Just the thought of it sent tingles down her spine, but she did her best not to drool as she stared at him.

He glanced around after she had been staring a little too long. "And I made reservations at Le Bernardin for dinner."

She blinked a few times. "Really? Oh, wow, you... I'm..." Her brow furrowed a moment, then raised. "Honestly, I'm speechless. You really went through all of this effort for today?"

"Of course." He nodded. "And there's more." He tilted his head and asked with a tinge of tentativeness, "Did I do something wrong?"

Crystal broke free from her surprise to reassure him with a tight hug, nuzzling her face against his neck. "Oh, no! You did right. More than right, actually. This is more than any mare would expect on a day like today. I just—" She bit her lip before she pulled back just enough to look up at him. "Well, it's just that you've been so busy lately, so I made dinner. I thought we could just enjoy each other's company for a quiet evening." She nuzzled the underside of his chin and purred, "Alone."

Silent finally smiled and wrapped his foreleg around her shoulders. "If you just want to stay in then we can do that. I don't mind as long as you're happy."

"Trust me, I am." She giggled and kissed his cheek, then slipped out of his embrace to trot over to the kitchen. "Let me just finish up here while you and your nice suit have a seat."

After tossing the pasta and vegetables in with the sauce, she portioned the meal onto two plates and served them to the small, two-pony dining table she had bought just for the occasion. "I hope you like it," she said as she sat down across from him. "It's a new recipe, which I wish I had made a few more times before having you try it." She bit her lower lip, doing her best to not make it obvious she was watching him.

He just nodded, twirled the pasta around his fork, stabbed a piece of zucchini, and ate it. His ears perked and he quickly dipped his fork back to the plate to twirl it once more, but didn't say anything between bites.

She swallowed. Her stomach did a nervous flip when he went for a third bite and still hadn't said a word. Fear kept her from trying it herself and instead she asked, "How is it?"

"Mm?" He swallowed his mouthful and replied, "Delicious. Why, is there something wrong with yours?"

Relief forced a sigh out of her, but she quickly covered it up with a smile. "Oh, no, I was just making sure."

They ate in companionable silence, Silent seeming to eat with a fury. Before she was even halfway done with her plate, he finished his and leaned back into his seat.

"Crystal," he said as he loosened his tie and smiled, "you may not believe me, but you'll have to trust me when I say that that was the best meal I've had in a while."

She set her fork down, giggling. "Why, thank you, Mr. Knight. I'm glad you enjoyed it." She tapped her hooves together. "If you're ready for dessert, I have some chocolate-covered berries." Her gaze wandered over to the box of Sunridge Sweets chocolates. "Of course, if you'd rather, I don't mind having the special chocolate you bought instead."

He shook his head. "They're specially made for you. We can share the berries you made."

A bolt of excitement shot through her as she levitated the plate from the kitchen and onto the table. She had made up her mind before that she was going to be bold, but after his display of romanticism, he had sealed the deal. With as much grace as her nervous hooves allowed, she stepped around the table and slipped onto his lap, one foreleg wrapped around his neck to steady herself.

She nosed his cheek and said softly, "You really surprised me tonight, Silent Knight." Carefully, she picked up a strawberry with one hoof and held it close to his lips.

"Good. That was the goal." He leaned forward just enough to take a bite.

Crystal relished in their closeness as she continued, "I've never seen this side of you before. Flowers, chocolates, and a nice suit?" She smiled. "I think I like it."

"Well, this side of me is only for you." He returned the smile. "If you'd be so kind and use that unicorn magic of yours, there is an envelope in my bag for you."

She blinked, then turned her head to look at the bag. While she focused on finding and retrieving the envelope, she asked, "There's more to your surprises?"

"This is the last one."

She eyed him with curious suspicion before opening the envelope to find a card inside, which she read aloud. "To my very special somepony. Celestia's sun may be bright, but you are radiant. Luna's moon may be silver, but you are shimmering."

Warmth spread to the tips of her ears as she paused to flipped the first flap of the trifold card over. The words were prewritten by some pony who was paid to write sappy cards all day, but he had still picked the card knowing what it said. They may not have been from his hoof, but they reflected what was in his heart.

"I wouldn't trade you for the sun nor the moon. You mean more to me than both. Aww..." She giggled, then caught sight of a hoofwritten addition. "Even in a world full of Crystals you'll be the one that glimmers the most." She glanced up at him and tilted her head while her cheeks flushed. "That's sweet, Silent. I suppose there are a lot of ponies named Crystal, aren't there?"

The self-assured smile that took residence on his face sent her heart into a fluttering frenzy. He shook his head and said, "Almost there. Open the last flap."

Her brow furrowed as moving the flap revealed two tickets. They were unfamiliar to her, not ones to the ballet theater or for a train ride. A quick skimming of the information on them gave away everything she needed to know and she gasped, nearly slipping out of his lap. "Silent Knight! Are you serious? Are these really tickets to Glimmer World?"

Silent bobbed his head in a slight nod. "Of course. Will you go with me?"

The tickets nearly fell out of her magic as she wrapped both forelegs around his neck. "Yes! Of course! What kind of mare would say no?" She giggled, pressing their cheeks together. "I can't believe you're taking me to Glimmer World on a vacation just for you and me!"

"Yes, just you and me." He chuckled. "Mostly."

"Mostly?" she repeated, pulling away, looking up at him with a furrowed brow. A pit formed in the base of her stomach as all sorts of possible scenarios flew through her mind. There was no way he had just invited her to some sort of family vacation with such a romantic card, was there?

"Well, I sort of made plans for us to have lunch one day with Colonel Armor and Lady Cadence." He shrugged. "Of course, if you don't want to visit the Crystal Palace, that's fine. We could just tell them tha—"

"No, no, no." Crystal slapped a hoof over his mouth a little harder than she intended. "No, that sounds fine. I know how important Shining Armor is to you, after all." She smiled. "I'm sure I can find the strength to share you for one day. Although..." Her hoof slid down and gripped his tie, giving a gentle tug to pull his face closer to hers. "Today is most certainly not that day. You have been a very, very, very good stallion and have earned a reward."

Crystal's eyes fluttered open and she breathed in the heady scent of stallion. Her blurry vision focused on the form sleeping next to her and she smiled. He looked so peaceful lying there that she hated the idea of disturbing him, but her stomach hated the idea of lying there even more. Carefully, she slipped out of bed and tiphoofed across the room, breathing a sigh of relief once she shut the door behind her.

First thing was first: clean up the table from the night before, then set about making breakfast. Sunbeam had given her Pepper Ridge's recipe for cinnamon apple cider muffins that she had been practicing. It was time to show it off.

While the second batch was in the oven, she wrapped up the first and slipped them into his bag. She was midway through mixing the batter for a third batch when her bedroom door opened, Silent's head leaned out, and he called, "Hello?"

Crystal looked up from the bowl, smiling. "Good morning! Breakfast is ready, so why don't you have a seat? You should eat before work."

He nodded and took a seat at the table. "Sounds good to me."

She set the bowl on the counter to levitate the plate of cooling muffins. After adding a variety of fruits to the spread, she brought it over to the table. "I thought you might have a healthy appetite this morning so I may have overdone it."

"I'm a bit hungry, yeah," he muttered, his face turning a light shade of red, then he sniffed the air. "Wow, that smells good."

"I hope they taste good, too." She sat down and picked up one of the muffins. "So..." A smile curled her lips. "Just about two weeks from now and we'll be off on our special vacation?"

Silent paused. He had stuffed a whole muffin in his mouth and it didn't look like swallowing quickly was an option, so he just nodded.

"Mmm." Her ears folded back as the smile turned into a goofy little grin. "I don't know if I can be patient for two weeks, though. Can't we just leave now?"

"I know," he managed after finally swallowing, "but it'll be worth the wait. The travel agent said the weather will be better then."

"Really? Well, all right then." She giggled and tilted her head. "You thought of everything, didn't you, stud?"

The feathers of his wings quivered, a self-satisfied smile on his face. "I tried to. I wanted this to be as close to perfect as I could get it."

A rush of what she could only describe as 'warm fuzzies' filled her chest. "I'm sure it will be. Anyway, I wrapped up a batch of muffins and put them in your bag so you could enjoy them at work."

Silent chuckled. "I will do just that, thanks. But, I should go now." He took one last bite and said around it, "We're still short-staffed and I don't want to make things worse by being too late."

When he stood, she stood with him and followed him to the door. He paused, turned toward her, and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips.

"Will you come back by tonight?" she asked, gazing fondly up at him.

"I will." He smiled. "See you then." As he walked out into the hallway, he added two very specific and unexpected words: "Love you."

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Hearts and Hooves
Companion Mask Chapter: Preface to a Dream

New Love, Old Love

Crystal gawked at him and all she could think to respond with was, "What?"

Silent stood frozen in place, though the feathers on his wings quivered. Perhaps she had misheard him. Plenty of words sounded like 'love' and 'you'. Of course, she couldn't think of any at that moment, and just waited in heart-pounding curiosity until he finally turned his head to look at her.

With more certainty than the casual way he said it the first time, he repeated, "I love you."

It wasn't how she had imagined their first exchange of such important words, but a tingling sensation of joy filled her chest. "That's what I hoped you had said." She smiled, leaned against the door frame, and drew a hoof along the edge as she tried not to tremble with nervous excitement while she whispered back, "I love you, too."

His ears perked straight up and he flashed a coltish smile before nodding and trotting down the hall, his wings flapping just enough so that only the tips of his hooves touched the ground. Crystal watched him until he turned the corner out of sight, then she withdrew into the condo and shut the door behind her.

In the newfound privacy, she squealed and pranced a victory lap around the main room. She needed to clean the kitchen and put away the leftovers, but she had so many euphoric feelings inside of her that they took priority. Her magic sought out the nearest notebook she could remember, retrieved a quill, and brought both to her. She set them down to free up her focus to levitate a record onto the player, then flipped it on and dropped the needle.

The sound of a saxophone poured out of the speaker paired with a gentle guitar and drums, then quieted down to allow a smooth mare's voice to sing, "You're a fairytale too good to be true. It's a fairytale in itself that we found each other. We could just as well never ever have met, or had our meeting already been decided long before we were born?"

"Who knows, not you," Crystal chimed in, smiling while her magic danced the quill along the page. "Who knows, not me..."

When Velvet came home around noon, she noticed it immediately. Crystal was hoping she could ambush Velvet with the great news before their new furniture was discovered, but the mare was ever the observant detective. The moment she walked in the door, her head jerked to the side, her ears perked, and her brow furrowed.

"Crystal?" she asked.

Crystal smiled as innocently as she could. "Welcome home!"

Velvet turned her head to face Crystal, returning the smile with a frown. "Since when did we have a dining table?"

"Oh, that?" Crystal waved a hoof. "It was very cheap, don't worry!"

Velvet sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I thought you were done spending money on frivolous things! What happened to me not worrying and you making money, not throwing it away?"

Crystal's smile fell into a serious line. "I'm sorry, Velvet. I've just been wrapped up in finishing school, and these weddings, and—"

"I get it, I get it." Velvet dropped down to sit on her haunches and crossed her forelegs over her chest. "So, now, you're done with school, you're done with weddings. You're running out of excuses, and I'm not going to pay your half of the rent, so... ?"

"I'm writing!" Crystal pointed at the notebook sitting open on the coffee table. "I'm still waiting on the second round of editing of Silent Love, but in the meantime, I'm going to dedicate myself to a short a month for Mares Monthly."

Velvet eyed her with clear skepticism, but eventually sighed and moved over to flop onto a pillow. "I'm pretty sure Cosmare pays better."

"Cosmare—" Crystal huffed. "Velvet!"

"What? Are you seriously pretending that wasn't a thing?" Velvet rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine, whatever. But my point still stands. And now that you actually have real life experience, I bet you'd be even more popular."

Crystal groaned. She squirmed on her pillow until she had wriggled around to face away from Velvet, then muttered, "I suppose money is more important than my dignity."

Velvet clapped her hooves. "You go, girl!" She leaned forward to slap Crystal on the flank, laughing when the mare gasped in surprise. "Anyway, so, how did it go? Did you surprise him?"

Recovering from her embarrassment, though her face was still a little red, Crystal giggled and shook her head. "Actually, he surprised me."

Velvet's gaze flickered over to the vase of roses. "I see that."

"Oh, that was only the first surprise!" Crystal twiddled her hooves.

"What?" Velvet blinked. "What else happened?"

"Weeell," Crystal started, drawing out the syllable for as long as she could before Velvet shot her a dirty look. "He also brought a box of chocolates from Sunridge Sweets."

Velvet's head tilted and brow furrowed. "You sure about that? Mom and Dad don't sell chocolates unless"—her eyes widened—"he ordered them special?"

Crystal nodded and when Velvet started to squeal, she interrupted, "But wait, there's more!"

"More?!" Velvet reached out to put a hoof on Crystal's. "Are you sure you didn't hit your head and dream all of this up? I mean, it's a nice dream and I wouldn't blame you, but..."

Crystal giggled. "I'm not making this up!"

Velvet slowly retracted her hoof. "Okay, then, what else happened?"

Crystal took a quick breath, then explained, "Well, he also showed up in a very nice suit. He had made reservations for Le Bernardin. And, last of all, he gave me a very sweet card that held two tickets to Glimmer World."

"Glimmer World?!" Velvet gasped, jumping to her hooves. "Crystal! Glimmer World?!" Her gaze darted around before it returned to Crystal and she stared at her with ears folded back and wide eyes. "Crystal, he's going to propose!"

Crystal gave a rapid, surprised shake of her head. "What?" She laughed. "Don't be silly!"

Velvet put her forehooves on Crystal's shoulders. "No, seriously, think about it! Flowers? Chocolates? Suit? Reservation? Glimmer World? It's like something straight out of one of your stories!"

Crystal stared at her for a quiet moment, then shook her head again. "He's just being a good stallionfriend. No, a great stallionfriend. I'm happy with him doing this much; I'm certainly not going to get my hopes up and ruin a perfectly nice trip by expecting more!" She added after a small giggle, "Besides, this is Silent Knight we're talking about here, you know."

Velvet's serious expression didn't waver in the least. "Yeah, Silent Knight who just did a bunch of un-Silent Knight things. All bets are off! But, fine." She finally smiled. "If you want to live in denial then I'm not going to waste my breath. Now, get back to writing, get a paycheck, and then we can go celebrate on your bit."

"All right, all right." Crystal laughed and turned to face the coffee table. "Why don't you help me decide what I'm going to write, since you're so intent on me writing something for Cosmarepolitan?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Velvet purred with a devilish grin on her face.

Crystal shifted in her seat and glanced around. Though she had picked a seat away from the other cafe occupants, there was certainly no way she would be caught working on a steamy story in public. Instead, she let her gaze wander the cafe, then out the window into the streets, searching for something to write about.

Sitting on a bench just outside the store across the street was an elderly couple. The old stallion had a hoof resting on the mare's and the two just sat there, watching the other ponies walk by. Crystal started to smile as the quill slid over the page.

Charlie Horse chuckled softly while he pushed his hind hooves against the rickety porch to set his rocking chair into motion. "Don't you worry, dear. Today's going t'be a fine day."

"How can you be so sure?" Bellerose shot him a sideways glance. "My knees tell me it's going to rain." She sniffed and looked out at their front yard. "I wanted to do some gardening today, too."

"Why don't I make you some tea?" Charlie Horse shifted his weight and stopped rocking. "That always cheers you up."

Bellerose shook her head. A few grey locks escaped the blue scarf tied over her ears and bounced into her vision from the movement. She huffed to blow them out of the way. "No point. It's going to rain."

Charlie hovered between sitting and standing before he slumped back into his chair. He reached over to put his hoof on her knee. "All right, dear."

A droll voice interrupted her writing. "Oh, you know my grandparents?"

Crystal blinked, looking up to see Rossby standing by her table and peering at her open notebook. She blinked again when she replayed the question in her mind. "What?" Her ears stood straight up. "What?! I, oh, no, this is just—"

Rossby cracked a smirk. "I'm joking. Seriously, who names their colt Charlie Horse?"

"It's an old stallion's name," she said, frowning. "The stallion is old. Therefore—"

"Why are you writing about old ponies?" His smirk faded into a straight line. "Are you a pervert?"

She slammed her notebook shut and glared at him. "I am not! The love of an old couple is sweet and perfectly innocent."

He just stared at her, shrugged, then set a cup of tea down in front of her. "Whatever. Here's your usual."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I'm not ordering anything today." She looked down at the light brown liquid and added after sniffing it, "And this isn't my usual."

"Really?" His eyes widened as if surprised, but his tone didn't change any. "Oh. I guess that's what happens when you don't show up to a place for weeks. Or is it months? I can't remember."

She sighed, pushed the teacup away, and said in a solemn voice, "I'm sorry, Rossby. I've been busy."

His ear flicked. "That's what you said last time when you claimed you weren't avoiding me."

"I've not been—" She groaned. "Honestly, you act like you have no other ponies to talk to!" When he didn't say anything, she blinked a few times. "Wait, do you not?"

"Ponies don't seem to want to talk to me," he retorted. "And that's fine by me. Most ponies aren't capable of intelligent conversation."

A mixed expression played across her face as her mouth wriggled to keep from grinning and her brow knitted. "Are you saying I'm capable of intelligent conversation? Rossby, I'm flattered!"

"That's not what I meant." He snatched the teacup up and set another in its place. "Here you go. Your actual usual. It's on the house, or whatever. Just stop talking."

Crystal smiled and waved after him as he walked away. "Thank you, Rossby! I'll try to come by more often just for you!" She laughed when his pace quickened to walk faster.

She sighed happily and lifted the teacup to her lips while her gaze returned to her notebook, which she opened to reread what she had written. The aroma of the sweet and savory liquid sent a wave of calm through her, putting her in the perfect mood to continue where she had left off.

The air was filled with the quiet sounds of nature, as well as the occasional creak of Charlie's chair from the gentle rocking motion. Bellerose took a deep breath and let it out as a heavy sigh. Charlie looked over at her and asked, "What now, dear?"

"I'm old," she said in the almost ironic manner of a pouting filly.

Charlie blinked, then chuckled. "And so am I."

She glared at him with the fire in her eyes that he had always loved, and always would. Time could take the luster from her coat and the spring from her step, but it would never quell the flame of her spirit. "I'm old, Charlie. Too old to garden even if it weren't going to rain." Her gaze drifted back to their front yard. "And I'm only going to get older."

He said nothing at first. He just watched her as nature buzzed around them. A breeze drifted by, catching the loose curls of her mane, and finally he smiled. "You are, dear." He leaned over with a bit of effort and put his hoof on her cheek. Gently, he coaxed her to turn her head and look at him. "But leaves are always the most beautiful before they fall."

The corners of her eyes creased as a smile spread across her face. She turned her head to place a soft kiss on his hoof. "You're a fool. Now if you call me beautiful, I'm going to be afraid I'll fall."

Crystal paused, giggled, and set down her quill. Was there even a market for that sort of story? With another giggle she looked out the window. The elderly couple that had inspired her were still sitting on their bench and watching the world go by, their expressions just as content as when she first spotted them.

An idea struck her and she finished off her tea in one long sip, gathered up her things, then trotted for the door. "Hello!" she called as she crossed the street.

The mare blinked at her in surprise while the stallion smiled. "Well, hello, little filly."

"I'm sorry to bother you, bu—"

"Oh, sweetheart, you're no bother at all." The mare scooted away from her partner to open up a space between them, which she patted. "Sit down, sit down."

Crystal bobbed her head politely and sat down. "Thank you... ?"

"Rich Light," the mare said, reaching around Crystal to pat the stallion on the knee. "And my husband, Rickety Rich."

Crystal raised a hoof to hide her smile. "Rich and Rich?"

Rickety chuckled and nodded. "That was what we were called in school."

"But my friends just call me Riley," Rich Light interjected. "It's much friendlier than Rich or Light, please and thank you."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Crystal Wishes and I saw you two from the cafe over there"—she gestured at the cafe in question—"and the both of you seemed so content and happy that I just had to know what your story was."

Rickety folded his hooves in his lap, leaned back against the bench, and looked up at the sky. "Oh, well, when you've been together as long as we have, it's nice to just sit and watch the world go by."

"It reminds you and makes you appreciate what you have," Riley continued, a soft smile on her face. "At your age you still have so much to see and do, but Rickety and I have been all over Equestria together. Now we're just grateful to have one more day to spend, and tomorrow, Celestia willing, we'll be just as grateful then, too."

Crystal flipped her notebook open to a blank page. "If you don't mind, I'm a bit of a writer and I would love to know how you two met and fell in love."

One of Rickety's brows quirked. "A writer, or a reporter?"

"A writer," Crystal confirmed.

Rickety's brow relaxed and he smiled again. "Well, then, it was a long time ago..."

Velvet sat in silence as her eyes scanned the last page. Finally, she looked up at Crystal and said in a perfectly neutral voice, "So this is what you've been working on the past week?"

Crystal swallowed. "Well... yes, it is. It's just a rough draft of the plot, but—"

"It's really sweet." Velvet returned her gaze to the writing. "I don't know if it's, well, at all like your normal stuff. I mean, they're just normal ponies, no princes or princesses or anything."

"Silent Love doesn't feature any nobility," Crystal mumbled.

Velvet waved a dismissive hoof. "But Stoutheart is a knight, so that's still, you know, not normal." She lowered the hoof to tap on the notebook. "Okay, so, the real question is how many months can you drag out of this for Mares Monthly?"

Crystal's magic brought the notebook over and she flipped through the pages, her brow furrowing. "I'm not sure. I don't even know if Sunset would go for it."

"I didn't say it wasn't good." Velvet rolled her eyes, then blinked and tilted her head. "Hey, what about that frost pony thing? Weren't you interested in writing about them?"

Crystal brought the notebook closer to cover her frown. "I was until I met one. I'd much sooner turn Bellerose into a dragon solely for the abnormal intrigue than try to pick that up again."

"Hey!" Velvet grinned. "That's an idea. What if Bellerose was a dragon?"

Crystal's ears flattened against her mane. "No."

"Aww, come on, I'm sure there's somepony out there who would be into that." Velvet laughed and waved a hoof. "Look, maybe it's just that I don't see the appeal. You've got two ponies who kind of liked each other, then got separated, then found each other again and get married and grow old together. I know you're a great writer and could make it interesting, but based on that alone, I'm just not impressed."

Crystal took in a deep breath through her nose. There was only one way to find out if the story was worth pursuing. Slowly, she flipped back through the notebook until she found the first bit of writing about Charlie and Bellerose. "Can you read this, then?"

Velvet nodded and took it back to read. One ear flicked and, briefly, a smile took hold of her lips before returning to a straight line. At one point she released a small "aww" and giggled. Finally, she sputtered into laughter and exclaimed, "Oh, come on! That's so corny!"

Crystal nibbled on her lower lip. "Corny good or corny bad?"

Velvet shot her a wide grin. "Dunno, I'd have to read more to find out." She picked up the quill and held it out. "So get to writing."

"Yeah?" Crystal's magic wrapped around the quill. "Do you think it could work?"

"I could see how some ponies would find it cute or whatever. So, sure." Velvet rose to her hooves and walked to the kitchen. "So, are you prepared to leave for your big trip with Silent Knight next week?"

Butterflies found their way into Crystal's stomach and she tried to ignore them by giggling. "Oh, yes! A whole week together, just me... and him..." The butterflies turned into an agitated roar. "Together... for a whole week..."

Velvet leaned back from the fridge to look at her around the door. "Uh, yeah? You say that like it's a bad thing."

The pink aura dissipated and the quill dropped out of her magic. "What if it is?!" Crystal bolted upright. "Oh, Velvet, do I snore?"

"No? At least, not that I know of?" Velvet's brow furrowed. "What's wrong with you?"

"Do you think the way I eat is annoying?" Crystal tried pacing to shake out the nervous energy but to no avail. "Perhaps I laugh strangely! Does he realize what this trip could herald?! This could be the very end of our relationship!"

Velvet slowly closed the fridge door and just watched her in silence.

Crystal did her best to keep her breathing even. "I don't think he realizes what he's done! It's too soon for this kind of trip! I'm not ready for him to discover things about me that overnight stays don't reveal!"

Finally, Velvet walked over, grabbed Crystal by the shoulders, and steadied her. "I'm sorry, but this is for your own good." One hoof released her shoulder to instead flick her nose. "Shut up."

"But—"

"I said shut up." Velvet frowned, her eyes slightly narrowed. "You liked him when he was an oblivious mass of antisocial stallion, right?"

Crystal nodded meekly.

"And he liked you when he thought you were a fillyfooler, right?"

After a brief struggle to not burst into laughter, Crystal nodded again.

"Then seriously, what could you two discover on this trip that would be worse than either of those things?" Velvet allowed a small grin. "You can talk now, by the way."

"I don't know," Crystal said after a sigh. "When you say it, it sounds stupid. But when my mind says it, it makes perfect sense." She smiled softly. "Let's just not talk about the trip for now, all right? I'd rather focus on my writing while the muse is singing."

Velvet nodded and let go of her, returning to the kitchen. "Fine, but only because you making money is more important to me than your mental health. I'm your roommate, not your therapist!"

"Of course, of course." Crystal sat back down beside her notebook. The quill rose in her magic, dipped into the inkwell resting on the coffee table, then resumed where she had left off. She had a week to come to terms with her anxiety; until then, she would do what she did best and write.

Author's Note

Companion Mask Chapter: Put On a Happy Face

A Glimmering Start

Velvet lounged on the couch with a milkshake, which she slurped indiscriminately, and watched as Crystal ran back and forth across the condo. Finally, after a loud smack of her lips, she asked, "Do you really need to start packing now?"

Crystal skidded to a halt. Her ears sat straight up and she gawked at Velvet. "How long do you wait before packing for a big vacation?"

"The day of?" Velvet responded, one brow raised.

Crystal huffed, scrunched up her nose, and resumed her second trip to the kitchen. "And how many vacations do you arrive and go, oh!" She threw her hooves in the air while her magic scoured the cabinets. "What ever shall I do, I believe I forgot my curlers!"

Velvet snorted. "None, because I don't use curlers. Which are in the bathroom, by the way."

"I—" Crystal paused. Slowly, she lowered her forelegs back to the ground and with an exaggeratedly casual stride, she made her way toward the bathroom. "I knew that. And my point still stands. Packing the day of results in forgotten items."

"But you're not leaving for two days." Velvet took another long sip of her milkshake. "Come on, why don't we go out? Go do something? Get those legs moving in a direction instead of in circles?"

Crystal stuck her head out of the bathroom. "Like what?"

Velvet shrugged. "My milkshake's almost empty, so we could go by the bakery and get more."

Crystal leaned further out into the living room, but didn't fully commit. "It's close to dinnertime. You shouldn't even be having one milkshake at this hour, let alone two!"

"Fine. I'm going to go get a milkshake, play with Red, and not bear witness to your insanity." Velvet slipped off the couch.

Crystal watched her walk away and, just as Velvet opened the door, took another step forward. "Fine, but you're paying. You asked me on a date, so it's only fair."

"I thought you said we weren't a couple anymore?" Velvet flicked her tail and added an extra sway to her hips.

Crystal trotted to catch up, tugging the front door shut behind her. "Aw, did that hurt your feelings?"

"Of course not! It's your loss, anyway." Velvet laughed and turned her head toward Crystal. "So what are your plans for the senile story?"

With a snort, Crystal tossed her mane. "It's not senile. It's different. The amount of stories that target older mares is depressingly low."

"Maybe there's a reason for that?" Velvet shrugged. "Well, it's your career's funeral." A grin tugged at her lips and before she could continue, Crystal bumped their shoulders together.

"Whatever joke you were about to make, don't. Sunset will do the market research and if he really thinks there is no audience then I'll repurpose it into a different story." She smiled, though her ears flicked and folded back. "I really hope that doesn't happen, though."

Velvet shrugged again. Her gaze wandered their surroundings as they walked down the street toward Sunridge Sweets. "Things keep changing with you. It's weird."

Crystal blinked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean things keep changing. You're almost all grown up, and you're writing different things now. I'm..." She trailed off with a sigh, then mumbled, "I'm going to be in the corps forever."

For a moment, Crystal remained perfectly quiet. Velvet didn't look at her and slowly her ears started to fold back. Finally, Crystal said, "Have you thought of looking into changing companies?"

Velvet shook her head. "How? The Canterlot Ballet is a big deal. Most ponies would beat me just for thinking about leaving! You should see how many show up for try-outs!" She sighed, dropping her head low. "I barely made it in. How can I expect to make it into the Royal Ballet of Equestria?"

"Well, you certainly can't if you don't try." Crystal frowned. "Do you want to be in the Royal Ballet?"

"Yes? No. I don't know!" Velvet hopped forward to emphasize her frustrations by slamming her forehooves against the cobblestone. "I just want to feel like I'm going somewhere with my career! Is a corps dancer all I'll ever be? Am I not good enough to be more than that?"

They walked in uncomfortable silence for a while until Crystal mumbled, "I'm sorry, Velvet. I don't have any good advice for you. Everything I know about ballet doesn't exactly pertain to this, and nothing about being a writer is comparable at all." She leaned in to nuzzle her nose against Velvet's cheek, then grinned. "Maybe you should overthrow that mare you always complain about."

"Perennial?" Velvet snorted. "I don't stand a chance against her."

With the aid of her magic, Crystal opened the door to the bakery and held it to let Velvet in first. "Come now, don't talk that way. I'll buy you a milkshake and we can make plans for the demise of the diva."

Velvet's nose scrunched up before she broke out into laughter. Once she had enough breath to manage speech, she said, "If you ever decide to get into murder mystery novels, you should totally use that as the name for your first book!"

"I'll keep that in mind." Crystal giggled. "For now, I think I'll keep myself safely within the romance genre."

Velvet paused to jab an accusatory hoof at her. "Hey, who said it couldn't be both?"

Crystal tilted her head, one ear perking upright and the other flopping over to the side. "Uh..." She shook her head a few rapid times and frowned. "I'll, ah, I'll get back to you on that."

The day of their departure to the Crystal Empire had finally arrived and though she was perfectly prepared, sleep was fleeting. Crystal gave up on lying in bed with fluttering anticipation and ventured out of her bedroom. She yawned as she walked into the main area and, at what she saw, transitioned into a cry of despair.

"Velvet!" She ran over to the mare's bedroom door and trotted in place outside it after knocking. "Velvet, we've been robbed!"

After an exaggeratedly long few seconds, the door opened and Velvet's groggy face came into view. "No, we haven't."

"Yes, we have!" Crystal gestured at a vacant spot by the door. "My luggage is gone!"

Velvet yawned. "No. I unpacked it all last night."

Crystal's eyes went painfully wide. "You did what?!"

"I unpacked it all last night," Velvet repeated in a drawl, then shook her head. "Crystal, there were six suitcases and three hat boxes. You won't even be gone a full week! I know that you're insane, but come on!"

Crystal whined and trotted faster. "But he'll be here in a few hours! I don't have time to repack everything!"

Velvet gave a sarcastically slow nod of her head. "That's the point. Pack only what you need, you stupid filly."

"Ooh, Velvet, you—" Crystal huffed and ran off to her bedroom, yelling over her shoulder, "How did you not wake me up while ruining my perfectly packed luggage?!"

Velvet walked over and stopped by the door, rested against the wall, and leaned her head through the doorway. "I'm pretty light on my hooves, and you're not quite the Princess of the Pea, you know."

There was no room left for being offended in Crystal's mind. All of her mental energy was spent on exerting her magic to grab as much as she could see that she wanted to bring. Of course, Velvet had improperly unpacked her things—likely on purpose, the awful scamp—and that meant finding what she wanted was even more difficult.

"Good luck." Velvet grinned, her gaze following Crystal while the mare darted around the bedroom. "I liked some of what I saw, so I may have put some things in my room." As Crystal ran out of the room, Velvet hummed and added, "Or was it the kitchen? I don't know, it was really early in the morning. I was tired and it was dark."

Crystal stopped just short of bursting into Velvet's room. She stood there in silent thought before her ears drooped, her tail went limp, and her eyes closed. "I'm not going to have time to repack everything, am I?"

Velvet shook her head. "Nope."

"I need to only pack the essentials, don't I?"

"Yup."

Crystal sighed and turned back to her own room. "I assume you returned anything you thought was essential to my room and hid the rest, didn't you?"

A grin lit up Velvet's face. "Now you're catching on!"

"Okay. All right. I can do this!" Crystal lifted her head as high as she could. "What's my limit?"

Velvet raised a hoof. "One bag."

"One?!" Crystal gawked. "Velvet! One bag?!"

Velvet mimicked the gawking expression and exclaimed, "One week, one bag!"

"Fine!" Crystal stormed into her bedroom, the brief confidence marred with disbelief and irritation. She stared at the various shapes and sizes of luggage available. Velvet had already taken back the bags Crystal took from her, but Sunbeam had been generous in letting her borrow what they had lying around, which left her with several options.

Finally, she huffed, selected the largest one among the set, and went to work.

Knock, knock, knock. Crystal froze and jerked her head to look at the clock. Time was up; Silent Knight was here. It was finally happening. She and Silent were going to go on a vacation, just the two of them. Was he even aware of how important this was? He had showed up exactly on time, not excitedly early or nervously late!

"Hi, Silent!" Velvet chirped from the main room after opening the door.

"Hello, Velvet," Silent's voice responded. "How are you?"

Velvet snorted. "Oh, fine, but don't bother yourself with pleasantries. You're not here for me, lover boy!"

Panic seizing her for a moment, her magic faltered, then came back in full force. She had ended up with two suitcases, trying to either fit as much as she possibly could into both of them or pare down into one to avoid a scolding from Velvet. Snapping them both shut and lifting a hat box—Velvet didn't say she couldn't have one of those, after all—she started toward the door that separated her from the living room.

"Crystal?" Silent started. "Are you ready t—"

"Yes!" Crystal dropped the luggage near the door. As she walked forward, she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror. In her haste to pack and re-pack, she had completely forgotten to take care of her mane or make-up. "Yes, I am, just one moment!" She pivoted on her hind hooves and hurried into the bathroom.

She was running low on energy, but she pushed her limits to get every task done simultaneously. Her mane and tail needed brushing, her braid was missing in action, and her lashes were without mascara. The top priority, of course, was not getting the signals crossed and accidentally poking herself in the eye or using the mascara applicator as a hair brush.

"I'd invite you in, but that should be unnecessary. Assuming she gets her act together soon, anyway. She's been running around the past two days like a mad mare," Velvet said in a loud voice. "I told her to take one bag, but I guess this was the best she could do."

Crystal frowned at the reflection of Velvet and Silent in the mirror, then returned her gaze to her own. "I can hear you, you know!"

"I know! I'm not exactly trying to be subtle!"

Crystal huffed. "Oh, hush." She tied off her braid, dabbed a bit of shiny pink gloss on her lips, and finished with the last touch: a small, heart-shaped beauty mark below her left eye.

She couldn't waste any more time or they might miss their train. But was she ready? They were going to be spending a lot of time together, and Velvet was right. She was a nigh professional at overreacting. How long could she keep it under wraps? Would he find it cute? Annoying?

"I'll be fine," Velvet's voice interrupted. "I've got my little brother to keep me company, and I do have other friends, you know."

Crystal sighed. She had to face the music, no matter how nervous the butterflies in her stomach were. After gathering everything she had used into the small travel kit, she paused to examine her work, then trotted out into the living room. "And yet she's never introduced us."

Velvet rolled her eyes and waved a hoof to dismiss the notion. "Whatever. Just get out of here already."

Crystal dropped the travel kit into one of the bags and zipped everything up. It was hard to hear anything above the pounding in her ears. She levitated all of her things into the air and squeezed the pony to her left tightly. "Stay out of trouble and don't burn the place down, all right? And if you get lonely, go visit Horsey, okay?" She let go and kissed the cheek of the pony on her right. "Let's go, honey. We're late already!"

Pulling back, she realized that the pony she was facing was light pink and small, not white and large. She blinked a few times as Velvet snorted and sputtered into laughter.

"Careful, Crystal!" Velvet managed and wiped her eyes. "He already thought we were together once, let's not make it twice!"

Crystal looked between them and while she tried to piece things together, Silent put his hoof on her shoulder and gently guided her with him out the door.

"It's all right, Velvet," he said over his shoulder. "We can share her."

The door shut behind them to the sound of Velvet's hysterical laughter. Crystal flashed a sheepish smile at Silent, who was taking the luggage out of her magic and balancing them on his back. "I'm sorry, I'm just so—" No, she didn't want to say nervous. That could have negative implications. She swallowed and finished, "Excited!"

Silent smiled down at her. "I'm glad. Now, let's make sure we make the train so you stay that way."

He kept a steady pace and she put forth a good effort to match it. She was impressed at how easily he moved despite carrying both of their luggage, though he had somehow managed to pack everything he needed into his regular saddlebags. Either he had packed extremely space-consciously, or he just hadn't packed much at all. She couldn't help a small roll of her eyes. He was a stallion; of course he had packed only the bare minimum.

The train had just pulled into the station when they trotted onto the platform and once it came to a stop, Silent stood by one of the doors to let her on first. Carefully, she arranged her luggage in a neat pile for the porter, then climbed aboard.

"Where would you like to sit?" Silent asked from behind her.

Crystal glanced around. The car was nearly empty, but she pointed at and walked to an empty row of seats far from the other occupants. "This is really happening," she mumbled as she sat down by the window.

Silent slid in beside her, looping one foreleg over her shoulders. "Now all that's left is one train ride and we'll be at the Crystal Empire." He leaned in and nosed her cheek.

She offered him a brief smile before returning her gaze to the window. "That's true." How could he be so casual about it? Questions and doubts circled around her mind, amplified twofold when, a few minutes later, the train's whistle blew and they started moving forward.

They sat in quiet until Silent offered, "It should be beautiful there, or so I'm told."

She just nodded. He stared at her for a while, nodded to himself, and looked around the car. His right hind leg jiggled and he tapped a hoof on the floor.

The butterflies traveled up to her chest and made it harder to breathe. It was awkward. She was awkward. He was already regretting this, he—

He asked, "Would you like to have lunch?"

"Lunch on the train?" She turned and tilted her head. "But isn't the dining car expensive?"

He shrugged. "It's not that bad, really." He winked and added, "Especially since we're on vacation." When she didn't respond, his brow started to furrow. "Are you feeling all right? You look... upset?"

"No!" She shook her head and put a hoof on his. "I'm not upset at all, I just, well." She swallowed. "It's just that we're going on a vacation. You and I. Together. Alone. For a whole week."

He gave a slow nod of his head. "Those are indeed facts. But I don't understand. We've been alone before, you know."

At first, a smirk curled her lips, but she battled it into a more ladylike smile. "Yes, Silent Knight, I'm aware of that. I was there, too." She gestured at the train car around them. "But this is a vacation! That's a big step from just spending the night. Ponies that are in serious relationships go on vacations together."

His ears started to droop and he flicked them back into place. "I thought we were in a serious relationship?"

"One never knows," she mumbled, then smiled. "But now I know! You're serious enough to take me on a vacation." After a pause, she twiddled her hooves and added, "Unless you just had no idea how big of a deal this is."

He bobbed his head and after a brief moment of thought, he pulled her closer. "Is that going to bother you the whole trip, or can you still have fun?"

"No, no, I'm fine. I'm just being silly, I suppose." She smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Let's get lunch. I think it will do me some good."

He stood up and out of the way, motioning with one hoof. "After you, madam."

"Why, thank you, good sir," she teased and led the way to the dining car.

The server approached to set a cup of tea in front of Crystal and a glass of water in front of Silent. "Have we had a chance to look at the menu?" He reached over and tapped on Crystal's. "Perhaps I could recommend the brunch portion? Our chef's specialty is the prench toast. He makes it with applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract, then it is topped with a light berry compote. It is especially divine."

Before he had finished explaining, Crystal had already snapped her menu shut and tried not to drool. "I'll have that, please!"

"Make it two," Silent said and offered his menu to the server. "Thank you."

The server nodded as he tucked the menus into the crook of his foreleg. "Very good, madam, lieutenant."

After the pony had walked off, Silent muttered, "I really wish he wouldn't call me that."

"Why?" Crystal tilted her head.

"Because we're on vacation. I left my silver bar back at the palace. Until we get back, I'm just Silent Knight, stallion about town and exceptional stallionfriend."

A fit of giggles bubbled up from her chest. "And so modest, too?"

Silent cracked a grin. "Does madam disagree?"

She shook her head. "Madam most certainly does not." She hooked her forehooves together to rest her chin on them. "So, when we arrive at the Crystal Empire, what is first on the agenda?"

He shrugged and leaned back into his seat. "Well, I think we should check into the hotel first so we can take advantage of the great amenities and just relax so we're well-rested. Tomorrow we're going to be spending the whole day in Glimmer World so we'll need it."

She giggled. "I can't wait!" She lifted her head and clapped her hooves together. "I read an article about these special earrings they sell that are made from crystals you can only find in the Crystal Empire."

He paused, then cleared his throat and said, "You don't say. Actually, it's funny you should mention them. I think first thing tomorrow we should check them out and get you a pair."

"Really?" Her ears stood straight up. "Are you sure? It might be a hassle, though. In fact, I read that some ponies have had to wait in line for up to two hours." She hid a giggle behind a hoof as she teased, "Mares seem to be going absolutely crazy trying to get their hooves on a pair."

He blinked slowly and repeated in a monotonous voice, "You don't say."

"Honey?" She tilted her head. "What's the matter?"

A smile that seemed more pained than joyful tugged at his lips. "Well, it's a funny story."

"I like funny stories," she said, her ears starting to fold back. "And we have time to spend."

Silent put his hooves on the table, steepled them, and closed his eyes as he searched for some sort of inner peace. Finally, he looked at her and explained, "I know this vacation is about you and me spending time together and I swear that came first. But a mare at work asked me to get a pair for her."

"Uh-huh," Crystal murmured and nodded. "That seems fine."

He cleared his throat. "As well as a pair for her marefriend."

"Oh." She blinked. "Well, I—"

"And I may or may not have received a request from Princess Luna to buy a pair for her, too." He flinched and waited with a nervous smile.

Three pairs of earrings for other mares on a vacation meant for the two of them. She processed the situation while keeping the amusement out of her expression until she burst into laughter. "That sounds exactly like you." Smiling, she reached across the table to request his hooves.

He complied, giving her hooves a small squeeze. "You're not upset?"

"I won't be if you make it four pairs so I can have a set, too." Her eyelashes fluttered. "After all, I am an exceptional marefriend."

The smile widened and he teased, "And so modest."

She pushed herself up and leaned over to kiss him softly. "Just like you."

Some things in the world are universally beautiful, and the Crystal Empire was no exception. Stepping off the train and looking up to see the splendor before her quite literally took Crystal's breath away for a moment.

The fields of vibrant green stretched as far as she could see into a backdrop of snow-crested mountains and, inserted into the idyllic scene as though a master painter had been suddenly struck with inspiration, was the Crystal Empire. Buildings carved out of crystals rose up from the ground and reflected the light in beautiful arrays of red, blue, green, and every color in between.

Most prominent of all, however, was the Crystal Palace itself, standing tall in the center and seeming to capture the very sun itself to serve as the light for its kingdom. Crystal could search every dictionary she owned and she was sure she could never find a word appropriate enough to describe the beauty of the empire. It was beautiful, the very essence of the word, and for a while all she could do was stare.

"Lieutenant Knight?" a voice asked from behind them.

While Crystal kept staring in awe, Silent turned to face the pony and peered at him. After a moment, the pony pressed, "Sir, you are Lieutenant Knight, correct?"

Crystal could hear the change in Silent's voice. The 'stallion about town' had given way to Lieutenant Knight. "Yes, sergeant," he replied. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, sir. We've been sent by Lady Cadence to convey you to the resort."

Crystal finally tore her gaze away from the view to look over at the guard. Just like the buildings she could see, his armor glimmered in the light and stood out from his, by comparison, rather plain, orange coat. "Us?" she asked, moving closer to Silent and tilting her head.

"Yes, ma'am." He nodded curtly. "With Lady Cadence's compliments, of course." He motioned to a chariot waiting nearby with two other guards already hitched to it and clad in the same glimmering armor.

After exchanging glances with her, Silent shrugged. "Well, thank you, then, sergeant. I'm sorry you got pulled away from your normal duties to play host to a couple of tourists."

The guard shook his head. "Don't be, sir. It's quiet here in the Crystal Empire. These crystal ponies are the least troublesome bunch I've ever seen, to be honest."

Silent set about moving his bags and her luggage into the chariot. "I hope things stay quiet while we're visiting."

"The weather ponies haven't scheduled anything but blue skies and sunshine for the next two weeks, sir."

Silent nodded, then stood by the chariot and offered a hoof to help Crystal up. Once she was settled, he sat down beside her, wrapping a foreleg around her shoulders.

"All right, fellas, let's get a move on," the guard said and trotted on ahead to lead the way.

"Lady Cadence is awfully sweet to do this for us," Crystal whispered.

Silent frowned. "It's also kind of embarrassing." He offered a small wave to a crystal pony that had stopped to stare at them.

The further they got into town, the more locals there were to watch them with clear interest. Crystal felt her cheeks heat up and she glanced up at her stallionfriend, whispering and giggling at the same time, "I feel like a princess."

"Good. I hope you get to feel that way all week." He squeezed her shoulder.

Crystal smiled and nestled closer to him, resting her head against the crook of his neck. "Me, too."

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: All That Glimmers - Part 1

A Glimmering Stay

The chariot slowed to a halt and Crystal leaned forward to peer at their destination. Above the main doors was a sign that read 'Fluorite Ferrier Resort' in a fancy, cursive script. Crystal's gaze traveled upward to follow the height of the building, which was shaped like a single gemstone sitting on its face so that its point extended up into the blue sky. The very tip glimmered independently of the rest of the building in the sunlight, and streaks of light ran down the sides like trickling water.

"Here we are, sir," the guard said after walking over to the side of the chariot and looking up at Silent. "Would you like any help with your bags?"

Silent jerked forward and put a hoof almost protectively on the pile of luggage. "No!" He cleared his throat and lowered his voice to a more conversational level. "No, but thank you, sergeant. You've done more than enough as it is. I can take it from here. Please send Lady Cadence our deepest gratitude."

The guard nodded. "Yes, sir. Have a wonderful stay while you're here in the Crystal Empire." He stiffened to attention, and once Crystal and Silent had unloaded their luggage, the guard turned sharply on his hind hooves and led the other two away toward the castle.

After Crystal helped Silent balance the bags on his back—and suddenly had a new appreciation for why Velvet told her to pack less—they walked toward their resort. Silent held open the tall and wide door for her and when she stepped inside, she was bathed in an iridescent light. Her head tilted back to look up at the ceiling and she gasped. "Oh, wow! Silent, look!"

From the outside, they had seemed like small trails of light; on the inside, it was so much more. It was as though the tip of the building harnessed the sunlight itself and turned it into liquid gold which trickled down the walls, illuminating the multi-story lobby with a natural, glimmering light.

"It's amazing," Crystal said in a breathless voice.

"It really is," Silent said. "I've never seen anything like it before."

Crystal jolted at the sound of a third voice, even though it was smooth and friendly. "The Fluorite Ferrier boasts the tallest lobby in the Crystal Empire, rivaled in height only by the palace itself. The peak of the Ferrier is set in a way so that it catches the sun's rays and focuses them into a golden light we use inside. There are natural veins running throughout the entire resort's structure so that each and every room gets at least one point of light from this central peak. We want our guests to feel connected, warm, and welcome."

The two of them turned to face an earth pony standing behind the front desk. Her aquamarine coat had the crystalline quality typical of the Crystal Empire locals and her silver mane glimmered in the light. When they all made eye contact, she smiled brightly. "Most of our guests from down south are struck by the beauty of our lobby."

Crystal giggled softly. "I'm not surprised." She returned her gaze to the view above. "It's absolutely beautiful. I've never seen anything like it."

Silent walked forward, reaching into his saddlebags and retrieving a folded sheet of paper. "Suite for Silent Knight, please."

The mare took the paper and set it aside. "Ah, yes, I remember your correspondence! If you don't mind, how did you hear about our resort?"

Crystal looked over to see Silent shifting from one hoof to the other. A smile spread across her lips. While he struggled with the question, she went back to admiring the architecture.

"A friend recommended it," he finally answered.

"Oh, how lovely!" the mare chirped. "Is it anypony I would know so that I can thank them for sending you our way?"

Silent swallowed loudly. White lies were his weakest social tool. "Perhaps? It was Shining Armor."

There was a pause before the mare asked with an intonation of surprise, "You mean the husband of Lady Cadence herself?"

"Yes?" He looked over at Crystal, who offered him a light shrug, and he added, "He used to be my superior officer in Canterlot."

The well-practiced but still warm smile returned to the mare's face and she chirped again, "Oh, how lovely! In that case, please allow me to upgrade you to a special suite."

With a small, excited gasp, Crystal looked up at Silent with an eager smile.

Silent shook his head quickly, not even seeming to notice her. "No, ma'am. Thank you but no thank you, what I paid for is just fine for us. We don't want any special treatment."

Crystal stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "Aww..."

"But, sir." The clerk tilted her head, her brow furrowing. "You're a friend of Lady Cadence's husband!"

"That is true and I understand what you're trying to do. I'll be sure I tell him you were very nice and accommodating. But we're modest ponies and what we've paid for is more than enough for us."

"Very well, then, sir." The mare hesitated a moment, then turned the book in front of her to face him. "If you'll just sign here, please." After he took up the quill and penned his name, she smiled brightly. "Your room is around that corner, the third on your right. Enjoy your stay!"

Crystal followed alongside Silent to their room. "But we could have gotten a special suite!"

Silent glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You don't want the room that I picked out special for us?"

"Oh, well, when you put it like that!" She purred softly and brushed her shoulder against his, then giggled.

He just smiled and, when they arrived at the specified suite, pushed the door open for her. It swung in to reveal a large room with white floors and glimmering silver furniture. Crystal walked to the center of the main sitting room and looked around with wide eyes. From where she stood, she could see through a pair of prench doors that led to a spacious bedroom, and another door set against the opposite wall was slightly ajar to reveal a small bathroom. Off to one side was a moderately sized dining area with candlesticks and a centerpiece of crystalline flowers already set out.

Finally, her gaze finished its wandering to land on Silent. "A modest room for modest ponies, huh?" she asked with a small grin.

Silent nodded. "There were two sizes larger, if you'll believe that. This—" He paused to look around once more. "This may have been overdoing it just a bit, though."

Crystal sidled up next to him. "Well, I'm most certainly not complaining. That said..." She trailed, circling around to face him, her brow knitted. "I do hope our relationship is far enough along where this won't be an inappropriate thing to ask, but how can you afford this on a lieutenant's salary?"

He chuckled and shrugged. "I'm very good with my money. You have to keep in mind that until recently, I didn't have to pay for many expenses. I lived in the barracks and ate in the chow hall, so I saved up quite a lot of money not having to pay for room or food." His wings twitched and he added in a quieter voice, "And not to sound morbid, but I still got paid the entire time I was in a coma." His expression lightened with a smile. "Obviously we can't go on a trip like this very often but I wanted this one to be special for you."

She wrapped her forelegs around his neck and nuzzled their cheeks together. "Well, you succeeded, Mr. Knight. This is beyond special, so above and beyond special that I can't even begin to thank you!"

"Unfortunately, sweetheart, it's all downhill from here on out." He chuckled and set a hoof on her shoulder to pull her closer.

A laugh bubbled up from her chest. She pulled back to peer up at him with her nose scrunched up, then kissed him softly. "Then let's just try to enjoy ourselves before everything falls apart."

Crystal stirred the next morning to the feeling of a soft kiss on her forehead. Her eyes fluttered open to see a familiar, smiling face near her own.

"Good morning, princess," Silent murmured.

Heat rose to the tips of her ears and she giggled, tugging the sheets over her face. "Good morning." She lowered them just enough to peer at him. In the sun-captured light that ran along the ceiling and walls, he practically glowed. "How did you sleep?"

One foreleg snaked its way around her middle to tug her close. "Great." He nuzzled his nose against hers. "Better than I've slept in a while. You?"

"Wonderfully." She closed her eyes and rested her head against him to hear the steady beating of his heart. "I already want this trip to never end."

He chuckled, the reverberations drumming his chest. "Well, we can just forget about Glimmer World and stay like this the whole trip if you want."

She gave an exaggerated gasp. "Oh, no!" With a giggle and a wriggle, she pulled free from his grasp and slid out of the bed. "Up and at it, mister. I want to be at the park the moment it opens, so that means it's time for a quick show-oh!" She skidded to a halt when she crossed the threshold into the bathroom. "What's this?"

A trail of rose petals drew her attention to the bath, which had already been prepared with a layer of bubbles that covered the surface of the water. Three candles, all recently lit, sat on one edge of the tub and casted a romantic light over everything.

"Silent?" she asked as he approached her from behind. "Did you do this?"

He walked past her, bumping their shoulders together playfully. "I would hope so. Otherwise we have a serious security breach and I'll have to spend the whole morning figuring it out."

She sputtered as she struggled to find a witty response, then finally pursed her lips. "But what about Glimmer World?"

"It doesn't open for another half hour." He stepped into the tub and sat down at one end, looking over at her with a smile that sent a tingle down her spine. "So why don't you join me and enjoy the whole trip experience?"

"How can a mare say no to such an offer?" She giggled, walking over and settling into the opposite end of the tub to face him. "Did you get up extra early just to get this ready?"

He shook his head. "No. I got up extra early to get this and breakfast ready."

A small purr rumbled in her throat. "Have I told you lately that you're a wonderful stallionfriend?"

"Why don't you turn around so I can wash your mane while you tell me that again?"

She laughed softly as she made slow, careful movements in the spacious tub to face away from him. Of course, when sharing a bath with a big, strong pegasus, even large tubs had their limits. Once she was settled, two hooves reached out to run through her mane.

"You're wonderful," she mumbled, closing her eyes to fully enjoy his touch.

He gently pulled her back to dip her mane into the water, then eased her upright. "I try." Gently, he massaged shampoo into her blonde and pink tresses. "So I figure our first stop will be to get the earrings bought and taken care of. Then we can do whatever you want to do."

"I want to do everything," she said with a giggle.

The hooves paused before resuming their washing work. "That might be a little much to fit into in one day. Why don't we just see where the day takes us?"

"Oh, all right." She giggled again. "That sounds good, too."

When they rounded the corner and stepped through the gates to Glimmer World, Crystal and Silent stopped to stare at the view before them. It was as though they had stepped into the past; the main square had been designed to resemble Canterlot in a previous era, with quaint little buildings made of crystals polished so smooth that they looked like stone and marble. Even the staff wore outfits from styles long gone by to match their surroundings.

A street wound through the model town and led their gaze to a central plaza that was home to a crystalline Canterlot Palace that, while much smaller than the real thing, was still a beautiful, glimmering sight.

"Welcome and good morning!" a voice chirped and Crystal looked over to see the first of many, many bright smiles from a crystal pony staff member.

Silent was still taking in the sight but he replied nonetheless, "Thank you."

Her smile widened, which Crystal didn't even think was possible. "Is there anything I can do to help make your day glimmer?"

"Oh. No, thank you." He shook his head, then finally looked at her. "Actually, would you mind pointing us to where we can get glimmer earrings?"

"I absolutely can!" The mare nodded. "You're looking for the Broad Street Crystal Arts, which is right down that way." She gestured with a hoof in one direction. "Where all those ponies are standing in line."

Crystal sighed when she saw the line in question. It extended well out of the store, which was fairly sizable itself, implying that the line was longer still.

"Thank you." Silent turned his head to look at her. "Ready to get this out of the way?"

She tried to smile, but she knew it wasn't very convincing, so she just nodded instead. "Yes. Then we can get to enjoying the park."

He chuckled. "We'll have plenty of time to enjoy the park all this week, but I know what you mean." He reached out for her hoof, an offer she gladly accepted, and led her over to the line of excited ponies. "It doesn't look like it'll be too bad." With impeccable timing, he glanced down at her just as she frowned. "I'm sorry about this."

"It's fine, really." She pushed herself up to nuzzle his cheek, then kissed it softly. "If your boss asks for glimmer earrings, then you get her glimmer earrings. Especially if she's a princess."

"Even at the expense of making my princess unhappy?" he teased, smiling.

A laugh escaped her and she nodded. "Even then. Besides, I was awkwardly working on asking you about getting a pair when I brought them up originally." She laughed again. "This just makes it easier for me to get what I want."

"Is that so?" His ear flicked while he grinned. "Are you just with me for my bits?"

She put on a serious face and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Oh, Siley." One hoof raised to her chest, then she reached it out to place it on his. "If I were after your bits, I could have found a much richer and easier stallion."

"I'm not sure if I'm comforted or insulted by that."

She shrugged. "Why not both?"

After they shared a laugh, they settled into a companionable silence while they waited, shuffled forward, and waited some more. The line moved at a slow but reasonably steady pace and they only had to wait an hour before they reached the doors to the Broad Street Crystal Arts.

Silent let out a small sigh of relief. "Almost there."

Crystal leaned forward into the shop and winced. The line snaked around the right side of the room several times before ending at a counter made up of three booths. There was a pony stationed at each to show off the glimmer earrings available.

"I'm not so sure about that," she muttered.

He looked in as well, groaned, then cleared his throat. "Well, we've come this far, right?"

"Right," she said with a sigh. The morning had started off so well, too.

"Crystal," said a soft voice. "Crystal, wake up."

Crystal groaned. Why did her body ache so much?

"We're next," the voice continued.

She blinked her eyes open and after adjusting to the light, yawned wide and looked around. "What?"

Silent smiled at her. "Good morning, again. You fell asleep. We're next now, though."

Embarrassment tickled her chest, but she tried to stave it off with a small giggle. "Oh, I'm sorry." She slid off his back and stretched out her legs. "How long has it been?"

His ear flicked. "Two hours."

"Two hours!" She gasped and her eyes widened in surprise. "We've been waiting in line for two hours?"

"No." He shook his head, which filled her with a sudden dread. "I meant two hours since you fell asleep."

She emitted a rather unladylike, squeaky little squawk. "What?! That means we've been here all morning! I—"

One of his wings stretched out and covered her mouth with a few feathers, cutting her off before she could escalate into the full-blown rant she was suddenly dying to give. He turned his head toward the pony behind the counter and offered a smile. "What she means is, good morning."

"Good morning, ma'am and sir!" The pony looked between them, her happy smile perfectly in place. "Let me first welcome you to Broad Street Crystal Arts, where we specialize in all things glimmering! Are you here for a pair of earrings for your beautiful friend?"

"My sweetheart," Silent quickly but politely corrected, then nodded. "Yes. I need one for her, one for my employer, and two for a friend of mine."

"Absolutely, sir," the clerk said. "Unfortunately we're only allowed to sell two pairs to any pony."

Crystal gawked, but before she could delve back into a rant, the crystal pony continued on happily.

"However, what I can do is sell you two pairs and, since your sweetheart was also in line, I can sell her two pairs as well. Will that work?"

Crystal opened her mouth to speak her mind, but Silent's wing lifted to stop her and he cut in, "Yes, that will be fine. If you don't mind, please start with Crystal first."

The clerk nodded and, in one quick motion, she pulled the black cloth back to reveal the display case underneath. The well-placed light hit the earrings resting inside with perfect precision so that each and every one of them glimmered with a seeming life of their own. A whole rainbow of crystals and variety of designs looked back up at them and took away all of Crystal's frustration, replacing it with awe.

"Oh, these are amazing!" she said in a breathless whisper.

"Yes, ma'am." The clerk gestured to them all with a sweep of her hoof. "Each stone has this year's date, a tracking number, and seal etched inside so that you will always know which is yours. What can I show you first?"

Crystal's gaze wasted no time in deciding what caught her attention first. There they were, a perfect pair of earrings, made of white gold shaped into the outline of shields with heart-shaped peridots—her birthstone—dangling in the center by delicate little chains. They were situated in the very center as if to cry out for her, as if they were made specifically for her.

Speechless, she just raised a hoof to gently tap on the glass.

"Ah, a very good choice, ma'am." The clerk slid the tray out and retrieved the earrings, then held them out. "The green will complement your eyes beautifully."

Crystal levitated the earrings into the air and hovered them just by her ears, turning her head to look up at Silent. "What do you think?"

Silent smiled. "If you like them, then they're yours. That's what I think." He turned his gaze to the clerk. "We'll take them, as well as those, those, and those." He pointed out three different pairs like clockwork.

The clerk nodded. "Very good, sir."

After staring at herself to admire the earrings she wore for the third time, Crystal finally smiled and asked, "Well, the earrings are taken care of now. What would you like to do first?"

Silent shifted his saddlebags to look inside then, once he seemed satisfied with what he saw, he looked out at the paths that stretched out before them. Glimmer World was separated into seven different, themed sections, and he paused to consider the options available before pointing. "Why don't we try Fantasy World first? It sounds a lot like Oubliettes and Ogres."

"That seems like as good a suggestion as any." Crystal hooked her foreleg around his, adding in a teasing voice, "You want to go and pretend to be a knight for a while?"

He winked down at her. "Who's pretending?"

A moat separated Fantasy World from the rest of the park and once they crossed over the drawbridge, they stepped into a scene right out of a history book. The buildings and staff were all done up to resemble early Equestria, with the mares wearing fancy gowns and the stallions wearing brightly colored tunics or full plate. There were vendor stalls offering soup served in bread bowls and large tankards of honey mead.

Not far from them was a tall building that had a crystalline dragon coiled around it with delightfully menacing features. Steam spewed from its gaping maw and its eyes were made of bright red rubies. On the front of the building, the words 'Dragon Flight' were etched as though the dragon had written them with its claws.

Crystal tugged on his hoof. "Oh, look, look! 'Dragon Flight: Soar over Equestria like a Dragon'!" She tugged harder to guide him toward the building and read the nearby sign aloud. "'Experience what it is like to be in flight'." She beamed up at him. "Silent Knight, we could fly! Imagine what... that..." Her eyes fell to his wings that twitched knowingly.

He stared at her with an even, calm expression.

She frowned. "Don't say a word! We're getting on this ride."

A coltish grin spread across his face, but he just nodded and walked alongside her over to the line formed outside the building.

"I'm so excited! You'll have to tell me if it's accurate or not. I have to imagine being carried while somepony else flies isn't nearly the same as actually flying."

He shrugged. "I'm not sure. I can't remember a time when I wasn't the one flying. You'd have to ask Runic."

"Or..." She gestured at the line ahead of them. "I can just fly for myself!"

He chuckled and nodded. "Or you can just fly for yourself. If you like it, though, don't get too attached. I don't think we can take the ride home with us."

She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "Spoilsport."

"Realist," he playfully corrected.

The line moved at a steady pace and they didn't have to wait for long before they were led into a dark room. An attendant guided them to specialized seats that resembled cushioned surfboards with straps. As instructed, they climbed onto the seats and dangled their legs over the sides, pulled the straps over their backs and secured them to a fastener on the underside of the seat, and waited for the ride to begin.

Once everypony was ready, the room went pitch black. Crystal gasped when her hooves lifted off the ground as the seats rose into the air. A breeze drifted across her face, growing stronger until the wind whipped through her mane and the darkness ahead of her flickered with flashes of light. Slowly, the forms within the light came into focus as clouds; she was soaring through a whole bunch of them, and soon they pulled away to reveal a magnificent expanse of green valleys, yellow fields, and grey mountains.

She couldn't hold it back anymore. Waving her forelegs, she exclaimed, "This is amazing!"

"That was amazing!" Crystal exclaimed for the third time as they walked the path out of the building. "I could feel the wind! I could taste the salty air! Oh, could you smell the oranges, too?"

"I did. I was there, too, you know." He chuckled when she pouted and swatted at him. "Yes, it was amazing. It was like a quick tour all over Equestria, which was pretty cool."

"It was." She nodded and, after a moment, tentatively asked, "Okay, be honest, how close to really flying was it?"

"I think it was pretty close. More or less, anyway. Minus the seat beneath you." Once they were outside, he pointed at a standing map nearby, which they went over to and examined. "Wow, look at how many rides there are just in Fantasy World alone! Any of them strike your fancy, my lady?"

She hummed in thought while looking over the options, then shrugged. "There's so many choices, how can I choose? I mean, it all looks like fun, but I don't know what any of them are. We could just start by riding what's nearby and work our way around the park."

"That seems logical. I was just hoping something in particular stood out." He glanced at her. "I'm worried that with so many ponies here, we might not be able to ride everything before we have to leave."

She patted him on the shoulder. "True, but it is just the first day, you know. Why don't we just take it easy and maybe worry about that on the last day?" Her gaze scanned the area and she pointed at the nearest ride. "How about we try that? The PonyPult?"

His ears flicked back as he stared at her, then followed her hoof's direction. "What is a PonyPult?"

She shrugged and bounded forward. "I guess we'll just have to find out the hard way!"

With a small chuckle, he followed along behind her. "All right. Let's find out!"

The line for the PonyPult was not only short, but it moved quickly. The ride itself seemed to be rather quick which meant it moved ponies through at a good speed. When it was their turn, they were guided to a cart and strapped in. Slowly, the cart rocked backwards, and the crystal attendant smiled and waved.

"Have fun!" she called, and that was the last sound outside of Crystal screaming either of them could hear.

The cart shot forward and hurled around the track, speeding up and falling down hills in rapid succession. Crystal lost her breath to scream about halfway through the third careening loop, and instead she just clung to Silent's foreleg as tightly as she could until the ride was finally over.

The crystal pony waved to greet them when their cart pulled back into station. "Welcome back! Did you have fun?"

Silent looked down at the trembling mare squeezing the life out of his foreleg, then looked back at the attendant. "I'm not sure," he said in a flat voice.

The pony's smile never faltered. "Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of your glimmering day!" She reached over, undid the straps, and motioned for them to get off.

Crystal refused to let go of his hoof even as they walked away, her eyes remaining wide and her breathing uneven. "S-Silent?"

He glanced at her. "Yes?"

"I don't ev-ever want to ride the PonyPult again."

He pressed his shoulder to hers for support when her hooves landed unevenly. "That's fine. We won't. Why don't we find something nice and calm?"

She jerked her head up and down in a rapid nod. "Yes, please!"

They walked around for a while to look at the nearby rides until one caught Crystal's eye. A white arbor with green ivy crawling up the sides was host to a sign that read 'Our Petite Equestria' and stood by the moat. A little two-pony boat sat by the small dock, waiting for the next occupant. There didn't seem to be much of a line, so Crystal pointed it out and they walked over.

"What is this ride, sir?" she asked the waiting attendant.

With the usual bright smile, he happily replied, "This is one of our most famous rides, Our Petite Equestria! Climb into a boat and you'll be taken on a gentle ride down the river, along which you'll see all of Equestria's provinces."

"Gentle ride?" Crystal gave a sigh of relief.

"That sounds perfect," Silent said, stepping forward and offering a hoof to her.

She took his hoof, carefully climbed into the boat, and sat on the bench. "It really, truly does."

Once they were both seated, the attendant gave the boat a light push. "Have a glimmering trip!"

"I'm getting so tired of hearing that," Crystal whispered to Silent and they shared a laugh, then settled in as the boat drifted gently down the stream.

Magically powered lights kept the streets bathed in a soft glow so that walking around at night didn't involve crashing nose first into other ponies or, worse, crystal walls. Most of the rides were closing down and at that point, Crystal and Silent were wandering aimlessly to just enjoy each other's company.

Silent's ear flicked and he cleared his throat. "If you're ready, the fireworks display is going to be starting soon and I booked us a special spot so we'll be sure to have a good view of it. The travel agent said it was absolutely not to be missed."

"Oh?" She smiled. "Then we should go. So far it seems that everything ponies said was not to be missed was, in fact, not to be missed." She laughed softly as he led her toward Yesterday Land. "I wouldn't mind getting off my hooves for a while, anyway."

After checking in to a small kiosk, Crystal followed Silent up a staircase that circled one of the marble-esque spires of Yesterday Land. "It's a shame there's no flying allowed in Glimmer World," he muttered. "This would be much easier if I could just carry you up here."

She giggled. "It's safer that way with all the rides and whatnot. Besides, you can still carry me!" She put one hoof on his back. "I mean, if your heart is really set on it, that is."

One of his wings flicked to teasingly push her hoof away. "I'm not sure I could after you ate three whole funnel cakes by yourself," he teased.

Her face heated up and she gasped in mock offense—as well as a little embarrassment. "Well, I, that is... That's unfair! They were small funnel cakes!"

He leaned over to place a soft kiss on her lips. "Yes, dear. Besides, we're already there."

"We are?" She blinked, looking around. They were at a small balcony at the top of the spire with only a few other ponies waiting for the show to begin. "Oh." She walked forward and flicked her tail in his face. "They were still small, and so am I."

"Yes, dear." He chuckled and sat down beside her at an empty spot on the balcony.

Not long after they settled in, a feminine voice resounded throughout the whole park, clear as a bell yet not too loud. "Ladies and gentleponies, fillies and colts, Glimmer World is proud to present our evening fireworks extravaganza: Dreams."

The lights dimmed to just enough to barely see by and the murmuring crowd quieted. The doors to the model Canterlot castle opened and an orchestra walked out to set up in the courtyard, then the show began.

Just as the crystal clear note of violins and flutes began, a single golden trail shot into the sky from behind the castle. As the music rose, so did the light until a clash of cymbals resounded and the firework exploded into a bright display of gold and silver glimmers.

The drums joined in, sending several more gold trails into the sky with each pounding beat, and a chorus of strings sent each one into a shower of lights that illuminated the whole park.

Then the whole orchestra played together in perfect harmony as new streams of colors joined the sky and burst into blue moons, silver stars, gold suns, and red hearts.

Crystal staved off blinking as long as she could so that she didn't miss a thing. It was beautiful. The trip was continually surprising her with new heights of beauty and splendor that she was bereft of words and stuck on repeating the same one over and over: a beautiful empire, a beautiful resort, a beautiful park, a beautiful firework display...

Out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw Silent looking at her rather than up at the sky. She hesitated before turning her head to meet his gaze. "You're missing the show, Silent Knight," she whispered.

Silent shook his head. "No, I'm not."

Instead of sending fireworks into the sky, his words sent heat to her cheeks and a tingle down her spine. She flushed and returned her gaze upward, but leaned over to nestle up against him for the rest of the show.

The orchestra quieted down into a low rumbling of the drums as one large silver stream rose into the air. It climbed higher and higher until the cymbals clashed and the sky was filled with silver, gold, blue, purple, and pink streaks that stretched out in all directions and, for a brief moment until they faded away, resembled the Crystal Palace.

Cheers and hoof stomping filled the air as the ponies in the orchestra stood up to take a bow. Crystal clapped her hooves together, but didn't take her eyes off the sky. The smoke from the fireworks drifted away and the stars, the natural fireworks of the night, resumed their glimmering positions.

"That was most certainly not to be missed," she said in a soft voice.

Silent nodded. "I definitely agree there."

She nestled closer to him and finally closed her eyes, sighing. "It's a shame the day has to end."

"Yes, though there's no rush to leave just yet. There's a pretty sizable crowd of ponies trying to leave, and since we booked this spot we get to stay a little later than normal. Why don't we let the crowd clear out first?"

"Oh, really?" She nodded. "Okay. That sounds like a good idea."

He wrapped his forelegs around her and held her close and for a while, they just gazed at the stars in comfortable silence. The other ponies on the balcony eventually got up and left, leaving the two of them alone. She wouldn't mind spending every day like that; just the two of them together, without a care in the world. Softly, she kissed the underside of his chin. For a short while, he wasn't a royal guard or a lieutenant with ponies to manage and a princess to protect. For a short while, he was just Silent Knight, her wonderful and thoughtful stallionfriend.

Eventually, Crystal glanced down at the emptying streets and said, "I guess we should leave and let them close."

Silent withdrew his forelegs. "I suppose we should."

Although she wished the evening would go on forever, the park had to close eventually. There was always the next day, of course. She stood and started toward the staircase, but Silent stopped her with an audible intake of a deep breath.

"Crystal," he started, "before we bring this night to an end I just wanted to ask if you had fun."

Her ears perked straight up. "Had fun?" She turned to look at him, her expression somewhere between amused and confused. "Do you even have to ask? Of course, Silent Knight!" She giggled. "This was one of the most amazing days of my life."

The moonlight reflecting off the crystalline surfaces illuminated his face more than well enough for her to see a smile spread across his face. "I'm so happy to hear you say that," he said as he started to bend one of his forelegs, the other lifting up a small black box.

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: All That Glimmers - Part 2

A Glimmering Stone

Silent took a breath in; Crystal couldn't breathe.

"I hope," he said, "that today will have been your last happy memory as a marefriend and that tomorrow, if you'll have me, will be your first happy memory as a fiancée."

Crystal's eyes went wider as he opened the box and held it out into the space between them. Her gaze fell to a white gold band that held a solitaire diamond, which glimmered in the light with iridescent hues. It was yet another addition to Crystal's growing list of beautiful things she had no other words for.

"Crystal Wishes, will you marry me?"

She tore her attention away from the ring to look into his eyes, full of warmth and love.

This was happening.

The stallion she had loved for so long was kneeling in front of her, offering her not just a ring, but a commitment. A commitment to her, to a future together, to a happily ever after. It was all she had ever dreamed of and now it was a reality if she just said yes.

A chill ran through her when the hospitalization flashed across her mind. It could happen again. For all she knew, it would happen again. Was she really ready for the life of the wife of a soldier?

His smile faltered, and her heart jumped into her throat. How long had she been standing there just staring at him, especially when she already knew the answer?

"Yes!" she gasped. There was no way she couldn't say yes; she loved him, soldier and all. "Of course! Yes!" She dropped down and threw her forelegs around him, less as an embrace and more so that she could hide her face. Tears might give the wrong impression, and she was struggling to hold them back.

He put a foreleg around her to hold her close to him. A strange feeling filled her chest, but it wasn't elation or jubilation. The day they had spent together was straight out of a romance novel and he had planned it all to propose. She was so overwhelmed with love for her stallion that all she could do was, for some reason, cry.

A few tears finally fell onto his shoulder, and he asked, "Are you all right?"

She nodded. "I am, honest. It's just, this was all just so beautiful. Everything about today was perfect. You worked so hard and I wasn't expecting it at all." She laughed softly. "I almost feel silly for not realizing what you were up to."

He pulled back to look down at her with a smile. "Well, I wanted to surprise you."

"You did." She raised her hooves to wipe her cheeks, then rubbed at her eyes. "You very much did."

He lifted the ring box and asked, "Would you like to try it on?"

"Yes, please," she whispered and lowered her head to offer her horn.

Silent retrieved the ring from its black velvet pillow. She tried to follow it with her eyes as he lifted it up and slipped it onto her horn, but she went cross-eyed once it left her field of vision. "How does it fit?"

"Couldn't be any more perfect." He smiled, his gaze lowering to meet hers. "Runic and I made this together for you. I wanted it to be unique, just like you."

Her heart fluttered while a soft sigh of bliss escaped her. She hugged his neck and mumbled against his coat, "And to think, I just finished planning two weddings. Now I've another to plan."

He chuckled. "Perhaps, at least for this week"—he nuzzled her cheek—"you should just focus on having a good time and leave the planning for when we get back."

"That seems fair. All right, I can do that." She giggled and snuggled against him. He was strong and warm and smelled so good and... she didn't know how else to describe it but he smelled like a stallion.

"We should probably go," he said, gently pressing his nose to her cheek. "We can celebrate back at the room, though."

She pulled away from him with a small pout. "Oh, you've more than earned a celebration after today. It's just a shame the day has to end at all."

"I agree, but now, you get to wake up as a whole new mare." He stood and offered a hoof to help her to her own.

As they started toward and down the stairs, she laughed. "In that case, I hope you like the new mare I'll be tomorrow."

Softly, he wrapped a wing around her. "I'm sure I will."

"Honey?" Silent's voice called from the other side of the bathroom door. "Are you all right in there?"

The pink aura of her magic flickered and she reached out a hoof to catch the ring as it fell. "Yes! I'm fine!"

There was a pause. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure." She scrunched up her nose. The ring levitated and her eyes followed it as it rose into the air. "Don't mind me."

"Well, normally I'd say okay and leave you alone, but you've been in there for over half an hour."

Crystal blinked. Her intense concentration broken by his words, the ring slipped easily onto her horn. She gawked, frowned, huffed, and finally sighed. "Have I really? Well, I just finished up. I'm sorry." She tilted her head forward to drop the ring back onto the counter, flipped the lock, and opened the door. "Good morning."

Silent glanced her over from head to hoof, his brow furrowed. "Good morning." He shrugged and leaned in to place a kiss on her cheek. "Fiancée."

She burst into a small fit of giggles and before he could straighten up, she put a hoof on the back of his head to pull him back down for a longer, proper kiss. Once satisfied, she mumbled against his lips, "I think I like it when you call me that."

"I think I like it when you like when I do things." He chuckled and nuzzled his nose to hers.

"Though," she started, her bottom lip sticking out in a pout, "I did notice that there was no romantic bath set up for us this morning. Was that all a one-time game just to get me to say yes?"

He raised one brow and walked past her, the blue flight feathers of his wing trailing along her side. "If somepony hadn't been in the bathroom all morning, maybe things would have turned out differently."

A short laugh escaped her as she turned toward him. "Oh, I see, so this is all my fault?"

"Nooo." He raised one hoof and looked at her with wide eyes. "It's never your fault, dear. The mare is always right."

"Is that so?" She tilted her head, grinning. "And who so wisely taught you that?"

His chest puffed out and a proud little smile crossed his face. "I did. Mares rule the world, after all."

She laughed again while she stepped forward and patted his cheek. "Such a smart stallion you are! Well, I don't want to make us late for Glimmer World, so why don't we skip the much appreciated bath and take a shower?"

He paused to look at the walk-in shower, which was set in the corner of the bathroom with a glass partition to keep the water from escaping. When he returned his gaze to her, there was a look in his eyes that made her heart race.

"Yes, together," she said with an unintentional breathlessness that made his ears perk upright.

One hoof reached out to grab hers and he took a step toward the shower. "Together sounds good."

A boat gently carried them down a lazy river so that the crystal pony standing at the front could explain their surroundings in a soft, melodic voice.

"So many different forces shape and alter the land, but throughout the ages earth ponies have made the greatest impact... for better and for worse. When the tribes had yet to be united under the banner of Equestria, earth ponies put the land under great strain trying to provide food for themselves, the pegasi, and the unicorns."

Crystal giggled and nudged Silent's side, whispering, "It sounds like it's all our ancestors' fault."

Silent just shrugged. His gaze was fixed on the dioramas around them. Miniature pony figures moved across the fake fields with crude ploughs with a glimmering sun hanging low in the sky.

"Over the ages," the speaker continued, "earth ponies have perfected the art of living with the earth rather than just living on it. But there is still always room to grow, and ponies of all tribes can contribute to the bright future of our land."

Quiet music filled in for the speaker as they drifted along and enjoyed the scenescapes. Crystal leaned over to nestle against Silent's side, and he looped a foreleg around her shoulders.

"This is nice," he mumbled. "We should do more of the relaxing rides like this."

Crystal giggled. "What about the Petite Equestria one?"

His face hardened and he shook his head. "Don't start that again."

"With the light gleaming bright, it's a fantastic sight," she teased in a quiet singsong voice.

A threatening hoof hovered close to her mouth. "Crystal..."

She paused a moment, then quickly finished, "It's a glimmer worl—" The hoof clamped her mouth shut and she gave a muffled laugh.

He groaned and frowned at her. "Now it's stuck in my head!"

"Mmf!" She pushed his hoof away. "Come on, just let it out." She grinned. "You'll feel better."

"I will not. Now, if I promise to give you my dessert for lunch, will you be quiet and just enjoy the ride?"

After a moment of humming and contemplation, she finally nodded and leaned against him again. "All right, it's a deal."

The boat had moved into an urban diorama with tall buildings covered in vertical farms. As impressive as it was, it looked like a scene out of some environmental parody of a play. Perhaps Moss Takes Manehattan? She giggled to herself.

Halfway into the next depiction of new farming ideas, Silent sighed heavily. Crystal inclined her head to look up at him. "What's wrong, Siley?"

"It's a world of crystals, a world of glass," he mumbled.

Her ears perked upright and she continued, "It's a world of refraction, a world of class!"

There was a pause before they grinned and quietly finished together, "It's a glimmering glimmer world!"

The Crystal Empire was a series of concentric circles, divided into different districts, with every street eventually ending in the central plaza around the palace. Crystal and Silent walked at a leisurely pace to take in all the sights and just enjoy their last day in the Empire. They had left the resort with plenty of time to spare before their appointed lunch with Shining Armor and Lady Cadence, which gave them ample time for sightseeing.

"Crystal Wishes?" Lazuli's voice called.

Crystal stopped, looked around in surprise, and spotted the mare trotting toward them. "Oh! Hello, Lazuli!"

Silent blinked. "You know a crystal pony?"

"Huh? Oh, well, somewhat, yes. She works with Velvet," Crystal replied before raising her voice to address Lazuli. "What are you doing here?"

"You mean, what is a crystal pony doing visiting her home, the Crystal Empire?" Lazuli teased, laughing softly. "I think the better question is what are you doing here?" Her gaze flickered to Silent. "And who is this?"

Crystal beamed at her. "Lazuli, this is Silent Knight. My special..." She burst into a fit of giggles and corrected, "My fiancé."

Lazuli tilted her head. "I didn't know you were engaged. Belated congratulations!"

"Actually, he just proposed a few days ago." Crystal giggled again.

"What?" Lazuli's eyes widened. "Really?! Oh, wow! Fresh congratulations then!" She clapped her hooves, but the movement stopped as her brow furrowed. "Wait, does this mean Velvet—"

"Doesn't know and you absolutely can't tell her," Crystal hurriedly interrupted, her mirth dissipating in an instant. "At least not until I do."

Lazuli laughed and drew a hoof over her lips. "Your secret's safe with me! I never saw anything!"

Crystal smiled. "Thank you, Lazuli. Oh, and..." She glanced at Silent, then stepped closer and whispered, "Do you remember that thing you mentioned the last time we spoke?"

Silent's ears twitched, but he made a show of not looking at them and instead turning away to stare elsewhere.

"Huh? Oh, wait, you mean—" She nodded. "Do you want me to procure some?"

"I believe I would, given the recent events." Crystal smiled sheepishly.

Lazuli winked. "I'll pick some up since I'm already here."

Crystal's smile widened. "Thank you!" She turned and reached for Silent's hoof. "Come on, Siley. We don't want to be late!" She looked back at the other mare. "It was nice running into you, Lazuli. Have a glimmering day!"

"A glimmering day?" Lazuli rolled her eyes. "Oh, great, now that song is going to be stuck in my head..." She sighed, flashed a smile, and started on her way, singing under her breath, "It's a glimmering glimmer world!"

Crystal giggled and walked alongside Silent as they resumed making their way toward the palace. "She's so awfully nice. But all the crystal ponies seem to be full of so much cheer and joy, so I suppose that's normal here."

Silent nodded. "That does seem to be the case."

She smiled up at him. "We're so lucky that the Empire reappeared during our lifetime and that we get to walk these streets and see these sights. I never even knew this place existed. It's hard to believe that all of this, that all of these ponies, all this time have just been... well..."

He blinked a few times. "Disappeared? Suspended in time? Lost?" He shook his head. "I'm not sure, to be honest. The details are just as foggy as their memories."

"Well..." She trailed, pursing her lips, then smiled. "I'm glad the Empire is back. Everything we've seen has been such an inspiration that I'm almost afraid I'll forget some of the beautiful sights. As soon as we get home, I'll be sitting down and putting quill to paper for days."

"Oh?" He raised one brow, grinning. "Does that mean you're ready to rush home now?"

She gasped. "No! No, not now. Not until after we have lunch at the palace, at the least."

He chuckled and gently brushed his shoulder to hers. "All right. Well, we'll have our lunch, then rush home."

"Fine." She stuck out her tongue at him.

They walked up the stairs that led to the main doors of the palace and Silent said to the guards, "Silent Knight and Crystal Wishes to see Shining Armor and Lady Cadence."

The guards nodded. "Yes, sir," one said. "They're expecting you." They reached out and opened their respective doors.

Silent nodded back. "Thank you." He followed Crystal inside and both of them stopped to marvel at the interior.

Just like their resort, the main room extended high above them and the smooth, crystalline walls radiated a glimmering light. If it weren't for the subdued iridescent hues, it would likely have been a blinding sight. As it was, it was absolutely resplendent.

"I want to live in a palace like this." Even though the words came out as a whisper, the vastness of the room echoed them off the walls, and she winced. "Sorry," she whispered even quieter.

He raised his brow. "If that's what you want, then you may want to consider a different husband."

"Oh, you." She hid a giggle behind a hoof. "I'm just admiring. Let a filly dream."

"All right. Well, you just keep dreaming." He patted her on the head, grinning lightly. "You can buy any crystal palace that you can afford, and we'll use my salary to make sure we can eat."

She huffed and snubbed her nose at him. "I'll remember that, so you better mean it." While her head was inclined, she noticed and admired the statues of ancient ponies lining the walls. "Oh, wow, Silent... Look at all of the statues. They're gorgeous."

As they wandered to doors placed on the opposite wall of the entrance, two guards posted on both sides let them through. They walked down a long hallway that led to a cross-section with yet another statue in the middle. Unlike the others, however, this statue sat on a raised dias and was carved out of a dark-colored crystal. It would have been imposing if it weren't for the kind look depicted on the unicorn's face.

"I wonder who this is," Crystal mused aloud, tilting her head to one side.

"This is Sombra, the unicorn king," a soft, feminine voice explained from behind them.

They turned to see Lady Cadence approaching, a smile on her face. "He was a distant relative of mine. Or, potentially, he still is." She shook her head. "Nopony has seen him since the Crystal Empire reappe—" She gasped when she was close enough to see Crystal more clearly. "Is that what I think it is?!"

"It is!" she squealed and rushed forward to close the distance between them. "He proposed after the fireworks show in Glimmer World!"

Cadence returned the squeal with a squeal of her own. She pulled Crystal into a tight embrace and the two bounced up and down while giggling like little school fillies.

"That's so wonderful to hear!" Cadence finally said, pulling away to smile down at Crystal. "This changes everything now! We can't just have lunch. We have to have lunch!"

Silent's wings pressed in close to his sides. "We don't want to be a bother, Lady Cadence."

"What? Oh, no!" She shook her head. "You two are never a bother. Come on, now!" She started walking forward. "Shining is just finishing up some business. Actually, thinking on it"—she stopped, turned around, and took Crystal's hoof in her own—"why don't you go on ahead to retrieve him while Crystal and I gossip behind your back?"

He chuckled, the tension leaving his muscles and his ears wiggling. "All right."

"Great!" She gestured in a vague direction, her attention focused on Crystal. "His office is that way! Good luck!" She trotted off in the opposite direction. "So, you must tell me everything!" The look in her eyes went from overjoyed to somewhat predatory as she squeezed Crystal's hoof. "And I mean everything."

Crystal's cheeks flushed. "Well, I suppose it is only fair to start at the beginning. It was Hearts and Hooves Day, and..."

"... then when the area had cleared out, he got down on one knee and proposed with the most romantic little line!" Cadence exclaimed, hugging Silent to her and petting his mane. "What was it again, Crystal?"

Crystal cleared her throat as she tried to keep her giggles at bay. "He said that, if I would have him, it would be my last day as his marefriend and the next would be my first as his fiancée."

Cadence clapped her hooves together before returning to the hugging and petting. "Don't you think it's so incredibly sweet of your little guard, Shining? All of that effort and planning to propose to Crystal? Oh, it's like a real life fairytale!"

Silent tried to struggle when the squeezing grew tighter and gave a muffled sound for help.

"Yes, dear," Shining said, lifting a glass of water to his lips. "It was very sweet. Now let him go before you turn their tale into a tragedy."

Cadence blinked. "Huh?" She looked down to see Silent, gasped, and let go of him. "Sorry!" She giggled and clasped her cheeks. "I can't help myself! It's just so romantic! And I feel so personally invested in you two, especially after Crystal and I had our little talk at the hospital. I just knew you two were meant for each other and I'm glad you realized it!"

Crystal smothered a giggle behind a polite hoof. "Well, I'm glad you were so sure about everything. I was terrified."

"Love conquers all!" Cadence exclaimed, beaming at them with a blindingly bright smile.

Shining Armor laughed and put a foreleg around Cadence's shoulder, pulling her to him and saying, "Now, dear, be careful or you'll embarrass our guests into leaving. Why don't we change topics to, say, politics?"

The glimmer in Crystal's eyes vanished. Politics? Her ears shot up before folding back flat against her mane.

Cadence clapped her hooves together. "Oh, yes, politics! Let's talk about that!"

Crystal looked to Silent for help, but he didn't make eye contact with her. Instead, he said, "Politics sounds fine."

"Well, I don't know if the news has reached Canterlot or not," Cadence explained, "but the crystal ponies recently held an election to pick a new governor. My position here was only temporary until they got back on their hooves, you see."

"Uh-huh," Silent replied happily, now looking at Crystal with a small smile on his face.

"I had not heard any of that, no," Crystal, by contrast, replied cautiously and glanced between them.

"And who did they elect, dear?" Shining prompted.

Cadence threw her hooves in the air and cheered, "Me!"

"Oh, my! Really?" Crystal put a hoof to her chest and gave a small sigh of relief. "Congratulations, Cadence! That's wonderful! I wasn't aware you were even running, I'm afraid, or else I would have tried to find a way to show my support."

"I wasn't running!" Cadence smiled. "They wrote my name in. Can you believe it? It was a huge surprise, but I am extremely humbled and honored." Her smile softened some. "Which means we won't be going back to Canterlot anytime soon. I'll be sworn in to office two weeks from Monday, and Shining is going to stay here as the Crystal Empire's provincial guard commander. Doesn't that sound fancy?"

Crystal nodded while Silent asked, "I imagine that means you'll make brigadier soon, then?"

Shining didn't react much one way or the other beyond replying, "The selection list isn't out yet, but I have been told that my name is on it, yes."

Silent paused for a moment, nodding idly, before he smiled and said, "It seems like all of us deserve proper congratulations, then."

"I agree!" Cadence chimed in. "Everypony, lift your glasses!" After they all had, she continued, "To the happy couple."

Crystal giggled and raised her glass higher. "To new adventures."

"To fresh beginnings," Shining added.

There was a pause, then the three of them turned their heads to look at Silent. He blinked and looked between each of their gazes. Finally, after some considerable thought, he smiled and asked more than said, "To remembering old friends regardless of where we go?"

"Yes, indeed!" Cadence cheered. Their glasses clinked together, then they each tossed back the bubbly alcohol with varying degrees of enthusiasm for what the future held.

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: All That Glimmers - Part 3

A Glimmering Step

Cadence's gaze followed Shining and Silent as they excused themselves to a private discussion. Once they were out of earshot, she turned her head to look at Crystal.

"I'm happy for you," Cadence said, a soft smile on her lips. "Do you remember what we talked about when we first met?"

Crystal pursed her lips while she thought for a moment, then nodded. "Love all of him, for better or for worse. You can't change a pony"—she smiled as she raised a hoof to her chest to feel her fluttering heartbeat—"and you can't change your heart."

Cadence giggled. "That sounds about right!" Her expression sobered and a distant look glossed over her eyes. "I remember when Shining proposed. I was so happy... and so scared at the same time."

"Scared?" Crystal repeated in a quiet voice, the fluttering ceasing rather suddenly.

"Yes, scared." She nodded. "Shining is a soldier first and foremost. He always has been and always will be. I was scared because I didn't know what that meant for me."

Crystal swallowed. "And?"

"We fight sometimes. We don't agree on everything. I think he should work less and he thinks he should work more." The smile returned to Cadence's face. "But at the end of the day, I wouldn't trade away even a minute for the ease of a simpler, safer stallion. His dedication to the guard is who he is, and I love him more than anything."

Crystal's brow furrowed. Her gaze darted about before returning to the mare in front of her and, finally, she smiled. "I think I understand."

"So... ?"

Crystal blinked. "So?"

Cadence giggled and reached over to set a hoof on Crystal's. "So, silly, when's the wedding?"

"The—" Heat rose from Crystal's neck to the tips of her ears and she jerked her hooves away. "Lady Cadence, we just got engaged!"

"Oh, come on!" Cadence stuck out her bottom lip. "You're saying you haven't thought about your wedding day before he even proposed? I know I had a scrapbook full of ideas while Shining and I were just dating!"

Crystal waved both hooves, shaking her head. "No, no, no. The closest would be some ideas I saw in wedding magazines while planning my friends' weddings. I mean, yes, I kept the magazines, but not because—I didn't—"

A chime of delicate, bubbling laughter interrupted her. "At least give me something before you go back to Canterlot!" The quivering pout returned. "After all, I gave you such wonderful advice... for free... out of the kindness of my heart..."

"Okay!" Crystal hid her face, grumbling for a moment, then mumbled, "I've always wanted to be married in a rose garden." She swallowed. "Roses are awfully cliche, I know, but they're my favorite flower nonetheless!"

"A rose garden, huh?" Cadence steepled her hooves. "This can happen."

Crystal stood and took a small step backwards. "We just got engaged. It's too soon!" Her ear twitched. "And I think I hear Silent coming this way! We have a train to catch, you know."

Cadence tossed her mane, inclined her head, and bellowed, "On my honor, Crystal Wishes, you shall have your rose garden wedding, whether Silent Knight wants it or not!" When Crystal blanched, Cadence burst into a fit of giggles. "Oh, you're just too much fun!"

"Crystal?" Silent's voice called as his head poked out around the corner. "We should leave if we don't want to miss the train."

"Okay!" Crystal chirped. She turned her head back toward Cadence and bobbed it politely. "Thank you for lunch, Lady Cadence."

Cadence giggled, shooing her with one hoof. "It was my pleasure. Now run along and send me an invitation as soon as you decide on a stationery."

"A—" Crystal tilted her head, pursing her lips and furrowing her brow, and then smiled. "Yes, of course. I promise." She bowed her head once more and turned to hurry after Silent. "Coming, dear!"

Silent smiled when she came into his view. "Ready to go home?"

"Ready? Most certainly not." She sighed, looking around at their glimmering surroundings. "But willing. I have so much to do!"

His ears flicked and he glanced at her. "Oh? Like what?"

She trotted on the tips of her hooves with a happy little giggle. "Obviously, I have to tell Velvet the news! To be honest, she saw it coming. The moment I told her you were taking me to Glimmer World, she said you were going to propose."

"Is that so?" Briefly, his ears folded back. "Then why were you so surprised?"

"Well! I, that is, you see," she sputtered, then glared up at him. "That's a trick question!"

He laughed and held open one of the front doors for her. "I guess it is. I'm just glad you eventually said yes. I got a little nervous there when you just stared at me with big eyes."

"I'm sorry about that. I just..." Her gaze rose to the brilliant blue sky above them and she smiled. "I just had to process the situation first, but I'm all in." She shifted her gaze to him.

He tilted his head. "All in?"

She laughed, pushing herself up to place a quick kiss on his cheek. "It makes more sense if you were there. Come on, let's not miss our train by dallying."

Standing outside the condo door and with a nervous flutter in her chest, Crystal looked up at Silent. "How do I look?"

Silent blinked. "Fine?"

Crystal scrunched up her nose and returned her attention to the door. "Maybe she's not even home."

"Maybe she's not," he repeated, one brow raising curiously. "Are you all right?"

She took a deep breath in, then nodded as she released it through her nose. "Yes, of course. I just don't know how she'll react. She's been a little hot and cold about you and me."

The curious look turned into confusion when the other brow raised. "What?"

"No, no, don't worry." She waved a dismissive hoof. "It's not like that! She's just worried that I'll leave her all by herself if I run off and get married."

"Oh. Is that all?" He snorted. "I mean this in the nicest way to myself as possible but I don't think I'm enough to break you two up."

She shot him a playful grin. "Exactly what I told her." She giggled when he faked an offended huff. "Well, she'll find out eventually." Her horn lit up and the lock clicked into place. "I'm home!" she called as she pushed the door open.

Velvet looked up from the little dining table with a bowl of cereal in front of her and an exaggerated look of surprise on her face. "Oh, wow, I had no idea you were home, I definitely didn't hear noise outside the door or—" She blinked once, twice, then a third time and stiffened to attention. "I knew it!" she half-shrieked, half-squealed while both forehooves pointed at Crystal. "He proposed!"

Silent cleared his throat and slipped the luggage off his back. "I'll just leave so you two can be alone."

"Oh, no you don't!" Velvet sprung from the chair toward him and wrapped one foreleg around his neck in a headlock. "You never asked for my blessing!"

Crystal covered her mouth to hide her grin at the look on Silent's face. One brow was raised and his eyes were angled toward her almost as if he wanted to challenge the much smaller mare for dominance, but he finally shrugged and kept his head where it was. "I'm sorry."

Velvet huffed. "Sorry won't cut it. I'm hurt, Silent. Did you think you couldn't trust me with the knowledge?"

"I'm sorry," he repeated.

"Still doesn't cut it! I'm great at keeping secrets!" She ruffled his mane with her free hoof. "I'll remember this next time I'm going to surprise Crystal with something. I won't even give you a hint."

Silent chuckled. "Okay. I'm still sorry. I just figured since you live with her, well. I'm sorry." He rose to his full height, lifting Velvet off the ground a few inches. "Anyway, I actually do have to go." When Velvet dropped down, he hugged her, placed a kiss on Crystal's cheek, then turned toward the door. "Have fun, you two."

"Bye, Siley," Crystal purred more than said.

Once the door shut behind him, Velvet looked at Crystal with a wicked grin. "Siley?"

Crystal felt her face grow hot and she cleared her throat. "It's a couple thing. Couples use nicknames."

"You never gave me a nickname," Velvet teased, the grin falling into a pout. "Why don't I get a nickname?"

"Fine." Crystal snubbed her nose and levitated her luggage into the air, carrying them into her bedroom. "You are now Giftless."

Velvet bounded after her, grin back in place. "Giftless? Aww, you brought me gifts?"

"Not anymore!" One of the suitcases was unzipped and a small, mauve-colored package raised into view. "And to think, I broke the rule and spent more than I should have to bring you back something nice."

Velvet draped herself over Crystal's back like a saddlebag and whined, "Crystaaal, come on, don't be that way! I was only teasing! Come on, what did you get me?"

The package danced through the air as it bobbed over toward a waste bin. "It is this darling little accessory. I had to bribe somepony to go stand in line to get them."

"Aww..." Velvet wriggled from side to side. "That's so sweet! You care about me that much that you'd lower your moral standards and defame yourself with base bribery?" She blinked. "Wait, stand in line?" After another bit of wriggling, she slipped off Crystal's back and walked over to the hovering gift. "What is it, really?"

Crystal smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed. "I suppose you'll have to open it to find out."

With a small cheer, Velvet snatched it out of the air and tore the wrapping away to reveal a small white box. She gasped when she raised the lid and, delicately, lifted one of the earrings that rested inside on a white satin pillow. Like Crystal's, they had two parts: a white gold silhouette and an aquamarine gemstone that hung in the center, both in the elegant shape of teardrops.

"Oh, Crystal, they're beautiful!"

"And quite expensive, so don't go wearing them while you run ab—oof!" She was interrupted by a tight squeeze of a hug, which she returned once she caught her breath.

"I'm serious, they're totally, really beautiful!" Velvet pulled back to frown at her. "And super expensive! These are glimmer earrings, aren't they?"

Crystal raised a hoof between them to gently press against Velvet's lips. "Shh, now, it's all right. I sold the sulky." When Velvet's eyes widened, Crystal laughed. "It was too pretentious! And the upkeep of tipping drivers to take me back and forth... It's better this way. My mother doesn't have one and she's still well-respected among the socialites, so that's good enough for me."

Velvet rolled her eyes and pushed the hoof away. "Can we please not get on that topic just yet and go back a few?"

Crystal blinked. "Back a few to... ?"

Velvet, with one brow raised, just pointed at the ring sitting around Crystal's horn. Crystal stared back, doing her very best to keep a straight face, but cracked into a smile first.

"You're engaged!" Velvet squealed, grabbing Crystal's hooves and squeezing them. "How are you able to stay in an audible range?! You should be shattering glass right now!"

Crystal laughed and squeezed back. "I've had days to calm down and stop speaking in high notes."

"Oh." There was a pause before Velvet frowned. "Well, fine. That means it's time to start an ideabook!"

"An ideabook?" Crystal furrowed her brow. "But we just got engaged! Don't you think it's too soon?"

Velvet scoffed. "I'm frankly shocked and appalled that you don't already have one."

Crystal withdrew her hooves to tap them together, her ears folding back flat against her mane. "Weeell, you see, perhaps I don't have a formal ideabook, but..." She swallowed, then slid off the bed and walked over to her dresser. Her magic tugged it open and lifted an issue of Bridal Bridle. "I did keep all of—"

"Perfect!" Velvet cheered, flopping onto the bed. "Let's get started!"

"Not yet!" Crystal dropped the magazine and slammed the drawer shut. "Not yet. Let me just catch my breath first, all right?" She laughed, turning back toward Velvet. "I saw a pile of mail that likely has a word back from Sunset, I have so much writing I want to do after that wonderful trip, and there's an opera I need to attend the day after tomorrow. Then we can get started, all right?"

Velvet eyed her with clear disdain before she finally shrugged. "All right, but on one condition."

Crystal returned to the bed and sat down beside her. "And what is that?"

"While you write about the wonderful trip, you tell me about it." Velvet beamed at her, sitting upright. "I want to know everything!"

Crystal blinked, then smiled softly. "I accept your condition."

Everything was perfect. Velvet was away at practice, steam was rising from a freshly brewed cup of tea, and music was drifting out of the record player. Crystal hummed along with the singer while she scanned all the papers strewn in front of her, including a few letters and some hastily scrawled notes.

"Let's see," she mumbled, raising the cup to take a quick sip. "Where to start..."

Her gaze landed on the letter from Sunset Coffee first and mumbled the words aloud. "Hi Crystal, we're all good to go. Just get a cover to Reindom House sooner rather than later. Once they sign off on it, the real fun begins. Sunset. P.S., we had a great harvest of blueberries this year. If you're in Manehattan anytime soon, you should drop by and try my wife's homemade jam!"

There was yet another picture of his family in the park, this time having a picnic. She smiled. Every time he included a picture, they all just seemed to be so happy.

She took another sip of tea while her magic retrieved a fresh sheet of paper. Of course, the letter had arrived just a few days after she left, so she had to be quick.

Painted,

I am in need of your wonderful services once again. Please let me know as soon as possible if you have time to meet about my most recent work so that we can discuss the cover. Thank you.

Appreciatively Yours,

Crystal Wishes

She folded the paper, tucked it into an envelope, and set it on the table by the door to take out later. One down, several more tasks to go. The letter from Sunset was pushed aside as she turned her attention to the others.

To her surprise, there were two separate invitations: one for a small art exhibit and the other, much more importantly, to an advanced showing of Fancy Pants's fall line. Her ears stood straight up while she quickly filled out the RSVP and set it on top of the letter to Painted. To receive an invitation alone was two weeks' worth of bragging rights; to actually attend was several more.

Finally, all that was left were her own notes for Mares Monthly and Cosmarepolitan shorts. So many ideas were swimming around in her head. So many more had cropped up as she wrote the others down. Then, of course, there was still her serial based—albeit very loosely—on Rickety and Riley, which was tentatively titled Autumn Leaves.

She rubbed at her already tired eyes. Where should she spend her time? Which was the most interesting idea? What did ponies want to read? If she could just sit down with Sunset and talk about all of her ideas, then perhaps she'd have some sort of direction.

After a pause, she slowly turned her head to look at the letter from the stallion in question. Just as slowly, she retrieved a sheet of paper and smiled while she started to write what she was thinking. "Brilliant," she muttered after signing her name, then reread what had been written.

Sunset,

Actually, I would love to take you up on that offer. When would be convenient for me to visit you and yours?

Looking forward,

Crystal

Golden Doubts

The Royal Opera House was packed that night for the performance of Pomane, which told the story of a unicorn who loved an alicorn and used illusory magic to take on different forms to try and win her favor. Each time he was spurned until he tried the appearance of her hoofmaiden, to whom the alicorn could not refuse a kiss, and he settled for that much.

As always, Lyrica Lilac stole the show as an unrivaled, perfect soprano, but to Crystal's delight the show was augmented beautifully by the Royal Ballet of Equestria. The orchestra, the opera, and the ballet were all in perfect harmony that night. Once the curtains had fallen, however, was when the real show began.

Although they were three of the topmost ponies everypony should know, the entourage that frequented Fancy Pants's company were a bore to be with when he wasn't around. Silver Frames always fiddled with something to hide her nerves, Swan Song's gaze kept wandering to judge ponies that walked by, and Golden Gavel hardly ever had anything of real substance to say at all.

"Dobby Canter truly put himself out there with that composition," Silver Frames finally said, her gaze darting around the circle of ponies while she nonchalantly fluttered a silver-colored fan.

"Indeed." Golden Gavel nodded. "Truly a statement indeed."

Swan Song chuckled softly. "Well, after all, it is the first Prench opera-ballet. So avant-garde."

Crystal strangled a sigh that threatened to escape her. It was the usual song and dance: skirt around making any actual value judgments, positive or negative, until somepony else makes one first, then immediately agree with their assessment. She lifted the corners of her lips into a smile. "Lyrica can always make an opera shine regardless of language or composer."

"Indubitably," Fancy Pants's voice came from behind her before the others could jump in with their praise. They all turned to see him approaching with Au in tow. "I'll be certain to let her know you—oh, my!" His eyes widened. "Crystal Wishes, belated congratulations are in order, it seems!"

Au leaned around her father to stare at Crystal with one brow raised. Silver Frames cleared her throat and fanned herself with renewed vigor. "I thought something seemed different about her," Silver muttered.

Crystal flushed and tried to keep her smile within polite parameters. "I only just recently became engaged, actually."

Fancy Pants smiled wide and clapped a hoof against the floor. "Is that so! Who is the lucky stallion?"

"I'm not sure if—" She coughed behind one hoof to interrupt herself. No, starting off his introduction with uncertainty of him being known was certainly not proper. With a light toss of her mane, she corrected, "I'm not sure if I would call him lucky, or myself." She giggled. "My fiancé is Silent Knight, Commander of—"

"Princess Luna's House Guard, yes, yes," Fancy Pants finished, nodding. "I had heard that you were perhaps dating him. What a pleasant surprise! That will make you the wife to a very important pony, then!" He reached out a hoof and winked. "Be sure to give him my congratulations, Miss Wishes. He certainly has good taste in mares."

Crystal gently placed her hoof on his and couldn't help another giggle as he leaned down to give it a gentle kiss. "Thank you, Fancy Pants."

"Fancy Pants," Golden Gavel cut in, "what did you think of the opera-ballet?"

Fancy Pants rose to his full height, turning his attention to the stallion, one brow raised. "I thought it was an enchanting rendition of classical mythos."

Swan Song clapped her hoof to the floor. "Quite right, my thoughts exactly!"

"That is exactly what I was attempting to say," Silver Frames chimed.

While Crystal tried not to roll her eyes, she saw Au orbiting Fancy Pants to position herself beside Crystal. "You're engaged, then?" Au asked, not looking at her.

Crystal swallowed, but kept her head firmly upright. "Yes, I am."

"Well, not all of us can have careers," Au said with a throaty chortle. "The world does need housewives to raise the next generation."

The hairs of Crystal's coat stood on end around her neck and shoulders. "Excuse me, Au, but I do so have a career that I will keep through marriage!"

"Do you?" Au finally looked at her, a light smirk on her lips. The ice in her eyes and in her tone sent a chill down Crystal's spine. "Who even are you?"

"I—" She choked and averted her gaze. Who even was she? C.W. Step? A romance novelist of only mild success within her genre? She was no Flora Sorbets, whose nigh countless books were found in the romance section of every bookstore. Even ponies who didn't read Flora's books knew who she was.

Slowly, Crystal's ears drooped. Who was she?

Au reached out to pat Crystal on the shoulder. "There, there. You'll make a wonderful little housewife."

Crystal didn't respond, nor did she try to push Au's hoof away. The question kept circling her mind, growing heavier and heavier with each pass. Who was she?

"Darling!" her mother's voice called, snapping Crystal out of the sudden funk and into a small panic. "So good to see you!"

Before Crystal could turn to face them, Fancy Pants cheered, "Upper Crust! Jet Set! Congratulations!"

Upper Crust came to a halt. Jet Set stopped beside her. "What?" her mother asked. "Congratulations? For what?"

"On your daughter's engagement!" Fancy Pants gestured at Crystal. He looked between Crystal's frozen form, Upper Crust's wide eyes, and Jet Set's gaping mouth. "Oh." His hoof slowly lowered. "Oh, dear."

Crystal very slowly turned to face her parents, wincing when they both gasped. The three stood in stillness and silence until Fancy Pants cleared his throat and said, "Well! We should leave these three alone to, ah, celebrate. Come along, everypony."

Fancy Pants, Au, and his entourage walked away, though that did nothing to relieve the tension hanging in the air. Crystal chewed on her bottom lip, trying to think of something to say, but Upper Crust found her voice first.

"Darling, you're... engaged?"

"Yes, Mom." Crystal nodded. "I was going to tell you, I—"

Jet Set stepped forward and looped a foreleg around Crystal's neck. "That's wonderful news, dear! When did he propose?" He paused, then quickly added, "It is Silent Knight, right? The one we talked about last year?"

Upper Crust huffed. "Nevermind who it is! That is exactly the problem! He couldn't take the time to so much as ask your father for your hoof? Or at least introduce himself to us? Darling, I'm afraid this stallion of yours has no manners at all."

"Upper Crust, dear," Jet Set cut in, one brow raised. "These are different times. Ponies don't do that anymore."

Crystal swallowed. "Mom, Dad, I—"

Upper Crust jabbed a hoof at him. "That does not make it right! Etiquette is not simply tossed aside because the average pony doesn't use it."

"This is no cause for alarm, dear." Jet Set kept gaze firmly focused on his wife. "Crystal will surely allow us a proper introduction to this Silent Knight of hers before the wedding day. Speaking of!" The smile returned to his face as he looked down at Crystal. "When is the date?"

"We just got engaged!" Crystal exclaimed, wincing at the volume of her voice. "I haven't had time to tell either of you because there hasn't been time. There is no date yet."

Upper Crust eyed her with a mixed expression between irritation and curiosity. "And when will we meet him? How do I know I even approve of him until I meet him?"

Crystal clenched her jaw as she bit back her first response. She shoved her own irritation down to replace it with a smile. "I don't know yet, Mother. He is awfully busy."

"Too busy to meet the parents of his fiancée?" Upper Crust scoffed. "Is he busy or just ill-mannered?"

"Busy, Mother." She shrugged Jet Set's foreleg from her shoulders. "And speaking of being busy, it does look awfully rude for us to be segregated from the rest of the ponies here. If you'll excuse me." She turned and started toward the nearest face she vaguely recognized.

Someday, she'd have to decide if she was going to cross or burn that bridge. That was future Crystal's problem, however. She had enough on her plate as it was. Having Silent meet her parents could absolutely wait.

"Wait, wait, hold on." Velvet pawed one hoof at the air while the other rubbed a circle against her forehead, her eyes closed. "So who said what?"

Crystal sighed. "Au."

"Okay." Velvet opened her eyes halfway. "And why do we care what she thinks?"

"That isn't the point!" Crystal rose from her pillow and started pacing their living room. "Whether she says it or my mother says it or you say it, the validity of the statement is true." She stopped pacing to instead hang her head. "Who am I? I write behind a pseudonym, I keep these parts of my life separate because I want to be anonymous. But you cannot be anonymous and be a somepony at the same time."

Velvet frowned. "Okay, then just tell everypony that you're C.W. Step."

Crystal sighed, flopped onto a nearby pillow, and draped a leg over her face to shield her eyes from the light. "But who is that? Who is C.W. Step? I won an award two years ago. Nopony cares about somepony who won an award two years ago, attends one convention a year, and has only written two books."

"All right, then what? You write more books and hope one really takes off?" Velvet leaned back against the couch, her shoulders rising and falling in a lazy shrug. "I mean, that's how authors become popular in the first place, right?"

Crystal didn't say anything at first. She just stared at the darkness until she slowly lifted her foreleg. "I'm not sure, to be honest, but I do know somepony who would know."

Velvet tilted her head. "Who?"

"Sunset Coffee." Slowly, she sat upright, a smile taking over her frown. "I'm taking a train to spend a few days in Manehattan next week. I was just going to ask him what the market wanted, but I'm sure he won't mind a longer conversation."

Velvet clapped her hooves and rubbed them together. "Great! So now that that's settled, I think that was everything on your list, right?"

Crystal blinked. "My list?"

Velvet's lips curled into a grin. "You said once you were done with the opera, you'd be ready to start planning your wedding. And from the sounds of it, you could use a distraction until you get to talk to your agent! Sooo..."

"Oh. Really?" Crystal glanced at the door to her bedroom. "I didn't think you were serious about that."

Velvet gasped and put a hoof to her chest. "My best friend in the whole of Equestria is getting married and she thinks I wouldn't be serious about planning?" The hoof dropped and her brow raised. "In seriousness, do you remember how much work you had to do planning and re-planning things for Horsey and Raven? The sooner the better, right?"

"I suppose you have a point." Crystal pushed herself up onto all hooves and trotted into her bedroom to retrieve what she had kept: a drawer full of magazines, two boxes of samples, and another box of flyers and brochures for vendors. Carefully, she levitated them all out of her room and back into the main area, prompting a bout of laughter from Velvet.

"Sweet Celestia, you weren't kidding when you said you kept everything!" Velvet slipped off the couch and trotted over to the nearest box. "Okay, well, first, let's rule out all the Ponyville-specific stuff." She paused, then glanced up. "Wait, where are you going to have the wedding?"

Crystal settled down beside another box and looked at brochures as her magic raised them up one by one, sorting them into neat stacks. "Canterlot, of course, unless Silent has a different idea. It's where the majority of our friends and family are, after all."

Velvet nodded. "Got it. Then first thing's first. Remove Ponyville, then focus on Canterlot."

Crystal looked over at her with a playful grin. "You sound like some kind of villain with that talk."

"Who said I'm not?" Velvet replied a little too casually.

Slowly, Crystal blinked and returned her attention to sorting brochures. It took about an hour to get everything out of the boxes and drawer, at which point Crystal looked around in dismay. "Velvet!" she cried.

"Hmm?" Velvet lifted her gaze from the magazine she had in her lap. "What?"

"Where is the floor?!"

"What?" Velvet repeated, then, after taking a quick glance around them to see they were surrounded by magazines and papers, she laughed. "Wow, you're pretty terrible at making neat and orderly stacks!"

Crystal squinted at her. "You were supposed to be helping me!" She raised a bound package of different tablecloth swatches and chucked it at Velvet, who dodged and laughed again.

"I was! But then I saw this magazine and, well, then I stopped." Velvet held out the magazine in question. "Can you blame me? This article is really interesting."

Crystal batted at the magazine with one hoof. "Help me clean up! I need—" Three knocks interrupted her and she gasped. "Silent Knight?!"

Velvet snorted. "Yeah, you do."

"Hush!" Crystal jumped to her hooves and looked around with wide eyes. "What is he going to think if he sees all this?!"

"Well, you don't have enough time to hide it, so I guess we're going to find out!" Velvet sprung from her spot, sailed over two boxes, and landed right by the door, which she opened before Crystal could protest. "Hi, Silent Knight!"

Silent blinked. He looked past her to see what looked like the results of a wedding hurricane. Everything had been unpacked without any semblance of order at all. "Hi?"

"Welcome to the madness!" Velvet giggled and jumped back over the boxes, nestled against the coffee table, and picked her magazine back up.

Crystal tried to make her way over without stepping on anything. "I'm so sorry! It's not what it looks like!"

Silent blinked again. "It looks like..." He trailed as his gaze scanned the nearest magazine covers, at which point his expression relaxed. "You're planning a third wedding?"

"Well, all right, so it is what it looks like." She made a pathway through the disarray to the couch for him to come inside and sit down. "I'm just using it as a distraction. I'm not serious about planning. It's just for fun."

"It looks like fun." On his way to the couch, he paused to place a kiss on her cheek. "What can I help with?"

Crystal shook her head. "Oh, no, nevermind all this. What did you need?"

His brow furrowed as he sat down. "Need? Do I have to need something to want to spend time with you?"

"What? No!" Heat rose to the tips of her ears. "I just, you don't usually drop by unannounced. Not that it's a problem!" She sighed, looking around. "It's embarrassing right now, but not a problem."

"Yeah, yeah," Velvet interrupted. "Hey, this says the first thing you should do is pick a dress. Getting it ordered in the right size, hemmed, and making sure that you actually want it in ivory versus silk white versus champagne with time to change your mind, it's apparently the longest process."

Silent picked up a nearby magazine and idly flipped through it while he asked, "Aren't those all the same color, though?"

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Not even. They're way different. It's a mare thing. You wouldn't understand!"

Crystal puffed out her chest and smiled. "Not to worry! I've already picked out my dress. More or less, anyway."

"More or less?" Velvet asked, grinning. "What does that mean?"

"Well." Crystal's pride deflated. "I saw it in one of these magazines. I'm not sure which one. But it's in one for certain." She sat down and levitated a magazine over, starting to flip through it. "I just have to find it again."

Velvet flipped a few pages ahead. "What did it look like?"

Crystal didn't say anything at first, her gaze locked on Silent sitting unaware of her attention. If she described it, then he would know, and that would spoil the wedding day reveal!

Velvet followed the direction of her eyes and snorted. "Okay, well, is it a merpony silhouette like this?" She flipped her magazine around to point at an example of a ballgown dress with one hoof, the other tapping her nose, and she winked.

Crystal flashed a grateful smile, then nodded. "Yes, something like that. With tulle." She glanced at Silent, who was still focused on his magazine. "And"—she gestured at her upper torso—"lots of beading and fancy stitching on the skirt."

"Got it." Velvet started flipping through the pages. "We'll find it."

They all fell into a companionable silence, interrupted only by the sound of rustling pages and the occasional false alarm of discovery. After a while, Silent piped up for the sixth time, "Is this it?"

Crystal glanced up at the page he was showing, then shook her head. "No."

"Oh." He shrugged. "This one's nice, though."

Velvet giggled and looked over at him. "It's a mare thing. You—"

"Wouldn't understand," he finished with a soft chuckle. "Okay. I give up. You two are on your own."

Crystal swallowed and rose to her hooves. "Listen, we can do this another time. Why don't you and I go out for a walk or some such activity that you might actually be interested in?"

Silent shook his head. He set the magazine on the stack of ones he'd been through and stretched out on the couch. "Actually, I'm honestly fine like this. Work has been busy and I wouldn't mind just taking a nap for a while."

Slowly, Crystal sat back down, her expression still muddled. "If you're sure. That seems like an awful waste for you to come out here just to nap on our couch."

"Hey, if he wants to nap here, let him nap." Velvet grinned and stole a glance at the stallion. "I certainly don't mind."

Crystal frowned. Though she didn't know what it was, she knew Velvet was certainly up to something. Without any indication of what, however, all she could do was just go back to looking for the dress. "Well, all right, then."

A Brewing Storm

Crystal eventually caught on to Velvet's mischievous plan. Every time she looked over at Silent, a new magazine or cloth sample had mysteriously appeared draped somewhere over him. Velvet hummed with utmost innocence once a layer of wedding paraphernalia had been accomplished and she was working on a second.

After flipping through yet another magazine, Crystal sighed and slumped forward. "Oh, I just know I saw it in one of these. It was when I was looking for Horsey in Bridal Bridle..." She stuck out her bottom lip. "I saw it and knew it was the one for me."

"Yeah, yeah." Velvet shrugged. Silent closed his eyes after looking over at the sound of Crystal's voice, at which point Velvet carefully placed a flyer on his left hind leg. "I told you to mark the things you liked."

Crystal's ears shot up. "What? No, actually, you didn't! You teased me about planning my own wedding when Silent and I weren't even dating yet."

Velvet blinked, then grinned. "You're right, that does sound a lot more like me. But you still should have marked them!"

Crystal glared at her. "Yes, yes." She huffed and flipped to the next page with irritated vigor.

Silent stirred on the couch and Velvet held her breath. Only one of the pieces of paper fell to the ground; the rest of his burial tomb was still in place. Crystal shot her a stern look, which Velvet returned with an innocent smile.

"What? He looked cold. I'm just helping," she whispered, sticking out her tongue.

Crystal just waggled a warning hoof before returning to her searching. Her ears twitched and swiveled at the sound of knocking. "Huh?" Her head followed her ears to look at the door. "Who could that be?" She looked over at Silent. "Would you mind getting that for me, please?"

"Sure." Silent rose from the couch, pausing to watch as everything that Velvet had stacked on him dropped to the floor. His brow raised briefly, but he shrugged it off and started toward the door.

Crystal tossed the magazine in front of her in Velvet's direction. "I give up. Just pick a dress and that'll be the one. At this point I don't even know if the dress I saw existed or if I simply dreamt it up!"

Velvet laughed, batting the projectile out of the air. "Well, then just pick one of the ones Silent liked."

"But I don't remember which magazines those were in." Crystal sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Oh, this is a waste of time."

"What is all of this about, Crystal?" a familiar voice asked, smooth but playful.

Crystal's ears shot straight up and she took a sharp, gasping intake of air. "What?" She jerked her head to stare at Painted Wave standing a few paces away. "Painted Wave?!" Her eyes widened. "Right! We're supposed to meet about the cover! I forgot all about it!" Her gaze darted to the nearest clock and she groaned. "I completely missed it."

The condo was a total disaster. At least Silent had been by enough times to know that the condo was ordinarily organized; Painted Wave had only visited once. Crystal felt embarrassed heat rise to the tips of her ears.

"Please have a seat... after I find one." Crystal stood, her magic reaching out to clear the couch. "Here. I'm so sorry."

Painted chuckled. "It's all right." As she walked past Crystal to sit on the couch, she added with a wink, "Cute door stallion, by the way."

"Door stallion?" Crystal looked over at Silent, blinked, then giggled. "Oh, no. That's just Silent Knight, my fiancé."

"He looks like a keeper," Painted said, laughing softly as she sat down and crossed her forehooves. "Good help is so hard to find these days, you know."

When Crystal started to hurriedly put things away on of the bookcases, pushing the knickknacks and books aside to make room. Velvet graciously walked over to make more room on the shelves. Silent stayed true to his name and just remained quiet, though he did lend a hoof in grouping like objects into semi-orderly piles.

Painted leaned over to look at the nearest magazine and eyed the cover. "Getting married, are we?"

Crystal winced. "Eventually. Certainly not as soon as the mess might belie; he only just proposed a short while ago. Velvet got me all spun up searching for a dress I found." She shot Velvet a light glare, and Velvet returned it twofold. Crystal sighed and returned her gaze to Painted. "I really am sorry you had to come all the way over just because I was playing princess and forgot about our lunch."

"It's nothing to worry about." Painted waved a hoof. "We'll just say you're caught up in research for your next book and leave it at that."

Crystal moved with a nervous fervor, her tail and ears twitching. "Yes, that would be one way to look at it." She glanced over at Painted, who sat calmly on the couch. "Can we still have the meeting? Reindom House has been understandably persistent about getting the cover done as soon as possible. I've been dragging my hooves until recently. Again, I'm so sorry about this!" Her attention flickered over to the kitchen. "Would you care for some tea?"

Painted raised a hoof and tapped it in a circle along the other as she answered, "That's why I dropped in, so yes. I've had a lot of ideas since reading the manuscript you sent me. I want to get your thoughts on them, so I came over when you didn't show up. It's fine, we all have our moments. And, yes. Tea would be lovely." She smiled brightly.

"Great! Then I'll make some." Crystal, in her mind, offered the stack of idea books to Velvet.

In reality, she just shoved them in Velvet's face and her magic let them go. Velvet grunted but managed to catch them all, though the stack of books was almost taller than her.

"You remember Velvet, of course?" Crystal asked, looking over at Painted.

"I do." Painted nodded. "It's nice to see that you have a friend that is behind your books, and that she supports them."

Crystal blinked a few times before she looked to Velvet for help, at which point she realized Velvet couldn't be seen around the stack. Crystal laughed, shook her head, and waved a hoof. "Oh, you." She trotted over to the kitchen and started to fill the kettle with water.

Playing wedding princess was fun—if spending hours looking at magazines and making a mess in the process could really be called fun—but she needed to get her priorities straight. Finish her remaining responsibility for Her Silent Love. Work on some rough drafts to give Sunset. Go to Manehattan.

She paused after the last thought crossed her mind and tapped her chin. Before she left, however, she should go pick up some gifts for Sunset and his family to show her appreciation for their time. Something inexpensive, given her current budget strictly imposed by Velvet, but still meaningful.

Before she could ponder too long on a gift idea, Velvet came trotting over. "Hey, Painted says you should have three weddings."

Crystal's ears shot up. "She said what?"

"Okay, she may have just been joking, but it was a good excuse to head over here." She kept her voice low. "Do you want me to ask Silent to leave, or are you mare enough to do it yourself?"

Crystal blinked, tilting her head. "What do you mean?"

Velvet glanced behind them to see Silent and Painted laughing. "Her Silent Love. Silent doesn't know it's about him yet, right?"

Crystal's ears folded back while her face turned pink. "Oh, no, no, no, I haven't told him yet. I just, well, that's so terribly awkward to admit! But I'm sure I can discuss the cover without treading near that territory."

Velvet shrugged. "Stoutheart is a knight with a grey coat and a short, dark indigo mane. I guess that doesn't sound exactly like Silent."

"It doesn't, right?" Crystal started to shift from hoof to hoof, her nerves alleviating momentarily when the kettle whistled. She poured the hot water over the tea strainer and into a cup. "It doesn't. He won't have any clue." She swallowed. "But—"

"Crystal?" Silent called from the living room, rising to his hooves. "I'm going to head out. If you don't mind, that is. I just figured you would like some space to talk to Painted about your book."

"One moment!" Crystal levitated the cup over to Painted while she walked toward Silent. "You don't have to leave if you want to stay," she whispered.

Silent smiled and shook his head. "It's fine. I have some things to attend to before I leave."

Crystal inclined her own head to gaze up at him. "Leave?" Her brow furrowed.

"To retrieve and escort Princess Luna back home," he explained simply.

"Oh. Yes, she has been gone for some few weeks, hasn't she?" She raised a hoof and patted his chest both playfully and affectionately. "Bring her and yourself back safely, all right? I have missed having my little lunch dates with the princess."

Silent chuckled. "Yes, ma'am." He glanced around to scope out the attention on them and, satisfied with the lack of any, leaned down to kiss her softly. "I'll see you in three weeks."

Crystal sputtered, "You'll be—what—three weeks?" A light frown tugged at her lips, then lifted back up. "I suppose that sounds familiar. Well, I'll drop by once I'm done here to give you a proper-send off."

"If you want to." He shrugged. "It's only three weeks."

"Only three weeks?" She huffed and tossed her mane. "In that period of time, I might end up booking three or four different weddings because you're not around to force me to just pick one."

"You can book as many weddings as you can afford, dear." He grinned and before she could react, he kissed her again, then ducked out the front door.

There was a moment of silence before Painted piped up, "So, he's nice."

A fire seared across her face and she whirled around to look at the grinning mares sitting on the couch. "Ah! Right! Meeting!" She hurried over. "Yes, let's talk about Her Silent Love!"

"Isn't that what I was talking about?" Painted grinned wider.

"Sh-shush!" She waved her hooves and sat across from them on a pillow. "Honestly, I've wasted enough of your time already by forgetting about you. Let's stay focused now, all right?"

Painted chuckled and shrugged. "Okay, all right. So, I read your love story to your fiancé—"

"Ah-ha!" Velvet pointed at Crystal. "I told you it was obvious!"

Crystal buried her face in her hooves. "Oh, somepony please save me..."

Thunk-thwack-wump. Runic's "door bell" rocks resounded against the doorframe, and Crystal giggled. It had been a while since she heard it, long enough that she had almost forgotten it was there.

The Phial and Filly was busy as always with mares looking through the wares and the occasional stallion either being dragged along or shopping right alongside them. Crystal made her way over to the selection of foal-safe bubble baths, picked out two, then continued on to find a nice cologne, a delicate perfume, and a scented lotion. Satisfied with her finds, she headed to the counter to spot Rossby behind the register.

"Hello, Rossby!" she chirped.

Rossby jolted at the sound of her voice, slamming a book he had been reading shut and slipping it out of view under the counter. "What?" He squinted at her. "What do you want?"

Crystal stuck out her bottom lip. "Is that any way to greet a friend?"

"No. That's why I greeted you that way." He glanced at the bottles levitating in her magic. "Twenty-five bits."

"Well, fine, if you don't want to have a friendly chat, then you could at least point me in Runic's direction."

Rossby peered at her over his glasses. "Twenty-five bits."

"For the information, or are you still on about the bottles?" She stuck her nose in the air. "Well, I'm not ready to check out yet."

Rossby groaned and gestured vaguely toward the door. "Whatever. He's in the back, like always. D'uh."

Crystal smiled. Each bottle lowered to sit off to one side on the counter. "Be a dear and hold onto those for me, would you? I'll come back for them once I'm done checking in with Runic."

Rossby stared at the bottles with the look of a cornered snake. "I'm not going to be responsible if I sell these to another customer."

"Thanks!" she called as she trotted into the back room. "Runic?"

Runic's head popped up from behind a stack of corn. "Hey?" He blinked, then smiled wide. "Hey! Crystal, hello! Don't come near me!"

Crystal froze in place, her gaze darting about. "Okay. Why?"

"You're not wearing goggles."

"Okay..." She swallowed. "And where are some goggles I can borrow?"

"Oh, uh." His ears swiveled different directions but his eyes remained fixed on her. "Somewhere on the wall, maybe?"

After a quick scan of the walls, Crystal spotted a couple pairs of goggles hanging on tacks. She quickly levitated one over and slipped it on, then released the breath she had been holding. "All right, goggles are on."

"Great!" Runic disappeared behind the pile. A very brief moment later, he walked back around it. "Okay, you can take it off now!"

Crystal blinked. "Huh?"

"The experiment's over, so it's safe to take off your goggles." He slipped his own up to rest on his hat. "See?"

Behind him, one of the ears of corn rolled off the stack and, when it hit the ground, sent kernels of suddenly popped popcorn in all different directions. Crystal yelped and ducked under the table, which was likely the worst choice of cover, as that put her in direct line of fire of flying pieces of popcorn.

"Runic?!"

Runic just stared at the ear of corn until all its kernels had popped. "Huh. I wasn't expecting that."

Crystal rubbed the sore spots where she had been pelted. "And what were you expecting, exactly?"

"It was supposed to explode."

"Explode?!" she shrieked. She jumped to her hooves—another bad choice, as she hit her head against the underside of the table.

He hurried over and leaned down while she rubbed her head and muttered to herself. "Hey! You okay?"

She shot him a light glare. "You were trying to explode corn?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I was curious if I could take the popping nature of the kernels and apply that to the whole cob. My theory was that it would either explode, or turn into one giant, epic piece of popcorn. I was kind of hoping for the giant piece of popcorn. I wasn't expecting it to just... do what it normally does."

Climbing out from under the table, she sighed. "Okay. Fine. I'll overlook this near-death experience just this once, because I owe you for helping make such a beautiful ring."

Runic blinked. "A ring? No, I just made popcorn. Or so I thought." His head jerked to the side as he scanned the mess. "Did one of the kernels turn into a ring?! That's completely outside of the realm of what I expected! I—"

She clamped a hoof over his mouth. "Shh, shh." She smiled and her magic raised the goggles over her head, returning them to the tack on the wall. "No, but you and Silent made me a gorgeous engagement ring."

His gaze flickered to her horn and he smiled. "Mm! Mmmph, mmphmm"—she pulled her hoof away from his mouth—"at all. I like finding a use for my failed experiments."

She slowly nodded her head. "Uh-huh. Well, thank you." The smile returned to her face and she looped her forelegs around his neck. "You're a good friend to us both, and I really appreciate it."

He chuckled as he returned the hug twice as hard as hers. "That's what friends are for! And soon we'll be family, which means I'll be even more obligated to do things for you! Obligated in a nice way, of course." He pulled back to beam at her. "Say, do you want to help me with my next experiment?"

Crystal cleared her throat and took a step toward the door. "Oh, no, I have, well, things to do. I have to buy some things and then wrap the things. But maybe next time!"

"Okay! Drop by any time!" He waved. "And congratulations, by the way!"

"Thank you!" She walked back out into the main room, took a breath, and rubbed her still throbbing head. "Crazy pony," she grumbled, then laughed softly.

"Are you okay?" Rossby asked, staring at her from the counter. "It sounded like murder in there."

Crystal blinked at him. "Murder? Oh, no. Just exploding corn."

Rossby stared for a moment, then nodded. "Sounds like you got off easy. Last time I went back there while he was experimenting I had to buy new glasses. And then sit through a lecture about goggle safety." He rolled his eyes. "And yet even with all of his insanity, this is one of my easiest jobs."

"He's not insane," Crystal chided as she walked over. "He's just, well, eccentric."

Rossby squinted. "What's the difference?"

Crystal returned the squint. He squinted harder. She squinted until she could no longer see and, finally, she shrugged. "It sounds nicer?"

"Uh-huh. I see. Well, you had your chat." He tapped a hoof on the counter. "Thirty bits."

"Thir—What happened to twenty-five?" She frowned.

He raised one brow. "Five bit fee for watching unattended merchandise."

She gawked, then huffed and puffed her cheeks. She circled the counter to stick her face in his. For being so much younger than her, he was fairly tall and, given that he didn't flinch an inch at her approach, had a really strong composure. "Twenty-five bits and I won't ask you what you were reading."

His gaze darted away for a moment before returning to hers. There it was: the chink in his armor. She grinned and her horn lit up as she sought out the book. He had put it somewhere under the counter, but she couldn't see it in her peripheral vision. When her magic found it, she jerked it out from its spot and held it just behind her head.

"Hey!" One of his hooves reached for it. "That's mine!"

"I know it is. Let's see what we have here!" She turned her head, then blinked. "The Great Gaitsby?" She looked back at him, noting a faint but visible flush of his cheeks. "I honestly wasn't expecting that."

Rossby scowled at her and snatched the book from her magic, then clutched it to his chest. "I'm reading it for school."

She tilted her head. "For school? But it's summer!"

"I—well—" The flush grew more noticeable. "Yeah! Well, my teacher only assigned the first few chapters, and I couldn't just stop reading there, could I?" He looked down at the book he held protectively to him. "That's just stupid. You don't just read a few chapters of a book and quit there. I have to know what happens to Gaitsby."

She gazed at him a while, allowing him to fidget and squirm before she smiled. "Why would I judge you for that? You already know I'm a writer."

Rossby lifted his head to shoot her a glare. "Why would I care if you judged me or not?"

"Because you're blushing," she teased.

"I am not!" He tossed the book back on the shelf under the counter and jabbed a hoof at the bottles. "Are you going to pay for your stuff or not? Twenty-five bits!"

Crystal laughed. "All right, all right. Here you go." She set the bits on the counter, then levitated the bottles into her satchel. "I'll see you somewhere soon enough, I'm sure." Just as she turned and started to walk away, she paused to look over her shoulder and say, "If you finish that and need something else to read, perhaps you might like Mrs. Dallohay. I think you'd like that if you like Gaitsby."

"Whatever," Rossby muttered, not meeting her gaze. "Have a nice day. Or not."

Crystal smiled and left the store to set off toward home. She was making good progress on her to-do list: Painted had already started on the cover, a good selection of different drafts were ready for Sunset, and gifts for him and his family sat in her satchel Now all that was left was to actually get herself to Manehattan.

A Latte Love

Crystal glanced between the letter she carried in her magic and the apartment complex in front of her. The addresses matched, but for some reason she had imagined Sunset lived someplace more homey with a white picket fence and a tree with a tire swing. Instead, he lived in the same tall, crowded structure as everypony else in Manehattan. That really shouldn't have come as a surprise considering the address said Apt 2712, but a part of her had still hoped otherwise.

She shrugged off her slight disappointment and trotted up the steps. Directly across from the front doors was an elevator waiting and ready, though it was nowhere near as fancy as the one in Eminence Tower. This one just had a self-operated lever, which she fiddled with for a few moments. It was heavier and harder to pull than she imagined, but she eventually tugged the lever down to the number 27. With a squeak and a grunt, the elevator's doors shut and it started to rise.

A soft but repetitive tune filled the space around her. For the first few floors, she hummed along. After ten, she went quiet. By the time she reached her destination floor she hoped she never had to hear that tune again for the rest of her life.

Finally arriving at the door, she gave it a few good knocks and waited just long enough for nerves to bubble up in her chest. The door opened, however, before she could make up her mind on if she wanted to flee the scene or not.

Sunset's face greeted her with a bright smile. "Crystal! You made it!" He tossed his head to call over his shoulder, "Girls, Crystal is here!"

Crystal blinked as a chorus of squeals resounded and two fillies popped into view. The first was a pale periwinkle blur that darted through Sunset's legs and skidded to a halt in front of Crystal, beaming up at her with bright magenta eyes. Her blue mane cascaded down in separated strands around her face, like the curled petals of a bluebell.

"Hi, Crystal!" the filly chirped.

The second, much younger than the first, hopped onto Sunset's back and was a collage of purple coat, yellow eyes, and a two-toned mane of dark purple and pale yellow done up in pigtails. "Hi, Crystal!"

Sunset chuckled and reached out a hoof to ruffle the blue filly's mane. "Crystal, these are two of my foals, Blu—"

"Blue Belle and Violet," Crystal said, earning surprised gasps from the fillies.

"How do you know my name?" Blue Belle asked with awe in her sparkling eyes.

"How do you know my name?" Violet repeated in a squeaky voice.

Crystal giggled and leaned down to put her head more at Blue Belle's level. "Your daddy told me a lot about you both and showed me pictures. How could I not recognize such pretty little fillies?"

Blue Belle squealed, prompting a similar sound from her copycat sister.

Crystal lifted her gaze to meet Sunset's. "Where is Miss Cocoa?"

"Oh, you know how fillies her age are." Sunset laughed and scooped Belle up with one foreleg, then stepped out of the way. "Come in, come in, make yourself at home! Bouqy's just put some tea on not a few minutes ago." He set Belle on the loveseat, chuckling when Violet leaped off his back to join her sister, then took a seat on the couch.

Crystal looked around the apartment as she set her overnight bag by the door and made her way to the couch. There was no foyer to speak of; stepping into the apartment meant stepping directly into the living room. Off to the right was a nook that housed a dining table, four chairs, and a high chair. The walls were covered in hoofdrawn pictures of varying recognizability. Judging by the sounds of a spoon clinking against the sides of a cup, the doorway set against one wall led to the kitchen, and the other likely led to the bedrooms.

"How was the train?" Sunset asked, leaning back into the couch. He eyed the overnight bag. "Hold on." Inclining his head, he called, "Cocoa! Sweetie! Come take Crystal's bag to your room please?"

Crystal shook her head as she sat on the loveseat with the fillies. "Huh? Oh, no, I can stay at a hotel, it's no trouble!"

Sunset waved a dismissive hoof. "Neither is you staying with us. It's less trouble, actually. It's free! And my girls are so excited to meet you." He paused, then hollered, "Cocoa Brew!"

"I'm coming!" a voice snarled and a blonde-coated mare stormed out of the hallway. Her chestnut mane bounced indignantly in its high ponytail as she stomped over to Crystal's bag. "I don't see why she can't stay with Belle and Vio."

"But it's supposed to be a sleepover!" Belle cried.

"A sleepover!" Violet pouted.

Sunset crossed his forelegs over his chest. "Now, Cocoa, that's not very nice. You didn't even say hi."

Cocoa groaned. She twirled around to face them, offered a wide, fake smile, and curtseyed. "Hi, Miss Wishes. It's nice to meet you, Miss Wishes. I hope you enjoy my room, Miss Wishes." She grabbed the straps of the bag in her mouth and dragged it back toward the hallway from which she had come.

Sunset sighed, shaking his head. "I'll be happy when this phase is over. She's so darn moody. Just yesterday she was running around the place with her sisters playing Dragon Attack."

"Dragon Attack!" Violet squealed and looked to her sister. She lowered her head to the cushion, wiggled her rump, then sprung forward to tackle Belle. "Rawr!"

Belle gasped and squirmed. "No! Bad Vi!"

"Girls," Sunset cut in, "behave for Miss Crystal."

They scrambled to sit upright. "Yes, Daddy," they said in unison.

"If they want to play, let them play." A vibrant fuchsia mare walked into the room with a tray balanced atop her head. Her pastel green mane was cropped in an asymmetric bob, short in the back and long in the front, with bangs that reached all the way to her eyelashes. Though her tail was the same color, only her mane had light yellow tips that matched her bright yellow eyes.

Crystal rose to her hooves. "You must be Orchid Bouquet! It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Orchid Bouquet lowered her head to set the tray on the table, poured a cup of tea, and held it out to Crystal. "Please, don't call me ma'am. Orchid or Bouquet is just fine." She smiled and sat beside Sunset. "Ma'am isn't a word that should be used between friends, and Coff has told me so much about you."

Crystal sat back down, a light flush on her cheeks. "What? Really?"

Bouquet nodded, her bob bobbing with the motion. Crystal noticed a flower, which vaguely resembled an orchid, tucked just above her ear. It twitched and settled back into place once Bouquet's head was righted.

"Of course," Sunset said. He reached out a foreleg to wrap it loosely around Bouquet's shoulders. "You're my favorite client, after all." He winked.

Crystal turned her teacup in her magic, her gaze fixated on it. "Oh, well, to be fair, you're my favorite agent." She giggled and took a sip that sent her ears perked upright and widened her eyes. "Wow! This is wonderful!"

Bouquet smiled. "Chamomile. I picked the flowers this morning from the garden."

Crystal stared at her with open surprise on her face. "A garden? In Manehattan?"

Blue Belle bounced closer to her and squeaked, "Mommy's super special garden!"

"The garden!" Violet chimed.

"It's a community garden just up the street that I started some years ago," Bouquet explained, laughing softly. "We have a plot where I grow our vegetables and flowers."

"A garden, huh," Crystal mused before taking another sip. It was so refreshing and the flavor of the chamomile really thrived as opposed to the dried version. "I've never gardened before. It's not much of a thing in Canterlot, after all."

Bouquet clapped her hooves together. "You should come with me after dinner, then! I tend to the garden every morning and every evening. It would be nice to have some company that isn't rolling in the dirt or trying to sneak a taste." She shot a playful glare at Blue Belle and Violet, who played beside Crystal, blissfully unaware.

The flower on Bouquet's head unfolded and started to climb down one of her tresses. Crystal stared at it with wide eyes and one hoof extended to point at the sight, words escaping her. Bouquet blinked, shifted her gaze, and smiled.

"Oh, yes." Bouquet raised a hoof, gently guiding the strange creature onto it. "I'm sorry. There's one more member of the family for you to meet. This is Petal, our orchid mantis."

"Man-mantis?" Crystal gawked. "You have an insect as a pet? But why?"

Blue Belle shot upright and stared at Crystal. "Insects are pre—preci—precious!" She scrunched up her nose. "Without insects there are no gardens and gardens are important!"

Violet nodded. "Yeah! Important!"

Crystal looked between them all and finally at Petal. "I, well, forgive me, but I've just, well, I've never heard of somepony keeping an insect as a pet. Cats, dogs, birds, but..." She took a breath in, then smiled. "I'm sorry. It's nice to meet you, Petal."

Petal moved one of her forelegs either by coincidence or as a greeting. Taking no chances for further offense, Crystal waved back.

Sunset chuckled, running a hoof through his mane. "It's okay. Bouqy's just special that way."

Bouquet's ears folded back. "Insects are a vital part of gardening. And Petal never harmed anypony." She set the mantis down on the coffee table.

Slowly, with careful and precise movements, the mantis made her way toward the far side, pausing to lunge her two front legs at a pencil.

Bouquet cleared her throat and rose to her hooves. "Come on, girls. Let's go play in the other room. Miss Crystal came here to see Daddy, so let's let them have some space to talk."

"Oh, actually, that reminds me," Crystal said, standing as well. "I brought gifts!"

"Gifts?" Blue Belle and Violet shrieked with delight while Bouquet and Sunset repeated the word with surprise.

Crystal winked. "Of course. Perhaps we don't have gardens in Canterlot, but we do bring gifts to thank our hostesses and hosts."

Bouquet raised a hoof. "You really shouldn't have. I don't very much like for my foals to receive unearned gifts."

When Crystal's ears started to droop and the fillies sighed, Sunset leaned forward. "I'm sure Belle and Vio will promise to be extra good while Crystal is here to earn their gifts. Right, girls?"

"Yes, Daddy!" Blue Belle jumped from the loveseat and ran to her mother. "Please, Mommy? I'll make sure Vi is extra, extra good!"

Violet ran over and just beamed at her mother with big, pleading eyes.

"They're really only small trinkets," Crystal added and bit her lower lip.

Bouquet glanced between them all before she sighed in defeat, but smiled nonetheless. "Well, all right." The smile straightened into a stern line. "But if there is one tantrum while Crystal is with us, I'm taking the gifts away, all right?"

The fillies responded with gleeful, rapid nods of their heads, then ran over to Crystal.

"What did you get us?" Blue Belle asked.

"Let me get them from my bag and you'll see for yourself," Crystal teased. She turned and walked down the hall, spying her bag defiantly sitting halfway into one room. Her gaze lifted to see Cocoa on the bed, back to the world. "Miss Cocoa?"

"What do you want?" Cocoa snarled.

Crystal winced. "Are you okay?"

The rolling of her eyes was almost audible as the not-quite-filly-but-not-yet-mare groaned. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Ah. Okay." Crystal flipped the bag open, and her magic retrieved one of the wrapped packages that was tied off with a brown ribbon sporting light cream polkadots. "I brought you a gift, to thank you for your hospitality."

One of Cocoa's ears twitched. Slowly, she turned her head to look at Crystal with a single, cautious eye. "What is it?" The package floated closer and after eyeing it a moment longer she rolled over and took it in her hooves. She tugged on the ribbon and the white paper unraveled to reveal the bottle of lotion. Cocoa's expression remained neutral. "Lotion?"

Crystal tried to smile, though nerves bubbled in her chest. "Mocha-scented lotion. It adds a lovely shine to your coat and smells delicious."

For a brief second, Crystal saw a smirk on Cocoa's face. "That's kind of weird. Why would I want to smell delicious?" She unscrewed the lid and took a sniff. "Oh, wow, that does smell good!" After putting the lid back on, she set it on the nightstand and offered Crystal a half smile. "Thanks, I guess."

Crystal managed to smile sincerely and nodded. "You're more than welcome." She levitated the other four packages before returning to the main area. "All right, who's first?"

Blue Belle gasped, started to walk forward, then stopped and looked at her mother. She reached out a hoof to stop Violet from bounding past her. "Mommy should go first, 'cause she said we could have gifts."

Violet stared at Belle, wide-eyed. "But—" A stern look from her sister was all it took. "Yeah, Mommy should go first!"

Sunset muttered in a mock-hurt voice, "Oh, all right, let Mommy go first, not Daddy, who fought for your right to get gifts..."

Bouquet raised her brow at him. "You shouldn't get a gift at all as punishment for going against Mommy's rule." She reached out to accept the gift that floated over toward her. After pulling back the fuchsia-with-green-polka-dots ribbon, she gasped. "Oh, no, no, no. This looks much too expensive!" She balanced the bottle of perfume on one hoof, holding it a safe distance away from her. "I can't accept this."

Crystal forced her ears to stay upright and shook her head. "It wasn't expensive at all! A friend of mine runs a little shop in Canterlot. He makes everything himself, so it's always very affordable."

Slowly, Bouquet's hoof moved the bottle closer. "Is that so? It looks so... commercial, though." One brow raised. "And you're certain it doesn't have any harmful chemicals in it?"

A short laugh escaped Crystal and she quickly shook her head again. "He has some peculiar experiments that go awry, but anything he puts on the shelves are perfectly safe."

Behind Bouquet, Crystal spotted Petal crawling up the curtains. The mantis paused halfway up and fanned herself out to resemble the flower Crystal had previously mistaken her for. Crystal blinked a few times, then returned her attention to Bouquet.

"Well, then." Bouquet finally smiled. "Thank you. I'm sorry for overreacting, but I just don't approve of strange chemicals anywhere near me or my family."

Sunset rubbed his hooves together. "Okay, my turn!"

Violet whimpered. She stuck out her bottom lip, but at the look she received from her mother and sister, she stuck it back in.

The ribbon for Sunset's gift was reddish-brown in color with yellow-orange polkadots. Sunset undid the bow and grinned at the revealed cologne. "Eau Chevaux? Well, doesn't that sound stallionly!" He chuckled. "Okay, girls, now it's your turn."

Blue Belle squealed and looked up at Crystal. "I get to go first, 'cause I'm older!"

"Aww..." Violet squirmed in place.

Crystal lowered the remaining gifts to their respective filly. "Why don't you open your gifts together?"

"Okay!" they chimed and tore through the wrapping, ignoring the ribbons entirely.

Blue Belle gasped while Violet just stared at her bottle with a muddled expression. "What is it?" the little filly asked.

"It's bubble bath!" Blue Belle exclaimed, waving hers at her parents. "And mine says it smells like bluebells! That's me!"

Violet's eyes went wide. "Bubble bath?!" She stared at the writing before her, sounding out the words under her breath. "Oh! Me, too! Me, too! Mine's violet!"

Blue Belle bounced up and down. "Can we take a bath, Mommy?!"

Bouquet blinked. "Before dinner?" At the pleading eyes she received, she sighed, set down her perfume, and started toward the hallway. "All right, all right. I did say I wanted Daddy and Crystal to have some time together." She paused as she passed by Crystal. "Your gifts were very thoughtful. Thank you." She smiled, then disappeared down the hall with the fillies.

Sunset leaned back into the couch and folded his hooves in his lap. "Well, then, I suppose I should have warned you about my wife."

"Huh?" Crystal blinked and shook her head. "Oh, no. I shouldn't have gotten ahead of myself, buying gifts for another family's foals."

Sunset shrugged. "I'm sure most parents would be fine with it. Bouqy's just a little particular about a lot of things." He winked. "All right, so let's get the business out of the way so you can have fun with my wacky little family. You had some drafts you wanted me to read over, right?"

Crystal shifted from one hoof to the other. "Well, yes, that is still true."

His brow raised. "I'm sensing a 'but' in there."

"But," Crystal confirmed, smiling sheepishly. "I think I'm ready to take this seriously. I just don't know how to do that." She sat down on the loveseat and twiddled her hooves. "I don't want to be just a housewife. I want to stand beside Silent on my own four hooves, but I can't very well do that if I keep hiding behind a pseudonym."

Sunset regarded her with open surprise, his brow raised even higher and his lips parted for a gaping expression. "Oh." He blinked a few times. "So, I suppose that ring isn't just cosmetic flair, then? Why didn't you tell me you were engaged? When did this happen?!"

Crystal gave a soft, breathless laugh. "I was distracted by your two adorable little fillies. It honestly slipped my mind!"

"That doesn't bode well for the marriage, then, does it?" Sunset laughed and slapped a hoof to his knee. "I jest, I jest! Okay, well, to your question, or rather, to your situation: of course there are things we can do. I just want to make sure you're absolutely sure." His expression sobered and he hooked his hooves together to rest his chin on them. "You can't stuff the secret back in the box. If you come out as C.W. Step to take credit for her success, you have to be willing to take the downsides to that, too."

Crystal swallowed. Her gaze darted away from his, spying Petal making her way back onto the coffee table. "I-I understand that."

Sunset shook his head. "Understanding's not enough. Maybe you should sleep on this one more night until you're sure you accept it. I'm more than happy to help you go the distance, but you're still young. You've done pretty well for yourself already. It'll take time and it'll take dedication. Book signings, more conventions, interviews. You'll also need to be more diligent about responding to fan mail you get. Happy fans are your life's blood."

Petal stopped to attack the pencil again, this time sending it rolling across the table. She followed after it until it disappeared over the edge, at which point she returned to walking in Sunset's direction. He reached down a hoof to offer a lift to the insect, which she accepted, and he set her on his shoulder.

Crystal finally stopped watching Petal to look back at Sunset. "It sounds like it will take an awful lot of dedication," she mumbled.

"Yup. That's why I think you should think on it a little longer. Now!" He clapped his hooves and rubbed them together. "Putting a pin in that, let's return to these drafts. Why don't you pitch me the ideas and I'll give you a hot-cold rating?"

"Oh." Crystal nodded. "All right."

While she talked, she couldn't help but repeat his words in her mind. More conventions meant traveling to other cities, as Canterlot only had the one. She did recall overhearing some of the authors in neighboring booths discussing the amount of time they spent on the road trying to promote their work.

How much of her time was she willing to give up in order to pursue her career?

La Vida Mocha

Though the sounds of the city could still be heard—hollering of businessponies, rattling of taxi cart wheels, and general hullabaloo of Manehattan—there was a sense of peace and tranquility in the evening air. The smell of rich soil, ripening vegetables, and fresh herbs was all around Crystal as she sat in the little community garden.

Violet and Blue Belle played off to one side in an empty plot. Their pent-up energy was put to good use as their little hooves made steady work of the soil, turning it over when they would wrestle and stomping it flat when they would run. Petal supervised from her spot, perched on top of a juicy tomato.

Orchid Bouquet paused her work to wipe the sweat from her brow and looked over at Crystal with a smile. "I'm sorry. You were asking me something before this patch of weeds called my name?"

Crystal blinked, turning her attention away from the fillies. She had almost forgotten herself from watching their vivid imagination at play. Blue Belle was, currently, a three-headed lizard and Violet was a mouse with four wings. The roles seemed irrelevant as regardless of what they claimed to be, they just ran around until one tackled the other.

"Oh." Crystal blinked again, then smiled. "Oh, yes. I was just curious how this little garden came to be."

"I know!" Blue Belle squealed and bounded over. "Mommy beat up the city!"

Crystal's eyes went wide, but Bouquet laughed and said, "That's one way to look at it, I suppose." She shifted on her haunches to balance herself while she leaned over a raised plot of dirt, one hoof propped against the wooden planter. "I don't care for grocery stores, and the farmer's markets are too few and far between to feed my family fresh food."

Blue Belle sidled up to her mother, giggling. "F! F! F! What begins with F!" she singsonged.

"Yes, sweetie, Mommy used a lot of words starting with F. Now go play with your sister before she steals the green sapphire."

"Huh?" Blue Belle looked over at Violet. "No, she's tryinna steal the Great Cheese, not the green sapphire. The green sapphire was yesterday."

Bouquet patted her daughter on the head. "Well, then, go protect the Great Cheese."

"Okay!" Blue Belle chimed, bounding back off toward their empty plot.

Bouquet watched the two of them for a moment before she smiled and shook her head. "When Cocoa was born, I made the decision that it was time to do something about it."

Crystal shifted to sit more comfortably on the makeshift seat of a paver stone and nodded.

"This land used to be a clothing store that went out of business. The moment it did, I went to one of the town hall meetings to argue that it should become a community garden." Bouquet ran her hoof along one of the leaves of a nearby flowering bush. "I was laughed at, at first. So, while it was still unoccupied, I set up a little garden right outside. It was very small, just a couple of planter boxes, but I went around to the ponies in the nearby apartments and offered to sell them a box."

Bouquet wiped her brow again and continued, "Most ponies weren't interested because they didn't have the time to garden, they said. They argued the grocery store was easier. Of course, that was short-sighted thinking on their part! But I didn't get mad. I changed my offer." She chuckled. "I'd maintain their planter for them and grow whatever they liked, and they only had to pay for the produce they wanted. That idea stuck."

A buzzing sound caught Crystal's ear and she glanced away to watch Petal flinging herself from plant to plant, chasing after a butterfly, using her wings—which Crystal didn't really realize the mantis even had—to move along faster.

"You can attest to it." Bouquet's gaze shifted to her and Crystal quickly snapped her own forward to make eye contact. "Tea made from fresh herbs has a much stronger, more vibrant flavor. Apply that to all of your food and you realize the beauty in fresh produce."

Crystal bobbed her head. "Oh, yes. Your chamomile tea was one of the finest I've ever had!"

Bouquet clapped her hooves to dust them off and smiled. "When somepony wanted to buy the store, I closed up shop. It didn't take long for the ponies to make a pretty loud case for the community garden." She gestured at their surroundings with both hooves. "I won! And now I can provide for my family, both in finances and in food."

Crystal giggled softly. "That's amazing, you've accomplished so much!" She looked around at the lush vegetation, organized into a grid of separated, raised plots. "It's something to really, truly be proud of."

"Oh, and I am." Bouquet chuckled. She stood up and walked over to where her fillies were currently, as one had exclaimed, digging to the center of the world. They had accomplished a few inches before Bouquet scooped them up. "Now, now, girls, we talked about this. No digging unless it's for planting."

"Aww..." Blue Belle squirmed in her mother's grasp. "You're no fun, Mom!"

"No fun!" Violet squeaked, mirroring the squirming.

Bouquet walked back to Crystal, both fillies held to her chest with one foreleg. "Sounds like someponies are ready for bed. Crystal, do you mind watching Petal for me while I take Belle and Vi up to their rooms?"

Crystal nodded. "Certainly!" As soon as she said the word, she looked around. "As soon as I find her."

Bouquet laughed and started toward the gate that led out of the garden. "That's half of the fun! I'll be back shortly."

Crystal furrowed her brow. "Petal?" She stood up and walked slowly down one of the rows. "Petal, I—" Something crunched under one of her hooves and she squealed in surprise, jumped back, and looked down.

A beetle. She had stepped on a beetle. She shuddered as the sound replayed in her mind and her hoof felt the sensation all over again. Perhaps gardening was, in fact, not for her.

Petal buzzed into view, leaping from somewhere behind her to land on the path. Her forelegs shot out and she grabbed the beetle, held it close, and enjoyed the snack.

Crystal scrunched up her nose. "Oh, Petal, that's absolutely gross." She sat down on the nearest planter's edge. "But at least I know where you are, so don't wander off."

The mantis's head rotated to look at Crystal with unblinking eyes, then she took another bite.

"Can you, oh, nevermind. I'll just look away." Crystal cleared her throat, shifting her gaze to the nearest plant. "Well, Petal, your owner—"

Petal's wings buzzed with indignation. Or by coincidence. Crystal was still uncertain of how much attention the mantis really paid to her.

"I suppose you're right. She did say you were a member of the family. Your mother, then?" No buzzing interrupted her, so she nodded and continued, "Yes, your mother. Your mother is a very impressive mare."

Petal finished her meal and meandered in Crystal's general direction.

"I'm not sure if I have anything close to her strength of will." She sighed and tilted her head back to look at the sky. "Sunset Coffee had a good point last night, though it may not have been his intent to make it. It won't do much good to remove the anonymity if C.W. Step isn't really worth becoming... but I don't know if I want to spend all of my time away from home. Now, I'm frankly not sure what I want to do."

Petal climbed onto the planter edge and nestled into a knot in the wood beside her. The mantis ran its forelegs across its face and pulled its antennae down, seeming to be cleaning herself.

Crystal watched her a moment, then sighed. "I would gladly trade my life for yours. You don't seem to have much stress at all."

"Actually," Bouquet's voice came from behind her, "Petal is fairly high anxiety."

Crystal's ears shot straight up and she turned her head to look at the mare with wide eyes. "Oh! I'm sorry!"

Bouquet chuckled. "It's all right. Petal is a wonderful listener, so it's no surprise that you'd find yourself talking to her." She sat down beside Crystal with Petal in between them. "Now, why don't you try talking to something that can actually talk back?"

Crystal swallowed, shaking her head. "It's quite all right. I was just occupying my time."

"Hmm." Bouquet raised one brow. "But didn't I just hear you saying you wanted to become a mantis to avoid stress?"

"Well, yes." Crystal twiddled her hooves. "That is true."

Bouquet waited patiently before she pressed, "The fillies are tucked into bed, Cocoa doesn't want my company anyway, and Sunset's busy with one of his little hobbies. You're not keeping me from anything."

Crystal flashed a playful smile at the mare. "But we only just met! That seems awful fast to suddenly unload my problems on you."

"Hon, I have three fillies," Bouquet said, putting a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "Cocoa complains about me, Blue Belle complains about Violet, and Violet complains about Blue Belle. I would love to hear complaints of substance that I can actually do something about."

Crystal eyed her, then nodded. "Well, all right." She folded her hooves in her lap and sighed. "The reason I came to visit was chiefly to talk to Sunset about my career." Her ears drooped. "Or, perhaps, lack of one."

"Lack of one?" Bouquet blinked. "You've published two novels and are working on a third, from what Sunset's told me. Not to mention your serials in his Mares Monthly."

Crystal shrugged. Her ear twitched and she looked down to spy Petal assuming her floral disguise, splaying her legs and wings to resemble an orchid bloom. "I suppose. But I'm certainly not a famous author. I think I forgot that when I thought attaching my name to C.W. Step's would get me anywhere."

Bouquet let out a heavy sigh and raised her hoof to put it instead on Crystal's head. "That's how the world works. You get out what you put in." She turned her head to survey the garden. "Do you think it was easy maintaining the planters it took to sway the ponies of this neighborhood to my side of things? Sunset practically raised Cocoa on his own because I was here, outside the store, tending to tens of planters."

Crystal winced, but kept quiet. Bouquet didn't give her much of an opening to speak, anyway.

"Those planters grew into a whole community garden. Granted, in a city this size it's not very big, and ponies on the other side of town certainly don't know my name. But I didn't do this for fame. I did it because I believed in it, because I'm passionate about it, and because it's what's important to me." Her piercing yellow gaze shifted to look at Crystal. "Are you after fame, or passion?"

Crystal tried to hold the mare's gaze but flinched away and sighed. "I—I don't know."

A gentle smile lit up Bouquet's otherwise serious expression. "Then you have your answer."

"But," Crystal said, raising her head back up and making eye contact again. "I don't want to become complacent. My friend and my fiancé work hard for what they have, and I cannot in full confidence say that I work hard. I work, but I dilly dally sometimes." She shook her head. "I'm not content with that anymore."

Bouquet hummed in thought. Her hoof slid down from Crystal's head to pause at her shoulder, gave it a squeeze, then moved to rest in her own lap. "Then work hard. You're a smart, young mare." She chuckled. "Not too much younger than Sunset and me, actually, if I remember correctly. You've got plenty of time to figure out what you really want. But in the meantime, nothing bad can come of just working hard and worrying about who C.W. Step is later."

Crystal looked back up at the sky, smiling softly. "Then I'll work hard."

"I'm sure Sunset will be happy to hear that." She rose to her hooves and offered one to Crystal. "Come on, then. Let's wind down the evening with some tea."

"Nooo!" Blue Belle clung to one of Crystal's legs. "No, Cryssi can't go home!"

"No, Cryssi!" Violet cried, her forelegs wrapped tightly around Crystal's tail.

They all stood in what would have been a foyer in a larger home, Crystal with her back to the door, the large overnight bag at her side, and Sunset's family standing in a semi-circle around her. It had only been a few days, but the fillies' crocodile tears already tugged at her heartstrings.

Orchid Bouquet surveyed the impending tantrum with mild amusement tugging at the corners of her lips. "Girls, it's not too late for me to rescind the acceptance of Cryssi's gifts."

Blue Belle gasped and flung all of her legs in different directions to let go of Crystal as quickly as possible. "Cryssi can go home!"

Violet ran over to stand beside her sister. "Bye, Cryssi!"

Cocoa glanced between her family members, a light scowl showing on her face, until she met Crystal's gaze and her expression relaxed. "Hey, um, if I want more of that lotion, can you send me some?"

Bouquet frowned and warned, "Cocoa..."

Cocoa's ears pinned back. "What? So one gift is okay but two isn't?"

"The first taste is always free." Sunset chuckled from his spot at Bouquet's side, grunting when the mare jabbed him in the ribs. "I mean, Cocoa, you can do chores to earn bits that we can send to Crystal for more beauty products."

"Fine," Cocoa grumbled, staring at the floor.

Crystal's gaze wandered across their faces and warmth spread throughout her chest. "I'll be sure to come visit again," she promised in a soft voice. "Sunset, you have a wonderful family, and I'm terribly sorry I haven't taken any of your invitations before now."

Sunset waved a hoof. "Think nothing of it at all! Just have a safe trip back to Canterlot, and write to me when you've made a decision, all right?"

"I will." She leaned down and placed a kiss on Blue Bell's forehead, followed by Violet. "You two be sweethearts for your parents, all right?"

"Okay, Cryssi." Blue Belle drew a hoof across her hoof. "Flower power promise!"

"Flower power!" Violet chimed, mimicking the motion.

Crystal turned her attention to Cocoa. "It was nice to meet you, Cocoa."

"Yeah." Cocoa shuffled her hooves. "You, too, Miss Crystal."

Sunset took a step forward. "All right, we should get you to the train station before you end up being stuck here until the next one." He glanced over his shoulder. "Girls, behave for your mother while I'm gone."

Crystal breathed in, held it, and released a sigh but smiled nonetheless. "Goodbye!"

Her magic levitated the bag and she followed Sunset out of the apartment while a chorus of the two fillies reciprocated the word and Bouquet waved. Petal sat on the waving hoof, moving her own foreleg in a similar gesture.

Once they were a few paces down the hall, Sunset cleared his throat and said, "So, Bouqy didn't spook you too much, I hope?"

Crystal blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Ah, she's, well, a strong proponent for mare power and whatnot." He eyed her cautiously. "I know you and her had a talk about what you originally came here for the other night. She came into bed and said—" He cleared his throat and mimicked, "Hello, honey, I took care of the problem that you left hanging. You're welcome." He shook his head, chuckling. "Sorry if I gave you too many second thoughts, but I can only imagine and fear what she might have said to you. She can come on a little too strong sometimes."

"Oh." Crystal laughed and shook her head. "Oh, no. Actually, she gave me some much needed perspective on everything, no offense intended, of course." She stepped inside the elevator and watched him effortlessly pull the lever down. "I don't think I'm ready to be C.W. Step yet because she's not yet somepony I would be proud to say I am."

Sunset blinked. "Er, well, I—"

"So," Crystal continued, giggling, "I think what I need to do in the meantime is figure out what I'm willing to do in order to make C.W. Step the pony I want to be. I'm not sure if I'm ready just yet to go to all sorts of conventions every year and do constant book signings. I have a wedding to plan, after all."

The elevator dinged to announce their arrival and the doors slid open to reveal the lobby. Sunset bobbed his head as they walked out and toward the doors. "Understandable. Well, interviews are fairly non-invasive. When you release Her Silent Love, I'll see who I can book to do a few of those. I'll also see if there are any other avenues in Mares Monthly we can take advantage of." He put a hoof on her shoulder. "As long as that's what you want to do."

Crystal puffed out her chest and gave a firm nod. "That seems like as good a start as any to me. And fairly noninvasive."

