Fractured Crystals

by Quick Fix

Rating: everyone
Tags: Applejack, Drama, Original Character, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Fluttershy, Slice of Life, Alternate Universe
Length: 14267

The cutie map brings Applejack and Fluttershy to the Crystal Empire, and into a city torn between its past and future.

In the twenty plus years since the ascension of Princess Twilight Sparkle, the Elements of Harmony have always maintained a bond stronger than even their friendships can show. Even without the physical elements themselves, the cutie map within Twilight's castle regularly brings them back together for new adventures and missions of friendship all over Equestria and beyond. Even as their lives move onward, it remains a constant, a reminder of everything they've been through and everything they mean to each other.

On this winter's night, it's the turn of Applejack and Fluttershy to team up once again in the name of harmony. Even though Fluttershy is carrying her second foal with her and Applejack is going through a complex time, both of them are ready and willing to see their duty through. Even as it brings them back to the cold of the Crystal Empire, a land that has subtly changed more than any equestrian could ever anticipate. With the city divided between those who look forward and those who look back and tensions flaring, Applejack and Fluttershy must see through a mission with the potential to change the course of the empire.

Hey everyone, welcome to the eighth story set in the Quickverse! Don't worry, you don't have to read of the others in advance. So no spoilers for my other works, though some teasers for upcoming stuff is in there. I wanted to try something a little different this time, more like an episode of the show. I mean it can't be any worse a map episode than The Hooffields and McColts right?

Right? :twilightsheepish:

I'm sure you'll let me know if it is. Still, I hope you enjoy regardless!

Update 18/4: Popular stories? Awesome! Third time I've made it to the list but the first for a story not based on an episode, so this is huge for me. A massive thank you to every one of you giving this a look!

Proofreading as always by my ICBFF Deep Note.
Cover art by Margony.

Published 2017-04-18 20:20:01 UTC
Last updated 2017-04-18 20:20:01 UTC

The Summons

Angels Wildlife Sanctuary, Ponyville
January 5th, Year 22 under the Four Princesses

Evening was falling over Ponyville, the gentle glow of the setting sun bathing the snow-coated town in a vibrant light. Despite the steadily dropping temperature, many ponies were still out and trying to make the most of what little daylight remained. From the town center where the pathways had frozen into a makeshift ice rink to the farms on the outskirts of town, ponies from all walks of life were finishing their daily tasks before retiring inside for a night inside. In a cottage on the outskirts of town, just outside the boundary of the Everfree Forest, one such pony was sitting. Wishing she could do just that right now.

Fluttershy sat with her head on her hooves, silently staring at the silhouettes outside her window. Many of them were habitats and enclosures, the culmination of her life's work to help animals of all kinds and one of Ponyville's most popular attractions, the Angels Wildlife Sanctuary. Her teal eyes stayed locked on a pair of pony shaped figures as they made their way around the sanctuary, one a pegasus stallion, the other a pegasus colt. Even in the encroaching darkness, she'd recognise them anywhere. Silent Breeze and Mist Chaser, as most ponies knew them.

She knew them better as her husband and son.

It had been a little over fifteen years since she'd met Silent Breeze on a bird watching trip to Rainbow Falls and bonded with him over his knowledge of avian care methods. The quiet, somewhat ditzy stallion had been something of a welcome new presence in her life and they had started dating a year or two later. Despite the general excitement it had stirred up among their friends, the two promised each other they wouldn't rush anything. While that had proven true in their developing feelings, the step after that was anything but. They had finally married eight years ago, their son was born just eleven months later. The pair had adapted to unexpectedly becoming parents well, to the point that they both agreed that one day, their family would have another member.

A gentle stirring in Fluttershy's stomach reminded her that that day was only two short months away. She pulled her eyes away from the snowy scene outside and back over herself, settling on her gravid middle where she had carried her second foal for the past nine months. Motherhood had come almost completely naturally to her and without even needing to think about it she shifted down the sofa she rested on to lie on her back, gently massaging her belly with her front hooves. The movements within her seemed to gravitate toward her hooves briefly before settling down again.

"I know, we have to wait so long to meet you too," She said softly, stretching out slightly and enjoying the sensation of feeling rushing back into her legs. "Your dad, your brother and me can't wait though. We all love you, little one. Even those who...Who you won't have a chance to meet."

Even as she said it, her head rolled to the side and her eyes went over to the fireplace, looking over the various photos placed on the hearth. Given the family-centric nature their marriage had taken on, all of them were pictures of parents, siblings and those as close as family. Her eyes settled on a framed piece of her own family, taken just before she had moved to Ponyville. Her parents, her younger brother and herself. She had told herself every time she looked at the picture that she wouldn't get emotional but she could already feel sadness gripping her heart and her vision becoming blurry and damp.

Her father, Altostratus, had passed on from old age two years ago and her mother, Posey, was near the end of her own life. Considering how close she was to both of them, it still stung to know that she could never experience such times again, that her mother might not be here when her second grandfoal was born. The worst part though, was that Zephyr Breeze wasn't here to see it either. As obnoxious and vain as her little brother had been, she still had a certain closeness to him that even the other elements couldn't match. Though he never truly lost his carefree workshy attitude, he had his life in order and was making it on his own. He almost seemed like the kind of pony you'd want to hang out with for a night. Then six years ago he had come to his family and revealed that he was suffering from cancer. He ultimately managed to shift his attitude in the face of his mortality, spending months providing valuable insights and data to the Canterlot Institute of Development in how such illnesses might be treated. Though his decision had resulted in a breakthrough with cancer testing and treatment, any developments that had resulted from it had come too late for him.

Fluttershy gently wiped her eyes and dropped her head back, trying not to let herself be overwhelmed by her turbulent emotions. She didn't know how long she sat there before the sound of the front door broke her focus. She carefully moved herself back to her hooves and smiled gently as the two ponies of her life came in. Silent Breeze, a bronze coated stallion with a flowing silver mane, amber eyes and a cutie mark of a thrush in flight. Mist Chaser, a silver-gray colt with a short black mane, deep blue eyes and a shrouded moon cutie mark. Her husband and son. Despite her best efforts, she hadn't been able to get her emotions under control by the time they saw her.

"Mom? Are you ok?" Mist Chaser asked quickly, running up to the sofa and jumping into a hover beside her.

"I'm..." Fluttershy shifted to give him space and hugged the colt as soon as he landed in front of her. "Yes. I'm just being emotional again. I'm sorry I worried you."

"What happened, angelwings?" Silent Breeze asked as he came over, the use of his pet name for his wife enough to make Fluttershy smile slightly more.

"It was just some sad memories I have, along with everything else." She looked down slightly and nuzzled Mist's head gently, the colt hugging her gently in return.

"Darling..." Breeze gently placed a hoof on her swell and leaned in close to kiss behind her right ear before whispering to her. "I told you when you were carrying Mist Chaser and I'll tell you again until we both remember it. You are not a burden in this condition. You're still as beautiful as the day I met you, if anything you're even more so. Motherhood suits you perfectly and I almost wish you could stay this way, just so I could give you and our foal the love you deserve like this."

Fluttershy sniffed slightly and looked back up at her husband, breaking into a proper smile. He may not have the best way with words, but he still knew just how to make her feel better when she needed it most. She lifted herself up into a sitting position and wrapped a leg around him, pulling both Breeze and Mist into a three way hug that she held onto for several seconds.

"Thank you, both of you" She said softly, kissing them both. "I don't know what I would do without either of you helping me so much. I promise that I'll find a way to thank you properly."

"The fact you're having a healthy, happy foal and making our family even more loving, that's thanks enough for me." Silent Breeze replied, nuzzling her lovingly.

"Yeah, you hear that, little sis?" Mist Chaser added as he moved down and nuzzled his mother's belly. "You're gonna love it out here, so be ready to enjoy it."

"Now, we don't know if it's a filly or a colt yet." Fluttershy told him with a slight giggle in her voice. Her son's enthusiasm and help in preparation for gaining a sibling never failed to cheer her up, now that the concerns that he may not have approved were unfounded.

"Dad says he feels it's a filly," He replied before pausing in his attention. "Mom, your butt is glowing again."

Fluttershy's initial reaction to tell her son off for his language was overtaken by realising just what he'd said. She looked back over her herself and sure enough, her three butterfly cutie mark was glowing with a faint light and the occasional pulsing sound. All of them knew exactly what it meant. Somepony, somewhere, needed her help.

"Oh my, now?" She asked quietly, sitting up.

