The Last Agate

Chapters

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Epilogue

Prologue

Chapter 1

Depending on parents, ponies normally make their first friend in the first few months of their life. This is the pony you grow up with, the one that’s always by your side. Some ponies even have more than one of these friends, but not all ponies.

In some families the children are secluded, either because the parents, mother or father, are scared. They might think that introducing new ponies to their little bundle of joy would somehow hurt it. There, however, tends to be a reason for this isolation, either the pony is bedridden and possibly infectious, but will pass, or the parents want to instill their version of right and wrong so it won’t be tainted by another filly from a different family. Both will lead to the inevitable of their child making lifelong friendships, but there’s a third, rarer, option.

What if the entire family has absolutely no intention of letting their child make any friends? One that values family ties to the nth degree and doesn’t even let the child know what a friend is. No obvious rhyme or reason.

That’s my family, but what I’d find out in the later days is that their life style wasn’t exactly a choice.

My name is Crystal Agate. I’m from an upper class family, who are entirely white furred for some reason, the only way you can tell us apart is by our eye color or size. I have green eyes, my sister, Cross has blue eyes and my mother, Sterile, has purple eyes, and we are a small family of doctors.

Now by doctors I mean best in the world. Mom is the head surgeon at Canterlot hospital. She’s in charge of ten of the best surgeons in the world, which makes her the best of the best, and is the only pony ever to perform a successful brain surgery on a unicorn filly.

My sister is a pediatrician and I adored her. Remember when I talked about my family refusing to make friends? Well that wasn’t entirely true. Cross was my best friend, or best sister friend, I like to call her BSBFF or Big Sister Best Friends Forever. It’s cheesy, I know, but for some reason that makes it more personal, and she truly deserves that title. I’d wake up to her around twelve everyday of first six years of life, just before she went to work, to her, sitting at my bedside. She’d carry me to breakfast (before I could walk), feed me, change me, in the early years, and all around love me. I’m even the reason Cross got her cutie mark!

My mother did love me, but with her job she had to get up early, like three in the morning early to oversee the hospital’s patients, being head surgeon meant more than performing surgery, and would never see me in the morning. Sometimes I went to bed before she got home. Sometimes I slept in her bed until she moved me to my own, but normally Cross took care of me.

What I did for the six hours after Cross left was read. I sat in my bed, comfy and cozy, and read all the medical books I could get my hooves on. Although that didn’t start until I was three, before that I learned basic math, anatomy and science. Oh, for reference, I started reading when I was two and spent half a year learning the basics and finishing everything before my birth month. It wasn’t that hard considering Cross didn’t start learning medicine until she was four.

When Cross did get home, she’d take me outside and teach me exercise techniques, which could have been summed up with “Ponies need to run around,” and a lot of tag, hide and seek and tree climbing. Those were the times where I was happiest. Whenever I’m with Cross I was happy. Oh, and when she had days off from work, Cross would climb into bed with me and read for me! I know it’s a small thing, especially if what I was reading was a complex medical textbook or diagram, but it really meant a lot to me. She’d always explain words that confused me, even in the slightest, and had the voice of an angel, and no matter how many questions I asked, she’d answer them.

She was amazing.

But my amazing just wasn’t normal for other ponies. To them sisters fought, they loved each other, but fought over the stupidest of things. To them, the role Cross played in my early life was more akin to a mother, although without the advanced medical textbooks, and I guess they’re right.

Cross wasn’t a sister to me, she was in fact a second mother, one that took care of me when my real mother wasn’t around. Which was most of the time. But when Mom did show up, it was a special treat, better than the cherry orange swirl lollipops Cross brought back from her work.

If I woke up to a pair of purple eyes, I would have to restrain myself from lunging at her. To me, Mom was god, and you never lunge at god, even if it was just for a hug. She’d come into my room, eyes gleaming in the moonlight, and slowly lifted me out of bed. We’d talk about her day, she’d tell me about the funny ponies she works for and I’d talk about my studies, sometimes she’d quiz me and others were short visits, but everytime I saw her she had a gift.

The first gift she ever gave me was just another cherry orange swirl, but after I turned three, and passed one of her quizzes on anatomy, she gave me a book. Not a medical textbook or medical weekly, but a fictional book, one by the famous author, King Stephen, called Starter of Fires. A horror book reserved for adult readers, but Mom gave it to me when I was three.

And I loved it.

None of the horror stuff scared me. A single article in Medical Weekly has more fright than that entire book, being eaten alive by insects, from inside your body? Now that’s scary.

I kept that book for almost two years, reading it, re reading it, even having Cross read it. I think I read it a total of ten times before that day, and still could read it again.

This lifestyle went on for five and a half years, me never leaving leaving the house or two acres of land we had. One time I got curious and took a single step outside the gate, but stopped and ran back. It was too unfamiliar, like an infant cooking for themselves.

About three months before I started school, Cross and Mom met me in the living room, something that never happened, and talked about Cross adding something to my daily schedule. For those last three months I learned how to sleep in class. It might sound delinquent to you, but Mom made a point to tell me not to make friends or interact with anyone. She said I was only going to school to fulfil legal obligations, that I already knew everything they’d cover in class. Cross told me that school was a joke, but she amended Mom’s words, that I should try to make friends, that it’d help me in the future, but I didn’t listen. In my eyes, god’s word meant more than Mom’s.

My first day of school was terrifying, mostly because it was the first time I ever left the house. I was late because I refused to go. I had climbed the tree in our front yard as high as I could, clutching onto the trunk.

The first step I took outside felt just like the first time, wrong, and I kept running back to the tree, but eventually Mom got mad, but before she could do anything, Cross literally bit me and dragged me to school. I had to wear a coat to cover the wound. There was no blood, and it healed in less than a day, but that was the first time Cross had physically hurt me.

Mom and Cross were right about school. It was a joke. I got good at sleeping in class during my training, and went to bed later than any of the other fillies, knowing that I’d get more sleep.

Even on days where the teacher tested us I finished in twenty minutes, at most, and fell right asleep, or left if I could. That only happened once though.

During recess I sat under a tree, or in a tree, and read my medical textbook. At first ponies wandered over, curious about me, and tried to be friendly, but I put a stop to it just like Mom said, and eventually isolated myself in a cocoon of secrecy, no one reaching out to me and me reaching out to no one.

Near the end of my first year Cross ran away from home. I remember the night like the back of my hoof. Cross yelled at Mom, using words that I’d never heard before, dark, angry words. They never left me, but Cross did.

Cross left the house with an earth shattering bang, never to be seen again, never even saying goodbye to me. I was forced to stare blankly at the wall as I watched my BSBFF walk the whole two acres. She didn’t even look back. When Mom walked into my room, I saw that one of her eyes were blackened. She hurt Mom? I stared in disbelief as she sat on my bed and wrapped a hoof around my back. She hurt God. I touched it, just like as the book described it, and then cried into her chest.

“Cross won’t be living with us anymore,” She said rubbing my back.

Mom ended up reading me Starters of Fire before I went to bed. She also kissed my forehead for the first time. I went to sleep with a smile on my face that night.

Life went on without her, month after month went by. I turned six without her, started my second year of school without her, and finished memorizing every bone, muscle, organ and difference in each of the three races without her.

The hardest thing I had to do without her was cooking. I could boil water and make cereal, but when it came to making sandwiches, picking the right ingredients, even finding good recipes, I was at a lost. Mom told me to keep Cross’s disappearance a secret so I couldn’t even ask anyone for help. I’m actually surprised no one called the police when they saw a six year old filly shopping for things other than candy.

