Letters

by TalkingToMyself

Rating: everyone
Tags: Slice of Life, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Alternate Universe, Original Character, Princess Cadance, Spike, Random, Crystal Ponies, Main 6
Length: 10418

Travelling around means meeting new ponies every day. But it also means leaving new friends and family behind sometimes. Luckily there are ways to keep in touch with everypony. These are some letters of Crystal Note, a travelling musician.

After vanishing from a curse for more than 1000 years, little is known about the Crystal Empire and its inhabitants. Especially the final years of King Sombra's rule remain shrouded by mystery. Even to the crystal ponies themselves as their memories remain effected by the tyrant King's dark magic.

Now the Crystal Empire has returned and King Sombra has been defeated, but the aftermaths of his cruelty still linger within his former subjects.

One crystal pony begins travelling through Equestria to learn about her past and finds friends along the way. Will revealing her past help her understand more of herself and find a place in this new future?

During her travels all over Equestria, Crystal Note runs into all kinds of ponies. Some of those ponies grew into friends, a few even turn into family.
However, each new travel means leaving those friends. Thankfully, there are ways to stay in touch nonetheless.

These are the letters Crystal Note sent and received during her travels, from finding a place where she belongs through her years as a travelling musician and after.

Welcome to this little side story from the Crystal Note AU. These stories are connected to the main story, but not necessary to fully understand the main stories.

Most likely, this is going to be a place for exposition dumps and little ideas that didn't fit well into any of the bigger stories.

There will be infrequent updates to this and probably a lot of jumps in time between the chapters. I'll try to keep things in order if possible.

If you have any feedback, questions, ideas or requests, I'd be happy to hear them!

Published 2018-05-27 07:30:07 UTC
Last updated 2018-12-23 16:13:40 UTC

Dear Bonne Voyage

Author's Note

This letter is written a few weeks after the events from Memory comes at a cost

Dear Bonne Voyage

Dear Bonne Voyage,

Thank you for your last letter, especially the photos you made. Vanhoover Lake at sunset looks amazing! I can't wait to see it myself.

Right now, I'm watching the sunset at Sweet Apple Acres. It's usually a wonderful sight as well, but this late in fall the trees already lost their leaves and the orchard looks sombre and dull. It kind of reminds me of the sunsets we had in the Crystal Empire all those years ago. There weren't any bright colours either and I remember being sad a lot, mostly because I ended up being stuck home most of the time.

Home. It's a strange word for me these days. Remember the morning when we met on the train and you showed me sunrise over the Crystal Empire? I felt like coming home that day. Just a week later, I had the same feeling when I walked to Sweet Apple Acres and Big Mac and Apple Bloom greeted me at the front door with smiles.

Coming home should feel good and special, I think. But for me, it's always bittersweet to come home. When I'm in Ponyville, I'm surrounded by friends and happy ponies, but I can't help but miss the familiar streets I grew up in, the crispy and clean air of the north and that feeling when you get out of the cold, back into the warmth of your home. In the Crystal Empire, I have all that but I can't enjoy any of it, because of the stares.

I don't really fit in either place, but the stares in the Crystal Empire are always filled with fear and make me feel like running away.

It's like I can't stay in any place for long before I feel that itch again that makes me long for any other place. Do you feel that way sometimes? I guess with your job as a train hostess, travelling is so natural to you that you're used to it. I bet you enjoy coming home to Vanhoover a lot more than I do.

Sometimes I envy you for that, you get to see so many places and meet so many ponies, but you still have that certainty of home waiting for you.

But I'm rambling again. Sorry about that.

I've been working of a few new songs, but mostly I'm playing the old ones these days. It's not like I'm not inspired, I just feel more like reminiscing at the moment. Rarity (the designer friend I told you about in the last letter) helped me get another job. She knows the ponies who run the local spa and she proposed to them that I would provide some background tunes while their costumers enjoy their treatments. Basically it means I get to play my music all day long, and they'll even pay me for it! I feel like I'm making the far better deal of this. They asked me to come for the first time the day after tomorrow, if the costumers like it, they might hire me more often.

Between the spa job, the work at Sweet Apple Acres and some odd jobs I can get here and there, I should have the bits for a ticket to Vanhoover soon. I'll definitely keep you in the loop for that.

I can already hear Apple Bloom calling me for dinner, so I better finish this off now.

Please send my best wishes to your brother and sister as well, I hope I can meet them in pony soon!

Eagerly awaiting your next letter,

Your friend Crystal Note

Dear Princess Celestia

To Her Royal Highness, Princess Celestia,

Please allow me to express my deepest gratitude to receive correspondence from Your Highness. To be worthy of receiving Your Highness' personal words points as an unforgettable event in the life of anypony, especially of a lowly subject as myself.

More so, it is truly the blessing of a lifetime to receive invitation to Your Highness palace. The fact that Your Highness would even consider me for a personal audience leaves me with a loss of words suitable enough to even begin expressing my gratitude and happiness of such happening. Truly, Your Highness' benevolence is outshone only by Your Highness sun's radiance.

It is with but endless grief and everlasting shame that I find myself unable to follow your invitation and comply Your Highness wishes to enlighten my unworthy self with her shining brilliance. There is no way for me to ever make up for such failings against Your Highness and even asking for forgiveness is futile compared to the gravity of my sacrilege.

Never again shall I be able to walk in the shine of Your Glorious Sun without being pained to know how miserably I disappointed its ruler, Your Highness Princess Celestia.

