Letters to Crystal

Chapters

Letters to Crystal
epilogue

Letters to Crystal

Dear Crystal

Hi Crystal, it’s about two weeks after your funeral. I still can’t stop crying everytime I come to the Crystal Empire. It’s just so… you’re gone! I can’t deal with it! I hate your mother! I’m glad she’s dead!

Although you might not be.

What am I talking about? You don’t even know who I am yet.

Crystal, it’s me, Abra Kadabra! Your friend from the park! From what Miss Celestia says (for some reason she wants me to call her that) I was your only friend. That can’t be true, can it?

Any who, my mom told me to write to you under your tree. That my letters will reach you if I wish reeeeall hard. I’ve been kind of depressed lately, crying a lot and making aunt Cheery (it’s Cheery Days, she wants me to call her aunt for whatever reason) worry about me.

Oh, right, you can’t see me sigh. That’s going to be hard to get used to. I sighed reeealll loud okay, there, you know now.

Any who, I wanted to start this by saying sorry. I’m sorry I scared you the first time we met! Twilight told me you were about to punch me so hard it would have broken my head. I thanked her for stopping you.

Really, I was so caught up with impressing Twilight that I scared the one pony she cared about. Crystal, I don’t know if you know this. You probably do, but Twilight realllly loved you. I could tell because she’s been visiting everyday. Crying a lot too.

I wonder if she’s been sending you letters too?

Any who, wow, I’ve said that three times in this one letter, I’m going to climb your tree now. I feel a little closer to you there.

Your friend forever, Abra Kadabra.

Dear Crystal

You had a dirty grave stone, Crystal. Don’t worry, I cleaned it reeeallly good. Clean as a whistle, as my mom says.

Any who, I feel a little better now. Hope you got my last letter. I put a lot of my feelings into it so please read it!

How have you been? Aunt Cheery (she told me to capitalize the A in aunt. Silly rule but whatever) is STILL moving things from her old daycare, and ponies other than myself are just showing up.

I came off and on during the first week. Mom had trouble letting me go. I love my mom, and you probably love yours too. I’m sorry about saying I hate her in the last letter. That probably made you feel reeeeal bad because you love your mom just as much as I love mine!

Oh! I made a friend!

It’s Aunt Cheery’s daughter, Peach! She’s a little weird, has to wear a helmet. I don’t know why, but she’s really shy. Kind of like you were, well, she didn’t try to kill me when I scared her. She just ran to Aunt Cheery.

Any who, I got to stop saying that, it just feels wrong, I’m going to climb your tree now. I just learned that there were apples in it! I don’t have to go hungry! Yay.

Right, you can’t hear me laugh either.

Any who

Love Abra.

Dear Crystal.

Peach is such a cute little filly. She two years younger than me and the new colts have been bullying her. Don’t worry, Aunt Cheery put a stop to that right quick. Nip it in the butt is what she said when I asked. She’s such a bold little filly too! We became friends after I rescued her from the bullies, at the cost of my arm hurting really bad, before Aunt Cheery rescued me. I mean, she just walked up to them!

Any who, guess who’s resting her helmetless head on my lap right now?

That’s right, Peach. I think she fell asleep. I’m stroking her mane, being very careful about her sensitive spot. Aunt Cheery told me a reeeeaaallllly sad story about Peach.

Aunt Cheery found her in a dumpster on her way to work. It was baking hot and that garbage didn't smell too good.

Well, a one year old Peach was left there, battered and bruised with a can to “talk” to her parents. She was bleeding from her head!!! Aunt Cheery rushed her to the hospital where, guess who, YOUR MOM! Your mom saved Peach’s life! Isn’t that incredible!

Well, great, I’m saying that now, I’m going to relax under your tree. The bullies are looking at us funny, but that’s alright. Aunt Cheery’s watching them like a hawk.

Your friend, Abra Kadabra…

P.S. Peach woke up before I could bury the letter, she wanted to add Love Peachy to it so.

Love Peachy!

Wait. I already said that?

Dear Cwstial

Peachi here! Abwa be teaching me how to write. Mommy tried but she made it all boring. Abwa makes the letters into ponies. All the ponies are friends, but some like to hang out with others. Those are words! P is friends with O which is friends with N and I and E and S. Abwa’s so smart, but she still writes a lot gooder than me. I kind of dug up her letters to you and read them. Sorry! Her style is much different from mine. It’s like she’s twing to talk to you in person, explaining her actions and all that jizz. That’s jazz but with my own little twang as Mommy puts it. Jizz, I love music like Jizz.

Any who I think I'm supposed to bury the letter near your tree and pray reeeeeallll hard and you’ll get it! So that’s what I’ll do.

Again, sorry about taking your letters from Abra, I had to read them too!

Love Peachy!

Dear Crystal

It’s me again, I told Peach to write you a letter. She had me read it over and I have to admit, I laughed at the word jizz. Something about it just makes me laugh. I hope it made you laugh too.

I’ve been teaching Peach to write for a few days now. She’s okay at it, but not as good as me! Hey! Listen I’m having a sleepover at the Crystal Empire! Peach said since I’m her only friend… wait.

Abra *Sighs inwardly*

Abra *Giggles loudly*

I complained to my mom about not being able to dictate… I think that’s the word she used… my actions to you and she showed me stage quotes! Basically I’m telling you my actions in a way that separates them from the narrative. It’s a book thing, my mom loves books.