Four months into my second year of school I had been sitting in my tree. Mom was home on sick leave (she’d caught a cold and decided that she didn't want to suck it up today) when I saw a giant white mare walk up the walkway.

I took a closer look to find it was none other than Princess Celestia.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

I was in my tree, Starters of Fire in my left hoof open to page 53, when the ruler of our world waltzed up our driveway.

I had to blink and rub my eye just to know I wasn’t losing my mind. I did it twice and then realized that none of her royal attire, golden slippers, tiara and breast plate fitted with an amethyst crystal, were adorned her huge body.

“Why in the world would she come here?” I said, marking my place with the dragon bookmark Mom got me along with the book.

Celestia crept closer and closer to me as I put the book in a waterproof bag. I thought of that one, buying it during my usual grocery run after school, kind of instantaneously, an instinct buy people call it.

I thought Celestia was going to tell Mom something and climbed down as quietly as I could, hoping to get to a lower branch just as Celestia climbed onto the porch, but after I went down one branch, she stopped.

I stared, a monkey jumping down my throat, as Celestia paused. Had she found me? Even if she had why would she do anything about it? I’m not the reason she’s here. Adults only have time for other adults.

But I was wrong.

Celestia mumbled something about this being easier, what I didn’t know, before turning around and looking directly at me, a gentle smile on her face.

She looked so, small without her attire, more, normal, then it hit me. In one of the psychology books, I read how most social workers get the child to come with them. They look small and harmless and have the gentlest of smiles when they first see the child, that way they can reduce the amount of resistance and help the filly or colt feel safer.

Celestia’s not here for Mom, she’s here for me!

“Hello Crystal,” Celestia said, smiling her gentle smile. “Could you come down please? I need to talk to you about something.”

I had to stop myself from moving down, but only briefly before I proceeded anyway. Why would she be here? Mom never hurt me, nor did she abandon me. Yes she left me alone most, sometimes all day, but there’s always enough money to get whatever food I needed and plenty of books to read in the house, so why would Celestia come for me?

I had gotten down three branches when a yellow aura surrounded me. I yelped when my hoof left the security of the branches and closed my eyes, knowing I’d feel branches hitting my bottom any second, but, none did, and when I opened my eyes again, I was right in front of Celestia.

“My, how you’ve grown,” Celestia said, her tone even and kind. It made me feel at ease, just like she wanted. “I haven’t seen you since you were this big.” She held out her hooves about six inches apart.

“What do you mean?” I said, my voice actually shaking. “I’ve never seen you in my life?”

“Oh, you don’t remember. It was your first day of life, don’t feel bad.” She kissed my forehead, and I felt extremely safe, so safe that aches I didn’t even know I had came to the surface and my eyes started to droop. “You’re going to take a little nap while we head to the castle,” she said in her overly kind, motherly voice, and my eyes drooped lower, aches pulsing all over my body. “I’ve got something really important to talk to you about.”

“Wait…” I muttered, struggling futilely to break out of Celestia’s expert grasp. “Mom’s… here… I never… get to see her…” My eyes closed against my will and I was embraced by the warm hug of sleep, going limp.

Throughout my nap I could feel Celestia’s back as she flew to the castle, hear her constant lullaby, and occasionally feel something nuzzle my prone form. I felt us land, and felt Celestia tuck me in, then nothing.

I woke with a stir, naturally, with no alarm clock or cold water, and when I opened my eyes, a pink unicorn mare came into view. She was sitting down in a chair, a book in her magical grasp. I thought of staying as still as possible so she didn’t notice me, like if she did she’d hurt me, but remembered who brought me here and yawned, raising my head.

I was in a four poster bed in a cobblestone room. There was a fireplace right by the pink pony and a rug under her chair. Not much else, there was a window, but that just meant it was night…

“Ah, you’re up,” the pink mare said, closing her book, exposing the cover to me. She sounded kind and looked at me with a smile. “You slept for seven hours, you must have been really tired.” She walked up and nuzzled my cheek. Physical contact felt so… foreign to me, no one in Canterlot has ever given me any for four months, not since Cross left. I flinched back, falling on my side and making the mare chuckle.

“I’m not going to hurt you, Silly,” the mare with blue eyes said, raising a hoof to hide her giggles. “You know, fillies like you shouldn’t be reading stuff like this,” She held up Starters of Fire, “It gives them nightmares.”

I lunged at her, hoof out stretched, and realized two things. One was that in my left hoof was something soft. It looked like a gray pony stuffed doll with a red and blue button eye, mane style a little too out there for me. It wore a pair of blue and white striped pants, and that’s it. The second thing I noticed was that I really had to go to the bathroom.

I retracted my hoof, placing it against my crotch and started doing a little pee pee dance in the bed. “Where’s the bathroom?” I said blushing. This was the first time I ever had to ask to use the bathroom.

“Celestia said you’d need to go when you woke, here.” she pointed to the wall, “there’s a bathroom over there. Just through the door”

I rushed past the door, slammed it and locked it.

When I finished I opened the door and the blue eyed unicorn greeted me with a smile. “Feel better?”

“Yes,” I paused, “much.”

The pink mare looked at me, then slid Starters of Fire into her saddlebags. “I’ll hold onto this,” she said, a thin smile creasing her features. Before I could do anything she shouted “Oh yeah! I still need to introduce myself.” The mare sat down next to me with a smile a mile wide. “My name’s Cheery Smiles, I run the Cheery Days Daycare here in Canterlot, what’s your name.”

“Crystal Agate,” I said, “Can I have my book back? My mother gave it to me.”

She glared at me for a second, then her face returned to a natural smile. “Of course not, now lets get going, Celestia told me to take you to her after you relieved yourself.” She got up and headed out the room.

“Um, no, give me my book back, I’ve already read it ten times so…”

“Good, so you don’t need it anymore, but I do.”

I questioned why this mare needed a copy of Starters of Fire, and I thought about punching her to get it back, but that didn’t seem wise. I don’t know why, but harming this pink mare felt like a death sentence. There was something about her that intimidated me. I decided to grab another copy and swap them later on.

The hallways were a vast, endless maze of cobblestone crisscrossing the entire span of the castle. I had once read that castles were designed this way to confuse and slow down invaders, giving the defenders a sort of home field advantage.

I walked along Cheery’s side, my opinion of the mare changing. She seemed warm and inviting, but had a hard side to her, don’t cross me and we’ll be best friends it said, a lot like my big sister.

Suddenly my thoughts turned to Cross, and at that moment I wanted nothing but to hug her.

“Why did Celestia bring me here?” I asked Cheery. We passed as set of guards before she responded.

“I don’t really know, but I do know that it’s really important.”

Important huh? I thought about Cross again, how she ran away from home. Could she have come here? My heart began to race at the thought. Cross could have come to the caste, somehow got an audience with the princess and convinced her to take me from the house so she didn’t have to deal with Mom.

It sounded crazy, but so did sleeping for seven hours and getting kidnapped by the princess! That, and the thought of touching her fur, smelling her again after four long and lonely months drove me to believe it was truthful.

I began to pick up my pace, a smile growing. Soon I was one pony’s length, then two, ahead of Cheery.“Hurry up!” I shouted, suddenly knowing exactly which way to go. “Hurry up Cheery!” I didn’t wait for a response. I knew that in Celestia’s throne room was Cross, just waiting to hug me after four months. “She’ll come back and I’ll have my second mommy again!” I shouted, jumping towards the sky.