"Great!" He held the door open for her. "Be sure to take a look at the notes I left on the drafts. I think you've got a real winner with that Autumn Leaves one about the ponies growing old together." He let out a wistful sigh. "It even got Bouqy feeling whimsical when I read some of it to her!"

Crystal's face grew hot and she jerked her head to the side. "O-oh, well, that one is admittedly a little different from my normal work, but—"

"Different is good! Sometimes. Not all the time. Okay, often times, publishers are very wary of different." He winked. "But you have good enough of a track record, so I'm sure I can pitch it to Kahuna no problem."

A smile crept onto Crystal's lips. She stopped in her tracks, and when Sunset paused as well to turn toward her, she wrapped a foreleg around his neck in a hug. "Thank you, Sunset. I really do appreciate everything you've done for me."

Sunset chuckled and returned the embrace with both of his forelegs, giving her a tight squeeze. "Hey! You picked me to be your agent, and I believe in only the best for my clients! Now, there's time to be sentimental later. I actually do think we're going to be late for the train at this rate."

Crystal giggled when he started to trot and she hurried after him. "All right, all right. If you're that desperate to be rid of me then let's not dawdle."

"Hey, don't put words in my mouth! That's my wife's job." He grinned at her and they shared a laugh.

She would definitely have to stay with his family the next time she came to Manehattan for a meeting. In the near future, however, she just wanted to get home and climb into her own bed.

Brought to Light

Velvet sighed from across the small dining table. It wasn't wistful, sad, disappointed, or a daydreaming kind of sigh; it sounded much more like a release of irritation trying to be disguised as something else. Crystal had brushed it off the first two times, but three was her limit.

"Is everything all right?" Crystal asked, setting down her notebook.

Velvet looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes. "Of course. Why do you ask?"

Crystal gestured at her with a small, circular wave of one hoof. "You're giving off a pretty bad aura."

"Aura?" Velvet rolled her eyes. "Since when did you believe in auras?"

"Since you started having one." Crystal folded her hooves on the table and leaned in. "So, what's the matter?"

Velvet's ears flicked and her gaze darted away. The muscles of her face tightened as she made a clear attempt to keep a straight face. "Nothing, nothing at all. I love sitting here and running through pretend questions with you for some interview where you have no idea what they'll ask. This is totally not a waste of time."

Crystal blinked a few times. "You didn't seem to mind the last time we practiced for an interview."

"Who says I mind?" Velvet raised her hooves in exaggerated defense. "I certainly didn't say I mind!"

"Velvet!" Crystal snapped. "Would you cut it out and just talk to me already? What is this about? Is it about me going to the faire in Ponyville when Silent Knight gets home? I can cancel."

Velvet pushed herself up from the chair and stormed over to the kitchen, where she busied herself by cleaning a teacup from that morning's tea. "Oh my gosh, Crystal, not everything in my life revolves around you and your coltfriend."

The hairs on the back of Crystal's neck and around her shoulders started to bristle. "You know I despise how juvenile that term is, but, all right. So if this isn't about Silent Knight and me, then—"

"It has nothing to do with you at all!" Velvet jerked her head to the side to glare at Crystal. The tears now visible in her eyes that she knew Crystal saw settled the tension into an awkward pause before Velvet turned back away. "I've got my own life, you know? Independent of you."

"Okay." Crystal stood and walked over with gingerly placed hoofsteps, as if approaching a wild animal. "So what's going on in that life of yours?"

Velvet's shoulders trembled just slightly and she dropped the teacup into the sink to bury her face in her hooves. "I can't do it anymore. I—I'm going to quit ballet."

"What?!" Crystal shrieked, then cleared her throat and repeated, "What? Why? But Velvet—"

"There's no working with Perennial," Velvet muttered. "The bridge is too burned at this point and I'm miserable every day I'm around her. Which is every day. I love working at my parents' bakery, so, I'm just going to do that full time."

Crystal put a hoof on Velvet's shoulder. "I knew you two didn't get along, but, to quit? Velvet, you've loved ballet your whole life!"

Velvet shrugged the hoof away as she turned to face Crystal, her back resting against the counter to prop herself up while she wrapped her forelegs around her chest. "So? So what? Horsey is happy as can be and she doesn't follow her cutie mark as far as I can tell. Not all of us can be like you and just have everything work out."

At first, Crystal bristled again. Then she sputtered, rolled her eyes, and, finally, huffed. "I quite literally just went to Manehattan on this very topic of how things don't just work out for me!"

"Oh, boo hoo, you're not famous." Velvet glared at her. "Really? You're going to compare not being famous to being miserable and hating the pony I work with? You've got Sunset Coffee as your lovable agent who does like, everything he can. He bends over backward for you. Perennial wouldn't even lift a hoof to help me if I asked for it." She shook her head. "Whatever. It doesn't matter. I'm going to quit and that's final."

Though her heart was racing with irritated adrenaline, Crystal took a deep breath and held it as long as it took for her mind to latch onto something logical rather than emotional. "There's another ballet company in Canterlot."

"D'uh? And it's like, the most prestigious in Equestria."

Crystal's lips curled into a smile when the program from the Pomane opera-ballet flashed through her mind's eye. "And their audition exams are at the end of next month!"

"Audition exams for the most prestigious in Equestria," Velvet repeated with venomous emphasis.

Crystal jabbed a hoof against Velvet's chest. Her smile widened into a beam. "You should try out!"

Velvet glared down at the hoof. "What part of most prestigious do you not get?"

"What part of you can't succeed if you don't try do you not get?" Crystal's beaming smile grew even brighter. "Oh, Velvet, this is perfect timing! A month should surely be enough time to get yourself in peak condition!"

Velvet stared for a while in tense silence before, finally, her muscles visibly relaxed. "You really think I have a shot?"

Crystal huffed in playful offense. "Darling, would I lie to you?"

"I don't know." Velvet started to smile. "Would you?"

Crystal put a hoof on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. "Not unless I had to, and in this case, I truly think you should try. It's not often that I get the chance to push you to better yourself, so let me have this one, all right?"

A small bark of laughter escaped Velvet and she shook her head. "Okay, all right, fine. I'll try out for the Royal Ballet of Equestria. But don't get your hopes up, okay?"

"Okay." Crystal grabbed the other shoulder and pulled Velvet in for a tight hug. "And in the future, talk to me before you get this worked up, please? I really wanted to just slap you for a moment there and that wouldn't have done any good."

Velvet laughed again. "I'll try."

"Great!" Crystal pulled back, grinning. "Now, about my interview... ?"

"Yeah, okay, sure." Velvet walked over to sit back down at the table. "So, Miss C.W., what was your inspiration for Her Silent Love?"

There was some comfort in knowing that whenever she visited the Phial and Filly, she never knew what to expect. It was chaos she could rely on, and when she dropped by that particular evening, there was the scent of sulphur in the air. While the other guests seemed blissfully unaware, Crystal's shenanigans senses tingled.

Tentatively glancing around, Crystal approached the counter to find Rossby standing behind it. "What is Runic—"

"How could you think I'd like that story?!" Rossby shouted, then winced and glanced around.

Crystal blinked. "I'm sorry. What?"

"The Great Gaitsby," Rossby muttered, glaring at her. "That was a terrible story. They all died!"

Crystal blinked again. She was uncertain of what other reaction to have, really. "Oh. I'm sorry?"

Rossby crossed his forelegs over his chest. "You should be. I thought since you recognized the story it was going to be happy. It wasn't happy at all. What's wrong with you?"

"With me?" She huffed and sputtered, "Well, I, after all, I don't believe I said it would be happy at all! You made that assumption on your own!"

He sat quietly for a moment, then said, "I'm not going to read that other book you recommended."

"All right." She eyed him with her brow furrowed and lips pursed. "Would you like me to recommend one with a happy ending, then?"

Another long pause, then a silent nod.

Crystal clicked her tongue while she mulled over the options that immediately flooded her mind. Perhaps—"The Last Seapony by S. B. Stone?"

"Does it end happily?" he asked, more like a snarl than anything else.

She raised one hoof into the air and the other on her chest. "Filly scout's honor."

"What?" His eyes narrowed. "Were you even a filly scout?"

"No, but I can still swear on their honor." She offered a playful smile.

"I don't think it works like that, but—" He hesitated, then nodded. "Okay. I'll pick up a copy. But if this one is anything like the other, I'm never trusting you again."

Crystal's smile softened and she looked over toward the back room, her smile falling at the sight of black tendrils of smoke reaching out from under the door. "All right, that's fair. Now, back to the original matter at hoof. What is Runic doing today?"

Rossby shrugged. "Who knows? I don't get paid enough to keep tabs on him."

"I see." She took a few steps toward the door and paused. "You know what, nevermind." Her hooves retracted their steps while she shook her head. "I was lucky the last time with the corn. I'm not sure if I want to push my luck. Do you think you could be nice and tell him I dropped by?"

"I don't—"

Her magic flared and lifted a few bits out of her saddlebags that she dropped on the counter. "Please?"

Rossby eyed the bits, then scooped them up and nodded. "I'll be sure to tell him you were here. Bye-bye now."

Crystal opened her mouth to respond but instead closed it, smiled, and waved. Sometimes, it was easier to just let the pegasus be fire and ice than try to argue with him. She had other things to occupy her evening, anyway; the summer faire in Ponyville was just one day away and she needed to go shopping for the picnic.

As she trotted down the cobblestone streets toward the grocery store nearest to the condo, she sighed softly. It would be nice to spend some calm, quiet time with him after he had been gone for three weeks. Ponyville was known for its intermittent episodes of unfortunate events, however, so she couldn't help but feel some amount of trepidation having a pseudo-date there.

On the other hoof, Princess Luna and a whole slew of house guards would be present, so at least she would be safe during whatever chaos Ponyville decided to host that day.

"Good evening," the grocer greeted when she walked in through the door.

Crystal bobbed her head and smiled. "Good evening, Mr. Del."

Delectable Viands returned the smile twofold. "What are you after today? I've got a great sale on pecans right now!"

"Pecans?" She paused to tap her chin in thought. "I could make a nice harvest cobb salad... It's a little early, but that does sound delicious right now."

Del clapped his hooves. "Great! I'll throw in a half pound for free if you buy a pound, too."

Crystal's brow raised as she walked toward the old stallion. "That's quite a sale. What's wrong?"

"Who said anything is wrong?" He offered her a wry grin. "Just trying to take care of a surplus of pecans." When she just stared at him with skepticism clear on her face, Del sighed and waved a hoof at her. "Oh, cut it out, cut it out already. There was a mix-up with my order and instead of cherries, I got pecans. Lots of pecans. I gotta move them off my shelves, all right?"

Crystal gave a light toss of her mane. "Well, I would be willing to purchase two pounds with an extra pound tossed in if you'll also consider lowering the price on your pumpkin."

"Lowering the price of my pumpkin? When autumn is right around the corner?" He scoffed. "Those are about to be my meal tickets in a few months! Besides, you know I have a strict policy against haggling."

"Three pounds of pecans would ease your abundance issue, I presume?" Crystal firmly held his gaze. "Don't think of it as haggling. Think of it as a solution to your problem."

He stood his ground, unblinking as they stared at one another before he sighed. "Three pounds of pecans and a slight reduction of price on a pumpkin. But just one."

Crystal clapped a hoof against the ground. "Great!" The hoof lifted to gesture at one of the larger pumpkins sitting on a nearby shelf. "I'll have that one, please."

Del sighed and shook his head, but chuckled softly under his breath. "Don't get any ideas in your head that I'm going to start haggling with you from now on. This is a special occasion."

"Oh, of course, sir." She turned her head to look at the other produce, levitating over the ingredients for the cobb salad. "I'll take these, as well, please."

Crystal lounged on the couch with one foreleg and her head draping off the side while she stared across the empty living room. Velvet was busier than normal lately and though she didn't want to complain, Crystal felt a little lonely. They usually at least had evenings together, but with her training for the Royal Ballet of Equestria, that time had disappeared.

The cobb salad was prepared, packed away with the other little snacks in a small picnic basket that rested in the fridge for the next day's faire. She was in no mood to write but—groaning, she righted herself—one of her personal goals was to push through the blocks. After all, did Orchid Bouquet give up just because she wasn't in the mood?

Well, to be honest, she had no idea what the answer actually was, but Bouquet didn't seem like the kind of mare who ever slowed down for anything or anypony. So, Crystal was content to believe the answer was that Orchid Bouquet would overcome whatever slump in which she found herself.

Magic brought over the notebook that contained stray scenes and ideas regarding Autumn Leaves and set it on the coffee table in front of her. "Let's see," she murmured, "what can I work on? What do you want to do, my muse?"

After a few false starts, her quill finally started to move across the page. A picnic. Charlie would prepare a quaint little picnic for Bellerose to surprise her for their first anniversary. Of course, Charlie was certainly no cook, so there would be a great deal of emphasis on quaint. Crystal giggled to herself, then jumped at the sound of a stallion yelling outside the condo.

"For what?!"

The yell was immediately followed by the sound of an impact and something solid shattering. Crystal's heart raced. The voice sounded like Silent Knight's, which overrode her sense of self-preservation with worry and concern. She hurried off the couch and over to the door to see the familiar form of Silent out in the hall, facing away from her. His hoof was lodged into a decorative column, plaster scattered in the floor in front of him.

Her heart pounded faster while she gasped. "Silent Knight? Is everything all right?"

His head turned to reveal a dark expression on his face. There was something foreign about the look in his eyes, something she didn't recognize. However, just as it started to scare her, it dissipated, replaced by a look of regret.

"I—" The sound of more bits of plaster falling interrupted him and his ears flicked back. He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I got angry and, well, it's stupid. I'm sorry. I'll pay for the damage."

What could make him so angry that, for a moment, it took away the stallion she recognized? A hoof reached out and she mentally scolded herself when she felt it trembling. He noticed—she was sure of it. "Okay." Even her voice shook. "It's all right, Silent. Why don't you come inside so we can talk about what's wrong?"

His pupils constricted for a brief moment and he gave her the look of a cornered animal. When he took her hoof, however, his head dropped and his bangs moved into his face to obscure his expression. "Sure."

Crystal swallowed, though her throat was dry, and led him inside. "Do you want some tea?"

"Sure," he repeated.

Good enough. She needed to calm down before she could properly take care of him. "I'll put the kettle on, then," she said as her unstable hooves took her to the kitchen. Focus on the tea, then focus on the stallion. Of course, there was an awkward silence as she waited for the water to boil. "Welcome home, by the way," she offered.

Silent glanced up from his spot on one of the pillows. "Oh, yeah. Thanks."

"How is Luna?" She turned to look at him. His expression had returned to normal, but somehow that only worried her even further. No pony could go from that angry to normal again so quickly. Was he suppressing his feelings?

His wings twitched slightly and he bobbed his head in a light nod. "I don't think she was ready to come home, but it was necessary." There was a brief pause and before she could ask another question, he asked instead, "Did you know that Willowy was seeing somepony?"

"Willowy?" She blinked. "Willowy Tempest? Seeing somepony? No, I had no idea. Is she really?" Her lips curled into a light frown and she shook her head. "Oh, nevermind that." With a bit of hesitation, she walked toward him and stopped just a pace away. "Silent, what's wrong? What's going on?"

"Nothing." His gaze darted away from hers and he sighed. "I'm sorry, it's not nothing, that's a lie. But I can't talk about it. Not with you."

With a derisive snort, she retorted, "It's confidential, is it? That's what you're going with?"

"To be fair, most of what I do is that way." He shrugged. "Security reasons and all."

"Of course, because I'm certain my name is high on the list of security concerns." She dropped down onto the other pillow after a dramatic roll of her eyes. "Silent Knight, your burdens are my burdens." Her expression softened as she reached out to put her hoof on his. "I could accept feeling the weight of your stress if you told me why you and I are feeling this way."

He stared at her for a long while. Too long. She could see the gears spinning in his head as his brow remained a perfectly straight line. The agitated butterflies started to stir in her stomach. Had she said the wrong thing?

Finally, he shifted his hoof to squeeze hers. "No, my burdens are my burdens. But I appreciate the sentiment."

"It's not a sentiment," she corrected in a soft voice. "It's the truth. I'm here for you, Silent, so talk to me."

Another pause, though shorter than the first, followed by a smile she knew all too well was feigned. "Your water is boiling."

"What?" Her ear flicked, the sound of the hissing kettle catching her previously focused attention. "Oh, all right. I'll accept your diversion just long enough for me to finish the tea." She sighed as she rose to her hooves and turned away.

"I wouldn't mind some dinner, too," he said in a voice that was half teasing and half serious.

Crystal stopped to look over her shoulder and stare at him, her nose scrunched up. "Fine." With a flick of her tail, she walked into the kitchen. "Your diversion is a success tonight. Now, tell me about Willowy's special somepony, if you don't mind. This is news to me."

"There's not much to tell." There was a slight rustling of papers and she looked over to see him picking up her notebook. "What are you working on?"

"Oh, you know. Anything and everything to pay the bills." She laughed softly while her magic poured the tea and set a skillet on the stove, then added a little olive oil. "A little zucchini stir fry sound good?"

He set the notebook down after glancing over a few pages and looked at her with a smile. "Always does."

Though she returned the smile, her heart sunk even further at the unsettling feeling of forced normalcy. Was this yet another thing she would learn to swallow with pride? His mother needed to write a guidebook on the life of the wife of a soldier. Angry stallions refusing to give reasons why they were angry was not something for which she had prepared herself.

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: On Edge
Companion Mask Chapter: Why the Long Face

Hiding in the Dark

The train's whistle stirred Crystal from a light nap and she yawned, stretching her forelegs out to the sides. Out the window she could see Ponyville and some of its festive charm for the summer faire: balloons bobbled in the air, bright stands stood boastfully, and ponies paraded about to partake in playing games.

Crystal scrunched up her nose at the alliterations drifting through her head. She had been writing too much of Charlie and Bellerose; the old stallion liked to tease his mare with alliterative nicknames. My precious princess, he'd said in last night's draft. When the train came to a halt, she waved a hoof to chase away the thoughts and retrieved her picnic basket.

The day ahead was about having fun, and she was dreading it. Would things be awkward between her and Silent after what happened? Or perhaps he would be ready to talk about what was bothering him? She walked down the aisle toward the nearest exit, shaking her head. She'd just have to try and act natural and hope for the best—which was, in her mind, him telling her what was wrong so she could understand why he had been so angry.

Her eyes adjusted to the midday sun and she spotted a familiar blue mare standing in the sparse crowd on the platform, looking around with excitement on her face.

"Horsey!" Crystal smiled, trotting over to the mare. "It's been too long!"

Horsey giggled and shook her head. "No, I think it hasn't been long enough."

Crystal stopped short, blinking. "What?" She tilted her head when Horsey grinned at her. "Wow, what has Savoir done to you?"

"Huh?" Horsey's ears shot up and a red hue overtook her blue face. "What, err, what do you mean?"

"The sweet Horsey I knew would never make a mean joke! I can only assume that this is Savoir's doing." Crystal raised her brow in playful suspicion.

Horsey quickly shook her head while her ears relaxed back down. "Oh, no, no, I just, well, I suppose that's just me. It sounded funnier in my head, I'm sorry."

Crystal laughed and threw a foreleg around the mare's neck. "I'm just teasing! A little sharp edges never hurt anypony."

"I think that's exactly what sharp edges do, actually," Horsey said with a giggle, returning the hug. "I really am happy to see you, though. You look great!"

As Crystal pulled back and glanced the mare over, she said, "You, too!"

Crystal hoped she sounded sincere—Horsey was adorable as ever, of course. She had always been a little heavier than the average mare, but since they had last seen each other, there was a noticeable addition of weight to her figure. The last thing on Crystal's list, however, was to be the very type of pony that had chased Horsey out of Canterlot, so she instead focused on the sweet little smile in front of her.

"Crystal, you're an awful liar." Horsey waved a hoof, her gaze darting away. "I've seen myself in a mirror lately. I know how I look. It's just that, well, lately, we've been busy, and I haven't been able to exercise as much, and Sav spoils me with sweet breakfasts..." She trailed off, shaking her head.

Crystal put her hooves to Horsey's cheeks and squeezed them. "Silly filly, you're as cute as the day I met you! Well, no, perhaps more like the day you decided to be our friend." She offered a sheepish grin as she lowered her hooves back to the ground. "I was awful mean and critical of you before then."

Horsey blinked a few times, giggled, and started toward the steps off the platform. "That's okay. I was awful mean before then, too." Her gaze flickered to the picnic basket resting on Crystal's back. "What did you make for you and Silent?"

"Oh, I got a great deal on some pecans so I made a harvest cobb salad, candied pecans, and butter pecan cookies. Also, I brought you some pecans." Crystal's magic opened the basket and she looked over her shoulder to spy the wrapped package, which she levitated out and over to Horsey. "As a thank you for letting me store the basket at your place, and because I still have a lot left over."

Horsey's own magic encircled the package to take it and she smiled. "It's no problem! I wanted to make sure I got to see you, and I needed to go by the restaurant anyway to pick up some things."

Crystal tilted her head. "Oh?"

"Yeah!" Horsey wiggled her ears as a light bounce added to her step. "After the honeymoon, we didn't know what to do with the carriage you had made for us."

One of Crystal's brows slowly raised. "Oh?" she repeated.

"So we reached out to Axel—you know, the one who you had make it?—and asked his thoughts. He had a fantastic idea!" She pushed the doors to the restaurant open and held one for Crystal. "Now we have a fancy food cart! We were going to premiere it at the faire, but Sav decided against it."

Crystal glanced around the restaurant. It was somewhat eerie when closed; all the chairs were stacked on the tables and the dining and serving wares were locked away, making the whole place look abandoned. Her ear swiveled toward Horsey before her head followed to blink at her. "Why did he do that?"

Horsey waved a hoof while she unlocked the door that led to the second floor. "Since it's mostly locals, they're all going to want to try faire food, you know? Not the same ol', same ol'. And he said he just wanted to enjoy the festivities, so everypony got the day off. A lot of the shops and such are closed, too."

Crystal smiled, following her upstairs. "That's why I really like your little town. It's so... oh, what's the word? I don't know. Warm and inviting. Everypony is so friendly and focused on what truly matters in life, I think."

"It's home," Horsey said while she took the basket and put it away in the fridge. "It just feels like home."

"Yes, that exactly." Crystal looked around the space they were in that served as kitchen, living area, and dining room.

Horsey and Savoir lived in a humble home that had grown even more cozy over the past two years. The walls were lined with pictures from their life together, including their wedding and a honeymoon in Prance. In every single one, Horsey had the most beautiful smile on her face; she had truly found her happily ever after.

Horsey cleared her throat. "So, I guess I'll get back to enjoying the faire with Sav, and you'll go find Silent Knight to do the same?"

"Huh?" Crystal's attention returned to the mare. "Oh, yes. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare. It's just nice how your home has developed." As they headed back downstairs, she teased, "And your life, really. I think of the three of us you are the most successful!"

Horsey glanced over her shoulder with a small frown on her face. "Crabapples! You and Velvet are doing just fine. I'm a nopony at all, but you two have the real chances to be someponies."

Crystal sighed, then took in a deep breath of fresh air once they were outside. "I suppose that depends on whether or not being a somepony is a mark of success." She looked at Horsey, smiled, and pulled her into a hug. "I'll see you after the faire to pick up the basket. If I don't see him, give Savoir my regards, would you?"

"Of course! And the same to Silent Knight!" Horsey squeezed her, then started making her way into the crowd.

Crystal stood there a moment to collect her thoughts. Horsey had never stopped being happy once she and Savoir found each other. So why was she full of nerves and dread over seeing her own special somepony?

She swallowed the lump in her throat and urged her hooves into action. It wouldn't be hard to find him. He spent the morning on duty and would just then be switching with Iridescence, which meant he would still likely be near Princess Luna, one of the easiest ponies to spot in a crowd.

Once she located the princess participating in one of the various games, Crystal looked around and spotted Silent Knight waiting off to the side by a funnel cake stand. Her heart raced at the sight of him. His usual grumpy face—which he insisted was the typical neutral expression a guard wore—was firmly in place. Was he still brooding over whatever had happened the day before?

Well, there was nothing she could do right then except find out, so she took a deep breath and started toward him. "Hi, Silent," she said with her nerves seeping into her voice when she was a few paces away.

Silent looked over at her and smiled. "Hi, Crystal. Ready for some fun at the faire?"

Crystal's ears shot straight up, her hooves freezing in place. So that was how he wanted to play it, then? Act as if nothing had happened? She eyed him warily, then smiled and stepped forward to close the remaining gap between them. "Yes, please." Her gaze roamed their festive and active surroundings. "They always go all out with this faire. What should we do first?"

Silent shrugged. "Up to you. I don't have any plans. Though I think I saw an artist's booth while I was on duty, so we could have a portrait made. That would be something different that we could keep."

Crystal smiled, more genuinely than before, and nodded. "All right. That sounds like fun; let's head over and see how busy it is."

Act normal. When he's ready to talk, he'll talk. Those were the two mantras repeating in the back of her mind while she tried to focus on just keeping a smile on her face.

"I know they're not what you had in mind," Crystal said, levitating the two canvases between them while they ambled through the town, "but they're rather cute, I think."

Silent glanced at the caricature of himself and returned the picture's serious expression with one of his own. "Maybe we should consider getting actual portraits done. Something less silly and not so exaggerated."

Crystal giggled. "All right, I'll see if Painted would be interested in doing that for us." Her ears perked when she spied a bright pink tent that boasted 'Love Advisor' on its sign. "Oh! I wonder if that's who I think it is?"

"Huh?" Silent followed her gaze and stopped in place. "A love advisor?"

Crystal waved a hoof. "No, no, no, I'm not suggesting anything of the sort. Don't make that face." She leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek. "I just want to see if it's a friend of mine. You don't mind, do you?"

Silent just shrugged in response, but he did follow her over to the tent. He held back the flap for her and took the canvases out of her magic to put them on his back while she gasped.

"Lovey!"

The pink pegasus in question looked up from the table and smiled. "That's me! Hello!"

Crystal beamed at her. "It's me, Crystal!"

"Ooh!" Lovey clapped her hooves. "Yes, hello! Hi! How are you?" Her gaze darted around, moving down, flickering away, and landing on Silent, at which point her wings started to flutter. "Ooh, congratulations! You figured out my riddle!"

Crystal's smile fell into a curious frown. "What?" She looked at Silent, then back at Lovey. "What riddle?"

"Oh. You figured it out on your own?" Lovey's wings ceased their ecstatic movement. "I guess it was a rather difficult riddle, wasn't it?" Her wings flapped again. "But yay! You figured out your love line anyway!"

Silent cleared his throat and shot Crystal a confused look, prompting her to ask, "Figured out... what?"

Lovey gestured at them with both hooves. "That it was Silent Knight! You know! S-s-s'all 'k-k-kay?"

"S'all kay," Crystal repeated under her breath, then slapped a hoof to her face. "Oh my gosh, Lovey. S K? Really?"

"You got it!" Lovey squealed.

Crystal groaned softly. "I don't believe I'd have ever figured that out, honestly."

"Like I said, it was a difficult riddle!" Lovey bubbled with a flurry of giggles and flapping of her wings. Then, rather suddenly, her expression snapped into a serious one and she steepled her hooves. "Now, what can I help you with?"

With a smile, Crystal shook her head. "Nothing, we're fine." She put a hoof on Silent's. "I just wanted to drop in to say hello."

Lovey tilted her head. "Are you sure?"

"Am I—Yes, I'm sure of the reason why I came here. It was my reason to begin with, after all." Crystal blinked a few times. "Wait, why?"

Lovey eyed her and smiled. "Just making sure that you're sure! If you're sure, then, hello!"

There they were again: the butterflies that agitated her stomach with their sudden fluttering. She squeezed Silent's hoof and took a step back. "I'll let you get back to business, then. Have a good day, Lovey!"

"Okay!" Lovey waved both hooves. "You two have fun and remember to smile!"

Crystal nodded, walking with Silent out of the tent. Smile? All she had done all day was smile! With a quick glance up at Silent, she wondered if perhaps she wasn't the one to whom Lovey was referring.

"I think I've met her before," Silent mumbled, his brow furrowed.

"Oh?" Crystal smiled. "She comes to Canterlot from time to time."

"Is that so?" He looked down at her. "How long have you two known each other?"

Crystal pursed her lips and lifted her gaze to the sky in thought. "That's a good question, actually. I met her last year. We're much more acquaintances than friends, I suppose, but her personality is so overwhelming that it's hard not to feel like you're the best of friends." She laughed, shaking her head. "Nevermind that. What now?"

Silent turned his head to survey their surroundings. "Try our hooves at a few games?"

"Only if you think you can win me one of those cute plush parasprites before the day is through," she teased with a wink.

Silent raised his brow, grabbed her hoof, and guided her over to the nearest game booth. "Challenge accepted, my dear."

While the vendors dismantled their booths, the main square came alive for the town dance that would close out the faire. Crystal and Silent had found a nice spot out of the way to spread out a blanket and enjoy the picnic after retrieving it from Horsey's fridge.

Silence joined them for dinner, decided to stay for dessert, and lingered afterwards to watch the town dance with them. Crystal glanced periodically at Silent to see where his attention was at, but he never seemed to be looking at anything in particular. All she knew was he wasn't looking at her, and she couldn't help but assume why.

She couldn't take it anymore. Something had to be said. One of her hooves reached out to rest on his. "I've something to say, but it's going to sound terribly snobby and I hope you won't judge me for saying it."

He blinked at her. "Okay? I don't normally judge you, so go ahead."

A giggle escaped her. "I really enjoyed today, but this faire was certainly no Glimmer World."

Silent's face lit up with a soft smile and he leaned over to rest his shoulder against hers. "I don't think anypony would disagree with that. It's hard to compare with the most magical place in Equestria."

"Yeah." She shifted to rest her head against the crook of his neck. "Still, they worked hard to put this together and it was great. I had fun."

"Me, too." He nodded. "Princess Luna had a good time, as well. That was important. She's getting better at enjoying herself."

"Yeah," Crystal repeated. She peered up at him from her spot nestled against him, then raised her head to nose his cheek. "Well, while I have your attention, could we talk about last night?"

The muscles of his neck and shoulders tensed briefly. "What about it?" he replied, not looking at her.

Crystal's ears folded back, but she pressed forward. "You were really upset, Silent." When he didn't speak, she continued, "You put a hoof through a column, and then you barely strung together sentences more than a few words for the whole evening." She squeezed his hoof. "Silent, what's wrong?"

Finally, his head turned to shift his gaze to her and their eyes met. "Crystal, I—" No further sound came from his mouth, though it remained open.

They stared at one another, silence their ever-faithful companion, until she asked, "Yes?"

His mouth snapped shut. She could see the gears turning as he puzzled through whatever was going on in his head. He shook his head and explained, "There are just some parts of my job that are... ugly, I guess. I can't share them with you, I'm sorry. Some things will always just be..."

The nerves and uncertainty were briefly washed away with a feeling of annoyance. "Classified?"

He nodded. "Yes, classified."

She sighed and looked out at the crowd of happy ponies dancing without a care while she felt a heavy weight in the pit of her stomach. "I suppose I can accept that. I just..." She sighed again, resting her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes. "I'm happy, Silent. I'm happy with what we have, with our life together. I really am. Lately, though, you've been a bit distant, and yes, I know that's because of your job keeping your focus elsewhere. But the other night you were angry." Her head gave a small shake. "Not just angry, but furious. That was new, at least to me."

He shifted to wrap a wing around her and pulled her closer. "I'm sorry. I really am. You shouldn't have seen me like that." He kissed the top of her head. "It won't happen again."

"Really?" She pulled back to look at him with one brow arched. "What is 'it', being angry? You mean to say that you'll never be angry again? That seems unlikely. Everypony gets angry." She frowned. "Or do you mean I just won't see it happen next time?"

"I mean—" He hesitated, then shook his head. "Actually, I don't know what I mean, but what I'm trying to say is I'll try not to bring my work home with me. That's not fair to you since it's not about you."

Fair? Fair was taking the bad with the good; fair didn't mean getting to pick and choose. She inclined her head, kissing his cheek. "Well, don't forget, I'm marrying all of you, not just the part I see after you get off work."

"Yeah. I know." His voice, however, suggested otherwise. There was a hint of doubt and uncertainty in his tone.

Silence butted in once more while she stared at him. Before she could decide if the issue was worth pressing when it was clear he didn't want to talk, he said, "Shining Armor offered me a job."

Crystal blinked. "What?" She blinked again. "Really?"

His expression relaxed and he nodded. "Yes. It is a really great offer. It's not like being the commander of a house guard, of course, but it is an advancement and I'd get to be working with him again. The obvious problem is that we'd have to move to the Crystal Empire."

That didn't seem like much of a problem to her, but she kept that opinion to herself. "Well, then, the obvious question is, do you want the job?"

He pursed his lips and furrowed his brow. "Yes, I want the job, but I don't want the side effects. I don't want to leave Princess Luna, and I don't want to uproot you from your home."

"Oh, trust me, I wouldn't mind." Velvet would, but judging by his expression, it wasn't a real enough possibility to stress the mare over. She chuckled softly under her breath and nuzzled closer to him. "I can write from anywhere, of course, and it would only be a train ride away. The Luna thing, though, that is a tough decision. You've been with her for so long." She tilted her head. "It sounds like you need to think it over some more. Just know that whatever you decide, I support you. Staying here, moving to the Crystal Empire, both sound great. Does that help any?"

He gave her hoof a squeeze. "Of course it does. Now, why don't we join the nice Ponyville ponies and dance? I think I'm done thinking about work for a while and would rather just have fun tonight. How does that sound?"

Crystal giggled and slipped out from under his wing to stand. "Well, I certainly would never turn down a chance to dance with you, but—" She turned to face him, concern returning to her expression and voice. "—if you do need to talk, about work or otherwise, you can always talk to me, all right?"

"All right," he replied as he stood and followed her to the crowd. She wasn't convinced he believed her, but that would be a concern left for her future self to figure out.

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: The Summer Faire

Little Fury

The door to Velvet's bedroom opened and just as the mare stepped out, Crystal conversationally pounced on her. "Velvet, how would you describe Her Silent Love?"

Velvet blinked a few times, then squinted. "Good morning to you, too."

Crystal held up a letter and gave it a small shake. "Sunset has booked an interview for me to promote the upcoming release. Also, I just found out that Her Silent Love is scheduled to be released soon."

"Okay. Cool, congratulations, woohoo." Velvet yawned wide. "I dunno. How did you describe it forever ago? A story about a mare in love with a stallion in love with another mare?"

Crystal huffed. "That's not going to look very nice in a magazine. Be serious!"

Velvet flicked her tail and walked over to flop on a sitting pillow. "Crystal, I literally just woke up. I just came out here to get some water before a shower."

With a high-pitched screek, Crystal's magic slid her teacup across the coffee table. "There. Drink. Then help me out here!"

Velvet shot her a light glare, but accepted the offered tea nonetheless. After an exaggeratedly long sip, she finally grumbled, "You wrote the stupid thing. Why can't you describe it?"

"Because it took me eighty thousand words to tell the story. How can I condense that into mere sentences?" Crystal sighed and shifted on the couch to stretch out on her side. "That's why I need your help, because you're not so close that you can't see the forest for the trees!"

After a drawn-out sigh, Velvet put a hoof to her forehead and massaged a circle there. "It's the story of unrequited but devoted love, for every mare who's had to silently endure loving somepony who is blind to their feelings." She lifted her head to squint at her. "For every mare who was too dumb to just jump the stallion and tell them, 'Hey, I like your package.'"

Crystal gawked a moment before lifting her nose in the air and jerking her head to the side. "Oh, just go take your shower."

"Great, thanks!" Velvet sprung to her hooves and pranced into the bathroom.

Crystal glared after her. "You could have spent just a little of that enthusiasm on me!"

Velvet's head popped through the doorway so she could stick her tongue out at Crystal before disappearing again. "Showers are much more exciting than trying to help a crazy mare describe a book I had no hoof in."

With a derisive snort, Crystal tossed her mane and dropped the letter onto the coffee table so that she could sprawl on the couch like a limp rag doll. She listened to the shower turning on and allowed herself a loud sigh that would go unnoticed through a closed door and running water.

"What am I going to say?" she muttered to herself. Before she could begin wallowing, her ear flicked at the sound of a quiet knock on the door. "Velvet?" she called. "Are you expecting somepony?"

The sound of running water grew quieter as, presumably, Velvet shifted under the stream to lean around the curtain. "Huh? Sorry, did you say something?"

"Are you expecting somepony?" Crystal repeated louder.

"What?"

"Oh, forget it." Crystal rolled her eyes, got up off the couch, and walked over to open the door.

A little blue filly stood there and squeaked when they made eye contact. Her ears shot up, her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. They stared at one another for a while, neither moving or saying a word.

Finally, Crystal gave up waiting and tried to smile. "Hello?"

The filly's mouth flapped open and closed a few times until she sputtered, "O-oh, uh, hi sexy! I mean, uh, I mean, does Velvet Step live here?"

Crystal nodded slowly. "Er, yes, she does. Is she expecting you?"

"No, no, I don't think she is."

Crystal's brow started to furrow and she tilted her head to the side. Had Velvet gotten herself in trouble with the filly scouts? "All right. May I let her know why you're here, then?"

The filly shifted her hooves while nibbling on her lower lip. Her ears folded back against her mane and she muttered, "Um, sure, okay. I'm here to fight her over a mare."

"Really?" A giggle escaped Crystal and she turned her head to call, "Velvet! There is a filly here to fight you!"

The shower turned off and there was a pause. "Okay," Velvet finally responded, "tell her I'll be out in just a second."

"She'll be right out." Crystal took a step back to let the filly inside. "Please make yourself comfortable while you wait. Would you like some tea, sweetie?"

"Sure! I like tea." She walked through the doorway. "I'm Azurite." Her ears shot upright and she froze.

Crystal glanced at the filly as she started toward the kitchen. "Crystal Wishes. It's a pleasure to meet you, Azurite." She poured a batch of already brewed tea into a cup and brought it into the living room. "How do you know Velvet, exactly?"

"She stole my marefriend and took her out on a date." Azurite fidgeted on the couch "So, you know, we've got that in common. My marefriend, I mean. I don't steal mares. We definitely don't have that in common."

"Oh." Crystal froze and took a good look at Azurite. Was she just tiny and not a filly at all? Her voice wasn't quite as squeaky as Dot's, and she was big for a filly, now that Crystal really stared at her. "You're serious!" She did her best not to laugh as she floated the teacup over to Azurite, then turned toward the bathroom door. "Velvet, I think this little filly is actually here to fight you!"

"What?" Velvet called and something dropped to the floor. She opened the door and leaned out, a towel haphazardly wrapped around most of her mane. A few stray strands clung to her face, which was plastered with surprise, then confusion. "Uh, hi?"

Azurite's mouth contorted into a half-smile and she waved one hoof. "Hi."

This was just too much. Crystal pranced over to the couch and sat down beside Azurite. "Velvet, darling, this sweet little mare here says you stole her marefriend." She stuck out her bottom lip. "Are you catting around behind my back?"

Velvet shot her a seething glare before disappearing into the bathroom. She came back out with the towel set more properly on her head and a robe wrapped around her still wet form. "It was one date!" She huffed, glancing between the two mares, then focused her gaze on Crystal. Though her tone was irritated, there was a certain look of uncertainty on her face. "You're the one that was always harping on how 'if you don't try, you can't succeed'. So, I put myself out there last night while you were at the faire. A mare offered to take me to dinner so I said yes. Now I have to fight a filly." She thrust a hoof out to point at Azurite. "Good job, Crystal!"

Azurite shifted and stared at her teacup. "That mare was my marefriend," she said softly, her ears drooping.

Crystal did everything she could not to laugh as she wrapped a foreleg around Azurite's shoulders. "How could you just throw away what we have, Velvet? I thought you had given up on finding somepony else!"

"You are not helping, Crystal." She walked over and sat on the floor across from them, one hoof massaging the towel into her mane to soak up the water. "This isn't funny at all, so cut it out. Can't Miss Manners see that she's upset?"

Crystal paused to look down at the little blue mare and bit down on her tongue. With how cute and small Azurite was, it was hard to not think of the situation as an elementary school brawl over a fillyhood crush. "I'm sorry," she offered, giving the mare's shoulder a squeeze.

Velvet sighed, turning her attention back to Azurite. "So, you, uh..."

"Azurite," she responded, then winced.

"Okay. Azurite. So you and Sunny Day are together?"

When the mare gave a meek nod, Crystal furrowed her brow and looked up at the ceiling. "Sunny Day? Why does that name sound familiar?"

Velvet waved a dismissive hoof. "Listen, Azurite, I don't know what she told you about what happened but she didn't mention having a marefriend and there wasn't a ring. Honestly, I had no idea. If I had known I wouldn't have—" Her ears flicked as she cleared her throat. "Well, I would've backed off, okay?"

Azurite sat in silence, not looking at either of them. Instead she just stared at the teacup floating in her magic while her ears remained folded back flat against her mane.

"So," Velvet continued, rubbing the back of her neck, "I don't know if it makes you feel any better but I really am sorry. I don't want to steal your marefriend. Nothing really even happened last night, to be honest. We just danced a bit, then went out for dinner. Before we ordered food, she got up and ran out so fast I thought it was something I said. If we hadn't called it a date it definitely wouldn't have been one, but if you still want to fight, I understand."

Azurite sniffled and shook her head. Her lower lip trembled as she said, "I was mad. Really mad. But... you don't seem like the homewrecking type."

Velvet's ears shot straight up. "I'm not!"

"She isn't," Crystal cut in. "I promise she's not. This whole ordeal is very out of the ordinary for her, actually."

The teacup slowly turned in Azurite's magic before she finally took a sip from it. "I don't normally storm into ponies' homes to start fights," she mumbled.

Crystal rubbed the mare's shoulder. "Oh, you didn't exactly storm in here, sweetie."

Velvet glared at Crystal, but Azurite seemed unaffected and continued, "Yeah, so, maybe I should just leave. I'm really sorry about all this. I just got really worked up about it and I wanted to do something about my problems for once instead of, you know, just... taking it with a smile."

Regret and guilt raked through Crystal for a brief moment. This little blue mare had actually worked up the courage to take matters into her own hooves. It was an admirable feat and all Crystal had done was mistake her for a filly, not take her seriously, and even tease her. "It's all right. I'd be very upset if I found out my stallion went on a date with somepony else, so I understand."

Azurite looked up at her with wide, doe-like eyes. "Oh, uh, do you mean Lieutenant Silent Knight?" As soon as the name left her mouth her eyes grew even wider.

Crystal furrowed her brow at the reaction. "Yes, actually. Do you know him?"

"We work together," Azurite squeaked in reply. Her ears twitched in different directions and she withdrew from Crystal's side. "I've really messed up big coming here. There are lines a pony's not supposed to cross, especially when they work in the Royal Guard, and I crossed, like, every line!" She sniffed. "Could you please, please, pretty pretty please not tell the lieutenant about this? Please? He's so big and scary and frowny."

Crystal glanced at Velvet, who flashed a light grin. They wiggled their ears at each other before Crystal offered Azurite a gentle smile. "Since you don't want to fight Velvet anymore, I think she and I can forget this ever happened. After all, your reasoning was perfectly understandable, don't you agree, Velvet?"

Velvet nodded. "Yup, totally understandable."

Azurite glanced between them with an uncertain furrow of her brow that smoothed after a moment of thought. "Really? Thank you! Thank you both so much!" She sighed. "I'm still really, really sorry about all of this." She sipped the tea.

They sat in silence, all glancing at each other from where they sat, none of them exactly sure what to say.

"So, um," Azurite started, hesitated, then continued, "This tea is actually really great. I don't usually get tea this nice. So I'm kind of paralyzed between choosing whether I should sit here in what is, without a doubt, the most uncomfortable situation I've ever gotten myself into so I get to finish drinking this tea, or if I should just run out the door and hope I never see either of you again." She looked up at Crystal. "Any thoughts?"

Crystal snorted and clenched her jaw to keep her composure, but lost the battle against the laughter that overtook her. Velvet held out a little longer before she started laughing, too. Azurite just sat there, not laughing at all, her expression wholly serious.

"Just finish the tea, Azurite," Velvet managed once her laughter had calmed into giggling.

"Okay. Thank you." Azurite seemed to relax as she settled back into the couch and took another sip. "It really is really good. Did you make it yourself? I can't cook but maybe I could make tea..." She paused and quickly shook her head. "Or maybe not. It wouldn't be this good. I'll just live out my life never having tea like this again!"

Crystal got up off the couch and went into the kitchen to retrieve the kettle. "Well, if you'd like, you can stay for another cup or two. I also have some fancy biscuits if you're hungry."

Azurite beamed at her. "Yes, please!" She looked over at Velvet. "If it makes you feel any better, I think you would have won. You're bigger than I am. But I was going to give it my best shot, so I might have lasted a while against you."

Velvet's grin was poorly concealed by a raised hoof. "I'm not much of a fighter, so who knows?"

A plate of little shortbread cookies landed on the coffee table between them. Azurite peered at them, tilted her head to the side, then frowned. "These are cookies."

"It's still too early in the morning, so it sounds more breakfast-appropriate to call them fancy biscuits." Crystal giggled. "I can put them back away, if you're not interested."

"Oh, I'm interested." Azurite's magic grabbed three of the cookies. "I'm very interested! I just wanted to make sure you knew they weren't biscuits."

After three cups of tea and cleaning out the whole platter of cookies, Azurite squeaked, "I should really, really go now, or I'm never going to want to leave."

Crystal looked up from the notebook she had started taking notes in and smiled. "Oh? If you're sure. I can brew a new batch of tea. It's no bother."

"Nope, that's okay! I'll be fine." Azurite hopped off the couch and started for the door, where she stopped to turn around and smile at them. "This was really awkward, but thanks for being so understanding and everything!"

Velvet waved from her spot lounging on a pillow. "Good luck with your marefriend, Azurite!"

The smile on the mare's face faltered but she nodded nonetheless. "Yeah. Thanks. Good luck finding one of your own that isn't already somepony else's!" She pulled the door open and ran out of the condo.

Crystal and Velvet stared at the door as Crystal's magic closed it from across the room, then they looked at each other. For a while they just stared until Crystal said, "I have some ideas of what to say in my interview."

Velvet gawked. "What? Your interview? Seriously? You don't want to ask about my failure of a date or talk about what just happened?!"

Crystal raised both hooves and shrugged. "Azurite said she doesn't want Silent to know. Well, Silent won't know if I don't tell him, and I can't tell him about what didn't happen if I don't remember or acknowledge it happened. So, if you don't mind, I would like to get back to the matter of my interview?"

Velvet sighed, dropping her head back down onto the pillow. "Fine. How much time do we have to prepare?"

"Well, the book is going to be released on the first of next month, so Sunset wanted to get the interview done as soon as possible before then to build up the hype." Crystal offered a sheepish smile when Velvet gave her an impatient look. "A week and a half?"

"A week and a half?" Velvet repeated in a low voice. "You're harassing me and it's over a week away?" She rolled her head to bury her face against the pillow so she could let out a muffled cry, then jerked back upright. "Nope. Forget today. I'm going back to bed."

Crystal glared at her. "I thought you were my friend!"

Velvet started walking toward her bedroom, shaking her head. "Not today! Today no longer happened. Besides, forget about the interview. Don't you have that entitlement ceremony with your grandparents right around then?"

The feeling drained from Crystal's face and she dropped down onto the couch as low as she could get, as if trying to become one with it. "Don't remind me about that! I have enough on my plate to worry over as it is!"

"Too late!" Velvet chimed just before shutting the door behind her.

Crystal draped one foreleg over her eyes to block out all sights while the other pressed her ears flat against her head to do the same with sounds. She dreaded spending time with her parents, but her grandparents? The last time she had seen them, she was too young of a filly to really remember what they were like. The strained relationship between them and her parents was either a great comfort or a warning sign of impending disaster.

Author's Note

Companion Diamonds Chapter: My Little Fight
Companion Mask Chapter: Giving Face

Reaching Forward

The lights of Sunridge Sweets were off and a sign hanging in the door declared: "Closed for Private Function." While Sunbeam was in the back room putting last minute decorations together and Pepper Ridge was upstairs retrieving the guest of honor, Crystal glanced between Velvet and a mare she vaguely recognized from the ballet company, Nightingale. Silent sat at Crystal's side, staying true to his namesake in the presence of giggling mares.

"I can't wait to see his little face!" Nightingale quietly squealed, her wings held out from her body as they trembled with excitement.

Velvet sighed, staring at the door that concealed the stairs to the second floor. "I can't believe that little face is a year old already."

Crystal reached over to place a reassuring hoof on one of Velvet's. "Don't worry." She smiled. "Before you know it, he'll be attending Canterlot Academy."

"So not helping." Velvet's ears flattened against her mane.

"Hush, hush, hush," Sunbeam chided as she swept into the room with one foreleg clutching supplies to her chest. She set a party hat on each of their heads, threw some streamers at them, and fussed over the arrangement of cupcakes. "Pepper'll be down any second now with the birthday colt! He thinks it's a normal day of work, so sound normal!"

Velvet raised one brow. "Then wouldn't hushing us be the opposite of what you want?"

Sunbeam shot her a scolding look. Nightingale chirped, "Don't worry, Mrs. Sunbeam. It'll be fine!"

The door's handle jiggled loudly to alert them before it creaked open. "Oh my," Pepper said in an exaggerated tone of surprise. "It sure is dark down here! I sure wish I could find the light switch!"

Crystal, Velvet, and Nightingale breathed in and, once Pepper's hoof found the switch and the lights came on, they all exclaimed, "Surprise!"

"Surprise," Silent said just a second too late, earning a few teasing looks. His ears flicked and he crossed his forelegs over his chest.

Red gasped and looked at them all with wide eyes. His head bobbed a bit as he looked up at his father, furrowed his brow, and looked back over at them. Finally, he smiled wide and squeaked out, "Su-pise!"

Sunbeam trotted over to put a little party hat on his head. "Happy birthday, Red!"

Red waved his forelegs at her. "Ma-ma!" When Pepper held him out and Sunbeam took him, he wriggled about until he could stretch his forelegs at Velvet. "Si-si!"

"What?" Sunbeam stuck out her bottom lip in a pout. "What happened to ma-ma?"

Red blinked up at her. He stared for a moment, then squeaked, "Su-pise?"

Crystal tried to smother a giggle, but Sunbeam's light glare suggested she failed in her endeavor. "It's not really a surprise, is it?"

Velvet swatted at her. "Shh!" she whispered. "Mom's still pretty sensitive about that!"

Silent leaned back into his seat and shifted his gaze to Pepper Ridge. They made eye contact and nodded in an unspoken agreement to let the mares work things out themselves.

"So, those Wonderbolts, eh?" Pepper whispered to Silent as he took the empty seat beside him. Silent just nodded again.

Nightingale blinked a few times, then turned her attention to Sunbeam and put on a big smile. "It's all right, Mrs. Sunbeam. Just show him the cupcakes and he'll forget all about Velvet!"

"That's right!" Sunbeam gasped and rotated to face herself and Red toward the table of snacks, including a bunch of cupcakes arranged and decorated to look like one giant cupcake. "Look, muffin! It's a cupcake!"

Red tore his eyes away from Velvet long enough to be distracted. He gasped and exclaimed, "Coop-coop! Coop-coop!"

Sunbeam smiled brightly. "I'll take a coop-coop over a si-si! Thanks, Nightingale!" Shifting his weight to one foreleg, she picked up one of the cupcakes and held it up for him.

"Not a problem, Mrs. Sunbeam!"

Crystal glanced at Velvet and nudged her with an elbow. "How does it feel to be the big sister to a one-year-old?"

"Weird." Velvet blinked. "I mean, I'm old enough where I could be his mother, you know? That's weird."

"Velvet!" Sunbeam turned her head and looked at her with an exaggeratedly hurt expression. "Are you suggesting I'm old enough to be his grandmother?"

Velvet rolled her eyes. "No, Mom. That's not what I'm saying at all. Just... Look, a distraction!" She pointed at Red. "He's going to need a B-A-T-H after this and I call not it!" The pointing hoof flew to touch her nose.

When Sunbeam touched her nose with her free hoof, Red blinked. He dropped the cupcake—though at that point there was more of it on his face than left in the wrapper—and stuck both of his hooves into the frosting that was smeared over his nose.

"Not it!" Sunbeam chimed, giggling.

Silent, Pepper, and Crystal reacted quickly in turn, leaving Nightingale the last to touch her nose. They all looked at her with a grin while she shrugged and said, "Oh well! That means I get to play with Red and you all don't!"

Velvet snickered and Crystal levitated some of the cupcakes over to their table. They both took a bite to hide their grins while Nightingale looked at them with a furrowed brow.

"Oh, sweetie." Sunbeam smiled, offering Red a second cupcake. "Have you ever tried to give a cat a B-A-T-H?"

Nightingale blinked. "Um... no?"

"Me neither, but from what I've heard, I'd much rather attempt that." Sunbeam stroked Red's cream cheese-colored mane that had a stripe of blue frosting running through it.

Pepper wrapped a foreleg around himself and feigned a shiver. "I still have nightmares from last night."

Velvet patted Nightingale on the back. "Don't worry! I'll come with so maybe he won't chew your hoof off in the process. Maybe."

"She learned the lesson very quickly," Crystal explained, smothering a giggle. "Despite not being stuck with the torture, Velvet and I went upstairs to help her with the bath."

Princess Luna's teacup remained levitated in mid-air, just inches from her lips. It had been lifted several minutes ago but went forgotten halfway through Crystal's story. "Yes?" she pressed, her eyes wide. "What is so fearful regarding this foal and baths?"

Crystal waved her hoof. "Oh, well, first, he splashes wildly as though he is under attack. And he screams. Then, after he's tired himself out from all the fighting, he just stares at you."

"Stares?" Luna blinked. "I... do not follow."

"Red is one of the cutest, most adorable foals I've ever known." Crystal put her hooves to her cheeks and tugged them down. "He stares at you with these big, pitiable, saucer-sized eyes as if to ask, 'Why? Why did you do this to me?'" She laughed as she let go of her cheeks. "It breaks your heart into so many pieces!"

Finally, Luna let out a soft laugh. "I see!" She took a sip of her tea and jerked the cup away, blinking down at her. "Oh, my. The tea is cold."

Like clockwork, Willow swept in to replace the teacup with a fresh brew. "There you are, Princess," she said while carrying the old cup over to the tea set's tray.

"Thank you." Luna gently blew on the light brown liquid to cool it off before she sipped. "Perfect."

"Before you fade into the background, Willow," Crystal said, looking over at the pegasus, "you have some questions to answer, missy."

Willow tilted her head. "Yes?"

Crystal pointed an accusatory hoof. "Why was I not aware that you had a stallionfriend?"

"I—" A noticeable red hue showed through the light brown coat on her face and she huffed. "Because, Miss Wishes, you never asked! Why would I divulge personal details when we've only been on one outing?"

Crystal's brow started to furrow until she burst into a chime of laughter. "So you're saying that it's my fault for not taking you out on another date?"

"It wasn't a date!" Willow shrieked, then coughed and cleared her throat when Luna looked at her with wide eyes and an amused smile.

Luna lowered her teacup to the table, her gaze fixated on Willow. "I must admit, Willowy, I was unaware that you had a special somepony."

"It's not pertinent to my job." Willow glanced between them and her ears flattened to the sides at the curious faces looking back at her. "Fine! His name is Frank."

Crystal and Luna looked at one another, the former with her brow raised and the latter with hers furrowed. Luna cleared her throat and asked, "Frank? That is a... unique name."

Willow huffed, the flush of her face returning, and she whipped around to trot toward the secretary's desk. "My personal life is not relevant to my professional life!"

Crystal whispered, "Frank?" Luna just shrugged, so Crystal continued in a normal tone, "Well, it is nice to have the both of you back. The three of us should have an outing sometime soon. If the timing is right, Velvet could make it a full mare's night out!"

Luna raised a hoof as she laughed and shook her head. "I am not so certain that is possible."

"Oh." Crystal's ears drooped. "No?"

Luna pointed in the direction of the secretary's desk, where Crystal saw Willow staring at them with wide eyes and a blanched face. "I believe Willowy would die if I were to join. Perhaps I should abstain, and then you and I can have tea where you will share all the gossip." She grinned at Willow, who shrunk down behind her desk and mumbled something incoherent.

"That sounds like a wonderful plan!" Crystal clapped her hooves. "Willow, please pencil in some time soon and I'll talk to Velvet! You can tell us all about this Frank of yours!"

Willow responded with a sound somewhere between a sob and a squeak.

It had been a long time since Crystal had been in the company of her father's parents. They were ponies of the highest class, well above the social circles of Canterlot. There was no need for them to attend art shows or garden parties and pay lip service to other ponies; they had lots of money, and that was enough.

Crystal took a deep breath in and released it through her nose. She stood beside her parents, both of whom were engaged in a quiet but heated debate over the entitlement ceremony and whether or not they should just leave. They went completely silent when Jet Ship and Diadem came into view, heading straight for them.

Some ponies carried themselves with confidence. Some ponies exuded it from their very being and it showed in their every movement. There was no question that Crystal's grandparents were very much in the latter category. Diadem tossed her perfectly curled mane over her shoulder while Jet Ship's piercing orange eyes locked with Crystal's even at a distance.

"Jet Set. Upper Crust," her grandfather said in an even tone that was tinged with ice. His gaze flickered away to acknowledge them before returning to Crystal and he continued, "Is this my granddaughter? Since when did she become a fully grown mare?"

Upper Crust snorted. Jet Set opened his mouth to speak, but his father raised a hoof to quiet him.

Crystal held his intense gaze, though her knees trembled just slightly. "I suppose when I graduated from Canterlot Academy, Grandfather."

The raised hoof shifted to reach into the pocket of his black tuxedo, which contrasted with his slate grey coat. "You've grown so fast. How long has it been since Grandpa had a surprise for you?"

"Father—" Jet Set tried to interject, but a huff from Diadem sent him back into silence. His tail twitched and he looked to Upper Crust, who simply rolled her eyes.

Crystal's brow furrowed. It was starting to come back to her. "A surprise?"

"That's right." A smile started to soften his otherwise stern features. "Grandpa's got a piece of candy for you!"

The confusion lifted with recollection. Though he had treated her parents with disinterest and even contempt, she had instead been showered with candy as a filly. "Grandfather, I'm not a foal anymore."

Jet Ship pulled out a wrapped butterscotch candy and bounced it on his hoof. "Oh? Even though it's your favorite?"

Crystal watched the bright golden sphere while her ears slowly flattened against her mane. Desire for its sweet taste overrode her desire to be treated as an adult and she held out her hoof, smiling. "Okay, Grandfather, all right. It is my favorite!"

While she took the candy, unwrapped it, and popped it in her mouth, Jet Ship turned his attention on his son. His expression snapped back to its cold and distant one. "Today is the entitlement ceremony."

Jet Set's ear flicked. "I'm aware, Father."

"I won't be mentioning that it was primarily your design." Jet Ship inclined his head to look at the young airship hovering in her berth.

The airship, soon to be entitled as Their Majesties' Ship Harmony, was the height of luxury and decadence in the transportation world. All of the airships that rested in their berths nearby paled in comparison to her design. The wood of her hull was stained a dark color and the polish made her shine in the sunlight. The main balloon was a deep purple with golden yellow accents, while the secondary balloons that served as a back-up if the primary failed were solid gold in color.

"Unless," Jet Ship continued, "you would like to join the company."

A long, tense moment of silence held them all. Crystal stopped turning the candy around in her mouth so the sound of it clicking against her teeth didn't draw unwanted attention to herself. She just stared at her father with wide eyes while he stared at his own father.

Jet Set finally shook his head. "I'm not interested, Father."

Jet Ship sneered, his upper lip curling into a brief snarl. "I see." His short-cropped tail swished in agitation, but stilled when he looked at Crystal. The sudden shift in his demeanor and tone was almost as frightening as the venom in his prior words. "Do you want to join us for her maiden voyage, hmm?" He smiled.

Crystal nearly choked on the candy when she tried to swallow her nerves, and she quickly shook her head. Though she wanted to, of course, the narrowed eyes of her parents gave her no choice. "That's all right, Grandfather. But thank you for the offer."

"Hmm." Jet Ship raised one brow, then shrugged and levitated a second piece of candy out of his pocket and over to her. "Well, enjoy the ceremony!"

"Thanks, Grandfather..." She shifted her gaze to her grandmother, who had kept herself preoccupied with styling her mane. "It was nice to see you, Grandmother."

Diadem regarded her with mild surprise, then shrugged. "Yes, it was."

"Come along, dear." Jet Ship turned and started toward the area behind the ceremony stage. "I must speak with Eminence before we begin."

Upper Crust waited until they were out of earshot before she muttered, "Your parents are truly despicable."

Jet Set wrapped a foreleg around her shoulders, shaking his head. "They are as they always have been, dear. Nothing has changed."

"I disagree." Upper Crust inclined her head to look down her snout at Crystal. "Accepting his bribe? Darling, that was terribly uncouth."

Crystal tucked the butterscotch in her cheek, the still-wrapped one hovering nearby in her magic. "It's not a bribe, Mom." One ear flicked. "It's just candy."

Upper Crust's lips twitched into a frown before she jerked her head to the side and strode toward the gathered crowd. "Come along, dear. I believe I see Hoity Toity in attendance."

"Really?" Jet Set smiled, following behind her. "It's been a while since he's actually been to anything outside of a fashion show. We must know how he has been!"

Crystal remained standing where she was. Her tongue pulled the hard candy out of its hiding place and she sucked on it while her gaze wandered the area. Fancy Pants's fall line premiere was only a few days away, which would lock her in to a higher run in the hierarchy. It wouldn't do to be caught being unsociable so soon before then.

With a small groan, she crunched and chewed the hard candy while she tucked the second into a small pocket sewn into her light blue dress. She put a proper smile on her face and urged her hooves toward the crowd. The ceremony would begin shortly, so she only had to keep the smile on for a little while.

Only two pointless conversations later, all eyes turned to the stage when a pony approached the podium and called over the murmuring conversations, "Ladies and gentleponies, on behalf of Jet Ventures and Eminence Enterprizes, I am honored to thank you all for being here for this momentous occasion today. Please join me in welcoming the Chairpony of Jet Ventures, Mr. Jet Ship."

Polite stomping filled the air as Jet Ship walked up to take the pony's spot at the podium. The applause quieted down when he looked out across the crowd with that hauntingly commanding gaze of his. "Friends, I am thrilled to be standing here today," he started, though his low voice clashed with the words. "My father founded this company in an era when most ponies believed the sky to belong to the pegasi alone. He started with small airships for a single pony to the designs considered standard now. Today, however, I am here to present a craft he could have never imagined."

Crystal snorted. A craft that the pony known as Jet Craft could have never imagined? She raised a hoof to hide the amused grin that spread at the thought. No eyes were on her, of course, as they were all focused on the Harmony when he gestured to it and the sound of stomping briefly returned.

"This new class of airship," he continued, "will be the new standard. It is the most modern, the most safe, and the most luxurious in Equestria—and beyond. Its spacious hull can comfortably house two thousand guests and seven hundred crew members, allowing more ponies than ever before to experience the joy of being one with the skies." He paused, then smiled and added in a light tone, "Of course, as chairpony of the board, it is solely out of obligation to that position that I mention we will be taking reservations for the maiden voyage as of today. Be sure to speak to your travel agent as soon as possible."

He straightened up and returned to his cut-and-dry manner of speech as he finished, "Without further ado, I would like to invite to the stage a pony who had a huge hoof in making all of this possible. In fact, I would dare say that without him I doubt we would be where we are today."

Crystal stole a glance at her father. His ears were folded back and his eyes were closed halfway while he bit down on his lower lip. She reached out a hoof and set it gently on his shoulder. He jolted in surprise and blinked at her, then returned his gaze to the stage.

"Ladies and gentleponies, please help me welcome the president of Eminence Enterprizes, Mr. Eminence himself."

A unicorn who exuded even more confidence and power than Jet Ship walked onto the stage to stand beside him at the podium. Where Jet Ship was a more stocky sort of stallion of faded hues, Eminence was tall, lanky, and had a coat of gold. They shook hooves and he said, "Thank you, Mr. Ship. You are much too kind." He smiled, lowering his hoof. "I am simply happy to be part of such a monumental moment in history. I have always believed that we as ponies should always reach for the heavens and you, sir, have never disappointed. It is my honor to stand here next to you."

Jet Ship nodded and turned his head to look at the airship that hovered right within hoof's reach of the stage. "Well, then, shall we entitle her and reach for those heavens together?"

Eminence smiled. "By all means."

While they walked side by side toward the edge of the stage, an attendant stepped forward with a bottle of champagne already prepared. The two powerful figures put a hoof each on the bottle and, after counting down together, pushed it forward so that it swung along the ceremonial ribbon to crash into the side of the hull.

When the bottle burst open, the crowd burst into cheers and stomps, and Eminence declared, "We entitle you: TMS Harmony. May you sail the skies for many years to come."

"Well, then," Jet Set said while the cheering continued all around them. "I suppose that is that, then."

Upper Crust sighed. "I'm so glad that is out of the way."

Crystal stared up at the Harmony, smiling softly. "She is a beautiful ship. You did a wonderful job, Father."

A smile flashed across Jet Set's face before he settled into a light frown. "Thank you, dear."

Upper Crust looked at Crystal out of the corner of her half-lidded eyes. Her nose started to wrinkle up until she gave an exaggeratedly loud sound somewhere between a sigh and a groan. "Darling, are we going to keep playing this charade?"

"Charade?" Crystal blinked at her. "Excuse me?"

"It has been a month and you still have not introduced us to your fiancé." Upper Crust turned her head to look at her straight-on. "I honestly am appalled that you've let this linger as long as it has. Shall this be another evening where you avoid the topic? What are you hiding, darling?"

Crystal bit back her first response, sucked in a breath, and said, "Nothing, Mother."

"Then if you have nothing to hide, we shall expect you and him for dinner." Upper Crust looked to her husband, who was looking anywhere but at her. She huffed and returned her gaze to Crystal.

Crystal dug a hoof into the grass and managed through clenched teeth, "All right. When?"

Upper Crust smiled briefly. "Tomorrow night, of course. Why delay any longer?"

For a moment, Crystal pondered every excuse she had available and weighed their believability. He was an important commander of Princess Luna's House Guard. She knew firsthoof that he was busy most evenings. How long could she delay the inevitable, though? Until the day before the wedding? The day of?

"All right," Crystal relented, her ears folding back in defeat. "Tomorrow night it is, then."

As soon as the words left her mouth and a smile twisted the corners of her mother's lips, regret flooded her mind. She was certain she had just walked into a trap, but what other option was there at that point?

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Harmony, Planning, Ponies
Companion Velveteen Mask chapter: Not Yet Released

Fighting for Love

Crystal sighed and jabbed the fork at the last spear of asparagus on her plate. Late. Silent was late for dinner again. That seemed to be happening more and more lately. She looked at the plate sitting at the empty chair across the table from her, frowned, and dropped her fork. Her magic flared to jerk his plate off the table and into the kitchen, where she covered it with the skillet's lid.

Well, that was fine. He would only have himself to blame for the short notice news of dinner with her parents. She grumbled to herself as she stalked over to the bathroom to take a shower the same way she'd had dinner—alone.

While the water warmed up, she stared at her reflection. Though she felt irritated, a pair of sad eyes looked back at her. She sniffed and jerked her attention away from the mirror, slipping a hoof past the rose-patterned curtain to test the temperature.

After stepping inside, she dropped her head to get as much of her under the stream as possible. Mad and sad were two emotions that didn't get along very well. One ear kept listening for any knocks on the front door while she contemplated just going straight to bed once she was done with the shower.

Water pelted against her back and neck in a steady rhythm. She wanted to see him. She wanted to teach him a lesson. A sigh escaped her. In reality, she didn't know what she wanted. Her feelings were too muddled to understand clearly.

Just as she had finished drying her mane and tail, three knocks resounded and her heart skipped a beat. That confirmed it; she wanted to see him more than she wanted to sulk.

Crystal quickly wrapped a bathrobe around herself and trotted for the door. "Wow, Silent, I expected you to be later than this," she teased, though the bite in her voice belied her internal struggle with emotions.

"I didn't want to be that late this time," Silent replied. "We don't get a lot of time together lately."

And whose fault was that? She smiled. "The work of a royal guard is never done, I know." Her smile fell as she glanced him over. Sweat matted his coat and his mane was tussled at odd angles. "Well, you are a mess tonight. Should I be concerned that you're cheating on me?"

She giggled when his ears shot up and he quickly assured, "Never! This sweat is all natural. Earned through exercise."

"Oh, in that case, then come on in." She stepped out of the way. "I'll heat up your dinner. You'll need it if you're working out until you're drenched in all-natural sweat."

Silent nodded and walked inside. "I am starving, although I'd love a shower first." He glanced at her. "Do you want to join me?"

Though she giggled, a surge of irritation bloomed in her chest. He didn't get to be rewarded for being late, no matter how tempting the offer was. "Most nights I would hop right in with you, but you're on your own for tonight. I'm in my pajamas."

"That's a bathrobe," he teased, one brow raised.

She huffed. "I've already showered and was ready to go to bed, so they might as well be."

"Fair enough." He started toward the bathroom door. "I'll make it quick, then."

While he started up the shower, Crystal went into the kitchen to reheat the plate of asparagus and red potatoes. She glanced over at the bathroom door and sighed. Perhaps she shouldn't have rebuffed him out of spite, but he had been late because he was exercising? She scrunched up her nose. Work, she understood, but working out?

Just as she finished heating up his dinner, the shower turned off and he trotted back into the living room once he was dry. "Thanks for cooking," he said as he sat down at the table. He paused, glanced around, and asked, "Wait, where is Velvet?"

Crystal blinked. "That's a good question. I'm honestly not sure, she didn't tell me about any late night plans. I'm sure she'll turn up eventually, though."

He shrugged and took a bite of one of the red potato slices. "Speaking of plans, do you have any for this Wednesday?" He looked across the table at her. "The play you said you liked is going to be stopping through here. I thought you might like to go and tickets are still available."

She tilted her head to the right. There were a lot of plays she liked, but which had she talked about recently? "Three Stallions and a Foal?"

"The other one." He bit into an asparagus.

"Swift Times at Manehattan High?"

He frowned. "The other, other one."

Tilting her head to the left, she pursed her lips in thought. "Hmm... Flankspeare in Love?"

"That one!" He chuckled, shaking his head. "You like too many plays. So, would you like me to get tickets?"

The easy answer was yes. Now that she was done puzzling over which play, however, she remembered one very important detail. "You said it was Wednesday?" He nodded, and she asked, "Is that the only day they're performing here?"

"One day only." He looked at her with eyes that almost seemed to plead with her. "We could drop everything and go have a good time."

"I'm sorry." Her ears drooped as she shook her head. "I can't. Fancy Pants's fall line showing is on Wednesday. Only a few select ponies were invited to the sneak peek at what he'll debut next season. I'm sorry, honey, but I can't miss it."

"That's fine," he said in a tone that was distinctly not fine and his gaze fell to his dinner plate. "We'll just do something another day."

Crystal squirmed in her seat. She absolutely couldn't miss the showing, but she hated saying no to him. He understood how important it was, though. He had to. After all, he was a very important pony tasked with guarding an extremely important pony. Protecting her social standing wasn't nearly as vital as him protecting Princess Luna, but that didn't mean it was something she shouldn't take seriously.

"My mother is demanding to meet you," she blurted out into the silence.

Silent looked up and blinked at her. "Pardon?"

"My mother. Well, to be honest, both of my parents." She twiddled her hooves and avoided his gaze. "Since we'll be getting married, my parents want to meet you before the wedding."

"Oh. That makes sense. You've already met my mom, after all." He went back to eating. "When do they want to meet?"

She offered him a meek, sheepish grin. "Tomorrow?"

He didn't say anything. Instead, he lowered his fork to the plate and raised his gaze to hers.

"I'm sorry!" The grin fell. "She sprung it on me rather suddenly, and with how busy you've been lately I didn't want to interrupt you at work. I was hoping to tell you over a nice meal, but then..." She trailed and sighed. "I'm sorry. If we cancel, she'll think I'm hiding you from her."

He shook his head. "No, tomorrow is fine. Is it at least after work hours?"

"Your regular work hours, at least," she tried to tease.

The joke didn't seem to be well-received, as he just looked down at his plate and said, "Yes, dear."

Crystal did her best to conceal her sudden anxiety. Was she making a mistake?

They stood outside the door to her parents' house, Silent standing still while Crystal fussed over his armor. If he was going to insist on wearing it—which he had, of course—then it was going to look perfect. Just as she found and wiped off a smudge from the breastplate, the door finally opened.

"Hi, Mom." Crystal stood up straight. "This is Silent Knight. My fiancé. Silent, this is my mother, Upper Crust."

Silent offered a polite bow of his head. "It is a pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

Upper Crust tilted her head to look down her snout at him, though with their height difference she was still looking up. After eyeing him from head to hoof, she said, "Charmed, I'm sure. Please, do come in."

They followed her inside, where she stopped and gestured to the couch. "Make yourselves comfortable. I'll get some tea."

While Crystal went straight for the couch, Silent seemed to hesitate. He stared at the couch a moment, seemed to weigh his options, then finally sat down beside her. She tried not to laugh. Served him right for deciding to wear full plate to her parents' house. Being in their presence was uncomfortable enough, but doing so while in armor? He was in for a rough evening.

Upper Crust levitated over a tea set and started to serve when hoofsteps came down the stairs.

"Welcome!" Jet Set called as he rounded the banister to walk over to them. "Pardon my late greeting. You two are earlier than I expected."

"Hi, Dad." Crystal rose to her hooves and smiled. "This is my father, Jet Set."

Silent stood as well, meeting the stallion halfway and offering a hoof. As Jet Set took it, Silent said, "Nice to meet you, sir."

They shook hooves and Jet Set nodded. "Pleasure to finally meet you, my boy." He smiled, then moved to sit by Upper Crust on the loveseat.

After Crystal and Silent settled back onto the couch and Upper Crust had finished serving all of them tea, Jet Set said, "I understand you're a royal guard. Exactly what sort?" He paused before adding, "Forgive me, but the royal guard isn't exactly my field of expertise. I just noticed that your armor isn't like that of the guards around the city."

Silent nodded. "That's right, sir. I'm the commander of Princess Luna's House Guard. Our armor is unique to match her colors. We ensure the safety of the princess above all else. The guards you see on the streets are responsible for keeping the peace."

Jet Set leaned back with his tea cup floating in front of him and smiled. "Capital, my boy. A commander? That makes you an officer, am I right? Do you personally protect the princess, then?"

Crystal did her best to not sigh. Why was he engaging in such obvious small talk? Her father had to know these things already, didn't he? Surely they hadn't cornered her into dinner to ask basic questions! No, her mother would certainly not let an opportunity like this pass by.

Silent, on the other hoof, seemed more than comfortable with the topic. "I am a lieutenant to be specific, sir. I do protect the princess, yes, but not in the way you may be thinking. Before my promotion I stood guard. Now I supervise the ponies that stand guard and such things. Most of my time is spent coordinating with her and her assistant, though I am still responsible for her safety."

"So you're in management, then!" He smiled at Upper Crust, who gave him a half-lidded stare.

"That must mean long hours at the palace," Upper Crust said. "Traveling outside of Canterlot with the princess, too, I'm sure."

Silent nodded. "Both of those things are true."

Upper Crust stared at him. "That sounds like it would make for a difficult home life, then."

Crystal's ears flicked back. There it was—the beginning of a very long evening. "Mother..."

"What?" Upper Crust glanced at her, then looked back at Silent. "I'm merely pointing out that he'll be around at inconsistent and unreliable hours. He has a duty to his job, darling. Isn't that right, Silent Knight?"

Silent nodded again. "You are correct, ma'am."

Crystal frowned and puffed out her cheeks. It sounded so much worse than it was! Of course it was annoying to never know when he'd be home for dinner, but—"It isn't as bad as you're making it out to be, Mother. He doesn't come home late that often."

As soon as she said the words and all eyes turned to her, she froze. That was not the right thing to say by any means.

Upper Crust, unsurprisingly, was the one to break the moment of silence. "Excuse me?"

Words failed her. Her mind was a complete and utter blank slate. Thankfully, Silent explained, "I live with my sister, Winterspear. She and Crystal are good friends. They are often left waiting on me for dinner."

"Oh, I see." Upper Crust folded her hooves in her lap. "Then you do keep late hours often?"

Silent nodded. "That would be a fair statement, ma'am. Princess Luna's schedule is not the opposite of Princess Celestia's, exactly, but they are definitely different. We start later in the day and leave later in the evening. Sometimes I am required to stay even later to handle problems that come up or additional responsibilities that get dropped on me. Most nights, though, I am home after moonrise."

Upper Crust raised one brow. "I see."

The silence lingered a while before Jet Set cleared his throat. "So, Silent Knight. Is it a family business to be a royal guard?"

Crystal fidgeted, earning herself a stern glare from her mother. Couldn't they just cut to the dinner already so they could leave sooner?

"More or less, yes, sir," Silent said. "The Royal Guard or the Equestrian Army. My sister is a guard. My father was both a guard and a soldier. My grandfather, too. From my understanding, the Knight family has been in some form of martial service to the crowns as long as we have been around."

Jet Set nodded and patted Upper Crust on the knee. "You hear that, dear? That is true dedication. Great... fidelity, wouldn't you say?" He looked over at Silent. "And your parents are all right with you marrying a unicorn?"

"Dad!" Crystal gawked, her hooves going numb from surprise. "That isn't an appropriate thing to ask!"

"What?" Jet Set raised his brow. "Honey, it's just a question. He's from an old family like ours. Not everypony from our sort of families are okay with... well, mingling."

"Mingling?!" Crystal nearly shrieked. "Dad, I—"

Silent put a hoof on her shoulder and interrupted, "To be honest, sir, the topic hasn't come up. I didn't give anypony advanced notice that I was going to propose. My mother doesn't know much more than what I put in a letter. As for my father..." He frowned lightly. "He would probably be displeased that I was spending time on love rather than my career and wouldn't even notice she was a unicorn."

"Oh, I, ah, see. How unfortunate." As Jet Set lifted his teacup, he muttered, "That certainly won't make the wedding awkward."

Silent's ears twitched. "I don't think it will, sir. I'm afraid he passed recently."

How had it come to this? Crystal just stared at nothing in particular, her eyes wide and her mind void of a way to salvage the conversation. Dead fathers. 'Mingling' concerns. Her mother's judgmental stare, which shifted from her to Silent.

"You seem too rough for my little girl," Upper Crust stated without an ounce of reservation. "You're so much larger than she is and, frankly, too frank."

Silent shook his head. "Crystal is tougher than you might imagine, ma'am. A trait she no doubt earned from her upbringing. I commend you on that."

Crystal wanted to laugh and cry at the same time while Upper Crust's lips curled into a frown. "Well! I never! I—"

"Dinner!" Jet Set interrupted, jumping to his hooves. "I think it is time for dinner! Shall we move to the dining room?"

Upper Crust held Silent's gaze. He didn't flinch. Finally, she huffed, stood up, and trotted into the kitchen. Once she was out of sight and Jet Set had left the room, Crystal let out a heavy sigh and leaned against Silent.

"This was a mistake," she whispered. "Do you think we could make a run for it?"

Silent smiled down at her. "What do you mean? I think this is fun."

"Fun?" Crystal's ears pinned back. "How?"

"You never met my father," he responded with a soft chuckle. "This is fun. Come on, I'm hungry."

Her mood lifted just long enough for them to enter the dining room. Seeing her father sitting at the head of the table and spotting her mother hovering at the doorway dragged her back down to a state of dread and she took a seat.

"Now, dear," Jet Set said, smiling at Crystal, "how is Velvet Step doing?"

Crystal sighed. "Well enough, I suppose. She is struggling a bit. Some trouble with one of the other mares in the company, but she's working on a plan to resolve that."

"Oh?" Jet Set tilted his head.

"The Royal Ballet of Equestria had their auditions today. Competency exams or some such thing, they're called. I haven't seen her yet so I will either be going home to a very happy mare with a new company or one without any at all."

Upper Crust set down the last serving plate and seated herself across from Crystal. "At least somepony is working to improve their station in life."

Crystal glanced at her mother, then back at her father. "I'm confident it will be the former."

"Well, then, we should throw her a little party," Jet Set offered.

Crystal gave a quick shake of her head. "Oh, no, you know how she is. I'm sure she'd rather not."

Jet Set blinked before he simply shrugged and started to spoon green beans onto his plate.

Once they had all filled their plates, an awkward dinner of silence commenced. Upper Crust periodically cleared her throat whenever Crystal got gravy on her cheek or Silent had grabbed the wrong fork. After several attempts at small talk, Jet Set finally set the ball in motion with the simplest of questions.

"Have you made any big plans for your birthday, dear?"

Crystal shook her head and replied, "No, not at all. I don't want a big show this year. Silent has been busy, and my schedule is full, as you both know."

Upper Crust snorted at that.

"Not to mention, I've been working myself hard to meet my deadlines and whatnot."

Upper Crust set down her fork and looked at Crystal. "Oh, darling, I wish you would consider writing something different. Just how long are these tawdry romance novels of yours going to be popular? You have to think of and prepare for the future, you know."

"They're not tawdry, Mother!" Crystal snapped. "You know that I won an award for my first one. Luna reads all my books!"

"And that makes it okay?" Upper Crust raised her brow.

Crystal shot her a withering stare. "If they're good enough for Princess Luna, they should be good enough for a pony like you!"

"Like me?" Upper Crust put a hoof to her chest. "And what does that mean?"

Jet Set cleared his throat and leaned to look at Silent. "My boy, do you smoke cigars?"

"What do you think it means, Mother?" Crystal's upper lip curled into a snarl.

Silent shook his head. "No, sir, I don't."

"I'm afraid I don't, darling." Upper Crust's eyes narrowed. "Please, spell it out for me."

Jet Set stood and gestured a hoof for Silent to follow suit. "You do now. Come with me."

"Excuse me," Silent said as he walked after Jet Set toward the balcony doors.

He could go wherever he liked. Crystal was going to stay right there. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as a fury coursed through her veins.

"All you care about is what other ponies think, Mother, and Luna is a princess, of all things! If there is anypony that you should fawn over for once in your life, let it be somepony of some actual substance!"

Upper Crust snorted. "Oh, that is rich. Truly, it is. Yes, darling, I'll do my very best to be just like the princess who became Night—"

"Don't you even dare say it!" Crystal shouted. "That wasn't Luna's fault!"

"She's the one who—"

Crystal slammed a hoof on the table. "Don't even start!"

Upper Crust crossed her forelegs over her chest and leaned back into her seat. "Of course you would be quick to jump to her defense. Your career and your stallion depend on her, don't they?"

There was a small hitch in Crystal's voice as she fought through a swarm of responses to simply ask, "Why do you always do this, Mom?"

One of Upper Crust's ears twitched. "What do you mean?"

"Why do you try to ruin everything for me?" Crystal's raging emotions swung wildly between anger and despair. "Why can't you just let me be happy? I love my writing. I love Silent Knight. Why isn't that good enough for you?"

"Because—" Upper Crust paused, then frowned and continued, "You deserve the best, but you don't seem to be motivated to reach for it. Somepony has to look out for your best interests."

Crystal snarked and glared at her. "For my best interests, or yours? Have you ever once asked me what I wanted?! All my life you've told me what I wanted!" She wrapped her forelegs tightly around herself as a shiver ran through her. "I have the best, Mom. I have a job I love to do, and I have a stallion who loves me. That's all I want. So what do you want?"

They stared at one another in near silence, the whimper of Crystal trying to smother her desire to cry the only sound between them for a while. She hated feeling this way. She should have never agreed to this dinner.

Upper Crust's ears fell to the sides until she mumbled, "Are you really happy with the way things are, darling?"

"What?" Crystal sniffed, then nodded. "Yeah. More than I've ever been in my life."

Slowly, almost tentatively, Upper Crust unfurled from her tense position to reach across the table and offer her hoof. "Do you swear to me that you're happy?"

Crystal stared at the hoof, then lifted her gaze to meet her mother's. Tears were in Upper Crust's eyes, which started tears in her own. "I am." She took the offered hoof and squeezed it. "I really, really I am."

"And this stallion, Silent Knight. He loves you?"

Crystal nodded. "Yes, he does. And I love him."

Upper Crust withdrew her hoof and stood, turning her head away. "Good, then. I'm glad you were able to find your own happiness, darling." She cleared her throat and started for the doorway to the living room. "I think I'll retire for the night. Do apologize to your Silent Knight for me, if you would be so kind."

"Yeah..." Crystal watched her leave, stunned silent. Once her mother was out of sight she allowed her gaze to fall to her lap. Her heart pounded all the way to her ears like a steady drumbeat that heralded the arrival of something.

But what?

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Crystal's Parents

Putting on a Show

Exhaustion pervaded the very fiber of Crystal's being. It had been a tiring evening and after an awkwardly silent walk home with Silent, all she wanted to do was go to bed. She had a job to do, however—one more thing that needed her undivided attention, and it wasn't fretting over the peck on the cheek from Silent rather than a proper kiss goodnight.

Inside the condo awaited either jubilation or despair, and it took a moment of mental coaching to lift her head from its tired droop before she was ready to open the door and call, "I'm home!"

The lights were off, but she could see Velvet's form resting on the couch. One ear perked upright at the sound of her voice and swiveled toward her. "How was dinner?"

"As could be expected, I suppose." Crystal walked toward the sitting pillows across from the couch with ginger, cautious hoofsteps. "How was your day?"

"I didn't even remotely make the cut for a principal dancer," Velvet said, keeping her back to Crystal.

Crystal winced. "Well, ah, that's all right, isn't it? There as so many other ranks—"

Velvet interrupted, "Or a first artist. Or even an artist."

"Ah, I see." Crystal raised a hoof, then slowly lowered it back down while her ears drooped. "Those are the corps, are they not? Would you really have been happy continuing in the background?"

"At least it would have been better than remaining stagnant." Velvet's tail lashed almost predatorily. "You're really bad at this comforting thing tonight."

Crystal bit down on her lower lip. "I'm sorry! I really am, I just, Velvet, I'm sorry. You tried and I'm so proud that you did. You've worked so hard to prepare for today and I'm proud of you even if you—" She paused. An unsettling feeling took residence in the pit of her stomach and she asked softly, "Velvet, you're not messing with me, are you?"

Velvet snorted and sat upright, twisting at the middle to shoot her a glare that was visible even in the darkness. "Are you saying I'm lying just to lull you into some kind of trap? About something as important as this?!"

"I'm sorry!" Crystal ducked her head. "I'm sorry, that was such a stupid thing to say, I—"

"Because I can tell you right now, if you'd even believe me or whatever, that I'm not lying! I didn't make principal or first artist or artist!"

"Velvet—"

Velvet's ears pinned back against her mane, which was out of its bun and free to fall to her shoulders in wildly curly tresses. "Believe it or not, all I got was an offer to be a soloist!"

Crystal shook her head. "I'm really sorry! I do believe you! I just—I just—" She paused.

Slowly, she lifted her guilty gaze to see Velvet's goofy grin.

"Velvet, you tramp!" Crystal jumped to her hooves. "This is exactly why I have these doubts when you give me bad news!" She jumped onto the coffee table to pounce on the mare, pinning her against the back of the couch. "I'll never trust you again but I'm so thrilled you made it in!"

Velvet laughed so hard that it seemed like she might stop breathing and wrapped her forelegs around Crystal's middle. "I'm sorry!" she wheezed. "I just can't help it. You're just so much fun to mess with!" She grinned up at her. "I made it. I did it. I'm in the Royal Ballet!"

Crystal squealed and hugged her as tightly as she could. "That's so wonderful!"

"And now—" In one fluid motion, Velvet slipped out of Crystal's grip and hopped over the table to land in the middle of the living room. "—I'm going out with some friends to celebrate! You had a rough day, so you and I can celebrate in the morning, okay?"

Crystal blinked, turning on the couch to face Velvet while the exhilaration drained from her like a popped balloon. "Some friends? Oh." Her brow furrowed. "Okay. Well, have fun?"

Velvet winked before trotting for the door. "Don't worry, you won't be missing much. We're going to a karaoke bar."

A feeling of jealousy and surprise gripped her, but she tried to smile nonetheless. "I suppose you're right. Karaoke isn't really my thing. Is it the Fillyharmonic?"

"Yup!" Velvet pulled the door open and waved over her shoulder. "Get some sleep! You have a super busy week ahead of you!"

And with that, the door shut, leaving Crystal alone. She scrunched up her nose when tears stung at her eyes. Velvet was right; her upcoming week was going to be even more taxing than dinner had been. The day after next she had the interview scheduled, and two days after that was Fancy Pants's fall line premier.

Her magic lit up to tug the needle down to the record that started to lazily spin around. She sniffed and dropped down onto the couch, soft music billowing over her like a warm blanket.

With a sharp breath in, she prepped herself to sing along with the record. "Slowly, slowly, just as the breeze drifts. Slowly, slowly, just as medicine works. Slowly, slowly—" A small hitch in her voice caught her off-guard and she clenched her eyes shut.

Velvet was right, yet again: singing in front of strangers was not her idea of a good time. But why did Velvet's other friends have to be strangers in the first place?

The condo was ready. All personal effects had been stored away in the bedrooms, the kitchen scrubbed, and the sitting pillows arranged in a comfortable semi-circle. After checking that there were no visible pink tresses in her mane and that her attire was neat and proper, she went into the kitchen and eyed her supplies.

There was about an hour left before the journalist from Mares Monthly would arrive. That gave her plenty of time to decide what tea would suit the stallion best. Sunset had said to have patience with the guy—given the lack of options available, he had turned to a more junior journalist for the interview. Crystal didn't mind in the least. A younger, less experienced pony suited her just fine. Professionals tended to give off such an aura of certainty that it put her on edge.

Just as she had portioned out a concoction of peppermint, rosehips, hibiscus, and lemongrass, there was a knock at the door. Her ears swiveled back, a light frown on her lips. If that was the journalist, then he was unfashionably early! The frown lifted into a smile as she corrected herself. Perhaps it was more 'nervously early' instead?

"Coming!" Her magic lowered the herbs onto the counter while she walked over to the door.

Standing just outside was a white-coated pegasus mare, half of her face hidden behind a cascading mane of light pink with seafoam green highlights. She ducked her head to put her eyes at Crystal's level. "Hi, uh, do I have the right place? Does C.W. Step live here?"

Crystal's eyes widened as a small surge of panic shot through her. "Who are you?"

"Oh, sorry, yeah, good question, huh?" She smiled softly. "I'm Aurora Dawn from Mares Monthly. I'm supposed to have an interview with C.W. Step."

As quickly as the nerves had started up, they settled back down into a momentary state of calm, then dropped into uncertainty. "You're Aurora Dawn?"

The mare—the stallion nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Well." Crystal blinked to gather her wits and eased into a smile. "You're at the right place. Please, come on in and make yourself comfortable." She stepped out of the doorway to return to the kitchen. "I was going to make a fresh batch of tea, but I seem to have lost track of time. Is iced tea all right?"

Aurora looked around to eye the surroundings before moving around the sitting pillows and nestling onto the couch. "I'm all right, but thanks for the offer." He stretched out one wing and opened the flap of his satchel, retrieving a pencil and two pads of paper.

With her smile in place, Crystal returned to the living room and sat on one of the pillows across from him. "All right, then. Please let me know if you need anything."

"Thanks." Aurora fidgeted with the pencil held in one of his hooves. "Do you mind if we get started?"

Crystal shook her head. "Not at all."

"Okay, well..." He trailed, reading over the notes that were written on one of his pads. "Okay. So, I guess, to start off, why don't you talk about why I'm here? About your latest novel?"

"Her Silent Love." Crystal shifted and took a breath in. "It's somewhat of a departure from the precedent I've set for myself. The leading mare, Misty—"

Aurora dropped his pencil to the paper and interrupted, "I'm sorry, but I'd like you to expand on that, if that's okay."

Crystal blinked. Well, that was new. "Pardon?"

"You said it's a departure. Why? How?" Aurora glanced up at her with a small, almost sheepish smile. "Sorry, I'm just really, really interested. I'm actually a big fan of your work. Sunset is always bragging about you, so I had to read at least one."

"Really?" Heat flushed her cheeks and she tried to wave it off while laughing. "Oh, I'm flattered! I'll happily expand, then." She inclined her head to allow her gaze to wander the room. "My first story involved a prince. My second, a princess. I think that anypony can be a princess or prince in their own way; it's not just relegated to royalty. There are so many mares who long to find the love that's waiting for them, so I wanted to show that their prince might not be an actual prince, but the stallion living next door. Everypony deserves a happy ending, and I didn't want to only write one type."

Aurora finished taking notes, set down the pencil, and flashed her another smile. "Okay. So, back to what you were saying?"

"What I was saying?" Crystal repeated in a mumble, returning her gaze to him. "Yes, yes. As I was saying, Her Silent Love is a tale about a shy florist by the name of Misty Glen..."

The air was alive with polite conversation, orchestral music, and bite-sized appetizers being levitated off the platters that serving ponies carried through the small crowd. Crystal kept her mouth occupied by cucumber sandwiches and bubbly champagne so that all she had to do was make eye contact and nod.

Usually, Fancy Pants's shows were extremely punctual, but the lights had yet to dim and the catwalk was empty. Gossip, however, was in full attendance. Across the room, she spotted her mother's telltale look of disapproval as the mare eyed the barren stage and whispered something to Jet Set.

"Do you think perhaps something has gone wrong with the designs?" Swan Song mumbled, one of her brows raised. "He has been under an awful lot of stress as of late."

Silver Frames huffed. "Nonsense. I'm sure it's all well under control."

"Indeed," Golden Gavel said and took a sip of champagne.

Their eyes turned to Crystal. She swallowed the sandwich and offered a smile. "This isn't his first fashion show, after all. If anypony knows what they're doing, it's certainly Fancy Pants."

Nodding and mumbled agreements responded. Crystal spied a platter of puff pastries out of the corner of her eye and snatched up two in her magic. If nothing else, she would at least make a dinner out of the free appetizers.

While the whispered words of concern buzzed all around her, Crystal tried to determine whether she preferred the spinach pastry or the one filled with sweet potato. They both had their merits, and before she could come to a conclusion, the lights started to dim and everypony turned their eyes to the catwalk.

A spotlight shone on Fancy Pants and he regarded them all with a smile. "I do apologize for the delay, mares and gentlestallions, but I thank you all for your patience. Today, I would humbly request your attention to see the debut of this year's fall line, Couronne l'Automne." He started to walk off to the side of the stage while one foreleg swept to gesture toward a pair of golden legs.

Au stepped out fully into view, the fashion lights perfectly positioned so that she seemed to be illuminated by an ethereal glow. The dress she wore resembled a collection of gold-orange leaves cascading along her form and trailing behind her as if they traveled down a gentle stream. Each leaf was a different shade from the others around it so that no two blurred together.

Light hoofstomping followed Au as she turned at the end of the catwalk and sashayed her way back off-stage. Then nothing happened. The music continued to play and the main lights remained dim, but no other models came out.

"Is it just one piece?" Silver Frames asked, her voice squeaking with surprise.

Before the question could linger too long, Au returned to the stage, this time wearing a white gown composed of several layers of ruffled tulle. Scattered along the skirt of the dress were embroidered silver leaves that glittered and danced with every swish and sway as Au moved down the catwalk.

She was rewarded with another round of hoofstomping, though it was a little stilted with the confusion that hung in the air. Au posed and regarded them with a neutral expression, her mane framing her face in tightly wound curls. Once she was satisfied with the response, she turned and glided out of sight.

There was another long pause and Crystal glanced at the other faces around her, all mirroring the same expression—perplexed. Just as before, eventually, Au came back into the spotlight sporting a third design. The delay between her third and fourth appearance was longer than the first two, and when it was time for her to return a fifth time, nothing happened once again.

"This is most peculiar," Jet Set said from behind her and smiled when Crystal turned to face him. "I don't think this has ever happened before."

Crystal bobbed her head politely. "Good evening, Father." Her ear flicked. "Does Au not normally model the whole show by herself?"

"Certainly not!" Jet Set lifted his gaze to the stage. "Frankly, she normally doesn't model for him in these shows at all. Fancy tends to make an effort to not show favoritism to her like this."

Crystal's brow furrowed and she followed the direction of his eyes. "I see." She glanced up at him. "Speaking of—"

"No!" Au's voice shouted, tearing all attention away from gossip and to the curtains that shielded the backstage from sight but not from sound. "I can do it!"

The music quieted down as even the musicians tried to look at the commotion. Unease settled over the room until Fancy Pants walked out, smile in place.

"My apologies, everypony. It seems there was some... confusion this evening. Please bear with me a moment longer and the show will resume." He bowed his head and disappeared back around the curtains.

"That can't bode well," Jet Set muttered, sighed, and looked down at Crystal. "Now, dear, I came to ask you about your mother."

Crystal blinked and looked past him to see her mother still standing on the other side of the room. "Mom?" She looked back up at him. "What about her?"

"She hasn't quite been herself since dinner the other night. She's hardly said a word about the little altercation you and her had. Is everything all right?"

Crystal hesitated before giving a meek shrug of her shoulders. "I guess. I'm not sure. We fought, and then she left." Her expression hardened as she added, "I could ask you the same thing about Silent."

Jet Set's ears perked upright. "What ever do you mean?"

"He similarly hasn't been acting normal." She pursed her lips in a thoughtful pout. "What did you say to him?"

Jet Set cleared his throat. "Well, I—ah! The show is resuming, dear. I'm sure he'll be fine. We simply had a little chat about the future, that's all. Now, eyes forward."

Crystal sighed, but relented by returning her gaze to the stage. A new model walked out into the light and strutted her way down the catwalk and, right as she reached the end, a second started after her so that the space was never empty.

Off to the side, Crystal spotted Fancy Pants making a beeline for the table of champagne glasses. Four of them levitated up and over to him, one raising to his lips and the other three circling nearby to swap out after he drained the first. Her brow furrowed and she stepped out of the crowd to walk over to him.

"Mr. Fancy Pants?"

Fancy's ear twitched and he glanced at her. The corners of his lips twitched into a smile. "Yes?"

Crystal kept her voice to a low, private level. "Is everything all right?"

Fancy stared for a moment with the false smile plastered on his lips until it fell. "I suppose things could be worse," he admitted with a chuckle.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Her magic overtook his on the empty glasses to set them down on the table.

He sighed. He tossed back the third glass and turned to look out at the crowd. "It will be fine. Goldie will have a fit, I'm sure, but she'll get over it." There was a pause as his gaze landed on the current foremost model, whose dress glittered in the fashion lights. "Thank Celestia only one of my two experiments came up short."

Crystal tilted her head one way, then the other. "I'm sorry?"

"I hired a new lighting technician for today. My normal go-to pony was unavailable." He looked down at Crystal, smiling. "Please recommend Spotlight to your parents for their next garden party. She did a spectacular job, don't you think?"

Crystal just nodded. It was all she could think to do. Had Fancy just referred to his daughter's performance as a failed experiment? Out of context, that sounded much worse than she was sure he had meant. Finally, she replied softly, "I'll be sure to talk to them."

Was it wrong that she wanted to smile? The idea that her family wasn't the only one experiencing strife between the generations was comforting, in a strange way.

Waylaid Plans

"Thank you so much for inviting me," Horsey said, her ears wiggling as she looked over the Café au Lait menu. "I wasn't sure if you'd remember me with everything that's been going on."

Crystal put a hoof to her chest and feigned a surprised gawk. "Forget you? Why, perish the thought!" She giggled, waving the hoof. "Horsey, we could never forget you. You know that!"

"We've only met once or twice and even I remembered you," Painted added.

Horsey just shrugged. Willow, sitting beside her, cleared her throat and said, "So do you know if the lieutenant has any plans for your birthday?"

"Hard to tell with him anymore," Velvet cut in before Crystal could speak. "He really surprised us all with the whole Hearts and Hooves Day thing. Maybe he'll take her on another trip and re-propose!"

Horsey giggled. "I don't think it works that way."

Velvet shot her a playful glare. "Why not? Ponies can renew their vows or whatever, right? Why not renew their engagement? It could work that way!"

Painted tapped her menu to the table top, humming thoughtfully. "That logic checks out to me. In fact, I should mention this to Verd... I'm sure he'd love the idea." Velvet looked over at her and they exchanged nods of approval.

With a soft laugh, Crystal waved a hoof to draw attention back to herself. "Silent hasn't given me any indication of anything special. I think he went above and beyond for Hearts and Hooves, so I'll be happy if he just shows up like he said he would."

Willow's ears perked and eyes narrowed as she peered at Crystal. "Do you need me to talk with the princess about his schedule tomorrow?"

"What? Oh, no. No, it's fine!" Crystal shook her head. "My birthday isn't more important than his job."

Four pairs of eyes turned on her and for a moment, not a word was spoken, but several were heavily implied by the varying degrees of glares—Horsey's expression, of course, being the least like a glare and more like a pitying look, while Velvet laid the withering stare on thick.

Crystal returned all the looks with a pout. "Nevermind, I don't like this conversation. Let's change it!" She perked upright. "Is everypony ready to order?"

"Um..." Horsey glanced between her menu and the others, pausing to stare at Willow. She squirmed and looked up at Crystal. "Do you think they wouldn't mind substituting the avocados for cranberries on the avocado and asparagus sandwich?"

After a brief frown, Crystal shrugged and inclined her head. "It can't hurt to ask." She raised her voice to call, "Rossby?"

The pegasus in question stiffened upright and froze, his back to their table. He slowly turned his head, stared at her, then turned back to the pony whose order he had been taking.

Crystal tapped a hoof against the table while they waited, giggles bubbling among the mares as Rossby walked over with the look of a cat about to be pushed into a lake.

"What?" he asked in a low voice.

"My friend would like to know if you all could substitute the avocado in the AvoAspa sandwich for cranberries." Crystal flashed an innocent smile at him and batted her eyes. "Please?"

Rossby's ears twitched back. "What? No. That's gross. It's not a CranAspa, it's an AvoAspa. I mean, both names are stupid, but one is wrong and one is right."

"Rossby," Crystal hissed, her smile falling into a frown, "behave!"

"You're not my mom," Rossby retorted and held her gaze, not blinking or flinching. "And you're not a paying customer yet. So you don't get to tell me what to do."

Horsey stammered in a voice just above a mumble, "It—it's all right, avocado is fine."

Rossby looked over at her. "Good choice." He flashed a forced smile and glanced around the table. "Does anypony else have any orders they'd like to make that are on the menu and not gross?"

Crystal rose to her hooves, the chair beneath her sliding back with a loud squeerk. "Rossby!" She fixed him in a stern, serious glare. "Would you be a dear and escort me over to today's selection of baked goods?"

"It's over there," he replied with an absent wave of one hoof.

"I said escort me," she enunciated more clearly, grabbing the waving hoof and tugging him along with her. She smiled over her shoulder at the others. "Be right back, girls!"

Velvet grinned and chirped, "Don't hurt him too much!" Her grin sobered as she looked at Horsey. "Hey, don't mind him. He's always like that. It's nothing personal. He..."

The words were drowned out by Rossby's voice. "Ow. Stop. You're hurting me. Ow, somepony, please. Help."

Crystal jerked him forward once they were out of earshot of the table and shoved her face in his. "What is wrong with you today?! Usually your little attitude is endearing in an 'annoying little brother' kind of way, but you don't get to talk to Horsey that way!"

"Horsey?" One of Rossby's brow raised. "You're friends with a pony named Horsey?"

Crystal jabbed a hoof at him. "Don't dodge the question! Why are you acting out like this?!"

Rossby stared. She stared back. Finally, he spat out, "The story wasn't happy."

A moment of confusion gripped her before she asked a little dumbly, "What?"

"The story. The Last Seapony. It wasn't happy at all. You're terrible at suggestions." His ears flicked as he turned his gaze away from her. "I don't know why I trusted you."

"Wait, hold on a moment." She groaned and rubbed the bridge of her snout. "You're being mean to my friends because of my book recommendation?"

Rossby huffed. "Because of your terrible book recommendation. It was going great until that sad ending!"

Crystal tilted her head back to stare at the ceiling. If she didn't look at him, she could gather her wits instead of just being protective of Horsey. Slowly, she let out a sigh and lowered her gaze back down. "It was a happy ending for all the seaponies."

"Yeah, but not for the prince and the seapony." He frowned and continued in a bitter mumble, "Why couldn't she stay a unicorn and live with him?"

A smirk overtook Crystal's lips. "Gotchya!"

Rossby flinched, his ears pinned back. "What? Got what? What's wrong with you? Why are you grinning like that?"

"You want a romance novel," she stated with a triumphant toss of her mane and laughed. "Mr. Cantankerous wants a love story!"

"I do not!" His wings tucked in close to his sides. "Why would you even think that?!"

Crystal winked and started to walk back to the table. "Maybe you should try reading Vision of White by Flora Sorbets. I think you'll be much happier with that one."

There was a pause before he yelled after her, "Fine, but this is the last time I'm ever trusting you again!"

"Okay!" she chirped. Sitting back down at the table, she looked across to offer a small smile to Horsey. "Don't take anything he says personally. He's much younger than he looks."

Horsey responded with a wilting smile and a silent nod.

Painted cleared her throat. "So, Willowy, Velvet said that Crystal said that you said that you had a secret special somepony?"

Willow's ears perked upright and her face turned red. "Excuse me?!"

Crystal glared at Velvet who grinned and exclaimed, "What! You didn't say it was a secret! Just that he was a secret!"

"Well, I suppose that is a fair point," Crystal grumbled.

A moment of silence fell on them before attention returned to Willow and she leaned back into her seat as if to try to dodge their stares. "This—this—we didn't come here to talk about me! We're here to celebrate the pre-birthday of Crystal!"

Painted tossed her head back to laugh and waved a hoof. "Oh, I'm sure Crystal wouldn't mind! After all, romance is her specialty!" She leaned in, her polite smile turning into a grin that could rival Velvet for most devious. "So spill."

Willow's mouth flapped open and closed a few times. She looked between all the faces staring at her before she crossed her forelegs over her chest. "Why does anypony care about my personal business?"

"Why did you ask about whether or not Silent had anything planned for my birthday?" Crystal teased.

"Be—because—" Willow glared. "I don't know why it matters! He doesn't live in Canterlot. Frankly—" An unexpectedly filly-like giggle escaped her and she continued, "Frankly, I doubt any of you will meet him anytime soon. He's busy a lot of the time."

Velvet nodded slowly. "Uh-huh... A pony named Frank that we'll never meet? Sounds like a real keeper."

Crystal swatted at Velvet and smiled wide at Willow. "Well, you must introduce us if he's ever in town. I would love to meet him."

Willow opened her mouth as if to continue, but a plate landed in front of her.

"Steamed broccoli and pine nuts," Rossby said in a monotonous voice and moved on around the table, listing off each plate he set down in front of them. "Club sandwich. Macaroni and cheese. Sea—ugh, why do we even offer this—Seaweed wrap. PB and J. And"—he rolled his eyes as he offered Horsey her plate—"an AvoAspa."

Crystal waved a dismissive hoof at him. "Thank you very much, Rossby!"

"Yeah, whatever." He glared at her and turned to leave, the now-empty platter tucked under one wing.

After a moment as each mare turned their attentions to their meals, Horsey exclaimed, "Oh! How sweet!"

"What?" Velvet asked.

Horsey pulled the top slice of bread away. "There's no avocado on it, and"—she gestured at a small bowl sitting on the plate—"a side of cranberries!" Her lips parted into a beaming smile. "You're right, he's not that mean at all!"

Giggles and laughs went around the table while Horsey dumped the cranberries onto her sandwich. Velvet looked at Crystal and said around a mouthful of her cheesy macaroni, "So, back to your birthday. Do ya want me to clear out tomorrow? I can hang out with Nightingale. Now that I've changed companies I want to make sure she and I stay friends."

"Wait, what?" Painted blinked. "You mentioned that Willow had a special somepony, but not that you changed jobs?"

Velvet lifted and dropped her shoulders in a careless shrug. "One is good, fun gossip. The other is just kind of bragging."

Crystal kept quiet as she stared at Velvet, hoping her expression remained pleasant—not that she was feeling particularly unpleasant, but just curious. Perhaps when Velvet talked about her friends, she meant her fellow dancers? Somehow, that was almost a relief, in some odd way. She smiled and said, "I certainly hadn't planned on kicking you out, but—"

Velvet reached out to put a hoof on Crystal's mouth. "Say no more. I'll spend the night at my parents', too."

Crystal flushed and glared at her. Painted and Horsey laughed while Willow kept her attention firmly on her broccoli. Glancing around at their faces, Crystal finally smiled. The carefree feeling of spending time with friends was something she really needed to make an effort to experience more often.

Breathing in and out through her nose, Crystal stared at her reflection. The mare in the mirror looked upset. The mare on the inside was trying desperately not to feel upset, but it was showing, and that just made things harder to swallow. She had known what she was getting into when she decided to stay by his side, so why was she so mad at him for being the stallion he had always been?

It would probably be easier if she hadn't been ruminating all day on his absence. Every knock on the door got her heart all spun up with excitement, but each time it had been a delivery pony with a card or a gift from anypony but Silent. She didn't even care that it was her birthday, specifically—it was the principle of the matter.

First it would be a birthday. Next, an anniversary. Then their foal's birthday!

She blinked, the last thought tearing her out of the angry fog clouding her mind, and her face heated up. Foals! How could she be mad at him and at the same time imagining their future foals? A sigh escaped and she shook her head. Love was so much easier in her novels. In reality, it was simply and utterly confusing.

Hooves dragging along the floor, she walked over to the bed and flopped onto it. Well, she could still sulk, couldn't she? Just because she accepted something and was totally, definitely okay with it didn't mean she couldn't sulk. Even if it did, it was too late. She was already sulking.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she mumbled, half of her face buried against a pillow. Hypocrite! She couldn't turn down dates to go to social events and then get mad at him for doing the same for his job. Keeping up social appearances to reflect well on him was an important role of an officer's significant other, but it certainly wasn't as vital as protecting a princess.

Of course, maybe just once in a while, she wanted to be the princess. His princess. She huffed and rolled over onto her side to face her back to the world while she clenched her eyes shut. Silly, silly filly—she knew better than that. Luna would come first, then the rest of his job, then her. The sooner she accepted that the sooner she'd stop feeling so conflicted. How long would that take, though?

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she heard the front door open and Silent's voice call, "Crystal? Hello? I'm home."

She didn't want to move. She was warm and comfortable right where she was. But he was likely late because of work, and ignoring him wouldn't make her feel good. With a grunt and a groan, she forced herself upright and off the bed. "Welcome home," she said as she walked into the living room. "You're rather late tonight. Your dinner is cold and in the fridge."

A strange expression crossed Silent's face. He was smiling too wide, too plastic, too fake. Her suspicion rose even higher when he said, "Sorry about that. Work kept me late like usual."

Before she could decide if she wanted to argue with him, however, his smile faltered and he corrected, "Actually, I'm sorry. That's not completely true. A friend at the palace was having a bad time and I was trying to lift her spirits. That got me behind on my own work... which still isn't resolved. I have to go back and finish it but I wanted to drop in to apologize. I'm sorry, Crystal. I know this isn't what either of us had in mind for your birthday."

A smile lightened her face and she closed the distance between them. "Well, isn't that sweet of you to fit me in somewhere?" She kissed his cheek. "Your job is your job, honey. It comes first." She pulled back and looked up at him with her brow arched. "So, what is it this time? Another Haven trip dropped on you at the last minute?"

He raised a foreleg to tug her to him in a tight hug, whispering in her ear, "It's classified."

"Classified!" She huffed and pushed against his chest to look up at him with her best pout. "That's what you always say! Oh, fine. Fine, go be a hero at the office and get your work done. Should I expect you for breakfast, or is that classified, too?"

There was an almost awkward, unsettling pause as he gazed at her. Finally, he shook his head and said, "No, I think my morning is going to be busy. Let's call it lunch."

"All right." She leaned in toward him. "Lunch it is."

Their lips met in a gentle kiss and his hooves moved to wrap around her. The unique scent of him, the feeling and warmth of his lips, all of it captivated her senses and for that moment, there was no irritation buzzing about in her chest, only the fluttering of love. She pulled back to smile up at him, but he didn't return it at first. He looked down at her with a knitted brow that seemed to carry the weight of the world on it.

She slid a hoof around his neck. "Siley?" she asked in a quiet voice.

The look in his eyes softened and he pulled her closer as he whispered, "I love you, Crystal. I really do, more than anypony else. I'm so sorry that I have to go, but I really do have to. I hope you can forgive me for that."

Heat spread across her face and her gaze darted away. Was he really that upset over missing her birthday? Now that she thought about it, he had missed it the year prior because of his job. She looked back up at him, smiling. "I love you, too. It's all right, Siley, honest. I knew what I was getting into when I fell for you."

He just nodded and finally let go of her. When he started walking away without another word, she added, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah," he mumbled and just like that, the door closed behind him and he was gone.

Crystal stood there a while, staring at the spot where he had been. Lingering butterflies from the kiss were joined by new ones that hatched from seeds of concern. Quickly, she shook her head and turned back to her bedroom. All she needed was a good night's rest.

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Lights Out

Minute Moments

Charlie hobbled his way toward the front door, one foreleg suspended in a sling, his eyes darting between the floor and the view ahead of him to keep a firm mental grasp on his surroundings. With a small grunt, he nudged his shoulder against the door to push it open, then leaned out to smile at Bellerose.

"Lunch is ready, dear."

Bellerose peered at him with eyes as sharp as the day they met. "I thought I told you to go take a nap and rest that leg?"

Charlie gave her one of his signature charming smiles. If there was one thing he still had from his youth, it was a great set of brilliant white teeth. "I'll nap after you're fed. You can't cook worth your weight in apples."

That got the old grey mare moving. She thrust herself out of the rocking chair, grousing, "That doesn't even make sense!"

"But it got you on your hooves!" He laughed and ducked back into the house to limp away from

The quill paused when the front door jiggled before opening and Velvet trotted inside. Crystal lifted her head to smile at her. "Welcome home."

Velvet tossed her overnight bag in the direction of her bedroom, then looked at Crystal. "So?"

Crystal waved a lazy hoof. "He was busy."

"What?!" Velvet's stance widened as an irritated expression crossed her face, ears pinning back and lips curling downward. "Oh! Oh, I'll give him a piece of my mind! I'll—"

"It's fine! It's fine, you don't have to go punch a royal guard." Crystal laughed, shaking her head. "He dropped by to apologize last night."

Velvet snorted and jabbed a hoof in Crystal's direction. "You are way too easy on him. Isn't the point of being in a relationship knowing that somepony is there for you and making sacrifices for each other?"

"Compromise," Crystal corrected as she returned her gaze to the notebook open in front of her. "Relationships are about compromise."

"Well, it sure seems like you make a whole lot more compromises for him than he does for you." Velvet walked over to flop down on a pillow, her frown remaining firmly in place.

After a pause, Crystal inclined her head to return Velvet's frown. "You make it sound as if it's a bad thing! I spent the day alone. He spent it working! I think I got the far easier end of the deal."

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Fine, whatever. Sorry for being worried about your happiness." She shifted to face her back to Crystal and gave an agitated flick of her tail.

"There's nothing to be worried about." While Velvet was looking away, Crystal allowed her ears to droop. "I'm happy, even if I do wish I could take precedence once in a while..."

Velvet's tail lashed again. "Then just tell him that or I'll step in and do it for you, and I won't be nice about it."

Crystal sighed. One hoof shifted to flip her notebook closed while she stood from the couch, then started toward the kitchen. "Are you hungry?"

Velvet was quiet for a thoughtful moment before nodding. "Always."

"Are you all right with just some broccoli and pasta for lunch? I'm not in the mood to make a fancy meal." Her magic reached out to open both the fridge and a cabinet door.

"Sure!" Velvet rose to her hooves and trotted over to her discarded bag. "By the way, my parents wanted me to give you—" She rummaged around before pulling out a small wrapped gift. "—this! They said happy birthday, they hoped it was good, blah blah and all that."

Crystal giggled and freed up her magical juggling by tossing the pasta into a pot and the broccoli into the pan before turning her head to look at Velvet. "Your parents are the sweetest. Mine just send a card. The same card. Every year."

"Hey, at least they're reliable." Velvet glared at her. "Pretty sad when your parents are a better companion than your stallionfriend."

Crystal's smile fell briefly into a frown, then she just rolled her eyes and brought the present closer. The ribbon unfurled and the wrapping peeled back to reveal—"Velvet."

"What?"

"Seriously?" Crystal squinted at her, pointing a hoof at the pairs of little pink and blue foal booties that levitated out of the box. When Velvet just cackled in response, Crystal huffed. "You learned your subtlety from your parents!"

Velvet took a deep breath and held it to quell her laughter. After another sharp intake of air that she released through her nose, she flashed a big grin. "Yup! Aww, come on, Mom probably made those by hoof! You can't be mad!"

"We haven't even set a date for the wedding," Crystal muttered as she returned the booties to their container, set it on the counter, and went back to cooking.

Velvet walked over and leaned against the counter, watching the pot of water slowly come to a boil. "Yeah, well, you're basically my sister, which makes you basically their daughter. They want grandfoals!"

Crystal lifted her gaze from the covered skillet that steamed the broccoli. "Well, they have you for that, don't they?"

"Sure." Velvet snorted and then laughed. "That would require a stallion in my life and no, thank you."

With a small furrow of her brow, Crystal pressed, "You could always adopt."

Velvet's ears shot up and her eyes widened. "What! Me? Adopt a foal? Alone? At my age? Are you crazy?!"

"I didn't mean right now! I just meant—oh!" Crystal stuck out her tongue. "Don't be so contrary. You knew what I meant!"

There was a pause before Velvet dropped down onto all fours and walked back out into the living room. She nestled onto a pillow, though this time she didn't put her back to Crystal. "I don't know. Maybe someday?" She laughed, shaking her head. "This is silly! What kind of pony adopts a foal without a partner?"

Crystal glanced over the skillet and the pot before looking over at Velvet with a smile. "A pony who wants a foal but not a partner would. It's not like you'd be the first single mother in Equestria!"

"Stop." Velvet raised a hoof. "It's actually starting to sound like a good idea, which is just crazy. Let's just focus on you and your messed up relationship before we mess up my life, okay?"

"Excuse you! My relationship is just fine!" Crystal tossed her mane and huffed. "It just—"

Knock, knock, knock.

Velvet let out a loud moan and rolled off the pillow, hitting the floor with little grace. "Are you serious? Ugh! I was so close to food!" She hopped upright and stomped toward her bedroom door. "Okay, pretend I'm not here, and talk to him. Okay? Just schedule a date or something. When was the last time you two went on a date?" After shooting Crystal a stern look, she snatched up her overnight bag and stalked out of sight.

An ache started to grow behind Crystal's eyes. Velvet had a good point. When was the last time they had been on a date? She grumbled as she checked the boiling water and broccoli before walking over to open the door. It had been much too long. Of course, if a birthday was too much to ask, then what hope did she have for a mere date? Irritation bubbled into her voice as she greeted, "You're early. I wasn't expecting that."

Silent stepped inside, giving a casual shrug of his shoulders. "I get things right every once in a while."

Crystal tried to smile. "Luckily for you, I already started lunch. It's almost ready, so I hope you're hungry."

When she turned back toward him after shutting the door, he had taken off his helmet to reveal a bruise showing through the coat around his right cheekbone. Getting a better look at him, she noticed that the eye above the bruising was slightly swollen and a gasp escaped her.

He blinked. "What?"

"What?" she repeated in squeaky surprise. "What do you mean, what!" She inclined her head enough to catch sight of a small hoof mirror resting on the coffee table and her magic brought it over to show him his reflection. When he just stared at himself, she pressed, "What happened?"

One of his hooves raised to touch the bruise. "Nothing, really. I got hit last night. I had a helmet on, so I didn't really notice. It's just a small bruise."

Her eyes widened and her mouth opened in a slight gawk. "You got hit? Who hit you? Why?"

His gaze shifted to meet hers and he said nothing. As usual.

"Oh, right. Of course. It's classified." She rolled her eyes while she walked toward the kitchen. "Sit down, lunch will be ready in a moment. Do you have any other injuries or was getting hit once enough?"

"Not to the best of my knowledge." He paused, then asked in an almost annoyingly sincere tone, "Is everything all right?"

"Of course!" She glared down at the plates as she portioned out the meal, sprinkled parsley over the lightly olive oiled pasta, and carried them over. "I just don't care for the idea of you getting injured."

"I'm not injured, though. It's just a bruise. It doesn't even hurt." His ear flicked as he eyed the levitating plates. "What's for lunch?"

Her magic dropped the plates on either end of the table while she quietly eyed him. So instead of spending time with her the night prior, he had chosen to go get hit in the face? And, as usual, she had to be in the dark as to why. What could be so classified about it unless it involved the princess? She almost snorted aloud. If Princess Luna had punched him, then he had probably deserved it.

"This looks great," he said into the silence.

She slouched into the empty chair. "Thank you."

The sound of forks hitting plates was the only conversation between them for a while until Silent glanced up at her. "So," he started, then trailed off.

She waited before pressing, "So?"

Silent set down his fork and held her gaze. "Were you aware that the reason I went to the officer's academy and got this job was because Princess Luna didn't want me to be in harm's way?"

"What?" All of the irritation and annoyance faded like wind shifting away from sails. She blinked a few times, her brow knitting. "No, I was not. Who told you that?"

"She did." He crossed his forelegs and rested them on the table. "Evidently, she was so upset by me getting hurt over in the Gryphon Kingdom that she wanted to make sure it didn't happen again. She pushed me away as her protector. And she convinced Shining Armor to put in the recommendation."

Words escaped her for a moment as her gaze fell to her plate. "You—ah—you don't look as upset as I would think you'd be after finding that out."

His ears pinned back. "The heavy bag at the gym would disagree. Look, I didn't want to miss your birthday, and I definitely don't want to be angry the day after I missed your birthday. I'm really trying here, all right?"

She tried to swallow around the lump in her throat and gave a meek nod while her fork poked at a piece of broccoli. "I understand. I'm sorry, honey."

"Yeah." He paused, then added, "So, I'm thinking about turning down the job offer from Shining Armor."

Her head jerked upward to look at him. "What? Why? It sounded like a good opportunity for you!"

"A very good one, yes. Now I think it might be too good to be true. Maybe it's because he feels guilt for agreeing to Princess Luna's plan. How can I know?" He shook his head. "Not to mention we'd have to leave all of our friends behind. I just don't think the time is right for this kind of life change."

Slowly, she lowered her fork to the plate and shifted in her seat. "How about, instead—" She bit her lip. "I mean, before you make a final decision on this. Before you decide whether or not to turn it down, just, sleep on it a few more nights. Things have been so busy for you lately and you've seemed rather on edge. The recent revelation might be making things worse. If the offer is genuine, then Shining Armor will wait." She tried to smile, but her heart was too busy sinking in her chest to make the gesture sincere. "I don't want you to have regrets about this."

"That is good advice," he said in a voice just as hollow as her smile. He forked at a couple of noodles that had separated from the others on his plate before dropping the utensil and shoving his plate away from him. "I'm sorry, Crystal. This makes two birthdays I've ruined because of my job." There was a faint hitch in his voice and he shook his head, chuckling as he added in a low mutter, "Turns out I'm just like him anyway."

Him? Her ears perked upright, then folded flat against her mane. His father?

A strange feeling gripped her chest and she struggled to breathe for a moment. There was a wave of anger at first—anger at him for suggesting such a thing. Then, as the anger shifted toward herself and her prior irritation-laden actions and words, guilt raked through her like a biting gust of wind. While she fussed over petty matters like dates and birthdays, he had been suffering with his own darkness.

Finally, she found her voice through the torrent. "I didn't get the chance to meet him. I only know what your mother mentioned, which wasn't very much. But from what I do know, I don't think you're like him at all, Silent Knight." Her gaze darted between the table and his hunched-over form. He was making a clear effort to avoid looking at her. "I don't believe he was the kind of pony that would do all the things you do. Not just for me, but for your friends and family. Yes, I'll admit that your job tends to keep you busy, but I don't feel any less loved by you."

He didn't respond at first. His wings were tight against his sides, his ears were angled back, and his eyes refused to meet hers. All at once, he pushed his chair back, stood, and turned away from her. "I think I should go. No, I should definitely go. I've got to check on a pony that was hurt." He took a step forward, then paused. "May I come see you tonight?"

Her gut told her to beg him to stay, but she nodded instead. "Always."

"Great." He started for the door. "See you then."

And with that, she was alone, albeit not for long. Velvet opened her bedroom door and peeked out, an almost guilty look on her face.

"So," she mumbled, "that was awkward."

Crystal felt her chin tremble and a new pain formed behind her eyes, different from the earlier ache. It was a burning sensation that brought tears to her eyes, which pooled and fell down her cheeks.

Velvet hurried over to her. "Hey, hey, hey, it's all right! It's his fault for not telling you he had his feathers knotted up sooner!" She trotted in place with a worried expression before she reared back and threw her forelegs around Crystal's neck. "Don't cry, okay? It'd just make him more upset if he knew he made you cry."

"I'm so stupid," Crystal managed in a broken voice. "I didn't—I never stopped to wonder why he's been act-acting strange and not coming home until late." Her shoulders shuddered as she took a quick breath in. "Stu-stupid me."

Velvet stroked a hoof through Crystal's mane and cooed, "Shh, hey, it's okay. You didn't know. I didn't know. It's okay."

Crystal sniffled. "Can you put away the leftovers?" Her gaze fell to her plate. "I've lost my appetite."

Velvet hesitated a moment to peer at her, then nodded. "Sure, I can do that."

The soft music of piano drifting over the Canterlot grounds did little to mask the gossip that flittered between the groups of ponies in attendance. Crystal could hardly keep up with the conversation of the pony in front of her without hearing the same whispers quietly attacking from different directions.

"It's so bizarre to have the garden party so late, don't you think?"

"I was surprised they even managed to put it together after delaying for as long as they did. What were they thinking?"

"Well, you know what they say: better late than never, right?"

It was strikingly odd that the garden party invitations hadn't been sent out when they normally were and, after enough time had passed that most had given up, they finally arrived a few weeks ago. The event had been the last thing on Crystal's mind until a reminder invitation was delivered three days prior.

Crystal shifted from one hoof to the other and flashed a polite smile at the mare currently speaking. She didn't care. There weren't enough words in her vocabulary to describe how little she cared, in fact. But she had to maintain her one small, minute contribution to their relationship.

Movement caught her eye and she turned her head to see Upper Crust approaching. Relief and dread battled for dominion over her reaction to the sight. They hadn't crossed paths since the dinner with Silent Knight. What kind of terms were they on? As always, her mother's perfectly pleasant expression betrayed nothing of her true feelings or intentions.

"If you would give me a moment with my daughter," Upper Crust said, glancing at the ponies nearby. Once they dispersed, she returned her gaze to Crystal. "Hello, darling."

Crystal squared her shoulders and held her head high. "Hello, Mother."

Upper Crust stood beside her, facing out into the crowd and examining the party. "Your father and I were considering not hosting the garden party this year."

"What?" Crystal's composure dropped as she looked up at her mother with wide eyes. "But you host it every year!"

Upper Crust rolled her eyes. "I am aware of that, darling."

"Why would you consider not?" With her brow knitted, Crystal tried to find any kind of chink in Upper Crust's armor. The mare had her guard up, but what for?

"Don't you think it's somepony else's turn to host? We did. But nopony stepped into the spotlight to take over organizing it, however, and now here we are. Late. Terribly so."

Crystal gave a small shake of her head to try and clear it. Too many questions buzzed around her mind. "I don't understand."

Upper Crust sighed and finally turned her head to look down at her. "Darling, you're going to be married. That means eventually, we'll be grandparents."

A light flush heated Crystal's face but she tried to ignore it. "I still don't understand, Mom."

"I very well can't be like your own grandparents and never be there for my grandfoals, now, can I?" She raised a hoof to fiddle with the blue pearls that hugged her neck.

There was the chink—a nervous tic. Crystal glanced between the necklace, the hoof, and Upper Crust's eyes. "Why do you and Velvet's parents seem to think foals are around the corner? We're not even married yet!"

Upper Crust's ears twitched back and she cleared her throat. "It never hurts to be prepared. I certainly plan to be. As does your father."

Crystal frowned and oriented herself to face her mother completely. "What is this really about?"

Upper Crust returned the frown twofold, but her hoof never left her necklace. "What ever do you mean?"

"There's something you're not telling me. What is going on?"

Upper Crust took a breath in and held it. Her mouth hung open for a moment, waiting for words that didn't come, and she snapped it shut. After looking away, dropping her hoof to the ground, and clearing her throat, she finally said, "2324 Haylor Street, Chicagoat."

Crystal blinked. "What?"

"2324 Haylor Street, Chicagoat," Upper Crust repeated in a low voice. "Your grandparents live there."

"No, my grandparents live—" Crystal's eyes widened and she recoiled a step away from her mother. "Wait, what?! Do you mean—your parents?"

Upper Crust bobbed her head in a small but curt nod. "Of course I do. Who else?" She sighed, her gaze drifting away. "I would never invite them to your wedding myself, and quite frankly I would advise against it. But..." Her eyes and voice softened as she continued, "It's your wedding, darling. If you want them there, it's your mistake to make. They've never lifted a hoof for you so I don't see why you should bother doing anything but the same for them. Your father said it was your choice, however."

The pounding of her heart reaching all the way to her ears drowned out the piano music. She repeated in a rather unladylike squawk, "Your parents!"

"Meet them if you must." Upper Crust took a step back, then turned and started to walk away. "But I want nothing to do with them."

Crystal stood there, all sense of self forgotten. Her mother's parents. She had never even met them. As far as she had been told, her grandparents had moved out of Canterlot to physically separate from Upper Crust after disowning her. Neither of her parents had ever had a kind word to say about them.

Perhaps curiosity would get the better of her eventually, but right then, the very idea sent a chill down her spine. She shuddered and looked around for the nearest group of ponies. Right then, she just needed to focus on surviving the evening. Her grandparents were a problem for her future self. She really, really pitied that mare.

Silver-clad hooves dropped into view, right on top of the bed of daisies. The little white flowers gave no resistance to their attackers and fell to the ground, a few throwing their petals in a bid for mercy that was not given. In an instant, her hard work and dedication was snuffed like a candle in the wind.

"Excuse me! You callous bru—" Misty Glen's voice came to a strangled halt when her eyes registered the owner of those hooves. She stared, dumbfounded, every inch of her frozen in a mixture of fear and awe.

The stallion who had just trampled over her flower garden was none other than Stoutheart, Captain of Princess Selene's Guard. He blinked down at the crumpled, flattened daisies beneath his hoof for a moment before looking up at her. His expression registered no guilt, but no malice, either.

Crystal giggled up at the copy of Her Silent Love that floated above her, fresh from the presses and still smelling of crisp paper. Her magic brought over another piece of dark chocolate that she savored while her gaze drifted across the pages. "Oh, Misty Glen," she mumbled softly, "you have no idea what you're in for, sweetheart."

Halfway through the chapter, somepony knocked a few rapid times on the door. "Coming!" she called, sliding a bookmark into place and setting the book on the coffee table before she went to answer.

Standing at her doorstep were two bedraggled ponies: Winterspear and Silent Knight. The former looked like she might pass out, and the latter looked like he already had.

Crystal looked between them with wide eyes. "What happened?!"

Silent mumbled some kind of incoherent greeting before dragging himself past her and collapsing onto one of the sitting pillows.

Winterspear blinked a few times in an attempt to lift her sagging eyelids. "Hi, Crystal."

Crystal gawked at her. "I repeat: what happened?!"

"Sick," Silent called in a pitiable voice from his pillow.

"Sick," Winterspear repeated while she shifted to straighten up. "He's sick. Half the unit is sick, actually, including him and Iridescence. I'm wearing out trying to take care of the both of them. You're going to be his wife so I thought, well, you could, you know, help me out?"

Crystal nodded. "I am going to be his wife, so leave him to me!" She smiled. "I'll get him back to full health in a couple of days. I know some great herbal remedies." Of course, they were all teas, but 'herbal remedies' sounded more useful in the situation.

"I hope so." Winterspear glanced at Silent, then back at her and said more as a command than a request, "Wear a mask at all times. Don't let him sneeze on you and wash your hooves as much as you can. If you can do that magic thing, then do that magic thing." She sighed and raised a hoof to rub her temple. "The doctors said this would last probably a week at most. We're at day three now. If it goes on longer than that, you'll have to take him back to the medical center." She flashed a weak smile. "Thank you for being volunteered for this, Crystal."

"It's absolutely no problem." Crystal started preparing a mental list of everything she'd need. She also wished she knew the magic health bubble spell, but that one had always been beyond her grasp. "Honestly, you should have dropped him off here sooner. You look like you might collapse."

"I feel like it." Winterspear gave a raspy chuckle. "Just waiting for my turn at this point. Take care to not catch it, okay?"

Crystal nodded. "I'll do my best. Take care of yourself, too." Once the door was shut, she turned and stepped closer to Silent, keeping a respectable distance between them. "Well, then, I suppose we'll be spending a lot of time together for a while."

Silent cracked his eyes open and wheezed, "This is going to remove all the mystery." He did his best to smile, but it looked more like a grimace.

"Mystery?" She laughed softly. "Don't forget that I sat at your side in that hospital quite a while. There isn't a lot of mystery after an experience like that."

His ears folded back and he dropped his head down onto the pillow, which was most certainly a total loss given how much sweat was matted into his coat. "That is actually a little frightening to think about." He closed his eyes. "I'm sorry that you have to be my nurse again."

"It's fine, honey." Honey. She'd definitely need to get more honey. Cinnamon, too. "Can you be by yourself for a bit? I need to go to the drug store to get some supplies."

One of his hooves raised and waved in her general direction. "Yep. Go on ahead, I'll be fine."

She levitated her satchel off the rack and slung it over her neck and shoulder. "Alright, try to get some rest. I’ll be back in a bit,” she replied before heading out.

As she trotted down the hall, she heaved a heavy sigh. When she had said she wanted more time with him and to 'take precedence', this was not what she had in mind, but she would just have to make do.

With her bags full of various herbs, ingredients, a couple different bottles of medicine, and a pack of masks—one of which was already around her muzzle—Crystal walked into the condo to find Silent reading the book she had left on the coffee table.

Silent's ear twitched at her arrival. "I like Stoutheart."

Crystal grinned freely behind the mask. "Oh?" She shut the door and went into the kitchen to unpack her supplies. "Why is that?"

"Dunno." He coughed. Right onto the book. Her love for him had never been tested so greatly as it was in that moment.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that." Her magic stretched to put everything in its proper place all at once while also starting a kettle of tea on the stove. "The book should be in stores soon."

Silent's head lolled and a pair of half-lidded eyes peered at her. "That's so cool. You're so cool."

"Cool?" She frowned and, once she was done unpacking, she turned to look at him. His eyes were glazed over and he seemed even sweatier than when he had arrived. "How do you feel?"

"Fine," he muttered, his face slowly disappearing back behind the book.

She walked over to him and pushed the book down to put her hoof against his forehead. He was burning up. Hurriedly, she reached out with her magic to retrieve a washcloth, which was run under cold water, wrung out just enough so as not to be sopping wet, and brought over to her. "You can read later." The book levitated out of his grasp, and he frowned up at her. "Later," she emphasized, draping the cold cloth across his forehead.

Silent huffed, but didn't complain beyond crossing his forelegs over his chest.

"I'm making some tea, but it will take a while to steep." She returned to the kitchen, where she retrieved the containers of echinacea and white willow root, and added some of both to a tea pot. Once the kettle started to whistle, she poured the boiling water inside, then set a timer. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

She rolled her eyes and looked over at him, groaning when she saw the book back in his hooves. "Silent, you need to rest."

"I am." He turned a page, then gasped when the book was levitated away from him. "Hey!" His head bobbed as he tried to sit up to no avail. He plummeted back down onto the pillow like a rock. "I was reading that."

She shook a stern hoof at him. "Close your eyes and rest!"

One of his hooves wobbled its way into the air and shook back at her. "Close your eyes and rest!"

Silent blinked, then chuckled and lowered the hoof closer to his face. "Hey, hey, don't talk to her that way."

After a curious pause, she asked, "Are you talking to your hoof?"

"No."

His voice rose to a higher pitch as the hoof thrust into the air. "Yes!"

Slowly, her ears folded back as she was torn between concern and amusement. This was going to be a very long few days. "Well, tell your hoof to let you rest, then."

"Okay." His eyes focused on his hoof. "I need to rest. Crystal said so." The hoof waved back and forth, and he looked up at her. "Hoof says no."

"Then—"

The front door creaked open and Velvet poked her head into the condo, a cloth wrapped around the lower half of her face and covered her all the way down to her shoulders. "Is it safe?"

Crystal maneuvered into Velvet's view, her brow furrowed. "How did you know it wasn't?"

Velvet's ears shot up as she looked between Crystal and Silent, then gasped. "They got him?!"

"Who got him?" Crystal tilted her head. "What's wrong?"

"Vamponies!" Velvet practically shrieked. "They're back!"

Silent rubbed his hoof against the cloth still draped over his forehead. "Vamponies aren't real," he mumbled.

"Surprisingly, Silent is correct for now. Vamponies aren't real." Crystal arched one brow. "Wait a second. Did New Moon's sequel release today? That's rather unfortunate timing."

Velvet huffed, puffed, and kicked the door shut behind her. "Oh, right, Sequel. Because it's totally fiction. Yeah, I'll believe that when you prove it!"

Crystal groaned and returned to the kitchen to check the timer. "Velvet, how can I prove something isn't real?"

"Exactly!" Velvet stopped to stare at Silent, who stared at the ceiling. "So how long before he starts sparkling?"

Crystal rolled her eyes. "If vamponies were real—if—they wouldn't sparkle."

"It's in New Moon's autobiography. They sparkle."

"Not real," Silent put in, his voice weak.

Velvet glared down at him. "We'll see about that, Fangs McKnight."

There was no response. Crystal leaned out of the kitchen and, at Silent's closed eyes and parted lips that released a soft snore, she sighed. "Did he pass out?"

Velvet lowered herself so that her eyes were level with the stallion's face. "He did." A shiver ran visibly through her. "How long ago was he bit?"

Crystal stopped the timer when it went off and carried the tea pot and a few cups over. "He's not turning into a vampony, Velvet. He's just sick."

"That's how it starts."

"It's just a story!" Crystal jabbed a hoof in the direction of the infected Her Silent Love. "That's just a story! They're all stories!"

Velvet mirrored the gesture to point at Silent. "And yours are all based on true stories!"

Crystal paused, raised her hoof to her forehead, and groaned. "I hate that I don't have a good argument against that. Fine! Vamponies may be real, but Silent's not turning into one." She shoved her face in Velvet's and slowly enunciated, "He's—just—sick. With a normal pony cold."

"Do you swear?" Velvet stared at her. There was a serious look in her eyes and in her voice.

"Oh my gosh, yes, I swear! Now pack your bags and go spend a night or two at your parents' house until he gets better."

Velvet glanced at her bedroom door, then back at Crystal. "Okay! You have fun being nursemaid. I'm going to go enjoy the fresh air and sunlight." Her eyes narrowed as she took several side steps toward her room, never giving her back to Silent or Crystal. "Like a normal pony."

"Good!" Crystal dropped the pot and cups onto the coffee table and sighed, looking down at Silent. He was out cold, which was good for resting, but he also needed the helpful herbs in him. "Silent?"

He didn't stir.

Gently, she pressed a hoof to his cheek and patted it. "Silent Knight, wake up, please."

One of his eyes cracked open, followed by the other. "Mmuh?"

She smiled down at him. "Sit up and drink this, please." Her magic offered him a teacup, which he hoisted himself toward with the aid of her foreleg behind his head.

The moment he had finished the tea, he slumped back down, groaned, and lolled his head to the side away from him. "Shleep," he muttered.

"Yes, sleep," she repeated in a quiet whisper, giggling. Perhaps playing nursemaid wouldn't be so bad.

Crystal gently brushed the feathery tip of the quill to her mask-covered chin as she hummed in thought. Silent had spent the whole night asleep on the pillow, so she was stretched out on the couch with her notebook. Currently, her notes regarding the earlier installments of Autumn Leaves were staring back at her, sparse and loosely connected.

She knew where the tale would end, but the beginning was still giving her fits. The moment a groan escaped her, Silent shot upright.

"Fake!" he gasped out and turned his head to look at her.

"What?" She stared at him, then furrowed her brow when his gaze didn't quite meet hers. He seemed to be looking below her—at the couch?

"They're not real." He frowned. "Nox ponies aren't vamponies, either. There aren't any vamponies, Velvet." He leaned forward, nearly toppling off the pillow when it shifted from his moving weight.

Crystal clasped a hoof over her mouth to try to keep her laughter at bay.

"You're scared of a myth," he continued, his voice rising and falling with every few words. "If vamponies were real, I'd know about it. They would be a security risk. I don't know about them so they can't be real. So you don't have to be afraid." He raised a hoof to wipe his forehead and panted, looking around, then spied Crystal and squinted at her. "Water?"

Crystal set her quill down and nodded as she stepped off the couch. "Absolutely, dear."

After bringing him a glass, she paused to test his temperature with one hoof. He must have sweat through his fever. "How are you feeling?"

There was a pause as he gulped down the water, then mumbled, "Better. Sweaty. Can I take a bath?"

"Sure. Put your weight on me and I'll help you to the bathroom." She braced herself for his weight and, once he was upright, walked alongside him over to the doorway.

He eased down onto the cool tile while she turned on the faucet. "What were you working on?"

"Hmm?" She glanced at him. "Oh, just a new serial for Mares Monthly."

Silent lightly bobbed his head as though it were too heavy to keep upright. "What is it?"

Her nose scrunched up as she fumbled through an explanation. "It's a story about two ponies, ah, a stallion and a mare, who are still in love after being married for so many years. It's a little different."

"Oh." He stared at her with glossy eyes before asking, "So they're old?"

While she tested the water, her ears swiveled back toward him. "Er—well, yes."

"Why are they old?"

She turned her head to peer at him. "Do you have something against old ponies?"

"No..." One ear perked upright while the other remained flopped to the side. "But why?"

"I don't know." She huffed and pointed at the tub. "The water's warm enough if you're ready."

He gave a light nod, pulled himself to his hooves, and made it into the tub with some effort on both their parts. He curled up on one side with his head resting on the edge of the tub. "Thank you, Crystal."

"It's no problem at all, dear." She smiled before going to retrieve her notebook and quill. The moment she walked back into the bathroom, his eyes were fixed on the objects.

"Are you writing?" he asked, one hoof tapping against the surface of the water that slowly rose around him.

She sat down on the bath mat and nodded. "Ideally."

"What are you working on?"

One of her brows arched. "The new serial for Mares Monthly."

"Oh." His cheeks puffed out as he tried to stifle a cough. "What is it?"

After pausing long enough for him to give her a curious look, she cautiously replied, "A story about two ponies who have been and are still in love after tens of years of marriage."

He scrunched up his nose. "So they're old?"

"Yes, they're still old, Silent." She sighed and dropped her gaze to her lackluster list of ideas.

"Why?"

The quill scratched out a note to her future self: If foals are anything like a sick Silent, perhaps reconsider becoming a mother. "I don't know, dear."

"Oh..." He slumped down, his hind leg kicking out of the tub. Water dripped from his hoof onto the tile floor. When he pushed himself back upright, he looked over at her, then down at her notebook. "What are you working on?"

"Your obituary," she muttered.

His ears drooped. "Oh." After a pause, he asked, "Why?"

Crystal sighed and shook her head. "No reason, dear. No reason at all."

While Silent remained on his pillow that was starting to develop an impression of him in it, Velvet sat in one of the dining chairs to watch Crystal make a fresh batch of tea. The worst of the cold seemed to be over: no more fever, much less coughing, and little to no delirium. Though she had taken off the masks, it didn't hurt to keep brewing. He did need to stay hydrated regardless of how well he was doing.

Velvet glanced over and grinned as Silent flipped to the next page of Her Silent Love. "He still doesn't know?" she whispered.

Crystal just shook her head in response.

"When he figures it out, memorize the look on his face and describe it to me later, okay?"

Crystal shot her a playful glare over her shoulder. "If you're not around when it happens, then it's your loss."

Before Velvet could respond, there was a light knocking at the door. "I'll get it!" Velvet slid off the chair and walked over. "Oh, hey, Azurite!"

Crystal gasped. Her magic nearly dropped a teacup onto the floor but managed to land it on the counter. "Lalala!" She trotted over and stuck out her hoof to pull the door open wider, hitting her elbow against Velvet's side.

Velvet grunted but got the message and smiled down at the little blue mare. "Oh, uh, who? Yeah, I mean, hi, you, right?"

After a moment of awkward silence, Silent said from behind them, "Hello, Azurite. This is a surprise."

"Yes!" Crystal cleared her throat and stepped to the side, gesturing with one hoof. "Please come in, ah, Azurite, is it?"

Azurite nodded. "Yeah. Sorry to drop by unexpectedly!" She walked inside with a wrapped package floating just above her head. "I didn't mean to interrupt this, uh, whatever is going on."

As she stepped into the light of the room, a bruise around her eye became more noticeable and Velvet pointed at it. "Wow! What happened? Did you get into a fight with Sunn—"

"Shh!" Crystal hissed under her breath. She brought her hind hoof down on one of Velvet's and looked away innocently.

Velvet glared at her. "Crystal, I swear to Celestia—"

"You're not interrupting at all," Crystal said over her, smiling at Azurite. "Come on, Velvet, let's go make something for our guest to eat while she spends some time with Silent Knight."

Crystal walked into the kitchen, Velvet lagging behind her to whisper something to Azurite before trotting forward. "Honestly, what happened to the mare who was good at keeping secrets?"

Velvet's ears pinned back. "I am! I just, well, she and I have been spending a lot of time together lately. I forgot that Silent isn't supposed to know that." She paused, then asked with a frown, "Wait, why can't he know that?"

"Because we're pretending she never came here!" Crystal sighed and started to rummage through the cabinets for something easy to put together. "I wish we had those little cookies still. She really liked those."

"She gets tons of sweets from my mom. Just put some peanut butter on celery and call that good." Velvet shrugged, leaning against the counter. "Anyway, I don't think she needs anything." Her head turned to look over at the two chatting somewhat awkwardly. "I think she's just here for Silent. I doubt she wants to stay for celery or cookies."

Crystal leaned around her to look as well. "Oh. Well, then, I suppose we'll just stay here and look busy."

There was a pause as they just stared at each other. Finally, Velvet broke the silence with a laugh. "This is so ridiculous. But that's normal for Azurite, I think."

Crystal tilted her head. "Is she prone to getting herself into odd relationships?"

Velvet laughed again, harder this time, and nodded. "You have no idea!"

Azurite presented Silent a gift and when he unwrapped it, Crystal recognized the packaging right away. She did her very best not to sigh. Another one of those Airship Armada figures! As if he didn't have enough of those already. While she and Velvet waited for the conversation to draw to a close, Crystal busied herself by wiping down the counters with a lemon-vinegar cleaner.

"See you later, sir!" Azurite's voice rang out as the mare made a dash for the door. "Bye, Velvet! See you tomorrow!"

None of them moved or said a word for a while. Silent just stared at them with one brow raised and, after glancing at one another, both of them shuffled their hooves as they walked out into the living room.

Silent cleared his throat and shifted his gaze to Velvet. "How do you know Azurite?"

Velvet dropped down to her haunches to wring her hooves, looking to Crystal for help. "Well, it's complicated, actually."

Crystal nodded. "Very." When Velvet glared, she shrugged back at her. This was Velvet's problem now!

"So, uh, you see." Velvet swallowed. "She came into the bakery with her friend this one time."

Silent stared a moment longer, then tilted his head. "Is that so? That's doesn't sound complicated to me. Almost every pony in Canterlot drops by Sunridge Sweets."

Velvet and Crystal looked at one another, the expressions on their faces mirrored: the explanation was that easy?

"You're right!" Velvet tried to laugh it off. "It sounded more complicated before I said it. Guess that explains that!" She stood up and started toward her bedroom. "Anyway, I've got practice soon, so I'm going to do some stretching. Since you're taking up the living room I'll be in my room."

Silent sighed, grumbling, "Just a few more days. Then I'll be out from under both your manes."

Crystal's ears folded back as she walked over and sat down on the pillow across from his. "It's fine. You shouldn't push yourself. Take the time you need to rest, and then we'll worry about getting you back in armor." A small smile played across her lips. "I won't lie. I've enjoyed having you here."

"I mean no offense, but"—he raised a hoof and shook his head—"I've not enjoyed being here. Not like this, I mean. I much prefer being here when I'm not sick. We do more entertaining things when I'm healthy."

A giggle bubbled up into a soft laugh. "Well, then, that should be good motivation to get proper rest." She winked. "You can save that pent-up energy for later."

"You two realize," Velvet said, sticking her head through the doorway, "that I'm like, right here, right? I can hear you."

The white of Silent's face turned red and his gaze darted away, tufted ears flat against his mane. Crystal just giggled again and reached out to put a hoof on one of his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "It's all right," she whispered. "I'll make sure she's not here when you're well again."

"I'm sorry. Say that again?" Crystal stared at Silent, who towered above her with his full height.

Silent sighed. "Crystal, please let me have my armor."

Her magic kept the heavy pieces of metal hovering directly behind her as she stood between them and him. "No, the part about how you're going to work. I'm sure that's not what you said. Only a healthy pony would suggest that!"

"I've been sitting around here doing nothing long enough. It's time for me to get back to work. I've said please several times now." He took a step forward.

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Oh, yes, because if you put on this armor that will make everything better! Is it magic?" The hoof guards separated from the rest and laid down in front of her hooves. She stepped forward to put them on. "Hmm! I don't feel any stronger. Maybe this will help?"

"Crystal, please stop." Despite his words, a smile pulled at his lips as his helmet lowered onto her head, awkwardly resting against her horn.

"Stop what? I'm just trying to understand why a stallion who still needs his rest would think putting this armor on would be a good idea." She braced herself as she lowered the breastplate and cuirass to her form. It wasn't as heavy as she was expecting, though the adrenaline rush of her irritation toward him urged her muscles to keep it together. Standing with her shoulders squared and chest puffed out, she exclaimed in her best impression of him, "Look at me! I'm a big, bad, strong, stallionly house guard!"

Silent snorted and raised a hoof toward her, but she stomped away from him. "Crystal, please."

"I'm still not well yet but oh, yes, I'm going to go back to work because that is what I do. Work, work, work!" She circled the living room, each hoof falling with careful precision so as not to lose one of the guards.

When she circled back around, Silent stepped into her path. "Please take my armor off and give it to me."

She snubbed her nose at him, twirled with only a bit of off-kilter wobbling away from him, and resumed her marching. "I think if I put on my armor then I can go right back to work! I'm Mr. House Guard Commander Stallion and I say this is a good idea!"

Silent moved in front of her again, blocking her off from making a full circuit around the coffee table. "It's a crime to impersonate a royal guard, Mr. House Guard Commander Stallion."

Crystal stopped and backpedaled, her voice dropping back to normal. "But you're not well yet. You still need to rest up a few more days."

"I'm well enough." He shook his head. "Crystal, half of the unit is still out. I need to get back to the palace and relieve Sunny so she can get a break. Things have been rough for her lately, and Iridescence is worse off than me, so it has to be me."

She huffed and marched away from him; as she turned around, one of the guards slipped off her hoof and rolled under the couch.

He had a good point, but she wasn't ready. Having him around had been nice and, admittedly, she was used to it already. How could he just casually demand she give that up?

"All right." His wings slowly unfurled. "Crystal, we can do this the easy way, or you can force me to do this the hard way. It's up to you." With a few flaps, he lifted himself up onto the back of the couch and perched there, staring at her.

She stuck her tongue out at him. "Or—or! You can stay here and rest just one more day. Or two." She trotted over to the dining table and put it between them for safety.

Silent arched one brow. "What if I go easy at work?"

"You! Go easy at work? You never do that!" She huffed and pushed one of the chairs for a wider barrier. "Don't make promises you won't keep."

"I will, for you." He paused, then added with emphasis, "Today."

She feigned a moment of consideration, then stuck her nose in the air. "Nope! No deal!"

A grin spread across his lips. "Honestly, I was kind of hoping that would be your answer." His wings stretched all the way out to the sides to display all of his white and blue feathers. "The hard way it is!" He pushed off with all four legs and dove toward her.

With that kind of display, he definitely seemed well enough to go back to work! Crystal squealed and abandoned her chair-and-table fort to make a run for the other side of the living room. He pulled up and did a flip before landing on all fours, then shot a glare in her direction.

"Too slow!" she teased, giggling.

Silent huffed and puffed. Maybe he wasn't that well after all. "I need my armor! I've got to go on duty!"

The smaller size of the condo was great when it came to having to clean up, as there wasn't much room to make a mess. That also meant there wasn't much room to run away from a pegasus bent on capturing an armor-laden mare whose limbs were threatening to give out. Crystal only just barely made it around the coffee table before her front leg clipped one of the sitting pillows and she tumbled forward.

Silent sprung into action, standing over her with all four legs in each cardinal direction to pin her to the ground. "There," he wheezed. "Surrender."

Her gaze darted for an escape route, but she saw none. She looked up at him with the biggest, saddest eyes she could manage. "One more day?"

He shook his head. "No. Surrender."

Her lower lip quivered with sincerity. "But—" She sighed and dropped her head to the side so she didn't have to see his face as she admitted, "But I'll miss you."

The hardened expression on his face grew soft and he leaned his head to try to catch her gaze. "Miss me? What do you mean?"

She kept her eyes firmly angled away from him. "We haven't been able to spend time together lately... I meant it when I said I've enjoyed having you here. Sick or not, it's been... nice having you around."

There was a long pause until he lowered himself just enough to place a kiss on her cheek. "I'll be home for dinner. I promise."

She sniffed and peered up at him out of the corner of her eye. "You promise?"

"Yes. Now, please, give me my armor?"

She relented with a small nod. "Okay." After he stepped to the side and she rolled onto her hooves, her magic started to pull the armor off her form and retrieved the stray hoof guard from under the couch, then slowly she started to assemble them on him. "But I'm changing the locks if you break your promise."

Silent chuckled and, once the final touch of putting his helmet on was complete, he kissed her other cheek. "I promise I won't break my promise. I'll see you tonight, Crystal." He paused at the door to look over his shoulder and her and added, "I love you."

Crystal waved a hoof, smiling softly. "I love you, too, Siley. But I'm serious about the locks."

Once he was gone, she sighed and looked around the empty, quiet condo. It had been fun while it lasted, but it was time to come back to reality.

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: The Truth
Companion Secrets Chapter: Patients

Happy chapter 100! Hopefully you enjoyed it more than Silent Knight did! :derpytongue2:

No, seriously, thank you all for your support and sticking with me. I appreciate every comment, favorite, and upvote—everything means so much to me. I wouldn't have made it this far without you all. :twilightsmile:

Drawing Conclusions

Crystal chewed on her bottom lip, eyes glued to the clock on the wall. It ticked onward, blissfully unaware of what worry its moving pointers brought her.

What if he had collapsed at work? Could he be in the hospital at that very moment? Would anypony think to come and tell her?

She sighed, lowered her head to the pillow, and stared at the empty one a few paces away. It was time to let it go and buy a new one. The smell of sweat and impression of him was likely permanent even though she had washed it several times already.

Slowly, her gaze drifted back to the clock. She didn't care whether or not he was in time for dinner. She just wanted him to come home.

The pointers marched ever forward, never looking back, ticking quietly into the silence.

Crystal's ears flattened to the sides. "Wherefore art thou late, Silent?" she muttered, then giggled to herself.

Another hour rolled around and she was startled out of a dozing daze by the lock being worked. When the door opened and Silent walked inside, she jolted upright. "Welcome home!"

Silent paused to look at her with tired, sagging eyes. "Hi."

A frown crossed her lips as she rose to her hooves. "Well, doesn't somepony look exhausted?"

He bobbed his head. "Yeah. But"—he raised a defensive hoof—"I don't regret going to work. It felt good to be productive."

"And now that your masculine bravado has worn off, you're worn out," she said with a light huff. "Take off your armor and go take a shower while I make you something to eat."

He stood there for a moment, his expression a blank slate. "Yeah." He turned his head away and started toward the bathroom. "Okay."

She stared after him as concern clouded her thoughts. Normally, he would tease by asking if she would help or join him. Her ears flicked and she walked over to the kitchen, shaking her head. He was just tired. It had been a long day, after all.

When his shower was over and dinner was almost ready, Silent just sat down at the dining table, not making eye contact with her. She gave up waiting for him and cleared her throat to ask, "How was work?"

"Work?" He blinked, lifting his head. "Oh. Work was no problem. I saw Radiant Orchid." He paused, then asked, "Do you remember who that is?"

"Radiant Orchid?" she repeated. Her magic stirred the pot of potato soup while she looked over at him. "Of course. She was your first sergeant, the one that just had a foal. She retired to be a mother, didn't she?"

Silent shrugged. "In a manner of speaking, I guess. She's a warrant officer now. A case worker. I met with her today."

Crystal turned her attention back to the stove. "Oh? How is she?"

"She's fine." There was a pause, the sound of him shifting in the seat, and a clearing of his throat. "It turns out she has some ideas for me. Like going to therapy."

"Therapy?" Crystal squeaked, her ears perking upright while her head jerked to look at him. "What for?"

Silent didn't look at her. "I don't know."

Her breath passed her lips in a squeaky puff of air. Words were intended to accompany it, but none jumped forth to express her sudden shift in emotions. A therapist? What did he need one of those for? Slowly, her ears drooped. Couldn't he just talk to her? She swallowed and asked, "When are you going?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"I see." She turned off the heat and ladled the soup into two bowls and brought them over. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"What?" He finally met her gaze, his brow furrowed. "Why?"

The confused look was met with an arched brow. "Solidarity? Support? It doesn't sound like you want to go, so I thought perhaps it might bring you some comfort if I were there."

"Oh. Well." He blinked and focused for a moment on blowing on a spoonful of soup to cool it before slurping it. "The soup's good."

"Don't dodge the question," she said with a teasing lilt to her voice as she sat across from him. "It's all right if you want to say no."

He sighed and shook his head. "It's not that. It's fine. It just sounds boring for you, since you can't come in with me."

She laughed softly. "Don't worry about me! I can bring my notebook. Let me know when it is and we'll make a little date of it. We can stop by the Crystal Delicacy and pick up a new game for the group."

A small smile lightened his expression. "Sure."

The waiting room was small, with several chairs set against three of the four walls and a couple fake plants sitting in the corners. A clock ticked away on the wall to remind her of every second that crawled along.

She stared at the empty page of her notebook, as blank as her mind while her muddled feelings clouded her ability to think. He wouldn't say why he was in therapy. Was it confidential? Was he just embarrassed? Was it about his father? Her ears folded back. Was it about her?

With a quick shake of her head, she focused her gaze on the quill. Why couldn't it just write for her? Come on, magic! She puffed out her cheeks, pressed both hooves to her forehead, and squinted as words were slowly written on the blank lines.

It was a dark and stormy night

No, no, no. She rolled her eyes. Try that again!

It was a bright and sunny day, and

Seriously? Her hooves rubbed a small circle as she nursed a growing headache. What was wrong with her?

She was jolted out of her frustration as a door opened and Silent walked out. "Oh!" She snapped the notebook shut and smiled at him. "Are you done?"

He paused to look at her, as if he had forgotten her, then nodded. "Yes."

"Ready to go home?" She tucked the notebook into her saddlebags and slipped them over her back.

"Actually," he said, pausing before he walked past her to glance her way, "I think I'll just head back to my place. If you don't mind."

Her ears folded back at first, but she quickly forced them upright. "Not at all!" She watched his retreating form and when he was out of sight, she visibly deflated as her shoulders fell, her gaze lowered, and her tail drooped.

It was about her, wasn't it? She sighed and stopped outside of the building to get her bearings. The Café au Lait wasn't too far from there, so with a forced smile on her face she started toward it. When she got there, she noticed that the pony behind the counter wasn't Rossby, and neither was the one carrying drinks to tables.

"I'm sorry," she said to the waiter when he walked by, "is Rossby working today?"

The pony blinked at her. "Huh? No, not today. Why?"

Crystal shook her head and waved a hoof as she sat down. "No reason! Could I get a green tea, please?"

"Coming right up!" The pony flashed a smile before trotting away.

Crystal let out a heavy sigh as she slumped into her seat and stared at nothing in particular. It was probably for the best. She wasn't sure she was in the mood for an encounter with the cantankerous pegasus. She had bigger issues to deal with, like figuring out what was going on with her stallion.

Eating dinner alone was a lonely affair, more so that evening in particular. It left her feeling bitter and irritated as she sat at the dining table, one plate empty and the other cold and untouched. Why had she thought things were going to change? To celebrate him coming home on time, she had made his favorite—zucchini and broccoli—and now it just seemed to be sitting there, mocking her.

She sighed and carried the plates into the kitchen, the empty one going into the sink and the other wrapped and set in the fridge. What was she supposed to do? She didn't want to invite somepony over just in case Silent did show up, if they would even be free for dinner. Painted, Raven, and Willow were all fairly busy mares, after all.

A frown tugged at the corners of her lips. When was the last time she'd had lunch with Raven? She crossed the condo to one of the bookcases and retrieved an envelope and stationery from the top shelf, then penned a quick letter.

Raven,

It's been a while! I hope all is well with you and your husband! I would love to catch up over lunch sometime soon. Please let me know when you have room in your schedule later this week.

Yours always,

Crystal

There. That was one relationship kept intact. She set it on the table by the door and walked over to the couch, flopped onto it, and sighed.

Dinner would have to be shuffled back a few hours. Maybe then she'd be making it so late into the night that he'd actually be able to join her. She would need to start tracking when he finally made it home to learn when to start cooking. Lunch would have to be delayed as well so she wouldn't die of starvation while waiting, of course, and—

The door opened and Silent walked through, his gaze downcast. "I'm home."

Crystal lifted her head to look at him. The guilty look on his face gave her a conflicting sense of irritation and satisfaction. It was nice that he knew being so late wasn't a good thing to be doing, but if he knew, then why did he keep doing it? "Your dinner is cold."

"I'm not surprised," he said with a light nod. "I hope you didn't wait for me and already ate."

She shrugged. "I waited for a while, but when it was clear you weren't coming I went ahead. Another long day?"

He started to remove his armor, setting each piece neatly in the space that had been cleared for its storage. "Yeah. I finally found a new sergeant. Most of the unit is still out sick, though. Things like that."

The muscles of her legs groaned as she pushed herself up off the couch and walked into the kitchen to retrieve his plate from the fridge.

He continued, "On top of that I'm also planning a trip for Princess Luna. Business as usual. How are you?"

She rolled her eyes at the skillet. The vegetables hissed back at her as they reheated. "Fine."

"Fine, huh?"

Her magic grabbed a plate and dropped it on the counter beside the stove. "Yes, fine. I said I was fine, didn't I? So I'm fine."

"You sound angry." He walked over and stood in the transition between the living room and the kitchen to look at her.

As soon as he said the word, the associated emotion flared in her chest and she snapped, "No, I'm not angry! It's just that you're late again. I thought we were through with that. That's all."

His ears folded back. "It was and it wasn't. For the other things, yes. But I'm not sure it will ever be completely over. Sometimes it's just out of my control, though. That's how my job is."

She rolled her eyes and levitated the skillet over the plate to dump the food onto it. Of course. So nothing had changed. The universe had given her a few days of time together and now it was taken away again. "I understand," she muttered, her magic carrying the plate over to him.

There was a pause as he set the plate down on the table, stared at it, then looked at her. "Do you really, honey?"

"What?" She shot him a curious look, one brow arched.

He held her gaze. "Do you understand?"

"What sort of question is that?" Her ears pinned back and she turned back to the kitchen to clean the skillet. "Of course I understand! What's there not to understand? You are an important pony with important things to do. Your schedule is out of your control. You had to work late again, as always. That is the way life is for you."

"Right."

"Right?" She shot a light glare over her shoulder. "Of course it's right! I'm certainly not making things up!"

Silent sighed. "I'm sorry, Crystal. I'm sorry about being late again and again and putting you through this over and over." After a pause, he continued in a stern voice, "I think it's time we had an honest conversation for once."

Ice chilled the boiling blood in her veins. Slowly, she turned around to look at him. "All right," she said in a low voice, her jaw clenched tight. "What do you want to talk about?"

He raised a hoof to gesture between them. "All of this. Everything. Me being late, my job, you eating alone, you being alone. All of it."

Each breath was slow and steady as she tried not to assume anything, but her mind raced ahead of her. "All right. What about 'all of it'?"

"How long are you going to be 'fine' with me coming home late like this?" He shook his head. "Crystal, we haven't been together very long. I'm already missing dinner, important events, and not being around because of my job. And you're already upset about it."

Her heart pounded in her chest as she nearly shouted, "I'm not upset!" She winced at the sound of her own voice and added in a quiet mumble, "I would just appreciate it if I had some inkling of when my stallion would be around."

"I know it's frustrating. Trust me, I know. I also know it will only get worse." He shifted from one hoof to the other and his gaze darted away. "Stratus was never there when we needed him, but when he was around, it wasn't much better."

A part of her wanted to slap him, but instead she just waved a trembling hoof. "You're not your father, Silent! You'll be there when it really matters. And when you are, you won't strike our foals in some strange tradition to make them tough."

"Crystal..." He sighed and shook his head while his ears drooped slightly. "I don't think you're listening to me. What I'm saying is that if you're this frustrated now, just try to imagine what it will be like later down the road. Maybe..." He swallowed. "Maybe you would like to reconsider your answer."

Heat shot through her as her desire to slap him grew twofold, joined with the polar feeling of wanting to cry. What was he saying? "How... how dare you!" she spat.

"I'm just trying to look out for you," he said in a soft voice.

"Look out for me?!" Tears pricked her eyes, but were kept at bay by the anger roiling in her chest. "How dare you!"

"Please try to think about this rationally. My job will always be a big part of my life and who I am. That means more short notice trips, more long hours. Maybe even being killed on the job. I'm just not sure that is the kind of life for a pony like you."

"A pony like me?" It had angered her when Iridescence said those words a year ago, but to hear them from him? It cut through the boiling rage and straight to the hurt feelings beneath. Her chin trembled and the tears returned to blur her vision. She blinked several times to chase them away and stormed the distance between them to get right in his face. "How dare you!"

He stared at her, uncertainty written in his furrowed brow. To his credit, she was at a loss for what to say and yelling the same phrase repeatedly. When his mouth opened, a wave of words crashed into her mind and she shoved her hoof over his mouth. "Don't you dare continue! You listen to me, Silent Knight!"

