Uncrystalised
She coughed and spluttered as she desperately gasped for air. Her eyelids felt heavy and so did her legs, as she lay coughing, in blindness. Energy returned to her body as blood streamed back into her limbs and slowly she rose while opening her eyes. Met with only darkness she touched her eye and winced when scraping her soft eyeball against her hoof.
The silence was all encompassing, save for her own breaths, that intensified as fear creeped into her heart. When she stepped forward something soft pressed against the base of her hoof. A scream developed in her throat but only a faint whimper emerged. She stumbled back and forth until she fell to the ground, tripping over something large laying before her.
She curled around her body and wrapped her tail around herself, shivering in fright. Where am I? she repeated several times in her head. As she could not see, nor hear, her senses became dull and her breaths became shallower and shallower, but fear never left her. Her eyelids began to feel heavy again and soon she slid back into unconsciousness.
When waking up again she found herself still enveloped in darkness, impossible to tell whether it was day or night. Left to nothing but her own thoughts she wondered how she got here, and tried to recall anything from before… before, was there a before? She stroke along her muzzle, cheek and forehead, trying to imagine what she looked like. She felt a horn on her forehead and whimpered as she stung herself on it. Somehow hearing her own voice made her feel more secure. Not wanting to let silence enveloped her again she made faint sounds that soon formed into words as she remembered them. Power… Celestia… Conquest.
As she said them her horn sparked. Startled, she backed up into a wall and pressed up against it, while grinding her hooves along the ground. The spark was faint and seemed to blend into the darkness rather than illuminating it. The speck of green and purple in the light reflected a small area around her. Suddenly the ground began to shake and she crawled back into a ball. The shake was brief and so was the spark; the darkness and the silence soon encompassed her again.
“I don’t understand why we need to explore such a icky place. The air in here is far too damp and it will ruin my complexion.”
“Could you stop complaining for one second? I am sure twilight has a good reason. Right sugar cube?”
Twilight stared down into the depths of the spiralling stairway, not paying attention to her friends.
“What's the matter Twilight?” Rainbow Dash said, while flying in front of her, dispelling her from her thoughts.
Twilight shook her head and said. “I don’t know what it is, but the crystal ponies avoids this place like the plague. They won't speak of what’s down here, but it can’t be anything good. We have to investigate.”
With grim faces they glanced at each other. Reluctantly Twilight took the first step and descended into the hole. A faint echo reach her ear, a whimper? but disappeared as suddenly as it came and they pressed on.
As she lay lifeless in the darkness, faint echoes replaced the silence, followed by a gentle breeze. The echoes became clearer the longer she listened and the sounds became voices, but the words melted together in her ears as she saw a small stream of light envelope above her.
She crawled on the cold plates of the floor frantically reaching her hooves in front of her, trying to find a place to hide behind. Tears fell from her eyes as the voices became stronger. Along the wall she found a solid object that shadowed the light that was reaching down to her. She hid behind it and curled up into a ball and listened.
“This place is creepy.”
“Yes, this place could certainly use a bit of decor of I do say so myself.”
“I don’t think decoration is going to make this place any less creepy.”
The pony snorted in response, but then the voices became silent again. For a long while there was nothing but the echoes of hoof steps from the stairs. As the echoes grew closer one of the voices exclaimed “What an awful smell!” while coughing. “I can barely breath.”
Suddenly the darkness resided and a blinding light enveloped the room. As the room became illuminated their coughs turned into gasps. “What the hay happened here?” another voice said.
She didn’t hear what they said then on, nor any other sounds when she repeated the words she had remembered; it comforted her, though only slightly. The louder their hoof steps became, the quicker she recited them. With her faced burrowed into her stomach she opened her eye as the light drew nearer. A mare with purple eyes flinched as she opened them and soon more ponies stood beside the purple mare when she exclaimed. “She’s alive!”
As they drew closer she hid her face back into her body and pressed herself even closer against the wall. “Shhh,” the purple mare said. “Everything is going to be alright,” while nuzzling her head along the filly’s neck.