While I'm not deemed worthy to ever receive your response, I'm willing to receive any punishment Your Royal Highness plans to send at me and furthermore...

"Okay, I'm gonna stop right here. You want me to send this to Princess Celestia? Seriously?"

Spike tore his eyes away from the parchment and back to the mare who had written it. Crystal Note face darkened with a frown and she whispered in her meek voice

"You're right. It's probably not formal enough for the Princess."

"Not formal enough???"

Spike's voice was loud enough to echo through the room by now and he smacked his calw against his forehead to stop himself from yelling

"Okay, listen. Princess Celestia just invited you for tea on Sunday. I'm pretty sure all she expects as a response is 'Yes' or 'No.' from you."

Crystal Note shook her head and some strands of her mane escaped from her bandana

"Spike, this is Princess Celestia we're talking about, the guardian of the sun and ruler of all of Equestria. I can't just say "No" to her, she's the highest royalty of the entire land. King Sombra punished all ponies who did not show proper respect towards him."
Spike rolled his eyes

"What do you think the princess will do if you're not formal enough? Banish you and then throw you in a dungeon in the place she banishes you to?"

Crystal Note blinked confused and shook her head

"Come on Spike. That's ridiculous."

He let out a sigh of relief but his claw flew to his forehead again when the mare added

"Princess Celestia is practically a Goddess, so she'll most likely smite me down with divine light or something."

Spike stared at the crystal pony and his mouth hung open while his left eye twitched. He needed a minute to snap out of it with a vigorous shake of his head

“Okay, first of all, Princess Celestia is not like King Sombra was, and second she’d never smite down a pony for not having tea with her. She would never smite down anypony, period.”

Crystal Note looked down at the floor, surprised at how the young dragon would defend the princess

“Spike, you don’t get it, it’s…”

“No, you don’t get it!” Spike interrupted her “I’ve been living in the palace most of my life and Princess Celestia practically raised me until Twilight and I were old enough. I know the princess and I’ve seen how she’s in private as well. The worst thing I ever saw was her shouting at somepony and she even apologized for that right after.”

Crystal Note clenched her eyes shut and kept her head hung low when Spike finished. The young dragon, with the parchment still in his left claw, pinched his brow

“Listen, what I’m trying to say is Princess Celestia really is a nice pony. Just tell her you’re busy on Sunday and why you can’t come and she’ll understand. Maybe you can schedule something the week after instead.”

Spike watched how Crystal Note’s ears flopped down until the almost vanished in her yellow curls. He had spent enough years with Twilight Sparkle to notice all the signs that raised his suspicion

“You are busy on Sunday, right?”

“Well…”

For the third time today, his claw met his forehead

“Oh, come on! If you’re not busy, why don’t you just go see Princess Celestia?”

“And then what, Spike?”

The young dragon doubled back as a pair of angry turquoise eyes bore into his

“Do you really think Princess Celestia would invite me just because she needs company for tea? She has a whole city of important ponies she could invite for that.”

“But she invited you because she wants to meet you, Crystal Note. I’m sure she and Luna talked about what happened and now she wants to get to know you. I don’t see what the big deal is.”

Crystal Note sighed deeply

“Spike, you know Princess Luna, right? She’s one of the nicest and kindest ponies I’ve ever met and she helped me so much. But Princess Celestia banished her to the moon for a thousand years anyways. Maybe she didn’t have any other choice, maybe she was just mad at Princess Luna, fact is she did it and she didn’t leave any loose ends to it. She more or less erased her out of pony history.”

Before Spike could say anything in defence of the Princess, Crystal Note glared again and he remained silent.

“Now imagine,” she continued, “what will happen when I meet her. I’m the only crystal unicorn because all the other ones fell during her war with King Sombra. I am the last loose end left of King Sombra’s dark magic –and- the threat against her nation from the past. So Princess Celestia will take the chance to end this once and for all when she gets hold of me.”

Spike had been listening with his arms crossed before his chest, but as Crystal Note started explaining, his arms slowly sunk down until the hung loosely at his sides. His eyes opened wider with each word, as did his mouth. In the end, he stood there staring at the crystal pony, completely surprised and confused

“I don’t believe it. I’ve never thought it was even possible, but you’re even more paranoid about the Princess than Twilight!”

Now Crystal Note stared at the dragon in disbelieve and from the far end of the library, the mentioned alicorn called out annoyed

“Hey! I heard that!”

Spike rolled his eyes and snapped the crystal pony out of her daze

“Look. Let’s say for a moment Princess Celestia really was mad at you for whatever reason. You really think she’d invite you to lure you to Canterlot? She could just have the royal guard arrest you and take you there. Or she could come herself and say she wants to visit Twilight and then go after you when nopony will notice. Heck, if she was that angry, she could just smite you on the spot anywhere as soon as you step into the sunlight next time.”

Crystal Note tried to respond, but other than her lips moving without words, she just went back to staring. She couldn’t find anything to say because, to her own horror, everything Spike said made perfect sense

“You see how ridiculous this is? She sent a letter through me to Twilight and asked her to forward her letter to you. She didn’t ask her to do it secretly even, so lots of ponies saw how Twilight gave you the letter. Even if this was all a big scheme, Princess Celestia would create more open ends that way.”

Crystal Note slumped on her haunches with another deep sigh as her eyes darted back to the floor

“Crystal Note, there is no way Princess Celestia will hurt you. I’m pretty sure she just wants to chat. After all, you and Luna are the only ponies left who can still remember Canterlot from a thousand years ago.”