A few guards stood at each end of the mahogany door, but I didn’t care, I blew by them and rushed into the throne room, smiling ear to ear.

“Cross!” I shouted to the near empty room. Celestia sat in her throne with what looked to be a teenaged purple unicorn at her left.

I moved up, my smile not fading. “Cross? Celestia, where’s Cross?” I looked at Celestia, her face a mixture of composure and sorrow. The purple unicorn glared at me.

“Cross? Where are you?” I turned left, then right, looking for my sister. “Big Sister Best Friend Forever?” My pep drained away. The more I looked, the less I found her. “Okay Cross, this is a funny joke, can you come out so I can hug you?” No answer, only more glaring from the purple unicorn.

I looked to Celestia, again not wearing her royal garbs, and saw something that made my heart stop. A single tear flowing down her etched face. “Crystal, I apologize for…”

“Celestia, where’s my sister?” I took a step closer, aggression edging itself into my voice, something the purple unicorn didn’t like, “That’s why you brought me here, right? Because Cross wanted to see me again… but didn’t want to deal with Mom.” I paused, a frog in my throat. “R-Right?”

Celestia stood, and I felt Cheery place her arm around my neck. I looked towards her and saw a sorrowful expression as she panted. “Crystal Agate, your sister and best friend forever, Cross Agate… is... dead.”

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

I stared blankly at Celestia as tears fell down her face. “Okay, you got me Celestia,” I said, my voice cracking, “n-now where’s my sister.”

“As I have told you, your sister is–”

“NO!” I shouted, “Cross isn’t dead! She can’t be.” I shoved Cheery off me, denying the comforting hug. “You’re a dirty liar Celestia!” I ran to the door. “Cross is stronger than anyone I know, she’ll never die!” I blew past just as the purple unicorn yelled something, running through the twisty turny hallways.

I ran and ran until I couldn’t tell where I was. Passing countless servants and guards, even a few nobles, and I still ran. I ran until I tripped over my hooves and slid face first onto the cobblestone floor. There was no blood, I wasn’t in any pain, but when I looked up, I was alone.

Why would Celestia lie to me? I thought, curling into a ball.

There were a few doors on either side of the hallway, no windows like in the room I woke. “Celestia’s fair and kind, she wouldn’t lie to me,” I said, struggling to keep myself together. I wanted nothing more than to feel Cross tap my shoulder and say “Don’t cry Crystal, I’m right here,” but as more time passed, my wish became a delusion.

“If Celestia is fair and kind, then why did she kidnap me? She could have told me this with Mom, that way I’d have a familiar shoulder to cry on.”

It’s a lie, Cross is alive and you know it!

Yes, I did know it, but that brought up the question of why Celestia would kidnap me just to lie to me? That seems like a waste of her time.

Breathing in and out, I finally calmed down. I relaxed my legs and sat like a normal pony. “Celestia doesn’t lie to her subjects, and she would never waste her own time.” I bit my tongue, “but it’s not true, Cross isn’t dead.”

I suddenly thought of my dragon bookmark. A beautiful rendition of a red dragon blowing hot fire into the sky, rising proudly to meet the sun, then I remembered something. At school two days ago, during recess, I overheard two fillies talk about a dragon attack in Cloudsdale. It was one of the few times I ever listened to a conversation at school. It killed well over three hundred ponies and orphaned hundreds more. Buildings were burned to the ground. About half of the entire city was lost, but what did it have to do with Cross?

Celestia wouldn’t lie or waste her time or play with your emotions.

Realization struck me like a hot iron and I curled up into a tight ball again. There were probably a lot of injured ponies, and foals, after that dragon attack. Who heals the injured? Doctors. What was Cross? A doctor. Tears pricked at my eyes, and this time I didn’t run. I tightened myself and cried. Cross really was dead.

I cried, the cold floor my only company. I wanted to be hugged, never have I wanted to be hugged so much in my life. I wanted, no, needed Cross to hug me, but, now I knew that would never happen again.

Eventually I heard a cough come from in front of me, followed by a rough voice saying, “are you okay, little miss?”

Looking up, I saw a white stallion in blue armor looking down at me. He had blue eyes and a neon blue mane and tail, and looked a little worried. “N-No,” I said, tears choking my words, “I j-just learned that my s-sister is… dead.”

“Oh!” the stallion took off his helmet and sat besides me, putting an arm around me. I let him pull me close. “That’s horrible. I have a little sister myself. If I ever lost her I’d probably cry too.”

Quietly, I resisted wrapping my arms around his armored flank and slowly moved so I could rest my head on his stomach. I grabbed both his hooves, thankful that he didn’t resist, and wrapped them around me like a filly might a comfort blanket. He eventually got the message and tightened his grip, lifting me onto his lap.

“Th-That’s what you wanted, right?” He said, resting his head on mine. He smelled of sweat and his hooves were cold and clammy, but the warmth of his stomach helped loosen my tongue a little.

“Yes, but, you could use a shower.”

“Wow,” he chuckled, “Even in the face of tragedy you act like my sister.” We sat there for a while, me breathing in and out, trying not to cry as well as cope with the hard truth. “I like to protect things.”

“Huh?”

“My job as a lieutenant is to protect ponies, but I don’t do it for them, to be honest, I don’t care at all about most ponies in here, and wouldn’t mind them dead.” he paused and I felt his hooves briefly tighten around my waist, “don’t tell anyone I said that.”

“Okay,” I said.

“Thank you,” he relaxed his hooves, “well there is one pony I want to protect, my little sister best friend forever. If she were to die like your sister, I… well I’d probably quit my job.”

“And go against your cutie mark?”

“No, I’d try to find another job later on, after I grieved, but the point I’m trying to make is that I understand some of what you’re probably going through.”

“Thanks for saying some, because you don’t know the half of it,” I said, nuzzling his chin. For a stallion in the royal guard, he was pretty good at knowing just what to say. “My BSBFF was more than that.” I paused, fighting back the urge to cry as memories of Cross flooded me. “She was like a second mommy. She changed me, burped me, fed me, and let me sleep with her when I had a nightmare.”

“What about your real Mom?” the guard asked.

“She was there too, but, with her job as head surgeon she has a lot of long days and never got home before ten at night, and that’s my bed time.”

“So your sister filled in for her?”

“Yeah, but,” I sniffed, silently knowing that I’d burst into tears. “four months ago my sister ran away. She hurt my mom, but,” I could feel myself choking up, “I just want to see her again, now I can’t!” It happened, I buried my head in the guards arms and cried. He tried everything, rubbing my back to bouncing me on his knee, but I wouldn’t stop crying, couldn’t stop. He didn’t say any comforting words, and I don’t blame him, what could he have even said?

“Lieutenant,” another guard, this time in gold armor, said. “Armor… oh I see you found the missing child.”

I looked at Armor, silently pleading to keep this between the two of us, and he nodded.

“Yes private Goldhooves, tell the others to stop looking. I’ll bring her to Celestia.” Celestia, that’s exactly who I wanted to see.

“Yes sir.” Goldhooves walked away.

It was silent except for my occasional sniffle. I looked up at Lieutenant Armor and smiled a little. “Shall we?” He levitated me onto his cold armored back and started to trot through the halls.