"The map wants you now?" Mist asked in response, taking off and hovering behind her for several seconds to get a closer look.

"Are, you sure that it's a good idea to go?" Breeze finished, glancing back outside, where darkness was falling further and a slight snow had started to come down as well. Fluttershy looked out the window as well and gave a quick exhale as she stood up.

"I know it feels inconvenient, but we both know it's something I have to do," She said, going to get herself some clothes to head out in. "It's late though, so I'll just head over to Twilight's castle and see where I need to go for now. Then I'll come home and save the mission for tomorrow, okay?"

"Alright love, we'll have dinner ready by the time you get back. Don't be afraid to stop somewhere warm and rest if you need to."

Fluttershy nodded as she finished wrapping a scarf round her neck and nuzzling her husband as he helped her into a flight coat. Truth be told, she didn't want to go and find out just what she had to do tonight either. From experience though, it wasn't a good idea to leave the map waiting too long. Hopefully she could wait until morning before setting out for, wherever she needed to go.

Not for the first time, Fluttershy wished that her cottage wasn't on the opposite side of Ponyville from Twilight's castle. Flying across town normally wasn't a problem but in the cold, bundled up in clothing, with her precious cargo, it was more than slightly tiring. Most other pegasi had elected to stay on the ground in this weather but she wanted to hurry and get it done. Unlike every other time she had been on a mission of friendship, Twilight Sparkle wouldn't be present to give her details and advice. The princess of friendship, along with Spike, had been in the Crystal Empire for the past week on a research expedition. Hopefully it wouldn't be something too hard to figure out.

By the time she reached the crystalline beacon of peace that stood in northwest Ponyville, Fluttershy was starting to flag. She landed carefully on the snowy pathway leading to the main doors and looked back at herself, making sure she hadn't done anything undue to herself during the flight. Quickly satisfied, she trotted to the doors and let herself in. They were never locked, since Twilight believed in allowing everypony access to the castle whenever they required help or knowledge. Fluttershy took a moment to catch her breath once the doors were closed behind her and the soothing warmth of indoors washed over her again. The sound of hoofsteps was faintly audible from across the foyer and down the central hall, within the map room. It sounded like only one other pony was there, the norm for something like this.

Once she was recovered she made her way to the map room and entered. There was something oddly reassuring about seeing the seven chairs that belonged to her and her friends surrounding the cutie map, the scene of so many moments where they had shared experiences, improved the lives of so many ponies. Equally welcoming was the sole pony standing by the map. Orange coated, blonde maned and packing some bulk from muscle beneath her coat. She might have thought it was a short stallion from the size alone if she hadn't been around the mare for years, as well as the ever present, if slightly worn, stetson hat she wore and three apple cutie mark that was also glowing.

"Oh, Applejack. I'm glad I'm not the only one the map called." Fluttershy said, some cheer coming into her voice as her friend turned and smiled warmly.

"Howdy Fluttershy, you too," Applejack replied, trotting over sharing a quick hug with the pegasus. "How're you and the little one doing?"

"We're both healthy, though it is a little exhausting getting around in a rush."

"Well, things aren't too busy at the farm right now, so y'all can ask me for help anytime."

"Thanks, I think I might need that now. Things never seem to be simple when the map calls," Fluttershy looked over herself as she felt some movement from her foal, an extra reminder of how she couldn't afford to push herself too much. "Speaking of which, where are we going?"

"Ah waited for you to arrive before finding out, so let's go take a look." Applejack said before she and Fluttershy headed over to the map.

While they had been talking, the glows of their cutie marks had shifted into the projections of their marks that moved onto the map that displayed where any of the Elements of Harmony needed to go. The two of them moved round the table to the space between Rainbow Dash and Twilight Sparkle's chairs, where the map showed northern Equestria, the Crystal Empire and Yakyakistan. The projections of their marks had flown there as well and were now circling the capital of the empire, to the surprise of both.

"The Crystal City?" Fluttershy commented, resting her front hooves on the edge of the map to get a closer look.

"Shoot, and here I was hoping for something quick an' close to home," Applejack added. "It'd be a mite tricky to get up there tonight without being frozen faster than a frog in a windigo's icebox."

"You're not the only one. I mean, I don't want to be a bother, but..."

"I understand Flutters. We've gotta make sure not to stress ya out. For now, have a good night resting up and I'll swing by in the morning to help with anything you need before we go."

"Oh, okay. Thank you Applejack." Fluttershy smiled and took her seat at the map, aiming to spend a few minutes resting before making the return trip.

"You sure you're ok, sugarcube?" Applejack asked, unable to mask the concern in her voice.

"Yes, I just forgot how much effort everything took right now."

Applejack nodded and sat down in her own chair, electing to keep her friend company. Neither of them needed words right now, they simply enjoyed the support that the presence of the other brought. That was likely all they would have for the next few days.

Author's Note

I don't actually have anything against Zephyr Breeze, I am just a cruel god who needs to inflict the occasional heartache into the world.

And for those of you who've read Task Force Harmony, no, I actually didn't realise how similar Silent Breeze and Aurora looked until I was writing this chapter. Despite the fact Silent appeared first by a full year. Stupid copy-pasting brain :facehoof:

An Empire Divided

Approach to Crystal City
January 6th

The mid-morning sun was pleasantly warm as it shone down over northern Equestria. In this region, beyond even the farms that were spread across the grasslands, it was a welcome contrast from the frozen fields that went on for miles like an icy blanket. Just beyond that lay the snow-capped peaks of the Crystal Mountains, forming the majority of the border between Equestria and the Crystal Empire. While several routes had been forged through the mountains thanks to extra traffic between the nations and the existence of multiple mines, the main route was still the Equestria Rail Network that entered the artic territories of the empire from the southwest of Crystal City and now went onward to Rainbow Falls and into the Griffon Territories.

Onboard the current train heading toward the capital of the empire as it finished passing through the mountains and into the frozen north, Fluttershy pulled her gaze away from the view outside and shivered. Although trains on this route took measures for passengers to stay warm, the weather here was even worse than it had been in Ponyville. Snow lay at least a foot deep on either side of the tracks and more was falling from a steel grey sky, a few patches of sunlight breaking through the clouds and keeping the temperature from becoming unbearable. Overall, it wasn't surprising that few ponies were making the journey today. Though she had seen others in the other carriages, Applejack was her only companion for now.

"You need another coat, Fluttershy?" AJ asked as she paced up and down the train car, only wearing a green coat as she had opted to keep herself warm through her own exertions instead of wrapping up. Fluttershy on the other hoof, was wearing a thick blue beanie, matching snow socks and a purple throw rug that Rarity had modified into a makeshift sweater for her, much more preferable in this weather since the size allowed her to keep her belly covered too.

"Oh, umm, are you sure you don't need it?" The pegasus asked in return, looking like she would like the extra layer but still unwilling to ask outright.

"Nah, I'm keeping warm as is. Besides, we gotta make you don't catch nothing unpleasant from this trip."

Applejack stopped by Fluttershy's seat and took her coat off, offering it to her friend without hesitation. Fluttershy smiled softly and gave her thanks as she took it, pulling it onto her back and snuggling into her seat. AJ clambered into the seat next to her, making sure not to take up too much space with her larger bulk.

"So, how're you feeling about this here task?" She asked, glancing out at the view as the snow outside began to thin out and more sunlight was visible through the clouds.

"Well, I suppose I'd feel better if I knew what we're going to do." Fluttershy admitted, though she sounded a little more at ease now than she had last night.

"I wouldn't get all frazzled worrying about it, these things have a tendency to find us real quickly," Applejack replied, placing a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder. "An' I'm sure Cadance and Shining Armor will be happy to accommodate us for a few days if we need to stick around, so that's the basics covered too."

"I guess you're right. It wouldn't be the first time we've had a friendship problem find us first." Fluttershy looked back at Applejack and nodded, looking more relaxed for several seconds before tensing up in place, staring slightly ahead.

"Fluttershy? What's wrong?"

"Oh, sorry. I just, the foal was getting a little rowdy." Fluttershy shook her head as she shifted in her seat and lifted her sweater to one side so Applejack could see her heavy middle. Even as they watched, there was a slight bulge visible in her swell that quickly faded as the foal moved again, letting Fluttershy sigh quietly in relief.

"Golly, I haven't seen anything like that since mom was carrying Apple Bloom," Applejack commented in wonder, leaning down for a closer look. "Does it hurt when she does that? Or is it a he?"

