Author's Note
Hi everyone and welcome back!
I hope you have a lot of fun with this story, I know I had while writing!
Again a few remarks before you start:
I'm not a native English speaker so I apologize if there are some mistakes or grammar issues. When you find some, please let me know and I'll get it fixed as soon as I can.
That is also the reason I've decided to not emulate the Apple family's Southern drawl but instead stick to normal English. Again, any advice or help with that would be highly appreciated!
I'd love to hear some of your opinions on this story and I'm happy for any suggestions and ideas.
Enjoy reading!
Memories and Magic
Memories and Magic
The pale autumn sun shone down on the farm near Ponyville know as Sweet Apple Acres. Winter was coming closer with each day that passed and most of the Apple family's orchards were already empty. Most of the trees had lost their foliage during last week's Running of the Leaves and the cellars and barns were full to the brim with apples of all kinds.
Three ponies were tending to the last few trees who still held some fruit, two earth ponies who bucked the trees with powerful kicks of their backhooves and a crystal pony who picked up the fruit and put it in baskets and buckets.
Applejack took of her trademark hat to wipe some sweat from her brow, then she turned around to watch the other two. Big Mac had just finished with the last tree in this section of the orchard and now went to pick up the baskets into a large cart. Their eyes met and the two siblings nodded in contend. Only the last trees in the western orchard remained, finally ripe for bucking. Once that was done, they could finally prepare the farm for winter and start selling all kinds of fresh apple goods.
The orange earth pony turned around when she heard a soft musical humming behind her and looked at their permanent house guest from the Crystal Empire.
Crystal Note had arrived during Applebuck Season and proved to be a great help, as well as good friend to have around. Apple Bloom already considered her part of the family even, calling her 'big sister' on occasion. While none of the family seemed opposed to that idea, it's been Crystal Note who'd asked for more time to figure things out for herself.
Applejack smiled when the mare picked up two baskets and carried them to Big Mac while humming a little melody. Her coat shined healthy and the part of yellow mane that wasn't covered by her blue bandana waved in the soft breeze. It's been three weeks since the storm in which the mare had taken a heavy hit on her head but it looked like she was back to the mark again.
A week of bed rest and three healthy meals a day had worked wonders on her, considering how skinny the pony had been when she first arrived. Now she could carry her share easily.
Being around other ponies also helped her becoming less nervous and she smiled almost all the time when Applejack saw her. She'd even become confident enough to take trips into town with Apple Bloom or herself. The ponies in town had been nothing but nice to her, after all it's Ponyville and most of them heard the story about how she had taken the hit from that branch instead of Apple Bloom.
Applejack had introduced her to the others of her friends of course, but they hadn't really bonded that much yet. Crystal Note had somehow avoided a Pinkie Party until now and politely declined Rarity's offerings to make some dresses for her. The place she had avoided the most up to date was the Golden Oak Library and the princess living there. Applejack sighed when she thought of the disappointed look on Twilight Sparkle's face when Crystal Note had wiggled herself out of the latest invitation. Maybe she'd try talking to her guest about that tonight at dinner.
When Crystal Note had been healthy enough to get out of bed, she'd immediately jumped at any work she could find, mostly in the house helping Granny Smith. She also tried to get as much of the farm work done as she could, but considering her condition, Big Mac and Applejack usually found less strenuous things for her to do.
At one night when the family had gathered in the living room in front of the flickering fireplace, the crystal mare had actually surprised the whole family. Granny Smith was sitting in her rocking chair, Applejack and her brother had taken over the couch. Apple Bloom was lying on the soft rug reading some book for school.
Crystal Note had been sitting in a cozy armchair but her expression lacked the usual smile. Of course Applejack had noticed but before she got to ask anything, the crystal mare got up and climbed up the stairs to the bedrooms. Applejack and Big Mac exchanged a concerned glance and when their guest returned with her oversized saddlebags, Apple Bloom jumped to her hooves downright worried
"Are you leaving us?"
The mare shook her head but remained silent, as usual. She sat down on the floor near the fireplace and opened the largest of her bags, revealing an old violin. Before any of the Apples could ask anything, Crystal Note picked up the instrument with practiced ease and had the violin bow travel gently over the strings and create soft tones.
Big Mac seemed floored and Apple Bloom's eyes widened at the sound. She took a deep breath to probably bombard the pony in a barrage of questions. Applejack prevented this with a quick gesture of her hoof though, her green eyes fixed on the crystal pony. She noticed a shine in Crystal Note's eyes she'd never seen before, a weird mix of surprise, excitement and melancholy. She frowned, not satisfied with the sound and spend a minute tuning the violin. Although her hooves knew what they had to do, the gem shaped eyes showed she didn't seem to believe it herself.
She closed her eyes and began to play again, this time weaving the notes together to a slow and simple melody that filled the room. Her expression relaxed when she played and her smile returned, much to Applejack's relief. Granny Smith had opened her eyes briefly at the sound of music, but then nodded and went back to dozing. Big Mac watched and listened and Applejack saw a smile on her brother's face.
Apple Bloom gingerly stepped closer and sunk back on the rug close to Crystal Note, watching the pony with big eyes, especially when the silver-white mare started to glitter in the shine of the fire. Applejack couldn't help but grin. Whatever it was that made Crystal Note suddenly play music, she obviously enjoyed it.
Applejack snapped back into the present when Crystal Note addressed her with her usual timid voice
"Is there anything else I can help with?"