We reached the same mahogany doors and when the lieutenant opened them, Celestia sat on a large red cushion, the entire room empty. She looked up at me and smiled, opening one of her wings. The lieutenant set me down and I ran to her, tears already leaking from me again. When I heard the door close I let out a long cry before colliding with Celestia’s soft white side.

Like Lieutenant Armor, Celestia didn’t say anything, but I felt much safer with her than him, solely because she had a wing to hide me from possible prying eyes and muffle my cries. She nuzzled me and rubbed my back like Lieutenant, but her’s felt more honed, like she knew exactly what a crying child needed.

I cried until I ran out of tears, and then I just sat in her embrace.

“Feel any better?” Celestia said in her calm, motherly voice.

“A… a little,” I gulped, “I’m sorry for running away and calling you a dirty liar.”

“Don’t be, if I was told that my sister had died I’d probably do the same thing.”

We lapsed into silence again. I felt content with staying like this forever, Celestia by my side, but that could never happen. Especially when my stomach growls like an Ursa.

“Is someone hungry?” Celestia said, chuckling a little. “Seven hours sleeping can make for one heck of an appetite.”

I blushed a little, “Yes”

“Say no more.” I heard her light her horn and then a few pops in the distance before her wing opened. What sat before me was all but a banquet of comfort foods. There was the classic mac and cheese, made in little sun shapes, daisy sandwiches lathered in honey, hay fries and hay burgers, and, of course, candy. “Try to eat some real food before devouring the candy.”

“Say no more!” I shouted, smiling again. Celestia passed me a plate and I piled it on, mac and cheese with a single hay burger for the first coarse. As I ate, not only did my stomach fill up, but my spirits were lifted. It’s called comfort food for a reason, but as time went on, a question nagged at me like a dirty hangnail.

“Celestia,” I said, setting my fork down.

“Yes, Crystal?” Celestia said between bites.

“How did Cross… die?”

Celestia sat her plate down and pulled me with her wing. I had just taken a bite of a daisy sandwich and got honey all over her wing, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“Like a soldier, braver even,” she looked down at me and smiled, levitating a napkin and wiping some honey off my mouth. “It was after the second dragon attack. I had sent most of my best doctors to Cloudsdale, enchanting the non pegisi with a cloudwalking spell. Cross seemed the happiest. I was there when she walked on clouds for the first time.”

I took a drink of fizzy soda to wash down all the honey.

“I should never have sent her, all of this could have been avoided. I blame myself for it all, and just like with you, I’ll have plenty of nights where I wake up crying.”

I gulped, my nerve wavering towards sorrow, “So how did it happen?”

“The second dragon, a red one, was terrorizing the town, and Cross hid in one of the buildings, we think this is how it happened, and there she found three orphaned fillies, two of them unicorns and one a pegasus huddled together, in tears.” I gulped, imagining just how scared those fillies must have been. “Cross comforted them, shielded them with her own body until the very end. We found the four of them huddled together, blacker than the darkest of nights.”

I wiped a tear from my eye, grabbing another honey and daisy sandwich. To those fillies, an adult like Cross must have felt like a saint sent from above. Finally after countless minutes of hearing nothing but the screams of burning ponies someone came to comfort them, even if it was only for a few minutes, or an hour. I knew if I were in that situation I’d like to be told I’d make it again and again by a warm adult instead of wondering what could happen on my own.

“Thanks, Celestia, I… I feel a little better now.”

“Like I said, she was braver than some of my own soldiers.”

We ate in silence, each bite felt like a little more padding between me and my problems, and with a full stomach It felt like a mile. Neither of us said anything for the longest time, and as the moon rose in the sky I could feel sleep slowly creep up on me.

“How do you feel about sleeping here at the castle?” Celestia said as I grabbed a cherry orange swirl lollipop.

“I’d rather go home,” I said, looking away.

“Well, sorry about that, but you don’t really have a choice, you’ll be sleeping with my personal student, Twilight Sparkle. She’s the owner of that doll you woke up with.”

I remembered that ragged doll, it was small and creepy, a kind gesture, but I still wanted to go home and hug my mom. She’s probably still sneezing and has a headache with the force of an ice storm, but I just want to confide in her for a few hours, pretend nothing happened.

Celestia would have agreed, and maybe even scheduled a flight to take me home, or do it personally, but at that moment, Cheery was opening the door to Mom’s bedroom, a look of murder on her face.

“Don’t worry, she’s one of the sweetest ponies you’ll meet, and she’s really smart, just like you.” Celestia said, pulling me in with her sticky wing again.

I rested my head on her chest and sighed, “Okay, Princess,”

“Hey,” Celestia said, chuckling, “you called me by my title. Theres a first time for everything I guess.”

“Yeah, I would have called you that this whole time, but you kinda kidnapped me.”

“Yeah, I guess I could have given you a heads up, but where’s the fun in that?” Celestia chuckled, “I’m sorry though.”

“It’s alright, no one will know, and there’s no point crying over spilt milk.”

“That, my little pony, is very true. Are you full?”

I got up, licked my lollipop a few more times before throwing it onto my plate. “Yeah, can I take the last lollipop to go?”

Celestia got up, shook her legs and fluttered her wings. “Sure, and don’t worry about the dishes, one of the maids will get it.”

I nodded and got up, grabbed the last lollipop and placed it on my back. “Can I go home tomorrow?”

“I’m afraid not, there are a few things I need to set up and I’m not done with the bad news.”

“You mean there’s more!” I shouted.

“I’m afraid so, but the worst is over, tomorrow you’ll find out why I was the one to bring you the news of your sister’s death and no other.”

I stopped, bumping into Celestia’s right hoof. The question never popped into my head. I never thought about why Celestia brought me, it was always why I was here. “Why is that?”

“You’ll figure that out tomorrow. You will need rest before you take the news. Imagine how you’d feel learning of your sister’s death…”

“Can you stop bringing it up?” I said.

“Sorry, but imagine how you would have taken it if you were tired.”

“Not good?”

“Right, now lets head off, Twilight should be done making a bed for you by now.”

We walked along the cobblestone hallways, Celestia leading the way. All of the ponies we passed bowed before wishing Celestia a good night and heading to their respective rooms. I began to wonder if I should have bowed when I first saw Celestia in the throne room, but tried to push it out of my mind.

We passed a few more ponies before they thinned out and soon we were in front of the tallest tower in the castle.

“She’s just up here,” Celestia said as we started the stairs.

“Good,” I stated before yawning.

We reached the top about ten minutes later and Celestia opened the door. Inside was a lush… library. For a moment I squealed inside, so many books, so much knowledge, but then I saw Twilight.

It was the same purple unicorn that glared at me back at the throne room, and she didn’t look all too happy to see me now.

“Twilight, this is Crystal, she’s going to sleep in your room tonight.” Celestia said motioning me with her wing to move ahead. I did but stopped in front of Twilight. Her lavender eyes glared at me and I could feel her anger. Her dark blue mane and tail with a pink and purple highlight was wet and I could smell fresh pomegranate shampoo.

“Okay, Princess,” Twilight said, emphasizing the princess for some reason or another.

Celestia nodded and said “Good night” before heading out, leaving me with Twilight, too tired to realize how angry she was.

When Celestia had gone down half of the stairs, Twilight rushed me, not pinning me to the ground, but staring dead into my eyes. Steam seemed to come from her nostrils and she looked ready to bite my head off. “How dare you disrespect the princess,” she shouted, getting spit on my face. “She took you in out of the kindness of her heart and what do you do? You disrespect her by not addressing her with her title, interrupt her and call her a dirty liar. I should throw you out the window for this.”