Crystal Note smiled and a soft giggle bubbled out

“More or less. I still don’t know, Spike.”

“Well, you know what I do when I’m not sure about something?”

Crystal Note kept her head low but her eyes glanced up to the dragon

“Run away from the decision and hope it will somehow just pass eventually?”

Both of the chuckled for a moment before Spike shook his head

“I go ask my friends for advice.”

This time the crystal pony raised her head to meet Spike’s gaze squarely as the young dragon continued

“Because I know my friends will always tell me what they think is best for me, as good as they can at least.”

Crystal Note thought for a moment while looking at Spike, with his big honest smile and an almost childlike innocence in his eyes, despite the sharp wits he just showed. After a minute of hesitation, she spoke up

“Hey Spike? Do you think I should take the invitation?”

“Totally!”

Spike grinned widely and winked

“Though I might be a little biased on that one. Hey Twilight!”

The purple alicorn looked up from her book as Spike called her from the other side of the room

“Yes?”

“You think Crystal Note should go visit Princess Celestia this weekend?”

“Of course! She keeps asking me about Crystal Note in her letters and I know she’d love to meet her. Why are you asking?”

“Just double-checking.”

He winked to Crystal Note again

“See? There’s your answer for that. But if you’re still not convinced, you could ask the others, they all met Princess Celestia as well. Or go ask Lyra, she’s been in Princess Celestia’s school with Twilight, I bet she could tell you a thing or two.”

Crystal Note nodded and sat down to think. By a force of habit, she started to play with the strands of hair that had escaped her bandana. An even older habit made her hum a soft tune under her breath as thoughts raced through her mind.

“Hey Spike? Could I borrow a quill from you?”

Spike grinned and held out the parchment to the crystal pony the same time a quill floated into her field of vision, levitated by a purple glow of magic. Crystal Note turned her head around and smiled back at Princess Twilight who was standing behind her by now.

Crystal Note took the quill in her mouth, her horn writing was still not the best even after weeks of practice. She scribbled down a few words before she rolled up the scroll and hugged Spike. The young dragon just smiled and happily reciprocated before he took the letter from her. Princess Twilight was the next to receive a hug before Crystal Note left the library and stepped out into the bright sunny day.

Twilight and Spike watched her with a smile

“So, you heard everything from over there, huh?”

Twilight Sparkle hummed affirmatively and the young dragon gently poked her side, which caused her to giggle

“You could have helped me, you know.”

“Nah, you had it covered. And you handled it perfectly, Spike. I’m proud of you.”

Now it was Spikes turn to giggle, along with a feint blush as he rubbed the back of his head

“Well, you know. All in a day’s work for a number one assistant.”

Twilight just smiled and wrapped one of her wings around Spike as they watched through the window as Crystal Note walked back into town.

Twilight gently nudged the young dragon with her muzzle

"Don't forget to actually send that letter, Spike."

"Right. On it!"

He took a deep breath and exhaled a small burst of his green flames. The enchanted fire engulfed the scroll and turned it into a cloud of smoke that flew out through the still open door, directly towards Canterlot.

Under the words from Princess Celestia, a few more words were written on the parchment

"Dear Princess Celestia,

Thank you for Your invitation. I'd be happy to come for tea.

See you on Sunday.

Your humble subject,
Crystal Note”

Letter from the past

The door opened slowly and with a long creak. The sound was more than fitting to the situation, a dark night with barely any moonlight, an empty street and in the middle of it, the abandoned mansion. The single building was taller than the ones around it and threw a darker shadow down on the two ponies who had dared to seek entrance. Of course, the door would open with a creak, like in any good ghost story.

The two crystal ponies looked at each for a moment, as if to make sure the other won't back out on a dare or a death pact.
Crystal Note took a last deep breath and walked through the door into the mansion and her former home, back when she was still an earth pony called Harmony. Rose Quartz, her sister in everything but blood, followed right after.

They didn't talk, they didn't need words right now. Crystal Note took in everything she was able to make out in the sparse light and images from her memory easily filled the details. The entrance hall looked the same, as did the main room. The only thing that had changed was the thick layer of dust that covered everything and proved that nopony had been here for over a decade. Crystal Note almost expected the place would have been raided of anything of value, but Rose Quartz knew better. She knew that the crystal ponies still shunned the house like it was haunted.

Crystal Note realized that she was looking at the small library. Her father's collection had not been large or expensive, but a few rare tomes had made their way into his possession, enough for the unicorn stallion to feel proud about.
Crystal Note frowned. Her father had been more proud of his books than he had ever been at his own daughter.

She walked further into the room, careful not to bump into anything. She didn't really know why though, it was not like she could damage anything and even if, who would even care?
She passed the single row of shelves, her hooves took her through the familiar route towards the stairs. She didn't notice this, her mind was busy filling in gaps with scenes from her past. She noticed a few dents in the sturdy wooden furniture and her thoughts grew dark when she remembered where they came from.

"We should have brought a lantern. Or better yet, we should have come after sunrise when there's light."
Rose Quartz' voice pulled her out of her memories and Crystal Note turned her head towards her sister who was still standing near the door
"I doubt I would have gotten any sleep tonight either way. This is better than waiting even longer."
"Crissy, all we'll get from lurking in the dark at this place are nightmares."
"I didn't need to come here for those, you know."