The orange pony blinked and looked around. All baskets were in the cart and Big Mac would get them back to the farm. The trees were taken care off and all work was done. She smiled to her friend
"Nope, Big Mac and I can take it from here. You really helped a lot."
Chrystal Note sighed and nodded, clearly disappointed. Applejack knew the pony felt like she needed to work far more for being allowed to stay at Sweet Apple Acres and tried her hardest to be useful and not become a burden to the family. But since winter was coming fast, there was simply less to do than during harvest season.
Applejack thought a moment, then sighed
"Actually, there is something you could help me with. You see, I need to pick up Apple Bloom after school and do some grocery shopping in town. You think you could take over for me?"
Crystal Note's eyes shined and she nodded eagerly, her happy smile instantly returning. Applejack couldn't help but giggle. The three ponies made the way back to the farm house and the crystal pony received a shopping list and money from Granny Smith.
Applejack watched her readjust her blue bandana before she left the farm and headed straight into town.
An hour or so later, the yellow filly and the crystal mare made their way through town, both of them heavily loaded with all kinds of groceries. Apple Bloom was talking a mile a minute about school and her friends and cutie marks, of course, but Crystal Note remained silent as usual and only nodded from time to time. She took out the list and checked if they had everything they needed when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.
She looked up and saw Twilight Sparkle and Rarity walking over to them, the white unicorn with a beaming smile
"Darling, how wonderful to see you out and about! How are you feeling today?"
The crystal pony blushed a little and bowed her head to the alicorn and her friend
"Hello Princess Twilight, Miss Rarity. I'm good, thank you for asking. My head doesn't hurt anymore."
Twilight frowned a little but Rarity only laughed gently
"Oh dear, you don't have to be so formal with us. We're friends after all. And I'm happy you're fine again, Darling. Have you considered visiting my boutique soon? I have some design that would work beautifully with your coat and you just have a figure made for modelling."
Crystal Note's blush grew darker with every word and she stammered
"I, um..., well.., Miss Rarity., it's um.., I'm..."
Apple Bloom giggled and Rarity smiled as she waited for a response. Luckily, Twilight's calm words released the flustered pony
"Rarity, I think a whole modelling session would be a bit overwhelming to start with. May I suggest something else?"
The purple alicorn looked at Crystal Note and the still blushed mare found herself nodding
"Pinkie Pie and Spike are in Canterlot at a baking convention until the day after tomorrow and Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash are visiting Cloudsdale this week. How about us three and Applejack meet for lunch at my home tomorrow? If you all have time, that is."
Crystal Note blushed and looked away shyly but Apple Bloom jumped up and down on the spot and nodded
"Sounds like a great idea! I'll make sure sis makes some time for it and Crystal Note definitely will be there!"
Crystal Note turned her head towards the filly and opened her mouth, but when she saw those big pleading eyes she sighed in defeat and nodded, her eyes lowered to the ground
"I'd be happy to accept your invitation, Princess."
She looked up confused when she felt a hoof softly poking her muzzle and saw the alicorn stare at her with a mocking-angry frown
"I've told you at least a dozen times now to just call me Twilight. And you don't have to come unless you really want to."
Crystal Note saw the honest concern that shined in the purple eyes and then nodded again with a small smile
"I'm sorry Twilight. And I'd love to come by."
Twilight smiled along with Apple Bloom and Rarity, but the latter then gasped and rose a hoof to her mouth
"Oh no, I almost forgot, I have an appointment with a very important costumer tomorrow. I'm afraid I'll not be able to make it to lunch, Twilight. But I could join you for tea later in the afternoon?"
Twilight smiled and nodded
"That's fine. I'm sure we'll find something to talk about to pass the time until you're free."
Crystal Note noticed the indication of a grin on Twilight's face and repressed a sigh, she had a good idea were this was leading to but she didn't want to back out again either.
They agreed to meet at the Golden Oak Library at noon and Apple Bloom turned around to head back to Sweet Apple Acres. Crystal Note was about to follow but Rarity's voice made her stop again
"Oh, Crystal Note, I have a little something for you. I hope you like it."
She blinked when she saw a small piece of fabric levitate out of Rarity's bag towards her. She blushed when she recognized a turquoise bandana, the same shade as her eyes and with musical notes stitched into fabric, matching her cutie mark.
She blushed and mumbled while looking at it
"It's very pretty, Rarity. But I'm afraid I don't have enough bits to afford something like this."
Rarity just laughed and shook her head
"It's a present, of course! I made it for you because I think it'd suit you much better than the dark blue one you're always wearing. I'd be offended if you'd pay me for this."
Crystal Note didn't know what to say and picked up the floating gift with her mouth. Rarity looked her expectantly for a moment but kept smiling even when the crystal mare put the bandana into her saddlebag instead
"Thank you Rarity. I'll try it on as soon as I get home. I... it's very generous to make this just for me. If there's anything I can do for you, please..."
"No more of that, Darling. It's a gift, and I expect nothing of you in return. All my friends get dresses and accessoirs from me, so you'll better get used to it."
The white unicorn smiled and winked
"Now, I have to get back to the boutique and see if Sweetie Belle is doing alright. See you tomorrow, dear!"
Twilight and Crystal Notes said their goodbyes as well and the crystal pony followed silently after Apple Bloom who was waiting for her. The filly kept on talking during the whole walk but Crystal Note couldn't focus on anything she said, her thoughts kept circling around tomorrow.
"You can't come along? But why?"
Applejack sighed and put a hoof on the nervous mare's shoulder
"Listen, Sugarcube. Filthy Rich is the pony who buys most of our apples and Granny wants me around when they bargain prices for next season.