It was like the flick of a switch. All of the pain I had turned into raw anger and I snapped, slapping Twilight in her smug face. I stared at her, not caring if she was twice my size and shouted, making sure to get all of my spit on her face. “Oh, I’m sorry, you ignorant little bitch! Celestia didn’t bring me here out of the kindness of her own heart, she kidnapped me. I just wanted to spend a nice day with my mother, one whom I never get to see, but your kind princess had to take me here against my will, and you know what she did when I got here?” Twilight shook her head, her eyes the size of pinpricks. “She told me that my sister was dead! My sister, the pony that changed me, fed me and loved me when my mother couldn’t is dead! Now I want you to go fuck yourself you inconsiderate little piece of shit. Learn to care about someone other than your fucking princess for once in your damn life!”

When I finished I moved towards a basket either filled with laundry or my bed, buried myself and cried. I didn’t even notice the baby dragon that popped his little head up, I just cried until I fell asleep.

I dreamed of a long, dark tunnel, and at the end was this immaculate light, shining and guiding me to the end. I started running like I was being chased by a train and saw at the end of the tunnel was my BSBFF.

“Come here, Crystal,” Cross said with open arms.

I ran faster, heart beating faster and a smile of my face. There she was. My sister, she wasn’t dead, she’s right in front of me, ready to give me a hug! I ran and ran, but she never seemed to get closer, then the light went out.

I heard a huge roar as fire lit the room, exposing a giant red dragon, much akin to my bookmark, towering over my sister, but she didn’t scream. She held three cowering orphaned fillies behind her, keeping the dragon between herself and the fillies.

“No!,” I shouted, “Run Cross! Run away. Please don’t die!” I watched helplessly as the dragon ate all four of them in one gulp.

I screamed, thrashing about in my basket before realizing it was a dream. I looked around the large room, large enough to hide a full grown dragon I thought, and empty, devoid of life and warm things.

I began to cry.

“Crystal,” someone said from above me.

“Go away!” I shouted, coddling my blanket like it would erase the dream.

I cried for what felt like hours, wanting someone to hug, to tell me it was just a dream and let me sleep with them, until a light purple aura glowed around me, lifting me up. I screamed before wailing again.

I landed in a soft, warm bed, purple eyes glowing on the other side. “Are you okay?” Twilight said, putting an arm on my shoulder.

“What do you want?” I spat, trying to hide my gratitude. Unlike last time, she sounded truly concerned.

“I want to say I’m sorry for yelling at you earlier. I should have listened to what Celestia said instead of how you acted. Is there anyway I can make it up to you?”

I thought she was just saying that, but when she dried my tears and got me a tissue to blow my nose, I really felt like she cared. “Um, can I sleep with you tonight?”

“Sure, if it’ll make you feel better.” She pulled me into a hug, and I began to sniffle less almost immediately. “You know, I have a big brother I like to call BBBFF, just like you call your big sister BSBFF. If I lost him and someone snapped at me, I’d do the exact same thing you did.” She placed her head on mine as the warmth of the bed began to lull me to sleep. “I am an inconsiderate piece of shit, but I’d like to make it up to you.” I had fallen asleep at this point, silently imagining that Twilight was my Big Sister Best Friend Forever.

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

I woke feeling warm and safe, and when I opened my eyes, Cross was next to me, snoring lightly with her hooves resting on my back. I smiled and sighed contently, then snuggled closer, closing my eyes again, but when I opened them, it wasn’t Cross.

Twilight was looking back at me, snoring like a horse, and her hooves felt cold and unwelcome.

I shot backwards and ended up falling on the floor. “Ow,” I said, rubbing my bottom. I looked up to find Twilight still sound asleep. I stared at her, a little astonished at how heavy a sleeper she was.

I slept in Twilight's bed! I thought, slowly moving away. The wood floor felt cold against my hooves. I looked around for anything to warm them up and spotted a pair of small slippers. They were bright pink, which clashed against my mane, but I liked functionality over fashion anyday. When I moved to put them on, I hesitated. These weren’t mine. I noticed another, bigger blue pair of slippers next to Twilight’s bed, and decided. You asked her to let you do that. I knew, but I was under distress at the time, and any warm body would have done the trick, but Cross’s would have been perfect. I quickly put on the slippers and made my way downstairs.

I walked to the door, passing the pile of clothes I originally used as a bed. It housed something sleeping, and purple. I left, but stopped, and looked back. She had calmed me down and I slept great with her, I thought. “Alright, she deserves to know I’m safe.” I said, going to the kitchen table, where, thankfully, a set of pen and paper lay ready for me.

It was almost too convenient, but I let it pass and picked up the pen in my mouth.

Dear Twilight I wrote, my penmanship not the best, but still legible. Thank you for last night, it was very nice of you to let me sleep in your bed, but I need to leave. Celestia said she’d tell me the last thing I need to know before I can go home. I’m afraid we will never see each other again.

Crystal.

I forwent the your friend because she wasn’t my friend. I had no friends.

After setting the note in an obvious spot I left, taking the slippers with me. A gift to remember her by.

It was still early, and I found myself yawning, almost slipping down the stone stairs, thankfully, there was an hoofrail. I was more than tempted to sneak back into Twilight’s bed to sleep some more. At least it wouldn’t be this cold, but I ignored it. I was a morning pony and would wake up eventually. Twilight’s slippers helped though.

I passed through the second door about five minutes later and walked down the same hallway Celestia lead me through last night. The sun was barely up and it was clear that it had rained overnight, mud puddles mixed with morning dew and a low fog had rolled in. No doubt in my mind it’d evaporate before ten, but for now it lingered.

I yawned again, almost at the other side of the bridge, and shook my head to help wake up. I saw a few maids in uniform not too far away.

“Are you lost?” A light yellow mare asked as the unlocked one of the many unoccupied rooms. She had an anxious look about her.

I nodded, “do you know where the princess is?”

“I saw her in the garden, but it’s six in the morning, you should go back to bed.” The maid pointed through the window where a bunch of statues and hedges lay.

“I’m fine,” I said, grumbling a little.

“Alright, just don’t hurt yourself,” the maid went back to her work, “if you do, there’s a nurse two hallways down.”

“Okay!” I shouted and ran off.

It took me twenty minutes to find my way to the garden, I could see it, tantalizingly close, but couldn’t find how to safely get there. When I did, I noticed Celestia’s body looming over a small hedge… in the grass. I’d ruin the slippers if I walked in it, but if I took them off my hooves would get wet and muddy!

I stood at the edge of the stone walkway, shuffling nervously. “I need to take a shower anyway,” I told myself, and took off the slippers, put them on my back, hoping they would fall off, and ran to Celestia.

The mud stuck to my fur, but felt kind of refreshing, like a mud bath in a spa. Those are really good for your skin. I headed towards the princess, going as fast as I could. I wanted this out of the way, get a shower and head home as fast as possible.

“CELESTIA!!!” I shouted, as I ran to her, interrupting her conversation with a gray stallion with a tuxedo. The two of them wore rain boots that went up to their knees, keeping the mud away while they got their business done. I skidded to a halt in front of the white alicorn, bypassing their precautions and getting mud on Celestia’s belly and side, as well as a speck of mud on the stallion’s tuxedo. “Celestia, can you tell me what you needed to? I want to go home.”