Crystal Note sighed deeply and looked up the stairs, where she knew were more rooms full of bad memories waiting for her. Her sister was right, they'd not gain anything from staying in the dark
"Pinky, do you trust me?"
"With my life."

The answer came immediate, not a sliver of hesitation or doubt in her sister's voice. For Crystal Note, this was the spark of hope she needed in a dark place like this. No matter how thick the shadows grew around her, she always had her sister who believed in her.
Crystal Note closed her eyes and focused. She mumbled a few syllables under her breath and her unicorn horn glowed in a turquoise light as she channelled magic with it.

On the tip of the horn, a small ball of light appeared. It wasn't the biggest or brightest light orb ever, but it pierced through the darkness of the room.
Crystal Note reopened her eyes cautiously. She stared at her light spell and after a few moments of biding, she knew it was stable enough for her to move.
Rose Quartz stared at the light from the distance. It wasn't like she had never seen magic before, she was an advisor of Princess Cadance after all. The young princess and her unicorn husband often fell back on magic for several tasks of the day.

Still, seeing a crystal pony, her sister for star's sake, wield this foreign power, it scared her more than she was willing to admit. She had seen what dark magic could do to a pony and she had witnessed crystal ponies crumble under its influence.
The sisters' gazes met again and within a heartbeat, all of Rose Quartz' worries dissipated like fog. Crystal Note's eyes were clear, open and honest, just like they had always been. Right now, they were concerned and worried of her reaction and behind that, Rose Quartz saw fear and anxiety with roots deeper than her own.

Almost angry with herself for a moment, Rose Quartz crossed the room so she stood next to her sister. In the light of the magic orb, fluffs of dust waved through the room.
Their shoulders touched and they smiled. Rose Quartz knew Crystal Note would never use her magic to hurt anypony. She never had been and never would be a pony who succumbed to power that easily. Crystal Note knew that her sister would always accept her and support her. She had done so when she was an earth pony among crystal ponies and would do the same now that she had a horn.
They knew a short moment of doubt would not be enough to weaken the bond they shared. They didn't need to say so either, they understood well without words.

Rose Quartz started climbing the stairs to the upper floor
"Since we're here to stir up shadows, we might as well do it right."
Crystal Note nodded and sent the orb to float ahead and light their way. Rose Quartz turned her head to throw her sister an appreciative smile. She reached the top of the stairs and stepped aside to let Crystal Note take her side again.

All the doors to the rooms stood open. Crystal Note immediately turned to a door on the far left. She carefully peeked inside and the light orb floated into her old room.
The room was far too big for a single filly. The furniture was still intact and stood in its place. She didn't dare take a step inside somehow, so she directed the orb out of the room again and carefully closed the door. This time, there was no creak and the door gently fell shut.

Rose Quartz gently put her hoof on her sister’s shoulder. Crystal Note turned around and nodded. Together, they stepped down the hallway and Crystal Note’s eyes scanned the rooms while she matched them with her memories. Bathroom, library, bedroom, guestroom (never used even once; her father was not a pony to have friends he could invite to his home) and finally they stood in front of her father’s old study.

If there were anything of worth to find, it would be in here.

Crystal Note pushed the light into the room and walked in. This room looked different, finally. Her father had always had a strict rule of tidiness in the house, but the office was messy. Scrolls lay everywhere, on the ground and on every piece of furniture, broken quills and empty inkpots in between. The desk was covered in what had to be multiple layers of books, scrolls and papers.
Crystal Note shook her head in disbelief
“I’d never thought he would end up like this. He hated it when even one piece of paper wasn’t neatly stacked, but this… it’s the complete opposite of him.”
Rose Quartz only frowned
“I’ve seen him lurking around in the palace after your disappearance. The king barely even bothered with him anymore once he had his crystal unicorns, but he followed him around like a dog. He just lost it.”

Crystal Note swallowed hard and pressed out half a question
“Do you know what happened when…?”
Rose Quartz’ frown grew darker
“He was sent to defend the Empire against Canterlot’s first attack. Something about ‘proving his worthiness on the battlefield’.”
Crystal Note closed her eyes tightly and shivered
“He wasn’t a fighter. He was arrogant and pushy, but he never fought against somepony who could even remotely return his attack.”
“The king knew this. He wasn’t supposed to return.”

Rose’ voice stayed even, she felt no pity for the stallion who failed at being a father to his daughter. Crystal Note just shivered more and her coat changed into a darker grey. Despite everything that had happened, that stallion was still her father, even if she stopped calling him that long ago.

Rose Quartz walked deeper into the room and picked up random parchments. Most of them she only glanced at, a few she started to read but then stacked them orderly. After almost ten years of working as a maid, a messy room like this made her hooves just itch.
Crystal Note stayed close to the door, but she picked up some leftover papers as well. The writing on most of them was too messy to decipher, occasionally she understood some random words, but even then, they seemed gibberish. She didn’t know what to think.

Her head turned to her sister who by now had freed the large desk from most of books and papers. Apparently, she found nothing, since she just shrugged
“Nothing in here either. Though I’m not sure what we’re looking for anyways.”
Crystal Note nodded and sighed
“I guess I was hoping to find some answers. Reasons for what happened.”
She closed her eyes and nearly chocked
“Maybe something from my mother.”

Rose Quartz didn’t know what to say, so she just opened the drawers of the desk in vain hope she might find anything. Both of them were empty. She reached inside, checking for a false bottom or anything.
Crystal Note on the other side of the room watched, but soon frowned confused. Rose Quartz was checking very thoroughly, so why did she...?
“Why did you skip the middle drawer?”
Rose turned back to her, equally confused
“What middle drawer? There’s only two?”