Any who, I’m going to be using them from now on…

Abra *face hooves*

Right, back before I met you, the only pony that really liked me was my mom. You might not believe it by how outgoing I am, but before you I never really had a friend. I’m serious! I tried to show my talent, you know, the teleporting muffins, but the other colts thought I was bragging, even when I tried to SHARE the muffin with them.

Abra *lets single tear fall down cheek*

Stage quotes are fun, but yeah, before you I never had a friend. I was bullied sure, but not the close bullying other friends give each other. Teasing I think it’s called. They punched me, kicked me and called me names, but you didn’t!

Abra *rubs hoof to dry eyes*

You never called me a name or hurt me, and I’ll remember the one time we played hoofball. Well, we passed the ball to one another, but that was really special. Somepony other than my mom was playing with me.

Thanks, it meant a lot.

I’m going to have an apple from your tree now. Oh

Abra *kisses paper*

I’m sending you a good luck kiss Crystal! Hope you receive it good.

Your friend forever

Abra Kadabra

Dear Crystal

Abra*smiles deviously while tapping hooves*

I’ve been a naughty little filly Crystal. Last night, when Aunt Cheery was out picking up the pizza. I really don’t know why she left the two of us alone in the house? Maybe she just trusts us?

Anywho, me and Peach snuck into Aunt Cheery’s room. I saw two beds! Maybe Aunt Cheery just likes having other ponies over too?

I looked through her clothes while Peachy just jumped on her moms bed. With her helmet. I made sure she had it on. And I found something reallllllly cool!

It was a book by a pony named King Stephen. Starters of Fire it’s called and when I smelled it, It smelled like YOU!!! How cool is that?

Abra *feels sweat drip down her back*

How do I know how you smell? Well, thing is, everytime I met up with you I sniffed your tail. My mom said I need to express who I am so ponies will come be my friend. I was trying to be unique, and it is the same reason for why I lick Twilight’s left hoof and kiss Peach on the cheek. I want to express myself and make friends!

Abra *blushes crazy*

I’m not weird, I think. I can change, you’ll see! The next time we meet… oh yeah.

Abra *Stares blankly at page for a few minutes*

I’ll just climb your tree now. I need to think about a few things.

Your friend forever

Abra

Dear Crystal

This is CRAZY!

No, not that I’m writing to you two times in one day!

Abra *Tries to stop shaking*

Two minutes ago, just two minutes!!! I was high up in your tree, reall high like at the seventh or eighth branch just thinking, you know, like I told you I’d do, when I suddenly lost my balance and fell!

Before I could scream… BEFORE I could scream, something caught me. It was the pony that slept in the other bed.

A blue pegasus named Gentle Wing. I think I saw her at your… you know, holding Peachy. She caught me! and now she’s sitting next to me. She has one of her wings resting against my back. It’s really comforting. She’s asking me why I was up so high and I told her about my letters to you.

Abra *nuzzles Gentle Wing’s side*

Gentle is so cool! She’s looking over my letter right now. Now she’s asking about my stage quotes.

They’re so awesome!

Hey!...

Hello Crystal. This is Gentle Wing. I took Abra’s letter, and now she’s whining about it. You’re friends a little doofus. I mean that in a teasing sort of way, not trying to be mean. I’ve watched her from my cloud above the house. I can see everything from there, and I'm fast enough to catch anyone dumb enough to fall off your tree.

I’m writing this to tell you that I have an eye out for your friend. If she does anything stupid, you can trust me to put a stop to it.

Your new friend, Gentle Wing

Abra *sticks tongue out at Gentle, who snickers*

Abra *pouts*

That was mean of Gentle, she took the scroll and quill from me without asking. I read what she wrote though and feel the same way. It’s really nice knowing someone’s got your back. Even if it’s their job.

Any who, I’m going to hang out with Gentle a little more.

Your friend forever

Abra.

DeAr crYSTRAL

I’m so scared! My hooves are shaking and I think I messed up your name.

it’s four AM and I’m here with Gentle. Her wing is around my back, that and the lollipop Aunt Cheery gave me are the only things keeping me from crying.

Abra *furiously wipes her eyes to clear the tears*

I’m writing this by the light of my horn and I can’t stop shaking! I think I peed myself a little… HEY! stop looking over my shoulder Gentle!

Okay, now she’s putting her hoof against my inner leg.

Abra *makes a genuine giggle*

I did pee myself a little, and now Gentle is ewwwing like a filly pushed in dirt. It made me laugh. I needed to laugh.

Now she’s telling me to find the wet patch in the house and clean it. Thats fair. I made a mess now I have to clean it up.

Abra *Face hooves*

I’m getting off track. Something happened to Peach! Something realllly bad. So bad that even the always calm and collected Gentle Wing is shaking.

Okay, Gentle, I’m telling her.

I slept over last night… or tonight? I don’t know, my brain is all frazzled right now. I was sleeping in a sleeping bag when I heard a thump. I’m normally a deep sleeper so I slept through that part, but after the thump came a loud, very loud and shrill scream. That woke me.

Peach woke up to pee, and I think she forgot to put on her helmet because it was next to her.

Wait

Abra *turns to Gentle*

That wasn’t my pee, it was Peaches…

Abra *ewws like a filly in a mud puddle*

Gentle *Giggles like a school filly*

Any who, back on track. Peach was lying on the floor, twitching. I turned on the light, a little shaken, and saw red.

I didn’t notice that she was IN THE MIDDLE of peeing… Celestia i need to stop talking about that, I’m probably grossing you out. Sorry.

Right next to her head, where her sensitive spot is, was a pool of blood! Blood! It was Blood, Crystal.

I was so scared.