"The doctors say it's a filly," Fluttershy replied, the rest of her sentence cut off by a sharp inhale at what seemed to be further movement. "And, maybe a little. Normally she settles down after a rub but, it's difficult to reach."

"May I?" Applejack put a hoof out in offering, waiting until her friend nodded an approval before placing it on the pegasus' pregnant paunch and rubbing at the most active spots. For a mare of her size, she was incredibly delicate and careful, making sure not to apply any undue pressure and keeping her movements as precise as a spa pony. After a few moments, her hoofwork paid off as the foal settled down again, giving Fluttershy some respite.

"Ahhh, thanks Applejack. I'm glad you have a way with foals," Fluttershy sat back, looking thoughtful for a moment. "AJ, how come you've never had children yourself?"

"Huh..." Applejack looked down for a moment. "Never really thought about it. Had to look after the farm for so many years, ah've always had to keep my focus on that. Plus, I'm a tad old to be looking to settle down now."

"Thirty-nine isn't that old, and you're still the youngest out of us," Fluttershy commented, smiling reassuringly. "Besides, what about Bounty? I thought you two were getting close."

"Ah, well that's...That's a bit complicated at the moment."

"Oh," Fluttershy looked down for a moment before looking back up at Applejack with cautious curiosity. "I did hear things got a teensy bit out of control at Pinkie's Hearths' Warming party."

"If by out of control ya mean it taking me, Windhover and Little Hayseed t'calm him down, then yes. There's more to it than that though." Applejack replied, looking reluctant to continue with this particular topic.

Before Fluttershy could say anything else, both of them lurched forward slightly as the train began to slow down in its approach to Crystal City. The two of them looked out to see that while snow was still falling, the snowy lands outside had given way to grassy fields and more sunlight, the protective effects of the crystal heart stretching this far out into the surrounding lands. Fluttershy looked over at Applejack, knowing her friend was silently psyching herself up to take on their mission of friendship. She was ready too, as soon as she got out of all her layers again. It wouldn't do to start their work by dropping from overheating.

By the time the train pulled into the station on the outskirts of the city, Fluttershy had managed to remove her winter wear and had it packed away in her maternity case, along with anything else she thought she needed. Applejack was handling the bag carrying for her, so all she had to worry about was making her way through the city streets.

Though it had grown steadily outward, Crystal City looked very much the same as it always had. Crystalline buildings lined the streets in every direction. Market stalls filled an inner city square that had formed around the statue of 'Great and Honourable Spike the Brave and Glorious'. To the east sat Valiance Stadium, the empire's primary capacity venue that had hosted the Equestria games twice in the past two decades. Applejack and Fluttershy always seemed to have something new to look at as they made their way down the main street that went straight from the station to the crystal castle that stood at the heart of the city. Ponies were looking at them too as they passed. A pairing of a pregnant mare and a muscular mare was a sight that would likely only be considered totally normal in Ponyville, after all.

There was something else to it though. Many Crystal ponies were out and about today and while most simply gave the pair a surprised but welcoming look before returning to their business, a few were shooting glares both at the newcomers and other crystal ponies, or muttering things to themselves. Neither Fluttershy nor Applejack had any idea why they were getting such a frosty reception. The only ones among their group who travelled to the empire even semi-regularly were Twilight and Rarity. That was part of the reason they had chosen to head for the castle first. Aside from seeking some assistance from Queen Cadance, there was a chance their alicorn friend was also still here. The unwelcome looks they got were spread out enough that neither had time to dwell on them for long, meaning their walk up to the castle was easy enough, though the atmosphere the entire way felt somewhat uneasy.

The two of them were allowed inside by the crystal guards, their reputations more than enough for once. The royal court was in session inside and once they were within the castle, their appearance drew enough attention among the waiting staff that Fluttershy and Applejack were allowed an audience with the king and queen. This was their first time stepping inside the throne room since the empire had reappeared decades ago but even they could tell that it had changed considerably. Banners in the empire's colours of purple and white were spread along the walls and numerous crystal statues were placed by the doors and windows, as well as further crystal ponies standing guard. The thrones at the end of the room however, were a welcome sight.

Sitting on the leftmost throne was Shining Armor, BBBFF extraordinaire and king of the empire. Though he looked every day of his forty-nine years of age, tired and looking like he'd tried to grow a beard only to give up partway through, he still carried that air of support and care that everypony loved about him. Even now, AJ felt a sense of peace upon seeing him, as well as an unexpected, if momentary, moment of déjà vu. On the central throne was the princess of love herself, Cadance, queen of the empire. The alicorn's look had never changed over the years, though neither had her methods. Under her guidance, along with the continued support of Equestria, the empire was flourishing in ways its inhabitants hadn't seen in thousands of years. The slightly smaller throne on the right was empty, though Fluttershy remembered from Twilight talking about her previous visits to the city that it was for Cadance and Shining's son, Crystal Prince Aurora.

"Applejack! Fluttershy! It's been too long!" Cadance said happily as she saw them approach, her excitement so evident that she stood up from her throne and trotted down to meet them.

"Likewise, your highnesses." Applejack replied with a grin, knowing that Cadance was never one for formality when with her friends. Sure enough, neither of them even had time to bow before the alicorn had approached and wrapped them both in a hug.

"Oh, umm, yes. It's good to see you too." Fluttershy said, caught off guard by Cadance's exuberance.

"Sorry, I know I shouldn't get carried away," Cadance said as she let the hug go and took them both in. "I just miss seeing friends as close as you. Oh and congratulations, Fluttershy! I take it your marriage is going well?"

"Very well, thank you," Fluttershy sounded a little more at ease now that there was a little space and she smiled as she looked back over herself. "This is actually our second foal I'm carrying.

Cadance's smile only grew at the news and she looked fit to launch into a round of Pinkie Pie-grade excitement. At this point Shining Armor trotted up and placed a hoof on his wife's shoulder, managing to defuse her buildup as she looked back at him, to Applejack's amusement and Fluttershy's silent relief.

"Alright, let them have a little breathing space," Shining commented with a chuckle, watching as Cadance stepped back to compose herself before nodding to his guests. "It is good to see you both again though. How can we help?"

"Well, the map in Twilight's castle sent us up here for some sorta friendship problem," Applejack explained, continuing as she saw Shining nod in understanding. "We're still not sure just what we have to do yet, but given Fluttershy's current condition we were wondering if y'all might have a little room to spare for us while we're here."

"You don't even need to ask," Shining replied with a smile. "We'd be more than happy to accommodate you in the castle for as long as you need. We can also provide anything you might need to remain comfortable, Fluttershy."

"Well that's mighty kind of ya."

"Yes. Thank you both very much." Fluttershy actually spread her wings slightly at the news, looking and sounding pleasantly surprised.

"It's quite alright," Cadance said as she rejoined the conversation, by now managing to regain her composure from before. "I'll have one of my assistants on hoof to help you with anything you may need."

"Flurry Heart?" Shining asked, looking over at a group of ponies standing in waiting by the thrones. One of them stepped forward and over to the group.

Compared to the other ponies of the group, all of whom were crystal ponies, she stood out in comparison. A unicorn mare with a body white as snow, an average length mane that was curled above her eyes and fell freely down her neck in a red-violet colour with ice blue highlights, the same colours adorning her tail. Her eyes were a light blue and her cutie mark was an eight point snowflake surrounded by a pink glow.

"Yes, your majesty?" Flurry Heart said as she bowed to Shining and Cadance, her voice soft spoken and hushed.

"Your duty is to assist Applejack and Fluttershy for the duration of their stay," Shining told her before turning back to the others. "Flurry Heart is our best aide, don't hesitate to ask her for anything you need."

"Of course," Flurry raised her head and turned to the two ponies, eyes shining slightly. "If I may, it's an honour to meet heroes such as you."

"Pleasure to meet you too." Applejack replied, Fluttershy blushing slightly at the compliment.

"Oh, there was one other thing," Fluttershy piped up after a moment. "Twilight hasn't been in Ponyville since Hearth's Warming. She said she was coming here and, well, I was just wondering if she was alright."

"I'm, afraid we don't know," Shining answered, looking a little concerned. "Twilight and Spike left the city a week ago and headed for the Equis Ruins on the coast. We haven't heard from her since."

"Oh, okay. Well, we wont take up any more of your time now."

"We'll make sure to come back and catch up properly once this is over." Applejack said as she bowed again.