Crystal Note blinked a couple of times and sent the light orb to the desk. A sharp gasp from Rose made her freeze on the spot
“It just appeared! Out of nowhere!”
Crystal Note made a careful step closer
“Rose?”
“Crissy, I swear there were only two, and now there’s another drawer! How? Why?”

Crystal Note walked closer and suddenly felt a certain tingle in the back of her head. Her eyes opened wide when she realized what that meant.
Following her suspicion, she let go of her light spell and the room turned dark except a few patches of moonlight. Rose Quartz gasped again when the middle drawer disappeared in front of their eyes
“What is this thing?”

Crystal Note reached out and her hoof felt the invisible drawer. She searched for a handle, but when she found it, she couldn’t pull it open. She could, however, feel the tingle clearly now
“It has to be enchanted or something.”
Rose stared at her with wide-open eyes
“With magic? Is it booby-trapped or something?”

Crystal Note frowned and closed her eyes as she focused on the slight tingle
“It… it doesn’t feel dangerous. I think it’s just meant to hide it.”
She channelled her magic and called another light orb, and as she expected the drawer reappeared in the magical light.

Rose Quartz took a step back but Crystal Note pulled the drawer open, slowly and carefully. They waited for a moment or two, but nothing happened. With a look at each other, they nodded and leaned closer to look inside.
They saw a single tome in a leather binding and Crystal Note gasped
“It’s his journal. He always had it with him.”
“And it must be important if he used magic to hide it.”

They nodded and Crystal Note’s horn glowed again. She carefully picked up the tome with her magic and waited. There was no reaction, so she picked it up with her hooves. She was still new to this whole spellcasting and managing even levitation on top of a light spell was hard.

She set the book on the desk and after a moment of hesitation, she opened the lid. She immediately recognized the sharp and accurate writing of the stallion. The date on the first page went far back, even before Crystal Note’s birth. She hesitated for a moment but then flipped through the pages, looking for the last entries. She would read of the stallions past eventually, but not now. Tonight, she was looking for closure on something else.
As she worked through the book, she noticed the writing getting sloppier the further she went. The entries were getting shorter as well, as if they had only been thrown down in haste. She was skimming through the words when they reached the final pages but she could barely even decipher the newest entries and when she could, the words made little sense, just like on the random notes that were scattered around

“No matter how hard, it won’t be enough.”

“There was no seeing it this time. The rook was right.”

“No blame for those who never try.”

It was strange reading those words from that stallion. There was a lack of focus and direction in them. The stallion always had a goal to work towards, something he tried to achieve for his own benefit. She found it hard to believe that he would just let go of the trait that had him driving for most of his life.

She flipped another page and found one last long entry, spread over multiple pages. The writing was shaky, but readable. Rose Quartz stepped closer to Crystal Note when she felt her sister start to shiver and pressed against her side.
In a soft and trembling voice, she began to read aloud

“At last it seems I am at wits end here. Whatever dark influence the King has on me, it is growing stronger with each day and I lose more and more hours of my days in a haze of mist. Moments of clarity are rare and the fact it took me weeks to form enough words to even make this entry speaks volumes of my lacking ability to resist.

The King had seeds of fear and doubt planted in the crystal scum that fills this rotten city long before my arrival. Some of them with mere words and actions, others instilled with a magic so dark it even penetrates the void that fills my dreams ever since.

My own magic managed to stop the King’s influence on my own thoughts, so I believed. Or maybe it did not and he chose for me to believe this. I found that I have stopped caring on which is true. I received the life of a lord, as I deserved, a unicorn noble of my standings and ability considered a god amongst the common trash of crystal ponies. In this game of power, when he was the King, I was his knight and bishop while they were not even to be considered as pawns. In Canterlot, I had to scheme and plot my way towards the top, but here I was the top and could command everything and anything, as long as I kept the King’s requests above my own.

Drunken on power however, I did not see the war. At my Kings orders, armies were forged and plans were made, yet little of a campaign to actually fight the oppressive forces of two immortal princesses in the city of marble and ivory. Toy soldiers to be sent against another, ants fighting ants in the games my King favoured.

Again, I do not know if I noticed the change too late or if I was made to not notice. Again, I care not why. The King’s insanity rooted deeply and fuelled the dark magic. The city crumbled, economy staggered as every resource available fell into military expansion.

As doubts grew in my mind, I stayed. My head was clear enough to think about fleeing, abandoning the Empire I ruled to avoid being crushed in its demise. Foolish is the only word I have for not going through with it.

Now the waves of war crush against the shore of the city. Skirmishes at the borders, pegasi crossing the skies regularly, even if they yet have to reach city limits. No way out for me any longer to be seen. As my will crumbles to the King’s influence and my magic escapes my control, in this last moment of clarity I realize that this war will claim my life.

It pains me to admit but I should have been sure to make escape when my daughter disappeared. Harmony is abrasive, uncouth and violent, but her instincts are sharp. Dumb as a brick formed of the mud she was bound to, she never ended up tangled in a fight she could not handle. Never once did her actions cause her to suffer consequences she was unable to bear. She made herself a name, a rank in the masses of crystal scum by squashing her foes on the streets. If not for her stupidity and her illogical compulsion to find company in those she could have ruled, the mud pony might have been a useful tool, perhaps even an ally.