Okay, I wasn’t scared enough to taste the blood. I… I know it’s weird, and Gentle is giving me a concerned look right now. Please don’t take my scroll again. It tasted like copper, just like how King Stephen described it!

Any who, Gentle is probably going to add something, but at least she’s waiting for me to finish, Aunt Cheery ran her to the hospital.

I’ve been reading comics, Crystal, like Bat mare and Ultra pony, and I heard, either there or during one of the late night movies my mom keeps making me watch, that ponies that die, like you, tend to have special powers.

I don’t know if this is true, but if you have some sort of power please. Please Crystal help Peachy! She’s my only friend here. I don’t know if I can take losing another friend like I lost you. Please!

Your friend, that really needs a bath, forever

Abra.

Abra was right on two things, one that I, Gentle, was going to add something to her letter and two, that she really needs a bath. I can smell the pee on her, and I’m at wings length!

I wanted to tell you that I’ve grown quite attached to your friend. Her quirkiness reminds me of myself when I was her age. Although I didn’t have such a safe place to grow up, but that’s a story for another time.

I won’t let Abra see, but I don’t have much confidence in Peach’s survival chances, and I’m not trying to say I don’t care, Peach has been a part of my life for four years. I think of her as my own daughter. Any way, If the worst case scenario does happen, I’ll keep your friend safe. Make sure she feels loved by someone other than her mother. It’s the least I can do.

Your friend that’s about to give your other friend a bath after she cleans the pee in the bedroom

Gentle Wing.

Dear LIttle Sister

It’s been a long time Little Sis. I’ve never thought about writing to you under your tree before. I do hope you got my other letters, although at the same time I hope you didn’t. They were all about me moping over how I thought myself responsible for what happened to you.

Not that I think any differently! I know if I had stayed instead of stupidly chasing after Celestia, you would be by my side right now and I wouldn’t be crying.

I guess the reason I’m writing to you is that I want some kind of closure. I know you can’t reply to my letter, hell, the thought of a dead filly buried under a tree even reading a letter is ridiculous, but I need to do this.

I’m truly sorry it had to be this way, Little Sis. That, if I could go back in time and smack some sense into myself and get to you before you lost control, I would in a heartbeat.

I miss you… so much I miss you. Your shyness had grown on me, and I found it really cute whenever you cowered behind me at the sight of a new pony. I miss the way you’d crawl into my bed, without saying a word, mind you, after having a nightmare. I miss comforting you, being there for you, but most importantly, I miss your smile.

I know I told you this, and you told me the same, but I have to say it again. Crystal, I love you. You’re the sister I never had, and as the stupid idiot I am, I failed you.

I’m going to stop before I give a lecture on just how badly I messed up, so, I guess this is goodbye.

This might be my last letter to you, ever. So I’ll end it on a happy note.

I’ve finally been able to go one day without crying over losing you. Slowly, ever so slowly, I’m getting back on my hooves.

Your big sister forever

Twilight Sparkle

Dear Crystal

Why am I doing this?

Peach is in the hospital and might fucking die, and I’m sitting under the tree owned by the one filly that ruined my life writing her a letter.

Okay, I guess I should just get this over with. Gentle said it did wonders for Abra, so, here goes.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry for starting this all, and I’m sorry for being the reason you died. If I had just kept my big mouth shut, you’d be in this tree reading that stupid King Stephen book. Abra stole it from my room, but I could care less, it’s her sanity.

What makes things worse is that I have to live in your house now. I have to be constantly reminded, just by saying my place of work, that I'm the sole reason you DIED. Do you have any idea how stressful that is?

On top of that my only daughter could be dying, or turning into some vegetable because I didn’t pad the walls! The fucking walls! How could I know she was going to wake up in the middle of the night and slam her soft spot at just the right angle to send a piece of her fucking skull right into her fucking brain!

How was I supposed to know! Goddamn it!

I really shouldn’t be using such language with a filly, but it’s so frustrating. I don’t know how much longer I can take it!

I don’t think I could lose my Peachy. I’ll break, like a fucking glass, shatter into a million pieces.

I don’t know.

I think I’ll head back to the hospital. Visiting hours are just about to begin, and I’d like to see my daughter before she doesn’t recognize me anymore.

Your executor

Cheery Days

Dear Crystal

This is Gentle, I, uhhh, I’ve been talking to Abra lately. We’ve discussed the topic of where me and Cheery came from. You might know who me and Cheery are, but not where we came from. I was waiting until Cheery told you, but I don’t think that’ll happen anytime soon. She’s under a lot of stress right now so I can’t blame her.

It has to do with why Cheery made such a fuss over your mother like she did. I’m sure you’ve noticed, but both Cheery and myself are very interested in making children happy. We love watching them grow, love seeing them bound around, love kissing their boo boos better and we love helping them understand the world they live in.

There is a rather sad reason for that.

Cheery and myself grew up in the town of Stalliongrad. On the other side of the mountain. It wasn’t a great place. One of the few places in the world that rejected Celestia’s view of harmony. It was a crime lord’s dream there. Dirty streets, gangsters running rampant. For whatever reason, Celestia did nothing. Organized crime flourished, ponies died daily and Celestia did nothing! What, did she have some contract that said to ignore one of her towns???

Me and Crystal went to the same daycare. The only daycare in Stalliongrad that didn’t cost a penny to get in. The Day Care, is what it was called.

Gentle *Shivers involuntarily*

Sorry, I’ve taken a liking to Abra’s stage quotes, but really, this is bringing back memories I thought I’d buried long ago. Unpleasant ones.