“Crystal!” Celestia said, wiping the stallion’s coat without a second thought. “Why are you up? It’s six in the morning.” I could barely hear the concern in her voice.

“That doesn’t matter, just say what you have to so I can go home.” I pressed my dewy and mud caked hooves against her pristine coat, getting a gasp from the stallion.

“How dare you stain the princess’s coat?” the stallion shouted, raising his hoof. “I’ll give you a wallop for that.” I didn’t even flinch as his hoof connected not with me, but with a yellow shield.

“There will be no wallops given,” Celestia said, “and Crystal, you will go back to bed this instant.”

“No!” I pressed my hooves deeper into her coat.

Celestia glared at me, “Crystal, I’m not asking you,” she put a hoof on my chest and pushed me to the ground, making me drop the slippers. “I am ordering you to go back to bed. I’ll tell you what I have to tell you when it’s right for me, now be patient.”

“No!” I shouted, struggling to pick up the slippers before any mud got on them. When they were safely on my back again I looked up, equally as angry. “And what if I don’t?”

“Then I’m sure Sir Gallant would be more than happy to give you a wallop.”

I looked at the stallion. The look in his eye meant death. Celestia wasn’t kidding, and I didn’t feel like being assaulted this morning. I looked back at Celestia, a devilish grin sticking out like a sore thumb. She was serious.

I backed away slowly, eyeing the yellow shield for any sign of disappearing. “Okay, I’ll leave, but promise me you’ll tell me what you have to today? I have to see my mom. “

“I will, now go, and tell Twilight to give you a bath.”

I nodded, but had no intention of going back to Twilight’s room. “Okay.” I tripped on the stones, tried to shake off as much of the mud as possible, then headed in the direction of the bridge.

As I left there was a loud ‘smack’ coming from the direction of the garden, followed by Celestia yelling at the stallion. I smiled a little.

When I felt I was a safe enough distance away I took a left and headed to the front gate. I’d get out here... one way, I thought.

“Are you alright, Little Miss?” a brown earth pony maid said. “It’s awfully early for a filly like yourself to be up. Do you perchance need some guidance back to your room?”

I groaned, not even ten minutes passed since I left Celestia that another maid stopped me.

“I’m trying to go home, could you tell me where the front gate is?” I asked, noticing another maid, a green unicorn with a braided mane standing besides the first.

“Oh it’s north of… oof” The maid grunted when the other jabbed her in the side. “I mean, I don’t know where it is, but I would be more than happy to escort you back to your room. It’s much too early for a filly to be awake.”

She started moving towards me, hooves outstretched. I panicked a little and ran in the opposite direction.

“Good going, Nut Job, you scared her off!” I could hear tidbits of the maid’s conversation until it all faded into the background.

I spent the next thirty minutes aimlessly wandering around the castle. I asked three more sets of maids for directions, but all they gave me was “to the north” before the other jabbed them. It amused me how there was a slight ditz always coupled with a smarter mare. Maybe they did that for a reason?

Finally, after getting sick of looking at cobblestone and waltzing across elegant bridges, I saw the front gate. I wanted nothing more than to put the slippers back on, but I didn’t want to get them any muddier than absolutely necessary.

Staring over the railing, I saw the stairway that connected the main courtyard with the castle wall. A grand staircase that spanned at least twenty meters, and would make me look quite small. There were two guards win gold armor posted in front of the gate. The last thing between me and freedom.

I headed down the grand staircase, feeling as small as I looked. One point I turned around and looked at the castle itself, my jaw dropping in awe.

It was the first time I saw Canterlot castle like this and had to take a few steps back to get the grand scale of it. It was a modern marvel, standing a total of three hundred meters high with four towers at each corner. I took a moment to see the tallest tower, where no doubt, Twilight still slept, and looked over at the slippers. Sighing, I promised to take good care of them and if I ever saw Twilight again, give them back.

Be it by luck or stupid coincidence, I hadn’t met any of the guards on their patrols around the castle. The two guarding the gate were my first, and oh my did they look terrifying. Big burly pegasi clad in two inch thick gold armor, both holding a spear. I shook in my mud boots.

I must have looked like a mess to them, mud half way up my legs and two pairs of slippers on my back, also trounced by mud. My face and body had been splashed but otherwise was still white.

“Halt,” one guard said in a deep, intimidating voice. He lowered his spear so the point faced me.

I stared, a mixture of dumbfoundedness and utter terror coursed through my veins. I saw the tip of the spear, sharpened to the point that it could skewer me without a care of my vital organs or skeleton.

“Private!” the other guard shouted, smacking the spear pointer in the face, making me jump back in fright as the guard tumbled. “Fillies are not you enemy! If you ever do that again, you're fired," the still standing guard turned to me, "Sorry about that, are you alright.”

I looked left, then right, my limbs were still there, and I still breathed. “Yeah, I didn’t wet myself so I should live.” There was a chuckle before the guard stated in a much kinder tone.

“State your business please.”

I stood as proudly as my shaking body could, chest stuck out and head held high. “I wish to exit through this gate, sir.”

The guard eased, and smacked his companion in the head with the butt of his spear. “State your name.” his voice boomed, but he still sounded much kinder than the other guard had.

“Crystal Agate. My sister has…” I felt a tear sting the corner of my eye, but pulled it back, “passed and I wish to receive… a hug from my mother.”

The guard looked left and right, as if he saw something threatening, then looked back at me, and smiled, warmly. He leaned forward and gave me a quick hug. “I am greatly sorry Miss Crystal Agate, let me look through my list.” He opened a saddlebag that lay next to him and pulled out a white piece of parchment. After a few seconds of scanning the paper, his faced dropped slightly. “I’m sorry Miss Crystal, but I can not allow you to leave, Celestia herself says you are to stay a while longer. Why don’t you go get a maid to give you a bath and tuck you in, it’s still really early and fillies shouldn’t be up.”

“No!” I shouted, “No, No, No, NO!” I stomped my hoof, screaming, “I will not go back to the castle, Celestia doesn't know what’s best for me. I need my mommy!”

The guard flinched, but returned to his stoic position, putting away the parchment. “I’m greatly sorry Miss Crystal, but my hooves are tied. Your choices are simple, either get a bath from a maid and get some rest, or I’ll take you to the dungeon until Celestia’s ready for you.”

“T-The dungeon?” my voice cracked and I took a step back. “I-I’m not a bad pony… I don’t deserve the… dungeon.”

“No, you are not a bad pony, now run along and find a maid. You can hug your mommy when you are clean and well rested.”

“R-Right… clean and well rested." I turned and walked away, looking back at the guard as he helped his friend up before slamming him to the ground again, screaming so loud that I had to cover my ears.

That’s when I saw it.

A tree, two actually, planted symmetrically next to the gate, and one looked climbable. My resolve hardened again. I would have gone back to Twilight and followed through with Celestia’s and the guard’s orders, but not anymore.

Instead of taking the stairs, I turned left, walking alongside the castle wall. When I was confident that the guards weren’t looking at me anymore, I swerved onto the muddy courtyard. Dodging through cover, I slowly made my way to the tree, formulating a plan to climb it without the guards noticing.

Finally I reached the base and climbed up the first branch. The top of the wall was three more branches up, and I had started to feel really tired, probably after walking aimlessly around the castle for nearly an hour, but I locked onto my goal and climbed up to the second branch, flinching as it swayed.

“What was that?” one of the guards said.

“Just a squirrel, focus Private.”