With the matter settled for now, Flurry Heart led Fluttershy and Applejack back toward the exit of the throne room while Cadance and Shining Armor returned to their thrones. As they were exiting the room, another pony was entering for an audience with the royals. A crystal pony stallion with a golden-yellow coat that currently lacked the translucent, hardened look of a pony in full crystal form, his eyes were emerald green, mane and tail of amber and with a cutie mark of a diamond under a magnifying glass, he looked a classic example of his kind. He looked over at the trio as they passed and nodded.

"Morning Flurry Heart, visitors." The stallion said as he passed, sounding pleasant enough, though with some tension in his voice.

"Hello, scumbag." Flurry said in reply, all pretence of professionalism lost, her voice dropping to a hiss as she glared at him. The stallion stared at her for a moment with a hurt look in his eyes before turning and continuing on his way.

"Friend of yours?" Applejack asked with cautious curiosity.

"Former friend. Now a traitor I wish I'd never met," Flurry replied, her front left hoof shaking in anger as she led them down a hallway toward the castle's guest rooms. "His name's Citrine, of the Onyx Dawn."

Fluttershy and Applejack looked at each other as they continued walking. Both of them had the same thought, that maybe they'd come across their friendship problem right here. Neither said anything further on the matter though so as not to aggravate Flurry Heart further, simply following her for the time being. They would take a breather and then focus in on the mission.

Onyx Dawn

Once they had deposited their bags in their guest suite and taken a few minutes to unwind from the journey, Applejack and Fluttershy convened to discuss what they had seen in the throne room. Neither of them had much knowledge of recent events within the empire, so to hear Flurry Heart referring to Citine, a pony she seemed to have been friends with, as a traitor was a surprise to them both. It seemed like if that was the friendship problem they had come to help with, it ran far deeper than their usual ones. In the end, it was Fluttershy who thought of how to proceed. Neither of them had any idea what to do without some historical facts, similar to when she had Twilight had been sent to the Smokey Mountains. Together they would need to learn more about this 'Onyx Dawn' and see if there was something about it that would allow them an opening to begin to repair Flurry and Citrine's friendship.

Before that though, they needed to get to know Flurry Heart a little better.

Applejack had proposed the three of them head out to a café in the city where they could take in the state of the city and let Fluttershy get off her hooves at present. Neither of them thought it wise to tell Flurry that they thought they had found the problem just yet, considering how she had reacted to Citrine's presence before. For now, the unicorn had brought them to an outdoor restaurant near the market district where Fluttershy was sampling the locally grown salad with crystal berries and Applejack had settled for a thistle sandwich.

"You're sure you don't mind paying?" Fluttershy asked Flurry Heart as she looked out at the streets, ponywatching and taking in the lay of the land.

"Of course. You two have helped save the world at least half a dozen times each, I'm surprised you have to pay for anything these days," Flurry replied, sounding like her usual self again. "If anything, it's a way of thanks. Without you and the other elements of harmony, my life probably would have been over before it began."

"Say what?" Applejack asked in curiosity.

"My mother was a hoofmaiden for Princess Celestia and I was only a few months old when Nightmare Moon returned. I don't imagine she would have been kind to a pony like me if she'd won. Still, things didn't end up that way, so I was able to follow in mom's hoofsteps and ultimately become an assistant to royalty. I didn't think I was that good, but somepony disagreed if they thought I could serve Queen Cadance."

"I'm glad you were able to fulfil your dreams too." Fluttershy commented, though her voice was the only thing focused on the conversation right now.

Her eyes were watching the passing ponies, silently gauging them. That air of unease they had felt on their first pass through the city had returned and she could see ponies displaying those hints of animosity. While ponies of all kinds were about, all of it seemed to be coming from crystal ponies, shooting glares, refusing to talk to ponies, in one case she could even see a crystal mare arguing with a pegasus stallion. Normally it would have been something she would have shut out and continued on with her day, except for the fact that she could overhear the stallion briefly.

"I don't see what the big deal is, Onyx Dawn just want things to be like the old days. You know, back when world-ending threats didn't come along every few months."

"Umm, Flurry Heart?" Fluttershy asked, drawing the unicorn's attention. "I've, been hearing a lot of mentions about something called Onyx Dawn wherever we go today. You said that it was something your, former friend, was with too. I was just wondering, what exactly was it?"

"It's, a pony, a group, an ideal, a threat," Flurry replied, looking down slightly before shaking her head slightly. "How good are you two on history?"

"Well, I-I know the basics." Fluttershy said as she looked over at Applejack.

"Never been mah strong spot." AJ added.

"Okay. History was one of the things I learned in preparation so I'll try and explain everything as best I can," Flurry leaned back in her seat. "Onyx Dawn was a pony first, one born back when the Crystal Empire was under the rule of Queen Osmium II at the end of the Age of Advancement. Apparently his parents were staunch supporters of the empire and named him after Queen Onyx, one of the more...Polarising, rulers of her time."

"What'd this queen do that was so unpopular?"

"You both know about the Contact War that closed out the Time of Chaos, right?" Flurry waited while Applejack nodded, Fluttershy finishing a mouthful of her food before doing the same. "Well in the aftermath of the war, Queen Onyx and her Crystal Kingdom made a land grab for all the lands of Equestria in the north, covering the territory that the empire has today. Everything from the still-fresh ruins of the Equestrian capital on the west coast to the ends of the Patchwalk Mountains on the east coast, she stole it all and reformed her kingdom into the Crystal Empire. Equestria was still too weakened by the Yaks to do anything about it and the empire went into isolation for centuries afterward so there was no room to negotiate. It's not like twenty years ago when Princess Celestia gave those lands to Princess Cadance after the empire returned, everypony was fuming over it."

"Goodness, I can't imagine one of the princesses acting like that," Fluttershy said in surprise, leaning against the table slightly. "Why would she do that?"

"I don't know, it happened over two thousand years ago after all. But, I suppose if you give the wrong pony too much power, they can make bad decisions because they think nopony can stop them."

"Alright, so this pony was named after a bad ruler, what happened next?" Applejack asked.

"Ah, yes, I got a little side-tracked," Flurry rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof before continuing. "So, Onyx Dawn was likely raised to put the Crystal Empire above all else. He was still a colt when Queen Osmium was assassinated and the empire was corrupted by King Sombra. He had to go through being a slave, Celestia and Luna's efforts to save the empire, a thousand years in limbo and then everything that happened when the empire returned. I know a lot of crystal ponies were grateful for being free again, but..."

"He wasn't?" Applejack finished, looking like she wasn't impressed by the lack of gratitude.

"From what Citrine told me, Onyx saw it as the crystal ponies trading one master for another. He thought that Equestria had taken payment for freeing the empire from Sombra by placing one of their own on the throne. An alicorn instead of a crystal pony, one so close to Princess Celestia as well. When the empire became a protectorate of Equestria, he claimed it wasn't a new bond between the two nations, but full annexation."

"Wait, you said he was a colt when the empire returned," Applejack interjected. "The Crystal Empire's agreement with Equestria only happened a year later. How old could he have been at the time?"

"I'm not sure. To be fair, he was just an ordinary pony to everypony for many years, though he was about twenty when he became known. Just walked into the royal court one day in nine FP and laid out an airtight explanation for why Princess Cadance and Prince Shining Armor should take the titles of Queen and King. He'd drummed up a following too, enough that they had to go along with it or risk losing massive support within the empire. After that, he just went quiet, until about five years ago when we started hearing of Onyx Dawn again. Not as a pony, but a organization."

"That sounds bad...What do they want?" Fluttershy said, nervously poking at a few stray leaves in her bowl.

"The dissolution of any bond with Equestria, to return the Crystal Empire to the isolated power that it was under Queen Onyx," Flurry answered, looking grim. "We thought they would just be small and try something beyond their reach. Like that cult Starlight Glimmer had in the Patchwalk Mountains that you two helped break up. But they have numbers. It's believed that between twenty and forty-five percent of the city follows their beliefs, including a number non-crystal ponies. It's enough for them to be considered a serious opposition to the crown. They don't have the pull for anything big because the populace of Rainbow Falls fully supports the empire's diplomatic situation, but they've been trying to stop any more rulings that strengthen the alliance with Equestria."

Applejack and Fluttershy looked at each other, both thinking the same thing. As bad as Onyx Dawn sounded, politics was something far beyond either of their abilities. They would have to leave that one to Princess Celestia and Queen Cadance. Still, the smaller effects were something they could deal with. Flurry Heart's friendship with Citrine was in tatters because of it, there was no doubt the map had summoned them to help repair it. The question now was how to approach the topic without raising Flurry's ire again.