Let’s say that, you know what fuck it, I’m going to say it. The owner of the Day Care was Cheery’s father, Happy Days and he was a pedophile. Yes, Cheery and myself were raped by him nearly everyday. Yes he kept his job, and yes I wish to kill that son of a bitch.

Gentle *grits her teeth*

I know I’ve put all this in the past, but it’s pissing me off.

Gentle *punches ground with all her might, holding her tongue to keep from screaming*

I can’t take it. Who can? Being violated by an adult day in and day out. Feeling, hearing, smelling, touching and tasting things no four year old filly ever should. We were so helpless. If any of the raped children tried to get help, well, to put it bluntly, no one would believe him or her and they’d be raped twice as hard the next time.

Fifteen years, Cheery’s dad got away with biting, licking, fucking every hole that wouldn’t kill, whenever he wanted. There was a fucking line for fucks sake!

But one day, when me and Cheery were about ten, we’d had it.

It was hard for Cheery to leave her mother, but I convinced her, and after exhausting all our options, we left the city. With what we could carry on our backs we climbed the mountain, turning our back on our hometown.

It was an arduous journey, but we made it to Canterlot. Part of it might have been because of my wings. There were so many times when they came in handy. They saved Cheery’s life three times, and were able to scout ahead so we’d never lose our path.

We entered the city, food gone and exhaustion setting in, and realized we had a major problem. Where were we going to sleep?

We had no money and most of the ponies in town were stuck up. That is until we met him.

Blade, one of Celestia’s guards spotted us from a distance and asked if we needed help finding home. Cheery spoke up as usual.

She told the truth, that we ran away, and she was willing to tell him the reason as long as they could get a cup of tea and a place to stay in return.

Blade agreed, and we went to his house.

Long story short, Blade took us in after we told him our story. He even went to the Princess on our behalf, and came back empty hooved.

It didn’t surprise us.

Blade was the best father around, and me and Cheery became sisters, both officially and unofficially. We had one dream from then on. To create a daycare that would be a place for children to feel safe and welcome in. One where the children came first and one with a zero sexual harassment tolerance.

I hoped that explained why Cheery acted the way she did. She hates child negligence more than I do. And that’s saying something.

Well, I’m going to fly off this anger. Abra is taking a nap so I don’t have much time, but she’s the only one here today. I think she’ll live if I’m a few minutes late.

Your deeply angry friend

Gentle Wing.

Dear Agate

Spike The Dragon here, number one assistant to Twilight Sparkle and winner of the baby dragon of the month award.

Just so you know I’m not doing this because Twilight tells me, and that I’m here on my own… uh, self? I’m doing this on my own, that’s what I’m trying to say.

I don’t want to come off as rude, but your death didn’t affect me.

This brings me to why I'm actually writing to you. I’ve been thinking, and talking to the princess, and then more thinking. I was confused. Why didn’t it affect me? I mean, a child died, how could I not be sad?

Well, after nearly two months of thinking and talking, I came up with an answer. Whether it’s the right one I don’t know. It works for me.

So, the first thing I thought of was my real mother. I’ve never met her. Don’t be sad, I have a family either way and I’m happy, but what I'm trying to say is it’s all about the connections you make. If my mother died, I wouldn’t feel anything because I never knew her, but if Twilight died, I… I don’t know if I’d ever recover.

It’s crazy. Ponies die everyday in Equestria, some from stupid acts like jumping off a cliff to plain old age, yet I don’t care. It’s really sad and that realization is why I talked to Celestia, Twilight and the rest of my family. It’s just such a heavy thought that I couldn’t bear it alone.

After a while I found that I SHOULDN’T care about everypony. The only one that can do that is Princess Celestia. She thinks of everyone as her family, even you, and I didn’t realize this, but she cries a lot. I pass by her room every now and again, mainly to pick up more supplies for Twilight, and I hear it. Sometimes I press my ear to her door and I can hear her crying. I… I don’t know if that means she’s really strong or very weak. I don’t know a lot of things, but I think she’s strong because dealing with death is a very hard thing to do.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that when you pass, only ponies you’ve affected throughout your life will really care. Ponies die everyday and you don’t see me crying at every one of them.

It’s sad.

Your kind of brother, Spike The Dragon.

I hate you. Oh dear Celestia I fucking hate you Crystal fucking Agate.

I just came back from the hospital and Doctor Needle said that my baby is going to die. If it hadn’t been for you then Celestia wouldn’t have made me fucking move. I was dealing with being reminded about how I fucking killed you you fucking piece of shit. I was so distracted that I didn’t take into account that this house is a new place for my Peachy Pie, that she’s unfamiliar with the layout.

I didn’t think she’d have four pieces of her skull stuck in her brain. I mean, fuck you. She’s on life support right now, but nothing lasts forever.

Oh, and you want to hear the fucking icing on this shit pile of a cake? Well, there is a pony who could have saved her. The one that saved her the first time. Your FUCKING mother!

Yeah, the pony I tried to get thrown in jail because she neglected YOU was the only hope my baby had. She’s is in the hospital right now, dying, and I can’t do anything to help her. The only… you know what. Fuck you. Just go fuck yourself Crystal Agate, and tell your cunt of a mother to suck my dick.

Your worst nightmare, Cheery Days

Dear Crystal

I’m so sorry. Crystal, I ripped up the letter Cheery sent, I truly hope you never got it.

Peach just passed. Cheery’s not handling it well, and I… Oh Celestia, I can’t handle it. Two funerals in less than three months.

Crystal, I’m crying right now, and, I don’t know what I can do. I’m trying to be strong for Abra. Celestia, what she must be going through. Two months after losing one friend she loses another.