As I feel my time ending, regret takes a hold on me. I could have found a way out before it was too late, certainly. But my regret reaches far deeper and just that.

My wife haunts me, in my hours of wake and sleep. The pony who saw my vision of greatness and encouraged me rather than tried to bring me down, as any other noble did. She passed, she was torn away from me by that foal.

She was a mud pony, but you, my Love, looked at her with shining eyes as if she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Memories and visions of you grow hazy, but the words you said when you chose her name remain untainted and clear

“When life is music and love is the rhythm we dance to, she is Harmony to our song.”

I kept the name, your name for her, and I took her with me. I hoped to find something of you inside her, something to soothe the pain your loss ignited inside me. Whenever I looked at her, I could see nothing but the thing that took you away from me. The foal destroyed my path of glory in Canterlot before she could even talk. I brought her to the Empire, a last chance to find use in her existence other than to cause me pain.

Now she is gone but the pain remains. Maybe if I had reached out, I could have found something of the pony I love in the filly. I will never find out. Another fact for the list of things I don’t care about anymore.

As pathetic as it is, I fear the death that lies ahead of me, even if it will end this pain and misery. I should have slipped out the back before he knew I was there, at the least I would not see he does not care. I do not want to be around when it all comes down. Even heroes know when to be scared, but I am no hero. All I do is worry and feel out of control, to the point where I begin at the end. I am running around in circles again and time runs out on me.

If you ever read this, please remember this is not how I hoped it would be, but I had to protect you from me. That is why I slipped out the back before you saw I was there. I know the way I left you was not fair. I could not be around just to bring you down with me. I am not a hero but do not think I really care.”

The last words turned more and more sloppy and the words seemed strange, disconnected.

Crystal Note flipped over but only found empty pages after this. She stared at the last lines for what felt to her like hours. Then the book was slammed shut by a turquoise glow.

Rose Quartz blinked as the light orb flashed brightly before vanishing. By the time she could make out directions in the dark, she already heard the sound of hooves running down the stairs. She followed as quickly as she could but when she reached the front door, all she could hear were echoes from the alleys. She called out for her sister, but Crystal Note was already out of reach.
With a frustrated sigh, she closed the door to the twice-damned mansion and made her way back towards the palace.

In between letters

The summer sun shined brightly on the grassy hills behind Sweet Apple Acres. From her spot in the soft grass, Crystal Note could still smell the scent of apples in the gentle breeze and hear the sound of leaves rustling behind her.

In front of her was a piece of parchment, some words on it already. The quill she used moved steadily in her turquoise glow as she used her magic. It was easy for her to manipulate objects with levitation these days and her horn writing was accurate and neat.

Right now though, her quill rested on the parchment as Crystal Note thought of the next words to write.
In the distance, she heard three happy voices in laughter, and she looked up to watch.

The three fillies who were well known as the Cutie Mark Crusaders by everypony in Ponyville had finally reached the top of the hill. Crystal Note had been a little worried when she heard them call out their newest plan of being “Cutie Mark Crusaders rock climbers!” However, the hill they had chosen for climbing was just a little steeper than the gentle slope the crystal unicorn was sitting on and covered mostly in soft grass as well, so she had chosen to let the fillies have their fun.

She giggled when the three fillies checked themselves for new cutie marks, but to their great disappointment, they still had to wait for another day. Crystal Note saw them talk to each other before they turned around and ran towards her, three pairs of eyes shining with determination.

They cantered down the hill and stopped right in front of her. The mare waited for them to catch their breath and get comfortable in the soft grass as well. She didn’t need to say anything, she knew the fillies would soon tell her what she needed to know anyways.

Apple Bloom exchanged a knowing glance with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo before they focused their attention on Crystal Note and started talking
“So, we were wondering…
“We’ve already asked our sisters and their friends…”
“How did you get your cutie mark?”
Crystal Note smiled and turned her head to look at the familiar mark on her flank. Three musical notes, arrange into a triad in a dark blue colour on her silver-white coat.
When she turned back to the fillies, her smile grew even wider. Apple Bloom stared with eyes wide open and Sweetie Belle almost shivered from anticipation. Scootaloo tried to play cool, but even her ears were perked up just like the others.

Crystal Note giggled softly
“There not much of a story behind it, I’m afraid. I got my cutie mark when I played my violin as a filly, nothing spectacular. Sorry to disappoint.”
Scootaloo rolled her eyes, but Sweetie Belle didn’t let herself get discouraged
“So what you say is, you picked up a violin and you knew how to play it right away, because it’s your special talent, right?”
Crystal Note laughed her melodic chuckle and shook her head
“I’m afraid it’s not that easy, girls. I had to practice a lot to get a single clear tone out of my violin. Even longer before I could manage an entire song from beginning to end.”

The Crusaders exchanged some confused glances and then shook their heads
“That doesn’t sound like any other cutie mark story I heard.”
Now it was Crystal Note’s turn to look confused
“How so?”
“What we heard, as soon as somepony found their special talent, they got their cutie mark. If your talent’s music, you should have gotten yours when you first played, that’s how it works.”

Crystal Note giggled when Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo emphasized with some nods
“Maybe, sometimes, there’s an exception to the rule?”
“Or maybe, music isn’t your real talent!”