"So...I mean, if you're alright to tell us...When did Citrine start following them?" Fluttershy asked, wilting slightly under the dark look Flurry gave her. The unicorn held her reaction in check though, not wanting to yell at a mare in her condition.

"About a week ago," Flurry replied, sighing slightly. "Though I didn't find out until about two days ago, when he came to try and convince me to join as well. Without even thinking about my position in the royal court, that I'd be turning my back on everything I'd worked for!"

"And I'm guessing you shut him down." Fluttershy continued, trying to sound impartial.

"I-I had to, he looked like he was going to go for me!" Flurry snapped, hoof shaking as she smacked it down on the table hard enough to make Applejack and Fluttershy jump in surprise. "He just kept going on about how everypony that matters understands Onyx Dawn...I swear, he's lucky he lives out by the station or I might have to deal with him every day and then I'd have to...Well, let's just say it's good he isn't closer."

Applejack looked over at Fluttershy and smiled reassuringly, the look in her eye making it clear she had an idea. Fluttershy nodded slightly, still feeling rattled by Flurry's outburst even as the unicorn managed to calm herself down.

"Alright, well, this was certainly...Something," Applejack pushed her plate away and sat back, looking over at Flurry. "I've got a good idea on why the map called us here, but I wanna check some things out first. Flurry Heart, why don't you and Fluttershy take some time to unwind? You kinda look like you both could use it."

"That, that does sound nice." Fluttershy replied, running a hoof through her mane.

"Yeah, I really should find a better way to vent my frustrations than what happened there," Flurry said as she pulled some bits out of a saddlepack to pay for lunch. "I'm sorry about that, Fluttershy."

"Well, thank you..." Fluttershy looked down as she said it, sounding unconvinced. Flurry folded her ears back and looked away sadly at that.

"But, what about you, Applejack?"

"Ah'm going to see this Citrine an' get his side of the story." AJ stood up and stretched, ready to go. Flurry opened her mouth immediately but stopped herself and closed her mouth after several seconds. "Oh, and try an keep yer temper in check while I'm gone. It'd be much better for Fluttershy's sake...An' yours."

Applejack's eyes narrowed slightly as she got down from her seat, turning away from Flurry and set off back toward the edge of the city. There was no excuse for snapping at her friend like that and Flurry was lucky that was all she'd said. She couldn't let it cloud her focus now though, she had to see what Citrine had to say for himself. Hopefully by the time she was done, Fluttershy and Flurry Heart would have calmed down completely and they could move onto the next step without too much trouble.

Honest Mistakes

Compared to the tension that seemed to be everywhere within the center of the city, the outskirts of Crystal City were downright peaceful. While the overall structure was the same as the original districts that had existed for thousands of years, these new areas that had been built after the empire's reintegration with the world had benefited from both the advancements made during the past thousand years and the influx of earth ponies, pegasi and unicorns that now called the empire home. The southern district that linked the train station with the old city was a prime example, as the improved afternoon weather drew ponies of all kinds out into the parks and public buildings that dotted the area.

Applejack couldn't help but marvel as she made her way down the main thoroughfare that led back out of the city. While some ponies might have found the relatively uniform design of the crystal buildings drab, she found it colourful and distinctive, as well as having a less subtle benefit. If some new world destroyer decided to attack back in Ponyville, they would have easily identifiable targets in the town hall, the Equestria Defence Force post and Twilight's castle. Here, the Crystal Castle was the only distinctive landmark that could be easily targeted. She knew from talking to Rainbow Dash that one of the multi-story buildings around here was an EDF army post for the Crystal Guards, yet she wouldn't even know where to start looking for it. For all the other problems the empire may have at present, the crystal ponies seemed to harbour a sense of security.

Still, those thoughts were a distraction from the real reason she was here. A few stops for directions on her way down had confirmed where Citrine lived, on a block at the edge of a sports area called Faith Park. AJ could see a variety of sports and other activities taking place as she arrived at the park, walking its perimeter toward her destination. She could see hoofball, buckball, tennis, even ice archery and others she couldn't see clearly. The sense of community and bonding was a welcome sight for Applejack, a small smile coming to her face as she caught sight a small family, an orange unicorn stallion with a goatee, a green crystal mare and a yellow colt, winding down from some game or other together.

The sight made her think back to the discussion about finding somepony she'd had with Fluttershy on the train. She had two stallions in her life that could easily be that stallion, if she could work up the nerve to put some thought to it and decide which path they put toward her was the one she wanted to take. Such a matter would have to wait until she got back to Ponyville however.

Putting the thought aside for now, she looked round again and continued on her way. While there was enough going on nearby to keep her focus, the walk itself was uneventful and before long she had found Citrine's house, itself a crystal building like any other. She trotted up to the door and knocked, waiting for a response. After a minute she was tapping a hoof as she kept waiting. Another minute and she realised she may have to look elsewhere right now.

"May I help you?"

Applejack spun round to find herself face to face with none other than Citrine, a quiver of arrows on his back and a bow resting around his neck. He could well have been in the park and she'd missed him completely.

'Well, that's convenient.' She thought to herself before nodding. "Yes sir, Citrine. I've been looking for ya."

"I see. I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage." Citrine replied. Now that he was speaking without having Flurry Heart to react to, he sounded pleasant enough, just a pony like any other.

"I'm Applejack, an' I just wanted to talk to you about a few things."

"Oh...Oh!" Citrine's eyes widened slightly as he realised who he was talking to and he perked up slightly. "I-I'm sorry I didn't recognise you earlier. You want to talk to me? Then come in."

Applejack stepped aside to let Citrine unlock the door and open it for her. The crystal pony entered first and waited for her to follow as he took off his bow and quiver. The thin and furnished interior of the house was a bit of a tight fit for a bulky pony like Applejack but she managed to make her way down the hallway without knocking into anything and follow Citrine into a kitchen area at the end of the hall.

"You know, ah didn't expect such hospitality from an Onyx Dawn pony." Applejack said, deciding to get straight to the point. Citrine froze for a second and seemed to go pale before composing himself.

"I may support an independent Crystal Empire, but anypony who disregards all that you and your friends have done for us over that is a fool." He replied, fetching some cups out of a cupboard as well as a bottle of some kind of juice from the fridge.

"Well thank you, I think."

"I'm sorry, you probably didn't come all the way out here to discuss politics," Citrine poured out the drinks and offered a cup to her. "Crystal berry, helps keep you sharp."

Applejack nodded in thanks and took the cup, taking a curious sip, it was tangy and reminiscent of cherry, but not unpleasantly so.

"Hmmm, no apple cider but not bad. Ah'm guessing this relates to the archery?"

"Yes, it's a hobby of mine. Well, more than that now," Citrine replied proudly. "I represented the empire for ice archery in last year's equestria games in Manehatten. Went out in the semi-finals but not bad for my first time."

"Mighty impressive," AJ replied after taking another sip. "But, to be honest, politics was part of the reason ah came here."

"Oh..." Citrine sighed out the side of his mouth and leaned against a counter, looking uneasy again.

"It's mostly to do with your friend though. Flurry Heart told us about how you two went and stopped being friends over it, but I think she might have been...Making some of it up."

"What makes you think that?" Citrine asked before pausing as he remembered who he was talking to, coupled with a raised eyebrow from Applejack. "Right, you'd know. Silly question. So what did she say that made you suspicious?"

"Well firstly it was after we first saw you that she said she wished she'd never met you," Applejack commented, watching to see how he was going to react. "Then when she was telling us about how you tried to convince her, she said you wanted to go for her and that you thought only ponies that mattered supported Onyx Dawn."

"Did she now?" Citrine downed the rest of his drink and gave a hiss of discontent. "Sorry, bit strong. So what makes you question what she said?"

"Her hoof was a-twitching when she said those things. An' I think ah know a thing or two about when a pony's trying to pass a telltale lie sign for somethin' else, like anger fer instance. So I just hoped to hear your side of the tale, about what happened when you went to her two days ago."

"Alright," Citrine put his glass down and straightened up. "I'll admit there's some truth in there. I originally learned about Onyx Dawn from one of Crystal City's buckball players and a lot of ponies tend to listen to stars like that. However, that's about as far as the similarities go from what you've said."

"Alright, so you tell me how things went for you." Applejack finished her drink and shook her head when Citrine went to offer a refill.