I can’t take it. I’m crying right now.

I’m going to fly around. I can’t write like this.

sorry

Gentle Wing

Dear Crystal

I'm so alone.

Twilight and Gentle are here, but I’m still so alone.

Abra *Cries into Gentle’s coat*

Peach is dead, Crystal. My friend died and the last thing I did with her is clean up her pee! That’s not how I want to remember her, but…

Abra *Loudly cries*

I can’t do this. I’ll talk later… maybe.

Your lonely friend

Abra Kadabra.

Dear Crystal

I’m scared.

Crystal, Aunt Cheery hit me! I was crying over Peach and she hit me!

Gentle is talking to her… oh Celestia! She’s hitting her!

I can’t stay here. I’m going to run home. I hope I know the way.

I’m never coming back to this place, sorry.

Your friend forever

Abra Kadabra.

Dear Little Sister

Your house had been turned into a park. Your tree is now a part of the Crystal Park. I wanted Celestia to make you a statue, but that would be to conspicuous.

I don’t know what happened to Cheery. After Peach passed, she lost it and hurt your friend Abra. After that she just vanished.

Gentle is still around and with her and myself, we’ve helped Abra slowly recover. However, she’s afraid to make another friend, and she thinks she’s cursed. I have to keep reminding her that I won’t die nearly everytime I see her, and it breaks my heart to see that filly cry.

Sword is here with me. The dynamic Duo has split. Blade went off to find his daughter, so yeah.

I love you Crystal, and I always will.

Your Big Sister

Twilight Sparkle

Dear Crystal

We’ve met once, and you broke my nose that time. My name is Sword and I'm the pony that screamed ‘assassin when you stabbed Twilight.

I was actually going to kill you Crystal. If Blade hadn’t been there to stop me, I would be in jail.

I had talked to Blade every chance I got and he keeps telling me it was a rookie mistake, that he’d have done in too back when he was as green as I am.

I’m scared now that he’s gone. His replacement isn’t as fun to talk to, and he’s really mean.

Your sister, Twilight. There were nights where I stood vigilant at the base of her stairs, a good two hundred steps away, and heard her crying. It was mainly in the early nights, but she really bawled. I hate seeing Twilight sad, but what could I say? I wanted to kill you.

All I could do is think and reflect. I did that at your funeral, and while I didn’t cry, I felt torn inside. You were the first dead pony I’d ever seen, just seeing your limb body with its neck loose and squishy (yes, I touched it, but… I had to know it was real) and it was so real, too real.

I threw up, Crystal. I’m one of Celestia’s personal guards and I threw up at death. I'm pathetic.

So I’ve made a decision.

I put my resignation through. I’m quitting the guard business. Twilight threw a fit, but it’s what I need to do.

I’m going on a trip to YakYakastain. I’m walking the whole way with my sword and a few days previsions.

I just wanted to send this letter before heading out. Twilight’s crying, but she’ll get over me.

Sword

Dear Crystal

How do I start this?

I guess sorry works, you’ve probably gotten a lot of those, but I guess you can throw another on the pile. I’m sorry.

I feel responsible for your death. If I hadn’t told your mother about you stabbing Twilight, if I’d kept my big mouth shut that one time, you’d have your safe place to run to and still be alive.

It’s a lot to deal with, losing the life of any child is tough. Oh, Celestia told me she killed you. For what purpose I couldn’t tell, but she made me swear my life on keeping it a secret. I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t mind me telling someone that already knows though.

You know, I’ve worked with your sister, Cross. She was the sweetest berry in the patch. Had brains, looks and a touch that could calm any child in front of the butterfly. She was the one pony I knew would make it big, heck, maybe she would have been the next Head Surgeon.

Something’s bugging me about her death though. I don’t know if it’s true, and I’m probably sticking my hooves where they don’t belong on this, but what the hay. I did it once and found out about the Agate Curse, so why not take a second dip?

All I know is that Cross wasn’t the only pony to be burned alive in that dragon attack, and we ponies look alike. With the right scars, one pony could easily be mistaken for another. I know Cross too, she loved you, thought of you a lot more than any other filly. So why would she risk her own life for three fillies she didn’t care about? Why when the one filly she wanted to hug most was you?

I’ll look into it more, and once again, I’m sorry for what I did. I also know that words can move mountains, but they can also fall fault with ill intentions behind them.

I won’t blame you for hating my guts.

Head Surgeon Hendricks Needle

Dear Crystal

I… I don’t know what to say.

You’re gone, Peach is gone, who else am I going to kill?

I see Twilight a lot now, maybe once a day for a few hours, and she always reassures me that she won’t go anywhere, but how could she know? One day I could be climbing your tree and she tries to come up too. How does she know she won’t fall and break her neck? Or Gentle, she’s a great flyer, and one pony that clearly cares about me like I were her child. I appreciate that beyond words, but how do I know she won’t look down and smack her wing on a tree trunk? How do I know she won’t spiral out of control and crush her skull against a rock like dropping a watermelon? I don’t, and the only reason I let them risk their lives for me is because I need them.

My mom is amazing, she’s been so patient with my crying fits, how I always want to sleep in her bed every other night, but she’s not enough. I need Gentle and Twilight to tell me that everything will turn out alright. I need them to tell me it wasn’t my fault Peach died.

Even though I have them, I feel alone.

Your friend forever

Abra Kadabra.

Dear Young Crystal

We never really talked, and the first time I saw you awake was mere minutes before you died. My name is Octavia Philharmonica, and about a month before you passed, Celestia came to me with a proposition. She said that you were in a bit of distress, and that she wanted me to play songs for you.