Besides, it's just lunch with Twilight. She's been over a lot ever since you've been here and you two talked already. There's no reason to be queasy."
Crystal Note looked down at her own hooves. The blue bandana lay on the table in front of her, next to the new one from Rarity. She didn't say anything but Applejack knew what she was worried about when she saw the silvery horn poke out from her mane
"Twilight promised to help you with that, don't you remember? But you have to give her a chance to do so, Sugarcube. You can't avoid her forever and you can't hide it from everypony forever either."
Crystal Note sighed deeply and nodded, her eyes closed. Applejack gently squeezed her shoulder
"It'll all be fine. Twilight is the nicest pony you'll ever meet, she'd never do anything that would hurt you."
The crystal unicorn nodded and gave a weak but grateful smile to Applejack, then picked up her violin and headed out towards the orchard.
Applejack pondered for a moment if she should follow, but a small voice next to her distracted her
"I'm sorry, sis."
The orange mare looked down surprise and saw Apple Bloom sitting on the floor next to her, her legs tucked under her small body which made her look tiny right now. Her head hung low, her ears pressed flat against her head and tears gleamed in her eyes. Applejack sat down next to her and gently wrapped a hoof around her. She pulled her little sister close to her, sharing her warmth with the filly on the cold kitchen floor.
Apple Bloom sniffled and buried her face into her sister's flank
"I talked her into this. I thought I was doing the right thing and that it'd be good for her if she'd meet other ponies. I didn't know she was so scared of Twilight."
Applejack held her sister close and gently rubbed her back. After a minute, she spoke softly
"It was the right thing to do. I would have done the same. And she'll know it too when she thinks about it for a while."
The filly sniffling stopped and she looked up at her big sister
"Do you think she'll be mad at me?"
Applejack smiles softly and wrapped both hooves around her sister
"I don't think anyone could ever be mad at you, Apple Bloom."
The yellow filly smiled relieved and buried herself against her sister again, wrapping her hooves around her neck.
The sisters stayed in their embrace for a while until they heard the sounds of music carried to towards the house by the wind. Apple Bloom rubbed her eyes and wiggled out of the hug to get to her room. Applejack looked at the door, then shook her head and started to prepare dinner for the family.
Crystal Note sat on the small hill near the farm and watched the sun slowly wandering towards the horizon. Her violin lay on a stump next to her but she still held the bow in her hoof. Even if she couldn't understand it, playing music made her feel better. It felt right to do so, like it was a part of her. It felt completely different then the thing on her head. She sighed and reached up to touch the horn that felt misplaced on her forehead.
She stayed until the sun set at the western horizon, then turned north. She looked up at the sky but she couldn't see any stars in the twilight. She closed her eyes and sighed again. Princess Twilight. She knew she was a nice pony, a kind princess and always trying to help everypony. She had seen it whenever the princess visited Applejack and she had heard lots of stories to know she could trust her. She wanted to trust her and open up to her. So why did she fear being alone with the alicorn so much then?
Another sigh rose up from inside her. So much she didn't understand.
Words rose up from inside her. Where did those come from? She closes her eyes and started to sing
I've lost all direction
I've lost all my direction
And now I wish,
that I would have believed
Could have believed
Nature's indifferent hand
To the bliss of our creation
We were born and raised
To live beyond
The heft and weight of a world undone
Like a bird from the north
Our hearts will roam in search of warmth
Crystal Note kept her eyes closed and wondered where she heard that song ever before, when suddenly a voice behind her surprised her
"That song's way too sad for a nice day like this."
She opened her eyes again and but didn't have to turn around to recognize the voice
"Sorry Big Mac. It just came over me."
The tall stallion closed the distance and sat down next to her, the stump with her violin between then. He watched the end of sunset in silence, but she knew he was just waiting for the right moment to talk. From what she had seen during the last few weeks, barely anything went unnoticed by the red stallion and a sharp mind worked behind his pale green eyes. He simply chose to not say anything unless it's really important.
He looked at the violin on the stump and nodded
"You're getting real good with this."
Crystal Note smiled and put down the bow next to the violin
"I guess practice helps. Besides, it's fun."
"Eeyup."
The mare giggled softly. It felt strange being the talkative one for a change
"It's nice working on a really hard song and slowly getting better at it. And when you don't give up, at one point the music sounds even better than you would have imagined."
"Eeyup. It's the same with planting trees. If you're patient and dedicated, your apples will turn out great."
Crystal Note laughed softly but nodded at the apple analogy
"I guess that goes for most things in life, right?"
"Eeyup."
Crystal Note's smile faded some when she realized what she just said. After a moment of silence she whispered
"Do you think I should give magic a try?"
"Eeyup."
There was no hesitation in Big Mac answer, so Crystal Note turned around surprised. She found the stallion look at her as well
"Just think of it as learning a new instrument. You could have lots of fun with it."
Crystal Note thought for a moment, the shook her head
"It's different though. I can put my violin away when I don't feel like playing it. But I can't take off my horn and put it into my bag until later."
"The music's not gone just because the violin is in a closet. And your magic is not gone just because your horn is hidden under a headscarf."
Crystal Note blinked surprised. He was right of course. She had seen enough of Twilight or Rarity or any unicorn in town to notice that they didn't use their magic for just everything. They chose how and when to use it, like she chose to play music or not to. But before she could make that decision, she had to learn using the violin.