"So I did go to see Flurry Heart a few days ago, since we'd planned to go out for drinks once she was done for the day," Citrine explained, stroking a hoof along the edge of the counter. "She asked me how I'd been since it had been some time since we'd been able to meet up. I told her about how I'd been thinking about Onyx Dawn, since I had come to the conclusion they had a point. Don't get me wrong, I don't condone the ideal that the Crystal Empire should shun the world for its own gains, I just think that us crystal ponies can do more to benefit everypony if we had a little space to forge our own path instead of being a protectorate of Equestria."

"Look, you don't have to worry about me judging you or nothing," Applejack replied, looking unbothered, "They're your beliefs and they're just fine as long as you're not hurting nopony."

"Okay. Phew...Anyway, I just wanted to explain to Flurry Heart why I'd come to this point and what she thought of them. Thought it would make a nice topic of debate during our drinks. Flurry Heart's normally a very rational pony so it seemed like the kind of thing she could discuss without it going overboard. I may have been gushing a bit though, looking back on it I probably sounded like I was on a recruitment drive."

"And you were doing this to a pony who works right next to Cadance and Shining Armor, in the heart of the castle, who's whole job involves complete dedication to the queen?"

"Well when you put it like that it does sound kind of stupid," Citrine grinned sheepishly and rubbed his neck with a hoof. "I wasn't thinking like that at the time though. I was happy and motivated and thought I had an idea for a fun evening. Right up until I stopped talking and saw the glare she was giving me. That girl could make a windigo back off."

"Uh-huh, so what happened then?"

"She starts snapping at me and I-I've never seen her so angry. Flurry's normally so calm and refined due to her job, seeing her hoof pointing and calling me a conniving coward, a brainwashed colt of Sombra and even a traitor to the empire was unreal. At the time I didn't know how to respond and she just kept getting angrier, until she's screaming in my face about how she can't believe she could have ever been friends with a pony like me before storming off. I hoped she might calm down after a few days and we could try to talk it out but, well you've seen how she sees me at the moment."

Applejack nodded, taking in his story. In truth, she still didn't know enough to make an informed decision on who was closer to the truth. Citrine definitely seemed to be more genuine in his explanation though, no telltale signs of making anything up. She knew as well that even the most level headed ponies could get pretty heated over politics. Last years mayoral election in Ponyville had seen some tense moments flare up between Caramel supporters and Diamond Tiara supporters. She put the thought aside and focused on what she could do for now. Citrine just needed a chance to explain himself.

"Alright then. Citrine, do you have some spare time?"

"Yes, but why?"

"This whole mess came about from a simple misunderstandin', an' I'm pretty sure the map called us here to help sort it out. We just need to talk to Flurry and sort all this out, and I'll be there t'make sure it goes smoothly. Come on, I know where she is."

"...What map?" Citrine said to himself in confusion as he put his glass down and followed Applejack out of the house.

"I ah, hope you don't take this the wrong way but, motherhood suits you well." Flurry Heart said, hoping to break the tension somewhat.

"Thank you. It's, very pleasant." Fluttershy replied, sounding completely out of it. Nopony could blame her though, being immersed in a crystal mud bath, leaving her completely weightless, must have been pure bliss in her condition.

Things had remained somewhat awkward between the two of them after Applejack had left. Fluttershy hadn't spoken to Flurry again up to this point and the unicorn was trying her best to make up for her outburst. She was only just starting to get somewhere though, not that she blamed Fluttershy for not being happy with her. For now, she'd had to settle for covering any spa treatments Fluttershy had chosen and thinking about how she was going to properly apologise to her when the opportunity presented itself.

The chime of the spa's main entrance opening drew her attention and she perked up at the sight of Applejack entering. She looked pretty perky and the smile on her face only grew as she saw how relaxed Fluttershy was. Any goodwill Flurry was feeling on seeing the mare's return died on the spot the second she spotted who was accompanying her.

"Applejack...?" Flurry asked as she stood up, her tone cold, bordering on dangerous. Applejack simply looked back at her, remaining stoic.

"Yes, ah'm here with Citrine." Applejack replied.

"Who's side are you on?!" Flurry spat, closing the gap between them quickly. Applejack simply stood her ground and watched, refusing to rise to the challenge.

"Noponys. That's mah duty here."

"Yet you come here with him, did you let him brainwash you too?"

Applejack glared at Flurry Heart and opened her mouth to reply, only to halted as a pink glow flared from Flurry's horn and formed around her muzzle, jamming it in place before she could get a word out.

"You'd try and bring one of our guardians over to your traitors' cult? What's wrong with you?!" Flurry continued as she turned on Citrine. Though he looked rattled, he stood his ground as well while Applejack glanced over Flurry Heart's shoulder.

"Applejack simply wanted to hear my side of the story, I told her and-"

"And what? Tried to turn her against her home? You really expect me to believe you'd try anything less?!" Flurry yelled, making Citrine pull his head away and wince. By now she seemed to have forgotten that they were in a public place, though at present only the spa staff were present to hear her ranting.

"Flurry, please. If you'll just let Applejack go and let us explain..."

"Why? So she can spew lies to make you look good? Try it, go on, because I'd say that that's-"

"ENOUGH!"

Flurry jumped at the shout behind her and spun round to find herself muzzle to muzzle with Fluttershy. She was still dripping mud from her treatment and breathing heavily, her eyes burning with an intensity that overpowered everything that saw them. Despite her own rage, Flurry found herself cowering under that look of pure fury.

"Jumping to conclusions because of a belief is something," Fluttershy growled, everypony taking a step back from her even if she didn't raise her voice again. "But don't you DARE assume we should always take your side, or refuse to hear out your friend, or ever suggest that Applejack would lie to help a friend! You should be ashamed of yourself, a grown mare shutting out the views of others like a stubborn filly! I think you owe all these ponies an apology, don't you?"

Flurry let her magic fade and looked round at Fluttershy, Applejack and Citrine. Her face contorted into several expressions as she stammered and spluttered, trying to figure out how she was supposed to react. Citrine kept his ears folded back and eyes clenched shut, fearing an escalation of the shouting. Applejack just wiggled her lower jaw a little to check it was alright before looking over at Fluttershy in concern.

"I...I can't believe this..." Flurry eventually managed to state before turning and walked out of the building. The entire area remained silent in the aftermath, broken only by Fluttershy's heavy breathing.

"I...I'm sorry...Hormones..." She eventually said before sitting back on her haunches, sounding more like her old self but shaking incessantly. Whether that was adrenaline, stress or something worse, nopony could be sure.

"Oh Fluttershy, I-I'm so sorry I put you through that," Applejack quickly moved over to her to check she was alright. Though she seemed to be physically fine aside from some tiredness and the shaking, the other possible effects of such stress and anger didn't bear thinking about. "Citrine are you okay too?"

"Yes..." Citrine replied quietly, voice cracking slightly.

Applejack sighed to herself as she realised that she'd underestimated just how strongly Flurry had held her views. Or how much harder she'd just made things with that error of judgement.

Common Ground

"Look, I-I'm sorry that this happened." Citrine stammered as he paced around, shifting in and out of the shadow of the castle above him.

"It ain't your fault, Citrine." Applejack replied, sounding distracted. That was fair enough though, considering she had a sobbing wreck of a pegasus burying her muzzle into her chest that she was trying to comfort.

After Flurry Heart's outburst, the three of them had returned to the castle to try and deal with what had just happened. Or tried to. Fluttershy was extremely rattled after her outburst and had barely made it to the base of the castle before the weight of everything had come crashing down on her. Applejack and Citrine weren't able to do much more than comfort her until it passed, yet she had been going for fifteen minutes now and was only just starting to wind down.

"But this is all my fault, I chose to believe in something and it hurt my friend so badly. Not to mention you, Fluttershy." Citrine started, scuffing his hoof along the ground sadly.

"You're not the only one at fault here. I ain't got a clue why Flurry Heart's reactin' this badly, but I know ah underestimated her response, so part of it's my fault too."

"And mine..." Fluttershy added quietly, bringing her head up to Applejack's shoulder and blinking away some of her tears. "I shouldn't have tried to shout her down."

"It was the right thing at the time, sugarcube. No telling how bad it would have gotten without your stepping in." Applejack reassured her, stroking between Fluttershy's wings gently. She knew the effect this move had from experience and within a few moments the pegasus was pressing up against her, feeling the tension bleeding away as she gave a last few quiet sobs.

"I, I know you're right. It's just so difficult to keep everything in check like this," She admitted, wiping her eyes and looking over at Citrine. "And it's hard not to feel responsible."

"But nopony can square the blame all by themselves," He finished, still sounding disheartened but gaining confidence from listening to them. "I guess we'll just have to keep moving and try to fix the situation as it is."