Celestia gave me a deal I couldn’t refuse. Four hundred bits and a spot in the Grand Galloping Gala band for ten years coming with all I had to do in return is practice my instrument for a filly. How could I say no?

Well, I never thought someone so young, with no experience playing an instrument, would affect me so? I’ve taken that moment with you asleep on my leg, and did some thinking, I bet everyone at your funeral has been thinking about one thing or another, but I found something interesting.

Emotion is the fuel for music. Some tunes affect ponies in one way while others affect them in another way. You were scared after being separated from your sister, Twilight, but when you heard my lullaby it drew like a moth to a flame. Something soothing, you bypassed everyone in the crowd and climbed up and fell asleep in a spot you felt safe in.

I’m bringing that logic to my concerts. More energetic music for those that want to dance and slower, calmer pieces for ponies just looking for a mellow evening.

Ponies seem to be enjoying it, so I thank you.

Your friend.

Octavia Philharmonica

Dear Crystal

This is Lyra! I’m sorry about not coming after you. If I had known all the details I would have tackled you to the ground. I wouldn’t care if you punched me, I wouldn’t be able to leave a filly that learned what you learned alone. Now I feel responsible for your death.

If either I or Octavia had started to play, you would have come back. You would have been able to calm down and you would have lived.

Why am I telling you this? Why am I leaning against your tombstone writing a letter to a pony I never met? It’s beyond me. Maybe because I enjoy writing music in open areas, so I could feel at peace writing to you? I don’t really know.

I do know that I will go by what Twilight Velvet said at your funeral. I plan to turn my friendship with Octavia into a lasting one. I want to do something to make up for my mistake, and I know it’s not much, but I’m leaving you some flowers. I made a little metal cup for ponies to leave you flowers. On top of an amazing lyre player, I also build inventions. The hand you smashed was one of my latest creations. Don’t worry, I have two more of them.

I guess that’s it.

I won’t be talking to you again, so, this is goodbye, Crystal.

I’ll remember you,

Lyra Heartstrings

Dear Little Sister

Doctor Hendricks is at it again!

He’s digging into things he shouldn’t be digging.

It’s your sister, Cross. He ‘s been doing this for a month now, and his “Hypothesis” ridiculous as it may be, is that Cross didn’t die by the dragon. He thinks she lived long enough to reach your house once more, only to have… take this with a grain of salt my sister, your mother kill her.

It’s stupid, and I probably shouldn’t have told you, but I wanted a reason to talk to you.

I still miss you, and I'm crying less and less everytime I visit. I feel like I’m going to forget you. I don’t want to forget you, little sis. You are one pony I want to remember. I mean it!

I don’t know, I’ll mark my calendar from now on and spend at least twenty minutes a day to think about you.

Also, Sword is gone. I tried to stop him, tried to get Celestia to stop him, but he’s gone now. I’m so alone and Abra’s constant tears are making me depressed.

I don’t know how much longer I can take it.

Your big sister forever

Twilight Sparkle

P.S. I love you little sis.

Dear Crystal

I can’t believe she got away with it.

Crystal, your sister lived through the second dragon attack. She got out with three other fillies, one named Scootaloo, another named Dinky and a third named Berry Pinch. All three are now orphans, moved to Ponyville after Cloudsdale burned.

She lived, only to be murdered.

There was another earth pony named Grace, that perished shielding three fillies. When burnt to a crisp, ponies tend to look the same, and the only reason she wasn’t considered when the body was found was that she looked like your sister. I mean the only way to tell the two apart was facial structure. We have no other means of identifying ponies yet, so it doesn’t surprise me that this mishap happened.

That’s one part of the equation that links your mother to Cross’s death. The other is the curse. When in times of distress it reacts. How could your mother have killed Cross without setting off the curse?

SImple. She drowns her. The curse loses energy in the presence of water, it’s like fire.

I investigated the waterways, ponds and rivers in Canterlot, even going as far as the bottom of the mountain, where the waterfall lands, and guess what I found there?

Not only Cross’s body, but the body of another. Water preserved in a spell that keeps life from spoiling, something Celestia did to counter the magical pollution ponies threw down stream for years, kept both bodies intact for more than a decade, maybe more than that.

One of the bodies was Cross, Crystal, your sister didn’t burn, she drowned.

Okay, now we have the method, how do we pin the blame on your mother, and I have a few points.

One, since it went uninvestigated, the pony doing the killing must have known about the curse, and that narrowed the suspects to two, Celestia and your mother.

Celestia couldn’t have done the deed because she fights to preserve life, so that leaves only your mother.

Still not convinced? Well, I did a bit of research on the second body and found it to be your mother’s lost sibling. Ginger Agate had been drowned by her own mother. I’m making a few assumptions, but the fact still stands.

Crystal Agate, your sister, Cross Agate was drowned then thrown over a waterfall by your mother, Sterile Agate.

Hendricks Needle

epilogue

Cheery Days walked along the road to Hoofinton. She knew her father was following her. He’d taught her well, but she could barely tell his presence behind one of those trees. Although she wished he’d grow a pair of balls and ask her what’s wrong.

Although she couldn’t blame him. She did just cut down two trees at once and pronounce to the world “I am so angry I could choke a new born bunny”

She continued to walk along, her father always one or two steps behind. Suddenly there was a pop and a scroll sealed with the royal stamp appeared, but the stamp itself was blue, not red.

Cheery opened it.