The three others stared at Sweetie Belle who tried to explain
“I mean, you can play your violin like nopony else and I’ve heard you sing, but maybe it’s not the music itself but what you do with it.”
The crystal mare tilted her head in thought and Scootaloo chimed in
“You lost me. So you say her talent is music, but not music at the same time?”
Sweetie Belle nodded and Apple Bloom did as well
“I think I get it. What kind of song did you play when it happened, Crystal Note?”
The crystal unicorn stared at the sky, past the fillies, right into her past it seemed

“I played an old song of the Crystal Empire. It had been the most difficult song yet and I practiced for months to get it down right. It’s still my go-to song whenever I pick up my violin, just like it was back then.”
“Okay, so you played your song as usual. But what was different that day?”
Crystal Note smiled fondly and her eyes settled on the trees in the distance, taking in the scent of apples in the air.

Apples… just like back then…

-*-

Harmony giggled along with her mommy, so much she had to set down her violin for a moment. They sat in the sun, on the bench in front of their home as usual. The streets were empty and quiet, everypony was either at work in the mines or smiths, or at school. Harmony wasn’t allowed in school with the other colts and fillies, so she had to stay at home. Her mommy wasn’t strong enough to work in the mines like her daddy, so she stayed at home as well. With the limited strength she had, she occasionally worked as a seamstress.

Despite her weakness, her mommy had the loudest laughter of anypony Harmony had ever seen. Being sick, tired or hungry couldn’t take that away from her. Her eyes glowed each time she told stories and legends with a voice that drew everypony in and when she sang the old songs, she touched their hearts as easily.

Harmony loved her mommy with all her heart and she was proud to learn from her. She eagerly absorbed every word her mommy said, every story, every song her mommy taught her. She listened when her mommy explained the meaning behind those songs and she practiced very hard on her violin. She wanted to touch ponies’ hearts with her music, just like her mommy could.

The violin once belonged to her mommy’s mother, though Harmony never met her grandmother. From the moment she first held the wooden instrument in her hooves, it felt right. With her mommy’s guidance, she learned how to stroke the bow over the strings. She learned how to use her hoof to create different notes and sounds. Soon, it was as natural to her like talking. Her mommy would sing a song and Harmony would then play it on her violin. But the best part was when they played and sang together.

Soon, they made up new verses to old songs, sometimes so silly they couldn’t stop laughing. Just like now.

Harmony perked up her ears and smiled to her mommy. The mare understood and turned towards the beginning of the street. She had learned to rely on Harmony’s excellent hearing and only moments later, colts and fillies ran into the street, the sound of their hooves on the crystal ground echoed through the empty street.

Most of the foals vanished in houses or turned into other streets. Only one filly walked all the way to the end where Harmony and her mommy were sitting.

Harmony smiled to the filly with the bright pink mane. Just as she called the mare ‘Mommy’, she called Rose Quartz her sister.

Rose Quartz kept her head hung low and Harmony’s smile faded. Something wasn’t right. Next to her, her mommy climbed from the bench with a pained grunt and carefully approached her daughter. Rose Quartz stopped in front of the mare but didn’t look up. The mare gently put her hoof on top of her daughter’s head and finally, the filly looked up. Harmony gasped and covered her mouth with a hoof when she saw tears in her sister’s eyes.

Without a word, the filly threw herself against her mother and started to cry silently when hooves wrapped around her.

-*-

“Crystal Note? Crystal Note?”
“Huh?”

The crystal unicorn blinked and looked back at the three fillies in front of her. The Crusaders were watching her attentively. She smiled when she saw the innocent and curious expressions on their young faces
“I’m sorry, girls. You asked what was different that day? There was one thing, I guess. When my sister got home from school, she was sad, really, really sad. She had a hard time in school, but she never cried in front of the others. She always waited until she was at home where nopony could see her, just me.
But that day, she came home in tears. Our mommy noticed right away, but the crying didn’t stop.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle dropped their ears and Scootaloo looked angry
“What happened? Did she get bullied in school?”
“No, Scootaloo. At least, not the way you think. My sister always wanted to learn more and she asked many questions to her teachers. That was the problem.”
“How’s that a problem? Miss Cheerilee always encourages us to ask more. She’s happy when somepony is curious and wants to learn.”
Crystal Note nodded with a gentle smile
“That’s because Miss Cheerilee is a wonderful teacher. You are very lucky to have her. But back then, in the Crystal Empire, the teachers didn’t want their students to think on their own. Just like the king, they wanted obedient ponies who did what they were told without questions.”

Now, Sweetie Belle shook her head
“Rarity always tells me that while it’s important to do as you’re told, you always have to think about it. Sometimes, it’s better to say ‘No’ instead of doing something that turns out worse in the end.”
Crystal Note sighed deeply. How could she explain this to three lively, happy fillies who grew up in times of peace, surrounded by loving friends and families? She just shook her head
“The teachers didn’t think that way, Sweetie Belle. They rather wanted you to do something wrong than you starting to question their commands.”

Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle frowned, but Scootaloo threw her hooves into the air
“We’re getting way side-tracked here. So your sister came home from school crying. What has any of this to do with your cutie mark?”
Crystal Note smiled, but it was a fragile and sad smile
“More than you might expect.”

-*-

Harmony didn’t like seeing her sister cry. Not in her room in secret and especially not now on the street. Mommy was talking to her, but it didn’t help. It wasn’t fair. They had fun together while Rose Quartz was sad. If she could go to school with her, she could help her right away. She could protect her sister like she should.