"Exactly!" Applejack replied, smiling down at Fluttershy. "An' we have an idea on where to go from here."

"We do?"

"Sure do. I didn't get the chance to tell ya before things spiralled out of control, but I think Flurry Heart's lying a bit about her dislike fer Citrine. If we can get her to be honest with herself..."

"And if we can help remain civil to him long enough to let him explain..." Fluttershy continued, standing on her own hooves again.

"Then I can have my friend back?" Citrine concluded, perking right up. The other two looked over at him and nodded. "I mean, if she still wants to be friends afterward."

"I hope she will," Fluttershy told him, looking round. "But, maybe we could come up with a way to do so inside?"

Her words made the other two realise that the cold was beginning to gnaw at them again. Even though right next to the magic of the crystal heart that kept the frozen north at bay, it was still the middle of winter and the day was beginning to come to a close. Applejack motioned for Citrine to follow them and helped Fluttershy back up the steps into the castle. The crystal pony nodded and looked over at the heart itself, staring at its steady rotation. His face seemed to go blank for a second before taking on a look of resolution. Neither of the others caught it though and remained none the wiser as he followed them inside.

Once back in their guest quarters and able to relax again, Applejack and Citrine went through their previous discussion with Fluttershy. The fact that not all Onyx Dawn members were as harsh as Flurry Heart had implied was a welcome relief and there was little doubt to his version of events after the altercation in the spa. The main issue now was keeping Flurry calm enough to allow him to talk for more than a few seconds.

"So, um, something I just wanted to be sure of," Fluttershy said as she nursed a cup of tea that had been brought up for her. "Citrine. You don't get anything extra from this, do you? Because, it sounds like Onyx Dawn would like to be close to a pony like Furry Heart."

"I promise that they don't even know about anything beyond me visiting the court today and that was just to confirm their next meeting with Cadance," Citrine replied, his worries becoming evident again. "Right now I just want my friend back."

"I know the feeling," Applejack commented, sharing a meaningful look with Fluttershy. "An' I think that Flurry Heart does too. We just have to get her to say so."

"But how? She wont even give you a chance to speak up for me. I know you two are good at what you do but, if she's set on refusing to see reason..."

"Then we need somepony else to decide we can speak up." Fluttershy spoke up. Applejack stared at her for a moment before the realisation clicked.

"Cadance and Shining Armor!"

"You saw how Flurry acts in her presence. I'm willing to bet that she wouldn't risk losing her temper like that in front of the queen. That could be the chance we need."

"Are you sure that the queen would be willing to see me around?" Citrine asked. "Onyx Dawn members arn't exactly popular in the royal court. You didn't see my meeting earlier and it was largely insignificant, but both Cadance and Shining Armor weren't exactly pleased I was there."

"If you're with us, you'll be alright." Applejack told him reassuringly.

"But you won't exactly be meeting with them. You'll be meeting with Flurry Heart. They'll just be keeping the peace so you two can work things out." Fluttershy added.

"Okay..." Citrine closed his eyes and sighed deeply, steeling himself. As he opened them again, the others could see that his eyes had taken on the glint of a full crystal pony. "Let's do this. Once you've finished your tea."

"Oh, are you sure? We're not sure how much longer the court will be present today." Fluttershy asked, looking down at the cup resting in her front hooves.

"I don't know if I can do this without your help. But I can't ask you for it in good conscience without letting you have a rest first." Citrine replied, sitting down as if to emphasise his point.

"You're a good pony, Citrine," Applejack told him, nodding slightly. "Shame it's not a pony like you running Onyx Dawn, the kind who really could help the empire to it's peak without messing things up for everypony."

"Thanks..." Citrine looked aside thoughtfully as he simply waited for now, bottling up his nerves and silently reminding himself why he was doing this. He had a chance to fix all his mistakes of the past few days and maybe lay the groundwork for something much bigger, if he was lucky.

The empty hallways echoed with three sets of hoofsteps coming down as one. The unity of movement between Fluttershy, Applejack and Citrine had been unintentional but the stallion seemed to be boosted by it. It was early evening before they had been ready to go, partly due to Fluttershy's need to rest and partly due to Citrine's nerves, but with Celestia starting to lower the sun it had to be now. None of them said a word as they made their way back toward the throne room, they all knew they were mutually supporting each other for this. As the approached the doors though, one of the guards, a ruby red crystal stallion, blocked their entry.

"Sorry, but access to the throne room is currently prohibited." The guard told them as they approached. Citrine flicked his ear slightly as he heard that before Fluttershy patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"He's with us." Applejack told the guard, hoping that would ease the issue of letting an onyx dawn member back into the throne room.

"Your associate isn't the issue. King Armor has restricted access to everypony at present. It's a temporary issue, it'll only take a minute before you can go through." The guard explained. Even as he said it, Fluttershy's ears flicked as she picked up the faint sound of magic at work beyond the closed doors. None of them knew exactly what it was for though and by the time she had processed the sound it began to die down again.

A full forty seconds of silence passed before the guard nodded and stepped aside, opening the doors to the throne room. Applejack, Fluttershy and Citrine stepped through quickly, noting that everything seemed to be the same as when they had been here earlier. Cadance and Shining Armor were both on their thrones, though Shining looked even worse than he had before and seemed to be trying to rub away a headache. Applejack paused for a brief moment at the sight before sticking with the others as they approached.

"I know they're getting worse but you were talking like-" Cadance was saying to her husband quietly, though she stopped when she saw the group approaching, flashing him a 'We'll talk about this privately' look before straightening up.

"Applejack, Fluttershy. It's good to see you again," Shining said as they reached the thrones, his voice carrying the slightest hint of tension. "Citrine, I didn't expect to see you again so soon."

"Me neither, your highness." Citrine replied, bowing his head. Shining looked surprised at the motion before nodding.

"Well the thing is, we're pretty darn sure that Citrine is the one havin' the friendship problem we're here to solve." Applejack explained.

"Also, um, it might involve Flurry Heart too." Fluttershy continued. Cadance tilted her head slightly and her eyes narrowed but she held her tongue.

"An' we were hoping you could help us out a little," Applejack said once Cadance had relaxed again. "Has Flurry happened to come back to the castle? We kinda lost track of her earlier."

"Huh. That's not like her..." Cadance commented, tapping her chin. "But one of the guards did mention that she had returned to the castle about an hour ago."

"Oh, good," Fluttershy took a breath and rubbed her leg slowly. "We were hoping, if it's alright with you, if you could bring her here. I don't think we can solve this any other way...If it's no trouble with you."

"Of course it isn't trouble. We're always happy to help friends like you," Shining Armor replied with a smile before turning to another aide, a blue crystal stallion. "Lazuli, could you find Flurry Heart and let her know her presence is required please?"

As the stallion bowed and left, Applejack frowned slightly to herself. She couldn't explain why, but the more she was around Shining, the more his presence felt really, oddly familiar. As if she'd seen him only yesterday despite not seeing the king himself for months. She didn't have time to put much thought on it though. It was time to do what the elements of harmony did best; help bring some friendship back to Equestria.

Reunified Crystals

"I need to ask something of you both." Citrine said as he fidgeted slightly, trying to wile away some more time before Flurry Heart arrived.

"Whatever you need." Fluttershy told him softly, Applejack nodding in affirmation.

"This may sound a little strange but, I want to try and talk to her by myself. I mean, you two are more than welcome to step in if I'm doing so badly that she starts on me again, but I started this problem with a simple mistake. I feel like I should be the one to right it."

"That's mighty respectful of ya," Applejack commented, smiling at him. "And you know that everypony here's got your back all the way to the end."

"I hope so..." He replied quietly, closing his eyes and sighing slowly.

"Citrine?" Cadance said from her throne, drawing everypony's attention. Though her expression was unreadable, it was a step up from how she had looked before. "Good luck."

"Thank you, your highness." He replied, bowing his head to her. Applejack couldn't help but smile more at that exchange. Despite them effectively being on opposite sides, there had been no dishonesty or sarcasm from either.

Any further chance to prepare passed as the doors opened behind them. Applejack, Fluttershy and Citrine turned to watch as Flurry Heart stepped into the throne room. On seeing the trio, she stopped and opened her mouth, clearly gearing up for a fresh surge of anger. One that died in her throat as Shining Armor motioned for her to enter properly. Applejack glowered at her slightly but remained calm, while Fluttershy looked to Citrine and nodded reassuringly, trusting he could do what he needed to when the time came.