Dear Cheery Days

I’ve tried to send you a letter for months now, but writing with my left hoof is really hard.
I have listened to all your misgivings and I am distraught. There is nothing I can do about it and I wish you wouldn’t blame yourself or me for the situation you are in. I am not mad that you forced me to Canterlot Castle, I am not mad that I am dead, even after the Great Faust took my right arm for killing twenty innocent, I am not mad.
Do you know why?
Because here with the Great Faust, I live in peace. All of my family are here, and I’ve never been closer to Cross in my entire life.
Please, though you might feel betrayed by Celestia or whomever, trust me. You are in for some good luck.
Now go to your father’s side, shed tears in his coat and let go of everything except your memories. You must learn from those.
Cheery Days, you are a kind soul blessed with a cursed life. Be happy knowing that though you lost your child, you still have what you have.
Ponies love you, Cheery, and they worry.
I must go now, but I wish to impose something on you. Even though it is not my place I wish for you to start a big sister foundation. One to bring light into little colts and fillies lives. LIke I had Twilight, I want others to have one that they can lean on.
Please.

Your friend, Crystal Agate

The scroll ended. Cheery read it twice, three times. She was so distracted that her father was able to tackle her to the ground.

The two made up, and life went on.

Hendricks Needle sat at his desk reading patient files and marking cures.

Throughout his time living his dream, he’d noticed a reason why Earth ponies made better doctors despite their lack in a horn.

With a unicorn it’s quick and done, sure that’s good for looks, but when an Earth pony tends to someone, the experience is more personal. Touch is one of the strongest of the five senses and is one used to create deep connections. An Earth pony might take more time, but they grow bonds with their methods, ones of deep trust, so when the tough decisions like surgery come around, ponies are easier to sway.

This is a fact that bugs him, and he has looked into every single book made by the Agates, learning their ways and trying to implement them with his own, to create those bonds he desires.

Suddenly there was a pop and laying on top of The Magic of Touch was a scroll with a blue seal.

Opening it, it read

Dear Hendricks Needle

I have watched you from another plane of existence, and with permission from the Great Faust, I have been given liberty to communicate with you.

I can see you have my mother’s job, and I am thankful. You are the one pony besides Cross I would elect into that position. Congratulations on making your dream come true.

I wanted to tell you that I don’t blame you for what happened. Like Twilight said, it would come out eventually, so even if you held your tongue, either I or Twilight wouldn’t.

Your Friend

Crystal Agate

Hendricks looked at the scroll, again and again. Had he been contacted by a dead filly? And who was this Great Faust?

Completely forgetting his mission to influence his doctor style, he ran to the libraries.

Abra clutched Gentle. She had just run over a mile through Crystal Park and couldn’t breath right. She wheezed and coughed, but couldn’t breath. It scared Gentle greatly and she rocked the filly, worry coating the roof of her mouth like molasses .

Thank the goddesses, after a while Abra got her breathing under control, but it scared Gentle enough that she planned to take her to the doctor later.

“Don’t scare me like that again, Abra,” Gentle said nuzzling Abra’s forehead.

“I don’t know what happened, I… just wanted to run, around and around, then my lungs seized up. I… I’m sorry!” Abra cried.

The ever patient Gentle held the filly close. She had been seeing her for nearly a year now, and is set on living her own childhood through her.

Suddenly there was a pop and Abra screamed. Gentle wrapped the filly in a wing before plucking the letter from mid air.

“It’s for you, Abra?” she said, opening her wing.

“What? A letter?”

Gentle looked towards the bottom, her eyes widening. “Abra, you have to read this.”

`Abra plucked the letter, much like Gentle plucked hers, and read.

Dear Abra Kadabra

I’m dreadfully sorry that I put you through this, Abra, my friend forever. I tried to send you letter after letter, but the Great Faust rejected every single one.

FInally she let me write one to everypony that has sent me letters, and yours was the first one I wrote.

Your story about Peach brought me to tears, even my sister, Cross wept. I’ve actually gotten the privilege to meet Peach. She’s a lovely filly, and I made quick friends with her.

Hey… Peach… give me a second.

ABRA! IT’s PEACHY!

No, Peach, don’t write in all caps.

Sorry, Crystal, Abra! I’m with Crystal right now, and she’s a reaaaallllly cool pony, her sister’s reeeeeaaallly kind too! She was the one that greeted me to the Great Faust’s plane.

I’ve been watching you, Silly, and I don’t like seeing you cry! It makes me Cry, it makes Crystal Cry. I don’t like it when Crystal cries.

May I Peach?

Of coarse Crystal! You’re a lot better with words than I am. IF anyone could cheer Abra up, it’d be you for sure.

Abra, it’s Crystal again.

Death isn’t an end. When we die, and I need you to keep this a secret, please, I had to beg the Great Faust to let me tell you, it’s just a transition to a different place, like a portal. I'm in a different plane of existence, but I can still keep an eye on you.

Abra, everytime I see you cry, I cry, Peach cries. I want you to be happy. You have Gentle by your side, and I’m sure she doesn’t like to see you cry.

Please, Abra, point your chin to the sky and stop dragging yourself through the endless bog of sadness. Let Gentle pull you out, like she did when you fell out of my tree.

Also, you do not bring death to everyone around you. Trust me.

You are my friend forever Abra, and hold that fact close to your heart. Please.

Your best friend

Crystal Agate

AND PEACHY! i’M A BETTER FRIEND AND ALL THAT JIZZ

That’s enough Peach, you’re ruining the moment.

ABRA! DON’T STOP WRITING TO ME! i LOVE READING YOUR LETTERS!