She took a shaky breath and glared at him. "I'm sorry if I've seemed—no, that I have been a little upset that you've been gone so much, but you have been gone a lot lately! More than I think you ever have been in the past. And before you decide for me what I want and what kind of pony I am, maybe you should try asking me first!"

His jaw worked but she pressed her hoof closer to stop him. "When you were lying in that hospital bed, lost in a coma, I was terrified, Silent! I couldn't understand why your mother was so calm that you might never wake up. You were dying right in front of me and I wanted to run. I was so scared and I didn't know what to do at first, but I decided to stay. I decided right then and there that I would be tough because I loved you. Because it is worth loving you, regardless of everything else. So how dare you come into my home, look me in the eyes, and suggest that I would be better off without you!"

A sad look reached his eyes and when his ears folded back, she pulled her hoof away. "But... I could die and never come home to you."

"Yes." She kept her glare firmly locked on him. "Yes, you could. Don't you imagine me some weak little mare, because I'm prepared for that."

He paused and one of his brows arched. "Are you really?"

She snorted and shook her head. "Of course not! Nopony could be! But I am prepared to be prepared, and I want the chance. How dare you think walking away from me would be for the best. I've worked too hard for this and love you too much."

The brow lowered and his gaze fell with it. "I think you're making a mistake..."

"Then it is mine to make!" She put her hoof under his chin and forced his head back up. "Can you honestly say that you want to walk away from me?"

He shook his head. "No, of course not. But I also want what is best for you. You deserve that."

She rolled her eyes and slid her hoof from his chin up to caress his cheek. "You're what's best for me! Do you know how hard I've worked to become a good officer's wife? How many horrible events I've endured? Do you really think I would go through all of that if I wasn't sure it was worth it? If you were worth it?"

After a pause, he blinked a few times and cocked his head to the side. "What? I never asked you to do any of that."

Silence occupied the space between her ears as she opened and closed her mouth a few times until thoughts rushed in all at once. Slowly, her hoof lowered to the floor. That was true—"But..." A wife of a high-ranking officer had to be—"I..." If she were a nopony, then it would reflect poorly on him! "You—"

"Couldn't care less about that sort of thing?"

Her brow furrowed. "But, a proper wife—"

He stared at her. "According to who?"

An embarrassed heat filled her cheeks and at that moment, she wanted to fall to the ground and wail over the suddenly wasted time. Instead, she just looked away to try to hide her face. "O-okay, fine, your point is taken! But it doesn't change the fact that I did them because I felt you were worth the effort! I have no intention of giving up on you, and you... Well, you'll just have to be careful."

The serious tone returned to his voice. "If I have to give up my life to do my job, then I'm going to, Crystal. You have to understand that."

"Understand?" She looked back at him, her embarrassment replaced by a soft melancholy. One hoof raised to rest on his chest, over his heart. "I'm not sure I can, but at the least, I can accept it. Just, please, don't put yourself in unnecessary risk, all right? There's no reason to do that, right? You don't have to go out there and look for death if it's not looking for you."

He shook his head. "No, you're right, I don't have to."

"Then don't." She smiled up at him. "Just do what you have to do and somewhere in there, think about coming home to me. Okay?"

He gazed at her for a moment, then asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Now quit asking!" She lifted her hoof from his chest to lightly tap him on the nose. "If I change my mind, I'll let you know, not the other way around!"

"All right." He bobbed his head in a light nod that slowly petered out until he tilted his head and furrowed his brow. "I'm sorry, but why did you think going to all those events was a good idea? I'd have much rather had you around."

A heavy sigh escaped her and she clenched her eyes shut as she shook her head. Any other officer and it would have been expected. Her stallion wasn't any other officer, though, and she should have remembered that. "I was just assuming things," she muttered. "I'll happily stop going. That will make things easier with your schedule, and it will give me more time to write."

"Yeah, and once my ponies are well, I'll try harder to keep some regular hours so you know when I'll be home."

"That sounds good," she whispered, suddenly exhausted. Feeling so many things all at once left her drained. Her head bobbed before she rested it against his and closed her eyes. "I just want to get married, live happily ever after, and be together forever."

Silent chuckled. One of his hooves shifted to rest over hers and gave it a squeeze. "Actually, I think all the real work starts after marriage."

"Probably." She gave a soft, breathless laugh. "But first we have to get that far."

Her head bobbed as he nodded his own. "Yeah." His hoof trailed up her leg and he said, "Okay, then. So set a date. If you're so determined to marry me, then let's just get married already."

"What?" She tilted her head back to peer up at him. "Are you serious?"

"Of course. Go get a calendar, pick a date, and start planning." He smiled.

Just like that? She gawked at him in silence, but slowly, the idea sounded better and better until she nodded with certainty. "All right. I'll start planning. For real this time, not just for fun with Velvet."

"Good." He leaned in to kiss her cheek. "You'll have to let me know how that goes."

"What do you mean, let you know?" One brow arched and her ears flicked. "Where do you plan to be?"

He sighed and wrapped his foreleg around her neck to pull her closer. "Unfortunately, Haven, again. We can talk about that another time, though. Why don't you tell me about your dream wedding so I know what to expect?"

Her dream wedding? Well, she had thought about it a few times, certainly, but what if he didn't like her ideas? She tried to giggle the fear away and snuggled against him. "Well." She sighed wistfully. "I've always wanted to get married in a rose garden."

"A rose garden?" He stroked his hoof along her back. "Are there even any in Canterlot?"

"Shh!" She nipped at his neck. "This is a dream wedding! They don't have to be practical."

"All right, all right." He chuckled. "I'm listening."

After a cautious pause, she continued in a soft voice, "Just imagine a beautiful rose garden, with a string quartet playing... All of our friends and family sitting in pretty little white chairs in front of a pretty white arch. Maybe there's roses on it, too! And they change songs, and everypony rises, and you turn and down the aisle you see me. Our eyes meet, and a breeze carries rose petals through the air. It would be so magical..."

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Making Decisions
Companion Secrets Chapter: Commitment?

Best of Intentions

The door to the condo opened much too abruptly for Crystal to have time to properly react. Velvet watched from the doorway as Crystal flailed her forelegs in a vain attempt to stop the pages she had strewn across the floor from flying away at the sudden gust of air.

When the initial panic dissipated, Crystal caught the papers in her magic and shot the grinning Velvet a glare. "You could knock first!"

Velvet grinned wider. "I live here!"

"Is that so!" Crystal huffed while she tried to sort the papers between story notes and wedding ideas. "Well, lately, you certainly could have fooled me."

The hairs around Velvet's neck and shoulders bristled as she snapped, "Hey! You're the one who convinced me to join this company. They're a lot more serious than the Canterlot Ballet. But, you know, work hard, play hard, right?" She snorted. "I've been doing both, so, yeah, I've been gone, but I'm still gonna let myself in like I live here."

Crystal finished putting the last paper in its proper stack and sighed. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I am happy to see you. I'm just so distracted right now." She glanced up at Velvet with a shy smile. "We've set a date."

That seemed to pull Velvet right out of her little fit. "What?!" Her ears perked straight up and her eyes went wide. "Seriously? When?"

"Two weeks before Hearth's Warming." Crystal giggled when Velvet gasped. "I know!"

Velvet hopped from one hoof to the other, a grin spreading across her lips. "Crystal, that's just four months away! Oh my gosh, you're getting married in four months!" She paused, then relaxed her posture as her head cocked to the side. "Why so soon?"

Crystal twiddled her hooves while heat filled her cheeks and she mumbled, "So we can go on our honeymoon for Hearth's Warming and start the new year together as husband and wife. Like a new chapter in our story. Or the ending of this one and the start of the sequel, I don't know, but it's—"

"Sickeningly cute and totally appropriate for you, jeeze." Velvet laughed and waved a hoof. "Okay, so what can I help with?"

After taking a breath, holding it, and slowly exhaling, Crystal smiled up at her. "We had fun when you got me spun up about it a few months ago, but it's time to be serious. I need to schedule time with your parents to talk about the cake. I am going to go by the palace this afternoon to meet with Raven and then Willow." Her ears wiggled as she added, "Luna wants to throw a wedding shower, but thankfully all I have to do is nod and smile, because Luna and Willow are working on the arrangements."

Velvet nodded slowly. "That all sounds great, but what can I do?"

"Well, for starters, I don't know if we formally discussed the matter of my bridesmares."

"Uh-huh," Velvet said, eyeing her with playful suspicion. "What about it?"

Crystal giggled. "You are, without a doubt, my mare of honor, of course."

Velvet stuck her nose in the air. "Of course."

"I don't know how many groomstallions Silent plans to have. I presume Winterspear will be his best mare. It's safe to assume Runic will be one of his groomstallions. Perhaps Iridescence, as well? I'm not sure, but he'll have two for certain." Crystal tapped her hoof idly against the floor. "Obviously, I would ask Horsey to be my first bridesmare."

"Obviously," Velvet repeated while she started to pace in a circle. "You were in Raven's wedding, too, though. Isn't it, like, customary to return the favor or whatever?"

Crystal bobbed her head. "Raven could be my counterpart for Iridescence. If he asked for a fourth pony, then Painted would be my next choice." She raised a hoof to hide her frown. "Is it sad that I can't imagine who else he would ask?"

Velvet shrugged and sat by the piles, glanced them over to discern which was which, and picked up the top sheet from the wedding stack. "Not really. He's not exactly Mr. Sociable. Hmm, a string quartet? Your parents would probably know somepony for that?"

"Ugh." Crystal dropped her head forward to bury her face against her hooves. "I can't even think about them right now. Especially not my mother."

"What happened this time?" Velvet tossed the paper over her shoulder to replace it with another. "You did a marriage carriage for Horsey's wedding. You can't do one for your own, too."

Crystal paused, then huffed softly. "My mother gave me my grandparents' address."

Velvet's gaze flicked upward in thought while her head bobbed. "Yeah, it would probably be good to get them involved. Your granddad is pretty wealthy, right?"

"Not my father's parents," Crystal corrected, not looking at her.

There was a pause before Velvet jolted upright. "Wait, what?! I didn't know your mother had parents!"

A bubble of laughter escaped Crystal. "Of course she did—er, does! Where do you think she came from?"

"I dunno!" Velvet's brow shot up. "I just kind of assumed there was a garden party in Canterlot and—poof!—she was there. So, like, who are they? What are they like?"

Crystal shook her head. "I have no idea. All I have is their address and that they live in Chicagoat. And that neither of my parents are fond of them."

"So..." Velvet grinned. "Isn't that all the more reason to meet them? The enemy of your enemy and all that?" She lowered her gaze to the paper in her hoof. "Really? A bouquet of just roses?"

"I like roses!" Crystal snapped back, then sighed. "I don't know. If my parents don't like them, that can't bode well, can it?"

Velvet shrugged, tossed the notes, and grabbed a new one. "Oh, my."

Crystal's ears twitched as she leaned over to try to peer at the writing. "What?"

"This is in the wrong pile, unless you intend to turn this wedding into a show." Velvet laughed when the paper was ripped from her hoof and crumpled up, Crystal's face turning bright red.

"Wrong pile!" Crystal squeaked, wrapping her magic around both stacks and lifting them into the air as she stood up. "I can take care of looking through these, thank you very much!"

Velvet snatched a hooffull of papers and bounded to the far side of the living room. "Aw, come on, it's been a while since you went into a writing frenzy!" She grinned at the glare sent her way and looked at the first page. "Seriously, these are all really lovey-dovey and steamy. What did I miss?"

Crystal maintained her glare a moment longer before her expression fell into a shy smile. "We talked. About the things we weren't talking about. He's going to try to keep regular hours when he can help it, and I'm going to stop going to social events."

"What?!" Velvet dropped the pages. "Seriously?! Oh, thank Celestia for that! How was that decided?"

Quietly, Crystal mumbled, "I wasn't aware that he wasn't aware why I was doing it, and when he asked why, I realized that I was making assumptions. All right?"

Velvet laughed and shook her head. "You are hopeless!"

Crystal's magic retrieved the forgotten papers, put them with the rest, and she turned toward her bedroom. "I am not hopeless! At least, not anymore. So there! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a wedding to plan."

"A rose garden?" Raven peered at Crystal over her glasses, then flashed a smile that verged on a smirk. "As you wish."

Crystal blinked. "What? What? No, I was just, we're just talking, Raven."

"Hmm?" Raven's gaze was fixated on her planner, her magic gripping a pencil that scribbled down some notes. "I'm sorry, Crystal. You'll have to speak up. I can't hear you over the sound of your dreams coming true."

"Raven..."

"Let's see, I'm sure if I talk to Princess Celestia, she won't mind approving the changes to the garden area. Temporarily, of course."

Crystal lifted a plaintive hoof. "Raven, stop."

Raven dismissed her with a click of her tongue. "Tut, tut. Crystal, you seem to be forgetting something very important." Her planner snapped shut and she looked up at Crystal with a smile. "If it weren't for you, I likely would never have found Moore. I at least owe you a rose garden for your wedding."

"In four months?" Crystal's brow raised. "In winter?"

"It's just for one day. Both princesses have made special arrangements with the local weather team to bring some sun to the castle grounds in the past. Why not for a wedding?" She stopped where the hall met the entrance to Princess Luna's wing. "And here you are. Willowy is waiting for you in her office. The wing is still being renovated, so mind your step." Her magic brought over a hard hat and set it on Crystal's head. "The hall should be clear of debris, but it doesn't hurt to be safe."

Crystal laughed and looped a foreleg around Raven's neck to pull her in for a hug. "Don't stress yourself over it if the rose garden can't work out. I was honestly just rambling. You're one of the best planners and coordinators I know, so I'm sure whatever you put together will be perfect."

"Oh, it will be." Raven laughed softly, returning the hug with a tight squeeze. "Don't you worry about that. I'll handle everything on the list you gave me, you can count on that!"

"Just try to remember the budget, too!" Crystal teased before turning to trot off into Luna's wing. Things were really coming along in the renovation project to give Luna bigger quarters and an audience chamber of her own, but there was still a ways to go before it was complete. She giggled to herself. The extra ponies roaming about and literal holes in the walls must have been a headache for Silent and the other guards to manage.

After knocking on the door and being called in, Crystal leaned into the office. "Hi, Willow!"

"Hi, hello, take a seat!" Willow waved a hoof, not lifting her gaze from the paperwork in front of her. "Princess Luna is very excited to know what you thought of her ideas regarding the shower."

Crystal giggled. "Honestly, she is the one putting forth the time and effort. Of course I approve of all of her ideas. I'm just honored and flattered that she wants to do that."

Willow blew a few frazzled tresses of her light pink mane out of her face and glanced up at her. "Yes, yes. I'm sure. You're only a friend of hers and marrying her favorite guard." She sighed, dropped her pencil, and leaned back into her seat. "I'm sorry. We're heading to Haven and I'm trying to get everything in order. I really don't like that place..."

"Really? Why is that?" Crystal leaned in, her ears perked with interest. "Silent doesn't talk about it much."

"I suppose that means I shouldn't, either, but oh well." Willow offered a light smile. "It's all inside a mountain, so there's no natural light. The princess spends all her time there in a place I can't go, and the nox ponies there have—well, how to put it—their culture is a little different. Sometimes I wish I could just stay here, but that would be shirking my duties."

Crystal hummed thoughtfully, then giggled and waved a hoof. "Sorry, I'll stay on topic so you can get back to work. The shower. I've brought the guest list that I can think of," she said as she retrieved the folded paper from her satchel. "Luna is, of course, free to add or remove any as she sees fit."

Willow just nodded for a moment. Finally, she smiled. "What sort of food should be served? I don't think that was on the princess's list, but it's important nonetheless. The castle staff will cater, and we have chefs specialized in all types and styles of cuisine."

"What? Oh! Well." She shifted her hooves, her gaze darting away. "Silent is fond of summer vegetables. I like most pasta dishes, myself. But given the time of year, I suppose something seasonally appropriate as well? Sweet rolls and mulled cider?"

Willow's lips wriggled as she struggled against a laugh. "I'm not sure Itailian, sweet rolls, and mulled cider mix at all."

Crystal sighed. "I suppose not. Well, I'm not too picky, and neither is Silent. Perhaps let Luna decide the menu, and ask her to pick her favorite food. She is the host, after all, so she should get to treat herself."

"I'll see what I can do." After a tentative pause, her ears flicked and she tilted her head. "Say, is there anything I can help with for the wedding? I can easily find time in my schedule if so. We are almost done with the final details for the princess's Nightmare Night party, and that aside, I'll have a lot of time on my hooves in Haven."

Crystal hesitated and tapped one hoof against her thigh, her gaze wandering the office before she looked back at Willow. "Do you think your extraordinary ability to manage time would work with seating arrangements?"

Willow shrugged. "I don't know, but I can give it a shot!"

"All right." Crystal nodded and smiled. "I will get started on the guest list for the wedding right away and give it to Raven to send to you, along with the notes on familial strife to mitigate."

"Challenge accepted," Willow said, extending a hoof and continuing as Crystal shook it, "I will devise the optimal seating arrangement for minimal tension between your guests. Or we'll find out I'm no good at it and your reception is a complete disaster." She grinned lightly. "I would estimate the chance at sixty percent right now!"

Crystal laughed, albeit a little strained. "I hope, at least, the sixty is in favor of the former."

Standing outside of her parents' house, Crystal took a deep breath in and slowly released it before she knocked on the door. She counted the passing of seconds in her head and once she reached six, the door opened.

"Oh, darling, hello," Upper Crust said with a light smile. "Please, do come in."

"Hi, Mom." Crystal paused just inside the door to hang her satchel on a hook, wiped her hooves on the mat, and started toward the couch. "Hi, Dad."

Jet Set lowered his newspaper to look up from where he sat in the recliner. "Hello, dear! How are you?"

Crystal flashed him a smile. "I'm fine. Just running around Canterlot trying to get everything in order for the wedding that I can today."

Upper Crust seated herself on the loveseat and peered at Crystal. "Does this mean you have officially set a date, then?"

"Yes, Mom." Crystal shifted on the couch, her gaze flickering between them. "Two weeks before Hearth's Warming."

The eyes and ears of both her parents reacted, going wide and shooting up, respectively. They looked at one another, then back at her.

"Darling, you do realize that's in four months, right?" Upper Crust pawed at the air in her direction. "Is there something you need to tell us? Something that might explain the rush? You can be honest with us, you know."

Jet Set nodded. "It's not completely unheard of these days, after all."

Crystal's smile grew harder to maintain under the weight of their stares. "Dad, Mom, no! I'm not pregnant!" Her mother breathed a sigh of relief. "It's because—well, it's for several reasons, but the most important of which being that we're ready to be married." One of her ears twitched. "Of course, with things being somewhat short notice, a few items on the list are tricky to manage while staying within budget."

Upper Crust blinked. "Within budget? But, darling, we haven't even discussed that."

Crystal blinked back. "Discussed what?"

"The budget, of course." After a moment of awkward silence, Upper Crust chortled behind one hoof. "Oh, my! No! You thought you would pay for this wedding? No, no, no, darling, what a silly notion! You're only going to have one wedding, and you don't want it to be one that you can afford, do you?"

Crystal's gut reaction was to bristle and snap back, and though she was sure her expression gave those feelings away, she did her best to calmly reply, "Well, Mother, what do you suggest instead, then?"

Upper Crust looked over at Jet Set, mirth in her voice as she explained, "Your father and I will pay for everything, of course. It's only proper as the parents of the bride."

Jet Set folded up his newspaper that he had been trying to still give attention, tossed it on the coffee table, and smiled at Crystal. "Sweetheart, you're our only daughter. We only want the very best for you, especially on your special day. Please let us do this?"

The proposal tore her feelings in twain and she just stared at them for a quiet few moments. Control of the budget implied control of the wedding, but a bigger budget meant a bigger wedding. Did she really need the extra bits, though? Wasn't what she planned good enough for them? Her ears slowly folded back. A wedding at the castle did generally imply the kitchen there would cater, but that was financially out of reach, unless—

"All right." Crystal swallowed and forced a smile. "I suppose that is how it is normally done, isn't it? Who am I to say no to tradition?"

Upper Crust clapped her hooves together. "Wonderful! Now, tell me what you've already done so we can decide if it would be better to reconsider your choices made under a tight budget. You want this to be perfect, don't you?"

Judging by the look in her mother's eyes and the irritation rising in her chest, Crystal was certain she had just made a deal that she was most definitely going to regret.

Slice of Another Life

"So, since your mom is paying for everything, does that mean I can invite Nightingale?" Velvet peered over Crystal's shoulder while the mare worked on the guest list.

Crystal's ears twitched and she tilted her head back to look up at her. "What? Of course! Even if my mother weren't paying that would be fine." The quill floating in her magic wrote down the name. "Do you want to invite any of your other friends?"

Velvet paused. Her gaze darted away and her lips pursed in thought before she shook her head. "Nah. I'm sure Azurite will be there, right? I mean, she is a guard. Kind of." She paused again, then added, "Are all the guards going to be there?"

"I'm not sure. I haven't yet had a chance to talk to Silent about it." She eyed Velvet a moment. "Do you want me to write down Azurite's name just in case?"

"Yeah... Yeah, if you don't mind? She's a lot of fun. Plus, I think she'd be really upset if she weren't invited. Oh, wait, if we invite her, then we have to invite her partners."

"Partners?" Crystal squeaked. "What happened to Sunny?"

"Huh? They all got back together, you knew that." Velvet started to pace, her ears wiggling. "Anyway, Silent and Sunny work together, so I can't imagine he wouldn't invite her."

"Slow down just a second! Work together?" Crystal's eyes went wide. "Her Sunny is the Lieutenant Sunny?"

"Yeah, her. Soarin, though. Soarin, yeah, we'll need to add him."

Crystal gave an unrestrained, full-on gawk. "The vice commander of the Wonderbolts?"

Velvet shot her a sidelong glance. "Yeah. Sunny and Soarin. Add their names to the list."

Crystal did no such thing. Her attention was, instead, fixated on processing the new information. "Are we talking about the same Azurite?"

"Yes!" Velvet tossed her head back in a bark of laughter. "Little Azurite wrangled herself two pretty important ponies, it's crazy, I know!"

"She—two—three—" Crystal sputtered. She looked down at the list, then back up at Velvet. "Does she—well, are they—" After a quick shake of her head and a clearing of her throat, she said, "I-I suppose it's not entirely unheard of, three ponies in a relationship together, I just, well, I've never actually known a pony who was!"

The amusement in Velvet's expression faded while her ears folded back. "You don't have a problem with it, do you?"

"A problem with it?" Crystal waved a hoof. "No! If they all love each other and they're happy together, then of course I don't! I just can't fathom being in a relationship like that myself."

Silence held them for a moment, tense and thick in the air, until Velvet nodded. "Great! So add them to the list. Or—actually, you know what?" Her lips curled into a grin. "Send it Azurite plus two. It'll be funnier that way."

Crystal stared at the list sitting in front of her. "You want me to invite the lieutenant of Princess Celestia's House Guard and the vice commander of the Wonderbolts as pluses? Won't that be insulting?"

"No way, they have a sense of humor! It'll be funny!"

"I'm not so sure," Crystal murmured, then looked back up. "Do you have any extended family you want to invite?"

Velvet tilted her head. "You mean, my parents' parents and siblings? Yeah! We haven't all gotten together in, like... in years!"

Crystal rose to her hooves slowly, stretching out each leg, groaning when her back popped and then shaking out her coat for good measure. "Write them down while I get started on dinner." She walked into the kitchen. "Your mom's parents are the ones that make the banana nut bread every year for Hearth's Warming gifts, right?"

"What? No, those are my dad's parents, d'uh." Velvet stared at the quill while her brow knitted. "My mom's parents are the ones that made that inedible fruit cake that we threw off the side of Canterlot after you got drunk on eggnog."

Crystal's ears folded back and she winced. "Oh, right, yes. The ones who can't cook."

Velvet snorted. She paused to awkwardly take the quill between both of her forehooves and wrote out a few names with slow, careful effort. "Don't be like that," she finally said. "Nanny could crochet your mom's tail into anything you wanted when she wasn't looking. It wouldn't be hard to convince her!"

Crystal laughed softly while her magic worked to hollow out a squash. "Are you just another face in a long line of rapscallions?"

"Yup!" Velvet dropped the quill. "It's in my blood!"

"Is it just the mares, or do I need to worry for Red's future?" Crystal glanced over with a light grin.

Velvet cocked her head, ears flopping. "That's a good question. Pappy is pretty laid back, so I guess it's just the mares."

Crystal giggled. "Good. I prefer him cute and innocent. I—"

After a click of the lock, the door opened and Silent walked in. "I'm home," he said, then paused to look at Velvet, blinking a few times. "Hi, Velvet."

"Well, well, well!" Velvet rose to her hooves. "Look who is on time for dinner!"

Silent raised his brow. "I could say the same to you. Are you staying to join us tonight? You don't have some where else to be?"

Crystal watched quietly from the kitchen as Velvet gave an exaggerated huff and retorted, "What, are you trying to kick me out?"

"Not at all." He shook his head. "I just don't see you much lately. I would be happy if you had dinner with us."

Velvet's ears wiggled. "Sure you would. I think you should go back to work. You're totally cutting into my time with Crystal! She was mine first, you know!"

Silent laughed. "Mm, I will first thing in the morning." He winked and started to remove his armor. "I'll be leaving for Haven for a while, so she'll be all yours again. I just want to spend some time with her before then." There was a pause, then he added with a light grin, "You might want to watch your jealousy though. Green isn't a good color for you."

"Oh yeah? Wanna fight about it?"

Crystal looked over to see Velvet backing up onto the couch, never giving her back to Silent, her eyes narrowed.

Silent raised his brow. After some thought, he chuckled and replied, "Bring it, tiny dancer!"

After a small wiggle of her rump, Velvet sprung into the air and landed on Silent's back. He blinked a few times and turned his head to look at her, but otherwise didn't offer much of a reaction to the small addition of weight. Velvet wrapped her legs around him to brace for an impact with the floor that never came, then blinked and said, "What? You were supposed to fall over."

Silent crossed the living room while she tried to tug him off course. "Sorry, but you don't weigh nearly enough."

Velvet leaned to the right and tugged with all her might, then jerked to the left, but he just kept walking. "Seriously, what in Equestria are you made out of?!" she cried, giving up her struggle and slumping against his neck.

"Steel and vinegar," he replied with a curt nod.

Crystal looked between the two of them, giggling behind a hoof. At that moment, she couldn't be more grateful for what she had: a healthy stallion, a spunky friend, and an idea for a scene with Charlie and his son. It would be great, so long as Velvet never found out that she was the inspiration for her character's foal.

A hoof drew a line down her back and pulled her out of the haze of sleep. She shivered at the sensation and blinked one eye open, shortly followed by the other. Silent smiled down at her and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "Morning, beautiful."

"Mm." She ducked her head to hide a wide yawn, then nestled closer to him. "Morning."

"What, no 'beautiful' for me?" He placed his muzzle behind her ear and blew a soft puff of air against the sensitive area. "Rude!"

She giggled, one ear flicking to slap against his face. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Good morning, beautiful." She nipped at his neck. "Now stop!"

"Thank you." He leaned back down and watched her as she shifted to rest her head against his chest. "Unfortunately, you know what today is."

A sigh escaped her as she nodded. "Yes..." She shivered when his hoof stroked her back, all of her nerves lighting up from the touch. "Are you sure you have to go?"

"I'm sure." His chest reverberated against her ear with the sound of his voice, rising and falling with every steady breath. "I've got another session with Mindful Soul, and then I need to pick up the princess and alpha squad so we can escort her to Haven."

Another sigh. She traced a circle against his stomach with the tip of her hoof. "How long will you be gone this time?"

"Only two weeks," he assured in a soft voice. "I need to get the new sergeant settled there. Then I'll send Iridescence to take my place." His hoof trailed down and patted her flank, chuckling when she sucked in a squeaky breath. "Then we can get serious about kicking this wedding into gear."

Crystal wriggled to put her face in his and winked. "Oh, sweetheart, that's sweet, but it already is in gear. The wedding is right around the corner! What do you think I've been doing these past few days?"

"I see. Well, good, then." He grinned lopsidedly. "So, be honest. Are we going to have to move into base housing to survive the financial fallout of this wedding?"

She huffed and poked his cheek in the lightest of slaps. "No! My parents are going to pay for it."

His ears perked. "Are they really? That's a surprise."

"Oh," she managed through a muffled giggle, "don't say it like that."

He shrugged. "I won't now." He shifted to roll her onto her back, put his weight onto her, and placed several featherlight kisses along her neck and chest, then nuzzled her cheek. "I'm sorry, beautiful, but I have to go now." She felt him grin. "Try not to get Velvet too worked up, but if I do come home to find you two in bed together, I'll accept it."

"What!" She huffed and squirmed against him. "Oh, if that happens, it will be because sisters have sleepovers from time to time. It'll have nothing to do with your... your perverted stallion's dream!"

He pulled back to look down at her with one brow raised. "I'm not perverted. She is the one who attacked me to fight over you last night."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "If she had actually attacked you, your instincts would have kicked in. All she did was try to assert her dominance and failed." She puffed her chest. "Unlike me."

"Unlike you, huh?" His ears wiggled. "And when did you succeed?"

Her chest remained full of prideful air. "Why, just the other day."

"Mmhm. No, I seem to recall I got my armor back and went to work."

She gasped and lightly snapped back, "You were late, though!"

One of his hooves moved to press against the center of her chest. "All right, then, Miss Dominant. Get up."

"I will!" She urged her upper half to lean up, but his hoof remained firm. Her nose scrunched and she tried leaning to the side; she barely moved an inch. Glaring up at him, she tried to wiggle down, then pushed her hind legs against the bed to slide up.

With every attempt, his hoof remained unmoved and vigil. He just grinned as he watched her struggle.

Finally, she clamped her forehooves down on either side of his and pushed, pulled, tugged, and otherwise exerted every direction of force she could until she groaned and went limp. "Oh, all right, fine. You win. You're the biggest pony."

"That's right." He leaned down and kissed her softly, then said as he pulled back, "And biggest pony would like to share a shower with his mare before he has to leave for two weeks."

She giggled and chirped, "Second biggest pony is most definitely okay with that idea!"

"Great. I'll get the shower warmed up."

She watched him as he slid off the bed and walked over to the door that led to the shared bathroom, then slowly she closed her eyes and sighed. While he was gone, she was going to have some free time on her hooves, and there was one thing she needed to do sooner rather than later: meet her grandparents, even though the idea scared her.

After a quick shake of her head to clear it, she pranced her way into the shower. "Ready for some company?"

Silent's head peeked out around the curtain. "Always."

Carefully, she stepped into the tub to fill the remaining space. The combination shower-tub was not designed for two ponies, and certainly not prepared for one of those ponies to be a big, strong, muscular stallion. Neither of them complained about the result of having to stand in very close quarters, of course.

Her shoulder pressed to his flank, she flicked her tail against his chest while hot water poured down on them from above. "So, Velvet would like to invite Lieutenant Sunny and Vice Commander Soarin."

"Oh?" His muscles tensed and relaxed as he inclined his head to look back at her. "I already planned for Sunny to be on the list. Soarin, too."

"The thing is," she said, pausing to wriggle herself into turning around so that they stood shoulder-to-shoulder, "she would like them invited as the pluses to A—" Her ears shot up. That was still a secret! "—another pony. Apparently they are—close friends with somepony she knows and she thinks it would be funny if that friend brought them as their pluses."

Silent was silent for a moment. He just scrubbed his mane with one hoof to massage shampoo into it until he looked at her with a light grin. "I think I know who she's talking about. She's right. That would be pretty amusing. Yeah, let's do that."

"Great!" She shifted her weight to her hind legs and crossed her forelegs over his rump to keep herself upright and free up some room. "Now, let me get under your wings, dear." Her magic brought over a bath brush and, once he held out his wings, gently scrubbed soap into the coat on his sides.

A small, satisfied groan rumbled in his throat and she giggled. This was the good life.

In some ways, Chicagoat reminded Crystal of Manehattan. It had the same tall buildings that shimmered in the light and towered way above her, but there was one key difference that immediately stood out to her. While Manehattan was a hornet's nest of busy workers rushing to and fro, Chicagoat felt like a refuge for those that wanted the small town feel in a big city.

The buildings that were made from brick or wood boasted colorful murals on their sides, and at one street corner there was a band of musicians playing smooth jazz for tips. Ponies didn't seem to be in any particular hurry to get anywhere, which made it much easier for Crystal to roam the city searching for a distraction from her sudden indecision.

She had lived her life without ever knowing them, and it wasn't as if they had made an effort to meet her. Why was she there, then? Why didn't she just go home and work on planning her wedding?

Because she had to know, of course. She sighed and looked at her current surroundings; she had wandered her way into a large park that featured several interesting architectural features. In front of her sat a large, bean-shaped metallic structure that captured the city's skyline like a snowglobe. A beanglobe? She tilted her head one way, then the other. Yes, a beanglobe.

Finally, she put her mind back on the task at hoof and went to the main street to flag down a taxi. She flashed a smile at the stallion who pulled up to the curb. "Hello! Could you take me to 2324 Haylor Street, please?"

"Yes, ma'am!" The stallion tipped his hat and, once Crystal had boarded the cart behind him, he trotted forward. "What brings ya by there, business or pleasure?"

Crystal blinked and fidgeted, her gaze wandering to look at the buildings that rolled by. "A bit of both, I suppose."

The stallion just chuckled and kept up the brisk and steady pace. When they crossed over a bridge, the scenery changed almost drastically. Two- and three-story homes rose up along the sides of the streets in long chains with no separation until the next road met with Haylor Street. Trees were planted at every interval to be between the buildings, out of the way of doors and signs.

Brick seemed to be the common material, though the varying colors used kept one storefront distinct from its neighbors. They were all of different styles, too; the whole street seemed to be a quilt of all sorts of fabrics, no two alike.

"All right, ma'am," the driver said as he came to a stop. "Have a good time in Liddle Itaily! 'At'll be five bits, if ya please."

Crystal blinked and focused her gaze on the building in front of them. "I'm sorry, is this the right place?"

He nodded. "2324, ma'am!"

She squinted to read the numbers on the door, then slowly lifted her head to peer at the sign.

Papa Pizza's.

"So it is," she said with uncertainty seeping into her voice while she floated the bits—plus tip, of course—out of her satchel and stepped onto the sidewalk. "Thank you, sir!"

He chimed some polite response, but she didn't hear it. Her attention was firmly planted on what was, without any shadow of a doubt, a pizza parlor.

Her tail flicked, then she smiled and almost laughed. Of course! It was so obvious. They had to have moved. After all, how would her mother be current on their address if they were estranged?

Before she could make up her mind on her next step, the door opened and an older stallion of rotund frame stuck his head out.

"Sorry, signorina, but we're closed today. But if ya want, eh, I can fetch a breadstick for you?" He offered a soft smile. "Ya look 'ungry."

Crystal shook her head. "Oh, no, it's all right. I actually was just looking for somepony who used to live here, but I guess they've moved away."

He tilted his head. "Moved away? From 'ere?" He gave a full-bellied laugh. "Then you're looking for us, because nopony moved away from 'ere! Papa Pizza's been 'ere longer than I've been Papa Pizza!" With a wink and a wave of his hoof, he gestured her inside. "Come on in, you're just in time for dinner!"

"What? I—"

'Papa Pizza' hooked his foreleg with hers and tugged her inside as he bellowed, "Fior! We've got company for dinner!"

Crystal's mouth flapped uselessly as she was guided through the empty restaurant and toward a set of stairs. The space was dimly lit and the chairs were upturned to sit on the tables, but a warm glow poured down through the open door above.

A mare's voice, light and sweet and airy, called back, "Grab a chair on your way up!"

"Sì, sì!" Wrapped in a yellow-orange glow, a chair followed behind them and the stallion winked down at her. "It will be nice to have some company for dinner, no? Things can get a little stale when it is always just me, Fior, and the kids."

Crystal could only nod and smile. Her brain had already shut down while her hooves moved on auto pilot just to keep from being dragged.

When they reached the top of the stairs and turned into what seemed to be a dining room, Crystal squeaked in surprise.

Fourteen ponies—all unicorns save for one pegasus, two earth ponies, and a sleeping foal—were crammed around one long table. Thirteen pairs of eyes turned on her; thirteen faces offered smiles and grins; thirteen voices chimed cheerful greetings.

What in the hay was going on?

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Turning It Around

In Bocca al Lupo

"'Ey, who's this filly?" one of the older stallions at the table asked, his foreleg around the chocolate-and-cream-colored mare beside him.

Another stallion of a slim and slender build snickered. "Pick up another stray off the streets, eh?"

Papa Pizza laughed loud and proud. "Why, you two, I outta!" He shook a hoof in their direction and laughter broke out across the table. "She isn't a stray! She was lookin' for us!"

"Really?" A mare, who was somewhere between brown and orange with a shock of white mane twisted in a braid, tilted her head. "Who is she?"

Crystal opened her mouth to speak, but Papa Pizza said over her, "Manners, eh? If a pony's at our table that makes 'em family!" He ushered Crystal into a seat and took his at the head of the table. "Now, speakin' of those manners, let's introduce ourselves, a'right?" He offered a smile that threatened to stretch wider than his bushy mustache. "I'm Pizzaiolo, padre to some of these rascals, nonno to most of 'em, and—would you believe it, eh?—bisnonno to that little sleepin' one over in Biscotti's lap."

He pointed at the mare who Crystal could only assume was Biscotti and she smiled. "Oh, he's adora—"

"Let's start there, okay?" Pizzaiolo drummed his hooves on the table. "So, Biscotti is the wife to San Marzono, the son of my eldest, Cheesy Crust. That's the smart mouth saccente over there with 'is sweet wife, Cannoli. The sleepin' foal is my precious pronipote, Breadstick."

Cheesy Crust? Crystal's eyes widened. So, then, this really was her family? A hoof raised to cover her mouth when it fell open at the realization that followed. Her mother's name was a reference to... pizza?!

The stallion who had first spoken waved his free hoof, the other still holding the mare lovingly to his side. "How you doin'?"

Pizzaiolo winked. "Most of my bambini keep it Itailian, you know? 'Cept for Pretzi, hah!" He gestured at the mare with the white braid. "Pretzel Crust, eh, she's probably about your age. Must be somethin' about your generation. Whisperwind is the oddball of the family, no Itailian blood to speak of, if 'e ever spoke."

Laughter broke out across the table while the pegasus sitting at Pretzi's side ducked his head. Pretzi put a comforting hoof on his and offered him a small smile, which he returned, then she glared at her father.

"I—" Whisperwind started to say, but was verbally bowled over.

"You'd think bein' in this family, the colt'd pick up a word or two." Pizzaiolo turned his gaze on the young filly in Pretzi's lap. "But that's all right, 'e treats Pretzi right, and they got sweet little Foccacia to speak for 'im."

Crystal just nodded and did her best to keep track of the ponies. So far, she had two uncles, two aunts, three cousins, and... a cousin once removed?

"Now," Pizzaiolo continued, "back to Cheesy's kids. So we covered San Marzono. Can't skip over Margherita and Marinara. Marge, Mari, give a wave, will ya?"

Two more cousins! A mare of various red hues and another of red, white, and green waved at Crystal. She put on her best smile and waved back with barely enough time to open her mouth when plates wrapped in magic levitated over and onto the table like a gentle rain of food. There were breadsticks, garlic knots, three different types of pasta, a giant bowl of minestrone soup, and an oversized pizza divided into four quarters.

Crystal's eyes went wide as she looked over the spread. "Oh, wow, this—"

"And this will be la mia bellissima moglie, Fior di Latte, Mama Fior." Pizzaiolo inclined his head to smile at the tall, lithe mare who walked into the room with a pitcher of water and a few bottles of wine floating along behind her. "Ciao, amore mio."

"Mi scusi," several voices exclaimed while magic and the occasional hoof went wild, filling up the individual, personal plates from all the serving dishes.

Fior's light red magic pulled the cork out of one of the wine bottles and she started to fill the glasses, her eyes of the same color fixed on Crystal. "And who is our guest? She looks... fame."

A general murmur of consensus went around the room and Crystal found her plate suddenly full of a bit of everything.

"We're getting there, we're getting there," Pizzaiolo said, chuckling softly as he waved his hoof. "Now, who's left, eh?" His gaze sweeping across the table.

Two stallions raised their hooves, the foals in their laps bouncing up and down. One of them, a shocking combination of purple and orange, nearly jumped onto the table as she exclaimed, "Don't forget us, Nonno!"

Pizzaiolo laughed and slapped his knee. "Sì, sì! My other son, Thin Crust."

The slim and slender stallion bobbed his head, the voluminous curls of his mane exaggerating the movement. "And my husband, Flatbread."

"Ciao," the stallion sitting beside Thin Crust smiled. He lifted the filly in his lap and added, "This is Calzone, but we just call her Cal."

"And my name's Deep Dish!" The colt puffed out his chest. His dark brown, almost black mane had a streak of yellow running through it; neither he nor his sister resembled any of the other family members.

Thin Crust gave a knowing smile and winked as he said, "Yes, they're adopted."

Crystal flushed lightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sta—"

"But enough about us!" Pizzaiolo clapped his hooves and turned his head toward Crystal. All the eyes in the room followed suit. "Who are you, cara?"

"What?" Crystal blinked, her eyes wide as she looked at all of them. "Wait, what? Why would you give me all of that introductions if you didn't know who I was?"

Cheesy Crust shrugged. "Why wouldn't you get to know a pony you're going to eat with? Or, in this case, sixteen ponies?"

A chorus of giggles and snickers agreed with him.

"But, I—" Crystal furrowed her brow, then tried to smile. She took a breath and said after searching for the right words, "My name is Crystal Wishes, and my mother is Upper Crust."

The whole room seemed to freeze. Not even a crumb fell from a raised breadstick. Every pony just stared at her, save for Pretzi, who tilted her head and asked, "Who's Upper Cru—"

Thin Crust slapped a hoof over her mouth. "Shh," he murmured when she gave a muffled complaint at being forcefully silenced.

Crystal's ears folded back as her aunts, uncles, and cousins started to rise from their chairs and shuffled out of the room. Her heart pounded against her ribs with sudden anxiety. "I-I'm sorry."

The door shut behind the last pony to leave, trapping her with Pizzaiolo and Fior, both of whom were staring at one another with unreadable expressions.

Crystal swallowed. "I—"

"So," Fior started, one brow raised, "is your father Jet Set? Or, by any chance, did she marry somepony else?"

"M-my father is Jet Set, ma'am." Crystal nodded meekly, uncertainly.

"Figlio di puttana," Pizzaiolo spat and folded his forelegs over his chest. "So, then, what do ya want? What are you after?"

"After?" Crystal squeaked. She shook her head and waved her hooves in a hurried, frantic movement. "Nothing! I just, well, she gave me your address, and..." Her ears drooped. "I wanted to meet my grandparents."

Another long, tense moment of silence held them until Fior broke it with a soft laugh. "Would you look at that!" She pushed back a strand of her short-cropped mane that had strayed into her face. "She sent 'er daughter into the mouth of the wolf."

Pizzaiolo leaned back into his seat and drummed his hooves idly on his stomach. "And without a clue, it seems. Guess our figlia 'asn't changed much, eh?"

Pretzi's voice shrieked from the other side of the door, "I have a sister?!"

"Hmm." Fior paused to look at the door with a stern glare, then returned her gaze to Crystal. "I suppose, then, she never told you about her family and why we disowned her."

"No, ma'am." Crystal shook her head.

"Please, call me Nonna." Fior smiled softly. "It's not your fault your mother decided to cast aside her family." She sighed and looked to her husband as she rose to her hooves. "Tesoro, I'm going to scold the children for sitting outside the door like piccole spie."

Pizzaiolo bobbed his head. "Sì, sì." After Fior had left the room and the door shut behind her with the sound of stallions laughing and mares squealing at her arrival, he let out a long sigh and slumped in his seat. "Never thought this day would come." He offered a small smile to Crystal. "I thought when we left Canterlot, that was that."

Crystal twiddled her hooves, trying to not look as nervous as she felt. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come. I didn't mean to resurface old wounds."

"Old wounds? Ahah! You think we'd be mad at gettin' to meet a pretty little nipotina? It's just a shock, you know? It's been over twenty years since we left Canterlot."

Crystal hesitated a moment before she leaned in toward him and asked, "Could you please tell me what happened?"

Pizzaiolo didn't answer for a while. Instead, he just looked around the dining room, the walls of which featured nigh countless pictures of the family over the years. Crystal followed his gaze and while she waited for him to reply, noted that none of them featured a pony she'd recognize as a younger Upper Crust.

"I moved the family to Canterlot to try expanding the family business," Pizzaiolo said into the silence. "Back when my padre was still Papa Pizza. I was very eager, you know? Too eager. Ready to become Papa Pizza." He sighed and shook his head. "I didn't know a thing about Canterlot. Fior, Cheesy, and I were downright miserable. Canterlot wasn't for us. But I was stubborn, determined to make it work, because I had moved us."

He tilted his head back to look at the ceiling. "We had Upper Crust there. The name seemed funny, you know? Upper Crust. It seemed fitting." His lips curled beneath his mustache into a deep frown. "Too fitting, I guess, because she was... different. Different from Cheesy and from us. Nothin' we ever did was good 'nough for 'er."

Crystal tried not to snort. That sounded familiar.

"When she started goin' to the academy, she got the hots for some colt. Jet Set. The pigliainculo who never worked a day in 'is life. Parents just gave 'im everything. Bet those 'ooves don't got one single mark on 'em!" He sneered, jerked his head to the side, and continued in a bitter mutter, "We tried to talk Uppsy out of it, but she wouldn't listen to a word we said. Told us it was 'er chance for a life we denied 'er and threatened to leave the house."

Pizzaiolo sighed, turning to look at her with a serious expression. "By that time, we'd had Thinsy and Pretzi. Learned our mistake with naming Uppsy the way we did, so we kept 'em closer to the family tradition. They wanted to move back to Chicagoat to be with their nonni, away from the pozzo nero that is Canterlot."

When he paused, Crystal pressed, "And?"

"We told Uppsy to pack 'er things. She refused." He glared at the table of food gone cold. "We told 'er family didn't leave family behind, and definitely not when it meant them livin' a vita di merda. She could've had more. Met a good, 'ard-workin' stallion with sweat on 'is 'ooves, to take care of 'er proper. But she was determined. Told us to leave without 'er, that she didn't want to be part of no 'low class' family."

Crystal could only nod as a strange combination of realization, understanding, and guilt swirled around her chest while too many thoughts buzzed around her head. Did her mother send her in an attempt to open her eyes? To make Crystal understand her side of things? Or was she completely unaware of the similarities between them?

Pizzaiolo shrugged. "So, we left. Told 'er she was on 'er own. If she didn't want to be a part of our family, then we didn't want 'er in it. That was the last we ever saw of 'er."

"But she's—she's your daughter!" Crystal furrowed her brow. "In all these years, you've never tried to find out if she were okay? Never wrote a letter?"

"Why should we make an effort for a pony who never did the same for us?" He glared at her.

"Because..." Crystal's ears drooped and she dropped her gaze to her lap. "Because that's exactly what she said, and it—it just doesn't seem right."

The door creaked open as Fior leaned her cream-colored head in. "Did she really?"

Crystal jolted upright and looked over at her grandmother. "Yes, ma'a—Nohn-na," she corrected with careful enunciation, testing the word before she smiled. "She told me not to come because you two had never done anything for me."

"Well, how could we!" Fior huffed. "She never told us we had a granddughter!"

A few heads poked around the door to peer at her. "So you're Uppsy's daughter?" Cheesy asked. "She still with that cazz—"

Pizzaiolo raised a hoof. "We already covered that, Cheesy. Time we thought about letting it go, eh?" He smiled at Crystal while all the ponies wandered back to their seats. "So, let's try this again. Tell us about yourself, will ya, cara?"

All eyes were on her and she shifted in her seat. "Well, to reiterate, my name is Crystal Wishes. I'm a—well, I'm a—" She held her breath. She had to get used to owning up to who she was if she planned to go through with revealing her identity someday. "I'm an author. A romance novelist, to be specific, actually."

Whisperwind's ears perked. "What—"

"That so?" Pizzaiolo grinned, leaning in toward her, as did the rest of the ponies at the table. "Like what? What've ya written?"

Heat rose to the tips of her ears. "I-I just released my third novel, Her Silent Love." Murmuring went around the table and she waved her hooves. "Any-anyway, I live in Canterlot, as do my parents, Upper Crust and Jet Set."

"'As do'?" Fior raised her brow. "Not 'with'?"

"No, Nonna." Crystal bit her lower lip. "I moved out to live with my best friend, Velvet Step." Another moment of hesitation as she felt the weight of all sixteen stares boring into her. "I suppose I can empathize with the less than positive feelings toward her in that as soon as an opportunity arose to move out, I took it."

Pizzaiolo was the first to laugh, followed by a soft chuckle from Fior and Cheesy's snicker. Pretzi leaned forward and asked, "Why is that so funny? I don't get the joke. Is she really that bad?"

Everypony seemed to wait for Crystal to answer. She sucked in a breath and cautiously explained, "She is a... very particular mare. My whole life she's tried to force me to follow in her hoofsteps." She glanced at Pizzaiolo and Fior—a familiar story. She shifted and continued, "I've resented her for most of it, but we've recently come to a bit of a neutral ground after we fought about my fiancé." Another familiar story.

It was all unsettlingly familiar. A heavy sense of empathy clouded her thoughts as they drifted over all the memories of growing up.

Flatbread's grin was poorly hidden by a hoof. "I was wondering if that ring was for décor... or somethin' more." He laughed when Thin Crust elbowed him in the side. "What? I was!"

Crystal went crosseyed trying to look at her own horn. "Oh, yes, I suppose that is actually why I came here." Her gaze wandered the faces at the table. "My wedding is in three months and I would absolutely love it if you all were there."

"Eh?" Pizzaiolo's smile fell. "You're invitin' us to your wedding? All of us? Ya sure about that, cara?"

"Absolutely!" Crystal puffed her chest with renewed vigor. "Family is family! Don't you agree?" She winked.

Boisterous laughter broke out again and Cheesy waggled a hoof at his father. "She's got ya there, Papa!" He grinned at Crystal. "Oh, you'll fit right in, I can tell."

Pizzaiolo chuckled, shaking his head. "We'll see, we'll see. Not gonna make any promises." He gazed at Crystal with a soft fondness in his eyes. "Tell me, 'ow did a nice, polite mare like you survive livin' in Canterlot ya whole life without gettin' chewed up?"

Crystal paused. She blinked a few times and opened her mouth to reply, but words failed her for a moment. After thinking it over, her lips curled into a smile and she started, "It's simple, actually, I suppose. I would have to thank my mother. She prepared me from a very young age to survive the best and the worst that Canterlot has to offer..."

Bolt from the Blue

"Velvet..." Crystal sighed.

Velvet raised a hoof to stop her and sucked in a wheezing gasp for air before another bout of laughter shook her whole frame. She dropped the hoof back down to clutch her sides and hunched forward as she continued to laugh.

Crystal sighed and looked over at Horsey. The mare had been waiting with Velvet for when Crystal got home and was currently sitting on one of the pillows and giggling behind a hoof. "Since she's out of commission—"

"Crust!" Velvet shrieked in between gasps for air. "Crust!"

"—how have you been?" Crystal smiled.

Horsey's mirth deflated. "Oh." Her ears drooped. "Oh, um, no, it's okay, I think I'm fine with enjoying Velvet's reaction to your story."

Velvet reached out to grab Crystal by the shoulders. "Y-y-your mother... pizza!"

"Yes, Velvet." Crystal frowned at her. "Seriously, it's not that funny."

Horsey giggled. "It kind of is, though."

Crystal held her frown for as long as she could before she cracked a grin. "It really is, isn't it? I never would have imagined in all my life that my mother came from a family of pizza makers!"

After a round of giggling and laughter, Velvet wiped her eyes and looked at Horsey. "Okay, okay, okay. So enough about Crystal's awesome trip of great discoveries. You said you had something to tell us when Crystal got home, and she's home now."

Horsey shrunk back under the weight of their expectant stares. "Oh. Oh, okay, I guess we can talk about it."

"What? What is it?" Velvet leaned in, a grin spreading across her lips.

Horsey breathed in and, instead of an explanation, she merely let out a soft whine. Crystal and Velvet just kept staring, so she was eventually compelled to say, "I'm—I'm pregnant."

Velvet gave a shriek of delight while Crystal's hooves flew to her face and her heart skipped a beat. "What?!" they cried together.

"Horsey, that's wonderful!" Crystal trembled as excitement coursed through her. "You're going to be a mother!"

Velvet bounced on the tips of her hooves. "I'm going to be an aunt!"

The two paused to peer at Velvet before Horsey said, "You two don't understand. I'm very pregnant." Her lower lip trembled. "I-I'm due in four months!"

Velvet's eyes went wide. "Oh my gosh! Why didn't you tell us sooner?!"

"Because I'm so embarrassed! What if ponies do the math?" Horsey buried her face in her hooves.

"The math?" Velvet looked at Crystal as her brow furrowed, who mirrored the confused expression.

Horsey drew a shaky breath as she explained in a tentative whisper, "I got—I got pregnant on—on my wedding night."

Crystal tilted her head. "There's nothing wrong with that, I don't believe?"

There was a pause before Velvet gasped and jabbed Crystal in the side with one hoof. "Crystal! Crystal!"

Crystal winced and glared at her. "What?"

Horsey tried to disappear into the pillow while Velvet exclaimed, "She had two wedding nights!"

"O—ooh!" Crystal laughed and waved a hoof. "Oh, Horsey! You were a married mare! It's not that big of a deal!"

"But what if it is?" Horsey squeaked. "If they do the math, then they'll think that we got married because I got pregnant. If we tell them the truth, then they'll be upset that the wedding was fake!"

Velvet paced a circle around them. "It'll be fine. I mean, worst case, you just own up to it. What are they going to do? Kick you out of town? Seriously? This is Ponyville we're talking about. The ponies there are the nicest in all of Equestria!"

Crystal nodded. "Velvet does have a good point. Besides." She giggled, throwing her hooves in the air. "Who could be upset when they hear that you're having a foal! Nopony's going to sit down and do the math when the little one's born and they see how absolutely adorable and perfect she or he is."

Horsey moved her hooves to glance between them and offered a weak smile. "Do you really think so?" When they both gave emphatic nods, her smile gained strength. "Oh, I really hope you're right. Sav just said it didn't matter what ponies thought, but it does! What if it hurts his business?" The smile fell into a worried frown. "What if they start rumors about us and—"

"Shh." Velvet slapped a hoof over Horsey's mouth. "Stress isn't good for the foal. Think happy thoughts." She grinned. "You do know how to do that, right?"

The corners of Horsey's lips lifted around the hoof and she nodded. "Mmhm."

"Great! So, then, have you two thought of names yet?" Velvet pulled her hoof back to steeple it with its counterpart. "I think High Velvet Wishes would be a totally perfect name."

Horsey burst into a chime of giggles, shaking her head. "I want my foals to have nice, simple, normal names. Not like mine at all. Maybe something Prench... We don't know yet."

"Foals?" Crystal repeated with emphasis. "Are you having twins?!"

"What? Oh, no!" Horsey waved her hooves. "No, no. Just one. For now." A dark red hue showed through her coat. "S-Sav wants, well, more than just one. He wants at least two... I kind of want three..."

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Then name them High, Velvet, and Wishes. It still works!"

Crystal and Horsey looked at each other, shook their heads, and just laughed. Velvet feigned offense for as long as she could before succumbing to laughter herself.

Silent settled into the seat across from Crystal and picked up the menu waiting for him. "It's been a while since you invited me out for lunch during my work hours."

Crystal giggled. "Maybe this is something we should start doing again. Provided you're not too busy to have lunch, of course."

"I can probably make room in my schedule." He wiggled his ears as he looked over the lunch options. "Hmm, have we eaten here before?"

"We have!" She tapped her hooves together. "I doubt you remember, but I invited you to lunch, ah, well over a year ago and we ate here. It was the day before the game night with Princess Luna, where you walked me home"—heat filled her cheeks and rose to the tips of her ears—"and I realized I was falling in love with you."

Silent sat perfectly still, gazing at her with a stoic, unreadable expression until he lowered the menu. "I'm glad this place has a fond memory for you."

Laughter bubbled up from her chest. "You don't remember, do you?"

"I'm sorry." He shook his head. "The place and menu are familiar, but—"

Crystal raised a hoof, smiling. "It's fine. That's why you have me, to remember all of the inconsequential moments that happened that are important to me. Now, before we dive into wedding details, how was your trip?"

"It was fine. Happy to be home... I think. I guess it depends on the wedding details." He flashed a light grin before returning to idly deciding what to eat. "So?"

"Okay!" Crystal leaned back and lifted her gaze to the ceiling. "Well, I have an appointment scheduled with the florist next week and I would very much like for you to be there. I don't know what I want and I'm hoping you can help."

He glanced up to stare at her, one brow raised.

"All right, let me rephrase." She laughed. "I don't know what I want and I'm hoping you being there will prevent me from spending three days standing in a florist shop, frozen with indecision."

"I can stand. I'll even nod and smile. This is your dream wedding, dear, so I won't talk you out of anything." He smiled as he tapped the menu against the table. "Especially since it's on your parents' bit and not mine."

Crystal's ears perked upright. "Oh! Yes. Speaking of dream wedding, well, it appears that I may be getting mine after all."

He tilted his head. "In what way?"

"You know that Raven and I have been friends for a while, right?" She shifted in her seat. "She's arranging for the garden area to be temporarily transformed into a rose garden for the wedding."

"I see." He sat in thoughtful silence for a while, set down his menu for the last time, and chuckled as he shook his head. "You're a lucky mare, aren't you?"

Crystal winked. "I managed to get engaged to a stallion like you, so I would have to agree!" She giggled and raised a hoof to flag down a waiter. "You missed a lot while you were gone. We found out that Horsey is pregnant and that my mother is from a very, very large Itailian family."

Silent blinked a few times before he repeated, "A very large Itailian family? Are we talking about the same mother or do you have another you haven't mentioned before?"

"Same mother! Can you believe it? I found out that I have four uncles, two aunts, and a whole lot of cousins all of a sudden!" She inclined her head, smiling at the stallion who approached their table. "Hello, Rossby!"

Rossby glowered at her, then glanced between the two of them. "Hi. Would you make up your mind on whether or not you're avoiding me or stalking me? This is getting annoying."

Silent furrowed his brow. "What?"

"Don't mind him," Crystal said, waving a dismissive hoof. "He's an old friend with a twisted sense of humor." She returned her smile to Rossby. "How far are you in the series?"

A light red flush spread across Rossby's cheeks and he snapped, "I don't know what you're talking about! Are you going to order something or not?"

Silent's curious expression remained in place while Crystal said, "Of course, of course. I'll have my usual. Silent?"

"Oh. The grilled zucchini, please."

Rossby snatched their menus and started to turn away, but Crystal's magic grabbed his hooves before he could start walking.

"Wait, wait," she said, "before you go, I wanted to give you this." She levitated a folded paper over to him. "It's a list of my recommendations. I thought, perhaps, we could meet every other week to talk about what you've read?"

"Like a... book club or something?" He frowned at her, then took the paper out of her magic. He glanced at Silent, who looked away to stay out of the conversation, then scrunched up his nose. "Sure. Fine. Whatever. Now let me go, or else neither of you are getting anything to eat or drink."

The pink aura dissipated from his hooves and he hurried off toward the kitchen. Silent stared after him before looking across the table. "Should I be worried?"

"Worried? About Rossby?" Crystal laughed, shaking her head. "Absolutely not. He's more like an annoying kid brother than anything else."

"I mean... Doesn't Rossby work at Runic's?" Silent tilted his head. "What is he doing here?"

Crystal nodded. "Oh, he does. He also works here, at Café au Lait, SunBucks, Platinum Salon & Spa, and I think at least one other place. Honestly, I can't keep track. He works a lot for somepony his age."

Silent just blinked a few times, then shrugged and smiled. "All right. Well, then, are there any other wedding developments I should know about?"

Crystal shook her head. "Nothing that I think you care about. I've coordinated the tablecloths, decided on how the napkins should be folded, picked centerpieces, and other things that give you that glazed-over look you're giving me right now."

"Sorry." He chuckled softly and reached across the table to take her hooves in his. "I do care. At least, I care that you care. If that's not enough for you then we have a serious problem."

"Hmm..." She pursed her lips, then giggled and squeezed his hooves. "It'll do for now."

"That's great, because I'm hungry and I don't want to fight right before we eat."

"Oh, is your stomach really all you can think about?" She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout.

"Yup!" He leaned back, withdrawing his hooves to set them on his side of the table. "That's how stallions work, or so my stomach tells me."

Her pout faded as she succumbed to giggling. "I'll keep that in mind and make sure to bake muffins the next time I need a favor from you."

He smiled and winked. "I'm not saying that you have to do that, but I'm also not saying it will hurt your odds."

"Okay, sweetie, you're going to have to slow down!" Crystal laughed as Dot tugged one of her forelegs in a single-minded mission of getting the three of them to the florist as quickly as possible.

Silent trotted alongside them, chuckling. "I don't think she can hear you."

"Flowers, flowers, flowers!" Dot chimed with every hop and skip. "Flower filly's gonna help with flowers, flowers, flowers!"

Crystal shook her head, her mane bouncing and fluttering from all the movement. "I feel so out of shape all of a sudden!"

Silent lengthened his stride to get ahead of Dot and gestured at the sign advertising Leafy's shop. "There it is, Dot. Slow up and take a right!"

Dot nodded and let go of Crystal's leg to jump onto Silent's back. "Take me to the flowers, Silent Knight!"

Without missing a beat, Silent broke into a gallop, skidded to turn himself toward the door, and bounded into the shop. By the time Crystal caught up to them, however, the mood had changed. Dot was still excitedly bouncing around, but Silent seemed paralyzed by the nigh countless types of flowers that suddenly surrounded him.

"Don't worry, this hopefully won't take long," Crystal whispered as she walked past him and toward the counter. "Hi, Leafy Roots!"

The mare glanced up from the flowers she had been arranging and smiled. "Hello. Crystal Wishes and Silent Knight, I presume?"

"That's us!" Crystal shifted her weight to her hind legs and rested her forehooves on the counter.

Dot jumped straight up into the air to peek over the edge. "Hi!"—hop—"I'm here!"—hop—"I'm Dot!"

Leafy blinked a few times. "Oh, um, h-hi?"

"She's the sister of a friend," Crystal quickly explained, glancing between all of their faces. Leafy seemed somewhat uncertain, Dot couldn't stop beaming, and Silent was staring forward with his shoulders squared. How typical of him to resort to his guard stance when out of his element.

"And the flower filly!" Dot squeaked.

"And the flower filly," Crystal repeated.

Leafy's expression lifted into a smile. "Oh, okay, then. We'll, let's start there, okay? Rose petals for the flower filly?"

Crystal chewed her bottom lip. "I suppose I hadn't really thought about that. Are there any other flowers that are typically used?"

"Well," Leafy started, moving over to a book and flipping through the pages, "some brides like to deviate from traditional rose petals and use something more exotic, such as cherry blossoms. Hydrangeas are another popular substitute. Rose petals are the most common, though, of course."

Crystal bobbed her head slightly. "I see... oh!" She reached out to tap on one of the pages before it could be turned. "I like that! Are those white rose petals with writing on them?"

"Yes, ma'am. You can even choose the writing and they'll be custom painted for your wedding, though I think you said yours was in just a few months. It would be expensive but I could put it in for a rush order."

"Mm..." Crystal looked at Silent. He just stared straight ahead. She looked down at Dot. She just kept bouncing around. "Dot?"

The filly stopped moving to look up at her. "Huh? Yeah?"

"What kind of flowers do you want in your basket?" She smiled.

Dot hummed as she stared at the floor in thought, then replied, "I think white rose petals. They'll look the best on green grass. You said it was gonna be in a rose garden, right? Then white rose petals."

Crystal turned her gaze back to Leafy. "You heard the filly. White rose petals, please."

"Do you want the writing on them?" Leafy lifted an order form and waited.

Crystal grumbled with indecision until finally shaking her head. "No, no writing. Plain is fine. It's not as though anypony will be picking them up to read them, right?"

Leafy just shrugged and marked down the selection. "All right, well, moving on to the bouquet, what did you have in mind?"

"Well, you see, as Dot mentioned, the wedding is going to take place in a rose garden. I was told they will be beautiful red roses, which I'm also told is because they are in season during the winter months. I love roses, but I don't want the bouquet to be washed out by the others."

Leafy nodded. "So, no red roses in the bouquet."

"Oh, no, I think I do want red roses." Crystal shifted from one hoof to the other. "Just not that specific kind of red rose. And not solely red—white included as well. Primarily white, actually, I guess? With a splash of red. Do you have different kinds of red roses?"

Leafy blinked a few times. Crystal knew how strange she sounded, but the words weren't coming out right. It didn't help that her heart was fluttering with nerves and Silent was just staring off into space.

Slowly, Leafy turned her gaze to Silent, and he noticed her just enough to offer a shrug in response.

"Well, Miss Wishes," Leafy started, hesitated, and continued, "obviously I don't know what kind of roses are going to be in the garden, so I don't know what red to avoid. But I do have many different pink roses, as well as some light red ones. Or maybe crimson would be better?"

Dot groaned, her enthusiasm seeming to wane. Crystal shifted again. She needed to make a decision before the filly lost interest and Silent fell asleep. "Perhaps, do you have any pictures of bouquets you've done for previous weddings?" She tried to smile. "A visual might help me better show what I'm trying to explain."

Leafy nodded and pushed the small book of flower petals aside to set a much larger one in its place. "Excellent idea, ma'am. I've had the pleasure of arranging the bouquets for numerous weddings, so I know we'll work out exactly what you're looking for."

Silent picked Dot up and set her on his back. She leaned forward to look at the book with Crystal and said, "Thanks, Silent!"

"Yup." Silent's gaze returned forward.

"Now, this bouquet was all red flowers," Leafy explained as she gestured to a page of pictures. "It had a few white ones in it. Are you thinking something like this, but reverse in the ratio?"

Crystal pursed her lips. The bouquet was lovely, but it was missing something. An assortment of just roses seemed to be... well, 'just roses', which ordinarily would be fine, but her heart wanted something more. Of course, it wasn't being very clear on what 'more' was.

"No, no, no!" Dot squealed as she hopped off Silent's back, landing on the counter, and tugging the book away from Leafy. "Don't you get it, ma'am?" She flipped a few pages and slammed her hoof down. "She wants it like this one! See? You just take out the red red ones in this one. Add in three white ones here!" Her hoof dotted all along the picture. "A crimson one there to blend the different reds, and maybe mix in something other than a rose for contrast!"

Silent started to reach for Dot and his mouth opened to apologize to Leafy, but a flash of white caught everypony's attention. They all stared as a white glimmer stretched out from golden centers to form the petals of two white flowers on the filly's flank.

"And then you'll need to wrap a pearl ribbon around to offset the green, and maybe throw in some foal's breath, for some extra flare!"

Crystal could only gasp as beneath the image of the two flowers, light green stems that contrasted with her dark green coat stretched down and intertwined. A bright flash illuminated the whole cutie mark, adding the final touch of a pink heart where the stems overlapped.

Dot trailed off in her explanation when she noticed all three pairs of eyes on her. She looked around at them and frowned. "What?"

"Dot," Crystal said in a breathless voice, a wide smile tugging at her lips, and pointed at the mark. "Look, sweetie."

Dot looked down and jolted a few inches into the air, gasping loudly, and spinning around. "My cutie mark?!" She stopped turning around to face them and beamed. "I got my cutie mark!"

Leafy laughed behind a hoof. "Well, then, maybe that's a sign I should hire her."

Dot ignored the comment, instead jumping off the counter and into Silent's embrace. She wrapped her forelegs tightly around his neck and squealed, "Take me home! I want to show Iridescence! Please, can we go home?"

Crystal nodded and waved a hoof to shoo them off. "Absolutely. I can take the rest from here now that Dot has explained what I wanted. You get her home as quick as you can."

"Okay!" Silent moved Dot onto his back. "I'll see you later." As he trotted toward the door, he added, "Hold on, we're flying home."

They left the store with the sound of Dot squealing following them out. Leafy and Crystal stared after them until Crystal laughed and shook her head. "Oh, Dot. She's such a sweetheart. I'm so glad for her."

Leafy smiled. "I don't think I've ever seen a pony get their cutie mark before..."

"It's been a very long time for me," Crystal mused, her gaze focusing on nothing for a moment as she reminisced, then shook her head again, quicker to clear her thoughts. "Well, then, did you catch everything she said?"

"Oh, yes, ma'am. Absolutely. It sounds like it will be a beautiful bouquet."

Crystal bobbed her head in a light nod. "Yes. There's only one change I want to make, however."

Leafy readied her pencil between her forhooves and hovered it over the order sheet. "What is that?"

"Well, I'd like it if it could be more like—" She reached for the album, pulled it closer, and turned the pages until she found the one. "Like this one, please. I think this style would better match the gown I've picked."

Leafy paused to examine the picture, then smiled softly. "Oh, that's my favorite. You won't regret it, ma'am. It's a lovely style."

Something Old, Something New

On the other side of the door, orchestral music surged and fell with an intangible but palpable passion. Crystal knocked and hummed along with the strings until the record player was shut off and the door opened to reveal a paint-covered Painted. It was amazing she could see anything through her glasses that were marred with dried and wet paint of red, orange, and purple.

After a pause, Painted grinned. "Crystal! This is a surprise! Come on in, let me just finish up what I was working on." She turned and trotted back over to the section of the downstairs where her easels were.

One large canvas sat upright and featured none of the colors of paint splattered along the mare's coat; it was all in greyscale, save for a piece of yellowed parchment that stood out against the sea of black, white, and grey. The feline creature that held it sat on a stone fence while snow fell all around her. She seemed to be in mourning over whatever news the letter had brought.

"What... is it?" Crystal asked, tilting her head.

Painted's horn lit up and the crystal hanging from the ceiling started to hum. "I think they're called Carnelian Cats. I got a new art book called Creatures from Equestria and Beyond. I've heard of Diamond Dogs infesting local regions, but this species was new to me."

Crystal furrowed her brow. "Me as well, in both cases."

A large sphere of white paint raised from a nearby bucket in Painted's iridescent magic while the crystal hummed louder. "This will just take a moment," she said before focusing on her work. Light shot from the tip of the crystal and through the paint, changing it to different hues of grey.

Crystal nodded and settled onto the couch. On the pillow beside her was the big, plump tabby, Khan. He meowed his desire for pets and, after a giggle, she complied.

Once she had put the finishing touch of her signature, Painted nestled her paintbrush behind one ear and turned to look at Crystal. "All right, then! Now that that's out of my head, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, yes." Crystal rose to her hooves and cleared her throat. "As you know, I'm getting married. The date has been set and it's two weeks before Hearth's Warming."

Painted blinked. "Really? Well, that's great! Now I can put the pressure on Verd to get a suit. He's been dragging his hooves and—"

Crystal raised a hoof to interrupt her. "With that said, I know it's a bit short notice, but I'm here to formally ask if you would like to be one of my bridesmares."

"Oh!" Painted bobbed her head in a light nod. Her right foreleg swung out and around to casually rest against the other and she blew a puff of air to shoo her bangs out of her face. "Okay. Cool. I accept."

Above them, the crystal started to hum.

"Thank you! Again, I'm sorry it's short notice—"

The crystal hummed louder.

"—but you, Velvet, Horsey, and I will get together next week, providing you're available—"

The crystal started to glow.

"—and we can decide on dresses that suit everypony, and—"

Painted's stoic expression lifted into a smile that stretched across her face as she let out a high-pitched screech that Crystal could only hope was from excitement. That hope was confirmed when rainbows exploded from the crystal and showered them in multicolored sparkles while Painted rushed forward and wrapped her forelegs around Crystal.

"I was trying to play it cool but Celestia help me, I'm so honored and excited and you're getting married and I get to be a part of it!" Painted squeezed Crystal a little too tight. "I'm so happy for me! And, you know, you, too!"

Crystal managed a wheezing laugh. "Y-you're welcome!" When Painted loosened her grip, Crystal sucked in a breath and continued, "I was actually a little worried when you didn't react much, to be honest."

Painted pulled back to flash a lopsided grin. "Well, I have an image to keep, you know." She held a hoof in front of her face and inhaled. As she lowered the hoof, she slowly exhaled until her expression was back to its normal state of calm. "So, that's great. Just give me the details on when, where, and what. In the meantime, since you're here, I wanted to talk about Her Silent Love."

"Oh?" Crystal tilted her head. "What about it?"

"From the reviews I've seen, reception seems to be great but..." She frowned lightly. "If you do a second run or anything, let me know. There are some things I'd like to fix with the cover."

Crystal's brow furrowed and her gaze darted over to the coffee table, where a copy of the book rested. Her magic picked it up and brought it over for her to look at. Misty Glen sat in her garden with a forlorn expression, looking out at the viewer as if to ask for help. Hoofprints dotted the ground to lead away from her and followed Stoutheart as he walked off into the background, his back to Misty.

"See, look." Painted tapped a hoof on Stoutheart's form. "It looks all right on the larger hardcover, but on the softcover, he's too small. I don't know why I didn't think of that!"

Crystal stared for a moment before bursting into a small fit of giggles. "Actually, it's funny you bring that up. A critic praised that aspect of the cover, saying that it was symbolic of the struggles and issues present throughout the story."

Painted slowly raised one brow, then cleared her throat and nodded. "Good. It was a trick question. I was wondering if you caught that, but it looks like you cheated by reading that critic's review. I'm pretty disappointed in you."

They stared at one another, neither giving ground by blinking, until Khan interrupted with a loud meow for attention. Crystal looked down at him, Painted gave a victorious "ah-ha!", and both of them laughed.

Velvet was late. Crystal had been sitting in the corner of the living room with the lights off for half an hour, staring at the wall, her ears pinned back to listen for any sign of attempted entry. Her jaw started to lock up from the plastic fangs held between her teeth. Just as she contemplated taking them out, however, the lock clicked and the door handle turned.

"I'm home!" Velvet called, then stopped just a few paces inside. "Crystal? Why are the lights off?"

Crystal grinned to herself. "Veeelvet..."

"Crystal?" The sound of Velvet's hoof tapping along the wall to find the switch filled the silence. "What are you doing?"

"I vant..." Crystal slowly started to turn. The lights flicked on and her coat shimmered from copious amounts of glitter. "... to suck yer blood!"

Velvet shrieked. It wasn't the sound of a startled pony, but one that hit a note of actual terror. Her legs failed her as she tried to scramble backwards and hit the door, slumped down, and stared with wide eyes and a trembling form.

Crystal spat out the fangs. "Velvet? Velvet, it's just a joke, calm down!"

Velvet's lower lip quivered and her eyes glossed over with tears. "You—you—" She gasped for air. "That's not—not funny!"

Crystal hurried over and sat in front of her, placing her hooves on Velvet's shoulders. "Velvet! I'm sorry, really, it was just a joke. It was just a joke. I'm not a vampony. Vamponies don't exist!"

"How do—How do you know?" Velvet glared at her and pushed her hooves away. "How do you know!"

"Because, I..." Crystal trailed, then frowned. "Why do you think they do?!"

Velvet's glare grew pitiable as she tried to wipe away her tears. "Why do you think they don't?!"

"You can't just keep turning my questions back on me!" Crystal groaned. "Velvet, it was just a book. A story that New Moon wrote to make bits. Just like me."

"Just like you! Just like you?!" Velvet jabbed her hoof against Crystal's chest. "You write based on your life! Are you trying to tell me you're the only pony who does that?"

Crystal sighed. At first, instead of responding, she just wrapped her forelegs around Velvet and pulled her in for a hug. "Okay," she finally mumbled. "Okay. I'm sorry. I understand... well, I don't, really, but I'm still sorry."

Velvet sniffed and rested her forehead against Crystal's neck. "It's stupid. I know that. But the idea of them scares me, okay? Ever since Silent found Haven, I can't stop wondering what else is hiding out there. Equestria is huge. The world is even bigger. What if—"

"If Silent finds out about vamponies, I promise you'll be the first I tell, all right?" Crystal nuzzled her cheek against the side of Velvet's head. "You should probably see somepony about this, though."

"Oh, because if my best friend doesn't take me seriously, then a stranger sure will," Velvet snapped, then sighed. "Whatever. It's fine." She sniffed again. "I had an idea for my costume this year, and now I'm just going to make sure it's more than just a costume."

Crystal leaned back to peer at her, one brow raised. "What does that mean?"

Velvet offered a weak grin. "I'm going to go as a vampony hunter!"

"And by 'more than just a costume', you mean—"

"—paying Runic to make me some anti-vampony potions," Velvet finished with a triumphant nod.

Crystal started to frown. "Velvet, you know what happens when you get things from Runic that aren't sold in the store."

Velvet paused, her smug grin slowly fading until she sighed and relented, "Right, they explode. Fine. I'll just grab some smoke bombs so I can run away. He's really good at making those, and that way you don't have to bail me out of jail in case it's not actually a vampony that I try to incinerate."

"That sounds like a much better plan." Crystal smiled and patted her on the head. "I approve."

"Yeah, yeah. So what are you doing this year?" Velvet's ears wiggled. "A couple's costume, maybe?"

Crystal's smile slowly curled into a grin. "Oh, yes. I have the perfect couple's costume planned. I think everypony's going to love it. Silent Knight especially."

Laughter heralded Crystal and Silent's turn in the receiving line to greet the princesses for the Nightmare Night party hosted in the castle. Princess Celestia managed to clamp a hoof over her mouth, but Luna dropped down to sit on her haunches and laughed outright.

Silent shifted uncomfortably and shot a light glare at Crystal. She beamed back at him, then said to the princesses, "Happy Nightmare Night!"

"Ha—" Celestia choked. "Happy—" She snorted. "Nigh—" Her composure fell and she joined her sister in sitting down and succumbing to the giggle fit.

Crystal puffed out her regalia-clad chest in pride as she tossed the long, flowing wig of Celestia's mane. The strap-on wings bobbled from the movement and she smiled up at them. Silent, on the other hoof, stood perfectly still and stoic under the weight of his Luna wig and matching regalia.

"He looks so miserable," Luna managed to say. Celestia could only nod in agreement.

"Oh, you should have seen his poor little face as Velvet and I dressed him." Crystal allowed a light grin.

After they had all had their laughs, Silent cleared his throat. "I said that you would be offended, Princess."

Luna shook her head and waved a hoof. "Nope!" She gasped for air. "It's priceless. I love it!"

Silent sighed in defeat while Crystal hooked their forelegs together and gave his a gentle tug. "Come along, Mr. Grumpy. We're holding up the rest of the ponies in line." She flashed a smile at the still-giggling alicorns. "Thank you for hosting Nightmare Night, Princesses. I'm happy that our costumes meet with both of your approvals!"

"Absolutely!" Luna winked at Silent as he was coaxed away. "I'll see you later, Mr. Grumpy."

"You know I have to work with her, right?" Silent muttered to Crystal, giving her a sidelong glance.

"Yep!"

The ballroom was decorated with the standard icon of Nightmare Night: pumpkins abound, strewn spiderwebs, skull lanterns, apple-bobbing stations, and more. Dim lighting that occasionally flickered and a fog lingering just slightly above the floor added an eerie mystique to the party, but upbeat music and colorful costumes kept the fun in the air.

"Hey!" Velvet's voice came from Crystal's left as the mare approached. "The dessert buffet is amazing this year."

Crystal blinked. "You were right ahead of us in line! How have you already tried the buffet?"

"It's not my fault you caught the princess's attention." Velvet grinned. "I waited for a while, then Princess Celestia sat down and it didn't seem like you'd be done any time soon showing off your costumes, so..."

Silent's ears flattened to the sides and muttered, "That is one way to put it."

Velvet waved a hoof at him, keeping her gaze on Crystal. "So, anyway, I went ahead and tried the buffet. They have some toffee truffles that are fantastic!" She straightened her jacket and eyed the crowd. "You two enjoy it while I socialize."

"Socialize?" Crystal blinked. "With whom?"

"Ponies, d'uh." Velvet turned on her heel and flicked her tail in Crystal's face. "Who else?"

Crystal opened her mouth to reply, then just laughed and waved her off before looking at Silent. "She seems to be in good spirits."

Silent bobbed his head. "Seems that way."

"Well, then, my dear sister, shall we try the sweets assortment?" Crystal started to grin as Silent said nothing, instead staring at her. "I decree it so! I also decree that you have no sense of humor!"

"I have a sense of humor." His wings ruffled slightly before he followed after her.

Crystal giggled. "I don't know about that, Mr. Grumpy."

"I'm not Mr. Grumpy," he muttered.

She hummed while her magic started to make a plate, grabbing a sampling of each type of dessert laid out on the long buffet table. "Well, then, what are we going to do first?"

Silent eyed her growing collection of sweets. "Get cavities, it seems."

"Well!" Crystal huffed. "I was going to share with you, but now I'm not so sure!"

"In that case, then it seems you'll be getting cavities, and I'll be having a good time with no toothache." His ear swiveled back and he took a step back to dodge a swatting hoof. "Fine. I'll help you eat so we both suffer together."

Crystal winked and levitated the plate between them. "That's a good husband-to-be."

The crowd attending the princesses' Nightmare Night party was a healthy size, but Crystal still found herself surprised at how many times she kept losing track of Silent. What exactly was he up to? Why did he keep excusing himself and disappearing?

Crystal stood in the center of the room, her gaze slowly traversing the crowd, hoping to spot her Luna. It was easy to tell him apart from the real Luna, not just because of the different sizes and natural colors of their coats, but Luna had used one of Runic's dyes to turn herself into a glorious blonde mare.

Velvet Belmont the Vampony Hunter glided into view with two caramel apples balanced on one hoof. "Hello, Princess! Where is your sister?"

Crystal snorted. "Working, I'd assume. I swear!" She eyed the apples. "Do you bring an offering?"

Velvet grinned and, giving an exaggerated flourish of a bow, bent down onto one knee to hold up the apples. "I brought an offering for both of my princesses, but since she of the moon has disappeared into the night, I shall admire the sun!" She held the pose for a moment longer before laughing. "Or, you know, I could just eat the other one."

"Oh, no. I think I've earned two." Her magic lit up to bring both apples over. "I'll need it to occupy my time while I wait for Silent to decide to come back." She took a bite through the sticky but sweet caramel into the crisp, juicy apple underneath.

"Are you really surprised, though? You can't bring a guard to his place of work and not expect that part of his brain to turn on." Velvet shrugged. "That's just how they are."

Crystal worked her jaw and tongue to get the caramel off her teeth before she asked, "And since when did you know so much about guards?"

Velvet raised one brow. "I've been listening to you complain about yours for like, a year and a half now."

"Mmhm." She took another bite and went quiet as she worked through the different textures.

They stood side-by-side, staring out into the crowd. Finally, Velvet said into the quiet between them, "We should do a game night soon. I kind of miss those."

Crystal's ears perked. "Really?" She smacked her lips and continued, "Sorry, what I mean is... Well, I guess that's what I meant. I just can never tell how much you really enjoy game night."

"I enjoy it! Sometimes. I like it better when it's a smaller group and we don't have to split into two." Velvet gasped and bounced a few times as she exclaimed, "That gives me a great idea! We should host game night! Just a few of us, you know? Maybe just you, me, Silent, and Nightingale? Keep it small?"

Crystal laughed softly. "If that's what you want to do, we can do it." She went to take another bite, then paused, tilting her head instead. "So, I guess you and Nightingale are still getting along?"

Velvet nodded a few curt times. "Yup! We get together to practice. I mean, our companies are doing different shows, but it's still fun to get together and help out with each other's stuff."

"That's great." Crystal giggled. "It's weird how things swing, isn't it? You used to be the popular one."

"Used to be?" Velvet's brow raised. "Excuse me? What, are you trying to say you're the popular one now?"

Crystal tossed her mane over one shoulder and raised up to her full height to peer down her snout at Velvet. "I would dare say that would appear to be what I was more than implying, yes."

"Well! Fine, then, you just be that way, Your Royal Pain in the Highness." Velvet huffed and trotted forward, snubbing her nose at Crystal. "I'll just go make some friends and become twice as popular as you think you are!"

Crystal laughed and moved to chase after her, but the movement of a starry mane against a white coat caught her eye. "Oh! Well, well, well." She turned her head to look at Silent as he approached. "Where have you been, mister?" She took a spiteful bite from one of the apples.

"Mingling." Silent came up alongside her and smiled. "I met up with a few officers, Sunny, Soarin, Azurite, and—"

"Were you just chatting, or were you doing security?" She gave him a withering stare. "As far as I am aware, there are more than enough palace guards that are actually on duty to take care of the latter."

Silent shook his head, raising one hoof clad in Luna's hoof guard. "On my honor as a fake princess, I wasn't. I was just mingling. As well as looking for Lieutenant Snow."

"Lieutenant Snow?" She paused to work at caramel stuck to her teeth, then stated, "I don't know any Lieutenant Snow."

After a pause where his lips started to curl into an amused smile, he gave another quick shake of his head. "You don't, and neither do I. I'm hoping she might transfer to work here at the palace so—"

"That sounds like work!" She huffed. "You just said you weren't working!"

"No, I'm pretty sure I said I wasn't checking on security, but in any case I'm not working. I invited her here—socially—to see how she got along with the other ponies here—on a social level." He raised one brow. "As you can see, it's just socializing. Socially."

She glared up at him. "No, you're vetting her. You're just using all the social things as an excuse."

His gaze flickered away from her before returning her glare. Then, after a moment, he smiled. "Well, you dressed me up like a princess. I didn't want to do this, but I did, for you. So, I'm claiming my favor."

"You!" She huffed. Her nose scrunched up, then she relented with a heavy sigh. "Fine! If you want to cash in your favor so soon on something like this, then fine. You get a free pass. Go 'socialize' with your Lieutenant Snow, but once you're done with that, I expect you to get back here and be my sister for the rest of the night!"

He nodded. "Yes, dear." He kissed her cheek. "Incest is best." Grinning, he trotted forward into the crowd.

Crystal blinked a few times, then turned to call after him, "Wait, what?"

It was too late. He flapped his wings and flew over the ponies nearby and out of sight. So that was how he kept disappearing. He cheated by flying! She pawed a hoof at the ground, held her head high, and nodded to herself. With him or not, she was going to enjoy the rest of the party, regardless of his never-ending desire to work.

Crystal breathed in unfamiliar scents and jolted upright, then relaxed when she recognized the decor through the cloud of exhaustion. Muted magenta silk was draped from the corners of the large four-poster bed that drew her eyes to the checkerboard marble floors.

She was in the castle. Slowly, she turned her head and released a sigh of relief at seeing Silent sleeping beside her. She must have fallen asleep after all the dancing and, somehow, they ended up in a castle guest suite.

Carefully, she slid out of the bed and over to the balcony. She rested her forelegs on the railing to prop herself up while she gazed out at the darkened landscape. Celestia had yet to raise the sun, but the pale moonlight was enough by which to see. So much was out there—mountain ranges and fields and other cities, all of which she had yet to and might never explore.

And that was fine by her. She smiled and breathed in the cool, crisp air that tickled her lungs. Her life was perfect how it was and she wouldn't have it any other way.

The horizon started to illuminate with deep red hues. It was an impending sunrise like all the ones she had watched before, but they always felt special. Red eventually gave way to orange and a halo of blue formed out of the dark sky as the sun crested the distant mountains. Soon, with a brilliant display of yellows and blues, the sun came fully into view and the night was no more.

There was beauty in the sunrise and sunset as well as the night. Crystal smiled as a breeze drifted through her mane. It was a near perfect moment: waking up in a castle and watching the sun rise from a balcony. The only thing it was missing was—

"Good morning, beautiful," Silent's voice said as he came over to stand beside her.

A pleasant shiver ran down her spine and she shifted closer to him. "Good morning." She giggled. "I see you didn't take me home last night."

He nodded. "Princess Luna extended an offer I couldn't refuse. She said it would be better to let us stay the night here and I agreed. I'm glad I did."

Her lips lifted into a soft smile. "Any day I wake up next to you is a good day in my book." She turned her head to look into the suite behind them. "Doing so in a palace is an even better day, though, of course."

"Uh-huh." He bumped his shoulder to hers and teased, "Don't get too used to it, dear. I don't make much. Definitely not enough to move you into a palace."

Crystal gave a playful sigh. "I know, I know." She giggled and pushed herself up to nuzzle their cheeks together. "We're getting married soon, Silent. Really soon."

"Less than two months," Silent said, looking out at the vast expanse of Equestria that lay before them.

"Yeah," she breathed more than said, then whispered even quieter, "Are you ready?"

He nodded. "Yes. Are you?"

"Hmm, well." She giggled. "I don't know if reality has caught up with me yet. I think I'm more just ready to go on our honeymoon."

He chuckled and nipped at one of her wiggling ears. "Yeah. Me, too."

Crystal pushed off the balcony railing and walked into the room as another breeze blew over them. "Well, you're off duty today, my dear. What do you want to do?"

Silent followed after her. "Whatever you want to do, of course."

"Oh, I see!" She stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. "Well, I'd like to have breakfast and lunch together. We can linger here to enjoy the castle life so long as you can keep from working." She waved a hoof. "However, you're on your own for this afternoon. I have an event."

"What?" His ears flicked before flattening to the sides. "I thought you were done with the social event nonsense."

"Mm, well, yes and no. I'll just skip the things I don't actually want to do."

He raised one brow. "I see. And what event do you have this afternoon that you actually want to do?"

Crystal puffed out her chest and proclaimed, "I am having tea with Luna to discuss the wedding shower, of course! She did say you were invited if you're interested."

"Oh." He paused, then smiled. "Well, then, all I can say is..." He kissed her cheek. "I'll see you when you're done with that. I'll go to the Crystal Delicacy with Runic."

She huffed and turned her head away from him. "You'd rather do that than have tea with Luna?" When he nodded, she huffed again. "Have it your way, then! Just try not to spend all of your bits on those airships."

"We'll see, but I make no promises. Come on, let's go get breakfast." He started to move toward the door, then paused and eyed her with a coltish grin. "But first..." He swept her into the embrace of his forelegs, chuckling when she squealed in surprise. "We're in a palace. Together." He flapped his wings to carry them over to the bed where he set her down and nuzzled his face against her neck. "I want to enjoy that a while longer."

A soft purr rumbled in her chest and she wrapped her forelegs around him to hold him close. "Really? Can we live here after we get married, then?"

Silent chuckled. "We can live wherever you can afford."

"That's extra incentive, then." She paused, then gently pushed on his shoulders to put distance between them so that she could gaze up at him. "I've been thinking about going public as C.W. Step."

"Going public?" He blinked.

"Yes, going public. Announcing that I am her. Things have been going well lately, what with Her Silent Love and the monthly serial, Autumn Leaves." She took a breath in. "I've talked to my agent about it. It would involve going on a book tour every once in a while, doing more interviews, and the like."

He stared at her, then finally shrugged. "Okay."

Her ears wiggled. "Okay? That's it?"

After a pause, he replied, "Yes?"

"No opinions?" She huffed and tapped on his shoulders. "No thoughts? Nothing?"

His head slowly tilted as he started to frown. "I'm sorry, I don't understand. It's your career. You said you talked to your agent and he would know a lot more about this than me. If he thinks it's a good idea then it probably is. What kind of an opinion should I have?"

"Oh, I don't know. Any kind of an opinion would be nice. We'll be married soon and that means I can't just do whatever I like anymore." She leaned up to kiss the tip of his nose. "I'm trying to be considerate of what you want for me."

The frown lifted into a smile and he returned the kiss with one on the lips. "I want you to be happy. If this makes you happy, then I'm all for it. Is that the answer you want?"

"Mm..." She sighed. "It'll do. There's something else we should talk about, though."

And just like that, his smile disappeared. "Okay?"

Her ears folded back to brush against the pillow beneath her head. "What are we going to do about living situations after the wedding?"

"Oh. I'm not sure." He shrugged. "What do you want to do?"

"It makes sense for me to move out and move in with you. The condo is convenient for Velvet to get to work and to the bakery. There are just two problems."

He just nodded and waited.

"First," she continued, "is that your sister still lives with you, and I certainly wouldn't want to kick her out."

"That is true." He rolled over to nestle on the empty space beside her, staring up at the ceiling. "She spends most of her time at Iridescence's, the same way I spend most nights with you. But I don't think she's ready to move in with her yet. What's the other problem?"

"Velvet." Crystal let out a heavy sigh. "She's so worried that I'm going to leave and forget all about her. I'm worried that me moving out will give her a breakdown."

He turned his head to look at her and furrowed his brow. "Why would she think that?"

"We've been friends forever, Siley. More or less our whole lives." She shrugged. "I can't imagine my life without her, so I can understand her scared by imagining her life without me."

"I see. Well, how about this." He slipped his hoof over hers and gave it a squeeze. "We don't change anything. She's gone a lot of nights anyway, but if we need private time alone we can just spend the night at my place. I don't mind her being around, and as she constantly reminds me, she had you first."

A chime of laughter escaped her. "That is a good point." She nuzzled her nose to his. "All right. As long as you're okay with it, then I'm okay with it. Now... about that breakfast?"

Silent pushed himself up and slid off the bed, then offered a hoof in her direction. In his best Sir Chevalier voice, he replied, "Then let us away, my lady."

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: A Nightmare Night to Remember

It's the final countdown... ♪

Something Borrowed, Something Blue

"Airship!" Runic yelled a little too loud the moment Crystal opened the front door. He stood on the doormat with a big grin plastered on his face, more excited than he had ever looked before.

Crystal's ears folded back and she furrowed her brow. "Uh, hello?"

Runic's wings trembled and quivered. "Airship!" He pointed at her. "You!"

She blinked. "Are you asking me to play Airship Armada with you?"

"What? No!" He shook his head so fast his flat cap nearly toppled off. "No, real airships! You can take me!"

"Real air—" Her eyes widened as she choked on her words. With guarded caution, she slowly asked, "What are you talking about?"

Runic puffed out his cheeks. "You're Crystal Wishes! Daughter of Jet Set! Son of Jet Ship! That means you basically own Jet Vent—"

She reached out to slap a hoof over his mouth, the other looping around his foreleg and tugging him inside. Once the door was shut behind him, she whispered, "How did you find out?"

"Same way I found out Silent is my cousin! Genealogical research, of course! It's kind of like researching rocks but a lot more complicated. Usually. This was actually really easy." The beaming smile stretched back into place. "So take me on an airship!"

"I can't just—" She shifted. "Well, I can, but—" After a moment of staring at his over-excited face, she sighed and relented, "All right, but it will be our secret."

Runic's head tilted and his ears flopped. "Huh? A secret? What for?"

She rubbed her hoof against her other leg. "Because I don't believe Silent knows who my grandparents are, and I don't think it would bother him, but I don't want to find out if it does. I hardly ever see them and we're not very close, so there's no sense in making things strange. I'm happy with the way things are."

Runic just peered at her before finally shrugging and smiling again. "If you say so! So, airship? We go now? To the airship?!"

"Yes, we go now." Her magic levitated a scarf over and she wrapped it around her neck as she followed him out of the condo. "Please try not to get your hopes too high. We're assuming my grandparents are even home, and that my grandfather has time to accommodate us."

"He's home!" Runic jumped into the air and soared down the stairs, the tips of his wings just barely clearing the walls. "I checked!"

Crystal frowned. "Excuse me?" She took her time descending to the first floor. "You spied on my grandfather?"

"Spied is a strong word! I dropped by on my way here. They were home. So we should hurry." He held the main door open and trotted in place. "It'd be faster if I carried you! But would that count as cheating? I don't think so. You're like a sister."

Crystal stopped just a pace away from the doors to peer at him with one brow raised until her composure broke and she couldn't help laughing. "Runic, you're ridiculous!"

He beamed at her. "So I'm told! Okay, so, let's go. Let's go!" He hopped out onto the sidewalk, held his wings out to the sides, and crouched down. "Let's go!"

Carefully, Crystal moved to sit on his back with both hind legs daintily shifted to the same side while her forelegs wrapped around his neck. "Okay, but not too—"

Runic pushed off the ground and took into the air, his wings giving a few strong flaps to send them soaring.

"—fast!" she finished in a squeaky gasp.

They flew over the various districts of Canterlot, rising higher through the tiers of the city until they had reached the one that held the most prestigious homes sitting at the feet of the castle. Runic angled himself toward one in particular and dropped down in front of it, then turned his head to look at her.

"Here we are!" he chimed.

Crystal remained frozen, gazing up at the house that towered at three stories tall. How long had it been since she had seen it? She had been a young filly, too young to remember much save for the way it smelled of stagnant air and how none of the furniture seemed to have any signs of use. It was more like a museum than a home in her memory.

Before she could think to speak, Runic slid her off his back and trotted up to the door.

"Wait!" she called after him, but it was too late.

He knocked on the door and started to bounce in place. "I'm so excited!"

After enough proper seconds had passed, a servant greeted them with a look of disdain. "May I help you?"

"Airship!" Runic shouted, then blinked when Crystal slapped a hoof over his mouth. "Mmf?"

Crystal offered a smile. "Hello, good day. I'm here to speak with my grandfather."

The servant peered at her until his expression lifted with recognition. "Of course, Miss Wishes. Please, do come in." He stepped out of the doorway.

Crystal nodded. As she passed by Runic, she tapped her hoof to her lips and shushed him. He smiled and just bounded after her.

The foyer extended up into the second story with a grand chandelier hanging from above. Two winding staircases flanked the sides of the room and ended in a balcony where, only a few moments after the servant went to retrieve him, Jet Ship stood.

"Crystal?" His orange eyes pierced the distance between them, sending a shiver down her spine, and he smiled. "What a surprise!" He walked down the stairs and crossed the marble floor to her. "Who is your friend?"

Runic opened his mouth to speak, but Crystal cut in, "Runic Phial, my fiancé's cousin."

"I see." Jet Ship offered a hoof to Runic. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Runic."

"All mine!" Runic exclaimed, shaking the hoof with both of his forehooves. "Airships!"

Jet Ship's brow arched and he looked at Crystal. "Excuse me?"

Crystal sighed, but kept her head upright and proper. "Runic is an airship enthusiast, Grandfather. I would appreciate it if you could, perhaps, consider letting him see the Harmony?"

The silence that fell on them was chilling, finally shattered when Jet Ship chuckled and patted Runic on the shoulder. "I can do you better than that, my boy. How would you like a tour of it, and then I'll take you on a little trip on my personal airship?"

Runic released a high-pitched squeal that made the both of them wince.

Crystal's ear flicked. "I think that's a yes, Grandfather."

"I'm the queen of the world!" Runic yelled into the open skies as wind whipped through his mane while he stood on the bow of Jet Ship's personal airship.

Crystal snorted and called, "Don't you mean king?"

Runic flared out his wings. "Mares rule the world, not stallions!"

Jet Ship chuckled, keeping both of his forehooves on the wheel. "It's always the eccentric ones that are the brightest." He turned his head to look at Crystal. "You said he was your fiancé's cousin?"

"Yes, sir." Crystal shifted somewhat uncomfortably under the intensity of his gaze.

"I see." He nodded and looked back ahead. "Runic doesn't work with airships, does he?"

Crystal blinked a few times. "What? No, he's an alchemist."

Another nod. "Interesting."

"What do you mean?" Crystal eyed a small bowl of wrapped butterscotch candies.

Jet Ship followed her gaze, chuckled, and levitated one over to her. "I'm just surprised. He certainly knew a lot about airships for a regular pony not in the field."

"Thank you," she mumbled as her magic took over and started to unwrap the candy, then cleared her throat. "Oh, well. I would assume that has to do with his obsession with the game Airship Armada."

"Ah! That explains it." Jet Ship tapped a hoof against the wheel. "Yes, that little game has done quite well for the personal airship business. Sales most certainly saw a rise shortly after that game was released." He glanced at her. "Could I have a word with you?"

Crystal glanced around them. They had been the only ones to board the airship, and Runic was still perched like a figurehead on the bow and yelling incoherently into the wind. She finally nodded. "Yes, Grandfather."

"I am formally sending my regrets for your wedding." His brow settled low and his lips tightened into a firm line. "Diadem and I will not be attending."

"Oh?" Her ears folded back. "May I ask why?"

Jet Ship nodded. "You may. Dia and I talked it over and we agreed it would be best if we abstained. It might turn your wedding into a fiasco with the recent attention on Jet Ventures. I'm not sure you keep up with this sort of thing, but since the entitlement ceremony, the press has been all over Jet Ventures. What will we do next, what does this mean for the future of airships, when are we launching a new design, will there be more ships like the Harmony." He gestured off to the side with one idle hoof. "In fact, there has been a newspony following us on our little excursion."

Crystal leaned forward to look and not too far out was a pegasus flying alongside the ship, a camera attached to the hooves-free contraption around his neck. He smiled, waved, and snapped a picture.

Jet Ship added in a low voice, "Not to mention there is the tension with your parents. No, I think it's best if we abstain." He glanced at her and offered a cordial nod. "We will, of course, still send a gift and our best wishes."

Crystal pursed her lips, but nodded in return. "I understand, Grandfather."

Crystal stood in the crowd of ponies she called friends and family, her gaze wandering the beautiful architecture and decor of Princess Luna's new throne room. Pale marble the color of the moon kept the space bright and inviting as opposed to the dark colors normally associated with the night. It was a marvelous choice, especially when paired with the blue carpet in the center of the room and the dark-stained throne on the raised dais.

"Your designer did a wonderful job," Crystal said, smiling over at Luna. "This place is absolutely spectacular."

"Yes, yes," Luna replied absently while she waved a hoof. "That is all well and good, but how do you feel about the shower? Is it to your liking?"

Crystal giggled and nodded. "Of course, Luna. As if I would say otherwise after all the trouble you and Willow went to."

Standing at Luna's side, Willow lit up with a smile while Luna stared at Crystal with the stern brow and narrowed eyes of a mother on the verge of scolding before she laughed. "A wise answer! Then let us eat cake and be merry. In a month, you shall be a shackled mare!" She winked.

Crystal inclined her head to look for Silent, but he was absent from the crowd. "If that means knowing where my stallion is, then I will gladly accept the shackles."

"Ah, Silent Knight has never been one for parties like this." Luna shrugged.

"Is there anything he is one for?" Willow muttered, her ears pinned back, then cleared her throat. "Speaking of, I'm supposed to apologize for Frank. He's sorry he couldn't make it to the shower, and it's looking like he won't be able to make the wedding, either." Her gaze darted away. "The whole BBBFF tour has thrown his schedule out the window."

Crystal blinked. "BBBFF? The colt band? Is he a fan of theirs?"

Willow's ear twitched. "Not exactly."

Luna turned her head and said, "That means we should get a slice of cake for the absent stallions, and then eat it ourselves."

"I'm game!" Velvet chimed nearby, bounding over. "Can we bring it to Silent then eat it in front of his face? No, wait, that sounds like too much effort. Let's just eat cake. Mom said she had Dad bake in an extra surprise."

Crystal's ears pinned back. "That actually makes me less inclined to want to have cake now, you know."

Velvet huffed. "Aww, come on, you know she means well!"

Luna nodded and started to cross the room toward the table of food, the two-tier cake resting in the center. "Indeed. Sunbeam is a sweet and gentle soul."

"You don't know her very well, then," Crystal teased as she followed after the princess.

"Hey!" Velvet walked alongside Crystal. "Rude! I'm telling her you said that!"

A shrill squeal tore through the air and a pink blur zipped through the crowd before crashing into Crystal. "You're getting married!" Lovey squealed.

Crystal grunted from the impact and, with Lovey clinging to her neck and shoulders, tested her now sore legs. Nothing seemed to be broken. Finally, she smiled. "I am indeed!"

"Oh, you are familiar with Lovey Dovey?" Luna asked, having turned to face them while Willow helped herself to a slice of cheese and a wheat cracker.

Crystal blinked. "You are, too?"

Luna bobbed her head in a light nod. "Of course. Lovey Dovey is well known for her matchmaking work." She paused before looking at the giggling pink mare. "Lovey, are you listening?"

Lovey just kept bubbling with giggles while her wings fluttered.

"I thought not." Luna nodded absently. "Then it is safe to say, yes, my sister and I are very aware of Lovey. When she was young, she came to Celestia and asked for an official title as Secretary of Love. From what I'm told, and I wholly believe it, my sister found it very amusing and agreed. There is no such position, so it is not official at all, but Lovey comes once or twice a year to give a report to Celestia nonetheless."

"Celestia!" Lovey squeaked and untangled herself from Crystal. "I haven't said hello to her yet!" She bounced on the tips of her hooves. "I'm so happy for you, Crystal, and just know that no matter what you should always be strong because everything's going to work out fine in the end so just keep smiling!" She jumped into the air to soar over the crowd, heading in the direction of Princess Celestia. "Toodles!"

Crystal, Luna, and Velvet stared at the retreating pink form before Velvet said, "She weirds me out."

Luna chuckled. "She is odd, certainly. Now, enjoy your cake while I ensure my sister is not overwrought by a surprise Lovey attack. Come along, Willow." She nodded at the both of them before walking into the crowd, her aide following close behind after snatching a chocolate-covered strawberry.

"That's right! Cake!" Velvet bounded forward. "Yes, you have to see it!"

Crystal sighed as she followed after her. "Can you just tell me what it is?"

"Nope. Mom and Dad worked hard to make this come out right, so I'm not going to spoil it." She stood by the table and tilted her head. "Do we have to announce that we're cutting the cake, or is that just for weddings?"

"We didn't have a cake at my shower," Horsey's voice chimed as the mare approached, leaving Savoir behind with the stallions in attendance. "But we also didn't have a shower, so that doesn't help much." She giggled softly.

Crystal's ear flicked, then she shrugged. "I am not aware of there being any formalities surrounding the cake at a shower. I say we don't interrupt the party and cut it now."

"Seconded!" Velvet stood up on her hind legs and picked up the knife. Carefully, she cut into one of the tiers and slid out the carved slice. Underneath the fluffy white frosting was a pink cake that was decorated with light blue hearts throughout. "Tada!"

Horsey gasped. "Oh, that's so pretty!"

Crystal blinked and lowered her head to peer at the slice. "What! How did they do that?"

Velvet waved her hooves. "Earth pony magic!"

"Earth ponies don't have magic," Crystal teased as she levitated the plate over to herself.

"They do so!" Velvet puffed out her cheeks. "Don't be an elitist!"

"Uh-huh." Crystal smiled, raising the plate high above Velvet's head. "Then use your earth pony magic to take this cake."

Velvet tilted her head back, peered at the slice, then started to grin. "Easy-peasy." She looked over at Horsey. "Hey, did you know that there is a writer by the name of Lu—"

The cake was promptly shoved in Velvet's mouth, startling a choked bout of laughter out of her.

Horsey looked at Crystal with one brow raised and a tiny but coy smile on her lips. "It looks like earth ponies do have magic after all."

Crystal tried to will the embarrassed heat from her cheeks, her glare focused on Velvet. "Trickery! It's not magic, it's dirty, underhoofed trickery!"

Horsey glanced between them, then quietly started to cut a slice for herself. "Oh," she commented, glancing over at them, "it looks like somepony beat you to the cake. There's a slice taken from the back."

Before they could respond, Luna's voice rose above the various conversations to call, "There he is! The stallion of the hour!"

Crystal blinked a few times, turning to look around the room until she spotted him. Silent walked into the room with Shining Armor at his side and she giggled. "I should have known. It's just like his graduation party."

Velvet finished wiping the icing off her face with a napkin. "Maybe you should be worried about the Silent Knight in Shining Armor."

Crystal and Horsey both gasped and sputtered into surprised laughter, looking at Velvet with wide eyes as she just grinned.

Winterspear yelled from the center of the room, "Guess who's got baby pictures!"

While the crowd started to circle around Winterspear and the album she held, Crystal saw Silent's ears droop and he looked up at Shining Armor for help. Shining just grinned and nudged Silent forward. Crystal smiled, letting her gaze drift away and she followed the others to look at the album.

In just a month, she was going to be a married mare. She could hardly believe that it was finally happening.

Crystal hummed as she hurried between the kitchen and the living room, trying to balance making tea while going through the various brochures of potential honeymoon locations. They had stalled long enough in picking one and it was time to make a decision. Silent had helped her narrow it down to four options, but when she asked him to stay and help her select one, he bounded off with the excuse that work was calling.

Of course, he actually did have work, but that didn't change the fact she was nervous to pick one on her own.

"Maris... Colton Head... Maredrid... or just go back to Glimmer World?" She sighed and trotted back to the kitchen. "Oh, tea, would you hurry up already?"

"You know what they say about a watched kettle," Velvet's voice, raspier than normal, came from the living room.

"Oh, good morning! I—" Crystal leaned around the corner with a smile that quickly fell at the sight of Velvet's bloodshot, tired eyes. "Velvet? What's the matter?"

Velvet glanced around. "Is Silent still here?"

Crystal shook her head. "No, he's already left for work."

"I can't—" Velvet's voice hitched.

The sound of near tears clenched Crystal's heart in an icy grip. "What's wrong?"

Velvet raised a hoof to rub her eyes and whispered, "I can't do this anymore. I have—I have to tell you a secret."

"Okay." Crystal's magic flipped the stove off before she walked over to the couch and patted the spot beside her. "Come here, it's okay."

Velvet sniffed. She took a tentative step forward, then recoiled and shook her head. "No, I don't want to. I-I want you to just sit there and listen to me."

Velvet's voice was guarded and uncertain. All semblance of confidence seemed to be shaken from her and taken away.

Crystal nodded slowly. "All right. I'm listening."

Velvet took a breath in and released it in a long, drawn-out groan. "We've been friends a really long time, you know, so it seems kind of strange that I'd have a secret from you."

Crystal just nodded and listened.

"I-I—" Velvet shook her head. "I... you know. No, you don't know, I mean, what I mean is, I... When I've been out late, and you don't see me until the next morning, I've been at another pony's place. Sleeping over. With them."

"Sleeping over?" Crystal's brow furrowed. "What do you—ooh!" Her eyes widened and her muscles went rigid. "Velvet! How long have you had a secret special somepony?!"

The look that crossed Velvet's face could only be described as regret. "I haven't! I don't! That's the point!" Her voice cracked. Fresh tears started to fall down her cheeks.

Crystal opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"If I say sex, you immediately th-think of special someponies!" Velvet drew a shaky, ragged breath. "That's why I haven't told you, because you can't understand how I feel!"

Crystal's gaze darted the room in search of an answer it refused to give and she chewed on her bottom lip. "I-I, Velvet, I'm sorry, but—"

Velvet stomped a hoof. "I don't want any of that! Why doesn't anypony get that?! Why is it always that I just 'haven't found the right one'?" She choked out a sob. "How could you, of all ponies, possibly understand?! Sex is love to you!"

"Velvet, I—"

"But I'm sick of hiding the way I am from you, so, there! There you have it." Her rump dropped down to the floor and she rubbed at her face with the back of one foreleg. "I'm different, I'm strange, you're disgusted, you're leaving anyway to move in with him, so who cares?"

"Velvet!" Crystal slid off the couch and stormed over to her. She put her forehooves on Velvet's shoulders and gave her a light shake. "Would you let me get in a word?!"

"I've already heard it all, so fine, whatever." Velvet snorted and sniffled. "It doesn't matter anymore."

Crystal gawked. Almost as if reflexive to the venomous tone, her hoof drew back and slapped Velvet's cheek. It was not quite hard, but not a gentle tap, either; it was certainly enough to make Velvet jerk back and go wide-eyed.

"Velvet Step!" Crystal snarled. "I'm not sure exactly what's going on but how dare you make assumptions for how I'll feel or react! I don't care what another pony has told you but I'm not disgusted! I'm confused. You up and tell me something like this out of nowhere? Of course I'm confused, but I'm not disgusted!"

Crystal glared down at her and continued, "You're right, I can't fathom being intimate with somepony you don't love. I don't understand that at all. So maybe you could explain it to me instead of acting like a petulant foal about how you assume I'll feel!"

They stared at one another in silence, save for the occasional sniffle from Velvet, who finally muttered, "What's there to explain?"

Crystal huffed. "I don't know, but anything must be better than this!"

A short laugh escaped Velvet and she rubbed her eyes. "I'm—I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I just thought you, the romantic of all romantics, would be, you know, disgusted by me. I take something beautiful that you and Silent share and just throw it at the first pony that catches my eye."

Crystal paused. Her mind whirled around for a moment until she asked, "So does that mean you're, ah, promiscuous?"

Velvet furrowed her brow, then snorted and laughed. "That's a really nice way to put it, sure. Yeah. I'm promiscuous."

"Okay. Well, you're not the only pony, so it can't be that strange." Crystal said the words, and though she certainly meant them, the idea would take some getting used to. "I don't understand, but I can't hate you for who you are." She paused, then added with a hesitant cadence, "Are you, at the least, safe?"

"Safe?" Velvet blinked, then pursed her lips before nodding. "Uh, yeah, but this is bordering on awkward territory."

Crystal smiled. "Okay, then, back in the realm of less awkward, are you happy? If I don't hate you, then are you happy with who you are?"

Velvet looked away—not out of shame or guilt, but to think it over without meeting Crystal's gaze. "Yeah? Yeah. I don't really want to change, which is the scary part, I guess. If I can be me and still keep you as a friend, then, yeah, I'm happy."

"Then, please." Crystal clasped her hooves around one of Velvet's. "Sleep with all the ponies you want. You have my blessing."

Velvet's lips squirmed and wiggled in an attempt to stay in a straight line, but she cracked and tossed her head back to laugh. "I never, ever thought I'd hear those words coming from you!"

"You also thought that I would hate you for being different from me, so clearly your thoughts are untrustworthy." She giggled and shifted to pull Velvet into a hug. "Would now be a good time to tell you a secret of my own?"

Velvet leaned back to peer at her with one brow raised. "What?"

Crystal sighed. "I just found out a few days ago myself, but at the shower, Silent got a new job offer, one that he'd like to take. The problem is it would require us moving to the Crystal Empire."

After an unnervingly long pause, Velvet nodded. "Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay." Velvet shrugged. "You can't stop your life for me, and Silent's your life now. Or he will be in like, less than a month."

Crystal's ears flicked. "You're not upset?"

"Oh, I totally am. I want to cry, but I'm out of tears at this point." Velvet grinned, nosed Crystal's cheek, and whispered, "I'm going to miss you."

A burning sensation speared Crystal's eyes and tears started to blur her vision. "Yeah," she replied in an even softer whisper. "It's just a train ride away, though."

Velvet shook her head. "That's what we said when Horsey moved away, and how often do we see her?"

Crystal had no response, and Velvet just offered a weak smile. They both knew there was no good answer, but it was easier to say nothing at all.

Crystal stared at the list of wedding to-dos. It was right around the corner and almost everything was lined up. She scrunched her nose as a pain formed behind her eyes, dropped the list on the table, and leaned back into the couch with a sigh. "Does it make me a bad bride if all I want at this point is to be done with all this? I'm not sure I care anymore about the pomp and show."

Silent leaned in and nuzzled her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. "Nope," he mumbled, the movement of his lips tickling the sensitive area.

"Quit that!" She made an effort to push him away, but he remained against her. "We still have more to go over."

"The list is down." He put his hooves around hers to lower them and kissed her neck.

Crystal huffed and tried to angle her head to block his access. "Velvet will be home soon. I don't want her to see this; you know how she can be." She offered him a coy smile. "Just keep it together a few more weeks and we'll be on our honeymoon, alone, just the two of us."

He peered at her, snorted, and pulled away. "Fine, for Velvet's sake. But if you think I'm leaving you alone for a few weeks..."

Her ears wiggled and she slipped her hooves around his middle as she leaned in closer to him. "All right, stud. If you can make it until Friday night, I promise I'll—" She squeaked when the lock clicked.

Velvet pushed the door open, looked at them, and said with a grin, "Hello, lovebirds, I'm home! What are you two up to, hmm?"

Crystal quickly gestured at the nearly forgotten list and started to say "Wedding planning" when Silent replied, "Striking out."

With heat spreading across her face, Crystal's magic grabbed the nearest decorative pillow and hit him with it.

Velvet tossed her head back to laugh. "Yeah, I see that!" She looked over at the kitchen, then back at them. "So, what's for dinner? I see it's not waiting for me."

The embarrassment still coursed through her, so Crystal let her magic continue the barrage of pillow slaps while Silent said, "Well I thought—ow—I would take—ow—my two favorite mares—ow—out to Le Bernardin. My treat—ow."

Crystal blinked. She looked up to meet Velvet's surprised gaze, then peered down at him while the pillow remained suspended in the air. "Really? Why? What is the occasion?"

Silent raised his brow. "Does there have to be one?"

"To go to the most expensive restaurant in town?" Velvet snorted. "Uh, yeah, so spill."

"Well, all right. It's just that you and Velvet have been working night and day lately on getting the wedding together. Not to mention we never really celebrated Velvet getting into the Royal Ballet, and I've got a new job coming up, too. Beyond that, we just haven't done anything special in a while." He glanced between them. "So I thought we could just forget everything for one evening and go out for dinner, dessert, and drinks."

Velvet's ears wiggled and she trotted toward the bathroom door. "Those are all acceptable reasons! I'll get cleaned up, then. If we're going to Le Bernardin, then I need to wash the stink of practice sweat off."

Once the door shut behind Velvet, Crystal glared down at Silent. "If you were planning to take us to dinner, then why were you getting so hoovesy?"

Silent glared back at her. "Why were you born hot?"

The heat returned to her face, different from before. She tried to keep her air of slight annoyance in tact, however, and slapped the pillow against his face. "Oh! I'm not going to get a straight answer out of you, am I?" She huffed and slid off the couch. "In that case, I'm going to get ready."

Once she was in the privacy of her bedroom, Crystal looked at the door behind her and smiled. She couldn't have asked for a better stallion. Of course, he had his quirks that annoyed her, and sometimes she never knew where his head was really at, but he was perfect for her.

"Le Bernardin is the best," Velvet said, sliding back into her seat and patting her stomach. "I'll never find a better mushroom risotto."

"Their other food is good, too," Crystal teased. "Maybe you should try something else for once."

Velvet huffed. "We don't come here often, so when we do, I want to know for a fact that I'm going to enjoy my meal. Why should I gamble on what might also be good but might also be a waste of a once-in-a-rare-while trip? I'll stick to my risotto, thank you very much."

Silent shrugged and smiled. "She has a point."

Crystal looked at him with mock offense as she huffed, "Well!" She tossed her mane. "I see where your loyalties lie."

Silent reached over to place a hoof on hers. "What I meant to say is that you're right, dear. She should try something new."

"Turncoat," Velvet spat as she stuck her nose in the air. "I'll remember that next time you need a favor from me."

Silent inclined his head toward the dessert menu that rested off to the side of the table. "Would a sweet treat change your mind?"

Velvet eyed him before she grinned wide. "You know what, you're totally right. Agree with your wife! Your marriage will last longer that way."

After Crystal and Velvet had pored over the dessert menu and made their selections, Silent cleared his throat. "The real reason I wanted to go out for a nice dinner tonight was so I could give both of you a present." He reached under his wing and pulled out a small, wrapped package, which he unfolded and placed on the table.

Inside were two tickets that had Crystal Empire Express — 1 Year written on them. Crystal and Velvet just stared at them in silence.

Silent sat with a self-satisfied smile on his face and explained, "They're unlimited passes to travel to and from the Crystal Empire any time either of you would like for a year."

Crystal wasn't sure when she had stopped breathing, but she had to take a sudden breath in when she realized she needed air. "Oh..."

Velvet's sniffle pushed her over the edge and they both started to cry. Crystal tried to hide behind her hooves while Velvet just sat there and trembled.

It was real. Crystal was moving away, and the passes were that concept brought to life. It hadn't seemed like reality until that moment. How could something be so exciting and so sad at the same time?

Silent looked between them, his ears folding back. "I'm... sorry?"

Crystal quickly shook her head. "No, don't be." She sniffed and picked up the rail pass, turning it over to look at both sides. "It's a wonderful gift."

"Yeah, you big old softy." Velvet rubbed at her eyes. "It's the second best thing you've ever done for me."

"The second?" Silent blinked. "What is the first?"

Velvet wrapped a foreleg around Crystal's shoulders and pulled her close. "Making my best friend in the world, the happiest mare in the world." Her glossy eyes narrowed as she added, "So don't break her heart or I swear I'll make you regret it."

Crystal laughed softly while Silent nodded and replied, "I have no intention of doing anything of the sort. You have my word."

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Priorities, Obligations, and Commitments
Companion Secrets Chapter: Groomsponies

♪ ...We're leaving together... ♪

Always and Forever

Silent stared at her, his brow and lips flat lines. "We do what?"

"Spend one night apart so that we don't see each other until the wedding," Crystal said, then nuzzled his cheek. "It's unicorn tradition. Please?"

"I guess if it's something important to you?" He shrugged.

Crystal nodded. "It is. I know it's silly, but traditionally we spend the night apart, me with my mare of honor and you with your best stall—best mare, so we don't forget the bonds of friendship we have as we enter the bonds of marriage."

Silent eyed her a moment, then cracked a grin. "Uh-huh. Did you make this up just so you could sleep with Velvet?"

"No!" She huffed and glared up at him. "It's a real tradition!"

He chuckled. "What about pegasus tradition? What if I'd rather do that?"

"Do you even know what your tradition is?" She laughed when he relented with a shake of his head. "Pegasi are supposed to separate for a week."

"Oh. Then let's do yours. I like yours better." He leaned down and kissed her softly. "Even if I'd rather just do neither."

With a small huff, she put a hoof on his chest. "Just think about how much happier you'll be to see me when I walk down that aisle."

He shrugged. "I think I'll be happy either way, but if this is what you want to do, then enjoy your special night with Velvet."

"Stop making it sound dirty! We're just going to watch filly flicks and probably cry." She turned and swatted him lightly with her tail. "Now, we have six nights to enjoy, and Velvet's got practice for another hour." She stopped in the doorway to her bedroom, looking over her shoulder at him. "If you're done fantasizing about me sleeping with Velvet, then—"

Silent trotted forward and lowered his head to nip at her flank. "I'm done."

Crystal giggled. "Good." She grabbed his hoof in her magic, though he hardly needed any further coaxing to follow her to the bed.

The door nearly slammed into the wall from the force of Velvet throwing it open with one hoof, the other clutching a tote bag. "I've got the popcorn and the wine!"

Crystal's ears wiggled from her spot on one of the pillows. "I've got the chocolate and the movie!"

Velvet kicked the door shut behind her before tossing the bag on the coffee table and plopping down beside Crystal. "Then let's get it started in here!"

Crystal's magic happily complied by flicking the lights off, then starting up the little projector they had borrowed from Velvet's parents. A large white sheet was draped over the bookshelves as a makeshift screen.

"So what's this one about?" Velvet asked, setting one of the bags of popcorn in her lap and tearing it open.

"A stallion who tries to change himself for a mare who ends up falling in love with who he was before." Crystal stared at the wine bottle as she carefully gripped the cork in her magic and eased it out, then poured two glasses.

Velvet grinned. "Oh, this one again?"

Crystal stuck out her tongue before taking a sip of the black cherry wine. "It's one of my favorites!"

"Okay, okay. But you know I still think the stallion would be better off with his friend." Velvet tossed a hooffull of popcorn in her mouth.

Crystal waved a hoof at her. "That's what got us into trouble, you know! Ponies can just be friends!"

Velvet laughed and shook her head. "Not in movies! They follow different rules. You see them?" She pointed at the screen.

"Them? Who? Him and his mentor?"

"Yeah." Velvet nodded. "They should totally go at it."

Crystal's ears shot up and she glared at Velvet, tossing a piece of popcorn at her. "No! Bad filly!"

Velvet retrieved the projectile popcorn to eat out of spite. "Have you read fanfiction of your stories? From what I can tell, if two characters existed in the same scene, ponies think they should do it."

"I've changed my mind! I'm making Horsey my mare of honor and I'm going to go spend the night with her." Crystal made an exaggerated show of standing up and collecting her things, huffing and levitating them past Velvet's face.

"Okay, okay!" Velvet clamped her hooves around the bottle of wine. "I'll behave. Let's just watch the movie."

Crystal snorted, but quickly put everything back in its place and settled down. "Thank you."

Velvet picked up her glass to take a sip, then paused when she caught Crystal staring at her. "What?"

With a flustered sputter, Crystal jerked her head back to the screen. "What what? Nothing!"

"Nothing? Seriously?" Velvet frowned. "What's up?"

Tentatively, Crystal asked, "What is it like... not being interested in romance?"

Velvet's frown tightened as she scrunched up her nose. "What is it like being interested in romance? Can you answer that question? No? Then I can't answer yours." She shifted on her pillow. "I just feel happier this way. I've read your stories and watched these movies and listened to you and my parents and Horsey and it's just, you know, it's just not for me."

Crystal dropped her gaze to the floor and asked in a quiet voice, "Have you tried?"

"What? I—Have you tried jumping off a cliff?" Velvet bristled. "Sometimes you just have to trust your gut when it says something is a bad idea!"

"Okay, okay, okay. I'm sorry. Honest." Crystal raised a hoof. "But one more question?"

Velvet narrowed her eyes. "What?"

Crystal lowered the hoof to tap it against the other. "Did you ever think you might be interested in dating, then realized you weren't?"

"What?" Velvet paused, then offered a meek shrug. "Uh, maybe? I kind of thought so for a while, years ago, when I wanted to be normal like you and Horsey."

With a flick of her head, Crystal brought over a quill and fresh notebook, scribbling down some notes. "I see."

Velvet leaned forward to peer at her writing. "What are you doing?" Her ears pinned back. "You're not going to write about me finding somepony to try to show me how great and wonderful life would be, are you?"

"No, no, no, nothing of the sort! I'm just taking some notes, just in case. I always take notes." Crystal waved a hoof at her. "Just watch the movie, dear."

Velvet stared at her before her expression lightened and she started snickering. "It's just like when we were fillies."

Crystal glanced over. "What do you mean?"

"Whenever we watched movies, you were always taking notes." She paused for a bout of laughter and continued, "I-I just thought you were a studious brat, since you never let me look at what you were writing!"

Crystal giggled and nodded. "Yes, and I was so flustered when you asked, 'What, is there a test at the end?' I actually considered making one up just to cover my tracks."

Velvet wiped her eyes. "I probably would have said we could never watch movies again if you had done that, to be honest."

They laughed together, Velvet nearly dropping her bag of popcorn and Crystal having to lower the items in her magic so she didn't lose focus.

"Don't forget," Crystal managed between giggles and laughter. "You stole my notebooks, so I think you still owe me for that."

"What!" Velvet reached over and pushed Crystal's shoulder. "I think getting you your cutie mark more than makes up for thievery, thank you very much!"

Crystal grinned, wiggling her ears. "I'm sure I would have figured it out on my own soon enough, thank you very much."

Velvet paused. Her lips lowered into a soft smile and she shook her head. "I don't know. I don't know if I ever would have picked up a Prima Donna book to discover my love for ballet, and I don't know if you would have ever gotten the courage to share your writing."

A somber quiet fell on them, the movie continuing to prattle on without their attention. Crystal finally smiled and raised her wine glass toward Velvet. "To best friends who needed each other and always will."

Velvet picked up her own glass and tapped it to Crystal's. "To best friends, always and forever."

It was the day of the wedding, and the gaggle of Crystal and her bridesmares had made it all the way to the Platinum Salon & Spa before disaster struck. Horsey plopped down on the lobby floor and buried her face in her hooves to try to hide the tears falling down her cheeks.

"I'm fat and fat ponies can't enjoy massages," she whined, her shoulders trembling.

Crystal shook her head, along with the others. "You're not fat, you're pregnant. And I already checked when I booked the appointment, they do have prenatal massages!"

Horsey sniffled and hiccuped. "No, I won't even be able to fit on the table!"

Velvet tried to pry Horsey's hooves away from her face. "Horsey, look at us! Nopony here thinks you're fat. You're a mother-to-be. That is one of the most beautiful things in the world, second only to being a mother."

Painted's ear flicked, but she kept a reassuring smile on her face. "It's an emotional time for all of us. Just try to breathe, okay?"

"She's right. Just focus on breathing," Raven said as she returned with a small cup of cucumber water. "You don't want to stress the foal."

Horsey accepted the cup in her magic, but didn't remove her hooves. "Oh, this foal is destined for stress, I'm going to be a terrible mother and that's all I'll do is stress them!"

Raven winced. "That's not what I—"

"It's okay," Velvet coaxed, wrapping her forelegs around Horsey's shoulders. She stroked one hoof down the mare's back and rested her cheek against the chestnut mane. "You're fine. You're not fat and your foal is going to be the child of the sweetest, most caring parents in Equestria."

Horsey made a sound between a sniffle and a sob. "You think so?"

Crystal nodded. "We know so."

While Horsey was in the middle of calming down, a stallion's voice interrupted, "Are you harassing the customers?"

Crystal turned her head. "Oh! Hi, Rossby! I was hoping you'd be working here today." She glanced at Velvet, who nodded and shooed her with a wave of one hoof. Crystal nodded back and walked over to the pegasus. "I guess you're trying to get revenge?"

Rossby frowned. "What?"

"I've been trying to find you, but you haven't been at any of your normal places." She tilted her head. "Did you get a new job?"

"Oh. No. I was busy at... weather camp." His wings twitched and he looked over at Horsey. "Don't change the subject. Are you harassing that mare?"

Crystal stepped into his line of sight. "She's a friend of mine going through an emotional time. Are you busy this afternoon?"

Rossby paused, then nodded. "I am. More so now that you asked."

"Oh, that's a shame, I was going to invite you to—"

"Wait, you waited until the day of something to invite me?" Rossby's ears flattened to the sides. "That's stupid. Couldn't you have just sent me an invitation like a normal pony?"

Crystal puffed out her cheeks and she jabbed a hoof at him. "How could I do that! I don't know where you live!"

"Really? Wow, you're a terrible stalker."

Painted craned her neck to put herself physically into the conversation. "You're a stalker, Crystal?"

Crystal's face flushed with embarrassed—and slightly irritated—heat. "I-I am not! It's a misunderstanding! He's just a brat." She glared at him. "I'm glad you're busy! I'm officially uninviting you."

Rossby rolled his eyes. "You didn't technically invite me, so, whatever, sure."

Crystal snubbed her nose at him and started for the doors that led to the spa area. "Come along, ladies. It's time to be pampered."

Velvet helped Horsey to her hooves as they all followed after her. "Did you book the hot stones for me?"

"Yup!" Crystal smiled over her shoulder. "Hot stones for you, Raven, and me, shiatsu for Painted, and prenatal for Horsey."

Golden Fish, Conch Shell, and a few other spa ponies Crystal wasn't familiar with stood beside their respective stations, each of them smiling.

"Welcome," Golden Fish said and bowed. "I understand that I'll have the honor of working with the bride. Please, everypony, lie down and relax."

While they all settled onto the massage tables, Crystal turned her head from one side to the other. She was situated in the very middle, with Painted and Horsey to her right and Velvet and Raven to her left. Slowly, she started to smile as warmth spread through her chest.

Painted Wave was the strong shoulder she could rely on to get her through the darkness, whether it be the lingering fears of a changeling attack or just looming work deadlines that seemed impossible. She never judged or disparaged Crystal's fears; she was a steadfast lighthouse on the shore.

Raven, of course, had once been the rocky outcroppings of that shore. Crystal never imagined that the guarded mare in the garden would become such a dear friend. She trusted Crystal with her weak moments and had grown stronger because of them, now a happily married mare where a miserable one once was. In return, she had supported Crystal through the good times and the bad, even going so far as to arrange a rose garden for her in the middle of winter. Now, those outcroppings served as protection of her little friendship bay.

Oh, the sensitive but sweet High Horse, who was at that moment doing her best not to cry when the spa pony had to help her onto the massage table. She was the waves that rolled in and out with a gentle caress. Asking for nothing and giving all that she could, there were few ponies as selfless. Motherhood would do wonders for her, and Crystal had no doubt that she would flourish in the new role.

And, finally, Velvet Step. She was the sunshine and the rain, the clear skies and the cloudy days; she was everything and more. Crystal could fill a whole trilogy of how much Velvet meant to her, but right then, she was overflowing with emotions and her eyes brimmed with tears. She needed to get out of her thoughts.

"I couldn't ask for better bridesmares," Crystal said, resting her head on the pillow while Golden Fish started to massage her hind legs. "You are all so important to me, so I want to thank you all. I wouldn't be who or where I am today without you girls."

Horsey sniffled and said with a small hitch in her voice, "D-don't get me started up again!"

Painted rolled her head to look at Crystal. "I hope you plan to still come to Canterlot to visit me when you need a new cover."

"What?" Crystal blinked. "Of course! I wouldn't dare replace you!"

Painted grinned. "Then the mushy feelings are mutual."

"Oh, you." Crystal giggled and looked over at Velvet. "I promise, I'll come to Canterlot as often as I can. I have absolutely no intention of losing touch with any of you."

Velvet just smiled back at her.

"I hope not." Horsey sighed, glancing over before her spa pony guided her back into the proper position. "I would be very sad if my foal didn't get to know their Aunty Crystal."

"Oh, so you're keeping whether it's a filly or a colt a surprise, then?" Raven asked, her eyes closed while her hind legs were worked on.

Horsey nodded. "Y-yes, we haven't told anypony. Only Savoir, the doctor, and I know. We reached out to the local craftspony, Axel, to make a foal carriage, and he offered to make it gender-neutral. That way we can reuse it for any other foals we have."

"That's a smart idea," Painted said, then moaned softly as hooves worked on a knot.

Crystal closed her eyes as the first hot stone was guided along her back by a skilled hoof. "Don't worry. I love Silent, and I support him and this new job opportunity, but I would never give up any of you. It will work out, I promise."

The bridal suite was prepared with their gowns ready and waiting, Crystal's kept hidden inside a garment bag. They all plopped down into the available chairs, Crystal letting out a low groan.

"I still can't believe they changed the recipe! How can you change the recipe for a kale, apple, and pear salad?" Crystal rubbed her forehead. "All I wanted was a simple meal that I knew would be easy on my stomach. Why did they have to add red vinegar and onions? Those don't even go with pears at all!"

Painted patted Crystal on the back. "It's okay. Look, let's just get our dresses on and then you'll feel pearfect."

Crystal stared at her. Velvet and Raven stared as well while Horsey giggled behind a hoof.

"Okay," Crystal relented with a smile. "Let's. Who wants to help me get my behemoth of tulle and silk?"

Painted's horn lit up with an iridescent glow as her excitement overflowed, but she cleared her throat and looked over at Velvet. "I think that's the mare of honor's honor."

The other bridesmares nodded in agreement as Velvet stepped forward, her shoulders squared and chest puffed out. "While I would most certainly agree, I think somepony with magic would be better suited."

Painted grinned. "Magic is more suited to helping suit up." Her grin widened. "I volunteer as tribute!"

Horsey glanced over at the pink dresses hanging on the rack and tears almost instantly pooled in her eyes. "Oh, you think your dress is a behemoth... w-well, look at mine!" Her ears drooped.

Velvet and Raven were instantly at her side, the former hugging her while the latter levitated the largest of the dresses over.

"No, see," Raven said as she turned the dress in the air, "you're mistaken. This isn't a behemoth of a dress at all. It's perfectly sized for a mare who is pregnant, not fat. See?" She pointed at the loop that went around the chest. "If you were fat, this would be proportional to the midsection."

Velvet nodded. "She's absolutely right."

Painted waved a hoof in front of Crystal's face. "Hello?"

Crystal blinked, tearing her gaze away from the other three to look at her. "Huh? I'm sorry. Were you talking to me?"

Painted laughed and shook her head. "I was until I realized you were too busy fretting over your friend. She'll be fine. Let's get you into your dress without mussing up your hair."

Crystal nodded, standing still as she watched Painted open the garment bag to retrieve the dress. It was a soft champagne color, with a glittering bodice and a long skirt that trailed on for what seemed like forever. Painted's magic carefully undid the ribbon that laced up the front and slipped the dress over Crystal's form, then tied the bodice back together. Two loose lengths of tulle served as straps that draped down from her shoulders to wrap around her upper forelegs.

It fit her perfectly and, when she looked in the mirror, her heart skipped a beat. Her mane was done up in a bun that was neither too tight nor too messy, but was an elegant style somewhere in between. The sides of her face were framed by two curly coils, each with a strand of pink running down the middle of the blonde.

"Oh, Crystal," Painted breathed more than said, drawing the attention of the other mares who all reacted with varying squeals of delight.

"That dress is perfect!" Velvet cheered as she clapped her hooves.

"So beautiful," Horsey murmured, wiping a tear—joyful this time—from her eye.

Raven smiled. "You look like a princess."

"Almost," Upper Crust's voice cut in, and they all turned to see her standing in the doorway. "She's missing two things."

Crystal tried to keep an even expression and tone as she replied, "What's that, Mother?"

Upper Crust crossed the room and stood in front of her. Her magic set a box on the table that contained the bouquets. "Flowers, for one."

The bridesmares' bouquets were simple, containing only white roses. Velvet's bouquet was a step up from them with light red roses instead. Crystal's, however, was of a cascading style with the mix of white and differing reds, full and shapely like the gown she wore.

There was only one problem. For some reason, red tulips had been added to the top of the bouquet, sticking out at odd angles almost like the tentacles of a sea creature. Crystal glanced between the bouquets and Velvet, who caught the look and gave a knowing nod. While Upper Crust's attention was on Crystal, Velvet whispered to Horsey, whose magic gently tugged the tulips out of the arrangement.

Upper Crust gazed at Crystal for a moment before smiling. "Secondly, you're missing an accessory, darling. A gown like this is naked without the proper accessory." From the hidden pocket of her dress, she retrieved a blue teardrop-shaped pendant dangling on a silver chain.

Crystal blinked. Giving it a closer look, the pendant itself was composed of different shades of blue with a swirl of silver sparkles trailing along one side. "Oh, it's beautiful! Where did you get it?"

"I found it at the bottom of my jewelry box." Upper Crust's ear flicked. "I believe it was a gift from my mother, a long time ago. Since it seems you have invited... them, presumably because you enjoyed your Chicagoat visit, it only seems fitting that you take this little thing. It was hardly expensive, I'm sure." There was a pause as her gaze landed on the necklace and her expression softened. "Just a cheap trinket."

Crystal swallowed and quietly offered, "Do you want it back after the wedding?"

"What?" Upper Crust glanced between her and it. "What? No. I'm giving it to you, darling. What need would I have for it?" She undid the clasp and looped it around Crystal's neck. "There you are. Blue, like your stallion. His favorite color, I believe you mentioned."

A small smile curled Crystal's lips as she inclined her head to look down at the necklace. "Yes, blue is his favorite color." The smile widened. "Thank you. It's perfect."

Upper Crust waved a hoof. "Like I said, it's hardly worth a fuss over. But you're welcome nonetheless." She paused, then gently wrapped her foreleg around Crystal's shoulder to pull her in for a hug, placing a kiss on her forehead. "For you, I will not fight with my parents. But only for you, on your special day. My little princess deserves that much."

Crystal blinked a few times to try to clear the sudden tears from her eyes. "Th-thanks, Mom."

With a curt nod, Upper Crust pulled away and walked to the door. She offered a cordial nod to the bridesmares that stood in silence. "Ladies."

Once they were alone again, Horsey released the breath she had been holding. "Oh my goodness, That was... unexpected."

"Yeah..." Crystal stared at the door, then shook her head. "Yeah. Um, anyway." She looked over at them, smiling. "You all look gorgeous!"

The pink of the bridesmares' dresses was just a few shades different from that of Velvet's coat, but the darker accents kept the material discernible. It was simple in design, with a loop that went across the front of the chest to feature a rose—white for Velvet and light red for the others—that matched the one tucked in their manes. A stretchy fabric of the darker pink went around the middle, and a two-tiered, two-toned skirt cascaded over their hindquarters and to the floor.

"Don't we?" Velvet struck a pose, Painted and Raven following suit.

Horsey swallowed. "And you're sure I look—"

"Fine!" they all interrupted. "You look fine!"

Horsey gave a weak laugh. "Okay, all right. If you're sure."

"I'm sure." Crystal put a hoof on her shoulder. "You are as beautiful as you've always been." Before the mare could think into the phrasing, Crystal quickly corrected, "And you've always been beautiful."

Willowy pushed open the door and stuck her head in. "Ladies! Are you ready? It's almost time!"

Velvet gasped. "Really? Already? Oh my gosh!" She glanced in the mirror to take one more look at her mane, picked up her bouquet, and started out the door. "Okay, fillies, we only get one shot at this so let's get it right for Crystal!"

Horsey bit her lip as she examined her reflection. A quick clearing of Velvet's throat tore her attention away. "M-mm." She smiled over at Crystal, then followed after Velvet.

"We'll see you out there," Raven said, embracing Crystal one last time before she trotted after the other mares.

Painted paused and lingered at the door. "How are you doing?"

Crystal waved a hoof at her. "My hooves are very warm. Don't worry about me!"

"No, I more meant, how are you doing?" Painted gestured at her with a wide circle. "Emotionally. Mentally. Physically. Spiritually. This is a big day for you."

After taking a quick moment to close her eyes and search her thoughts and emotions, she finally smiled and shook her head. "It doesn't feel real yet." She tilted her head. "When did it feel real for you?"

Painted chuckled and merely shrugged before galloping away to bring up the end of the line of bridesmares.

Crystal stuck her tongue out at the air. "That's not an answer!" She huffed and started to pace.

She was getting married. It was really happening!

All of a sudden, her stomach filled up with butterflies and her body felt hot with uncertainty. Where had all these nerves come from?

"Knock, knock," Jet Set said as he tapped a hoof on the door and pushed it open. "Is the princess ready?"

Crystal turned to look at him, smiling to cover up her anxiety. "Oh, hi, Father. Is it time?"

Jet Set just stared. His magic lit up and raised his glasses off his muzzle, paused, put them back in place, and he finally smiled. "You look absolutely beautiful, Crystal, dear."

She felt her cheeks warm and she ducked her head. "Th-thanks."

After another moment to take in the sight, he offered his foreleg out to her. "The bridesmares are on their way down the aisle as we speak. It's time to take our place behind them."

"All right." She crossed the room and slipped her foreleg around his, the bouquet floating in front of her chest. "I'm ready."

They left the suite and walked in relative silence down the halls to the door that led to the garden. Once they were just outside the rose vine-covered archway and waiting for their cue, Crystal took a moment to look around.

The tall rose bushes blocked sight into the ceremony area, a beautiful barrier of deep green leaves and dark red blooms. A few of the petals had left their homes behind to drift lazily on the warm breeze. She giggled to herself. Who would ever imagine a breeze being warm at that time of year?

Jet Set sighed and patted Crystal's hoof, looking down at her with a soft smile. "Your mother and I made mistakes. Looking back, I can see that now. But I won't apologize."

Crystal blinked. "What?"

"I can't apologize. We did what we thought was right, we wanted to prepare you for the world, and though you found a world different from the one we imagined for you, we did our best." He bobbed his head in a light nod. "A parent can only do so much with the limited knowledge they have."

Crystal did her best not to frown. "I don't quite follow, Father."

Jet Set shook his head. "I don't expect you to, not until you have a foal of your own that's grown up before your very eyes." He squeezed her hoof. "Whether we did right or wrong by you, you found your place, dear. You did that on your own in spite of the mistakes we made. And I'm proud of you for that."

"I..." Her lips lifted in a smile and she leaned up to place a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you, Dad."

When the music changed to give the signal, Jet Set smiled. "That's our cue. Let's get you married to that stallion of yours."

He started walking forward and she followed alongside him. Her heart started to race. He would be there, wouldn't he? Of course he would. There was no way he would get cold hooves. She took in a breath, shifted the bouquet in her magic, and tried not to hurry her steps just to find out.

Silent Knight, her knight, would always be there, forever by her side. That didn't stop her mind from latching onto new fears at random, of course. What if she tripped? What if a bug got in her eye? Did she look all right? Had her mane come undone? Was there anything in her teeth?

As they turned the corner and started to pass under the white arch, her eyes found Silent's and the world melted away.

Author's Note

Companion Secrets Chapter: Our Canterlot Wedding - Part 1

♪ ...The final countdown. ♪

Wishes Come True

Crystal knew the aisle runner was white with gold embroidery. There were white rose petals scattered on each side of it to stand out against the green grass, a floral barrier between her and the hundreds of guests in attendance. Friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers were standing and looking at her.

She knew all of these things existed around her, but she didn't see any of it. All she could see was the only thing that mattered in that moment: her eyes were locked on Silent Knight, standing under the arbor at the end of the aisle, looking at her. Even at that distance she could feel the loving warmth in his gaze.

Her hooves wanted to run to him, but her legs kept them in time with her father's steps. The music guided them down the aisle until she stood across from Silent while her heart did flips in her chest.

The stallion standing with them under the arbor cleared his throat to draw attention to him. He was Major Virtue, the royal guard they had selected to be their officiant for the ceremony. Silent wanted a traditional military wedding, Luna wanted to be a regular pony and not a princess for just one day, and Crystal wanted them both to be happy, so everypony won in the end with the major in charge.

"Who gives this beautiful filly away?"

Jet Set held his head high while patting Crystal's hoof. "I do," he announced with a swell of pride behind the two simple words. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, then turned to Silent to offer his hoof. As Silent accepted and shook it, Jet Set leaned in to mumble something Crystal couldn't quite hear before he left the arbor to sit beside Upper Crust.

The major looked between Silent and Crystal, a gentle smile on his face. "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."

He directed his gaze toward the crowd and continued, "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."

Crystal couldn't take her eyes off Silent, and it seemed his attention was locked on her as well. He held up a hoof and she took it, only to realize that she was trembling. Hundreds of ponies were watching them. She was suddenly aware of that, but that wasn't what seemed to be the problem. She was overwrought with both joy and nerves.

"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."

They were getting married. Soon, they would be wife and husband. Would life change? Would things become different between them? Would it change their love?

"Today, your lives, which began on separate paths, will be joined as one."

Crystal tried to swallow the lump in her throat and attempted a calm smile. Silent gave her hoof a reassuring squeeze, and the smile became sincere. No, of course not. Their love would only grow stronger with each passing year together.

The major stepped to the side just enough to gesture with one hoof. "At this time I'd like to draw your attention to the box beside Crystal and Silent."

Off to the side, a wooden box sat on a pedestal, open to reveal the plush blue velvet that lined the inside. Crystal had read about the love letter and wine box ceremony in one of the several bridal magazines she owned, and the moment she learned what it was she knew it was something she wanted to do.

"They have written letters to each other," the major explained, "expressing the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, and their reasons for choosing to marry. These letters were sealed before they could be read. We will include these letters in the box along with a bottle of wine and two glasses. Should Crystal and Silent ever find their marriage facing hardships, they will open this box, sit and drink the wine together, then read the letters they wrote to one another to be reminded of the reasons why they are together."

The idea of writing the letter had been easy. Coming up with the things she wanted to say? Even easier. Putting the quill to paper without getting emotional? Now that had been the difficult part. She had made three attempts at writing a coherent letter without either crying on the parchment or her focus dropping from a wave of sentimental feelings.

Major Virtue chuckled softly. "The hope is, however, that Crystal Wishes and Silent Knight will never have a reason to open this box." After a pause to let the mood settle before shifting topics, he turned his head toward Crystal and said, "Crystal Wishes. Today you commit your heart to a pony whose life is not completely within his control. A pony who has sworn other oaths beyond this one. Do you so swear to respect that, to live in harmony, loving what you know of him, and trusting that you will weather what you do not yet know? Will you respect his integrity and have faith in your mutual abiding love, through all your years, and in all that life may bring you?"

Was there any other answer she could possibly give? Crystal gazed up at Silent and replied, "I will."

"Silent Knight." The major faced his gentle smile toward the stallion. "Today you commit your heart to a pony who's chosen to give hers to a royal guard. A pony that may never fully understand our way of life. Do you swear to be considerate of that, to live in harmony, loving what you know of her, and trusting that you will weather what you do not yet know? Will you respect her feelings and have faith in your mutual abiding love, through all your years, and in all that life may bring you?"

Silent nodded. "I will."

"And so you both shall." Major Virtue angled himself back between them to look out at the crowd. "Traditionally, the passage to the status of wife and husband is marked by the exchange of rings. These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver, for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken."

"Velvet Step," he said, looking over at her, "will you please give Crystal the ring?"

Velvet shifted the bouquet from one hoof to the other, retrieving the ring that had been tucked into the ribbon tied around the rose stems. "Yes, sir." She held it out and looked up to meet Crystal's gaze. There were tears in her eyes, but a smile on her face.

Crystal smiled back at her while the simple blue band levitated in a pink aura. She hadn't considered the difficult implication being mare of honor put on Velvet; her father had ceremoniously given her away, but Velvet had to stand right by her side throughout the ceremony and give her the ring.

Silent extended his left wing toward her and, carefully, she used her magic to get the ring on one of the long primary feathers. A more hoof-oriented pony could be trusted with the task, but she didn't want to risk missing on the first try, dropping it, or—even worse—hurting him. Once the ring was situated, she switched to using her hoof to guide it further up. The ring, made of an already light material and then imbued with a featherweight spell, was effortlessly kept in place by the interlocked barbs of the feather.

"Crystal Wishes," the major said, "do you give this ring of your own free will and without reservation?"

"I do." She retracted her hoof, smiling up at Silent.

Major Virtue nodded. He angled his head toward Silent and his groomsponies. "Winterspear, will you please give Silent the ring?"

"Yes, sir," Winterspear said as she fetched the ring from a pocket and held it out to Silent. It was a simple white gold band with two pink stones separated by a curved groove, allowing it to fit her engagement ring as if they were one, creating something new and even more beautiful out of what was already perfect.

Crystal bowed her head just enough to lower her horn while she tried to keep her smile even. The stones were the same color as the beautiful pink crystal that their Fluorite Ferrier Resort room had been. It would be yet another link for her to keep reminding her of that wonderful, unforgettable trip to Glimmer World.

"Silent Knight," the major asked once Silent had slipped the ring onto her horn, "do you give this ring of your own free will and without reservation?"

"I do," he replied.

Crystal raised her head and their eyes met again. It was official—well, nearly. There was just one thing left to do.

With two stomps of his hoof, Major Virtue declared, "You have made your marriage vows to one another, witnessed by your friends and family. You have sealed your vows with the giving and receiving of these rings." He smiled. "Silent Knight, you may now kiss the bride."

Silent held her hoof and gave it a small, loving squeeze. He started to lean in and she met him halfway in a brief but sweet kiss. Some ponies may have preferred the kind where she was dipped and kissed with wild abandon, but with so many of their friends, family, and strangers watching, theirs was perfect.

"Friends and family, princesses and guards, it is now my privilege and my honor to present to you for the very first time, Crystal Wishes and Silent Knight, wife and husband."

Crystal turned with Silent to face all of the ponies that sat, waiting for their cue. The warmth of love in all its forms radiated from every pony in attendance—the love of friends through thick and thin, of family through highs and lows, and of the stallion standing beside her through it all.

Sunny Day and several other guards came in from the sides and marched toward the exit. On her command of "Center face!" they pivoted on their hind legs and faced one another to make a gauntlet of guards. When she ordered, "Arch sabres!" they all raised their swords to make, aptly, an arch, the tip of each touching the one across from it.

Crystal tried not to giggle at one of the swords that had to be raised by magic, given that it belonged to little Azurite and was appropriately sized for her. The quartet began to play and everypony rose to applaud and cheer the newlywed couple. Silent took the first step forward and she followed alongside him as they made their way down the aisle.

The faces were a blur as her gaze drifted between them all, but she did recognize the notable ones. Wallflower, Dot, and Princess Luna sat in the front row on Silent's side of the garden, with nearly every guard from the palace filling in the majority of the remaining seats. On her side, of course, were her parents, Sunbeam, Pepper Ridge, Red Velvet, Savoir, Moore, Verdant Wellspring, all of her mother's family, and too many other ponies to keep track of as they neared the arch.

Before they could pass through, however, Silent stopped just as Sunny and Russet Rook's swords lowered to block the way. Crystal blinked and wobbled forward as her hooves stopped before her legs were ready, perhaps to get revenge for earlier, then she looked up at Silent. He just smiled at her. He had been in charge of arranging the parts of the wedding that tied into the military aspects, so if he didn't look concerned, then—

Whump! Crystal squealed in surprise when Radiant Orchid's sword came down and swatted her rump with a playful but meaningful force.

"Welcome to the Royal Guard," the older mare said, a kind smile showing through her well-practiced guard expression before it snapped back into place.

Crystal's face was hot and she could only huff a squeaky, unintelligible response as the swords in front of them were lifted to let them through. The guards in the arch of sabers followed them out, the bridesmares and groomsponies right behind them, then the guests.

"Was that part of the tradition?" Crystal whispered to Silent, glancing up at his amused grin. "Or was that just for a laugh?"

"Why not both?" he teased, his ears wiggling. "You're making me do a receiving line, so I think it's a fair trade."

Crystal shook her head as they formed a line with Princess Luna, Wallflower, Upper Crust, and Jet Set. "I'm not the one who wanted this," she said in a low, private voice. "Blame my mother."

Silent accepted the silk saddlebags that a staff pony brought over to them. Their cutie marks were interwoven into one symbol, the blue moon beginning where the pink heart ended and the quill and blade facing one another, and embroidered on the flaps. Traditionally, guests would give them gifts to help start their new life together, but Crystal would be content with just filling them with bits. Bits could be used for anything. Three sets of silverware or two stock pots? Not so much.

"I'm sure I'll be saying that a lot." Silent's wings flicked before tucking in close to his sides. "Huh. I expected the ring to be more noticeable."

Crystal smiled. "Hopefully you won't lose too many of them—Hello! Thank you so much for coming." She bowed her head to the first pony in line. Once the group of ponies had passed, she quickly tried to continue, "But I have a whole bag of some cheap ones that look more or less the same—Hello! Thank you so much for coming." She bowed her head, smiled, and said once Silent had done the same, "In case you lose one or the feather it was on. And I bought a nice chain for you to wear this one on so it doesn't get lost."

Silent leaned down to nuzzle her cheek. "You're such a considerate wife."

"And I do the dishes," Crystal said, puffing out her chest.

Silent chuckled and nodded. "A considerate and well-bred wife. What a lucky stallion I am."

"Yes, you a—Hello! Thank you so much for coming. Silent, this is my grandfather, Pizzaiolo and..."

Silent let out a heavy sigh of relief and shook his head. "I thought that would never end. How did we end up with so many ponies?"

"My mother, your alicorn-mothers in attendance, a castle wedding... All of the above?" Crystal smiled. "All that's left is the reception, and most of that should be fun."

Silent bobbed his head. "I suppose that makes sense."

Crystal hooked her foreleg with his, bumped their shoulders together, and asked, "Are you ready to do this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

"Then let's go. Our public awaits." She giggled.

As they approached the doors that led to the reception hall, two palace guards pushed them open and gave polite nods of their heads as Crystal and Silent walked past.

"Ladies and gentleponies," a voice announced as they entered and all eyes turned to look. "May I present to you for the first time: Mrs. Crystal Wishes and Mr. Silent Knight!"

A wave of cheers washed over them, accompanied by the sound of stomping hooves and excited whistling. Silent seemed to puff up with pride while Crystal just smiled and offered a small wave.

Then, the quartet from the ceremony began to play, soft and slow at first, until one of the instruments soared above the others and everypony went quiet.

Silent led Crystal to the center of the room that had been cleared for their first dance. They moved in time with the music as it picked up the melody. He bowed to her and she curtseyed in return; several awws rose from the crowd.

With practiced poise, they stood on their hind legs and came together to hold one another just as a harp joined the quartet. The words that accompanied the song began to play in the back of her mind.

Three paces down the shore, low sounds the lute, the better that my longing you may know...

Dancing slow and upright brought back such fond memories. The time they danced in her condo living room and he dropped her. Of course, they had been practicing ever since they had set the date for the wedding, so hopefully there would be no dropping involved this time.

I’m not asking you to come, but—can’t you go?

More musicians came in from where they had been hiding in the crowd to join the original quartet. Silent, who had been so excited for their surprise orchestra, seemed to hardly give it any notice. Instead, he just gazed down at her as he led her through the turns, their eyes never drifting away.

"We finally made it," she whispered.

Three words, “I love you,” and the whole is said—the greatness of it throbs from sun to sun...

"Yes, we did." He squeezed the hoof he held in his own. "It took a few years to get here, but we're here now." He chuckled. "And I'm really glad you're not the fillyfooler I thought you were."

"Me, too." Crystal couldn't help a small grin that she smothered into a more even expression as he spun her out at foreleg's length, still holding hooves so that he could pull her back in.

I’m not asking you to walk, but—can’t you run?

Without missing a beat, they glided through the rest of their routine, along the turns and around the box-steps. The song started to draw to a close, and after a confirming nod between them, Silent spun her out one final time.

Three paces in the moonlight’s glow I stand, and here within the twilight beats my heart.

As she twirled back into his embrace, he shifted his weight to steady himself as he pulled her into a dip. They remained that way, his hooves wrapped around her middle and hers around his neck, gazing at each other while the musicians disappeared into the crowd, leaving the original quartet to finish the song.

I’m not asking you to finish, but—to start.

"I love you," she whispered, smiling up at him.

Applause and stomps rewarded them as he pulled her back upright, kissing her softly and mumbling, "I love you, too."

Crystal giggled as he nodded to acknowledge the crowd and she called, "Thank you, everypony! Please, enjoy your dinner. It's on us!"

Polite laughter responded as ponies found their seats and she and Silent went over to their special table nearby where their food was already waiting.

Velvet ran up and stopped Crystal by grabbing her neck and squeezing tight. Tears were running down her cheeks, but the cheer in her voice assuaged the initial fear Crystal felt at the sight of them. "Oh my Celestia, Crystal, that was the most beautiful thing! Ever!"

Crystal smiled and returned the hug. "That means a lot coming from somepony who does beautiful dances for a living."

Velvet snorted. "Ballet has nothing on what you just did." She sniffed and pulled back to beam at her. "Okay, sorry. Go, sit with your husband and enjoy the meal."

"I can stay with you and—"

"No, really, go eat! The food's great. The pasta salad's amazing." She grinned.

Crystal laughed, shaking her head. "Why am I not surprised you've already tried everything somehow?" She nuzzled her cheek, then walked over to sit beside Silent at their table.

After she had eaten her fill—lingering nerves over the whole affair made it hard for her to eat too much, but she certainly wasn't going to waste a meal prepared by the castle chefs—Crystal folded her napkin and placed it to the left of her plate, then looked at Silent. "We have some time. I'll start at my family's side of the room, we'll meet in the middle, take a break, and then switch?"

Silent nodded. "That sounds good to me. You can have a head start. I'm not done eating yet."

Crystal kissed his cheek before making her way to the nearest table where Fancy Pants and Lyrica Lilac sat with their usual entourage. "Hello! I hope you're all enjoying your meal."

Fancy Pants chuckled. "Quite so! But who can ever have a bad thing to say about a meal in the castle?" He winked. "You look absolutely ravishing, my dear. Ravishing."

Lyrica just offered a polite nod of her head.

"Terribly sorry about my daughter's absence," Fancy continued. "She wasn't feeling well and all that. Didn't want to bring anything that might be contagious. She sends her best wishes, of course."

Crystal kept her smile calm and even, though she wanted to roll her eyes. "I hope she feels better soon, Mr. Fancy Pants." She looked around the table. "Thank you all for coming. It means so much to Silent and me."

The usual cordial responses were given that, after hearing them from the next table and the table after that, started to get almost annoying.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world!"

"Of course, we are just honored to be here."

"Wonderful wedding, beautiful bride, good-looking groom!"

Crystal turned her back on the fifth table and sighed inwardly. Right—this was exactly why she had given up social events. She hated all the practiced phrases and empty praises. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a sage green pegasus sitting at a table of other pegasi.

After circling around to get a better look, Crystal blinked and approached him. "Rossby?"

Rossby stiffened, then turned his head to stare at her. "Huh? Crystal?"

"Oh!" Her brow furrowed. "What are you doing here?"

He kept staring. "I was invited. D'uh."

"But I—I didn't get to invite you! You said you were busy!"

"Yeah, busy with this wedding. My mom made me come. Apparently the niece or something of a cousin on my mom's side is getting married. We're second cousins, so I don't know why I should care, but... wait, why are you here?"

Crystal gawked and sputtered, "I-I'm the bride!"

"Oh." His ear flicked. "That makes more sense. I just thought you were really tacky wearing that to somepony else's wedding."

After her initial irritation subsided, she blinked a few times. "Wait, the niece of... Who's your cousin?"

Rossby's eyes widened. "Please tell me you don't have an uncle named Whisperwind."

"I do!" She gasped. "You're my cousin?!"

"I—" He paused, his lips moving to unspoken words while his gaze rose to the ceiling, and he shook his head. "I think that makes us second cousins. Once removed. Or something. Maybe twice removed. Family trees are weird." A smug grin gripped his lips. "Wait, that puts me a generation above you, doesn't it?"

Crystal jabbed a hoof at him. "You stop that! I'm still older than you. And it's my wedding day. So say something nice!" She tossed her mane and peered down her muzzle at him.

Rossby glowered at first, then raised his brow. "The weather sure is nice today, isn't it? Not a single raincloud in sight. You're welcome."

Crystal squinted at him before relenting with a sigh. "I'll take it. Now, excuse me. I have an uncle to interrogate to find out if it's the same stallion, or if perhaps this is just a coincidence."

"'Kay. But if we are related and things get weird, then I still expect you to recommend books for me. A deal's a deal."

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Of course, sure. Bye!"

The Pizza family wasn't hard to find, as they had taken up two tables by themselves and stood out from the common elite of Canterlot. She started to approach them, but froze when she saw her mother standing with them.

She couldn't hear what was said, but she could feel the tension even at the distance. Upper Crust fiddled with her pearl necklace, Pizzaiolo didn't look at her, and Fior had risen to her full height to peer down at Upper Crust as they spoke. The other family members were doing their best to preoccupy themselves, though Pretzi was staring at Upper Crust with wide eyes and infatuation clear on her face.

Crystal's ears folded back and she tried not to look like she was staring. She wandered to the nearest table and struck up a casual conversation with the ponies sitting there, glancing over every once and a while.

All of the pretense dropped, however, when Fior embraced Upper Crust. The whole Pizza family was paying attention at that point, Crystal included. Upper Crust didn't pull away, but she didn't return the hug, either; closing her eyes and accepting it was enough.

Crystal smiled as she willed herself to not cry, especially not when Jet Set walked over and Pizzaiolo rose. The two stallions stared for a while until Jet Set offered a hoof, which Pizzaiolo glanced at. Neither of them smiled nor frowned and simply shook hooves with noncommittal expressions. Once a tense truce seemed agreed upon, Pretzi jumped out of her seat to rush over to Upper Crust, embracing her as well.

Discovering Whisperwind's possible relation to Rossby Waves could wait. Crystal changed her course to make rounds at other tables. Her family had more important matters to attend.

Crystal stood beside Silent as they faced the waiting crowd while he fiddled with the bottle of champagne. After angling it at the ceiling, he said, "All right, I think I've got it. Everypony, look out!"

Breaths were held, but no loud pop! or flying cork followed. Instead, a cap fell into his hoof and the bottle just bubbled a bit. He looked down at it with a disappointed frown on his face. "What? It's a twist cap?"

Crystal burst into laughter and quickly clamped a hoof over her mouth. Nearby ponies that caught his expression chuckled and snickered. Silent sighed before shrugging it off and he filled her glass, then his. After a few polite taps of his fork to the glass, the room went quiet and all attention was on them.

Silent took a moment to look out at all their faces, his expression reserved at first until he finally smiled and looked down at the cards for the toast Crystal had helped him prepare.

Taking a breath, Silent started, "Those of you that know me best know I'm not one for speaking in front of crowds. To be frank, Crystal had to help me write most of this toast so that I could practice in advance. Otherwise I'd be too nervous to give it."

He looked up from the cards and smiled. "When I look out at all of you tonight, however, I'm not nervous. I'm not nervous at all. I know one third of you, I’m excited to get to know another third of you, and for the rest... Well, I hope you're enjoying your free meal at the palace."

He winked and paused to allow for the soft laughter that followed. Crystal smiled, letting her gaze drift the room as she reminisced and reflected. Working with him on the speech had reminded her of how far he truly had come. Once upon a time, he was the stallion in her theater class she hardly knew was there most of the time because he avoided other ponies to "just build sets." She giggled to herself. Yes, he had definitely come a long way since then.

Silent continued, "I arrived in Canterlot many years ago knowing only one thing: that I was to be a royal guard. That was my drive. That was my motivation. It was what I was meant to do and I had to excel at it and, without sounding too much like a braggart, I think I have... but that isn't the whole story. Focusing solely on being a royal guard doesn't lend itself to becoming a pony that knows how to live. In fact, it doesn't prepare you for much of anything that life has to offer and, in a few short years, I've learned that life has a lot to offer.”

Of course, he wasn't the only one who had grown. Her horizons had broadened, her interests had expanded, and her goals had changed. All she had ever wanted to do was fall in love, but there was more to life than finding a stallion and settling down. She just had to find that out for herself along the way.

Silent turned his attention to the table where the ponies dearest to him sat: Winterspear, Runic, Shining Armor, Iridescence, and Luna. "Like the deep bonds of loyalty between siblings or the humorous antics of a cousin willing to do anything to make you laugh. Then there is the value of an honest mentor that only wants what is best for you and is willing to call you out when you're wrong."

Life had so much to offer that focusing on only one aspect meant missing out. She smiled as she looked at the ponies that were close to her heart. Horsey held hooves with Savoir, who stroked her cheek while she cried freely. Velvet sat with her family, Red in her lap while Sunbeam cried into Pepper Ridge's shoulder, the stallion doing everything he could to keep his trembling composure so that he could comfort his wife.

Raven and Willow had been in the middle of going over a checklist, Moore standing between them to hold the list in question with one hoof. Painted beamed at them, though she did sneak rubbing at the corner of one of her eyes when she thought nopony was looking. Verdant glanced at her and grinned knowingly, but otherwise let her keep her dignity intact.

"And you have friends. Ponies who give generously of themselves when we need it or who treat us with kindness we sometimes don't even feel we deserve."

A couple tables over, Sunset Coffee and his family watched. Even Blue Belle and Violet were still and quiet, either understanding the situation or having recently been scolded into doing so. She owed him a great deal of debt for helping her launch her career, so much so that she could never repay him. Of course, he never asked her to. He just smiled and teased as always, We're even so long as you keep writing. Meeting her gaze, Sunset winked before returning his attention to Silent.

"Life has given me all of those things and one thing more: love."

Crystal's ear twitched and she looked up at him. This part was unfamiliar to her; he was supposed to then raise his glass and request everypony toast to the magic that was life, friendship, and love.

"Life offers us all love. The love of family, the love of friends, and the love of a special pony. For me, that special pony is Crystal. She has been the guiding star of my life recently and even when things were stormy I could always see her. It was as if by magic she could cut through the gales and get right to me."