Still shaking she was levitated of the ground into the embrace of a rainbow coloured pegasus. “Take her out of here, quickly,” the purple mare said, and they flew gently towards the exit on the top floor
On their way up she dared to glance downwards and saw the other ponies hunkered over a mare and a stallion that was lying lifeless on the ground facing each other. Her breath hung solid in her throat as she saw them but she didn’t know why.
“What are we going to do about her?” Applejack said. “They just won't accept her, poor thing… but I can understand how they feel, her presence will always reminded them of the terror of Sombra.”
Rainbow Dash hovered over them and said. “Then where should she live? she sticks out like a sore hoof wherever she goes. Isn't there a way to undo what he did to her?”
Twilight looked at each of their faces as they stared back at her with anticipation. She hesitated but eventually said. “I’ve tried everything I could think of… perhaps I could find something in the Canterlot library, or ask Celestia for help, but I wouldn’t hold my breath. Sombra’s evil runs deep in her blood, and as far as I know there is no magic that can change that. She will have those marks for ever… and that horn… But honestly, that is not the thing that worries me the most.”
“What do you mean?” Applejack said.
“She talks in her sleep, often screams and… what she says is somewhat, disturbing.”
Rarity stomped her hoof on the floor and said. “Damn him… why did he have to do such horrible things to those poor fillies?
Applejack put her foreleg around Rarity and said. “I guess, all things considered, she is lucky to be alive.”
“It wasn’t luck,” twilight said, with a low voice.
Rainbow Dash flew closer and said. “What was that?”
“Do you remember the two crystal ponies that we found in the dungeon? I think somehow they kept her alive, all this time while the empire was frozen. They died for her.”
They stood silently, glancing at each other until Twilight opened her mouth, but her voice caught in her throat, and she hesitated before she rallied. “In any case I think her best chance is to take her to Canterlot, Celestia will know what to… or how to stop her, if it comes to that.
The hall shone bright in all the colours of the spectrum as the sunlight was reflected through the windows; windows that told stories of days passed. Guards stood along the wall, staring forward, with not so much as an glance towards them. They sat patiently and watched over the grandness of the hall. Though they visit regularly, she never tired of watching the brightly coloured windows and hearing the stories of old, but today was different. She looked over at Twilight's smiling face but hesitated to ask. “Twilight, am I a monster?”
With wide eyes Twilight looked at her. “Who told you that?”
“Kids at school,” she said, looking down.
Twilight stroke her fetlock along her face while smiling. “Look Krystal, you are a very special pony. Just because you look different doesn’t mean—“
“Miss Twilight, Princess Celestia is ready to see you.”
Interrupted by a guard she looked up towards the gate to the throne room as it opened. “Sorry, we will talk about this later okay?” without an answer Twilight turned her head towards her. “Krystal…?”
Celestia’s name echoed in her mind, followed by screams that pierced her eardrums. Two grand white wings lay before her, one she held in her mouth, both dripping blood on the golden floor. A smile grew on her face as she glared at the broken mare screaming helplessly. While enthralled in the moment, another voice reached her ear, though only faintly, Twilight? Suddenly the screams disappeared, only Twilight’s sweet but terrified voice remained. She found herself staring directly into her purple eyes; confused she looked around, she hadn’t moved an inch. Tears fell down her cheeks and she dashed away in the other direction.
She ran through the hallway out into the open square of the city, passing many guards and ponies along the way. With her eyes blurry she bumped into some pony at the market. A lavender coloured mare squinted her eyes when she ran into her.
But her eyes opened wide when she saw Krystal hunkered down before her with tears creating puddles on the street. The mare dropped her bags and crouched. “My what a pretty little filly, why are crying?”
Her tears stopped flowing as she saw the mare’s eyes gleaming with warmth and sincerity. She threw herself into the stranger's embrace and the mare whimpered in surprise but did not let her go.
As she kept her face burrowed into the mare’s chest as Twilight's voice echoed in the distance. She came rushing towards them. “Krystal!,” she said and looked at the mare that embraced her. “I am so sorry! come on Krystal, let go of the lady.”