The crystal unicorn sighed in defeat but with a smile this time
"How do you think I should get this all started"
The red stallion stood up, smiling as well
"Dinner first. Then see what's next."
Crystal Note laughed and picked up her instrument, then followed Big Mac to the farm.
At ten minutes before noon, a very nervous crystal pony stood in front of the Golden Oak Library. She had to admit, she liked the idea of living in an actual tree and she was curious how it might look inside. But at the same time, she couldn't help feeling scared of what would wait behind the door.
She knew Princess Twilight seemed to be nice and honestly interested in helping her, but then again she still was a princess nevertheless. She thought of the stories she heard about King Sombra, how he seemed to be a wise leader in the beginning, how he convinced the crystal ponies back then to make him their King. And how terribly wrong he turned out once he had power. Royalty was still royalty after all.
Crystal Note shook her head to chase away these troubling thoughts. She made sure her new turquoise bandana was in place, then knocked softly. She didn't have to wait too long before the door swung open and Twilight greeted her with a smile
"Hello Crystal Note! I'm happy you could make it. Please, come in. Isn't Applejack with you?"
The silvery-white mare smiled back shyly and gingerly stepped in
"Um, sadly not, something came up with the farm and..."
She trailed off as she took in the interior and was pleasantly surprised. The floors and walls were made off wood in warm shades of brown. She saw some carvings here and there, but mostly the tree's natural texture was kept in place. She looked around and noticed most of the furniture seemed to be made of the same wood. The whole place was decorated nicely with some flowers in vases here and there, a few soft rugs on the floors and plush pillows to sit, but not enough to take away the natural feel of being inside a tree.
Of course she expected some books in a place called library, but she was still overwhelmed by the sheer number, almost every wall served as a shelf as well and was crammed full with books. She could even see books upstairs where she guessed were Twilight's private rooms.
All in all, this place felt very cozy and homey to Crystal Note and she couldn't help but smile as she took in all the details.
Eventually as she looked around, she noticed Twilight watching her with a smirk and she realized where she was and that she was in the presence of a princess, all the nervousness coming back in a flash. Reflexively, she bowed down so her head would touch the wooden floor, as it was tradition in the Crystal Empire when addressing royalty
"Thank you for you invitation, Princess Twilight. And thank you for sacrificing some of your precious time to see me."
The moment the words had left her mouth, she blushed deep red. She'd done it again. She kept her head on the floor but glanced up at the princess only to find an understanding smile
"Old habits die hard, huh?"
Crystal Note blushed and her cheeks were as red as rubies when she finally got back on her hooves again
"I'm sorry, Twilight."
The princess just kept smiling and gave her visitor a reassuring pat on the shoulder
"Don't worry about it. I know how strange it can be. I would always get super nervous whenever Princess Celestia announced she'd be visiting. Actually, I still get nervous about that, even though she keeps reminding me we're supposed to be equals now."
The crystal mare blinked and then nodded, remembering how Applejack told her about Twilight's transformation and coronation a few months ago. It made her feel a little less nervous to know that this was a rather new situation for both of them.
Twilight led her to the kitchen were a table for three had been set up and some sandwiches and tea waited for them. With a faint blush on her cheeks the princess explained
"Usually Spike does all the cooking, so I hope you didn't expect something fancy. Last time I tried, Spike and I had to clean up the kitchen for a whole day."
The crystal mare giggled softly and shook her head
"Sandwiches are great. I like them."
Twilight giggled along and tilted her head
"If you want, we could sit in the library instead. I find it more comfy there and it's only the two of us so we don't really need a dining table."
Crystal Note nodded and smiled, happy to return to the nice wooden room again. She approached the table to help carry all the things, but Twilight effortlessly picked up plates, cups, teapot and the platter with sandwiches with her magic. All the things floated nicely after her as she returned to the large sitting room, two large pillows being picked up along and everything set up next to the fireplace. Another glow of magic and suddenly a nice flickering fire burnt in it, helping to chase away the chill of the fall day.
Crystal Note felt herself tense up at the blatant use of magic and slowly followed after the princess. She sat down on the free pillow and carefully picked up the cup of tea Twilight had poured her. The two ponies silently nibbled on a sandwich each and the crystal pony was surprised to see Twilight use her hooves this time instead of magic.
"I see you're wearing Rarity's gift today."
Crystal Note smiled and blushed a little
"I do. She was right, this one looks better. I really like it."
Twilight giggles and rolled her eyes
"She usually is. Trust me, I learned not to disagree with her when it comes to fashion anymore."
She told her about the time Rarity had prepared dresses for the group of friends and about the chaos that happened when they all tried to get their own ideas in as well. Both mares giggled and Twilight showed her some photos with them all in gala dresses, even Applejack much to her surprise.
When Twilight left to prepare another pot of tea, Crystal Note looked around and found a nearby desk covered in books and scrolls with notes. She tilted her head and asked when her host returned
"Did I interrupt you at some royal business? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
Twilight blinked and noticed the desk as well
"Oh that? Don't worry, that's just some research I'm working on. I promised you after all."
The crystal mare tilted her head the other way and blinked confused
"You promised me?"
Twilight chuckled and nodded as she levitated one of the scrolls to her seat
"I did. I promised I'd find a way to help you find out more about your magic. But I'm afraid I didn't really learn that much yet."