Silent met her gaze and smiled, sending her heart into a fluttering frenzy as her face heated up.

“I ask you all now. Please lift your glasses and join me in a toast to Crystal Wishes. A mare far better than a pony like me deserves.”

“To Crystal Wishes,” all the voices in the room repeated enthusiastically. Glasses were raised, champagne was downed, and hooves then stomped.

“Thank you, everypony,” he said before kissing Crystal's cheek and muttering, “Okay, speech done, I'm done.”

Crystal laughed. "Yes, yes." She patted his cheek in return. "You're free until the cake cutting. I'll do the bouquet toss, so go have fun for now."

Silent flashed her a smile and trotted off to finish trying to mingle with the ponies he wanted to see. Crystal cleared her throat and called, "Will all the single mares please join me in the middle of the room for a bouquet toss?"

Some mares squealed in delight and raced to the space cleared for the event. Sunbeam took Red from Velvet and shoved her onto the floor, grinning as she watched her daughter begrudgingly join the growing crowd. Iridescence and Winterspear looked at each other, shrugged, and walked out as well.

"Is that everymare?" Crystal asked, looking around. She smiled when there was nothing said to the contrary and turned her back on the group of mares. "All right! Ladies, get ready in three..."

Her magic lifted the bouquet in front of her. She had an idea. It would be funny, right? No, of course it would.

"... Two..."

Sounds of excitement and hooves shuffling started up. It was just a joke. Ponies could handle jokes.

"... One!" Crystal sucked in a breath, spun around, and pelted Velvet right in the face with the bouquet. After a moment of surprise, most ponies laughed while Velvet just stood there, looking down at the mess of flowers sitting unceremoniously at her hooves.

Velvet looked back up at Crystal, one brow raised. "That doesn't count. I didn't catch it!"

Crystal stuck out her tongue. "You touched it!"

Velvet countered with a raspberry. "Do it right, silly filly!"

Crystal gave an exaggerated roll of her eyes and levitated the bouquet back to herself. "Fine! If I have to. All right, for real this time. Three..." She turned away from them. "... Two..." She readied the bouquet, then let it sail away. "One!"

As a chorus of squeals and delight filled the air, Crystal turned to watch the frantic scuffle. Surprisingly, Winterspear jumped up out of the crowd, using the advantage of her wings to intercept the bouquet before it could reach the other mares.

"I got it!" Winterspear puffed out her chest and held the trophy high in the air, but when her eyes met the wide, surprised ones of Iridescence, she flushed and glanced away.

"W-well," Crystal said, trying to laugh casually. "Congratulations, Winterspear!" She cleared her throat. "If my husband is ready, I think that means it's time to cut the cake."

Hoots and hollers responded, and one pony even teasingly tried to shove Silent in the direction of the cake. The effort was in vain, of course, as not much could move a stallion of his strength and size, but he smiled and trotted on anyway.

Unsurprisingly, Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge had made a cake that normally only existed in bridal magazines to give mares unrealistic dreams. It was seven tiers tall and covered in chocolate roses so perfectly hoofmade by Sunbeam that they looked real. The pink ones went from dark to light at the tips, while the blue gradient went in reverse to contrast beautifully with their counterparts. Certain ones were selected to be white instead, some arranged to form the letters CW and SK on one tier, hearts on the next, then back to their initials and so on.

At the very top of the cake were two toppers, one to represent both of them, holding hooves and standing under an arch that was half of a pink heart on one side and a blue crescent moon on the other.

"Oh, Mama Sunbeam, Papa Pepper," Crystal said as the two approached them while Silent inspected the suspiciously Azurite-sized sword that a grinning Sunny gave him, "it's absolutely perfect."

Sunbeam sniffled and nosed her cheek, tears still in her eyes. Pepper Ridge said with his chest puffed out, "Only the best for you on your special day. We were happy to make it."

Crystal smiled and hugged them both. "When I said 'surprise me,' I meant... Oh, it doesn't matter what I meant. Thank you both so very, very much."

"Just wait until you taste it," Pepper Ridge said, placing a quick kiss on her cheek. "I used a hint of rose extract just for you."

Crystal nodded as she pulled back. "I'm sure I'll love it."

"Are you ready?" Silent asked, looking over at her with the sword held in his hoof.

"Of course." She moved to stand at his side.

With all eyes on them, Silent made another show of inspecting the blade before presenting it rested over his foreleg, hilt toward Crystal. She carefully took the sword from him and, with his right hoof resting over hers and left foreleg wrapped around her waist, they cut into the cake together.

It was a shame to cut something so beautiful, but the moist white cake that waited beneath the rosy exterior seemed more than worth the cost. After they took the first slice for themselves, they stepped aside to let two staff ponies work on cutting the rest for the other guests.

Crystal cut off a piece with a fork and held it to him while he did the same and, in unison, they took their respective bites. The piece of pink chocolate rose that accompanied her bite tasted like a strawberry, a gentle flavor that complemented the vanilla cake and hint of rose extract.

"Cotton candy," Silent remarked, her forkful for him having had a corner of a blue rose.

"Really?" Crystal giggled and nibbled on a piece. "Oh, wow! It is cotton candy! I guess that fits you."

Silent arched one brow. "How so?"

She winked. "An unexpected twist in an otherwise normal set of things: vanilla, roses, strawberries... and then cotton candy."

"Oh. Not my sugary sweet personality?"

She tossed her head back to laugh. "No, that definitely doesn't fit!"

Silent chuckled and took another bite of cake. "Thanks, dear. I love you, too."

Though her whole body ached with exhaustion, Crystal did her best to follow alongside Silent as they made their way down the hall.

"I'm going to start getting used to staying in the castle," she teased, managing a tired laugh.

Silent sighed. "I told them they were going to spoil you when they made the offer. They said it was okay."

At the end of the hall were two oversized double doors that led to the dignitaries's suite. Other than the private quarters of the princesses, it was the most extravagant and luxurious place to sleep in the castle. Rumor had it that the room had a fully stocked mini bar, a bathroom that rivaled the nicest spa in Canterlot, and a rope that, when pulled, meant a servant would be at the door in ten seconds or less.

"Oh, it's absolutely okay. Until things like this stop happening and my heart is broken forever. But other than that, I'm fine with it."

The palace guards waiting outside the doors stiffened to attention, then pulled the doors open. Crystal gazed at the lavish interior of velvet drapes, plush carpet, and a bed that could fit at least five ponies on it. There even seemed to be a sitting area off to one side and—was that a chocolate fountain?

Silent pulled her out of her stunned staring by nudging his wing against her side. "Are you ready, Mrs. Wishes?"

Crystal blinked a few times, then smiled. There was only one thing left to check off the list. "I am, Mr. Knight."

After he lowered himself to make it easier for her to climb on his back, she glanced down at her dress of much-too-much material and contemplated her movement. She sucked in a breath and, hoping to become the embodiment of grace and poise, sat down with her hind hooves tucked beneath her and her forehooves folded in her lap. With her head held high, she teased in her best officer's voice, "Onward, husband."

Silent chuckled. "Yes, wife." He straightened up and carried her through the arched doorway to cross the threshold together.

From then on, everything would be together as wife and husband. Of course, there would be times where he would go on missions he couldn't talk about. And she certainly didn't want to get in the way of his work.

Perhaps it would be better to just say that everything important they would do together.

After the doors closed behind them, she carefully slid off his back and gazed up at him, warmth spreading throughout her chest as she tried to sum up what the long but wonderful day had taught her. She had everything she ever wanted and more: a successful career, more friends than she could count, and a true love to last her through all her years.

It had taken effort, there was no doubt of that. She had almost given up a few times, but the heart wanted what the heart wanted and there was no denying that. Perhaps the path would have been easier if she had sought a stallion that was less oblivious and had a more simple career that kept him within the city's limits. But that wouldn't have been right. Silent was the only stallion for her, and now he was hers and she was his.

Finally, in spite of the tears and uncertainty she had endured the past two years, Crystal's wishes had come true.

Author's Note

Art by Painted Wave

Companion Secrets Chapter: Our Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

Please enjoy this video, art courtesy of Rossby. :heart:

If you have enjoyed this story, please consider taking a look at Anzel and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, an Ask Us form to submit questions, responses to said questions, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon.

Epilogue: Happily Ever After

Crystal dug her hooves into the sand to feel the warm grains while she gazed at the sparkling blue ocean before them. The gentle breeze carried the smell of the salty seawater as it wafted through her mane and coat.

The island was a utopian getaway. There were no tall buildings. No loud noises of the city. No ponies rushing about. Everything was slow, calm, and peaceful. That sentiment touched her very soul and she released a contented sigh.

"I can't believe it's so warm here this time of year," she said, looking over at Silent with a smile.

He nodded. "It's beautiful. I think Colton Head Island was a perfect choice for our honeymoon."

She flicked her tail at him as she strode forward, heading for the waves that lapped at the beach. "I think anywhere we're together is a perfect choice."

His brow raised as he just watched her, a light grin on his face. His gaze was locked onto her form as she dipped her hooves in the water, chuckling when she squeaked in surprise. The grin grew wider as he teased, "Oh, is it cold?"

"No!" She stuck her tongue out at him, then sucked in a breath of courage and trotted until the water was at her knees. With a small huff, she turned to face the shore and called, "Come on, it's perfectly fine. Don't be a scaredy filly of a little water!"

Silent's wings flared.

Crystal's ears drooped.

He grinned.

She gulped.

A mighty flap of his wings launched him into the air. When he dove toward her, she squealed and lunged into a gallop, laughing as the sound of his beating wings followed close behind. Her legs gave a cramping cry of dismay at first, given they were more accustomed to lounging on a pillow than running through water, but a surge of adrenaline quieted their complaints.

"Hey!" she yelled over her shoulder, kicking her hindlegs to splash water at him. "Don't cheat!"

With expert precision, he angled himself up, caught a gust of wind to push him forward, and swooped down to grab her around the middle. "Who's cheating?"

Crystal gasped and giggled as he lifted her off the ground. She kicked as if to grab hold of the water, but it eluded her grasp as he flew them higher and higher. "You are! You are most certainly cheating!" She squirmed against him. "Put me down!"

He grinned. "As you wish."

She squeaked when he teasingly loosened his grip and she glanced down to see the ocean beneath them. "On the ground, Siley!"

He held her over the water a moment longer, silent and unyielding, before he chuckled. His grip on her tightened to hold her close to him as he whispered in her ear, "Now who's the scaredy filly?"

A high-pitched whine escaped her until she relented, "I am! I'm the scaredy filly and you're the big strong stallion who's going to take me back to shore!"

"That sounds about right." He glided over to the shore and set her down, landing beside her. "Now, what did you learn?"

Crystal huffed and tossed her mane to look away from him. "That I've made a terrible mistake marrying a brute like you."

"Look at that." His wing stretched over her back and tucked in to pull her close. "Your mother did teach you something after all."

She held her pout as long as she could before giggling. "Oh, you." She inclined her head, nuzzling his cheek. In a softer voice, once her amusement had lulled, she added, "Can we stay here forever? Away from Canterlot and stress and responsibility..."

"Sounds nice." He looked out into the endless horizon of the sea. "But I think it would get boring once we do everything on the island."

The smile on her face curled into a light grin as she set a hoof on his chest and gave a light push. "I'm not so sure about that. Maybe the dolphin tours and the restaurants, but there's at least one thing I'd never get tired of doing."

"What's that?" he asked with endearing sincerity, his gaze falling to hers.

She tried to push him again, but to no avail. Her point would have been better made if he weren't so big and strong! Of course, that was one of his best physical features, so she wasn't complaining too much.

Instead, she opted for wrapping the hoof around his neck and pulling him down to her level. Their lips met in a soft kiss, and a pleased rumble of a moan in his throat indicated he caught her meaning.

Silent pulled back and looked over at their bungalow, a coltish grin on his face. "Well, if you insist, Mrs. Wishes."

Crystal started trotting up the beach, flicking him with her tail as she passed him and snubbing her nose in the air. "I most certainly do, Mr. Knight."

Making their way back to the bungalow at a brisk pace, Silent's gaze was fixed firmly forward while Crystal's wandered to admire their surroundings. Colton Head Island was a truly beautiful place. Everywhere she looked there were flowers, birds, trees, and other natural sights that often got lost in other tourist-friendly locations.

Life on the island was like a foal's tale: idyllic and carefree, inspiring a song in her heart that went on and on. Every good story had to end eventually, but for three weeks, she was going to enjoy every moment of her happily ever after.

Author's Note

To be continued... in Crystal's Hopes!

Sparks of the Beginning

Everypony who was anypony lived or at least had a vacation home in Canterlot. There were some exceptions, of course, as the less fortunate, ungifted, or otherwise fashion-challenged found their way into the city, much to the chagrin of the snobbier inhabitants. And much to her chagrin, Crystal Wishes was the daughter of Upper Crust and Jet Set, two ponies who should have been listed in the dictionary as the prime example of snobs. She had already checked; they weren't.

Her parents were both notable ponies that everypony knew in the fashion industry and high-class society, which meant a lot of eyes on her wherever she went. The fillies and colts in her class at Canterlot Elementary all said the same, shallow things every day before school started:

"It's so cool that your parents are the trendiest ponies in all of Equestria!"

"I wonder what kind of cutie mark you'll get! Probably something in fashion!"

"Or something extravagant!"

If only they knew what her parents were really like. She sighed and looked up when the teacher entered the classroom. Although she wanted to focus on that day's lessons, sugar-coated praise melted into judgmental whispers behind her back in true Canterlot style. It was impossible to focus with their sharp-edged words piercing her concentration.

"It's a shame that such cool parents have to have such a lame daughter."

"Yeah, I mean, how can she still be a blank flank?"

"Her parents must be so embarrassed!"

Crystal groaned and sank down in her seat, though a sarcastic smile crawled onto her face. At least they had something right.

In between Ms. Austere Tutor's lessons, Crystal heard the barbed whispers jabbing into her back. Her classmates smiled to her face, but she knew it was only because of her parents. None of them were her friends; she didn't have any of those.

Eventually, she protected herself the only way she knew how. She gave up on trying to focus and instead started to write in her notebook.

Where had she left off? Oh, right, the wicked stallion was going to steal the princess! A smile curled her lips as the quill started to dance across the page, continuing the story of Prince Bascule and Princess Shy.

The stallion felt his heart race when he saw her: a beautiful mare with eyes like rubies, a coat of silver, and a flowing mane of pink velvet. "I must have her," he whispered, slipping out of the crowd to retreat home—but he would be back.

From her perch on the balcony, Princess Shy shivered and stepped closer to Bascule.

"What's wrong?" he asked and looked down at her.

"I don't know," she said as she closed her eyes. "But something bad is going to happen."

Brring!

Crystal blinked a few times as the bell sounded, bringing her back to reality.

Ms. Tutor smiled, a little wearily, and moved to stand by the door to watch each of her students hurrying out of their seats. "All right, my little ponies. I'll see you tomorrow. Remember to practice your mathematics; we have a quiz on Monday!"

Crystal slipped her precious notebook into her saddlebags and hopped down from her seat to blend into the crowd of fillies and colts rushing for the door. While they cheered and immediately set about playing in the courtyard, she trotted straight for home.

It was a large house on one of the main streets, which was quite the notable thing, as most ponies in the town lived in condominiums just to make the claim that they were citizens of Canterlot. Above all else, no matter the cost, her parents were relentless when it came to ensuring their high status in society was boldly stated.

She willed the door open with her magic as she walked up to it and tried to step as quietly as she could, hoping to not be noticed. She winced at the sound of her mother's airy voice coming from the other room.

"Oh, darling, you're home! What did you get your cutie mark in?" Her mother trotted through the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, then froze mid-step. "Oh." Both her expression and her voice dripped with disappointment.

Crystal tried to smile. "No cutie mark today, either, Mom."

Upper Crust raised a hoof to her muzzle to hide her frown, but Crystal had already seen it.

Crystal forced herself to keep smiling, then an idea brought a bright sincerity to her face that she quickly tried to smother. "It's awful, Mom!" She turned her head to look at her bare flank, lips puckered in an exaggerated pout. "I'm the only pony at school without a cutie mark! Amber Joy just got hers last week."

Jet Set leaned his head through the doorway into the room. "Did you say—"

"—the only pony?" her mother finished while her father walked over.

Crystal sighed and nodded. "Yes, the only pony! But if my dearest parents insist, I'll keep working on getting my cutie mark so I can fit in and be like all the other ponies."

Upper Crust waved a hoof. "Now, now, darling, let's not be so hasty!"

Jet Set nodded. "Absolutely! A rare commodity must be valued, you know!"

"Rare commodity?" Crystal beamed up at them. Her eyes shimmered in the light from that calculated angle, a skill any true Canterlot citizen knew by the age of three. "Me?"

"Why, of course, my darling," her mother cooed as she stroked Crystal's blonde and pink mane. "Who else but our little pony could be so special?"

Crystal nodded. "Great, I'm glad that's settled!" She galloped through their legs and up the stairs. "I'll be down for dinner!"

Jet Set hurried to the bottom of the stairs to call up after her, "Try not to discover any pesky talents while you're up there! We'd hate for you to be like everypony else!"

"Kay, thanks!" She closed her bedroom door and flopped on the bed.

Crystal remained there for a few silent moments before she realized she had started to cry. She rolled over to stare at the ceiling with a blank expression—as blank as her now-special flank—and begged herself to calm down before one of her parents came in.

"I'm just not good at anything," she muttered bitterly.

She sighed and rolled back onto her stomach. One of her saddlebags' flaps opened and her notebook lifted out of it, wrapped in her pink magic. She floated the notebook over, willed it open, and raised the quill from where she had left off.

"Let's see." The quill's feathered end rubbed against the underside of her chin. "So, when the princess goes missing, the prince will be distracted by—" She scrunched up her nose, then gasped. "By another princess! Ooh." She shivered as the quill furiously scrawled along the notebook paper. "But, of course, he'll realize that she's not the one. Right?"

The quill stopped taking notes. Crystal looked around her room for an answer. All along the walls were posters of scenes from her favorite foal's tales where the prince and princess finally fall in love. She looked at the classic 'love at first sight' moment from Snow Whinny and the Seven Foals with flowers and butterflies encircling the pair, as well as 'true love's first kiss' before the setting sun in The Little Mermare.

She sighed and lowered the quill before she rolled over onto her back. Above her bed was a single poster of her most favorite of them all: Sleeping Mare. She stared up at the idyllic scene that featured the beautiful Aurora, disguised as Briar Rose, dancing in the forest with her love-to-be, both gazing fondly at each other.

Crystal frowned. "True love is real, isn't it?" She turned her head and stared at the notebook where almost a hundred pages of prose rested. "Oh, I hope it is."

A knock came from the other side of her door and she gasped. The notebook slammed shut, and she flung it into her saddlebags as quickly as her magic could send it through the air.

"Darling, dinner is ready," her mother called.

"Okay, Mom!" She glanced at the saddlebags and her magic flared to cover the notebook with some textbooks. Feeling safe, she left her room to go downstairs and joined her parents for dinner.

♡

A few days later, a classmate stopped her outside the school, which wasn't all that unusual. It was almost routine at that point to have some filly or colt try to suck up to her for their parents' sake. What was unusual, however, was that as soon as Crystal looked up, she realized she was completely surrounded by wide, prying eyes.

The filly in front of her gawked. "It's true!"

The small gathering of fillies and colts around them gasped, and a quiet buzz of murmuring filled the air.

"I can't believe it!" a colt exclaimed.

Crystal glanced nervously around and squeezed her notebook to her chest. "Believe what?" Her heart started to race and her chest ached from its pounding.

A filly turned to another and whispered, "She is the only pony in school without a cutie mark! I'm so jealous!"

Her white coat did nothing to hide the sudden flush she felt when all the eyes in the courtyard landed on her rump. All at once, realization hit her and she groaned, "Oh, no."

This wasn't good. Her parents must have bragged to their friends, who went home and scolded their foals about having a cutie mark.

Crystal hadn't thought things through at all.

Another filly muttered somewhat bitterly, "My mother told me that not having a cutie mark is in this year, but I already got mine."

"Wow, Crystal Wishes! You're so lucky," cooed the most popular filly in their class, Golden Pants. She sidled up to Crystal and batted her long eyelashes. "Can I sit by you in class?"

Oh, this was worse than before. Much, much worse.

Crystal lowered her head and hurried through the gossiping crowd into the school. She slid into her seat and set her notebook safely on her desk where she could keep an eye on it.

"Good morning!" an unfamiliar voice exclaimed from the seat beside hers. "I'm Velvet Step!"

Crystal turned her head and blinked at the filly sitting there. She was smaller than Crystal, which was odd, given that earth ponies were generally bigger than unicorns. She had a soft pink coat and deep violet eyes, the colors of which complemented her bubbly voice. Her mane and tail were a darker mauve in color, both cut at an angle so they were long in the front short in the back.

"Good morning," Crystal finally replied.

Velvet beamed at her. "I just transferred here from Manehattan!"

Unceremoniously and without thinking, Crystal glanced down at Velvet's flank and smiled brightly. "Oh! You don't have a cutie mark!"

Velvet's tail curled around herself to hide her rump, her ears fell, and tears almost immediately welled up in her eyes. "Sh—Shoot," she stammered, her voice suddenly fragile and void of its previous cheer. "I thought—I mean, I knew somepony would notice eventually, but—"

Crystal interrupted her with a wave of both hooves. "No, wait, look!" She wiggled in her seat to angle her own blank flank into view. "Neither do I!"

Velvet sniffled and looked down at Crystal's rump. Her ears twitched upward in surprise. "Oh! You don't!"

Excitement filled Crystal's little chest that she did her best to contain with a giggle. Maybe today wasn't going to be so bad after all.

"Okay, um, so, things are going to be really confusing for you." Crystal giggled again and held out her hoof. "Anyway, I'm Crystal Wishes. After school, let's go to Quills and Sofas so I can explain, okay?"

Velvet stared at the hoof for a moment. Slowly, the tears and sniffling subsided and she finally smiled as they shook hooves. "Okay."

The quiet moment was abruptly interrupted when their classmates, who had been hovering at the door, finally poured in to surround them.

"The new student doesn't have a cutie mark!" one cried.

"They're, like, an unstoppable duo now!" another cheered.

"Will you come over to my house after school?"

"Can I be your friend even though I have a cutie mark?"

Velvet looked to Crystal for help while they were bombarded with what were understandably confusing questions. Crystal simply smiled and offered a light shrug, which only confused her further.

Once school was finally over, Crystal grabbed Velvet's hoof and hurried her out of the classroom. They outran the mob of their newly converted fans and ducked into the quaint little shop of Quills and Sofas, which was a pretty straightforward store.

Canterlot had the largest school system in all of Equestria, so quills were always in high demand. Sofas were, too, since they were considered the 'centerpiece of the home' and furniture fashion changed on an almost monthly basis. Why they were sold in one store was a mystery, but they had been in business all of Crystal's life, so she guessed it worked well enough.

"Well, good afternoon, Crystal Wishes!" the proprietor, Mr. Quills, exclaimed from behind the counter. "Need any more—"

"Nope," Crystal hurriedly interrupted, nodding her head at Velvet. "I just need a place to sit and talk, if that's okay, please?"

Mr. Quills chuckled. "Ah, I understand," he said with a wink. "Of course it's okay. There are some older sofas in the back that you can use. Nopony usually goes that far back in the store, so it'll stay quiet."

The store was normally quiet, as quills and sofas didn't tend to encourage a lot of conversation, but Crystal smiled nonetheless. "Thanks, Mr. Quills!"

The two fillies walked through the rows of sofas on display and picked one resting along the back wall, then hopped onto it. The worn cushions were particularly springy, and—as young fillies are wont to do—they immediately started bouncing up and down, their giggles echoing throughout the store.

"Okay," Crystal said in a serious tone and stopped bouncing of her own will, though the cushion sprang her back up a few more times before it finally settled. "So, you're probably a little confused."

Velvet stopped bouncing as well and sat down on her haunches. She did her best to match Crystal's tone, but she seemed to have a cheery voice by nature. "Uh-huh."

Crystal sighed and flopped down onto her stomach, her little legs splayed haphazardly in each direction. "I kind of convinced my parents that not having a cutie mark is cool, 'cause other than you now, everypony else in our class has one, and my parents were upset that I didn't."

"How did you do that?" Velvet asked slowly, cautiously.

Crystal rolled over onto her back and closed her eyes. "Well, I pointed out that I was the only one. And then they said it was special and rare, and then I guess they bragged to everypony else. Which I sorta should have seen coming."

"What?" Velvet's voice rang with clear skepticism.

Crystal opened her eyes to look up at Velvet upside-down. "It's true! That's what it's like here. If you can get one pony to believe that calling the sky purple is fashionable, then everypony is going to do it." She groaned. "So, now, not having a cutie mark is in."

Velvet fidgeted as she mulled the new information over. She flopped forward onto her half of the sofa. "That's so—" She paused, then lifted her head, her ears perked straight up. "Awesome!"

Crystal frowned up at her, brow furrowed. "But you saw what it was like! Nopony would leave us alone all day!"

"So? It's way better than what it was like in Manehattan!"

Crystal rolled over to sit upright and asked in a tentative voice, "What was it like?"

Velvet was silent for a moment while her excitement deflated. She turned her head away to stare out into the dimly lit store. "The ponies are really mean there. The bullying got so bad that—well, that's why my parents decided that we should move here for a fresh start."

Crystal leaned forward and extended a hoof to place it on Velvet's shoulder. "I hope you take this the best way possible, but—" She gave Velvet a serious look when she turned back to meet her gaze. "—your parents totally picked the worst city to move to if you want to avoid bullying."

Velvet shrank back and her ears drooped low. Her chin trembled some as she whimpered, "Really?"

Crystal nodded. "Yup. Canterlot is full of ostentatious ponies and—"

Velvet blinked. "What?"

Crystal blinked back at her. "What, what?"

"Osten—what?"

"Ostentatious." After a pause, she flushed lightly. "Um, stuck-up ponies. Sorry."

Velvet tilted her head. "Where did you learn a word like that?"

"Oh!" Crystal waved her hooves. "You know! I like to, uh, read, so, well, I guess I picked it up somewhere. From some book. That I read."

"You read? Like, for fun?" Velvet scrunched up her nose. "I thought reading was just for school."

Crystal hesitated for a few moments, then bowed her head in shame, ears pinned against her mane. Right. Reading was for nerds, and nerds weren't cool. Writing was for—she didn't even know who, but somepony worse than a nerd.

Velvet looked around in slight panic and hopped up to stand on all fours. "I, uh, I mean, what do you read? Maybe I should start reading! It sure sounds like a lot of fun!"

Crystal avoided her gaze. "Anyway, so, that's why school was so weird today. It'll get better once everypony finds something new to be the cool thing." She hopped down off the sofa and started toward the front of the store. "I need to head home. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh, okay," Velvet mumbled with a sigh.

Worry buzzed in Crystal's head. What did that sigh mean? Was she embarrassed that she'd made friends with the lamest pony in school?

Crystal stopped by the counter and forced a smile for Mr. Quills. "Can I get my usual now? Still three bits, right?"

"Of course!" He reached over for a small, plain-looking box that held three quills inside and slid it across the counter, which she levitated up and into her saddlebags. He took the bits she dropped in the box's place. "Thanks as usual!"

"Bye, Mr. Quills." She waved before she left the store. Her smile fell once she was out of sight and she sighed, shaking her head.

If Velvet thought it was weird she was just reading, how would she react if she knew Crystal was writing, too? Well, as long as she remained vigilant, she'd never have to find out.

The Trembling Truth

The next day, Crystal Wishes dragged her hooves as she walked to Canterlot Elementary. She hadn't been able to write anything the night before, plagued with indecision about the disparity between her interest in writing and her desire to have a friend. She headed straight for the classroom, and her ears fell when the seat beside hers was empty.

Certain that she had flubbed the brand new friendship, she slumped against her desk and sighed.

"Crystal!" the bubbly voice of Velvet chirped rather suddenly, startling Crystal upright. "Oh my gosh, you were right!"

"I was?" Crystal blinked at Velvet, whose face was almost uncomfortably close to her own. She blinked again when a book was shoved in the small space between them: Prima Donna and the Mansion Mystery.

"I read this book by Rose Quartz! I borrowed it from the library after you left, and read it last night, and I couldn't put it down! It was amazing! There's this pony who's an earth pony just like me, but she went on this awesome adventure and, and, and it felt like I was the pony!"

Crystal stared at the cover with uncertainty for a moment. A lithe earth pony mare stood on one hindleg, the other arched back to touch her forelegs stretched over her head, her whole body forming a near perfect circle. Silky curtains fluttered behind her with devious eyes peering from behind them.

Slowly, the book was lowered and she watched the excitement plastered on Velvet's face start to deflate from the lack of a response.

"Um, so," Velvet continued, the joy in her voice fading away, "I just wanted to say, reading is really fun, so thanks, and I'm sorry."

So many thoughts raced through Crystal's mind. Velvet went out and got a book to read? Why? Because of her? The idea filled her with more excitement than she'd ever felt before and a smile crept across her muzzle. "Did you really like it that much?"

Velvet perked back up. "Uh-huh! Prima Donna is so cool! By day she dances ballet and by night she fights crime!" She heaved a dreamy sigh. "I wish I could be her." She flushed, shook her head, and moved over to her seat beside Crystal's. "It's a shame I have to give it back to the library when I'm done. I wish I could keep it forever!"

"If you want, um." Crystal trailed off, her insecurity bubbling up in her chest. She shook her head to chase the feeling away. "I have all the books in that series at home. I can bring you the next book in the series tomorrow, if you want."

Velvet stared at her, eyes wide. "You—There—" She looked down at the book in her hooves. "This is a series? You mean, there's more?!"

Crystal laughed. "There's, like, twelve more!"

Velvet's eyes fluttered and she looked as though she might faint. She made a small squealing sound and hugged the book even closer to her chest. "So awesome! I want to read them all!"

"Settle down, my little ponies," Ms. Tutor called as she walked into the room. She started each day with the same look of hope for the lessons that would eventually subside into defeat. "Let's get class started."

♡

The months went by in a happy blur for Crystal and Velvet. They would hang out at Quills and Sofas after school, where Velvet would talk about Manehattan or they'd discuss Prima Donna. Sometimes, Velvet would even try to mimic her new idol, striking various ballet poses and fighting invisible criminals.

After lessons were over one particular day, Velvet turned to Crystal as they started to pack up and head to the door. "So," she started cautiously, "it's my birthday next week, and I was wondering if, maybe, um—if you'd want to have a sleepover at my place."

Crystal gasped. "Your birthday?!" She bounced with every step, a big grin spreading across her face. "Definitely! Absolutely! I'll be there!"

"Great! My parents are trying to invite all our classmates, but I don't think they'll show up, and I wanted to invite you myself before you heard about it from—"

A honey-laden voice interrupted, "Good afternoon, sugarlump!"

Velvet's joy soured. "—them."

Standing outside the school were two simple-looking earth ponies, both of them holding colorful invitations that they passed out to every filly and colt that walked out the doors.

The mare's blue eyes widened with excitement, the blonde curls of her up-do bouncing as she trotted to greet them. "Ooh! Sweetums! Is this the little filly you were telling us about?"

Velvet winced as she glanced between them all. "Yeah, Mom, this is Crystal Wishes."

"Hello, Crystal! Thank you so much for being our little girl's friend!" Velvet's mother leaned down closer to her.

"Mom!" Velvet whined, trying to put herself between them. "Could you please not thank ponies just for being my friend?"

The mare waved a hoof. "Oh, sweetie, she knows I didn't mean it in a bad way." She smiled and returned her attention to Crystal, continuing, "I'm Sunbeam and this is my husband, Pepper Ridge. It's so nice that our baby girl made a friend on her very first day, and especially one who doesn't have a cutie mark!" She beamed innocently at Velvet. "Not having one is all the rage here in Canterlot, sugarpop!"

Crystal's cheeks puffed as she tried to contain her laughter. When she saw that Velvet looked as though she might cry, die of embarrassment, or possibly both, Crystal choked down her giggles and smiled sweetly. "It's really nice to meet you, Mrs. Sunbeam and Mr. Ridge!"

Pepper Ridge, whose demeanor was more relaxed as he stood beside his bubbly wife, held out one of the invitations. "You must come to Velvet's birthday party. It wouldn't be the same without you!"

"I'll be there for sure!" She hugged Velvet and whispered in her ear, "I promise I'll come, even if your parents are weird." As she pulled back from the embrace, she said, louder this time, "I'll see you tomorrow, Velvet!" She finally released her pent-up giggle and bounded off toward home.

Could life get any better? Crystal hummed to herself, a skip in her step. She had a friend who had nice parents that weren't like anypony else's in Canterlot. Maybe even all of Equestria!

When she arrived home, she discovered a note taped to the front door that read:

Crystal — we are out for a quick dinner at the Toity residence. We will likely not be back until dinner. Summer is nearly upon us, so please set the table accordingly to refresh your memory of social graces.

Crystal groaned and turned the knob, her spirits dissipating like a snuffed candle flame. Summer meant charm school, and charm school meant hours of intense boredom. She knew all about proper society already! Her mother had made sure of that years ago.

As she levitated plates and silverware from the china cabinet to the dining table, she mimicked her mother's voice. "The plate must be positioned so that the pattern faces its diner." She set the plates down and folded the napkin to rest in their centers.

The forks—salad, then dinner—went to the left of the plates; the knives, teaspoons, and soup spoons went to the right. It was so arbitrary. Why did any of it matter? The food would taste the same no matter the order the utensils were in. But, if she didn't get everything perfect, she'd have to do it over and over again for hours until her mother was satisfied.

Once she begrudgingly finished setting the table, she broke out into a gallop to hurry up the stairs, then took a right to head into her parents' room. She rummaged through the hope chest sitting at the foot of their bed, moving aside family photo albums and foal blankets until she found an old journal at the bottom. "Bingo!" She hopped up onto the bed, the journal floating after her.

Carefully, she set the journal in front of her and opened it. The book showed its age with a worn spine, but the finely inked writing was still quite legible. Crystal took a deep intake of air, slowly let it out, and fondly read aloud.

Dear Diary: It's me again. I just don't know what to do. I don't think any of the cool stallions in my class will ever like me. I'm stuck wearing these braces until after I leave Canterlot Academy. Braces are definitely not cool, no matter what I accessorize with to try and distract from them.

Crystal paused to look over at the chest. She raised a yearbook from it, which she laid beside the journal and opened to a specific page. There, in the class roster, was her mother: an awkward, average-looking young mare with bright, shiny braces and over-sized earrings. She giggled at the sight and returned to the diary, flipping forward a few pages.

Dear Diary: You won't believe what happened! Jet Set asked me out to the Fall Formal! What am I going to wear? What am I going to do about these braces? What if he tries to kiss me?! I'm so nervous… and excited.

She looked back at the yearbook, this time focusing on her father. He hadn't changed much since his youth despite how many years had gone by. He was even wearing a sweater tied around his neck, just like he did every day.

She giggled and turned a few pages to the pictures from the Fall Formal, where her parents had been voted the Queen and King. Upper Crust was wearing an over-the-top gown, but the look on her face was pure and simple: she was in love with the stallion she was gazing at.

Crystal flopped over onto her side with a heavy sigh. "Oh, I never get tired of this story!" She rested her hoof on the journal. "It has everything! True love! A common mare rising up from the shadows to be with her stallion! They live happily ever after, perfect for each other!"

She paused, then rolled her eyes. "And then they have the coolest daughter in all of Equestria, just like them. Or—not."

The yearbook returned to the hope chest, but she was lost reading the diary for hours until she heard the front door open. As quickly as she could, she put the diary back at the bottom of the chest, moved the blankets and albums over it, and closed the lid.

"Hello?" her father called. "Dear? We're home!"

Crystal just barely made it out of their room before they started up the stairs. She trotted over to peer down at them. "Welcome home!"

Jet Set smiled. "Your mother found the most darling dress. We heard that you're invited to a birthday party next week—"

Crystal frowned curiously, then rolled her eyes. Why was she even surprised? They knew every event, big or small, that was happening anywhere in Canterlot, ever.

"—and we had to make sure you are the best-dressed pony there. We knew you'd not want to go in any of your old party dresses."

Jet Set smiled as Upper Crust presented the dress with haughty pride, though it was wrapped in a protective cover.

Crystal gave a strained smile despite the urge to groan. "Oh, thank you, Mom and Dad. That's exactly what I was hoping for!"

Upper Crust's magic carried the dress alongside her as she walked up the stairs and into Crystal's room to hang it up. "Now, make sure you don't get it wrinkled before the party, darling."

"Yes, Mom." She hopped down the stairs but stopped halfway when Jet Set cleared his throat.

"Be a dear and go back to the top of the steps to try that again, Crystal."

She groaned. "Yes, Dad." She walked back up, turned to face the stairs, then raised her chin. With prim and proper poise, she delicately dropped each hoof without a sound on each step as she walked down, gaze upward and expression blank—save for a slight, irritated furrow of her brow.

Jet Set clapped his hooves together. "Much better, dear. You'll be the belle of the ball!"

When she reached the bottom, her poise fell and she frowned. "But it's not a ball. It's a birthday party, and it's not even my birthday."

"Ah, ah, ah, shh." He patted her on the head. "Every social gathering is an opportunity to make us proud."

"Right." Crystal feigned a smile. "I won't let you and Mom down, I promise. Cross my heart and hope to cry, else I'll live in a pig's sty."

"That's a good girl. Come along now, let's have dinner."

♡

"Crystal!" Velvet cried as she burst into the classroom, then panted and gasped for air. The rest of her words came out as a high-pitched wheeze as she exclaimed, "We have an emergency! A really, really big emergency!"

Crystal's eyes widened. "What happened?!"

"Everypony is coming!" Velvet sprung into the air, as if the declaration took physical effort to say.

"Huh?" Crystal blinked.

Velvet waved her forelegs and stared at Crystal with wide, frantic eyes. "Everypony in our class is coming to my birthday! I thought none of them would want to come, because, like, none of them are even my friends, and it would just be you and me, and—"

"Of course they're going to come." Crystal stared at her with a blank expression, then sighed. "It's an event. Canterlot ponies have to go to every event they can. It's, like, um, well—It's their thing."

Velvet sat down at her desk, despair dragging her face down. "But I don't want everypony to come. I just wanted to have a sleepover with you. Now it's going to be awful and ruined and I just want to cancel the whole darn thing!"

Crystal blinked a few times at the sentiment. She flushed lightly and giggled, waving her hooves. "We can have a sleepover anytime, though!"

"Really?" Velvet's ears perked upright.

"Um, yes? I mean, I think so." Crystal paused, then nodded and added with more certainty in her voice, "Yeah, of course we can. That's what friends do and we're friends!"

"Oh." Velvet shifted almost uncomfortably. "So then, after this horrible birthday, we can have a sleepover?"

Crystal nodded. "Sure!"

Velvet sighed and slumped against her desk. "This is going to be the worst birthday ever in the history of birthdays."

"Maybe it won't be so bad." Crystal tried to give her a reassuring smile.

With perfect timing—after all, Canterlot foals were well-trained by their parents in the art of always listening for juicy gossip—Golden Pants turned in her seat to beam at Velvet. "Velvet Step! I'm really looking forward to your birthday tomorrow. I just can't wait to see your house!"

Velvet responded with the strangled sound of a whimper. Crystal noticed a distinct look of dread on Velvet's face, but before she could try to comfort her, Ms. Tutor walked into the room and everypony fell silent.

Crystal flicked one ear and managed to make eye contact with Velvet, then mouthed, "Are you okay?"

"No," Velvet's eyes said with the way they were on the verge of tears and how her lower lip trembled.

After a quick glance to see that the teacher was focused on the blackboard, Crystal reached across the aisle to give Velvet a quick but reassuring pat on the shoulder. Was she embarrassed about her parents? Or maybe it was her house, since Golden had brought it up.

Oh, wait—Crystal got it. It was because Velvet didn't have a house, not exactly; they lived in a small condo in Sunshine Villas. It was a nice enough neighborhood with a few trees between each brightly colored building, but it wasn't where rich ponies lived. Rich ponies didn't even visit there if they could avoid it.

Crystal sighed lightly. Well, it was too late to do anything about it now. She would just have to make sure she was extra attentive to Velvet to try and keep her birthday from being a total disaster. It would be fine. What was the worst that could happen, anyway?

Okay, Crystal could easily think of a few things, but she tried to push them out of her mind and hope for the best. In reality, she knew that whenever her classmates were involved, the best she could hope for was just not the worst.

Consort in the Chaos

Velvet's birthday had finally arrived. Everypony in their class was talking about it, and, with each word that reached Velvet's ears, she seemed to sink lower and lower in her seat.

Crystal cleared her throat to bring Velvet's attention to herself and levitated a small present from her saddlebags. "Happy birthday!" she quietly exclaimed as the box floated over to rest on Velvet's desk.

Velvet gave a small gasp of excitement. Her hooves gently pulled the ribbon and sparkly pink giftwrap, then opened the box inside. A mane clip rested on a velvet pillow, featuring a group of crystals in the shape of a flower with white, fully plumed feathers set on top.

"Oh my gosh, is this—" Velvet looked over at Crystal with wide eyes.

"It is!" Crystal nodded with enthusiasm.

Velvet matched her enthusiasm with a squeal, then gingerly picked it up and clipped it into her mane. She raised her head with pride and gazed fondly at Crystal. "Oh, it's perfect! It looks exactly like Prima Donna's signature mane clip! How did you find it?!"

Crystal giggled. She rested her chin on one hoof and waved the other. "It's a secret!" She winked.

Velvet bounced excitedly before springing from her chair to knock Crystal over with a big, tackling hug. The two were laughing and giggling just as the teacher walked in.

"Velvet Step," she said, clearing her throat. "I know it is Friday and your birthday today—and happy birthday for that—but, please, it is time for class."

Velvet flushed and hurried back to her seat. "Yes, Ms. Tutor."

Crystal climbed into her own seat, chiming in, "Sorry, Ms. Tutor."

"Very good, then. Let's begin today's lesson."

Throughout the day, none of the glances her way or suspicious whispering seemed to bother Velvet at all. She swung her hindlegs and kept a goofy, happy expression on her face the whole day—and Crystal couldn't stop smiling, either.

There were definitely some benefits from having parents as well-ingrained in the affairs of the city, especially when it allowed her to commission the local jeweler on short notice. It had used up most of her allowance for the month, but the look on her friend's face was more than worth it.

At the midday lunch and recess, Crystal and Velvet sat at their usual spot under a tree in the playground. Crystal already knew what was in her lunch, since she had packed it herself, just as she did every morning. She leaned over to peek in Velvet's brown paper bag, much more interested in what goodies Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge had included.

"Ooh," Crystal cooed as Velvet unveiled a strawberry-and-cream-cheese-filled croissant. "That looks amazing!"

Velvet giggled. "Of course it does! Dad's the best." She glanced between the croissant and Crystal. "Do you want to share it?"

"Uh, of course?" Crystal giggled and retrieved her simple peanut butter and daisy sandwich. "But I don't have anything to exchange for it. Just this, an apple, and some carrots."

There was a pause as Velvet plucked a strawberry from the sandwich and nibbled on it. "I'll ask Dad to make two next time, if you want."

Crystal quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, that's okay! It's fine. I—"

Her ear flicked at the sound of approaching hoofsteps and she looked to see a group of fillies headed their way with Golden Pants in the lead.

Crystal groaned. "Oh, no."

"Huh?" Velvet blinked and followed Crystal's gaze. "Who are they?"

"Trouble," Crystal muttered under her breath, then smiled when Golden Pants was within hearing range. "Hi, Golden."

Golden regarded her with a snubbed nose. "Hi, Crystal." She focused her blue eyes on Velvet and sneered. "So, Velvet Step, I see you've got a new mane clip."

Velvet beamed at them, oblivious to the small frown on Crystal's face or that a group of Canterlot fillies was something to be wary of. "Uh-huh! Isn't it great?"

"Yeah, I guess." Golden Pants rolled her eyes. "If you didn't know anything about fashion, anyway."

Velvet deflated slightly at the somewhat sinister tone and looked to Crystal for help. "What?"

Crystal moved to put herself between the bullies and Velvet. "It is high fashion, if I say so myself." She put her training to good use and inclined her head to give the impression of looking down at Golden. "And I would hope that you would appreciate that, Golden Pants. Your father certainly does. I think my parents are attending the Wonderbolt races with him tomorrow, are they not?"

Crystal gave a small, dramatic pause to feign thinking before she added, "Hmm, it would be a shame if they mentioned your poor taste."

Golden's eyes widened. She leaned to look around Crystal at Velvet once more, then straightened up with an expression of surprise. "Yes! I just didn't get a good look at it at first, but it's definitely high fashion!"

The fillies behind her nodded and murmured their agreement.

Crystal smiled. "After all, it is one of a kind."

This spurred a chorus of gasps and exchanged looks of surprise before Golden's entourage stepped forward to get a better view.

"One of a kind?" one squeaked. "Velvet, you're so lucky! I'm so jealous!"

"Hey, Crystal," another said with a flutter of her lashes, "my birthday is next month! Can I get a mane clip, too?"

Crystal flipped her mane over her shoulder with a hoof. "Maybe, maybe not. I am feeling a little tired and would like to spend some time with my dear friend, though."

"Of course!" the fillies exclaimed in unison, backing away. Golden shot Crystal a dirty look before sticking her nose in the air and trotting after them.

Once they were gone, Crystal rolled her eyes and dropped the airy voice back to her regular one. "Ugh," she groaned, sitting down and raising her sandwich. "That is why I hate Canterlot."

Velvet stared at her with her ears folded back, dismay on her face. "What just happened?!"

Crystal sighed. She put a foreleg around Velvet's shoulders. "One of these days, I'm going to have to write a manual on living in Canterlot. For now, um, just be grateful that you have me!" She gave her a playful nudge.

"I guess." Velvet sighed. "I feel like you just said a whole bunch of words, but none of it made any sense."

"Pretty much!"

Velvet poked at her lunch with one hoof. "Is that what my birthday's going to be like tonight?"

"Yup. But don't worry. I won't let it get too bad. Cross my heart and hope to cry, else I'll live in a pig's sty!"

Velvet smiled and took a bite of her croissant. "You're the best!"

When they parted ways once school was over, Crystal gave Velvet a big, tight hug and a heartfelt assurance that she'd be there as soon as she could, then raced home.

"Mom! Can you help me get ready?" she called as she burst through the door, tossing her saddlebags off and running up the stairs. "I want to be the first one there!"

"Oh, certainly not, darling," her mother said, walking out of the kitchen. "You know the rule. One must always be fashionably late so as not to seem too eager and give away the advantage, but not too late to garner gossip of disinterest."

Crystal ground her teeth as she paced in a quick circle. "But she's my friend! Maybe even my best friend!"

"All the more reason to not tip your hoof and show too much favor to this filly. Think of what the others might say!" her mother called from the living room.

In the privacy of being around the corner on a different floor, Crystal dropped down on her haunches and tugged at her cheeks in frustration. She made a few different sour and irritated faces, then called as sweetly as she could, "Yes, Mom, you're right, of course!" She gave another roll of her eyes before quietly storming into her room.

"Aggh!" She threw a pillow across the room. "But if I'm not there, they might be mean to her!" She sighed as she flopped down onto her bed. "Though, the meanest of the mean will be fashionably late, too, so maybe it'll be all right." Reassuring herself with a curt nod, she closed her eyes and tried to calm down.

An hour later, her mother came into the room and frowned lightly when she saw Crystal sitting on the floor, reading the next book in the Prima Donna series. "Crystal, darling, books are for practicing your balance, not for reading. But if you are going to read, could you, at least, read something with a little more substance?"

Crystal glanced up from the book. "But this is Velvet's favorite series! I'm—" She paused to think carefully on what she was going to say. "—studying. So that I can talk of her interests with her in front of everypony. That way I'm the most prepared for conversation."

"Oh!" Upper Crust smiled. "Well, in that case, I'll let you keep reading. It won't hurt to be a little bit later than late—"

Crystal hopped up onto all fours. "Nope! I'm all caught up on my studying and ready to get dressed!"

"If you're sure, darling." Her mother walked into the room, levitating various containers of different kinds of makeup behind her. "Sit pretty and let Mommy make you a star."

First, the dress was lifted and carefully pulled over her head and tied in the back. It was varying shades of blue, starting with a bodice of the darkest, then a tiered skirt of frilly layers, each a shade lighter than the previous. The last layer of sheer tulle draped over her tail and down to the floor. It was itchy against her back legs, but she would survive one evening of it.

Next came the makeup. Crystal hated the smell and feel of makeup, but there was no way around it. A shiny coat of pink lipstick was gently dabbed across her lips and she smacked them together when instructed. Blue powder was applied to her eyelids and thick mascara to her thin lashes. Her mother fussed with her mane and tail for a while, though Crystal refused to let her undo the braid she so carefully put together every morning. Even the most well-mannered ponies had their limits.

Then her mother pulled out various accessories, such as a tiara which Crystal immediately shot down and clip-on crystal earrings that she allowed. None of the necklaces seemed to please her mother, so she decided that Crystal's neck would be 'fashionably bare'.

Finally, after parading about to prove she could carry herself with proper posture, she was allowed to leave.

"Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" She levitated her sleeping bag that contained sleepwear and clothes for the next day. Her parents insisted on them, both of which were expensive brands. They had to get in every opportunity to flaunt, of course. "I'll be home tomorrow! I promise I will have a full report on the other ponies for you."

"That's a good girl! Remember to smile, but not too much!"

"Yes, Mom!"

"And eat only things that won't stain your teeth!"

"Yes, Dad! May I go now?"

They both nodded and waved her off as she walked gingerly down the street with her bag floating beside her. Her journal was tucked safely between her bed cushions, and she prayed to Celestia that her mother wouldn't go snooping around while she was gone.

She shouldn't have been as surprised as she was when she arrived at Velvet Step's condominium building to see a group of uncertain fillies loitering outside. Crystal put on her airs and walked toward them. "The party is inside, you know," she said, one brow raised.

"Yeah, but, I mean, look at the place," one whined, pointing at the colorful balloons tied to the door. "My parents would disown me if they saw me in the vicinity of such basic colors."

"Hmm, really?" Crystal eyed the balloons. "Well, I wouldn't want to be in your horseshoes when you go back and tell them you missed out on the opportunity to mingle with Golden Pants and High Horse. Oh well!" She trotted past them and they quickly followed in step.

She started to feel a bubble of nerves as she walked up the stairs to the door. Was Velvet okay? It sounded like more ponies had arrived before her than she had expected. When she thought about it, however, the eagerness to learn more about the new family probably outweighed the desire for fashionable lateness. She rolled her eyes as her head started to spin with the politics of high society ponies and she opened the door.

"Crystal!" Velvet exclaimed and rushed over before Crystal could respond. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Crystal knew what was wrong before Velvet could explain. She assessed the situation in a split second. The ponies were drilling Velvet’s parents for information, which they were more than happy to fumble through giving. They were good-hearted, simple folks with the best of intentions, but in a cutthroat world, they were giving away too much that could be used to embarrass Velvet later.

Crystal gave a curt nod, patted Velvet on the shoulder, and stepped into the center of the filly- and colt-filled room. She cleared her throat.

"Mrs. Sunbeam! Mr. Ridge!" She smiled with all the charm she could muster as a room full of eyes turned on her. "Such a marvelous place you have. It's so—"

She looked around at the quaint, somewhat under-decorated room. What it lacked in expensive furniture, however, it made up for in pictures of a happy, smiling family. This brought a sincere smile to her own face.

"Warm and loving!" Crystal raised a hoof to gesture at the pictures. "I only wish I could have so many happy memories captured in photographs!"

As usual, if one strong voice took the lead, others would follow. Velvet watched in confusion and wonder as expressions lightened and words grew kinder. Soon, she was swarmed with ponies asking how she got such nice and loving parents.

Crystal gave a victorious pump of her foreleg. One crisis averted, and the party was just starting! Well, for the fashionably late, anyway.

Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge walked over to Crystal with tears in their eyes.

"You are the sweetest little filly!" Sunbeam exclaimed, hugging Crystal close. "You didn't have to say such nice things about our little family!"

Crystal giggled. "Trust me, I did. When I write a Canterlot manual, I'll make sure you all get a copy."

Pepper Ridge leaned in toward her. "Oh, you're a writer, Crystal Wishes?"

All semblance of color drained from her and her ears folded down. She shrunk back a few steps. "No, it was just, um, a joke."

Velvet's senses seemed to tingle and she rushed over the moment she saw Crystal's face. "Mom! Dad!" She glared up at her parents. "What did you say to Crystal?"

"We just asked—"

"It's nothing, Velvet!" Crystal interrupted with a big smile. "I just remembered that I left something at home!"

Velvet looked at her with suspicion. Pepper Ridge and Sunbeam looked at her with slight confusion. Crystal tried to smile wider. "I was going to bring Velvet the next book in the Prima Donna series, but I forgot to bring it."

This seemed to assuage the tension surrounding her. Velvet's parents nodded with understanding while Crystal giggled nervously.

"That's nothing to panic about. You can just bring it Monday." Velvet looked up at her parents. "I think the punch is running low."

The pair gasped and hurried off to go check the table of snacks and drinks while Velvet sighed and shook her head. "They are so weird sometimes. I'm really sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. Now, let me get a better look at you." Crystal took a step back and examined Velvet from head to hoof.

She was wearing her mane tied up curly twin tails. The Prima Donna clip was attached securely just behind her ear, which flicked from time to time whenever the feathers tickled it. Her dress was simple and pink, with a big ribbon in the back.

Crystal couldn't stop a small giggle from escaping at how uncomfortable Velvet looked when she was being studied. "You look so cute!"

"You're just saying that," Velvet muttered, her cheeks flushed. She rubbed her hoof against her foreleg. "You look amazing! I just look silly."

Crystal raised one brow and put a hoof to her chest. "Are you accusing me, Crystal Wishes, daughter of the ponies with the most fashion sense this side of Canterlot, of lying about fashion?"

Velvet's mouth hung open as she tried to think of a response. "I, uh, well, uh—"

"I'm just joking!" Crystal giggled and lowered the hoof to wave it. "You do look cute, though, and I mean it. With your mane like that, you look even more like Prima Donna!"

That brilliant smile returned to Velvet's face and put Crystal at ease, at least until she saw tears start to well up in Velvet's eyes.

"Velvet?" Crystal blinked. "Are you okay?"

Velvet raised a hoof and rubbed at her eyes. "Sorry, I'm just—I've never had a friend before!" She hiccupped. "I don't know what to do!"

Crystal smiled softly and sat back on her haunches. "You eat yourself sick on cake, 'cause it's your birthday, and then we play some games!"

Velvet nodded. She sniffled, then looked over her shoulder at the other foals. "I dunno if I want to play games with them, though."

"Don't worry about it. We'll kick their flanks in a game of Twister! I mean, think about it. Half of them are wearing ridiculous dresses that definitely aren't going to flex well."

Velvet giggled. "Yeah, you're right." She hugged Crystal, then started toward the others. "Let's have some cake!" she announced.

Crystal remained where she was, sitting on her haunches with her forelegs folded over her chest. Things were going pretty well, if she did say so herself! Of course, the party had only begun, and there was still a whole night's worth of a sleepover to get through.

But, in the meantime, she was going to enjoy some cake and games with her best friend.

Fading Moonlight

While Velvet's parents were serving the fillies and colts slices of cake, Crystal surveyed the room with watchful eyes like an overprotective second mother. She did her best to keep things together, but only one filly against a crowd of foals couldn't stand strong forever.

The cake was two layers of soft pink and deep reddish purple, matching Velvet's coat and mane, respectively. The frosting was smooth, and when they cut the first slice out of it, a rich, moist chocolate cake underneath was exposed.

All the foals licked their lips with mouth-watering anticipation as plates were given out.

"Wait," one cried out before anypony had taken a bite of their cake. "This doesn't have butter in it, does it?"

The word 'butter' earned a collective gasp from nearly everypony in the room. One colt dropped his plate right onto the ground and backed up in terror as though it had suddenly come alive and bit him. All of them turned their wide eyes on the unsuspecting Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge.

Sunbeam smiled sweetly. "Of course! What is a cake without butter?"

"Butter is like, basically fat!" a filly cried. She set her plate on the table and turned away with her nose held high. "I won't be able to fit into my dress if I eat that stuff."

"My mom said butter is the first step to giving up." A colt looked at his cake longingly, but set it down anyway, as did every other foal.

Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge glanced at one another with mirrored uncertainty and confusion.

"But I eat my parents' cooking all the time, and they use lots of butter," Velvet said, frowning.

High Horse snickered. "Even if you're short, you should really consider taking better care of yourself and laying off the butter."

The others giggled and whispered. Velvet looked down at herself with worry crossing her face, stirring Crystal into action.

"She's smaller than you are, High Horse, so I don't really know what you're trying to prove," Crystal chided, pacing alongside High Horse. "I thought you looked fine, but now I'm not so sure. How much butter do you put on your toast every morning?"

Sunbeam interjected in a soft voice, mostly unheard by the little ponies, "Butter isn't bad for you in moderation."

Crystal took a moment to glance around the room. She seemed to have their attention, so she looked back at High Horse to gloat with a smug grin. And that was when her feeling of superiority was suddenly squashed.

High Horse was starting to cry, her expression open with sincere pain. Crystal was caught off-guard and, unfortunately, it showed. She felt the shift in power like a shiver down her spine.

"Now that was uncalled for!" Amber Joy put a foreleg around High Horse's shoulders and pulled her close. "Crystal, you can be so mean sometimes!"

Crystal choked. She had no response. She looked around the room for help and for a moment, she felt alone in a sea of sharks.

"Well, High Horse was mean first, though," Velvet said, stepping up to stand beside Crystal. "So, if she apologizes, then Crystal will apologize." She glanced up a little worriedly at her. "Right?"

"Right. Actually, no, I'll apologize first." Crystal bit her lower lip. "I'm really sorry, High Horse."

High Horse sniffled and shook her head. "S'okay. I'm sorry, too."

The tension was diffused for the time being; however, the cake was still boycotted by the fillies and colts. Pepper Ridge moved about the room to gather up the plates and clean up any dropped slices, his ears folded back and an openly hurt look on his face.

Crystal turned to Velvet to ask if he'd be all right, but the look of hurt on Velvet's face stopped her question dead in its tracks.

"I know you were just trying to protect me, but," Velvet started. She hesitated, and Crystal jumped in to finish for her.

"I know. I'm sorry. I took it too far." Crystal lowered her head and gave a sheepish smile. "I don't care if High Horse doesn't actually forgive me, but will you?"

Velvet smiled and nodded vigorously. "Of course! After all, it's my fault you had to say those things anyway, right?"

Crystal paused to consider the question. Velvet's smile faded the longer she thought. Velvet was from a happy family who was completely naïve to Canterlot society. How could she even begin to understand?

Finally, she explained slowly and carefully, "Well, I mean, yeah, I started because I wanted her to stop picking on you. But that's just how it is here. You have to be strong or everypony will turn on you."

"Who cares!" Velvet flushed at how loudly she had exclaimed. She glanced around before continuing in a softer voice, "I just want to have fun with my friend. That's all I want."

Crystal smiled and nodded. "Then that's what we'll do. Twister?"

"Twister!"

The game of Twister was brought out, and most of the ponies took turns playing in groups of five while the others snacked on the fruit and tiny sandwiches after confirming there was indeed no butter in fruit. Pepper Ridge tried to make the case once more that butter wasn't evil, but Sunbeam put a hoof on his shoulder, sighed, and shook her head.

"I'm so bored," Golden Pants whined as loudly as she could while waiting for her turn.

"Don't worry!" Sunbeam smiled and gestured to a box of games lying beside the snacks table. "We have more games! Do you like Monopony or Candy Land?"

Golden Pants inclined her head toward the box, gave it one look-over, then rolled her eyes. "Those games are for little foals and poor ponies. Don't you have anything more interesting?"

Velvet's ears fell. "But I like these games."

"Of course you would." Golden snorted. "But that's because you're both of those things."

Crystal leaped forth and put herself between the two. "Hey, now—"

"Oh, look, surprise, surprise. The little blank flank wants to protect the other blank flank." Golden started to walk in a small circle around Crystal. She smirked, her eyes glinting with a dark mischievousness.

Crystal took a deep breath and let it go through her nose, but her gaze didn't waver. She firmed her jaw and narrowed her eyes to visibly hold her ground. She just needed to stay calm so she could get back to playing Twister.

Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge glanced at one another helplessly, and Sunbeam asked with earnest confusion in her gentle voice, "I thought blank flanks were cool this year?"

Golden sneered and rolled her eyes. "No way. Ponies thought they were cool, like, months ago. It turns out Crystal just spread that rumor so she could try to stay cool. Blank flanks have never actually been cool."

"I did not!" Crystal narrowed her eyes. "That's a lie, I just—"

"Whatever, Crystal Wishes." Golden turned sharply and put her face right in Crystal's. "You can't ride on your parents' coattails forever, especially if you keep wasting your time on little foals like her." She gestured lazily, dismissively at Velvet.

"Now, girls, that's enough!" Pepper Ridge put his hooves down and tried to separate the two, but it was too late.

Something snapped inside Crystal's chest and a flood of emotions poured forth.

"You're one to talk, Golden Pants! What do you do except follow Daddy Fancy Pants around and repeat everything he says? You're worse than a show pony! You're just an accessory!"

"Well, at least accessories know their place, unlike little ponies with no talent!" Golden bit back, snarling.

"Girls!" Sunbeam shouted with a force of anger behind her voice. The room fell silent from the drastic contrast to the mare's normally soft-spoken and honey-laced tone.

The foals' silence allowed a single sound to be heard: a soft, sniffling sob. Crystal felt her heart drop into her stomach as she slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder. Velvet's shoulders trembled and she clenched her eyes shut in a failed attempt to keep tears at bay.

"That's quite enough," Sunbeam said, hugging Velvet to her chest and stroking her back with a hoof. "I think we can all agree this party is over." Her voice and frame shook slightly as she looked at the crowd of foals with narrowed eyes.

On one hoof, canceling the sleepover was for the best. There wasn't enough room for everypony to set down their sleeping bags without encroaching on each other's personal space, which would have inevitably started a fight later anyway.

On the other, Crystal felt like the worst friend in all of Equestria.

As the ponies gathered up their bags and started for the door, quietly complaining on the way out, Crystal stood frozen in place. She raised a hoof and opened her mouth, but Sunbeam glared at her before she could speak.

"I know you meant well, Crystal," Sunbeam said and gestured with one hoof, "but I think you should go, too. I think Velvet just needs to be alone right now." She glanced at her husband, who nodded in agreement.

Crystal's voice caught in her throat and came out as a quiet, "Okay."

She looked at Velvet's sobbing form and wanted to cry herself, but she pieced herself together enough to levitate her bag and walk out the door. At the bottom of the stairs leading up to that floor, Golden Pants and High Horse waited for her—waited to rub salt in the wound.

"Good job, Crystal Wishes," Golden sneered when Crystal reached the bottom of the stairs. "You were really the belle of the ball tonight."

"Just leave me alone." Crystal bit down on her tongue as she tried to keep her cool. She started to walk past them, but a hoof landed on the skirt of her dress so that she stumbled and fell forward. She trembled at the merciless laughter that followed.

Golden raised a hoof, examined it for a moment, then patted Crystal on the head. "There's no reason to be upset. I'm sure your parents will understand when they hear about what happened! I mean, they are really cool, after all!"

Golden smiled daggers down at Crystal and continued, "Well, anyway, see you on Monday!" With her nose upturned, she turned and walked away. "Come on, High Horse. Let's go to my house and have a real slumber party."

High Horse glanced at Crystal. She hesitated, a flicker of regret crossing her expression, then trotted after Golden. "Yeah! Coming!"

Crystal remained on the ground for a while, watching their retreating hooves as her heart sunk lower and lower. Normally, she could hold her own against them. Her chin trembled and she looked up at the condominium building.

The problem was she wasn't just fighting for herself anymore. She was fighting for Velvet, which meant she had all that much more to lose. And Golden had taken advantage of that.

She sighed as she finally stood, raising her bag off the ground, and started the long walk home. She couldn't help but feel that if she were a character in a story, it would have started raining right at that moment. With a wince and a hesitant pause, she glanced up at the evening sky, then breathed a small sigh of relief at the distinct lack of clouds.

The delicate tulle was shredded and, with every step, it scratched at the back of her hindlegs. Her knees ached from hitting the ground. One of them might have been scuffed. She just kept walking, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Why was she so ugly inside? Velvet was kind, inside and out. Crystal wasn't. Canterlot was in her blood. She'd breathed its toxins ever since her mother taught her how to walk properly. Now she didn't know how to act any other way.

When she opened the door to her house, Crystal tentatively called out, "Mom? Dad?"

She exhaled, relieved when there was no response. Of course, there was no note either, as nopony would have thought to leave one for a filly that was supposed to be at a party. A party which she helped ruin. Her chest felt suddenly tight with regret, but she staved off the tears and walked upstairs. After she washed off the makeup and climbed out of her dress, she hopped onto her bed and buried her face in the pillow.

How would she fix this situation? Could she fix it, even? If she started going with her parents again to events to build up her social credibility, she wouldn't have as much time to spend with Velvet, assuming she still wanted to be friends after her outburst.

She wouldn't have blamed Velvet if she didn't want to associate with her anymore. After all, even though her heart had been in the right place—or so she told herself—she was still just another loud, mean-spirited filly vying for power.

She sniffed and rolled over onto her side to look at one of the posters on the wall. There was a time, only a few years ago, when they were all too young to be caught up in their parents' social intrigue. She remembered playing in the sandbox with Golden Pants and High Horse and the names of their parents had no meaning.

Back then, everything was happy and carefree, just like a foal's tale. She wished things could be like that again.

But once their parents had started sending them to finishing school, everything had changed. And now, all of a sudden, she missed those simple sandbox days.

After a while, Crystal closed her eyes. She needed sleep, but it seemed to be far beyond her reach. Her mind buzzed with all sorts of thoughts that just repeated over and over. Why was she this way? Why couldn't she just be nice like Velvet? She wanted to be nice, so why wasn't she?

She shifted on the bed to hide her face again, the pillow enveloping her in its downy embrace.

Crystal wasn't sure when she had fallen asleep, but she was startled awake by the sound of her parents arriving home. Groggy and a little disoriented, she glanced out the window to see the moon sitting high in the sky. It must have been pretty late in the night.

"That was absolutely horrid," she heard her mother's voice say downstairs. "I swear, some ponies have no sense of class."

"Quite right, my dear." Her father heaved a deep sigh. "After that ordeal, I believe I am going straight to bed."

"I'll join you in a minute, darling."

She listened to their hoofsteps until she heard nothing more, then tried to go back to sleep. The silence was suddenly deafening and she struggled just to keep her eyes closed.

Finally, she sighed and crawled over to the edge of the bed. She pulled up the cushion with one hoof and reached with the other for her journal. Once she had it in hoof, she levitated it up with her magic, opened it to the page marked by the quill, and started to read from where she left off.

The prince looked upon his beautiful bride-to-be with a strange, hollow feeling in his chest. She smiled at him but it brought him no joy; at once, he realized that he didn't love her. He looked out the window and tried to remember something that was nagging at him in the back of his mind, begging him to recall what it was. Something… or somepony was missing.

She stared at the words, the quill hovering at the end of the sentence, waiting to continue. When her mind drew nothing but a blank, she groaned and dropped the journal. "Oh, what's the use? It's not like anypony's going to read it, so why keep writing?"

Rolling onto her side, she clenched her eyes shut and tried not to think about the story she was working on. Instead, she tried to think about Velvet and what she was going to do on Monday, or if she would try to go over and see her before then, but it was no use. Her mind was full of uncertainty and fear.

Slowly, she rolled back over to face her journal. The quill hesitantly lifted and started to write.

"Excuse me, my dear," he said and walked away before she could respond. "I need to get some fresh air."

Prince Dashing walked down the corridor, ignoring the mare's calls for him to not leave her. It was the day before their wedding and she wanted to be near to him more than ever. She had grown increasingly needy, now that he thought about it. Just leaving her sight seemed to cause her a great deal of stress. He felt as though he should be touched and flattered by the sentiment, but he instead felt suffocated.

Crystal paused. She reread the words she had written and shifted to sit upright. "Suffocated, huh?" She scrunched up her nose. "Wait a minute, am I writing a love story, or am I just complaining about life?"

She set the quill back down and looked around the room at her posters. Until Velvet, they had been her friends, comforting her and convincing her that a wonderful life of love and happiness awaited when she was older. Now, they were just posters hanging on the walls, and she felt lonelier than ever.

Perhaps she would go over in the morning and try to see Velvet and her parents. Would they want to see her, though? After all, that seemed like the first real, raw taste of Canterlot that Sunbeam and Pepper Ridge had received, and she had brought on the brunt of it.

She shook her head vigorously and dropped back down onto the bed, burying her face against the pillow. "She's still my friend," she muttered. "And I want to see her."

She clenched her eyes shut, begging for sleep to bring the morning faster. The sooner she saw Velvet's face again, the sooner she'd know what to say. She was sure of it.

Fluttering Hope

By the time Crystal awoke again, her parents were already gone—which was no surprise. After all, the weekend was prime time for social events, and that suited her just fine on that particular morning. She didn't want to deal with explaining to them what had happened or face whatever consequences her actions would bring.

She lifted her copy of the next volume in the Ballerina of Crime series, Prima Donna and the Lost Lagoon, and ran out of her room with it trailing behind her, enveloped in her light pink magic. It was still early, but sitting and waiting would drive her crazy. She arrived at the condo door in record time, pausing to pant and gasp for air, before she raised a hoof to knock. The door opened slowly, hesitantly.

"Hello? Oh…" Sunbeam looked down at Crystal with a mixed expression. "Good morning, Crystal." She glanced over her shoulder. "Perhaps now isn't the best time."

Crystal couldn't help but look through Sunbeam's legs. Pepper Ridge and Velvet were sitting at the coffee table, which had the cake from the party sitting on it between them. Never in her life had she seen such sad faces on ponies eating cake. For breakfast.

"Please, Mrs. Sunbeam," she pleaded, looking back up at Sunbeam. "I need to talk to Velvet!"

Velvet's ears twitched at the sound of Crystal's voice. "Crystal?" She ran over to the door and Sunbeam stepped out of the way. "Yeah, I need to talk to you, too." The stern look on her face was unnerving, especially the puffy, tell-tale eyes of a night spent crying.

"Velvet, I—"

"No, I wanna talk first." Velvet sniffed. "I don't know who you are. Are you a mean pony like last night or are you a nice pony like I thought you were?"

Crystal's ears fell. "I—I want to be the nice pony."

"Then why were you so mean? You're so nice to me, so why did you have to act like that?"

"Because that's how you have to be to survive in Canterlot!"

The answer didn't seem to satisfy the filly, who just stared at her.

Crystal sat down and hung her head. "I don't like being mean, but if you're not mean, you'll be walked all over. And I couldn't just stand back and let Golden talk about you that way!"

Finally, Velvet uttered one word that Crystal didn't expect. "Why?"

She paused to think it over. "Because you're my friend, and—"

"No, I mean, why do you have to be mean?"

"Becau—" She stopped mid-word when she realized she had no good answer. "Because, that's just the way it's always been."

"Why?"

Crystal looked up at her with a furrowed brow. "I dunno why."

Velvet stepped closer. Her voice was softer, more pleading than interrogating. "So then why be mean?"

"Be—"

Velvet raised a hoof and shook her head. "'Because' isn't an answer, Crystal."

Crystal sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, then, I guess, maybe—I mean, I don't want to, so, if you really make me think about it, then I don't have a good answer."

"So why not stop?"

There was a heavy moment of silence between them before Velvet wrapped her forelegs around Crystal in a tight hug. The sudden embrace startled Crystal out of all thought and sense of self, so much so that she lost her concentration and the book she had brought hit the ground with a loud thud.

"You're my only friend, Crystal! But I can't be friends with you if you're going to be mean. I can't stand it, 'cause I know that's not what you're really like! If you'd just be nice to everypony like you are to me, then we could all be friends!"

Crystal said nothing. She doubted that it would be that simple, but—why wouldn't it? After all, she responded to mean words with more mean words. She had never tried responding with nice words. Perhaps—

"I'll try." Crystal finally returned the hug. "I won't be mean anymore to anypony. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to cry, else I'll live in a pig's sty."

Velvet squeezed her tight, then pulled away and looked at her with a small smile. "Then I forgive you. Do you wanna have some cake?"

Crystal giggled. "You mean the cake with the evil butter in it?"

Pepper Ridge looked up from his plate with a downtrodden expression. "Butter isn't evil," he muttered.

"Oh!" Crystal's smile fell and she gave a serious nod. "I know, Mr. Ridge. At least, I think I know. They don't make a lot of things with butter here. Not since butter went out of style."

"How does butter go out of style?!" He buried his face in his hooves. "It's—It's butter!" He sighed heavily. "I'm beginning to think moving here was a mistake."

Crystal had no idea how to respond to that. She quietly, tentatively lifted a forkful of cake to her mouth. Her eyes widened when the moist, spongy chocolate and soft, smooth buttercream graced her tongue.

"Oh. My. Celestia!" She hopped up on her hindlegs to rest her forelegs on the table so that she could be that much closer to the cake. The fork flew back to a slice and retrieved another bite for her. "This is the best cake I've ever had in my life!"

"Thanks," Pepper Ridge said, though his voice held no joy.

"You made this?" Crystal looked up at him with sparkling eyes. "Really?"

"He bakes, I decorate," Sunbeam said, sitting at the table. "We had a small bakery in Manehattan. Things weren't great, but they were good enough. We were going to try to open one here, but nopony will let us rent a storefront to even try."

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Ugh, Canterlot is kinda dumb that way. It's 'cause nopony knows who you are. You've got to get your name out there first."

"And how are we supposed to do that without a store, not to mention the fact that everypony hates butter?" Pepper Ridge poked his slice of cake with a fork. "I can't bake without it. It's not the same."

Crystal was silent for a moment as she thought on the matter over a few more bites of cake. Canterlot elites were such a paradox. They loved to be the first doing or wearing something, but they hated to try new things. Her brow furrowed and she grumbled, "You know, if you could just get ponies to try it, I know they'd love it."

Sunbeam shook her head. "I'm sorry, sugarbeet, but we won't lie about using butter, so—"

"Wait! Mrs. Sunbeam." Crystal looked up at her. "It's like you said last night: butter in moderation is okay. So…" She dropped her gaze to the small bit of cake remaining on her plate. "What if you made cupcakes?"

They all stared at the cake with varying degrees of enthusiasm: Crystal and Velvet were the most excited, Sunbeam looked hopeful, and Pepper Ridge seemed uncertain. All eyes turned on Pepper, waiting for him to decide.

Crystal bit her lower lip in anticipation and asked quietly, "Please, Mr. Ridge?"

"Please, Dad?" Velvet's ears drooped.

Sunbeam clasped her hooves under her chin. "Please, dear?"

"All right," he finally said with soft chuckle. He turned his cautious yet gentle gaze on Crystal. "I'm listening."

Crystal threw her hooves in the air. "Yay! So, my parents are sponsoring an event next week. I'll convince them to let you cater the desserts! And if they eat some, then other ponies will try it, and they'll all love it!"

Sunbeam put her hoof on her husband's foreleg. "It's worth a shot, dear. It's better than giving up, right?"

He looked at his wife with uncertain eyes that lightened as he smiled. "Cupcakes, huh? I can do that." He looked back at Crystal. "Are you sure you want to do this? What if the ponies don't like them and it ruins your parents' event?"

"Pfft!" Crystal laughed. "I promise it'll be fine. No, it'll be perfect! Now,"—she nudged her plate forward—"may I have another slice?"

Velvet smiled from where she sat across the table, ears wiggling. Crystal started to smile back, then jumped up with sudden realization.

"Oh! I forgot!" Crystal pivoted on her hindlegs and ran for the front door. Sitting outside on the ground was the book she had brought with her, sitting and waiting patiently despite its abrupt abandonment. She levitated it up and trotted back into the living area. "I brought you the next Prima Donna book, Velvet."

Velvet gasped and nearly jumped over the table, but contained her excitement just enough to run around it. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She grabbed the book out of the air and hugged it to her chest. "I'm gonna start reading it right now!" She smiled a little sheepishly at Crystal. "Um, do you wanna read it with me?"

Crystal nodded. "Sure!" As they scurried into Velvet's bedroom, she called over her shoulder, "Thanks for the cake, Mr. Ridge!"

For how cute and sweet Velvet was, her room was even cuter and sweeter. The walls were covered in Prima Donna posters, feathery pillows adorned her light pink bed, and even the stand of her lamp was shaped like a ballet slipper.

And yet, it felt so different from Crystal's own room. Velvet was obsessed over Prima Donna, an icon for preteen fillies. It was appropriate for their age. Foal's tales weren't.

Especially not foal's tales about princesses and true love.

Swallowing her bubbling insecurities, Crystal focused on the book that Velvet set down on the floor and had spread open to the first chapter. "Ready?"

"Totally!" Velvet squeaked, splayed on her stomach and kicking her hindlegs in excitement.

Crystal plopped down beside her. One well-trained ear twitched at the sound of Sunbeam and Pepper's voices out in the living room.

"Maybe we shouldn't think about moving to Ponyville just yet," Sunbeam said softly, but not softly enough.

Ponyville? No, no, no! If they moved to Ponyville, then—

"I don't know." Pepper Ridge sighed. "The way the girls acted last night? That's not a healthy environment for Velvet. I've heard Ponyville is a nice, simple town."

Completely oblivious to Crystal's world potentially coming to an end, Velvet read aloud, "The wind howled. The shutters creaked. Prima Donna had to tune these sounds out, however, for there was one hiding underneath them—hoofsteps, and not her own."

Crystal wanted to focus on her friend, she really did, but her pounding heart and alert ears were much more interested in the conversation outside. They couldn't move. They just couldn't!

"I think Crystal is good for her," Sunbeam replied, "and I think Crystal needs Velvet, too. Let's just see how things go at her parents' event before we make any decisions."

Their silence was filled by Velvet's excited voice. "Oh my gosh! Page two and she's already in a fight?"

Crystal feigned a smile. Forget the book. For the first time in forever, a stupid social event was the most important thing in her life. Her friendship was on the line! What would she do without Velvet? The very idea sent Crystal into a cold sweat.

"I just want her to be happy," Pepper mumbled, his voice only audible from Crystal's intense focus.

"I knew she was going to do that!" Velvet exclaimed. "Prima Donna is so cool!"

Sunbeam chuckled. "She sounds happy to me, dear."

"She does, doesn't she?" Pepper sighed, but this time with more levity. "All right. Well, let's put away the rest of this cake and start thinking on some flavors for the cupcakes!"

Cupcakes. Crystal knew next to nothing about them. When she left, she'd have to go to the library and research as much as she could.

She also needed to get the guest list from her parents. No matter what, she had to make sure the cupcakes were perfect. Knowing her audience would be paramount to achieving that goal.

For now, however, her best friend was looking at her expectantly. Maybe the cupcakes could wait a little while longer.

"What? Don't stop reading!" Crystal batted a hoof at the open book. "Keep going!"

Velvet beamed and looked back down at the words. "Sweat glistened on her hooves, but she continued on. Nothing would get in her way."

♡

Crystal sat quietly at dinner with her parents, listening to them talk about the various events they had been to that day while they ate in the smallest of bites. She hoped to go unnoticed for the evening until the time was right, but when she felt her father's gaze on her, she knew she wouldn't be so lucky.

"So, dear," Jet Set started. "I heard you had quite the evening at Velvet Step's party. Would you care to explain?"

Crystal swallowed and didn't look up. "Well, um—"

Upper Crust sighed. "Darling, don't stammer. It's unbecoming. And please, do look at your father when you're speaking to him."

Crystal raised her head and tried not to look him directly in the eyes. Instead, she stared at his forehead. It was much less intimidating.

"I got in a fight with Golden Pants," she said as clearly as she could, burying the fear.

Both of her parents made sounds of varying disapproval.

Upper Crust shook her head. "A lady does not fight."

Jet Set lowered his fork and pushed his plate away. He did not acknowledge his wife, instead keeping his gaze and focus firmly on Crystal. "From what Fancy Pants informed me, Golden Pants was the one misbehaving that night."

Crystal blinked, mouth agape until her mother chided her about it. "Um, yeah?"

"Mind your stammering."

Jet Set continued to stare at Crystal. "Yes. According to him, she came home crying, saying that you had verbally attacked her and humiliated her in front of everypony.

"As he and I know, my daughter would never misbehave of her own accord." His gaze hardened. "She is far too well-trained for such things."

Crystal swallowed. Her throat was dry.

Surprisingly, his face lightened and he smiled. "Golden Pants admitted her fault and that she provoked you." He tapped his hoof on the table. "Never start a fight, but never turn tail. That's my girl!"

Upper Crust rolled her eyes. "I fail to see how fighting of any nature is lady-like at all."

Jet Set finally looked at his wife. "Would you have our daughter be a doormat and walked upon?"

Upper Crust huffed. "Certainly not!"

"Then you should be glad for our strong little girl."

Crystal stared at the food on her plate as the conversation returned to normal, though her heart was still pounding in her chest. It was commonplace for her mother to scold her, so much so that it held little meaning or fear for her.

However, her father rarely involved himself in punishment. Sure, he would correct her behavior from time to time, but to receive an actual lecture from him was terrifying. The fact that the lecture she was expecting suddenly turned into praise did not calm her already frightened heart.

Meanwhile, her parents discussed the guest list for the upcoming event, which Crystal had been waiting for to have a chance to interject on behalf of Velvet's parents. She just had to play her cards exactly right.

It was to be a formal-attire photo gallery of Photo Finish's latest work. All the big names were mentioned, including Photo Finish herself. Crystal glanced up a few times as the conversation meandered topics. She needed an opening, some kind of way in.

"—and Donut Joe offered to cater the desserts."

And there it was.

"Donuts!" Upper Crust scoffed. "At our event? Can you imagine? I told him to promptly reconsider his offer, for his own sake."

Crystal cleared her throat. "Well, I did hear about this brand new bakery. Actually, it's so new, they haven't even opened their doors yet!"

"Brand new?" her parents asked in unison, their eyes on her.

Crystal nodded. "Nopony's heard of them, even!"

Upper Crust leaned in closer. "You must tell me their name, darling. Our event could use something new to help draw more interest."

"It's called Sunridge Sweets. They make cupcakes!"

"Cupcakes?" Jet Set raised a hoof to straighten his glasses. "How quaint! You can't find decent cupcakes in Canterlot these days. Are they any good?"

She beamed up at him. "The best cupcakes I've ever had!"

"Well, you must get us in touch with them so we can book them immediately, assuming they haven't already been snatched up."

"I already had them pencil us in," Crystal said, smiling as sweetly and innocently as she could. "I'll let them know to ink the date!"

Upper Crust reached over and patted her on the head. "What a good, thoughtful daughter you are. Now if you could just curb your fighting, you would be a perfect little filly."

"Yes, Mom." She fought the urge to roll her eyes and returned to her dinner while her parents resumed their event planning discussion.

The following Monday, Crystal could hardly keep still in her seat as she waited for Velvet to arrive at school, a grin plastered on her face.

"What are you so happy about, Crystal Wishes?" Golden Pants sneered as she walked past Crystal's desk. "You ruined my weekend."

The grin fell into a somber, straight line. "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, I bet you are." Golden rolled her eyes and stepped up into her seat.

"No, Golden, I'm really sorry." Crystal shook her head. "I shouldn't have said what I said. I know how hard it is to be the daughter of a Canterlot father."

Golden stared at her with irritated confusion. "What? My daddy is the best. I don't know what you're talking about!" She turned up her nose and faced the front of the classroom.

Crystal opened her mouth to respond, but closed it instead. It would take time. She'd just have to be patient.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the familiar colors of light pink and mauve. "Velvet!" She waved her hooves to urge Velvet over faster, who obliged with a gallop across the classroom. "Great news!"

Velvet jumped into her seat. "What?"

"My parents agreed to it!" She smiled. "Your parents get to cater the desserts!"

Golden's attention was snapped back to them. "What? They're going to let some noponies ruin their event?"

Crystal shook her head. "It's going to be awesome, just wait!" She drummed her hooves against the top of her desk. "Just wait 'til you try one, Golden."

"Like I'm going to ruin myself with her parents' fat cakes." Golden rolled her eyes and turned away.

Velvet and Crystal both sighed, looked at each other, and giggled.

"Don't worry," Crystal assured her. "It'll be perfect."

Velvet rested her chin on her hooves. "I know. I mean, I'm nervous, but I know it'll work out."

Crystal hesitated, then scooted in her chair to be a little closer. "Um, so, if it's okay, I'd like to come over Wednesday."

"Sure, but why?" She tilted her head.

"I'd like to help with the flavors and decorations." She raised her hooves. "Not that I don't trust your parents' judgment or anything! I just, well, I mean, I know the kind of ponies that are gonna show up, and, so—"

"That'd be great!" Velvet nodded with enthusiasm. "Mom was just talking last night about how she had no idea what they were going to do! I think she'd really like the help making decisions."

Crystal lowered her hooves back to her desk, folding them neatly. "Then it's settled! I'll go home with you and we can have a baking party."

An Intimate Affair

The day before the event, Crystal went home with Velvet as planned. The last time she saw the condo, it was immaculately clean and tidy. That day, however, it looked like a bakery had walked in, exploded, and left without so much as an apology.

Baking tins, some empty and some still holding cupcakes, were sitting on every surface available. Some tins were stacked on top of other tins. Cupcake wrappers were tossed about haphazardly, some used and some still safe in their original packaging. Once-bitten-and-then-rejected cupcakes were sitting everywhere, discarded and rejected.

Sunbeam was sitting on the couch with her forehead resting on her hooves while she stared at a magazine for inspiration. Pepper Ridge was in the kitchen. The smell of every kind of cupcake flavor imaginable filled the air and while the idea seemed pleasant, the reality was a confusing cacophony of scents that overwhelmed her nose.

Crystal took a moment to regain her thoughts after walking into a crime scene of cupcake mishaps. Velvet cleared her throat to get her mother's attention.

"Huh? Sugarpop, did you bri—" Sunbeam looked up with wide, tired eyes. "Oh, thank Celestia you are here, Crystal! My husband has gone mad, and only you can save him."

Pepper skidded into the room, standing on his hindlegs, stirring a bowl of batter with his forelegs. "Crystal! What do Canterlot ponies like?!" His eyes darted about the room. "I've made everything. Try it all!" He gave a lopsided smile before returning to the kitchen.

Crystal blinked a few times, then put her hoof to her face. "I should have come sooner." How was she supposed to get them under control? Well, she had seen royal guards get yelled at before, and that seemed to work for them. She sighed, then took a deep breath and shouted, "Mr. Ridge! Mrs. Sunbeam! Stand at attention!"

Startled at the power behind her voice—and, if she was being honest, it startled her, too—they both hurried over to her.

Crystal glanced at the mixing bowl Pepper was still holding. "Put that bowl down, Mr. Ridge!" After he did so, she started to pace back and forth in front of them. "All right, listen up, Mr. Ridge! Canterlot ponies are concerned 'bout their health. So chocolate is right out!"

Pepper nodded meekly. "Makes sense."

"Stick to more delicate flavors that you won't find normally." She stopped and pointed a hoof at him. "What are some flavors you can put in a cupcake that you'd find at a formal event?"

He looked down at the floor, then back up at her. "I can make a pink champagne cupcake."

Sunbeam suggested, "Your tiramisu cupcake would go over well."

"I really like your red velvet cupcakes!" Velvet chimed in.

Crystal continued pacing. "Pink champagne, tiramisu, and red velvet." She stopped and faced Pepper. "You got that, chef?"

"Yes, ma'am!" Getting into a more cheerful spirit, Pepper saluted and puffed out his chest. "Right away, ma'am!" He trotted back into the kitchen in a much saner manner than how he had skidded out of it.

Crystal turned her attention on Sunbeam. "Mrs. Sunbeam!"

Though she still looked weary, Sunbeam smiled at Crystal's enthusiasm. "Yes, ma'am?"

Crystal thrust a hoof at the couch sitting against the wall. "March back over there and get some rest while Velvet and I clean up!"

"Thank you, ma'am." She patted Crystal on the head, then went over to collapse on the couch.

"All right, Velvet," Crystal said, turning to look at her, "it's up to you and me to put this place back in order."

Velvet stood as tall as her little frame allowed. "Yes, ma'am!"

By the time Pepper had baked a batch of each flavor, Crystal and Velvet had finished cleaning. Sunbeam rose from the couch and joined them in tasting each one while she contemplated the decorations.

The pink champagne cupcake received a delicate, light pink frosting with small pink edible pearls. The red velvet, naturally, paired well with a fluffy cream cheese frosting and garnished with a chocolate figure in the shape of bit signs to match Upper Crust's cutie mark.

Lastly, a mascarpone frosting was selected for the tiramisu cupcake, with a dusting of cocoa powder guided by a futuristic airship-shaped stencil that Sunbeam made with Crystal's help.

Pleased with their decisions, and with how everything was finally in order, Crystal gave each of them a hug before she left to return home, spirits renewed.

♡

After school the next day, Crystal walked out to find Upper Crust waiting for her. Smothering the urge to groan, she smiled half-heartedly. "Hi, Mom."

"Hello, darling." Upper Crust waved a hoof to motion her over. "I came to ensure you didn't dawdle with your friend." She paused to acknowledge Velvet with a glance. "Hello, Velvet Step. Goodbye, Velvet Step."

Crystal managed to give Velvet a quick, brief hug before she was ushered away by her overeager mother.

"I have very little time to doll you up, so there's certainly no time for you to idle precious minutes away." She sighed. "I wanted to pull you out of school today so that we could go over everypony's names, but your father insists that you are old enough to remember them by now. I hope he is right."

"Yes, Mom." She trotted alongside her, her snout raised high in the air so that she matched her mother's pose. It hurt to keep her head tilted back that far, but if she didn't, she would just have to hear about it.

"I also noticed that Sunridge Sweets belongs to your friend's parents. More than anything, I hope you have the decency to not let your friendship cloud your judgment and embarrass us with a false recommendation."

Crystal lost her poise as she stopped, looked at her mother, and frowned. "No! Their cupcakes are really, really good, and I promise you'll like them!"

Upper Crust gave a small roll of her eyes. "You needn't raise your voice, darling."

Crystal grumbled softly under her breath and resumed her uppity walk. "Yes, Mom."

Unfortunately, when they finally arrived at the event, Crystal was forced to stand beside her parents and—as her mother repeatedly instructed—smile and look pretty. She was occasionally prompted to talk, which was even worse than just standing and smiling.

For the most part, however, she spent the first hour of the photo gallery standing, smiling, and giving polite responses when questioned. Crystal was convinced that all of her parents' events were boring, but this one seemed especially so.

They had the entire royal gardens to themselves, but kept it confined to a small clearing with a circle of easels making up the perimeter. Photographs of famous supermodels in the most ridiculous outfits faced inward so that guests were literally surrounded by fashion.

Photo Finish stood in the center of it all, responding to all inquiries with one-liners in her heavy accent. "Da magicks," she said more than anything else.

Nopony knew what that meant, but they all nodded and agreed with her anyway. That was just how it was in high society. Agreeing with the pony above you no matter what was the only way to survive.

When her parents had greeted everypony at length and it was nearing dinner, they made their way to the banquet table. Sunbeam and Pepper had just started laying out the assortment of cupcakes on the very end of the table next to the fruit bowl.

"Hello, Sunridge Sweets." Jet Set smiled cordially. "I've heard great things about your cupcakes, and if I do say so myself, they look quite delicious." He raised his hoof to his glasses and his smile widened. "The decorations are spot-on! Good show, I say."

Sunbeam and Pepper gave respectful bows of their heads. Pepper was shaking slightly, so Sunbeam spoke for them.

"It's an honor that you would allow us to debut at your event, Jet Set, Upper Crust." She smiled. "We're very grateful. Please, by all means, you should have the first ones."

Jet Set levitated the tiramisu cupcake and was admiring the shape of an airship while Upper Crust eyed the one modeled after her cutie mark with slight interest.

The attending ponies started to crowd around, all eyes on Jet Set and Upper Crust, awaiting their review. Crystal and Velvet stood off to the side inside the circle of ponies. Velvet trembled beside her, terrified of what the judgmental and influential ponies would think. Crystal grabbed one of her hooves and gave it a small, reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be okay," she whispered to Velvet. "I promise."

Velvet started to smile when another filly's voice rose above the soft whispering of the crowd.

"I'd be careful. There's tons of butter in those cupcakes."

Crystal's head turned in what felt like slow motion as the whispering grew louder. Standing beside Fancy Pants was the innocently smiling filly, Golden. Crystal felt her heart sink in her chest and the hoof she held trembled again.

Pepper's expression was a mixture of defeat and anger, but he kept his mouth shut when Sunbeam put a hoof on his shoulder.

"I apologize," she said in a voice that neared a strained whisper while all eyes—each narrowed and disapproving—were on them. "I thought you already knew."

"I'm afraid I wasn't informed of this mishap." Jet Set frowned down at Crystal, who shrunk back under his gaze. "Butter is terribly fattening and not something we condone in Canterlot."

Upper Crust opened her mouth and turned her head to also look at their daughter, and then froze.

Crystal stood beside Velvet as they held each other's hooves to seek mutual comfort. Her ears were folded back and both of them had tears in their eyes. Crystal looked between her father and her mother, waiting for the scolding, for the harsh words, for the insults.

But instead, she gazed into her mother's eyes, and Upper Crust gazed back. It was a moment in time Crystal would never forget. It was the first time she had ever felt that her mother saw her not as an accessory or a doll, but as her daughter in need of her support.

The air was tense and hung thick with gossip that died down into a few gasps as Upper Crust lifted a cupcake, pulled back the wrapper, and took a bite. The smile that followed was another thing Crystal would never forget: a sincere, earnest smile, with no pretenses or ambitions. She smiled purely and simply, and it was the most beautiful she had ever been in Crystal's eyes.

"It's delicious," she exclaimed and took another bite.

Jet Set looked at his wife in surprise. "But dear—"

"Oh, it's only a little cupcake. How much butter could it possibly have in it?" Upper Crust raised a brow.

Sunbeam gently chimed in, "In moderation, butter is fine, and these cupcakes are perfectly sized for moderation."

"Wonderful news!" Upper Crust turned that smile on Sunbeam, who smiled back.

Jet Set cleared his throat and lifted his cupcake back up. All focus was on him as he followed suit. When his eyes widened, he turned to the crowd of ponies around them and announced, "We are pleased to share with you fine ponies this afternoon, the best dessert in all of Canterlot!"

Fancy Pants was among the first ponies in line for a cupcake. He nudged Golden forward with a hoof, his expression calm and collected as he asked her, "Now, sweetheart, which cupcake do you want?"

"I don't want any of them," she muttered bitterly at her defeat.

"I didn't ask if you wanted one, I asked which you wanted." He looked down at her with a stern frown. "I am loath to call a dessert a punishment, but since you must fight it, then I must insist!" He looked back up at Sunbeam and Pepper with a charming smile. "Please do forgive my daughter. She is a good filly, but she can be a bit of a hoofful at times."

"Oh, please, think nothing of it!" Pepper quickly responded, overwhelmed by Fancy Pants's suave manner. "I only recently learned that butter is met with contempt here. Please, let me apologize!"

Sunbeam hid a small giggle behind a hoof. "We have tiramisu, pink champagne, and red velvet."

"Sweetheart, you like Donut Joe's red velvet donuts, don't you?"

"Yeah, but those don't have—" Before she could continue, Fancy Pants had levitated a red velvet cupcake and stuck it in front of her face. She groaned, rolled her eyes, and took an agonizingly slow, tiny bite.

Her ears perked straight up and stepped back to stare at the cupcake. "It…" She mumbled the rest.

Fancy Pants leaned down his head and tilted it to angle his ear toward her. "What's that?"

"It's—" She glanced around to see how many ponies were near, then finally finished, "It's far better than Donut Joe's donuts."

"That's a good girl." He patted her on the head, selected a cupcake for himself, and guided her out of the line.

Off to the side, Velvet finally let go of the breath she had been holding for too long and gasped for air.

"I can't believe it!" Velvet shook her head. "Even Golden likes them! I—I think my parents will be able to open a bakery after this! Crystal, I can't thank you enough!" She looked at her and hesitated. "Crystal? Why are you crying?"

Crystal blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes with a hoof. "Um, sorry, I'm listening." She paused. "Actually, no, I'm not. I'm sorry, give me a moment, okay?"

She ran away and through the crowd, gaze darting around. Her father was talking to Hoity Toity—High Horse diligently at his side but otherwise ignored by him—as they enjoyed their cupcakes, but Upper Crust wasn't with him. She stopped to look in all directions and finally caught sight of her mother. "Mom!" She ran toward her. "Mom, um, I—I—"

Her mother was facing away from her, but she could easily imagine her expression: cold and rigid as it always was. "Stammering."

Crystal took a small breath. A tremble ran through her, but she pushed through the fear, ducked her head low to stare at the ground, and said, "Thank you."

Upper Crust was silent for a long, awkward moment. "Please don't thank me just for being a mother. Now, darling, don't just leave your friend standing over there all alone. It's rude."

Crystal hesitated. "Okay." She stepped forward and wrapped her forelegs around her mother's hindleg in a tight hug, then ran back to the buffet table to join back up with Velvet. "I think this is a total success!"

"Right?!" Velvet sprung into the air with the exclamation. "This is the best day ever!"

Smiling brightly, Crystal looked around to see Sunbeam and Pepper talking to the elites of Canterlot. It was such good publicity for them! Her smile widened when Fancy Pants approached them and she heard the words 'business proposal'.

Her gaze darted over to where her mother still stood away from the crowd, one of the cupcakes designed for her held in her magic. Upper Crust plucked one of the little bit sign decorations from where it rested in the frosting and ate it. After a pause, she looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with Crystal.

A soft smile graced her mother's lips like the one before; it was just as beautiful, if not more. Crystal wished Upper Crust would always smile like that, but for the time being, she'd just be grateful for what she had accomplished for her friend's family.

A New Flame

Just before the grand opening of Sunbeam and Pepper's bakery, Crystal was invited to a small pre-opening party at the brand new shop. It was perfectly located off the main street next to Chapeau! and Upper Regalia. The sign hanging outside proudly said in a fancy script: Sunridge Sweets — Serving Fresh, Perfectly Portioned Pastries.

When she walked in, she was greeted by an excited Velvet, who threw her forelegs around her. "Crystal! Isn't it great?! Doesn't it look awesome?!"

Crystal looked around with a bright smile. "It's really nice!"

It had taken all of the summer break to get up and running, with Crystal coming over after her finishing school classes to help with the painting and decorating. Now it was complete, and totally magnifique, as her mother would say.

The walls were a soft, dappled pink from how they had been painted with sponges. Chair railing went all along them, with white and reddish-pink stripes going down from the molding to the floor.

The counter and display case stood against the back wall to give plenty of room for what Crystal knew would be an ever-busy line of hungry ponies. The rest of the floor space was occupied by round tables and tall chairs like a fancy Prench cafe, with one corner dedicated to tiny and colorful foals' furniture. Cupcakes were adored by ponies of all ages, after all.

Fancy Pants stood at the counter, conversing with Sunbeam and Pepper. After her parents' party, he had approached the two with an offer to sponsor them so they could get on their hooves. Despite being one of the most influential ponies in Canterlot, Crystal realized he was one of the nicest, too. It gave her some hope that she might be able to be like him when she was older.

"Ah, little Crystal!" Fancy Pants smiled at her when he noticed her in the room. "Excuse me, Mrs. Sunbeam, Mr. Ridge." He nodded at them before walking over to Crystal. "I have to say, sticking your neck out there for your friends like that is quite admirable. I do wish you and my daughter could be better friends. I believe she would benefit from your good influence."

Crystal rubbed her hoof against the other leg and forced the words despite the bitter feeling in her chest. "I'll try my best, Mr. Pants."

"Very good, then!" He patted her on the head. "Well, I must be off. Best of luck to you, Sunridge Sweets! I look forward to your success."

He gave a small bow of his head before he left the bakery. Velvet squealed and hopped in a circle around Crystal, her legs kicking as she frolicked about.

"I can't believe this is really happening!" She tackled Crystal to the ground. "You're the best friend I could ever have! Thank you so much!"

Crystal laughed and squirmed out from underneath her. "You're welcome!" They stood up and she affectionately nuzzled Velvet's cheek before trotting to the counter. "I'm so glad for you all, Mrs. Sunbeam, Mr. Ridge."

"It's odd to say as an adult to a filly, but—" Sunbeam smiled. "We are in your debt, Crystal."

"Huh? Oh, no! No way!" She sat on her hindlegs to wave her forehooves. "It was just a favor for a friend!"

Pepper pushed a small box across the counter toward her. "Please, at least let us give you this. It's a vanilla and rose cupcake that we're calling Rosy Wishes."

Crystal giggled as the box raised up off the counter and lowered to her eye level. The lid opened to reveal an off-white cupcake topped with light pink frosting, piped and arranged to look like a blooming rose. She had to tap one of the petals to ensure it was indeed frosting and not a real blossom on top, then licked the frosting off her hoof. It was velvety smooth with a delicate flavor, the taste and texture exactly like a rose petal gliding over her tongue.

"It's perfect!" She trotted the box over to the nearest table and hopped up onto a chair. "Which of you knew that I like roses?"

Velvet giggled and hopped onto the stool next to her. "I told them! I mean, it's kinda obvious, since you always smell like them."

Crystal pulled some of her hair to her nose and sniffed. She did take a bath with rose petals every other night, but she hadn't really noticed that the scent had soaked into her coat and mane. "Huh, you're right."

As they enjoyed the rose cupcake, Crystal allowed her gaze to wander the bakery. It was perfectly neat and tidy—thanks to Sunbeam, she was sure—with the gentle aroma of baking cupcakes and sugary frosting in the air. She couldn't wait to see it full of ponies enjoying the sweet treats Sunbeam and Pepper would make. She just knew it was going to be a success.

Crystal smiled and looked back at Velvet. "So, have you ever heard of Nightmare Night?"

Velvet shook her head. "Uh-uh. What is it?"

"Ponyville has this really interesting festival every year called Nightmare Night where everypony dresses up in costumes and goes around getting candy from all the houses in town! It's being held next month. We should take the train to Ponyville and sneak in!"

"Huh? Won't we get in trouble?" Velvet's ears folded back with uncertainty. "We don't live in Ponyville."

Crystal grinned. "We'll be in costume, so nopony will know where we live or don't live!"

Velvet tapped her chin as she thought on it for a moment, then turned her head to look at her parents. "Mom, Dad? Is it okay if Crystal and I go to Ponyville next month?"

"I don't see why not!" Sunbeam poked her head out from the kitchen and smiled. "As long as it's fine with her parents."

Velvet looked to Crystal, who shrugged and said, "I'm sure I can convince them, one way or another!" Crystal rested her muzzle on her hooves, a grin on her face. "Ooh, I'll bet you a cupcake I know what you're gonna dress up as!"

They sat in silence, Velvet tapping her chin and Crystal continuing to grin. Velvet mulled over her options, then gasped and both fillies exclaimed at the same time, "Prima Donna!"

"I can be Prima Donna?" Velvet bounced in her seat. "Really?!"

Crystal nodded. "Yeah! You can be anything you want on Nightmare Night!"

Velvet squealed, throwing her hooves into the air. "I can't wait! It's going to be the best night ever!"

Crystal giggled and reached across the space between them to hug Velvet, then hopped down from her seat. "All right, I gotta go, but I'll see you tomorrow at school!" She turned her head to address the mare and stallion behind the counter. "Good luck with your grand opening, Mrs. Sunbeam and Mr. Ridge! I know it'll be great!"

"Thank you, Crystal!" they called, waving as she left the bakery.

♡

The buzz generated from the event and Fancy Pants's sponsorship brought in more customers than they could count. Bits were piling up and conversation was filing in the air as ponies had two or three cupcakes each.

Each pony who stood in line said the same thing: "Well, they're just so little that one more couldn't hurt!"

Eventually, Sunridge Sweets became the Canterlot destination for sweet treats; however, there was always room for Crystal and Velvet to hang out after school, which they did frequently.

Velvet Step sighed happily as she looked around the busy bakery. "I still can't believe it. It's like straight out of a movie."

"Isn't it?" Crystal mused, a shy smile on her lips that she tried to smother.

She had already started writing a short story based on Sunridge Sweets and its rise to fame. Though, of course, she had changed the whole cast to instead consist of a poor stallion struggling to get his bakery off the ground and a wealthy mare that helped him out of the kindness of her heart—and a secret love for the stallion.

It was her first time not writing a typical prince and princess tale, and she hadn't gotten sleep some nights because she was too busy writing. Something about it just sang in her heart and the words flowed effortlessly.

"Hey, what's that goofy look on your face for?" Velvet leaned in with a curious smile.

"Nothing! Just, um—" She glanced around, then pointed at a suspicious figure. "That!"

The figure, no larger in size than them, wore a cloak with the hood drawn up and kept glancing about nervously. The attempt to go unnoticed just made them stand out all the more.

Velvet lowered her voice to a whisper. "Who do you think it is?"

"Gotta be somepony from our class," Crystal offered. "Probably too embarrassed to admit they're here."

Velvet nodded in agreement. "But I wonder who?"

Before they could wonder for too long, the figure had ordered their cupcake and was in the middle of running away dramatically until they stepped on the hem of the cloak and fell flat on their face. The pastry box tumbled to the ground and the cloak flopped forward, revealing the tell-tale cutie mark of two interlinked horseshoes, one bronze and one silver.

"High Horse?" Crystal hopped down from the stool and trotted over, but the filly hurried back up to her hooves. "Are you okay?"

"I think you have me confused for some other pony!" came High Horse's unmistakable voice from under the hood.

Crystal tilted her head. "It's okay. You don't have to hide it or be embarrassed. Velvet's parents' cupcakes are really, really good!"

The poorly disguised High Horse shook her head frantically. "Golden said we couldn't be friends anymore if I got caught buying sweets from Velvet's parents!"

Velvet frowned from where she still sat. "Huh? But I thought Golden said she liked them at the party."

Crystal frowned as well. "Now that I think about it, I've never seen Golden with Fancy Pants when he comes to visit."

High Horse was trembling where she stood. "That's why she sends me to come get them." The sound of a hiccup came from the shadows under the hood. "Oh, I've said too much! She's going to be mad at me for sure!"

Crystal's expression lightened. She shook her head, then said with a wink, "She'd only be mad if she found out! And I certainly didn't see you here. Did you, Velvet?"

Velvet was already looking in the other direction, humming playfully. "Huh? See what?"

High Horse lifted her head, allowing the light to pour in and show her face. She stared at Crystal with a muddled look of confusion and suspicion. "But—I don't understand?" She took a small step back, levitated the cupcake box off the ground, and ran for the door.

Crystal sighed as she climbed back into her seat. "Poor High Horse."

"What do you mean?" Velvet glanced at her.

"I think Golden is her only friend, and I don't think she's a very good friend to her." She sighed again. "I'm trying to be nice to them, but I don't think it's getting anywhere."

Velvet's ears folded back. "It's okay! You just have to keep trying," she tried to say as reassuringly as she could. "Nightmare Night is in a few days, right? Let's talk about that instead!"

"Yeah." She smiled. "So, how is your costume coming along?"

"Great! The pin you gave me for my birthday really helps bring it all together." She clapped her hooves together. "Have you thought about your costume?"

"Oh, yes." Crystal's smile turned playfully evil. "I have it all prepared. But it's a surprise!"

Velvet tilted her head but smiled nonetheless. "Okay?"

"Anyway, I should head home." Crystal started to slide out of her chair when she saw Velvet's face. Her brow was furrowed and she wasn't looking her directly in the eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I was just wondering, um—" Velvet rubbed her hoof against the back of her neck. "You've never, ever invited me over. We either hang out here or at my house." Her gaze darted everywhere but at Crystal. "Why is that?"

Crystal stared at her much like a deer facing an oncoming carriage. "Oh, um, well, you see—"

"Aren't we friends?" Velvet asked softly.

"Of course! Best friends!" Crystal shrunk back under the weight of Velvet's gaze when it finally turned on her. "It's just, if you came over, we'd have to go into my room, and—and you'll laugh at me." Her heart pounded in her chest.

Velvet blinked a few times. "Why? What's wrong with it?"

Crystal took a breath in and slowly released it. "I guess, if you really want to, you can come over today."

This didn't seem to be the answer Velvet wanted, but she nodded. "I dunno what you're afraid of, but I think I have to come over just so you can see you're being silly." She smiled as she trotted toward the door. "I'm going home with Crystal, Mom!"

"Oh, all right!" Sunbeam looked past the customer she had been helping. "Have fun, sweetums!"

Crystal walked nervously alongside Velvet as they made their way to her house. Velvet had never really talked about foal's tales, princesses, princes, or anything that Crystal loved. She was downright terrified of what Velvet would think of her lovey-dovey room.

Upper Crust was the only one home when they arrived. Magazines of all different kinds were spread out on the couch in front of her. "Hello, darling." She smiled, albeit only lightly. "Hello, Velvet Step."

"Velvet's just fine, ma'am," Velvet said with a polite nod.

"As is Upper Crust." She returned her gaze to her magazines. "I presume you two are here to play?"

"We'll be quiet, Mom," Crystal chimed.

"That's a good girl." Upper Crust flipped the page, though her ears were still facing them.

As they walked up the stairs, Velvet whispered, "I thought you said you two were getting along lately?"

"We are!" Crystal whispered back, grinning. "That was great! I think she finally likes you!"

Velvet rolled her eyes and giggled, then put on a serious face when they stopped just outside Crystal's bedroom door. Crystal hesitated, rubbed her hoof against the other leg, then opened the door.

Velvet gingerly stepped into the room with as much care as she could manage. Her eyes widened. "Oh, wow!" She bounced forward a few steps in the direction of the bookshelves lining one of the walls. "Look at all these books!"

Crystal remained where she was. She blinked a few times. "Huh? Well, yeah. What about, um, the posters?"

Velvet stopped and inclined her head. She hummed thoughtfully, swaying from side to side, before she finally said, "They're from princess stories, right?"

Crystal couldn't help a small smile at the choice of words, which fell into an embarrassed frown. "You mean foal's tales."

"Pfft!" Velvet hopped onto the pink beanbag chair and settled in, much like a cat. "They're all from the ones about princesses and princes, right? I mean, if you had something like Foal in Boots or The Stallion's New Clothes, it'd be foal's tales, but these are all the princess ones." She batted her eyelashes. "Do you wanna be a princess?" She giggled.

Crystal sighed and walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. She flopped onto her back in the middle of the plush rug to stare at the ceiling with her legs stretching all in different directions. "I just really like them, even if it's foalish."

"Well, we are still kinda foals, you know. I mean, compared to our parents, anyway."

Crystal tilted her head to peer at Velvet. This seemed to be going much better than she had expected.

You still like these silly foal's tales? You're way more of a nerd than I thought you were! How lame!

Crystal rolled her eyes. How could she even think Velvet, the nicest pony she knew, would say something like that? She finally smiled. "So it's okay?"

"Of course it's okay! I mean, if that's all you talked about ever, then maybe it'd be annoying? But you don't, so it's totally okay." Velvet made a weird face, scrunching up her nose. "Why would you think it wouldn't be okay?"

"I dunno. I've never had anypony besides my parents in here, so—" Crystal rolled over onto her stomach. "So, how far are you in Prima Donna and the Dastardly Desperado?"

"I really like it! Though, honestly, I feel like Rose Quartz is trying to put Prima Donna and Dastardly together as a couple, which I think is kinda weird."

"Oh—yeah? Why's that?" Crystal winced, one ear folded back, the other staying strong and upright.

Velvet stuck out her tongue and scrunched up her nose. "I just don't wanna read Prima Donna turning all dumb because of a stallion. She's supposed to be a super cool, super awesome, super independent mare! Why does she need to fall in love?"

Crystal's gaze briefly flickered to her bed as the other ear fell, where her notebook lay hidden between the cushions. Even though she knew in her mind that Velvet was too nice to outright hurt her feelings, she couldn't stop her heart from feeling even more guarded now. She sighed and turned her attention back to Velvet, trying to keep her smile from faltering.

Well, at least she found out the easy way that Velvet wasn't interested in the same kind of story as her. It saved them both from an awkward moment, even though it was hard to let her in this far and still have to keep secrets.

Mare of the Night

Crystal trotted up the condominium steps to the floor Velvet lived on, a skip in her step. She knocked on the door and hurriedly stepped off to the side. Out of sight from the door, she pressed up against the wall, a grin on her lips.

The door burst open. "Hurray, you're here!" Velvet excitedly jumped out onto the landing, then blinked at the lack of anypony standing there. "Um, hello?"

"En garde!" Crystal exclaimed as she sprung out from the shadows. She was dressed in a black pinstripe suit, a mask over her eyes, and a fedora with a red feather stuck in the ribbon. Her mane was tied into a bun to be hidden under the hat, which also covered her ears and horn. She struck a pose on her hindlegs and mimed pulling out a sword from an invisible sheath at her side. "Prepare yourself, Prima Donna!"

Velvet squealed in delight. She was dressed exactly like Prima Donna, from the feathered mane clip to the light blue leotard with a tutu that trailed over her tail and down her legs. She got up on her hindlegs as well and spun in a well-practiced pirouette, the delicate material of the tutu catching in the light and fluttering through the air. Crystal had to pause to admire the graceful spin before she returned to her evil expression.

"You have foiled my plans for the last time!" Crystal swung the imaginary sword.

"Mais non!" Velvet parried the make-believe swing with a high kick, then burst into giggles. "Oh my gosh! You're Fencer Felon!" She dropped onto all fours and bounced up and down. "Our costumes match!" She froze, her expression falling into a curious frown as she asked, "But isn't there something else you'd rather be? Like, I dunno, a princess?"

Crystal, committed to the act, mimed sheathing her sword before she fell out of character. She shrugged and replied, "This seemed like more fun!"

Velvet tentatively accepted the response with a slow nod, then she leaned back through the front door to call, "Mom! Crystal's here! Are you ready to go?"

Sunbeam smiled as she walked over. "I promise I won't get in the way of your fun!" She paused, then tilted her head. "Crystal, you are—?"

Crystal puffed her chest and sneered, "I'm one of the villains from the Prima Donna series!"

"Oh!" Sunbeam's smile returned and she grabbed two empty sugar sacks on her way out the door. "How cute. Well, then, shall we go?"

The fillies ran ahead without a further word. Sunbeam had to maintain a light trot to keep up with them and their excitement. The whole way to the station and while waiting for the train to arrive, they babbled about all the fun they hoped to have.

Once they got on and were seated, however, they fell into an almost unsettling silence.

Sunbeam glanced between the two after a while. "Is everything all right, sugarlumps?"

Crystal and Velvet looked up at her with the same uncertain expression on their faces.

"What if no one gets my costume?" Velvet asked softly.

"And what if ponies think I'm a colt?" Crystal looked down at herself.

At this, Sunbeam laughed softly, raising a hoof to try to smother it. "Oh, that's all right. As long as you two are having fun, it doesn't matter, does it?"

They had to think on this for a moment before Crystal nodded first.

"Yeah. After all, what kinda colt has a tail as lovely as this one!" she stated in a playfully pompous tone, stroking her blonde and pink tail.

Velvet, however, was not so easily swayed. "Maybe I should've done something simpler and more obvious."

"No way!" Crystal threw her hooves in the air. "If you had seen that awesome spin you did, you'd know that you were totally meant to be Prima Donna for Nightmare Night! It's, like, your destiny!"

"Really?" She flushed. "I guess I've gotten better at not getting dizzy."

"If I didn't know you weren't, I'd think you were a real ballerina!"

"Well, it helps that Rose Quartz is really descriptive when Prima Donna is performing. I just read those scenes over and over." Velvet sighed dreamily.

The rest of the ride was filled with talk about the book Velvet was currently reading. Sunbeam did her best to participate in the conversation but, having not read the stories herself, she had a little difficulty keeping up with them.

Finally, they arrived in the quaint town of Ponyville. When they walked into the main square, they were amazed at the Nightmare Night decorations all over—paper bats, silly paper mâché skulls, oversized pumpkins, and glowing green lanterns. Ponies were dressed up as all sorts of creatures, such as scarecrows, devils, vamponies, and witches.

Crystal and Velvet stared in awe, then glanced at each other a little nervously.

"You both look adorable," Sunbeam said, nudging them forward. "Now, take your bags and go trick-or-treat." After giving them their bags, Sunbeam walked over to a bench. "I'll be here, girls, when you're ready to go home."

Velvet smiled. "Thanks, Mom. Let's go, Crystal!"

At first, they were nervous going from door to door, glancing around and waiting for somepony to call them out. However, aside from a few scare pranks, they received nothing but candy. They got into the spirit and, after filling their bags with all sorts of sweet treats, they went to the town square to check out the games available.

There were all sorts of activities for them to try: spider tossing, pumpkin chucking, apple bobbing, and costume judging. Though the spider tossing was a little fun, and pumpkin chucking was certainly exciting, they both agreed that apple bobbing was right out. Neither of them were particularly interested in dunking their heads in the same water that other ponies had.

However, the Ponyville residents seemed to have no problem with doing so, which made both Crystal and Velvet question how much living in Canterlot was really influencing them.

All that seemed to be left was an ongoing costume competition, which wasn't so much a competition as it was a stage for ponies to show off what they had put together.

Velvet rubbed her hoof against her leg nervously. "I don't know if I want all these ponies staring at me, though."

Crystal giggled and bumped her flank against Velvet's. "Nopony has any idea who we really are! What's the worst that could happen, they laugh at us?" She grabbed her by the hoof. "Come on! Our costumes together are way better than any other I've seen up there!"

Velvet had no choice but to follow after her, though her ears were folded back. When they stood behind the curtain in line to go on stage, Crystal turned to face her.

"Would Prima Donna be scared?" She leaned in. "Doesn't Prima Donna go on stage almost every day, whether there's a performance or not? Even if she just spent the previous day fighting crime and is super tired?"

"But I'm not Prima Donna!" Velvet cringed away from her.

Crystal puffed out her chest. "You could be if you wanted to."

Velvet was silent until they were next in line. Finally, she lifted her head and said with inspiring certainty, "I can be Prima Donna."

Crystal giggled in delight and stared at the curtain that separated them from the stage. The pony in charge of keeping the line moving gestured them forward.

"Good luck, girls!" the pony, dressed as a bumblebee, said with a smile.

"Thanks!" Crystal hopped onto the stage while Velvet walked with her head held high.

Once they were on the stage, Crystal stood up on her hindlegs and pulled out her imaginary sword. "Prepare yourself, Prima Donna!" she bellowed in a loud, clear voice. "Today, you either join up with me, or I'll feed you to the timberwolves!"

"C'est pas vrai!" Velvet got up on her hindlegs, raising her foreleg to her forehead as she looked away. "I would never!"

Crystal smirked in a smug manner with her head cocked to the side. "Aw, c'mon doll, it ain't so bad."

Velvet turned to face her, all the while moving her legs to strike a perfect arabesque. When Crystal made a lunge with the sword, Velvet lowered her raised leg to help balance herself as she jumped back, twirled in the air, and landed with her right leg straight, the left bent at the knee to rest her hoof against the other's ankle—sur le cou-de-pied.

Crystal put a hoof to her chest and stumbled backward, then fell to her knees. There was a stunned pause until the crowd hooted, hollered, and stomped their hooves. Crystal got back up and Velvet lowered herself down. Both of them bowed, glanced at each other, and ran back off stage giggling.

"That was amazing! You must take a lot of lessons, little filly!" The bumblebee beamed at Velvet as they walked by. "You're a wonderful ballerina!"

Crystal nodded in agreement. "See? I told you that you were really good! Like, really, really good!"

Velvet blushed. "I—I really love doing it. It feels like I've been dancing my whole life!"

Suddenly, it felt as though everything went silent, even though it was only the three of them that quieted. Crystal and Velvet stared at one another with wide eyes.

"Wait, you don't think—"

"I don't know!" Velvet looked down at her hooves and shuffled them. "I didn't think I was that good at it until now! But now I just realized that I don't want to just pretend to be Prima Donna, I want to be a real dancer!"

The bumblebee glanced between the two fillies, realization slowly spreading across her face. "Oh my! Did somepony just get their cutie mark?"

Crystal and Velvet gasped. Velvet started to spin in a circle, trying to look at her flank, but Crystal put both hooves on her shoulders to stop her. Excited and nervous, she stepped over and stretched her neck to tentatively look through the sheer tutu. She squealed with delight and jumped in the air.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Crystal felt like crying from her excitement. "Velvet, you've got the cutest cutie mark ever!"

Velvet whined and spun in one more circle before she sat on her haunches, grabbed the tutu with both hooves, and yanked it out of the way. Just like Crystal, she squealed. Adorning her flank was a pink ballet slipper, the ribbons intertwined.

The bumblebee giggled as the fillies began to bounce in circles around each other. She backed away and returned to her station by the curtains to let the two enjoy the moment together.

"You're going to be the best dancer ever!" Crystal plopped down and sighed dreamily. "Just imagine, you'll be standing on the stage, the spotlight on you, being showered in roses and love letters!"

Velvet dropped down beside her, now a worried look on her face. "But I don't wanna be in the spotlight!"

Crystal nuzzled their cheeks together. "You'll be wonderful!"

Velvet's worried look fell into one of despair. "And now you're the only one without a cutie mark."

"Huh?" Crystal blinked, then laughed and waved a dismissive hoof. "I don't care about that! I'm just happy for you!"

Velvet was silent for a few moments before she turned on Crystal with a serious expression, placing both hooves on her shoulders. "Think really hard! What do you like to do? Like, really like? No, what do you love to do?"

Crystal laughed and pushed her hooves aside. "I'm okay, really! We have to go show your mom. She's gonna be so excited!" She got up, grabbed her candy bag, and started to trot away.

Velvet remained where she was at first, frowning before she sighed and followed after her.

When they got back to the bench where Sunbeam was resting and reading a magazine, she looked up with a bit of confusion. "Are you done already, girls?"

Crystal started to bounce as she ran. "Mrs. Sunbeam! Mrs. Sunbeam! Look!" She skidded to a halt, sat on her haunches, and pointed both forelegs at Velvet.

Velvet flushed, but dropped her candy bag and jumped up onto her hindlegs. She spun in a pirouette, then stopped with one hindleg crossed over the other and held her position.

Sunbeam started to applaud with a small smile before she noticed something new. "Velvet!" She jumped from the bench. "You got your cutie mark!" Her eyes started to gloss over with excited tears. "You're going to be a ballerina?"

Velvet smiled and ran over to her mother to hug her around the middle. "Yup! Crystal and a bumblebee helped me realize it!"

Sunbeam glanced at Crystal in a moment of confusion before she embraced her daughter. "I'm so happy for you, sweetie!"

Crystal remained where she was, smiling as she watched the two. She couldn't help but wonder if this would change anything between her and Velvet. After all, now that she knew her special talent, she'd probably have to actually start taking dance lessons and working toward a career in ballet.

What if their friendship got lost along the way?

The Faltering Step

The next morning before class started, Crystal watched with a small smile as Velvet was swarmed by ponies with questions. They all wanted to see her show off some of her ballet moves and to know what she planned to do now that she knew her special talent.

"Well, I guess you're all alone now," Golden said as she trotted past Crystal's desk with her snout upturned. "Maybe you're not a blank flank after all. Maybe your cutie mark is just nothing because you have nothing you're good at."

Crystal forced a strained laugh, averting her gaze. "Wouldn't that mean I could do anything I wanted, though?"

Golden rolled her eyes. "D'uh, no. It'd mean you couldn't do anything at all."

High Horse, taking the seat beside Golden, nodded. "Exactly. You'd be really good at nothing."

Crystal sighed and looked at High Horse, resting her chin on one hoof. "Oh, Horsey, I know you can be better than that. Why can't you be nice?"

High Horse's ears snapped back and she turned to look at Crystal with a muddled expression. "Horsey?"

"It's, uh, it's a nickname?" Crystal tried to smile, but it didn't seem to help any.

"I don't have a nickname." High Horse frowned.

"Well, now you have a lame one." Golden sighed and put a hoof to her forehead, shaking her head. "Congratulations."

High Horse glanced between them before she faced the front, away from Crystal, her ears pinned against her dark brown mane.

Crystal gave a small sigh, though she smiled lightly. Her gaze returned to Velvet just as the teacher walked in and all the fillies and colts scurried to their seats.

Velvet sat down beside her with a sigh of relief and muttered to Crystal, "I thought they'd never leave me alone."

"That's what you get for earning your cutie mark." Crystal giggled. "Welcome to popularity! Are you sure you can even sit by me now?"

Velvet glared at her. "Oh my gosh, don't you start, too!"

Crystal just grinned back at her.

Ms. Austere cleared her throat from the front of the classroom and raised her chalk to the board. "That's enough, my little ponies. It's time for classes to begin."

♡

Before anypony could approach them at lunch, Velvet grabbed Crystal by the hoof and took her around the corner to the back of the school. She sat down and gave an exasperated groan.

"I don't mind being friends with more ponies, but this is ridiculous!" She buried her face in her hooves. "They don't want to be friends with me, just my cutie mark!"

"Don't worry about it too much." Crystal patted her on the back, then opened her lunch bag. "Something will happen in a few days and that'll be the new talk of the schoolyard."

Velvet looked up at her with hope in her eyes. "Really? So I only have to put up with this for a few more days?" When Crystal nodded, she relaxed. "Oh, thank Celestia!" She opened her bag and instead of pulling out a sandwich or an apple or anything Crystal would have expected, she pulled out a rolled up piece of parchment.

"What's that?" Crystal tilted her head.

"It's my super-duper list of Crystal's favorite things that I know of!" She put on a playfully serious face and turned toward Crystal as she unrolled the paper. "If I'm going to be popular for a few days, then you are, too!"

Crystal laughed. She levitated the paper out of Velvet's hooves and raised it up for her to read aloud. "Reading, talking about reading, roses, cupcakes, braids, pink, princesses—" She lowered the paper so she could look at Velvet with one brow raised. "Princesses? What would that cutie mark look like?"

"I dunno." Velvet shrugged. "Maybe Celestia's face?"

"Oh, yeah, 'cause that's what I want on my flank." She burst into laughter, prompting Velvet to laugh as well.

"Okay, okay, so I just wrote down everything I could think of, all right?" Velvet wiped a tear from her eye as she relaxed into giggles. "A pretty pink rose would look good on you, though!"

Crystal turned her head to look at her bare flank. She squinted, trying to imagine everything from the list taking up residence on her creamy white coat.

Reading would be—a book? She'd like that, actually.

'Talking about reading'? She frowned. A conversation bubble with a book in it? She shook her head.

Roses? She did have to agree that a pink rose would be cute, especially if it matched the pink in her mane and tail.

Velvet similarly stared at Crystal's flank, though instead of imagining cutie marks, she was probably waiting for one, as if the list would spark an epiphany.

However, Crystal burst into laughter once more when she reached 'princesses' and imagined Celestia's face staring up at her from her flank.

"What?" Velvet pouted. "What's so funny?"

"A Celestia cutie mark."

Velvet's mouth tightened into a line as she tried to stave off her own laughter, but it wiggled, squirmed, and finally widened into a grin as she laughed, too.

The parchment returned to Velvet's hooves and Crystal took a bite of her daisy sandwich once her giggles had calmed. She looked up at the sky in thought while Velvet put away the list and started on her own lunch.

"Maybe Golden's right," Crystal finally said in a soft voice. "Maybe I don't have a special talent."

"Don't say that!" Velvet reached out and lightly smacked Crystal on the back of the head. "You'll never discover what it is if you think like that. Everypony has something they're good at, and I know you're good at something. You're just too caught up in your head to see it."

A small smile spread across Velvet's lips as she continued, "I don't think I'd ever have discovered how much I liked ballet if it weren't for you. So, now I'm going to return the favor." Her gaze fell to the ballerina slipper on her own flank. "It's really nice, knowing for sure I'm good at something. It's like Celestia herself came down and said, 'This will work out.'"

Crystal watched Velvet's expression in slight awe. The peace of mind from the assurance that there was something out there that she was meant for showed as a youthful sparkle in Velvet's eyes. It was the wishful feeling of hope she used to get from her posters, a feeling that she had long since lost.

She gave a brief shake of her head and smiled. "Well, I'm sure it'll come to me someday. For now, let's just worry about what you're going to do with yours!"

"Huh?" Velvet tilted her head. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're gonna have to start going to classes now, right?"

"Yeah. Why is that a worry?" Velvet tilted her head the other way.

Crystal poked at her lunch bag. "That sort of thing takes up a lot of your time. You're really good already, since you're meant to do it, but you still have to learn routines and practice with other ballerinas. We won't get to hang out as much."

This brought silence to both fillies as they pondered this. Velvet glanced up with a shy grin. "Until you discover your talent, you could always come to lessons with me. Who knows! Maybe you'll be a ballerina, too!"

Crystal laughed and stroked her chin. "It can't hurt to try, I guess."

"Great! My first lesson is next week. I'll have Mom see if she can get you added, too!"

Crystal blinked a few times. "Wow, next week? Well, I guess we're going to find out pretty soon if I have what it takes to dance beside you, huh?"

Velvet giggled and playfully punched Crystal's shoulder. "Don't worry! What's the worst that could happen?"

"So, it could have been worse." Velvet tried to smile. She sat in a chair beside a bench in the locker room where Crystal was lying on her back. "You could have broken it." She glanced at the instructor examining Crystal's hindleg. "It's not broken, right?"

The mare shook her head. "It just looks like she twisted her ankle, that's all." She got up onto all fours. "Some ice and rest will take care of it. I'll go get some." She trotted out of the locker room.

Once the mare had left, Velvet's composure fell. Her ears drooped, her lower lip stuck out, and her eyes glossed over with tears. "This is all my fault!"

Crystal laughed softly. "No way! I shouldn't have tried to do a split so soon. Even the instructor said not to!"

"But you wouldn't be here if it weren't for me suggesting it."

Crystal reached out a hoof and placed it on Velvet's shoulder. "I had fun, honest! Well, until I lost my balance and took a face dive and Serenity stumbled over my leg and—" Her gaze fell to the swollen ankle.

Velvet looked as though she might wither away. "I'm sorry." She sniffed.

"Now, now, there's no need to fret, little pony," the instructor said as she walked in with a bag of ice. She placed the ice carefully and gingerly on the ankle. "She'll be fine as soon as tomorrow, so long as she stays off it and rests."

Velvet's gaze darted back and forth before she lifted her head, ears perked up. "I'll just spend the night at your place to make sure you get lots of good rest!"

Crystal paused to consider this, then smiled. "It's been awhile since we had a sleepover."

"Then it's settled!" Velvet threw her hooves in the air. "Sleepover it is! I'll let Mom know. She should be here soon to pick us up."

"I just got here, sweetie. They told me what happened." Sunbeam walked over, looking at Crystal with sincere concern. "Are you all right, pumpkin pie?"

Crystal smiled and nodded. "Yup! I discovered that I am definitely not a ballerina!"

This garnered a small smile in return from Sunbeam. "Come along, you can ride on my back. I'll carry you home."

"I'd normally decline and say I'm fine, but I think we all know I'd be lying, so thank you, Mrs. Sunbeam." Crystal carefully climbed onto Sunbeam's back, wincing as her ankle jostled the wrong way.

Velvet walked alongside her mother as they made their way to Crystal's house, glancing every so often at the injury, worry never leaving her face. Sunbeam raised a hoof to knock on the door, but when it opened seemingly of its own accord, she blinked, startled.

"Oh!" Sunbeam smiled after only a second of thought. "Sometimes I forget you unicorns can do that."

Crystal muttered a small sound of acknowledgment. All the movement, despite Sunbeam's careful steps, had her ankle throbbing with pain all over again. Sunbeam carried her inside and set her down on the couch.

"Dear, is that you?" Jet Set walked out onto the landing and gasped. "What in Equestria happened!" He trotted down the stairs and over to the group. "Who did this to you?"

"Myself, Dad." She winced as she shifted to try and get comfortable. "Can you get me some more ice? Also, Velvet's gonna stay over." She looked up with a weak smile. "Thank you, Mrs. Sunbeam."

"Just feel better, sweetums." Sunbeam smiled down at Crystal, then looked at Velvet and patted her on the head. "We'll see you after school tomorrow, then, I suppose?"

Velvet nodded. "Say hi to Dad for me." She hugged her mother, then turned her attention to Crystal's ankle.

Sunbeam excused herself while Jet Set walked back into the room with a dish towel filled with some ice.

"If this is what's going to happen, then I must say I don't know if I approve of these ballet lessons." He paused to glance at Velvet. "No offense, Velvet."

"None taken." Velvet nodded curtly. "I agree with you, anyway."

Crystal groaned and rolled her head back to stare at the ceiling. "I'm fine, honest! I might need some help getting up to my room in a bit, though."

"Certainly. Just call when you're ready." He paused, then raised a hoof and waved it. "So, I hope we're in agreement that there will be no more ballet lessons for you, dear?"

"Not anytime soon." Crystal lifted her head to look at Velvet after Jet Set left them alone. "Velvet, if you want, you can grab a book from my room and we can read it together. That sounds safe and restful, right?"

Velvet straightened and saluted. "Yes, ma'am!" She hurried up the steps, disappearing from Crystal's sight.

Crystal couldn't help a nervous gulp. Velvet would be alone. Alone in her room. She would just go in and grab a book, right? Her secret would be safe, wouldn't it?

❦

Velvet paused once she was just inside Crystal's bedroom, glanced over her shoulder, and looked back into the room with a grin. She sat on her haunches, rubbing her hooves together with a determined look in her eyes.

"All right, Crystal's room," she said in a low whisper as she surveyed her neat and orderly surroundings. "It's just you and me now."

A Secret Discovered

Although she hadn't meant for it to be so soon—nor for it to be with the cost of an injury—Velvet had to admit she couldn't have planned it better. She had plenty of time to feign deciding on a book from one of the many bookshelves while she searched for Crystal's secret. Somewhere in that bedroom had to be the clue to Crystal's passion.

Her gaze drifted over everything as she took it all in. The bookshelves would have to be her last resort, as trying to scan and process all of the titles would take too much time. She had to be quick. She walked over to the dresser and pulled out the bottom drawer as quietly as she could. There wasn't much out of the ordinary among the assorted clothing except for some long, thin boxes stacked to one side.

Velvet carefully pushed one of the boxes' lids aside to spy a fresh quill resting on satin. It was perfectly pristine and unused. Just to make sure, she opened another box and found another quill.

She frowned as she closed the boxes and shut the drawer. Quills? That meant—writing! She smiled as she turned to face the rest of the room. Which meant Crystal had a diary somewhere. But where?

Excited, she checked first around the bedside table, but found nothing incriminating. Then, when she looked under the bed, she spied a box pushed against the far wall, almost out of hoof's reach. Thankfully, her small size allowed her to squeeze into the space between the bed and the floor, and she batted at the corner of the box until it was close enough to pull out.

Velvet took a brief moment to breathe in. She was violating her best friend's privacy, but it was for a good cause! Surely Crystal would forgive her in that case. Right?

As she exhaled, she lifted the lid to the box. Inside, there were six notebooks of different colors. The covers were adorned with a number, the highest at the top and, as she dug down, the lowest at the bottom.

Velvet paused in awe of how much writing the notebooks contained, then pulled out the one labeled '1' and closed the lid.

After returning the box to its spot under the bed, she slid the notebook under the dresser so she could retrieve it more easily the next morning

"Everything okay up there?" Crystal called, some concern in her voice.

"Yup! Just having trouble deciding!" Velvet responded before she quickly grabbed a random book from the shelf and hurried out of the room.

When Velvet climbed onto the couch and held out the book, Crystal blinked a few times.

"Velvet?" Crystal glanced between the book and Velvet. "This is a guidebook on societal etiquette."

Velvet smiled, not skipping a beat, though her heart did. "I know! I thought it might be a nice change of pace!"

Crystal laughed and opened the book, titled Proper Form. Much to Velvet's dismay, it was a how-to on the most boring of high society rules: how to be a host, how to be a guest, how to be a customer, how to be anything but normal, apparently.

Velvet would never understand how Crystal seemed to know all of the rules by heart even before they turned to the appropriate page. Memorizing mathematics and grammar was hard enough, but pointless and silly rules on when to eat which part of a meal? However, she smiled and feigned as much interest as she could to avoid giving away her mistake.

❦

The next day, before Velvet left for school, she managed to sneak the journal into her saddlebags without getting caught. Crystal still wasn't feeling up to walking just yet, so Upper Crust gave Velvet a note to take to school that explained the absence.

All Velvet could think about the whole morning was the diary. She was so excited to finally return all the favors and kindness Crystal had given her! Once she figured out her friend's passion, it would be her sole mission to help Crystal realize it for herself. Throughout the teacher's lessons, her gaze wandered to her saddlebags, where the simple pink notebook was hiding.

"Since Crystal Wishes isn't here to steal your time, why don't you hang out with us for a change?" Golden offered, interrupting Velvet's thoughts. She gave a smile that was too innocent to believe.

Velvet blinked at her. She looked around the room, then back at the two fillies in front of her. "Huh? Is it lunch already?"

"It is!" High Horse said with excitement that died down when Golden glared at her. "I mean, yes. It is."

"Ugh." Golden rolled her eyes before she smiled again. "Why don't you tell us what happened yesterday? I heard Crystal hurt her ankle, the poor thing. So sad." Her voice dripped with venomous sarcasm.

Velvet frowned. "Why are you so mean, Golden?"

"What are you talking about? I was just asking what happened!" Golden put a hoof to her chest. "There's no need for unjust accusation! But if that's how you're going to be, then fine. Come on, High Horse." She turned and started to walk away, but stopped when she realized she wasn't being followed. "High Horse, I said come on."

There was a moment of silence before High Horse's voice said in a near-broken whisper, "No."

"What?" Golden turned her head, eyes wide in surprise.

High Horse raised her chin and stared at Golden straight on. "I said no."

Golden stormed back over to her to shove her face in High Horse's. "What do you mean, 'no'?! We're going! What part of that don't you get?"

High Horse's ears started to fall back, but she forced them straight and held Golden's gaze. "I'm tired of having lunch with you. All you do is complain or pick on me and my lunches, or—or both." She bit her lip before she said in a louder, more forceful voice, "I'm done being friends with you, Golden, if we even were friends to begin with!"

Golden's expression was at first confused, then infuriated. She made an unintelligible sound of frustration before she turned away. "Fine!" she yelled over her shoulder. "I'll just find myself a new friend! You're not irreplaceable!"

Velvet sat there in shock, not sure if she should try to console High Horse. Was she even supposed to have seen all of that? She just stared, her mouth hanging open.

High Horse broke the silence with a sniffling sob. "We—We've been friends forever," she whispered.

Velvet quietly listened, her panic falling into a somber lull of pity.

"Everything used to be fun and happy, but then her mother sent her to a summer camp to learn how to be a 'power pony'." High Horse hiccupped. "She's never been the same since then. I don't know what a power pony is supposed to be, but I don't like who she's become. She's always mean to me, and I thought it was okay, as long as we were friends, but—"

High Horse turned her head to look at Velvet and continued, "She had me follow you and Crystal to your ballet lessons and spy on you two, and when Crystal hurt her ankle, you rushed right to her and never left her side."

Tears were welling up into big drops before they fell down High Horse's cheeks. "I'm just tired of not having what you and Crystal have."

Velvet slid out of her seat and went over to High Horse. She said nothing and simply wrapped both forelegs around her in a tight hug, one hoof stroking her mane.

They remained like that for a while until High Horse's tears subsided and she pulled away, rubbing at her puffy eyes. "Anyway," she whimpered. "I'll leave you alone."

"Wait!" Velvet smiled. "Why don't you have lunch with me?" She retrieved her lunch bag and waggled it. "Crystal's mom made it for me. It was really funny to see her face. I guess Crystal packs her own lunches, 'cause Upper Crust had no idea what I was talking about."

High Horse returned the smile, though hers was much weaker. "You don't have to have lunch with me just because you feel bad for me. I'll be okay by myself."

Velvet shook her head. "No! Well—I mean, yeah, I do feel bad about what happened, but I really would like to have lunch with you. If Crystal were here, she would, too."

There was a long pause before, slowly, High Horse nodded. "Okay. If you're sure."

"Absolutely!" Velvet trotted for the door. "C'mon, it's more fun to eat out in the sun!"

Once they had found a spot and settled down, Velvet opened her bag and burst into giggles. When High Horse glanced at her, she tilted the bag to show its contents.

Inside the bag was a single, lone apple wrapped in plastic wrap.

"Really?" Velvet lifted the apple and started to peel the wrap away. "I mean, really?"

High Horse smothered a giggle. "Maybe Jet Set is the one who does the cooking?"

"You know, I never actually paid attention. I asked the wrong pony to make my lunch!" Velvet gave a dramatic sigh before taking a bite.

High Horse pulled out her sandwich, which was already cut in half, and offered one of the halves to Velvet. "Here. I'm supposed to be on a diet, anyway."

Velvet blinked. She opened her mouth, blinked again, closed it, then frowned. "What? A diet?"

High Horse averted her gaze, biting her lip, and nodded.

"Nuh-uh." Velvet rolled her eyes. "I dunno who's telling you that, but diets are for our parents. We've got years before we need to worry!"

"You really think so?" High Horse stared at her sandwich, then looked down at herself.

"I do." She smiled. "I've learned a lot since I came to Canterlot, but mostly I've learned that all the fillies and colts in our class keep trying to act like adults. What happened to having fun? I thought that's what being young was about. And anyway, I'll just go by my parents' bakery after school and have a late lunch there."

Slowly, High Horse started to smile, brighter and brighter until she was practically beaming. "Then, I'll eat all of my sandwich!" She nodded triumphantly. "And I'll go to Sunridge Sweets and get a cupcake, too!"

"Yay!" Velvet cheered, giggling. "Don't you feel happier now?"

High Horse nodded again. "Uh-huh."

"Good." Velvet smiled and took another bite of apple, saying around it with a hoof over her mouth, "I'm glad."

High Horse had never smiled so earnestly before, and Velvet was happy to see it.

❦

Once she was home that evening, Velvet went straight to her room and tossed her saddlebags on her bed. She jumped up to land next to them and opened one of the flaps, pulling out the journal.

"At last!" She rubbed her hooves together, then traced the '1' on the cover. "Hmm." She tilted her head.

When she and Crystal were still only tentative friends, now that she thought about it, Crystal was always carrying a notebook like the one in front of her, though she was pretty sure it was a different color.

However, the more they had spent time together, the less she brought it around. In fact, when was the last time she had seen Crystal clutching it protectively to her chest?

Velvet's eyes widened. That must mean, somewhere in one of them, was a secret that Crystal was guarding! Her ears folded back. "Is this really okay?" she wondered aloud. Her hoof started to tremble as she opened the journal. "I mean, my intentions are good, so it must be okay, right?"

Her gaze landed on the first page and it was too late to turn back now.

"Once upon a time," she read, then stopped. "Once upon a time? That's a funny way to address a diary." She shook her head and continued, "there once was a beautiful unicorn princess." She giggled. "I knew it! Crystal wants to be a princess! Oh, Velvet, focus!" She cleared her throat. "She was a lonely princess, locked away in a tall tower in the far reaches of Equestria's wild."

Velvet's smile fell. "Wait, this isn't a diary." She flipped a few pages and gasped. "It's a story?!"

A Secret Shared

"Hello?" Crystal asked. "Velvet? Are you there?"

Velvet blinked a few times as a hoof was waved before her eyes. She looked around, confusion plastered on her face. She was in the classroom, in her seat. That much she knew for certain. It was morning, or maybe early afternoon. She blinked again and focused on Crystal sitting beside her.

"What happened?" Crystal tilted her head. "You look exhausted!"

Velvet tried to smile. Slowly, her eyelids started to slide down, but she shook her head and forced them back up. "Oh, um, nothing. I just was up really late reading." She yawned. "I think I got some sleep somewhere in there, maybe?"

"Really?" Crystal glanced at the front of the class. The teacher seemed quite preoccupied with her lesson, not noticing them whispering back and forth. "What was it?"

"Oh, uh." Velvet stared at her. "Uh?" She furrowed her brow. "I'm so sleepy, I can't remember, but I know it was good?" Her grin was forced, but Crystal didn't seem to find it suspicious. "I borrowed it before I left yesterday. Do you mind if I come by and borrow another?"

Crystal raised one brow. "I don't know if I can be an accomplice to anything that makes you look so—"

"Miss Crystal Wishes!"

Crystal winced and turned toward the front. "Yes, Ms. Tutor?"

"Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" The ever-present hint of a frown had fallen into a near scowl. "Or would you like to join us in this lesson that you're so disinterested in?"

Crystal's ears folded back. "I'm listening, Ms. Tutor! Honest!"

"Then what did I just say?" She tapped one hoof on the floor.

The question brought a small grin to Crystal's lips, but she quickly smothered it by clearing her throat. "You were teaching us the intricate and confusing rules of the order in which 'e' and 'i' are present in various words, Ms. Tutor."

The mare gave a small sigh and turned back to the chalkboard. "Correct, Miss Wishes. Please help me out and make it more apparent that you're listening from now on."

Velvet surfaced out of her exhaustion just enough to smile. "How do you do that?" she whispered as quietly as she could.

"Practice," Crystal whispered back, keeping her eyes forward. She continued with her nose upturned and a quiet voice reminiscent of Upper Crust's, "One must always keep an ear on another conversation from one's own, lest one miss out on crucial information."

The two giggled softly before Crystal paid attention while Velvet just tried to keep her eyes open. It was a struggle, but she managed to survive until lunch. Barely.

Before Velvet could remember to catch Crystal up on the previous day's happenings, High Horse shyly walked to the door, cringing from the weight of Golden's glare as their paths intersected.

Crystal glanced at Velvet. "What—"

Velvet yawned. "High Horse and Golden broke up so now she's our friend."

This seemed to be all that Crystal needed. She sat up straight in her seat and waved her forelegs. "Hey, Horsey!"

High Horse's ears perked and she lifted her head. "Huh?"

Crystal beamed. "Let's have lunch together!"

"Really?" Horsey started to smile. "You don't mind?"

Crystal waved a dismissive hoof. "Why would I mind having lunch with friends?"

"But, you and Velvet—"

"Now it's me and Velvet and you!" Crystal levitated her lunch bag, slid out of her seat, and trotted for the door. "C'mon, Velvet, the sun will perk you up, I'm sure!"

"Mm." Velvet dragged her hooves as she followed behind the two figures she hoped were her friends.

Once they were seated, High Horse and Crystal started to eat their lunches while Velvet leaned against Crystal and closed her eyes.

"What was so good about the story that you stayed up all night reading it?" Crystal asked before she took a bite of her sandwich.

Horsey looked up suddenly. "Oh, so she's just tired from staying up? Thank goodness," she said with a smile. "I was worried she was sick and nopony was going to mention it."

Velvet opened one eye. "Uh, it was really well-written. I couldn't go to sleep without knowing what happened."

"Really?" Crystal tapped her chin. "Was it Of Mice and Mares?"

"No." She closed the eye again.

"The Chronicles of Neighnia?"

Velvet paused. That sounded like a story that might have a sequel, right? Her heart started to race as she placed her bets and gambled, "Um, maybe."

Crystal smiled. "Oh, that's a really good series!"

Velvet felt a small bit of relief. "So can I borrow the next one?"

"Of course!" Crystal paused, then amended, "Though maybe I should just bring it to school tomorrow. You should go home and rest right after we get out."

Horsey nodded in agreement. "I don't mean this in a mean way, but I think you could really use some sleep."

"No, I want to come over," Velvet whined as she pressed her face into Crystal's neck.

Crystal laughed, shaking her head. "Okay, okay, but only if you promise to not stay up all night reading it."

"Promise!" Velvet yawned. She straightened up and looked in her lunch bag. "Oh, look, it's a real lunch today!"

When Horsey giggled, Crystal glanced between the two. "What?"

"Nothing," they said and giggled together.

Crystal frowned at first, but lightened into a smile. "I'm glad you're our friend now, Horsey."

Horsey flushed lightly. "Me, too."

The lunch went by relatively easy after that. It was especially good that Horsey was there, as Velvet's attention was floating in and out, so Crystal had somepony to hold a conversation with until they were called back into class for the rest of the day's lessons.

❦

Velvet mustered all of her energy on the walk to Crystal's house, which was made easier when they walked in the door and Upper Crust called Crystal into the kitchen, leaving her alone in the foyer.

"Darling, I've been looking into these 'school lunches' and, evidently, I'm supposed to make them for you," Velvet heard Upper Crust say. "Why didn't you inform me of this sooner?"

"Oh, Mom, it's fine, really," Crystal replied. "I don't mind making them myself."

Velvet quietly tip-hoofed across the living room. She craned her neck to see around the corner and into the kitchen, where Upper Crust seemed to have Crystal's full attention. Excitement giving her a rush of adrenaline, she hurried up the stairs and into Crystal's bedroom. She squeezed herself under the bed and tugged on the box to move it closer to the reachable side.

When her head popped out from underneath the bed, however, she was staring at Crystal's hooves.

"Oh, uh—" Velvet blinked a few times. "Hey, you."

Crystal furrowed her brow and tilted her head. "What are you doing under there? You startled my mom with how fast you ran up the stairs all of a sudden." She rolled her eyes and mocked with a hoof daintily raised, "'Go tell your friend a lady never runs.'" Her gaze focused back on Velvet and one ear twitched, though she smiled softly. "So, this is weird."

Velvet's guilt was clear on her face as she glanced at the box she had pushed almost all the way out. Crystal followed her gaze and gasped. Panic overtook her eyes and she thrust the box to the far side of the bed with her magic, her over-attention causing it to hit the wall with a loud thump.

"What were you doing with that?" Crystal took a step back. "You didn't open it, did you?"

Velvet bit her lower lip before she crawled all the way out from under the bed and stood as tall as she could. "I did, and I'm not sorry!"

Crystal's ears folded back. "Why—You—"

"I'm not sorry because they were the best stories I've ever read, not just since I started reading, but, like, ever!" Velvet bounced in the air for emphasis of her excitement. "But the last one was cut off 'cause I guess you ran out of pages and I need the next one!"

Crystal stared at her, jaw slack as a flush crept over her face. "Wait, that's what you were up so late reading? My stories?"

Velvet nodded with so much enthusiasm that her ears flopped wildly. "Yes! I couldn't stop!"

Crystal's flush started to crawl down her neck. She raised a hoof to hide her face. "You're just—"

"I am not! If I was 'just saying that' then I would have gotten some sleep last night." Velvet stepped closer to her. "Please let me borrow the next one!"

Crystal fell back onto her haunches and covered her face with both hooves. "No, they're not that good! Honest! Anyway, how can you like them?" She tentatively parted her hooves just slightly to peer out with one eye. "They're about romance."

"Huh? Why would that be a problem?" Velvet blinked, one brow raised and her nose scrunched up.

"Because you didn't like Prima Donna and Dastardly Desperado being together."

"Oh, pfft!" Velvet waved a hoof to dismiss the notion. "That's because I didn't like Dastardly. He was just a bad pony. But the stallions you write about, oh!" She started to flush herself. "It makes me want to be a mare!" She put her hooves on Crystal's and pushed them away. "If you don't believe me, then write a story and leave it on Ms. Tutor's desk without your name on it."

Crystal's flush vanished. "What? No! What if she finds out it was me?"

Velvet rolled her eyes. "That's why you leave your name off it, d'uh!"

Crystal groaned under her breath as she fought with the idea. Finally, she sighed and tried to smile. "I guess if she doesn't know it's me, then I've got nothing to lose."

Velvet squealed and hopped onto the bed, dropping her head down onto one of the pillows and closing her eyes. "Great! You work on that while I close my eyes." She paused, then cracked her eyes open to peer at Crystal. "Do I still get to borrow the second book?"

"I—I guess, if you want to."

"Double great!" She yawned, closed her eyes again, and drifted off almost immediately. She had been working hard, and it was time for a slumbering reward.

♡

Crystal started to pace around the edge of the fluffy pink rug before she threw herself on top of it and internally screamed. Ms. Tutor? Reading one of her stories? It was hard enough turning in assigned essays

She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She took a deep breath in, then slowly released it as she levitated a quill and a blank sheet of paper from where they had rested on her little desk up against one wall.

"Hmm." She tapped her chin, focus overtaking her nerves. "What to write?"

Slowly, the quill dipped into the inkwell and started to scrawl across the paper. "In every class," she mumbled under her breath. "there is one special pony that comes to school every day with hope in her heart…"

Velvet's ear perked and listened to the story as it was written, a smile on her face.

An hour later, Crystal was sitting on the bed with Velvet resting against her, reading over her shoulder.

"And—done!" Crystal lowered the last page onto the small stack of ten written pages.

"That's a really sweet story," Velvet said softly. She reached out a hoof to touch the edge of the papers, careful not to smear the still-wet ink. "I think Ms. Tutor is going to love it."

Crystal shrugged. "I guess." She hopped down onto the floor. "Come on, it's getting late. I'll get Dad to walk you home."

After a brief hug at the door, the two fillies said their goodbyes for the evening, Velvet with excitement and Crystal with dread.

♡

The next morning, Crystal arrived at school as early as she could to beat out anypony in their class. She glanced around to double-check that the room was empty before she slid the ribbon-bound papers out of her saddlebags and onto Austere Tutor's desk. She moved a few other papers on top of it to make it seem less obvious, then ran back outside to wait as unsuspiciously as she could for Velvet to arrive.

Not long after, a few of her classmates wandered into the schoolyard, including High Horse, who blinked a few times when their gazes met. "Crystal?" She trotted over. "Why are you here so early by yourself?"

Crystal smiled sheepishly. It would take some getting used to having a third friend around. "Mom and Dad had somewhere to be this morning, and I got bored sitting around by myself." It wasn't entirely a lie, so she didn't feel too bad about it.

"Oh." High Horse nodded and smiled. "Do you think Ms. Tutor would let me, um, move to sit by Velvet?" Her gaze and smile faltered. "It's really awkward still sitting beside Golden."

Crystal gave a firm nod. "I'm sure it'll be fine if you explain the situation to her! Ms. Tutor is only scary most of the time."

"Excuse me?" came the very mare's voice.

The hairs on the back of Crystal's neck stood tall and she jumped in the air. "Ms. Tutor!" She whirled around to face her. "I'm sorry!"

Ms. Tutor frowned. "What a wonderful way to start off my day. Thank you ever so much, Miss Wishes." She gave a small snort before she walked into the classroom.

Crystal put a hoof to her chest to ensure her heart was still beating. "She's never this early!" Her gaze darted about. "Why is she here so early?"

High Horse tilted her head. "Didn't you know?"

"Know what?" Crystal looked at her with panic. "What?"

High Horse shrank back and offered a weak smile. "Ms. Tutor always comes to school early, then patrols the schoolyard before class starts to catch any stragglers."

"Oh, Celestia." Crystal slapped a hoof to her forehead. "I'm dead."

"Huh? Why?"

Crystal shook her head and dragged her hooves as she started to walk away. "Nevermind. Just—" She looked over her shoulder with dramatic flair, though she was sincerely worried. "Remember me fondly!"

As Crystal paced around the courtyard and High Horse watched her with concern, the minutes went by and the teacher didn't emerge from the school. Her panic rose and her pacing grew more frantic until—

"Miss Wishes, I would like to speak with you a moment," Ms. Tutor called from the doorway and turned to walk back into the school.

Crystal whined, stomped her hooves, and took a breath. Well, she had no choice now but to face the inevitable. Austere Tutor had a particular fondness for literature and was quite the critic when it came to even the simplest of writing assignments. How had she let Velvet talk her into this? It was going to be humiliating. It was going to be—

"Wonderful!" Austere exclaimed as Crystal walked into view. "You wrote this?"

Crystal froze and stared at her with wide, frightened eyes.

"Miss Wishes, I don't know why you neglect to bring such flair to your essays and have insisted on torturing me with unimaginative writing all these years."

Crystal said nothing, though her mind was moving rapidly through too many thoughts to keep track of.

"I must say, if you modeled this—" She straightened her reading glasses. "Blossom Mentor after me, then I am most flattered!" She looked back at Crystal. "What, little pony?" She smiled. "Did you think I wouldn't recognize your quillmanship?"

"I—I—" Crystal swallowed. Her throat was dry. "I need some air."

Austere blinked a few times, but had no opportunity to speak before Crystal ran out of the classroom and back into the schoolyard.

Just at that moment, Velvet rounded the corner and was happily trotting up the pathway. When she saw the look on Crystal's face, her own happiness fell and she quickened her pace, calling out, "Crystal?"

High Horse walked over as well. "What happened?"

Velvet skidded to a halt in front of Crystal. "Did she read it?"

High Horse glanced between the two of them with a curious frown. "Read what?"

Crystal slowly lifted her head and looked at Velvet with a blank expression. "She—She liked it."

"Liked what?" Horsey's voice grew quiet and she took a step back, her ears falling.

Velvet giggled and embraced High Horse. "Crystal's discovered her special talent!"

"She has?" Horsey tried to incline her head to look at Crystal's flank, but the tight hug made it hard to move. "Really?!"

"Really!" Velvet paused. She let go of Horsey to look at Crystal, who hadn't moved. "Right?"

Crystal finally moved to sit down and look at her hooves. "I—I wrote something, and Ms. Tutor called it wonderful." She looked up at the two. A smile started to spread across her face, just like the warmth that started in her chest and spread throughout her little body. "She called it wonderful! Something I wrote! And you liked my writing, too!"

Velvet bounced up and down as she squealed with excitement. The explosion of Velvet's feelings overwhelmed Horsey and she began to bounce as well.

"Look!" both of them cried, pointing one hoof, bouncing on the others.

Crystal didn't look. She was almost too scared to. A cutie mark was permanent, and in a way, boastful. She had kind of grown to like being a blank flank and fading into the background, but her gaze betrayed her when it snapped down and to the side.

There, on her flank, was a quill overlaying the outline of a pink heart, the same pink that was present in her mane and tail—her favorite pink in all the world.

She had always wondered about the incomprehensible magic of a cutie mark. At that moment, she realized that however it worked, it worked perfectly. She couldn't have dreamed of a better mark to adorn her flank forever.

The sound of the two fillies' squealing returned to the forefront of her mind. She jumped up onto all fours and started to bounce with them. "I got my cutie mark!" she exclaimed as loudly as she could. "And I love it!" She jumped forward and nearly knocked them over with a sudden hug that they quickly returned, all three laughing happily.

Crystal let go of them and spun in a circle as she tried to keep an eye on her cutie mark, then fell over onto her side and squirmed in the grass. Finally, she gave a small, content sigh as the other two laid down with her.

"I wish I could always be this happy," she said softly. "Wouldn't that be nice?"

They nodded, and she nodded along with them.

"Yeah, that'd be perfect," they all agreed aloud, then giggled at the sound of their voices in harmony.

Author's Note

If you have enjoyed this story so far, please consider taking a look at Anzel and my's website QuillnBlade.com for extra content such as mini stories, an Ask Us form to submit questions, responses to said questions, and special rewards for the awesome folks who support our Patreon.

Delicate Time

"But, Mom!" Crystal whined, hopping from one hoof to the other. "All the mares are going to be looking like this. I don't want to be the only pony at Canterlot Academy that still looks like a filly!"

The braid that she once cherished had been replaced by a fluffy ponytail tied off to the right side, the pink and blonde of her mane mingling in playful waves. Around her hindlegs were pink legwarmers, and a bright rainbow of bangles adorned her forelegs.

Upper Crust raised her brow. The teacup in front of her lowered to the end table beside the couch. "That sort of attitude is not what I would expect from a proper young lady."

Crystal groaned. She raised a hoof to her forehead to calm herself. When she opened her eyes, she smiled, her posture and tone shifting into what her mother expected. "I don't understand the issue, Mother. It's the current fashion."

"Yes, for ponies your age, perhaps." Upper Crust sniffed with distinct disapproval. "But you will be going to events with us, not with ponies your age. Nonetheless, it is not good enough to simply blend in. You must shine, my darling. How else will you find a good stallion? Do you want an average stallion as your companion?"

Ever since the summer break started, her mother had become more and more unbearable about being a 'proper lady', tearing down all the progress their tentative relationship had made. The extensive training was getting to a point where some things were ingrained into her subconscious.

"If the good stallion only notices me because of what I'm wearing, then is he really a good companion at all?" Crystal narrowed her eyes just slightly. "What if Dad had been that shallow and hadn't asked you to the Fall Formal?"

Upper Crust had just been raising her teacup to take a sip when the question hit her and knocked her focus off track. The teacup started to fall, but Crystal's magic caught it before it hit the ground, though the tea had already spilled onto the floor.

Upper Crust put a hoof to her forehead and shook her head. "Crystal Wishes," she said with a sigh. "I need another cup of tea, if you will." She paused, then added, "And you certainly will, after that unbecoming display."

Crystal rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen, the teacup floating after her. As she set about the task of making a new batch of tea, she grumbled under her breath, "No stallion will ask me to the Fall Formal, regardless of how I dress." She paused to look down at her muddled reflection in the water just before she closed the lid to the kettle. "Not unless they're blind."

Once the kettle heated up and whistled its readiness, Crystal poured it into the teacup. She added a bit of sugar, squeezed out a few drops of lemon, and—just for fun—a sprig of mint. Feeling pleased with her creation, she carried it back out into the living room and offered it to her mother with a smile.

"That's better." Upper Crust brought the teacup to her lips, gently blew on it, and took a sip—which she immediately choked on. "Crystal! Tea is intended to be savory, not sweet!"

Crystal's ears fell and she sighed. "Yes, Mother."

"Try it again. I am surprised that you would still make such a simple mistake after we've worked so hard all summer." She sighed, shaking her head. "A stallion can tell a good mare from a poor one by the quality of her tea. Remember that."

"Yes, Mother." Crystal tried not to drag her hooves as she returned to the kitchen, sighing heavily in defeat. Out of sight, she made all sorts of exaggeratedly irritated faces at the tea kettle, even sticking her tongue out.

"And don't sigh so loudly. It's unbecoming."

Crystal bit back a sarcastic response, instead saying as cordially as possible, "Yes, Mother."

♡

That afternoon, Crystal met up with Velvet and High Horse for a picnic. Every time they found time to get together, it felt like they had all aged a year, and she could hardly believe how much they had all changed.

Velvet had her mane pulled back with a colorful bandanna and slicked up in the most impossible curls. She had even started wearing makeup, her eyelids colored in a bold splash of both blue and purple hues.

Horsey, on the other hoof, seemed to be less rebellious toward her parents, who were undoubtedly pressuring her just the same as Crystal's. She had certainly added volume to her mane, the same as every other pony their age, but it was still straight with only a hint of gentle waves that whispered of defiance.

"Can you believe it?" Velvet beamed at Crystal and Horsey before she settled down on her corner of the blanket. "Next week, we start at Canterlot Academy!" She clapped her hooves together. "I'm so excited! No more Canterlot Prep School for us mature mares!"

Crystal's gaze flickered off to the side, but she smiled nonetheless. "Did you know that not every town has an academy?"

Horsey nodded. "Yeah! In Ponyville, ponies our age have jobs already."

"Wait, really?" Crystal blinked. She looked down at her hooves. "I don't think I'm ready to be an adult."

"Me neither." Velvet giggled. "I just want to make friends, have fun, and still enjoy doing ballet before it becomes a job and I don't have any time for friends or fun."

Crystal raised a brow. "What're you talking about? How can something you love not be fun?"

This time, it was Velvet's gaze that faltered. "You know what I mean."

"Anyway," Horsey said, clearing her throat. "So, what clubs are you two thinking of joining?"

Crystal smiled. "I might join the writing club."

Just talking about it made her heart start to race. It had been pretty easy to enjoy writing when there was no pressure to share it. The idea of being in a club with other ponies who wrote, looking at each other's' work, realizing how far she had to go before she could call herself a writer, and—

"'Might'?" Velvet asked, pulling her back to the moment. She scrunched up her nose. "Why in Equestria would you not?"

"Oh, all right, I will join it." She laughed softly. "I was also thinking of joining theater, just for something different."

"Oh! I was thinking about theater as well!" Velvet clapped her hooves together. "Horsey, you should join, too! That way we'll have some time together for sure!"

Horsey nodded, staring down at her sandwich. "Okay. What else?"

"I'm going to join the dance club, of course." Velvet held her cup of punch in both hooves and lifted it up.

Crystal's ear twitched in slight annoyance at the sound of Velvet slurping the drink like a foal, but she just tried to smile wider to cover up her irritation.

"I was also looking at the varsity cheerleading team," Velvet continued. "I don't know if I have what it takes, but it can't hurt to try out!"

Crystal lifted her tiny sandwich. "Good for you!" She took a bite, dabbed her lips with a kerchief, then looked at Horsey. "What about you?"

"Well, I guess I'm joining theater with you two." Horsey giggled. "I, um, well, was thinking of…" She trailed off in a mumble.

Crystal and Velvet leaned in toward her, heads tilted curiously.

She started to flush. She sat up on her haunches, tapped her hooves together, and looked at them with an almost guilty expression. "You'll laugh at me."

"I promise we won't," Crystal said with a serious expression, crossing a hoof over her chest. Velvet nodded and repeated the gesture.

Horsey sighed heavily. The blush across her cheeks grew darker as she said in a quiet voice, "I want to join the LARP club because there's a stallion I like that I know is going to be in that club."

"Really?!" Crystal and Velvet exclaimed together.

"Who is he?" Crystal's eyes were wide and almost sparkled with interest.

"How did you meet him?" Velvet grinned.

Horsey hid her face. Her ears folded back as the blush crept all the way up to them. "I overheard him and his friends at Sunridge Sweets a couple weeks ago talking about the club. I've kind of had a little crush on him—well, since a few years ago, I guess, so I feel like this is finally my chance."

Crystal was bubbling with elated giggles as she squirmed, pressing her hooves to her cheeks. "That's so cute! It'll be a dream come true, I'm sure of it!"

Velvet snickered. "Yeah, you'd know! You're the expert!" She nudged Crystal's side with her elbow.

Crystal's excitement died down as quickly as it erupted and she shot Velvet a look. High Horse noticed—just as she seemed to notice every silencing glance Crystal gave Velvet in situations like this—and her gaze fell.

Crystal tried not to show the guilt she felt; though they had been friends for years by that point, she would only admit to loving writing itself and not the particular, specific subject of romance.

"Well, I have to get back to my piano lessons," Horsey said as she got up onto all fours, rolling her eyes. "Apparently that's what my mom is really into right now."

"Okay! I guess the next time we see you will be the first day of school." Velvet practically wiggled with excitement. "I can't wait!"

Horsey hugged Velvet first, then Crystal, and trotted off home.

Velvet's smile fell into a stern frown and she turned on Crystal almost predatorily. "Crystal, you're ridiculous." She sighed. "We've all been friends for so long. You know, High Horse thinks you don't actually like her."