The mare stroke her hoof on Krystal’s head and said. “Oh, it’s quite alright. Fillies at that age can be troublesome sometimes.”
The mare nudged her towards Twilight and she reluctantly let go. “Well,” Twilight said. “I am relieved that nothing happened. Thank you so much for understand, miss?"
“Rain Dust.”
Life is nothing but darkness… Well, that’s not completely true. There is Twilight, who visits me from time to time…
“Sweetie! the dinner is ready,” a voice said from downstairs.
… and then there is of course Rain Dust. It’s been five years since I was adopted by her and her husband Grey horn. A stand up guy and at least as supportive as Rain Dust. They add so much to my life, I just wished that they didn’t have to give up so much to make me happy.
She ran down the stairs and entered the kitchen. As she sat down a spark flared from her horn. She winced from the pain it generated. The couple glanced at each other and Rain Dust said. “How are you feeling honey?” while passing some fried hay.
“It’s nothing, just a headache.”
“You’ve had quite a lot of those lately, are you sure there is nothing that we can do for you?” said Grey Horn.
Krystal stared silently down her plate. “Honey,” Rain Dust said,” we know what you are going through—“
The table trembled as Krystal hit it with both hooves and shouted. “No you don’t!”
The couple flinched as they saw the dark gleam in her eyes. Seeing their frightened faces she quickly calmed and the darkness receded from her eyes. Her body began to shiver and tears fell from her cheek. “I… I’m… sorry,” she stammered while picking up the broken china from the floor.
The couple rose and hugged her while haunching on the floor. “We love you Krystal,” Rain Dust said. “You know that don’t you?”
With her breath stuck in her throat she nodded. They haunched next to each other until her bodied stopped shivering and they sat back on the table while trying to ignore what had happened. Krystal ate in silence until she excused herself and rushed back to her room.
She looked into the stars from her room, trying to empty her thoughts; but as her eyes glanced towards the tower of Celestia her mind darkened. Refusing to see the images again she banged her head against the wall, hoping that the pain would distract her.
Exhausted she sat leaning against the wall, breathing deeply while her head throbbed violently. Down stairs she heard their voices mumble through the door, the sounds were muffled but their tones were aggravated. She cursed that she had them worry yet again and wondered what their lives would have been without her. With those thoughts in her mind she suddenly rose, resolute, and picked up a pen with her mouth, reluctant to use her magic.
Dear parents,
Thank you for everything that you have done for me. You gave me a home, a sense of belonging when I had non. I was happy, I am happy! but, I believe that you deserve better. You give so much to me and I know that I can never make you feel the same way as you make me feel.
I am sure Twilight have already told you about my past but, there is a darkness in me that I am having difficulty controlling. The death of Celestia, her mutilated body; the destruction of Canterlot and crystal ponies marching on the streets, lead by Sombra; all occupies my mind. Every day I see these images. But if it was only this I could bare it for your sakes, but, a part of me wants these awful things to happen.
I can no longer trust myself. Whether it is the demise of Equestria, murder or theft, I know that I will be responsible for something horrible in the future. Please forget about me and continue your lives as if I was never in it.
Yours, Krystal Dusk.
She felt a weight passed from her shoulders as she scribbled down the last sentence. She sighed in relief, amplifying the feeling that her decision was the right one. She packed her things but at the window she hesitated; while looking at the door she imagined Rain Dust bursting in and stopping her. But as nobody came, and her legs tired, she scaled down from the second floor onto the dark street.
On the street she looked past the buildings of the city and into the wilderness that she sought. At the corner of her eye Celstia’s castle appeared and she the balcony which the princess views all of Canterlot from, and beyond. As her thoughts turned to Celestia she realised her mind was unclouded, it was clear, and her dark thoughts all but vanished.
With hesitation she stood still, her eyes fixated on the tower. Suddenly her horn acted on its own and a green purple ray surrounded her. Slowly she ascended back into her room and floated in between the sheets of her bed. Without resisting she closed her eyes and dared to hope for a scream less night.