The scroll was unrolled between the two ponies and Crystal Note took a curious glance. She saw some scribbled words that didn't make much sense to her next to some equations and a few schematics. Twilight's voice took a more excited tone and she picked up some pace while explaining what she'd written down
"You said you wanted to let go of your magic, so I focused on that first. I've found out about disruption spells that would leave you without magic, but they don't last too long sadly. There's meds used on unicorns who can't control their magic because of injuries or illness, but those magic dampeners as they're called can't take away all magic. Plus, you'd have to take them for the rest of your life probably, and that's only if your body doesn't develop any form of resistance against them.
The most promising thing I've found so far was a magic inhibitor ring that's been used on unicorn criminals a few decades ago. It's an enchanted ring you put on your horn that prevents you from casting any spell, willingly or not. That kind of punishment is no longer allowed in Equestria of course, but given your special circumstances, I'm sure we could try and get one."
Crystal Note's eyes and ears were open wide as she tried to take in all that information given to her so quickly. Her head swam with all the unfamiliar phrases and words but Twilight didn't notice and kept on
"But then I realized that magic itself was only a part of the problem, since you'd still have your horn. You'd still stand out in the crowd and judging by the effort you take covering your horn all the times, it's not something you like.
Hiding your horn under a hat or a different mane style seemed obvious, but you'd run into problems soon. What happened if it started raining and your mane fell back? What if you wanted to visit the spa and had to take your hat or bandana off?
So I've checked all the spell books I have and there was no way of permanently removing your horn. The next best thing would be disguising it, which is doable with an illusion spell. It'd still be on your head, but others wouldn't see it. The problem with that is, those spell take a constant supply of magic to keep them up. You could use your own magic of course, but those spells aren't really that easy, you'd have to practice a lot to perfect them. I could cast the spell on you as well, but I'd have to recast it maybe once a week. I'd do that of course but if I'd be called to Canterlot for royal business or you'd wanted to visit the Crystal Empire or anything, things might get really complicated."
Crystal Note rubbed her temple with a hoof as her head started spinning. So many things she didn't even think about and so many ways any of them could go wrong or turn her into a burden for other ponies. And judging by the number of scrolls on the desk, these few things Twilight mentioned were only the tip of the iceberg.
All focused on the scroll and processing all those things, she didn't notice Twilight's mood changing until the alicorn spoke up very softly after a couple of minute
"I'm really worried about you, Crystal Note."
She looked up at the princess and her eyes opened wide when she saw all the excitement had vanished and those purple eyes almost glowed with a deep concern.
She didn't know how to react so she stayed silent and once Twilight was sure she had the mare's attention, she continued in that soft voice, carefully choosing her words
"I've checked every book I have, I even had some sent to me from the royal archives in Canterlot. While there is some vague information on crystal ponies, I couldn't find a single word on crystal unicorns. The only ponies I could still ask about this would be Princess Celestia and maybe Princess Cadance. But it seems you're the only one in all of Equestria."
Crystal Note sobbed softly and lowered her gaze back on the floor. She had expected something like this if she was honest, but hearing it straight from the princess made her fully realize what this really meant for the first time. She felt the change going through her body and her sobbing turned into a slow stream of tears that dripped on the pillow beneath her. She felt a hoof on her head and looked up at the purple alicorn standing before her now. The princess didn't say anything but Crystal Note could see the genuine concern in her eyes as well as the signs of tears about to fall.
She leaned forward to burry her head against the purple mare and Twilight gently wrapped her hooves around her and pulled her close. The now grey mare cried silently for a couple of minutes, held by her friend.
When she finally trusted her voice enough to talk again, she pulled away and shyly glanced up at the princess
"I'm sorry..."
Twilight just shook her head and pulled her back into the embrace
"I should be the one apologizing. I didn't mean to make you cry and go all grey. But... this is the main reason I'm worried about you so much. About your well-being and health."
Crystal Note blinked and didn't understand what Twilight meant, so she waited silently for the princess to continue
"From what I've read, crystal pony magic works almost the same as earth pony magic: It's passive and can't really be controlled consciously. But while earth pony magic influences the physical attribute of them, crystal pony magic affects emotions and presumably vice versa."
The crystal more nodded and confirmed in her meek voice
"Sometimes when I feel sad, I get this weird feeling and suddenly I'm really, really sad. I can't help it."
Twilight sighed and nodded
"That's what I thought. Unicorn magic can be affected by strong emotions as well. Sudden magic surges or spells backfiring is usually what happens. While unpleasant, it's not really that dangerous most of the times. Most unicorns get a headache or feel dizzy for a day or two. But since you're naturally so deeply connected to your emotions by being a crystal pony, adding traditional magic could end up having severe side effects on your mind."
Crystal Note flinched in the hug and whispered in a barely audible voice
"What side effects?"
Twilight closed her eyes and gently ran a hoof down her friend's back, trying to calm her down. She couldn't hide the insecurity in her next words though
"It's really hard to say. Anxiety maybe, or nightmares. Insomnia seems possible as well."
"Amnesia?"
Again, the single word was barely even audible from the grey mare. The princess thought about it for a moment, then shrugged with a sigh
"I can't tell. We barely know how the mind works as it is. Even without magic. I'd think it'd be unlikely, but I really can't say. Especially since you're trying so hard to suppress your magic, it could make things worse."
Crystal Note looked up again at the princess, finally her tears had stopped and she felt okay enough to sit up again. The princess, no, her friend stayed close, still worried about her. Twilight noticed the puzzled expression on the pony's face and tried to explain
"You see, magic for unicorns is a lot like breathing. It's something that just happens most of the time. I don't have to think about taking every single breath and I don't need to think about how to pick up things with my magic. I just want to do it and it happens.