The kerchief Crystal kept at the ready fell as she looked at Velvet, startled. "She what? Why would she think that?" She turned her head to look at the retreating figure, her brow furrowed as she considered calling out to her.

"Because she knows you're keeping a secret from her. It hurts her feelings."

"Oh." Crystal's ears drooped. "I didn't know she felt that way." It was a lie. Of course she knew. How could she not?

Velvet got up and started to pack the remains of the picnic back into the saddlebags. "Well, now you know. She told me in confidence, but I can't stand to see friends hurting." She smiled at Crystal and put a hoof on her shoulder. "I know you'll make it right. You always do."

Crystal was quiet as she helped Velvet pack, then sat back down. When Velvet gave her a curious look, she explained, "I'm just going to sit here for a while. It's a nice day."

"All right." Velvet slipped the saddlebags onto her back. "I'll see you at school." She nuzzled her cheek against Crystal's affectionately, then trotted away.

Crystal waited until she could no longer hear the fading hoofsteps before she dropped her head down and closed her eyes. "I'm a terrible friend," she muttered.

She remained there as the sun started to dip down toward the horizon. Her mind was a blank slate; she wanted to mull over the issue, but she just felt drained of energy. All that buzzed in her mind was the indistinct sound of guilt.

The sky shifted hues and once it reached an orange-pink color, she got up and started the walk home with a heavy heart and no answers for how to fix things.

Waiting for her in the living room were both of her parents. Jet Set had a small frown on his face, while Upper Crust looked fashionably uninterested.

"Crystal, you're late." Her father tapped a hoof against the floor. "You know how important it is to your mother and I that we sit down and help you decide on what clubs you'll join."

Crystal smiled, lifting her head and putting on proper airs. "I'm so terribly sorry, Father. I got caught up in my picnic with Velvet and High Horse."

Jet Set walked over to the couch. Strewn across the coffee table were countless flyers, each for all of the different clubs that Canterlot Academy offered.

"It's good to socialize," he said, his tone lighter, "but you're going to need to widen your social circle, you know."

"Yes, Father." She followed after him while Upper Crust took the chair opposite them. "Anyway, I know for sure that I want to join the writing club."

Jet Set nodded. The writing club's flyer was already moved off to the right side of the table, away from the others.

"Of course! It is your talent, after all. I do hope you'll consider the color guard when you're eligible in your sophomore year." He smiled. "Your mother was wonderful in it. In fact, that is where I first saw her as the beautiful mare she is, putting all of her passion into her flag."

He looked across the table at Upper Crust, who blushed ever so faintly, and he added, "It would be nice to make it a family tradition."

Crystal blinked as she glanced between them. "Really? I knew Mom was in the color guard, but I didn't know that part of the story." Her gaze fell to the flyer. "I suppose it can't hurt." She smiled. "Oh, I want to join theater, because Velvet and High Horse will be in it, and…"

By the end of the evening, Crystal found herself with five clubs to join over the course of her academic career: writing, theater, color guard, calligraphy, and tea. She tried to feel excited about the list and the opportunities it held, but instead she was filled with a sense of dread.

Perhaps Ponyville had it right—she knew what she wanted to do, so why waste her time in lessons and clubs unrelated to her talent?

Her gaze landed on the color guard flyer while her parents went into the kitchen to prepare dinner. She smiled, her cheeks heating up. Then again, maybe she would meet the stallion from her dreams. Her hoof traced the design on the flyer as she started to imagine her parents' story as her own: her true love attending the performance, their eyes meeting, interrupted only by the fluttering of her flag as it spun around.

She couldn't help a small squeal as she trotted toward and up the stairs to her room. Canterlot Academy could be her own dream come true!

The Unwilling Stallion

It was exactly as she had imagined. Everything about the moment was perfect: the sun was bright, yet not blindingly so; a breeze drifted by, just strong enough to catch in her mane; their eyes met, and the world fell away. She was a first-year and he was a senior, but in that instant, his gaze told her that things would work out. A smile broke across her lips and she tried to hide her face as he walked over and whispered in her ear,

"Crystal, class is over."

Crystal blinked a few times.

"Hello? Equestria to Crystal?" A hoof waved in front of her face, separating her from what she had been writing in her notebook.

She looked up to see Velvet smiling at her. "Huh?"

"You were just sitting there, staring. Are you fantasizing again?"

Crystal smiled sheepishly and closed the notebook, giving a small nod. "I can't help it. I'm so distracted that I can't even write straight." She giggled. "Stallions from all over Equestria come to this school, and some of them are really—" Her gaze wandered off as a few of their male classmates walked by. She finished in an airy voice, "dreamy."

Velvet laughed wholeheartedly and slapped Crystal on the shoulder. "Well, why don't you introduce yourself?"

"What? Oh, no!" Crystal cleared her throat and gathered her belongings. "No, I couldn't just do that."

"Then how do you expect to meet your stallion in shining armor?"

"Shining armor?" Crystal mused aloud as they walked together, out of the classroom and down one of the halls. "You know, there is something pretty appealing about a stallion in uniform."

Velvet glanced at a group of the hoofball players hanging out near their lockers and she grinned. "I'll agree to that." She quickened her pace. "Come on! If we're late to theater club, Horsey might have to partner with a stranger, and you know how she is about that."

Crystal fell silent as Velvet filled the conversation. So far, theater club consisted of mostly partnered recitals. Velvet was pushing Crystal to partner with High Horse while she herself used the opportunity to meet new ponies. In fact, Horsey and Crystal were spending a lot of time together while Velvet socialized with others. Although she'd never tell Horsey, she kind of felt lonely without Velvet around as much.

"There you two are!" Horsey rushed over to them, a slight trill of panic in her voice. "Something awful is happening!" She glanced behind her at the other ponies waiting for the club to begin. "They're pairing us up with stallions. Mandatory!"

Velvet gave an excited squeal. "Really?! There you go, Crystal! Now's your chance!" She bumped Crystal with her flank. "Go find your prince!"

Crystal stumbled forward a few steps and shot Velvet a frown, receiving an innocent smile in return. "Why are we pairing with stallions?"

"Because today we're going to practice for Julimare and Romehorse." Horsey's ears fell. "I'm not comfortable with this at all!"

Crystal froze, her cheeks hot and red. "Really? What scene?" She leaned in toward Horsey, grabbing her by the shoulders to keep her from flinching away. "What scene?!"

"I don't know!" Horsey blinked a few times. "I'm sorry!"

Crystal let go of her and started to pace. "This could be big, or it could be nothing. Horsey, you're going to have to flee. It might be the infamous kiss scene, and you have to save your kiss for 16-Bit!"

It was Horsey's turn to flush. Without another word, she ran from the auditorium. Velvet couldn't help a giggle, though she tried to cover her mouth to hide it. "You take romance so seriously, Crystal!"

"The first kiss is of the utmost importance," she said in a serious tone while her eyes surveyed the ponies in attendance. "If they're going to have us reenact the kiss scene, then she can't be here."

Velvet laughed louder as she walked past her and down the steps toward the stage. "Really? Well, what about you? Are you ready to give away your own first kiss for theater club?"

Crystal's mind went blank. She hadn't even thought about that. Her gaze started to wander to the door when—as if somehow sensing her desire to flee—the club president called, "Crystal Wishes, please come to the stage so we can begin!"

"Oh, ponyfeathers," she muttered under her breath and trotted down the steps.

It turned out the scene was rather tame and involved no touching of any kind. Though she was relieved, she found herself in another quandary as ponies started to pair up. She blinked a few times and looked around.

"Um, hi, I—" She winced as the stallion, not noticing her, was approached by another mare. "Oh, uh." She cleared her throat and looked at another. "Hi, I need a partner."

"Sorry, I just paired up." He smiled and nodded his head at the mare beside him.

"That's fine!" She took a step back. "Good for you! I'll just—" She looked around and sighed. "—give up, I guess."

Standing alone, she stood out more than ever, and that caught the club president's attention.

"Hmm." The club president, Spectrum Splatter, walked over. "Don't worry, Crystal Wishes. We'll just have a stallion run through the lines twice. We're fresh out of partn—oh!" She smiled and, strangely, she had a distinct look of fiery amusement burning in her eyes. "Aha! Wait, there is one after all."

Spectrum cleared her throat, then raised her voice to call out over the mares and stallions chatting excitedly with one another, "Silent Knight!"

Crystal followed her gaze. Off to the side and standing somewhat out of view was a white pegasus stallion. He wore the school's recognizable hoofball jacket and held a hammer in his mouth. When he lifted his head and looked over, he merely raised one brow in response.

"I think the props can take a break," Spectrum said sweetly. "Why don't you actually engage in some of the acting today?"

Silent Knight lifted a hoof and pointed at the hammer, a serious look on his face. Spectrum's smile fell.

"Yes, yes, I know you said you just wanted to do props and not actually perform, but this mare here needs a partner, and you can't just build props all year without any participation in our recitals."

They exchanged an unrelenting, silent staring contest before the pegasus dropped the hammer and walked over to stand beside Crystal.

Spectrum smiled with clear self-satisfaction on her face. "Good!" She made her way to the front of the stage and hopped down to take a seat in the first row. "Okay, everypony, line up so each of you gets a turn."

Crystal's cheeks were red and she found it hard to stay still with a stallion so close to her that was totally her type. She stole a quick glance up at him to get a better look at his features.

He had his blue mane slicked up and back, a few strands resting forward against his ears, which were notable in of themselves. Her gaze returned to him to get a better look, lingering this time. The very tips of his ears were—fluffy? She couldn't help but tilt her head. Was that word appropriate to use with a stallion's ears?

She nearly fell forward when the mare behind her nudged her ahead. "Hey, pay attention, will you? The line's movin'!"

"Sorry!" She hurried to regain her balance and place beside Silent Knight. She had to focus now that she realized she and he were only a few ponies away from their turn. Could she do it? Could she recite those famous lines to this complete stranger? Her heart raced and she started to fidget in place.

Finally, it was their turn. The pegasus's expression remained focused, yet emotionless. He stood, not quite facing her, but not quite facing the front, either. All in all, he seemed completely uninterested in the task.

Crystal took a moment to find her voice. Her gaze wandered to everywhere but at him. "Oh, Romehorse, Romehorse! Wherefore art thou Romehorse? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, and I'll no longer be a Capubit."

She raised her eyes, a part of her hoping to meet his.

He hadn't moved. He didn't seem like he was going to speak, either.

Crystal cleared her throat, hoping to get his attention and prompt him into action. Instead of a response, his eyes darted to her, then looked away again.

Perhaps he had forgotten his lines? She glanced around, then whispered, "Shall I hear more…"

His ear twitched in acknowledgment. Her brow furrowed. Was he mute? Was that why he was called Silent Knight? Surely, if he were mute, then Spectrum wouldn't have put him on stage.

Smothered snickers started to fill the awkward silence.

Crystal bit her lower lip, then moved to stand beside him, opposite of the front of the stage, and called out in the most masculine voice she could, "Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?"

The snickers rose into brief laughs. She couldn't help a small grin herself as she resumed her spot. Silent Knight looked down at her, brow raised again, but didn't seem inclined to stop her as she continued her lines, then hopped back out of view beside him.

Even Spectrum laughed as Crystal bellowed, "I take thee at thy word! Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized; henceforth I never will be Romehorse."

"All right, all right, that's enough!" Spectrum wiped a tear from her eye and waved the other hoof. "I think we get the point."

Crystal faced the front, gave a small curtsey of her forelegs, and trotted out of the spotlight. Silent Knight seemed to follow after her, but when she stopped and turned to address him, he kept going, heading back to the prop he had been putting together.

Her heart started to fall until he stopped, turned his head, and nodded at her.

Crystal lit up. "You're welcome!" He didn't acknowledge her further, and that was fine with her, as Velvet suddenly hugged her from behind.

"That was hilarious!" Velvet giggled. "In my opinion, you're a shoe-in for playing Romehorse."

"Oh, ha, ha. Thanks." Crystal nudged her off, rolling her eyes. "That really helps my self-esteem."

Velvet giggled again and walked with her over to the auditorium seats. "Horsey's gonna be really sad she missed that. That was priceless!" She glanced around, then leaned in closer to her. "Now, your partner was good-looking!"

Crystal nodded. "Oh, super. But he's really focused on—something. I'm not sure what, but it's definitely not theater or mares." Her gaze drifted over to the darker part of the stage where she could just barely make the stallion out as he worked. "I don't really think he's on the market."

"What a shame! Oh well." Velvet sighed. "So, I failed my cheerleading tryouts this morning."

Crystal's expression dropped and she turned to face her completely. "What? I'm so sorry!"

"It's fine. Ballet and cheerleading are two completely different worlds! It was fun, though. It also means I have some free time in my schedule, which is good, because the girls in dance club want to get together to practice outside of club hours!"

Crystal hesitated and took a quick intake of air. She had to be happy for her friend, even if she wanted to be selfish. Velvet had always wanted a bigger circle of friends than Crystal was comfortable with, and she just had to be okay with that.

"That's great, then." Did she sound sincere? She hoped so.

"Yup!" Velvet stretched her forelegs over her head. "Why don't you, Horsey, and I get together at Sunridge Sweets after school sometime? It's been a while since we hung out there."

"I'd like that a lot." Crystal turned her attention back to the stage as the last pair finished reciting their lines. "I need to spend more time with Horsey."

"Mm. Well, yeah, but"—Velvet frowned—"what you really need to do is just be honest with her. I think it'd be a good first step, anyway."

Crystal's gaze fell to the floor, then slowly raised back up. "I'll try. No promises, but I'll try."

She spent the rest of the club hours hardening her resolve. Horsey was a friend, just like Velvet. If she couldn't let a friend know about her true passion, then how could she ever make a career out of it? She nodded to herself.

First thing she'd do when she saw Horsey at Sunridge Sweets would be to tell her the whole truth.

Princess in the Mirror

Crystal drummed her hooves lightly against the table. She looked around the bakery while Horsey enjoyed an oat smoothie. Finally, her gaze landed on the clock on the wall and she sighed.

"Well," Crystal mumbled, "I guess Velvet isn't joining us. Again."

Horsey kept her gaze down, focused on her smoothie. "Oh." There was an awkward pause before she started to slide out of her seat. "I'll just, um, leave, then."

"What?" Crystal looked at her. "We can still hang out without her!"

Horsey gave her an odd look—she almost looked skeptical. "Are you sure?" However, she did climb back into her seat, so there was a silver lining of hope to the skepticism.

"Yeah!" Crystal smiled, but her lips slowly fell into a somber line. "Look, I'm sorry. It was easy when we were kids, but—" She sighed.

Crystal raised her hooves and rested her chin on them, gazing forlornly somewhere indistinct past Horsey as she continued, "I just don't know what to do or say when Velvet's not around. I was so confident as a filly, but I feel like that part of me disappeared somehow, and she's become the confident and outgoing one. I don't really know who I am or how to act anymore around ponies, or around you."

Horsey took this all in with a serious expression before she inclined her head. "Look behind you."

Crystal blinked, then turned her head to look in the direction Horsey was facing. Behind them was a group of fillies, laughing and sharing a cupcake, frosting smeared on their muzzles. She frowned at the sight.

"See? That." Horsey pointed a hoof at her when Crystal turned to look at her again. "You used to act just like them, but now you do that."

"Do what?" Her ears folded back.

Horsey waved her hoof as she spoke. "You've changed. When Velvet slurps her drinks, you wince. When you see somepony chewing with their mouth open, you groan. You—" Her confidence wavered and her voice grew softer. "You're turning into our parents."

The words knocked the wind right out of Crystal's lungs. She had to take a moment to regain her breath and senses. "No." She shook her head, raising her hooves to her forehead. "I'm not! No way! I don't care about those things at all! I—"

Her vision grew blurry and she shook her head again in an attempt to clear her thoughts. She tried to refute the accusations, but a part of her knew, and now she had to acknowledge it. "I can't believe you're right. What's happened to me?"

Horsey carefully moved from her seat to the one between them and put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "I'm sorry." Her expression and tone matched her apologetic words. "I know it's not your fault, that our parents do this to us. I just—" She bit her lip. "When it started, and Velvet didn't say anything, I thought I was just being paranoid after what happened with Golden Pants."

Crystal wasn't sure what frightened her most: becoming her mother, or becoming Golden. In all the years since elementary school, Golden had only grown more cold and cruel toward others as she pursued her modeling career. She had even gone so far as to say everypony in their class 'would only drag her down out of jealousy' and hadn't made any friends after High Horse.

Sometimes, Crystal felt bad for her. She must have been lonely.

She shook her head and returned her thoughts to her own situation. Who was she kidding? She was lonely herself, and she was making it worse by keeping her distance from Horsey. Now with Velvet spending less time with her and making new friends, she was going to end up all by herself, just like Golden, unless—

Crystal lifted her gaze. "I write lovey dovey romance stories."

This was evidently—and unsurprisingly—not the revelation Horsey was expecting. She furrowed her brow, tilted her head, and pursed her lips. "Okay?" Then, all at once, she gasped and flung her hooves to her mouth, her eyes wide. "Wait! Is that why—"

"Yeah." Crystal shrank back in slight fear. "That's what Velvet knows, what I've kept a secret from you. Well, from everypony, but more importantly, from you."

Horsey's gaze darted back and forth, only briefly meeting Crystal's before flickering away. Finally, she lowered her hooves and gave her an odd look of muddled confusion. "Why is that a such a big deal to you?"

A blush glowed across Crystal's cheeks. "Because it's embarrassing. Ponies our age are interested in dating around and having a good time, not reading about the hardships and rewards of love. All I can think about is meeting my true love. How silly does that sound?"

Horsey shrugged. "I think—" She paused. "I think, as somepony who also doesn't talk about what I want to do with my life, I can totally understand."

Crystal blinked, then leaned in toward her. "What?" Her eyes widened and she recoiled, a hoof clamping over her mouth. "Oh, Celestia, you're—I've never asked! In all these years, how have I never asked?!"

Horsey giggled and shook her head. "I wouldn't have told you even if you had. I—" She glanced around and lessened the gap between them, lowering her voice. "I want to be a model, like Golden, but I don't want to be lonely and mean, like Golden. So, I'm scared to pursue it."

An excited grin parted Crystal's lips. "You would be great! I've never put it together, but you have a perfect gait when you walk down the halls at school. And I've never seen you trip or stumble, not once!"

It was Horsey's turn to blush. "That's one thing, but being pretty enough to be a model is the problem."

"Oh, don't worry, you have that covered, too." Crystal lifted her spoon and held it up toward Horsey. "See?"

Horsey giggled. "I see a really goofy, stretched out, upside-down pony with eyes the size of her face."

Crystal turned the spoon to look at the same side. Her reflection was scrunched up and stretched out like a funhouse mirror. "Okay, so this isn't the best." She set the spoon down. "Why don't we go to my house? My mom may be overbearing, but she does wonders with makeup. I want to show you something when she's done, but you'll just have to trust me until then."

Horsey mulled it over, then finally shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

They slid out of their seats and, after waving goodbye to Pepper Ridge, trotted out of Sunridge Sweets together.

It wasn't a very long walk, but it was plenty awkward; Crystal didn't know what to say to Horsey, and Horsey had never been a conversation starter.

When they finally arrived and walked through the front door, Crystal called out, "Mom, I'm home."

Upper Crust lifted her head, looking over from where she had been resting on the couch. "Mm? Darling, you're home earlier than I expected." She smiled, noticing Horsey. "Oh, hello there, High Horse." She sat up and straightened her mane. "What a pleasant and wonderful surprise. How is your father?"

"Fine." Horsey glanced at Crystal, a nervous look in her eyes.

Crystal placated her with a brief smile before regaining her composure. "Mom, I need a favor."

Upper Crust's smile softened and she stepped off the couch to walk over. "Yes, darling? What is it?"

Crystal pointed a hoof at Horsey. "Can you give Horsey one of your makeup specials? She doesn't think she's pretty."

"Hey!" Horsey winced. "You didn't have to say that much."

Upper Crust gently laid a hoof on her shoulder, a sparkle in her eyes. "Don't worry, dear. I had to go through the same struggle with Crystal. And now look at her." She paused, glancing her daughter over. "Well, except for her current style of fashion. But you're much more confident now, aren't you, darling?"

"Yeah." Crystal forced a smile. "One of the prettiest mares in all of Canterlot, just like you said."

Her mother frowned. "Only Canterlot? What a shame. Just last week it was Equestria." She shook her head. "No matter. I'll help you later. For now—" She walked over to the stairs. "—come along, High Horse. We have work to do. Crystal, why don't you stay downstairs until we're ready? We can have ourselves a little fashion show."

Crystal giggled and hopped onto the couch. "You'll be just like a model, Horsey!"

"Just like?" Upper Crust poked her head over the railing to raise a stern brow at Crystal. "When I'm done with her, she will be a model, not merely 'just like' one."

Horsey shot Crystal a desperate, uncertain look. She silently mouthed, "Are you sure about this?"

Crystal nodded. She waved her hooves to usher Horsey along. "You'll be fine!" she called just as Horsey vanished up the stairs. She grabbed one of the fashion magazines lying around and spent the time idly looking through it.

By the time she had read through three magazines, Upper Crust came down the stairs. She cleared her throat and raised a hoof.

"Mares and gentlestallions, please divert your attention to Canterlot's up-and-coming star: High Fashion."

Crystal watched with anticipation as Horsey came down the stairs, though she was unable to make anything out through the railing. When Horsey came around the corner, walked a few paces, and struck a pose, Crystal wanted to clap her hooves together, but she was too busy staring.

Horsey was dolled up almost beyond recognition. A special foundation masked her innocent, filly-like freckles, leaving her coat perfectly smooth. Her eyelids were colored with a shimmery silver eyeshadow, and her cheeks had the slightest dark purple hue from blush. A string of white pearls tied her mane into a loose bun, with a white silk lily tucked behind her ear. The dress was pinned together in the back, though she tried to angle herself to hide the excess cloth. From the front, however, it seemed to fit perfectly: a slinky black dress with blue highlights.

"Rawr!" Crystal finally exclaimed, stomping all four hooves in thunderous applause against the couch cushions. "High Fashion for model of the year!" She threw her forehooves in the air. "Ooh! Aah!"

Horsey blushed while Upper Crust stood with her nose raised high in the air. "My work here is done." She dismissed the two with a wave of her hoof as she walked out of the room and into the kitchen.

Horsey fidgeted uncomfortably. "I feel silly."

"But you look amazing." Crystal hopped off the couch and over to her. She grabbed her by the hoof and dragged Horsey right back up the stairs and to her room.

Romantic posters no longer decorated the walls, which were now bare—save for one spot that was home to many small hooks on which various pieces of jewelry were hung with care. The little desk that used to sit across from her bed was replaced by a vanity littered with mane products and accessories.

Crystal led Horsey over to the vanity and stood off to the side, smiling. "Take a look," she said softly.

High Horse lifted her tentative gaze from the floor to her reflection and gasped. "Is that me?!" When Crystal nodded, she stepped closer to the mirror. "That's amazing! You're right, your mother did make me look like a princess!" She turned her head a few different ways, blushing.

"All the models wear makeup. If you ever saw one without it, they look just like you and I normally do." She giggled. "You know that new model that just got her first photo shoot, Fleur?"

"Oh, yeah! Golden's dad took her under his wing. Or, hoof?" Horsey shrugged, then nodded. "She's really, really pretty."

Crystal shook her head, grinning. "I saw her without any of her makeup on a couple weeks ago. She's got a big brown birthmark on her snout that looks kinda like a bug. And she's got really bad acne."

"What?!" Horsey burst out into laughter. "No!"

"Yes!" Crystal laughed with her. "I thought my mom was crazy when she said that Fleur was going to be the next pony that everypony should know!"

Horsey tried to smother her giggling. "But I saw her in an ad in one of my mom's magazines. She's flawless!"

"Her makeup is flawless." Crystal's laughter died down and she smiled again. "You can't just compare yourself to how she looks in magazines if you're not dolled up, too. Trust me, both of you au naturel? You're way prettier than her."

Horsey looked back at her reflection. She angled her head a few different ways, then nodded and raised a hoof to remove the silk lily. "Thank you." She reached out and clipped it into Crystal's mane. "I'll do my best if you do, too."

Crystal glanced at the mirror. The lily was off-center, but she smiled in spite of that—or perhaps because of that. She had to be less caught up in silly things, after all. "Maybe when we're all a little older. I just don't think now is the time for romance stories."

"Why not?" Horsey started to wipe off her makeup with a tissue.

Crystal stared at her, one brow raised. "Are you really interested in reading about a mare finding her true love in the stallion she thought was her greatest enemy?"

Horsey was quiet as she thought the question over. "Hmm. Not really?"

Crystal's ears started to fall. "Exa—"

"But that doesn't mean much. I'm just one pony in our entire school. There are a lot in our class that are really into this Julimare and Romehorse play. I'm sure they'd love to read your work." Her eyes started to widen and she jerked her head to look at her. "What if you started a new club? Authors Anonymous?"

"Authors Anonymous?" Crystal tapped her hoof to her chin, her ears perked back up. "That's kinda catchy. I wonder if the principal would let me make a club this late in the semester?"

Horsey smiled. "What have you got to lose?"

"What have I got to lose?" Crystal laughed softly. She turned her head to look at her bed and pointed. "That's what I said, back when we were fillies. Velvet was pushing me to write a story for Ms. Tutor, and that's when I discovered my cutie mark."

Horsey glanced at the bed, then back at Crystal. Biting her lower lip, she said in a soft, somewhat uncertain voice, "Well, then, maybe it's my turn to be the friend that pushes you?"

Crystal nodded. She paused, thought about it, then nodded again. "What have I got to lose?" She stepped toward Horsey and hugged her. "Let's do our best!" She squeezed a little tighter and added quietly, "Thank you."

Horsey smiled and returned the hug. They remained that way for a while until Crystal stepped back and looked at her reflection in the mirror while Horsey went to the bathroom to wash off the rest of the makeup.

"Prettiest mare in all of Canterlot," she whispered, moving closer to the vanity. "Prettiest mare in all of Canterlot. Prettiest mare." She challenged herself to a staring contest.

Of course, she blinked first and sighed at the defeat. She turned away from the vanity with another small sigh and went over to sit on the bed.

The quill on her bedside table lifted, dipped into the inkwell, and hovered just above a scrap piece of paper. "Let's see." She smiled. "A club for ponies to share their writing with the comfort of anonymity? So they don't have to worry about being judged and can explore new topics. Actually, this is a really good idea."

Nodding to herself, she started to jot down notes for her presentation to the principal. Horsey came back in not long after and quietly sat on the bed beside her, peering over her shoulder, saying nothing.

When Crystal finished writing, they both squealed with excitement and began discussing their plans for success: Crystal with her club, and Horsey with talking to her dad about modeling for his company.

At least for that one evening, the future seemed bright and full of hope.

The Brave Resolve

To say that Crystal was nervous would be like saying that she was 'just a pony'. It was true, of course, but it did not accurately describe her. She was terrified, so much so that she was pretty sure her heart was pounding so hard against her ribs that they might break. She paced up and down the hall, levitating her notes in front of her and reading them over and over.

"Crystal Wishes?" The principal leaned out of his office to look at her. "You may come in now. Thank you for waiting."

The notes were flung into the air and fluttered all around her as she jolted in surprise. "Yes, Principal Demeanor." Her gaze darted about. She bit her lip, then left the scattered paper behind and walked into the principal's office.

Principal Demeanor was already sitting behind his desk. He looked at her with a calm smile that was neither friendly nor unfriendly. "So, Miss Wishes, what is it you wanted to speak to me about?"

Crystal shifted from one hoof to the other. "I—I—" She swallowed. "I want to start a new club."

He paused, then repeated slowly, "Start a new club?"

She nodded.

"I see." He tapped his hooves together. "What kind of club?"

Crystal closed her eyes just a moment to calm herself. She lifted her head and opened her eyes again. "I'd like to propose an Authors Anonymous club, where ponies can share their stories with others without fear of judgment."

The principal raised one brow. "Isn't there already a writing club?"

She nodded. "Yes, Principal Demeanor, there is. The writing club is solely focused on things like grammar and tips to improve one's writing. There's nothing wrong with that, but nopony is confident enough to share what they've written."

"Hmm. And you think this deserves its own separate club instead of talking to the writing club president?" His gaze held hers firmly. "This sounds more like a club event than an entirely separate club."

Crystal looked down at the floor in thought, then lifted her gaze and shook her head. "I didn't think of that, sir."

The principal smiled. "Then I'm going to have to decline your request, as it is well past the time for creating clubs and I feel this is more suited to the existing club."

"Yes, sir." She nodded. "I understand." She started to back out of his office.

"Oh, and Miss Wishes?"

She froze. "Yes?"

"You may want to pick up your notes or I'll have to cite you for littering." He winked.

She forced a laugh and quickly nodded. "Yes, sir."

Shutting the door behind her, she sighed and shook her head. She was a little embarrassed, of course. Why hadn't she thought of that herself? After all, she wasn't even really sure she wanted to be a club president in the first place. Between all her classes and clubs she was already juggling, plus attending her parents' events, time was scarce enough as it is.

Smiling, her horn glowed pink as she started to gather up the notes she had left behind. Why had she wanted to start a club in the first place? This was much easier and way less work.

Crystal spotted her lunch bag in the locker and turned her head to look at a clock in the hallway. It was still lunch, albeit already halfway over, but if she hurried she could still eat with High Horse. She retrieved the bag, then quickly made her way down the hall and around a few corners to get to the cafeteria.

She had no trouble spotting Horsey, as they typically ate at the same table every day, but she was startled to see Velvet sitting there as well. Why wasn't she off with her other friends?

Velvet spied her and waved both forelegs to usher her over. When she was close enough, Velvet said with her ears folded back, "Crystal! I'm so sorry. I completely flaked yesterday and got caught up with the girls from dance club! I'm really sorry."

"It's okay." Crystal couldn't bring herself to look at Velvet out of guilt for the angry jealousy that burned in the back of her mind. "It happens."

Velvet smiled. "I'll make it up to you, okay?"

"Don't worry about it." Crystal started to open her bag and empty its contents.

"So—" High Horse leaned in. "—how did it go?"

Velvet blinked, glancing between the two. "How did what go?"

Crystal shook her head. "He said no."

"Oh, I'm sorry, Crystal." Horsey reached across the table to put her hoof on Crystal's. "I know you were really excited about it."

Velvet's brow furrowed. "What did I miss? Who said no to what?"

Crystal still didn't look at her. She kept her gaze focused on folding her lunch bag neatly before she raised an apple. "I don't know if I was excited about the club part or the activity part, actually."

"Part of what?" Velvet's tone had a hint of irritation to it.

Crystal sighed. "I talked to the principal about starting a writing club."

"Isn't there already a writing club?" Velvet asked, tilting her head to one side. "And aren't you in it?" She flinched back when she saw Crystal roll her eyes. "What?"

"Nothing." Crystal rubbed her forehead. "I'm sorry. I'm just—" She released a drawn out groan and turned to finally look at her. "How could you forget about us? About me? When it was your idea to meet up at the bakery in the first place!"

Velvet's gaze faltered and her voice grew soft. "I'm really sorry!"

"I know, and I'm not really mad about that specifically." Crystal shrugged. "I had a great time with High Horse that I probably wouldn't have had if you came by."

Velvet tried to smile. "So maybe it's good that I forgot?"

Horsey started to slowly lift a leg over the bench, then the other. The two were too preoccupied with each other to notice that she was quietly escaping to leave them alone.

Crystal shook her head and looked at her again. "How can it be good to forget, regardless of what happened? I thought—" She bit her lip. "I thought we were still friends. That's what I'm mad about."

"What are you talking about?" Velvet's eyes glossed over. "I thought we were, too!"

"Then why don't you hang out with me anymore?" Crystal wasn't sure if it was the sight of Velvet starting to cry or her own feelings thundering in her chest, but she was unable to blink her blurry vision clear.

"Even though I'm making new friends, you're still my best friend!" Velvet shook her head. "Someday, you and Horsey'll be my only friends because I won't have time for anypony else, so I want to have a lot now while I can."

They stared at one another in confused silence before Crystal dropped her head, her bangs falling to hide her eyes. "I'm sorry, Velvet. I guess I doubted you because I was jealous."

"No, I'm sorry, too." Velvet threw her forelegs around Crystal's neck and hugged her tight. "I was being selfish. I wasn't even considering the way you might feel at all. I—I just assumed that you knew we'd always be friends, no matter what."

"We will. I know we will, but—" Crystal buried her face into Velvet's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Sometimes, and it doesn't have to be all the time, I just need you to spend time with me, okay? Nurture our friendship just like you do with other ponies," she mumbled softly.

"I can do that. I promise." Velvet squeezed her tighter, then let go. "We should probably go figure out where Horsey ran off to, though."

"Oh, gosh, we completely ignored her." Crystal laughed and rubbed at her eyes. "I hope she's okay." She looked around the cafeteria.

Velvet slid off the bench. "She and I are in the same class after lunch, which is almost over anyway, and you haven't eaten a thing. You eat and I'll take care of Horsey." She started to walk away, then paused, turned around, and quickly hugged Crystal one more time before trotting off.

Crystal looked down at her lunch with a small frown. She wasn't hungry anymore, though she knew she should eat anyway. She managed to take a few bites of her sandwich before putting everything back in the bag to save for later.

After her last class, she headed straight for the room where the writing club met. The nervousness from the morning returned, but she kept her head high. She was already this far, so she had to at least see it through. As usual, the club president, Bright Orange, was standing at the chalkboard preparing the on-board notes for that day's discussion.

He had a brilliant, emerald green mane and a smooth goldenrod coat that stood out against the dark chalkboard. Like Velvet, he had come to Canterlot from Manehattan, but unlike her, he had not left to escape bullying. He was only there to study at Canterlot Academy and would return to his hometown after graduation.

"Bright Orange?" Crystal asked as she stepped toward him. "May I have a word with you?"

He turned his head to look at her. He blinked a few times and then smiled. "Ah, Crystal Wishes! I always have time for dialogue. What is it that seems to be troubling you?"

Crystal took a quick intake of air and said, "I had an idea. I like being in this club, but I think it might be helpful if we had an anonymous way to share our work."

"Oh?" He inclined his head at a curious angle, though the smile didn't leave his lips. "It is quite onerous to keep things anonymous, you know. How do you propose we implement this idea?"

Crystal looked away from him and muttered under her breath, wishing she had brought her notes. She returned her gaze to him and said slowly, "My idea was to have a box that ponies could put their story into, with the first page just being the title, then you distribute them at random. The readers could write their feedback and include that with the story they return to you. Then ponies could come to you after club hours to get their story back."

Bright Orange rubbed a hoof along his chin. He made a small, thoughtful humming noise as he looked at his unfinished notes on the chalkboard, then back at her. "You know, I think today's agenda has changed." He picked up an eraser and started to clear the board. "Today, we shall commence an anonymous authors' event! Hmm. Authors Anonymous has a nice cadence to it."

Crystal lit up and tried not to grin. "I think that's a perfect name. Thank you so much, Orange!"

Facing away from her, he said, "Think nothing of it. I am sure everypony will welcome the change of pace!" He wrote 'Authors Anonymous' in large, decorative letters across the top of the chalkboard, then began to write the process in a much more eloquent way than she tried to explain. He had a knack for finding just the right words.

"I hope so!" She trotted happily over to her usual seat. She set down her bags and pulled out her notebook.

There was only one other pony there that early: Midnight Poem, a unicorn stallion that usually kept to himself. He had a dark blue coat that almost blended with his black sweater. He pushed his bangs, which were only a few shades lighter than his coat, behind his ears and got up from his seat to walk over to Crystal.

"If you want," he said in a quiet voice, startling her upright. He rarely spoke to her, or anypony for that matter. "I can read over your work and give you some feedback." He winked. "Anonymously, of course."

Crystal closed her notebook and looked at him, her brow furrowed. "How would that be anonymous at all?"

He laughed softly. "It wouldn't. I was joking."

She blinked a few times, glanced at her notebook, and put a hoof on it almost protectively. A part of her knew that, by having her guard so visibly up, she was being suspicious, but there was no way somepony she barely knew was reading her work. At least, not just yet.

He seemed to notice this, but leaned in closer despite her standoffish behavior. "It can't be that bad, Crystal Wishes! You always have such insightful comments. And it is your special talent, after all."

"Just because I'm good at something doesn't mean it's good." She frowned. "What if my talent was stacking firewood? I'd be good at it, sure, but it's not very impressive."

He held the close distance between them before he pulled back with a small sigh, though he still smiled. "I understand now. You want the anonymous story sharing because you're not confident in your own writing, not because of other ponies in the club."

Her ears fell. "Um—"

"Don't worry." He stood up out of the chair. "I hope it helps you gain that confidence. I'd really like to read your writing."

Crystal tilted her head one way, then the other. "Huh?"

He looked over his shoulder to smile at her and her heart skipped a beat. The look on his face was one she had described several times. It was strong, confident, and inviting. One brow was raised to add a bit of mysterious intrigue.

Was this her moment? Their eyes were locked, neither looking away, and neither noticing that he was taking one too many steps until he stumbled over a chair. He grumbled under his breath and faced away, rubbing his leg with one hoof.

She couldn't help a small giggle. Maybe she was just imagining things. Maybe he was just being too polite to look away and she was being creepy. However, when he glanced at her again and smiled lopsidedly, she blushed and looked down at her notebook, hiding her face behind a hoof.

Whispers of Maidens

Crystal, Velvet, and Horsey were all nestled onto pillows that were placed in a circle on Crystal's bedroom floor so that they could face one another. The arrangement made it easier to hold a conversation, but more importantly, it made it easier to share the large bowl of popcorn set between them. The lights were dimmed to add a dramatic flair to their late-night conversation.

"It was pretty heartbreaking," Horsey admitted with a heavy sigh. "He said I'm a good friend." Her ears drooped. "Just a friend!"

Velvet winced. "Ouch." She tossed a few pieces of popcorn into her mouth. "You've been put in a friendship zone. That is really hard to get out of, especially when a stallion puts a mare there."

"But you shouldn't give up hope!" Crystal tried to reassure her, shooting a quick glare at Velvet.

Horsey shook her head. "It's my fault. I was doing really well in the LARP club. Too well, I think. Now they see me as one of the stallions." She slapped a hoof to her forehead and groaned. "I shouldn't have tried so hard! I should have just been a little damsel so he'd see me as a mare."

"Well—" Crystal rubbed her hooves together. "We could always try to put together a situation where he would have to see you that way."

Velvet nodded. "Yes! If you just, say, stumble and hurt your—"

Crystal raised a hoof, stopping her mid-sentence. "No, no, we don't want him to think she's weak," she said with a growing smile. "What we have to do is make sure Horsey gets the part of Julimare for the play. 16-Bit will see her on stage and held by another stallion. Then he'll realize his feelings when he becomes jealous and rush the stage to snatch her away!"

Horsey frowned, her brow furrowed. "Crystal, that kind of stuff only happens in your stories."

Crystal stuck out her lower lip in a pout. "It could happen in real life, too." She crossed her forelegs over her chest. "Okay, what's your great idea, then?"

Horsey pondered for a moment then shook her head. "I guess I don't have a better idea, but I'm pretty sure it won't work." She smiled. "And I need to get used to being in the spotlight anyway if I want to be on the runway."

"Hurray!" Velvet clapped her hooves together. "At least one of us has to get a special somepony. Otherwise, that is just really, really sad." She looked at Crystal just in time to see her blushing and gasped. "Crystal?!"

Crystal jerked her head to the side, raising a hoof to hide her face. "What?"

"You're blushing!" Velvet pointed at her.

Horsey pointed as well. "You are! Oh my Celestia!"

"What happened?!" Velvet grinned. She scooted closer to cuddle up against Crystal. "Tell us! Come on, tell us!"

Crystal laughed as she was nearly cuddled off the pillow and onto the floor. "All right, all right! There's not much to tell." She waved a hoof at Velvet to shoo her back to her own pillow. "There's a stallion in my writing club, Midnight Poem."

"Oh, just his name alone is attractive," Horsey cooed.

"He's never really talked to me before—"

Velvet raised a hoof to her cheek and squealed, "How cute! He's shy!"

"—but I think he may have flirted with me."

Horsey and Velvet squealed with excitement, looking at each other with big grins and then back at her. Crystal laughed and waved her hooves.

"But he hasn't talked to me since, so maybe I was just reading too much into things!" She sighed, lowering her hooves back down, her gaze falling with them. "Or maybe I said the wrong thing and chased him off. I'm not sure, to be honest."

"Well, did you flirt back?" Velvet asked.

Crystal fidgeted uncomfortably, not meeting their gazes. "I might have been too confused at the time to flirt."

"Come on!" Horsey buried her face in her hooves and laughed. "How can you, the sole expert on romance in the room, be confused?!"

"I mean, well, it's like you said." With a sigh, Crystal crossed her forelegs and dropped her head down to rest on them, staring forlornly at the bowl of popcorn. "This is real life. My stories are just stories, nothing more."

"So you are just going to assume that a stallion can't be interested in you for whatever stupid reason?" Velvet reached out and lightly swatted the back of Crystal's head. "You are more hopeless than romantic!"

Horsey pulled the bowl of popcorn closer to herself and munched on some while she pondered their situation. "What are you going to do?" she finally asked. "Wait, first of all, do you even like him?"

Crystal shrugged. She flopped over onto her side and stretched out all of her legs, giving a low, whining groan. Her legs dropped down and she curled them close to herself. "I don't know!" She closed her eyes and buried half of her face into her pillow. "I mean, it didn't feel like love at first sight or anything. My heart only skipped one beat! Just one! Sure, I blushed, but I just didn't feel any magic. How can I know if there's no magic?"

"What about Violet Bloom?" Velvet pulled the popcorn bowl over to her side of the circle. "She didn't fall in love with her stallion at first sight."

"True." Crystal rubbed her hoof against her leg. "It was a lot of fun to write that special moment when she realized that Charming Nectar was her one true love. Maybe I just have to give Midnight Poem a chance."

Horsey squealed. "That takes care of me and you!" She turned on Velvet with the narrow-eyed look of a hungry predator. "What about you? After all, you're the most popular of the three of us. Are you really going to tell us you don't have anypony after your heart?"

Velvet scrunched up her nose, shaking her head. "Nope! I'm not really interested in a special somepony. It just won't work out long term." Crystal and Horsey looked at her with sympathy and she laughed, waved away their concerns, and continued, "And I'm okay with that! Who wants to wait around while I'm touring with a ballet company?" She puffed out her chest. "I have my eyes on the Royal Ballet of Equestria, you know."

Crystal looked at her with slightly widened eyes. "Really? You need to start tryouts now, then! I've heard it takes years to get a spot in their company."

"I've been practicing under Shimmering Waltz, so I think I have a good head start." Velvet shrugged.

"Who's that?" Horsey asked, grabbing the popcorn bowl.

"Only the first ever prima ballerina assoluta of the Royal Ballet of Equestria!" Crystal exclaimed, her eyes glittering. "I didn't know she was your teacher! Oh, that absolutely improves your odds!"

Both Horsey and Velvet gave her a look, the latter asking, "How did you know that?"

Crystal grinned sheepishly. "After you discovered you wanted to be a ballerina at Nightmare Night, I did a lot of research so I could make sure we'd still have something to talk about."

"Really?" Velvet flushed. "You did? For me?"

"Of course! I figured you'd be learning ballerina stuff, so I didn't want to get left behind."

Horsey gave a playful pout. "Is that so? What about me?"

Crystal turned her head and looked at her with a serious expression. "Breezy Ribbon, Veiled Orchid, and Sunset Radiance."

Velvet glanced between the two. "Who are they?"

"Wow!" Horsey stared at Crystal with a distinctly impressed look on her face and in her voice. "They're all models that my dad's boutique sponsored."

Crystal nodded. "Breezy Ribbon was famous for her signature thousand-yard stare that nopony could look away from. Veiled Orchid came over from Saddle Arabia and enchanted Canterlot with her exotic fashion. Sunset Radiance was controversial because she was a little overweight, but she had the most unique eyes."

The other two applauded her effortless recital while Crystal sat up on her haunches and bowed.

"Thank you, thank you," she said in a haughty tone as she curled back up on her pillow. "You don't have to say it. I'll say it." She raised her nose in the air. "I'm a much better friend than both of you."

Horsey laughed. "So just because we don't know any famous authors we're not good friends?"

"Oh, I didn't say that. You did!" Crystal winked.

"Or maybe you're not a good friend, you're just crazy." Velvet rolled her eyes, giggling.

"Whatever." Crystal laughed, raising a piece of popcorn and bringing it to her waiting mouth. "You two just don't understand me."

A companionable silence fell on the girls as they shared the popcorn, each musing their own situations. Finally, Crystal cleared her throat.

"So, we're all good friends that can share secrets, right? All three of us?"

Horsey and Velvet nodded, both looking a little curious. Horsey tilted her head while Velvet leaned in.

Crystal fidgeted on her pillow. "I bought something. But both of you have to promise not to tell anypony about this. Ever." When the mares crossed their hooves over their chests, she opened her mouth, then closed it. The start of a blush heated up her cheeks. "Well, um—"

"What?" Velvet grinned. "You're blushing again! What is it now?!"

Horsey gasped. "You can't just leave us hanging like this!"

Crystal's whole face grew hot, but she stood up and trotted over to the chest of drawers. "I thought it looked really cute in the magazine so I ordered it, but…" She trailed off as she retrieved something black and pink from one of the drawers she pulled out. With her back to the other two, she took a deep breath, then turned around. When she held up the item in her hooves, both of them gasped.

"Is that—lingerie?!" Horsey exclaimed.

Sure enough, Crystal was holding up a pair of black, lacy undergarments with little pink ribbons tied into bows on the sides. Her face was bright red as she quickly explained, "It looked really different on the model! I honestly thought it was sleepwear for warm nights or something!"

Horsey's face was similarly red and she looked at a loss for words. Velvet, on the other hoof, doubled over with laughter.

"Oh—my—Celestia!" Velvet managed between gasps for air.

"It's not that funny," Crystal mumbled. "What am I supposed to do with them? It'd be a waste to throw them out, but I can't wear them!" She clutched the undergarments to her chest almost protectively. She had paid a fair amount of bits for them, after all.

Velvet sat up, clutching her sides. She got her wits about her just long enough to wheeze, "You—You could wear them—to school. I'm sure—Midnight Poem—would flirt with you then!" She burst into laughter again.

If it were possible for Crystal's face to get any redder, it would have. She picked up her pillow and threw it at Velvet. It hit her right in the face, knocking her over onto her back.

Horsey gasped. "Crystal!" A grin crawled onto her lips and she stepped off her own pillow to pick it up and throw it at Crystal.

Crystal caught the pillow before it hit her face and returned it with the same force back to Horsey. By that point, Velvet was upright again and holding a pillow with both hooves. With a playful heft, she swung the pillow around and smacked Crystal upside the head with it. Startled squeals and surprised laughter filled the air while pillows were flung around as weapons and raised as shields.

Eventually, when one of the pillows ripped open and feathers scattered all about, the mares fell to the floor in such a fit of giggles that the battle came to a forced draw.

Once they were able to breathe again, Crystal and Horsey used their magic to gather up the feathers while Velvet plucked a few out of the bowl of popcorn.

"I guess it's true what they say, huh?" Velvet commented from where she sat, watching the feathers magically collect into a pile.

"What's that?" Crystal and Horsey asked at nearly the same time and giggled at their unison.

"I think it'd be pretty clear from how that was like, the best time we've ever had." Velvet flicked a piece of popcorn at Crystal and grinned. "Mares do just want to have fun."

While Crystal groaned and put a hoof to her forehead, Horsey picked up her pillow and threw it at Velvet, knocking her over as they all laughed once more.

Flirtatious Fancies

Throughout the school week, Crystal prepared herself for flirting. After a weekend of planning with the girls, she was ready to give it a shot, though exactly how she was going to find Midnight Poem was another matter entirely.

They shared no other clubs or classes, and she knew so little about him that she didn't have the faintest idea on where to look for him. She could never spot him in the cafeteria or the halls between classes, either. She resigned herself to waiting until the next club meeting, and that suited her just fine, as it gave her time to daydream. She would flirt with him and not be confused or creepy. She would be cute and he'd be charming. It would be perfect!

"Crystal Wishes, the assignment was to write the sentence on the board," the calligraphy club president said from over Crystal's shoulder. "Not, well—"

Crystal blinked and looked down at her parchment. Scrawled across it was, in perfect cursive that became sloppy toward the end, the sentence 'The quick brown fox jumps over the Midnight Poem' followed by a heart. She blushed and scratched out the words as quickly as she could. "Sorry! I was distracted!"

"I see that." The club president flashed a knowing smile. "Try to stay focused for another half hour, all right, lovebird?"

A couple of nearby eyes turned on her and she ducked her head as her whole face turned red.

"Oh, Celestia," she muttered. "Just kill me now."

However, the princess of the sun did not seem to be answering prayers that afternoon, as Crystal survived the rest of the calligraphy club without injury to herself, other than her pride.

"All right, everypony," the club president said, clearing her throat. "We'll be switching to brushes next week. I think we've all mostly gotten quills figured out. It's about time for a new challenge before the year is over!"

Crystal sighed as she started to put away her supplies. Calligraphy and tea were most important to her mother and least important to herself, though she certainly liked tea club more. She was at least permitted to experiment with new and interesting flavor combinations that her mother would hate, and that gave her a rebellious satisfaction.

Calligraphy, however, was extremely dull. She tried to get excited by reminding herself she was getting practice for signing books, but it didn't lessen the boredom by much.

She paused just before she had put away her inkwell. Her quill lifted out of her bags and dipped its tip into the ink, then wrote in her fanciest lettering on a scrap piece of paper: Crystal Wishes. She smiled, proud of her signature, then finished putting everything away.

Finally, it was nearing the end of the school day. Crystal excitedly trotted down the halls toward the writing club's room. As usual, Midnight Poem was sitting in the seat at the back of the class in the corner, looking down at his notebook and writing something. She giggled to herself. Well, they certainly had that last part in common.

She cleared her throat as she walked over to take the seat beside his. He looked up at her and blinked a few times.

"Oh, good afternoon, Crystal Wishes." He smiled.

She waved a hoof in a playfully dismissive way. "Please, call me Crystal."

His smile softened and he nodded. "All right, Crystal."

There was a moment of silence as they stared at one another, each waiting for Midnight to say something. She cleared her throat.

"So," she started, gaze darting about. "are you nervous about getting your story back today?"

"Hmm?" He shook his head. "No, I didn't write a story. I wrote a poem."

Crystal waited for him to say anything else. She leaned in expectantly, then gave up and asked, "Are you nervous about getting your poem back?"

Midnight tapped a hoof to his chin as he hummed thoughtfully. "I don't know if I'm nervous about that." He looked at her. "What about you?"

"Very," she admitted in a soft voice. "Velvet's the only one who's really read my work. Well, my serious work. I have no idea what to expect."

"I wouldn't be too worried." He smiled again. Though it was hard to tell with his dark coat, his cheeks seemed to flush. "You're talented and smart."

Her heart skipped a beat. "But—"

"And hopefully, once you get your reviewer comments back, you'll be confident, too. You owe it to yourself to be proud of your work."

She gazed at him before ducking her head and hiding her eyes behind her bangs. All of the cute, witty lines she had prepared vanished and her mind drew a blank. "I—I hope so, too."

"All right, fellow word slingers!" Bright Orange called out, interrupting the moment between them.

Crystal looked around, startled to see how many ponies had wandered in without her noticing. She fidgeted some in her seat and did her best not to glance at Midnight.

"I have received all of the stories back from everypony and am ready to return them, so today will be a self-guided lesson." Bright Orange gestured to the stack of papers on the desk, each bound with a ribbon. "I will remain at the front of the class, so if you all would like to come up in succession, that would be most appreciated." He walked around the desk and took a seat. He crossed his hooves in front of him on the desk, looking around somewhat curiously. "So, who shall begin?"

There was a shared hesitancy among the ponies until one stood up and walked up to the desk. Bright Orange looked past the stallion at the others with a brow raised almost sternly, but his gentle smile kept him from seeming too serious.

On cue, everypony turned to their neighbor to chat or focused their attention on their notebooks, giving the two at the front of the class a fair amount of privacy. The stallion quietly indicated which story was his own and returned to his desk. As he put the bound papers in his saddlebags, another pony went to the front.

Crystal's hindhoof tapped the ground nervously. She watched as the number of stories in the pile dwindled down before she couldn't wait any longer. She got up out of her seat and went to the front of the room. The remaining stories were spread across the desk, only their titles visible.

Bright Orange smiled wider when he noticed her. "I wondered when you would decide to wander up here, Crystal Wishes! I hope this works out for everypony. I am on tenterhooks waiting to hear if this helps confidence within the club or not!" He tapped his hooves together. "All of that aside, please take yours."

"Thanks!" Her gaze wandered over the titles until she recognized her own and lifted it up. "It'd be great if it works out."

Crystal returned to her seat and sat there for a moment in complete stillness, the bound papers placed upside-down so the title, Secrets of the Heart, was hidden. There were no secrets about her heart in that moment. She was nervous. What if the reviewer hated it? Was she really ready to read negative criticism?

She took a deep breath and retrieved one of her textbooks. She opened it up and stuck her story inside it to act as a cover so that she could read with some privacy. Her heart raced as she turned the pages to find the comments.

Wow, what a way to start a story. Your characters are unique, and I really enjoyed the way you characterized them in the context of the story. Your writing is quite good and reads smoothly. Suffice it to say I've really enjoyed what I've read so far, and I hope to see more in the future. Seriously, that was excellent. May your creative spark burn ever more brightly! You owe it to yourself to be more confident.

The noise around her suddenly vanished into deafening silence as realization hit her like a runaway carriage. She read the last words a few times before her head turned slowly and woodenly toward Midnight Poem. He wasn't looking at her; actually, it seemed like he was making a great effort to look at everywhere but her.

"You—"

"I know!" He raised his hooves and nearly fell backward out of his seat as he put some cautious distance between them. "It was a coincidence, I swear! I started reading it and I just saw you behind the words. I wasn't completely sure, of course, but, well, it just seemed like something you'd write." He swallowed, his gaze flickering to her. "And, well, I'm guessing I was right?"

Crystal stared at him. Words escaped her. She had a confusing mix of embarrassment and doubt bubbling in her chest. "You were." She stared at the comments he had written. "So, you wrote this so I'd have more confidence?"

"No! Well, yes, but I meant what I said—wrote." He reached out a hoof and set it on her shoulder. "It was really good. I wrote my feedback as I was reading, and I didn't start to think it might be you until I was halfway through." He smiled. "I'm glad I got to read your story."

She glanced at him, away, then back at him. "What did you like?"

His face lit up. He pulled his hoof back and tapped them together. "The characters in your story were believable. I felt like I could run into them here in the real world, not just in literature." He hesitated. "If I had to be honest—"

Her heart sunk. "What?" All of the scenes raced through her mind. Which was it? What didn't he like?

Midnight looked up at the ceiling. His dark cheeks were darkened further by a red flush. "It made me a little sad."

"Sad? But it has a happy ending!" Her horn lit up as she frantically flipped the pages. "Doesn't it? It's supposed t—"

He shook his head. "No, no, no, it's not that at all." He grinned lopsidedly. "I just, ah—I wish I could be more like Arid Silver. He was bold and charming and certainly wouldn't have been too shy to ask you on a date."

Crystal's ears perked straight up. Her face turned red and she looked around the room, then back at him and tried to smile. Her heart fluttered with excitement. Carefully thinking her words over, she scooted in her chair to lean in toward him and said, "Well, you practically just did, so why not go ahead and ask?"

Midnight swallowed. "All right." He looked directly at her with a weak smile. "Would you go on a date with me?"

A giggle bubbled up from her chest. "Sure." She rested her chin on her hoof. "When and where?"

After fumbling through some vague plans, they had a date. He would come by that Saturday to pick her up and the rest would be a surprise, much to her delight. She could hardly wait for club to be over before she trotted on the tips of her hooves out of the classroom. She stood by her locker, glancing up and down the halls in barely contained anticipation.

"Where are they?" she muttered. "Come on, come on."

"Crystal!" Velvet surprised her with a hug from behind. "Well? How did it go? Did you ask him out?"

Crystal squirmed out of the mare's embrace to turn and face her. She tried not to give herself away by smiling too wide. "Nope."

"What?" Horsey asked as she walked over to them. "Did I hear that right? You didn't ask him out? After all our planning?"

"Nope, I didn't ask him out." Crystal danced from one hoof to the other, her smile growing wider.

Velvet tilted her head in confusion. Then, slowly, a smile formed on her own lips. "Oh! You seem awfully excited for somepony without a date!"

Horsey gasped and jumped up and down. "Did he—"

"Could it be—"

"Yes!" Crystal finally squealed. "He asked me out!"

The three girls squealed and bounced up and down. Velvet and Horsey hugged her from both sides.

"You'll have to tell us everything!" Horsey exclaimed as she stepped back. "When is it?"

"Saturday." Crystal nuzzled her cheek against Velvet's before they pulled apart. "He's going to come by to pick me up on Saturday."

"Then let's all meet up on Sunday and you can spill all the details!" Horsey clapped her hooves together. "Let's meet at Velvet's house so we can have celebratory cake."

Velvet's eyes widened. "Ooh, yes! I'll have my dad bake a date cake!" She grinned and winked. "It'll have dates in it! Get it?"

Crystal laughed and waved a hoof in her face. "You're so silly." She sighed, then nodded. "Okay, Sunday, let's meet for lunch at Velvet's house."

At the end of the week, Crystal hopped in a circle around her bedroom and sing-songed, "I'm going on a date to—mo—rrow! My first date!" She sat down in front of the vanity and squirmed, hardly able to contain herself. "Oh, I need to look my best."

Curlers lifted up out of a basket and started to wind locks of her mane tightly into several rolls. "I wonder where we're going to go?" She sighed dreamily as her magic worked on her mane. "I can't believe it. My first date!"

A knock came from the door. "Hello?" called her mother's voice from the other side.

"Yes, Mom?" She stared at the reflection of the door as it opened and she smiled.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you seem to have a date." Upper Crust walked over, her magic taking the curlers and setting them aside to replace them with a brush. "Tell me about this stallion."

Crystal giggled. "He's shy and a little reserved. But I think he'll come out of his shell with a little coaxing. Oh, and he's a poet."

Upper Crust raised her brow. "A poet?"

"Yes." She nodded and repeated, "A poet."

"What about his family?" She brushed out a few knots in Crystal's mane before rolling in another curler. "Who are his parents?"

Crystal was quiet for a moment as she thought the question over. "I don't know, but I'm sure they're fine, Mom."

Upper Crust paused. Her hooves lowered. "What do you know about this poet?"

Another moment of thoughtful, cautious silence. "I know that he asked me out on a date and that it would be rude to turn down a willing stallion."

Her mother nodded and continued her primping and preening. "You've been paying attention to your lessons well, I see."

"I learned from the best, Mom."

"What a good girl." Upper Crust patted her on the head. "Well, I hope you have a pleasant date. Please do let me know how it goes when you come home."

"Yes, Mom." She looked up at her. "I'm going to go to bed, now."

"Of course." Her mother took a step back and started out of the room. "Remember to wear something nice, darling."

Crystal tried not to sigh. "Yes, Mom." Once her mother had left and shut the door, she allowed a quiet groan. "Yes, Mom. Yes, Mom. Yes, Mom." She rubbed her forehead with a hoof. "Such a nag."

Flopping onto the bed, she hugged a pillow to her chest and curled around it, closing her eyes. She started to smile. Her very first date. She couldn't possibly be more excited!

Author's Note

The commentary was taken from some of y'alls comments, with a little bit of artistic license... Thank you all for reading and for inspiring me to continue! It really makes my day! :heart: Your words mean a lot to me, so I wanted to include them.

The Dangerous Date

Crystal paced the living room while she waited for the clock to chime the hour. Her mane was dolled up in voluminous curls and she wore a fluffy white shawl draped over her shoulders, kept together by a silver brooch. It wasn't anything special, but it sparkled in even the dimmest light, so she couldn't help puffing up her chest to ensure the brooch was as visible as possible.

"Oh, darling, you look beautiful," Upper Crust commented while she walked down the stairs. "If this stallion doesn't fall head over hooves the moment he sees you, then he certainly isn't worth your time."

Crystal trotted in a circle, practically walking on the air. "I know!" She turned sharply to strike a pose and her tail snapped to whip the air. "I—" She choked on her words when realization struck her. "Wait! What are you doing here, Mom? I thought you had that event this morning and you and Dad would be gone by now!"

Upper Crust raised her brow and said, "You sound almost as if you don't want me here, dear."

"I don't." She marched up to her mother with a stern frown. "You're going to embarrass me! Or him! Or both of us!"

"Why, Crystal Wishes!" Upper Crust put a hoof to her chest. "Your false accusations wound me, truly. I merely wish to meet the stallion with whom my daughter will be spending her time today. Did you expect to run off with a mysterious colt of whom I know so little?" There was a hint of amusement in her haughty tone.

Crystal rolled her eyes, turned away, and huffed. "I'll wait for him outside." She started toward the door, but froze when a few knocks resounded. "Oh, ponyfeathers," she muttered.

Upper Crust walked past her, saying all too happily, "I'll get it."

"No, Mom—"

Upper Crust smiled as her magic opened the door. Midnight Poem blinked a few times as he looked through the doorway to see an angrily shocked Crystal and a mare smiling like a hungry fox.

"Well, hello there," Upper Crust purred as she offered a hoof. "So delightful to meet you. Why don't you come in and have some tea before your date with my daughter?"

"Act—Actually," Midnight stammered, bowing his head politely before glancing between them, "we have a bit of a tight schedule to keep, though it's nice to meet you, ma'am." He tried to smile, but it looked more like a nervous twitch.

Crystal's eyes lit up and she bounced forward a few steps. "Really? A schedule?"

Upper Crust slowly lowered her hoof. "I see." Her smile softened. "Do take care of my little girl, young stallion."

Crystal groaned under her breath and pulled the door closed behind her as she walked out. "Bye, Mom!" Once outside, she put a hoof to her forehead. "I swear," she muttered, then looked up at Midnight with a smile. "Sorry about that."

"It's okay." He offered the crook of his foreleg to her. "Shall we go?"

"Certainly." She hooked her foreleg with his.

They started to walk down the street, Crystal glancing up at him periodically. He continued to look straight ahead. She tilted her head one way, allowing her curls to bounce and fall into her face. When he still didn't look at her, she puffed out her chest so the brooch shimmered in the sunlight. There was still no response. Her confidence deflated and she returned to her normal posture, her gaze returning ahead.

"So, where are we going? What's this 'tight schedule'?"

"Oh." He bit his lower lip. "That was a bit of a lie. I mean, we do have a schedule, it's just not a tight one. I was just scared of your mom. I've heard a lot of stories about her."

Crystal felt a small pang of disappointment, but she laughed. "You're right to be scared of her! She has been nagging me nonstop about you."

He glanced down at her. "Really? She has?"

"Well, of course. She wants to know if you're rich, if your parents are rich, what they do for a living, what you plan to do with your life." She paused when she noticed his ears were pinned back, then quickly added, "Not that I care about any of those things."

Midnight laughed nervously. "That's good to know." He stopped and looked ahead of them. "So, this is the first stop."

Crystal stared up at him for a moment. She flipped her curls over her shoulder, stuck out her chest, and inclined her head to peer at their surroundings. While he remained ignorant of her fishing for a compliment, she tried to figure out what exactly the first stop was.

"We're at an antique shop?" she finally inquired.

His face lit up with foal-like excitement. "Yes! The most magical place in Canterlot, if you ask me!"

While Crystal could have easily listed five places she considered more magical, the expression on his face was too cute to not smile at. "Well, then, lead the way, monsieur."

Midnight let go of her foreleg to open the door for her. He bowed his head politely. "After you."

Once they were inside the dimly lit shop, Midnight took a deep breath of air. She followed suit and tried not to cough. It wasn't necessarily unpleasant, but it was a little dusty. The air tasted old, which wasn't entirely surprising for an antique store. She raised a hoof to delicately rub her nose to stave off a sneeze.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Midnight asked as he exhaled. "It's the smell of the ages, of time gone by, all stowed away in this little store."

Crystal gazed at him, then took another deep breath, this time with his words in mind. She held the air in her lungs before exhaling with a small cough. It still tasted dusty and stale.

"It's—unique," she said cautiously.

"Certainly." He trotted down a crowded aisle. "Come with me!"

She stepped lightly behind him, careful not to bump into anything that was spilling out into the walkway. He moved effortlessly through the disarray of mismatched items as though he had been there his whole life. She paused in mid-step. Perhaps he had! One of his parents—or even both—might be in the antique business. She smiled and continued to follow him.

"Here we go," he announced. He stepped to the side and gestured with a hoof. "What do you think?"

She stopped. Three bookshelves lined the wall they had come to, all of them nearly overflowing with old silk-bound tomes. Her jaw hung open as her gaze drifted across the gilded spines, some of them written in scripts she didn't recognize.

Midnight glanced between the books and her. She didn't move or speak. His hoof slowly lowered and he asked in a quiet voice, "You like books, right?"

She blinked a few times and looked at him. "I love books!" Her face brightened with a smile and she stepped closer to the bookshelves. She carefully raised a book off its shelf and levitated it closer for inspection. "These are so, well, old! This book was transcribed by hoof by old earth pony scholars!" She stared at it in awe. "What if my magic damages it? Do you think that could happen? I've only read this story in modern collections, copied effortlessly by unicorns. But somepony, some time ago, had to carefully write out each word, translating it without losing the meaning!"

Midnight's own magic pulled the book closer to him. "You want this one, then?"

Crystal stared at him with wide eyes. "Want it? It must cost a fortune! A book this old, with this much care—"

"Then I'll buy it." He started toward the desk at the front of the store, the book following behind him.

"Wait! No, it—" She choked. When the book rotated and left to follow him, the back cover faced her and the price tag was in sight: three bits.

Confusion bubbled in her chest. Only three bits? Her gaze darted around and she found herself surrounded by ridiculously low-priced items. Seven bits for a grandfather clock? Five for an end table? How could this store stay in business?

The real confusion stemmed from her own feelings, however. She was both relieved that he was only going to be spending three bits on her, but at the same time, she was a little underwhelmed by the gesture now that she knew the cost associated with it. She shook her head furiously and walked after him. How could she even think such things? It wasn't the money that counted; it was the thought, and the thought was sweet.

She walked up just in time to watch the clerk wrap the book with care and put it in a box while Midnight put his bits on the counter. "Thank you," she said softly as she stopped beside him. "I'll treasure it."

Midnight beamed at her. "I'm glad." He looked around the store. "Is there anything else you want?"

Crystal eyed the simple, unassuming box as it was placed on the counter. "No, that's more than enough for me."

The clerk, an older earth pony with no remarkable features, chuckled and leaned against the table, one brow raised. "Are you two on a date?"

Crystal flushed and glanced up at Midnight, who nodded and responded in a matter-of-fact tone, "Yes, we are."

"Well, then, for the special occasion, I'll throw in a little something special." The clerk pushed off the desk, walked around a corner, and rummaged through some things. "Here it is." He returned to the desk and set a mane clip on top of the box. It was a small rose, encrusted with rubies for the petals and emeralds for the stem.

"Why don't you put it on the little mare?" the clerk suggested with a wink.

Midnight raised the mane clip and turned to face her. His gaze darted about her face as he tried to decide where to place it. Crystal's heart pounded in her ears and she tilted her head in practiced form, the dim light catching in her eyes. It was too perfect of a moment to not use her special eye-glittering technique!

However, he seemed relatively unfazed, instead smiling and attaching the mane clip just above her ear, which twitched when his magic tickled it.

"There," he said. "That looks nice, don't you think?"

The clerk gestured at a mirror behind Crystal, and she turned to look at her reflection. Although the mane clip certainly did look nice, she wanted to pout. What about her? Didn't she look nice, too?

Despite the thoughts, she smiled. "It's lovely. Thank you so much, sir." She turned back to face them and nodded at the clerk.

"Absolutely, little miss. You two run along now, 'fore it rains."

"Rains?" Midnight blinked a few times. "I didn't hear anything about any rain scheduled."

The clerk nodded. "Nope, but my knees tell me it's going to rain. I can feel it. This old stallion's knees never lie."

"I don't doubt you, but I hope you're mistaken." Midnight glanced at Crystal, then at the door. "We should hurry along if it does rain, though."

"Oh, all right!" Crystal smiled at the clerk. "Thank you again!" She trotted after Midnight out of the store, the box trailing behind her.

Midnight stopped a few paces down the street and tilted his head back. "The sky is perfectly clear," he muttered. "I can't imagine it's going to rain."

Crystal sidled up to him, her shoulder pressed to his. She fluttered her eyelashes a few times. "Is the next destination outdoors?"

"Yeah." He shuffled his hooves together as he started to blush. "I wanted to watch the clouds."

She paused, her head tilting one way, then the other. "Watch the clouds?"

"Together, of course," he said, his voice growing softer. "I'm sorry. I've never been on a date before, so I'm just—" His gaze darted away from her. "Well, taking you to the places I like to go. I hoped you might like them, too."

Crystal giggled. "Then let's go watch clouds. Together." She bumped her shoulder to his before she started to trot forward. "Where's a good place to watch them?"

Midnight smiled brightly as he hurried ahead of her. "This way!"

He led her through the streets, all uphill, taking them into the higher sections of Canterlot until he took a turn that kept their altitude. They walked into a small park, more of an untouched green space than a cultivated area, and he flopped down onto his back rather unceremoniously.

Crystal hesitated as she focused on setting the box down carefully beside her, then looked at the grass. Midnight stared obliviously up at the sky. She raised a hoof to her shawl, then to one of her curls. She had worked so hard to pretty herself up, but it didn't seem that he noticed anyway, so what the hay? She folded her legs beneath her before rolling onto her back.

"What do you think that one looks like?" Midnight pointed in a vague direction toward the sky.

Crystal squinted. "Which one? There are three clouds where you're pointing."

"The one that looks like a puppy."

Crystal stared for a moment longer, then laughed. "I don't see a puppy anywhere! I see a sword, a hoofball, and a bird."

"Hmm." Midnight lowered his hoof to tap his chin. "I could see a bird in my puppy."

They were silent while both stared at the cloud in question until Crystal gasped.

"I see the puppy now!" She clapped her hooves together. "You're right!"

He turned his head to look at her. "Nopony's right about cloud watching. I'm sure if you tried, you could see something else, too." He looked back upward. "It's just perspective."

"Oh." She tilted her head some. "Well, I see—That one looks like a crescent moon. And those little ones—" She giggled. "That's an ellipsis! And, oh."

"What?" He was gazing elsewhere in the sky, his hooves folded neatly over his chest.

"That one's angry."

He started to rotate his head. "Angry?" When he saw the dark, ominous grey cloud she was gesturing at, he furrowed his brow. "Yes, that one certainly does look angry, doesn't it."

She squirmed. "And it's getting closer."

Midnight started to sit up. "It is, isn't it."

Crystal glanced between the nearing cloud and him. "Should we take cover?"

Before they could come to a decision, the cloud stopped just near them. A head popped out of the cloud, sage green with a spray of brown mane showing.

"Oh, hello there!" Crystal called.

The pegasus's ears pinned back and he disappeared into the cloud again. It swiftly moved closer to them and the stallion jumped back out all the way, his wings flapping to keep him aloft. He stared down at them, scowled, and reared up his hindlegs. With all his might, he bucked the cloud to start a downpour of rain—directly above them.

The rain stopped just as quickly as it had begun, and the pegasus perched on top of his cloud, looking rather smug. Midnight tossed his head to shake the water out of his mane, wincing when most of the spray hit the already soaked Crystal.

"Sorry," he said softly and raised a hoof. He held it in the air, though, as it seemed rather futile to try to help when she looked at him with wide, shocked eyes.

She stared at Midnight another moment, then down at herself. Her coat clung to her skin and when a breeze drifted by, it chilled her to the bone. Her gaze rose slightly to her shawl. It was definitely ruined, so she took a moment to unclip the brooch. The shawl fell to the ground with a squishy thud. Her head lifted all the way to stare straight ahead, now noticing the once-curls clinging to her face, a few bedraggled strands drooping over her eyes.

Finally, she turned her head to the side and looked at the box, now a crumpled mess from the weight of the water. Her magic lit up and lifted the lid, though she knew what she was going to see. The water had seeped inside and the book was surely ruined.

After taking all of this in—and sure that her makeup was running, too—she looked back at Midnight. He winced and withdrew his hoof. She took a small intake of air before she broke down into tears.

Wounded Recovery

Midnight stared at Crystal while she cried, a look of panic on his face. Seeming to be at a loss on how to console her, he instead turned his gaze up to the sky where the offending pegasus was still sitting on his cloud.

"You!" Midnight shouted in a strong voice.

The pegasus blinked and leaned his head forward to peer down at them. "What?"

Midnight stood up and pointed at him. "Who are you?"

Shifting his forelegs, the pegasus frowned. "I could ask you the same."

"What?" He paused, then put the hoof to his chest. "Fine. I'm Midnight Poem. Now, who are you?"

"I didn't ask for your name."

Midnight's ears twitched. "But you said—"

"I said I could ask you the same," the pegasus retorted, rolling his eyes. "Not that I would." He stretched his legs out before standing up. "Well, this has been fun, but—"

Crystal jerked her head up rather suddenly and shouted, startling both of them, "Oh, no you don't!"

"Huh?" the stallions responded in unison, then glared at one another.

"You—You—" She trembled some as she got up onto all fours and stomped closer to the cloud. She wiped her face with a hoof, lifted her head to stare up at him, scowling. "You ill-mannered, barbarous, pigeon-brained brute!" The anger behind her voice caused her to hop just slightly off the ground as she barked out the last words.

Midnight sat on his haunches, watching the scene unfold. He stared at Crystal with an almost frightened expression.

The pegasus glanced around a little nervously. He shrunk back into his cloud. "All right, all right. My name's Rossby Waves." He added in a low mutter, "Yeesh."

Crystal panted. "Your name?" She shook her head. "I don't care about your name!"

Rossby frowned as he dropped his head down to rest his snout on his hooves. "Then why—"

"We're on a date." She gestured at Midnight. "He asked me on a date. My first date! And his, too!" She dropped her rear down and threw her hooves in the air. "It was going to be perfect. I spent all morning getting my mane and makeup ready, and I bought this shawl yesterday." Her gaze fell to the white mess lying in a crumpled pile beside her. "It used to be a shawl, that is. I dressed up as prettily as I could so Midnight would be impressed."

She rolled her eyes, which started to gloss over again. The world around her became blurry, but she pressed onward. "Not that he noticed. But I was okay with that. Then he bought me a book! Oh, but that's ruined now, too."

The more she spoke, the more her voice wavered, cracking in and out as her breathing grew uneven. "We were having a good time watching clouds until you brought your angry cloud here with your boorish attitude and—"

Tears were falling down her cheeks while her shoulders trembled. "And now everything is ruined thanks to you!"

Other than her whimpers and hiccups, the three were silent. Midnight and Rossby glanced at each other, seeming to find a temporary camaraderie in their shared confusion over how to handle a crying mare.

Rossby remained still. Though the look on his face was regretful at first, he jerked his head to the side and scowled. "Yeah, well." He huffed. His wings started to spread and flapped a few times, guiding the cloud away from them. "It sounds like you two have some problems to sort out yourselves, so I'll leave you to it." He shot Midnight a serious frown. "Good luck." With that, he pushed his cloud off into the sky and out of their vicinity.

Midnight stared at Crystal as she cried freely and uninhibited with her face buried against the crook of her foreleg.

"Um, Crystal," he offered in a soft tone, hesitated, then prompted more clearly, "Hey."

Crystal sniffled, raising her head just enough to look at him out of the corner of one teary, narrowed eye. "What?"

He winced, but tried to speak with some strength behind his voice. "I'm sorry." He crossed his forehooves over one another and bowed his head down low. "I'm really, really sorry."

She hiccupped a few times as she mulled over his apology. Finally, she muttered, "I know. You didn't do it on purpose. Neither of us knew what to do or expect." She lowered her gaze. "We both were wrong."

"I still think you're pretty." He glanced up at her before returning his gaze to the ground. "Before, during, and after. You're a pretty mare. I should have tried to learn more about you before taking you on a date, though. That's all I really knew. You're pretty, and you write. I thought that was enough, but—" He hesitated, gaze falling.

"It didn't really feel like a date," she finished for him, smiling when he nodded with some reluctance. "I know. It felt more like friends hanging out, huh?"

His ears drooped low. "I'm sorry!"

She shook her head. She paused to rub her eyes before turning to face him and putting a hoof on one of his. "It's okay. I had way too many expectations of you. Maybe we should just be friends, at least until we learn more about each other."

Midnight slowly sat up and looked at her, his brow furrowed with uncertainty. "Can we just, do that? Be friends after all this?"

Crystal smothered a laugh by trying to clear her throat, but a bit of a giggle slipped out. "I don't hate you, silly stallion. Of course we can still be friends!" Her expression fell. "I mean, unless you don't want to be?"

He nodded. "I do! I just, wow. I really messed this up, didn't I?" He sighed and hung his head. "I don't know anything about mares."

She hummed softly in thought, swaying a little from side to side. "Well, maybe if you're friends with one, you'll pick up a thing or two." She held out a hoof. "So, friends?"

He looked at the offered hoof, then took it with his own and smiled. "Friends."

Her gaze wandered over to the wet box lying near them. Her horn lit up and brought the book out and over so she could examine it. "The book's not actually destroyed. It mostly just ruined the cover." She sighed as the book rotated to show him the soggy front. "They don't make silk-bound books anymore."

"Why don't we go back to the shop? They had a lot more. I'll buy you a replacement as an apology."

Crystal hummed in thought, then nodded. "All right, but on one condition." She raised a hoof to brush her wet mane out of her face. "First, we go to a salon. I am in desperate need of a quick spa visit."

"Spa visit?" Midnight frowned, skeptical. His words were slow and cautious as he asked, "Do stallions visit the spa?"

"Why, of course they do! Come along. It'll be my treat."

♡

After their simultaneous but separate treatments, they were both led to a common area with chaise lounges. Crystal flopped down and rested her head on a pillow, letting out a long, contented sigh. Her coat was a shimmery white from the mare care products used and her mane and tail were both silky once more.

"Don't you just feel so relaxed and refreshed?" She fluttered her eyes open to look over at Midnight, who carefully sat down on the chaise beside hers.

"I'm just happy to be dry." He looked at his hooves. "I don't think I ever want a hooficure again, though. That was just weird."

She laughed softly. "They're an acquired taste." She sat up, tossing her mane over her shoulder. "It's not easy being a lady, you know."

Midnight hesitated before he offered a weak shrug. "I don't know. It sounds like you go to a lot of unnecessary effort."

"Unnecessary effort?" She frowned. "Oh, so you're saying I could just go out without any primping or effort and you wouldn't care in the least?"

"Well." He swallowed and paused to choose his words carefully. "I can't speak for other stallions, and I appreciate the effort, but I think that's what I'm saying, yes."

She huffed and turned to face away from him, laying back down. "I don't believe you. Stallions only look at mares that are dolled up."

Midnight laid down on the chaise and stared up at the ceiling, twiddling his hooves, frowning in thought. "I don't know. The first thing I noticed about you was that you were always smiling and happy. The way you act with your friends is so carefree. It's pretty."

"That's why you think I'm pretty? The way I act? Not my mane or my makeup?"

In a tone that suggested fear for his own safety if he answered incorrectly, he mumbled a meek, "Yes?"

"Stallions!" Crystal threw a hoof in the air. "I'll never understand them!"

They rested in a companionable silence until Crystal sat up again.

"All right," she managed through a yawn, stretching her forelegs over her head. "Let's go back to the antique shop." The wet box raised from its place on the table beside her chair. The rose mane clip floated up as well, pinning in her mane, just beside her ear.

Midnight followed alongside her as they walked through the streets. Arriving at the antique shop, they went straight to the counter.

"Well, hello again, lovebirds!" The clerk smiled at them in welcome. "What brings you back here?"

Crystal giggled while Midnight explained, "We ran into a bit of trouble with an unfriendly pegasus, so I'm here to buy a second book."

The clerk looked at the book with a forlorn expression. "Guess I was right about that rain." He stroked his chin. "Look, I'm sure I can get some use out of it. Why don't we just do an exchange?"

Midnight's eyes widened. "Really? Are you sure?"

"Of course." The old stallion chuckled and waved a hoof. "You're one of my best customers. It's the least I can do."

Crystal smiled fondly, reflecting on her relationship with Mr. Quills. They'd had conversations quite like this in the past, with broken quills needing replaced or finding herself just a bit or two short.

"Thank you," Crystal said. "I really appreciate it." She walked with Midnight over to the bookcase, this time taking a moment to scan the titles rather than grabbing one at random.

Finally, one caught her eye: Brydlestrata by Aristopones. "Oh, I love this story," she mused under her breath as her magic gently lifted the book off the shelf and floated it closer.

"Really? I don't know this one." Midnight inclined his head to peer at it. "What is it about?"

"It's about—" A sudden red flush crawled up the back of Crystal's neck and she hurriedly said, "Oh, I wouldn't want to spoil it, but it's quite interesting." She cleared her throat. "I'll take this one."

Midnight blinked a few times, then shrugged. "All right." As they made their way out, he waved to the clerk and they stepped back into the bright sunlight.

They merely stood there at first, Midnight seeming to be searching for something and Crystal too tentative to interrupt his thoughts.

He broke the silence with a light sigh and started down the sidewalk. "I'm really sorry your first date didn't turn out how you wanted."

"I could say the same for you." She gave a quick shrug of her shoulders without losing stride as she followed after him. "I think it's okay, though. I have a new friend now. That's more than enough."

Midnight mused on this quietly for a moment. He caught sight of a butterfly drifting on a breeze, crossing their path and landing on a stray blade of grass.

Clearing his throat, he glanced down at her and recited in a lyrical manner,

"A colored splash upon a wing, like perfection most sublime.
"Words we speak in passing; we share a moment in time.
"We think these most ephemeral: a single crystalline chime,
"A butterfly's aerial, a simple moment in time.
"You have my great gratitude, a memory in its prime,
"Impressed with your attitude in this clear moment in time."

Crystal squealed and hopped on all hooves. "That was beautiful, Midnight!" She winked. "You'll make a mare very happy someday if you do that on your next date!"

He nodded, a small grin on his lips. "I'll do my best to remember that." He gently bumped his shoulder to hers. "Thank you, Crystal. It's been an enlightening day."

"You can say that again," she murmured, giggling softly and shaking her head.

The sun dipped low in the sky as they journeyed through the streets of Canterlot with no direction in mind, simply enjoying light conversation and each other's company. He eventually walked her home and, when they stood outside the door, offered a hoof. She looked down at it, laughed, and threw her hooves around his neck in a friendly hug before she went inside.

"I'm home!" she called as she shut the door behind her.

"Darling!" Upper Crust looked up from the couch. "How was he?"

Crystal smiled, walking to the stairs. "A good friend."

Her mother blinked a few times. She may have said something in response, but Crystal didn't hear it, instead giggling to herself. It had been a terrible date, but things seemed to have turned out all right.

Flopping onto her bed, she pulled out her notebook with her most recent work. Her good cheer deflated as she flipped the pages, scanning over the romantic prose she had written.

Midnight Poem was not her perfect, romantic special somepony, but stallions like that existed, right?

Yearning History

Crystal knocked on the door to Velvet's condominium and waited, shifting from one hoof to the other. When the door was opened, two grinning, eager faces were shoved in her own.

"Hi, Velvet. Hi, Horsey," she said with a small smile.

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Hi? Hi?!"

"We don't want a 'hi'!" Horsey stomped a hoof. "We want information! Is he your special somepony now?"

Crystal opened her mouth to respond, but Velvet pushed against Horsey's side to be closer. "Are you two going to trot off into the sunset together and live happily ever after?!"

Crystal stayed her tongue as long as she could while they stared at her before she burst into giggles. She waved a hoof and pushed her way past them to get inside. "No, nothing like that at all."

Velvet's ears fell. "But, Crystal!"

On the coffee table sat a dark brown cake with a light caramel sauce drizzled over it, a couple candied dates sitting on top in the very center.

"Is this the date cake?" Crystal trotted over to it. "It looks delicious!"

Horsey followed alongside her. "Forget the cake! What happened? What went wrong?" she practically begged, a faint sound of desperation tracing her voice.

The knife resting by the cake glowed, surrounded by the pink aura of Crystal's magic. It raised up and started to carve out a slice. "Well, we went to an antique store, then watched clouds before a cantankerous pegasus decided to literally rain on our parade." She raised the slice. "We decided we were better as friends, 'cause—" She turned her head to look at the two girls, trying to smile, but it was a weak attempt. "There was no magic. No spark. It wasn't romantic or special at all."

Velvet sighed heavily. "Aww, no way."

"I understand," Horsey said in an almost uncomfortably serious voice. She put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "Things between 16-Bit and I are, well." She took a bite of Crystal's cake slice.

"Wait, are you two dating?" Velvet sat on the other side of Crystal, but leaned forward to look at Horsey. "Since when?!" Following suit, she took a bite of the floating cake slice as well.

Crystal glanced between the two of them with a playfully irritated look, then finished off the slice in one large bite before they could take any more of it.

Horsey shook her head. "No, we've just been hanging out more after LARP. But it's not just him and me. It's his friends, too. So we're usually never alone, except one time last week, and it was so awkward."

Crystal, her cheeks puffed like a chipmunk's, struggled to swallow. Once she did, she gasped for air briefly, then wheezed, "Really? Oh, wow." Her head fell forward while Velvet started to cut the cake into individual slices. "They say mares are complicated. Well, stallions are just one big disappointment."

Velvet fumbled with the knife in her hooves and stared at them with a stern gaze. "Come on, you two! Just because you both happened to chase after the wrong stallions doesn't mean they're all bad!" She sighed. "You just have to try again until you find the right one."

Crystal shook her head. "I think I'd just rather write about them." A sheepish grin spread across her lips. "At least until a stallion can give me a guarantee that he won't disappoint. I just want to be swept off my hooves."

The three fell into silence as they ate the cake. There was nothing more to say, and they knew it.

"You know, girls," Sunbeam said softly. The trio looked up, startled by the sudden break in the silence. "Pepper Ridge wasn't what you'd consider a 'perfect stallion' when I met him."

"Really?" Crystal, Horsey, and Pepper Ridge asked in unison, one looking much more confused than the other two.

Velvet sat quietly. Her ears were pinned back and her gaze was focused on the cake slice in front of her.

Sunbeam walked over to sit at the coffee table with the girls. "Let me tell you a story."

"You don't have to," Velvet muttered, but she was dismissed by a gentle hoof on her shoulder.

"Now, now, sugarpop, I know I'm your mother and you don't like to think about this, but I was a teenage filly once, too, you know." Sunbeam winked.

Velvet groaned while Crystal and Horsey leaned in, smiling curiously.

"So, how did you two meet?" Crystal asked.

Sunbeam folded her hooves in her lap. "Well, he was the only stallion in our home economics club. He was kind, sensitive, a great baker. Let's just say, we thought he preferred eclairs to cake."

"Mom!" Velvet threw her hooves to her face as she cried out, her cheeks turning red. "Really?!"

Pepper Ridge stood frozen in the doorway between the kitchen and the living room, almost as red in the face as Velvet was.

Crystal covered her mouth. "Oh, my." She started to blush as well.

Horsey glanced between them all, quietly taking in each reaction with a blank expression. In a hushed voice, she mumbled, "I don't get it."

Crystal started to snicker. Sunbeam stared at Horsey with a look of hesitancy as she pondered her words very carefully. Before she could come to a conclusion, however, Velvet said rather bluntly, "Only stallions have eclairs, jeeze."

Horsey furrowed her brow. She started to look more upset than confused as the three stared at her expectantly. Finally, her eyes grew wide and her cheeks pink. "What? Oh. Whoa!"

"Do we really have to talk about this?" Velvet whined, her face still hidden behind her hooves.

Sunbeam patted her daughter on the shoulder again. "The worst is already over, sweetie. I might as well finish now." She giggled to herself. "He became an honorary mare in our eyes, and we would invite him to our mare's nights out. He was such a good listener and never took advantage of his position."

Crystal leaned in with interest clear in her eyes. "Then? Then what?"

Sunbeam waved a hoof. "It seems silly now, but I was talking to him about my stallion troubles. I was just like you girls, chasing after a crush but not feeling anything. With Pepper Ridge, I was always so calm and secure." She paused for dramatic effect. "So then, suddenly, he kissed me. Out of nowhere!"

Horsey and Crystal gasped while Velvet groaned.

Pepper Ridge slowly walked over to the table. A strange look was on his face: it resembled both realization and disappointment. "Is—Is all of that true?"

Sunbeam blinked up at him. "Hmm? Why, of course."

Pepper Ridge sat beside her and stared at the others, lips pursed. "I thought I was a stud."

Sunbeam broke out into chimes of delicate laughter.

Crystal grinned at him. "Tell us your side of the story, Mr. Ridge!"

"Yeah." He still seemed somewhat distraught by the revelation. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Well, like she said, I was in the home economics club. I thought I was smooth and dashing because all the mares would invite me over for their get-togethers. They talked about everything! Everything! I—" He coughed and turned his head to the side.

At that point, Sunbeam had fallen over backward as her laughter shook her whole frame. Horsey started giggling despite her best efforts, and Crystal absorbed every word he spoke.

"I just assumed they all liked me," he said in a quiet voice. "That's why I kissed Sunbeam. I just figured that's what a stallion does when he's got lots of mares after him."

"Oh, sweetheart." Sunbeam remained on the ground, wiping a tear from her eye while reaching out her other hoof to rest on his. "You were very mistaken."

Pepper Ridge muttered, "I see that now."

Sunbeam smiled. She tugged on his hoof to pull herself up and kissed his cheek. "Don't worry. It worked out in the end, didn't it?"

"Hmm." A smile pulled at his lips and he nuzzled her. "Yes, it did."

Crystal watched the happy couple, Horsey was still giggling, and Velvet was stuffing her face with cake trying to ignore all of it.

"That's so wonderful," Crystal said with a sigh. "I hope my special somepony comes along soon. I'm ready to be in love!"

Sunbeam's smile softened some. "It'll happen when it's time, dear. I was a senior when Pepper Ridge kissed me, though I was just about you girls' age, now that I think about it. School in Manehattan isn't as long as it is here, after all."

Crystal's ear flicked. "My parents met while they were in school."

"Oh, really?" Sunbeam tilted her head. "How?"

"They—" She blinked a few times. "Well, I know bits and pieces. My dad fell for my mom when he saw her in the color guard, but I guess he didn't do anything until he asked her to the Fall Formal Gala in their senior year." A frown pulled her small smile down. "And I know my mom liked him, but I don't really know much, now that I think about it. I'll ask them when—"

"Dohnn!" Velvet cried in a cake-muffled voice as she jerked her head up. She paused to swallow. "Don't! You don't want to know! They're your parents." She glanced at her own. "It's weird when it's your parents."

Crystal giggled and nudged Velvet's side with her elbow. "It's not weird at all! It's romantic!"

Horsey tapped her hoof to her chin. "Come to think of it, I know nothing about my parents and how they met. I've never thought to ask."

Crystal turned her gaze on Horsey. "You'll have to tell me what their story is when you find out!" She squealed, clapping her hooves together. "I just love love!" She raised a slice of cake and took a happy bite from it.

"I'm glad you're in better spirits," Sunbeam said as she stood up. "Now, I'll leave before Velvet refuses to speak to me for a week. Again." She giggled softly and walked toward the kitchen. "Come on, dear."

Pepper Ridge followed after her, leaving the three girls alone around the nearly finished cake.

"I know they were ponies before they were my parents, but it's weird to think of them as ponies," Velvet admitted with her nose scrunched up.

"Yeah, but it's also kind of interesting to think about, too," Horsey said. "They had lives before we came along."

Crystal hummed and tried to listen to the two as they talked, but she was much too excited by the prospect of learning her parents' full story. She knew the minor details, but not the big plot points! She just had to find out the whole truth.

♡

When Crystal arrived home, she smiled at the sight of her parents in the living room. Upper Crust, as usual, was lying on the couch with a fashion magazine opened and resting over her forelegs while her magic lazily turned the pages. Jet Set was sitting in the recliner chair, a newspaper levitating in front of him.

"Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad!"

Jet Set looked up to greet her with a smile. Upper Crust's ear flicked in vague acknowledgment.

"Welcome home, dear," her father said as the newspaper lowered. "How were Mrs. Sunbeam and Mr. Ridge? I know their bakery is doing well, from what I've heard."

Crystal trotted over and sat down on the floor, placing her snout on the arm of his chair to gaze up at him. "Oh, they were wonderful as always, Dad. They made a wonderful date cake."

"A date cake?" He paused, then laughed heartily. "I see! A date cake to celebrate your date?" His expression sobered rather suddenly. "Your mother told me your date did not go well."

Crystal smiled as sweetly as she could. "It was fine, Dad. He just wasn't the right one."

Jet Set patted her on the head. "I'm sure you'll do better next time. Keep your chin up."

"Yes, Dad." She paused, then started to wiggle and squirm before she asked, "Can you tell me the story about how you and Mom fell in love?"

"Can he? Darling, of course he can, but will he?" Upper Crust raised her brow.

Jet Set stared down at Crystal's eager grin with a polite frown. "Why do you want to know something like that?"

Crystal batted her eyelashes. "Because Mrs. Sunbeam and Mr. Ridge told me their love story, and I'd like to hear my parents'!"

Her father seemed unaffected by her charms. The newspaper opened up, blocking her view of him. "Perhaps some other time."

She blinked one, two, three times. He flipped to the next page of his newspaper. "Oh." Her ears folded back while her brow furrowed and she stood up. "Um, okay." She started walking toward the stairs, pausing to glance over at them. Neither looked up from their respective reading material. "I'll be in my room until dinner, then."

"All right, darling." Upper Crust ran her hoof over an article to keep her place. "I'll call you when it's ready."

Crystal hesitated at the foot of the stairs. "Okay." She went up to her room, uncertainty and confusion rumbling in her chest. Something was up and she wasn't sure what, but it made her feel suddenly uneasy.

Treasure in the Moment

Crystal took a quiet but deep breath of air and slowly released it through her teeth. She sat with her hindlegs folded beneath her, facing a row of her peers that sat in a similarly formal fashion. Her mane was tied in a tight bun to ensure it stayed out of her way throughout the ceremony.

Silently, she bowed. The five ponies before her returned the bow before one washed their hooves in a stone basin, then slid the basin down to the next pony. Once each had washed their hooves, they returned their full attention to Crystal.

Using only her hooves, as tradition required, she pulled one of the small bowls in front of her closer with one hoof. A green tea powder had already been spooned into each bowl, so she carefully raised up a ladle from where it was resting in a pot of hot water.

For a unicorn, using one's hooves generally required much more concentration than using magic. Basic levitation became second nature once a foal got a handle on it. Holding and manipulating objects with a hoof or a mouth, however, was trickier. She imagined it was how pegasi felt when they had to run or walk for extended periods of time as opposed to simply flying about.

Crystal blinked a few times. She had gotten lost in thought and spilled a few drops of water on the floor.

"Ooh, you goofed up," a voice playfully hissed in her ear, which twitched both in irritation at the words and her own lack of focus.

"Velvet!" Crystal hissed back. She paused to focus on pouring the water while the ponies sitting across from them snickered.

Watching the ceremony in prior silence was Velvet, lounging on a pillow behind Crystal. "What?" She had her head propped up on one hoof and grinned when Crystal glared at her. She waved her free hoof. "Is it really that hard for you to use your hooves? You unicorns, spoiled by your magic."

Crystal dropped the ladle back into the pot. "Okay, well, I failed already. I'll clean up so the next pony can have their turn."

The snickering clubmates nodded and stood up from their formal poses.

"Well, it was a nice try," one offered.

"At least you didn't drop the ladle on the floor this time," another said with a small giggle.

Crystal's magic reached up to pull the clip out and undo the bun, her mane falling in gentle waves to her shoulders.

"You should keep your mane down more often," Velvet mused aloud. "It's really pretty like that."

"Hmm?" Crystal inclined her head to look down at her own mane. The locks of pink were woven into her tresses like vines of pink ivy scaling a blonde wall. "Oh, may—no! Don't change the subject." She frowned. "I said you could watch if you were quiet and didn't interrupt."

"Yeah, but you did that to yourself without any help from me." She giggled.

Crystal sighed, shaking her head. Despite, she smiled as she started to clean and empty the bowls, free to use her magic now to make the task go by quickly. "There are only two months left in the year. We're going to have a tea festival the week before the last one of school. I want to get it right in case my parents show up."

Velvet raised her brow. "Your parents? What are the odds that's going to happen?"

Crystal shrugged. "I dunno. Mom's the one that pushed me to do this club, so I thought, maybe—" She sighed and dried off the last bowl. "Anyway, why are you here?" She scooted away from the ceremony setting to sit beside Velvet on the sidelines while another pony took her place.

"Dance club is canceled today, so I've got nothing better to do than watch—"

The stallion that was starting his attempt interrupted her with a hissing shh.

Velvet grinned, then lowered her voice to just barely a whisper. "—you and your friends play pretend with—"

"Shh." The stallion glared over his shoulder, taking the whole thing quite seriously.

Velvet paused, then mimed a tea kettle by bending one foreleg to rest her hoof on her hip and curving the other one for a spout. She then tilted at the waist to pour imaginary tea and stuck out her tongue.

Crystal raised a hoof to dismiss the antics with a quick wave. She nodded and—in complete silence—drew the hoof across her lips, pointed at the ponies in front of them, and gestured between her eyes and them.

Velvet rolled her eyes, but faced her gaze forward nonetheless.

By the time club ended, they had watched three ponies practice the ceremony. There were only eight total ponies in the club, but the practice attempt took forty minutes at the most and few managed to get very far. The tea club president seemed somewhat distraught.

"We've been practicing for three months, ponies! How are you still making rookie mistakes at this point?" She sighed and rubbed her forehead with a hoof. "Well, I'll see you all later this week. Please try to practice at home."

Crystal stood up and whispered to Velvet, "It takes years to master the tea ceremony, so I don't get why she's so surprised."

Velvet shrugged. The two walked out of the room and once they were in the hallway, Velvet inclined her head. "So, what's up with you? You seem a little on edge."

"Hmm." Crystal made her way to her locker and opened it. A mirror was affixed to the inside of the door, which she gazed into while she pulled her mane up into her usual side ponytail. "Another stallion asked me out. I said yes, but—"

"But?" Velvet tilted her head.

Crystal shut her locker door and turned to look at her with a small frown. "I don't know. I just want to feel that magic spark, you know?"

"I don't, but I know you do." She tapped her chin in thought. "You know, the last home hoofball game of the year is next week. You, Horsey, and I should go. Watch stallions be stallions, you know?" She winked.

It didn't take long for Crystal to imagine it. Hoofball players, running across the field, sweat clinging to their coats, their muscles flexing in the afternoon sun—

"I'll take that expression as a yes." Velvet laughed and patted her on the shoulder. "Oh, by the way." She hesitated a moment before offering in a cautious voice, "I know you have another club meeting, but the girls from my ballet group and I are going to go bowling at Looney Lanes. If you want to come after your meeting.." She trailed off, her smile falling.

Crystal's gut reaction was to come up with an excuse and decline as she always did when faced with a social outing with unfamiliar ponies. They were Velvet's friends, not hers; she'd be an awkward third wheel and that didn't sound like any kind of fun to her. However, something about Velvet's expression made her say instead, "Sure, I'll head over there as soon as I get out."

Velvet's eyes widened and she smiled wide. "Great! We'll have a lot of fun!" The smile widened into a playful grin. "It's hoof-only bowling, so you'll get lots of practice using your hooves for the tea ceremony thing."

"Oh, great." She rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless. "I can't wait."

"Me neither!" Velvet trotted down the hall. "See you then!"

♡

Crystal had barely made her way through Canterlot before she was filled with nagging regret. Had she ever bowled with her hooves? For that matter, had she ever gone bowling at all? Perhaps once when she was young, but she certainly didn't remember a thing about it. Velvet frequently went to Looney Lanes with her other friends, so that meant they would all be good at it. She groaned and kicked at a small rock on the otherwise even cobblestone streets.

The sound of glass shattering nearby made her ear twitch and her head jerk to the side, startling her out of her thoughts. Even more startling was seeing Midnight Poem outside of a flower shop, panic on his face as he waved a hoof at a cowering mare.

"Stop!" he exclaimed. "Wait, hold on!"

The mare stared up at him with wide eyes, trembling all over. She was a delicate thing, light green in coat with a dark green mane and tail. Her hooves, which were raised to try to defend herself from a perceived attack, had dark brown around them, likely from working in the dirt.

Crystal furrowed her brow. "What the hay?" she muttered under her breath and started to trot over. "Midnight, what—"

"—is going on here?" a stallion's commanding voice spoke over her own, halting all three of them.

The mare looked up with a sudden, relieved smile. Midnight looked over with uncertainty and a bit of fear. Crystal stayed where she was, not sure if the voice was addressing her or the suspicious scene. When a guard walked past her, she relaxed, then tensed up again. The tall stallion was completely unfamiliar to her. He was well-built, with muscles showing in his legs and shoulders from beneath his armor. His serious expression and firm tone, admittedly, made her more than weak in the knees.

Midnight's mouth flapped open and shut a few times before he stammered through an explanation. "I didn't do anything, sir! I promise! I just said hello, and she dropped this vase, you see, an—and, well, I don't know, but she won't stop looking at me like that!" He gestured at the florist. Whatever relief the other stallion's presence had brought her was quickly overwhelmed by Midnight speaking again.

There was a pause before the stallion broke the tension with a chuckle. "Is that all?" He stood just at the edge of the area of broken glass and looked at the mare with one brow raised. "I see. Well, then, assuming there's no issue, I'll get back to my rounds."

"I—I—I'm sorry," she stuttered, her voice just as delicate as her disposition. Her ears flopped down and she ducked her head in embarrassment. "There's no issue."

The stallion gave a cordial nod before trotting off. Crystal watched him leave, biting her lower lip as her gaze traced his sturdy form moving effortlessly despite the armor he wore, then shook her head to bring herself back to the present moment.

She trotted over and, with a quick sweep of her magic, collected up the glass shards into a pile. "Midnight, honestly," she chimed in, standing beside him. "You'll never find a special somepony if you go around scaring mares like this."

Midnight sighed. "I didn't mean to."

Crystal put her airs back on and smiled at the mare. "I apologize for my friend. I hope there wasn't much damage done?"

"No." The mare swallowed. "I'm sorry. I'm Leafy Roots, the florist for this shop." Her gaze turned to Midnight. "Did you need some flowers?"

"Well, yes, but, now it's not a surprise, so, perhaps not." He glanced at Crystal with a shy grin.

She paused. Was he there to buy her flowers? She nudged him in the side, grinning playfully. "What are you playing at, Romehorse?"

Midnight shook his head. "I'm not playing at anything! I just thought I'd pick up some flowers." He paled slightly. "Friendly flowers, like daisies. Not roses or anything romantic. Honest."

"Oh, I have daisies," Leafy Roots offered. "Let me get some for you. Just one second, okay?" She bobbed her head and ducked into the store.

Only a moment later, the mare came back out with a daisy chain, which she raised up and placed on Crystal's head. She had a shy smile on her lips as she explained when given a curious look, "Since he said, well, not romantic, this seemed more suitable, maybe?" Her smile wavered slightly.

Crystal inclined her head to look in the shop window at her reflection. It was a little hard to see in the daylight, but she got enough of a view to smile. "How sweet."

Midnight laughed and retrieved a pouch of bits from his saddlebags. "It's perfect! How much do I owe?"

"Four bits, I guess?"

Crystal blinked. "Is that all?"

Roots flinched, glanced between them, then down at the ground. "Well, normally it'd be, um, six bits, but with how I acted, I want to give a discount."

Midnight raised six bits out of his pouch and placed them in her hoof. "Six it is, then. Thank you, Miss Roots."

Roots looked up at him with a growing smile. "Thank you for your business! Please come again, okay?" She bowed her head, then went into the store to put away the bits.

Crystal sighed and gazed over her shoulder with a pout. "I didn't even get that stallion's name. He seemed so nice!" And he was good-looking, but she wasn't about to say that part aloud.

"Huh?" He blinked a few times.

"Nevermind," she said with a laugh. She turned to face him completely and bounced from hoof to hoof. "So, you bought me flowers, huh? Why?"

"Why else?" He sighed. "To apologize for that disaster of a date."

Crystal giggled. "You didn't have to, but I appreciate it." She started to walk down the street in the direction of the bowling alley, nodding her head to gesture for him to follow. "I'm going to Looney Lanes to go bowling with Velvet and her friends. Which are all mares." She winked. "Why don't you come along?"

"All mares?" He flushed as he walked beside her. "Are you trying to set me up?"

"With any luck, I won't be trying!" She giggled.

"Well, I didn't have any plans." He smiled a little sheepishly. "And it might be fun."

"Then it's decided! Operation 'Find A Mare' is a go!" She trotted ahead with an excited skip in her step, suddenly much more excited about bowling. After all, a ballet dancer seemed like the perfect muse for a poet. Every ballet move was poetry in of itself! And being the only stallion in a group of mares, he was bound to catch at least one's attention, she was sure of it.

The Sound of Silence

"You did this on purpose." Velvet stared at Crystal, both pairs of legs crossed over each other, ears pinned back. One of her hindlegs swung up and down to tap on the floor in rhythmic irritation.

"What? No!" Crystal beamed innocently at her as she fumbled with picking up a bowling ball. Hooves only. Why did it have to be hooves only?

Velvet rolled her eyes, though she started to grin. "Well, congratulations, you're in third place." She turned her head to look at Horsey, who was staring at the ground with her ears folded over. "You're in fifth, so that's still good, considering there's nine of us!"

Horsey raised her head and gestured with both hooves at the gaggle of mares surrounding Midnight Poem. "I'm behind Azure Dance, and she's not even paying attention when she bowls!" she exclaimed, exasperation clear in her voice.

"What? Huh?" The mare in question turned to look in Horsey's direction. "Did somepony say my name?" When Velvet shook her head, the mare returned her attention to Midnight. "Recite another poem, Midny!"

Midnight smiled lopsidedly. He cleared his throat and said, a little nervously, "Well, ah. When the white hooves of dancers beat across the stage, the sound is like the wings of birds at dawn, fluttering."

Horsey dropped her head back down with a groan when a chorus of feminine sighs filled the air.

Crystal walked carefully on her hindlegs, balancing the ball on her forehooves before she shifted its weight to just one. She pulled her hoof back, then started to sling it forward to send the ball down the lane.

"By the way, why didn't you like 'Midny' again?" Velvet called.

Crystal winced and tossed the ball straight into the gutter. "Oh, come on!" She whirled around to face the snickering mare, nearly stumbling over her own tail when it wrapped around her legs from the sudden motion. She dropped down onto her forelegs, kicked her back legs to untangle them, then trotted back to the seating area. "Seriously?"

Velvet blinked with utmost innocence. "What? No!" She laughed briefly, then put a serious face back on. "Really, I don't get it." She looked over at the stallion as he tried to pay attention to each of the fawning mares around him. "He's cute, he's nice, and he writes really good poetry. What's wrong with him?"

Crystal sighed and sat down between her two friends. "Midnight! It's your turn!"

"Huh?" He smiled. "Oh, right! Excuse me, pardon me—yes." He picked up his ball and tried to focus while several pairs of eyes bore into the back of his head, eagerly watching his every move.

"So—?" Velvet pressed.

Crystal shrugged. "You're right, he is all those things. But I just don't feel that way about him, all right?"

"I think that's fine," Horsey said quietly. "I mean, Crystal is pretty, nice, and writes really good stories, but I don't want to date her." Her eyes glimmered with mischief as she leaned forward to peer at Velvet. "What about you?"

"Huh? Oh, Horsey!" Velvet laughed and waved a hoof. "That's totally different!"

"I'm just saying—"

"All right, your turn, Velvet," Midnight said, walking back to his spot.

Velvet looked over at the pins just as they were being brushed away. "You got a strike? Oh, curse you, Midny!" She laughed and stood up. "You're only in first place because you're trying to show off."

When Velvet was about to throw her bowling ball, Horsey called out, "Don't forget that she has a nice plot, too!"

"What?!" Velvet and Crystal cried, both turning to look at the laughing mare. The bowling ball went sailing across the floor, narrowly avoiding crashing into the ponies in the next lane over.

"Sorry!" Velvet winced before she hurried over and gave Horsey a furrowed, confused stare. "Horsey, you don't normally talk like that! What's up with you?"

Horsey's laughter faded and she rubbed her cheek with a hoof. "Yeah? Oh. Sorry."

"Is this because Velvet's mom talked about eclairs and cake?" Crystal asked. Her cheeks were still red and her tail had curled around herself to hide her rump from sight, but she grinned nonetheless. "Have you been corrupted?"

Velvet gave a loud groan. "I do not want to talk about my mom and what she said, okay?"

"Okay." Crystal held up her hoof. "No more messing each other up, okay? Morning Grace just got a spare and now Horsey's in sixth place."

"What?!" Horsey looked up at the scoreboard and whined, "Oh, horseshoes!"

They took a breath of air and, simultaneously, drew their hooves across their chests, reciting together, "Cross my heart and hope to cry, else I'll live in a pig's sty."

Nearly an hour later, the game finally ended with Velvet close behind Midnight to achieve second place, Crystal in fourth, and Horsey scrambling just barely ahead of one of the ballet mares for fifth. The trio stood together, pausing so that Crystal could turn and address Midnight.

"I guess you'll have to walk a couple mares home, huh, stud?" She winked.

Midnight tried to smile. The attention seemed to be a little overwhelming for the shy stallion, but, judging by the blush on his cheeks, not entirely unwelcome. "It—uh, it seems so." He looked at the three mares standing beside him, the rest having already left. "Ladies first."

"Oh, give us another poem for the walk home, Midny," Azure Dance cooed, her eyelashes fluttering. "Please?"

Crystal watched while he departed with his small group of fanmares. "It's going to be Azure," she predicted aloud. "She really likes him."

Velvet nodded in agreement as the three of them started to walk for the door. "I'm not surprised. Azure's on the cheerleading team and all she talks about is how tired she is of jocks."

"Really?" A tingle ran down Crystal's spine and she shuddered, a coy smile on her lips. "I can't wait for the game next week. I think I like a stallion with a bit of muscle."

"Is that why you didn't hit it off with Midnight?" Horsey asked with a playful tease in her tone. "Too much brain, not enough brawn?"

"Maybe," Crystal commented wistfully, already elsewhere in a daydream with muscular stallions.

Velvet laughed and bumped her flank against Crystal's. "Well, maybe when you're in the color guard next year, you'll have the chance to get up close and personal with the hoofball players!"

Crystal said nothing, merely giggling in excitement, her gaze focused on nothing at all.

Horsey rolled her eyes, but smiled softly. "I'm just glad she's drooling over stallions again. It was weird having her be mopey about it."

"Agreed. Now let's just make sure she gets home safely without—"

Lost in her thoughts, Crystal stumbled over her own hooves on a bit of uneven cobblestone, prompting Horsey and Velvet into laughter.

♡

"Let me see your game face!" Velvet cried excitedly from the other side of the Crystal's bedroom door. "Come on, Crystal!"

"I'm almost ready!" Crystal applied the last stroke of makeup before she walked to the door and opened it. Seeing Velvet, she gasped. "Wow! You went all-out!"

Velvet stood with her head held high, decked out in full school spirit regalia: her face was painted in the school's colors, a large foam hoof with '#1' painted on it was over one of her hooves, and colorful streamers were woven into her mane.

"It's the last game the boys will be playing here in Canterlot. They need our support!" She paused to look Crystal over.

Crystal wore makeup in the school's colors but hadn't gone above and beyond like Velvet had. That said, she had dyed blue streaks into her mane, most of the natural pink locks hidden underneath the vibrant blue color.

"Hmm." Velvet walked in a circle around Crystal, examining her from head to hoof. "You'll do. Let's go pick up Horsey and head to the stadium!"

Crystal levitated a small flag behind her and they made their way together to the house of Horsey's parents, Fine Line and Hoity Toity. A few moments after they knocked on the door, Fine Line opened it and peered at them before offering a cordial smile.

"Oh, hello there." She paused, glancing Velvet over, staring at Crystal, then turning to shout, "High Horse, your friends are here, and they're dressed in school spirit! Do you need time to get ready?"

"What?" Horsey's voice squeaked from somewhere in the house. She galloped into view, pushing her head past her mother to gape at Crystal and Velvet. "I didn't know we were supposed to dress up!"

"Don't worry," Crystal said, smiling. "You're kind of blue, so you're already in school spirit."

Fine Line looked down at Horsey, then sighed. "Crystal, be a dear, would you?" Before Crystal could respond, Fine Line's magic tugged the flag out of the pink magic and levitated it over to tuck behind Horsey's ear.

"Mom," Horsey whined softly.

"Now you're ready." Fine Line patted her on the head. "Just be sure you're home in time for dinner. You three have fun, all right?"

Velvet clapped her hooves. "Let's go, girls! We don't want Crystal to miss the pre-game stretching!" She laughed and took the lead in an excited gallop down the street.

Crystal's cheeks flushed and she started running as she yelled, "Hey!"

"Bye, Mom!" Horsey called over her shoulder, trotting after the two of them.

When they arrived at the outdoor stadium—which was really more of a field with tiered benches all around it—they were pleasantly surprised to find space in the second row from the sidelines. The home team's players were already on the field, stretching and preparing their bodies for the exercise ahead.

"Perfect," Crystal cheered as they sat down. "This day is going to be perfect!"

Velvet grinned and nudged her side with an elbow. "Calm down, frisky britches. You don't want to scare the stallions before they've even started!"

"Oh, you," Crystal mumbled with a playful pout. "Can't you just let me be happy?"

Horsey smiled. "You two are really good friends, you know that?"

They paused to stare at her for a quiet moment.

"Huh?" Velvet blinked a few times.

Horsey laughed softly and shook her head. "Sorry, I just mean, it's really funny to watch you two."

"I see what you mean." Crystal scooted closer to Horsey and nuzzled their sides together. "Are you jealous of our PDA?"

"What? No!" Horsey shook her head again. "I'm just glad, is all. I mean, the year is coming to a close, but we're still friends."

"Of course," Velvet started cautiously. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Horsey shrugged. She turned her attention forward when the opposing team walked onto the field. "There's no reason. I'm just feeling sentimental, I guess."

Crystal tilted her head to rest it against Horsey's neck. "It's okay," she cooed in a quiet voice. "I know you're really just jealous. I'll give you extra attention to make up for it." She inclined her head in such a way to keep the physical contact and peered at Velvet, sticking out her tongue. "Don't you get jealous, too, now."

Velvet grinned. "Why should I be? Now I've got me all to myself, just as I planned!" She placed her hoof on her giant foam hoof and sighed in a playfully dreamy way. "Oh, me!"

They all laughed, then their laughter changed into cheers when a pony wearing a black-and-white-striped shirt came onto the field and started the game.

The first quarter was intense—the Wondercolts came out in full force. An announcer with a megaphone exclaimed that the starting lineup consisted of Indigo Steel as the quarterback with Silent Knight and Defender Bronzewing as his left and right guards. They were a fearsome trio: nopony on the defending team was able to get near Indigo Steel until both Silent Knight and Defender Bronzewing were tackled to the ground.

"Silent Knight, huh?" Velvet mused, turning to look at Crystal, who was almost too engrossed in the game to hear her. A flick of an ear acknowledged that at least some of her attention was diverted to listening. "Isn't he the stallion always causing trouble 'cause he refuses to participate in the Julimare and Romehorse play?"

"He participates," Crystal responded idly. She tore her gaze away for a moment to look at Velvet and shrug. "I mean, he builds sets. I think that's enough." She winced when Silent Knight slammed his shoulder into an opposing player's chest, knocking the latter to the ground. "I don't think stallions like him can act very well."

"What about that Defender Bronzewing, though?" Horsey giggled. "He seems like your type."

Crystal made a sound reminiscent of a purr. The stallion in question was noticeably larger than the others, with a well-defined build that made him perfect for defending the quarterback.

"Yeah," she said simply. "He's nice."

Though the away team was able to score a few touchdowns, the score was dramatically in favor of the Wondercolts. At half time, the color guard came out followed by the marching band. At one end of the field, cheerleaders bounced around with enthusiastic cartwheels and flips while choreographed flags were twirled in the air, all set in time with the small but equally enthusiastic band in the center.

"Look, look!" Velvet pointed excitedly. "There's Azure Dance!"

"And?" Crystal tilted her head. "What about her?"

At that moment, they watched the mare pause and blow a kiss in one direction. They followed her gaze and saw Midnight Poem sitting in the crowd. His cheeks turned a bright red when several other eyes turned on him, but raised a hoof to catch the invisible kiss.

"Aww!" Crystal squealed, pressing her hooves to her cheeks and smooshing her own face. "Tha's shoo cyute!" She pulled her hooves away and turned back to Velvet, a menacing force behind her lowered voice as she asked, "And you promise that Azure Dance will be a good mare to him, right?"

Velvet dismissed her with a wave of her hoof. "Don't worry! I mean, she's not perfect, but she's not bad, either. As long as he's happy, who cares?" She pointed at the field, teasing in a tone that one would use with a puppy, "Look, girl, look! Stallions! Does the pretty pony want to watch the stallions? Huh?"

Crystal paused, considering a snarky response, but admittedly, she did want to watch the stallions. She played along by lolling her tongue out the side of her mouth and giving a resounding, "Woof!"

Horsey and Velvet laughed, nearly falling off the benches into the row below while nearby ponies gave them concerned, wary glances.

Crystal hooked her hooves together in a begging posture and panted, wiggling her rump to wag her tail back and forth. "Woof, woof!"

This sent all three of them into hysterical laughter that they could barely rescue themselves out of when a horn sounded, signaling the start of the third quarter.

Velvet wiped a tear from her eyes. "We'll have to make sure to get together and not have a repeat of last summer."

"Yeah," Crystal agreed with a firm nod. "I won't let my mom send me to summer finishing school this time."

There was a pause before Horsey simply said, "Yeah."

After the game, by sheer coincidence, both the trio of mares and the entire hoofball team were at Sunridge Sweets for post-game treats. The stallions were loud, forgivably so after such an overwhelming victory over the visiting team. They cheered and egged each other on in contests of hot cocoa drinking and cupcake eating—both very stallion-like activities when paired with deep-voiced cheers of "chug chug chug" and "chow chow chow", of course.

From their usual table off in the corner, Velvet gave the stallions' antics an amused snort, Crystal openly checked them out, and Horsey stared down at the oat-and-daisy milkshake the three of them were sharing.

"They really are all brawn, huh?" Velvet commented as one stallion cried out in surprise at how hot his hot cocoa was while the other stallions laughed.

Pepper Ridge hurried over to deliver a tall glass of cold milk to the scalded stallion, an even smile on his otherwise worried face.

"You can say that again," Crystal murmured, resting her muzzle on her hoof, her eyes wandering across the buffet of muscular males.

"I'm—I'm moving to Ponyville," Horsey said in a quiet voice hardly above a whisper, her gaze firmly fixated on the table.

Suddenly, the noise from the excited stallions faded away as Crystal and Velvet stared at Horsey with wide eyes, both shocked into silence.

Torn Illusion

Crystal swallowed, her throat dry. There was a faint, high-pitched ringing in her ears as the words played over again.

I'm moving to Ponyville.

Velvet broke the silence between them. "When? Why?"

Horsey actively didn't look at either of her friends. She just kept staring at the table. "After the last day of school. I—"

"Are your parents making you do this?" Crystal interrupted. "You're a grown mare, they can't just—"

Horsey returned the favor of interruption. "No!" She finally looked up at them, and they flinched at the sight of tears in her eyes. "It's not my parents. This is my decision. I'm—I'm just not happy here."

Velvet and Crystal looked at each other, then back at her.

"What do you mean you're not happy?" Crystal asked in a soft, confused voice. "Is it because of us?"

"No, no, no!" Horsey gave a quick, irritated shake of her head. She groaned and pushed the milkshake aside to lay her head on the table. A sigh escaped her. "Just let me talk, all right?"

The other two said nothing. There was a pregnant pause while Horsey seemed to be working through her thoughts for the right words, and they remained quiet to let her think.

"I asked 16-Bit out on a date. He laughed." Her voice cracked. "And I started to cry, right in front of him. It was so embarrassing! He tried to apologize, but I just ran away."

"But—" Velvet started to speak, but Crystal raised a hoof to cover her mouth and shook her head. Velvet reluctantly nodded and the hoof was lowered.

Horsey sniffled. "You know how we talked about me asking my dad for a chance to model for his boutique?"

Crystal winced, a pang of guilt gripping her heart. She had never asked how that went, and the uneasiness in the pit of her stomach told her that she wasn't going to like the news.

"He said there was no way. He doesn't want to show 'favoritism,' he said." She sat upright and slammed her hooves on the table. "It's not favoritism if he just lets me at least try! And my mom, oh, my mom!"

Though Horsey's eyes were still wet with tears, her voice carried a surge of anger as she impersonated her mother. "Sweetie, don't you think you should lose some weight first?" She dropped her head back down. "Ugh. That's all she talks about. That's all Golden talked about. My weight. Well, what's wrong with my weight, huh? Why is everypony so obsessed with that?"

Horsey sighed heavily and closed her eyes. "I just can't do it anymore. I'm tired of my parents. I'm tired of Canterlot. When you guys aren't around, things just—they suck. So I went to Ponyville and found a job. I don't need to finish school for it, and the academy is just an excuse to be groomed into this perfect little mold our parents want us to fit into, anyway. Well, I'm apparently too fat for it, so I'm moving."

Velvet and Crystal looked at one another, wincing at the sight of tears in each other's eyes. Crystal was the first to speak.

"Ponyville's not that far," she said softly. "We can come visit you."

"And write lots of letters," Velvet added. She scooted her chair around the table and leaned against Horsey. "Well, Crystal will write them with her stupid unicorn magic."

A short laugh escaped Crystal while she followed suit, moving her chair the opposite way to lean against Horsey's other side. "If this is really what you want to do, then do it." Her voice lowered, becoming softer and sadder. "I'm just sorry that we didn't know."

Horsey sat up with a small smile on her face though her cheeks were wet. She tried to wipe them dry. "I didn't want either of you to know. You both are usually so happy and carefree that I didn't want to bring either of you down."

Velvet grunted and nuzzled her cheek to Horsey's. "Well, thanks, I feel a lot better knowing that you didn't feel like you could share your feelings."

Horsey's ears folded back. "I didn't mean it like that, I—"

"It's okay." Velvet got up from the chair. "Anyway, we still have a while until you move, right? So let's make the most of it."

With a wicked grin, Velvet trotted over to the group of stallions. "Hey, boys!" she called over the loud banter, all of their eyes turning on the little mare addressing them so casually. She hopped up onto her hindlegs and leaned against the table most of them were at, a coy look on her face. "Which one of you fine stallions wants to buy a couple of cute mares a cupcake?"

There was a pause before the stallion to her right asked, "Don't your parents own this place?"

"And?" She looked up at him. "What's that got to do with making a mare smile?"

Crystal and Horsey were doing everything they could not to burst into laughter, managing to suppress their amusement into muffled giggles.

Velvet put her hoof on her hip and looked around the table at the uncertain expressions. "Who's it gonna be?"

Finally, one of the stallions slid off his seat and walked around the table. Once he was out from behind the others, Crystal gasped. "That's Defender Bronzewing," she whispered with a quiet squeal of enthusiasm. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"

Bronzewing stepped toward Velvet. Even if Velvet had been of average size for a mare, she would still have to incline her head to look up at him. As it was, she had to crane her neck all the way back.

"Just one cupcake?" he asked, lifting one brow and grinning playfully. "Is that all I have to do to make you smile?"

Velvet took a moment to regain her composure and fluttered her lashes. "Well, if you're going to eat with us, we just might need two cupcakes."

Another stallion nearby chuckled and got out of his own seat. "Make it three, then. I'm not going to let my left guard have all the mares to himself."

Horsey giggled and nudged Crystal's side. "Isn't that the quarterback? You're not going to faint, are you?"

Crystal opened her mouth to make a snarky remark, but she snapped her jaw shut. Thinking a moment, she shook her head. "Any other day, maybe, but I would rather spend time with just the three of us, considering…" She trailed off. If she said it aloud, she might start crying all over again.

Horsey shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I'd rather us be laughing at you than crying about me."

"Oh, well, in that case, rawr." Crystal pawed at the air in the direction of the two stallions walking over to their table, each carrying a cupcake.

The other hoofball players had returned to their antics while Bronzewing and Indigo sat across the table from Horsey and Crystal. Velvet, carrying the third cupcake, sat on the other side of Horsey again and set the cupcake down.

"So," she started, gesturing with one hoof, "this is Horsey and Crystal. Crystal might start giving you two 'the look,' but ignore her, because Horsey is the one having a bad day."

Crystal blushed. "Velvet!"

Indigo looked at Horsey with a sincere, concerned frown on his face. "Why are you having a bad day?"

Horsey quickly shook her head. "Oh, don't mind Velvet! She—"

Velvet slapped a hoof over Horsey's mouth and smiled at both stallions. "Horsey's modest. I think it's one of her cute features. What do you think?"

Indigo looked between the two, then at Bronzewing. "Uh—?"

Bronzewing chuckled and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Don't worry, mares don't bite." He inclined his head toward Crystal and winked. "Well, that one might, apparently."

Crystal's blush grew brighter and she hid her face behind her hooves. "I will not!"

"Daffy, you're embarrassing the poor mare." Indigo leaned forward and pushed his cupcake toward Crystal. "There you go." He crossed his forelegs over one another on the table, looking back at Horsey. "So, what can we do to make your day better?"

Horsey twiddled her hooves, staring down at the table again. She paused, glanced at Crystal, then at them with a shy grin. "Well, if you could get the other one in your little hoofball trio over here, that'd make Crystal happy, which would make me happy."

"The other one?" Bronzewing tilted his head.

"Oh!" Velvet beamed. "Yeah, you know, the other guard. The right guard. Silent Knight."

Bronzewing and Indigo looked at each other, then laughed.

Horsey's ears dropped down. "What's so funny?"

"No, no, it's not that, it's just…" Indigo trailed off.

"Yeah, Silent Knight, well—" Bronzewing rubbed the back of his neck, his wings twitching nervously. "He's a great hoofball player."

"Uh-huh?" Crystal furrowed her brow. "We know that after watching the game."

"He, uh—" Indigo glanced at Bronzewing.

Bronzewing, having no other opportunity to stall, dropped his hoof down. "He's a bit antisocial. He's not called Silent Knight for nothing."

Indigo nodded. "Honestly, I'm surprised he's even here. He rarely comes with us for post-game celebration. He usually goes back to campus to train, I think."

The three mares turned their heads to look over at the other side of the bakery. In the crowd of stallions, they spotted the pegasus in question, sitting quietly among his peers and drinking from a mug. Although he didn't look unhappy to be there, he didn't look happy, either.

Crystal blinked a few times as she remembered the question that brought them to the subject and waved her hooves. "Well, that's all right! Two stallions is enough for me." Her cheeks heated up. "I mean, er, no, what I mean is—"

The others at the table broke out into various laughter, ranging from chuckles to snickers to giggles.

"Oh, ponyfeathers! See if I ever talk again!" Crystal smiled in spite of her words.

Horsey rubbed at her cheeks with both hooves. "I really am all right, so you two can go back to celebrating with your friends."

"And pass up the chance to talk to some pretty mares?" Bronzewing asked, grinning as all three blushed. "Do you feel like taking off, Indigo?"

Indigo folded his hooves behind his head. "I'm comfortable right where I am, Daffy."

Even Horsey joined in a chorus of giggles, none of the three mares able to keep the joyous sound muffled. While Crystal flirted, her friends teased her, and the stallions enjoyed the attention, they were able to forget reality, at least for a while.

At the end of the evening, once Sunridge Sweets was closing down and all the hoofball players had left, there were no more distractions. They sat in silence while Sunbeam swept the floors. None of them looked at each other, instead staring at the empty wrappers of cupcakes eaten and gone.

"I'm going to miss you both," Horsey finally said.

"Yeah," they replied in quiet unison.

"But I think I'll be happier in Ponyville." She looked up at them. "I really do. I've taken the train to visit there a couple times, and everypony is so friendly. You guys know that really nice restaurant, Le Bernardin?"

Velvet shook her head, but Crystal nodded. "My mom loves that place."

"Mm." Horsey tapped her hooves together. "Well, the maître d' there that told me he has a brother in Ponyville who would let me work as a waitress."

"Really?" Crystal tilted her head. "I didn't know Hors D'oeuvre had a brother."

"His name's Savoir Fare and he was really nice—like everypony else in Ponyville." A small smile pulled at her lips and she looked between Crystal and Velvet. "This is what I want to do, girls. I feel happy and accepted when I go there, and I want to feel that way not just when I can be with you two, but every day."

"Then we totally support you," Velvet said as she climbed out of her seat. "Gonna miss you like crazy, though."

Horsey followed suit, as did Crystal, and the three walked toward the door together.

"It's only a few hours on the train if we pitch in for the direct line," Crystal offered.

"And we definitely would!" Velvet added, smiling. "I'd rather see you sooner than save some bits and take the overnight train. Sleeping on a train sucks."

Horsey giggled. "So, we'll still be friends?"

"Absolutely!" Crystal and Velvet exclaimed as they stopped to hug her tightly from both sides. In perfect mirror of each other, they pulled back, sat on their haunches, and crossed their hooves over their chests.

After they walked Horsey home and before they parted ways, Velvet and Crystal stared at one another in hesitant silence. Velvet started to tear up, which broke Crystal's resolve and they both started to cry.

"I can't believe she felt this way the whole time," Velvet said, bitterness at the edge of her voice. "And we just kept laughing and smiling while she—"

Crystal put a hoof on Velvet's shoulder. "Hey, she didn't want us to know, okay? We got to have a lot of fun together because we weren't constantly worried about her, and that was what she wanted."

The words fell from her lips almost hollow and empty. She was just reciting them to Velvet because she wanted to believe them, but her chest ached from the reality. They had lived their lives, ignorant of Horsey's pain and suffering.

Velvet sighed. "Maybe, but I still feel guilty."

Crystal hugged her tight, then tried to smile. "We'll just have to visit her twice as often in Ponyville."

"I guess so. I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

With heavy hearts, they walked away to their separate homes. Crystal went straight to her room and sought comfort by hugging her pillow tight. All she could think about was how miserably Horsey's parents treated her. For all of their faults, Jet Set gave her every opportunity he could, and Upper Crust? She tried to encourage her, even if her methods weren't exactly what Crystal would call 'kind'.

Crystal quietly went back downstairs and climbed onto the couch, crushing a magazine in the process of curling up against her mother. Before Upper Crust could scold or question her, Crystal mumbled, "Thank you, Mom."

High Hopes

Now striving to be more attentive to Horsey with the time they had left together in Canterlot, Crystal noticed that even though Horsey had gotten a part in the play, her parents didn't even show to support her. Crystal's heart sunk when she saw the empty seats they could have filled.

Horsey played the Nurse, which was quite a notable role—and, in hindsight, explained the otherwise meek mare's more vulgar commentary at bowling night. Backstage, Crystal and Velvet helped her get into the costume, which consisted of a simple tan dress with flared sleeves and a white wimple. Once she was dressed, they stepped back to get a good look at her.

"You look like a sweet old mare!" Velvet beamed at her, trying to cover up her grin with a wide smile.

Horsey stuck out her bottom lip in a childish pout. "I don't think that's really a compliment."

"We'll be in the first row rooting for you, old mare," Crystal teased as she trotted for the stairs off the stage, Velvet following after her. "Break a leg!"

"You're not helping, either!" She stomped both of her forehooves, but smiled nonetheless.

The play went about as well as could be expected for a rag-tag group of ponies with theatrically-inclined talents as well as those who just filled a necessary role. There were some rough patches, such as when Countess Maris forgot her lines and wasn't successfully able to improvise, or when Julimare dropped the vial before drinking from it. However, everypony in the audience gave a heartfelt applause when the curtains fell.

When they returned to the backstage area to congratulate her, both Crystal and Velvet stopped dead in their tracks. Horsey held a bouquet of yellow roses and in front of her stood 16-Bit. The stallion was rubbing the back of his neck and they had walked up just in time to catch the last of his words.

"—so, I'm sorry."

Horsey's expression and tone were strangely guarded. "It's okay." She didn't look directly at him. "Thanks for the flowers, though."

16-Bit bobbed his head. "You're welcome." He looked like he wanted to continue, hesitated a moment instead, and scuffed one of his hooves against the wood floor. "Will you still come to LARP over the summer? You're our best paladin."

"Probably not," Horsey muttered.

"Oh." 16-Bit's ears fell and he dropped his gaze. "Well, anyway, you did great today. I'll see you around, High Horse."

As he walked away and Crystal and Velvet hurried over, they heard her mumble, "Probably not." She looked up and smiled when she noticed the two approach. "Oh, hey!" She puffed out her chest. "What do you think? Was I great or was I great?"

"I think you burned a bridge with that stallion," Velvet muttered, glancing over just as he walked out of sight. "He bought you roses and you just totally shot him down!"

Before Horsey could reply, Crystal shook her head and said, "No, he bought her yellow roses." They both looked at her curiously and she explained matter-of-factly, "Yellow roses usually just mean friendship."

"Really?" Horsey looked down at the bouquet she held in the crook of her foreleg. "Well, it doesn't matter. He burned that bridge, not me."

"Let's forget about him and focus on how awesome you were. You didn't stutter once!" Crystal smiled. "Are you sure you want to be a model? Maybe you'd be a great actress!"

Horsey scrunched up her nose and tilted her head. "What? No." She paused. "Maybe?" She started to wriggle her way out of the wimple and dress. "I mean, I got my cutie mark when I was in a beauty pageant and I realized how much fun I was having." Once free of the clothing, she looked at the interlocked horseshoes on her flank. "Is it possible I misunderstood my own cutie mark? Can that even happen?"

Velvet shrugged. "Well, being a model and being an actress are kind of really similar, aren't they? Being on stage, putting on a show."

"Honestly, isn't a cutie mark about what you love to do?" Crystal added. "So if you do some acting and it turns out you love that, then that's all that matters, right?"

Horsey nodded slowly. "I'll have to think about it, I guess." She looked back at them with a smile. "Thank you both for coming, by the way."

"Like we'd miss seeing our best friend in her big debut!" Crystal wrapped a foreleg around Horsey's shoulder. "We're here for you."

"Always!" Velvet added enthusiastically, hugging the both of them.

♡

The gathering of ponies at the tea ceremony festival—as well as the general feeling in the air—was quite different from the night of Horsey's play. Soft, gentle music played over the quiet conversation and sounds of tea preparation.

Each member from the tea club sat in the proper, formal posture at their respective stations and wore traditional Jibanese attire: kimonos for the mares and hakamas for the stallions. Crystal herself wore a white kimono adorned with a flurry of pink cherry blossoms.

She shook her head, bringing herself to the reality of the moment and not its frivolous details. Her parents and friends were sitting in front of her, washing their hooves, and it was almost time for her performance.

Tea wasn't her special talent. She hadn't even really wanted to join the club in the first place. All in all, none of it mattered, so unlike during practice, she wasn't worried in the least.

For Celestia's sake, tea ceremonies weren't even a thing in Canterlot, and she had no plans to move to Jiban anytime soon. Once the stone basin was pushed aside, she pulled a bowl closer and picked up the ladle.

It almost amused her enough to break her composure and giggle at how easy things were when she didn't focus so much on them. Hooves weren't that tricky as long as she let them do their thing.

One of the five seats at her station was empty. She started to imagine that if she had a stallionfriend, he would be sitting in that seat, his eyes focused solely on her while she tried to remain calm. She felt her cheeks heat up as she imagined the weight of his gaze, the quiet anticipation as she served him tea, hoping he would—

"Darling?" her mother's voice interrupted. "Darling, you can stop preparing tea now," she whispered.

Crystal blinked down at the bowl into which she had started to pour water. It was the last bowl for the empty space. She did her best not to sigh. The empty space where her non-existent stallionfriend sat, not watching her, not waiting to be served.

"Of course," she replied quietly and started to clean out the bowl. "I was just so focused—"

"Shh, now. Only guests speak; the host remains quiet. Surely you haven't forgotten that."

A petulant frown broke across Crystal's otherwise calm face, but she quickly stifled it. Velvet and Horsey did their very best to keep their own expressions neutral as they raised their bowls, savored the smell, then quietly sipped, as did Upper Crust and Jet Set. Once they all had finished their tea, they set the bowls down and bowed. Crystal bowed in return, completing the ceremony, and the formality almost instantly dissipated.

"I do not like green tea," Horsey said, scrunching up her nose and sticking out her tongue.

Upper Crust looked at the young unicorn out of the corner of her eye. "It is an acquired taste for fine palettes. I'm surprised your father hasn't been more diligent in refining yours."

Horsey couldn't resist rolling her eyes. "Yes, Mrs. Crust."

"Please, do call me Upper Crust."

"Yes, Upper Crust," Horsey mumbled.

Velvet looked down at the bowls as Crystal cleaned them. "I thought it tasted earthy."

Upper Crust's gaze shifted to look at her. "Well, it's not exactly a shock that you would describe it so—simply." She smiled politely.

"Mom!" Crystal hissed through her teeth. "Really?"

"What?" Her mother put a hoof to her chest. "Velvet doesn't have the proper training like you and High Horse. You don't need to be so defensive over facts."

Crystal grumbled incoherently under her breath.

Jet Set finally cleared his throat to speak. "This was a delightful little outing, I do believe, but we must be off. Come along, dear." He stood and offered a hoof to his wife, helping her to her hooves.

"Good performance, darling," Upper Crust said, then raised her snout into the air in proper form as she and Jet Set walked off.

"I take it back. I definitely take it back," Crystal mumbled and buried her face in her hooves. "I thought I liked my parents, but I was wrong."

Horsey smiled. "They're not as bad as you think they are." She turned her head to watch them walk away. "They're just Canterlot citizens, is all."

Velvet glanced at Horsey, rubbing her foreleg. "So, just two more days before you leave, huh?"

"Yup." Horsey's smile widened further. "I'm really excited!"

Crystal pulled her mane out of the tight bun and stood up. "Well, I'm going to go change out of this stuffy clothing. Then let's make the most of the rest of today!"

♡

The remaining days flew by much too quickly for Crystal and Velvet's liking, both of them dreading the week's end more than anypony else. The excitement of summer vacation did little to lift their spirits.

When they arrived at the train station, the look of pure joy on Horsey's face brought smiles to their own. Whatever loneliness they would feel suddenly paled in comparison to the idea of Horsey's misery staying in Canterlot. They galloped the rest of the way onto and across the platform.

"Oh, Horsey!" Crystal wrapped both forelegs around her. "Write as soon as you get settled so I know where to send our letters."

"I will, I promise!" Horsey nuzzled her cheek to Crystal's. "I can't believe this is really happening!" She pulled back from Crystal just in time to be nearly knocked over by Velvet's hug. "It feels like my life is finally starting. Like I'm finally going to be moving forward."

"I wish we could come with you, but—" Velvet sighed and shook her head.

"It's okay," Horsey said with a smile.

Crystal sat on her haunches and frowned. "I think my mother would burn down half of Equestria if I tried to leave. I'm not willing to risk the lives of innocent ponies just for you, Horsey," she finished with a teasing grin.

Horsey giggled. She put her hoof on her suitcase and looked at it with a mixture of a soft smile and sad eyes. "I think I'm ready to stand on my own for a little while, anyway."

The conductor leaned his head out of a window and hollered, "All aboard, last call! We're 'bout ready to leave fer Ponyville!" The train whistled to punctuate his statement.

"Well, girls." The reality of the moment made Horsey's eyes well up with tears, but she smiled in spite of them. "Come visit me soon, okay?"

Crystal and Velvet nodded vigorously. "We promise!" they exclaimed with one final, tight hug, and then let her go.

Horsey's suitcase rose effortlessly despite its hefty size, courtesy of her magic, and followed behind her. With her head held high and a burst of confidence, she walked forward and onto the train.

After she had found her seat, she could be seen in one of the windows. She waved, and they waved back as the train pulled out of the station. Soon, she was out of sight, but neither of them cried. It was hard to feel too sad knowing that the train was taking her to a happier life.

They sat there for a while, neither saying anything.

Finally, Crystal broke the silence. "You know, I never really considered that we could work at our age."

Velvet blinked up at her and tilted her head. "Huh?"

Crystal kept staring after the train. "I mean, it's like Horsey talked about. Ponies our age in Ponyville already have jobs. They're already doing what they love. I'm spending my time learning tea ceremonies and trigonometry." She turned her gaze to Velvet. "I think I'm ready to start writing for real."

Velvet pursed her lips. "I thought you already were writing?"

"I mean, I want to start publishing my work, so other ponies can read it."

With a loud gasp and wide eyes, Velvet threw her hooves into the air. "Really?! Are you serious?!"

"I think so." Crystal looked away again. "I don't know. I guess I'm just—oof!"

Velvet collided with her, sending the both of them sprawling to the ground, and she hugged Crystal tight. "That's great!" she squealed. "I thought I was going to have to publish your stuff for you, but this is way better if you do it willingly!"

Crystal's startled laughter at the sudden embrace was cut short. She stared up at Velvet with one brow raised. "Wha—"

"Just kidding!" Velvet laughed, then grinned in a playfully evil way. "Or am I? Equestria may never know!" She sat up, put her hooves on her hips, and tossed her head back with a maniacal cackle.

Crystal started to laugh again, but the sound died out as soon as it had begun. Softly, she mumbled, "Velvet, are you trying to overcompensate your excitement about this so you don't start crying about Horsey again?"

"Nope." Velvet stood up, her demeanor returning to a normal, even calm. "I'm trying to overcompensate so neither of us cry about Horsey again. Now, come on, let's get an anti-depression milkshake already." She turned and started to trot away.

Crystal stood up and hurried to catch up with her. After a quiet, thoughtful moment, she asked, "Wait, were you really going to publish my stories without my permission?"

"Maybe." Velvet winked. She trotted on the very tips of her hooves and hummed.

Velvet had always been terrible at keeping secrets. Every time there was something she was hiding, she hummed a particular tune, and at that moment, she was humming that very tell-tale tune.

Crystal paused again, then lowered her tone to an almost menacing level. "Velvet. What did you do?"

Velvet quickened her pace, saying nothing.

"Velvet!" Her right eye twitched as she repeated louder, "What did you do?!"

Velvet squealed and ran ahead. "You'll have to beat me to Sunridge Sweets to find out!"

Rendezvous with Reality

"Olly olly pony free!" Velvet squealed right as she burst through the doors to Sunridge Sweets. "I win!"

Crystal lagged a good many paces behind her, panting and gasping for air. Although she was petite, Velvet was involved in dance and ballet, so she worked her legs, lungs, and endurance every day. Crystal never realized how out of shape she was until she was barely able to push open the door and stumble into the bakery.

"I—I—hah! I got you," Crystal managed in heavy breaths before she collapsed against Velvet, who hadn't even broken a sweat.

Velvet crumpled under the exhausted weight and laughed. "Too slow!"

Crystal grunted. Her chest rose and fell as she took quick, shallow breaths. She dropped her head on Velvet's and closed her eyes. "Maybe so, but I'm not budging until you talk."

Both remained willfully ignorant of the confused and somewhat judgmental stares they received. Velvet squirmed and tried to get her hooves planted firmly enough on the ground to pull herself out from underneath Crystal, but to no avail.

"Crystal! G'off me!"

Crystal shifted to put more of her weight on Velvet. "Confess your sins."

"Never!" Velvet laughed and managed to free one of her forelegs. "You lost the bet, fair and square." She wiggled her hoof against Crystal's side to search for a weak point.

"That won't work," Crystal mumbled while she bit her lower lip. Her muscles twitched from the tickling, she began to tremble, and her eyes started to water. Finally, uncontrollable laughter poured forth and she reflexively squirmed away, wrapping her forelegs around her stomach to try to defend herself. "Stop, stop!"

"Girls," Sunbeam said as she approached the two. Velvet stopped her tickle attack, but Crystal kept laughing, the tingling sensation lingering. "Is everything all right?" Her tone was hesitant. After all, she was more than aware from what and where they had just returned, and their behavior was understandably unexpected.

"Yup!" Velvet sat up and beamed at her mother. "I won a race!"

Crystal swallowed the remainder of her giggles. She rolled over upright and wiped a tear from her eyes. "But that doesn't mean you're off the hook."

Sunbeam raised a hoof, then slowly dropped it back down. After a moment, she smiled. "I'll go get a milkshake ready."

"Thanks, Mom!" Velvet trotted over to an empty table and took a seat.

Crystal took the seat across from her and sat with her shoulders bunched up, brow furrowed, and lips pursed. "Velvet."

Velvet hummed that guilty tune again. Her gaze wandered around the bakery while she blatantly avoided looking at Crystal.

"Velvet. You know I'm not going to let it go."

Velvet's humming stopped and she beamed at Crystal, clapping her hooves together. "Okay! I know, I know. I just want you to be so riled up that when I tell you the truth, by comparison to whatever you think I've done, it seems better."

Crystal raised one brow. "Uh-huh."

"So." She swung her legs. "You know that magazine, Mares Monthly?"

"Mares Monthly?" Crystal paused to think it over, then nodded. "Yeah." Her heart pounded even louder in her ears. Mares Monthly was, as its title suggested, targeted toward the fairer sex and published once a month. It usually contained mare care product advertisements, articles on what to do to attract a stallion or how to improve one's body image, and the like.

"In the last issue I read," Velvet continued, "there was a letter from the editor saying that they were going to start featuring literary works that included strong female leads. Well, the mares in your stories aren't always the typical damsels in distress, so—" She threw her hooves in the air and finished quickly, "I submitted some samples of your work to Mares Monthly."

The pounding stopped for a brief moment, then grew more intense. Her chest tightened from the sudden panic that overwhelmed her. "You did—what?!"

Velvet dropped her hooves back down onto the table and pulled herself up to move her face closer to Crystal's, a serious frown on her lips. "Look, you can't become a famous author if you just sit around and never do anything! So I did it for you!" The frown lifted into a smug grin. "It's my job as your friend to look out for you, you know."

Crystal stared at her, mouth agape. She struggled to swallow around the lump that formed in her throat. As if on cue, a milkshake was set between them.

"Here you go, girls," Sunbeam chimed before she walked back behind the counter.

Velvet's grin fell when she noticed Crystal was starting to tremble. "Hey, Crystal, it's okay! I submitted it myself, as your representative. Your name's not on it. I just said it was by my client, C.W."

"C.W.?" Crystal dropped her face into her hooves. "Oh, Celestia. What if they accept it and my mother reads it?"

Velvet tapped her chin, then smiled. "What if they accept it and you get published?"

Silence fell on them. Crystal lifted her head just long enough to sip the milkshake, then dropped back down. Finally, she mumbled softly, "That would be—it would be totally awesome."

"Yeah?" Velvet's ears perked straight up. "Wouldn't it?!"

"But what if they hate it?" Crystal looked up at her.

"What if they love it?"

"What if—" Crystal was cut off by Velvet's hoof clamped over her muzzle. She mumbled the rest of her sentence incoherently, brow furrowed.

"When have I led you astray, huh?" Velvet smiled softly. "I have a good feeling about this, just like when we were fillies." There was a pause before she giggled. "Maybe I misunderstood my cutie mark, too. Maybe the slipper represents kicking your plot into gear." She winked. "Nicely, of course. Thus the pink."

Crystal laughed after the hoof moved to let her do so. "Okay, okay. I'll try to trust you." Despite her words, her heart continued to thump painfully against her ribs. "So when do you hear back, Miss Representative?"

"I'm not sure." Velvet pulled the milkshake closer to herself and took a sip. "I hope soon. I think it'd be a great start to a great career."

"Career, huh?" Crystal mused quietly. "It's weird to think about having a career."

"Yeah, I know. I just hope you'll take time to remember us little folks when you're up in your mansion, writing prose and sipping wine." She grinned.

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Of course I would, if that ever happened. You know authors don't make very much money, right?"

"Really? Oh." Velvet paused for another sip. "Well, I hope I'll take time to remember you when you're living in a cardboard box."

"Thanks a lot," Crystal said in a playfully bitter tone, rolling her eyes but smiling nonetheless.

♡

Crystal paced around her bedroom. All of her notebooks were strewn across the bed and floor, each open to different parts of different stories.

"If I'm going to be writing for real," she muttered aloud and continued to pace, "I need to write something great. Wonderful. Amazing!" She stopped and turned to her notebooks. "Which of you wants to inspire me to write my best work?"

The notebooks, as one would expect, gave no response. She frowned before she raised one up, rotated it, and flapped it open and closed while she said out of the side of her mouth, "Oh, Crystal, everything you write is inspirational!"

Her tone returned to normal. "Thanks, Notebook #17, but you just don't understand. If this works out, then ponies all over Canterlot are going to read this! Maybe even Equestria!"

"But Crystal," she said in her notebook's low voice, "your special talent is writing, so as long as you pick up that quill, you'll be just fine."

She stared at the notebook. If it had eyes, it would have stared back. "Go home, Notebook #17. You drank too much hard cider." She sighed while her magic dissipated and dropped it to the floor. She could have sworn she heard a tiny ow! when it landed.

She returned to her pacing, more frantic this time around until she skidded to a halt. "That's it! Inspiration comes from around you, right?" She walked out of her room and trotted down the stairs. "Mom! Dad!" She received no response. "Mom?" She reached the bottom of the stairs, frowning. "Dad?"

"What is the matter, dear?" her father asked. He sat up in his recliner, yawning.

She blinked a few times. It wasn't like him to nap during the day, and certainly not in the recliner. "What is the matter with you?"

Jet Set chuckled. "Ah, worry not for your dear old dad. Your mother was up all night talking about an event today."

"Oh?" She walked over to the coat hanger and put on one of her mother's fancy hats, giggling at her reflection in the mirror. "Is that where she is?"

"Yes." He yawned again. "Now, what did you come down here for?"

Crystal smiled ever so sweetly and returned the hat to its resting place. "I'm trying to work on a new story, Dad. I'm just not sure what the topic should be."

"Is that so?" He rubbed his chin. "Crime novels are rather popular right now, you know. A good thriller will put you right on the bestsellers list!"

She did her best not to groan at the mere idea of writing something that gritty. Velvet and Horsey were the only ponies at that time who knew the particular brand of story she liked to write. It was easy for others to infer that the heart simply represented her passion for writing and she was fine with keeping it that way. Romance novels had a bit of a stigma in Canterlot for their often salacious content, and she couldn't imagine what her mother would say if she knew the truth.

She shook her head quickly to return to the moment at hoof. "But if they're popular now, then by the time I write it, it won't be popular anymore." She walked over and sat down by his recliner. In typical doting daughter form, she rested her snout on the arm of his chair and peered up at him through her eyelashes. "I want to write something more real. Something—" She hesitated. "Something about romance, maybe?"

"Romance?" He chuckled. "Oh, dear, you're simply caught up in the love-struck years of your youth. No, you should pursue a more substantial literary topic."

Her voice caught in her throat like a heavy lump that she couldn't swallow. "But," she mumbled before trying to regain her composure. "I mean, don't you and Mom have a really sweet love story? I'm sure a story like that would be wonderful."

Jet Set was quiet as he stared at her in intimidating silence. He sighed, raised his glasses off the bridge of his nose, and set them aside. "I see."

She flinched. "See what?"

"You're still stuck on wanting to hear the story, aren't you?" He smiled, though it was somehow distant. "My dear, why don't you take a seat on the couch."

The pit of her stomach twisted up in sudden knots. She moved over to rest on the couch, now no longer able to meet his gaze.

"You're almost a fully grown mare now." He leaned back into his chair. "You're old enough to know that some things are better kept from ponies like your mother. As you know, she is a very particular kind of mare." He turned his head to look at her.

Crystal flinched under the weight of his stare and nodded. "Yes, Father."

"Good." He crossed his hooves over his stomach. "Well, then. How much do you already know from peeking in your mother's hope chest?"

Her cheeks heated up with embarrassment. "Not much, um, just a little."

Jet Set chuckled. "It's all right, dear. We both know you were always messing about in there as a filly." He closed his eyes. "Your mother was a very simple mare. You know that her parents are not quite of the same caliber as mine."

Crystal slowly nodded. She had never met her grandparents on her mother's side. Upper Crust always spoke ill of them, so she knew next to nothing about who they really were, but she did know that they didn't live in Canterlot anymore. The Jet family, on the other hoof, went back several generations and had a substantial role in the invention of the first Equestrian airship, though Jet Set seemed much more interested in high society than his family's accomplishments.

"I didn't lie when I said the color guard was when I noticed her, nor was your mother lying in her diary when she wrote that I asked her to the Fall Formal Gala." He shifted his hooves, almost uncomfortably, making Crystal feel even more uncomfortable herself. "My parents wanted me to marry a fine mare from a fine family and work at Jet Ventures. I was a bit of a rebellious young stallion, not much unlike yourself." He chuckled. "You do give your mother quite the headache."

One eye cracked opened to peer at her as he continued, "The mare I knew back then wasn't learned in all the formalities of Canterlot society, and I knew it would be a thorn in my parents' side, so to speak." He inclined his head to look at the ceiling. "Of course, they threatened to cut me off from my inheritance. I dare say I almost believed them, but I called them on their bluff."

Her ears started to fold backward. This wasn't sounding at all like what she had envisioned all these years. Risking his inheritance was a romantic gesture, but she had a sinking feeling there was little that was romantic about it at all.

"Not long after we started dating, she began to change into exactly what I was trying to avoid. She so desperately wanted to be one of the elite, after all. And I did nothing to keep her the way she was. It made her so happy to be the pony everypony should know, and I eventually grew to love that joy in her eyes."

Crystal couldn't keep her mouth from voicing her thoughts. "Grew to love?"

Jet Set nodded. Both of his eyes opened halfway. "I'm quite aware that you love the idea of romance, dear. But that isn't how it works in Canterlot, I'm afraid. You grow to love the pony that best suits you."

"No!" Crystal surprised herself at the volume of her own voice. "But," she said, quieter, "you love Mom, don't you?"

"After a few years of marriage, I discovered that I did, yes. I still do."

The idea was so shocking to her—so polar from the notions she held dear—that she felt as though she might be sick. The room was suddenly suffocating and she bolted upright. "Thanks for the talk, Father. I'm heading out."

Jet Set's expression shifted to an apologetic one, but he smiled and nodded. "All right, dear. Just be home in time for dinner. Your mother worries when you stay out so late, you know."

Crystal was already halfway out the door. "Yeah," she called over her shoulder.

Tears pricked at her eyes. What sort of love story was that? She stormed down the street, each hoof falling harder than the last while a confusing, bubbling turmoil of anger and sadness boiled in her chest. That wasn't romantic at all! Upper Crust wasn't what his parents wanted and that was enough? It had taken years for him to even feel love for her?

The more she wandered, the more she started to feel a hollow sense of calm. She stopped to sit on a bench and buried her face in her hooves. A part of her, though it was a sickening realization, understood. After all, could she honestly say that she wouldn't spurn a stallion Upper Crust had picked for her purely out of spite? Or that she wouldn't look at another stallion and think about how it would ruffle her mother's sensibilities to bring him home?

She looked up and noticed that she was across the street from a cafe. A hot cup of a tea sounded wonderful to her right then, so she trotted over and inside.

The cafe was fairly quiet. Most ponies were deep in thought, pondering over books and magazines. They all seemed to be too lost in their own worlds to notice her wandering gaze. After she ordered a cup of tea, she took a seat at a table for two.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath of the tea's aroma, and held it to let it calm her from the inside out. She released the breath through her teeth. Feeling much more relaxed, even the air around her seemed different once she opened her eyes. Her table was right by a window, so she looked outside, watching the world go by.

Most ponies walked in proper form with their noses in the air, but she noticed a few that were different. There was one couple that walked slowly, hoof in hoof, gazing into each other's eyes. It brought a small smile to her lips and she took a sip of her tea.

A stallion stopped to open the door for a mare. They smiled, and for a brief moment, their worlds connected, only to be pulled apart by heading in opposite directions.

A small giggle escaped her. Tea always had that effect of making everything seem warm and fuzzy. Perhaps she was just overreacting. She knew as well as anypony that Canterlot was not a city of passion, but that didn't mean these love-starved, socially-obsessed ponies couldn't appreciate the stories she wanted to share. In fact, a little romance might be just what the love doctor ordered.

"Yeah, I'm so lame," she muttered to herself, giggling, and took another sip.

A Friendly Word

Crystal closed her eyes and, seeking inspiration from within, tried to get into a character. Any character. After a moment of soul searching, she imagined the aroma of coffee not as bitter and heavy, but the sweet nectar she needed for her stressful job.

Suddenly, she was a reporter, taking a break from her desperate search for answers to questions nopony had thought to ask. Perhaps she was there to scope out a suspect and had just made eye contact with him. He knew who she was and why she was there, so he walked over and asked, all suave and debonair, "Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

"Hmm," she purred under her breath. The hairs on her neck stood up as goosebumps tickled her forelegs. Her imagination was so vivid sometimes that she could actually hear a stallion's voice saying—

"Crystal Wishes?"

Her eyes fluttered open, then she gave a startled squeak. Standing beside the table was an unfamiliar brown stallion. His blonde mane was fluffy in the front, reminding her of some kind of plumed quail. He smiled dashingly down at her and gestured toward the empty seat.

"Huh? Oh." She smiled. "I don't mind company."

He nodded and sat down. "Thank you. You're just the pony I wanted to talk to." He flashed that practiced, dashing smile again. "I'm Trenderhoof."

The way in which he said his name implied that it should have meaning to her, but her face must have given away that it didn't because his smile wavered.

"But you can call me Trend." The smile resumed its brilliance.

He had the same tall, lanky build as Midnight Poem, but his demeanor was much different and, in her opinion, not for the better. His voice had a forced smooth tone to it that most stallions had in Canterlot. At least when Midnight spoke, he was earnest. However, she smiled as best she could.

"I'm Cry—"

"—stal Wishes, I know." He chuckled. "I said you were the pony I wanted to talk to, did I not? Hmm?" He tossed his bangs out of his eyes with a flick of his head. "I do hope you can help me out."

"With what?" She fidgeted somewhat uncomfortably.

"You see, I'm a struggling artist. A struggling author, if you will." He sighed and gestured at the window with a dramatic sweep of one hoof. "Canterlot is my home, but my heart belongs on the road, traveling from city to city, documenting the most interesting things in Equestria before they become interesting! It is my calling, but I simply can't catch a break."

Crystal furrowed her brow and said slowly, "O—kay?"

Trenderhoof's sweeping hoof returned to him, pressed to his chest while he raised his eyes to the ceiling. "If I could only rub elbows with the elite of Canterlot, surely my name would make its way to a very important pony! Thus, Miss Wishes, I must request your kind assistance." He looked back down at her. "I've heard that your parents are hosting the Canterlot garden party again this year. An invitation is all I ask. I can handle the rest."

There was that plastic smile again. She tried not to roll her eyes and instead smile sweetly. "Oh, but of course. I would be delighted to help. Trenderhoof, correct?" She rose from her seat. "I will be sure to pass your name their way."

"You truly are a crystal among mere pebbles in this city, my dear!" He clapped his hooves together. "I am forever in your debt!"

"Certainly." She bowed her head and turned to leave. "Have a nice day."

Once she was outside, she allowed her eyes to finally roll and groaned under her breath. Canterlot ponies really knew how to get on her nerves! Just when she was feeling calm and relaxed, he had to come along and utterly spoil her mood.

♡

"I'm home!" Crystal called as she closed the door behind her, then sniffed the air. "Oh! That smells delicious!"

"Doesn't it?" Upper Crust replied from the couch. "Your father was cooking when I got home, which is so very nice because I am so very exhausted from today."

Crystal muttered, "Tell me about it." She trotted into the kitchen. "What are you making?"

Jet Set didn't look up from the stove. He jostled the pan to keep the noodles from sticking to it. "Broccoli pesto fettuccine." He briefly glanced at her out of the corner of one eye.

"That's my favorite!" She beamed, then quickly looked somber and walked closer to him, lowering her voice. "You're making that on purpose, aren't you?"

Her father cleared his throat. "We have not had it in a while, and I knew your mother would be in no mood for cooking."

Crystal took a deep inhale of the smell and sighed happily. "I accept your apology." She placed a quick peck on his cheek. "Thanks, Dad!" She returned to the living room. "Mom, do you know of a pony named Trenderhoof?"

Upper Crust raised her brow. "Do I? Darling, I know everypony in town. Of course I know who Trenderhoof is." Her upper lip curled as she said in a cautiously disapproving tone, "Please don't tell me you're—"

"No!" she quickly interrupted, waving her hooves. "Celestia, no! I just ran into him. Or, rather, he ran into me." She paused. "Or maybe he was stalking me."

"Darling, you're rambling. Please do get to the point." Her attention started to return to the magazine, though one ear was still facing her.

"Right." She sighed. "So, this Trenderhoof fellow asked me to ask you to get him an invitation to the Canterlot garden party this year."

Upper Crust flinched. Her head slowly turned in a jerky motion like a poorly oiled joint. "He—wants—what?"

"An invitation," Crystal replied flatly and braced herself.

"He wants an invitation?" Her voice raised and her eyes narrowed. "To our prestigious, elite event for the prestigious and elite? Does he believe that just because it is not the Gala and our tickets are not gold that he can just waltz his way in?! What a pompous, self-involved as—"

"Dear!" Jet Set interrupted from the kitchen doorway. "Your manners are slipping."

Just like that, Upper Crust's calm expression snapped back into place. "Oh, my." She coughed. "Well, I suppose if he went to the trouble to ask you, then I can consider it."

A small smile crept onto Crystal's lips. She did her best to not break out into laughter. Instead, she just shook her head and allowed a small chuckle.

She jumped a few inches off the ground when a series of quick knocks rapped against the front door. "Oh!" She turned. "I'll get it!" Her magic pulled the door open to reveal a stallion, wearing the traditional frock of a mailpony, standing on their doorstep.

"He—Hello!" the stallion said cheerfully despite his light stutter.

She blinked a few times before she smiled. "Good evening."

He held out an envelope. "I have a letter here for a Miss Crystal Wishes."

"That would be me!" She took it from him, then paused. Curiosity nagged her to say, "The mail isn't usually delivered this late."

"Well, we mailponies can't make every delivery during the day, can we?" He grinned and lowered his head. "Actually, I'm just filling in for a friend, and I prefer the night."

Crystal's gaze flickered to the envelope her magic held and she gasped. "Wait, this is from Ponyville?! I bet it's from Horsey!" She flashed a brief smile at the mailpony. "Thanks, but I have to read this right away!"

"Oh, that's fi—" The door slammed shut.

Crystal bounced around in a small circle as she tore the envelope open. "It's Horsey! It's Horsey!"

"Dinner is ready, darling. The letter will still be here, but your food will get cold without you." Upper Crust and Jet Set were already at the table and waiting patiently. "Your father made this just for you, after all."

"But—" She interrupted herself with a whine, trotting in place before she set the letter on the coffee table. "Okay, okay, I'm coming." She hurried into her seat, then took a moment to collect herself. Prim and proper, just as her mother wanted it, or else she'd just have to hear another lecture.

Although she calmly twirled the noodles around her fork and ate with grace, her gaze was fixated on the corner of the folded parchment peeking out from where she had torn its envelope. She didn't even hear the words her parents spoke in their casual conversation.

It had been a few days since Horsey left and this was the first letter. The letter which would determine if she and Velvet had to storm Ponyville to rescue their friend or celebrate her liberation. The letter which was sitting in the other room, its contents unread, Horsey's fate unknown.

Jet Set cleared his throat, bringing her attention to him. "I do say, it might be nice to hear a little Ponyville news over dinner, don't you think, dear?"

Upper Crust sighed. "As long as it doesn't turn into mere country drivel."

Crystal lit up so brightly that she barely even heard her mother as Jet Set's magic carried the letter to her. She tossed aside the envelope and held its contents in her hooves, which trembled in anticipation.

"Dear Crystal and Velvet," she read aloud. "I'm sorry it's taken me this long to write to you. Oh, she better be sorry!" She giggled. "I've started working at Savoir Fare's restaurant already. He's letting me stay with him until the Mayor finds a place for me to live. Mayor Mare is awfully nice."

"How scandalous," Upper Crust said with an indignant huff. "Staying with a stallion not of blood or marriage!"

"Mom, I'm sure there's nothing going on." She shot her mother a quick glare, then smiled. "I think it's cool that she knows the mayor!"

"I'm sure everypony knows the mayor in such small-town living, darling."

Crystal groaned before she continued, "When I arrived in town, a pony named Pinkie Pie threw me a welcoming party. Everypony in town came! I've never felt so welcomed in my life. No offense." This elicited another giggle. "I hope you two can come visit soon. I've already made friends that I want to meet my best friends. Always yours, Horsey."

Jet Set clapped his hooves together. "Wonderful news, then! Your little friend is enjoying her new little home."

"Yeah." Crystal rubbed at her eyes and set the letter down, resuming her meal with a bright smile she couldn't calm. "She deserves it. I'll have to talk to Velvet tomorrow and figure out when we can go see her."

"Tomorrow?" Upper Crust nearly choked on a piece of broccoli. "Darling, tomorrow you're supposed to start finishing school."

"Oh. About that." Crystal twirled her fork, then winced as she braced for the impact that was sure to follow what she said next. "I don't think I'm going to go to finishing school this summer."

At first, there was no response. The only sound that broke the tense silence was the clink of Upper Crust's fork falling onto her plate. Her mother stared at her with wide eyes.

Crystal tried not to look directly at her. "I know all the material, Mom. You've been training me my whole life on proper manners for living in Canterlot. And I'm sort of going to start writing for a magazine, maybe, if I'm lucky, so I'll need all the time I can get to focus on that."

Jet Set continued to quietly eat, leaving the matter to the mares. Upper Crust kept staring before she stuttered, "But, you, I—I—"

Crystal couldn't resist. She fought every urge not to grin. "Stammering, mother."

"Darling, you cannot simply drop out of social graces!"

"It's not dropping out if I don't go at all, though, is it?" She swallowed and finally met her mother's piercing gaze. "Mom, writing is really important to me."

Upper Crust went quiet again. Her expression was one of desperation before she made a small, frightening sound. It was a quick, short chuckle. Crystal's heart sank when she heard it.

"All right, darling." Her mother lifted the fork back up and looked down at her plate with a self-satisfied smile. "But only if you agree to attend the garden party with us." She smiled wider. "After all, your manners are surely refined enough for such an event, aren't they?"

Crystal bristled at the mere idea of attending the garden party. Spending time with the snobbiest of snobs, enduring their pointless conversations, having to smile for hours on end—just thinking about it made finishing school suddenly seem like a much more likable option.