Thank god, I thought, moving to the third branch. When I reached the fourth, I looked down at the city of Canterlot. It was barely awake, no lights, hardly any ponies wondering, but that was good.

I shimmied over to the edge and looked down, my heart freezing. It was at least ten meters down, easily high enough to crush my bones on impact… but I steeled myself. Mom had to know about Cross by now, and Mom was probably worried sick about me.

Factoring in the soft mud at the bottom and how I’d tuck and roll to bleed away the energy I took a deep breath and jumped.

“CRYSTAL!”

The scream threw me off balance, and my relaxed position stiffened, dramatically increasing my chances of breaking a bone. Fear took over, making me stiffer than a board and I screamed as well.

Then I was floating above the courtyard in a purple glow. I turned around, feeling nothing but air, and saw a purple unicorn glaring hotly at me. When I was finally next to her, her expression softened and she wrapped her hooves around my muddy form.

“What were you thinking!” she shouted, “You could have killed yourself!”

“No I couldn’t have, the drop was only ten meters, and my mom needs to see me!” I could hear armor clanking up the steps, then blushed as the same guard waltzed up to Twilight.

“What happened, Miss Sparkle? We heard a scream and…” he stopped when Twilight smacked against his helmet.

“What happened was that you two imbeciles forgot one of the most important rules when dealing with a filly or colt.”

“Ma’am?” the guard shook, his head swaying back and forth and eyes rolling in their sockets.

“You are to escort a filly or colt… escort, not tell her to go find a maid…” Twilight glared at him and I could see her hoof shaking, begging to make contact with his exposed neck. “Do I need to bring up the Saddle Arabian filly that almost died because of you negligence?”

“Don’t ignore me!” I screamed, thrashing in Twilight’s magical grasp.

She turned to me, and I could see her harsh expression softening, then kissed my forehead. Aches I didn’t know I had bubbled up to the surface and my eyes grew heavy. My body went limp and I fell into a deep sleep.

When I woke I was back in Twilight’s bed, wrapped tightly in her embrace, which felt warmer this time. Her breath and heartbeat soothing me. I looked down to see all the mud cleaned off. She had given me a bath? Or was it a maid? I thought, knowing in my heart that it had been Twilight, she seemed so… worried about me. She actually cared about my well being, or is it just a facade to please her mentor…

My thoughts were interrupted by a raging need to pee. I jumped around in the bed, trying to hold it in.

“Crystal?” Twilight said, her eyes opening. I looked into them, and behind her glaze of sleep, a spark of… honest worry. My heart lurched and I almost lost control right in the bed.

“Bathroom!” I shouted, moving my hooves to my filly parts to help keep it in.

“Oh, right!” Twilight’s eyes shot open and she lept out of bed, carrying me in her magic, yet again, to the bathroom on the second floor… a second floor I didn’t know existed.

I barely made it, and Twilight watched me go. Yet, I wasn’t embarrassed, just relieved. When I finished, Twilight flushed the toilet and lead me back to the bed. I saw the pink slippers, clean as when I found them, and paused, blushing… tears threatening to spill.

“Come on, Crystal, hop up?” Twilight said, looking at me with those worried eyes.

“I-I’m sorry!” I shouted, before bursting into tears.

“Crystal!” Twilight shouted, magicking me to her lap where she pulled me into a hug. “What’s wrong? A-are you hurt? Is it your sister… It’s your sister, oh I’m so sorry!” she rocked me, apologizing again and again.

“No,” I said, tears choking my words, “it’s not my sister… I’m sorry about s-scaring you.” I buried my head into her chest, trying to stop crying, and I succeeded a little. “I could have killed myself jumping off that tree… you saved me, and now you’re hugging me, even though I’m not your problem.”

“You’re no one’s problem, Crystal, I’m used to caring for children, well, a little used to it. Everytime a dignitary comes with a child, I’m the one that looks after it. Celestia can’t and there’s no daycare here at the castle for royalty.” She broke the hug and looked me in the eye, wiping a few tears away, giving me a warm feeling inside. She cares. “I’ve taken care of three fillies, one from Saddle Arabia, one from Neighpon, and now you, and don’t worry about your escape attempt, the guards are to blame for their lack of a brain.”

I giggled a little, “they were supposed to escort me… weren’t they.”

“Yep, so don’t worry about a thing.”

I looked at Twilight, her eyes so pure and kind, and her fur so soft and warm… she cares about me, truly cares. “H-How did you figure out I was gone?” I asked, a little nervously, “you didn’t wake up after I fell out of bed.”

“Celestia came in and told me.”

I should have figured it’d be her fault… but I can’t complain. I wasn’t in my right mind and should have been patient, Mom would understand.

“I guess you gave me a bath as well?”

“Yep, you were so cute too,” Twilight pulled me into a another hug, “you made the most adorable squeaks when I tickled your belly.”

“A-And the slippers,” I said, trying to hide my blush.

“Oh, a maid took care of those, they’re yours. A gift from me to you.”

“H-Huh?” I looked up, “why would you give me a gift? We just met? I thought I was stealing them.”

“Nope, they’re all yours, kind of my apology for last night.”

“Last night?” I wracked my brain. “Oh, you were an inconsiderate piece of shit.”

“Don’t use that kind of language missy, I let you off once because I was being inconsiderate and you were emotionally unstable.”

“Sorry,” I quickly chided, “and thank you.”

“Good, now lets get something to eat.”

I jumped when my stomach grumbled, then followed Twilight out of the room.

The sun was much higher in the sky this time, and just as I predicted, the fog was gone. Walking onto the bridge felt much warmer and the birds chirping sounded much better. I stopped in a pool of sunlight, enjoying its warmth on my fur. It wasn’t long until Twilight saw me.

“Crystal, come over here,” she said, motioning me wither her hoof. I trotted over, sitting right in front of her like a filly in front of her teacher. “You’re lagging behind, stay close so you don’t get lost.” she had a goofy grin and I got worried for a second, but when she moved on, I followed.

About two minutes later, two mares, one a blue unicorn wearing a turtleneck and a green pegisi wearing a tuxedo. They stopped and stared at Twilight, then saw me… and bowed.

“Twilight!” I said, “why are they bowing?” I crept closer to her, actually scared.

“Little Miss,” one of the mares said, “we’d like to welcome you to Canterlot, and hope that your stay with Miss Twilight is a warm one.” The two stood and looked at me. “Where do you hail from?”

I looked at Twilight, who looked back with a soothing smile. If she’s calm, then I should be,

I looked at Twilight, who looked back with a soothing smile. If she’s calm, then I should be, I thought, then stood firm, head held high just like with the guard. “I come from Can…” I paused. If I say that I’m from Canterlot then the mares would run away, angry with me. If they’re angry, then Twilight might be angry. I didn’t want Twilight to be angry with me, so I had to lie.

“I… I mean, I hail from the… Crystal Empire.”

“And your name?” one said, smiling.

“I am Crystal Agate,” I looked to Twilight, who stifled a giggle and added, “heir to the throne. Call me… Princess Agate, if you may.”

“Of course, Princess Agate, my name is Winter Blossom,” the blue mare said, “and my counterpart is Summer Bloom. If you need anything during your stay let us know.”

“Thank you, Summer Bloom and Winter Blossom,” I said, bowing myself. “I will.”

I watched the two go, and the second they turned a corner, Twilight burst into a fit of giggles. “That was beautiful, Crystal,” she said, holding her gut. “Crystal Empire! That place doesn’t even exist!” She rolled on the floor, and her laughter soon spread to me.