Oh, whatever, please Abra, continue to write. I love reading your letters most.

Abra looked at Gentle, her warm wing suddenly there, and she sniffed.

“You hear that ya old crybaby, your friends want you to stop beating yourself up.”

Abra cried, she finally let all her pent up emotion loose. When she stopped crying. She smiled.

Twilight lived in ponyville now. The everlasting night had been defeated and she was having wondrous times with her new friends. They help distract her when she’s down and lift her higher when she’s happy. She couldn’t imagine a world without them.

Although, another pony rarely leaves her mind. Twilight told her friends about her and they cried too.

Now she walked home, half a cake resting in her magic, she let out a loud yawn, not caring who heard. Casually she grabbed her mail, not noticing the rolled scroll with a blue seal, and headed inside.

“Spike!” Twilight shouted after slamming the door, “you forgot to get the mail again!”

“Sorry Twilight! I was busy organizing all the books in the library. Did you bring anything back from Pinkie’s party?”

“Yeah, half a cake, come grab some. You deserve it for being my number one assistant.” Twilight sighed as the baby dragon zipped by, claws grabbing the cake tin. “remember, Spike, use a fork and plate. Don’t just dig in like last time. That’s rude.”

“Okay Twilight, oh, can you check the mail! My new comic might have come in. Batmare Vs Super Mare. It’s gonna be a classic!”

“I’ll check,” Twilight headed upstairs, a bundle of mail floating along.

She reached her room, sighed again, and turned on the light. The first thing she was greeted with was a scroll, floating in front of her, blue seal instead of red.

Curious, she settled on her bed, turned on her light and broke the seal.

Dear Big Sister

You’re so mean big sis! I waited for a full year to find out your address and you left Canterlot! How could you?

Putting that aside. HI!!!!!!!!!

iT’S BEEN SO LONG!!!!

I’ve read everyone of your letters twice, no, three times, no, I lost count!

Now that I got that out of the way, I’ve finally gotten the Great Faust to let me reply and I'm so happy to tell you to stop worrying about me. I’m super happy here in the Great Faust’s plane. She made it from the remnants of a long forgotten one created by a planeswalker named Sarra.

I don’t know the details. The Great Faust only told me so much, but she did give me permission to tell you everything I know! Big Sis, the Great Faust likes you. She tells me that you will have a promising future and I can’t wait to see what that entails!

I’ve been dying to tell you this every since your last letter, I love you! I have Cross and, I’ll admit, I love her more, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love you! You helped me grow from Cross’s death, you teached me how to have fun, that there’s times for study and times to climb a tree. I love you for that Big Sis!

Okay, next is the bad news, well, kind of bad news. When I first arrived at the Great Faust’s plane, I was judged, and I didn’t pass, but the Great Faust took pity on me since I was just a filly. She could have taken my life for my sins, but she only took my right arm. It took a long time to get used to walking again, and an even longer time to write this letter, but with Cross and my Aunt Ginger by my side, I made it.

Twilight, the Great Faust is looking over my shoulder now so I need to end this. I will beg to write to you again, but until then, enjoy my little gift.

My Aunt Ginger is a sculptor and could make exact replicas of the pony body, so she made me a little model of myself, one arm and all!

It’s my gift to you.

Thank you Big Sister.

Your LIttle Sister

Crystal Agate

Twilight felt tears blink at her eyes. She slowly lifted the box and saw the same blue seal. Taking a deep breath she broke it.

The whole thing fell apart leaving behind a smiling, one armed, Crystal.

Twilight let out a loud sob, clutching the well made model to her chest, a smile on her face.

Celestia sat on her throne, the last of the Court’s guests just left and she was preparing to partake in a simple slice of cheesecake while looking at her sister’s moon.

It was a nightly ritual she’d made after the first hundred years of Luna’s banishment, and it helps her feel in touch with her sister. She tells her everything happening in her life, even though Luna could never hear her.

When she rested on her balcony, plate in hoof, a pop appeared to her left.

At first she thought it was another of Twilight’s friendship reports, but when she saw the green seal, her heart stopped.

“Mom?” she said before her brain could stop.

Slowly she lowered the cake and took the letter in her grip, feeling its seal like one might a gravestone.

It read

Dear my foolish daughter

I have the last Agate in my Plane. She looked miserable in front of me, tears soaking her fur and she needed a bath. I know you killed her, Celestia, I watched it.

I want to say that I’m disappointed in you for not trying to protect this filly, and, as you know, I can see the futures of others, and as I thought, and yourself, she was going to live a great life. Creating music, easing souls with her proud trumpet. She’d make powerful friends in Abra Kadabra and Peach Days. The three would create the first Dixeland Band with the help of another yet to be born.

Your decision was correct though, and I’m proud that you are now over your nightmares with Hazel Eyes.

I apologize for not writing, but I’ve sent a lot of letters for young Crystal, she’s so hard to resist with her one arm. She’s a very strong filly, the will of an ox I swear. And then I had to teleport a model to your student Twilight Sparkle. Just so you know, if it had been anyone else I would have refused.

Anyway, you should be proud of your new Head Surgeon. He uncovered the murders of two Agates. Something you never even tried.

He tried to send Crystal a letter about it, but I pre read everything she gets so I threw them out. I let no sadness enter my realm unless it’s the fault of the receiver, but you should really give him a medal.

You know what. I’ll give him a medal.

I’ll be home in two months, let Luna know.

Your mother, The Great Faust

P.S. stop looking at the moon and spend time with your sister. You’re the reason she turned evil, you know.