She relented, however, with a hesitant nod. "Of course, Mother."

This seemed to please Upper Crust far more than Crystal wanted. She even lightly tilted her head from side to side in a subtle victory dance. Nothing good ever came from her mother doing such a dance, and she was certain that this one was no exception.

The Step Forward

"Crystal, oh my gosh!" Velvet exclaimed as she threw open the door just after Crystal knocked on it, not even giving her a moment to speak. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! I got the letter!"

Crystal smiled, then frowned. "Wait, what? But she addressed the letter I got to both of us. She sent you one, too?"

"Huh?" Velvet blinked. "What? No." She grabbed Crystal's foreleg and practically dragged her inside. "Come on in already!"

"Okay, okay!" She laughed and walked over to sit on a pillow by the coffee table. "What letter did you get?"

Velvet stared at her with a blank expression. Crystal stared back, her brow starting to furrow. Velvet made a slow gesture, as if trying to physically pull the answer out of her.

Finally, Crystal's eyes lit up and she exclaimed, "Oh! Wait, you mean, the letter? From Mares Monthly? Already?!" Her hooves flung to smother a startled squeal. "Oh my gosh, what did they say?! What did they say?!"

Velvet pointed at the letter sitting on the table, all the while grinning nearly from ear to ear.

Crystal turned her head to read it, mumbling under her breath, "Dear Miss Step—we are writing—reviewed the samples—" Her tone rose higher and higher as she continued. "—pleased to write that we would like to interview your client?!" She jumped up and started to bounce around in a circle. "Oh my gosh, Velvet! You did it!" She threw her forelegs around Velvet's neck and hugged her tight.

"Don't get too excited just yet!" Velvet chided as she squirmed against the embrace, though she was still grinning. "You're on your own from here, my esteemed client. You've got to nail that interview first."

"An interview!" Crystal let go of her and turned to look at the letter again. "It says I can drop by their office in Manehattan at my convenience. Well, that's convenient." She settled down onto the pillow, hooking the crook of her foreleg over her muzzle, clenching her eyes shut. "Okay, okay, we can take the direct train to Ponyville, then you head back to Canterlot and I'll take the overnight train to Manehattan. I'll have plenty of time to be back before the garden party."

Velvet sat behind her on the same pillow and leaned backwards to rest against Crystal, back to back. "I thought you didn't go to those?"

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I don't want to talk about that. What I do want to talk about, however, is the letter I received."

"Oh, yeah, you mentioned that." She paused, then gasped. "Wait, did you get a letter from Horsey?!"

"Yup!" Crystal puffed her chest. "She's doing really well, it seems. Somepony threw her a welcoming party. Already made friends." She sighed wistfully. "Our little Horsey's all grown up." She inclined her head to peer back at Velvet out of the corner of one eye. "She wants us to come meet her new friends in Ponyville."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Velvet got up onto all fours. "Let's pack your things and get on that train!"

♡

After arriving in Ponyville and getting directions to Savoir Fare's restaurant, Crystal and Velvet walked with their noses in the air. They both wore one of Upper Crust's most ridiculous hats and oversized sunglasses, and they did their very best to not giggle or grin.

"I do say," Crystal said in her best Canterlot elite impression, her voice airy and hollow. "Shall we stop in here for a nip, darling?"

"Yes, this little eatery will do just fine." Velvet straightened her glasses, which were ridiculously big on her.

Crystal set their luggage down beside one of the tables and poked at the pile of hay serving as a makeshift chair. "Oh, my, how—rustic."

Velvet sat down and clapped her hooves, chortling like a goose. "My dear, I believe we are roughing it! How quaint!"

An earth stallion walked out of the restaurant and over to them. He had his blue mane slicked back with what they could only imagine was several hooffuls of styling gel.

"Oh my gosh," Crystal whispered, raising a menu to hide her face, "he looks exactly like Hors D'oeuvre. Do you think—"

"Bonjour, mademoiselles. My name is Savoir Fare. May I start you off with a drink?"

Velvet glanced up from her menu. "Why, I say, do you happen to have cucumber water in this charming little town of yours?"

Savoir Fare raised one brow. "Mademoiselle, you must be from Canterlot." He offered a polite smile. "Oui, of course. We have the cucumber water here in our—'charming little town'."

Crystal tapped her hoof on the table. "Cucumber water for me as well, darling."

"Oui. A waitress will be out shortly with your drinks." He turned and walked back into the building.

Once they were sure he was out of earshot, they whispered quickly back and forth.

"Oh my gosh, do you think Horsey and he—" Velvet covered her mouth with a hoof.

"No—Do you?!" Crystal lowered her sunglasses to peer over them.

Velvet only gasped. A few moments later, Horsey walked out the doors, carrying a silver platter. She set a glass of water with cucumber slices in front of Velvet and said, "Here you go, Velvet."

"Why thank y—aww!" Velvet pouted.

"And here you go, Crystal."

"Aww, come on!" Crystal snatched the sunglasses from her snout and looked up at Horsey with a puppy dog pout. "Couldn't you at least pretend that you didn't know who we were?"

Horsey broke out into a sheepish grin. "I could hear both of you all the way in there. It's only been a week! Do you girls really think I'd forget your voices?" She glanced down, then back up at them, her grin widening. "Or, y'know, your cutie marks?"

Both mares looked down at their own flanks.

"That's a good point," Velvet muttered. "I was having fun being all snobby, though."

Crystal sighed and pulled her glass closer. "You were a wonderful snob, Velvet." There was a brief pause before both of them looked at Horsey with bright smiles.

Horsey lit up with her own, even brighter smile. She set the tray on the table and hugged both of them. "Oh, Celestia, I'm so happy to see you two! I have to introduce you to everypony. How long are you staying?"

Velvet shrugged. "I can stay the night, but we gotta get Crystal on a train to Manehattan today."

"Manehattan?" Horsey blinked and looked at Crystal. "Why are you going there in such a hurry?"

Crystal twiddled her hooves. “Well, you see, I have an interview with somepony from Mares Monthly."

"Oh my gosh!" Horsey glanced over her shoulder, back at them, then ran into the restaurant. She came back out a few minutes later, no longer wearing a serving apron, just as Crystal and Velvet were becoming concerned. "Okay, we just have to go to Carousel Couture. If you've got an interview, then you'll need to look your best. We can talk once we get there!"

♡

Crystal stood on a platform while the boutique's owner, Rarity, stared at her with a discriminating gaze. "So," she started, but was promptly shushed.

"You simply mustn't move an inch!" Rarity insisted while she rubbed her chin. "I’m creating the most impressive look I can so that your fashion alone will stun the interviewer into giving you that writing job!"

Horsey and Velvet were doing their best to not giggle, but a few sneaked out around their smothering hooves. Crystal stood as still as she could while Rarity's magic tossed various articles of clothing around, holding them up to Crystal and throwing them aside.

"No—no—no—perhaps!" Rarity gasped. "Perhaps indeed! What do you think of this, girls?" She twirled around to look at the other two. "Serious, but chic? Professional, but feminine?"

They immediately put on cool, calm expressions.

"Definitely serious," Velvet said, nodding.

"But still very feminine," Horsey agreed.

A single, simple pink scarf hovered in front of Crystal's neck. Rarity smiled wider. "Yes, yes, it's perfect, isn't it? Not too flashy at all!" She turned back to Crystal. "Now, what ever shall we do with your coiffure?" She moved a hoof in a circle to gesture at the whole of Crystal's head. "This simply won't do, you know. Such bold and colorful fashion went out years ago." She paused to look at each of them individually. "Oh, no offense intended, of course. I went through the phase myself."

"She looks really nice with her mane down," Velvet offered. "And she used to do this cute little braid when she was a filly!"

"Huh?" Crystal tilted her head. "Hmm."

She removed the scrunchie and her mane fell from the side ponytail down to her shoulders. A few locks lifted in her magic's glow and started to weave into two carefully orchestrated braids, ensuring that all the pink tresses were pulled in. The separate strands parted around her left ear in the shape of a heart and met back behind her head to form into a single, combined braid.

Crystal looked back at them. "Like this?"

"Ooh!" Rarity clapped her hooves. "How cute!" Her voice lowered while her hoof raised to rub her chin again. "I'll have to remember that little trick. It could come in handy with my next fashion line." She paused when she felt all their eyes on her and laughed nervously. "I mean, is that all, darlings?"

Crystal looked over at Horsey and Velvet with one brow raised. They shrugged, and she nodded.

"Wonderful! The scarf will be seven bits, if you please."

After paying and leaving the boutique, Crystal looked down at the pink scarf tied around her neck. "We just spent a half hour so I could walk out with—with a scarf?"

Horsey grinned sheepishly, her magic carrying their luggage. "She's the best designer in Ponyville, and it does look really cute on you."

Velvet bounced with each step she took. "Since the mane was my suggestion, does that make me a designer, too?"

"Let's not waste any more time," Crystal diverted, giggling. "I have two hours before I need to be at the train station. You still haven't introduced us to your new friends!"

At the first house they visited, a little pink filly answered the door.

"Hi Horsey!" the filly exclaimed, then looked at Crystal and Velvet with wide eyes. "Ooh. Pretty mares!"

The two giggled while Horsey explained, "These are my friends from Canterlot."

"Oh, okay! My name is Piña Colada!"

Crystal glanced at Horsey curiously, who shook her head, halting any questions.

"Is your sister around?" Horsey looked over the filly to peer into the house. "I was hoping to—"

"Here!" a slurred voice came from elsewhere inside the house before a plum-colored mare stumbled into view. "I'm here, yeah." She smiled. "'Sup?"

Horsey smothered a playful grin. "Berry, aren't you hitting the bottle a little early?"

"Pfft." The mare dismissed her with a vague wave of her hoof. "Ha ha, very funny. Thanks a lot for the great first impression with your friends." She turned her gaze toward Crystal and Velvet, her cadence unmistakably drunk. "I'm Berry Punch. It's nice to meet ya."

"And these are the girls I told you about from Canterlot, Berry." Horsey patted Piña Colada on the head, smiled at Berry, and waved. "Anyway, we've got to get around town before Crystal has to leave, but I'll see you later!"

As they walked away, Horsey explained in a quiet voice, "She makes wine for a living and has a speech impediment, so it seems like she's dipping into the goods, if you know what I mean."

"Oh," Velvet started, her ears drooping. "Now I feel like a jerk for giggling."

Horsey shook her head. "It's okay. She makes fun of herself more than any of us. She came up with her own nickname, too—Pinot Noir."

They made a circuit around town, Horsey introducing them to three more mares once she tracked them down: Cloud Kicker, Sassaflash, and Golden Harvest.

As they started toward the train station, Crystal sighed. "All of your friends seem really nice," she said, smiling at Horsey. "So I guess you're here to stay?"

"Yeah." Horsey looked down at the ground. "Life here is just so much better than in Canterlot."

"I'm glad." Velvet nuzzled her cheek against Horsey's.

Horsey turned her head to smile at Velvet, then at Crystal. "You both are still my best friends no matter what. And Crystal, I'll have my hooves crossed for your interview!" Her smile widened. "That's so exciting!"

"And nerve-wracking," Crystal mumbled. "I've never done an interview before."

"Don't worry about it." Horsey nodded and stopped to set down Crystal's luggage once they were at the station. "I mean, your talent is writing, so it's not like you can be bad at it. You're kind of guaranteed to succeed, right?"

Crystal glanced at her cutie mark, frowning playfully. "I certainly hope so, otherwise I'm lodging a complaint against Celestia."

The three girls laughed and exchanged hugs. Once the train arrived, there was another round of hugs and well-wishing, then Crystal stepped on and took a seat. She waved at them through the window, smiling when they waved back.

This was it. This train was going to take her all the way to Manehattan and there was no turning back. Well, of course, she could bail and just not go to the interview, but how could she do that after Velvet worked to get it for her? She drew her hoof across her chest, muttering the foalhood sing-song promise under her breath. No matter what, she was going to make Velvet's efforts worth it.

Gateway to the Future

The city of Manehattan was overwhelming. It made up for what it lacked in Canterlot's splendor with imposing buildings that reached into the sky. Crystal guessed that inattentive pegasi were at risk of crashing through windows with the buildings being as tall as mountains. She gazed up at the towers of glass that glittered in the midday sun.

"Move it or lose it, lady!" a gruff voice said. The stallion brushed past her, his shoulder hitting hers a little harder than necessary.

Crystal blinked and her focus fell from the skyscrapers to the crowd she was in. A moment ago, the sidewalk only had a few ponies on it, but now it was like a river full of confused but determined salmon going up and downstream. Her ears pinned back as she tried to wriggle herself into the flow heading further into Manehattan.

"Excuse me!" she called above the noise of hoofsteps and grumbling ponies. "Excuse me! Could somepony tell me where Eminence Tower is?"

A mare beside her snorted. "Really?"

Crystal looked at her with the most innocent eyes. "Really!"

The mare raised a hoof and pointed. Crystal's gaze followed the direction to see the exceptionally tall building in the center of the town. A golden stallion's bust was perched at the very top of the tower, overlooking its domain with extreme indifference.

"Oh." Crystal blinked. "The super tall one, got it. Thanks!"

Now with her destination clear, she navigated through the busy streets, eventually breaking out of the stream and landing on the steps leading up to the tower.

She looked up at the double glass doors. Hesitation halted her and she gulped, her ears drooping as her confidence faltered. So many fears ran through her mind all at once: flubbing the interview, not being as strong of a writer as she thought she was, or sneezing right on the interviewer. She took a moment to swallow her worries then, holding her head high, strode up to the doors.

The lobby was absolutely stunning. Considering all of the harsh metal and glass with which the buildings of Manehattan were constructed, she felt like she had just been transported somewhere else. The floors were marble and a luxuriously soft, red carpet guided her from the door to the front desk. There was no steel or silvery metal visible; instead, anywhere metal was necessary to be shown, it was either gold-plated or pure gold. She was no expert in such things, so to her it all seemed to be the real deal.

"Hello," the mare said from behind the rich, dark mahogany desk without looking up from filing her hooves. "What can I help you with?" Her tone was rather matter-of-fact and it gave Crystal a hesitant pause. A moment later, she glanced up with a frown at the lack of a response. "Yes?"

"I'm here for an interview with Mares Monthly," Crystal said a little too quickly, but the other mare nodded nonetheless.

The receptionist returned her attention to her hoof care. "Floor 63."

"Thank you." Crystal smiled and started over to the marbled stairs with gold railings. She paused just at the bottom of them and inclined her head to look up the tower. From her vantage point in the lobby, she had to guess that the ceiling extended thirty floors up. She stared in awe for a moment longer, then started the long trek up the stairs.

By the time she reached the sixty-third floor, she was out of breath and sore all over. She spied a water cooler resting against a wall and hurried over to it, filled up a small paper cup, and downed it in one go. The cold water refreshed her just enough for her to regain her composure.

"All right," she mumbled and looked around, still somewhat out of breath.

The doors were made out of the same mahogany as the receptionist's desk and one was adorned with gilded lettering that read: "Mares Monthly". Excitement bubbled up in her chest and gave her the extra energy necessary to walk over and inside.

Another bored receptionist sat at the only desk in the room, but at least she looked up to acknowledge Crystal's entrance. "Welcome to Mares Monthly's main office," she said in a tone that was anything but cheerful. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Yes—No—" Crystal bit her lower lip, then quickly scolded herself inwardly. She put on her most confident appearance. "I received a letter to drop by for an interview regarding serial publication in your magazine. I'm Crystal—er, C.W."

"I see." The receptionist gestured at a row of chairs as she stood from her own. "Please take a seat and you'll be called in shortly." She walked into the next room and mumbled something inaudible to somepony before returning to her desk.

Crystal sat in the chair as best she could. It was far from comfortable and there was no way to sit naturally in it at all. She had to dangle her legs off the front, but there was no room to rest her forehooves on the seat, which felt a little immodest, so she draped her tail over her lap.

The quiet, awkward minutes ticked by. She could hear muffled voices on the other side of the wall, but she couldn't make out exactly what they were saying. Finally, a stallion leaned in through the doorway and smiled at her. He had on a collared white shirt and a green tie, though the knot was loosened to hang a few inches from where it should when properly affixed.

"Hello! So glad you could make it!" The stallion waved a hoof and disappeared back into the other room. "Come along!" When his ear twitched at the sound of her following, he continued, "Welcome to the main Mares Monthly office. Here is where we make,"—he spun around and stood on his hindlegs to wave his front ones—"the magic!"

Crystal blinked a few times. "The magic?"

The stallion frowned a little at the lackluster reaction and dropped back down, turning away and walking forward. "You know, the writing, the researching, the printing."

"So, the opposite of magic?" She giggled.

"Well, I suppose as a unicorn, 'the magic' has a whole different meaning to you," he said with a chuckle and shook his head. "It's a figurative but special magic! The magic of making mares happy all over the world." He stopped outside an office. "Come on in."

Crystal glanced around the room. Papers were strewn about and the walls were covered in various charts, articles, and pictures, all thumb-tacked into place. She took a seat in the first chair while he shut the door and sat on the other side of the desk.

"If I remember correctly," he said while he opened, closed, and tossed aside manila folders until he came to one that made him smile. "Your agent reached out to us about having you be a part of our upcoming serial team?"

"Yes, sir." She nodded. "That's correct."

"Sir? Oh! Forgive me." He flashed a smile. "I'm Sunset Coffee. Don't ask why; weird parents." He looked back down at the papers, his gaze skimming over them. "From the notes here, it looks like the reviewer says you clearly have a knack for this sort of thing." Somewhat unceremoniously, he tilted his head to look at her flank. "Not a surprise there, eh?" He winked. "Hard to argue with a cutie mark."

Crystal flushed. "I guess so, Mr. Coffee."

Sunset Coffee laughed wholeheartedly. "Now that's even worse than sir! Just Sunset's fine. It's a little feminine, but Mr. Coffee makes me sound like a coffee maker." He closed the folder. "Anyway, this is more of a formality so I could meet you. I'll be your main contact from here on out."

"My—?" She blinked slowly.

"Main contact. Of course you're going to get the job." He folded his hooves and rested his snout on them. "There're just a few things we need to hammer out, then I'll be waiting for your pitch."

Crystal still hadn't caught up quite yet. "I got the job?"

Sunset paused curiously, then smiled. "You betcha. Like I said, can't argue with a cutie mark. That'd be like denying your destiny, after all!"

She swallowed an excited squeal like a heavy lump in her throat, but allowed a wide smile. "Thank you, Mr. Sunset!"

"Sunset." He squinted. "I'm only a few years older than you, so it's just Sunset."

"Really?" Crystal glanced around his office. "Not that you seem, um, old, exactly, but, well—"

"It's quite all right," he interrupted, the smile back in place. "You're from Canterlot, so it makes you feel younger."

Her brow furrowed. "What does that mean?"

Sunset gestured vaguely in a wide circle. "Here in Manehattan, secondary school is half as long as yours, so we get jobs much sooner. Canterlot keeps ponies in school longer than anywhere else." He stretched his forelegs above his head, then folded them back on the desk. "I don't have your exact age in the profile your agent sent, but it said you'd be finishing your first year, so that'd mean you'd have already graduated here."

Crystal's gaze slowly fell to her lap as she mulled it over. "That's kind of depressing, actually. I feel like I just aged three years."

He chuckled and dismissed her with a wave of his hoof. “Still plenty young enough to start your glamorous career as an author here with Mares Monthly! Now, about those details I mentioned.”

She looked back up at him. “Oh, right, yes.”

“First of all, your representative just wrote down C.W. as your name. I’m fine with keeping things anonymous, but it’s not exactly common to have a pseudonym consisting of only initials. Do you have a family name or something you'd like to use at the end?"

She twiddled her hooves, considering the options very carefully. This was her future she was talking about! She couldn't pick something that she'd end up hating—"Step." She smiled. "C.W. Step."

Sunset picked up his pencil and scribbled down a note. “Mmhm.” He spat the pencil out onto the table. “Where would you like correspondences mailed to?”

“Correspondences?” She tilted her head.

“You know, letters. All of our editors receive regular mail for their articles, and you’re bound to receive fan mail as an author.”

“Fan mail?” The words fell from her lips as if from a foreign language. “Does that really happen?”

Sunset shrugged. "It depends on your popularity." His expression turned suddenly serious. "Do you think you won't be popular?"

Crystal straightened up. She needed to be confident—or at least appear that way. "Of course I will."

He stared at her a moment longer, then laughed. "There's that Canterlot confidence! Don't worry, it's in my best interests to make sure you're popular. Your success is my success now."

"I didn't know that." She pursed her lips in thought and muttered, "Well, I didn't discuss this with her, but I'm sure she'll be fine with it." She nodded in agreement with herself. "For now, I think it'd be best to use my representative's address."

"Sounds good." He made a note of that. "The last question I have for you is regarding timeline. Do you think you'll be able to get a pitch and a draft of the first installment within the next month? Obviously, this month's issue is out of the question, but if you've got a good story from the get-go it might make it into next month's."

Crystal fidgeted somewhat nervously. She had been trying to think of what she was going to write ever since Velvet had first mentioned Mares Monthly, and so far had come up short. Fear started to grip her chest tight that she would continue to not find any inspiration.

"I can try my best, Sunset," she finally said.

"Works for me!" He reached across the desk to offer his hoof. "I'm looking forward to hearing from you, C.W. Just send a letter when you've got a pitch and if it passes, I'll need a draft as soon as possible."

"Absolutely!" She smiled at him, shook his hoof, and started for the door. "Thank you so much for the opportunity!"

Sunset waved from his desk. "Have a safe trip back to Canterlot!"

Crystal nodded. She navigated her way out of the office area, through the Mares Monthly lobby, and to the stairwell. When the door shut behind her, she looked around to ensure she was alone before she bounced in a small circle. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!" She stopped just as suddenly as she began and started the trek down the massive staircase with poise and grace in every step.

She had done it. Velvet had started it, but she was going to finish it. All she had to do was figure out what she was going to write, but her life was finally heading in the direction of her dreams.

♡

The sound of a piano resonated under the current of meandering conversations. Ponies were gathered from the highest rings of Canterlot society, all dressed in their finest garments. The occasional titter or chortle stood out against the velvety tones of the solo pianist's music.

Crystal wasn't sure what plagued her mind more: the plastic smile that she hadn't been allowed to drop for an hour straight, or that her mother had been waiting for her when she got off the train. Upper Crust had likely all but outright interrogated Velvet for her whereabouts, because Crystal sure hadn't told her mother when she was returning. She had planned on spending her spare time before the party with Velvet.

Her mother, of course, had other plans. She endured three days of what was essentially social cram school. In some ways, she understood. They had hosted the Canterlot garden party for two years in a row. Any mishap on her part would knock them off their self-made pedestals. So she just kept smiling—and smiling— and smiling.

Fancy Pants approached her. "I say, Miss Wishes, as always, your parents are quite the perfect party hosts. It must be delightful having their care and expertise guiding you into adulthood." He straightened his monocle. "You are turning quite into the charming mare."

"Quite indeed!" his wife, Lyrica Lilac, agreed with an emphatic, single nod. The others nearby nodded with her.

Crystal smiled. Of course, she was already smiling, but she had to remind herself to continue doing so. "Why, yes, I am quite grateful to my parents, of course."

The nearby mares gave the hollow chortle of geese. Fancy Pants chuckled.

"It's a shame Golden couldn't make it," Crystal continued, her eyelashes fluttering. "I hear her modeling career is doing well."

Fancy Pants's chest swelled with pride. "Why, yes, it is! She's quite busy these days. I'm very proud of her."

"Excuse me," came the sweet and airy voice Crystal dreaded most of all, approaching them from behind her.

Crystal clenched her teeth together. The smile faltered briefly, but thankfully all eyes had turned on her mother. She inclined her head to acknowledge her mother's presence. "Hello, Mother."

"Pardon my intrusion," Upper Crust said in a perfectly apologetic tone. "If I may, I would like to borrow my daughter for a moment."

"Certainly!" Fancy Pants nodded. "Always a pleasure, Miss Wishes."

The other ponies nearby followed him as he walked away to talk to other guests.

Slowly, Upper Crust circled around to Crystal's front. A sly smile was on her lips. "A very important guest has just arrived and I would so very appreciate you greeting him. As is polite, of course."

"Of course." Her ears flicked to pin back against her mane. She forced them forward with some effort while she walked alongside her mother. "Who is this guest, anyway?"

"Why, Prince Blueblood himself, of course."

The Royal Pain

Crystal went weak in the knees at the mere mention of his name. Prince Blueblood! A real live prince! She quickly raised a hoof to her mane to ensure it was still properly styled. Perhaps she could forgive her mother's self-guided actions if she became a princess! A giggle escaped her at the mere idea. For once, she almost wanted to even thank her mother for the opportunity.

As they approached the stallion, she went through a mental checklist. Dress still clean? A glance down confirmed that. Mane in place? She had already checked, but she felt it one more time to be certain. What about the lighting? It was natural sunlight, which was a little trickier to work with, but she tilted and lowered her head at the precise angle and height so that the light sparkled in her eyes without needing to squint. Lastly, how was her voice? There was only one way to find that out!

"Good afternoon, Prince Blueblood," Upper Crust said. Her forelegs curled underneath her as she bowed lower than Crystal previously thought possible. "We are positively honored to have an esteemed guest such as yourself at our garden party."

"Hmm, yes." Prince Blueblood surveyed them with only mild and brief interest.

Crystal bowed with all the grace her trembling knees could muster. She was a mere breath away from royalty! From where she was, she could reach out and touch him.

"This is my daughter, Crystal Wishes." Upper Crust straightened back up and gestured toward her. "I'm afraid I have matters to attend, but I'm sure my daughter can keep you company." As she turned to leave, she looked down at Crystal, her lips curled into a smirk.

Crystal hardly noticed her mother's look, what with her own eyes locked on the prince. She took a step closer to him and her heart began to beat faster. "Is everything to your satisfaction, Your Royal Highness?"

Blueblood lowered his gaze to her. "Is the only thing deemed fit to serve as a beverage that repugnant purple punch I see?" Without waiting for a response, he walked past her. "I'll have sparkling water."

"Of—Of course, sir." She blinked a few times and watched him leave before she broke into a near-canter.

Sparkling water? Where was she going to get that on short notice? She saw one of the castle servants walking across the courtyard. "Hello!" she called out as she hurried to him. "Hello, I'm sorry to bother you, but I am in need of a glass of sparkling water."

The servant raised his brow. "Excuse me, but—"

"It's for Prince Blueblood," she interrupted, a hint of desperation in her voice that she didn't quite intend, but seemed to work in her favor.

"Oh, I see," he said, his own voice tinged with distaste and flashed an exaggerated smile. "Of course. Wait right here."

Crystal tapped one hoof while she waited. The longer she was gone, the more opportunity some other mare had to swipe his attention! "Come on, come on," she muttered under her breath, glancing over her shoulder at the party.

The servant returned with a crystal chalice on a silver platter. The water inside the chalice bubbled happily. "Here you go, madam."

"Thank you ever so much!" She smiled and started to levitate the chalice, one hoof raised to sprint back to the party.

"Oh, no, no, no," the servant half-chided, half-chuckled. "Believe me, you will need the platter."

Crystal glanced between him and the platter, then raised it up from his hooves to hover underneath the chalice. "Oh—thank you."

He bowed his head. "Best of luck, madam." He turned sharply and trotted away.

Suspicion started to bubble around her excitement just like the sparkling water she carried back to the party. She had limited exposure to modern-day royalty despite living in Canterlot. When Princess Celestia addressed the public, she was always calm, cool, and well-spoken. In all honesty, not much was known about Prince Blueblood at all, other than he had a very distant and weak relation to Princess Platinum. He usually remained inside the castle and only attended the annual Gala.

Her heart had regained its normal pace by the time she found Blueblood in the sparse crowd. It was almost funny how different he seemed to her all at once: no longer were his eyes shining with charm, but instead clouded with self-importance, and his good looks dripped with the effort of servants he likely treated with contempt. She wondered if there was anything about him that didn't suddenly turn her stomach.

"Here is your sparkling water, sir," she said, the words rolling off her tongue as feathery as possible. "I hope it is to your liking."

Blueblood's horn lit as he took the chalice from her magical grip, along with the platter, which he turned on its side and raised to his eye level. As he sipped, he gazed at his reflection, a smile curling his lips. "It is quite—" He inclined his head one way, then another. "—refreshing."

Crystal swallowed a snide remark that almost got away from her. "Are you enjoying yourself, sir?"

The smile fell and he rolled his eyes. "Please, this event may be considered second to the Gala, but it is far from it." He took his gaze off his mirror-self long enough to survey the surroundings. He paused at the sight of the solo pianist providing the music for the evening. "What in Equestria is she doing?"

She looked over at the stage as well. The pegasus mare in front of the piano wore an elegant silver gown that contrasted with her black coat, her white mane tied up an intricate series of curls. Her looks were one thing, but the truly eye-catching part was that her hooves rested neatly in her lap while the tips of her primary flight feathers danced across the ivory-colored keys in almost impossible ways.

A sincere smile finally graced Crystal's tired face. "Oh, my mother found her. Her name is Musical Dreams, I believe. The way she plays is amazing, is it not?"

"I have never seen anything like it." His gaze flickered away from both the pianist and Crystal. "I wonder if she will play at the Gala! I will have to ask Aunt Celestia." Without seeming to remember she was even there, he started to walk away. "To have her talent showcased at this little gathering is quite a waste."

Crystal's smile twitched. Not even so much as a nod in her direction? A new emotion rumbled in her chest: irritation. Before it could boil to the point of saying something, her mother was by her side.

"He's leaving already, darling?" Upper Crust asked, watching the retreating stallion. "My, you really do need to go to finishing school, it seems."

The temperature escalated and it was all she could do to not yell the words she muttered through clenched teeth. "Mother, dear, perhaps you should have spent a little more time with him." Her brow knit, her lips pursed, and her eyes narrowed as she glared daggers at her mother. "He's an insufferable louse that even you wouldn't be able to stand for the sake of marrying into royalty."

Upper Crust gasped. Her mouth opened, then quickly shut as she thought better of her retort and instead walked forward. "I'm sure you're being over-critical, darling. I'll set things straight with that fine gentlestallion."

"Gentlestallion, my tail." Crystal rolled her eyes. "My hooves are crossed for your success." She made her way over to the buffet table and poured herself a glass of the supposedly repugnant punch. It was a little too sour for her liking, but it was more refreshing than nothing.

Her ear twitched at a vaguely familiar voice exclaiming her name much too close, but she didn't let her surprise show. She turned her head and smiled politely at Trenderhoof. "Oh, hello."

He returned her smile with a bright, beaming grin. The sincerity was charming. "I cannot thank you enough! This garden party has opened so many doors for me. I might begin my travels as soon as next week!" His muscles tensed and relaxed as excitement visibly coursed through him. "This is the start of my career, thanks to you!"

Crystal giggled and waved a dismissive hoof. "I am certain you would have found your way into this event one way or another." She stilled the hoof to offer it to him. "Nonetheless, congratulations, Trenderhoof. I wish you the best of luck."

In all honesty, she was truly happy for him, but she couldn't show too much excitement. She had to remain calm and cordial. There were far too many wandering eyes nearby just waiting to catch and spread the next juicy gossip, and it wasn't going to involve her.

However, her mother didn't seem to keep that in mind as she stormed across the garden toward them. Crystal was familiar with every practiced expression her mother was capable of maintaining and the one she was wearing was certainly not one of them. Her cheeks were puffed out and her ears were pinned back.

"Go away," Upper Crust practically hissed at Trenderhoof.

He gaped at her in surprise before a glare sent him nearly scurrying away with his tail between his legs. Her eyes turned back to Crystal and at their closeness, she could see tears in the very corners of her mother's eyes.

"I give up. I've tried everything I can to ensure your comfort in life but clearly, I don't know what's best for you!" She struggled to keep her voice low. "I just assumed you spurned that buffoon prince out of spite toward me. I was wrong. He—He—" A shiver ran down her spine. "As always, you were right. Darling—" The irritation in her voice washed away and she set a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Crystal just stared at her, wide-eyed. Around them, the party continued with spurious laughter, gossiping whispers, and gentle piano. However, she could hardly hear any of that, instead putting all of her focus on her mother.

"I just want to be certain that you find the happiness I found in your father," Upper Crust continued, sighing. "Will you at least promise me you will stay away from that swine Blueblood?"

Crystal nodded numbly. When was the last time her mother had been this open with her? No, the better question was: what the hay had Blueblood done to make her mother change her attitude so suddenly?

"That's a good girl." Her hoof moved to cup her daughter's chin and tilted her head up. "Now, smile, darling. Our audience is waiting."

Another emotionless nod of Crystal's head.

Upper Crust patted her chin before she turned and walked toward the nearest group. "My, what a lovely dress! Where ever did you…" Her voice faded into the background.

Crystal's hooves started to move of their own accord in the direction from which Upper Crust had arrived. It wasn't exactly accurate to say she was thinking "he'll pay for making my mother cry," but rather that she simply wanted to find out what he had said to upset her that much.

Finding him, however, proved more difficult than she originally thought. He stood out against the high-class commoners attending, so she should have spotted him easily, but it became apparent to her that he had stepped away from the party entirely. She rolled her eyes. He probably saw something reflective and chased his own handsome face.

While one ear passively listened to the nearby voices, the other swiveled, searching for anything out of the ordinary.

"Bluebie, stop it!" a squealing voice said a little too loudly somewhere to her left, then squeaked and mumbled something else.

Crystal raised one brow and turned her head in the direction of the voice. It was far from the party, located somewhere in the flora-laden part of the garden. Carefully, she walked with the lightest hoofsteps away from the open spaces and onto a narrow path through the bushes and flowers. A giggle jerked her head to the side and she stepped toward it, pushing a branch aside and gasping at what she saw.

Blueblood and a mare she could swear she recognized from somewhere were close. Very close. His muzzle was hardly an inch from hers. They seemed to be much too involved in each other to notice her nearby presence.

"Bluebie, you need to go back," the mare managed between giggles. "They're going to notice you're missing."

Blueblood pulled his head back and rolled his eyes. "Oh, please, those addle-minded gryphonbrains wouldn't notice their own hooves missing." A smile that made Crystal nearly swoon graced his lips. "Are you trying to imply you do not want to spend time with me, Raven?"

Raven. In an instant, Crystal figured out where she knew the mare from: Raven was the personal aide to Princess Celestia herself! Crystal did her very best not to gasp again. She was lucky enough that they didn't hear her the first time.

Raven covered her blushing face with both hooves. "Oh, you. Go back to your party." She dropped her hooves and pushed herself up with her hindlegs to place a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you later—maybe."

He sighed dramatically. He started to walk away, saying over his shoulder, "Maybe indeed."

Crystal watched as Raven's lower lip quivered. The mare dropped down to sit on the ground, her gaze lowering.

"Oh, Raven," she muttered to herself, "what are you going to do?"

Now was the time to make her quiet exit and give the mare some privacy, though curiosity nagged the back of her mind. She took a careful, slow step backward. When Crystal let go of the branch she had held out of the way, it swung forward then back again to snap her in the face. She let out a startled cry, tripped on her dress, and fell to the ground.

Raven almost screamed at the sounds of unexpected company. She scrambled to her hooves and stared at Crystal with horror. "What did you see?!"

Crystal jumped up from her sprawled position. "Perhaps a bit more than I should have, but cross my heart, I won't tell anypony!"

Raven's expression did not remotely suggest belief in a spying stranger.

"I'm so sorry, but I just can't help myself." Crystal took a step forward. "Are you dating Prince Blueblood?!"

Whatever suspicions the mare had were momentarily dismissed by a rush of embarrassment, her cheeks turning bright red and gaze darting about. "I, well, I—"

Crystal stepped closer. "A princess's aide and a prince? It's so romantically avant-garde!" Her words and imagination began to run away with her faster than she could think things completely through. "I've never heard of it before! Is such a relationship even allowed? Do you have to keep it secret?"

Raven blinked a few times, slowly lowering her guard. Finally, she smiled, if a bit sadly. "I suppose I can't convince you it's not what it seems after that, and I think I would feel better if I could finally talk about it with somepony." She twiddled her hooves and continued in an even softer voice, "Yes, I am in a relationship with Prince Blueblood."

"Oh my gosh." Crystal quickly collected some nearby moss together in her magic and lowered herself onto it like a cat upon a silken pillow. "Tell me everything."

Author's Note

If you're wondering "What did Blueblood say?" then I have a special blog post for you called... What Did Blueblood Say? :raritywink:

The Mare's Temptation

The suspicion crept its way back into Raven's eyes and she took a step away from Crystal. Her brow knitted and her eyes narrowed, she asked, "Wait, who even are you?" She shook her head and laughed almost bitterly. "You're just trying to stain Blueblood's good name!"

Crystal pondered the various responses she could give to try to prove herself, but her mouth had a different idea. "What good name?"

Raven gaped at her with wide eyes. Then, her ears fell and she averted her gaze, muttering, "That is a fair point." The fire reignited at another thought and she raised a glare. "So, then, your angle is to defame me? Strip my job away with scandalous gossip?" She stomped a hoof. "What do you want?!"

"A love story," Crystal explained honestly and plainly. "I'm a—well, I'm hoping to become a romance author." She crossed her forelegs over one another. "My parents did not have an inspiring romance. My first three dates have all been disappointments. I simply want to hear and write a true love story."

Raven blinked a few times, seeming taken aback by the explanation. "That's all?" The tension in her expression and shoulders started to ease. Slowly, she settled down on the ground and sighed. "I don't know if this is the true love story you're looking for, Miss—"

"Crystal Wishes."

"Miss Wishes," she continued. "How much do you know about Prince Blueblood?" She stared at Crystal with a sort of cool, almost cold seriousness.

Crystal shifted a little uncomfortably in thought. "Well, to be honest, I only know what little I've gleaned from today." She didn't meet Raven's eyes for fear of her words being offensive. "He seemed narcissistic, boorish, not very highly regarded by a servant I met, and he said something distressing to my mother."

"To your—" Raven's eyes widened. "Oh, dear. Is your mother, by chance, Mrs. Upper Crust?" When Crystal nodded, Raven winced. "Yes, he did say something rather cruel to her."

"Did you hear?" The incessant pull of a mare's heart toward gossip made her ears perk up. "What did he say?"

Raven waved her hooves quickly and dismissively. "Oh, no, I didn't hear what he said, but I saw the look on his face and how she reacted. After so many years of being surrounded by Canterlot elite, he has come to find a—a twisted amusement in making a game out of it."

"A game?" She paused, then slapped her forehead and groaned. "I see. Like making a mare run around to get sparkling water because he refuses the punch?"

Raven offered a weak smile. "Yes, something like that." The smile fell. "But, well, I can only assume your mother hit a nerve and he called her out on her intentions. He is not blessed with patience, among other things."

Crystal nodded as she thought the situation over, then shrugged and settled back into proper posture, forelegs crossed. "Well, she had it coming, so it's fine." Her eagerness sparked once more and lit a smile across her face. "So tell me more about you and the prince!"

The mare's cheeks reddened. "Well, I have been in the castle all my life. My parents are part of the staff, so I was going to end up working there one way or another. I've known him since he and I were both foals, though our paths rarely crossed." Her gaze wandered away from Crystal, growing distant while a nostalgic smile started to form. "He was always busy, you see. He is the first stallion of the original Canterlot bloodline in over fifty generations, so he is special, and his parents made sure he knew that, even if he is only a prince in title."

Raven's smile faded. "Of course, when one is told they are special and treated as such, that mentality takes root in their heart and grows like a weed. He was rude to everypony, including his own parents, and he brought many mares to his chambers when he was of age to be interested in that sort of thing.

"I hated him. In the beginning, anyway. I worked hard every day to make my parents proud while he trotted through the halls, ensuring nopony forgot how 'special' he was." She rolled her eyes, her tone somewhat bitter. "And he sensed that, so he always singled me out for teasing. When Princess Celestia made me her personal aide, he was there, laughing and making fun of me." She continued in a mockery of his voice, "'Her? Your personal aide? Why, Princess, she can hardly see past her own hooves without those ridiculous glasses!'"

Anger overtook the mock tone and she looked directly at Crystal. "What do my glasses have to do with being an aide, huh?! Ugh!" She shook her head as she settled back into a calmer mood. "Because I was always with Princess Celestia, that meant spending more time with him, too. I don't know when it happened, but I started to not mind his teasing as much. In hindsight, I should have realized it sooner, but—" Slowly, she smiled. "I was falling for him."

Crystal stared at her with glimmering eyes and a big grin, waiting for her to continue. When she didn't, she pressed, "And? And?"

The smile dropped. "And what? We see each other in secret. Sometimes I feel like he might propose, right then and there, and other times I just feel like a toy for his amusement." She turned her head away and sighed. "Since we started this confusing relationship, I haven’t been with another stallion, but I don't know if I’m his only mare. Yet something about him keeps my heart in his hooves despite my better judgment. I could focus on my career and stay by Princess Celestia's side until I grow too old to see even with glasses, but I look at him and I want something more. He's my temptation from the right path, I suppose."

Crystal was silent, and Raven said nothing further. She bit her lower lip as she waited for more and, finally, she mumbled, "Have you, well, asked him?"

"What?" Raven frowned at her.

"You know, had a chat with him about your relationship." She waved her hoof in a circle. "Talked about your feelings, figure out what you both want. You might be surprised." Her mouth wriggled. She tried to keep it pursed while her lips threatened to curve into a playful smile. "After all, you may not have noticed it, but I saw the way he looked at you."

The flush from before returned twofold and her cheeks were bright red. "You think so?" She fidgeted nervously and looked at the trees, in the direction of the party. "No. I mean—no."

Crystal shrugged. She stood up, stretched all of her legs, then shook out the moss in her mane and tail before she smiled down at Raven. "Well, nonetheless, I'd like to write a happy ending for your story. I'll change the names and situations enough that it shouldn't point to you, of course, and I'll send you the draft that I'll be sending to Mares Monthly for your approval."

Raven, still recovering from her embarrassment, nodded meekly. "Yes, thank you. I would really rather not have that kind of attention if you wrote about me specifically."

"Then it's a deal! I'll call it—" She paused, rubbing her chin, thinking on as much of Raven's exact words as she could. "The Mare's Temptation." She grinned. "Oh, I like that!" Pride and excitement in every step, she practically pranced her way back to the party. "I wish you the best of luck, Raven! And I'll be in touch with you soon!"

♡

Crystal's pitch was prepared and in Sunset's hooves. She had her pink scarf tied around her neck and her heart-shaped braid in place. Already both simple things—a scarf and a braid—were becoming good luck charms in the superstitious part of her mind, and she wasn't going to risk blowing this opportunity just to spite herself.

She sat as still as she could, watching his gaze sweep across the pages. After the garden party, it was as though a muse had taken residence in her mind and sang an inspirational aria long into the night. The pitch was no problem; it only had to be of the highest level detail, after all. It took her only about an hour to figure out and write down the characters and plot. She even drafted a first chapter, which Raven had approved with surprisingly emphatic glee.

While a clock ticked off every second of unnerving silence that passed, Crystal tried to calm herself by thinking of the mare. Raven had agreed that, if The Mare's Temptation was going to move forward, she would be given a brief tour of the castle to ensure it was properly represented. More than that, she also offered to give advice for portraying the main characters, Sable and Prince Highborn, in a manner befitting of a castle servant and a prince. She would be lying if she said she wasn't totally giddy at the opportunity.

Her mind flew back to her current situation in an instant when Sunset finished the last page and looked up at her. She tried to smile.

"This—" He stopped.

Her smile wavered. "Yes?"

Sunset stared at her a moment longer, then dropped his gaze to the papers. "I'm not a mare, so I can't speak for them, but I do a lot of research in mares' interests. Of course. Kind of a requirement when you work for Mares Monthly, eh?" He chuckled.

Although his tendency to ramble was amusing most of the time, right then, it was just making her sweat. Was he stalling? "Of course," she said, her voice cracking with nerves.

"What I'm trying to get at is I'm no expert, but I know a lot about what mares like, and this—this—" He finally looked back up at her, his smile making her heart race faster. "It's going to be an absolute hit!"

"Oh my gosh," she said quickly as she released her held breath. "You scared me, Sunset!" She giggled. "Couldn't you have said that a little faster?"

Sunset sputtered and waved a dismissive hoof. "Oh, pfft! What, I can't have a little fun?" He leaned to the side to holler out his office door, "Paper Pusher!"

A young stallion bounded into the room, his eyes glittering with an eagerness to please. "Yes, boss?"

Sunset held out the papers Crystal had given him. "Take these to Kahuna and tell her it's got my approval."

"Right away, boss!" Paper Pusher rolled up the papers and stuck them into his saddlebag, then bounded back out.

Sunset crossed his forelegs on the desk and returned his attention to her, his expression growing serious. "So now that you've got a pitch that I'm sure my boss will approve, it's time to talk about a contract. First thing's first!"

Most of what he discussed went over her head. She understood the basic gist and that the most important thing he stressed was that by working with Mares Monthly, she wasn't allowed to publish under the name C.W. Step with another magazine. The second important thing noted was that if she missed a deadline, The Mare's Temptation would move further to the back of the magazine with each overdue installment until it was dropped completely.

Finally, he slid the contract across his desk toward her. "It's up to you now, C.W. Please put your residence here, and print and sign your full name here." He gestured to lines on the parchment as he spoke. "You can still back out and take your pitch elsewhere. If you decide to join up with us and your story is a hit, we are partnered with a book publisher for this project. They're looking to bring more mare-targeted stories to market, you see."

Crystal's eyes widened. "Do you mean to say there is a chance I could go to a bookstore and see my own story on the shelves?!"

Sunset grinned and tapped on the contract, winking. "There is if you sign."

The quill lifted, held by pink magic, and danced across the paper while Crystal nodded. "I'm in."

"Great to hear, Miss—" He paused to read her name off the contract, then smiled up at her and offered a hoof over the table. "Miss Wishes! Welcome aboard!"

"Crystal's fine, Sunset." She took his hoof in her own. "Miss Wishes makes me sound old." There was a pause before the both of them laughed and she continued, "Though honestly, I will be getting quite the workout from now on whenever I have to come to your office."

Sunset's smile didn't waver, but his tone inflected with curiosity. "Why is that?"

"Those stairs!" Crystal put a hoof to her forehead, feigning a dramatic sigh. "The first time I went up them I thought I might die!"

"The stairs?" His smile fell.

Her smile fell, too. "Yes. You know, the stairs leading up to this floor. There are so many that I'm honestly surprised you could forget them."

Sunset said nothing, instead quietly standing up and walking around his desk. He motioned for her to follow and walked out of his office, out of the main area, and out of the Mares Monthly suite. Crystal followed behind him with concern and confusion pounding in her chest. Finally, he stood outside two gilded doors.

"And these are?" she inquired quietly, almost afraid of the answer.

"Doors to the elevator." He finally broke out into laughter. "You really don't know what an elevator is? Good grief!" He pressed a button, which lit up happily. "Have a nice day, Miss Wishes! Work on that draft. If my boss doesn't approve it, I'll make her. I'll send word by courier if there are any issues. For now, let your inspiration flow freely on paper!"

A small ding! resounded, catching her attention and drawing her eyes from Sunset to the mysterious elevator. Crystal hardly heard the rest of his goodbye, awestruck by what lay beyond those shiny golden doors.

Ups and Downs

"—and beyond the doors was this little room that was as glamorous as the rest of the building!" Crystal waved her forelegs dramatically in a wide arch. "There was a bench against the back wall that had the most comfortable pillows. And there was a chandelier hanging from the ceiling!"

Crystal gestured toward the ceiling and swept her hooves in the shape of an hourglass figure. "But the most amazing part of all was that when the door closed"—she brought her hooves together—"there was a unicorn inside who moved the room down the building!" With a sigh, she hooked one hoof over the other and rested her chin on them. "I don't know how somepony so powerful could be stuck in a tiny room all day."

Velvet was doing her very best to not laugh, but her cheeks were puffed and a hoof was pressed to her mouth to keep it shut. Her eyes watered from the pressure building within until she toppled over backward, laughing hysterically. "Oh—my—Celestia! Are you—serious?!" she managed between gasps for air and bouts of laughter.

Crystal pouted, her forelegs dropping to her lap. "What? It was totally awesome!" She paused as a thought hit her and her eyes widened. "Hey, wait, you used to live in Manehattan, right? Why did you never tell me about elevators before?!"

Velvet rolled onto her side and hugged her aching stomach. "Crystal!" She gasped for air. "Crystal, elevators—Oh my gosh." Her frame trembling, she propped herself up with the crook of her foreleg and grinned. "Would you talk about stairs?"

Her brow furrowed. "No."

"Exactly! Elevators are everywhere in Manehattan." She had to pause periodically to allow fits of giggles to escape. "I mean, what, do you expect me to have said, 'Oh, Crystal, darling, this two-story building is in dire need of a faster, expensive, more complex mode of travel'?" She shook her head. "You really have never heard of an elevator before?"

The pout returned and she looked down at her hooves, which she drew across the carpet in small, wobbly circles. "Well, no. I've not traveled much, and, well, no."

A giggle erupted into a full-blown laugh. "Okay, I'm no expert or anything, but the elevator operator isn't as powerful as you think." She paused to wipe the tears from her eyes. "It's kind of like, you know, a scale?"

Velvet gestured the idea with her hooves, raising one and lowering the other, then continued, "It's a system of cables, pulleys, and weights that make the elevator go up or down." She shrugged and lowered her hooves back down to rest on her pillow. "I mean, there's a lot more to it than that, but that's the basic idea anyway."

Crystal took a moment to consider the new information. Her ears slowly fell to the sides. "So it's not totally amazing?"

Velvet grinned and shook her head. "Not really. Not to me, anyway. We earth ponies are pretty creative, don't you think? There's a lever to trigger the system that anypony like you or I can use, so an operator isn't necessary at all, but the bigger buildings like Eminence Tower can afford to employ them, so they do."

Crystal grumbled to herself, a little embarrassed, but the feeling was overtaken by a gleeful grin. "Anyway, I signed the contract!"

With all of her time being eaten up by travel, the garden party, and writing, the two hadn't yet had time to chat, and Crystal was nearly dying to share everything that had happened.

Velvet matched her enthusiasm in an instant. "It's official?!"

"Yup!" Crystal puffed out her chest with pride. "C.W. Step is on her way to the bestsellers' list!"

This gave Velvet a startled pause. Her head tilted one way, then the other. "C.W. Step?" she asked somewhat cautiously.

"Oh, right." Crystal grinned. She looked up at the ceiling and rubbed the back of her neck. "You don't know about that. So, I had to make some decisions while I was there. Sunset said—"

"Wait, what?" Velvet interrupted. She leaned in closer, grinning and wiggling her ears. "Who's Sunset? Is he cute?"

"Pfft—no." Crystal swatted a hoof at her. "He's my—agent? Boss? Helping hoof? I'm not sure what he is, exactly, but no. Focus, would you?" She smiled. "Anyway, Sunset said I needed a last name for my pseudonym."

The grin faded into a trembling smile, her voice becoming equally soft. "So you picked—"

"—a name I knew that I'd never hate," Crystal finished with the returned favor of interruption.

They stared at one another for a moment, Velvet's lower lip quivering before she threw her hooves to her face. "Oh my gosh, Crystal, that—you—" She sniffed and mumbled, "I—Thank you."

Crystal smiled, though it slowly curled into a grin. "You've always been there for me, so this is my way of ensuring you never leave me!"

Velvet laughed. "Way to ruin the moment!" She sniffed again, rubbed at her eyes, then leaned forward to hug her. "Like there's a chance I'd leave my best friend in all of Equestria, anyway."

"Mmhm. Exactly as I planned." Crystal gave a playful cackle before she fully returned the hug. "So how are your ballet lessons going?"

"Well, about that." Velvet pulled away to reveal a sheepish expression on her face, not quite meeting Crystal's gaze. "I may be dropping out."

Crystal gaped at her. "What? Why?!"

"The Canterlot Ballet is hosting auditions next week. If I get in, then I won't need lessons anymore, or, well, school." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Horsey's decision really got me thinking, you know? I know what I want to do—no, I know what I love to do, and I'd already be graduated if I were still in Manehattan, so why am I wasting time here?"

"Because you said you wanted to enjoy having friends and free time," Crystal offered quietly.

Velvet shrugged. "I had a great year, and I don't have any regrets, but when I saw the flyers for the Canterlot Ballet I got way more excited about that than all the bowling nights and dance parties combined." She smiled and shook her head, asking with a playful hint of sarcasm in her voice, "I mean, you're not going to try to pursue your writing career and still go to school, are you?"

It was Crystal's turn to not meet Velvet's gaze. She bit her lip and looked anywhere but at Velvet. "I don't really have that freedom. My parents finished Canterlot Academy. So did their parents, and—We may not always get along, but I'm not ready to burn that bridge, I guess."

"Oh." Velvet snapped her mouth shut, blinked a few times, and hesitated. Finally, she smiled. "Well, if that's really what's important to you."

The words sunk into Crystal's mind like stones into a lake. They settled at the very base of her thoughts and started to weigh heavily on her, but she shook her head quickly to dislodge them for the time being. "That's great for you, though! So your parents are okay with it?" She laughed at her own words. "Nevermind, of course they are. Your parents are actually reasonable ponies."

"I know, right?" Velvet sighed wistfully. "Sometimes, I don't know how you can survive without parents like mine!"

"Rub it in, why don't you?" Crystal giggled and shifted on her pillow almost uncomfortably despite her happy tone and expression. "Does this mean I'm going to see you less and less now?"

Velvet hummed in thought, tapping one hoof on the ground. "Probably, but you're going to be so busy with school and writing that I doubt you'll even notice I'm missing."

Crystal's ears folded back and she muttered intentionally loud, "I'd at least find time for you."

"Yeah, yeah." Velvet scrunched up her face and stuck out her tongue. "If I end up touring Equestria with the ballet company, I'll do my best to send you postcards or something."

"Gee, thanks." Crystal stuck her tongue out right back at her.

They held their expressions for as long as they could until Velvet succumbed to giggles, prompting Crystal to join her. As their laughter slowly quieted, their optimism started to deflate, shown in their sobering expressions.

"Crystal?" Velvet asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Crystal glanced at her.

"Things are going to be different from now on, aren't they?"

Crystal paused to think of the best yet still honest response she could, eventually landing on, "Yeah."

"Oh." Velvet got up and moved closer, settling on the available space remaining on Crystal's pillow and curling up against her. "That sucks."

Crystal shifted and rested her muzzle on top of Velvet's head. "Yeah." She paused, then continued, "But it'll be a good kind of different, I think."

Velvet closed her eyes, starting to smile again and muttering softly, "Yeah."

♡

Crystal waited outside the palace and tried her best not to look suspicious, wearing her nicest sundress and a pink ribbon in her mane. After all, who could look like a threat to the kingdom while wearing a pink ribbon?

The guards stationed outside the palace were either well-trained in not showing that they were watching her or had accurately deemed her not a threat. She kept smiling, however, and admired the courtyard. She had been to the castle before, but only to the garden party or the ballroom. Today, Raven was going to show her so much more. The smile started to grow wider, but she cleared her throat to keep herself looking pleasantly calm. Too much excitement might draw the attention of the guards.

She glanced at them again to ensure they weren't approaching to drag her away, looking over just as the doors opened. Raven stood there a moment to scan the courtyard before she saw her. Crystal froze the instant their eyes locked. The uncertain, guarded mare from the garden party was not the one walking over to her with a steady gait and stern frown. There was a coldness in her eyes that sent a shiver down Crystal's spine.

"Good afternoon, Miss Wishes." Raven hovered a clipboard and pencil between them. "Please sign here agreeing to not stray into restricted areas, to not touch anything without granted permission, and to not interrupt any of the castle staff. Know that by signing, I am responsible for your actions while inside the palace walls in lieu of a guard escort, so act accordingly or you will be forced to leave the premises."

Though she knew she should never sign anything without reading it herself first, the seriousness in Raven's eyes and voice made Crystal forget herself long enough to sign on the dotted line.

"Very good. Follow me." Raven's magic drew the clipboard back to her and she turned to walk to the still open castle doors.

Crystal blinked a few times and quickened her pace to walk alongside Raven. "I thought this—"

"It's still a tour, yes," Raven interrupted, "but you will be entering areas of the castle not privy to the public eye, so I have just taken responsibility for you."

Crystal started to frown. "Can I just—"

"No." She sighed and stopped, turning her head to look at Crystal. "I have a very busy day and don't have time to answer questions not relevant to your research." Her tone lowered suddenly to a whisper. "Please don't forget that I work here and am particularly attached to my job, so I require as much professionalism between us as possible while we are here."

The frown lifted as the gears clicked into place. As the personal aide to the princess herself and in a secret relationship with a prince, Raven guarded her outward appearance more seriously than most. If she believed her actions reflected on the princess, then Crystal would respect that. She smiled, nodded, and drew a hoof across her lips. This earned a brief smile from Raven.

"Thank you. Now, first we shall go to the kitchen so you are familiar with where Sable will spend her working hours, then…"

The castle was, in one word, magnificent. Crystal kept an ear on Raven's every word to file them away while she admired her surroundings. Guards were posted outside most doors, observing the pair or just staring at the wall in boredom. The sweeping, grand architecture made the greatest impression on her, but she could only store so much information on it. After all, while she herself had rarely been that far into the castle, it would be Sable's every day, and she had to keep that in mind.

♡

The smell of fresh herbs and roasted vegetables filled the air. There was the slight tinge of parmesan cheese floating underneath the heavier rosemary, but when all of the scents combined, even Sable's mouth watered at her own creation. She arranged the zucchini, yellow squash, and tomato slices on the plate in a perfect spiral, then tapped her hoof against a bell hanging from the ceiling.

Like clockwork, a servant walked through the doors, swept the plate up onto one hoof, and left to serve the princess. Sable watched the double doors swing back and forth before settling in the closed position, and she let a sigh escape. What she wouldn't give to see Princess Divina's face just once, to know if the princess enjoyed her food even half as much as she enjoyed preparing it.

"No, no, no." Raven looked across the cafe table and slid the papers back to Crystal. "The princess despises rosemary. Sable would know this."

It had only taken her a day after the tour to put together a more complete draft of the serial installments that made up the first chapter. Raven had agreed to meet during her lunch break at a cafe off grounds to discuss the accuracy of the chapter's details, which Raven cared about much more than Crystal did.

Crystal shifted in her seat, unable to help a small bit of exasperation in her voice. "But this isn't Princess Celestia. It's a different princess."

Raven gave Crystal a frown. "I did not go over our allotted tour to detail the princess's likes and dislikes for you to invent a whole new princess entirely."

"But if my princess has all the little details of Princess Celestia, and she happens to—she forbid—read it, won't she send the Royal Guard after me for being a crazed stalker?"

Raven waved a dismissive hoof. "The princess is far too busy, and she would have no way of knowing that you originally used rosemary."

Crystal stared at her a moment, then broke out into giggles. "All right, all right. I'll change it to parsley. Parsley wasn't on the list of dislikes." She raised a pencil to scribble notes across the draft. "Satisfied?"

"Very." Raven took a victorious bite of her sandwich and continued in a softer voice after swallowing, "I'm sorry for being such a nitpick about your story. I just can't help myself. My job is dedicated to ensuring precise and accurate details."

"I understand." Crystal smiled. She flipped to the next page. "You'll really help me out on portraying Highborn's character accurately. I'm struggling a little with that so far. This is the first time I've written such an arrogant, pompous prince and I'm not sure how to redeem him." She laughed softly under her breath.

Raven blinked a few times. "Really? What sort of princes have you written before?"

"Daring, kind, brave, passionate ones," she replied simply, as though it should have been obvious.

A heavy blush lit up Raven's cheeks and she looked down at her sandwich. "Oh, I see." She glanced around them. They had picked a table away from the other cafe occupants, but she still seemed nervous of eavesdroppers. "Could I—I mean to say, would you mind if I borrowed some of your other works?"

Crystal looked up at her with wide eyes that narrowed playfully after a moment of thought. "I don't know. The details might not be accurate enough for your liking," she teased.

Raven's blush grew a darker shade of red. "I—you—I'm just curious!"

"Uh-huh." Crystal winked. "Well, every mare is entitled to fantasizing. I'll see what I can do."

The embarrassment seemed to be too much for Raven as she stood abruptly, not looking Crystal in the eyes. "I—I believe my lunch break is over, so if you will excuse me, I must get back to work."

Crystal watched her hurriedly leave the cafe and tilted her head. Perhaps she had gone too far? After all, their relationship was still very tentative. Raven didn't seem to have any friends, what with the way she took her job so seriously—especially with her romantic secret—and how none of the servants in the castle seemed to regard her in any way but professionally courteous.

Crystal sighed and levitated the remnant of her sandwich and finished it off with two bites. Well, making a copy of some of her better romances featuring princes could be a good first step toward some sort of friendship, or it could be an embarrassing mistake. She hesitated, then smiled at the thought of what Velvet would say.

There's only one way to find out!

Moving On

Crystal sat on the stool in front of her vanity, examining her reflection. Everything seemed to be in place: her mane was brushed and adorned with her now-signature braid, her face was washed and powdered smooth with foundation, and her eyelashes were thickened and elongated with mascara. Yet, somehow, she felt incomplete.

She raised a hoof to touch her cheek, scrunching it up then pulling it back down. "Hmm." A small brush raised from its container, dipped its tip into a container of black makeup, and painted a small heart near the corner of her left eye.

She smiled at her work. Now she felt ready to leave her room.

As she descended the stairs, she offered a light "Good morning" to her parents.

Jet Set looked up from his newspaper with a smile. "I thought you'd never come down, dear. You missed breakfast."

Crystal flicked her tail. "I have a meeting at the cafe this morning. I had to be sure I was put together."

Upper Crust was focused so intently on the magazine draped over her forelegs that her ears didn't even swivel to acknowledge the conversation.

Crystal waited a moment, then raised one brow and said in a louder voice, "I'm leaving, Mother."

Upper Crust's whole body flinched with surprise and she jerked her head up. "Darling! Darling, have you seen the latest issue of Mares Monthly?" She paused. "And what is that on your face?"

"Nevermind that, Mother." Her heart pounded in her chest, but she kept her face locked in the intrigued position. "What's this about Mares Monthly?"

"Oh, yes." Upper Crust slipped a hoof out from under the magazine to tap on a page. "They've started publishing literature in place of their informative articles." She frowned down at the helpless text. "If I wanted to read fiction, I would go to a library." There was a pause before she chuckled and added, "Or to your room."

Crystal hesitated. The little filly in the back of her mind wanted her mother's approval, but the mare she was now knew it wouldn't happen. Her mother had a strong opinion about fiction, and it wasn't positive.

With a dry swallow, she fought back the filly's cries and smiled. "Then simply don't read the literature, Mother."

Upper Crust closed the magazine and tossed it onto the coffee table. "Certainly not."

Crystal took a step forward when it landed coverside up. "Oh! It's Golden Pants!" She smiled.

The mare was perched on the cover with a coy look, wearing a dress that blended perfectly with her golden coat. It was almost as if she was one with the slinky, shimmery fabric that swept off to one side of the page. What Crystal noticed most of all, however, were her blonde tresses, bleached to an almost platinum color.

"She dyed her mane?" Crystal mused aloud.

"Of course, darling." Upper Crust tossed her own mane over her shoulder. "She's known as Au now."

"Au? That's Prench, isn't it?"

Upper Crust clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Yes, as well as chemistry, darling. AU is gold. It's a very clever and sophisticated name. Everypony is talking about her, you know."

"I see." Crystal pursed her lips but shrugged off the rest of her thoughts. "Well, good for her, and all that. I've got to leave for my meeting now."

"You've been having an awful lot of 'meetings' lately." Her mother raised her brow. "Are you seeing a stallion that you don't want us to know of? Is he the reason for the smudge on your cheek?"

Crystal groaned and levitated one of the hats by the door onto her head. "No, Mother, it's nothing like that! I'll be back later!"

Happy to shut the door behind her, she let out a heavy sigh. She was growing tired of having to explain herself whenever she left the house. It was difficult to feel like an adult with her mother questioning her every move.

When she arrived at the cafe near the castle, she easily spotted Raven sitting at the usual table in the corner.

"Good morning, Raven!" she chimed as she sat down in the seat across from her. "I was surprised when you wrote that you wanted to meet so early. Do you have a busy afternoon?"

Raven wasn't looking her directly in the eyes. She shook her head. "I simply wanted to see you sooner rather than later."

Crystal's smile sobered. "Why is that?"

Raven said nothing, instead simply lifting a folder onto the table and sliding it over. Crystal, after a hesitant moment, opened it to peer at its contents, then looked back up at Raven.

"Um." Crystal tried not to grin when she saw the bright blush lighting up Raven's face. "Well?"

Raven sputtered, "I, ah, I—" She covered her mouth and glared at Crystal, though there was no malice in her gaze. "Is there more?"

Crystal giggled and flipped through the copies of her prose that she had dropped in the mail for the mare. "Oh, plenty. This was some of my better work, so I must warn you that it's fairly downhill from here." She put the folder into her saddlebags and took out the draft of her recent work on The Mare's Temptation. "I think you'll like what I have planned for the next few installments, however."

Raven's ears perked straight up. "Oh?" She leaned in, easily accepting the change of topic. "What's that?"

"The Grand Galloping Gala!"

Raven paused and raised her hooves, staring at them as she mouthed indiscernible words to herself. Crystal waited patiently for the mare to look back up.

"It fits with the timeline, if I recall the previous chapters correctly," she finally said. "But you've only just had the first installment published, haven't you? How many chapters ahead is this now?"

Crystal nodded. "I'm trying to get as much written as I can so I have a good buffer built up. There's not much downtime available between publications with the editing and approval processes, so." She waved a hoof to dismiss the topic. "Anyway, here you are." She set the papers down in front of Raven.

While Raven carefully pored over the writing, jotting down notes here and there, Crystal ordered tea for herself. She was halfway through her cup when Raven looked up at her. Crystal expected a smile or, at least, a straight face, but the mare looked almost sad.

"What is it?" Crystal asked, nearly dropping her cup in surprise. "Did I get something wrong again?"

"No," Raven responded in a soft voice. She looked back down at the papers. "It's quite accurate. I think you've perfectly captured Blueblood's personality."

Crystal bit her lower lip. "Is it too accurate?"

Raven hesitated, then shook her head. "No. I'm sorry, I just—" Her voice cracked and caught in her throat. She shook her head again. "I apologize. After reading your previous work, it's startling to read such a vastly different prince."

"Perhaps, but don't worry!" she hurriedly assured and offered a smile. "I promise, they're still going to get the happy ending I planned from the beginning. It'll work out for them."

Raven glanced between the papers and Crystal and mused softly, "They will, won't they?" She straightened her glasses. "Moving on, I've written down some corrections and feedback. Shall we meet again in two weeks?"

"Oh, sure." She watched the mare start to stand up. "Do you have to go back to work?"

Raven blinked at her. "What?"

Crystal swirled the honey-dipped stirrer around the teacup. "I just thought it might be nice to sit and talk."

Slowly, Raven's rump lowered back to her chair. "About?"

"Anything? Nothing?" She shrugged. "I don't know."

Raven frowned. "If you don't know, then why did you suggest it?"

"Because friends don't really have an agenda in conversation." She sipped her tea. "They just sit and talk."

Raven stared with open confusion on her face. Her voice was slow and careful as she asked, "When did we become friends?"

Crystal smiled lopsidedly. "I think of you as a friend. Maybe not a best friend, but, well, I'd be happy if you were happy, and I'd be sad if you were sad. So, I think that puts you in the ballpark, at the very least."

"Oh."

They sat in relative silence. The stirrer occasionally clinked against the side of her teacup, and there was the buzz of nearby conversations filling in the quiet.

Finally, Raven spoke up. "I have a dog. His name is Duke."

Both of them were surprised at how excitedly Crystal responded, "Really? Tell me everything about him!"

A smile brightened Raven's hesitant expression. "Well, he's a little terrier. I've had him since I was a filly." She paused, then corrected, "No, he's been my friend since I was a filly. I feel bad, sometimes, because he always looks at me like I'm breaking his heart when I leave in the morning, but he's always there at the door to my room to greet me whenever I turn in for the night." She smiled, looking somewhere past Crystal. "The way you talk about your friend Velvet is the way I feel about Duke. He's always there for me, even if he can't exactly talk."

Crystal listened quietly but eagerly as Raven told a few stories about growing up with the dog. It wasn't long before the mare insisted she had to return to work, but she left with a smile that gave Crystal hope. She remained at the cafe to read the notes over another cup of tea before she packed up and went home.

♡

Crystal yawned as she walked to the front door that somepony was frantically knocking on. "All right, all right!" she called once she was near enough to be heard on the other side. "Calm down, I'm coming!"

When she opened the door, she was abruptly knocked to the floor by an overexcited Velvet.

"Crystal, Crystal, Crystal!" Velvet sat on Crystal's stomach and held up three envelopes in the space between them. "Look what arrived!"

Crystal squinted. "You attacked me at this hour of the morning to show me that you got mail?"

"No, you got mail!"

"What?!" Crystal squirmed, knocking Velvet off and jumping to her hooves. "I did?!"

"Why did Velvet get your mail, darling?" Upper Crust asked from the stairs as she descended them. "Did the mailpony have a mishap?"

"I guess so, Mother." Crystal mouthed 'be quiet' to Velvet, who nodded in response, then looked over her shoulder with a smile. "I'm going to walk Velvet home since it's still dark out."

Upper Crust looked at the pair with clear suspicion, but she said nonetheless, "All right, darling."

Once the door shut behind them and they had walked down the block and around the corner to be out of sight of any spying mares, Crystal turned on Velvet like a starved timberwolf. "Is it from Mares Monthly?!"

"Yes!" Velvet beamed at her. "Open them, open them!"

Crystal's magic nearly ripped the first envelope in her hurry to get it out of Velvet's grip and she tore it open. Her gaze scanned the neat hoofwriting as quickly as her mind could process the words, then she giggled.

"What does it say?!" Velvet leaned against her to read it for herself. "Oh! I must say, this is brilliant!"

"Can you believe it?" Crystal sighed dreamily. "I have been endlessly entertained by this first installment. Curious to see where this is headed." She tucked the envelope back into Velvet's hoof and lifted the second one.

There was a pause while both mares eagerly read the letter, then squealed together.

"I do say you've done a good job here, and I look forward to reading more." Velvet fanned herself with the envelopes. "This is so exciting. What's the next one say?!"

After exchanging and reading the last letter, the mares bounced up and down, giggling like fillies.

"All in all, a very good start, and I can't wait for more. Oh my Celestia, Velvet, it's only been a week and I've got three fan letters!" She grabbed Velvet by the shoulders. "Do you realize what this means?!"

"That three ponies out there like your work?" Velvet grinned.

Crystal paused, then muttered, "Well, yes, but you were supposed to say 'what' so I could say it myself."

Velvet smothered a giggle, scrunching up her nose and asking in a mock curious tone, "What?"

"Three ponies out there like my work!" She grinned, then laughed. "Thank you for letting me say it." She glanced up at the horizon. "Do you think your parents would mind it if we dropped by before they're open?"

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Have they ever?"

Crystal nodded and started to trot in the direction of Sunridge Sweets. "Then celebratory cupcakes for breakfast it is!"

♡

Every time Velvet received mail for Crystal, she hurried over right away. After Upper Crust's suspicious reaction the first time, however, they learned to be much more subdued until they had left the house and were out of sight before letting their excitement show.

"Crystal, it's not even been two months and today you got seventeen letters!" She raised a hoof to lift the flaps of her saddlebags. "You got eleven yesterday. This is getting ridiculous!"

Crystal danced from one hoof to the other. "Ridiculously awesome, you mean!"

Velvet gave a smile, but it wasn't as full of mirth as it normally was. "No, what I mean is, my parents wanted me to talk to you about it. They don't know what they'll do with your mail after I move out."

"Move out?" She blinked a few times. "But that's—I mean, move out? That's not for a while, so why talk about it now?"

"Because." Velvet rubbed one hoof against the other leg. "I got into the Canterlot Ballet."

Crystal gasped and threw her forelegs around Velvet's neck. "Oh my gosh, Velvet, that's amazing! How can you say that in such a nervous manner?!"

Velvet giggled softly, returning the embrace with one leg. "Because." She pushed Crystal away to look her in the eyes. "I'm going to move out. Like, soon. Probably really soon."

They stared at each other in an awkward moment of silence until Crystal simply said, "Oh."

Moving In

Velvet smiled. "So, I was wondering—"

Crystal nodded quickly, interrupting, "Yes, I'll absolutely write!"

Velvet's smile fell and her brow furrowed. "Huh?"

"Of course I'll write! And I'll keep an eye on your parents, and let you know how the bakery's doing, and—" Her words caught in her throat. She rubbed at her watering eyes. "And, and—"

"Oh my gosh, Crystal, calm down!" Velvet put her hooves on Crystal's shoulders and gave a small shake to bring her back to the moment. "What the hay are you talking about?"

She struggled to say it. If she said it, then it was real. Softly, she whispered, "You're moving." The tears fell down her cheeks the moment the words left her lips.

Velvet shook her head. "Yeah, but I'm not moving away! Celestia's sake, I know I didn't exactly present it properly, but I'm just moving out of my parents' house. What I wanted to ask was if you'd move in with me."

Another silent pause fell on them, interrupted only by Crystal's sniffling while she processed the new information. Velvet just stared at her, smiling and waiting expectantly.

"You mean," Crystal finally started, "move out of my parents' house, too?" She bit her lip. "Where?"

"There's a condominium in the complex down the road from my parents' that just became available. The pony who owns it has to leave Canterlot before next week and is offering cheap rent if we move in by tomorrow." Velvet grinned sheepishly. "I figured, with me starting my career, I won't get to see you very often. So if we move in together, that ensures we'll have to spend time together at some point. Right?"

Crystal's eyes widened. "Velvet, I—" She turned away to stare down the street. It was hard to think clearly with Velvet right there in front of her; how could she say anything but yes to her best friend's face?

Velvet allowed Crystal to think for a minute or two longer before she offered, "It's okay if you don't want to. I just wanted to make the offer, is all."

Without seeing her face, Crystal could tell just by Velvet's voice that she was disappointed. "It's not that I don't want to!" She hesitated, then looked at her and continued quietly, "I just don't know how my parents would react."

"Your parents?" It rarely happened, but Velvet actually scowled. "Oh, Crystal, I'm tired of that excuse! You can't live under their hooves forever!" She stomped against the cobblestone. "What do you want to do? What's important to you? That's all I care about, and the same should go for you!"

Crystal took a startled step backward. "What?"

"Do you want to keep living with your parents? It's a simple question, Crystal." Velvet stared her down. "Forget about the moving in with me part; just answer that question."

Crystal breathed in and held it. "No," she mumbled, releasing the breath suddenly. Like a small crack in a dam, words started to spew forth faster and louder than she intended. "Of course I don't! I never feel at ease, not even in my own room, because Mom just barges in whenever she feels like it! She judges and criticizes everything I do. She's always watching me, and if I make even the slightest error in proper form, she snaps it up as though she's starved for excuses to scold me!"

The torrent of words calmed to a gentle stream as she continued in bitter mumble, "I'm sick of it. I'm trying to move forward with my life, but I feel like I'm getting nowhere. It's like I'm still a filly and always will be."

Velvet kept a neutral expression as she said, "All right, good. Now let's get back to the moving in with me part."

"Of course I'd love that! You're my best friend in all of Equestria. Why wouldn't I want to be your roommate?!"

Finally, Velvet smiled again. "Then let's do it!"

Crystal nodded. With determination clear on her face, she started to trot in the direction of home. "Yeah! Let's do it!"

"All right!" Velvet cheered, following after her. "We're going to be roommates!"

Crystal said nothing until she opened the front door and stepped into the living room. "Mom! Dad! I've got some news for the both of you."

Jet Set looked over at Crystal with mild surprise from his usual spot on the recliner. "You don't look happy, dear," he said rather simply, blinking. "Is everything all right?"

Crystal blinked. Her determination faded, easing her expression, but also softening her voice. "Um, yes." She cleared her throat and tried to relight some of the fire that had been burning just moments before. "I'm moving out."

Upper Crust nearly fell off the couch in her hurry to get up and over to her. "You're what?" She paused just a few paces away from her daughter, stopping to look past her at Velvet. "Oh, of course." She smiled, though without warmth. "I'm not surprised it would come to this, darling, what with the way you two have been sneaking off lately." She waved a hoof. "I won't allow it."

Jet Set slowly rose from the recliner. "Dear, perhaps we should—"

“I’m not a filly anymore, Mother.” Crystal scowled. “I’m a mare and you should start treating me like one. I've made up my mind and I'm moving in with Velvet.”

"Nonsense." Upper Crust huffed. "I won't have any of this nonsense. I wasn't going to say anything because it seemed fairly harmless at first, but I'm putting an end to this silly little C.W. Step game you two have going on."

"I—" Crystal choked. "You know about that?!"

Upper Crust looked down her snout at her with a slight frown. "You may think me addle-minded, darling, but it's not so difficult to put the pieces together. Really, which one of you thought 'C.W. Step' was a clever pseudonym for your tawdry little fantasies?"

Velvet took a step forward and placed herself ahead of Crystal, though not quite in between mother and daughter. "Hey, they're not tawdry! Crystal's a great writer!"

Upper Crust gave Velvet a withering stare just as Jet Set interrupted, "Now, now, I think this is escalating past the point, don't you think?" He smiled. "Crystal, dear, you were trying to tell us that you wanted to move out. Let's discuss that concern first." He glanced between each of the mares. "Like civilized ponies."

The tension hung thick in the air. Velvet didn't back down from Upper Crust's stare, and Upper Crust didn't stop giving it. Finally, Crystal broke the momentary standstill by walking between them.

"I'm moving out," she said without missing a step in her stride. "I'm getting my things, and I'm moving out."

Jet Set's smile fell. "That's not really a discussion, Crystal."

"You're right." She paused to stop at the stairs and frowned at them. "It's not."

Upper Crust finally broke the standstill to look over at Crystal. "Darling, what are you going to do about school?"

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Obviously, I'll have to get a job to help pay rent, so I'll drop out."

The moment the dreaded words hit their ears, Jet Set and Upper Crust looked at one another in open fear.

"Now, Crystal, let's not be so hasty, dear," Jet Set started.

"I understand if you feel like there is tension between us, but that's no reason to ruin your life," Upper Crust continued.

"If money is the concern, then we'll send you an allowance to cover the rent as long as you stay in school."

"Yes, we'll—what?" Upper Crust glanced back at her husband. He gave her a steady, stern stare and she finished in a lower voice, "We'll send you an allowance."

Crystal's face scrunched up. "An allowance? Like I'm some sort of filly? I don't need your charity!"

Velvet, who had been content to simply stand there after winning the staring contest, sprung back into the conversation by running over to Crystal. "Wait, wait, wait!" She grabbed her by the neck and tugged her down to whisper in her ear, "No, take the money."

"What?" Crystal whispered back.

"Crystal, you don't make much yet, and I just barely started my career. We're going to be totally poor." She repeated with heavier emphasis, "Take. The. Money."

After a moment of uneasy hesitation, Crystal groaned and finally said, "All right, I'll accept the money. Thanks, Mother, Father."

"Certainly." Jet Set straightened his glasses. "Shall we hire Two Stallions and a Cart to move your things?"

Upper Crust turned on him. "Darling," she started, her voice humming with strain as she struggled to keep it even and calm. "Crystal wants to be an adult. Shouldn't we let her handle things on her own now?"

Jet Set replied with a simple shrug of his shoulders and said nothing further, instead looking back at Crystal for an answer.

"I—I can hire them myself. I have some bits from my 'tawdry' job." She rolled her eyes and climbed the stairs. "Come on, Velvet."

Velvet hopped up the stairs behind her. "Yup!"

Once in her room, Crystal dumped a box of makeup out onto her bed, then started to fill it with her more important possessions. The rest the movers could handle, but she didn't trust them with her precious books, notebooks, and assorted keepsakes.

"Can we move in today?" she asked, her back to Velvet.

Velvet was sitting on the bed, looking through the discarded makeup. "Hmm?" She glanced up at her. "Oh, yeah. I was going to move in with or without you, so I already paid the deposit. Well, my parents did, but I'll pay them back when I can."

Crystal sighed. "You're so lucky," she muttered.

"Hey, your parents are going to cover our rent!" Velvet grinned. She picked up a bottle of hoofpolish and put it against one of her hooves, murmuring, "Oh, this is a nice color."

Crystal looked over her shoulder to see what she had, smiled, and returned to her packing. "You can have it. I guess we'll be sharing a lot of things from now on, huh?"

Velvet tucked the bottle into a pocket on her saddlebags. "Yup!" She started to swing her hindlegs. "This is going to be a good kind of different, I can feel it."

"Me, too." Crystal closed the box and levitated it onto her back. "Okay, let's stop by Two Stallions and a Cart. Then I want to see our new home!"

♡

When Velvet said the condominium complex was down the road from her parents', she had exaggerated some. It was a good three blocks away, further into the residential area of Canterlot and away from the hustle and bustle. It was much quieter than what Crystal was used to, and she rather liked it.

Velvet stopped just outside a door that Crystal guessed was to be theirs. "I've already seen it, so you go in first."

"All right." Crystal turned the doorknob and gasped.

The interior wasn't anything extraordinary. The walls were painted the normal creamy off-white color that every condo Crystal had been into sported. The hardwood flooring seemed to be well taken care of; it even looked recently polished. Three doors were set against two of the walls, open just enough to reveal a bedroom and a bathroom straight ahead and a second bedroom off to the right.

The main area was an open concept of living room and kitchen with enough room for a small dining table. Everything seem to be of a humble size, appropriate for two mares with no sizable incomes to speak of. The living room she was gazing into was perfectly empty, except for one blue-and-chestnut detail smiling at her.

"Welcome home!" Horsey squealed, throwing a bunch of confetti into the air.

"Oh my gosh, Horsey!" The box nearly fell out of Crystal's magic when she rushed forward to tackle Horsey with an excited hug. "I haven't seen you in a month!"

"A month and a half," Horsey corrected, giggling. "But I'm definitely not counting or anything."

Crystal pulled back to look at her with a mixed expression of confusion and happiness. "Are you moving back to Canterlot to live here with us?"

Horsey shook her head. "Oh, no, I'm just visiting to help unpack and celebrate your independence. I'm very happy in Ponyville, thank you very much."

"Aww." Crystal smiled nonetheless, hugged her once more, then took a step back to look around the room. "Well, the movers will be here in an hour, so I guess we'll just have to wait until then."

Velvet trotted over and flopped down onto the floor beside Horsey. "So I won the bet."

Horsey looked at her with wide eyes. "Really?!"

Crystal glanced between them. "What bet?"

Horsey flushed while Velvet explained, "Horsey didn't think you'd tell your parents off." She puffed out her chest. "I knew you had it in you!"

Horsey rubbed the back of her neck, grinning sheepishly and looking down at the floor. "Well, I mean, I couldn't even talk to my parents when I moved to Ponyville. We still haven't talked since. I just assumed—"

"Really? After all this time?" Crystal furrowed her brow. "Not even one letter?"

Horsey's grin started to fall. "Nope. But it's all right. I'm happy just getting letters from you and Velvet."

By the time the three of them had covered the recent events in their lives, the movers showed up as if on cue. Velvet and Horsey sat out of the way, giggling and gossiping about the well-built stallions while Crystal directed her furniture around her new room. It didn't take long, as the stallions were able to carry and move the furniture with ease until she was satisfied with the arrangement.

"Thank you so much!" she chirped as she offered them both a tip of a couple bits each.

"Not a problem, ma'am," one replied. "Anything else we can do for you three ladies?"

Horsey and Velvet erupted into a fit of giggles. Crystal, although she certainly felt her heart throb at the muscular studs standing in front of her offering their services, kept her manners about her and smiled politely. "Oh, no, I think we're fine. Have a great day!"

They both nodded and walked out the door, shutting it behind them. Once they were alone, Crystal's legs quivered and she nearly swooned.

"Oh my goodness, girls, I do declare!" she said in a playfully dramatic tone. "I wanted to have them keep moving my bookcase for hours just to watch those muscles in action." She grinned.

Horsey giggled. "You still like that kind of stallion?"

Velvet rolled her eyes, waving one hoof. "Are you kidding? Crystal leers at guards like a famished timberwolf!"

Crystal stuck her tongue out at the both of them. "It's a victimless crime! Besides, it's not my fault Raven can't go too far from the castle, so I spend a lot of time near lots of guards. Lots of handsome guards," she practically purred.

"How can you tell what they even look like under all that armor?" Horsey tilted her head.

"The fact that they can move with all that armor is enough for me. It must be heavy, so they must be strong." Crystal paused before she laughed. "Anyway, I've got some boxes to unpack!" Her magic lifted the box she had packed herself over and she pulled open the flaps.

Horsey and Velvet scooted closer to peer inside.

"Oh!" Horsey's hooves flew to cover her mouth as she gasped in surprise. "You still have that?!"

Crystal smiled, her gaze immediately landing on the item in question. A silk, white lily mane clip sat at the very top of the pile, as it was too delicate to pile things onto. "Of course. It's when we finally, really became friends."

Horsey stared at her for a silent moment, then slowly smiled. "Yeah. I still remember that day."

"And what's that?" Velvet pointed.

Crystal followed the hoof's direction to the silk-bound book. "Oh! This was from the disappointing date." She laughed. "Midnight bought it for me. It's Brydlestrata by Aristopones."

Velvet's ears perked. "I've not heard of that one."

Horsey shook her head. "Me neither."

"It's really good!" Crystal carried the box into her room to actually start unpacking, the girls following after her. "It's a story about a war, though that's not the focus of the story. Brydlestrata is a cunning, intelligent mare whom all the other mares confide in and listen to."

She started with unloading her favorite books onto the bookshelves first, then the assorted books the movers had packed.

"They all miss their husbands desperately," Crystal continued, "so she concocts a plan to force the war to end by keeping the stallions at home."

"What plan?" Horsey asked. Velvet nodded in mutual curiosity.

Crystal looked over her shoulder with a coquettish grin. "She convinced all the mares to tease their husbands, but not give them any so they'd be too frustrated to go back to war."

Velvet laughed while Horsey just stared in confusion and quietly asked, "Give them any, what?"

Crystal and Velvet looked at each other, both waiting for the other to explain, when it was Horsey's turn to laugh.

"Gotchya!" Horsey shook her head, grinning. "Come on, girls, I'm not that naive anymore!"

Just as Crystal wanted to pry into exactly what that meant, there was a sudden, rapid knocking on the front door. "Who could that be?" She looked at Velvet. "Another surprise of yours?"

Velvet shook her head. The knocking repeated. "I don't know who it is."

Crystal shrugged. "Maybe it's a neighbor or something." She trotted out into the living room and called, "Coming!"

When she opened the door, the pony standing outside startled a yelp out of her. Velvet and Horsey hurried out into the living room at the cry of surprise, but they both froze when they saw the visitor.

"Raven?!" Crystal exclaimed. "What are you doing here? No, forget that question. What's wrong?!" She stepped out of the way to gesture her inside.

Raven stood on the landing with tear-stained cheeks, her chest rising and falling with ragged breaths. She took a few trembling steps to get inside, then dropped her rump down.

"I—I'm sorry, Crystal." She covered her face with a hoof. "I may have caused trouble for you. I went to your parents' house, and they directed me here, but your mother, she—"

Crystal wrapped a foreleg around Raven's shoulders. "Don't worry about that."

Raven sobbed openly as her whole frame trembled with each shuddering breath. "I can't do it anymore. I either can't be with Blueblood, or I can't help you, but I can't do both."

"But why?" Crystal furrowed her brow.

"I'm jealous of Sable," Raven spat out with a bitter laugh. "I'm jealous of their happy ending! Can you believe it? A mare my age being jealous of a fictional character. A fictional character that's supposed to be me!"

Crystal was at a loss for words, so Raven continued in a softer voice when the silence ticked on a moment too long, "I'm sorry. I just—I was reading your draft of the last chapter, and I couldn't stop crying." She touched her hooves to her tear-stained cheeks. "Sable gets her prince, but what about me?"

Crystal rubbed a small circle into Raven's back and looked to the Velvet and Horsey, but neither had anything to offer. "Well," she started. She paused to bite her lip, then pressed on, "Sable doesn't get her happy ending without working for it. She confronted Highborn and got him to be honest about his feelings." She looked back at Raven. "Perhaps that's what you need to do. Stop letting him have all the control."

Raven frowned up at her. "It doesn't work like that. It's not that easy."

"Why not?" Horsey's eyes widened, startled at hearing her own voice. When all eyes turned on her, she continued, "I mean, I don't see why not. If I've learned anything, it's that if you want happiness, you have to grab it yourself."

Raven slowly shook her head. "You don't understand. He's—I—" Her guard started to fall as the tears started again. "I'm scared of his response."

Crystal cleared her throat and looked at Velvet. "Velvet, why don't you and Horsey go get some ice cream from the store?"

"Huh?" the three mares responded in varying degrees of confusion.

"I think we need a mare's night in." She smiled. "And some ice cream is necessary for that. I'll stay with Raven while you two get supplies, if that's all right?"

Raven offered a weak shrug. "I've already lost my dignity here. What is there to argue with at this point?"

Crystal patted Raven on the back, then gestured for Velvet and Horsey to head on. Raven seemed disinclined to speak, and Crystal had no intent of forcing her to. They merely sat together, silent and uncertain of the future.

Normally, Crystal knew just what to say. She had been raised to be quick on her tongue to appease anypony in any situation. This time, however, she had nothing. Every word of comfort that came to mind seemed empty and hollow, and she smothered them all.

When Velvet and Horsey returned nearly half an hour later, they had saddlebags full of containers of ice cream, as well as a special surprise: a bottle of blueberry wine. Glasses were poured and drinks downed. It wasn't long before tipsy, loose lips started to wander them into more personal conversations.

"No way!" Crystal gasped.

"Oh my," Horsey smiled behind a hoof.

Raven giggled and shook her glass at the three of them. "It's true! He did. Only once, but he did. I—I—" She scrunched up her nose. "I just laughed at him. I don't know if he was trying to be romantic or serious, but seeing him with a bow tied over his plot, I couldn't stop laughing. He didn't look at me for weeks after that."

Crystal whispered as loud as a whisper could get, "Psst, you know what? You know what?"

Raven grinned lopsidedly. "What?"

Crystal looked at Velvet and Horsey. "Don't you agree?"

Horsey simply shrugged. Velvet nearly snorted the sip of wine she had just taken and said, "You haven't said anything yet to agree to."

"Pfft." Crystal rolled her eyes. "It's totally obvious." She looked back at Raven. "I just explained this to Velvet and Horsey earlier. What you have to do is tease him, but don't give him any. It'll frustrate him. It ended a war, so why can't it end the war—of your heart?" She wiggled her ears.

Velvet fell off her pillow, laughing. "Crystal!"

Raven levitated the bottle and emptied it into her glass, then took a sip. "I don't even care. If he doesn't want to be with me, then I don't want to be with him. When I see him tomorrow, I'm gonna say—" She leaned in, her face close to Crystal's, her expression serious. "Bluebie, do you want me?"

Velvet and Horsey snickered while Crystal tried to mimic Blueblood's haughty look.

"If you want me, then no more games. Be mine and only mine." She held the seriousness for a moment longer, then laughed and withdrew. "Or, well, not. Who cares?" She finished off her glass and looked at it forlornly. "Who cares."

"Yeah!" Velvet raised her glass in the air. "Forget stallions! Who needs 'em, anyway?"

They all joined in with their own glasses raised in a toast to happy lives without stallions, then laughed. It wasn't the perfect first night as roommates that Crystal had imagined, but all four mares slept soundly on the blankets and pillows that were spread out on the living room floor, each wishing for a better, brighter future.

A New Chapter

Crystal smiled as she walked into the living room with a whistling tea kettle levitating beside her. "How many lumps of sugar would you like with your tea, Trend?"

"Two, please." Trenderhoof flashed a polite smile. "Thank you."

Travel had done the stallion a lot of good. He had broken the plastic mold of Canterlot society and found his own stride. He was sincere, genuine, and confident. Some said he was a little too confident, but he had certainly earned the right to be. It had been about a year since she had last seen him and if she were into the lanky type, this would be a tempting encounter.

"Certainly." Crystal nestled down onto the pillow across from Trenderhoof and poured the hot water into the two cups. She maintained eye contact with him, preparing the tea easily by relying on rote memorization. "I appreciate you agreeing to have the interview here."

Trenderhoof shook his head. "It's no problem at all. I don't normally do this kind of article, but for you, I'm more than happy to oblige your request!" He paused, then added with an earnest smile, "I've had the pleasure of staying in all manners of places, but it's nice to spend some time back home in the comforts of Canterlot architecture. Besides, your condo is so very well-maintained that I couldn't possibly complain."

Crystal waved a hoof, laughing softly. "I can't take full credit for that. My roommate does most of the cleaning."

"Your roommate?" His ears pointed forward, alert and recording. "A live-in coltfriend, perhaps?"

"Oh, no, nothing of the sort." She laughed softly, though she panicked on the inside. She had to be more careful with her words around journalists. "She's my best friend."

"I see," the stallion said in a tone that suggested more than Crystal meant, though she couldn't reason why.

"We've been friends since we were fillies."

"I see." There was that tone again. The pencil and pad lifted and he jotted down a note.

Crystal tried not to break her smile. She dropped the lumps of sugar into Trenderhoof's tea. What in Equestria did he think was going on? She tried to peer at what had been written, but the pad tilted out of her view.

He smiled. "So, Crystal—or, should I say, C.W.? That's what you prefer to be called, is it not?"

"I do, yes. If you don’t mind—"

"Of course. I understand that you authors prefer your anonymity and I respect that." He chuckled and continued, "C.W., not even a full year ago, you were an unknown author whose first chapter of The Mare's Temptation was just published in Mares Monthly. The series took off rather quickly and is now being published as a novel. Are you an overnight success? Has it changed you?”

Crystal giggled and waved a hoof to dismiss the notion. "Oh, no, I certainly hope I'm still the same mare. I can't speak to the success part; as a serial, I was delighted by letters from fans, so I would dare to say there is a good chance The Mare's Temptation will do well as a novel, too."

Trenderhoof nodded. "Now, my usual audience is mainly interested in travel, culture, and cuisine. As a blossoming author in the romance world, how can your story relate to their interests? More importantly, why should they buy your book?"

Crystal crossed her hooves in proper lady-like form, trying to keep her muddled feelings of excitement and nervousness under control. It was a question she had prepared herself for after reaching out to a travel writer. Sunset Coffee had suggested the idea of having an interview done to advertise the release, and she knew Trenderhoof owed her a favor, as conniving as it was to think.

"On the whole," she said, her gaze drifting over to the bookshelves along one of the condo's walls, "books are the easiest way to travel. They can take a pony anywhere in the world without having to leave one's home. They can also provide a deeper view into a new, unfamiliar culture."

She returned her gaze to him and smiled. "For your readers who are not familiar with Canterlot culture, I would dare to say that my story will open their eyes. I have lived in Canterlot my whole life, born and raised by two ponies very well-ingrained into this society. In The Mare's Temptation, you will learn many of our city's secrets that you will never discover by simply visiting.”

Trenderhoof's smile widened as he listened to her. "My, my! How eloquently stated. Well, why don't you tell me more about The Mare’s Temptation, then?"

Crystal nodded. "I am very humbled by my story's success. It was well-received by the Mares Monthly audience." She smiled as she fondly reflected on the most recent fan letters she had received. "It has been a wonderful journey from a brand new serial to a novel picked up by Reindom House. They've all been very helpful and accommodating through the process of publishing my first book."

Trenderhoof transcribed her words while he nodded and sipped his tea. "From what I researched after you reached out to me for this interview, The Mare's Temptation has caused quite a stir among the romance community. Why is that?"

"Oh, my." She raised a hoof to hide a soft laugh. "Well, the main characters are a chef in the Canterlot palace and a prince. It's a bit unconventional, but on the whole, I believe it has been well-received. After all, doesn't every mare dream of finding a prince?"

The pencil continued to glide over his notepad. "Why did you choose a chef as the leading mare? Is she, perhaps, inspired by somepony you know?"

This gave her pause. She had tried to anticipate everything he might ask. "There—" She swallowed. "There was a bit of real-life inspiration in her character, yes." Was that a good answer? Would he ask more about it?

Trenderhoof's ears perked and he leaned in. "Is that so?" There was a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. "And did your inspiration have a happy ending like Sable and Prince Highborn?"

Crystal shifted on the pillow and laughed nervously. "Yes, I am happy to say that she found a happy ending."

He tapped a hoof against the hardwood floor. "How wonderful!" The pencil furiously scribbled across the paper as if on a mission of its own. "What would you say was the most difficult part of getting your story published?"

"The most difficult part?" Her gaze wandered the room while she hummed in thought, then she smiled at him. "I would say waiting for the finished cover. I didn't have too much input in the selection of a cover artist, which suits me fine because I didn't have anypony in mind for the job. Though I was able to meet with him to discuss my ideas, it was largely up to his creativity to design the cover. I feel he did a wonderful job capturing the feel of the story as a whole."

She looked at a copy of the book resting on the nearby coffee table. The cover boasted a detailed scene of Sable standing on a balcony and gazing at a moon, her expression perfectly capturing Sable's hopeful nature. Transposed across the night sky was the mare's dream: a vision of her holding hooves with Prince Highborn, a gold wedding band around his horn and a matching one around her dainty hoof.

Trenderhoof followed her gaze and smiled. "I would have to agree there." He looked back at her. "And, on the other hoof, what was the most exciting part?"

"Getting the letter in the mail that Reindom House was going to pick up my novel, of course," she said with an excited giggle.

He paused to look at his notes, mumbling to himself for a moment. "Hmm. Well, I appear to have enough to work with, so why don't we finish off with a question I'm sure your fans are dying to know the answer to?" His lips parted with a grin. "What's next on the horizon for C.W. Step? Do you have another gripping romance to share?"

Ah, another question she was prepared to answer. She smiled, though her heart fluttered in her chest. "I will certainly assure you that The Mare's Temptation will not be my last story."

♡

"How did it go?" Velvet asked the moment she walked in the door. She tossed the bag containing her ballet gear into her room before returning to the main area. "Did you remember all the responses we practiced?"

Crystal looked up from the mess of papers scattered around her. "It went fine." She smiled. "How was practice?"

"Fine, huh?" Velvet mused, ignoring the question. "What happened?"

"Oh, well." She twiddled her hooves. A weak grin pulled her lips out of the gentle smile. "He asked about my next novel."

Velvet settled down on the pillow beside her. They didn't have a couch or any chairs because they weren't something either of them could afford when they first moved in. Then it turned out that pillows were much more comfortable, so they never invested in 'proper' sitting furniture.

Velvet started to paw through some of the papers lying on the floor. "What did you say?"

Crystal raised and dropped her shoulders in a slow, heavy shrug. "That Temptation wouldn't be my last story, just like you suggested."

"Yeah." Velvet started to stack the discarded papers that were filled with crossed-out lines. "So." She grinned sheepishly. "I guess that's still up in the air right now?"

"Ugh." Crystal lowered her head to bury it against her hooves, the quill she had been holding in her magic falling to the ground as her concentration was lost. "I have no ideas! Nothing! Sunset keeps asking for the next proposal, but I'm drawing a total and complete blank every time I try to think of something." She lifted her head to look up at Velvet with despair in her eyes. "What if I'm a one-hit wonder and that's all I'll ever be?"

"Oh my gosh, Crystal," Velvet muttered and rolled her eyes, though she still grinned. She reached out and tugged on Crystal's cheeks to force her lips into a smile. "You're just feeling the pressure, that's all. It'll be fine! You just need to stop thinking about it for a while and boom! It'll come to you all of a sudden." She stood up from the pillow, pausing to stretch her limbs, then trotted to the kitchen. "Are you hungry? I'm starving."

Crystal remained where she was and grumbled just loud enough to be heard, "What do we have left? More eggplant lasagna?"

Velvet giggled as she opened the freezer to look over its contents. "You liked the eggplant lasagna last week, so I got a lot of that, yeah." She grabbed two of the pre-made meals sitting on the shelf and set them on the counter. "What, you don't like it anymore already?"

Crystal started to clean up the mess she had made with her fruitless idea session, gathering up all the papers into a single pile. "All the Hungry Mare meals are starting to taste the same. I mean, it's better than the noodles in a cup, but it's also more expensive."

After putting the containers into the oven and setting the temperature dial, she walked back into the living room. "Well, we can get the noodles again for a while, then come back to Hungry Mares. Would that make Miss Grumpy happy?"

Crystal stared at Velvet with a scrunched-up pout. Velvet returned the expression until she giggled first, prompting Crystal into giggles.

"All right, all right, you win," Crystal said and waved a hoof at her. "I'm sorry. I'm taking my stress out on you."

"No, you're taking it out on the food, and it did nothing wrong." Velvet hesitated before she continued in a softer voice, "Maybe you should get out more."

Crystal raised her brow. "Get out more? I go to school every weekday."

Velvet hesitated again. She returned to the kitchen and peered through the glass at the slowly cooking meals. "That's not really getting out, though, is it?" she finally said. "You go, you sit, you come back. You don't talk about making any friends or—"

"What are you trying to get at?" Crystal finally got up off the pillow with a small grunt, her muscles sore from the extended time spent sitting, then walked over.

Velvet turned to face her with an openly concerned expression, her brow knitted together. "I'm just worried that you're going to turn into a hermit crab if you don't get out more."

"Into a—" Crystal laughed, though she quickly regained her composure when Velvet didn't laugh with her. "Okay, I'll try to make a friend or something. I'm sorry to worry you."

"Promise?"

Her tone was serious, so Crystal responded earnestly, "Cross my heart and hope to cry, else I'll live in a pig's sty."

Finally, Velvet smiled again. "You're darn right. If you break your promise, I'm moving out. Just see how long this place stays clean without me!" She reached for the oven mitts, but the oven door opened and the meals lifted out, all with a pink glow. "Oh, you and your unicorn magic," she huffed with a playful roll of her eyes. "Thanks."

"Yup." Crystal set them on the counter, then raised a fork to stab at a piece of eggplant. It barely held onto the silvery prongs, more mush than anything else.

After Crystal took a bite and made a distinctly displeased face, Velvet giggled. "I get it, I get it. I'll get the noodle cups next time I go to the store." She paused, then corrected, "No, you will."

Crystal blinked at her. "Huh?"

"It's a perfect opportunity to get you out of the house! Besides, it's so much easier for you to carry groceries home than me."

"Oh." Crystal took another bite, struggling to swallow. "Okay, sure."

Crystal hadn't gone grocery shopping by herself in a very long time. It took her no less than thirty minutes after she finished lunch to psych herself up to leave the condo. By herself. Alone.

When they had first moved in together, she would go with Velvet to the store. Lately, other than going to school, she just sat around the house, writing drafts for half-baked stories that never fully rose in her mind's oven.

Her brow started to furrow as she trotted along the cobblestone street. She really was becoming a hermit crab, wasn't she?

As she walked into the store, she idly pondered when the last time she had visited Horsey was. They exchanged letters frequently, of course, but all three of them were becoming so busy. She nodded to herself. She'd make a day trip down soon.

"Afternoon," the clerk offered from behind the counter, a well-practiced smile on his face. "Anything I can help you with?"

"No, thank you." She returned the smile with one of her own. She tried to make it sincere, but it was a bit of a challenge when his interest flickered away.

The store was cleverly arranged with all of the more expensive items facing the front, right where customers would see them first. Her mouth watered as her gaze drifted across the various fruits on display. They were brought in by train and were the freshest they city could get. They were certainly fresher than the frozen Hungry Mares, but ate up more bits, too.

She shook her head rapidly and headed straight to the iceboxes at the back of the store. Velvet still seemed to like them, so she grabbed a couple different meals, then raised up a box of noodle cups. Each individual Hungry Mare cost seven bits. A box of twelve noodle cups cost four. With the money they'd save buying the latter again, she could splurge on some fresher foods.

She hummed in thought as she walked past the produce barrels and hesitated, her eyes locked on the delicious fruit. An apple or two would be a nice treat. There might even be some cheap chocolate that they could melt down to make it extra special. Having a book published would mean more bits in their saddlebags, but it was still too soon to go crazy just yet. Two apples and a bar of chocolate was hardly going crazy, right?

After bringing her haul up to the counter, the clerk scribbled down the values of each item, muttered some math to himself, then smiled at her. "Thirty-seven bits, ma'am."

Crystal hesitated. "Could you perhaps, sir, please consider thirty-five bits?"

The clerk's eyes widened before they narrowed. "Listen, lady, I'm running a business here. The prices are not negotiable."

"Right," she muttered, then smiled and raised her voice to a normal tone. "Of course. Thirty-seven bits it is."

♡

Velvet moaned after she dipped the tip of her hoof into the small bowl of melted chocolate and licked it off. "Oh sweet Celestia," she purred. "You are totally the one going shopping from now on if you bring back wonderful ideas like this each time."

Crystal flicked one ear. "Yeah." She finished slicing the second apple and brought the plate over to the coffee table. "Hey, Velvet?"

"Hmm?" Velvet eagerly eyed the apple slices, licking her lips.

"I was thinking—" She set the plate down and Velvet snapped up a slice to dip it into the chocolate. "The Summer Sun Celebration is being held in Ponyville this year, right?"

Velvet nodded, her attention momentarily drawn away from the snack. "Do you want to go and celebrate with Horsey?"

"I want to, certainly." Crystal's magic raised an apple slice.

Velvet shrugged. She dipped the apple, took a bite, then said, "Maybe we should go down after. I don't want to be rude to the Ponyville ponies. They deserve to have their day without us sneaking in, you know?"

Crystal grumbled a little bitterly, but she smiled nonetheless. "I'm trying to get out like you asked, but now you're telling me no? You're sending me mixed signals!"

"I'm not telling you no!" She laughed. "Just wait an extra day! So you'll see Horsey in six days, not five. She'll still be there."

In the days leading up to the Summer Sun Celebration, Crystal made an effort to leave the condo to work at different cafes. She didn't socialize too much, as once she sat down with a notebook she was lost to her thoughts, but she did at least breathe the fresh air. Admittedly, she enjoyed the change of pace.

In the twilight hours before the celebration, the whole city of Canterlot was alive with excitement. Tall buildings were renting their upper floors to ponies wanting to watch the sunrise with the best view, but Crystal took Velvet to a small park in the higher section of Canterlot. It was a small, untouched green space that was perfect for watching clouds, though at that hour it was better for stargazing.

Velvet spread out a blanket for them to lay down on their backs to look up at the night sky.

"It's beautiful," Crystal murmured as the twinkling lights of varying sizes and brightness danced in the sea of deep blues and violets.

Velvet giggled. "It looks the same as it does every night."

Crystal tilted her head. "Do you think so?" She spread out her forelegs and gestured at the view. "I think it's more beautiful than usual."

"Uh-huh." Velvet giggled again. "And when was the last time you looked at the night sky at this hour?"

Crystal paused to ponder this, then scrunched up her nose. "Oh, hush, you. It's more beautiful than usual."

"You know what would be beautiful?" Velvet crossed her hooves over her chest, yawning. "Having the sun rise so we can go to bed."

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Spoilsport."

They rested in companionable silence for a while. Velvet's eyes slowly closed while Crystal continued to admire the stars.

"Velvet?" Crystal asked softly.

Velvet snorted, startled out of her half-asleep state. "Mm?" She yawned.

"Thank you."

"Mm?" She rolled her head to look at Crystal. "For what?"

"I just—thank you." Crystal smiled up at the sky. "I can't imagine how my life would have turned out if we hadn't become friends."

Velvet chuckled sleepily and shifted to lie on her side, closing her eyes again. "We'd both be lonely adults with blank flanks. I owe you just as much as you owe me, you know."

Crystal paused. Something caught her attention in the sky, but she didn't see it clearly enough to know what it was. She suddenly felt alert, however, and her gaze darted about to try to spy it again. Then, she saw it.

"Velvet?" She reached out a hoof and nudged her a little more forcefully than she intended. "Velvet, wake up."

Velvet groaned and rolled onto her other side. "Ugh, just a few more minutes, please."

Crystal went silent. It was too strange to try to explain to the weary mare. Four stars were moving. Stars weren't supposed to move, were they? Shining brighter than the other stars, they slid across the sky toward the full moon before disappearing behind it, or into it—she wasn't sure which. Her eyes widened and she gasped when she beheld an even stranger event.

"Velvet!" she exclaimed. "Look!"

"What?" Velvet lifted her head to squint at her. When she saw her pointing, her gaze followed the hoof's direction toward the sky. "What?!" Her body tensed up and she jumped to her hooves. "What happened to the moon?!"

Crystal worriedly glanced between the moon and Velvet. "I don't know! The Mare in the Moon just suddenly vanished!"

Velvet bit her lip. "Maybe it's just part of the Summer Sun Celebration? Maybe Princess Celestia is doing something special for Ponyville."

Crystal stood and started to pace. "I have a bad feeling, Velvet. I have a very bad feeling."

It wasn't too long after that her fears were confirmed. A team of pegasus royal guards zipped by overhead, their armor rattling from the speed at which they flew, the metallic sound ringing out an unofficial alarm.

"They came from Ponyville," Crystal said in a dry voice that nearly caught in her throat. "Oh my Celestia, what happened?"

Velvet put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "I—I'm sure it'll be all right."

Soon, guards descended from the castle into the city in a professional but hurried swarm. Each one called out the same thing: "Citizens of Canterlot, return to your homes immediately. Citizens of Canterlot, return to your homes…"

The guard that approached them was large and well-built, but Crystal's panic prevented her from even caring. Tentatively, he asked, "Velvet Step?"

Velvet blinked, both in surprise and to ward off her tears in an attempt to see more clearly. "Huh?"

The stallion had a copper-brown coat underneath his royal guard academy uniform, a white blaze on his snout and similarly white socks extending up his legs.

"Citizens of Canterlot," a nearby guard hollered, "return to your homes immediately."

The stallion's wings twitched nervously as he said, "Velvet, you need to go home, now." When she just stared at him in confusion, he explained, "Sorry. We went to school together, sort of. Defender Bronzewing." He shook his head. "But now's not the time to catch up; you need to take—" He paused. "Crystal? Crystal, take her home and get yourself home, too."

Velvet grabbed Crystal's hoof and held it tightly in her own. "What happened, Daffy?"

He swallowed. "I can't say. Please, get yourselves home."

Velvet hesitated a moment longer before she complied, tugging Crystal to follow her. They walked at first, but as the never-ending call of the guards continued from all angles and echoed throughout the slowly emptying streets, they both broke out into a full-on gallop.

"Citizens of Canterlot, return to your homes immediately…"

Once they were inside their condo, Crystal and Velvet sat on their respective pillows, quietly trembling without any words between them for a long while. The calls of the guards could still be heard until they slowly faded away, presumably after the streets were cleared.

The silence was deafening, but neither could think of anything to say that wouldn't immediately bring them both to tears.

Author's Note

Thank you to PhycoKrusk for his very clever Hungry Mare product. :rainbowlaugh:

All's Quiet in Canterlot

The citizens of Canterlot were kept in their homes for a full day, which—given the seriousness of the guards the night it happened—seemed somewhat underwhelming. The sun rose to banish the night, the guards informed them that all was well, and life returned to normal. It was almost as if nothing had happened at all, and that feeling was more unnerving than the initial panic.

Nopony talked about the events outright, but, of course, the citizens of Canterlot were experts at gossip. The sun had hardly reached its zenith on the day of its return before Velvet came home with conflicting news.

"So," Velvet said as she walked through the door and shut it behind her, "it seems that either a new alicorn appeared and foalnapped the princess, or the princess turned into an evil alicorn. Either way, everypony seems to agree that there was an evil alicorn involved."

Velvet pranced into the kitchen, continuing, "And the guard tried to rescue her, or turn her back, or whatever, but some other ponies beat them to it and became heroes. Or some ponies got in the way of the guards but Princess Celestia defeated the alicorn herself." She paused to scan the contents of their fridge.

"What?" Crystal blinked. "That doesn't make any sense."

Velvet shrugged lightly. She picked up an apple and said around a mouthful of the fruit, "I'unno, I jus' tellin' you wha' I heard a'prac'ice."

"You clearly need better sources." Crystal sighed and got up off the floor, walking over to the window and peering out into the city of Canterlot. "Did anypony know if Ponyville is all right?" she asked softly.

"You mean if Horsey is all right?" Velvet nodded. "Other than Princess Celestia supposedly disappearing, nopony talked about anything really happening in Ponyville. From what I can tell, it got blown way out of proportion." She resumed eating her apple.

Crystal breathed in through her teeth. "We should go to visit her, then."

"I figured you'd say that." Velvet smiled and walked into her room. She called over her shoulder, "You should go pack an overnight bag. I don't think either of us want to make it a quick visit!"

♡

Horsey looked at both of them with tears in her eyes. "Gosh, I'm so happy to see both of you! It was so scary!"

"Yeah." Velvet glanced at their cheerful surroundings. "So, about that. What exactly happened? Everything seems fine here."

Horsey hesitated a moment. She glanced around as well, though more nervously than Velvet. Without a word, she waved for the two to follow her, leading them into the restaurant proper and up the stairs to the living quarters above. For how modern and sleek the downstairs was decorated, the upstairs was much more rustic, as if straight out of the idyllic Prench countryside. Or, at least, what Crystal had seen of Prance in magazines, anyway.

Horsey sighed after she shut the door to her bedroom behind them. "Okay, so here's what happened."

Velvet and Crystal set down their overnight bags and turned all of their attention on Horsey. "Yes?" they asked together.

Horsey sat on her haunches, twiddling her hooves. "We all gathered for Princess Celestia to be introduced and to raise the sun, but she wasn't there. Then, a strange alicorn appeared, talking on and on about the night lasting forever and her rightful place after a thousand years or something."

"Then?" they both leaned in.

Horsey shrugged rather meekly. "Then she left. The guards that were there, some of the pegasus ones flew to Canterlot while the rest stayed to urge us back to our homes. I don't know much else, but everypony here is talking about Princess Celestia's student, Twilight Sparkle, having something to do with the return of Princess Luna."

"Princess Who?" Crystal tilted her head and furrowed her brow.

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Oh my gosh, Crystal, do you seriously not pay attention in Equestrian History?"

"No?" she responded flatly, returning the eyeroll. "It's never really mattered—well, up until now, I suppose."

"She's Princess Celestia's sister," Horsey explained. "She was banished to the moon a thousand years ago. And now she's back."

Crystal was silent while Velvet and Horsey talked, her gaze wandering the room. Princess Celestia had a sister? She'd have to get her hooves on that history textbook sooner rather than later. "Where—" she started to ask but cut herself off. "No, Raven probably would know more, actually."

"Huh?" Horsey blinked. "What about Raven?"

Crystal waved off the question dismissively. "When we get back to Canterlot, I'm going to try to get an appointment with Raven. If anypony knows exactly what's going on, it'd be her." Her gaze refocused on Horsey and she smiled. "I know I already said it when we got here, but I'm really, really glad to see you."

Velvet nodded and hooked a foreleg around Horsey's neck. "She cried," she whispered loudly.

Crystal snorted. "Hey! You cried, too!"

Horsey smiled and hugged Velvet, then pulled away from her to hug Crystal next. "It's okay. I cried when I thought we were going to—"

"Nope!" Velvet shook her head. "Everything turned out all right, so let's not talk about it anymore. Hey, Horsey, do you think you could sneak some sweets up here from downstairs?"

"You want me to steal from my own job?" She looked at Velvet with one brow raised.

"No, not at all," Velvet said, pulling away and waving her hooves. "I want you to steal for your best friends from your own job. It sounds better that way."

Crystal laughed. Her horn lit up, raising bits from her bag and floating them over to Horsey. Pale blue magic overtook pink and she dropped her focus. "There. Now it's not stealing, right?"

Velvet giggled and, while Horsey got up and left to go downstairs, threw her hoof to her forehead and exclaimed in a dramatic way, "I'm surrounded by ponies with morals!"

♡

It proved rather difficult to find time in Raven's schedule for a visit. She had returned Crystal's letter with an ominously short reply of "I'll be in touch." The week was nearly over when it became evident why she had heard nothing since from the mare.

"Do you think Princess Celestia is gathering us about what happened at the Celebration?" Velvet whispered to Crystal as the two walked side by side toward the castle courtyard, along with the rest of Canterlot's citizens.

Crystal shrugged her shoulders in a mid-step gesture, her gait unchanging. "What else could it be?" she whispered back. "If it really was the return of an alicorn, then that would be the first thing I'd have a large, public address regarding."

They filed into the courtyard with the rest of the ponies and awaited Celestia's arrival. They didn't have to wait long before the princess stepped out onto the balcony and was welcomed with a swell of cheers that she quieted by raising one hoof.

"Thank you all for gathering here today," she began, her soft yet unwavering voice falling upon them like a gentle rain. It was cool, calming, and steady. "As many of you already know, this year's Summer Sun Celebration was interrupted by a mare known as Nightmare Moon."

There was a sudden buzzing of raised voices that echoed against the courtyard and castle walls, but her hoof raised again and they fell to a soft murmur.

"The forces of disharmony that once consumed her have been banished. Princess Luna has returned to her rightful place of rule beside me."

No hesitation or pause followed her words. Everypony cheered and stomped their hooves against the stone and the grass. Though they couldn't see it from their position below the balcony, the smile on Celestia's lips could be heard in her voice as she finished her address.

"Thank you all for gathering here today," she repeated in an even more sincere tone than before. "I request—Nay, I beg of you, my little ponies, to welcome my beloved sister, your Princess of the Night, home after a thousand years."

The stomping and cheering rose into the air again and Celestia waved before she turned and walked back into the castle.

"Wow! So there really are going to be two princesses from now on. How cool is that?" Velvet started to prance out of the courtyard, but stopped when she noticed Crystal wasn't following her. "Crystal?"

Crystal flashed a smile at her. "Head on home without me. I'm going to try to find Raven." She turned and walked against the flow of the crowd, toward the castle. "Hello!" she chirped at the guards standing outside the main doors. "Is the castle open to the public yet?"

One of the guards shook his head. "No, ma'am."

"I see." She flicked her tail. "What about the castle gift shop?"

The same guard nodded. "That is open, ma'am."

"That will have to do. Thank you!" She trotted away from the main doors and over to a building that adjoined the castle, but had a separate entrance.

The castle gift shop was busier than usual, to no surprise. Ponies that worked in the castle were shuffling about, restocking shelves with new merchandise. All of what they were unloading that Crystal could see was dark midnight blue in color: mugs that read 'I Love the Night' and hats that featured crescent moons prominently on the front.

This only got Crystal more excited and curious. "Hello!" She approached one of the staff. "I'm looking for Raven. We were supposed to have lunch together, but what with Princess Celestia's address, I'm afraid I can't find her."

"Really? She's been so busy lately that I didn't know she even had lunch anymore." The stallion chuckled and set the box down he had been unpacking. "I'll inform her that she's forgotten her lunch date."

Crystal smiled as sweetly as she could. Guards were such sticklers for rules and regulations; castle staff that worked in a mere gift shop, however, were much more compliant with a mare who smiled.

She waited long enough to make up her mind on buying a few pieces of Princess Luna merchandise the next time she came to the gift shop, especially a couple of the mugs. They were large and of good quality, so she was sure they'd be great for hot cocoa in the slowly upcoming winter season.

"Crystal?" Raven asked as she approached. Her voice was somewhat strained as she continued, "We don't have a lunch date."

Crystal offered a sheepish grin. "I know, but I really need to talk to you, Rav."

Raven flushed and glanced around them. "Crystal! We're in public. I'm Raven, thank you very much." She cleared her throat. "I don't have time for lunch, but you're welcome to follow me if you are able to walk and talk." She turned and made her way right back out of the gift shop.

Crystal hurried to catch up with and walk alongside her. The sheepish grin turned somewhat playfully coy. "You let him call you Rav. I heard it last time the four of us went to dinner."

Raven's white coat showed her increasing blush. "Crystal!"

"Okay, okay." She giggled and had a small skip in her step before she looked at Raven with a serious expression. "What is the true story behind Luna's return?"

"Princess Luna's return is not something I am at leisure to discuss at length." Raven nodded to a pair of guards that held open a door for them. "Could you not consult with your local librarian on this matter?"

"I don't want to know the past, Raven. I'm interested in the present. I want to know who she is, not who she was. I—" She swallowed dryly. "I can't explain it other than I'm infatuated with the idea of her. Poetic Pen writes short stories featuring sun princesses exclusively. I've never read one of a beautiful, mysterious princess of the night."

Raven shot her an almost suspicious glance. "You want to write a romance novel about Princess Luna?"

Crystal was quick to dismiss the notion, waving both of her forehooves. "No, no, I just—I want to know more about her so I can consider the idea of writing a romance novel about a princess like her."

Raven's expression grew more distrustful. She paused to give some papers to a mare behind a desk. Crystal similarly paused to look around, having not even noticed they had walked into an office.

Once they were back out in the main hallway, Raven said in a low voice, "Are you attempting to capitalize on the return of Princess Luna to bolster your career?"

Crystal rubbed her temple and shook her head. "No, I just—augh! All right, could you make time to meet over dinner? It appears that no, I cannot walk and talk."

Raven came to a halt halfway down the hall and turned to face Crystal. She eyed her up and down before she relented with a sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm under a lot of stress right now with the princess's return. Until Princess Luna finds one herself, I am serving as aide to both princesses. Despite the addition of only one more princess to my care, it's more than doubled my usual workload. But—Perhaps, dinner would be nice. The four of us, or just you and me?"

Crystal smiled. "Oh, Velvet and I would never turn down the chance to have dinner with your—" She glanced around to see who was near. "—special somepony involved. He always pays." She giggled.

That made Raven smile briefly. "I will let him know that we will make time for dinner tomorrow night. Is that acceptable?"

"Okay!" She stepped forward, then paused. "Oh, wait, is hugging not allowed for you while you're in business mode?"

Raven said nothing, but she did raise one foreleg and gestured her closer with a half-smile. Crystal embraced her, then trotted toward the nearby main doors and out into the courtyard.

♡

Le Bernardin had a reputation for being at the top of Canterlot's fine dining list. It was also conveniently close to the palace, making it the go-to for dinners with Raven. They didn't get together for dinner often, so when they did, Crystal didn't feel too terribly guilty about eating at such an expensive place on somepony else's bit. It also helped ease the conscience when the food was beyond phenomenally good.

Velvet could hardly keep from drooling at the smells that filled the restaurant while they waited for Raven and her stallion to arrive. They would be discreet as always; Raven was still fiercely protective of her image and how it could affect Princess Celestia.

"You're sure she said tonight, right?" Velvet looked around, her ears twitching to and fro. "Because we can't afford to eat here, but I'm not leaving without getting my hooves on some mushroom risotto."

"I'm sure." Crystal giggled. "She'll be here any—oh!" She sat up straight in her seat. "There they are!"

Raven approached them in her off-hours 'disguise'. Her mane was down and she was wearing a different pair of glasses than normal. Knowing her for as long as Crystal had, it was easy to recognize her, but a passing glance would hardly discern who she was.

"I'm sorry we're late," Raven said in a quiet voice. "I just—Well, things became busy, and—"

"You always apologize, dear," the light blue stallion beside her coaxed, putting a hoof on her shoulder. "We've all been friends for too long to warrant so many apologies." He smiled down at her, then over at Crystal and Velvet. "Good evening, ladies."

"Good evening, Sir Pony Moore," Velvet said in an airy voice. "It's always so wonderful to see you!"

Sir Pony Moore chuckled and took the seat beside Raven. "Charmed, as always." He inclined his head, raised a hoof, and flagged down the nearest waiter. "A round of Chardonnay for myself and these lovely ladies, if you please, my good sir."

The waiter nodded and walked away.

Moore returned his attention to the mares across from him. "And for what reason do I owe the honor of dining with you two tonight?"

"Crystal wants to talk about the recent castle events, and Velvet wants the mushroom risotto," Raven answered for them, smiling.

Velvet nodded without a hint of shame. "Yup! I'm just here for the food."

Moore hooked his hooves and rested his snout on them. "The recent castle events, hmm? That sounds like a conversation for you and Crystal." His gaze flickered to Velvet. "I suppose that leaves us to fend for ourselves."

"That leaves you to fend for yourself, you mean." Velvet leaned back in her seat. "I can sit here and think about what I'm going to have for dessert until the waiter gets back by myself just fine."

Moore laughed softly while Raven stared expectantly at Crystal.

"Okay," Crystal started. She placed her hooves on the table and leaned in. "I'm completely without inspiration. Everything I try to write, when I reread it, is flat and without feeling. There was so much emotion behind The Mare's Temptation that I'm not sure if I can match it."

Crystal gave a serious frown, as if they were discussing their health or finances, and continued, "But something draws me to Princess Luna. I feel like—It's as though I am trapped in darkness, and her beautiful moonlight has shone down to reveal that it is not darkness at all, but a mysterious yet alluring night that surrounds me."

Flushing as she felt all their eyes on her, Crystal drew a small circle with her hoof against the white tablecloth. "It sounds strange, I understand, but I want to put that feeling into a story."

Moore broke the silence with a clap of his hooves. "How wonderful! Rav, weren't you just complaining that the castle has become mad with trying to promote and heighten Princess Luna's image? This would be a perfect opportunity for both of you, would it not?" He smiled at his mare.

Raven tried not to look at him, but she couldn't help it. She stole one glance into his blue eyes and quickly turned her head away, as if burned. "I—I do agree, but what if it backfires? What if—" She cut herself off, sighed, and looked across the table. "I read your interview in Wanderlust. I know you're struggling with finding a new idea."

Crystal dropped her gaze, unable to reply.

"What if you pounce on this idea out of desperation and it backfires? Crystal, if you ruined your career, I wouldn't forgive myself for allowing you to write such a thing." Raven reached over and placed her hoof on Crystal's.

Velvet cleared her throat. "You know, she is really good at writing."

Moore nodded. "Quite right. I think this is just the thing Canterlot needs. After all, word on the grapevine is that even with the castle's efforts, including Princess Celestia's address, ponies are still unnerved by the recent events."

"I can—No, I want to write this." Crystal offered a timid grin. "I am not fully aware of what 'this' is just yet, but I can feel it in my soul. The bright romance of the sun princess is losing its luster."

Crystal's grin shifted into a soft smile. "After all, is not night the hour of lovers? A rendezvous of hidden passion occurs under the watchful but silent gaze of the stars. We meet tonight under the veil of night for the sake of privacy. The night is truly the most romantic thing of all."

Raven's resolve faltered and she relented with a slow shake of her head. "All right, all right. It's hard to argue with you when you're like this."

"She's pretty much impossible to deal with when she's set her mind on something," Velvet added, giggling.

Moore glanced between the three of them. "Then it's settled?" When they nodded, he smiled. "Wonderful! To celebrate, tonight's dinner is on me!"

"Dinner is always on you, dear," Raven said and laughed softly.

"Ah, true." He sighed. "That does somewhat lessen the impact of the celebration, doesn't it?"

Crystal raised the dessert menu and glanced it over, mumbling, "That said, you could offer to buy us each two desserts. To celebrate, of course."

Moore's smile returned in full force. "Two desserts it is!"

While they waited for and then enjoyed their meals, the conversation wandered to lighter topics. They discussed Velvet's budding ballet career as well as Moore's business in stock trading. The former was much easier to digest than the latter, which was met with slow nods and confused smiles. After their double course of dessert, the four of them left the restaurant to part ways in their respective pairs, but Raven hesitated.

"I'll be right behind you, Moore," Raven said over her shoulder. He nodded, waved farewell to them, and walked away. She turned her head back to Crystal and Velvet. "Thank you for pestering me into coming out tonight."

"Thank you for agreeing to help me with my next novel once I decide exactly what it will be." When Raven opened her mouth to interject, Crystal spoke over her. "I know, I know. I must handle the situation with great care given the circumstances." She raised a hoof and dismissed the concerns. "I will send you the premise as soon as I have one."

Raven smiled. "I look forward to it. Good night, Crystal." Her gaze shifted Velvet. "And good night to you, as well. It was nice to see you again."

"Yup! You, too." Velvet waggled her hips to draw attention to the take-out bag balanced on her back. "Thanks for lunch tomorrow!"

Raven laughed a soft but earnest laugh and trotted off to catch up with Moore. Crystal bumped her shoulder to Velvet's before starting to walk in the direction of home.

"So, any idea at all what you're going to call this night princess novel?" Velvet asked in between happy little hums for having a happy, full stomach.

"Nope." Crystal sighed and lifted her gaze to the night sky. "But just like Temptation, when it hits me, I'll know it for sure."

The Princess of the Knight

Crystal sighed and sank lower into the steaming bathwater. Rose petals floated on the surface that rippled with her movement, sending them gliding up and down along the little waves. There was silence all around her once the water stopped lapping against the sides of the porcelain tub, save for the sound of her own breathing.

Nothing relaxed her more from a stressful day than a bath with rose oil, but not even the addition of petals was enough to keep her ear from occasionally flicking in irritation.

The front door clicked and creaked open. "Hello!" Velvet called from the living room. "I'm home!"

"In the bath!" Crystal called back in response.

A moment later, Velvet poked her head into the bathroom. Her nose scrunched up at the sight. "Another bad day, huh?" She walked in and sat on a small stool beside the tub.

Crystal nodded and mumbled, "I went to a cafe, just like I promised."

"That's a good little hermit crab," Velvet teased as she leaned against the tub and smiled, resting her head on her folded forelegs. "And?"

"And nothing. I went to a cafe. I sat there and had a cup of tea, then I had a cup of water because their tea is too expensive. My notebook is blank." She paused, then added, "I was thinking that maybe we should get a sofa."

Velvet raised one brow. "Uh-huh. And where are you going to get the bits from? 'Cause I'm pretty sure they don't make food cheaper than the noodle cups, so the money's certainly not coming out of the food budget."

A small groan escaped Crystal. She sank a little lower so that her mouth dipped under the water line, blew some bubbles, then raised back up to say, "I don't know. Maybe I'd work better on a couch than on the floor."

"Oh, all right. We'll just keep buying furniture until you find your muse." She giggled and flicked a hoof against the water to lightly splash Crystal. "Why don't you go to Quills and Sofas and see if they have a cheap one?"

Crystal rubbed at her cheek that had been aquatically attacked, smiling. "Quills and Sofas? Wow, how long has it been since we went there!"

Velvet grinned. "I went just last month when you needed a new batch of quills. You haven't gone in a very long time."

"Does Mr. Quills still run the place?" She straightened up and reached with her magic to pull the stopper and drain the water.

Velvet held out a towel, which Crystal accepted. "Nope. His son runs it now. Mr. Quills retired when he started having hip problems."

This gave Crystal pause. She quietly dried off before wrapping her mane in the towel and retrieving a bath robe. "I really need to get out more. I didn't even know he had a son."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you all along, Hermie." Velvet left the bathroom and flopped down onto one of their living room pillows. "My parents were asking about you yesterday. They just got their hooves on that interview Trenderhoof wrote about you and asked all sorts of questions."

"Oh?" Crystal went into the kitchen and filled up the kettle with water, then set it on the stove. "We should drop by the bakery sometime."

Velvet rolled over to look at her. "Crystal, I hate to sound like a broken record, but you need to drop by the bakery sometime. I visit them at least once a week."

Crystal stared down at the circle of flames that licked the bottom of the kettle. Her ears slowly folded backwards. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I've become such an introvert."

"Really?" Velvet giggled. "You don't?"

Crystal glanced at her. "You do?"

"Well, yeah." Velvet cleared her throat and said in an overly serious tone, "You grew up under constant pressure from your parents, which made you want to leave the house all the time. I'm way too nice of a roommate, so you don't feel a need to leave." She playfully pawed at the air. "If you want, darling, I can create a hostile environment here."

"Please, dear Celestia, don't." Crystal laughed and looked back at the kettle.

Velvet looked at the kettle as well, then dropped her head down to the pillow. "A watched kettle won't boil, you know."

"Huh?" Crystal didn't look away. "Of course it will. Being watched doesn't affect the heat."

"Can you prove it?" Velvet grinned and gave a playful flick of her tail. "You're the one that doesn't pay attention in school, after all."

Crystal giggled. "All right, all right." She walked over to the living room and sat down on one of the pillows. "So when do you get to actually perform in a show? All you do is practice."

"Well, I have to earn a spot. I'm still only somepony's understudy, after all." She sat up straight. "Actually, it should be soon. Princess Celestia reached out to the company about putting on a special performance for Princess Luna—"

The soft whistle that had gone unnoticed beneath their conversation suddenly interrupted as it gained strength. The spout cover flapped and bobbled, releasing steam with a shrill squeal.

"See?" Velvet grinned. "You stopped watching it!"

Crystal rolled her eyes and got up off the pillow after having just gotten comfortable. She poured two cups of tea and brought them over, setting them on the table to let the leaves steep.

"Anyway," Velvet continued. "It's a short notice performance, and some of the girls are making excuses to get out of it, so there's a chance I could get on stage."

"Making excuses?" Crystal scrunched up her nose. "Do ponies really find Princess Luna so unsettling?"

Velvet shrugged. "Seems that way. So, you better find your inspiration soon, because the suspicious attitude ponies have is already getting old. It's not fair for us to punish her like this when she already paid the price of a thousand years or whatever."

Crystal looked at her with a soft smile while her magic raised and gently bobbed the tea infusers in the still-steaming cups. "Yeah. I'll go look at sofas and try to find the most inspirational and affordable one they have."

Quills and Sofas had certainly changed since the last time Crystal visited. Mr. Quills's son had rearranged everything so that the quills occupied an equal share of the floor space as the sofas, which was a rather impressive feat. Many of the ones that Mr. Quills used to keep on shelves behind the register or in a back room were on display, with lights illuminating the various styles available.

There were plenty of the type of quill she preferred, which had thin vanes and no downy barbs so that she could see what she was writing with minimal obstruction. She did wander down the aisle to admire the other options available—after all, she was already there. Most quills had the barbs stripped, but there were some more decorative options that had some still intact. There were a few that had fancy, full plumes and, in her opinion, seemed rather impractical, but she was secretly tempted to buy one just because.

She sighed and tore herself away from the quills to look through the available sofas. None really spoke to her, though she did pause to sit on a few that looked comfortable enough. She auditioned several of them, sitting on each for a few moments with the notebook she had brought, gazing at the blank pages, waiting for inspiration to strike.

No sofa seemed to carry with it a complimentary muse, however, and she started to lose hope. It was a somewhat silly notion, after all. She walked to the back of the store where the discount sofas still rested and smiled. If she didn't know any better, she'd swear one of the sofas along the back wall was the very same springy one that she and Velvet had bounced on as fillies.

A chorus of gasps resounded throughout the store. Crystal started to turn to see what was going on when a mare's voice rung out in the Royal Canterlot manner, "We are just browsing."

Crystal nearly dropped her notebook. The very princess that had been dancing at the edges of her mind was walking over to a row of quills. Standing just a few paces behind the princess, on her left side, was a guard in the still-unfamiliar armor of Princess Luna's House Guard. The wave of initial shock that went through her was quickly replaced by a tsunami of excitement.

"Stay calm, stay cool," she whispered and clutched the notebook so close that she could have sworn her heart was pounding directly against the cover. If she looked as excited as she felt, the guard might notice her and she didn't want to be noticed.

As if on cue, the guard surveyed the room and made eye contact. She tried not to smile. She repeated her mantra, this time only in her mind. Being caught whispering to herself was definitely more suspicious than smiling too happily.

The guard's attention left her and she breathed a sigh of relief, then she looked over at Princess Luna and her relief rose back to elation. Perhaps it was because Princess Celestia had been around her whole life and Princess Luna was new and different, but the princess of the night was truly magnificent to behold. Her mane shimmered of the night sky and moved as though caught in its own gentle breeze.

The princess smiled to herself while she perused the aisles of quills, selected some, and went to the counter. That was when Crystal's attention was drawn to Mr. Quills's son, who stammered, "Twen—Twenty-five bits, please."

Crystal glanced around at the other ponies in the store. All of them were trying to not be seen by hiding behind sofas or staying almost perfectly still, save for light trembling. She started to frown and looked back at the princess and her guard just as they were leaving.

Her mind was made up. She hopped onto the nearest sofa, flipped the notebook open to a blank page, and started to furiously scrawl her overflowing thoughts across the paper.

♡

Crystal paced the castle courtyard, sweat beading down her neck from nerves that fluttered like butterflies in her chest. Raven couldn't meet for lunch, but she had agreed to read the story notes in her spare time. Today, she was supposed to return the notes with feedback, and Crystal felt much more nervous about what the mare would say about this than Temptation.

"Crystal?" Raven's voice asked from behind her.

Crystal nearly jumped out of her coat. "Oh! Raven!" She turned to face her, smiling crookedly. "How are you?"

Raven raised one brow. "No time for pleasantries. Let's walk and talk."

Crystal's heart sank, but she nodded and matched Raven's brisk pace. She thought she knew what to expect: they would walk down a series of hallways and corridors until Raven felt secure enough to quietly discuss the matter at hoof. However, when they turned down the hall of offices belonging to members of the Royal Guard, Crystal grew both curious and excited. She couldn't keep from glancing through any open doorways to see the armor-clad ponies inside, most of them busy with paperwork.

Raven stopped outside a door. She gave a serious glance at Crystal that brought her focus back to the moment, then knocked.

"Come in!" a mature, older mare's voice called from inside.

Raven's magic turned the knob and pushed the door open. "Sergeant, this may be an odd request, and according to my schedule, it is about time for your normal rounds. While you are out, would you mind the use of your office?"

The mare didn't look up from the paper on her desk. She had a pink coat that contrasted with her gold armor. Her red mane, which held the slightest hint of grey, was braided and draped over one shoulder. "Of course, Miss Raven, but if I may ask—" She halted when she looked up and saw the extra mare standing in her office. She recovered with a smile. "I see. Private, unofficial meeting?"

Raven nodded. "Yes, Sergeant."

"Well, you've certainly come to the right office." The sergeant winked and turned her gaze to Crystal. "I'm Radiant Orchid." She offered a hoof.

"Crystal Wishes." Crystal nearly stumbled over her own hooves trying to quickly reach out and take Radiant Orchid's. "It's an honor to meet a member of Princess Celestia's House Guard!"

Radiant Orchid's brow raised and she smiled wider. "I'm sorry, have we met before?" She glanced at Raven somewhat expectantly.

Raven hesitated before she explained, "Crystal is a novelist. I am aiding her as she conducts some research into castle affairs for her writing."

Radiant Orchid laughed softly. "Is that so? Well, I'm sure it must be all right if she has your oversight." She carefully put on her helmet, tucking her braid underneath, and stood from her chair. "Permission granted, Miss Raven, as I do indeed have my rounds." She offered a nod of her head before walking out of the room.

Raven shut the door behind the sergeant and, before she could speak, Crystal asked, "Why are we in a sergeant's office? I know there are meeting rooms, so why are we not in one of those?"

"Because a sergeant's office is much more private." Raven took a seat in one of the chairs on their side of the desk. "The doors are more secure, and other than Sergeant Orchid returning, there is close to no chance of somepony walking in."

"Oh." Crystal sat in the other chair. "That makes sense." She twiddled her hooves a little nervously.

"So," Raven began as she retrieved Crystal's pitch and levitated it over. "I read through what you've written a few times."

The papers hovered between them until pink magic overtook and set them on Crystal's lap, where she started to poke at them like a shy filly. "Yes?"

"I've thought very carefully on the words to use." When Crystal glanced over, she saw a heavy blush on Raven's cheeks. "I work in close quarters with Princess Luna, and it has become difficult to work with her without thinking about the secret, torrid affair you describe between her and her House Guard commander."

After a pause to let her nerves settle, a smile slowly started to form on Crystal's face. "Then, you like it?"

Raven nodded. "Absolutely! I would dare to say almost too much. Yet, there is a small problem I noticed."

The smile fell. "What is that?"

"It just—ends. Do they get together or not?" Raven's brow furrowed. "Do you plan to write a sequel, and that is why there is no resolution?"

Crystal turned her head away and said nothing.

"What?" Raven leaned in toward her. "What's wrong?"

"Raven, how can you even ask me whether they get together?" Crystal asked softly, still looking at the wall. "You know they don't. They can't."

Raven's ears perked before folding back. "And why not? It's a work of fiction, after all."

Crystal sighed and shook her head. "But fiction should have an element of plausibility to it in order for readers to not lose their suspension of disbelief." A small groan rumbled in her throat. "And I just don't believe that Princess Selene can end up with a mere guard, commander or otherwise."

Raven gave her an incredulous stare for a quiet moment. "I ask again: and why not?"

"Because she is the Princess of the Night, a co-ruler of Equestria." Crystal shot Raven a light glare, as if that would solve everything. "She is held to a high standard, higher than that of a prince who is only a prince in title with not even a parcel of land to his name, and look what happened with you. How can I write a happy ending that could never come true?"

To Crystal's surprise, Raven smiled. "Is that all? Crystal, readers don't care about that. They don't want the truth." She reached out and put a hoof on Crystal's. "They want to believe in the happy ending that you wrote for The Mare's Temptation, and it's your job to let them." Her smile turned almost mischievous. "I'm also being somewhat selfish, honestly. If Princess Selene and Sir Chevalier do not end up together, I will burn your manuscript, because I am in love with their relationship."

Crystal finally relented with a small smile. "I thought you were a stickler for accuracy."

"Oh, some things must be flexible." Raven waved the notion away. "I am perfectly happy with how my story turned out. You know that. Moore is the perfect stallion for me, and I would never have met him if I hadn't let go of Blueblood. And anyway, Selene and Chevalier are perfect together." She cleared her throat and leaned back into her seat. "That aside, I do have something important to discuss on the matter of this novel, whether you end it my way or my way." She winked playfully.

Crystal giggled and nodded. "All right, and that is?"

"The timeline. Moore was right when he had said that this could do extremely well for Princess Luna's image. When The Mare's Temptation took off, there was a small but noticeable increase in Princess Celestia's approval ratings. Despite her being a side character, your portrayal of her had a positive effect on her image among your readers. The increase may have been a coincidence, but I believe it wasn't and that this will help Princess Luna."

Crystal blinked, then shook her head quickly to try to shake off the torrent of thoughts that jumped into the fray. "There are approval ratings for the princesses? It's not as though we can vote them out, so why does it matter?"

Raven raised her brow. "Of course it matters! Unrest is quite unhealthy, so we have ponies dedicated to keeping a hoof on the pulse." She waved her hooves. "Nonetheless, that's not what's important. How quickly can you turn this around?"

"I don't know." She rubbed the back of her neck and offered a weak shrug. "But I will do my best. I'll schedule a meeting with Sunset Coffee and see what he can do for me."

"Please do." Raven stood up and started toward the door. "You already know the basics of the castle, so you shouldn't need too much from me. Oh!"

Raven stopped just before she pulled the door open and looked at Crystal over her shoulder. "There is one other request. Princess Luna, due to her extended absence, still speaks in Early Modern Equestrian. If you could consider writing Selene's dialogue as such, it may also help her be more accepted in that regard as well."

Crystal scrunched up her nose as she gathered the papers. "I can try, though I certainly make no guarantees about that."

Raven nodded. "That's good enough for me. Thank you, Crystal." She added with a wink, "I look forward to your drafts as soon as possible."

♡

Sunset shut the door to his office once they were both inside. "Always good to see you! What can I do for you today?" he asked as he rounded his desk and sat down.

"I have a pitch ready for my next novel," she responded, her chest puffed with pride. "If you could—"

"Next novel?" He steepled his hooves. "Do you want me to set you up with a meeting at Reindom House?" He smiled. "You've already made it into the big league; you don't need to slow your novels with Mares Monthly, though my boss would certainly appreciate it. But, as a friend, you'd do better going straight to print."

"Oh." Her ears drooped and she lowered her gaze to the desk between them. "So, I don't get to work with you anymore?"

Sunset hummed as he tapped his forehooves together in thought, then settled on asking, "Does that mean you want to work with me?"

"Absolutely!" She emphasized her response with a curt nod. "You've taken such good care of me with Temptation that I couldn't imagine working with somepony else."

Sunset started to shuffle some papers on his desk to clear the space in the center, then leaned across and lowered his voice. "Then you can hire me as your agent. I work for Mares Monthly, but I can also work as your agent, as long as you plan to continue to publish with Reindom House. Since they're our partner, it won't be too much of a problem."

Crystal leaned in as well. "Then you're hired."

"Splendid!" He settled back into his seat and gestured with a hoof for her to give him the papers she carried. "So then, as your agent, let me see your pitch."

The minutes that followed after he unfurled the papers stirred the nervous butterflies in her again. She swung her hindlegs and looked around his office in hopes of a distraction. She had seen it many times before, but she tried to preoccupy herself with its contents one more time. Articles and charts were hooftacked up on every inch of wall space, some even with color-coded string to link them together. Sunset took his job very seriously, more like some sort of business analyst than a mares' interest researcher.

Interspersed throughout the work-related documents were a few crudely drawn pictures, composed of bright crayons and the occasional happy sticker. She smiled and looked at the picture on his desk of his family: a beautiful wife, himself, and three foals. One had just been recently added to the Coffee family not two months ago.

"How quickly can you finish this?"

Crystal blinked, returning her gaze to him. Had he asked the question, or was she just hearing Raven's question, but in his voice? He was staring directly at her, though, so—

"Oh." She blinked again. "I'm not sure, why?"

"I was going to send you this brochure in the mail." He slid a tri-folded glossy paper to her. "The Equestrian Writers Convention is coming up in just under five months. We have several booths available for our writers, and I can still get you in." He grinned lopsidedly. "Actually, I was supposed to reach out to you sooner, but I've been busy catching up on what I missed after my time off for Violet's birth."

Crystal scanned the brochure, though she had heard enough to get so excited that she almost felt sick to her stomach. A convention? A booth? Was she ready to do something so public?

Sunset seemed to pick up on her nervousness. Perhaps it was because she was staring at the paper with the expression of a cat that had just fallen in water. "It's completely optional, of course," he said. "We'll still be hawking The Mare's Temptation, but it'd attract a lot more attention if you were there yourself. You can still go incognito. A pair of glasses and a hat can go a long way, you know."

She simply nodded dumbly.

He chuckled and looked back at her pitch. "Anyway, I mainly ask about your turnaround time because if you could have this finished with, at the bare minimum, a month for the approval and editing process, Reindom House could publish just enough copies to debut at the convention. It's a very tall order, but a story like this would be an instant bestseller. I don't know of any stories out there like this. Let's strike the anvil while it's still hot!"

Crystal felt rather nauseated. Was the room spinning? It was a lot to suddenly consider, but—

She nodded, this time with more confidence. "I'll do it. And I'll have this story done in time."

Sunset clapped excitedly. "All right! Then, don't let me keep you any longer. You have a market-changing bestseller to write!" As she stood, he stood with her. "Do you have a working title yet?"

Crystal stopped at the door. She did, though she was a little nervous to say it aloud. "The Princess of the Knight."

"The Princess of the Night? Isn't that a little heavy-hoofed?" He raised his brow.

"Oh, I mean, 'knight'. As in a, um, guard?" Her ears drooped. "It had seemed like a good pun at the time, so—"

"Ah-ha!" He gave a soft laugh and patted her on the shoulder. "I see what you did there! Very clever, then. No pressure, but I'll need the first draft as soon as possible to make the convention deadline work."

No pressure, indeed. She smiled as best she could and walked out of his office. Once she was out of sight, her knees felt weak and her head spun with dates. If she dropped out of school, that would certainly free up more time to write, but what was she going to do about money? The allowance-bribe from her parents was their main source of income. She sighed and made her way to the elevator.

The next few months were going to be stressful, that was for sure.

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Suddenly Sofas... And Quills

At the Gala — First Dance

The door to Crystal's bedroom abruptly opened, sending a wave of rushing air through the room and scattering the papers she had strewn about.

"What the hay?!" Crystal jerked her head up to frown at Velvet, who was standing in the doorway. "You could have knocked! Or—"

"Crystal, I'm sorry, but this is getting way beyond ridiculous," Velvet interrupted, stomping one hoof to accentuate her point. "You've been cooped up in this room for weeks! I thought you were going to go out more? How many times do we have to have this fight?"

"Fight?" Crystal scowled, though it was a reaction more of shock than anger. "When have we fought? We've debated! You have one opinion and I have another. What's wrong with that?"

Velvet shook her head with a frustrated jerkiness, as if a fly were in her ear. "Fight, debate, whatever! Either way, you know it's not healthy for you to do this. I'm amazed you still go to classes, honestly, because we haven't hung out since you got back from Manehattan."

"Well, I don't know what you want from me! I have to finish this novel, find a cover artist, make whatever edits I have to, and prepare for a convention in an almost impossibly short amount of time." Crystal dropped her gaze down to her working manuscript. "I'm under a lot of stress, and finding time to get some social exposure isn't a priority right now. I'll get to talk to a lot of ponies at the Equestrian Writers Convention; isn't that good enough?"

Velvet waited for the silence to grow heavy between them before she finally relented with a grunt. "Fine. But you can't agree to another crazy deadline like this again, okay? You look terrible."

Crystal blinked. "I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, I've still got a lot of work left, so if you don't mind—?"

Velvet snorted and started to shut the door, backing out of the room. "I'll have dinner ready in an hour. Please try find a spare moment to join me this time, okay? I didn't ask you to be my roommate so I could eat alone."

The door clicked shut, giving Crystal no chance to respond. She tried to return her attention to her writing, but she was already out of the zone. She sighed and got up, releasing a pained sound that almost rivaled the groaning of her stiff joints. How long had she been curled up on the floor? It felt like she hadn't moved in days.

She winced. Perhaps she hadn't. Though she knew she went to classes each day of the week, it certainly didn't feel like it. The obligation of attending school was a blur washed away by the storm of writing, so much so that it was hard to remember when she had last stood up. With a tight limp in her gait, she hobbled over to the vanity and tentatively peeked at her reflection. It was almost comical how tired the mare in the mirror looked! Her lids were dark and droopy, her eyes were bloodshot, and her mane was a frizzy mess.

Velvet was right. She looked downright awful. Her gaze returned to her papers and a small pang of guilt gripped her chest. The manuscript absolutely had to be finished. All of the effort had to be worth the lost time, otherwise she'd really be letting Velvet down.

For that evening, however, she would have a proper dinner with her friend rather than absentmindedly eating while the quill worked furiously under the pressure of her magic. She washed her face and put herself together: foundation, mascara, and beauty mark were all carefully applied. Once her mane had been brushed into silky submission, she walked out into the main area.

Velvet looked up from the stove and over at her with a bit of surprise. "Oh, hey!" The surprise lifted into a sheepish grin. "Look, Crystal, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I know you're working really hard." She rubbed the back of her neck and returned her attention to the pan cooking on the burner. "I was just feeling crabby and took it out on you."

Crystal blinked. She walked over and hopped up to sit on the empty counter space beside the stove. "What's wrong?"

Velvet idly stirred the vegetables that were in the pan. "Some of the girls in the company have tickets to the Gala and have been talking about it nonstop. I'm downright sick of hearing about it."

"The Gala?" Crystal's ears fell and her eyes widened. "Oh, sweet Celestia, is that soon?"

"Yeah?" Velvet snorted. "It's less than a week away. Are you really not paying attention to anything at all outside of your room?" She offered a weak but playful smirk. "How do you plan to even pass your exams for school if you don't even know the Gala is next week?"

Crystal waved the question away. "Forget exams! This is worse!" She slid off the counter and started to pace just outside the kitchen. "My parents will expect me to go, but I have no time for that!" She stopped pacing to frown at Velvet. "They're going to show up any day now to pester me. You have to tell them I'm sick. Or dead. Whichever lie is easier to tell."

Velvet laughed softly. She transferred the sautéed vegetables to a plate and took the pan to the sink. "Oh, yeah, because the second one'll go over real well. I'll just tell them you're busy; I'm sure they'll understand." She paused for comedic effect, then said dryly, "Wait, this is your parents we're talking about. I don't think you being dead would stop them from dragging you to the Gala."

"You're right, of course, but—" Crystal slumped against the wall. "But I really, really have no time."

Velvet paused, this time out of sincere hesitancy. "It's just one evening, isn't it?"

Crystal shot her a withering stare.

Velvet offered her hooves in a peaceful gesture. "I'm just saying! It's one evening. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to get out and cut loose."

The withering stare intensified. "Velvet, what do I say every year when you ask me how the Gala was?"

Velvet raised her voice in a playful mimicry of Crystal's. "How would you feel about being surrounded by all the worst examples of Canterlot society for hours?”

“Exactly.” Crystal crossed her front legs over her chest. “So, when my parents come over, and they will soon, you’re going to say what?”

♡

“Don't worry, Mrs. Crust and Mr. Set!” Velvet chirped excitedly, shoving her shoulder against Crystal’s and knocking her off-balance as a distraction from the off-script response. “She’ll definitely be there!”

Upper Crust smiled. “Thank you for your reassurance, Velvet Step.” She levitated the envelope containing the golden ticket over and onto the table. “I see you understand that the Gala, of all events, is the most important to Crystal’s well-being.”

Jet Set cleared his throat and put his wife’s hat back on her head. “We have somewhere to be, don’t we, dear?”

“Quite right.” Upper Crust straightened the drooping sleeves of the sweater tied around her neck. “We should do lunch sometime, darling.” She paused, then added cordially, “And Velvet Step, too.”

As Upper Crust let herself out, Jet Set lingered behind. He turned his gaze on Crystal and smiled softly. "Your mother and I are very proud of your accomplishments, Crystal."

Crystal ducked her head. His tone and words sounded sincere, but she could only believe half of his statement. "Thanks." She shuffled her forehooves. "It's working out pretty well for us."

Jet Set nodded slowly. He seemed to hesitate, but instead shook his head and started for the door. "We'll see you at the Gala, then, dear. Always a pleasure, Miss Step."

"Yup! Have a great night!" Velvet waved him off.

When the door shut, Velvet continued waving, purposefully not looking at Crystal.

Crystal, on the other hoof, was looking directly at her. "Velvet."

"Yes?" Velvet responded, still waving, though the motion was slowing down.

"I thought we had an agreement." Crystal tapped a hoof against the floor. "You realize that if I don't go, they'll blame you."

"Exactly!" Velvet turned to face her with a sly grin. "Which, in turn, means you're now obligated to go for my sake. And I'm doing this for your sake, so really, you're doing it for you."

Crystal made a few unintelligible sounds of irritation before she finally settled on groaning, "Velvet, I swear to Celestia—"

"Hear me out." Velvet put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "You're pretty far along with the manuscript already, right?"

Crystal eyed her warily. "Yes, but—"

"And you're probably going to make the deadline, right? Don't respond just yet. Think about it seriously."

Crystal did and, after a moment, she gave a small nod. "Probably."

Velvet smiled, moved closer to Crystal and nuzzling her cheek. "Plus," she whispered in her ear in a playfully coy voice, "you might run into Princess Luna there." Velvet jumped back, laughing while Crystal gasped with realization.

"I didn't even think about that!" Crystal started to trot in place as excitement overtook her. "Oh my gosh, I need a dress! And what am I going to do with my mane and tail?"

Velvet laughed even harder. "That's the spirit!" Her laughter calmed down to intermittent giggles. "Why don't we go shopping? You just got your royalty check for this month, right?"

Crystal's excitement faltered, her eyes closing halfway as she did the math. They were cooking with fresh produce now, and she certainly wasn't going back to eating Hungry Mares. If she took out the usual cost of groceries, how much did that leave for a dress? What about accessories, if she didn't already have shoes or jewelry that matched?

Her lips moved to silently mouth the numbers zipping through her head. "Yeah. As long as we don't go over budget, it'll be fine."

"Then let's go shopping!"

♡

It was a beautiful night. Crystal stood on the road that led to the castle, which was lined with red rope held up by silver stands. The blue-purple hues of the sky above were glittering with stars. The night sky was more wonderfully and carefully arranged than Crystal had ever seen it before Princess Luna's return. She truly was a Princess of the Night.

"At the Gala!" several voices suddenly cried out in unison, nearly startling her right out of the silver shoes on her hooves. Just as the sky was filled with stars, the space around her was filled with ponies marching together and singing.

The Gala was notorious for repeating the same traditions every year with no surprises or deviations from the established norms. The ponies of high class society knew what to expect and reveled in that constancy, as it guaranteed their idea of a great event.

The refined mares and stallions, who were all dressed to the nines, marched past her in step and in song. She rolled her eyes, counted the beat, and joined in.

"At the Gala!"

Then, for the first time that she could remember, a voice sang out of place.

"At the Gala, in the garden, I'm going to see them all! All the creatures, I'll befriend them at the Gala!"

She glanced at the mare to her left and was met with a look of confusion that matched her own. Enough ponies chimed in with another "At the Gala!" exclamation, so Crystal shrugged and continued with the synchronized marching. By the time a third voice had broken out into its own song, they had found a rhythm of carrying on without losing tempo. In total, there were six unexpected verses, but they seemed to at least try to match the song's cadence, more or less. The song finally drew to a close.

"And we'll have the best night ever, at the Gala!"

After the melodious parade to the castle, they all formed a line to shake hooves with the princess before entering the Gala proper. Of course, every year prior that Crystal had attended, it was only one princess. Perhaps this year it would be plural! She could barely keep from bouncing up and down before the line moved forward one pony.

Her excitement deflated when the queue progressed enough that she was inside the main hall and could see up the grand staircase. At the top of the stairs stood Princess Celestia with a purple unicorn at her side that was distinctly not Princess Luna. Crystal sighed and tried to occupy her time by looking around the hall.

It wasn't as magical as it had been before she had started working with Raven. Now, all she could see was the hidden truths behind everything. The stained glass windows, for example, were cleaned three times a day to ensure that they always caught the light as perfectly as possible. Instead of admiring the way the stars could be seen shimmering behind the semi-translucent colored glass, she wondered how recently a castle servant had been by to wash them.

She stifled a yawn. There was more shuffling forward, waiting, then shuffling again. Finally, she had reached her turn at the top of the stairs.

"Good evening," Princess Celestia said and bowed her head, just as she did every year to everypony. "Welcome to the Gala."

"Thank you, Princess." Crystal bowed in return before proceeding past her, but not before stealing a quick glance at the purple unicorn. She felt like she knew her face from somewhere, but where? Being at the princess's side was a prestigious spot only for a special pony.

She made a note to ask Raven about it when she ran into her. The Gala was an opportunity for Raven to relax and enjoy the party, as Princess Celestia had a well-practiced schedule that never changed and didn't require an aide keeping her to it. For the time being, however, Crystal just wished she could see Princess Luna, even if only from a distance.

Unfortunately, the Princess of the Night was nowhere to be found. Crystal had searched all of the areas accessible to her, leaving only the VIP section. Standing just on the standard attendees' side of the rope, she did her very best to nonchalantly peruse the crowd of very important ponies, which consisted of Wonderbolts and their esteemed guests.

Just as she gave up and started to walk away, a rainbow-colored blur shot past her, sending a gust of wind through her mane and the ruffles of her dress. She gasped and threw a hoof to her carefully tiered braids to ensure they were still in place before she looked around to discover the disturbance.

A mare with a rainbow mane and dress seemed to be the most likely culprit. Just like the unicorn at Princess Celestia's side, this mare seemed distantly familiar somehow. From what Crystal could gather from the scene, the mare had dashed as quickly as she could to catch a pie before it hit the ground.

One of the Wonderbolts that stood near the mare exclaimed, "My pie! You saved it! Thanks!"

Crystal rolled her eyes and sighed, then did a double take at the stallion. He was furiously devouring the supposedly rescued pie with no sense of decorum or shame. She had been so determined to find Princess Luna that she had nearly forgotten there were eligible stallions attending the Gala! A flush started to crawl up her neck and to her cheeks as she glanced around, suddenly very aware of the several stallions in the crowd.

As if on cue, her mother's voice rang out sharply against her own thoughts. "Crystal, darling! There you are!"

Crystal looked over to see Upper Crust walking toward her with an unfamiliar blue mare. "Good evening, Mother." She glanced between the two, smiling pleasantly. "Would you care to introduce me to your friend?"

Upper Crust laughed in that awful, goose-like manner. "Oh, darling, I hope she'll be your friend. This is Four Step. She's a dance teacher. Isn't that nice?"

Crystal turned her forced smile on the mare and offered a hoof. "Nice to meet you."

"No, no, the pleasure's all mine!" Four Step beamed at her and accepted the offer with a solid shake. "Your mother mentioned you have a friend in the Canterlot Ballet. Velvet Step, right? How funny, another Step who's a dancer! I wonder if she and I are related?"

This lifted Crystal's smile into sincerity. "Yes, she—"

Upper Crust cleared her throat, interrupting, "She is, but I'm sure you're more interested in talking about how you are also a dancer yourself."

Four Step giggled. "Oh, I don't—"

"She knows all the latest trends in dance so that her students are always the best," Upper Crust interrupted again. "In fact, I dare say she knows the trends before they become trends."

The smile fell into a barely lifted line. "Mother—" Crystal tried to regain her practiced composure, but her emotions were showing too much. "May I speak with you for a moment in private?"

"I'll go get some punch," Four Step suggested before trotting away to give them space.

Upper Crust looked down her nose at her daughter. "What's wrong, dear?"

"What are you trying to do?" Crystal returned the look with a frown. There was no pretense of civility as she continued in a seething voice, "You're scheming something. I thought you were through with this?"

"Nothing of the sort, darling! I'm simply trying to expand your little social circle. After all, you prefer having dancer—" She paused, then finished in an oddly lilting tone, "friends, don't you?"

For a moment, Crystal simply had no response. She finally shook her head to clear her head. "What? Are you—Do you—" Her brow furrowed. "Do you really not like Velvet that much?"

Upper Crust waved a hoof. "That's not it at all! I promise, darling, I am not trying to force anything on you; I'm simply showing you options."

Crystal sighed through her teeth and turned away. "I'm fine, Mother. I can make my own friends without your meddling."

Upper Crust didn't say anything further, nor did she try to stop Crystal from leaving. Instead, she simply stood there, watching her daughter's retreating form with a neutral expression.

Crystal groaned as she wound her way through the sparse crowd to the private gardens. She had learned several years ago that most ponies stayed away from there. While beautiful and well-maintained, they provided too much risk of stray leaves in one's mane or a mischievous branch to snag one's dress.

As they were every year, the gardens were a tranquil scene of magnificent flora and exotic fauna. Every once in a while, she could hear a distant bird in the trees and, when she was lucky enough, would actually catch a glimpse of a bright color moving among the foliage. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted something large and red.

Hoping to sneak up on a bird, she walked as quietly as she could across the grass, nearing the red figure. When she was close enough, she froze. The figure was definitely not a bird.

An earth stallion sat in a small clearing off the main path, his head lifted so his gaze could drift across the branches above. Crystal carefully moved to get a better look at him from the side and spotted a sketchbook resting in one hoof, a pencil in the other.

An amused smile played across her lips as she watched him for a few moments. He was a big, strong example of a stallion, with black fetlocks and a white mane and tail. He also clearly didn't belong at the Gala. His features were much more suited to labor with his muscles and hooves which—judging by a quick glance at his cutie mark—had something to do with carts. However, there he was, somehow in the Gala and sketching birds.

Finally, she stepped forward, careful to make just enough noise with her movement to alert him without startling him too much. He tensed and pulled the sketchbook in toward him to hide his work, turning his head to look at her.

"Hello!" she said in a quiet voice. "My name is Crystal Wishes. Who are you?"

He eyed her with nervous suspicion. When she simply smiled back, he said low and cautiously, "Axel."

She waved a hoof to try to dismiss his concerns, but a mere gesture was hardly enough for that. "I saw that you were sketching the birds." She tilted her head. "I've been attending the Gala for years and hardly see any of them. How many have you seen?"

Axel clutched the sketchbook tighter. "Not a lot. I've only been sitting here a little while. This is—" His mouth clamped shut and he visibly tensed.

"Your first time 'at the Gala'?" She giggled. "How did you get in? No offense, but I don't believe you received a ticket." When he glanced away from her and hesitated, she added, "It's honestly all right. I know you have no reason to trust me, but I'm not going to turn you in."

He rubbed the back of his neck and relented. "I came to repair a cart that broke down, and, well—with all of the Gala preparations and distractions, nopony was really keeping an eye on me, so I just didn't leave."

"Really! Oh, gosh." She shook her head. "That's a little lax on security's part. When I just want to have a lunch date at the castle, I have to jump through so many hoops! But good for you, I guess?" She glanced at his sketchbook.

He looked between her and the book before he slowly held it out. "I'm not very good at it, but if you really want to see—"

"I do!" Her magic took the sketchbook from him with utmost care and gingerly flipped through it. Some of the sketches were rougher than others, likely having been based on a brief glimpse at a passing bird. One, however, gave her pause.

He took note of her stillness and asked nervously, "What's wrong?"

"Huh?" She blinked up at him. "Nothing's wrong, it's just—" Her gaze returned to the drawing. It was of some kind of parrot that, in black and white, would seem ordinary, but the amount of varying shades of grey the stallion had sketched in alluded to at least a few different colors. "I've never seen the bird this is of."

A smile broke out across his face. "Oh, that one was amazing! They're rainbow lorikeets. They're actually very friendly if you sit still long enough."

"Rainbow lorikeet? So it really is all sorts of colors!" She tapped a hoof to the page. "Anyway, these are really good. I like this one the most, but I guess that's just because you had more time to finish it." After closing the sketchbook, she held it out to him.

Just as Axel took it, a delicate voice chimed from somewhere nearby, "I'm so sorry to have scared you, my friends! But I'm leaving now, so you can all come out!"

Axel looked around, startled. Crystal stood, brushed off the dirt on her dress, and glanced at him with a smile.

"I'll make sure whoever that was heads in a different direction so you can enjoy your evening, Axel." She waved. "Good luck bird watching!"

"Thanks." He returned both the wave and the smile. "It was nice meeting you."

"You, too!" she called over her shoulder as she headed off in the direction of the voice.

At the Gala — Second Dance

Crystal pushed carefully through the bushes in hopes of finding the owner of the voice. Luck was on her side, it seemed, when she spotted a yellow mare and an old grey stallion—the former of which she didn't know but felt like she should, and the latter she recognized as Mr. Greenhooves, the royal groundskeeper.

They were an odd couple, but she did her best not to judge too much. They seemed preoccupied with one another and not with venturing deeper into the gardens, so she gave them a wide berth as she made her way back to the party.

Just as she left the gardens, she slapped a hoof to her forehead. She had a golden opportunity for a private, secluded encounter with a stallion that was definitely her type and she had simply walked away! Her preoccupation with letting him sketch in peace had completely blinded her to the fact that he might have been an eligible bachelor.

She glanced over her shoulder, but shook her head and walked away. It was too late. He hadn't seemed interested in her, anyway; he was there to see exotic birds and she was neither. Her attention returned to the mingling crowd ahead of her.