Of course I have full control of my magic all the time and I need to focus on it when I'm doing difficult spells or multiple things with magic at once. It's like I can control my breath when running a race so I don't get exhausted or when I'm holding a speech so my words won't get tangled."
The crystal mare nodded and understood. Singing also required a lot of breath control and she could relate to how Twilight had picked up lunch in her magic earlier without even stopping to speak.
Twilight continued
"However, I can also decide not to breathe. Holding my breath is possible for a while at least. But it has effects on my body. I might feel dizzy or drowsy after a while, if I do it too long I risk fainting. Even when I start to breathe again before that, the first breath I take will be very different from normal, because my body tries to get as much air into me as possible. I'd probably start panting and it will take a while for me before I can breathe normally again."
Crystal Note stared absently for a moment as she tried to make sense to all of this. Eventually, her ears dropped and her head hung low again
"So, in essence I have to use magic eventually. Because if I don't it'll throw me out of balance. Just like I can't stop breathing, I can't just not use any magic."
Twilight shook her head again
"No, this is the point were the comparison breaks. You don't have to use your magic. You just shouldn't push it away, doing so would build up a form of pressure inside your mind that, considering all, would affect your emotions."
Crystal Note blinked in confusion and sighed
"I don't understand. What am I supposed to do then?"
Twilight gently put her hoof back on the mare's shoulder and gave her an reassuring squeeze
"My advice would be to try and accept your magic as a part of who you are. You can still decide how much you use it or whether you use it at all. But if you just let it flow inside you, in a lack of a better term, there won't be any pressure you need to be afraid of."
Crystal Note stared through the floor into nothingness for a minute or two. Accepting her magic. Basically, that's what Big Mac had told her last night as well. But that meant accepting her horn as well and accepting to stand between other ponies.
Her thoughts went to the ponies who already knew her secret. The Apple family had given her a warm welcome and accepted her into their home. After they'd found out, nothing really changed. If anything they were even more supportive now and offered help and advice where they could.
Princess Twilight showed a genuine interest in her and it was obvious she cared about her as a friend and a pony. Of course there was some scientific interest behind it as well, but the amount of time and effort the alicorn had put into finding ways to take away her magic proved that she would set Crystal Note's interest before her own. Although today was the longest time they've ever spent together, Crystal Note felt that she could trust Twilight. If she suggested accepting her magic as the best way, then she truly meant the best way for her friend and not simply the easiest way. It was genuine concern of her friend's well-being that made her come to her conclusions.
Crystal Note took a deep breath. She trusted Twilight, but was that enough? She couldn't learn magic on her own, she didn't know the first thing about it. Twilight would help her, of course, but that would lead to more questions. A strange urge inside her compelled her not to take that risk, but everything she'd seen so far told her if any pony should learn her other secrets as well, it'd be Princess Twilight Sparkle.
Trusting her guts she looked up at her friend and whispered, afraid her voice might break if she talked too loud
"Twilight? Could you teach me how to use magic?"
Twilight's worried expression melted away and was replaced by an understanding smile that brightened up her entire face. She gave a supportive nod
"Of course I will help you. Whenever you feel ready."
A huge sigh rose out of the crystal pony and as Twilight's smile appeared, the urge to run away instantly vanished. She gave a small but thankful smile to her friend as she felt relief run down her entire body. When Twilight's smile turned into a happy smirk, she looked down herself and noticed the silvery-white colour of her coat had returned. She blushed a little but her smile stayed and grew wider.
Twilight chuckled softly
"I guess all that has been really stressing you out a lot. I'm glad you're feeling better now, Crystal Note."
The crystal unicorn nodded and blushes some more
"All thanks to you, Twilight."
"Don't mention it! That's what friends do for each other."
Crystal Note smiled and looked out of the window. She was surprised to see that the sun had barely moved since her arrival. She felt exhausted, like they'd talked for hours and days, but apparently it was still early afternoon outside.
She looked back at Twilight and asked
"Do you think we could start right away?"
Twilight nodded and quickly took the remains of lunch back into the kitchen, leaving only the teacups and the scroll from earlier with them. She sat back down on her pillow in front of Crystal Note again and smiled
"Let's start by finding out what you already know, then we'll decide what's next. Just go ahead and show me what spells you know."
The crystal unicorn blushed and stared down at the floor in front of her
"Um... I don't really know anything."
Twilight blinked quickly a couple of times and shook her head
"Of course, that was silly of me. There wouldn't be any magic schools or teachers in the Crystal Empire after all so you can't really know about magic theory. Just do some magic like you normally do."
The turquoise eyes stayed glued to the ground and Crystal Note knew what would come sooner than later
"I've never tried to use any magic. I don't know how I even get this horn to work."
After some more nervous blinking came another question
"So you never tried to use your magic even once? Not even as a filly? Or because you were curious? Never had a magic surge as a foal or anything?"
Crystal Note sighed deeply. That was one of the questions she had feared and of course the only honest answer she could give was
"I don't know..."
The crystal pony saw Twilight's eye twitch and before the princess got more worried, she quickly asked
"Twilight, you know a lot about friendship, right?"
That sudden change of topic combined with the nervousness in her friend's voice was enough to pull the alicorn back into the here and now
"Well, I study the magic of friendship for quite a while now. I don't think I know everything about it but I guess I know more than most ponies. Why do you ask?"