"You wished to see me, your highnesses?" Flurry said as she stepped past them and bowed to the king and queen.

"Not us directly, but Citrine wished to discuss recent developments and asked for us to mediate his meeting with you to ensure both sides are heard fairly." Shining explained to her, watching her reactions as she turned back toward the crystal pony.

Flurry's mouth opened and closed wordlessly and she looked back and forth between her rulers and her 'opponents', eyes darting from pony to pony as she realised she was stuck. Aside from the fact that she would be effectively refusing a direct order from her rulers if she didn't give him the chance to speak, losing her temper like she had before would be even worse. Her eye twitched involuntarily and for a few moments everypony present wondered if she would be able to keep it controlled at all. Eventually though, she gritted her teeth and looked straight at Citrine.

"Alright, I see how it is. Say what you have to." She told him with a sigh.

"Flurry Heart..." Citrine took a step toward her, looking up from where he'd been focused on and meeting her gaze. He didn't look angered or saddened anymore. He looked weary. "I should say the most important thing first of all...I'm sorry."

"You're sorry." Flurry replied, loosening her jaw slightly. Her expression remained cold though.

"I'm sorry I was so thoughtless about talking about Onyx Dawn to you. I let my excitement get the better of my judgement and didn't even think about how you might think about them. I don't blame you for being angry with me, I hurt you badly by jumping into that topic like I did."

Citrine paused and rubbed his leg, taking the moment to check Flurry's reaction. She was looking back at Cadance and Shining, who were both watching the developments with quiet curiosity. She looked back toward him, shaking a look of confusion from her face.

"I made myself look worse too," Citrine continued, his voice gaining strength. "I sounded like I believed in them as strongly as the pony himself. I simply think that the crystal empire would benefit from a little more freedom, a chance to show what we can really do. But we need to cooperate with everyone to do that. The ponies, the yaks, the griffons, even those more distant like the zebras and minotaurs. I may believe in independence, but I will never believe in Onyx Dawn."

Applejack nodded slightly, while Fluttershy simply watched on with cautious optimism. So far, so good.

"But, there's something I need to know too..." Citrine stopped and took a breath before looking Flurry square in the eye, all his drained attitude burning away as he steeled himself for this moment. "You have every right to be angry at what I said, but the fury you showed toward me and Applejack today was far stronger than you showed before. Do...Do you hate me that much?"

Flurry recoiled slightly at the question, looking back at the thrones again. Though her eyes betrayed no clear expression, the small whimper she made as she looked down at her hoof gave a hint to her thoughts. She silently mouthed something and watched as her hoof shook slightly. Applejack raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment, keeping her word to Citrine. Flurry bit her lip slightly and sighed.

"Because I had to..." She said quietly, wincing as her hoof shook more, caught between two great issues that she didn't seem to understand how to escape from.

"Flurry?"

"Because I thought I had to!" She half-shouted, the words echoing around the throne room. Citrine stared at her, jaw dropped at her words. Flurry didn't notice as she kept staring at her hoof, realising it wasn't shaking anymore. "I...No. No I don't hate you."

Still no shaking.

"Okay." Citrine sounded relieved as he took a step closer.

"But with where I am and who you were with, I thought we had no choice but to be enemies. I thought that anypony who stood alongside Onyx Dawn was a pony that sought to fight against everything I stood for. But we were friends, Citrine, even if I thought we weren't allowed to be. I thought that if I held nothing back then you wouldn't think we were friends anymore and that would be that and then..."

Flurry Heart stopped as her voice started to crack and she scrunched her eyes shut, unable to bring herself to keep talking. Applejack and Fluttershy looked at each other in surprise. The idea that a pony would think that they had to sabotage their friendships was almost inconceivable. Citrine slowly stepped forward again and placed a hoof on her shoulder, waiting as Flurry opened her eyes slowly and looked back at him. Now it was her turn to look exhausted, as though revealing the truth had take all her willpower to achieve.

"Citrine...I know it sounds impossible but, can we still be friends? After all this? All I did to you?" She asked quietly, tensing as he placed a hoof on her shoulder.

"You need to ask yourself that question..." He told her softly before pulling her into a hug. "Because despite everything, you never stopped being my friend."

Flurry gave a small sob and hugged him in return, unable to hold back the tears anymore. Whether they were tears of sadness or joy, nopony could tell. At the same time, Citrine flashed slightly and his body shifted into the full translucent form of a crystal pony. Neither of them seemed to notice that either. All that mattered right now was that the two of them had overcome the worst of their situation with their friendship intact. Applejack and Fluttershy looked at each other and gave a small nod, satisfied that all it would take now was a little time. Shining Armor got up from his throne and approached them, looking surprised at the turn of events.

"Impressive, both from him and you," He told them, AJ tipping her hat slightly in response. "So where do we go from here?"

"Now we just give them a little space to work everything out." Fluttershy replied, allowing herself to sit down and truly relax at last.

Flurry Heart and Citrine continued talking for hours. Applejack and Fluttershy eventually left them to it and joined Cadance and Shining Armor for dinner, satisfied that the situation wasn't going to deteriorate again without them watching over it. Night had fallen over the city by the time they were finished and the two ponies were still talking, though by this point they had simply moved to the hallway outside as the royal court had been closed for the day. As they couldn't think about heading back to Ponyville until they were certain their duty was done, AJ had elected that they remain in the castle for one more night and let her friend get some much needed R&R.

"You think that they're still alright?" Applejack said as she paced round the room, keeping her hoofsteps quiet so as not to disturb Fluttershy too much.

"I'm sure. I think if they were fighting again, we would have heard it by now." Fluttershy replied, sounding like the weight of the world was off her shoulders now that she was settled on the pillows she had laid out beneath her spot on the bed. Considering all she had been through and the extra effort she had needed to give, the chance to truly relax and give both herself and her foal some calm was all the reward she wanted.

"Maybe. Although maybe ah was just hopin' that Citrine might knock Flurry down a few more pegs."

"You really dislike her that much?" Fluttershy asked as she looked back over her shoulder, watching her friend stop and look back at her.

"After how she treated us earlier, ah can't say that I'd ever invite her to the farm." Applejack flicked her ears slightly and paused as somepony knocked at the door. She quickly walked over to the door and opened up to see Citrine and Flurry Heart standing there. Despite the concerns of how things might have gone, both of them looked relaxed and content.

"Hey. Sorry if we disturbed you." Citrine said in greeting.

"Not at all, what's up?" Applejack replied, doing her best to appear cordial to Flurry.

"Well, we just wanted to thank you. Thank you both," Flurry said, looking past Applejack slightly and over to Fluttershy, who was watching quietly from her position. "For bringing our friendship back together when we had thought it was gone forever."

"It's more than that," Citrine added. "You helped us see that our beliefs are no reason for us to stop being friends. I've spoken to Cadance about this as well and we think that there's a chance to ease the tension between the royal supporters and onyx dawn, help everypony regain that sense of peace that recent events have taken from us."

"Well that's mighty good to hear. I honestly hope you both manage to do some good." AJ smiled more genuinely at those words, a smile that Flurry Heart returned in kind to her.

"Despite the...Rough start we had, I know that this wouldn't have been possible without your help. Applejack, Fluttershy, thank you both from the bottom of my heart."

"Oh, you're welcome. We're just happy we could help, right Applejack?" Fluttershy replied. The way she said it simply sounded satisfied at a job well done to the two ponies at the door but Applejack caught the subtle hint in it and bit back the comment she had been about to make.

"Of course. Just keep doin' what you're doin' and everything'll work out right."

As Citrine and Flurry nodded and made their way to leave, still voicing their thanks, Applejack tensed slightly at a gentle thrumming sensation that had started up in her flanks. She didn't need to look to see what it was though, experience and Fluttershy's gentle gasp told her all she needed to know. The map was satisfied that the situation was settled and their work was done. Applejack felt a small rush of elation and was on the verge of letting out a whoop of joy at the success when she remembered the mare behind her. The sensation was helping Fluttershy drift into a well earned slumber and the earth pony settled for gently shutting the door.

After a mission like that, both of them had earned a rest.

Author's Note

So, on a scale of Amy Keating Rogers to F.M De Marco, how did I do for writing an episode style piece? I like I think I was at least a Dave Rapp :twilightsheepish:

Seriously though, I know it's not the best but this served as a world-building piece I've wanted to write for some time. I'm happy with how it came out and hopefully you all enjoyed it too. Let me know what you thought and hopefully I'll see you for my next fic, Secrets of the Heart!