Among the ponies, she spotted Raven all dolled up with shimmering jewels in her mane and a sparkling dress. Crystal inwardly squealed before walking over. "Raven!"

Raven squinted at her for a moment and Crystal realized the mare was missing something. "Raven, where in Equestria are your glasses?"

"Crystal?" Raven paused, then nodded to herself with recognition. "I—I wanted to try going without them." She blushed and continued in a lower voice, "I wanted to stun Moore with this ensemble, and the glasses were detracting from my effort. At some point, they fell out of my pocket, though, so—" The blush darkened, now with embarrassment. "I've been standing here for maybe half an hour trying not to bump into anything or anypony."

Crystal did her very best not to laugh. "Really?"

"Stop it! I can hear you thinking about laughing." A small pout tugged on Raven's lower lip. "Could you help me find him? I've given up on the return of my glasses at this point. I just want to find Moore."

"All right, all right." She giggled and started toward the castle. "Follow the blur."

Raven huffed as she walked just behind her. "From what little I can see, you're a very lovely blur tonight."

Crystal giggled. "Thank you, but I'm nothing in comparison to you. Has Moore seen you yet?"

"No," Raven replied with a small sigh. "We were supposed to meet up, but I'm sure he's been trapped in conversation. He can't go very far without somepony wanting to talk to him."

"Speaking of wanting to talk, I have a few questions for you." Crystal slowed her pace. "What is going on with the Gala this year?"

"What do you mean?" Raven's tone grew serious and she stopped entirely. "What happened?"

"Well, the parade had some—interesting additions." Crystal stopped as well, turning to face Raven. "And I noticed there was a mare beside Princess Celestia at the royal greeting."

Raven raised a hoof to her temple. She rubbed a small circle there and groaned under her breath. "Princess Celestia saw fit to invite her protégée, which of course involved inviting her friends, as well. They are the bearers of the Elements of Harmony, but they are also—well—"

With a sigh, Raven shook her head and continued in a mumble, "They're not all quite accustomed to Gala customs. I tried to warn Princess Celestia that they might disrupt the normal order, and all she said in response was, 'I know.'"

"Huh." Crystal blinked. "I thought I recognized her. She's the one in the newest stained glass window, isn't she? She and her friends?"

"Correct. Twilight Sparkle is her name." Raven sighed and gestured for Crystal to continue onward. "I hope Princess Celestia truly does know what she's doing."

"You know her better than almost anypony. If you're doubting her, then I'm really concerned." Crystal laughed softly and held the door open into the main ballroom.

Conversational noise bombarded them from all angles when they stepped inside. It sounded as if there were three times the amount of ponies in the room, and there were already a lot of voices without the echoing. She rubbed her suddenly ringing ears, shook out the pain, and scanned the crowd.

A stallion stood out from the others: Prince Blueblood. At his side was yet another vaguely familiar mare dressed in a gown fit for a princess. They were standing beside a puddle of punch that had been spilled and seemed to be debating.

Raven squinted, though it was no use.. "Do you see him?"

"Not yet." Crystal glanced at her, then back at the prince.

The mare at his side looked utterly offended as she raised the shawl from her shoulders and laid it over the juice. Blueblood walked over it and she neared a snarl as she picked it back up. Unceremoniously, she tossed the wet cloth over her back, then scowled at the prince walking on without her.

"I guess Blueblood is still up to his usual games?" Crystal sighed.

"Huh?" Raven blinked a few times. "Oh, I'm sure. The Gala is when he has more eager mares chasing his flank than at other events. Is he being pestered right now?" She grinned, a small hint of mischief lurking in the corners. "Good for him. Now, stop looking at him and find my Prince Highborn."

Crystal laughed a little too loudly at that. "All right, all right. Come on; maybe he's on the other side of the room. Stay close so you don't get lost and end up following nothing into a wall!"

"Very funny," Raven muttered and walked behind her.

Crystal craned her neck to try to spot his light blue coat among the crowd. Finally, she found the stallion in question surrounded by three other ponies, seeming to be deep in conversation. "Ah-ha! Wait right here."

"Oh, okay." Raven glanced around, but stayed in place as instructed.

Crystal approached the group and cleared her throat. "Excuse me, ladies and gentlestallions," she said in her best airy voice. "I found something that belongs to Sir Pony Moore and it requires his immediate attention."

Moore looked at her with a vaguely, secretly thankful smile. "Is that so?" He glanced at the others. "I'm terribly sorry to cut our conversation short, but this does indeed sound important."

"Certainly, Sir Moore," one of the ponies said, nodding politely.

Crystal led Moore over to where Raven waited and explained, "She lost her—"

"—glasses," Moore finished without a hint of surprise or concern in his voice. He reached into his tuxedo vest and pulled out Raven's unmistakable pair of large glasses—the thick lenses were a tell-tale giveaway. "I found them on the steps outside the ballroom." He held them out for Raven to take. "Here you are, my Canterella."

Raven blushed. She reached out a hoof to grab them, missed at first, and found them on the second try. "Thank you," she mumbled.

Moore waited a moment, then asked, "Aren't you going to put them on?"

Raven froze, so Crystal answered for her, "She's embarrassed to wear them because she thinks they ruin how she looks tonight."

"What?" He glanced between them. "Raven, don't be silly." He took the glasses back from her and gently forced them onto her face. "There. Now you look perfect."

"But they're so big and bulky," Raven muttered, raising a hoof to straighten them. "I wanted to look nice for you tonight."

"And you do." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

Crystal smiled, trying to contain the squeal that was resounding in her mind. She would have to remember that moment and use it in her next story. She started to turn away to leave the two alone when she caught sight of a bright pink mare pulling out a large blue cannon.

In a frantic effort to look around for some kind of explanation, Crystal noticed a guard standing up on a balcony, overlooking the party. To her, the guard's presence overshadowed the cannon's for two reasons.

The first reason was that she or he was in the distinct armor of Princess Luna's House Guard. In an instant, she remembered her original quest and was going to turn to ask Raven regarding the princess's whereabouts; however, the second reason momentarily froze her in place. The guard was aiming a small crossbow at the pink mare.

"What?!" Crystal finally squeaked, backing up and nearly bumping into the happy couple behind her. "Do you see that?!" She pointed up at the balcony.

By the time they looked up, the guard had moved out of sight.

"Very funny." Raven huffed. "I have my glasses now, Crystal, so I can clearly see there is nothing there."

Crystal stared at her, wide-eyed. "There was a guard! With a crossbow!"

"A crossbow?" Raven paused to consider the notion. "Unusual, but not unheard of. Perhaps—"

"C'mon, everypony!" the pink mare shouted loud enough to be heard throughout the whole ballroom. "I know what will make you shake those groove thangs!"

A scowl darkened Raven's expression. "Pinkie Pie."

"Who?" Crystal asked, glancing up at the stage.

"Another one of Twilight Sparkle's friends," Raven grumbled, rubbing her temple again. "The guard was probably startled by—that." She raised the hoof she had been using to nurse her sudden headache to gesture at the mare dancing on the stage and singing the Pony Pokey. "She's harmless, but, well, excitable. I knew inviting them was not a good idea."

Crystal bit her lip. "Speaking of, well, I don't have a good segue, but where is Princess Luna tonight?"

"Not attending." Raven shook her head. "And now I don't blame her."

Crystal's heart sunk a little.

Moore chuckled. "Relax, Rav." He put a foreleg around her shoulders. "If things truly do get out of hoof, the guards will take care of it. How about I treat you to an apple fritter?"

"Apple fritter?" Raven whined. "That's not served at the Gala! This is not a county fair!"

Moore gently coaxed her to walk with him. "Aren't you the one who gave, ah, Applejack, I believe? Yes, Applejack. You approved the permit for her stand."

"I—I know, but—" Raven sighed and looked over at Crystal. "If I lose my job for this disaster of a Gala, will you hire me as your assistant?"

"Certainly!" Crystal giggled and waved. "Enjoy your apple fritter!"

Another sound of dismay escaped Raven, but it was soothed by a kiss on the cheek from her special somepony.

Crystal watched them leave with a light smile and a heavy heart. There was no Princess Luna, and she was alone. She shook her head and tried to raise her spirits by looking around. There were plenty of stallions nearby! They were also, once she thought about it, likely the kind of pony she hated the most.

"Crystal, is that you?"

Speaking of the kind of pony she hated the most! Crystal turned to offer a smile to the golden mare standing just a few paces away. Golden Pants casually closed the distance between them.

"My word, it is!" Golden flashed a brilliant smile that was much too white. "It's been so long!" She tossed her head to acknowledge the three mares following behind her with a glance over her shoulder. "Girls, this is my old classmate, Crystal Fishes."

"Wishes," Crystal corrected as politely as she could.

Golden laughed behind a hoof. "See? Proof that it has been much too long!" She pawed at the air. "What have you been up to these days?"

Crystal shifted somewhat uncomfortably. She masked the movement as simply facing the mare completely. "I'm a bit of a writer."

"Is that so? And that is clearly working so well for you." She laughed again. The gold earrings adorning her ears jingled and shimmered when she shook her head. "I'm sure you know about me."

"Oh, yes, Golden. You—"

"Golden!" She looked at the mares behind her. Their attention had wandered, but the moment she looked at them, they laughed on cue. "How cute! Nopony has called me 'Golden' in years." She looked back at Crystal while the other mares rolled their eyes and amused themselves by whispering to each other. "It's Au, sweetie."

Crystal tried not to bristle, but the hairs of her coat started to stand on end. For all of her fame and pompous attitude, Golden was in the worse position, and Crystal so desperately wanted to point that out. The mares behind Golden were hardly paying attention when she wasn't looking at them.

Before Crystal could finally formulate a response, Pinkie Pie screamed "Stage dive!" and flung herself into the crowd.

It was like watching a masterfully planned arrangement of dominoes. Having no interest in catching her, the posh ponies below fled, leaving an unsuspecting orange mare wheeling a giant cake to fend for herself. Pinkie hit the cart, flipping the cake and sending it soaring through the air. Ponies, Crystal included, followed the cake's journey over their heads and saw it aiming straight for Blueblood.

True to his nature, Blueblood grabbed the mare that had been following him with irritated patience and used her as a pony shield. This seemed to be the last straw, as she turned on him and began to yell her true feelings.

It was more than amusing to watch—until the mare shook like a dog. Pieces of cake and frosting splattered onto his white coat. He shrieked and fell over backwards, bumping into a large statue that then started to wobble.

The rainbow blur shot through the room and caught the statue just before it landed on a group of ponies too stunned to simply move out of the way on their own. However, though she saved them, the statue seemed to be too much for her to handle, as she lost her balance. She stumbled one way, then leaned the other and hit one of the decorative columns with one end of the statue.

It toppled over into another, which toppled into a third, and so on until all the columns that had been set up around the statue's original resting place came crashing down. To add insult to injury, after the dust settled, the statue on the mare's back broke in several places.

Everypony stared in shock. Everything had fallen apart in less than a minute. She wouldn't have believed it if she hadn't seen it with her own eyes.

"Well, this Gala is certainly the worst event I've ever attended," Golden said with a sneer.

Suddenly, the whole room began to rumble and shake. Golden, along with Crystal and several others nearby, cried out in surprise and fear. The doors to the gardens burst open with a loud bang and animals of all shapes, sizes, and kinds poured into the ballroom. The yellow mare from earlier stood in the doorway and panted before she screamed, "You're—going—to—love me!"

Screams filled the air. Ponies and animals alike ran, terrified of each other and of the uncertainty from the whole situation. It was absolute chaos, and as Crystal ran from the ballroom, the first thought that echoed in her mind was: "Raven is definitely going to have one hay of a fit over this."

♡

When Crystal finally arrived home that night and opened the door to their condo, Velvet snorted awake from her spot curled up on one of the sitting pillows. Her ears twitched to different states of perkiness, one almost upright and the other drooping at a midway point. She yawned and said with a tired smile, "Welcome back! How was—whoa."

Crystal froze in the doorway. Her mane was disheveled and her dress was crumpled, even torn in a few places. She blinked slowly, then stepped all the way inside and shut the door.

Velvet blinked just as slowly.

Finally, Crystal said, "It was, um, different."

"That good, huh?" Velvet giggled. She got up off the pillow and stretched before she started to head to her bedroom. "Well, you can tell me all about it in the morning. Looks like you've got quite the story to tell."

"Yeah." Crystal remained where she was, staring at the door to Velvet's bedroom after it clicked shut. "It was," she continued to nopony in particular, "probably the best Gala ever."

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: The Gala

A Great Wave

It was done. At least, it was as done as she was hoping for before sending it off for the first round of editing. Crystal trotted out of her room and exclaimed, "The first stage is complete!"

The condo replied back with empty silence and Crystal sighed. Of course, Velvet was already at practice.

"Well, it is." She gathered up the loosely bound papers and straightened them into an orderly fashion before she slid them into a large manila envelope. "Which means it's time for the second stage. After I drop this off in the mail."

More than writing the story or getting it published, Crystal was excited for the second stage most of all. She had received permission to find her own cover artist, so long as she paid the difference from using the in-house artist. This story was special to her in a way that The Mare's Temptation wasn't. Temptation was certainly a work of pride, but Princess of the Knight was a labor of love.

She couldn't fully explain her fanmare-like obsession with Princess Luna, but the story had come from the simple beating of her heart rather than a muse whispering in her ear.

Conveniently, there was an art exhibit being held that week for artists local to Canterlot. On her way to the exhibit, she stopped at the post office on the corner, a bell ringing to announce her arrival as she pushed the door open.

"Hello!" a unicorn in the standard blue uniform said, offering a small wave. "What can I help you with today?"

"I need a copy made and sent off to Manehattan." Crystal set the bulky folder on the counter between them. "And, perhaps another copy for myself."

The unicorn nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He inclined his head and hollered, "Zerox! Got two copies for you to make!"

A second unicorn walked into sight. His mane and tail were of an off-white color, the former styled to one side and draping over half of his face while the latter hung limp. When his eyes met hers, however, his tail perked up and his sullen expression lightened.

"Zerox?" the postal clerk prompted after an awkward moment of silence held them all. He tapped on the folder. "Copies?"

"Huh?" Zerox glanced at his boss, the gloomy look returning. "Oh, whatever." He sighed and slid the folder over to where the blank pages were kept.

He tucked the wall of mane behind his ear so he could see more clearly. His horn lit up and his amber eyes glowed a brighter shade of yellow as the same color shimmered and enveloped both her pages and the blank ones.

His eyes tracked back and forth as he seemed to be reading the words on the pages. She knew he wasn't, however; copying magic took too much concentration for him to digest any of the content. The moment the words passed from his vision to his magic and onto the previously blank pages, they were forgotten to make room for the next ones.

When he reached the last page for the second time, the yellow glow disappeared from around the levitated pages. His eyes briefly flashed green and he looked over at Crystal. "Done," he said simply, turning and walking away, his mane falling back into his face.

The clerk chuckled and put the new copies in their own folders, then pushed all three back across the counter. "That'll be twenty-five bits, ma'am. Oh, you wanted one of these sent to Manehattan, didn't you?" He returned one of the folders to his side. "Thirty bits, then."

After she paid, she tucked away her folders and trotted out with a cheerful, "Thank you!"

Crystal was a few paces away from the post office before she heard hoofsteps nearing her rather quickly. She looked over her shoulder and spotted Zerox approaching her, though his gaze was focused somewhere off to the side. She blinked, slowed her gait, and asked, "Hello?"

Zerox froze in mid-step and winced. "Hey." His one visible eye glanced at her. "What are you up to?"

She tilted her head. "I'm going to an art exhibit. Why?"

"Oh." He rubbed one hoof against the other leg. "What are you up to after that?"

Realization started to set in and she turned to face him completely, smiling with just a little too much excitement. "I don't have any plans." She stepped closer to him. "Where should I meet you?"

"Do you like coffee?"

She didn't, but her eagerness overtook her and she nodded. "Sure!"

"Okay. Café au Lait at 4?"

"Sounds great!" She paused, then added with a giggle, "I'm Crystal, by the way."

A blush showed on his face at the sudden awareness that he hadn't asked himself. "Yeah, cool. I'll see you at 4." He turned and trotted back to the post office.

Crystal waited until he was out of earshot before squealing and continuing on her way with a skip in her step.

Once she finally made it to the exhibit, it wasn't difficult for her to tell the patrons apart from the artists. Patrons wandered, while the artists stood near their wall of collected work, noses held high. They acknowledged their art's onlookers with raised brows and snarky smiles.

Crystal did her best to look only mildly interested when she looked at paintings. Too interested and the artist might think her disingenuous, and not interested enough would seem, of course, disinterested.

Finally, one took the bait. "Do you like what you see, madam?"

Crystal offered him a casual glance out of the corner of her eye. "Hmm, well, I suppose when one's destiny is to make fine art, it's not a surprise when one does so."

The stallion huffed. "It takes much more than talent to produce masterpieces such as this!"

Well, that marked him off the list. She needed somepony that was talented, yes, but not full of themselves. There was no way she could work with a snob without eventually strangling them. "I see. Good day, then." She turned away and meandered across the room to another artist's section.

After several conversations with ponies much too interested in themselves, Crystal dropped her rump down to the rough carpet and slumped against the wall behind her. A heavy, downtrodden sigh escaped her while she rubbed her aching forehead. What had she been thinking?

"Need some fresh air after navigating that crowd of pompous self-glorification?" a voice asked from nearby, followed by the distinct sound of sipping.

Crystal lifted her head to spot a buttercream unicorn sitting a few paces away, her back nestled against the corner of the room. Her brown mane was tied into a short, loose ponytail and was adorned with purple and pink streaks, as was her tail. She peered at Crystal over a pair of glasses that were resting on her snout.

A mug of steaming liquid that smelled distinctly of coffee was nestled between both her hooves, which she raised back up for another sip. "What's wrong? Tongue tied up from talking in nots?"

The mare chuckled quietly to herself and gave a vague gesture at some nearby art. Her tone rose and fell to mimic other ponies' as she continued, "That's not a very flattering depiction. You're not really expressing anything with this piece. Well, you're not understanding my vision."

Her hoof returned to cradle her mug and she stuck out her tongue. "Unbelievable." She blew a raspberry to accentuate her point, then returned to a more normal expression. "By the way, hello."

Crystal blinked a few times. A short laugh escaped her as she finally caught on to the joke. "Hi." She scooted a little closer, rotating to face the mare. "I'm Crystal Wishes."

"Painted Wave." She shifted to similarly face her in return, her back now only against the one wall, and nodded cordially.

"I guess you don't much care for the kind of ponies that attend art exhibits?" Crystal sighed and looked around at what she could see of the room from her current position. "I don't blame you."

"I'd hope not. I didn't invite 'em, but I am, at least, enjoying the show." Painted Wave turned her gaze on a nearby patron. "Watch closely how the stallion nods at each piece. He thinks he understands it, but in reality, he just wants to impress the mare he's with."

Crystal's mouth wriggled as she tried to fight back another laugh. The stallion in question glared at the two of them and said, "Excuse me, but if you're not—"

"Oh, look, another not," Painted interrupted. "At least try something more interesting. Perhaps Coltic. Marerick Bend?" She waved a hoof. "Don't you mind us. Your date's gone."

The stallion glanced over at where his companion had been. He tensed from the surprise at her absence and walked briskly away to catch up to her.

Finally, the amusement escaped Crystal in a sputtering laugh, especially when Painted cackled a little gleefully.

"So," Painted asked, returning her gaze to Crystal, "what brings you to the exhibit?"

Crystal rubbed at her tearing eyes and shrugged. "Well, to be honest—" She eyed the mare, nervousness rising in her chest. "That is, I mean—" Her eyes lifted in an attempt to look at something that wouldn't look back at her and she gasped when her gaze landed on a painting hanging above Painted's head. "Wow!"

"Wow? You're here for wow?" Painted shrugged. "Well, there are some pretty talented artists here, so—"

"No, no." Crystal waved away the trail of conversation to pull Painted's attention back to her. "That!" She pointed at the painting. "That's amazing!"

Painted tilted her head back to look up at the painting above her. "Oh, that. I am a little proud of it."

Crystal's eyes went wide and she jumped to her hooves. "You?"

Painted looked back at her. "Well, who else would be proud of my work but me? Well. My mother, but that might be a bit too big for her to stick on the fridge."

Crystal stared at the art and its creator in awe, unable to react with so much as a grin. The painting featured a dramatic scene of a mysterious yet imposing mare surrounded by the vast and shimmering expanse of outer space. The expression on the mare's face demanded nothing less than respect while she was surrounded by a glowing aura. Trails of her aura were pulled across the painting toward a star that was on the verge of going nova, nearly black with a radiant, red halo.

"You—" Crystal's gaze wandered the wall to look at the other paintings.

They ranged from simple still life of fruits and vases to big and bold scenes like one piece that was different from the others. It depicted a battle between some sort of monstrous leviathan facing off against a battalion of small, nondescript ponies. The detail in the painting as a whole, however, coupled with the name plate that simply read 'Remember', sent a shiver down her spine.

"—are amazing," she finished, finally looking back at Painted.

Painted set her coffee mug aside and stood up, taking her time to stretch out her limbs and joints before she offered a smile. "If you think so, then it's so, but it doesn't answer my question." She stepped closer. "Why are you here? You don't seem like a typical patron of the arts." She chuckled. "Unless you came here specifically for me, then I suppose that was an answer."

Crystal nodded rather dumbly. "Perhaps I did!"

This caught Painted off-guard and she tilted her head, one brow raised. "What?"

Crystal avoided her gaze, scuffing one hoof against the coarse carpet. "I'm sorry. This may be awfully forward of me. I—"

"Not that I'm not flattered, but," the mare interrupted. She bobbed her head and glanced up at her own horn, where a silver ring rested.

"What?" Crystal flushed and waved her hooves wildly. "No, no! I'm sorry! I want to commission you, professionally and business-like!"

Painted blinked, then laughed. "Oh, is that all?"

"Yes." Crystal's face was still bright red. "I'm a bit of a writer, and I'm working on a new story and need art for the cover."

"I can consider it if you loan me a copy of the manuscript." Painted turned to retrieve her mug, but was stopped by a stack of papers rather suddenly thrust out of Crystal's saddlebags and offered to her. "Oh. Aren't you prepared?"

A bright white aura of magic overtook the manuscript to move it closer for Painted to see. Small lines of color rippled through the magical glow that enveloped the papers, giving the appearance of a watery surface slowly moving in gentle waves.

Silence fell between them, interrupted only by the occasional sound of the pages being turned. The coffee mug glowed as it was levitated and floated over to Painted so she could take a sip. Slowly, she started to sit down, continuing to read.

Crystal bit her lower lip. "So—"

Painted was quick to shush her, one hoof raised in demanded pause.

Crystal waited a few more pages and tried again. "If—"

"Shh." Painted tore her gaze away long enough to shoot Crystal a stern look. "Reading."

Finally, Crystal relented and sat down. She drew a small circle into the carpet with one hoof, then the other, then glanced at Painted. The number of other ponies attending the exhibit started to dwindle down until Crystal's nerves couldn't take it any longer. She took a sharp intake of air, then said quickly before she could be interrupted, "Will you do the cover art?"

Painted jolted, her muscles visibly tensing, and looked up at Crystal as if they were meeting for the first time. "Huh?" She blinked and recognition returned to her eyes. "Oh, right, you're waiting on me for something, aren't you?" She nodded. "I'll need to keep this manuscript, of course." The papers moved closer to her, almost protectively. "For research. Of course."

A sigh of relief escaped Crystal and she smiled. "Thank you so much! Yes, you may absolutely keep that. It's not been through editing, however, so it may be a little rough, but—" She shook her head and smiled again. "Thank you!"

"Mmhm." With a dramatically slow movement, she returned her attention to the papers. "Cover art." Her mug lifted and she took a sip. "Got it."

Crystal glanced at a nearby window to get a gauge on the sun's position in the sky. "I have to—" She was promptly shushed. Giggling, she pulled out a scrap piece of paper, wrote down her address and the ideas she had for the cover, and slid it across the floor over to Painted. "Thanks again," she whispered, then trotted out of the exhibit hall.

♡

Crystal didn't spot Zerox's face in the crowd outside or inside Café au Lait, so she hurried to the bathroom to check on her appearance. Her reflection revealed that she was in dire need of more make-up and, as she realized that she had none with her, the visage in the mirror frowned. She made do by wetting her hoof under a faucet and smoothing her mane into place, then went back out into the cafe.

She had been gone long enough for Zerox to arrive, it seemed, as he was sitting at a table for two off to one side. She sauntered over, a small sway to her hips to swish her tail back and forth. "Hi," she said, inwardly cursing herself for not matching her coy approach with an equally coy greeting.

Zerox looked up and quickly looked back down. She saw a flush of red on his face before his mane shielded it from sight. "Hey."

Crystal took the seat across from him, smiling to hide her sudden panic. How long had it been since she had gone on a date? She had no idea what she was supposed to do. "Have you ordered yet?"

"No." He shook his head. "I was waiting for you."

"Oh!" She picked up the menu and started to look it over. "What do you recommend?"

Zerox glanced at his own menu, which laid in front of him on the table. "I guess, well, I just get espresso."

Crystal hesitated. She knew that espresso was particularly strong, but, beyond that, her knowledge of coffee was limited and she didn't want to admit that. "I see." She bit her lower lip. "How about—oh! A caramel macchiato!" She smiled, folding the menu and setting it back down. "That sounds delicious."

Zerox shrugged. "Too sweet for me, but I guess you're into that sort of thing." He got up and went to the counter to place their order, then returned to the table. "So, you're a writer?"

"Huh?" She straightened up and avoided eye contact. "What? Oh." She laughed somewhat nervously. "Yes, something like that, but what about you?" Her gaze refocused on him. "What do you do when you're not working at the post office?"

His face, or at least what she could see of it, scrunched up in clear distaste. "Not much. I listen to music. I don't really want to talk about me, though. I, uh—" He swallowed and his expression smoothed out. "I've made copies for you before. You're really pretty, so I wanted to get to know you better."

Crystal's whole face turned red. She fiddled with the menu absentmindedly, doing her best to not look as flustered as she was. "Oh, well, then, um, yes. I am a writer. I mailed off one of the copies you made to Manehattan, and just gave the other to an artist who I hope will do the cover." Her eyes lit up. "You should go to the art exhibit before the end of the week! There are some amazing pieces of work on display right now."

"I've already been." His ears fell to the sides.

Crystal furrowed her brow. A barista behind the counter called out Zerox's name and their conversation paused while he retrieved their drinks. She turned the cup slowly between her hooves, staring down at it, then looked up at him. "You don't seem, well, happy. What's wrong?"

Zerox sighed heavily. "Is it that obvious?"

Crystal hesitated, but was saved from answering when he continued on his own.

"How would you feel if your only talent was copying others' work for them? I can't write or draw or anything creative like that. My whole purpose is just to make copies." He raised a hoof and brushed his mane behind one ear to look at her with both eyes, which held the same bitterness as his voice. "It's pretty lame."

Crystal dared a sip of her macchiato. It was sweet and fluffy with the distinct taste of coffee behind it. It certainly wasn't tea, but it was something she could stand to drink. Finally, she slid the cup aside, folded her hooves, and looked at him with a gentle seriousness. "Have you tried?"

"What?" He frowned.

"Have you tried?" she repeated. "My talent is writing, but I can do other things, too. I can cook a little. My friend's talent is dancing, but she's a pretty good baker from helping out her parents. I'm just saying." She swallowed, suddenly nervous again. "Have you tried?"

He glared down at the cup of black liquid in front of him. "Of course I've tried. My writing is terrible and my art would make a foal look talented."

She bit her lip and pressed, "What else?"

This gave him a moment of pause. "I tried everything that I'm interested in," he admitted. His mane slipped out of place and covered his face again. "What else even is there?"

"So many things!" Hope sparked in her chest. "You could try cooking, or baking, or—" She gasped excitedly. "Music!"

He furrowed his brow and leaned back into his chair. "Music?"

She nodded, a smile working its way onto her lips though she tried to look calm. "You mentioned that you listen to music, so it must be important to you. Why don't you try that? There are so many instruments, and I know a lot of musicians in Canterlot if you found an instrument you liked, and—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Zerox's eyes widened, one hoof raised to pause her. "What are you doing?"

"Huh?" She tilted her head. "I'm trying to help."

"Why?" His brow furrowed.

Crystal took a sip of her macchiato to ponder her response before she said simply, a small flush heating her cheeks, "Because you said I'm pretty."

He blinked a few times, then started to smile. "Oh. Well. It'd be cool to make music. I guess I'll give it a shot."

"Great! So, why don't we meet back here again in a week and see how it goes?" She glanced up at him.

He nodded. "Sure."

"Great," she repeated, trying to sound more excited than she felt. It wasn't quite what she had in mind when she thought 'date', nor was she certain 'meeting again in a week' would count as a second date, but it was better than nothing.

Tumultuous Revelations

Crystal was startled awake by the sound of the train's whistle blowing, signaling the impending arrival at the Ponyville station. She yawned behind a hoof before she stretched as much as she could while still sitting on the bench in proper form.

The train's momentum slowed, the wheels starting to squeal as the brakes were applied, and soon came to a complete stop. Crystal's magic lifted her luggage into the air and she walked to the nearest exit.

However, something struck her as odd as soon as she reached the end of the station's platform: Horsey wasn't there to greet her like normal. Crystal paused to recall the letter she had sent and was fairly certain she hadn't written the day down wrong. Perhaps the restaurant was busy?

She shrugged and stepped off the platform only to be met with a sickening squish beneath her hoof. She recoiled and looked at the hoof that had touched the wet ground. Brown liquid clung to the feathery tufts on her fetlocks, simultaneously confusing her as well as reminding her that she needed to get them trimmed. It was too watery to be mud, and the skies were perfectly clear.

With a small groan, she tried to shake it off before gingerly stepping down again, doing her best to step where it seemed the driest.

Her attention was distracted from the moistness that invoked continuous whimpers at the unpleasant feeling, however, the closer she got to town. Something was off and, at first, she couldn't put her hoof on it. She thought it was the smell of chocolate in the air, but she disregarded that. Somepony was probably throwing a party. No, it was something else that bothered her, and she had to stop to think about it until—

"Oh, sweet Celestia!" she cried aloud when it finally hit her.

Ponyville was in disarray. Some buildings were missing patches of roofing, some of the gardens were upturned, and everypony in town was trying to clean up the scattered debris. Crystal's eyes widened and she hurried her pace toward Savoir Fare's restaurant. Though a few of the outdoor tables were broken or toppled over, the restaurant itself was still standing and in fairly good condition.

She skidded through the doors and nearly into the wall, her hooves slick with the brown liquid. "Horsey?!" she cried. "Are you okay?!"

The mare in question turned to look at Crystal with wide eyes. "Did you just get here? I'm so sorry! I completely forgot to go to the train station!"

"Forget that!" Crystal lost her focus and her luggage fell to the ground. "What the hay happened to Ponyville?!"

Horsey's expression was muddled at best, some sort of smile that gave up halfway through and fell lopsided. "Have you ever heard of Discord?"

"Discord?" Crystal paused. "As in, a lack of harmony?"

"No, as in, apparently, the spirit of chaos that likes to wreak havoc on little towns." She shifted her weight to her forelegs and bucked a toppled dessert cart upright. "I'm actually kinda surprised that the train still pulled into town. We've been upside-down all day."

Crystal stared at her. She walked closer and put the front of her hoof to Horsey's forehead. "Do you need me to tell Savoir Fare to give you the day off?"

Horsey snorted and waved the hoof away. "Okay, how would you explain the state Ponyville's in, huh?"

Crystal considered a few options, straightening some of the tables and chairs as she pondered. "Rogue weather pony?" she finally offered.

A short bark of a laugh escaped Horsey and she guided the dessert cart outside magically rather than physically, as two of its wheels were broken. "Come on. I have to take this to get it repaired." She glanced at Crystal. "How was Manehattan?"

"Not nearly as interesting as, apparently, your past few days were," Crystal mumbled.

"Day. This all happened today." Horsey shook her head. "At least, I think it only happened today, what with the sun and moon flipping faster than Savoir's pancakes. I don't know what's a worse: bullying from my parents, or waking up to a new disaster each week. The sky was filled with pink clouds that rained chocolate milk.

"Chocolate. Milk. And that's not as fun as it might sound. And just a week ago, Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle were running all over town chasing a naked chicken or something and upsetting the guards." A low groan rumbled in Horsey's throat. "I know they're the Bearers of the Elements, but they get Ponyville involved in the weirdest stuff."

Crystal was quiet for a while, trying to take it all in. "I don't understand, though. I thought Ponyville was so quaint and quiet and easygoing."

"Tell me about it." The dessert cart bobbed as Horsey's focus wavered in and out. "Well, on the plus side, I've seen more of Princess Celestia than I ever did living in Canterlot. She drops by all the time to check in on the girls and, considering they defeated Discord, I guess they're important enough that it makes sense."

Crystal gave a quick shake of her head. "I don't even know where to begin with questions for all of that!"

Horsey released a long sigh. She dropped her head down low, ears drooping to the sides. "It's okay. I'm not sure I even really want to talk about it. I'd rather hear about how things are going with your new book. You said in your letter that you found a cover artist?"

"Oh! Yes, I did!" This added an extra skip to Crystal's step that she immediately regretted when a hoof landed a little too hard on a wet spot. She winced, but otherwise tried not to react so much that Horsey would laugh at her. "She's extremely talented and not a snob. Those were basically my only two requirements, but she's also…" She trailed off, mouthing a few words to try them out before settling on, "Wonderfully contemptuous."

Horsey stared at her with a furrowed brow. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you that not knowing what that means, it sounds pretty racy."

Crystal snorted. "She mocked a snobbish stallion to his face in ways you and I always dreamed of doing ourselves."

"Oh." Horsey paused, then repeated with more interest, "Oh! So, she's awesome?"

"Yup."

"That's good news, at least," Horsey said, mustering a smile.

The path grew less defined as they neared the outskirts of town. Cresting the hill, a wooden pole barn came into view. It was a faded red color and seemed a little worn down, but stood tall and sturdy nonetheless.

"Do you mind if I come visit you guys in Canterlot for Nightmare Night?" Horsey asked. "With all that's been going on the past few months, I just need a break. I don't know what will happen this time, but I'm sure it won't be normal."

"Sure!" Crystal flashed a smile at her. "I don't think Velvet will mind at all."

Nearing the building, Crystal could finally make out the writing on the sign that hung outside: 'Axel's Wheels and Wagons: Wagon Building and Repair'.

"Axel?" she mused under her breath, shaking her head when Horsey shot her a curious glance.

Her ears perked at the sound of chirping and her attention was drawn to several bird feeders that were set up in the lawn. A notable amount of wild birds were enjoying the free meal and tweeting to all of their friends about it.

"Hey," Crystal said as she looked at Horsey, "does Axel happen to be a big, strong red stallion?"

Horsey blinked. "Um, yes? How did you know and why do you ask?" A grin spread across her face when she noticed Crystal's posture stiffened. "Oh, I see. Well, he is totally your type!" She hopped ahead to beat Crystal to the door, calling out when she entered, "Hey, Axel! I've got two things for you to fix!"

Crystal's eyes went wide and panic overtook her. "Horsey!" she hissed. "Cut it out!"

Horsey giggled as a stallion approached them. His black fetlocks, larger than average build, and white mane confirmed his identity.

"What's broken?" Axel asked in a voice that was even more tired than the bags under his eyes, but he smiled nonetheless. A glance around the interior of the barn revealed the culprit for his exhaustion: numerous broken carts were lined up and waiting for their turn. "I'm a little backed up with work, but I can add it to the…" He trailed off when his gaze landed on Crystal and he froze.

Crystal found herself at an impasse. She had missed her opportunity the first time to discover his eligibility and she certainly didn't want to waste a second chance. However, considering what Ponyville had been through and, more than that, how tired he looked and overworked he was, she finally decided to just smile.

"Their dessert cart broke," she offered in a perfectly cordial manner. "If you could see to fixing it, we would all be appreciative."

Axel hesitated a moment, then nodded. "I'll have it fixed by the end of the day." With a chuckle, he added, "Assuming the day ends when it normally should this time."

"Right?" Horsey rolled her eyes. "This has been absolutely insane. Anyway, thanks, Axel! Just send the bill to Savoir Faire like normal!" She waved and urged Crystal with her outside. Once the door was shut and they were a good few paces away, she groaned, "So, what was wrong with him?"

Crystal stuck out her tongue. "A mare has the right to pick and choose!" She bumped her flank against Horsey's. "There was nothing wrong with him. It is the timing that was wrong. Did you see how many broken carts there were in there? He has other things on his mind, certainly. And besides, he clearly has set up his roots here in Ponyville." She glanced at the barn behind them then looked back ahead. "Mine are in Canterlot."

Horsey gave a heavy sigh, shaking her head. "You know, Velvet and I agreed we wouldn't date anypony until you found your special somepony. Maybe you could consider being a little less picky!"

"You two agreed to what?!" Crystal stared at her with wide eyes. "Why?!"

"Isn't it obvious? Crystal, you've been obsessed with having a coltfriend forever. How would you feel if one of us got one before you?"

Crystal stamped both forehooves. This time she didn't pay any mind to the squelch that followed immediately after. "Isn't it obvious?" she repeated sarcastically. "I'd be happy for you!"

Horsey stopped to stare at her with a stern frown. "You wouldn't be jealous or mopey that you, the most romantic one of the three of us, came in second or even third place?"

"It's not a race!" Crystal rolled her eyes. "Honestly, where did the two of you get an idea like that?"

There was a moment of silence before Horsey said softly, "Well, I don't know, I guess we just got to talking about it and—decided." She looked away, off in the direction of Ponyville. "You really wouldn't be upset by it?"

"Absolutely not." Crystal stepped toward her, suddenly grinning, and cooed, "Does somepony have a crush they've been holding out on?"

At the words, Horsey's face turned a bright shade of red and her ears stood straight up. "What? No! I mean, yes, but not solely because I thought it'd make you sad!"

Crystal squealed and hopped from hoof to hoof. "Oh my gosh, Horsey, I can't believe it! Is it Savoir? Tell me it's Savoir!"

"It's Savoir," Horsey admitted in a quiet voice that squeaked with embarrassment. "I tried really hard not to look at him that way because I'm living with him! I know Ponyville ponies are nice, but everypony gossips. I'm sure there's already lots of gossip about us. And he's several years older than me, and—I don't know—"

Crystal pursed her lips. "Do you really care what other ponies think?" When Horsey said nothing, she shook her head and sighed. "Then surely you care what I think."

This earned a meek nod in response.

"Well, I think you deserve to be happy, regardless of the living situation or age difference. So go get your stallion!"

Horsey shuffled her hooves as she resumed the walk back into town. "Maybe after things calm down," she mumbled. "I'm just not sure if he sees me as anything but an employee."

Crystal winked. "The only way you'll know is if you try."

"Says the mare who didn't ask a hunky stallion if he wanted to go on a date because of roots or whatever," Horsey chided with a playful grin. "Your advice is hardly credible!"

"Oh, that, you—" Crystal sputtered, trying to find her words. "That's totally different! Look, when you come to visit for Nightmare Night, Velvet and I will be prepared with plans to get you in Savoir's spotlight if you aren't already by then."

Horsey tried her best to stay stoic, but a giggle escaped despite her efforts. "Sounds like a plan."

They returned to the restaurant and spent the rest of Crystal's visit putting everything back in order, which was certainly no small feat.

♡

As promised, roughly a week after their first meeting, Crystal returned to the coffee shop. The heavy, bitter aroma poured out like a gust of wind when she opened the door, but she pushed herself to enter. A quick glance around confirmed that, like last time, she had arrived first.

However, unlike the time before, she headed straight for the counter to place her order in advance. Though she was loathe to admit it, she was actually looking forward to another caramel macchiato more than the pseudo-date itself.

"Hello. Good morning. Welcome to SunBucks," a bored voice droned.

"Yes, I'll—" The rest of her words became strangled in her throat when she looked up. "YOU!"

The sage pegasus behind the counter regarded her with a look that spelled out apathy. His brow briefly furrowed. "Me."

Her heart pounded in her chest as a surge of emotions washed over her from the memory of her first date. "How—You—" Words continued to fail her.

The pegasus waited through a few more broken sentence attempts before he asked, "May I take your order, Miss Stranger?"

Though she wanted to reach across the counter and clock him right in the face, the lack of recognition snuffed the fire within her. Her tone was almost defeated as she replied, "Small caramel macchiato. Please."

"Yup. Five bits."

She paid, then skulked over to the pick-up counter. She shot the pegasus a few sour looks as she tried to process that he didn't remember her. Perhaps literally raining on ponies was such a normal thing for him that their encounter was unremarkable. The idea somehow made her even angrier, but when her drink was placed in front of her, she picked it up and went to a seat that took him out of her view. Out of sight, out of mind.

Not long after, Zerox walked in and over to her. Remarkably, his mane was pulled back with a maneband to expose his smiling face. "You were right," he said as he took the seat across from her. "I can do music."

Crystal stirred her coffee. "So what happened?"

"A stallion came in to make copies for a flyer. He was trying to put together a cover band." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, normally, I would have just made the copies without paying attention, but he was talking about it, too, asking if I knew anypony that would be interested. I told him that I was thinking of getting into music, so I went over to his place and, well." He grinned. "I'm going to be a bassist."

"That's wonderful!" She clapped her hooves together. "You don't even need my help finding an instructor, then, do you?"

Zerox shook his head. "Not really. He ran me through a few lessons and I sucked at first. I mean, I still kind of suck. But if I listen to the music, I can—" He paused, then laughed a little nervously at the irony of his next words: "copy it."

Crystal couldn't help a small laugh, either. "Well, you seem a lot happier already, so I'm glad." She paused to sip her drink. "So—"

"We have to break up," he interrupted rather quickly, now not meeting her gaze. "I mean, between the post office job and now my time devoted to learning to play bass, I don't think it's going to work out between us."

Crystal blinked slowly. Her expression flashed through a few samples of the emotions she felt until finally landing on her best effort at a calm smile. "I understand."

He stood. He still didn't look at her directly, but from what she could see he looked earnestly remorseful. "Good luck with your writing, Crystal. Thanks for encouraging me. I'm just sorry it had to end like this." Before she could respond, he turned and left.

Once he was gone, Crystal had to clasp both hooves to her mouth to keep from laughing. "Oh—Oh, Celestia," she muttered between strained gasps for air that shuddered from the effort of holding laughter at bay.

At least she could say that she handled her first break-up with dignity and that it taught her something important: she definitely needed an older stallion that understood how dating worked.

♡

Crystal marched at the head of the small group of herself and her two best friends. Painted Wave had written that the cover was ready for final approval and included her address. Coincidentally, it was ready right when Horsey was visiting to avoid Nightmare Night.

"I'm so glad the timing worked out like this," Horsey said. "I can't wait to see the cover!"

"Me neither!" Crystal marched at the head of the group to lead the way. Her chest swelled with all the emotions that caused her heart to flutter against her ribs. "And I'm excited for you two to meet Painted." She paused, then added a little quietly, "And I'm excited to finally get to see her place."

They climbed another set of stairs to reach a hallway that ended with a door marked by the precise number on the written address. As they approached the door, soft instrumental music could be heard from behind it.

Crystal took a sharp intake of air before raising a hoof and knocking three times in quick succession. The sound of something breaking followed by a few colorful words responded before the door opened to reveal Painted's face. A forced smile was on her lips, though Crystal couldn't noticed its strained corners at first.

What they noticed first and foremost was her almost comically disheveled appearance. The mare's coat was its own canvas, covered in splatters of differing purples and blues. A couple tufts of her mane stuck out at odd angles, held stiff in place courtesy of dried paint. Two paintbrushes were tucked behind her ear and fresh color dripped onto the upper rim of her glasses from the fully loaded bristles.

Just as they had finished taking in her appearance, her gaze focused on Crystal and her smile relaxed. "You're a little earlier than I expected. Are you that excited?"

She pulled the door all the way open. The bright interior poured light into the hall which, by comparison, seemed dim. The source of all the illumination became evident when Painted stepped to the side: windows stretched from the first floor to the open second and spanned two walls entirely.

"Come on in. It's safe." A drop of paint fell from one of the paintbrushes and landed on the plush, mint green carpet beneath her hooves. She looked down and regarded the mess with a small frown. "Well, mostly."

With polite greetings and introductions, the three of them walked inside. Horsey slowly inclined her head to look around with wide eyes while Crystal turned her attention on Painted.

"So, I guess you've been busy," Crystal teased.

"If you count—" The conversation was cut short by an exclamation of surprise piercing the air. They looked over to see Velvet standing in front of two easels that were spaced out to hold a single canvas.

The painting drew Horsey and Crystal over to stand by Velvet, the only sound the clicking of their hooves from where the carpet turned to paint-streaked hardwood as they observed in awe. It held a vivid nightscape that overlooked a distant castle outlined in the moon's light.

A pegasus stallion, clad in armor of varying purple hues, looked out into the night with undaunted determination. The white of his coat stood out from the purples and blues of the rest of the scene, but not so much that he didn't seem to belong. His gaze followed a blade he held in his left hoof that glowed in the moonlight, while his right foreleg was curled protectively—and perhaps possessively—around an alicorn mare that looked up at him with luminous amber eyes.

The alicorn was as gorgeous and mysterious as the night sky behind her. Her resplendent mane, brimming with stars, was caught in a strong breeze that twirled it up and behind the pegasus to sweep across the scene. A gown of glittering black chastely clothed her figure, and a modest crown and a bracelet, both a brilliant copper, stood out against the darker tones of her deep, royal purple coat.

Velvet and Horsey both glanced at Crystal while she simply stared, mouth agape. When she started to smile, so did they; when she started to hop up and down, so did they; and when she started to squeal with excitement, so did they.

Behind them, a stallion had started to walk out of the kitchen with a tray of freshly baked cookies and mugs of steaming tea; however, when he saw that he was vastly outnumbered by overly excited mares, his eyes widened and he slowly backed up and out of view.

Painted chuckled and walked over to them. "Does it pass inspection?"

"It's—I'm—speechless!" Crystal looked up at her. "I don't know how you took it from the concepts you showed me to this!"

"Well, obviously, I started with some paint." Painted shrugged. "This is your last chance for any changes."

While Crystal returned her gaze to the painting and studied it with extreme focus, Velvet found amusement in a rotund brown tabby with bold stripes that had wobbled over and pressed against her foreleg.

"Oh my gosh," Velvet said, giggling and stroking the cat's side when it flopped over. "You have a cat?!"

"Two," Painted corrected. "You've discovered Khan. Bonus points if you can find Panic."

Horsey gasped when what looked like a black pillow on the sofa suddenly moved. The cat turned his head to blink at her, then its eyes went almost ridiculously wide. Before she could announce her discovery, Panic held true to its namesake by springing from the couch, scampering across the floor, and disappearing up a spiral set of stairs that led to a partially open loft.

"And the points go to Horsey! You win a—" Painted paused. She inclined her head and peered at the kitchen. "Verd! What's taking so long?"

A stallion's voice responded, "Huh? Oh. Nothing." His head poked out to survey the main area. "I didn't want to, well, interrupt."

"Interrupt? As far as I'm aware, cookies and tea are a welcome interruption in most any circumstance." Painted gestured for him to come out. "Ladies, this is my brilliant-but-absent-minded husband, Verdant Wellspring."

"Hey," Verdant started with a small pout.

"Anyway," she continued, "help yourselves to some cookies and tea, but Horsey gets one more than the rest of you."

Crystal finally spoke as though nothing had happened during her examination. "Perfect."

Painted looked at her. "Hmm?" Her horn lit up, lifting one of the paintbrushes her ear held in place.

"I'm sorry." Crystal took a step back and nodded with determination. "What I mean is, it's totally, absolutely, positively perfect. I can't see a single thing wrong with it at all!" She turned to face Painted. "When can you ship it to Manehattan?"

The paintbrush returned to its resting place and she smiled. "As soon as it dries. I'm glad you like it."

Crystal giggled. "Like it?" She shook her head. "I love it. Now I can't wait for the writers convention just so I can show it off to everypony!"

Painted made a contemplative humming sound. She looked at the painting, then back at Crystal. "If it's all right with you, I think I'd like to attend, as well. Incognito, though. Ponies that see my work are more likely to be honest with their opinions when they don't know the creator's among them."

She paused, then continued, "I mean, if it is truly okay with you? Truth be told, I'd like to see their reactions about your writing, too." A big, genuine grin sprang across her face and creased the corners of her eyes. "And I want a copy!"

"What? Of course!" Crystal waved her hoof. "Absolutely, to all of it! I'll make sure you get one of the first copies. And, besides, it's not like I could stop you if you were intent on going." She returned the grin with one of her own. "If you went to the convention with all this paint on you, I'd not recognize you at all."

Painted tossed her head back to release a loud bout of laughter. "All right! Oh, and just one more thing." She turned her head toward a loaded palette. Her magic sprang to life, lifting plain white paint in a stream of droplets. Her eyes flicked upward to a large crystal that hung over the work area.

A low hum resounded as the crystal seemed to vibrate to life. A split second later, a bolt of light shot out and connected with the tip of Painted's horn. Her head lowered and she directed the light through the suspended paint. Like a bolt of lightning, the paint shot forward and onto a corner of the canvas. Instead of a splattered mess, however, what appeared was a signature that read 'Painted Wave' and shimmered with faint rainbow hues.

"There," she said, the crystal resuming its still, quiet state. "Now it's done."

Crystal stared at the signature, her mouth agape, then turned to look over at the others. "Horsey! Velvet! Did you see that?!"

Horsey nodded from her spot on the sofa, the plate of cookies resting beside her. "That was amazing!"

"See what?" Velvet looked up. She was lying on her back, the chubby tabby perched on her chest and when it started to knead, she giggled. "Oh my gosh, Crystal, we need one of these. I'm not even joking!"

Crystal put a hoof to her forehead. "We are not getting a cat."

While Velvet whined and hugged Khan closer. "But—"

"Why don't we have some tea and discuss the pros and cons of cat ownership?" Painted offered. Her magic lifted the mugs from where they sat and floated them over to the dining table. She sat down and cradled her mug with both hooves.

Velvet gently set Khan down before she took the seat beside Painted. "Pro: they're awesome."

Crystal took the seat across the table. "Con: we can't afford to take care of one."

Velvet fell quiet, her expression vaguely irritated, then she started to grin. Slowly, Khan's head crested the table as she lifted him up. "But Crystal," she said in an exaggerated voice one would normally reserve for the very young or the simple-minded, "look at how cutesy-wootsy I am. Won't you pet mah tummy?"

Horsey sat at the head of the table and steepled her hooves, a serious expression on her face. "I think I have a compromise." She paused for dramatic effect. "I'll get a cat."

Painted, who had been doing her best to not laugh during the negotiations, finally cut in. "That sounds fair to me." Her mug rose for a toast. "To cats?"

"To cats!" Velvet and Horsey cheered, clinking their mugs to hers.

Crystal rolled her eyes, though raised her mug as well. "To cats I don't have to clean up after!"

Varying giggles and chuckles went around the table. Painted and Horsey discussed breeds of cats, Velvet went back to playing with Khan, and Crystal looked between them all with a contented smile.

♡

A mournful, pained wail resounded throughout the condo. Crystal fell off her pillow and onto the floor with a loud thump. She buried her face against her forelegs to muffle but not completely silence a series of less-than-polite words that followed.

Velvet nearly stumbled over her own hooves in her rush to go to Crystal's side. "Holy Celestia, what happened?!" She knelt down, gently touching her shoulder. "Are you okay?!"

"No," Crystal whined. "I'll never be okay again." One foreleg swept out to gesture at the letter she had dropped.

Velvet trembled as she picked it up and started to read. The trembling ceased, and her worried expression was replaced with a scowl that was quickly overtaken with laughter. "Seriously?! You're such a drama queen, I swear!"

Crystal rolled over onto her back and looked up at the ceiling. Her voice was bereft of joy as she muttered, "But this is possibly the worst news ever." She reached out for the letter and when given it, read once more to herself:

Crystal

Sooo… You'll find this out sooner or later, I'm sure. I figured it would be easiest to take coming from me.

It turns out something did happen in Ponyville for Nightmare Night. Princess Luna showed up and apparently bonded with the locals over games and pranks.

Apologetically yours

Horsey

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Nightmare Night

A picture is worth a thousand words, but I'm not sure if a thousand words would be enough to describe the magnificence that is the work Painted Wave put into the cover, which you can view on her DeviantArt! :heart:

Confessions at the Convention

"Late, late, late," Crystal chided under her breath and trotted down one of the many halls of the convention center. "Sorry, excuse me!"

All of her convention supplies floated behind her, and her worried, distracted thoughts made their path unsteady. She repeatedly excused herself to ponies that were nearly bowled over by boxes wobbling through the air.

She narrowly avoided losing her balance when she stepped from the carpeted hall to the polished, smooth floor of the east wing. Booths were set up to form a labyrinth through the large, open room. She looked around at the numbers written on the nearby booths to get her bearings before she figured out which direction to go.

Most authors had already arrived and put their books and other merchandise out onto their tables. If she weren't close to passing the deadline to get set up, she would have loved to walk slowly and take it all in. Instead, she just did everything she could to not knock anything over in her hurry.

She skidded to a halt in front of the empty booth marked '1205' and breathed a sigh of relief. Her boxes lowered to the ground on her side of the table and she started to unpack them. Things had been so close to not working out that she hadn't even gotten to see the banner for The Princess of the Knight yet. Obviously, it was just an enlarged version of the cover, but as she unrolled it, she realized it was so much more.

It was a big, bold display of her accomplishment. Her chest swelled with pride as she hung the banner on the wall behind her seat. She took a step back to look at it in all its glory.

"Wow, that looks great!" a neighboring author commented.

"Thanks!" She beamed a smile at them, then returned to setting up her station.

Once all the copies of her two books were carefully arranged, she dropped her rump onto the seat and finally looked around. The 1200 row consisted solely of romance authors, so the displays within her view ranged from playfully coy to outright raunchy. One in particular made her flush and she jerked her attention back to her own booth.

There were only a few minutes left before the doors were opened to convention attendees. Her heart pounded, but she momentarily distracted it by straightening the quills resting behind the propped-up books.

Why was she so nervous? After all, she was in disguise. The pink streaks in her mane were tied up to hide under a beret, leaving only the blonde tresses exposed. She wore a black sweater with the proven-lucky pink scarf tied around her neck, but most importantly, she also wore a skirt that was just long enough to ensure her cutie mark remained out of sight.

The sudden and rapid click-clack of hooves against concrete filled the air like an approaching stampede. Before she knew what was going on, there was noise and bodies everywhere. The fans had descended upon the feast of trapped authors.

Many ponies were dressed up to resemble characters from their favorite stories. She recognized a few here and there, but for the most part she felt like she had been transported to a whole new world.

"He—Hello," a mare stammered as she approached Crystal's table. "You're C.W. Step, right?"

Crystal straightened up and smiled. "Yes, I am."

The mare pulled out a book from one of her saddlebags and set it on the table between them. Her face turned a bright red. "Could you please sign this for me? I've read it three times!"

Crystal's smile widened further. "Absolutely!" One of her trusty quills lifted and the book flipped open to the inside cover. "What's your name?"

"Gossamer, ma'am."

"Oh, you can call me—" She hesitated a moment. "C.W. is fine. Just C.W." Finishing the message of gratitude and her well-practiced signature, she offered the book back to the mare. "Thank you for being a fan!"

Gossamer gently touched a hoof to one of the copies of The Princess of the Knight lying on the table. "Is that an alicorn?"

Crystal swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. "Yes, Princess Selene is an alicorn."

With an almost guiltily pleased look in her eyes, Gossamer glanced between the book and Crystal before asking, "Would you sign a copy for me?"

The simple question soothed her worries in an instant. Her magic brought one of the books to her and she signed it, then exchanged it for bits. "I hope you enjoy it, Gossamer!"

Gossamer squealed as she bounced out of the way and Crystal was startled by a pony stepping up to take her place. Crystal blinked, then looked past the new pony to see a line. There was a line forming just for her. She did everything she could not to jump out of her seat with excitement.

"Hello!" she chirped to the pony that set a book on the table. "What's your name?"

After the rinse-and-repeat of meeting and greeting her fans—a few of which were stallions, much to her surprise—Crystal's stomach started to rumble. One fan wanted to discuss the details of her book, including their likes and dislikes, and though she earnestly wanted to pay attention, hunger was drawing her focus away from the conversation.

Her prayers were answered when a brown paper bag dropped onto the table. It smelled distinctly of hay fries and toasted oat biscuits. Crystal looked over to see Painted Wave standing at her side, grinning. Her saddlebags were nearly bursting at the seams with books, art prints, and other assorted merchandise.

Crystal smiled. "How is the convention on the other side of the table?"

"Fantastic!" Painted grinned. "It's a shame you're stuck here, though—" She glanced at the line formed for book signings. "—it seems like you've got quite a fantastic experience yourself."

Crystal opened the bag and magically grabbed four or five of the fries. They were hurriedly ushered to her mouth, which she hid behind a hoof so she could eat with some sense of decency. "Thank you so much," she said after swallowing.

Painted stared at her incredulously. "Who said that was for you?" When Crystal stared at her in wide-eyed horror, she laughed. "I'm teasing, I'm teasing. Of course it's for you."

"You are so cruel," Crystal muttered, albeit smiling. She turned her head to smile at the mare across the table. "I'm so sorry! Hello!"

The mare offered a copy of The Mare's Temptation. "Please make it out to Serendipity Doo!"

"Absolutely." She simultaneously signed the book while retrieving another fry. "Thank you for being a fan!"

"I'm just so excited that you wrote another novel. I'd like to buy a copy of that, too, please!"

While Crystal ate in between attending to ponies in line, Painted made herself a little nest on Crystal's side of the table. She rummaged through her haul with her ears swiveled back to listen in on the conversations. Once she had entertained herself both with her convention swag and with hearing anonymous feedback on her art, she stood rather abruptly.

"Do you mind if I leave my stuff here with you?" she asked as she started to unload her things into a neat pile.

Crystal glanced between Painted and her hoard, one brow raised. "It looks like you already are!"

Painted grinned. "I didn't ask if I could, just if you would mind it." She set her emptied saddlebags onto her back.

"Oh, you." Crystal sputtered a laugh and dismissed her with a wave. "Thanks again for the food!"

"Yup!" Happily, Painted trotted off into the crowd.

Crystal returned her attention to the waiting pony, sliding the signed book back to her. "Thank you!"

"No, thank you!" The pony hugged the book to her chest and stepped out of the way. Another pony took her place.

Crystal rubbed her aching neck. Her posture needed work if she was going to survive the convention; leaning over to sign books for hours on end was putting quite the strain on her muscles. She took a moment to glance down the row to see how many ponies were left and nearly jumped out of her coat.

Just three ponies back stood the very Princess of the Night herself. At her side was a royal guard—and not just any royal guard. The fates had to conspire against her even further. It was the very same royal guard from Quills and Sofas. Not many pegasi had long, tufted ears, and even fewer had blue primary feathers in their wings. They were standing, together, in her line. Her gaze darted to the books sitting on the table around her, each one boldly emblazoned with their likenesses.

"Hi! Can I get you to make it out to Fortunate Heart, please?" The mare picked up a copy of The Princess of the Knight and set it on the table between them.

Crystal offered her the best smile she could handle while her heart struggled just to beat normally. "Of course!" Her quill lifted while, simultaneously, she started to levitate books off the table, setting them out of sight on the ground.

"Thanks! I can't wait to read it!"

"I hope you like it," Crystal responded cheerfully while hiding the rest of the copies of said book.

The suddenly empty table garnered her a curious look from the next pony in line. Crystal returned it with a smile. "Hi! What can I do for you?"

"I was hoping to buy a copy of The Princess of the Knight. Are you sold out?" The mare's ears fell.

"Oh, certainly!" Crystal swallowed. Her gaze darted to Princess Luna and her guard. They were next. She was doomed. However, keeping her cool on the outside, she raised one copy and moved it across the table to the mare. "Thank you for your interest."

The mare put her bits on the table. "Can you sign it, too?"

One of her ears twitched as the panicked adrenaline rush made it hard to focus, but she tried to smile. "To whom should I make it out?" Crystal's quill lifted and wrote a courteous note of gratitude with the name given, then closed the cover. "Thank you!"

The mare squealed and bounced out of line, leaving her face to face with the princess, who was looking past her.

Horror was most certainly plastered on Crystal's face. She had written a romance novel about an alicorn princess of the night and was trying desperately to hide it. She had also completely forgotten about the large banner standing behind her with an enlarged version of the cover. "Princess Luna!" she said in a weak but calm voice, hoping to sound as though nothing was wrong. "What a wonderful surprise. I didn't know you attended conventions such as this."

Princess Luna simply stared with her mouth hanging open. Crystal stared at her with growing horror and dread. The guard stared at nothing in particular, his expression rather blank. Finally, the princess glanced between Crystal, the banner, and the guard.

The guard seemed to notice the eyes on him and inquired, "Princess?"

"Dost thou not see, Silent Knight? 'Tis clearly thou and I!" She pointed a hoof and glanced between them again.

Crystal started to sink into her seat. Was writing about the princesses considered treason? Well, perhaps prison wasn't all that bad. She just hoped prison was the worst thing she had to fear.

The guard followed her hoof and stared at the banner. Silence held them all still for a moment before he said with a raised brow, "No, Princess." He looked back at her. "That stallion has violet eyes. Mine are silver."

Crystal cracked under the pressure, not even acknowledging the guard's odd comment. "Princess, she is loosely modeled after you." She tapped her hooves together nervously. "I hope you don't mind. I—" Her gaze fell, then raised back up. If she was going to go down, she was going to do so with no regrets. "I just, I had to write about a princess of the night! I'm so tired of the same story over and over about the princess of the sun, and nopony was giving the night any attention. You and your night are beautiful and mysterious! I felt like it was your time to shine, so to speak!"

"What? Thou art a fan of ours?" Princess Luna put a hoof to her chest, blinking a few times before her expression grew soft and her voice gentle. "We—I mean, I am a fan of thou. I brought a book for thou to sign. Silent Knight?"

He retrieved a copy of The Mare's Temptation and set it on the table. Crystal's horror was washed away with a heavy mixture of disbelief, relief, and elation. It was not only a copy of her book, but a limited edition hardcover. She glanced between the princess and the book before she took it and opened the cover.

"This is a real honor, Princess," she said in a soft, sincere tone as she levitated a quill. She dipped it in the ink, then slowly began to write on the inside of the cover with the book tilted so that the words were private. The situation called for no ordinary message of gratitude, and she knew nopony in line would begrudge extra time being taken for the princess. "I cannot believe this is happening," she mumbled to herself.

A question from Silent Knight pulled her completely out of her thoughts. "What does C.W. stand for?" he asked.

She looked up just as the surrounding ponies within earshot gasped. His expression and his tone held no malice, but the innocent question garnered all eyes on him. The mare directly behind them in line fainted.

He looked around, the muscles visible that weren't covered by armor tense at the sudden attention.

Crystal couldn't help but laugh softly, shaking her head and returning her gaze to the book in front of her. "It's all right, Silent Knight. I'm sure you're not aware, but it isn't normally appropriate to ask an author what their real name is, especially in a public setting." She glanced up briefly and gave him another reassuring smile while he and everypony else started to relax. "It helps protect our anonymity."

He tilted his head. Not seeming to learn from the first time, he asked yet another naively and gasp-inspiring question. "Anonymity. Like an alias that a criminal might have?"

Princess Luna's hoof quickly raised and pressed to his muzzle to muffle any further words he might have. She laughed nervously, glancing around. "Nay, Silent Knight. Authors are celebrities and they do not have overzealous house guards to protect them." With her other hoof, she tapped on the book. "If thou couldst just make that out to Luna."

Crystal nodded. She finished the rest of her gratitude and signed it with her pen name, then added to the very top in her best calligraphy, To Luna. It made her blush just to use the princess's name so casually, even if only in writing. She closed the cover and levitated the book toward the princess.

"I thank thee," the princess said. She turned her head to look at her guard. "Come along, Silent Knight. We would like to see some more booths before we leave."

As quickly as she could, Crystal retrieved a copy of the new book and penned out Thank you for being a good sport. This will be our secret. — Crystal Wishes on the inside cover. She leaned across the table before Silent Knight had departed from the booth. He saw her movement and turned his head to assess the potential threat.

"Just for you," she said softly, levitating the book to him.

He nodded and said nothing. He simply put the book in his saddlebags, then followed after the princess.

Crystal slumped into her chair with a heavy sigh. She stared down at the books lying around her. "The princess is a fan of my work?" Her cheeks heated up and a small giggle escaped her. "The princess is a fan of my work!" she exclaimed louder.

The ponies near the table squealed, then resumed their line formation. Crystal cleared her throat and similarly resumed her signing duties and polite conversation as she returned the books to her table. The rest of the evening was a blur, as nothing could compare to the encounter with the princess.

When the convention hall was finally closing, Crystal was exhausted. She sold every single copy of her new book two hours before closing time, which meant she spent the last bit of the show disappointing some fans. Nonetheless, the whole day had been an amazing experience.

She gave her area one more look-over, packed up her things, and waited for Painted to return for her loot. She showed up not long after and the two of them headed off to their respective homes. When Crystal arrived at hers, Velvet was still awake.

"Welcome home!" Velvet looked up from the book in her lap. "How was the convention?"

Crystal yawned as she dumped her belongings rather unceremoniously on the floor, then with a similar lack of delicacy, she dropped down onto the floor beside Velvet. "Absolutely great. Who knew sitting all day would be so tiresome, though?"

Velvet reached out and stroked Crystal's somewhat frazzled blonde and pink mane. "You didn't come back with as many boxes as you left with. Did you get robbed or sell a lot of books?" She giggled.

"I sold all of them." Crystal stared up at her with wide eyes. "But that's the least exciting news. You won't believe who stopped by my booth!"

"Princess Luna?" she asked with a playful grin. Crystal just stared at her and she gasped. "Wait, really?!"

Crystal nodded. "Really! And as a cherry on top, the guard with her was the same one I saw at Quills and Sofas!"

This prompted a gleeful laugh. "Oh my Celestia, what are the odds?!"

"I don't know. Somewhere between unbelievable and embarrassing?" She rolled over onto her stomach. Looking around, she spotted a brush and levitated it over to start working on her mane. "Princess Luna seemed shocked at first. I mean, I was as well, but she had a better reason for it. And Silent Knight said the oddest thing, he—"

Velvet's ears perked. "Silent Knight? Where have I heard that name before?"

Crystal paused. Her brow slowly furrowed and she looked up at Velvet. "Wait, where have I heard tha—oh my gosh!" Her hooves flung to her mouth. Her focus was disrupted just long enough to cause her to drop the brush. "He was the hoofball player that I did the Romehorse lines for when we were freshmen! How did I not remember that the first time I saw him?!"

"If I remember correctly, you were a little busy with your obsessive fanmaring," Velvet teased. "So is he still handsome?"

Crystal was silent as thoughts whirled around until she shook her head to clear it. "What? Oh." She blinked. "Well, yes, but that's beside the point. The real point is, Princess Luna is a fan of mine. Do you realize how amazing that feels?" She resumed brushing and sighed wistfully. "That alone makes me feel like a success."

Velvet smiled. She took the brush from Crystal's magic. "Well, from the sounds of it, the convention was a success."

"It was. It really was." Crystal smiled softly. "It was a wonderful opportunity to jumpstart The Princess of the Knight. I couldn’t imagine it working out more perfectly."

A week later, Crystal was riffling through the daily stack of mail and discovered one that stood out from the rest. The sight of it caused her to gasp loudly.

"What's up?" Velvet asked from the kitchen.

"Le—Letter," she stammered. Her hooves trembled as she raised an envelope with the official seal of the palace for Velvet to see.

Velvet squinted. She turned the stove burner low to break away from her cooking and walked over. Recognizing the seal at a closer distance, her eyes widened. "What did you do?!"

"I wrote a romance novel about Princess Luna, that's exactly what I did!" Crystal practically wailed. She dropped the rest of the ordinary letters to put all of her focus on the special one. "This can't be good news."

"You don't know that! Open it and see what it is!" Velvet grinned as she bounced up and down.

Crystal moved with quivering hesitation. She slowly peeled the wax seal so as not to damage it or the envelope in the process.

"Oh my gosh, could you move any slower?" Velvet chided, interrupting her focus.

Crystal glared at her. "This could be a summons to go to court, you know!"

Velvet rolled her eyes and flopped down onto a pillow. "Crystal, I swear. There are tons of stories about Princess Celestia, right? Have any of those authors been tried for treason or executed? No? Then read the darn letter already!"

"All right!" Crystal finally pulled the letter out and unfolded it. "Crystal Wishes: It is our honor to inform you that you have been selected for…" She trailed off, her eyes going wide. The trembling started up again and she felt a tight, gripping sensation at the pit of her stomach form as nerves collided with excitement.

"Selected for what?" Velvet tilted her head.

Crystal raised her gaze to look at Velvet. "For an Equestrian Authors Award at the nomination of Princess Luna herself," she said in a monotonous voice, too many emotions battling inside her to vocalize one over the others. Her eyelids fluttered in an effort to clear her blurring vision. "I—I have to give a speech." She tried to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Crystal, that's amazing news!" Velvet cheered, throwing her hooves in the air. "Forget what I was cooking. We have to go out and celebrate!"

While Velvet went back to the kitchen to clean up, Crystal looked at the letter once more and muttered, "I'm not so sure this is better than being tried for treason."

The Silver Reward

It was the day before the award ceremony, and Crystal had finally settled on the single yet overwhelming emotion of stressed. She was so stressed, in fact, that she found it hard to do anything but pace the condo with notes for what she might say.

Having worn herself out from so much pacing and stressing, she decided a nice, relaxing bath was in order. She hurried into the bathroom, her magic flaring to quickly throw her mane into a loose up-do. She turned on the hot water, but when she guided the bottle of rose oil to the faucet and squeezed it, nothing came out.

The water flicked off and she stormed out into the main area. "Velvet!" she called. "I'm going to Phial and Filly to get more rose oil! Do you need anything while I'm there?"

"Oh! More of that gardenia shampoo, please!"

Crystal wrapped a scarf over her ears and around the back of her head, tying a loose knot just under her chin. "Got it. I'll be back!"

She trotted out into the chilly autumn air. It wasn't quite cold enough to see her own breath, but she did shiver once she was no longer in the comforts of their heated condo. The brisk temperatures urged her hooves to move at an equally brisk pace.

A couple months back, a new store called The Phial and Filly Alchemist Supply had opened up just a few blocks away. The owner was a little eccentric and seemed to be more interested in rocks than potions, but he had struck gold with his ingenious mare care products. His rose bath oil, for example, was far superior to a more expensive brand she used to buy. It elevated a scented bath to the luxurious feeling of being in a warm, humid rose garden.

It was also the only way she knew how to relax anymore, and she was out.

The bell rung to announce her entrance and a friendly voice called, "Hello, Crystal!"

Crystal smiled and walked over to the counter. "Hi, Runic. How's business today?"

"Good, as usual," Runic Phial said with a frown.

She glanced at a small basket that sat beside the register and held rocks of various shapes, sizes, and types. "So, I guess that means still no interest in your rocks?"

"No, also as usual, it seems." He sighed, then his ears perked. "But I do have something that you might be interested in!" He stuck one hoof into the basket and rooted around for a moment before he held up a clear stone. "Ta-da!"

Crystal kept her smile in place while she tried to put the pieces together. Finally, she relented and asked, "What is it?"

Runic's wings, ears, and shoulders drooped. "It's a crystal."

"Oh." Her eyes lit up with realization. "Oh! A crystal for Crystal?" She laughed and took the stone, turning it over in her hoof. It shimmered in the light, and with some polishing, it had the potential to be quite the valuable gem. "What were you trying to make?"

The question brightened his spirits almost immediately. "Sandstone, of course!"

"Of course," she repeated with a giggle. "Let me just get the usual supplies." She started to turn toward the store, but paused and looked back at him. "Hey, have you considered getting into the bath bomb business?"

His eyes widened. He glanced around, leaned in, and asked in a low voice, "Into the what now?"

"Bath bombs." She smiled. "They're wonderful!"

"I see." His expression told her he clearly didn't. "And what do you do with a bath bomb, exactly?"

Her smile started to fall. "You put it in the bath, obviously."

"Why would you do that?" He crossed his forelegs over his chest.

"Because it makes the bath more exciting?"

He nodded slowly. "I imagine it would. Well, if you give me the details, I can put something together." He started to trace his hoof against the counter top, miming out some sort of mathematical equation. "So, I'll need a hydro combustible material to start." He looked back up at her. "Does it just explode?"

Crystal hesitated. She reached out and put her hoof on his to stop its movement. "Runic, what do you think I'm talking about?"

"A bath bomb," he replied flatly.

"Yes, but what do you think a bath bomb is?"

Runic hummed in thought before he grabbed one of the phials resting in his vest's pockets, raised it high up in the air, then threw it to the ground. The glass shattered and a sizzling sound followed, but nothing else happened. When Crystal leaned over the counter, she saw a foamy puddle of green goo shuddering on the floor.

"Hmm, wrong one," he mused and grabbed another. "I think this one's it!"

The phial was lifted and tossed with the same enthusiasm as the previous. This time, when it shattered, a large puff of smoke enveloped them, smelling of burnt wood.

Crystal coughed and covered her muzzle. "Runic!" She tried to wave away some of the smoke with her free hoof. "What was that?"

"What I think a bath bomb is! Well, minus the bath, and the explosions, and the likely fatal injuries, of course."

"Oh my Celestia," she muttered, then backed up a few paces to step out of the cloud. "Runic, a bath bomb is a little round ball of bath oils and scents and sometimes glitter. Not a literal bomb!"

"Oh." He flipped a switch and a fan turned on to slowly disperse the smoke. "That would make more sense. You don't seem like you have a death wish to me."

Crystal coughed through a small laugh. "Just forget about the bath bomb, all right?" She retrieved the usual bottle of rose oil, as well as Velvet's preferred shampoo. "I'll just take these, please." She set them down along with the crystal. "And this."

Runic pushed the rock back toward her. "That's a gift. The rest is—" He tapped the buttons on the register with the tips of his hooves. "Ten bits?" He shrugged.

"Only ten?" She started to count out the bits. "Is there a sale going right now?"

"What? Oh, no. I already have this month's bills covered, and you're a repeat customer, so." He smiled and held out the small bag with the bottles inside. "Only ten bits!"

Crystal paused, then just laughed. "Runic, that's not how running a business works! But, thank you. I'll see you next time."

"That's the plan!" he said with a wink. "Have a good day, Crystal!"

"You, too!" She waved just before turning and leaving the store to return home.

♡

Crystal was stalking up and down the hall just outside the throne room, mumbling her lines under her breath, waiting for her cue. There were two royal guards standing by and she was sure she looked and sounded like a crazy pony, but she had more important matters to attend to.

Raven appeared around a corner. "Crystal?"

"Yes!" she squeaked a little too high-pitched. She winced at the sound of her own voice, cleared her throat, and corrected softly, "Hi, Raven."

Raven smiled and walked over to her. "It's going to be fine. We've practiced your speech three times already." She put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "As long as you don't faint—actually, that might be endearing. Perhaps you should faint a little bit." She laughed, withdrawing her hoof to straighten her glasses.

Crystal shot her a withering look before she cracked a smile. "You're laughing inside the castle? What happened to put you in such a good mood?" When Raven's cheeks turned bright red, Crystal pressed, "What is it?"

"We can talk about it later," she responded in a soft voice. "For now, you have an award to accept."

Crystal opened her mouth to protest, but a guard approached them. "Miss Wishes," he said, nodding to her. "Please come with me."

Raven and Crystal walked behind him, the former returning to her professionally stoic expression while the latter returned to her nervous mumbling. Just as they approached a pair of doors and before they were opened, Crystal paused to straighten her outfit. For the occasion, she had gone a step further than the convention's disguise to braid her tail, weaving the pink strands underneath the blonde ones.

The doors were pulled open to reveal the throne room. As she expected, Crystal recognized most of the ponies that turned to look at her from the usual circle that attended most Canterlot events. There were also unfamiliar faces in the crowd, but given their location toward the podium and the notepads they carried, she guessed they were reporters.

Crystal tried not to look surprised to see her parents among the crowd, regarding her with the same lackadaisical interest they did for every pony. She doubted they were there for her. After all, it was an official event, and they never missed those.

Raven gestured to Crystal to follow her while Princess Luna stepped up to the podium. "Citizens of Canterlot," the princess said in a voice that carried effortlessly across the large room, "we thank you all for your attendance, for 'tis a very special occasion. We could not be happier to, as our first decree, establish an Equestrian Authors Award to recognize and honor ponies that are making new strides in the literary world."

Princess Luna paused, slowly looking over the crowd to gauge their reactions before she continued, "We have nominated, and it hath been thusly agreed upon, a new face in the literary world to receive the first Award. It is our honor to now introduce this recipient: Miss C.W. Step." She stepped to the side and looked at Crystal with a smile while the other ponies stomped softly.

When their eyes met, Crystal thought she might faint, but Raven gave a small push against her shoulder to bring her back to reality. Crystal finally smiled back and took Princess Luna's place at the podium.

Though she placed her forehooves firmly on either side of the podium, her hindlegs trembled behind the base. However, her many years of training kicked in and her voice fell from her lips of its own accord, even and calm.

"Good afternoon, everypony." She turned her head to look at the princess at her side. "Thank you, Princess Luna, both for the honor as well as your inspiration." Her gaze returned to the crowd. "It is no secret that both of my published works are heavily influenced from life here within the castle.

"As a citizen of Canterlot, I am blessed with my home also being home to a marvelous palace with inhabitants consonant with its grandeur. It is something we are all proud of, as no other city or town can boast such a claim.

"My second and most recent novel, The Princess of the Knight, was a whirlwind project born from beholding a princess travelling with her closest companion: a guard from her House. It was a risk, I admit, one that I was quite nervous of taking, but I believe it has been a success and for that, I thank Princess Luna and her guard."

She stole a glance at Silent Knight, who was on duty along with another house guard, then looked at the princess and smiled. "Thank you, again and always, for the honor and the inspiration. I am humbled and grateful for both."

The trembling in her legs had stopped and she was able to bow her head without fear of toppling over. When she did, Princess Luna's magic flared just enough to lift and bring over a silver medallion on a midnight blue ribbon. The medallion featured the image of an open book with a quill draped across it.

Crystal's face heated up with excitement as the award was placed over her head and rested on her neck. "Thank you," she repeated in a quiet, more private tone.

Princess Luna simply nodded and returned to the podium to finish the address. Crystal stepped off to the side and inclined her head to look down at the hanging medallion that proudly shined back up at her.

"You went off-speech there toward the end," Raven whispered.

Crystal's ears flicked back and she guiltily looked straight ahead, not even glancing at the mare beside her. "Sorry."

Raven was quiet just long enough to make Crystal squirm uncomfortably. "I'm only teasing you. I know you were nervous. You did fine and it sounded sincere." She smiled. "Do you know what happens next?"

Crystal tried not to groan. "I have to mingle with the reporters and other attendees?"

The sound Raven made in response was a cross between a quiet cackle and a sinister chuckle. "Oh, no. It's much better than that."

When Princess Luna turned away from the podium, the applause of the ponies in the crowd filled the air. With regal grace befitting of her title, she walked over to them, her guards walking just two paces behind her. "C.W. Step?"

"Yes?" Crystal squeaked.

The princess smiled. "Wouldst thou care to join us for a private discussion?"

It felt as though all the blood had drained from her, leaving her cold and lifeless. "Yes." Her hooves moved to carry her as she followed behind Princess Luna and her guards, but she felt nothing. She turned to look at Raven for some kind of aid, but the mare simply smiled and waved. What was happening?

From all of her tours, she knew where they were heading. The hall they walked along led to Princess Luna's private wing. The door they approached led to her office. Her knees went weak with nervous excitement. On both official and unofficial tours, she had never been in either of the princesses' private wings.

When the doors opened and she was allowed inside, she couldn't help looking around like a filly at a fair. Everything was dark, but in an elegant way; the decor certainly wasn't morbid or depressing. The walls and furniture were of varying deep blue and purple hues as though they were crafted from the night sky itself, with accents of silvers and whites like the stars.

Crystal noticed Silent Knight take position against one wall and assume the rigid, statuesque stance typical of guards. The other house guard continued walking with Princess Luna over to a sitting area.

"With your permission, Princess," the guard said. When the princess nodded, she removed her helmet to reveal a bright blue mane with pink tips and sat down.

Crystal, who had been just about to sit herself, froze. Raven had never mentioned such protocol when in the company of a princess. Tentatively she repeated, "With your permission, Princess."

The princess laughed softly. "Thou mayest, and, please, call me Luna."

Crystal finished sitting down. "Thank you." She hesitated before she added, "Luna."

The mare beside her cleared her throat. "As a royal guard, I need her permission to deviate from protocol. As her guest, you don't. You see, some guards are strict and completely by the book." She looked over at Silent Knight. "They might take exception."

"Oh, I see." Crystal tried not to look at him as well. "So, then, Silent Knight will not be joining us?"

"Nay. Silent Knight is one of those 'by the book' guards." Princess Luna started to set out little teacups. "Likely, he feeleth somepony must be on security and, should I invite him over, he would be most uncomfortable. 'Tis correct, Silent Knight?"

"Yes, Princess," he replied.

Crystal hoped to not sound disappointed as she murmured, "Oh, what a shame." She put her focus back on the princess. "Thank you so much for this award, Luna. I was terrified when I met you at the convention, that you might be, um, upset when you saw The Princess of the Knight."

"Upset? Nay." She shook her head. "Confused at first, perhaps, as we—I am not very accustomed to being included." Her expression looked briefly remorseful. "Fitting in has been a struggle."

Crystal nodded. "I can understand that feeling. I never intended to publish my work because I was afraid of how ponies would react. I was worried nopony would understand or like it." Blue magic was replaced by pink when she accepted a teacup that Luna floated to her.

"I am glad thee decided otherwise." Luna smiled and sipped her tea. "We rather enjoy thy books, Iridescence and I."

"Iridescence?" Crystal furrowed her brow.

Luna gasped and glanced between Crystal and the guard. "I did not properly introduce ye? How rude of me! C.W., this is my friend and one of my house guards, Iridescence." She gestured toward the mare. "Thou already knowest Silent Knight, of course."

Crystal offered her hoof to Iridescence and they shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you." A little shyly, she added, "My name is Crystal Wishes."

Both the princess and Iridescence looked at one another, smiling. Crystal couldn't help smiling herself. The simple gesture of just sharing her name seemed to please the both of them.

"If it pleases thee, Crystal Wishes, wouldst thou share thy creative process for thy stories?" Luna leaned in with clear, sincere interest in her voice. "I write a bit as well, but it would be most appreciated to learn thine own process."

Crystal's breath caught in her throat. The princess was asking her for advice? She crossed her forehooves over each other to secretly pinch herself.

When she still remained in what had to be reality and not a dream, she said, "I don't know what to say, Princess, except that I am very much driven by inspiration. All of my better works, published and otherwise, were inspired by something around me." She shifted again, still in a state of uncertain disbelief. "What is something normal or ordinary that I can tweak? Then I simply write from there."

Iridescence and Luna nodded. Crystal continued with a soft sigh, "Admittedly, I idealize. I have lately found myself writing about guards and knights because I fantasize of meeting somepony like the ones in my fiction."

"But thou canst," Luna said, tilting her head and pointing over at Silent Knight. "He is right there."

While Iridescence snickered, Crystal's face turned bright red and she waved her hooves. "Oh, no! I mean, in the way I make them out to be in, say, The Princess of the Knight." She felt herself heat up significantly. "I doubt Silent Knight is anything like the brash, passionate, and dark stallions I write about."

"You've certainly got that right," Iridescence said, giggling. This prompted Luna to giggle and, unable to resist, Crystal followed suit.

"Then, perhaps, if it suits thee," Luna started once the bout of giggling had settled down, looking directly at Crystal. "I would like to extend an open invitation to visit when thou wouldst like, and if we are fortunate, thou wilt meet thy knight."

Crystal lost herself for a moment. Her head grew light and she thought she might really faint. She hurriedly shook her head just enough so she could answer clearly, "I would be truly honored, Luna."

Luna clapped and exclaimed, "Then 'tis settled! Before thou leavest, please meet with Raven to receive a pass with my blessing."

♡

"I see. You have 'her blessing'?" Raven sighed, though she still smiled. "Princess Luna forgets that I need more than your word of her blessing to have a pass issued." She gestured for Crystal to follow her. "Luckily for you, I trust that she actually did say that. So, then, the meeting with the princess went well?"

Crystal trotted on the tips of her hooves as though she were dancing on air. "Well? Well? What an absolutely small word for such a momentous occasion in my life!" She laughed. "Nonetheless, don't think I've forgotten you, Missy Raven." She bumped her flank against Raven's. "You still owe me an explanation from earlier."

"An—oh, yes." The faint glow returned to Raven's cheeks. "I suppose I do."

Crystal waited a beat, then pressed, "Well?"

Raven stopped in the middle of the hall. "You must keep your voice down. It's very important that you do that for me. All right?"

"All right, okay." Crystal giggled and pawed at her. "Stop stalling."

Raven took a quick intake of air before she said quickly and quietly, "Moore asked me to move in with him and I'm considering it."

Crystal had to fight harder than she ever had before to keep to her agreement, though she wanted to squeal with delight. "Oh my Celestia, you two are getting really serious! Do you think he'll propose soon?"

Raven shook her head. "I don't know about that. Perhaps? This is a big first step, at least." She drew a small circle on the ground and glanced up at her shyly. "Should I agree? Is it not unbecoming to move in with a stallion, unwed?"

"Oh, pfft," Crystal sputtered, dismissing the notion with a wave. "These are modern times. Ponies live together before getting married all the time!" She paused, then added with a hint of seriousness to her voice, "However, if you don't intend to marry him, then it is somewhat misleading."

"I—" Raven shook her head, cleared her throat, and continued on down the hall. "I will give it some more thought. For now, let's get your pass so you can go home."

♡

Crystal hummed as she trotted along the streets. She couldn't imagine a more perfect day! In fact, she was certain that even if a pegasus with a foul disposition were to kick a storm cloud above her, she would just take the opportunity to sing in the rain. However, the skies were happily clear and the setting sun offered her a brilliant display on the horizon.

"Oh, Velvet," Crystal chimed as she walked through the door and kicked it shut behind her, "I wish you could have been there! I had tea. With Princess Luna! In her private chambers! And look!" She stopped and puffed out her chest. The medallion glinted in the light while the permanent visitor's pass dangled rather plainly. "I have two new accessories!"

Velvet kept her back to her. "That's—that's wonderful."

Crystal deflated. "Velvet? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I'm happy for you." Her tone strongly suggested otherwise.

Crystal lifted both the award and the pass over her head, setting them on the table by the door, and tentatively walked closer to Velvet. "Did something happen at practice?"

"No," she replied with a petulant bitterness. "Practice was fine."

Crystal stopped just a pace away from her. "Velvet, please look at me." There was a hesitant pause, but the mare complied and when she did, Crystal saw tears in her eyes. "What happened?!"

Velvet responded with the last thing she expected to hear: "My mom, she's—she's pregnant."

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: The Equestrian Writers Convention

Close Encounters

Crystal gasped and her expression lifted with excitement before falling into confusion. "Wait, what?"

Velvet rolled her eyes. "I don't know how to rephrase such an obvious statement."

"No, no, I mean, what—that's what you're upset about?" She sat down next to her.

"Just think about it a moment." Velvet stared at her, brow furrowed. "Can you imagine your mom being pregnant?"

Crystal pondered it just long enough for a chill to rush through her and she quickly shook her head. "Okay, it's a little weird, I'll admit that, but you're practically crying."

"Oh, well, yeah." Velvet slumped against the table where a half-eaten slice of cake rested. "I found out accidentally. I dropped by to check in on them and they weren't behind the counter. Some weird pegasus was managing the store and when I asked where they were he responded that they were 'at the hospital'."

Velvet jabbed a fork into the slice. "So, d'uh, I freaked out and rushed over. The nurses wouldn't tell me anything, just that my parents would be out soon and could talk to me themselves, so I just cried in the waiting room. Mom and Dad walked into the room, surprised to see me, and that's when I found out." She interrupted herself by shoveling a large piece of the cake into her mouth, then just sat there, chewing.

Crystal bit her lower lip before she gingerly pressed, "So—?"

Velvet continued after swallowing, "Apparently, they didn't want me to know yet. Like I'd be upset or something. Well, of course I'd be! They're practically replacing me!"

"Velvet, you moved out, what, a year ago, more or less?" Crystal asked a little hesitantly.

"That doesn't mean they can just have a new foal! I'm the foal!"

Crystal tried to argue herself out of saying it, but the words escaped in a playful tone. "You're certainly acting like one."

Velvet gasped and looked at her with wide eyes that quickly narrowed. "I am not!"

"Well—" Crystal hedged, raising her shoulders in a meek shrug and giving a similarly meek grin.

Velvet huffed, puffed, and stabbed the cake again. "So I'm just supposed to be happy for them?"

"Perhaps just be happy for yourself?"

"And why the hay would I be happy about this?" Velvet crossed her forelegs over her chest.

Crystal shrugged again. "Because you're going to have a cute little foal to play with that you don't have to take care of yourself?"

Velvet gave this serious consideration, tapping one of her hindhooves on the floor and staring at Crystal with a frown. Finally, she relented with a neutral face and muttered, "I guess that might be fun."

"So why don't we go see your parents so I can congratulate them and you can show them how mature you are about this?" She levitated the fork over to herself to steal a bite of cake, prompting a playful glare.

"I am mature," Velvet said and stuck her nose in the air. "Just watch how mature I'll be!"

♡

Although Sunridge Sweets was closed by the time they made their way over, Velvet's parents could be seen through the glass still cleaning up. When Velvet knocked on the door, Pepper Ridge was the one to unlock it and let them in.

"Hi, sweetie," he said with a clear tentativeness to his tone. "We weren't expecting you to drop by." He paused, then acknowledged Crystal. "Evening, Crystal."

Velvet hesitated until Crystal bumped against her. "Is it a colt or a filly?" She glanced up at her father.

Pepper Ridge blinked before he smiled softly. "Dear? Do you want to tell her?" He looked at Sunbeam, who was walking toward them.

The mare's stomach was just big enough that her gait had a bit of a wobble to it. "Oh, sugarpop, I'm so glad to see you!" She put a foreleg around Velvet's neck and pulled her close. "After the way you left, I was worried that we'd hurt your feelings."

Crystal stood quietly off to the side and tried to blend into the wall.

Velvet squirmed out of her mother's grasp. "Well, yeah, my feelings were hurt. You guys have known about this for a while, right?"

Pepper Ridge dragged a seat over and offered it to Sunbeam, who gladly leaned into it. She smiled down at her stomach, one hoof gently resting on the bump.

Her head lifted and she looked at Velvet, her smile softening as she said, "We really did intend to tell you, sweetie. I was just worried what you might think, since you've been an only child for so long. Your father and I both came from big families and we never felt like we got enough attention, so we agreed we'd only have one. That we'd only have you. But—" She shrugged. "Well, sugarpop, I don't know how to put it, but the house is just so quiet without you around."

"We still love you," Pepper Ridge interjected. "This doesn't change that one bit. We'll just have another little pony to love, too."

Velvet responded with a loud sigh that verged on a groan. "I know, I know, okay? Can you just answer my question?"

Sunbeam blinked a few times before a bubble of laughter erupted and she rubbed her stomach again. "Oh, the doctor confirmed it's going to be a c-c-cute… f-fabulous… c-curious…"

Both Velvet and Crystal—who had walked over to be a part of the conversation again—were leaning in with wide eyes.

"… f-fussy," Sunbeam continued, giggles making her feigned stutter legitimate. "… c-content… f-fantast—"

"Oh, come on already!" Velvet hopped into the air to stomp all four hooves against the floor. "Seriously, is it—"

"—a colt," Pepper Ridge said, only to receive a playful slap on the shoulder from Sunbeam. He laughed and raised his hooves to defend himself. "I'm sorry, but you were torturing them!"

"And I was enjoying it!" Sunbeam gave an indignant huff, then looked at Crystal and Velvet as the former squealed and the latter simply stared. "Sweetcakes?" she asked, a little worriedly.

Velvet stared directly at her mother's stomach. Finally, she took a tentative step forward, then lowered her head to be level with the bump. "Hey, are you listening?" Her ears pinned back. "Don't be cuter than me. Got it?"

Crystal laughed and pushed against Velvet so that she could talk face-to-belly. "Oh, don't mind her. She's just jealous because you're going to be oh-so-very adorable." She lifted her gaze to meet Sunbeam's, her voice softening as she continued, "Congratulations, Mrs. Sunbeam and Mr. Pepper Ridge. I'm so happy for both of you." Her smile widened. "Have you considered names yet?"

Pepper Ridge cleared his throat. "You know very well that it's tradition to keep the name secret until he's born. Don't want to jinx anything, now do we?"

"Oh, so you and Mom get to know, but I don't?" Velvet huffed. "I'm already starting to feel excluded."

Sunbeam reached out and ruffled Velvet's mane. "You'll be the first pony we tell, sugarlump. I promise." Her eyes widened suddenly. "Oh!"

"Oh?" Velvet and Crystal repeated in unison.

Sunbeam looked down at herself with a warm fondness. "Well, I'll be. I think he just told me that he intends to keep me to my promise."

Velvet tilted her head, stepping forward. "How?"

Sunbeam took one of Velvet's hooves in her own, then moved it over to and rested it on her stomach. "Wait for it." She paused, then muttered, "Come on, silly boy, don't hold out on your big sist—" She flinched and Velvet squeaked. "There it is!"

Velvet jerked her hoof away. "He kicked!" She stared at her hoof with wide eyes, as though it had performed a miracle.

"Can I feel?" Crystal asked, glancing between them.

"Of course, sweetie. You're family." Sunbeam waved her closer. "Just put your hoof right here and think nice thoughts!"

After a pregnant pause, Crystal jumped back with the same squeal Velvet had given. "Oh my Celestia!"

Sunbeam laughed. She reached out to take her husband's hoof in her own. He looked down at her and she looked up at him, both of them smiling while Crystal and Velvet just stared at their respective hooves in awe.

♡

Though the city of Canterlot was covered in snow, the royal gardens were an exception for the evening. Four pegasi patrolled the sky to keep the laden clouds at bay and several royal guards stood at the edges of the garden space where a table had been set up. By the time Crystal arrived, Iridescence and Princess Luna were already seated and enjoying a cup of tea.

Stepping from the snow onto the grass was like stepping into a spring. Two of the unicorn guards alternated in keeping a small, simple barrier raised to block the wind, and there was a fire going near the table. The air was warm, still, and welcoming.

A servant approached her and offered one of his forelegs. "Your coat, madam?"

Crystal slipped the heavy coat off her shoulders. Underneath it, she wore a purple gown that draped just long enough for the effect of elegance but still short enough that it hadn't dragged in the snow. The skirt was tucked in at several intervals to give the illusion of fullness with large ripples.

"Huzzah!" Princess Luna cheered when she noticed Crystal. "Thou hast arrived safely! Officially, the mare's night out beginneth!"

Crystal smiled at both mares and took the remaining seat. Iridescence wore a long gown that nearly covered her tail entirely, adorned with sapphires that caught in the firelight. Given the short distance from the castle to the gardens, the length of the dress had not posed too much of a risk being ruined by snow. She looked everything like an amateur model and, without her armor, certainly nothing like a royal guard.

Princess Luna, on the other hoof, was dressed simply in black, but a second glance revealed a complex layering of different fabrics. Sheer tulle draped over her shoulders; shiny silk, luscious velvet, and other materials hugged her frame.

"I still can't believe you put all of this together just for us," Iridescence said, looking up at the patrolling pegasi. "We could have just dined inside the castle."

Princess Luna lifted her chin. "This is not to thy liking, then?"

"Oh, it's wonderful, but—" Iridescence shook her head and smiled. "No, I'll just stick to it's wonderful."

Luna turned her gaze to Crystal. "And what dost thou think, Crystal?"

Crystal blinked. She was still not used to the princess using her name so casually and it took her a brief moment to recover from the schoolfilly-like glee that filled her chest. "I'm just grateful that you thought to invite me, Princess."

"Luna," the princess corrected, then raised her brow. "Why would we not invite thee?"

After a servant poured her a cup of tea, Crystal nodded her head gratefully then took a sip to stall for time. "I suppose that is a fair question." There was a glimmer of hesitancy in her tone as she asked, "Why did you invite me?"

The princess turned her cup slowly on its saucer. "Perhaps we—ah, I wish to discuss the art of writing with thee."

Iridescence chuckled softly. "Oh really? I thought you really enjoyed Crystal's company and wanted to see about being friends."

"Iridescence!" Luna's voice raised to match the powerfully stern look she shot the mare. However, the darkening of her cheeks gave away the true feelings of embarrassment behind the reaction.

Crystal glanced between them, then giggled. She hid her mouth behind a hoof. "I am delighted, regardless of the reason."

This seemed to calm the princess, though she fidgeted with her teacup again. "In honesty, 'tis Raven who arranged all of this. She is quite talented in the skill of organization and scheduling."

"Oh!" Crystal's ears perked up. "Raven organized this?"

Luna regarded her with curiosity. Iridescence did the same and asked, "You sound like she's your friend?"

Crystal nodded. "Oh, yes. I owe a great deal to Raven. She helped me with both of my novels."

Luna leaned in, narrowing her eyes. "Then 'tis Raven I must accost for the manner in which thou wrote fair Princess Selene?"

"What?" Crystal felt the color drain from her cheeks as a wave of panic overtook her. "Oh, I mean, some of it was—well, artistic license, and—"

A chime of laughter escaped Luna and she clapped her hooves. "I am only teasing thee! Princess Selene was a most flattering imitation." She tossed her flowing, starlit mane. "We were most pleased with that."

Iridescence snickered into her tea. "Silent Knight's the one that should be upset, really. He has no chance of living up to the standard you've set for him."

"Is he still so serious and aloof?" Crystal asked, glancing between them.

Iridescence blinked a few times. "'Still'?"

"He was a senior when I was in my first year at Canterlot Academy," Crystal explained. "I didn't have much interaction with him, but from what little I did, I don't believe many ponies had much, either." A grin slowly curled her lips. "Actually, I was paired with him for a rehearsal of lines from Julimare and Romehorse."

Luna and Iridescence leaned in with differing expressions of interest. Luna seemed more earnestly curious while Iridescence's curiosity had a clear tinge of mischief to it.

"The club president rather forcibly paired us together because there weren't enough stallions to go around," she continued. "But when it was our turn to speak our lines, Silent Knight was rather, well, silent." She paused to sip her tea for a dramatic pause. "I recited my line and he simply stood there with this look of mild irritation. So, I jumped behind him and recited his lines for him."

Iridescence sputtered into a laugh. Luna kept her amusement to a smile and said, "Verily, that seems quite like our Silent Knight. But enough about stallions: 'tis mare's night!" She tapped her hoof to the table, looking over at the nearest servant. "Bring forth the champagne!"

The servant bowed and carried over a bucket of ice with a bottle resting in the middle. "Enjoy, m'lady."

Luna's horn lit up and she raised the bottle. She aimed it away from them and her magic tugged on the cork just enough for the trapped carbonation to send it flying. The mares laughed and bubbling, foamy champagne spilled out while Luna poured three fluted glasses and doled them out.

"To mares!" she cheered, raising her glass.

"To happiness!" Iridescence cheered back and raised her own.

Crystal hesitated, then followed suit and finished, "To friends!"

Their glasses clinked and each took a sip. Crystal giggled when the bubbles tickled the back of her throat. "It's been a while since I had good champagne," she said and set it down. "Now, then, on the topic of writing—?"

Luna shook her head. "Writing? Nay. The night is too young to delve into our normal conversation, I think. I would like to discuss something more personal." She hesitated, then continued cautiously, "Dost thou game, Crystal?"

"Game?" Crystal blinked. "I'm afraid I don't follow."

"She means tabletop games. Card games, board games, and the like." Iridescence retrieved a strawberry from the small plate of fruit sitting between them. "Would you believe that our Princess of the Night is the most avid gamer I have ever met?"

"Really! My friend Horsey used to be part of the Canterlot Academy's LARP Club." Crystal smiled into her tea. "She really seemed to enjoy it. I've not really done any gaming myself, though."

Luna seemed to squirm somewhat uncomfortably in her seat. She glanced at Iridescence, who smiled and nodded to approve of the unspoken question. "Then, perhaps, hast thou plans for Hearth's Warming Eve? We are having a gathering of friends to play games late into the night. Iridescence will surely be there, though I am currently uncertain about my own attendance." She looked at a mare standing off to the side.

Crystal looked over as well. The mare, noticing the attention on her, nervously walked over. "Yes?" she asked.

Luna regarded her with a vague air of disdain. "Hast thou arranged our schedule for Hearth's Warming Eve?"

The mare swallowed. "I still need to talk to Raven about that, Princess."

"Then perhaps thou shouldst seek out the counsel of Raven." Luna dismissed her with a curt nod of her head.

"Yes, Princess." She bowed her head and cantered away.

Luna sighed while Iridescence chided, "Princess, you shouldn't be so hard on her. She just started last week, after all. She needs more time to get used to you."

"We do not understand why we need a handler." Luna raised her nose in the air.

"A handler?" Crystal tilted her head, then lit up when she put things together. "Oh! Has Raven found you your own aide?"

"If that is what thou wishest to call Dawning Time, yes. However, we do not see why the change is necessary. Raven and Silent Knight are more than sufficient. He handleth what she cannot and we do not find ourselves wanting for more."

Crystal twiddled her hooves and bit her lower lip. "Oh, well, I may have some insight into that." When both of them looked at her, she reconsidered. "It may not be my place to say. Raven's personal life—"

"Wouldst thou withhold information from thy princess?"

"No!" Crystal shook her head and hurriedly explained, "I cannot say for certain, but I know that Raven and her special somepony are becoming more serious with one another, and perhaps she is trying to find more time for him."

Luna hummed as she considered the news before she relaxed into a smile. "That is good for her, then. I suppose I will give Dawning a more fair chance." She steepled her hooves and leaned in. "Now, to return to the topic of Hearth's Warming Eve?"

"I will be there. Absolutely." Crystal nodded. "And where is there, exactly?"

"Art thou familiar with the Phial and Filly?"

Crystal nodded again, more enthusiastically this time. "Oh, absolutely! No other store has better mare care products!"

Iridescence gasped. "I know! It's the only place I shop now!"

"Perhaps I shall have to try some of these products sometime," Luna mused before she cleared her throat. "Then it is agreed. I shall work with Dawning to make time in my schedule for Hearth's Warming Eve." She sighed, dropping her voice to a mumble again. "Lately, I have become more busy than I like. I forgot, I suppose, the strain of being a princess. Celestia is no longer shielding me from my responsibilities."

"You're doing fine, Luna." Iridescence smiled at her. "We have faith in you."

"The sentiment is appreciated, Iridescence. For now, shall we play a game?" A box floated out from underneath the cloth and rested on the spare space on the table. "To test thine interest, of course. 'Twould be a shame to arrive and discover thou dislikest tabletop games."

Crystal giggled. She helped move the items on the table off to the side to make room for the box's contents. "It would be an honor, Luna."

Hearths on Fire

"Come on, already!" Velvet knocked on Crystal's bedroom door. "We're going to be late!"

Crystal pressed up against the door to ensure it couldn't be opened unexpectedly. "I changed my mind. I don't want to do this."

Velvet huffed. "It's for charity, Crystal. We already signed up! You don't want the guilt of disappointing foals on your conscience, do you?"

"No, but, I mean," she whined, burying her face into her hooves. "I just—Do we really have to wear these outfits?"

"Yup!"

Crystal groaned. Finally, she stepped back and pulled the door open. Velvet stood in front of her, both of them wearing the same white-trimmed outfit, she in green and Crystal in red. Striped socks adorned their legs all the way up to their knees, and pointed but floppy hats sat on their heads to keep their ears warm.

"Aww, see? You look adorable!" Velvet giggled and started to the front door. "Let's get to the meeting place before they start without us!"

Crystal sighed, following along behind her as they descended the stairs into the condominium's main lobby. "These outfits just feel a little wrong. We're going to be in front of little fillies and colts in these scanty dresses?"

"Oh, silly, that's not for the foals! That's for us." Velvet's tail swished from side to side as she pranced out into the snow-laden street. "Don't you feel sexy?"

A breeze chose that moment to drift by, sending cold air up their skirts. Velvet laughed when Crystal squealed in surprise and ran forward as if to outrun the wind.

"No, in fact, I do not feel sexy! I feel cold!" Crystal glared at the still-laughing Velvet. "Why did you sign us up for this, anyway?!"

"I did it last year and it was a lot of fun. Just trust me, all right?" Velvet grinned and bumped her shoulder against Crystal's. "When have I ever led you astray?"

Crystal stared at her suspiciously before relenting with a sigh and a roll of her eyes. "Fine, fine."

By the time they met up with the other mares, all dressed in the same red or green outfits, the brisk jog had warmed both of them up enough that Crystal no longer noticed the cold. The foals had yet to arrive, so the coordinator worked on arranging the mares in a semi-circle according to height and began practicing their harmony.

Slowly, families started to arrive one by one, and the caroling began.

"As with gladness, mares of old

"Did the warming heart behold

"As with joy, they hailed its light

"Leading onward, beaming bright

"So, most glorious Harm'ny

"May we evermore be led to thee…"

It didn't take long for the Hearth's Warming cheer to spread to everypony in attendance, caroler and otherwise. By the end of the afternoon, Crystal was almost disappointed when the coordinator came out to thank everypony and disperse the crowd.

"I know that face," Velvet chimed when she walked over. "I was right, wasn't I?"

Crystal beamed. "I never thought that would be so much fun! We have to do that again next year." She trotted in place. "Or can we do it again now? Is there another caroling?"

Velvet shrugged. "We could go door-to-door caroling, but we kind of have to be somewhere, don't we?"

Crystal stared at her a moment, brow furrowed, before her eyes widened. "Oh, yes! We do!" She hurried forward down the street. "And we're definitely not showing up in these little numbers!"

"Really? Why not?" Velvet grinned and walked alongside her. "I think this'd be a great way to catch a stallion's eye."

"Well, feel free to stay in your outfit, then." Crystal stuck her nose in the air. "I would prefer a gentlestallion, myself!"

There was a pause before Velvet said in a nonchalant manner, "I guess I would prefer a gentlepony, too."

Crystal glanced at her. They walked in silence for a while, then she finally asked, "Gentlepony?"

Velvet simply nodded.

"Oh." Another long pause. "So, does that mean—"

"I don't know, really," Velvet interrupted. "I've only ever been on three dates. I don't feel, like, weak in the knees when I see a handsome stallion or a pretty mare, but I'm not against the idea of either."

"Huh." Crystal blinked and walked quietly to ponder this new information. Finally, she gave Velvet a coy smile. "Are you trying to tell me that all this time, you've been secretly harboring feelings for me? Has there been romantic tension between us this whole time?"

Velvet managed to last through the questions without a sound, though her cheeks were puffed to hold back her laughter that escaped once Crystal was finished. "Definitely not!"

Crystal's ears drooped and her bottom lip stuck out in a pout. "And why not?"

"Because that'd be weird!"

"Oh, thanks." Crystal cantered ahead, her head and tail held indignantly high.

Velvet laughed again. "Not like that! I just mean that it'd be weird because you're basically my sister! I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She bumped against her side. "You're a very pretty pony, okay?"

"Bah humbug!" Crystal shot her a quick smile. "You bet I am! Anyway, let's get changed and head over to Runic's before we end up late."

♡

The closer they got to the Phial and Filly, the more Crystal noticed Velvet started to change. The confident, boisterous mare she knew was growing strangely quiet. When Velvet's head lowered and her ears pinned back, Crystal stopped walking and stared at her.

"What?" Velvet stopped as well. "What's up?"

"I was going to ask you that, actually." Crystal tilted her head. "What's wrong with you?"

Velvet sighed. She turned to face her, took a deep breath, and said rather quickly, "I'm nervous about meeting Princess Luna."

Crystal blinked. "Huh? Why?"

"Why?" Velvet's eyes widened in disbelief. "She's an alicorn! She and Celestia are over a thousand years old with magic beyond my or your comprehension! I mean, I know we just call them our rulers and princesses and whatever, but aren't they basically, like, goddesses?"

"Um?" Crystal slowly shrugged. "I don't know? I've gotten that feeling from Princess Celestia, as though she's some kind of otherworldly being, but, Luna is different. She's much more down to Equestria, which is a little ironic, if you think about it."

Velvet sighed, shook her head, and continued walking. "Well, I'm glad you can be so relaxed about it, but I've got butterflies up to my ears."

Although most of the buildings were decorated with wreaths and tinsel, one stood out among the rest: Runic's shop was completely loaded to the point of nearly being ridiculous with every kind of Hearth's Warming paraphernalia.

A sign was propped up to announce, 'Closed for a Private Function.'

When they opened the door, the decorations outside suddenly seemed tame. It was nothing short of a holiday winter wonderland with fake snow and icicles as well as ornaments, ribbons, streamers, and candy canes. A table was set up against one wall that offered cookies of various types and a bowl of purple punch.

"Good evening!" Crystal called. "I hope nopony minds, but I brought a friend with me."

Runic smiled. "The more the merrier!"

She heard Velvet's breath catch when the mare stepped inside. She looked uncharacteristically nervous, which put Crystal ill at ease.

"Hello, everypony, " Velvet said softly.

Crystal shot her a confused look before explaining, "This is Velvet Step, my best friend since fillyhood." She started to point as she introduced the three ponies standing around, "Velvet, this is Silent Knight, Iridescence, and, as you know, Runic Phial."

Velvet bobbed her head. "Pleased to meet you all. I've heard a lot about both of you."

"Good things, I hope," Iridescence teased.

"Absolutely!" Velvet nodded quickly.

Crystal watched her friend exchange pleasantries with the group. Where Crystal knew her as confident and playful, around these new ponies she was shy and tentative. It was like seeing a completely different mare.

"—and Luna's going to be bringing some new game she just got," Iridescence said to Silent Knight, who simply nodded in response.

Velvet swallowed and asked, "So it's true that she'll be coming? How am I supposed to talk to her?"

"Don't worry, Velvet." Crystal put a hoof on her shoulder. "Iridescence can tell you just as well as I can that Luna's very sweet. And, honestly, there's a chance she might not be able to make it because of her increasing duties." She nodded her head. "Why don't we have some punch to calm your nerves?"

Velvet relented with a small nod. Once they were by themselves, Crystal asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

"I told you, I'm all pins and needles." Velvet allowed a small shudder, then picked up a small cup and filled it. "These are your friends, not mine. Don't you remember when I dragged you to one of my dance meets and how you just stood in the corner?"

Crystal scrunched up her nose. "Yes, but your dance friends were also really…" She trailed off uncertainly, shrugging.

"Uh-huh. Different?" Velvet gestured at the guards a few paces away. "Try being surrounded by ponies that would give their lives to save an alicorn that's going to be here like it's nothing, and one wrong word or move might mean a hoof to the face! What if I do the wrong thing and get arrested, or worse?!"

"Oh my gosh, they're not going to accost you." Crystal laughed and shook her head. "Just try to relax and have fun, all right? That's your mantra for tonight."

"Mmhm." Velvet followed her as they returned to the party. "Relax and have fun," she repeated under her breath. "Easier said than done."

Runic and Silent had stepped off to exchange their gifts, which prompted Crystal to reach into her sweater. "Here you are, Iridescence," she said and offered a small box wrapped with a silver ribbon. "Happy Hearth's Warming."

Iridescence's eyes glittered with delight. Her magic slipped the ribbon off the box and lifted the lid. "Oh, it's gorgeous!" She raised the moonstone pendant that dangled from a silver chain.

"It made me think of you, what with its iridescent appearance," Crystal explained with a small giggle.

Iridescence carefully undid the clasp and put on the necklace. "Thank you, Crystal. In return—" She raised a small green box. "Happy Hearth's Warming."

Inside the box was a little brooch in the shape of a quill. Crystal turned it over in her hoof and giggled. "It's so cute! Thank you!"

They were all startled by the sudden movement of Silent tackling Runic with a big hug. Iridescence rolled her eyes and said playfully, "Oh, stallions."

Velvet quietly cleared her throat. "Um, I'm sorry, I didn't know very much about you, so, well." She held out a little envelope. "Here you go, Iridescence."

Iridescence looked at her guiltily. "Oh, Velvet, I can't accept this. I didn't get you anything."

"You didn't know I was coming, but I knew you were, so." Velvet swallowed and held the envelope closer to Iridescence. "Please?"

Iridescence accepted it with a gracious smile before she opened it. Inside was a gift certificate for the spa that Velvet and Crystal preferred, when their budget allowed for such luxury.

"Platinum Salon & Spa?" Iridescence glanced between them. "I've never been."

"They work wonders, especially if you're stressed." Velvet rubbed her hoof against the opposite leg. "I just figured, given your job, it might be nice to be pampered."

Iridescence gave a short laugh, quickly covering her mouth. "Thank you. I can't wait to drop by."

At that moment, the bell chimed and a gust of wind blew in to alert to the door opening. Two ponies walked in, both clad in the recognizable armor of Princess Luna's House Guard.

Silent cleared his throat to address them. "Miley. Harvest."

They nodded to acknowledge him before they scanned the room. Deeming it safe, both stepped to the sides to allow Princess Luna inside.

"We wish a most glorious Hearth's Warming Eve to everypony!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly. "Art thou ready for the fun to be doubled?" She gestured to her saddlebags, both barely able to contain the board games she had brought. "We have brought games!"

Crystal heard a small sound like a whimper from her left and she glanced at Velvet, who stared at Princess Luna with wide eyes, her mouth hanging open just slightly from shock.

"Not what you expected?" Crystal whispered, grinning.

Velvet shook her head. "Not at all."

"Well, you're in for a whole evening of surprises, then." Crystal looked over at the others, who were setting up a table for gaming. "I think you're going to discover that Luna is very different from what you had in mind." She nudged Velvet forward. "Don't be rude, now. Say hi to the princess."

Velvet squeaked when Luna's ear twitched at her approach and the princess turned to look down at her. "He—Hello," she stammered, then bowed so low that her snout nearly touched the ground. "I'm—"

"Velvet Step," Luna finished, smiling. "Thou art Crystal's dear friend of whom we have heard many a good thing. We are quite happy to meet thee." She gestured with one hoof. "Please, there is no need for such prostration."

Velvet lifted her head and looked up at the princess with a tentative smile. "It is an honor to meet you, too, Princess." Her gaze landed on the hoof held out to gesture her up and, without a moment's hesitation, she leaned forward and kissed it.

All of them stared at Velvet with mixed expressions of either surprise, shock, or flat-out amusement. Iridescence was the latter and tried to smother her laughter as best she could. Luna peered down at Velvet, who froze when she realized all eyes were fixated on her.

Luna smiled and retracted her hoof. "We like thee very much already." She turned to look at the others. "Velvet shall sit by us tonight!"

Everypony began to take their seats. Velvet remained where she was, her eyes still wide in confused terror, and Luna's horn lit up to levitate her off the ground and into a chair.

"Let the night of games begin!" Luna proclaimed as she settled into the last remaining seat and raised up a pair of dice. "Roll for initiative, little ponies!"

Crystal grinned when Velvet looked to her for some kind of explanation. She simply shrugged, which did not quell the look of fear on the mare's face. "Have fun," she mouthed.

Velvet slowly nodded but didn't visibly relax in the slightest.

♡

The air was tense with near silence, interrupted only by the sound of silverware hitting china to cut into the pieces of vegetables. Jet Set sat at the head of the table and Upper Crust was across from Crystal. The conversation had petered out after the usual, obligatory pleasantries.

Crystal swallowed. Her stomach was in knots from the tension that hung in the air. She pressed on despite the feeling, slowly moving her silverware from her plate to her mouth.

"So," Jet Set finally said. "How is Velvet, dear?"

"She's well." Crystal glanced at him. "She's trying out for a new position in the company. Hooves crossed, she will be a part of the corps de ballet and no longer an understudy."

Upper Crust chuckled. "That sounds like quite the improvement." Her tone was laced with poorly disguised sarcasm. "A backup pony into a background pony."

Crystal clenched her teeth into a smile. "It's a step up, yes."

Jet Set pushed his empty plate away and leaned into his seat. "And you two are still… doing well?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't we be?"

He hummed thoughtfully, then shrugged and smiled. "I just want to make sure my little girl is happy."

Following his cue, Upper Crust stood and collected their plates. She paused when she lifted Crystal's. "Are you not hungry, darling?"

"I'm fine, Mother." Crystal did her best not to sigh.

While Upper Crust cleaned the table, Jet Set tapped his hooves together and regarded Crystal with hesitancy. "So, dear, there is a very high profile event we plan to attend."

Crystal returned his hesitancy with caution. "Oh?"

He nodded. "You're aware that Lady Cadence and the Captain of the Canterlot Guard are to be wed?"

"Of course!" She flushed when the excitement raised her voice unexpectedly. "Who hasn't heard of that?"

"Mm." He chuckled and started tapping his hooves again. "If you would like, I am sure your mother and I could secure you a spot on the guest list." He blinked, then quickly added, "And Velvet Step as well."

Crystal's gut told her to snap up the offer faster than she could stop herself, but it was too slow. She held her tongue just long enough to think it over.

By accepting a favor, that put them in a position of power over her. She would owe them, and her mother would certainly use that against her.

With a pang of regret gripping her chest, she shook her head and said, "No, but thank you, Father."

Jet Set looked as though he would argue the matter. Instead, he smiled. "All right, dear. I simply wanted to make the offer. Are you going to be staying the night, or will you go back home?"

"I have some things I need to take care of," she lied. "Actually, I should probably head out now."

"Oh? Well, all right." He stood and walked with her to the door. "Happy Hearth's Warming, dear. Thank you for having dinner with us. Give Velvet our regards."

Upper Crust leaned into the room through a doorway. "Are you leaving already?"

"Yes, Mother." Crystal smiled at her. "Thank you for dinner."

"Mm." Her mother eyed her with one brow raised, then disappeared back into the kitchen.

After giving her father a brief hug, she walked out into the cold night. The moment the door shut, she released a frustrated sigh through her teeth, shook her head, and trotted home.

The lights were off when she entered the condo and everything was silent. Of course, that was to be expected when the place was empty. Velvet was celebrating Hearth's Warming with her parents and spending the night there.

Crystal sighed and didn't bother flipping the switch, instead using the glow of her magic to ensure she made it to her bedroom without bumping into anything in the darkness. Once safely in her room, she flopped onto the bed, buried her face into her pillow, and closed her eyes.

Whenever one wishes for sleep, however, their mind actively works against them, and Crystal's mind was no different that night. All she could think about was the wedding.

Lady Cadence was a unicorn like no other; there were several stories around Canterlot about her unique love magic. And her marriage to the Captain of the Canterlot Guard sounded like something straight out of a romance novel that Crystal would write herself! The wedding was sure to be a grandiose, beautiful event nopony would ever forget.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to be trapped under her mother's hooves just one more time for the chance to attend.

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Hearth's Warming Eve

Propositions

"And you told them no?" Velvet stared at her incredulously. "Why the hay would you do that?! This is a once-in-a-lifetime event!"

Crystal groaned and rested her foreleg over her muzzle, clenching her eyes shut. "Because I didn't want to owe them. Maybe I can find another way in?"

Velvet sighed. She returned to her morning routine, her hindlegs stretched in a perfect split. "What about Princess Luna? Couldn't you ask her for an invitation?"

"What? No!" Crystal's ears pinned back. "She might think that I'm only friends with her for personal gain. I'd much rather owe my mother than do that."

"Then just go back and ask them." Velvet tucked one hindleg in and kept the other straight. She leaned forward and reached for her extended hoof.

Crystal stood up and started to pace while mumbling to herself before she finally said, "No, no. If I know my parents, they'll likely try again. They don't give up so easily." She plopped back down onto a pillow. "I just have to wait."

And wait she did, but neither of her parents came by. Every pony at school and at her favorite cafe were talking about the upcoming wedding, and the whole of Canterlot was so excited that it was nearly impossible to avoid the subject. To capitalize on the surging interest, every store was stocking up on matrimonial merchandise, making it even harder to ignore.

The first sign of the impending marriage-pocalypse happened at the grocery store, where Crystal saw two cantaloupes dressed in wedded bliss. One wore a little tiara and a veil while its companion had a top hat and bow tie. She tried to buy the bridealoupe, but the accessories were removed before it was put in the bag, and Velvet didn't believe her when she tried to explain why she bought it in the first place.

In the window of a small gift store were several plushies in the distinct likenesses of Lady Cadence and Captain Shining Armor. Crystal stopped in her tracks to press up against the glass, looking at the plush toys in disbelief. They were made well enough, but what caught her eye most was that their forehooves were sewn together, forever joined—at least, so long as the stitching didn't come loose.

Crystal almost bought one, but when she stepped into the store, she was scared away by the wave of giggles that followed when a mare exclaimed, "Look! Their horns light up!"

Another week went by and Velvet came home with her latest espousal discovery. She set down the bag she carried in her mouth and exclaimed, "Crystal, you won't believe what I found!"

Crystal looked up from her magazine. "Hmm?"

Velvet reached into the bag and lifted a wrapped object. She removed the paper and, with a big grin, held up the find: a white, gold-rimmed china plate with Lady Cadence's face painted on it. "It gets better!" she squealed as she set down the plate to retrieve a second one that similarly sported the face of Captain Shining Armor.

Crystal squinted at her. "Why—You—How much did those cost?"

Velvet rolled her eyes. "How can you ask that? I mean, the obvious question you should be asking is which one do you want?"

"I don't know?" Crystal's voice cracked as she fought a smile.

Velvet looked down at the painted eyes gazing back up at her. "I can't wait to eat off their faces. Their beautiful, regal faces. Whoever thought this was a good idea did not think this through.

"You finish off your mashed potatoes and bam!" Velvet flipped the plate toward Crystal again for effect. "Stop right there, hungry scum! You forgot your peas!"

Crystal shook her head, finally allowing herself to laugh, and looked back down at the magazine. She idly flipped to the next page. "This is getting ridiculous. I am just as excited for the wedding as everypony else, but really? Plates?"

"Do you think this craze will last until Nightmare Night?" Velvet asked, flopping over onto her back to gaze up at Shining Armor's visage in a playfully longing way. "I'd hate to be accosted by royalty."

"Are you even listening to me?" Crystal rolled her eyes.

"Hey! We should eat in tonight and use these!" Velvet tilted her head back to look up at Crystal at an odd angle. "We can have an elegant dinner party with royalty!"

Crystal returned the look with a playfully sour frown. "If you say royalty one more time, I'm getting my thesaurus and read it to you."

Velvet stuck out her tongue to blow a raspberry. "You're just bitter because you don't get to go."

"That's not confirmed yet! I just… have to…"

Velvet hummed to herself before she noticed the trailing silence and looked up at Crystal again. "Huh?" Noticing Crystal's wide-eyed expression, she rolled over to lay right-side up. "What's up?"

"I almost literally cannot even begin to comprehend this," Crystal said flatly, tapping on the magazine laid before her, then read aloud in a haughty voice, "'Precreating the Royal Wedding: What Might Be'."

Velvet blinked slowly. "What?"

Crystal's eyes scanned the six-page article. There were several pictures of wedding gowns that Cadence was photo manipulated into, examples of extravagant cake designs they might have, flower filly dress options, bouquet choices…

Velvet rested her chin on Crystal's shoulder to read with her before she snorted. "Okay, you're right. This is kind of getting ridiculous."

Without another word, Crystal stood up and walked over to the door. She tried on a few hats before settling on one, a floppy, wide-brimmed white hat with a blue ribbon.

"Where are you going?" Velvet asked, still reading over the article. "They have potential gift favors!"

"I'm going to talk to my mother." Crystal's tail flicked with agitation. "And I'm going to get into that wedding!"

Velvet flipped to the next page. "Good luck! And if you see any more plates, we need them!"

Crystal snorted and rolled her eyes before leaving the condo. She walked at a casual pace, humming to herself. The streets were busy with ponies hawking wedding wares.

Normally, Canterlot had better taste and kept itself above such blatant commercialism and fanaticism, but the impending marriage seemed to have everypony crazed. Crystal sighed. She, too, had to admit that all the buzz was getting her in a rather romantic mood. What if she even had the opportunity to catch the bouquet?

However, more than the nuptial accosting in the streets was what loomed above. Just the day prior, a magical barrier had been erected around the entire city, supposedly as part of the increased security to prepare for the impending prestigious event.

The number of guards posted on the walls and patrolling the roads had nearly tripled. A glance up at the shining forcefield sent a small shiver down her spine, so she did her best to keep her attention on the task before her.

When she arrived at her parents' home, Crystal brushed a hoof over her mane and coat to ensure everything was in place before she knocked on the door. She then quietly counted under her breath. Her mother would answer the door no less than five seconds after an unexpected knock. One must never seem too eager and give another the power, after all.

On six, the door opened. Upper Crust smiled when her gaze fixated on her daughter. "Well, hello, darling. What brings you by?"

There was no tiphoofing around the subject. Her mother would see through any flattering deception in an instant. Crystal straightened up and kept a firm stance. "I was hoping to discuss the matter of the upcoming wedding."

Crystal's stomach tied up in knots when Upper Crust smirked. "Oh?" She raised her brow. "I thought you weren't interested, darling."

Crystal begged her ears to not fold back. Stand at attention, soldiers, she chided them. "I was concerned that my schedule wouldn't allow for it, but—"

"I'm so terribly sorry," Upper Crust interrupted, pawing at the air, "but we just assumed that when you said no, that meant no. We no longer have the option of inviting you. The gardener is so looking forward to it now, and we'd hate to disappoint him."

One ear disobeyed orders and flicked in visible irritation. "What? I—" She cleared her throat. "I see. You're upset with me."

"Me? Upset with you?" Upper Crust put a hoof to her chest. "Why ever would I be upset? Neither of us has the time for nor the interest in one another these days. You're not the only one who is busy, darling. Time doesn't merely stop when you leave and we wait with bated breath for your return." She chuckled softly, shaking her head.

Crystal nearly hissed. Instead, she stuck her nose in the air and started to turn. "I'm sorry for wasting your time. Good day, Mother."

Upper Crust started to close the door. "Good day, darling."

Crystal's gait slowly quickened until she broke into a full-on gallop toward the spa. Her throat was tight and sore as she choked down her desire to scream in frustration.

She was angry at her mother, but she was angrier at herself for getting so worked up over a mere event. Now she had given her mother exactly what she had wanted: power. Just the thought of Upper Crust back there doing a little victory head bob made her hooves move faster.

She nearly skidded across the smooth tile when she burst through the doors of the Platinum Salon & Spa, exclaiming, "Full package!"

A familiar sage pegasus stood behind the counter. He raised one brow. "Do you have an appointment?"

She gaped at him. Her mouth flapped open and closed a few times before she threw her hooves in the air. "I don't have the strength to be perturbed by you, you… you!"

"Uh-huh." He looked down at a clipboard. "I don't see any of those words on the list, so. You'll have to take a seat and wait."

"No, I—"

One of the spa ponies leaned in through a door. "Oh, Miss Crystal! Don't mind him, he's just a temp. Come on back."

Crystal shot the pegasus a withering glare. "I'll deal with you some other time."

The pegasus simply nodded. "You have a pleasant day, too, ma'am."

Crystal tried to leave her stress in the waiting area when she stepped into the spa proper. Gentle music floated through the air and the smell of lavender enveloped her. Twin mares approached her, one carrying a robe and the other a glass of cucumber water.

Golden Fish had a honey-colored coat and a creamy mane and tail while her sister Conch Shell was the opposite. Other than their colors and cutie marks, they were identical from their sapphire blue eyes to the gentle smiles on their faces.

"Hello," Golden Fish said in her silky smooth voice as she draped the robe over Crystal's shoulders. "Welcome to relaxation."

"Let us help you let go of your problems," Conch Shell continued and offered the glass. "Did we hear correctly that you wish for the full package today?"

Crystal paused to drink the cool, crisp water. The cucumber twist tickled her taste buds and she replied with a contented sigh, "Yes. The full package, ladies."

Fish and Shell smiled at one another, then said together, "Right this way, ma'am."

♡

Crystal leaned back into the chair while the twins massaged her legs, a warm cloth draped over her eyes. The music floating in the air had shifted to a harp and its chords fell on her like a gentle rain.

"Both of you are from Canterlot?" she asked.

"Born and raised," one said.

Crystal groaned in the back of her throat. "And what of your parents?"

"The same," the other replied.

Crystal's magic lifted the corner of the cloth so that she could peer at the mare to her left, who turned out to be Golden Fish.

"I am having a bit of a struggle with mine," Crystal muttered.

Fish giggled softly. "Is that why you are so tense? Your parents?"

"Tsk, what other problem could a pretty, successful young mare have?" Shell chided her sister. "It must be the parents."

Fish merely shrugged.

The cloth lowered back to Crystal's face as she closed her eyes again. "They offered to get me an invitation to—to an event. I wanted to go, but I've also not been keen on owing them any favors since I moved out. But I also really wanted to go to the event, and they were my only way in."

Fish gasped. "You didn't say yes, did you?" She pouted when Shell glared at her. "I mean, please, roll onto your stomach."

Crystal obeyed and deft hooves started to work the knots out of her shoulders and lower back. She sighed and shook her head just slightly. "At first, I said no, but I went back and—"

"Oh, no, no." Fish shook her head, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

Crystal inclined her head to peer at Fish out of the corner of one eye. "I don't understand. How do you know it went poorly?"

Fish looked at Shell to silently ask permission. When her sister nodded, she looked back at Crystal and said, "Because that is how parents are, at least in Canterlot. Once you grow out of their mold, they cannot handle it, so that is how some cope. They lash out."

Shell added quietly, "They will get over it eventually, or at least, most do. It takes time." She smiled and her voice raised from a near whisper to a gentle murmur. "Why don't we listen to the music for a while? Your shoulders tell me this is hardly a relaxing conversation."

Crystal nodded and rested her face against the pillow, allowing her eyes to close though her mind still wandered on the topic of her mother.

It didn't take long for the soothing harp and skillful hooves to put her at ease, her stress slowly coaxed and massaged away.

♡

The day of the wedding had finally arrived, and every day prior was only a warm-up for the insanity that came with the celebration. Ponies from all over crowded the streets just to say that they were in the same city as the happily wed couple to-be. It also made getting anywhere extremely difficult.

"Excuse me, excuse me." Crystal sighed, uncertain why she even bothered with the pleasantries. Nopony could hear her over the excited chattering that echoed from every angle.

She finally made her way to the Phial and Filly, which, she discovered once she was inside, was rather empty. A sigh of relief escaped her at how the interior was the same as it always was. There was no Eau de Cadence, no Bridal Braid Care, nor any other thematic merchandise. There was just good old fashioned mare care products like normal.

"Hey, Crystal!" Runic smiled from behind the counter, then frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"I need the ultimate relaxation concoction," she answered as she perused the section of bath oils.

"No, I meant—" He gestured at the wall that separated them from a view of the castle. "I would have expected you to be at the wedding." He blinked when she responded with a loud groan. "Uh, that is to say—"

"It's fine," she interrupted, shaking her head. "That's just the reason why I need to relax. I really wanted to go to the wedding but, well." She rolled her eyes. "Here I am!"

Runic pushed a rock around the counter with his hooves like a schoolcolt drawing in the dirt. "Well, I'm glad you're here. It's been kinda quiet lately."

Crystal stared at him. She looked out the windows from where the faint noise of squeals and shouting came. She then looked back at him with one brow raised.

He returned the look with a grin. "But since you're here anyway, do you want to see something that rocks?"

Her lips wiggled as she tried not to grin herself. "Is it a rock?"

"Nope!" He picked up a basket and set it on the counter. "It's a bunch of rocks!"

She finally giggled and trotted over, levitating a few to examine them. "And what's the story behind these?"

He blinked. "Huh? The story?"

"Oh." She turned the rocks she magically held around before setting them down. "Anyway, they're very neat rocks."

"Aren't they?" He lit back up. "These are some of my new favorites. My old favorites are in the back, where I'll put these, but I'm just not done looking at them yet." He sighed wistfully and wrapped his forelegs around the basket. "All of my most recent successes!"

She smiled, returning to the aisles to peruse his alchemical wares. "What are you going to do with the old rocks?" she asked as she tried to decide between two bottles in particular.

"Do with them? I'll keep them where they are in the rock vault, of course! Well, I might move a few around to put some of these in their spots, but I don't think you're interested in rock organization." His ears perked upright with a sudden spark of hope. "Or are you?"

Crystal cleared her throat and raised up the two bottles. "I'll be happy to listen after you explain to me the difference between luscious rose and silky rose shampoo."

Runic put on his most serious face, which still wasn't very serious on him. "How would I know? I just ask the thesaurus." The coltish smile returned. "So, you see, I like to organize my rocks first by their sizes with the big ones in the back so the little ones don't get blocked. That way, when I look into the vault I can see them all. Next…"

Crystal kept one ear facing toward him, making a note of his organizational preferences in case it ever came up later, or if he had a pop quiz to go with the explanation. It all seemed fairly straightforward until he started to delve into a lecture on the differences between arkose and greywacke sandstones.

That was when both his words and her concentration were interrupted by the two most unsettling sounds to ever grace their ears.

First, there were screams of terror that ran Crystal's blood cold. It wasn't uncommon for Canterlot ponies to overreact to something simple and scream at it, such as an array of mismatching hats or a spilled latte, but the pitch of the ones coming from outside were not in the dramatic range.

They were much further toward the terrified end of the scale.

Then came the buzzing. It hummed through the air and bore its way into her skull: a dull, throbbing annoyance. It grew louder, presumably closer, and as it did, the screams grew more hysterical. The sound gave the impression that a swarm of locusts were invading the city; however, Crystal had a very sinking feeling the source was no mere insect.

All at once, her breath caught in her throat and her eyes went wide. She knew then what was happening: whatever that ominous barrier had been keeping out had finally gotten in.

Crystal slowly turned, dreading what she might see, to look out into the streets through the windows. Ponies ran in all directions and black, terrifying figures zipped through the air after them. Her heart pounded and she backed up into the display behind her.

Her head jerked back to look over at Runic, who was no longer standing behind the counter. He was suddenly standing beside her, his eyes narrowed while he stared at the chaos outside.

Without looking at her, he asked a simple yet enigmatic question: "Do you trust me?"

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: A Canterlot Wedding - Part 1

Provocations

Crystal shook her head quickly to get her wits in order. "What?"

Runic turned his head toward her and repeated, "Do you trust me?"

Her terrified heart pounded all the way up to her ears. "I—"

Thunk.

She jerked her gaze back to the windows. Two of the creatures were smashing themselves against the glass. One paused to peer back at her with shiny blue orbs for eyes, bared its fangs, and threw itself forward again.

Thunk, thunk.

"Of course!" Crystal's whole frame trembled. She pressed herself up against the table behind her. "I trust you, so please do something!"

Runic grabbed three of the phials from his vest pockets and held them out to her. "Then hold them off for just a moment!"

"What?!" Crystal nearly fumbled them in her hooves before her magic lit up to catch them. "But—"

He kicked off the ground and gave a powerful flap of his wings to propel himself through the doorway into the back room, giving her no option to argue the matter further.

Thunk, thunk thunk.

Her magic flickered as fear gripped her chest. A third creature joined the others and with the added pressure of its lunges, the glass gave an ominous crack. They looked at it, at each other, and then at her, all mirroring the same wicked grin. With one final push, the window shattered and all three creatures flew into the room.

Crystal screamed and grabbed a potion out of the pink aura beside her. She clenched her eyes shut and threw it blindly. It broke open and sent its orange contents into the face of one creature; upon contact with the chitinous exterior, the liquid expanded around it and solidified. The insectoid froze, no longer able to move its limbs or its wings, and fell to the ground with a useless thud. The other two paused to look at their fallen comrade, their multifaceted eyes growing even larger in surprise.

"I'm—" She choked. Why did she want to apologize?

At the sound of her strangled voice, the attention of the two still airborne flipped back to her and they hissed. The left one lowered to the ground, a grin spreading across its lips, and green flames erupted from its hole-laden hooves—or at least, what seemed to her like hooves, anyway. The flames spread up its legs and where they touched, its black skin turned into creamy white fur. Its wings disappeared while its tattered tail became pink and blonde.

Before she knew it, she was looking at a mirror image of herself. Her doppelganger sneered at her and stepped forward. Not knowing what else to do, she lobbed another potion at it—her? Bright green liquid splashed into its eyes and it emitted a high-pitched sound that was a cross between a hiss and a scream. Its hooves flailed in an attempt to wipe the liquid away and it stumbled into its remaining companion.

A hoof grabbed her own and she cried out in surprise. She went to swing at the potential attacker, but she stopped just short of punching Runic in the face. Her doppelganger let out another pained cry and she glanced between it and him.

"Was that acid?!" she asked, her ears pinned back.

"Huh?" Runic shrugged, took the remaining potion from her, and threw it to the ground. Smoke filled the shop and he guided her toward the back room. "Yes! Maybe! Acid or shampoo, but either way, it worked!"

Crystal glanced over her shoulder into the swirling purple haze. She could hear their wings buzzing, sending the tendrils of smoke in all directions, possibly in an effort to clear it. He slammed the back room door shut, slid a wooden security bar in place, and returned his attention to her.

"You okay?" he asked over a slight pant. "Did they get you?"

"No." She shook her head. "Are they—are they going to die from the potions?"

Runic simply shrugged in response. He put both hooves on her shoulders and looked her square in the eyes. "I don't know what they are or what they're after, but we have no choice. The front room's lost and I can't lose this one." He pointed at a steel door set against one wall. "Everything that's important to me is behind that door." He put a pair of goggles in her hooves and turned to the door that jolted from an attack.

Thump thump.

The creatures were trying to get inside.

Runic slid his own goggles down. "It's time to fight fire with fire!" He balanced one vial on a hoof and poured a second into it, mixing the two liquids. There was a puff of steam and he threw it at the door.

A cone of fire burst forth upon impact, searing a hole through the wood and shooting out into the main room. Runic pointed at the blast and smiled at Crystal. "Did you see that?!"

Crystal pointed as well. "Do you see that?!"

When Runic looked back, he frowned. "Oh."

A creature extended its head through the hole and snarled at them, half of its face blackened further with ash. It placed both forelegs on either side and braced itself as it tried to wriggle inside.

Runic shifted his weight to his forelegs and bucked the insectoid in the face. He winced at the sound of shattering glass when the invaders returned the attack by destroying his merchandise. He tossed another phial through to the other side before he ran over to a table covered in test tubes full of different-colored liquids. "Crystal!"

A puff of green smoke spilled into the room from the hole. It reeked of skunk.

"Yes?!" she squeaked, still fiddling with the goggles that didn't fit quite right.

"I'll brew them, you'll threw them." He grinned and lifted a tube.

"Threw? Throw!" she corrected before a loud hiss startled her. Without thinking, she reacted by grabbing and throwing a nearby potion in the sound's general distraction. It missed the door entirely and hit the wall, where it broke open and sent shards of ice in all directions.

Runic blinked as ice sailed right past his ear. He added in a quiet mumble, "You throw them… through the hole, please."

A groan of frustration escaped her and she sputtered, "Yes, I—of course! I just got scared!"

"Oh. I can fix that!" He tossed her a phial from his vest. "Drink this!"

Her magic caught it, but she backed up a few steps. "How do I know you know what this is?!"

Runic shrugged and set about making a new brew. "Then just throw it, I guess? Soon, perhaps?"

Crystal glanced at the hole to see a pair of narrowed orbs glaring at her. She got into position beside the table and, facing the door, she returned the narrow-eyed glare with one of her own. Her heart seized for a moment, but she pressed on through her fear. The creature backed away when she lifted the potion and flung it through the hole.

The still-lingering smoke illuminated with a sudden flash. Several figures stood out in the wispy brightness, ominous and looming and plentiful, though they recoiled from the blinding light.

"Runic!" she cried. "There are lots more of them out there!"

He slid a completed potion across the table and she just barely caught it before it hit the ground. "Sounds like you better get to work!"

Another came her way and she struggled to catch it with one hoof while she threw the first one at their attackers. There were several sparks before, for a brief moment, all she could see was fire.

"Some constructive criticism?" Runic offered while he worked on a new concoction.

Crystal glared at him. "About what?!"

"You're, well, a unicorn. Can't you just throw them with magic? It might be faster than using your hooves."

She hesitated, then mumbled, "I don't know why I didn't think of that." She nodded. "All right!"

The potions she had collected bounced around in the pink aura before one shot out, followed by another. A few resulted in colorful displays that sent plumes of smoke back into their room, bathing Crystal's coat in various streaks of red, yellow, blue, and purple.

Runic stopped to watch with wide-eyed interest. "I wonder if I can make some kind of device for rapid fire potion deployment."

Crystal coughed and wiped some of the powder off the lenses of her goggles. "Maybe wonder about that later? I'm out!"

"Oh! Right!" He returned his attention to the test tubes before him.

It was impossible to tell if the same creatures continued their barrage, or if their forces were so numerous that those who fell or fled were simply replaced. Either way, there seemed to be no end in sight. Even the more deadly concoctions that resulted in bursts of flame, shards of ice, or sprays of acid didn't seem to hinder their assault.

A mare's face appeared in the multicolored smoke, her coat and mane singed and covered in soot. "Help me!" she cried, sticking a hoof through the hole. "Please, help me!"

Runic gasped and started to move toward the door, but Crystal grabbed him by the back of his vest. "Wait," she whispered to him. "Those things can transform. It might be one of them!"

Runic frowned, but he nodded and stopped struggling against her grip. "All right," he whispered back before clearing his throat and calling to the mysterious mare, "How did you get inside?"

"What?" The mare gave a jerky shake of her head. "I don't know! Help me, please!"

He grabbed a potion out of Crystal's magic. "Wrong answer!"

The look of desperation on the mare's face fell into a scowl. "Stupid ponies!" it hissed, dropping the disguise and trying to lunge forward, but when Runic raised the bottle, the insectoid retreated into the smoky haze.

Crystal saw a flash of pink and felt a calming warmth course through her when an ephemeral force swept through the room. She looked over at Runic, who had the same confused expression as her. There were several thump sounds from the main room, followed by an eerie silence.

Everything was still and quiet, save for Crystal and Runic's heavy breathing. The adrenaline rush had finally subsided and she was overcome by a feeling of exhaustion. She struggled for a moment, then slumped against the wall. Her coat was matted with sweat and stained every color of the rainbow.

She lifted the goggles off her head, leaving behind the only spot on her that was still cream-colored. "Is it over?"

Runic shrugged. He tossed one more potion through the hole, which released another pungent surge of green smoke. There were no sounds from the other room. Nothing coughed or gagged or hissed.

"I guess it is," he said. A smile started to light up his face. "We did it!" He hurried over to the steel door and fiddled with the series of locks.

Crystal shook her head. "I don't think we did it, but I don't know if I really care right now." She grunted and forced herself onto her hooves, though she dragged them as she walked toward him. "What's in there, anyway?"

"Memories." He pulled the door open and smiled at its contents.

Crystal stared, then exclaimed in a way that sounded more like a squawk, "Rocks?!"

Runic nodded and picked one up to show it to her. It was a light grey, irregularly shaped rock full of little holes and, on the whole, seemed particularly ordinary. When he saw Crystal staring at him in disbelief, he explained, "Silent Knight gave me this. It's an extraterrestrial rock that he got me for Hearth's Warming. My first Hearth's Warming with friends." He turned it very carefully over before putting it back in the vault.

"And those," he continued, pointing at a row of closely grouped rocks, "are the ones I had made the day you and I kind of became friends, when you remembered my name."

Crystal blinked a few times. "Do ponies not normally remember your name?"

He stared at her and offered as a deadpan rebuttal, "How many shopclerks' names do you know?"

"I—" Her chest puffed up with indignation. "Thank you very much, but I think it's only polite to remember ponies' names!"

"Uh-huh." He shrugged. "Well, most mares just buy their strawberry perfume or gardenia shampoo and leave."

"Gardenia shampoo," Crystal muttered under her breath before she jolted upright. "Celestia's light, I need to find Velvet!" Her heart raced and she trotted in place. "I don't know where she is! Or where she would have been! Runic, I need to find her!"

Runic flipped the locks back into place, then walked over to her and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure she's fine. I'll help you look for her, in case there are more of those things out there."

Her breath caught in her throat. She looked at the door that separated them from the main storefront. "What are we going to do if there are?" she whispered.

He patted his vest, restocked with every concoction she had seen that afternoon. "I'll take care of them! You helped me defend my rocks, so I'll help you find your friend."

"Thank you." She smiled and held her head high in feigned bravado. "I don't live far, so let's check there first."

He pulled open the door, the remnants of the security bar sliding out of the slots and falling to the floor. Crystal gasped at the view that lay beyond it.

The shop itself was in surprisingly good condition if one ignored the burn marks, broken glass, and toppled displays. They stepped carefully around the debris and stopped when they saw the bodies. The creatures laid against one wall as if they had been thrown against it. After watching for any signs of movement, Crystal noticed their chests rising and falling just slightly.

"I think they're unconscious," Runic said. "Wait just a moment."

Crystal watched as he set about securing both the creatures and the back room. He rationed the contents of the purple phial, which turned into a sticky goo when poured, and used it as a makeshift rope around the creatures' legs, then patched up the hole in the door with the remaining gelatin. There was an almost sickening crackling sound as the purple substances hardened into their various positions.

Finally, he turned back to her with a smile. "Okay, let's go!"

When they stepped outside, they had to freeze once again. The once-crowded streets were empty and littered with wreckage. Whatever was breakable was broken: barrels and carts were smashed to pieces, while windows were either broken into or out of.

Crystal reached for Runic and grabbed onto his vest. "This is really bad," she said, her voice and frame trembling. "Why did this happen? What did they want?"

"Dunno." Runic patted her on the shoulder. He offered a small smile. "Let's just worry about finding Velvet for now."

She tried not to cry, but her vision started to blur and her chest tightened with fear. They walked in silence toward her condominium. Both of them stayed alert, ears twitching at any sound that remotely resembled buzzing or hissing.

The closer they got to the building, the more Crystal's pace quickened until she broke into a full-on gallop. Runic took to the air to fly alongside her just to keep up.

"Please be here," she whispered as she fumbled with the lock once they arrived at her condo. "Please be safe." She pushed the door open and it gave an ominous creak. "Velvet?" she called.

There was no reply.

Runic trotted over to the kitchen window, glancing out into the streets and up at the skies for any signs of movement.

The tears she had kept at bay finally fell down her cheeks. "Velvet?" She searched every room and under both beds. "She's not here!" she wailed, burying her face into her hooves.

"Does this building have any kind of basement?" Runic shrugged. "That's where I'd—" He blinked when Crystal gasped and took off running again. "—go? Hey! Wait up!" He jumped into the air and flew after her.

She nearly tripped over her own hooves in her hurry down the stairs, rounding each corner with a small skid. When she reached the basement level, however, a heavy door stopped her, refusing to budge when she pushed against it.

"Hello?" She banged her hoof against the door. "Is anypony in there?!"

At first, she heard nothing except for the echo of her knocking. Then, after a moment, a voice came from the other side.

"Who's there?"

It wasn't Velvet's, but Crystal smiled briefly at the sound of a familiar voice. "Mr. Grey?"

There was a pause before Earl Grey gasped. "Crystal? Is that you?" The old stallion's tone raised with excitement, then fell to a worried whisper. "Is it safe?"

"I don't know, Mr. Grey. I think so." She shook her head. "Is Velvet down there?"

"Velvet?" Earl Grey paused again to think. Finally, his voice called out in a different direction, presumably over his shoulder, "Is there a Velvet?"

"Velvet Step?" Crystal offered and he repeated the full name. Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might break her ribs.

At a distance from behind the door, a voice responded, "Yes! Yes, I'm here!"

"Oh thank Celestia," Crystal murmured. She felt like collapsing as the adrenaline drained from her once more. Her legs trembled and threatened to give out, but a firm shoulder pressed against hers and she leaned against it. She smiled up at Runic. "Thank you," she whispered.

Velvet's voice was closer when she said, "Who's out there, Mr. Earl?"

"I think it's Crystal," he responded.

"Oh my gosh! Crystal?!" Her voice had a small hitch in it. "You're okay! Thank Celestia!" She paused. "It really is you, right? This isn't a trick?"

Crystal's lips quivered as she tried to smile. "Cross my heart and hope to cry," she started.

"Else I'll live in a pig's sty," Velvet finished and laughed. "Mr. Earl, it's her! Please unlock the door!"

The locks turned and clicked until the door was pushed open. Velvet sprung forth and tackled Crystal to the ground, both of them laughing and crying.

Earl Grey leaned out and glanced around. "My word, it looks terrible out here."

Runic shrugged. "It's probably safe, though. See?"

He pointed at a patrol of guards that were sweeping through the streets, each one calling out, "Citizens of Canterlot, for your safety, please remain indoors."

"Or, well, perhaps more emphasis on 'probably'." Runic gave a lopsided grin. "I'm going to head back to the store, Crystal. Glad you found your friend."

"Alone?" Crystal looked up at him, still lying on her back from where she had been knocked down, her forelegs wrapped tightly around the trembling Velvet. "Will you be all right?"

"Of course I will!" He chuckled and spread his wings. "Even without my rapid-fire potion deployment device, I can still take care of myself! I'll see you next time you drop by!" After he waved to them, he turned and jumped into the air, his wings carrying him back in the direction of his shop.

Velvet stood up and looked down at Crystal. Though her eyes were glossed over with tears, she started to giggle. "You look and smell awful."

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Happy to see you, too."

"What? I thought we already established that part with the hugging and the crying?" She offered a hoof to help her up. "Come on. The guards said to remain indoors, so let's get back down in the basement. Besides, it looks like you have a really big story to tell."

Crystal glanced down at her colorful, sweaty self and shook her head. "You probably won't believe it, but all right."

Earl Grey shut the door behind them, then went about locking it. Crystal followed Velvet down the stairs to find a large group of frightened ponies huddled together, their attention quickly fixated on her. She took a seat on a barrel and, after a deep breath, started to regale the tale of the alchemical defense.

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: A Canterlot Wedding - Part 2

Repercussions

Crystal tried to back up, but her hooves slid uselessly on the floor. Everything around her was fuzzy and something moved to her left. Suddenly, she was out in the streets, surrounded by buzzing, hissing creatures. They approached her slowly, each one grinning with a malicious wickedness.

Her eyes snapped open and she jolted upright. She was hot, even though she had tossed off the covers in her sleep. Heat, sweat, and fear left her feeling more than uncomfortable. "Ugh." She panted and wiped her forehead, then slid off the bed.

Water. She needed water.

When she stepped out of her room, she was greeted by the kitchen light that felt blinding to her at that early hour of the morning. She blinked and squinted into the brightness. "Velvet?" she asked in a manner more like a groan.

"Huh?" Velvet looked over at her. "Hey. Can't sleep either?"

Crystal blinked a few more times, still attempting to adjust to the light. "I just need some water."

Velvet nodded. She cradled a mug in both hooves, kept close to her face so she could inhale its aroma. Crystal sniffed; the air smelled of warm milk with cardamom and honey.

"I see them in my dreams," Velvet whispered.

Crystal walked over to her and put a foreleg around her shoulders. She nuzzled Velvet's cheek. "Me, too."

Velvet trembled against her. "I was so scared. So very, very scared. I was sitting on the roof with some other ponies that live here, and—and the barrier just shattered." She sniffled and took a sip of the milk. The cup shook in her hooves and Crystal readied her magic just in case.

A rapid series of knocks resounded from the front door and both mares screamed. Crystal's magic lit up and sent the mug flying out of Velvet's grip and against the door.

"Crystal?!" Velvet gave a strangled laugh. "What the hay?!"

"Magic-jerk reaction," Crystal snapped, then glared at the door. "Who is it?" she called.

"It's me, it's Horsey!" the unmistakable voice replied.

They gasped and scrambled to get the door. "Horsey!" they cried together, both embracing her.

"I'm so glad to see you two safe and sound!" Horsey hugged them back as best she could. "We heard what happened in Canterlot and I got so scared. The trains weren't running until today, and—and…" She trailed off, then asked, "Hey, girls?"

"Yes?" Crystal pulled back to look at her. Velvet stayed firmly attached.

"Um, so, is that mug on the floor what hit the door when I knocked?"

"Yeah, Crystal freaked out and threw it." Velvet finally let go and scowled at Crystal. "Is this going to be your thing now? You just throw my stuff when you get scared?"

Crystal huffed. She stuck her nose in the air and started to clean up the mess while Velvet walked Horsey inside, around the broken mug and spilled milk. "I said, it was a magic-jerk reaction. Horsey knows what I'm talking about."

Horsey settled down onto a pillow. "Sort of? I mean, it can get misdirected if I get startled, so I guess the answer is yes, I do."

"Salut?" a stallion's voice asked and Savoir Fare's head peeked through the still-open doorway.

Crystal stiffened and whirled around, then relaxed from recognition. "Oh, Savoir Fare!"

Horsey's cheeks darkened. "Sav, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to run ahead and leave you behind."

Savoir Fare smiled. "Think nothing of it." His accent was far more pronounced than when he took orders at the restaurant, and as a result he sounded natural and relaxed. He turned his attention to Crystal. "Bonjour, mademoiselle. I apologize for the intrusion, but I did not want mon coeur to travel at such an hour by herself."

Crystal dropped the broken mug into the trash and walked over to the circle of pillows. She sat down on one, watching as Savoir Fare casually nestled onto the same pillow as Horsey.

He nuzzled behind her ear, then said, "So, then, your friends are safe and all is well."

Horsey flushed even more while her ear twitched from his touch. "Yes, they are." She glanced between Velvet and Crystal. "I hope we didn't wake you up, but I couldn't wait until a later train."

Velvet waved the notion away. She worked on a new mug of cardamom and honey milk. "Can I get anything for either of you?"

Savoir and Horsey shook their heads. "I'm fine," Horsey said. "Sav packed snacks for the train ride, so we had a really early breakfast."

Crystal turned her sights on Savoir and her eyes narrowed just slightly. "So, Savoir Fare. I don't believe we've had the opportunity to discuss your relationship with our dear friend."

Savoir regarded her with a raised brow. "Ah? And what would you like to talk about?" He put a foreleg around Horsey. "Your dear friend is also ma chère moitié, so I request you keep that in mind."

Crystal held eye contact with him before she broke into a chime in laughter. "I'm sorry! I wanted to be serious, but Horsey looks so terribly frightened that I can't help it." She pawed at the air. "As long as you don't make her cry, I'm just happy one of us has a special somepony."

Horsey flushed and glanced between them all. "Velvet, I changed my mind. Can I have some of that milk, too?"

"Coming right up!" Velvet giggled.

Savoir's expression relaxed into a gentle smile. "Mademoiselle Crystal, mon coeur tells me much of your success in writing."

Crystal bobbed her head in a halfhearted nod. When he arched one brow at the reaction, she said, "It's been somewhat difficult, in some ways. My first two novels are a success, which increases the pressure I feel to quickly write a third one, equal or better. But…" She sighed and shrugged. "I have yet to find inspiration." Suddenly, her ears perked up and her eyes glimmered. "Perhaps if I heard more of your story?"

Horsey cleared her throat. "I don't really want you to write a story about our awkward months and months of not-flirting."

"It was not so bad…" Savoir trailed off, thinking a moment, then amended, "It could have been worse." When Horsey groaned, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Velvet walked over and offered Horsey the warm mug of milk, then returned to the kitchen retrieve her own.

"Oh, Horsey," Crystal said, heaving a dreamy sigh. "I'm so envious."

Horsey smiled down at the mug in her hooves. "Don't worry, Crystal. If you of all ponies can't fall in love, then there's no hope for Sav and me."

Crystal huffed. "It's not my fault I can't find a suitable stallion."

"Uh-huh." Velvet took her place on the remaining pillow. "Then whose fault is it?"

"Stallions," Crystal replied with a curt nod. "None of them have the spark."

"The spark?" Savoir inquired, tilting his head, then smiled. "Ah, yes, that spark. I am afraid, Mademoiselle Crystal, that love is not something you find. It is something that finds you."

"Well, it is certainly taking the scenic route." Crystal crossed her forehooves and looked over at the nearest window, gazing at the night sky outside for a moment, then looked back at her guests. "I am afraid the condo isn't very well-equipped to accommodate company, though."

Velvet chirped, "My bed's bigger, so why don't you and Savoir share it? I'll room with Crystal for a night!" She clapped her hooves and beamed at Crystal. "It'll be like having a sleepover!"

"If you don't mind," Horsey said tentatively.

"Not at all," Velvet and Crystal responded together, then giggled.

Crystal stood. "On that note, I am going to sleep." She turned toward her door. "I'll see you two in the morning. Velvet, don't keep me waiting too long!" She winked over her shoulder.

Velvet tossed back her mug and downed the milk. "Actually, I'm pretty tired myself! Night, Horsey and Savoir!"

Horsey waved. "Good night. Thank you for letting us borrow your room."

"No problem!"

The door shut behind her and she hesitated, glancing at Crystal. "Is this a bad idea?" she asked in a quiet voice. "What if we keep each other up with nightmares?"

Crystal slipped under the covers and scooted to the far side. She patted the empty space beside her. "Maybe not being alone will make it easier to sleep."

"Mm." Velvet climbed into bed, moved toward Crystal, and snuggled against her back. "Good night."

"Night." Crystal just stared at the wall for the longest time. She was afraid to sleep, but eventually, her eyelids started to grow heavy and she was forced to drift off into slumber.

A pair of blue orbs leered at her from the darkness. Soon, she was surrounded by creatures, each one of them hissing as they drew closer…

♡

Crystal trotted through the halls, proudly displaying her pass. The excitement she got wearing it still hadn't waned. She felt privileged, more so than she had ever felt attending any of her parents' events. They didn't have a special pass that gave them access to Princess Luna's chambers.

"Hello, Miley!" she chirped at the petite, dark-coated mare standing at her post inside, right by the door. "How are you today?"

Miley Hooves nodded with all the professional seriousness of a guard with her small stature could afford. "I'm fine, thank you, ma'am."

Crystal was in mid-step when she noticed the shiny new pin attached to the mare's armor. "Oh?" She paused to go through her mental catalog of ranks and their associated pins before she said, "I'm sorry, let me correct myself. Hello, Guard First Class Miley." She winked. "Congratulations on the promotion."

Miley's composure was broken by a bright smile. "Thank you, Crystal—ma'am!"

Crystal nodded and walked into the room. She spotted Silent Knight at Princess Luna's secretary desk and offered a small wave, but he seemed too preoccupied to notice it.

Luna looked up from her couch when Crystal neared. "Good eve to thee, Crystal. I am most glad to see thee well."

Crystal took the seat across from her and nodded. "And you, Luna. From what I heard, the castle suffered a much worse attack than the city proper."

"'Twas most unpleasant, yes." She peered at her with the soft eyes that Sunbeam had when she was concerned for Velvet. It was a gentle, motherly look. "How art thou faring?"

Crystal dropped her gaze to her hooves as they pawed at the cushion beneath her. "I have nightmares some nights," she admitted quietly. "Not every night, so I suppose it could be worse."

"Any nightmare is a cause for concern." She lifted her head and called to Miley, "Send for Raven, Miley Hooves."

Miley saluted and walked out of the room. She passed on the order to a guard standing post outside before returning to her own.

Luna tossed her starlit mane and asked, "Prithee, while we wait, wouldst thou like a cup of tea?"

"Oh, no, thank you." Crystal shook her head.

"Art thou certain?" Luna pressed, and smiled when Crystal nodded after a polite pause. "Thy manners, didst thou learn them from thy mother?"

Crystal shifted in her seat. "Yes, as well as many, many summers spent at finishing school."

Luna regarded her with an odd expression. If Crystal had to attempt to describe it, she would have to settle on the way a cat regards a new toy. "'Tis true?" She smiled. "Thou art quite the fine example of a Canterlot lady."

Crystal laughed behind a hoof. "Having spent my life with Canterlot ladies, I do not know if that is the compliment you think it is. Why do you ask?"

Luna's gaze wandered, growing briefly distant. Her voice lowered to a private level. "With thy proper upbringing, I am sure thou understandest what must be kept out of the vicious pool of gossip. Silent Knight hath suffered the involuntary end of his first relationship. I worry for him."

"Oh?" Crystal's cheeks felt hot and she did her best not to look over her shoulder. "I wasn't aware that he was seeing anypony. He seems so…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

Luna leaned in with clear interest on her face that confused Crystal further. "Yes?"

"Dedicated solely to the job," she finally finished after more thought.

The interest waned. "Yea, 'tis true." The near-predatory look returned and she leaned back into the couch. "Perhaps thou canst help. 'Twould be a good thing if he recovered from the blow."

The heat returned twofold, turning Crystal's cheeks visibly red. "Princess Luna, are you asking me to find a date for Silent?"

Luna waved the notion away. "Nay, I simply mean if thou happened to know a mare—" She smiled, looking up when the sound of hoofsteps announced a new arrival. "Ah, good evening to thee, Raven."

Raven smiled. When she saw Crystal, the smile grew more sincere. "Good evening, Princess. Hello, Crystal."

"Hi, Raven." Crystal returned the smile. "I'm glad to see you." She tilted her head to peer at the mare that followed behind her. "Who is your shadow?"

"Hmm?" Raven glanced at the mare—a pegasus, to be exact—and gestured somewhat vaguely. "Oh. Willowy Tempest is training to join my staff. She comes from Cloudsdale's very own Equestrian Weather Coordination Team, in fact."

Willowy Tempest smiled and waved. Her coral pink eyes stood out against her soft brown coat, half of her face covered by her two-tone green mane. "Hi."

"Nice to meet you," Crystal said.

Raven turned her attention on Luna. "How may I assist you, Princess?"

Luna eyed Willow before she answered, "We would like for Crystal to see a counselor. And while you are here, tomorrow, we would like to go have lunch in town. It should be a beautiful day and we do not wish to miss it."

Raven frowned. "I beg your pardon, Princess, but I don't think there is room in your schedule for a sudden change like that." She raised her planner and flipped through the pages while Luna rolled her eyes. "You have several meetings, and—"

"Excuse me?" Willow interrupted.

Raven glanced at her. "Yes?"

"Can I take a look?"

Raven hesitated, opening her mouth to argue, then decided against it and passed the planner over to her.

Willow stared at it in silence for a moment before she asked, "Is fifty minutes enough?"

Luna and Raven blinked.

Willow pointed at the schedule for the next day. "If you move this meeting up, then slide these other meetings over to this time slot, it frees up an extra thirty minutes to the allotted twenty minutes for lunch."

Raven glanced over the schedule as well and muttered, "I think that would work, actually."

Luna stared at Willow. The mare wilted from the intensity. Finally, Luna pointed at her and looked at Raven. "We shall have this one as our personal aide."

"What?" Raven gawked. "But she—"

"Thou wishest to be free of extra work, dost thou not? Then give us this one."

"I—I—" Raven blinked a few more times. "If that is what you wish, Princess."

Luna nodded. "Make it so." She waved her hoof to dismiss them and, after they left, she looked back at Crystal. "Raven shall find thee a counselor. For now, we have other matters to discuss." She tapped a hoof on a book on the table.

Its cover was black, save for the title Eventide and a pair of pale hooves holding a bright red apple.

"Hast thou read New Moon's latest book?"

Crystal scrunched her nose and nodded. "I was not interested in the lore of vamponies before, but any interest I may have had was quelled by the idea of sparkling vampony stallions."

The hours went by from the lengthy discussion of Eventide. Luna glanced at the clock on the wall and looked back at Crystal with concern knitting her brow. She lowered her voice to a whisper to say, "Crystal, by this time, thou hast normally left. Art thou worried of another attack? It hath been over a fortnight."

Crystal's gaze fell to her twiddling hooves. Her ears pinned back against her mane. "Yes, admittedly, I have been stalling to avoid leaving."

"Never thou mind," Luna said, waving to dismiss the notion. "I will take care of thee." She cleared her throat, then raised her voice to call, "Silent Knight?"

The stallion dropped a pencil as if startled, but his expression when he looked up and his voice when he spoke were both perfectly calm and collected. "Yes, Princess?"

"Wouldst thou be able to escort the fair Crystal Wishes to her home?" She smiled. "It is growing late and I do not wish for her to walk alone."

Silent Knight nodded. "Of course; I am off hours now." He rolled up the papers he had been working on and tucked them into his saddlebags, which he lifted and set on his back. "I leave you in Miley's capable hooves, Princess."

Crystal looked at him, then back at Luna. "All right, then, I suppose that means I'm leaving." She waved. "Thank you for your company, Luna. Have a pleasant night."

"And the same to thee, Crystal." Luna nodded.

Crystal walked over to the door just as Silent Knight did. He held it open and said after a small bow of his head, "After you, Crystal Wishes."

She paused to look at him. Up close, he was more handsome than she had realized. His eyes raised to meet hers and she flushed.

"Thank you," she said hurriedly and walked out of Princess Luna's chambers.

Just as she was used to, he lived up to his name. They walked through the halls and out into the main hall without a single word between them. She stole a glance to see the somewhat neutral determination on his face.

However, once they left the castle proper and were crossing the courtyard, he visibly relaxed. It was as though a switch flipped and he went from 'guard on duty' to 'stallion in armor'.

Armor that covered a well-built, muscular body.

Crystal felt her cheeks growing hot and she cleared her throat. The quiet between them continued until she could no longer stand it. "How do you like being a sergeant?"

Silent Knight shrugged. "It's weird. It is completely different than being a guard. In some ways, I'm jealous of Miley Hooves. She still has many more hours to go guarding Princess Luna."

"Is that so?" She smiled softly. "I find that success does not always bring us what we thought we wanted. Sometimes, it isn't what we dreamed it would be." Her gaze wandered their surroundings before landing on him again. He looked back at her with sincerity in his eyes and she jerked her head forward.

"Wow," he murmured. "I never thought of it like that, but that sums it up elegantly. Is that part of your writing talent?"

"Oh, no." She giggled and shook her head. "Nonetheless, here we are." She pointed at the condominium building. "I'll just—" Before she could continue, he started walking forward with clear intent to escort her to the building. She blinked, tentatively following after him. The only time a stallion would walk her all the way home was on a date, and even then not always.

He stopped at the foot of the stairs to let her lead the way. When they were just outside her door, she turned toward him. "This is my stop," she said with a small giggle.

Silent glanced down the hall, then down the other way, and finally nodded. "Good night."

Crystal looked up at him, into his silver eyes. Her heart didn't particularly flutter. Her knees didn't go suddenly weak. Instead, she felt an overwhelming sense of calm, as though her very soul trusted those eyes. It was a completely different feeling from what she read and wrote, but it was an unmistakable feeling all the same.