Crystal Note's gaze fell back on the floor and she took a deep breath
"Let's say a friend has a secret she's really embarrassed or even scared of. It's a secret she never told anyone because if they knew they'd probably treat her completely differently, even her friends though she can't be sure. If that friend suddenly decides to share this secret after a really long time without even mentioning it before, wouldn't she have betrayed her friends? And how would her friends react to such a thing?"
Twilight remained silent as she listened attentively to the crystal mare and her unexpected long speech. Even as she'd finished, the alicorn didn't answer right away and just kept watching her friend with a concerned expression.
Crystal Note was just about to stand up and leave, afraid she had somehow insulted the princess with her words, when Twilight replied in a very calm voice
"I don't think that friend would have betrayed her friends. Even in friendship, there are secrets we don't share, even with closest friends. For instance I don't know anything about Applejack's parents, what their names are or why they are not around anymore. Still I consider Applejack one of my best friends and even part of my family, just like the rest of the girls.
If I would learn about such a secret, I'd be willing to help my friend as much as I could. If there's nothing I could do, I would at least listen to my friend and show her my support or offer a shoulder to cry on if necessary. I believe that's what all friends would do for each other."
Twilight kept looking at the crystal unicorn with concern, but she didn't ask the obvious question. She just waited until her friend was ready.
Crystal Note took a few more deep breaths as she gathered her courage though all that she managed was another question in a shaky voice
"Do you remember when I wouldn't answer a question or just shrugged or said 'I don't know.' ?"
Twilight nodded and waited silently.
Crystal Note took one final breath and whispered
"The reason I didn't answer was not that I didn't want to, it was because I couldn't. I just can't remember."
Twilight's eyes opened wide and she stood up to carefully approach her friend
"Crystal Note?"
The mare sobbed once and looked up at her friend with fresh tears in her eyes and a dull shade of grey covering her coat
"I can't remember anything of the time before the Crystal Empire reappeared."
Twilight just stood there for a moment while Crystal Note buried her face into her forehooves. She waited for scolding or angry words, but they never came. Instead she felt Twilight sitting down next to her and gently cover her with her wing. She leaned a little towards the taller alicorn but she didn't dare looking up yet.
"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"
Crystal Note let out something between a sigh and a sob
"I don't know. I was scared and confused and... scared. I thought you would chase me away if you knew, just like I thought you'd get angry at me when you saw my horn."
Twilight gently squeezed with her soft wing and whispered
"I'm sorry. It seems like we didn't show you enough that we care about you and that you can trust us."
Crystal Note quickly shook her head
"No! Applejack and you and the others... you've all been so nice to me. It's not your fault, it's me who's weird."
Twilight gently nudged her head with her own and smiled
"You're not weird, and it's not your fault either. I'm just glad you finally opened up to somepony. You shouldn't deal with this all by yourself. You're not alone anymore."
The crystal mare nodded slowly and gently slipped her head under Twilight's chin while shuffling a little closer to her. After a moment of surprise, she felt her gesture returned, Twilight's head gently holding her own close while the purple wing still covered most of her body. She felt herself relax against Twilight and the alicorn simply held her close in silent affection. A happy sigh rose out of her and she could feel her body tingle softly as her colours changed back to her old sparkly self.
After some time, she mumbled softly
"Thank you Twilight."
Her friend squeezed gently before Crystal Note reluctantly pulled away again. She finally looked up and found Twilight smile sympathetic and supportively.
The two friends sat together a few minutes longer before Twilight broke the silence again
"I would like to ask you something. It's okay if you don't want to answer right now. Do you really remember absolutely nothing?"
Crystal Note thought about that for a moment, the shook her head
"I do remember tiny things but they don't always make sense. I remember being afraid of the Crystal Empire and when I saw it, I just had to run as fast as I could. I don't know why but I knew I had to get away from there. Just like I knew I had to hide my horn from other ponies. I didn't need to know why, I was just scared so I did it."
Twilight nodded thoughtfully and asked
"Did you remember anything new since then?"
"I did. When Sweetie Belle asked me about my cutie mark, I remembered I used to sing. And later I remembered a song to sing to the girls. Sometimes it's just a feeling or a short glimpse of something."
Twilight smiled as she listened and sounded more hopeful now
"So your memories aren't lost, they're just locked away for now. Could you tell me about the last time you remembered something?"
Crystal Note found herself smiling along since it had been a pleasant surprise for her as well
"I was when I remembered I can play violin."
Twilight tilted her head expectantly, so she explained more
"The Apples and I were sitting in the living room one night and it was nice to relax after a day of work. Somehow I thought something was missing though and suddenly I just knew. I went to my room and found my old violin in my saddlebags. I picked it up and I knew exactly how to use it. I started to play and there was a song waiting for me in my head."
Crystal Note kept smiling and explained that she remembered other songs and started practicing on her instrument after work since then and Twilight noticed the silvery-white coat gaining some more sparkles as she did. The alicorn joined the beaming smile, both from the story her friend was telling her as well as from beginning to understand what was happening.
When Crystal Note had finished, Twilight kept true to her promise and started to explain unicorn magic to her friend. For the next two hours, the alicorn would explain in detail how to feel inside for the magic, how to manifest it with her horn and how to form a spell. Twilight used simple words to describe things like a teacher with explain to a filly but much to her own surprise, Crystal Note quickly understood and was able to repeat everything Twilight showed her. She jumped up in surprise when her horn glowed for the first time and sent out some sparks, but soon she could channel the magic just like Twilight to produce a steady glow on her horn and a pleasant hum inside her mind. Soon they started working on the most basic spell: Levitation.