Eventually we both rolled on the floor unable to control our laughter. I did good I thought. I made Twilight happy. Suddenly I stopped laughing and looked over at Twilight. Her laughter was warm, and she never insulted Winter and Summer’s intelligence. She was smart and kind, but why did I want to make her happy?

I stood there, confused. Twilight’s laughter ended and she looked at me. “Wanna ride on my back?” She said, giving me a smile.

“Yes!” I said before I even thought about the question. She pulled me up with her magic and I wrapped my hooves around her neck almost instinctively. “Hold on, I don’t want you falling off.”

“Okay, Big Sis.”

“Huh?”

I blinked… then blushed, “Twilight… Okay, Twilight.”

Twilight just shrugged before heading off. Where did that come from? I clutched her neck, trying to keep from choking her. I don’t know… my sister is gone, and Twilight’s just a caregiver. Someone obligated to care for me, nothing special… yet.I sighed, breathing in Twilight’s scent. Warm and welcoming, like my sister. Her mane tickled my nose.

The breakfast hall was sparse at this time, but a few of the late rising nobles ate quietly by themselves.

I looked around the room for any sign of Celestia, but she was no where to be seen, not on her throne behind a larger table in the back of the room, or at least that’s where I thought the princess would sit.

“Do you want to sit at the big table or a small one?” Twilight said, noting the countless free circle tables open.

“A… A small table,” I said, my voice a little shaky, “no point in ponies thinking we’re better than them.”

Twilight smiled and rubbed my mane… it felt great. “Good girl, you’re so much better than any of the other fillies I’ve taken care of, so mature.” she cooed and I blushed. “You pick the table, and I’ll grab us some food, how about that?”

I nodded and she set me down. “I’ll be right back, don’t go running off again.”

“I-I won’t… and I’ll pick the best table ever.” Again, I stuck my chest out, proud.

“I bet you will.”

I picked the table farthest away from the food line, that was I could think about Twilight.

How could I act like that in front of her? I mean. I’ll pick the best table ever? They’re all the same! Made from the same hickory wood, same dimensions, same number of chairs, same everything. Saying I’d pick the best table is the most childish thing I’ve ever done, yet, it’s not… but… I only acted childish around Cross… my big sis.

I sniffled, then put my head down to hide from the few prying eyes. To say that I missed my big sister would be understatement of the year. Twilight understood, yes, but there’s no way she could really know how much it hurt. That’s something you have to experience first hoof.

I silently cried into my hooves, glad I picked such an isolated table. Now no one would hear me cry.

The sound of two plates landing on the table made me jump, and I looked up to see Twilight looking at me, her eyes soft and inviting. She sat in the chair besides mine and pulled me into a hug. “You miss her, don’t you?” she said, her voice sweeter than sugar.

“I… I never got to… say goodbye,” I said between hiccups. I could feel her stroking my side, trying to comfort me, and nuzzled her, thankful.

“Well, I’ll bet that she’s crying too. She didn’t get to say goodbye to you either.”

“That’s not what I want to hear, Twilight!” I shouted, glaring up at her.

“Sorry, I’m not the best at comforting others.” She looked at me, rubbing the back of her neck and gave a nervous laugh. “Do you want me to feed you? That’s comforting.”

“No,” I snapped. I got up and stole one of the plates of eggs and pancakes. Before I ate though, I saw how sad Twilight got. She’s trying her best,I thought. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be, I’m supposed to be the adult here,” she took her own plate, then looked at it for a long time. “I just wish I could help more. I hate it when innocent fillies suffer!” she stabbed the fork into her three tender pancakes, breaking the plate in half. “It’s so cruel, Equestria is known for its peace, yet fillies like you have to deal with the loss of loved ones and I’m here at the castle with my brother all happy. It’s not fair.”

I stared at her. Her outburst caught the attention of three of the nobles and one waiter, who quickly waltz over. Just the way she said that made me smile.

“Miss Sparkle, are you going to pay for that plate?” The waiter said, sticking his nose in the air.

“She didn’t mean to!” I shouted. “She didn’t mean to break anything.”

“It’s alright, Crystal,” Twilight said, motioning for me to calm down. “I can fix it anyway.” Twilight’s horn lit and a purple aura surrounded the plate. There was an indescribable sound for a few seconds then Twilight lifted the plate high. “See, not a scratch.”

“Now go away!” I shouted. The waiter did so, but threw me an angered look before hoof. When he was safely back in the kitchen I looked at Twilight. “that was pretty cool.”

“Thanks, I can fix shattered pottery, had to once when I dropped the vase Celestia got from her mother over a thousand years ago.”

“She must have been pretty mad” I said, chuckling.

“You don’t want to know.”

I giggled, and we ate in peace. When we finished, we thanked the waiter for the meal and headed back to the library.

I sat on Twilight’s bed, as she made it. I expected her to just throw the covers on top of me and make me wiggle out, but she lit her horn and the blankets appeared under me, like I wasn’t even there. I had to stare for a few seconds before realizing it actually happened.

“How did you do that?” I asked.

“Magic!” Twilight sat next to me, resting her head on my back. The pressure it brought was very comforting, and I had to fight the urge to rub her star studded flank with my own head. “so what do you want to do while we wait for Celestia?”

I hesitated. I could feel a lump grow in my chest. Throughout the walk back I had this thought, no, this want, and needed to ask her. It was stupid, and she’d never agree to it, but I had to ask.

“You remember when you broke that plate? How you wanted to help me more?” I said, my breathing quickening.

“Yeah, do you have any ideas?”

“Well, kind of.” I didn’t rub it, but I rested my head on Twilight’s flank. When she didn’t tense up, I relaxed, sighing. “After I woke up the second time, I felt like you really cared for me. I could see it in your eyes, and that meant something.”

“Well, you’re the smartest filly I’ve had to take care of. The one from Neighpon wouldn’t shut up about his home town and refused to eat anything I gave him. The saddle Arabian filly tried to run away back to her home town and almost got herself killed!”

“I almost got myself killed, what makes me any different?”

“You’re different because if you succeeded in getting past the wall, all you’d be doing is going home to hug your mom, not cross thirty miles of desert alone. I respect that.”

“Thank you, Twilight.”

“So what’s your idea?”

I paused and briefly hid myself in her flank. I breathed, in and out, then looked up. “Ever since then I felt safe around you. You make me laugh, and I enjoy making you happy. So… I was wondering if… you could be my big sister?” I felt her tense up. “Just until I get home. I’m not asking you to replace Cross, no one can… I.... I… nevermind, I should have known you wouldn’t want to…”

“Hang on a second, Crystal,” Twilight sat up and looked me in the eyes. She had a soft smile and looked really happy. “I never said no, just was a little surprised.” she raised a hoof to her chin. “Now would being your big sister mean I need to change my last name? Because that’s something I can’t do.”

“Of course not!” I sputtered, heart fluttering. She’s taking me seriously!

“And I’d get all the rights a big sister gets?”

“Everything, you can push me around and hug me, you can do anything. I just need someone I can confide with.”

“And how would calling me big sister change the fact that you can already confide in me?”

“I-It just seems more… personal that way.”

“Do I get to call you little sister?” I nodded. “Okay, if it’ll help, Little sister.” She smiled brightly before leaning in for a big hug. “I’ll be your big sister!”

Chapter 4