"Good night," she said softly, opening the door and walking inside. She stopped to watch his retreating form just before the door closed behind her. That was when her heart finally caught up to what she was thinking and started to do cartwheels in her chest.

"You're home late," Velvet playfully chided from her spot on the floor. She was in the middle of her usual stretches. "Did you have a good time at the palace, Miss Princess's Pet?"

There was a small skip in her step as she pranced over to the pillows. "Hmm? Oh, I suppose."

Velvet's ears perked. A coy smile played with her lips. "Did somepony do something naughty?"

"What?" Crystal blinked and her brow furrowed. "What? No!"

Velvet, remaining in a half-split, pulled herself along the floor and scooted closer to Crystal. "Then what's got you in such a good mood?"

Crystal stalled with a hum, looking everywhere but at Velvet. When the mare grabbed her face and forced eye contact, she grinned.

"Confess your sins!" Velvet grinned back at her.

"I felt it," Crystal said just barely above a whisper. "I think I may have found it. The spark I've been looking for."

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Couching Pony, Hidden Miley

Mare Contraire

"I think you've used up all your sick days." Velvet stared down at Crystal, who was sprawled on her back and draped over one of the sitting pillows. "I don't want to get a note from your teacher and have to go to a parent-teacher meeting about your absence."

Crystal groaned. "Why? What's the point?" She rolled over and scowled. "I'm not learning anything. It's not required for what I do. We're doing just fine on what I'm making now."

Velvet scowled right back at her. "Because you're a part of society."

Crystal pointed at her. "J'accuse! So are you, and you dropped out!"

"Nuh-uh. I live in Canterlot, but I'm not part of its society." Velvet dropped down onto her haunches to cross her forelegs over her chest. "For better or for worse, you are. Ponies talk about you. Do you really want them to start talking about how you're a dropout?"

Crystal gave another groan, this one exaggerated and drawn-out. "I…" She hedged. Her lips pursed into a tight scrunch until she finally stood up. "Fine, I'll go to school, Mom."

"That's a good girl." Velvet grabbed Crystal's face by her cheeks and squeezed. "Now go be Mommy's little star and get all the good grades!"

Crystal rolled her eyes, but she smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mom." She waved Velvet's hooves away and trotted into her bedroom to retrieve her saddlebags, then returned to the main area to head to the door. "I guess I'll make dinner tonight, since I'll be home before you."

"Sounds good! Have a great day at school!"

"Yeah, yeah." Crystal sighed and walked out into the corridor.

The walk to Canterlot Academy was uneventful, which paralleled what the next six hours of her day would be like. Teachers taught topics completely irrelevant to her interests. Students pretended to listen but instead whittled the time away by sneaking in a few naps.

She tried to survive the only way she knew how: by writing instead of taking notes. However, that day, her mind wasn't in it. Every time she tried to guide words into ink, her quill kept writing the same scenes.

Eyes in the darkness.

Hisses from the shadows.

Crystal took a deep breath and released it through her nose. Focus, she demanded of herself. She couldn't get into another dry spell. An image flashed through her mind and the quill lifted, dancing across the page with ease while she melted into her seat.

His silver eyes caught in the moonlight as he gazed down at her. "Good night, Crystal," he said in a low, smooth voice.

He leaned down to place a kiss on her cheek, but she had a different plan in mind. Quickly, she tilted her head to the side and caught his lips in hers.

Before she knew it, her face felt hot and she glanced around to ensure nopony was staring at her while she furiously scribbled out what she had written. "Not that kind of dry spell!" she hissed under her breath.

The day crawled by and finally three o'clock rolled around, the bell resounding with cheer at her regained freedom. She trotted down the front steps, yawning, and started for home.

Halfway there, she stopped when she realized she was outside of Runic's shop and turned her head to look at it. The windows were back in place and displayed a bright, colorful sign that read: 'Grand Re-Opening: 50% off all mare care products!'

"Hello?" she called as she walked in the door. "Runic?"

She was a little surprised to see the store back to its original state. Ponies wandered the aisles and tried on perfume. The back door was whole and without a hole. It looked as though nothing had happened at all, and it gave her chills.

"Hey there!" Runic smiled from behind the counter, just like always. "Whatchya need today?"

"I just came to check on you and see how you were." She pawed at the ground. "So, how are you?"

Runic gestured at their surroundings with his forelegs spread wide. "Great! I had a repairpony come by. You unicorns and your magic work wonders!"

"Oh, only those gifted with a better grasp on their magic," she corrected, smiling. "But I am glad to see the shop back in order." She took a look around, then back at him. There was an awkward moment of hesitance before she leaned in and lowered her voice to ask, "You and Silent Knight are good friends, right?"

Runic smiled. "Cousins, in fact!"

Crystal nodded slightly. "Mm." She hesitated again. "How is he?"

"How is he how?" His smile fell to a flat line.

"What I mean is, you know about his… situation?" she pressed.

Runic shook his head. "Can't say I do."

Crystal sighed. She looked around once more, then finally said outright, "Luna mentioned that he recently went through a breakup."

Runic's eyes widened and his mouth hung open for a moment. "What? He broke up with Iridescence?"

"No, he—" She choked on her sentence to instead repeat, "Iridescence?"

Runic looked down at the counter between them and tapped his hooves together, shaking his head. "I had no idea! I wonder why he didn't say anything to me?" He sighed. "I guess that does explain why she just suddenly up and left. I assumed he was just sad that she was gone, but now…"

The hairs on the back of her neck bristled and she scowled. "She left after breaking up with him?" When he lifted his gaze, she snapped back to a more somber expression. "I thought that perhaps her schedule changed and that was why I hadn't seen her lately, but—"

She shook her head. "That's not the point," she muttered both to herself and to Runic, who was staring at her with a furrowed brow, and she raised her voice back to a normal tone. "The point is, you are the only pony I know who is close friends with him, so I wanted to make sure you were there for him."

"Absolutely!" His coltish smile returned. "If I'm bummed out and I wasn't even the one who went through a breakup, can you imagine how he feels? I'll have to throw him a bachelor party to help remind him that it's not so bad being single."

She blinked. "Runic, a bache—" She laughed and shook her head. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea."

He rubbed his hooves together. "A great idea, even! I know just what I'll do!" He grinned. "Silent Knight'll be feeling better in no time!"

A wistful sigh escaped her. "Oh, I hope so." She blinked a few times, straightened up, and cleared her throat. "I suppose I'll head home. Good luck with the bachelor party!"

"Thanks!" He waved her off.

Crystal waited for the door to shut behind her before she released an irritated groan. Her hooves scuffed the cobblestone street as she walked, her posture weak from her slouched shoulders and lowered head. The day started off sour, and it seemed it was going to continue that way.

When she crested the top of the stairs to her floor, a familiar mare standing outside her door caught her eye.

"Raven?" She perked up and trotted the rest of the way. "I'm sorry, how long have you been waiting?" Her magic worked the lock and opened the door.

Raven smiled. "Not long. I assumed you would come home straight from school, given how much you complain about it." She followed Crystal inside.

Crystal rolled her eyes, walking into the kitchen. "Would you like some tea?"

"A small one, please. I can't stay too long." She settled down on a pillow. "I just came by to give you the name of a counselor I found for you."

The cup clattered against its saucer as her magic dropped it a little too soon from surprise. She kept her back to Raven, staring down at the kettle that sat on the stove. "Oh."

"Don't sound so excited," Raven said with a small laugh. "I actually think I found you a perfect fit! I saw her name and knew she was the right one."

Crystal glanced over her shoulder. "What makes you so certain?"

"Well, I believe it will help that you already know her."

Crystal's ears twitched and perked. "I suppose that might help. Who is it?"

Raven smiled, looking very much like a self-satisfied cat. "Your cover artist Painted Wave apparently works as an art therapist. You should talk to her and see if she can help you."

"Really? I didn't know that about her." Crystal poured the rosemary-infused tea into two cups and carried them over. "But I'm fine, honest."

Raven regarded her with one brow raised, though she accepted the cup and sipped from it. "Princess Luna seems to disagree, and unfortunately for you, I take orders from her. I'll schedule the appointment myself if you don't." Her tone lowered to a softer, more concerned level. "In seriousness, Crystal, you're not alone or strange. A lot of ponies are suffering after the attack. It's okay to reach out for help."

Crystal didn't quite meet her gaze. "Mm." She sighed. "I'll think about it."

"Good." Raven took another sip and smiled. "So, how are you doing otherwise?" She waited and finally prompted, "What happened?"

"It's a little complicated. Not much has happened, per se, other than—" She sighed again. "I think I found the right stallion for me."

Raven nearly dropped her teacup in sudden excitement. She squealed and hopped forward to the edge of the pillow. "Crystal!" Her excitement deflated as quickly as it had swelled. "But why are you sighing like a lovelorn filly?"

Crystal shook her head. "He's been through a recent break-up, which is only a temporary issue of rebound concern. But the mare that he dated is so different from me that I'm not sure he'd be interested in me once he's over her." Her head dropped down to rest on her hooves. "She might as well be a model for punk fashion."

"Oh, pfft." Raven rolled her eyes. "Stallions don't only like one type of mare, you know. Moore dated a model before me. Can I compare to that? Certainly not, but I got him in the end. That's enough for me, and it will be enough for you."

Crystal shifted, still not looking at Raven for a moment longer before glancing up at her. "I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I know he's over her. After all, she broke up with him, so there is still a chance…" She trailed off and shook her head. "Oh, I'm not sure why I'm so hung up on him!"

Raven smiled. "That's how it is. Love is sudden and wonderful."

"Love?" Crystal's cheeks turned bright red. "Raven! That's a rather strong word! I barely know him—Well, I do, but he barely knows me! It's far too soon for the 'love' word!"

Raven laughed, standing up and setting her teacup on the table. "Maybe it is. There's only one way to find out!" She winked. "I expect to hear all about it as soon as you make a move on him. Who is the lucky stallion, anyway?"

Crystal swallowed. "I'm not sure if I'm ready to say just yet."

"So it's somepony in the castle, then?" Raven chuckled with an almost devious grin. "I'll be watching you, Crystal."

Crystal stuck out her tongue. "I didn't say it was!"

Raven opened and trotted out the door. "You didn't say it wasn't!" With that, she pulled the door shut behind her with one final, triumphant laugh.

Crystal stared at the door for a while, her face red and hot. She buried her face against the pillow and let out a small, muffled cry of exasperation.

♡

"We're going out," Crystal stated, her nose high in the air so she could peer down at Velvet.

Velvet furrowed her brow and squinted. "Um, where exactly are we going with you dressed like that?"

Crystal huffed in mock offense. She wore copious amounts of glitter around her eyes over bright pink eye shadow, and her lips were colored the same shade of neon pink. Her hindlegs were wrapped in fuzzy green and pink legwarmers while her forelegs were adorned with bangles of every color of a rainbow on steroids.

"Clubbing, of course," she said, flicking her tail. "Where else?"

Velvet responded with loud, boisterous laughter. She fell over onto her side to clutch her stomach. Crystal rolled her eyes and tapped a hoof, waiting for the mare to catch her breath.

"Have—Have you," Velvet managed between gasps for air, "ever been to a club before?"

"No, but I've read about them in magazines, and this is clearly how clubbers dress. So get ready and let's go!"

Velvet took another moment to try and even her breathing. "Why are you so eager to go to a club all of a sudden?" When Crystal glanced away and hesitated, she pressed, "Crystal, what are you up to?"

"Oh, I need your help, but I thought if I told you, you might say no," she replied with a pout. "Don't make me say it."

"Crystal!"

"Fine, fine." She dropped her rump to the floor. "I'm utterly out of ideas for a new romance, and I thought, hey! I just need to be inspired by somepony around me! And, well, since Horsey is doing so well with Sav, but she doesn't want me to write about her…" She trailed off.

"Uh-huh. So you're going to take me to a club in hopes I find my special somepony there and you can write about it?" Velvet raised one brow. "This sounds really self-serving for you, but—" Her face lit up with a grin. "I'm in!"

Crystal's ears perked. "Really? Oh, great! Because I heard about the perfect place yesterday!"

Velvet trotted to her bedroom, leaving the door open so she could call, "And what's that?"

"It's called 'Mare Contraire' and—"

"What?" Velvet slowly leaned back through the door. "Crystal, you know what that place is, right?"

Crystal blinked a few times. "Um, a club?"

"Oh my gosh." Velvet laughed and went back to dressing up. "Well, you're in for a surprise tonight."

Crystal tilted her head one way, then the other, then just shrugged.

♡

When they walked into the Mare Contraire, Crystal squeaked, gawked, and froze in place.

Velvet patted her on the back, grinning so wide it must have hurt. "I told you!" she whispered.

The club was full of mares, and the way a lot of them were cuddling or kissing gave away the club's target demographic. Crystal kept staring until Velvet bumped their shoulders together and started forward. She shook her head to clear it and followed Velvet toward the bar.

"Well, hi there!" the pink bartender said in a cheerful, friendly voice. "I've not seen either of you here before. I'm Dolly. Welcome to my little place!"

Velvet smiled. "Hi Dolly! I'm Velvet, and this is Crystal."

Dolly glanced between them, nodded, and leaned against the counter. "What can I get for you two buttercups?"

"Ooh." Velvet tapped her chin and looked at Crystal, then back at the bartender. "Well, Crystal likes roses. Can you make anything with rose water?"

"I sure can. And what about yourself?" Dolly smiled.

"An appletini for me, please."

"Coming right up, sugar!" Dolly moved away to begin mixing the drinks.

Velvet sat on one of the stools and turned it to rest her back against the bar, looking out into the club space. "So now what?"

Crystal squeaked. She scrambled onto the stool beside Velvet and glanced over her shoulder. "I don't know! I just thought we'd dance and maybe a stallion would come over and I would talk them into dancing with you. Or something. But everypony here already seems to be paired with somepony, and I don't know how to be a wing pony to a mare!"

"I guess just treat them like a really sweet stallion?" Velvet shrugged. "Anyway, we can stick to your plan of dancing and see what happens. That is, assuming you even know how to dance at a club?" She grinned at Crystal. "It's pretty different from your high class waltzes and foxtrots."

The song changed to one with a lively tempo and Crystal tried to bob her head with the beat. "I'll be fine as long as you lead, I think."

"Okay! But first—" She turned her head when Dolly set two glasses nearby. "Drinks!"

Crystal smiled at Dolly. "Thank you!"

"No problem, sweetie." She winked. "You two have fun while you're here and let me know if there's anything else you need, ya hear?"

The mares nodded and turned back to the dance floor with their drinks, Velvet holding hers with one hoof and Crystal levitating her own.

Velvet swung her hindlegs and sipped her green concoction. "So, have you decided what you're going to do about your knight?"

Crystal nearly choked on her own drink. She coughed, thumped her chest with a hoof, and glanced around. "Um, no. I haven't," she replied in a quiet voice just above a whisper. "I'm not even sure if there's anything to decide."

"Oh yeah? What happened to 'I felt the spark I've been looking for all my life'?" She took another sip. "You were super excited a week ago, so what happened?"

Crystal shook her head. "This isn't about me. This is about finding you a special somepony so I can write about it!"

Velvet laughed and tossed back the rest of her drink, then hopped off the stool and trotted toward the dance floor. "Okay, okay, then let's dance!"

Velvet was able to find the rhythm fairly easily and, though she certainly wasn't the best dancer in the room, she was much more coordinated than the spasms Crystal produced. While she bobbed her head, swayed her hips, and bounced from one hoof to another just like the magazines described, but on the whole looked more like she was shaking off ants than dancing.

A few moments later, Crystal gasped at the sight of what looked like Golden Pants out of the corner of her eye, but when she turned her head, a bright orange mane quelled that mistaken identity.

"Hi there!" the mare nearly yelled to try to be heard over the music as she approached them. "I don't think I've seen either of you here before! You both new?"

Velvet smiled and toned down her movements, limiting herself to a light bobbing and swaying. "Yeah! First time here! I'm Velvet, and this is Crystal!"

"Hi!" Crystal yelled somewhat dumbly before returning to her awkward dancing.

"My name's Sunny!" the mare replied. "Do you wanna go to the bar so we can hear better?"

"What?" Velvet tilted her head to angle her ear at the mare. When Sunny just pointed, she looked at Crystal and nodded her head in the bar's direction.

Crystal smiled. "Okay!" She followed them to the bar where they all sat down, and she leaned around Velvet to smile at Sunny. "Sorry, I didn't—" She cleared her throat, her raised voice still compensating for music that was no longer as loud. "Sorry again," she said, quieter. "Anyway, I didn't catch your name?"

"Sunny Day." The golden mare offered a wave. "I just wanted to introduce myself to a pair of cute little mares I haven't seen here before."

Crystal giggled and Velvet glanced at her, then shifted slightly to keep herself between them. "Do you work here?"

Dolly, who had sidled down to stand near them, laughed. "She might as well for how often she comes here!" She looked at Sunny. "You better cool off, hot stuff. These two came in together."

"Oh, she doesn't have to do that!" Crystal nudged Velvet with her elbow. "We don't mind."

Velvet swallowed and looked at Dolly. "Another appletini, please." While the bartender went about making a drink, Velvet cleared her throat and offered Sunny a lopsided smile. "So—"

Crystal interrupted, "Are you here alone, Sunny?"

Sunny giggled. "I am right now, but I won't be for long if I have any luck tonight." She glanced out into the sea of mares, an almost predatory look in her eyes.

Crystal nudged Velvet again. "I'm sure we can help with that."

"Crystal," Velvet hissed, glaring at her. Her drink was set in front of her and she took a quick gulp of the green liquor. She shot one more stern look at Crystal, who sighed, slumped forward, and drummed her hooves on the bar.

Sunny glanced between them, her head tilted and brow furrowed. "Well, then." She laughed, albeit a little awkwardly. "So, Velvet, I guess you're the wing pony, huh?"

Crystal rebounded with a perky smile. "Oh, no, I'm the wing pony, but don't mind me! I'll just be back over there rocking the dance floor. You two have fun!" She winked and slid off the stool.

As she wandered back toward the throbbing sounds of electronica, she heard Sunny ask, "Wow, she's rather open-minded, isn't she?"

"Yup," Velvet replied. "So, anyway, um, hi."

The rest of their conversation was drowned out by the music and Crystal returned to her full-body wiggling. She glanced at the potential lovebirds every once in a while until a pretty mare approached her and asked, "Hey there, cutie! Can I buy you a drink?"

Crystal blinked a few times, then chirped in response, "Sure!"

♡

"Okay. Whoa there. Easy girl. One more step and"—Thump!—"and that's the floor." Velvet sighed, looking down at the sputtering and giggling Crystal.

"Oh my gosh." Crystal squirmed from her spot sprawled on her side, her hindlegs dangling over the edge of the stairs. "The world is, like, fuzzy."

Velvet shook her head. "That's the alcohol. Why in Equestria did you drink so many?"

Crystal stuck out her tongue and rolled over onto her back. "Is rude to say no! Pretty mares wanna buy me drinks? I say, pfft!" Her coherence degraded into an extended raspberry, then more giggling.

"Uh-huh. You know, you have classes tomorrow, and we just curbed your whole 'not going' habit." She pressed her hoof gently to Crystal's forehead. "You're going to have one hay of a headache tomorrow, but you're going, got it? Now, get up, 'cause I totally can't carry you."

Crystal groaned. She flailed one foreleg haphazardly in an attempt to swat Velvet's away, but ended up hitting the railing beside her. She whimpered, groaned again, and rolled over onto her stomach. With her rump hoisted in the air, she pushed her front half forward and scooted toward their door.

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Celestia, I'm never letting you drink again."

"Rude!" Crystal chided, stopping when she bumped her nose into the closed door. She waited for Velvet to open it, and when she did, she pushed herself to the nearest pillow and flopped over onto it. "G'night!"

"Uh-huh." Velvet retrieved a blanket from Crystal's room and draped it over the heap of a mare. "Remember, you're going to school whether you're hungover or not."

A snort and a giggle were the only responses Crystal could give. Velvet turned off the lights, shook her head once more, and started toward her room. "I'm going to write about this in my diary, you know. You'll never live this down!"

Crystal waved a hoof aimlessly in the air in Velvet's general direction. "Rude."

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Bachelor Party

Thinking Out Loud

A white, round tablet dropped into the glass of water and was engulfed in little bubbles that released a low, fizzy hiss. Crystal swirled the glass and glanced at Velvet, who stared intently back at her.

"I already said I'd go, so you don't have to watch me like a foal," Crystal muttered.

Velvet rolled her eyes. "Considering you got yourself drunk the moment I stopped watching you, I kinda think I do."

Crystal groaned and lifted the glass to take a long drink. The powdery flavor was unpleasant, but no more or less so than her throbbing headache. "So, I know how my evening turned out," she said, setting the glass down and turning toward Velvet. "What have you got to report?"

"I think you're going to have to look elsewhere for your next big hit." Velvet shrugged. "I dunno. Sunny and I talked, and I learned some things about myself. Then you dove off the bar into a group of mares and that kind of cut my evening short."

Crystal scowled and slowly made her way across the room. Each hoof lifted and fell with precision so as not to make a sound. "Yeah, yeah. What did you learn about yourself?"

Velvet dropped down from her high and mighty stature to nestle into the pillow beneath her. "I learned that I'm just not interested in being with another pony. At least, not right now, anyway."

"Oh." Crystal's ears fell. She levitated her bags onto her back and looked over at Velvet. "Why not?"

Velvet looked at her with a neutral expression. "Why not not?" She shrugged. "Why do you want to be with Silent Knight? Or anypony, for that matter? I just don't feel any motivation to find myself a special somepony at this point in my life."

Crystal stood by the front door. "That sounds like an awfully boring writing prompt, but I'll see what I can do." She grinned and waved before opening the door and stepping out.

♡

Crystal hummed as she flipped through the latest Mares Monthly. Hearts and Hooves was still two months away, but the articles were already attempting to capitalize on the hype. And it worked.

"Ooh," she cooed. "Velvet, listen to this: Pack your bags and set sail for Maris, Prance, which has been voted as Equestria's most romantic getaway for this year. Discover exotic cuisine and beautiful scenery that will set your love on fire."

Crystal giggled and flipped to the next page, which featured several pictures of the Prench countryside. "Do you think I have time to get Silent Knight to like me enough to take me to Prance for Hearts and Hooves Day?"

Velvet laughed. "I think that might be overreaching just a little bit, sweetie. Maybe just work on a first date before jumping to expensive, romantic vacations?"

Crystal stuck out her tongue and flipped to the next page. "It could happen! I mean, it won't, but it could."

Three short, quick knocks came from the front door. They looked at each other and both of them shrugged, then Velvet quickly touched her hoof to her nose.

Crystal rolled her eyes and got up to walk over to the door. When she opened it, her heart jumped into her throat. "Oh! Sil—ergeant Knight!" Her ears perked upright. "What brings you here?" She tried not to purr the words while she gazed up at him.

Silent Knight nodded. "I apologize for the uninvited interruption, Crystal Wishes. I won't take long."

Crystal shook her head and leaned against the door frame. "Take as long as you'd like."

"I just wanted to request some of your time tomorrow evening. Iridescence's leave is up and I am going to Manehattan to escort her back, and I think it would help her re-acclimate if she had friends waiting for her at the train station."

Just as it had jumped with excitement, her heart sunk like a rock. "Oh." She straightened up, her tone falling soft. "Of course. I'll be there."

He smiled, if only slightly. "Thank you, Crystal Wishes. Have a good evening." With another nod, he turned and walked away with his usual, proper soldier's gait and posture.

Unlike usual, however, she didn't enjoy the retreating view.

Slowly, she shut the door, but didn't walk back to the pillow she had previously occupied. Instead, she simply stood there, staring.

"Crystal." Velvet bit her lower lip. "Hey, it may not be what you think it is."

"Isn't it?" Crystal's voice trembled. She blinked several times to stave off the tears. "I'm pretty certain he's not even aware I'm a mare because his attention is still on her."

"Then force his attention on you!" Velvet stomped a hoof. "You said Iridescence broke up with him, right? That means she already had her chance!"

Crystal shook her head. She turned and started to walk back toward where she had left her magazine. "And that means that he has unresolved feelings. I'm not interested in going down that path."

Velvet scowled and stalked toward her. "So that's it? All of that excitement and giggly puppy-love is suddenly over? No more spark?"

"Of course not!" She jerked her head to return the scowl, though hers was softened by the tears in her eyes. "But I'm also not going to get my hopes up if it's a hopeless endeavor."

Velvet released a heavy sigh and dropped down next to Crystal, nuzzling against her side. "You're kind of hopeless."

Crystal sniffed. "I know."

"Do you want me to come with you tomorrow?" Velvet grinned lopsidedly. "I can flirt with Iridescence so you can run away with your Knight."

"No, that's all right. I know you have practice around then, and—" She shook her head. "I'm fine, really."

Velvet leaned forward to look at the magazine still lying on the floor. "If you're sure. Oh, look at this: '7 Steps to Woo Any Stallion!' That seems pretty appropriate right now." She grinned. "Step 1…"

♡

Crystal took a deep breath and knocked on the door. It opened a few moments later, and Painted Wave smiled down at her, blinked, then tilted her head.

"Crystal?" The smile returned. "I'm really sorry, but right now isn't a good time. I'm kind of expecting somepony."

Crystal nodded. "I know. It's me."

Without missing a beat, Painted's smile softened and she stepped out of the way to let her in, nodding. After shutting the door, she turned and stared directly at Crystal with an unnerving seriousness in her eyes.

Crystal held perfectly still until Painted nodded once more and said, "The changeling attack, eh?" She gestured for Crystal to follow her and started to walk toward the work area. "I'm not surprised. Civilian ponies like you aren't supposed to see that sort of thing."

Crystal blinked and glanced up at her. "Civilians 'like me'? What about you?"

Painted waved one hoof. "I typically use art therapy for clients. So!" She pointed at a canvas, a brush, and a paint palette tray already set up against one wall. "Don't tell me what's bothering you. Show it."

Crystal furrowed her brow and levitated the brush, turning it around to look at it from every angle. "I'm not much of a—"

"Shh." Painted sat down beside her. "Don't talk. We use words every day so much that we can say them without any feeling. I want you to use your feelings to express yourself so both of us can truly understand."

Crystal sighed, but nodded and dipped the brush into the black paint. As she coated most the canvas in darkness, her heart started to beat faster from the images flashing in the back of her mind. The strokes grew more erratic as she added various colors to fill the thin blank spaces between the darkness. Plumes of colored smoke. Two of the remaining gaps she painted with light blue. Eyes in the darkness. She dabbed bright white paint on the other two curvy gaps. Gleaming fangs, hissing in the shadows.

She swallowed, her throat dry, and set down the brush. It certainly wasn't a piece that was going to win any awards, but it was close enough to the vision that haunted her dreams and turned them into nightmares.

"Now, you can tell me: how do you feel?" Painted asked in a gentle voice.

"Scared," Crystal whimpered. "What if it happens again? What if I'm not somewhere safe next time? I was lucky. I was with Runic, and Velvet got to safety. What happens next time?"

Painted put a foreleg around her shoulders to pull her closer. "Oh, Crystal." She sighed. "This is so much harder to do when it's somepony I know!"

Crystal sniffed, rubbing her eyes with the crook of her foreleg. "I'm sorry. I didn't want to do this, I—"

"I'm glad you did. I'm just not sure if my normal method is going to help you."

Crystal's ears started to droop and she looked up at Painted. "What?"

Painted smiled. "You need to do two things, and my typical art therapy won't accomplish either. I know I said what I said about words, but you have a special way with them."

"What?" Crystal repeated, her brow furrowed.

"First, you need to realize you're not alone," Painted continued.

Crystal sighed and looked down at the floor. "That's what everypony keeps telling me."

"But you don't believe it, do you?"

There was a long pause before Crystal admitted in a mumble, "No. From what I can tell, everything has returned to normal, as if it never happened. Runic and his shop are perfectly fine. Velvet's gotten over her nightmares. I—" She blinked a few times when her vision blurred with sudden tears. "I feel very alone."

"There you go." Painted patted her on the head. "And thus, that is why you need to realize you're not. The second is that you need to let go of—this." She gestured at Crystal's painting. "And I have the perfect idea how." A grin tugged at her lips. "Write a story about it."

"What?" Crystal jerked her gaze up to meet Painted's. "I can't—I don't write that sort of thing!"

"C.W. Step doesn't," Painted corrected. "But a new pseudonym could. You already have a good relationship with Mares Monthly. I'm sure if you spun it right, you could get them to publish it under a new name."

Crystal felt suddenly cold as panic overtook her. Her breath caught in her throat and she looked at Painted with wide eyes. "Publish it?!"

Painted nodded. "That's what I said."

Crystal sprung to her hooves and backed away a few steps. "I can't do that! What if—what if it's horrible?"

"And that's why you use a pseudonym, of course!" Painted stood up and walked to the kitchen. "I'll make some tea while you start considering what that name will be."

While Painted worked in the kitchen, Crystal paced the living room, muttering to herself. The very notion had her muscles twitch in worry and agitation.

Finally, when Painted returned, Crystal squeaked, "Why?"

"Why?" Painted looked at the teacups she magically carried in front of her. "Because tea is rather calming, of course."

"No, I mean, why do you think this will help?"

Painted stared at her. "Because I think calming you down is a good idea." Crystal made a sound of frustration and Painted laughed. "I know what you mean. I do think some nice, calming tea is a good idea, but as to why I want you to write and publish your fears?"

Painted levitated a tea cup over to Crystal and continued, "By writing it down, you distance yourself from it. Your fears will be on paper, not just in your mind. By publishing it, you let go of it completely and allow others to realize they're not alone, either."

Crystal took a long, slow sip of the herbal tea. Finally, she mumbled, "I suppose I should trust you since you're the professional."

"That's a good reason, but I think I'd prefer it if you trusted me because I'm a concerned friend." Painted put a hoof on Crystal's shoulder. "At least consider it. All right?"

Crystal nodded. "I will." She smiled and took another sip. "Thank you."

"Oh, don't worry about it." Painted shook her head. "It's just a quick brew I threw together real quick, so there's no need to thank me."

"What? No, I mean—" She laughed when Painted grinned. "Oh, you."

♡

In the near distance, the train whistled to signal its impending arrival. Runic played with a rock he had found on the way there, Winterspear paced, and Crystal stood next to Princess Luna. Harvest Moon and Miley Hooves were positioned on either side of the princess and just slightly behind her in standard, proper formation.

"I hope it went okay," Winterspear murmured. "I don't want to see his face if he comes back empty-hooved."

Runic shrugged. "She doesn't have a choice, does she?"

"It dependeth on how much she valueth her job on our House Guard," Luna said with an air of certainty. "We have faith that she will return with Silent Knight." There was a small pause before she looked down at Crystal.

Crystal felt the weight of the princess's gaze and was compelled to look up and meet it. Luna's eyes were soft and warm, and her smile was a comforting, reassuring sight. Crystal just didn't quite know of what she was being comforted and reassured.

"He returneth her to her duty," Luna added and returned her attention to the approaching train.

Crystal could only nod and follow suit, watching the train pull up to the station.

After the train hissed and came to a complete stop, the doors slid open. Silent Knight stepped out first as if to secure the way before Iridescence followed behind him. Runic was the first to cheer and Crystal followed suit, while Winterspear went directly to Silent's side. Even Miley broke regulation and stepped forward to welcome Iridescence back and, given the occasion, Princess Luna didn't seem inclined to correct her, so Harvest Moon said nothing as well.

"Welcome back, Iridescence!" Runic held out a small basket of different mare care products. "Look, I made a batch of your favorites!"

"Yay, you're finally back!" Miley chirped. "I hope you had a good leave!"

Crystal smiled and said, "Welcome home, Iridescence."

Iridescence looked between them all with tears in her eyes. The way her brow was knitted, however, gave her a look of guilt rather than of happiness. "Thank you all. I really appreciate it."

♡

There was a bit of tension in the air as the three mares—Luna, Iridescence, and Crystal—nestled onto the couches in the seating area. Luna began to pour the tea that had been served and doled cups out to them.

"I apologize for my extended leave of absence, Luna," Iridescence finally said, accepting the teacup.

Luna waved a hoof. "We understand. The changeling attack was hard on everypony. We only hope that thou returnest recovered and whole again."

Iridescence nodded and crossed her forelegs. "It was nice to see my family again. But it is nicer to be back here."

"Sergeant Knight said that you were in Manehattan?" Crystal smiled. "It's one of the few places I've been outside of Canterlot, because of work. I'm sure you know of that big building, Eminence Tower?"

Iridescence gave a short bark of a laugh. "Yeah." She nodded. "I do. I'm sure everypony does, though, considering it's the biggest."

A scream tore through their conversation, followed by the sound of clattering metal on metal. They all jumped and looked up to see Miley Hooves clinging to the chandelier, which rocked both from the sudden movement and her trembling.

"Miley Hooves?" Silent Knight called from the secretary's desk. "Seriously?"

"I'm—I'm sorry!" she stammered. "I got scared!"

Silent sighed and flew up to retrieve her. She jumped toward him and threw her forelegs around his neck, nearly knocking him off-balance. He returned her to the ground and asked, "What happened, Miley?"

Miley straightened her helmet, then looked up at him. "There was a mouse. I jumped."

Crystal giggled behind a hoof. Iridescence and Luna looked at her, at each other, and smiled.

"I think of all your House Guards, Princess, Miley is my favorite." Crystal giggled again.

Luna arched one brow. "'Tis the truth?"

Crystal blinked a few times. She glanced at Iridescence, at Luna, then over at Silent Knight. In the brief moment that her eyes flickered to him, they made eye contact and she tore her gaze back to the mares.

"Well, one of my favorites," she admitted.

Iridescence opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the door flung open and in marched the pony Crystal recognized as Lieutenant Haze. He looked around, then started toward them.

"Sir?" Silent Knight asked as he moved from behind his desk to stand between the mares and the lieutenant. "Is there something I can help you with, sir?"

Lieutenant Haze grunted, "Not unless you're the princess, Sergeant. I need to speak to Princess Luna."

Silent Knight didn't budge. "Princess Luna has an appointment right now, as you can see, sir." He gestured to them. "But I can find a spot in her schedule to fit you into."

Haze grunted again and stepped forward. "As I recall, Sergeant, you work for me as a guard, not a secretary. Now act like it and move out of my way."

"Yes, sir." Silent bowed his head and did as he was told.

Haze advanced on them like a storm, his jaw set with rigid determination. "Princess." He bowed. "I need to discuss the current state of your House Guard. It's in sore need of improvement, and I have some suggestions on the topic."

Crystal and Iridescence sat perfectly still, both of them staring with wide eyes. Slowly, they turned their heads in unison to look at Luna as she rose to her full height, looking down her muzzle at the lieutenant and his wilting confidence.

"Of course, Lieutenant," she said in a firm voice. "As Sergeant Knight said, however, thou canst well see that we have an appointment at this moment. Wouldst thou check with the sergeant, we are certain he willeth find thou an opening." She smiled, though there was little friendliness in it. "We are sure thou art aware that Sergeant Knight is among those who receives a copy of our daily schedule to best leverage security assets."

"Princess, I think it would be best—" When Luna's smile fell and her stare grew more intense, he took two steps back. "I think that would be best," he corrected and turned away to head toward the door. "Sergeant, find me the next available opening." And with that, he was gone.

"Yes, sir!" Silent Knight returned to the desk and opened a book.

Luna returned to her couch and nestled against the cushions, though the air around her radiated with irritation. "Silent Knight?"

"Yes, Princess?" Silent looked over at her.

"We shall not have any openings for at least a week," she exclaimed in the Royal Canterlot voice that reverberated against the walls.

Silent cracked a smug little smile. "Yes, Princess." After he flipped through the pages and penciled in an appointment, he muttered to himself, "I know who I work for, but do you, you pompous gryphon-flank?"

Miley asked from her spot by the door, "What did you say, Sergeant?"

Silent looked up at the mares looking back at him. His eyes widened just a bit, but he quickly recovered by clapping his hooves together and saying, "Flank, Miley. You should always go for the flank when engaging a gryphon to wound their pride first!"

Miley nodded, Iridescence giggled, and Silent returned to his usual work. Crystal inclined her head to look at him out of the corner of her eye and caught him staring at her for just a moment. Her heart pounded and she felt heat crawl up her neck, but she tried to smile the fluttering nerves away.

"I'll have some more tea, please," she said and Luna obliged, refilling her cup.

She swallowed and kept her ears focused on the conversation between Luna and Iridescence. The princess was explaining the events that had happened around the castle during Iridescence's leave, including the start of Willowy Tempest's training. Crystal's attention, however, was on Silent Knight.

Occasionally, he glanced their way and from her position, it seemed as though he was indeed looking at her before he returned to his report. Was he writing about her? What sort of report was he working on, anyway? Her focus shifted to the mare beside her and the butterflies in her stomach went still at the reminder that she wasn't the only pony in that direction.

She shifted to rest on her right side, putting some distance between herself and Iridescence. Her gaze slowly crept to him and she caught him looking once more, still at her. The blush she had been fighting heated her cheeks and she jerked her attention back to the conversation.

"I do agree," Crystal slipped in without missing a beat. "Canterlot's cuisine is much better than what little I've sampled in Manehattan."

The butterflies returned in full force. Perhaps she would pretend it was true for the evening, because she rather preferred the idea of him looking specifically at her and her alone.

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Four Sisters
Companion Memoirs Chapter: Lieutenant Haze

The Little Things

Crystal nibbled on the feathered tip of her quill, one brow furrowed and the other raised. She gazed at the blank parchment sitting on the floor. There were several balled up sheets scattered around her pillow and just as a few words were written on the paper, she groaned, balled the attempt up, and added it to the haphazard pile.

"Somewhere, a paper manufacturer is very happy right now," Velvet said, sitting across from her.

Crystal rolled her eyes. "Well, I might have an easier time with this if you weren't staring so intently. It's exceedingly off-putting."

Velvet swatted at one of the paper balls, then batted it between her front hooves. "I can't help it! I've never gotten to see you get all into your writing groove. You always do it in your bedroom or while I'm away."

"Perhaps there's a reason for that," Crystal muttered and tried to hide her grin by looking down.

"Whatever!" Velvet stuck out her tongue. "Honestly, I'm just really eager to see what you write."

Crystal's smile fell into a somber frown. "Why? I told you what happened the day it happened." She glanced up, then back at the new blank sheet.

"Why?" Velvet hummed a moment before she shrugged. "You talked about what Runic did. I know all about the potions, but you really haven't ever talked about what you did."

"I threw potions," she stated flatly.

Velvet sputtered. "Well, pff, d'uh!" She dropped her elbows to the floor and her chin onto her hooves. "How did you feel? What happened before the potions? What about after? What abou—"

The hair on Crystal's chest and around her shoulders bristled as she jerked her head up and snapped, "I don't want to talk about any of that!" She winced at the volume of her voice and lowered it to mutter, "No pony is interested in how I felt."

Velvet blinked a few times. "Obviously, one pony is, 'cause I'm interested. I was scared and I fled. Pretty much every pony around me fled, too. Then we just hid and that was it for us. But you fought them, Crystal. That's pretty interesting, at least to me..."

Before Crystal could respond, somepony knocked on their door and Velvet's hoof flew the short distance from her chin to her nose.

"Cheater," Crystal hissed with a smile and stood up. She took her time walking to the door, stretching out each of her sore legs, then opened it. "Oh! Horsey! ... Horsey?"

"I'm sorry," Horsey said, panting, her magic flickering as it barely kept an overnight bag aloft. "Things got out of hoof at the restaurant, but I got here as quickly as I could!"

Crystal blinked. "Huh?"

Horsey looked at her, past her, then back at her. "Um, I'm sorry, is this the right place? Because you don't seem nearly as lov—"

Crystal heard a distinct pssst sound behind her and she turned her head to see Velvet standing there, smiling exaggeratedly wide. Just as she started to turn her attention back to Horsey, she saw Velvet quickly shaking her head.

Horsey furrowed her brow. "What?" She glanced between them, then groaned and rolled her eyes. "Did something happen already?"

"Ix-nay on the alk-tay!" Velvet growled out while putting a foreleg around Crystal's neck and laughing. "It's so good to see you, Horsey! Why don't you come in while Crystal makes some tea?"

Horsey sighed as she brought her bag and herself into the condo. "No, seriously, what happened? What was suddenly wrong with this stallion?"

"Oh my Celestia, Horsey, it's not what you—"

Crystal giggled. "I think I get it." She shrugged off Velvet's leg. "Velvet wrote a letter saying that I found my special somepony?"

"Uh-huh," Horsey replied.

"And you rushed out here to celebrate and meet him and all that?"

"Yup."

Crystal walked to the kitchen. "I'll make some tea, then. It's a bit of a story."

Horsey kept her gaze firmly fixated on her untouched cup of tea, only a few lingering wisps of steam rising from it. She sighed and shook her head. "I'm so sorry for... well, for assuming what I did." She glanced up at her. "You've just been so gosh darned picky for so long that I assumed... I just..."

Crystal waved a hoof. "It's all right. I don't blame you."

Horsey clenched her jaw and jerked her head up, holding it in place rather than looking back down. "You should just tell him how you feel. I mean, you can't tell me to chase after my stallion while you just let yours walk away! So what if he likes this Iridescence mare? Why does she get to hurt him by leaving and you by coming back and everypony's just okay with it? Buck her and the trains she rode out and in on!"

Crystal and Velvet stared at her, both blinking a few times until Crystal cleared her throat. "W-well, I suppose it's more a matter of—"

"Crabapples. Whatever you're about to say is a load of crabapples." She pointed at her, eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to let you miss this opportunity after you helped me discover mine."

"Speaking of, how are things?" Velvet chimed in. She laughed nervously. "Last we saw they looked pretty good between you and Savoir!"

Horsey huffed, puffed, and grumbled, "I don't think now is the time to talk about that, given the current situation with Crystal."

Crystal quickly shook her head. "Oh, no, no, no. I'm more than fine with the change of topic."

"Temporary change," Horsey corrected before she smiled. "Well, if you really want to know—"

"We do!" They leaned in, wide-eyed and grinning.

"I do have some pretty exciting Hearts and Hooves Day news." She tapped her hooves together. "You know Savoir and his brother are originally from Prance, right?" When they nodded, she continued, "Their family still lives there, and..." She took a deep breath and said in one rapid fire stream, "His parents want to meet me so I'm going with him to Maris, Prance, for the holiday."

Both mares exclaimed "What!?" in different ways: Velvet with a squeal, and Crystal with exasperation. Horsey glanced between the two very opposite expressions facing her.

Velvet pushed against Crystal to knock the mare over and distract her. "Don't mind her, she's just so totally jealous!"

"Envious," Crystal muttered, straightening back up. "I'm envious."

"Tomato, so-same-o." She rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to Horsey. "You're going to Prance for Hearts and Hooves Day?!"

Horsey nodded. "I mean, it's mostly to spend time with his family, so it may be a disaster if they don't like me." She looked down at the floor and sighed. "I'm actually more nervous than excited, if I have to be honest."

"Don't be." Velvet reached out and bopped her on the head. "I think they'll just be happy Savoir found someone at his age."

Horsey raised her brow. "He's not that old, you know."

"Old or really old, my point still stands." Velvet grinned.

"Uh-huh..." Horsey blinked and dropped her gaze to the messy floor. "So, anyway, what's this all about?" She gestured vaguely around them.

"Oh. Crystal's trying to write a story about the changeling attack. It's going really, really well."

"I can see that." Horsey shifted to switch which leg was crossed over which. "Um, so, is that going to be your next story?"

Crystal shrugged. Her magic lit up and started to gather up the paper balls into a neater pile. "I don't think so. Not at this rate, anyway."

Horsey opened her mouth, then hesitated, slowly closing it. She bit her lower lip and finally said, "I think it's a good idea. You two hardly talked about it when Sav and I visited. I mean, the newspapers focused on what happened to the wedding, and I haven't heard much beyond what little you told me already..."

"See? I'm not the only pony interested!" Velvet pointed triumphantly at Horsey, looking at Crystal. "That's two out of two ponies that matter, so write already!"

Crystal sucked in a breath through her teeth, then slowly released it as a sigh. "Okay." She straightened up. "It's been two months, but I remember it clearly... too clearly, sometimes." Her vision became unfocused as memories overtook her, albeit briefly.

Beside her, Velvet picked up the quill and started to scribble some words down.

"Everything was perfectly normal," Crystal continued, "and then it just suddenly wasn't. It..."

Horsey listened intently while Velvet continued to write. By the time Crystal finished recounting what happened, she took notice that Velvet had written a significant amount, and leaned over to peer at one of the pages.

"Velvet?" Crystal asked.

"Yup?"

"Why did you write down everything I said?" Her brow furrowed.

Velvet beamed at her and placed the last period before setting down the quill. "I'm just helping out. Now you have your story." She slid the pages toward the other. "And all you have to do is put your flair on it."

Crystal scanned the inked words while Horsey said, wiping her eyes, "That's nothing like what you told me before! Why did you keep all that bottled up inside? That sounds so terrifying!"

"It was," Crystal muttered. "I don't think I can turn this into a story, though."

"Maybe... don't?" Velvet looked at Horsey. "I mean, that'd make a really great article, don't you think?" When Horsey nodded, she looked back at Crystal. "There you go! Just spruce that up and submit it as an interest piece. I'm sure Sunset could work something out."

Crystal slowly started to smile. The quill lifted up, wrapped in her magic, and made several marks on Velvet's notes. "It could work," she finally said and continued to write while Velvet and Horsey caught up on other recent events.

"Oh, there is one piece of news on our end," Velvet said, smiling. "I actually haven't even told Crystal yet 'cause I wanted to tell the both of you together."

Crystal looked up. "Huh?"

Velvet puffed out her chest. "Somepony finally made it into the corps!"

Crystal squealed and sprung to her hooves. "Oh my gosh! Velvet, that's wonderful!" She threw her forelegs around the other.

Horsey clapped, but tilted her head. "Um, what is the corps, exactly?"

"It's not a huge deal, but it's big enough." Velvet giggled, leaning around Crystal to look at the other. "I have a regular spot in the company, and I get to go on the next trip. It's only a weekend, but I'll be going to Las Pegasus!"

"We have to celebrate!" Crystal squealed again. "Huge deal or big deal, it's a deal enough for celebrating!"

Horsey giggled. "How about I treat the both of you to dinner?"

"Deal!" Velvet grinned and slipped out of Crystal's embrace to trot to the door, the other two following after her.

Crystal hummed to herself as she trotted down the street and toward the post office. "Hello!" she called when she walked inside. "Oh! Hi, Zerox!"

Zerox looked up from the counter. His mane was tied back to expose his whole face, which lit up with a smile. "Hey, Crystal. Been a while."

"Oh, you know how it is." She giggled. "I need a copy of this made and sent to Manehattan. The usual address, please." She set the stack on the counter and slid it toward him. "So, how is the band?"

"Really good. Actually, really, really good." His horn lit up and started to transpose the writing onto blank sheets. "We're one of the opening gigs for the Pony Rocks show." He looked up at her, his eyes flashing green as his spell completed. "I can get you tickets, if you want."

Crystal tapped her chin. "That's on Hearts and Hooves Day, isn't it?" He nodded and she shook her head. "I might not be able to make it... but! I do have a friend that might be really interested in going. How much for two tickets?"

"Do you really have to ask? After what you did for me, nothing. Just wait right here." He disappeared into the back room, then returned a moment later with a small envelope. "Here you go. Two tickets. They're not great seats, but—"

"That's more than I need." She accepted the envelope and tucked it into her saddlebag, along with the original article. "Thank you!"

Zerox smiled. "No problem. I'll get this in the mail for you. Thanks again, Crystal... I mean it."

"I'm just glad you're happy! Have a great day, Zerox!" She waved before trotting out of the building and back onto the street, this time heading in the direction of the castle.

On her way there, her ear twitched at an odd sound, but she paid it otherwise no mind; her focus was on the task at hoof. The sound was a crackling, rattling sound, like a cart with a broken wheel, which was exactly what it was. It was also a broken-wheeled cart that had fled its owner.

As the sound grew closer, she finally acknowledged it with a casual glance, which turned into a second, wide-eyed stare. A cry of surprise escaped her but her body otherwise didn't react, instead seizing up and keeping her right in the oncoming cart's path.

A flash of gold armor and white coat blocked her vision as a pegasus stallion jumped in front of her. He put his weight onto his front legs and prepared a mighty buck, which broke the cart in two. He dropped back down onto all fours and jerked his gaze toward Crystal, his eyes full of concern.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a surprisingly tentative voice for all of his bravado.

"Muh?" Crystal replied dumbly, blinking. "Muh—muh—ahh!" Her body finally rushed with adrenaline and she hopped from hoof to hoof. "What just happened?!"

The guard put a hoof on her shoulder. "It's okay, ma'am, just take a deep breath." She did so and he continued, "A cart got away from its owner. That's all. You're fine."

She swallowed. "Right. Obviously. I'm alive, so I must be. Thank you so much, you..." Her gaze fell and she gasped, pointing at his hind leg. "... you're injured!"

"Huh? I—" He blinked when he looked at the leg in question. "Oh, I guess you're right, but it's just a scratch." A small laugh escaped him and his wings twitched just slightly, drawing her attention to the metal braces that kept them sturdy. "I've had worse."

Crystal gaped, having no response as she looked between the scratch and the braces. Finally, she shook her head. "Nonetheless, you need to have that treated, else it might get infected."

"How about I escort you where you're going to make sure you don't get accosted by any more carts, and then I'll get it patched up?" He smiled.

Crystal scrunched up her face to complain, but before she could he mirrored the expression. They stared at one another until his determination won out over hers when she sputtered into laughter and started to walk forward.

"Why don't you go get patched up and I'll escort myself? After all, how many runaway carts in Canterlot can there be in one day?"

The guard trotted after her. "One can never be too careful. So where are we headed?"

She glanced up at him, then at the road ahead. "To the castle."

"Oh." He fell into step beside her and they walked in silence before he said, "I'm Astral Bolt, by the way."

Her ears shot straight up in surprise. "How rude of me! Crystal Wishes. Thank you, again, for saving me, but I really don't need an escort. I don't want you to get in trouble for leaving your post."

Astral shrugged. "I don't think they'll mind."

Crystal mused on this for a moment before she smiled. "They absolutely won't when I fill out a comment card explaining the situation!"

"Huh? You don't have to do that..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But I won't say no, since it helps me out. I'm actually going to be trying out for the House Guard, since I heard there were some openings."

"Then that settles it." She glanced at his hind leg. The small cut had already stopped bleeding, and had barely bled at all to begin with. This gave her some peace and the tension in her muscles eased. "I hope you get in, by the way. The House Guard is a good bunch."

Astral tilted his head to look at her sideways. "Yeah?"

Crystal smiled up at him. "Oh, yes. I'm on my way there to talk to one of Princess Luna's House Guards, in fact." She almost purred as she added, "Two, if I'm lucky." Astral blinked at her in what seemed like disbelief and she laughed, lifting her pass out of her saddlebags and putting it over her head. "See?"

"Wow." He smiled halfway. "That's kind of cool. Well, if you do fill out a comment card, thanks." He stopped when they reached the gates that led into the castle's courtyard. "Have a cart-free day, Crystal Wishes."

"You, too! Don't forget to hold up your end of the bargain and get that wound treated!"

He chuckled, nodded, and waved her off. She hummed to herself as she trotted up to the doors and was let inside, where she made her way directly to Luna's wing.

"Hello!" she chirped to the first House Guard she came across. "Where is Miley today, Flash?"

Lightning Flash moved his head just enough to acknowledge her. "Outside the Princess's personal chambers, ma'am."

"Thanks!" She navigated the corridors until she spied the little mare standing straight and tall. "Hi, Miley!"

Miley's face lit up but she quickly regained her composure, overdoing it with an expression almost like a scowl. "Good afternoon, ma'am."

Crystal giggled and levitated the envelope from her bags. "I heard that a certain somepony is trying to get closer to a certain alchemist."

Miley looked between her and the envelope with wide eyes. "Um..."

Crystal produced the tickets and fanned herself with them. "If only that certain somepony would speak up, then I'd know who to give these tickets to."

Miley swallowed. "Tickets to what?"

"Oh, the Pony Rocks show on Hearts and Hooves Day. Some ponies might not consider that a very romantic getaway, but given that our alchemist is eccentric, and—"

"I'll take them!" Miley said, hopping as if trying to snatch the tickets right out of the air. "Please, please, please!"

Crystal laughed and floated the tickets back into the envelope, then offered it to her. "Have fun, all right?" She winked. "So, anyway, is Sergeant Knight working today?" She glanced at the door between her and Luna's chambers.

"Yup! He's at the desk, like usual." She turned. "I'll let you in!"

"Thanks, Miley." Her heart skipped a few beats when the door opened and cool air rushed out into the hall like a gentle breeze.

There, in her line of sight, he sat. His ear twitched at the door opening first before he looked up and smiled.

"Sergeant," Miley said, straightening to attention. "Miss Wishes is here to see you."

"Me?" His smile fell into a light, confused frown and he stood. "What can I do for you, Crystal Wishes?"

Oh, the many, many answers that flashed through her mind at the question. She giggled and looked up at him. Her mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. Instead, all of her mental gears ground to a halt at the sudden realization that the lighting in Luna's chambers was perfect. At that angle, her eyes had to be glimmering in the light.

Silent Knight waited expectantly, but patiently. If he noticed the sparkle in her eyes, he didn't make it clear.

Her mouth snapped shut and she tilted her head to one side in an attempt to cancel the glimmering effect, but she still felt the light against her eyes. He followed her motion after a moment, tilting his head as well. Her brow furrowed briefly and she tilted her head the other way, he tilting his as well. Still no good; the glimmer was persistent.

"... Miss Wishes?" He blinked.

Crystal gave a quick shake of her head and smiled. "Food." The smile darkened into a frown as she cursed herself under her breath and clarified, "Have you had lunch yet?" He shook his head and she pressed, "Would you like to get some? With... me?"

This gave him a moment of pause, but he smiled and nodded. "Yes, but a lady buying me lunch doesn't seem quite right."

"Oh, who said we weren't going to split the check?" She giggled and turned to walk out into the hall, a small skip in her step and a sway in her hips. "But I suppose if you insist..."

"I do." He followed alongside her. "But I don't know any places to eat that are suitable."

"Leave that to me, sergeant." She smiled.

"Wow." Silent Knight stared down at his empty plate with a look of regret and longing. "Just... wow."

Crystal giggled and fluttered her eyelashes. "So my recommendation met to your satisfaction, sergeant?"

He nodded. "Absolutely. You really do know your way around Canterlot. I've lived here a long time, but I've never taken the time to get to know it. Maybe I should rectify that if they've got this kind of food so close to the castle."

"I admittedly have an advantage, given my parents' drilling." She smiled, though it was less heartfelt than the others she had flashed over the course of their lunch.

He blinked, lifting his head from his plate to look at her. "Drilling? I didn't know your parents were military."

"What? Oh, no, no." She laughed behind a hoof. "They're not military, but they're very serious about the best places to go and the important ponies to know. In a way, it's similar, but instead of combat training it's social graces."

"I think I understand." He straightened up. "Did you enjoy game night on Hearth's Warming?" She nodded and he continued, "We're having another get-together tomorrow evening, if you and Velvet Step would like to come."

Crystal's ear flicked and she smiled. "I'll ask Velvet, but at the least, I'll most certainly be there."

"Great." He picked up his helmet, set it on his head, and stood up. "Thank you for lunch, Crystal Wishes. I'll see you tomorrow night in Princess Luna's chambers." He nodded and left to go pay at the counter.

Crystal watched him leave with a small smile, resting her chin on one hoof. Once he was out of sight, she turned her gaze to the window to watch the day go by. It was a lazy afternoon, but a small kerfuffle nearby caught her eye. A mare and a stallion were walking hoof-in-hoof down the sidewalk, gazing lovingly at one another, when a third pony zipped past them on a skateboard. As he passed them he kicked a leg into a puddle to splash them with the water.

"Teenagers," a voice said from beside her. "They have no respect these days, the rapscallions."

Crystal looked up to see a sage pegasus standing there, holding a tray with a teacup on it. She frowned. "Hi, Rossby."

Rossby raised one brow to acknowledge her greeting, then looked back out the window. "They grow out of it, you know."

"Who grows out of what?" She followed his gaze to watch the skateboard-bound pony laughing as he sped away from the upset pair.

"Teenagers and their lack of respect. It's just a stupid phase." He set the cup down in front of her. "But they'll grow up, so you can't hold it against them... forever, I guess? Anyway, here's your tea."

Crystal looked between the cup and the pegasus. Slowly, she smiled. "I didn't order any tea."

Rossby shrugged. "You were probably going to. You're not known here for spontaneity."

"I suppose..." She leaned back into her seat and folded her forelegs across her chest. "I have a question for you, Rossby."

"And I have an answer for you, customer."

She stared at him through narrowed eyes. "Why are you working at everywhere I go?"

"Why are you going at everywhere I work?" he retorted in a sarcastic mirror of her question. When she stumbled to reply, he shrugged and said before he turned to leave, "Have a nice day."

Crystal sighed and, after a brief moment of thought, she called after him, "I forgive you!"

His ear twitched, but he kept walking away. She laughed quietly to herself and took a sip of the tea, returning her gaze to the world outside the cafe.

Velvet grabbed Crystal's hoof and tugged on it to stop her from taking another step. Crystal looked at her, head tilted.

"What's wrong?"

Velvet shook her head. "I don't think I can do this."

"Why not? You came with me to game night last time."

"Yeah, and last time I made a total fool of myself in front of Princess Luna." Velvet swallowed. "What if I do that again? Or something worse?"

Crystal laughed and returned the tug to force Velvet forward. "Oh, come on. I already told them to expect you, so it would be rude if you duck out now."

Velvet shook her head again, this time with more panic. "Tell them I got sick! Or twisted an ankle! Dancers twist their ankles all the time. It's completely believable."

Crystal tugged again, this time with more force. "It will be fine, I promise!"

Velvet struggled once more but, with a heavy sigh, relented. She allowed herself to be led the rest of the way down the hall and to Luna's chambers. Crystal opened the door and when they walked inside, they were greeted by several cheerful voices. The rest of the group had already arrived and were in the middle of pre-game setup.

"Huzzah! Crystal Wishes and Velvet Step have arrived!" Luna called from the opposite side of the table. She sat while the others organized the various cards and game components for the evening's selections. "Now game night can officially commence!" She gestured to the empty seat beside her. "Velvet Step, we would like for thou to sit beside us once again. Thou wert our good luck charm on the eve of Hearth's Warming!"

Velvet squeaked and looked to Crystal, who simply smiled and nudged her forward. Velvet put on her best smile as she walked around the table to take the seat next to Luna.

"Worry not, Velvet Step," Luna said, smiling down at her. "We have picked games that will be more to thy liking. We understand that thou didst not like the Dungeons and Diamond Dogs game."

Crystal took the remaining seat, which was across from the very uncomfortable-looking Velvet.

"Tonight, we play Timberwolf!" Luna exclaimed and the cards were dealt.

"For the first round," Silent Knight explained, "there are only timberwolves and townsponies. To keep it simple. Look at your card to see what you are. We will then 'go to sleep' by closing our eyes. Any timberwolves will open theirs to see who else is a timberwolf, then close them again and we all wake up. We will have five minutes"—he gestured at a small hourglass resting in the middle of the table—"to determine who is a townspony and who is a timberwolf."

Velvet nodded, but her wide eyes showed she didn't understand. She followed suit with the others by looking at her card, then at Crystal in panic. Crystal smiled reassuringly at her, then looked at her own card. Townspony.

"And now we sleep," Luna said, her voice suddenly calm and soothing. Once all of them had closed their eyes, she said, "Timberwolves, awaken."

A moment passed before Luna said, "Timberwolves, to sleep... Everypony, awaken."

Two rounds later, Velvet still looked befuddled. Her brow never leaved the furrowed position and every time she had to speak, she just shook her head and said she was a townspony.

Finally, Velvet admitted, "I still don't think I understand the point of this game."

"If you're a townspony, you want to figure out who the timberwolves are," Crystal explained. "And if you're a timberwolf, you want to make a townspony look suspicious so they get picked instead of you."

"Exactly!" Winterspear chimed in. "As a townspony, I'm on the lookout for any suspicious behavior."

"But what's suspicious behavior?" Velvet asked, her confusion not visibly eased in the slightest. "We have all these other roles added now that I can't keep track!"

"An example of suspicious behavior would be being quiet. Like her!" Runic pointed at Iridescence. "She's been quiet this whole round. Too quiet, I say!"

Iridescence raised her hooves defensively. "What? No! I'm just quiet because I'm a boring townspony. If you want to talk about suspicious, look at Silent Knight. He's not doing any interrogating this round."

Silent Knight kept his usual stoic expression in place. "That's true, but I'm not a timberwolf. I'm a hunter, so if you kill me, I'll point at one of you, and if I'm wrong you townsponies are even more likely to lose." He looked across the table at Velvet. "I'd point at Velvet. She's feigning innocence and confusion to throw us off her trail."

Velvet gasped and looked at them all with big, pleading eyes. "What? No!"

Luna nodded. "We agree! The innocence is a deception!"

"It isn't me, I swear!" Velvet turned to Crystal for support, but at that point, the suspicion had already been cast. Crystal offered her a smile and a shrug.

The last bit of sand in the hourglass fell and Luna clapped. "It is time to vote, my ponies!"

Velvet panicked and pointed at Iridescence. Crystal pointed at Silent Knight, who pointed at Velvet along with everypony else. Velvet gave a small cry of surprise and shock before she frowned and revealed her card. She was a townspony.

Beside her, Luna cackled. "Mwuahaha!" She revealed her lupine role, as did Silent Knight. "Timberwolves win! The night is ours!" Lightning illuminated the sky outside the window and thunder bellowed after it.

Velvet disappeared under the table when their surroundings trembled. Miley, who was standing guard by the door, squealed and fell over. While most of the others laughed, Crystal slipped under the table.

"Hey." She smiled at the quivering mare. "Sorry, Luna does that sometimes."

Velvet stared at her with wide eyes. "I can't go back up there now," she whispered and jerked her head from side to side. "This is even more embarrassing than kissing Princess Luna's hoof."

"Aww, no, it isn't. Miley got scared, too."

"I don't think that's much of a comfort..." Velvet muttered, frowning.

Crystal held out her forelegs and gestured the other closer. After a moment of hesitation, Velvet crawled from her spot underneath the table over to Crystal and leaned into the offered embrace.

"There, there," Crystal cooed in a playful but soothing voice. "Is this more of a comfort?"

Velvet sighed. "Not really. Now I feel like a scaredy cat and a foal."

Crystal giggled and patted her back. "Oh, don't worry. I promise, no pony is going to say anything about it."

"Who is ready to play Canterlot Express?" Silent Knight asked as he returned to the table after helping Miley get back onto her hooves.

Every pony at the table groaned and Winterspear exclaimed, "Absolutely not! Playing a detective game with you is worse than spin the bottle with a gryphon."

Silent Knight huffed with mock offense. "I see! Fine, then. What do you suggest?"

Velvet called from her spot nestled against Crystal, "Something that's not scary, or where I can be on somepony's team! I really don't like being on my own all the time."

"What about Shadows Over Canterlot?" Runic suggested and after a general consensus, everypony returned to their seats to play.

The hours went by and Crystal was the first to break: she yawned. This prompted two of the others to yawn, and when Runic suddenly fell forward and snored, Luna raised a hoof.

"'Twould be best to bring the night to a close, we believe," Luna suggested.

"Iridescence and Winterspear, please escort Crystal Wishes and Velvet Step home," Silent said as he hoisted Runic onto his back.

Winterspear regarded him with a brow raised. "Who rolled over and made you boss?"

Silent looked at her with a blank expression. "Lieutenant Haze did, technically."

"Okay, that's true... But I don't report to you, so you'll have to owe me a favor."

Crystal cleared her throat and waved a hoof. "Don't worry about us. We can get home on our own just fine."

Silent shook his head. "I'm sure that's true, but please, humor me a little so I can have some peace of mind?"

"Oh..." Crystal hedged. She turned her head to look at Velvet. "Well, I suppose if it would give you peace of mind, then we can do that."

"Anything for Sergeant SK!" Velvet chirped.

Winterspear glanced between them, then grinned. Her ears wiggled, but her voice was even as she said, "Come along, then, ladies." She motioned to the door. "Let's get everypony home before we all turn into pumpkins."

With Iridescence following them, the conversation between Crystal and Velvet was kept deliberately simple.

"Did you have fun?" Crystal asked.

"Well, I don't regret going, if that's what you're asking." Velvet shrugged. "But maybe next time we don't stay out so late. I have practice in the morning."

Crystal smiled. "Gearing up for the trip?"

"Yup!" Velvet added a skip to her step. "I've never been to Las Pegasus. I hope I'll have enough time to actually see something while I'm there, but I might be too busy..."

"As long as you find time to bring me back a souvenir, I'm happy."

They laughed and returned to companionable silence, which allowed Crystal to hear the conversation behind them.

"So, how are you liking Canterlot so far?" Iridescence asked.

Winterspear paused before she replied, "It's pretty different from Cloudsdale, but I think I'm okay with that. Canterlot ponies are pretty... open."

"Oh?" Iridescence's voice raised to a playful tone. "And what does that mean?"

Winterspear laughed softly. "Well, pegasi are either weather ponies or warriors. There are exceptions, but for the most part, that's about it. Weather ponies are usually out dealing with, well, weather, and the warriors that aren't off on guard duty somewhere are busy roaming the city spouting off their parents' ideas. Which are their parents' parents' ideas, and so forth. It's a pretty rigid, old culture, really."

"I didn't know that... I think the idea of an old culture is neat." Iridescence sighed. "Canterlot's culture is so fickle. Something is cool one week and taboo the next. Living here is nothing like Manehattan at all."

Finally, they arrived at the condominium building and Crystal turned her head to the other two mares. "Thank you for escorting us home. Have a good night."

Iridescence smiled. "It's not a problem! I'll see you later!" She waved.

Just as the door was closing behind them, Crystal's ear twitched at Iridescence asking a very particular question to Winterspear: "So... do you want to get a cup of coffee?"

Once they were certainly out of any possible earshot, Crystal looked at Velvet with wide eyes. "Velvet, you don't think—"

"Oh, definitely." She nodded. "That was definitely a pick-up line." She grinned up at the other. "See? You should have let me come to the train station after all!"

Crystal's expression was muddled, somewhere between excited and confused. "I don't know if this is good news or not, honestly."

"Well, I think it's good! Anyway, let's talk about this tomorrow, okay?" She fiddled with the lock and opened the door to their condo. "I'm exhausted."

Crystal stood just inside the doorway, her lips still pursed, until she asked, "Do you want to sit with me a while?"

"Um... Sorry, but what part of exhausted implies I want to stay awake?" Velvet frowned, watching her friend walk inside and across the living room.

Crystal laughed and lifted her quill, levitating a parchment over while she nestled onto a pillow. "Nothing, but I just thought I'd offer, since I think I finally know what I'm going to write."

Velvet's ears perked up and she pranced over. Though her eyes were still tired, her voice was full of cheer as she said, "Offer accepted! What is it going to be about?"

Crystal smiled softly. The quill danced across the paper, putting her thoughts into words with flourishing sweeps and curves. "A tale about a mare and a stallion both trapped in an unrequited love, she for him and he for another..."

"Sounds pretty depressing," Velvet mused.

"I suppose it depends on whether or not she can capture him with Her Silent Love."

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Game Night

Wow! 50 chapters?! I honestly never expected to get this far. It's all thanks to you folks, though. Without your kind words and readership I probably would have petered out long ago! :heart:

Protests of the Lady

"Double, double toil and trouble," Crystal chanted in a playfully low voice. "Fire burn, and kettle bubble."

She stood with her forelegs folded on the kitchen countertop, her head resting on them to gaze at the side of the silent tea kettle. Her tail swished lazily back and forth to the rhythm of her chant.

"Sprig of nettle. Balm of lemon. A rose's red hips. Leaf and root of the yellow'd dandelion. Root of ginger digg'd i' the dar—"

The kettle started to whistle and she gasped, her lips curling into a wide smile. She poured the already infused tea through a strainer and into a cup.

It was her third cup of tea and, consequently, her third experiment. Velvet's particularly sensitive nose didn't care for some of her more aromatic brews, and it had been a while since she had the freedom to throw some herbs together just to see what came out.

Once she finished pouring, she took her time to savor the scent alone. It was rich and full of all sorts of earthy tones: spearmint, rose hips, ginger, dandelion… She licked her lips and once her sense of smell was satisfied, she moved on to the main course of taste by taking a sip.

"Mm." She melted against the counter and sighed contentedly. "This is the life. Nothing can be better than this."

♡

Whump. The little red ball hit the wall, rebounded toward the floor, and bounced back to Crystal.

"Bored." She threw it again. "Bored," she repeated when the ball returned and she threw it once more. Whump. "Bored, bored, bored."

She turned her head to look at the door that hadn't opened all day while the ball rolled past her and came to a stop. Her gaze drifted over to the nearest window and she sighed. The sun was still high in the sky. She had been alone for a whole three hours and she was ready for Velvet to come home.

Crystal rolled over onto her stomach, then stood up. Her joints popped from the motion that was strenuous by comparison to the morning's lack of activity. Her hooves scuffed the floor as she walked into the kitchen and checked the fridge.

"Oh, right." She frowned. "Velvet didn't go shopping." She rolled her eyes and shut the fridge door, turning back to the living room. "I'm too busy! I have to perform for a big crowd in Las Pegasus! Busy, busy, busy!" With a grunt, she flopped back onto the floor. "Well, I'm too lazy."

A paper and quill floated over to her and with her nose held defiantly high, she distracted herself with writing.

Her olive-green eyes flashed in the dim sum of light as she strode across the cream-colored sand, the waves lapping at her hooves like a cat lapping frothy milk. Selene's moon hung above her, a perfectly round white peach in a night sky of deep blackberry hues.

A low groan rumbling from the depths of her stomach alerted her that it was not going to comply with her stubbornness and she forced herself back onto her hooves. "Fine! I get it, I'm hungry!" Her stomach rumbled again. "I'm going already, jeeze."

She knew just where to go. There was one place she could count on to feed her until she was so full that she wouldn't have to go shopping all weekend. She trotted down the street, her legs weak with hunger but urged forward by the promise of food if they carried her just a little further.

The bell above the door chimed to announce her arrival. Pepper Ridge looked up and smiled. "Hi, Crystal! What brings you here?"

Crystal put a hoof to her chest, batting her eyelashes. "Would you believe me if I said your wonderful company?"

Pepper Ridge laughed. "Food it is, then. Come on back. Sunbeam will take care of you."

"You're the best, Papa Pepper!" She smiled as she walked past him and into the back room that doubled as a kitchen and storage.

Sunbeam was resting against a giant pillow, one foreleg draped over her stomach, the other dabbing a wet cloth to her forehead. "Oh, hello, sweetie." She smiled weakly. "I'm sorry, let me get you so—"

"No, no, no! I can do it!" Crystal raised a hoof. "You shouldn't be working at all. He's due in four months, isn't he?" She trotted over to the large fridge and retrieved a pitcher of lemonade. "You look like you could use some of this, too."

Sunbeam scrunched up her nose. "No, thank you. I can't stand sweets." When Crystal looked at her with wide eyes and a loud gasp, she laughed and corrected, "Right now, that is. This little guy's messed up my sense of taste all to Tartarus and back." She covered her mouth. "Excuse my language!"

Crystal giggled and poured herself a glass, then started to rummage around to make herself a tomato and cucumber sandwich. "It's okay. Pregnancy is that much trouble, huh?"

"Oh, I don't want you to think it's not wonderful!" Sunbeam sighed, shaking her head. "It is. I can't wait to meet this little guy. There are just some, well, side effects that I could do without." A grimace overshadowed her expression. "Like the nausea." She paused, glancing at Crystal, who was mid-bite. "Sorry, sweetie." The smile returned in full force. "So, Velvet left you alone with no groceries, huh?"

Crystal nearly choked. "How do you know that?"

Sunbeam's laughter chimed and she rolled off the pillow to land on all four hooves. "Because she said that if she didn't get the groceries before she left, we'd know it because you'd come here looking for food instead of going shopping."

"Her lack of faith in me is disturbing," Crystal muttered between bites of her sandwich. "I thought about going shopping, but I figured this would be more fun."

"Of course, of course." Sunbeam ambled over to the large table set against one wall where a row of bare cupcakes sat. She grunted, shifting her weight to raise one hoof and reaching for a frosting piping bag. Pink magic erupted around it, startling her back a step before she looked at Crystal. "Thank you, sugarlump."

Crystal smiled and walked over to peer at the cupcakes while the bag levitated just above one. "I don't know much about decorating, but I'm pretty sure you won't be able to do much when you can hardly get a hoof off the ground."

"Just keep it simple and it'll turn out just fine." She winked. "I'm going to go sit back down, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind, but I do mind that Pepper let you come in like this." Crystal stared hard at the cupcake as she slowly worked her magic around the piping bag to squeeze out a dollop of pink frosting.

Sunbeam grunted as she lowered into the pillow, then laughed. "Oh, he didn't want me to. I insisted and told him that if he left me alone in the condo, I'd start redecorating the nursery. He just finished doing it himself, so he's rather attached to his work."

Crystal glanced over at her. "I don't get it. Why do you want to be here instead of resting at home?"

"Why are you here instead of shopping?" She giggled. "Because it's better than being alone, of course!" She gazed at Crystal fondly, her eyes soft and smile gentle. "How is your special Silentpony?"

Crystal's ears perked straight up and her magic squeezed a little too hard. "How do you know abou—oh, Velvet, that scamp!" She shook her head. "I don't know. I can't even really explain it. It's not like he's given me any kind of signal whatso—oops, a little too much! Anyway. He's not flirted with me or anything. I have no real reason to like him. I just—"

"—do?" Sunbeam smiled. She patted the empty space beside her on the oversized pillow. "Sweetie, why don't you come here? Nopony's waiting on those cupcakes, anyway. It's a slow day."

Crystal sighed. She set the bag down and walked over, nestling in, squeaking when Sunbeam put a foreleg around her and tugged her closer.

"You know how Pepper and I got together. Well, what if I told you that there's just a teensy bit more to the story?"

Crystal looked up at her with wide eyes. "There is?" She swallowed.

"Oh, don't look at me like that!" Sunbeam bubbled into giggles. "Goodness, I'd swear you were love-traumatized or something if I didn't know you were obsessed with the darn thing, silly filly."

Sunbeam stroked Crystal's mane and sighed wistfully, looking up at the ceiling. "Pepper was the only stallion I felt so comfortable around. When he joined the home economics club and introduced himself, I didn't feel this great, strong, life-altering attraction to him. Poppyseeds, I didn't even feel that when he kissed me!"

Sunbeam laughed and tapped Crystal on the nose. "I know it doesn't sound believable to a pony like you that writes about romance, but I think filly flicks have it all wrong. Love isn't fireworks, because those fizzle out after their brilliance, don't you think?"

Her tone grew softer to continue, "It's constant and gentle, like a river. Dependable and strong." She blinked a few times and laughed once more. "I'm sorry, sweetie; I don't mean to suggest that what you write is wrong but—"

"It is. Everything I've written is wrong!" Crystal exclaimed, smiling in spite of her words. "Mama Sunbeam, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that right now!"

Sunbeam's brow twitched in an effort to not furrow. "You're welcome?"

Crystal threw a hoof around Sunbeam and snuggled against her. "I've been so confused because that's exactly how I feel and I've never heard anypony describe it like that! It's always magical and passionate, so I thought maybe I was mistaken, but how could I explain everything else I felt about him?" She sighed, shaking her head, still smiling. "Thank you, Mrs. Sunbeam. Really."

"I think I like 'Mama Sunbeam' much better." Sunbeam patted her on the head. "Now, why don't we pack you a basket of food to tide you over until Velvet gets home?"

Crystal sat up and slid off the pillow, then trotted over to the fridge. "Okay! I'll pack while you tell me more about you and Papa Pepper." She scanned the fridge's contents. "Ooh, radishes!"

After loading up with a basket full of food, Crystal spent a little more time talking with Sunbeam before she returned home. Though the talk inspired her to make some progress on the draft, it didn't take long for her to spiral back into the lazy comforts of reading magazines the rest of the day. The lack of Velvet's presence made it much easier to lounge around the condo, for better or for worse. Likely worse.

♡

The door creaked open as Velvet walked inside, one hoof already covering her mouth in mid-yawn. "I'm home," she mumbled, her voice slurred from exhaustion.

"Yay!" Crystal leaned back to smile at her upside-down. "You're just in time!"

Velvet glanced at the window. The sun was in the process of setting, illuminating the sky with brilliant orange and red hues. "For what, dinner? Please tell me it's dinner. I didn't get to eat on the train and I am starving."

"Huh? Oh, sure, dinner, yes. Anyway, I need your help." Crystal straightened up and gestured at the coffee table, where two bottles rested. "Which do you like better: blue, pink, or both?"

Velvet dropped down beside her and squinted at the bottles. "Mane 'N Tail Dye? What do you need this for?"

"To dye my mane and tail, of course." Crystal beamed. "Help me pick what would look best! I think the blue might make me look too much like him, but the pink might not be different enough."

Velvet rubbed her temple. "Whoa, girl, slow down. Why are you dying your mane?"

"Because—" She hesitated, the excitement in her expression and voice deflating. "Well, why not?"

"If you don't want to talk about it, fine." Velvet stood up, grumbling as she walked to the kitchen. "But don't drag me into something half-heartedly, especially when I'm hungry, and—oh great, you didn't go shopping. Why would you?"

"We can go shopping after you pick my new mane color!" Crystal fluttered her eyelashes. "Pretty, pretty please?"

Velvet glowered at her. She puffed out her cheeks, growled, then turned and skulked toward the door. "I'll just get some fast food, then."

"Okay, okay, okay!" Crystal jumped to her hooves. "I want to be more punky!"

Velvet stopped. "Uh-huh? And?"

Crystal bit her lower lip and looked down at the floor. "Like Iridescence."

One of Velvet's eyebrows quirked. She slowly closed the door and walked back over, her expression calming from irritated to confused. "Why the hay do you—oh." Her hoof flew to her forehead and the irritation returned in full force. "Crystal! I leave you alone for two and a half days and this is what I come back to?

"What's going to happen when I leave next month for two weeks? You revert back to pre-Equestrian civilization?" She paused, her hoof lowering, her gaze raising. "Oh, by the way, surprise, I have another trip!"

Crystal blinked once, then two more times. "Two weeks? Next month? So soon?"

"Well, yeah. I'm part of the corps now. I told you I'd have to travel someday for work. Well—" She grinned lopsidedly. "It's someday!"

"Oh." Crystal dropped her rump to the floor. "I didn't realize someday was so soon."

Velvet sat in front of her and put a hoof on her shoulder, saying in a serious tone but with a soft smile, "It isn't soon at all. Crystal, we talked about this, like, almost two years ago."

Crystal sighed, keeping her gaze fixated on the patterns in the wood grain. "I know, but I've just gotten used to having you around. I don't think I'm ready to be alone."

"Then I guess we'll just have to make some progress on your Silent situation." Velvet looked over at the bottles of dye. "So, let's start with you explaining why you want to look like Iridescence."

Crystal followed her gaze and levitated the blue bottle, bringing it closer to them. "Silent Knight doesn't notice me as I am, so maybe if I look more like the kind of mare he likes, I can get him to look my way."

"So your grand, genius plan is to get him to like you because you look like his ex-marefriend?" Velvet asked, her tone deadpan.

Crystal fell silent for a moment. Slowly, she lowered the bottle back to the table. "When you put it like that, it sounds rather awful."

"Uh-huh. Logic tends to do that. But," she started, a grin overtaking her as she stood up and grabbed both bottles, "that doesn't mean I can't have a little fun!" She cackled and bounded toward the bathroom, shutting the door behind her.

Crystal slumped against the coffee table and waited. She didn't have to wait long, however, as a few moments later a shriek pierced the air. She jumped to her hooves, running to the bathroom door, which opened and a multi-colored Velvet ran out. They nearly collided, instead skidding past each other and turning to stare with mirrored wide-eyed expressions.

"Velvet, you're—"

"What the hay?! Is this some kind of prank?!" Velvet glared at her.

Crystal's feelings were bouncing between amused and concerned. A grin tried to take hold of her expression but she quickly tried to smother it. "No, I swear, it's not!" She cleared her throat and turned to the front door. "We have to get you to Runic. I'm sure he has a perfectly reasonable explanation and cure for this."

Velvet whined, shrinking back a few steps. "I don't want to go out looking like a rainbow farted on me!"

A bark of laughter escaped Crystal. She levitated a pair of sunglasses and a hat over to Velvet and headed out the door. "Come on, we should hurry in case there are side effects."

"Side effects?!" Velvet squeaked. She hurried after Crystal, tugging the hat over her face. "Oh my gosh, Crystal, if this is permanent, I am going to murder you."

They made it to the Phial and Filly in record time, Velvet running ahead with a panicked speed. She tugged on the door to no avail, banged on it with one hoof, then looked at Crystal. "It's locked! He's gone!"

Crystal gestured and trotted around the side. "He's probably in the back conducting"—a flash of light and a series of crackling pops came from an ajar door on the side of the building—"an experiment."

Runic stumbled out the door, coughing and gasping for fresh air. He turned his head to see Velvet rapidly approaching him. "Hello?"

Velvet grabbed him by the front of his vest. "Fix this!"

Runic smiled. "Fix what?"

One of Velvet's hooves let go of him to raise up and flick the hat off her head, then removed her sunglasses. She stared at him with narrowed eyes. "Me!"

"Oh, hi, Velvet!" His smile widened. "I didn't recognize you!"

"I know!" she shouted. Her right lower eyelid twitched.

Runic leaned some to look around her at Crystal. "Is she okay?"

Crystal shook her head, hiding her grin behind a hoof. "No. She used the mane and tail dye I bought from you."

Runic's gaze returned to Velvet. "But I only sold you pink and blue dye." He paused, then gasped. "Oh, did you use them together? You shouldn't do that."

Velvet seethed while Crystal asked, "Why didn't you tell me that when you bought them?"

"You said you were going to use blue or pink. You didn't say blue and pink, so I didn't recommend the kind that can be mixed because I assumed you knew."

Velvet shook him by his vest. "I don't care about that. I just want to be pink again!"

"Well, there's the easy way, and the hard way." Runic smiled. "Which way would you prefer?"

"I don't know." Velvet glanced at Crystal, who shrugged, then back at Runic. She replied with questioning hesitancy, "The easy way?"

Runic put his hooves on hers, lifted them away from him, and trotted inside. "Come on in! I'll just find my razor and we'll take care of your problem!"

"A razor? You're going to shave me? No, no, no, no!" Velvet grabbed his tail and tugged on it. "The hard way, then! No shaving!"

Crystal walked in and sat on a stool to watch with mild amusement. "Short coats are in for this summer, you know." She laughed when Velvet glared at her.

Runic sighed and changed his direction over to a table. "Fine, but the hard way involves this potion." He picked it up, paused to take a quick whiff, nodded, and held it out. "Drink this."

Velvet whined, "But using a potion is what got me in this mess in the first place!"

"No, you used mane dye, not a potion." He smiled. "Trust me! I had to develop this after Silent Knight kept turning himself pink."

Crystal sputtered, "P—Pink? Silent Knight? Why in Equestria—"

Velvet waved her forelegs. "Let's focus on the real issue here! How is this potion the hard way if you already had it made?"

"Huh? Oh, no, that's not the hard part. You have to drink it and, from what Silent Knight said, it tastes awful."

Velvet looked at the phial in her hooves. Her lower lip trembled the more she stared at it. Finally, her expression hardened along with her resolve as she tilted her head back and downed the greyish-blue liquid in one gulp. She tore the potion away from her lips once she had drained it.

"Ugh!" Velvet wiped her mouth on the back of her foreleg, grimacing. "That is—" She belched. Not just a little bit, either.

Her eyes widened in surprise at the sound that had escaped her and before she could apologize, a puff of steam rose from her whole body. The rainbow colors dissipated, leaving behind her natural pink and mauve self.

"—amazing!" Velvet stared down at herself in awe.

Crystal clapped. "It worked!"

Runic beamed at them. "Of course! Now, Velvet, if you really wanted to be blue and pink, I can get you some—"

"No!" Velvet shrieked and ran out the door.

Runic tilted his head, blinking a few times, then shrugged. "Oh well." He looked over at Crystal with a smile. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"Nope. That'll do it for today. Have a good evening, Runic!" She slid off the stool and trotted outside to chase down Velvet before she could flee the city in terror.

Silent Conspiracy

Velvet followed closely behind Crystal, glancing around nervously. They walked down the halls of the palace, and once the armor of the guards they passed changed from the standard issue to the notable purple hues of Princess Luna's House Guard, Velvet whispered, "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Of course I'm sure." Crystal nodded. "Luna asked specifically if she could see you before you left. It will just be you, me, her, and maybe a guard, so you don't have to worry so much."

Velvet swallowed audibly. "I guess if I embarrass myself a third time, at least none of your friends will be around to see it." Her ears twitched and she frowned. "Well, except for your friend, the freaking Princess of the Night. No big deal!"

Crystal laughed, flashing a smile at the guard posted outside Luna's chambers, and led Velvet through the opened door. "Hi Luna!"

Princess Luna looked up from her desk. She smiled and stood up. "Greetings, Crystal." Her ears perked when she noticed Velvet. "And a most welcome greeting to thee, Velvet Step!"

Velvet stiffened. Her gait became wooden as she walked the rest of the way to the seating area. "He—Hello, Princess Luna."

Luna frowned, albeit playfully. "Please, Velvet Step, thou mayest call me Luna."

"I'm not sure I can do that Princess, um, Luna." Velvet twiddled her hooves and stared at the floor. "It doesn't seem proper."

"'Tis so?" Luna laughed and settled onto the couch across from them. "Thou remindest me of a guard." She winked at Crystal, who flushed.

Velvet perked up at the opportunity with a smile. "Oh yeah? Would that guard happen to also be a Knight?"

A grin spread across Luna's face that was almost out of place on her otherwise elegant and regal features. "Verily."

The tension in her muscles relaxing, Velvet scooted forward to the edge of her seat. "Does that mean you're my ally in this endeavor, Luna?"

"Thine ally?" The grin twisted into a smirk. "Nay, Velvet Step, I believe it is thou who art my servant in this endeavor."

"Then I am at your service, my lady," Velvet said with the best flourishing bow she could manage while sitting on a sofa.

Luna and Velvet held a moment of silence before the two of them burst into giggles while Crystal squirmed. "Are you both sure you're talking about the same thing?"

"Of course," Luna said, lifting her nose in the air. "The well-being and mental health of my subjects is a great interest of mine."

Velvet wrapped a foreleg around Crystal's neck and pulled her close. "It's going to take a lot of effort to get this one's mental health well."

"Hey!" Crystal pouted.

Luna looked between them a moment before she laughed. "'Tis a good and noble thing to have a friend such as thou hast, Crystal."

"I know," Velvet said, puffing out her chest. "But let's get back to the issue at hoof. Luna, how long have you been in on the Silent quest?"

Luna arched her brow. "How long?" She scoffed and gestured at Crystal with a vague, almost dismissive wave of her hoof. "Before this one was aware, certainly."

"What!" Crystal tried to hide her heavy blush by slouching against the couch and rubbing her cheeks. "Why is this happening to me?" she asked in a drawn-out whine.

"Then answer me this." Velvet leaned in, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Does the Knight know?"

Luna paused. She seemed to hesitate, glancing at Crystal, then at the door that led out of her chambers, then finally back at Velvet. "We do not feel it is proper to speak for our House Guard on personal matters."

Velvet sighed and slumped forward. "Aww."

"But," Luna continued in a higher, almost coy voice, "we do know that some guards oft have lunch late, or skip it altogether, and 'tis growing close to the midday hour." She winked as Velvet jumped to her hooves. "Left down the hall, second door on the right."

"Thank you, Luna!" Velvet chirped, grabbing Crystal's hoof and tugging her off the couch. "We're getting lunch!"

Crystal's face grew even redder. "Are you serious?"

Luna waved them off while Velvet urged Crystal toward the door. "Have a good afternoon!"

Once outside and the door closed behind them, Velvet let go of Crystal and pranced ahead to lead the way. Crystal sighed, trying to regain her composure, but her face remained flushed.

"I wanted you two to bond, but I didn't expect it to happen like this," Crystal muttered.

Velvet looked over her shoulder to flash a mischievous grin. "Me neither, but now I realize we're on the same team! I have to put personal fears aside when it comes to business, you know."

"I guess if you feel better, I feel better, too." She stiffened and her eyes widened. "Velvet," she whispered, "that's his office."

"Oh, it looks like—" Velvet tilted her head to the side. "It looks like all the other office doors. Who would've thought?" She walked up to it and knocked twice before pushing it open.

Silent Knight looked up from his desk, his gaze flickering between the two faces hovering at the door, and smiled. "Good morning, ladies." He stood up and straightened to polite attention. "What brings you by?"

Velvet jabbed her elbow into Crystal's side, grinning.

Crystal sucked in a squeaky breath, fought the urge to glare at Velvet, and forced a polite smile instead. "Hi, Sergeant. Velvet Step and I were thinking of getting lunch and Princess Luna mentioned you probably hadn't eaten yet." Velvet giggled quietly behind her and she continued, "Would you care to join us?"

Silent Knight paused. He glanced at a clock and blinked in surprise. "Princess Luna would be correct." He started to walk around the desk. "I'd hate to be a third wheel, but I would be happy to go to lunch with the two prettiest mares in Canterlot." He smiled and Crystal's heart fluttered.

Crystal playfully arched an eyebrow. "Oh, and since when did you learn flattery, Sergeant Knight?"

Silent's smile cracked and he admitted with a sheepish grin, "Mares Monthly. Winterspear leaves them around and I get bored sometimes, so…" He trailed off, shrugging.

Velvet hopped forward and chimed in, "Well, I can assure you that you definitely won't be a third wheel, so come along."

Silent walked ahead to lead the way. With his attention focused away from them, Crystal looked at Velvet and giggled. Velvet rolled her eyes, grinned, and nodded her head toward Silent.

"That plot," she mouthed.

Crystal turned bright red, but couldn't help stealing a glance as she bumped her shoulder to Velvet's. "Stop it," she hissed.

"Where do you recommend for lunch, Crystal Wishes?" Silent asked, his voice startling Crystal into a stiff, upright posture. "I really liked the place you chose before."

"Last time?" Velvet asked in a hushed tone.

"Shh." Crystal bumped her again and cleared her throat to reply, "Oh, if you have time, I know of a place you might like, but it's a little further from the palace."

The helmeted head in front of them bobbed up and down. "I always have time for the two of you."

This prompted Velvet and Crystal to glance at each other in brief confusion before Velvet just grinned and shrugged.

"Just head toward Sunridge Sweets," Crystal said. "I'll stop you when we get there."

The helmet bobbed again. "Yes, ma'am."

They walked in relative silence aside from Velvet's quiet giggles and playful teases that made Crystal blush and fidget. When they were just a block away from Sunridge Sweets, Crystal trotted forward to catch Silent's attention. "There it is." She pointed at a small cafe. "It's such a nice day, so we can eat outside, if you'd like."

"That sounds nice." He smiled and changed direction to head toward the cafe. He stopped to pull out a seat and gestured for Crystal to sit, then did the same for Velvet.

"Thank you, Sergeant." Crystal smiled and folded her hooves in her lap.

"Such a gentlepony," Velvet teased, giggling.

Silent sat across from them, took off his helmet, and set it on the empty seat. "I try."

Crystal turned her head to look at the street beyond the fence that defined them as 'in the restaurant' as opposed to loitering. "It's a busy day today, isn't it?"

Velvet rested her elbow on the table and her chin on her hoof. "Don't mind her. She likes to watch crowds."

Silent glanced up from looking over the food selections. "Oh?" He tilted his head just slightly. "Is it research for your novels?"

"Huh?" Crystal looked back at them. "Perhaps it's a little bit of that. I also just like pony watching, I suppose." She giggled and reached over to tap at a section on his menu. "Anyway, their grilled vegetables here are top notch."

"Then that's what I'll get," Silent said, closing the menu and setting it down. He glanced between their own untouched menus. "Do you two already know what you want?" When they nodded, he flagged down a waiter with a wave of one hoof.

"Hello, ma'ams and sir; are you ready to order?"

"I'll take a zucchini and avocado panini, please," Crystal said, sliding her menu toward the center of the table.

Velvet smiled when the waiter looked to her. "Grilled vegetables with feta and mint!"

"And you, sir?"

Silent hedged a moment longer before he decided on, "Grilled zucchini and onion on a sub roll."

"Very good. I'll have your orders out shortly."

Crystal smiled and, after the waiter walked away, her gaze flickered from Silent to the ponies walking by. "Zucchini is probably one of my favorite vegetables."

"Oh? It is definitely my favorite." Silent inclined his head to peer at the crowd with her.

Velvet glanced between the two of them with one brow arched. She let them carry on in silence before she cleared her throat. "So how are things as the, uh, first sergeant, right?"

Silent's ear swiveled toward her and his gaze met hers. "I seem qualified. My unit is great and I'm very proud of them all, so being first sergeant allows me to spend more time with everypony, including Princess Luna."

Slowly, Velvet's head tilted to the side. Crystal giggled and explained in a playfully loud whisper, "What he means is that things are good and he likes the flexibility."

"Oh." Velvet straightened up and smiled. "Good! So, what exactly is a first sergeant, anyway?"

"My rank," he said. "My position is unit sergeant, which is the senior-most, non-commissioned officer of the unit. The lieutenant's second in command, essentially."

There was a lull as Velvet's confusion returned. She looked at Crystal for help, but this time all she got was a smile and a shrug in response.

Silent cleared his throat. "Anyway, so from what I understand, your parents are known for the best sweets in Canterlot, right?"

"Yes!" Velvet chirped, beaming at him. "It's really an amazing feat that they've been known for their sweets for years, thanks to Crystal. She always keeps an eye on the fads and steers my parents in the right direction so they never go out of style."

Velvet's ears drooped and her gaze fell to the table. She added in an almost bitter mumble, "They're doing so well, in fact, that I don't really know why I don't just work at the bakery. I don't think I'll ever compare to their success."

Crystal frowned. "Velvet?" She leaned in and gently nuzzled her. "Are you that nervous about your new role in the big tour?" Both of their heads bobbed as Velvet nodded. "Listen, you've loved dancing your whole life. Now that you get to be on stage and you're going on tours, as long as you keep working as hard as you always have, everypony will know what I know: that you're an amazing dancer."

Silent nodded. "She's right, you know. Hard work always pays off." He tilted his head and asked, "What is the big tour, by the way?"

Velvet sniffed and pulled away from Crystal. "Thanks, you two." She rubbed at her eyes. "We just found out that I'm going to be playing Kitri in Don Quicolte. Beryl Waltz broke her leg and her understudy is sick."

Silent just stared at her with a blank expression and she elaborated, "It's a principal role in the ballet. Um, main? Important? Lieutenant?"

He chuckled and nodded. "I follow, but that sounds like something to celebrate."

Velvet sighed, her shoulders drooping. "It would be, if I didn't have only two days before I go perform for tons of ponies in all the major cities when I've only had a week and a half to practice it for real instead of for fun." She whimpered, and Crystal patted her on the shoulder.

Silent smiled. "Well, it seems to me like your hard work is already paying off if you got the role, so congratulations. I'll have to get tickets to one of your shows sometime."

Velvet managed a smile. "Thanks, I guess."

The waiter returned, balancing two plates on his back and one on his head. "Here you are!" He maneuvered the plates onto the table and slid them to their respective owners. "Enjoy your meals. Just let me know if there's anything else you need!"

Silent went straight to his meal while Crystal continued to try and reassure Velvet.

"You already know the role pretty well, don't you?" She raised her panini and took a bite.

Velvet poked at her salad with a fork. "Well, yes, of course. It's my dream role! I know all the girls want to snag a Giselle or Odette, but Kitri is so much more fun!"

"Then you'll be fine." She nodded curtly. "I'm confident in you."

Velvet paused, then frowned and said in a hushed tone, "Um, Crystal, you have a little…"

"Hmm?" Crystal didn't look away from her panini.

Velvet raised a hoof to gesture vaguely at her own cheek. "Ahem."

Crystal finally looked over and furrowed her brow. "What?"

Velvet sighed, rolled her eyes, and reached out a napkin to wipe off a bit of avocado that had gotten smeared on Crystal's cheek. "There."

Crystal flushed. One hoof flew to the spot where the rogue food had been and she looked at Silent with embarrassment plastered on her face. He looked distinctly at the table, continuing to munch on his sandwich.

A sigh of relief escaped her and she continued to eat, though with much more care than normal. Instead of the occasional dab with a napkin, she kept the white cloth hovering near her face and wiped the corners of her lips after every bite. Velvet hid her amusement by shoving more spinach in her own mouth.

Once she finished her sandwich, Crystal asked, "Did I hear correctly that Princess Luna's House Guard found a new lieutenant to replace Haze?"

Silent nodded. "Yes. I think he'll be a good fit and won't be a problem like the former lieutenant. He certainly won't interrupt any of Princess Luna's scheduled appointments, or book discussions."

"Yes. That was certainly—" Crystal paused, then finished, "Awkward."

"Indeed. It was awkward, inappropriate, and foolish." He looked down at his empty plate with a frown, then back up with a smile. "I should get back to work. I hope you two will forgive me for leaving so soon."

"Always, Sergeant Knight." Crystal smiled.

Velvet put down her fork and waved. "Thank you for joining us!"

Silent nodded, put his helmet back on, and went inside to pay for his meal. When he was out of earshot, Crystal sighed and slumped forward. "So, do you see what I mean?"

"Oh, you're just being too impatient. He's a stallion." Velvet laughed and waved dismissively. "You have to be patient with them!"

"Mm, I suppose." She turned her chair some to face Velvet. "What am I going to do without you around to keep my head level?"

Velvet flicked her square in the middle of her forehead, grinning. "You grow up, of course."

Crystal sputtered a few incoherent comebacks before she huffed, then wrapped her forelegs around Velvet's neck. "I'm really going to miss you, but I know you'll have a lot of fun. You have to write to me as soon as you get to your first stop, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. There's just one problem."

"What?" Crystal pulled back to frown at her.

"Silent just walked by while you were hugging me. You don't want him to get the wrong idea, do you?"

"What?" Crystal repeated, this time in a high-pitched squeak. She jerked her head to the side to see Silent Knight walking away and frowned. "Wait, no, don't be silly. I've seen him hug Runic, and I didn't get the wrong idea."

Velvet giggled. "Runic's his cousin, though."

Crystal slid out of her chair and started toward the door, blowing a raspberry over her shoulder. "And you might as well be my sister, so it's essentially the same thing!"

After they paid for their meals and were on the walk home, Velvet heaved a great sigh. "Hey, Crystal?" She glanced at her. "Do you think our cutie marks are what we're good at, or what we love to do?"

Crystal shrugged quickly and without interrupting her gait. "Why can't it be both?"

"I'm just saying. I love dancing. I love being on stage. When I got into the corps, I thought that was enough and that I'd be happy with just being able to be on the stage every night, not just when they needed a stand-in. What if I really, really like playing Kitri, but I'm not good enough and I ruin my chances of ever being a prima?"

Velvet's words fell out faster and faster as panic rushed in behind her voice. "Not everypony with a dancing cutie mark can be great enough to go prima, or else there'd be no ponies in the corps or struggling as understudies! What if I never get a lead role again?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Crystal put a foreleg around her, pulling her close. "Why are you so scared of this today? You've been excited all month for this tour!"

Velvet sucked in a ragged breath and shook her head. "That was before I got the role! Crystal, I'm sorry, but Celestia help me, I'm not prepared for a spotlight. Think about it, okay? Where would my parents' bakery be if it weren't for your help? Nowhere. Sure, I can get by if I'm in the background, but with everypony's eyes on me, judging my every move, I'm not so sure. I don't know if I'm strong enough to do this on my own, and I can't even go to you for help!"

"Velvet, listen to me." Crystal stopped Velvet in her tracks, stepped ahead, and turned around to face her. "Yes, I helped your parents out way back then, but I didn't get them to where they are today. Their cupcakes and cookies and milkshakes did, and I had nothing to do with that. I don't help you half as much as you help me, but if I'm going to do anything for you, it's this." She raised a hoof and slapped Velvet upside the head. "You're a great dancer and you'll do great."

Velvet yelped, then laughed. She rubbed at her eyes, mumbling, "I'm sorry. I'm just scared and it's really getting to me, I guess. I've never really been scared of something before. At least, not like this." She sighed and shook her head. "I've always been the one who kicked your rump into place, but who's going to do that for me when I'm halfway across Equestria?"

Crystal put on a serious face, her jaw set and her brow furrowed. "You will, because you're stronger than you give yourself credit for."

Velvet sighed. She shrugged and started walking toward the condo again. "I hope you're right."

"I know I'm right," Crystal corrected. "Now, we don't have a lot of time before you leave, but it sounds like you could use a spa day!"

"A spa day?" Velvet ruminated on the idea, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "That does sound nice, actually."

Crystal hooked her foreleg around Velvet's and tugged her off-course. "Then to the spa!"

Velvet slowly smiled, then perked up, trotting alongside her instead of being dragged along. "Thank you, Crystal."

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: What a Mare Wants

Chocolate Roses

Music drifted throughout the condo from a brand-new record player, quiet enough to not disturb any neighbors at that late hour of the night, but loud enough to move Crystal's hooves and hips almost of their own accord.

Slowly, slowly, you will fall in love, the recorded voice sang.

The path of love is difficult; it's bound by shyness

It's a strange war with myself; this heart worries all the time.

As she lifted a piece of paper and a quill, she mumbled, "Oh, Silent Knight, what am I going to do about you?"

The quill bobbed up and down as it scribbled along the page when she stopped talking long enough to focus on the story.

"You're no help, you know." She giggled. "You can write all these fanciful situations, but they'll never happen."

The quill added a period with an irritated plik.

"Yes, yes, I'm sorry. Let's see what you've done." She lowered the quill and scanned the page.

He put a hoof to her chin and forced her to look at him. "What are you trying to say?" She tried to pull away, but his hoof held her still, forcing her to confront him. "Talk to me, please."

She sighed and set the paper down on the coffee table. "Oh, I'd talk to you, big boy, if you'd just ask me to."

Her ear twitched at the sound of three short, quick knocks.

"Just a minute!" she called, her magic flaring. The record player shut off and she flipped a few more lights on before she went to the door and opened it. Her knees went weak and her breath caught in her throat as she squeaked, "Oh!" She swallowed.

There he was, standing in full armor, looking down at her with those calming silver eyes. A tuft of blue mane poked out from under his helmet, the only thing out of place in his otherwise proper appearance.

"Silent Knight," she breathed more than said as she struggled not to swoon.

Realization hit her and the love-struck warmth froze with a horrified chill. One hoof flew to her mane, which was pulled up in a messy bun, then lowered to the silky robe that was draped over her form. She was in embarrassing disarray.

"I'm so sorry, I'm a mess! Let me freshen—"

Silent shook his head. "No, you're fine, Crystal Wishes. It's my fault for disturbing you at this hour." He removed his helmet and tucked it under his foreleg. "I know that Velvet is away on her trip and I wanted to make sure you were doing all right by yourself."

Crystal blinked a few times, her hoof continuing to fidget with her robe. "Really?" She felt her face grow warm. "That's really sweet of you, Sergeant. Please come in. Would you like some tea?" She stepped off to the side and pulled the door all the way open.

"No, but thank you." He nodded and walked inside. He took a moment to look around, his expression an unwavering neutral, before he looked at her and smiled. "So, how are you doing?"

Crystal walked over to the pillows. "I'm perfectly all right. Won't you have a seat?" She settled down and gestured at the one across from her. Her gaze followed him as he walked over and carefully lowered himself, careful to not catch the plush material on the edges of his armor.

"I had known she was going to travel when we first moved in together," she continued. "I miss her, but I know it's good for her. Her last letter seemed very positive about her performance. At this rate, she'll be going on tour several times a year to perform in other cities." She smiled. "It's a wonderful opportunity and I only want the best for her."

Silent's eyes took on an unfamiliar softness as he said, "I know that you, of all ponies, truly mean that. You are one of the kindest ponies I know, Crystal Wishes."

Crystal couldn't fight the blush that she was sure showed through her off-white coat. "Oh, you flatterer." She giggled. "Thank you."

"Anyway, she'll be back soon, won't she?"

"Not soon enough." Crystal sighed. "But I am getting better at being on my own. Now, enough about me." She tilted her head. "You got off work late but still found the time to drop by just to check in on me, but you call me the kind pony?"

"It's an occupational hazard." He paused, then clarified, "I mean staying late. Seeing a good friend is a pleasure, not a hazard at all."

Crystal giggled behind one hoof. "I understand. So, what was the hazard today that kept you?"

Silent rubbed his cheek, a grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "Oh, well. You know Thunder Tumble?" She nodded. "Well, he got in a bit of a tussle with one of the new rookies on Princess Celestia's House Guard."

"What? Thunder Tumble?" She blinked. "But he's so sweet!"

"He is. Until somepony throws a punch." He chuckled and shook his head. One hoof raised to smooth his helmet-mussed mane. "From what I was told, they were having a debate over who had the best unit sergeant and some less than flattering comparisons were made regarding my rigidity. Thunder, well, he didn't take too kindly to what was said."

Crystal broke out into short but heartfelt laughter. "He was defending your honor?"

Silent seemed to fight it, his mouth wriggling a moment, before he laughed with her and nodded. "It seems so."

"And how did you handle having your honor defended like a maiden?" She tried not to grin.

"Honestly, it was a little embarrassing. Sunny Day and I managed to separate them and we agreed that we'd handle our respective guards ourselves." He shifted some, glancing down at the pillow beneath him. The one he had selected was a little small for a stallion his size, so he had to be sure to not shift himself right off it. "Thunder was pretty upset. It took a while just to get him to calm down enough just to talk about it rationally."

She almost laughed, but the sound instead came out as a chuffle when a thought struck her. "Oh, dear, he won't be in much trouble, will he? His intentions were in the right place, after all."

"Don't worry." Silent shook his head. "He'll receive a small slap on the hoof because he should have been the bigger pony. He really knocked the other guard down a peg or two, though. Off the record, just between you and me, I'm proud of him. He won the fight hooves down, no question about it."

"You're proud of him for winning a fight?" She laughed this time, but she did manage to cover it politely with one hoof. "I don't know that I understand stallions sometimes."

Silent shrugged and explained, "My father always taught me to never start a fight but if somepony else did, I had better finish it, and that's exactly what Thunder did."

Crystal paused. She blinked a few times, her gaze focusing on nothing in particular as a feeling of deja vu tickled the back of her neck before she shook her head once to chase it away. "That makes sense in some way, I suppose."

There was a small pause before Silent smiled. "Oh, how is your new book coming? Princess Luna is very eager to get her hooves on it as soon as possible. She said you're working on something special. I think she's your biggest fan, from what I can tell."

Crystal turned her head to look at the sofa. It was really an odd size between a sofa and a loveseat and it served more as a desk than a seating area. In fact, since she had bought it, she hadn't actually sat on it once. At that moment it was covered with pages, some blank and others full of notes.

She finally relented with a sigh, "It is, well, it's coming along. I'm trying something—how do I put it—new, you might say, but it's also somewhat unfamiliar territory for me." Her tail lashed to curl around her as she glanced at him. "I've been stuck on something for a few days now, actually. Every time I try to plan it, it either falls flat or feels forced. I could use a stallion's perspective, if you don't mind?"

Silent's ears perked. "Not at all. I'd be happy to help."

Crystal's heart broke into a thunderous pounding in her chest and her words caught in her throat. She took a small breath and forced the question out despite her nerves. "As a stallion, if you found yourself in love with two ponies, how would you choose between them?"

Silent looked at her with his brow raised in surprise. He blinked a few times and admitted, "You might not like my answer, I'm afraid."

With the way her heart pounded faster and her mouth went dry, she was fairly certain she was the one who was afraid at that moment. "Try me."

Silent shrugged. "Well, I would first make a list of why I thought I loved them. If it really was love, couldn't I explain why I felt that way? If I couldn't, that might make it easier to realize I only really loved one, or perhaps neither."

Crystal nodded slowly. He was right; the idea of an intangible list didn't help her much at all. She licked her lips and pressed, "So you make a list for the first pony, and another for the second. What then?"

Silent took a deep breath and released it slowly as he gave the question more thought. Finally, he answered, his voice low and careful, "I guess I would have to decide on the long-term traits I want in a partner. When I imagine being in love, I'm not worried about whether she's beautiful or rich. True love is a long-term commitment and those are temporary things. I'd love the pony that is patient and kind, who would put her desires after my own but know when to let me do the same for her. She would be my friend and confidant, somepony I could tell anything without her judging me."

He didn't look at her, instead looking at his hooves as they shifted to cross left over right. "Infatuation is one thing, but for true love, I'd take the mare who was sweet to me and looked out for me. That is how I'd know she was the one, since there can't be two ponies like that, can there? If I really had to make lists, then they would make it clear which one was true love and which was just infatuation."

Silence followed his words as Crystal stared at him, struck speechless. She started to smile and fought to keep it from growing to a full-on beam. She tried to speak, but her voice came out instead as a whisper. "I had no idea you were a romantic."

He shrugged. "Perhaps I am. Or perhaps I'm waiting for a pony that doesn't exist, but I can wait if she does. I'd rather get the right one later than settle for the wrong one just because she came along sooner."

"I am certain a mare like that exists, Silent Knight." Crystal reached out and put a hoof on his, lifting it to slip her other underneath so she could hold it gingerly. "And I'm certain you'll see her, eventually."

Silent stared at her, then smiled. "For some reason, I believe you." He slipped his hoof out of her grasp and stood up. "Anyway, I should let you get to bed. I didn't mean to keep you up so late. Thank you, Crystal Wishes."

Crystal blinked a few times and tilted her head. "Why are you thanking me?"

"I came here to make sure you were okay, but instead, you made me feel more hopeful about my prospects of love all of a sudden. So, thank you for that. You are the sweetest pony I know." He picked up his helmet and started to set it on his head.

Before he could revert back to his stoic self under the safety of his complete uniform, Crystal asked, "Oh, sergeant, out of curiosity, are you doing anything for Hearts and Hooves Day?" Her heart fluttered eagerly, excitedly.

Silent paused, then shook his head and replied, "Iridescence and Miley Hooves asked me to cover for them. They had plans and I didn't, so I'll be on duty. Why do you ask?"

"Oh." The fluttering calmed down, her excitement deflated in an instant. "I see. I suppose I will end up spending the day with Velvet, since she'll be back by then and I currently don't have anything else planned."

"I'm sure you two will have fun," Silent said with a smile and turned for the door. "Good night, Crystal Wishes."

"Good night," she called after him just before the door shut. She dropped her head down to rest on her hooves, letting the events roll around in her mind until they came to a boil and she sprung to her hooves. "I'm kind! I can put you before myself!" She started to prance around the room, her tail and head held high. "And I most certainly can continue to be patient!"

Her hoof landed on a loose sheet of paper and she slipped, stumbling forward but catching herself just before she fell. She glanced around to ensure the condo was still as empty as it should have been, then closed the distance between herself and the record player. The lights dimmed and the needle lowered to the record, which started to spin.

Have a little patience, my love

Take a deep breath, my dear

Crystal shifted her weight to stand on her hindlegs and began to waltz across the living room floor, the silk night robe sweeping behind her, reminiscent of a ball gown.

Go shoo all the fears away, my love

Life is too short for that

She had practiced the waltz and other ballroom dances more times than she would ever use over the course of her life, but the over-practice did mean that her legs could step and twirl without too much thought. It freed up her mind to focus on other things, like imagining her forelegs were wrapped around a strong, muscular stallion, and his held her securely but gently…

Slowly, slowly, you will fall in love, my dear

Slowly, slowly, you will fall in love…

♡

The usual sounds of the cafe buzzed around them: cups clinked against their saucers, steam hissed from the espresso maker, and quiet chatter echoed from all directions. Crystal sipped her tea while Raven pored over the loosely bound papers levitating in front of her, held by her magic.

"Okay," Raven said once she finished reading and raised her head to peer across the table at Crystal, "so I'm fairly certain I know who Stoutheart is modeled after. Do you have something to confess?"

Crystal's ears perked straight up. "If you already know, then what point is there in confessing?" She smiled and took another sip of tea.

"To rid your conscience of guilt, of course." Raven leaned back into her seat and laughed. "So, should I take this to mean that since we last spoke, your situation has gotten better?" A coy smile curled her lips. "Will I be seeing even more of you at the castle now?"

"It's too soon to say." Crystal reached out and tapped on the papers. "But, about the matter at hoof?"

Raven blinked and looked down. "Oh, yes. It's a good start. It has a different feel than your usual work." She quickly raised a hoof. "Not in a bad way, of course. It's just clear to me that you're putting your feelings into this, instead of others'. The Mare's Temptation was a lot of me, and The Princess of the Knight was just—" She shrugged. "Fantasy?"

Crystal twiddled her hooves, staring at the table, her face heating up. "I suppose that's all true. This story is much more personal to me than the others." Her head jerked up and she frowned at Raven. "Do you think it's too personal? What if nopony can relate to it? What—"

"Oh, calm down." Raven laughed softly. "I said it was different and not in a bad way, didn't I? It feels real, and that's a good thing. You're growing as an author, and you should be proud of that." Her expression grew playful as she teasingly added, "You're also growing as a mare, and you should tell me more about that."

Crystal huffed. "This seems awfully familiar."

"It does, doesn't it? 'Oh, please, tell me about your love story, I'm so desperate to hear one!'" Raven laughed again, shaking her head. "Now you're the one with a love story who won't share the details, and we're friends! I was a complete stranger then and I told you about my love life!"

Crystal gathered up her papers and tucked them into her saddlebags, shaking her head. "There's not much to tell, at least, not yet. He's not aware that I have feelings for him, but I can be patient." She giggled. "I have waited this long to fall for somepony, after all, so I can wait a little longer."

"Hmm." Raven tapped her hooves on the table. "I can help out, you know. I run into him a lot, given how close he is to Princess Luna. Though, I suppose you'll want to make friends with Willow, given that, hopefully soon, she'll be taking over that side of the castle."

Raven sighed heavily. "It will be so nice to have some free time. Moving in with Moore has let me see him more,"—she giggled at the lyrical ease with which the sentence fell off her tongue—"but I'm still stressed by the workload. Willow is competent, though a little headstrong."

"Headstrong?" Crystal blinked. "She seemed fairly normal the times I've met her."

Raven let out a small sound that was a cross between a chuckle and a groan. "She's anything but! Granted, she can shift a schedule around in her mind like nopony I've ever met, but she takes the job too seriously. Princess Luna seems to like her, however, because Willow can always find time for the things she wants to do in between what she has to."

"I think you're just a little jealous because Luna might like her more than you." She giggled when Raven scoffed.

"Well, that false accusation aside, that does remind me. Velvet is back, isn't she?" Crystal nodded, and she continued, "How did her first big tour go?"

"Wonderfully. Just as I predicted, she wasn't laughed off the stage or anything dramatic like that. She made a few nervous fumbles the first night, but after a few performances I guess she got into a groove because she came back with tons of bouquets. We're still trying to find recipes to use them in so they don't go to waste."

Crystal laughed and added, "Anyway, do you and Moore have any plans tonight after you get off work?"

Raven's mood swung to that of a school filly as she twiddled her hooves. "Oh, yes! He said he made reservations for dinner, so I had to pack a nice gown to change into so I can go straight from the castle to there." She squirmed in her seat. "I know we've had dinner before, but this is our first Hearts and Hooves Day together, and he said it would be special. I can't help but be excited!"

Crystal gasped and leaned in. "Do you think he's going to propose?!"

"What? No!" She paused, then gasped as well. "Oh my Celestia, what if he does?"

Crystal stared at her with wide eyes, the corners creased from her growing smile. "You'll say yes, won't you?"

Raven returned the wide-eyed, wide-smiled expression. "Of course!" She patted her cheeks and cleared her throat. "Of course, that depends on if he asks. I don't want to get my hopes up and ruin an otherwise perfectly romantic evening." The smile crept back into place. "But I hope he does."

Crystal giggled and slipped out of her seat. "Let's have lunch again tomorrow so I can hear all about it, okay?"

Raven nodded. "All right. Good luck with your own stallion, and your new novel!" She folded her forelegs on the table and leaned forward. "Happy Hearts and Hooves Day, Crystal."

"Yup!"

Once she was outside the cafe and around the corner, Crystal let her smile fall. How could it be a happy Hearts and Hooves Day when she had nopony to spend it with? Velvet was waiting at the condo and they had plans to drown themselves in chocolate, but it wasn't the same.

Crystal stopped and looked over her shoulder, up at the castle. Somewhere within its walls stood Silent Knight, unwittingly on duty. She sighed and turned her head back forward only to yelp in surprise when she found herself nearly nose-to-nose with a pink collage of a mare.

"Hi!" the mare chirped, her wings fluttering excitedly. "I'm Lovey Dovey!"

"Hi?" Crystal took a step back to regain some personal space. "Can I help you with something?"

"Huh? Oh, no." Lovey smiled.

Crystal waited a moment, then lifted a hoof to walk around the mare. "Then—?"

Lovey blinked, tilted her head, and mirrored the movement of lifting a hoof. "Yes?"

Crystal's brow slowly furrowed. "Is there something you need?"

"Nope!"

Crystal sputtered several attempted questions before she settled on, "What are you doing?"

Lovey's wings fluttered again. "I just wanted to say hello! I saw your cutie mark from across the road and thought, 'Wow, that pretty mare has a pretty cutie mark!' But I might be biased because I love hearts. And love." She leaned in, staring at Crystal's chest a moment, then up to meet her gaze. "You love love, too, don't you?"

"I, well, that is—What?" Crystal blinked a few times.

Lovey half-snorted, half-giggled. "Of course you do! So, since I haven't met a lot of ponies in Canterlot who don't love fashion or money or art but instead love love, I'd really like to be friends!"

Lovey's expression sobered rather suddenly, her ears falling to the sides and her eyes closing halfway. "That is, if you have some time. I understand if you're busy. I just can't seem to find a lot of lovey cheer on such a lovey holiday in this un-lovey city."

Crystal started to smile, then broke out into delicate laughter. She put a hoof on Lovey's shoulder and nodded. "Why don't you come with me? My friend Velvet and I are going sulky for the holiday."

"Sulky?" Lovey glanced downward. "Oh, but you have no reason to sulk!"

This gave Crystal pause before she shook her head. "No, no." She gestured for Lovey to follow as she started to walk in the direction of the condominium. Lovey squeaked and hurried after her.

"You must not spend a lot of time in Canterlot," Crystal said with a smile.

"Nope! I live in Ponyville. Strangely, although I've been all over Equestria at some point or another, I just don't end up in Canterlot that often!"

"Oh?" She glanced at the mare. "Anyway, 'going sulky' is the local slang for 'going solo'. It doesn't mean we'll be sitting there sulking all afternoon. Or, at least, Velvet won't." She laughed again, albeit a little less happily.

Lovey furrowed her brow and pursed her lips. "Well, that's an awfully sad slang!"

Crystal raised a hoof to gesture off to the right at a stallion pulling a cart, a mare resting in the seat and fanning herself as she regarded her surroundings with disdain. "That's a sulky. Admittedly, I don't know why it's called that, but it is. Given that it's a one-pony cart, the name was adapted to mean being single. I don't think a lot of other towns have sulkies, though."

Lovey's pout brightened up. "Oh, that's actually kind of cute! Odd, but cute!" She giggled. "So what's your name?"

"I'm so sorry!" Crystal blinked. "I completely forgot. I'm Crystal Wishes, but of course, you can just call me Crystal." She smiled, returning her gaze to the road ahead of them. "I have a feeling you'll get along well with Velvet. She can be a little high-strung, too."

"What?" Lovey gasped. "Are you saying I'm high-strung?"

"I—No, of course not, I just—" Crystal frowned lightly when Lovey started laughing.

"Of course I'm high-strung! You would be, too, if you were surrounded by love." She pranced on the tips of her hooves, looking around them. Her feathers started to ruffle before her wings fluttered. "Nopony seems to want to admit it, but there's love in this city. I can see it even if they can't!"

Crystal arched her brow and said nothing for a moment, simply letting the mare ramble on before she finally asked, "Lovey, when you say you see it, do you mean you actually see love?"

"Huh? Well, yes, of course! Why would I say I could see it if I couldn't?"

Crystal stared at her with wide eyes. "That's amazing! Is that your talent?"

"Maybe!" Lovey shrugged. "I've met a few other ponies who can see love lines, though I've certainly met a lot more who can't."

"These, er, 'love lines'?" Crystal paused to open the door to the condominium building. "Do they tell you who a pony loves or some such thing?"

Lovey shook her head. "Oh, no. I mean, well, yes. But not always. Love lines link two or more ponies who are perfect for each other. It's kind of like soulmates, but not a guarantee." She sighed. "Love lines are really delicate! But don't worry, yours is very strong."

"Mine?" Crystal's ears perked straight up and she stopped halfway up the stairs. "You can see mine? Where—Where does it go?"

There was a small pause as Lovey didn't look at her for a moment, then mumbled, "I'm sorry, but I get the feeling that you're the kind of mare that wants to find out for yourself. I could tell you if you really want, but—"

"No, you're right," Crystal interrupted, rubbing the back of her neck. She sighed and continued up the stairs, though a smile graced her lips. "I don't want any spoilers, as tempting as it might be. I'm just happy to know that whomever I'm meant to be with, it's a strong connection."

"Yup!" Lovey jumped into the air and hovered above Crystal to look down at her, smiling and giggling. "It's very strong! You're a lucky mare indeed!"

One of Crystal's ears twitched, then perked upright, followed by the other. "That said, I wouldn't mind some spoilers regarding"—she worked the lock and threw open the door, pointing at the unsuspecting and surprised Velvet—"her!"

Lovey flew in and skidded to a halt in front of Velvet, her head lower than Velvet's to stare at her chest. Just as Velvet was about to protest, Lovey straightened up with a curious, almost confused look on her face. "Oh?" She blinked a few times. "Hi! I'm Lovey Dovey!"

Velvet stared at them with wide eyes and a quirked brow. "Um, hi?" Her gaze settled on Crystal. "I didn't know we were going to have company."

Crystal walked inside and shut the door behind Lovey. "Me neither, but she's a little lonely today, and you always tell me I need to make more friends." She sat down on one of the pillows, her nose upturned.

"Well, yes, but I didn't mean grab strangers off the street and drag them home." Velvet laughed and straightened up. She offered a hoof to Lovey, continuing, "Anyway, hi, I'm Velvet Step. Welcome to our sulky party!"

Lovey took the hoof, but frowned. "Nope, nope, nope! Even now that I know what that means I just don't like it. Why can't it just be a party?"

Velvet looked to Crystal and they shrugged back and forth, then she said, "All right, then. Welcome to our party."

"Much better!" Lovey settled onto one of the remaining pillows, turning her attention to Crystal. "I thought you said she was high-strung like me?"

"You told her I was high-strung?" Velvet reared up onto her haunches, crossed her forelegs over her chest, and raised one brow. "You've got some explaining to do, missy!"

Lovey gasped and glanced between them as they stared at each other, Velvet with a frown and Crystal with a pout. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean—Please don't fight, I just—"

Velvet sputtered into laughter and reached out to flick Crystal's forehead. "Oh, don't worry," she said, looking over at Lovey. "I'm just joking. I mean, I still wouldn't call me high-strung, but that just means I'm not going to share any of the chocolate fondue I made."

Lovey's fears were instantly washed away by a squeal. "Chocolate fondue? Really?"

"Yup! I even brought some sugared rose petals from Mom and Dad's, too." She sighed and looked on the coffee table where a fondue pot and a plate of fruits and the petals rested. "Guess I'll just eat it by myself."

Lovey pointed at Crystal and exclaimed, "She called you high-strung, not me!"

Velvet grinned. "Then you may have some fondue."

"Yay!" Lovey hopped to her hooves and dragged her pillow over to the table. "Sorry, Crystal, but I've known chocolate much longer than I've known you!"

Crystal laughed and folded her hooves, watching Velvet and Lovey enjoy the fondue, the former with much more exaggerated expressions and reactions. Finally, she scooted her pillow closer. "All right, all right. You're not high-strung. Now can I have some chocolate?"

Velvet relented with a giggle and motioned her closer so that the three could enjoy an afternoon of chocolate and chatter. By the end of the evening, even though Lovey had abruptly left with the exclamation of a 'love line emergency,' Crystal found herself in much higher spirits than she would have expected for going sulky on Hearts and Hooves Day.

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: Training Day

I'll Be Thinking of You

The world seemed to be all aglow. There was a song in her heart and a skip in her step as Crystal walked to the Phial and Filly, and she could swear the birds were even singing as she passed by them. All she needed was for the stallions and mares around her to break out into song but, when she glanced around, nopony seemed to be in as good a mood as her. A spontaneous song and dance was likely not going to happen.

"Hello!" she called when she walked into the shop. There were a few other ponies browsing the wares, so she started toward the counter but Runic met her halfway with a determined look on his face. "Runic?"

"Shh, it's not safe!" He grabbed her by the hoof and tugged her toward the back of the shop and behind the counter. "Somepony's watching us."

Crystal glanced around, or at least she tried to before he forced her to look at him with a hoof against her cheek. "No, no, if they catch you looking, they'll know we're on to them. Try to look casual."

"Okay, but that might be difficult."

Runic frowned. "Why?"

"Because you're caressing my cheek." She giggled as Runic quickly withdrew his hoof, then she put on a serious face and asked in a whisper, "So who is watching us?"

"I don't know, but look at this!" He retrieved a magazine from the counter and held it up for her to see.

Crystal's magic took it from him, but she already knew. Mares Monthly. Her throat went dry as she tried to say calmly, "What's this?"

Runic tapped on the article facing her. "This! It's clearly an account of you and me in the changeling attack, but there weren't any other ponies there! So either we're being watched, or one of those changelings escaped and is trying to cash in!"

Crystal stared at the article, then lowered the magazine to stare at him. She said in a near-whisper, "I wrote it."

Runic slammed a hoof on the counter. "Darn, dirty changelings! That must be it! Writing as though they were on our side of the door, terrified for their life—"

"Runic."

"—when we were on that side, sending their hides to Tartarus and back! We were the heroes, not this—this—this—What?" He blinked, his gaze focusing on her. "You said something?"

Crystal nodded.

Runic took a moment, then slowly, his ears started to droop. "You wrote this?" He took the magazine out of her magic and skimmed the page. "But we were valiant warriors! This makes it sound like you were scared." His gaze returned to her. "You were scared?"

Crystal swallowed and nodded again. "I was. It gave me nightmares, Runic."

"Oh." He set the magazine down. "I didn't know that."

She reached out to set her hoof on his shoulder. "It's okay. Honestly, I'm fine now. Writing this and talking about it to some friends made it better. I haven't had any nightmares since I turned this article in, so, it's fine."

Runic looked at her with a stern frown. "No, it's not fine. Why didn't you talk to me? Aren't I your friend, too?"

"We are! Absolutely!" She shook her head. "I just—You seemed fine after the attack, so I didn't want to bring you down."

Runic sighed. He turned from her to face the counter, staring down at the magazine, still open to her article. "Can you do me a favor?"

She bit her lower lip nervously but nodded. "I can."

"Next time, could you talk to me, too?" He glanced at her. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I know I'm not normal, but we're still friends. I can be serious once in a while, you know."

"I know." She smiled and wrapped her forelegs around him. "I'm sorry, Runic. I promise I'll make sure you're one of the first ponies I talk to when I have a problem, okay?"

Runic nodded and leaned into the embrace, then pulled back with a grin. "So, got any problems?" Her face turned red and he pressed, "Ah, troubles with a stallion, eh?" He reached under the counter and retrieved two shot glasses and a bottle of hard cider. "As a stallion myself, I can't relate at all, but I can listen!"

"Runic—" She sputtered with laughter and put a hoof on his to stop him from pouring the cider. "Runic, it's all right. I think I'll keep this problem to myself."

"Aww." His ears drooped. "But you just said I'd be one of the first ponies!"

Crystal winked. "Maybe not for this kind of problem, all right? Now, I think what we should discuss is why you're reading Mares Monthly in the first place."

"Oh, this isn't mine." He frowned when she raised a suspicious brow at him. "It isn't! Miley brought it here asking who the mare was. Of course, I had no idea it was you, so I told her I didn't know. Strangely, she seemed like she didn't believe me!" He sighed. "Relationships are complicated."

"They are." She sighed and shook her head, starting over to the nearest selection of shampoo. "But Miley is a good mare, so you better not make her cry."

"Why would I do that?" He blinked.

"Not intentionally, of course, but stallions have a tendency to make mares cry." Her back to him, she allowed her smile to fall. "Or want to, at least. Nonetheless, be good to her, all right?" She turned back to him with a bottle of cherry blossom and rose petal shampoo. The smile was back in place. "Anyway, I'll take this, please."

Runic smiled and hit a few buttons on the register. "Seven bits, please!"

♡

Crystal and Velvet sat across from each other, both staring with determined expressions, neither seeming to give any ground on the matter at hoof.

Finally, slowly, Velvet laid down a card and, when Crystal huffed, she cheered. "I win! I win, right? That sound means I win!" She clapped her hooves. "I think I'm finally getting the hang of this!"

Crystal grumbled as she shuffled the Carrot cards around into the appropriate piles. "You blended all my carrots and stored a lot of yours, so yes, you definitely won." She sighed as she rose to her hooves. "All right, you decide what we're having for breakfast while I go wash up. Give my poor, innocent carrots a proper burial while you put the game away, okay?"

Velvet cackled gleefully as she held up the pink Carrot cards that had been saved. "We should play Carrots in a Blender at game night! I can win this game!"

Crystal laughed, walking toward the bathroom door. "I think this game might be a little too simple for Luna and the others."

"Hey!" Velvet frowned. "You're just mad 'cause I won. Simple things can be fun, too, you know."

"Yes, yes." Crystal giggled and shut the door behind her. She hummed to herself and started the hot water, letting the tub fill up while she sat on the stool in front of the mirror. "Let's see."

Crystal tugged on her cheeks then pushed them up. Mostly satisfied with the quality of her coat, she tied her mane up into a loose bun before walking over to and climbing into the tub. "Hot, hot, hot."

Once she had adjusted to the heat and the water had risen to fill half the tub, she turned off the faucet. She hummed to herself while she bathed, scrubbing her coat with a loofah, then applying some of Runic's patented coat shine formula.

Her ear twitched at the sound of three knocks followed by Velvet's voice. "Oh! Hello, Silent Knight!" Crystal gasped and Velvet continued, "Won't you come in?"

"Oh, no, no," Crystal muttered under her breath. She pulled the stop and jumped out onto the mat, shook out her coat, and quickly wrapped a bath robe around her body.

"What can I do for you?" Velvet asked from the other room. Crystal heard the door shut and hooves moving across the hardwood floors.

"No, no, no." Crystal looked at her wet, bedraggled self in the mirror. "Not like this!"

"I can't say too much," Silent replied, "but I'm leaving for a mission. I'll be gone for quite a while so I wanted to say goodbye to Crystal Wishes. And, of course, you, now that I know you're home."

"Two friends in one visit!" Velvet giggled. Her hoofsteps drew near. "I'll get Crystal. She's just getting ready for the day. You know how she can be about that. Make yourself at home!"

The door opened and Crystal plastered herself against the vanity. Velvet clamped a hoof over her mouth to keep from laughing at the terrified look she received.

"Shut the door," Crystal hissed and once it was, she whispered, "I can't let him see me like this!"

"Of course you can." Velvet rolled her eyes. "You want to spend forever with this stallion, don't you?"

Crystal turned back around to continue patting her coat dry with a hooftowel. "Ideally, yes, but that won't happen if he sees me looking like a mess!"

Velvet reached out and snatched the towel from her. "He'll see you looking like a mess sooner or later, so why not just get it over with?" She pointed at the door. "He said he's leaving. Get out there and say goodbye to your stallion."

Crystal hesitated. She just stared at her reflection and blinked when her vision started to go blurry. "Goodbye." She swallowed, looking over at Velvet. "Temporarily, right? This isn't goodbye forever?"

Velvet simply shrugged. Crystal sighed, tucked some of the loose strands of her mane behind one ear, and opened the door. "I am terribly sorry that you have to see me like this," she said as she walked out into the main room. "Velvet says you're leaving?"

Silent looked up from the pillow he was sitting on. "You look fine to me, Crystal Wishes, but Velvet is correct. Duty calls. I'll be gone a month at the minimum, but it depends on how things go." He smiled softly. "I didn't want to leave without saying goodbye to you and Velvet. It would feel wrong to just disappear."

Crystal and Velvet sat on the pillows across from him. Crystal didn't quite meet his gaze while Velvet said, "That's awfully kind of him, don't you think?" She nudged Crystal to bring her back to reality.

Crystal blinked a few times, then nodded. Her expression remained cautiously neutral. "Is there trouble? More importantly, Silent Knight, do I need to be worried for your safety?"

Silent shifted and looked down at the floor. "I apologize. I don't mean to be rude, but I'm not at liberty to go into those details."

Crystal swallowed. He might as well have outright said yes with that kind of reply. "I understand. Procedure, and all that."

Velvet reached out and put a hoof on Crystal's, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"I'm glad you understand." He smiled. "I can't stay long, and I don't want to take up your time anyway. What I really came here to ask was, well." He hesitated just a moment before he continued, "I wanted to ask if I could write to you while I'm on this mission." He glanced between them "And Velvet, too, of course."

"Yes!" Crystal's spirits lifted at the idea. "Absolutely. We would love to stay in touch, though I'm not quite certain how that would work."

"That is something I can share. By the time my letter would arrive, it would be from where I was, not where I am, because we will be moving a great deal. However, if you just postmark your responses to that location, royal agents will handle the details of secretly forwarding it to my new location."

Velvet oohed. "That's neat!"

"And efficient," Crystal added.

Silent nodded and stood up. "I'll send you a letter when I arrive safely. For now, however, I have an appointment, so I will let the two of you get back to what you were doing. It's always a pleasure to see you both." He smiled, looking between them. "When I return, I'd love to celebrate my first successful mission."

"That sounds wonderful," Crystal said, standing with him. "Please stay safe, Silent Knight."

"And have safe travels!" Velvet chimed in. "Make sure you get a window seat if you're traveling by train. I learned that the hard way."

"I will, and I'll keep that in mind. Thank you both." He nodded and left, shutting the door behind him.

When it clicked shut, Crystal collapsed back down onto the pillow. "It's dangerous," she whispered, her wide eyes staring at nothing in particular. "I know it's dangerous. What if he doesn't come back?" Her vision blurred and her eyes stung. "What if that first letter never arrives?"

Velvet moved closer to her and wrapped a foreleg around her shoulders. "Hey, he's a pegasus, isn't he? They're born-and-bred warriors. He's a tough one, too. Come on, now." Velvet's ears drooped when Crystal's lower lip started to tremble. "Don't cry, Crystal. You're going to make my little bit of news really hard to take if you cry now."

"Little bit of news?" Crystal sniffed. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "What? What now?" She glared up at Velvet. "Don't tell me you're going to leave for a month or two or three or forever."

"No, nothing like that just—" Velvet hedged, biting her lower lip. "You know, like, two weeks. Again."

Crystal froze. "Again?" she repeated in a whisper.

Velvet nodded.

"Oh." Crystal dropped her head down to bury it against her forelegs. "Great. So everypony's leaving!"

"Well, yes, but." Velvet rubbed her back. "You could always come with me. I mean, you can write on the road, you're on summer break, and Silent Knight won't be here, so, why not?"

Crystal straightened up. She stared at Velvet with a furrowed brow. Words failed her as her mouth flapped open and shut a few times, then she finally asked, "Can I do that?"

"Sure! I mean, we'll have to buy a train ticket for you, and I don't know if I can get you into the performances, so you might be spending a lot of time by yourself, but at least you won't be alone by yourself. That's better than sitting here moping, right?"

Crystal let her gaze wander the condo. So much of her life lately was spent there, at the castle, or at school—all of which were in Canterlot.

"What are the cities you'll visit?" she finally asked.

"All the major ones!" Velvet replied cheerfully. "Fillydelphia, Las Pegasus, Baltimare, and Manehattan!" She grinned and nudged Crystal's side with her elbow. "You'll be more worldly. That's good for an author, isn't it? Come on, say you'll come with me! I can show you the world!"

A small giggle escaped Crystal. "Okay, okay, okay. I'll do it. Just get me a copy of the schedule so I can ask Zerox to forward Silent's letters while we're gone if he sends any."

"When he sends any. For a romantic, you're being awfully pessimistic." Velvet stood up and trotted to the kitchen. "I'll make breakfast while you get your affairs in order, because we're leaving in three days."

"Three days?!" Crystal jumped to her hooves. "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?! Celestia above, Velvet!"

Velvet looked over her shoulder with a lopsided grin. "I don't know, because I kept forgetting to bring it up? My world doesn't revolve around you, you know."

"Like hay it doesn't!" Crystal stuck her nose in the air. "I'm going to go finish putting myself together, and then we're going to have a nice, long talk about communication."

"Okay, okay." Velvet giggled and turned one of the stovetop burners on. "Go make yourself pretty, silly mare."

Crystal huffed and walked into the bathroom, shutting it with an exaggerated, playfully irritated slam.

♡

It shouldn't have surprised her as much as it did, but she had to stop and stare for a few moments. The whole office was pink: pink carpet, pink table, pink cups, and pink wallpaper with darker pink hearts.

"You really like pink, don't you?" Crystal asked in a voice between disbelief and awe.

"Yup!" Lovey chirped, her head bobbing from side to side. "It's my favorite color!"

"I see that." Crystal looked around one more time before she sat down on a pink pillow. "Anyway, thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice when I don't have an appointment."

Lovey waved the notion away. "Oh, no, no! Anything for a brand new friend!" She glanced down, stared a moment, then looked back up. "Everything looks good to me, though! Love line's nice and strong, just like it was before."

Crystal touched her hoof to her chest and looked for herself. She saw nothing but the fluff of her coat, where it was slightly upturned at the base of her neck. "Are you certain? Absolutely certain? Silent Knight is leaving, and I have this awful feeling that something might happen to him because he couldn't say whether or not it was dangerous. Of course, that means it must be!"

Crystal sniffed as the tears threatened to return and finished in a mumble, "If something is going to happen to him, I wouldn't have a love line, right?"

Lovey listened in silence, a serious look on her normally happy face. It contrasted greatly with the sweetness of her voice as she said, "I'm sorry, Crystal, but you told me you didn't want spoilers. I don't know where your love line leads, but it leads to somepony, I can tell you that. I just can't promise you that it's the stallion you think it is."

Crystal looked across the table at her. They held each other's gazes before Crystal finally relented and stood up. "I'll just have to be happy knowing that, I suppose. I'm sorry to take up your time."

"If I can make you feel a teensy bit better, then I'm happy to have my time taken up!" Lovey reached over and patted her on the head. "You'll be okay, Crystal. I can tell you that."

Crystal wasn't exactly comforted by the head patting, but she smiled nonetheless and turned for the door. "Have a good day, Lovey."

"I will! You, too!" Lovey waved. "Bye, now!"

Velvet looked up from where she sat outside Lovey's office when Crystal walked out. "So?" She smiled, albeit hesitantly. "How did it go?"

"She said my love line's still strong." Crystal sighed. "Well, we have a train to catch, don't we?"

"We've got some time if you want to talk on the way." She stood and walked alongside her in the direction of the station. "What does 'strong' mean, exactly?"

Crystal shook her head. "I have absolutely no idea, but she says it like it's a good thing, so I have to assume that it is."

"I see," Velvet said in a tone that suggested she didn't. They walked to the station in silence, Velvet perking up when she saw the other mares in her troupe. "Hey, girls!" She pranced ahead to reach them first. "This is my roommate, who will be hitching a ride with us this trip. Crystal, these are the girls!"

Crystal smiled and politely nodded her head. "It is very nice to meet you all."

A nearby unicorn stepped forward, as if to put herself between them and the rest of the dancers. She had such a voluminous mane that even though it was tied up in several loops atop her head, it still cascaded down past her shoulders.

With one brow raised, she sized Crystal up by looking her over from head to hoof before she smiled. "I'm Perennial, the true prima of this troupe."

Crystal paused. She glanced at Velvet, who was looking purposefully straight ahead, then back at the mare whose expression and tone toed the line between cordial and intimidating. "I see. I look forward to seeing your performance, Perennial."

Perennial's tail snapped in the air as she turned around with all the grace and fluidity befitting of a prima. "Oh, I would be surprised if even our dear little Velvet could get you tickets. We are a very elite group, you know. Our shows always sell out."

When the mare was out of earshot, Crystal whispered to Velvet, "Aren't you headlining as Kitri this tour, too?"

Velvet walked forward, her shoulders rolling in a casual shrug. "I am. It's not a permanent position, though. Come on, let me introduce you to Nightingale!"

A tawny brown mare's ears perked and her head turned. "That's me!" she chirped. "Hi there!" She offered a hoof. "You're Crystal Wishes, right?"

Crystal smiled and shook hooves. "I am."

"Velvet said you're some kinda writer, yeah?" Nightingale smiled. "Ocean Starlight writes some poetry. You should talk to her while we have some downtime on the train. She could use, well, a real writer's perspective, yanno?"

The three chatted for a while until the train pulled up and boarded one by one, Crystal bringing up the rear. She stopped to look out at the castle at the far side of the city, standing stalwart and vigilant over its citizens. It had always been somewhat of a comforting protector, but at that moment, she blamed it for the necessity of Silent's mission.

She turned her back on the castle and looked at the train that hissed steam which promised two weeks of seeing new places and meeting new ponies. Two weeks of distractions. Renewed by the thought and ushered on by Velvet's calls, she bade Canterlot farewell by stepping onto the train.

While Velvet's time was taken up by the other mares, Crystal took her seat toward the back of the car that was reserved for the troupe. She watched them as they practiced in the open space available, each mare more coordinated and limber than she'd ever be.

The train whistled and jolted forward to pull out of the station. Her gaze turned toward the window to see Canterlot slowly slipping further away until they rounded a bend and it disappeared behind the mountain the city was set against.

"Excited?" Velvet asked, plopping down into the seat beside her, dabbing her forehead with a wet cloth.

"I don't know if I'm excited just yet." Crystal smiled at her. "But I'm not dreading it."

Velvet laughed and shook her head. "I swear, you're impossible to please!" Her smile widened into a grin. "I brought that Carrots in a Blender game, if you want to have a rematch."

"All right, but don't complain if you don't win this time!" Crystal shifted to face Velvet while the mare retrieved the game and started to set it up in the space between them.

A few, evenly matched rounds of Carrots in a Blender went by, slowly attracting members of Velvet's troupe until they had a crowd of eight ponies around them. Crystal brought out her copy of Timberwolf and Velvet protested, but the interest of the other mares drowned out her pleas and they played long into the evening. Velvet enjoyed herself more than normal, given that her peers played at her level rather than with the skill of Silent the Strategist or Luna the Schemer.

Finally, after several hours of playing different card games, the crowd dispersed to retreat to the sleeping car. Crystal and Velvet stayed behind to put away the game, then just sat in companionable silence.

A yawn escaped Velvet and she slipped off the seat. "I'm going to bed. Look before you climb into a bunk and make sure you don't get too cozy with one of my dancers, okay?" She giggled and waved. "And don't stay up too late."

"I won't. Good night." Crystal smiled up at her, then returned to looking out the window, the smile falling once she was alone.

Crystal watched the night sky that loomed over the horizon. The sparkling stars seemed rather dim to her that night, though she felt a little guilty for thinking such, as she knew Luna cherished each and every one. A crescent moon swam in the sea of deep blues and purples, the same shape as the one in Silent's cutie mark. Somewhere out there, that very cutie mark was beneath the same pale moonlight, preparing to go off and do who only knew what sort of vague mission.

She sighed and slumped in her seat, gazing up at that moon. "I hope you'll be safe," she whispered, touching her hoof to the glass, seeming to caress the moon from her perspective. "Please be safe…"

Author's Note

Companion Memoirs Chapter: I'll Be Seeing You

Letters of Love

The train whistled, startling the mares awake and they responded with tired groans. Crystal kept her face firmly buried against the pillow and tugged the blanket over her head to try to drown out the light and noise.

"Time to get up," Velvet chimed. "We have to switch trains to get to Las Pegasus."

"Five more minutes," Crystal grumbled, rolling over to give her back to the world. "Just five more."

Velvet shrugged and turned to walk with the other mares toward the exit. "Okay, but in five minutes, you'll be on your way back to Canterlot all by yourself!"

Crystal whined. She squirmed under the blanket before she kicked it off and rolled out of the bunk. "Fine! But I'll need breakfast soon."

Velvet winked over her shoulder. "That's already taken care of!"

When they stepped off the train, a familiar face was waiting with a large basket in her hooves. "Good morning!" Horsey smiled brightly. "Right on time, as always!"

"Trains tend to do that," Velvet said, giggling.

Horsey huffed. "No breakfast for you, then." She doled out neatly wrapped little packages to the other mares as they walked past. "I even included extra fruit spread for your bagel, but snarky ponies don't get rewarded for their bad behavior."

"Really? Well, then!" Velvet cleared her throat. "Top of the morning to you, Horsey! Pip, pip! Aren't you looking lovely?"

"That's much better." Horsey rummaged through the basket and retrieved a package that was wrapped in a distinct mauve cloth. "There you go!" Her attention turned to Crystal. "So, you're going to tour Equestria, huh?"

Crystal nodded. "The major parts of it, anyway."

Horsey lowered her voice to a more private level. "Velvet told me what was going on in her letter. Here." She held out a light pink package. "I made your favorites. Everything will be okay, okay?"

Crystal smiled and, instead of taking the package from her, she wrapped both forelegs around the mare's neck and tugged her in close. "Thank you, Horsey." She pulled back, grinning. "Are Savoir's parents still sending you care packages?"

Horsey's face turned bright red. "Yes! They are, and it's so embarrassing! Last week, I got a box of diapers in the mail. We're just dating, but their letters act like I'm already their daughter-in-law!" She clasped one hoof to her cheek. "What if Sav feels pressured by his parents? I don't want him to—to make a move that he's not ready for!"

"Don't worry! He seems pretty serious about you, and, well, stallions at his age don't have time to dawdle."

Horsey frowned. "He's not that old."

Crystal laughed and hugged her again, then took the wrapped food. "Yes, yes. Thanks for breakfast."

"Come on, Crystal!" Velvet called from the other side of the platform. "The Las Pegasus train is here!"

Crystal waved at Velvet to acknowledge her, but kept her focus on Horsey. "If he proposes, send a letter as soon as you say yes, okay?"

Horsey bit her lower lip. "If he does, I will." She shook her head and sighed, though she still smiled. "If."

Crystal grinned, her ears wiggling with delight. "Good enough for me!" The train whistled and Velvet shouted again. Crystal stuck out her tongue and said, "Okay, I really have to go! Bye, Horsey!" She laughed and ran across the platform, over to the waiting train, and jumped aboard.

Velvet eyed her with playful suspicion. "Would you rather have stayed in Ponyville while I go on tour?" She huffed and walked over to an open seat.

Crystal followed after her and once seated, she started to unwrap the cloth in her lap. "I don't know if I could spend two weeks in Ponyville. It's so—so small." She gasped when the contents of the package were revealed. "But I will say that she does know exactly what I like!"

Velvet looked over. "Aww, now that's just not fair! All I got was extra jelly!"

Sitting in the pink cloth was a bagel with dried rose hips baked into it and a creamy strawberry spread, along with a small bunch of grapes and cucumber slices.

Crystal glanced at Velvet's spread, which consisted of a single, well-jellied bagel. She giggled and teased, "Well, maybe if you have a soldier go off on a mysterious mission, you can get a special breakfast from Horsey, too."

Velvet fell quiet as if to mull this over, then shrugged. "Just extra jelly it is, then."

♡

The moment the train neared Las Pegasus, Crystal knew the day she had to explore it would not be enough to adjust to the culture shock. Even at a distance the bright flashes of light sparking from neon signs threatened even the least sensitive of ponies to fall victim to seizures. She pulled the window open and leaned her head out to get a better look and once she did, she could hear the music vibrating the very air around the city.

However, that didn't stop her from fidgeting and squirming in line to exit the train, eager to see everything up close. Even the ponies of Las Pegasus were bold and colorful, many of them wearing sequins or feathers in their manes. The whole city was pulsing with vibrancy.

"What do you think?" Velvet asked, bumping her shoulder to Crystal's. "Canterlot seems pretty boring by comparison, doesn't it?"

Crystal continued to look around with wide eyes. "I had heard stories, but I never imagined. It's so bright!" She gasped and pointed at a mare walking across the street. "I want one of those!"

The mare in question wore a multitude of feathers, attached to the base of her tail and fanned out to resemble a peacock in full display.

Velvet squinted, then laughed. "That would definitely get Silent's attention!" Her voice cracked as she tried to stop herself, but the words had already been spoken. She winced and glanced at Crystal. "I'm sorry, I—"

"No, it's okay." Crystal smiled at her. "I was just thinking, 'I can't wait to tell Silent Knight all about this.' Because he'll come home. Let's be realistic: the changeling attack was the worst thing that I can think of that's ever happened in Equestria, and nopony was actually seriously injured. If that's the worst, then what am I so worried about?"

Velvet's grimace lifted into a returned smile. "Wow, it's not even been two days and you're already to the acceptance stage of grief? I think that's an Equestrian record!"

Crystal rolled her eyes. They walked into the hotel and awe washed over her again. Everything seemed to be gilded, save for the exquisite marble floors and mahogany accents. A large chandelier hung above the lobby with strands of crystals cascading down like a frozen, sparkling waterfall.

Crystal looked at Velvet with wide eyes. "How are you not freaking out right now?!"

Velvet shrugged. "Because this is where we stayed on my last tour. We'll only be here for two nights, and I'm going to spend most of the time practicing or performing, so I don't want to get too attached to the glitz and glam." She paused to get their room number, then walked with Crystal over to the elevator. "But feel free to live it up and enjoy the room service, or go to a show!"

Crystal giggled and, once inside the elevator, hopped from one hoof to another. "I'm going to go out on the town! I have to see everything so when Silent and I finally start dating, I'll know all the hot spots. I want to impress him with how worldly I am!"

"Well, as long as you have fun, I guess it's okay if your motivations are silly." Velvet giggled. "Just don't get lost because of a shiny distraction."

Crystal pranced out of the elevator when the doors slid open. They had just enough time to ensure the room was in good shape before Velvet had to leave for practice. Crystal stayed behind to gussy up with ribbons tucked into her tail and a short, sparkly dress, then left to see all that Las Pegasus had to offer.

♡

The train gently rocked side to side as it sped along the tracks toward Ponyville, though no stop would be made; instead, it would continue on through the mountain and across to Baltimare, which was on the opposite side of Equestria from Las Pegasus. That meant they had been cooped up for nearly two days in the train before they pulled into the harbor city.

Baltimare reminded her of Manehattan, but with much fewer skyscrapers and the smell of salt water lingering in the air. What struck her most, however, was as they walked to the hotel, the locals seemed to be shouting at each other in a foreign language.

"Hey hon! Jeet?"

"Naw, stove's onner fritz."

"Yoose all shoold proly git dat lookat, hon!"

"Yah. Snoofew, hon?"

"Nay much."

Crystal turned her head to look at Velvet with wide, confused eyes. "What language is that?"

Velvet laughed. "Just Bawlmarese, s'awl."

The other mares nearby giggled.

"They talk really funny here," one of them, Moonlight Dancer, said. "But they have the best crabapples you'll find anywhere in Equestria. You can get them served any which way! Pies, tarts, spring rolls, raw…"

"They're amazing in pies if you can get them fresh!" Nightingale sighed wistfully.

Ocean Starlight leaned forward, adding, "But don't forget to just go out on a pier and look at the ocean. It's so romantic when the stars and moon dance with their shimmering reflections in the waves!"

Nightingale rolled her eyes. "Of course you would say that." She laughed when Ocean Starlight huffed and turned away.

Crystal looked between the three of them with a smile. "That all sounds wonderful. Do you know if they have crabapple vendors near the pier?" Her gaze turned toward the hotel just a few paces away. "It could be the perfect location for a romantic stroll. Share a crabapple pie, walking along the pier to watch the moon rise over the sea…"

The three mares gave varying degrees of agreeable squeals and nods. Velvet, on the other hoof, sighed. She stood on the opposite side of Crystal, not participating much until she finally teased, "Are you really going to spend the whole trip with sugarplums dancing in your head?" She shook her head. "Can't you at least spend a little time just relaxing and enjoying yourself instead of trying to discover the perfect date for an oblivious stallion?"

Crystal stuck her tongue out. "I am enjoying myself quite a good deal, thank you!"

While the hotel was not nearly as glamorous as the one in Las Pegasus, it was nothing to scoff at, either. Where the previous was gilded, this one was fully decked in marble and black stone. It was much more contemporary and in some ways Crystal preferred it.

"Room 213?" the stallion behind the counter questioned when Velvet checked in. "I gawt a leder for ya." He turned and walked through a doorway into the back room.

Crystal gasped and grabbed onto Velvet's foreleg, squeezing it tightly, hopping up and down. Her heart was pounding with excitement and her stomach was knotted with nerves. "Oh my gosh, Velvet! Do you think—"

"It has to be!" Velvet beamed at her, though she winced. "Now calm down and let go of my leg before you snap it off!"

"Sorry, sorry." Crystal stepped away and waited in heart-pounding silence as the stallion returned, a letter hovering beside him. "Thanks!" Her magic tore the letter out of his and she ran to the elevator.

Velvet laughed and called, "Wait! You'll need the room key!"

Crystal trotted in place in the opening to keep the doors open, glaring across the room at Velvet. "Well, then get it and hurry up!"

Once both of them were in the elevator, the gears seemed to take their time in getting them to the second floor. Crystal started to wonder if the stairs would have been faster right as the bell dinged and the doors slid open. She sprinted out into the hall, Velvet laughing and chasing after her, until they were at and inside their hotel room.

Crystal sprung onto the nearest bed and snatched the letter. "He's alive!" She laughed, though tears were in her eyes. "I wasn't sure how much longer I could wait for this to arrive. Oh, Velvet, he's alive." She hugged it to her chest while Velvet climbed into the bed beside her.

Velvet bit her lip. "Well, you got a letter, but maybe you should read it first before you get too excited?"

"What else could it mean?" Crystal glared up at her, but she did start to gently open the envelope. "I doubt anypony would have the notion to send me a letter if something happened to him."

Crystal fell silent for a moment as she scanned the letter's contents, then mumbled, "Well, on the positive side of things, he is alive."

"What does it say?" Velvet asked, despite leaning over Crystal's shoulder and reading the letter for herself.

"Not much," Crystal replied with a bit of disappointment in her voice, "but I suppose that's all that can be expected if he's feeling as seasick as he describes. That must have been an awful boat ride. I wonder where the boat took them, though."

"Overseas?" Velvet suggested, grinning when Crystal rolled her eyes. "I don't know. Maybe to Varrheim?"

Crystal scrunched up her nose. "I hope not. He has a bit of a grudge against gryphons, because of his father, I think. I'm not completely certain on that one. Luna mentioned that his father was injured while in the gryphon kingdom a long time ago." She rolled over onto her stomach, sighed, and retrieved a blank sheet of paper and a quill. "Still, it's such an—an anticlimactic letter."

Velvet shrugged and walked over to the kitchenette set against the wall. "Don't worry. The next one will be better once he gets his land legs back, I'm sure of it!"

"Yeah." Crystal tilted her head as she started to write her reply. "I suppose it was foalish of me to get my hopes up when he said he would write."

Dear Silent Knight,

I hope that by the time you receive this letter, you will have already recovered from your sea-gotten illness. Nonetheless, I am happy to hear that you arrived safe and sound. Hearing from you has relieved some of my worry for your safety.

Be strong and do not let anypony ruffle your feathers while you are on your mission. I know you are more diligent than they are.

Yours,

Crystal Wishes

Crystal slid the letter into the envelope and copied the address from the one he had sent. She glanced somewhat nervously at Velvet, who stood with her back to her while she rummaged through the cabinets. Quickly, so as not to be seen, she placed a kiss on the fold before setting it on the foot of the bed.

♡

The familiar, comforting sounds of a cafe enveloped Crystal like an auditory hug. She smiled and stirred the honey-dipped spoon around her teacup while Sunset Coffee took a sip of his plain, black coffee.

"So," he said, lowering the mug and tilting his head, "you're touring Equestria because your coltfriend is away?" He chuckled. "Why not just go with him?"

Crystal flushed. "He—He's not quite my coltfriend, really, he's just a stallion I'm interested in. And I'm not exactly invited on his trip, so that wasn't an option."

With another chuckle, Sunset shook his head. "Details, details. Anyway, did you want this meeting to be personal or professional?"

Crystal hummed as she thought the question over, then replied, "How about a little of column A, a little of column B? Let's get the professional talk out of the way so we can enjoy ourselves."

"What, you don't enjoy talking about expectations and deadlines?" He rapped his hooves on the table between them. "All right. So you're coming up on month four of Her Silent Love. How is it going so far?"

Crystal bobbed her head, a motion somewhere between affirmative and contemplative. "Well enough. I don't know if it'll be ready by this year's Equestrian Writer's Convention, however."

"And why not? You wrote the last one in just a few months!" He paused, then asked with sincere concern, "Are you trying to force this story just to stay out of a lull? Because it's all right, authors go through slumps. It's perfectly norm—"

"That's not it," she interrupted. "The problem is I want to write too much. I keep writing scenes and chapters that I'm not sure will be interesting to anypony, so most of my writing is a waste. I care so much about this story that I want it to be perfect."

Sunset shrugged. "I always say 'better done and close enough than never finished at all,' but what I've read so far of the first few chapters is worth the wait. It's—This one is different."

A short laugh escaped her despite her efforts to smother it. "I've heard that before, actually."

"Well, let's take this opportunity to segue into personal." He leaned in, brow raised. "Is this story personal?"

Crystal turned the cup slowly in her hooves, staring down at the dark-colored water with darker-colored tea leaves resting at the bottom.

"Yes," she admitted softly. "It is. It's complicated, Sunset. I'm not sure if he's interested in me or still pining for his ex-marefriend. I'm not even sure if I'm his type. A part of me thinks if I can do what 'The Canterlot Invasion' did for my nightmares—if I can get my feelings out in written word—I'll finally know how to handle them and what to say."

Sunset nodded as he listened carefully. "I'll give you one piece of advice: be careful. You don't want to associate your story with a bad memory if things don't work out with this stallion, because once it's published, you can't take it back." His serious expression lightened with a grin. "But I can't imagine a well-bred mare like you having trouble landing the stallion of your choosing! Just do what my wife did and hit him with a frying pan."

Crystal sputtered into laughter. "I'll keep that in mind." She shook her head, her laughter calming to a chuckle. "Speaking of your wife, how is the family?"

"Great, thank you!" His voice and chest swelled with pride. "Violet is blossoming into the sweetest little filly." He reached into his bag and pulled out a wallet that folded out to reveal several pictures of his family. "Here's when a butterfly landed on her cupcake, and here she discovered bubbles!"

Crystal listened to his stories and looked at the accompanying pictures, but more than that, she glanced up to see his face every once and a while. Joy glittered in his mocha-colored eyes as he spoke of his family, and she wondered if Silent wanted kids someday. Sunset's words faded away the more her mind drifted to the idea of being a mother and raising foals of her own.

It was rather nice to dream.

♡

Velvet walked beside Crystal while the troupe made their way to the train that would take them home. After two weeks of travelling and performing, the group seemed weary and ready to return to Canterlot. Crystal, however, walked with several bags floating behind her and was levitating item after item to show her Itailian Market finds to Velvet.

"Look at these bargains! All this jewelry was only thirty bits!" She giggled. "And, look, a pair of authentic Itailian cufflinks! Not that Silent really does the formal wear, but you never know…" Her voice trailed off as a sigh overtook her. "Assuming—"

"Miss Wishes?" a voice called, hurrying toward them. "Wait! Miss Wishes!"

Crystal turned her head to see a pegasus mare wearing the distinct uniform of a mailpony. "Yes?" Her heart fluttered with excitement. "Do you have a letter for me?"

The mare came to a halt in mid-air. "Yes!" she exclaimed between pants. "Glad I caught up to you!" She held out an envelope. "Here you go!"

Crystal took it gingerly despite the feelings coursing through her and tucked it into one of her bags. "Thank you so much!"

The mare nodded. "No problem, ma'am! Have a good day!" She turned and flew off back in the direction she came.

Velvet grinned and bumped against Crystal's side, wiggling her ears. "So, assuming what? Assuming you ever hear from him again? I guess Celestia's looking out for you, huh?"

"I guess so," Crystal said. She pranced on the tips of her hooves. "I'll wait until we get on the train, though. I don't want all of Fillydelphia to see my reaction, whatever that may be."

They soon arrived at the train station and waited with little to no conversation. Where they all had been buzzing with excitement for the tour to begin with, there was simply exhausted desires to go home.

Crystal retrieved the envelope and turned it over to look at it while she waited. She desperately wanted to rip it open and read it right there, but all of Velvet's troupemates were around her. The last thing she wanted to do was embarrass her friend by squealing if the letter contained better-than-expected news.

The tell-tale whistle sounded and a few moments later, the train pulled up. Crystal walked as casually as she could in line and straight to the sleeping car so she could flop onto one of the bunk beds, Velvet following close behind her.

"Open it!" Velvet jumped onto the bunk above hers and leaned over the edge to peer down.

"I am, I am," Crystal mumbled as her magic worked the paper. "Okay." She took a deep breath, composed herself, then began to read.

Dear Crystal Wishes

It is certainly not a sure thing but we may be coming home soon. I dread the thought of getting back on that ship but the idea of returning to good friends like you fills me with excitement.

Each day here has been a testament to how important true friendship is and a reminder about what life could be like without it. Though I have no regret in my chosen profession, trips like this one give me pause. I can no longer imagine a life solely devoted to the pursuit of war.

I ask that you keep this realization confidential as I would not want to share it with my comrades in arms. Please give my love to Velvet Step and her family. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Your Friend

Silent Knight

Crystal released a loud groan after she finished the letter.

Velvet tilted her head, brow furrowed. "What? What's wrong?" She leaned a little further over. "What happened?"

"This." Crystal rose the letter up for Velvet to read. "I've been placed in a zone of friendship three times in one letter, while he wants me to give you his love!" She shot a playfully seething glare while she clutched her chest. "Et tu, Velvet? Et tu?"

"Don't worry. If he really is after my tail, then I'll just tell him I'm totally in love with somepony else." Velvet giggled and glanced over the writing. "Seriously, though, I think this is just a case of being the stereotypically oblivious stallion he is."

"She says, while secretly stealing the stallion of my dreams behind my back!" Crystal sighed, flopping over like a rag doll. "What if he actually is interested in you, though?"

"No, I don't think so." Velvet slid off the bunk and climbed onto Crystal's. "Every time he came over, he came to specifically look for you. And whenever you are away, he doesn't come visit me like he did for you while I was on tour. Maybe he thinks you don't like him and is trying really hard to not offend you?"

Crystal stared at her with a blank expression. "How could he not know? I've tried everything!"

Velvet hummed thoughtfully. "Well, not really. You haven't tried just outright saying it."

Crystal paused. She remained still, then, slowly, sat up and retrieved a quill and blank parchment from her luggage. "You're right."

Velvet's eyes widened. "You're going to tell him?!"

"Oh, no. That's something I want to say to his face. And when he gets home, I will. He wrote that he'd be home soon, anyway, so I can put up with you getting his love in the meantime." She giggled and the quill started to wander across the page in her fanciest quillmanship.

Dearest Silent Knight,

Your secret is safe with me.

I look forward to your return. I have so many stories to tell you. You won't believe what I have been up to while you've been gone!

The news I can share with you is that we are expecting the arrival of Velvet's little sibling-to-be very soon. I think she is more excited than all of us now that she has accepted she will no longer be the foal of the family.

I hope all continues to go well on your trip. Please give Princess Luna my warmest regards, and know that you are in my thoughts.

Sincerely Yours,

Crystal Wishes

"There." She folded the paper and tucked it into an envelope. "I hope he really does come home soon," she sighed, sealing it with a soft kiss, then froze.

"What was that?" Velvet grinned and pointed at her. "You sealed it with a kiss!"

"I, well, yes, but—"

Velvet laughed herself right off the side of the bunk, landing on the floor with a loud thump. "Oh my gosh! Crystal, you're so cute!"

Crystal looked down at her and frowned, her face bright red. "Shush, you!" She retreated to the far corner, pressed up against the wall. Her tail curled around herself almost protectively while she did her best to ignore the playful teases Velvet sent her way.

♡

The train whistled and started to slow. Crystal turned her head to see Canterlot out the window. To her own surprise, a smile crossed her lips at the sight of it. Whether she liked it or not, Canterlot was home.

"Let's get you to the post office so you can get that letter on its way," Velvet said, hoisting her bags onto her back and heading toward the exit. "Don't want to keep your Knight waiting, and—um, Mom?!" Velvet gave a startled, high-pitched squawk. "What the hay are you doing here?!"

The mare in question smiled from where she stood on the station platform. "To welcome my little sweetie back home, of course!" She dabbed her forehead with a cloth. She was sweating profusely, and her eyes flicked around in the almost comical manner of a nervous Nellie.

Velvet closed the gap between them. "Mom, you should be in the hospital! He's due, like, yesterday, I thought!"

Sunbeam nodded. "He was, but I wasn't ready. I wanted you to be here when your baby brother's born." She huffed and looked past her to smile at Crystal, wincing in between labored breaths. "How was your trip?"

"It—"

"Mom," Velvet interrupted, both forelegs gesturing at her fidgeting, sweating mother, "you need to get to a hospital! Now!"

Sunbeam snorted while Velvet ushered her toward the stairs. Crystal lingered somewhat awkwardly where she stood until Velvet turned to look at her and ask, "Aren't you coming?"

Crystal's ears perked. "May I?"

"Of course! He's your baby brother, too!"

Crystal smiled and trotted after them, walking on the other side of Sunbeam. To distract the mare from her discomfort, Crystal told her all about the trip until they arrived at the hospital. Pepper Ridge was already there, pacing nervously.

"Honey!" he exclaimed when he saw them approach, then turned on his hooves and ran inside, yelling, "Doctor, nurse! She's here!"

Like clockwork, a doctor and two nurses came to them and led Sunbeam into a room, Pepper Ridge following at their heels. And just like that, Crystal and Velvet were rather abruptly left alone in the waiting room. They looked at each other as a silent weight started to tense the silent air around them, the reality of the situation becoming more apparent in their shared wide-eyed expressions.

Author's Note

Fun fact, assuming my research is correct: mares can willingly stall their labor, apparently!