Again Twilight would tell her exactly what to do and how to direct the magic towards an object. After a couple of failed attempts, Crystal Note stared with wide eyes when the scroll from earlier suddenly was surrounded by a turquoise glow and lifted up a few inches from the floor.
Motivated by Twilight's praising words and her own curiosity, she kept trying until she could make the scroll float around over her head and back to the floor. Overeagerly she tried to take hold of her teacup next but the surprisingly heavy cup would only wiggle a little on the floor. She focused harder and finally managed to lift the cup over her head where it wobbled dangerously in the air.
She eeped in surprise when the glow around the cup suddenly vanished and the cup fell down, only to be caught in Twilight's purple glow. The alicorn giggled
"I think that's enough for today. Keep practicing every day and you'll see it get easier each time. Just don't overexert yourself."
Crystal Note blinked as she noticed she was in fact panting softly already and nodded. When Twilight poured her another cup of tea, she resisted the temptation to use magic and picked up the cup with her hooves instead to sip the welcome liquid.
They kept talking for a while longer about magic and Twilight picked up a few books for Crystal Note to read. The crystal unicorn smiled and put them into her saddlebags and couldn't help but wonder how quickly her nervousness about magic had faded. What Twilight had shown her made actually a lot of sense. She felt that she probably would still rely on her hooves but just knowing that the magic was there if needed made her feel more secure in a way.
She was lost in those thoughts when Twilight stood up and went for the door to let Rarity in. The white unicorn gave her friend a wordy greeting and the crystal mare got up from her pillow just in time to receive a hug herself. She gave a shy smile and felt a little nervous when Rarity stared at her with a knowing grin.
"It's still a crime to hold back a wonderful mane like yours Darling, but this colour works just so much better on you."
She giggled relieved and her smile grew wider, touching her new bandana
"It really looks better this way. Thank you again for your gift, Miss Rarity"
The white pony gave an exaggerated sigh and sat down elegantly on the pillow next to her
"We're among friends here, Darling. No need to be so formal, simply Rarity is just fine."
Crystal Note blushed softly which made her friends chuckle and soon she joined in as well. Rarity helped herself to a cup of tea and soon the three ponies were idly chatting about the recent happenings in Ponyville. As usual, the crystal pony was mostly silent and contend with listening and the occasional nod. At some point Rarity asked how the two of them had passed the day and before Twilight could answer, Crystal Note chimed in
"Actually, I'd like to show you."
Twilight and Rarity both gave her a surprised look although for different reasons and Crystal Note decided to follow her instinct. Rarity had shown her much kindness during the last few weeks and even though she didn't like her bandana, the seamstress had gone out of her way to make a new one for her. That and the fact she was both Applejack's and Twilight's friend turned out to be enough for Crystal Note to open herself up for the second time today.
She closed her eyes and focused like she had practiced before. She didn't see Rarity's eyes go wide when the bandana she wore was first surrounded by a turquoise glow, the floated up from her head and down on the floor before her. The crystal unicorn shook her head a little to make her yellow mane cascade down her back and then opened her eyes. As she expected, Rarity's blue eyes were locked on the silvery-white horn on her forehead.
Rarity broke free from the surprising sight and looked between Twilight and Crystal Note. Both friends explained what had happened since the day of the storm and especially today. After a nod from Crystal Note, Twilight also summed up the memory loss.
Rarity listened mostly quietly, only talking when she had a question for the crystal mare or to prevent Twilight from getting lost in scientific details.
When everything had been said, Rarity quietly sipped her tea, still staring at Crystal Note. She couldn't read the white unicorn's expression but after her positive experiences with Applejack and Twilight, she dared to hope.
After about five minutes of silence, Rarity set down her cup and smiled
"Well, that truly explains a lot of things, doesn't it? I guess now I have no choice but to redesign my ensembles for you to include headdresses as well. I hope you don't mind if I go for a lovely hat instead of your bandana?"
Twilight tried hard to not laugh when Crystal Note's eyes grew so large they almost popped out of her head in surprise. She failed though and her laughter turned out to be infectious to Rarity as well.
The crystal unicorn finally found her words again and asked in an unbelieving tone
"You still want to make a dress for me? Even after I kept secrets from you?"
Rarity rolled her eyes in an playful dramatic fashion and waved those words off
"Darling, I told you yesterday, all my friends find themselves recipients of one of my pieces sooner or later. Do you really think a little secret would change that?"
When Crystal Note's expression did not change, the unicorn explained
"I've found a liking in you since that first day at Sweet Apple Acres. I saw you work hard to help Applejack and how nice you've been to my sister and her friends. Even though they've hurt you with their words, you held no grudge against them and forgave them without a moment of hesitation. And you even made up a song for them when they were feeling sad the other day.
That is who you are, Darling. And that's why I'm happy we're friends. That horn on your head doesn't change a thing about who you really are."
Crystal Note found herself lost for words once more. Rarity simply ignored this and entangled Twilight in a discussion about the new line of dresses she planed for the upcoming gala in Canterlot. Crystal Note tried to thank Rarity a couple of times but the white unicorn wouldn't have any of it, so in the end she just settled with a thankful smile and a promise to herself to visit the boutique soon.
By now Twilight and Rarity were reminiscing about their first gala together and soon all three friends were giggling and laughing together again. They kept telling stories until late after moonrise before the finally decided to call it a night. Crystal Note hugged both her friends and then trotted towards Sweet Apple Acres with a visible spring in her step. Both old friends saw as the young mare started to glitter in the moonlight and both watched until she was out of sight before they returned home themselves.