But now it was too late for that. All she could do now was cheering Rose Quartz up. But how, when even Mommy couldn’t do it?
She looked at her violin. When Mommy sang, Rose Quartz was always smiling. It was worth a shot, but she would need the best song ever.

She picked up the instrument and closed her eyes. Just like her mommy had taught her. She knew which song she wanted to play. The old, difficult one, that didn’t have any words. The one her mommy had learned from her own great-grandmother.
She started to play, slow and hesitantly. The song was hard to get into, but she had practiced it a lot so she knew she could do it. But something was missing, she felt it clearly. Even her best song wasn’t enough for her sister. In her mind, she saw Rose Quartz and the tears. Something stirred inside her. She felt sad too, even though she hadn’t been there to see what happened. How could she show her sister she understood anyways? Maybe…

Her hoof moved carefully and her bow slowed down just a tad. It was hard playing the song, so she expected it to be hard changing it as well, but it was not. Just like she had imagined, the song changed its tone with just a few added notes. Harmony felt so sad for her sister and now the song sounded so sad as well. Harmony didn’t exactly know why or how, but she reached out to her sister with her song.

She heard a soft sniffle and her eyes opened for a moment. Her sister was in front of her, still held by Mommy and still crying. Rose Quartz didn’t look up but she inched a little closer. Mommy was looking though and she smiled encouragingly at Harmony. She returned the smile for just a second, then she closed her eyes again, pouring all her sadness into the song. And just as Harmony could give into sadness, so did Rose Quartz, no longer able or willing to fight it down.
The two sisters cried together and the song called out their sadness into the world.

-*-

“Boring.”
“Scootaloo!”
Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle glared at their pegasus friend but she just buzzed her wings
“Her sister was sad so she played a sad song. What has any of this to do with cutie marks?”
“It’s called sympathy, you dodo.”
“Stop calling me that! I still don’t know what that is.”

Crystal Note smiled softly
“Girls, no fighting. You’re all friends, remember?”
“Sorry, Crystal Note.”
The fillies said in unison and Crystal Note couldn’t help but giggle a little at this

“Now, where was I? I was playing this song, but I wasn’t playing for myself. I was playing only for my sister, so when she felt sad, the song turned sad as well. I wanted to comfort her, and I could make the song sound like it. It was as if my music could express what I felt better than words, and my sister understood when words wouldn’t have been enough. She stopped crying.”

All three fillies were listening when Crystal Note interrupted her story for a moment
“And then what?”
“Then… I don’t know how to describe it, girls. I wanted to show my sister how much I love her, how much she meant to me. I poured it all into the song. My sister and my mother were hugging and I felt like I was part of it too, even though I was sitting by my own playing. Then she smiled at me and my mommy smiled at me too. Then I knew. I would keep on playing, as long as it made somepony smile. I would practice until I could play even the hardest and most difficult songs. If it made just one pony smile, it’d be worth it.”

Apple Bloom rushed forward to hug Crystal Note’s leg when she saw her honorary sister blink away some tears. Scootaloo rolled her eyes but when nopony was looking, she smiled. Sweetie Belle was literally buzzing in excitement
“That’s it! Your special talent isn’t just music! It’s making other ponies happy with music!”
Crystal Note giggled and ruffled Apple Bloom’s mane as she returned the hug
“Well, yeah. But isn’t that what it’s all about?”

Crystal Note smiled at the three fillies as they started chatting excited and threw theories back and forth, new ideas how they could get their cutie mark.
She zoned out after a while and looked up at the few clouds in the sky. As soon as she had seen that smile, she had felt the tingle running through her body. Her sister said she’d even flashed briefly in the light. Crystal Note didn’t remember that, but she remembered that her mommy had pulled her into the biggest hug ever and squeezed her for minutes. Rose Quartz and she had run around all day, happy and excited.

And something else happened that made this day memorable.

-*-

Harmony stared at the table with eyes as wide as saucers. The table was laden with all kinds of goods and treats. So many things she hadn’t seen in a long time, like muffins with blueberries and cupcakes with frosting and sprinkles. And there were even some apples that looked so fresh and juicy, she had to close her mouth before she started drooling.

She snapped back into composure and faced the pony who had brought home this feast. She bowed deeply to the unicorn stallion
“Thank you, father. I truly do not deserve a feast like this. Thank you ever so much.”
She almost felt it as she said it. Almost. If the stallion noticed, he didn’t show it
“Nonsense, child. A cutie mark is a special occasion and needs to be celebrated appropriately. Never again will an earth pony like you be as close to real magic as this day.”

Harmony bit her tongue and swallowed her snarky reply. At least he didn’t say ‘mud kicker’ this time. She could forgive his arrogant behaviour, today she could.

They sat down and Harmony forgot most she’d learned about table manners as she stuffed baked goods into her mouth. The stallion selected a few items for himself in his magic hold
“At least try to appreciate the food, Harmony. You wouldn’t believe how much trouble it took me to get these treats in from Canterlot.”

Harmony blushed and nodded, luckily her mouth was too full to say something. She knew that there was no way her father would have these treats delivered on such short notice. He probably had them stored someplace and now he had a reason to indulge under the mantle of celebration.

She didn’t argue. She had learned what it meant to be hungry. She had seen what meagre meals other ponies in the Crystal Empire had to share. Now she had the chance, she would eat until she couldn’t move anymore.
After what felt like eating her weight in muffins, Harmony had to cede. The table was still full of treats and the stallion had stopped eating as well. He was already sinking his muzzle into some dusty old tome, like always.

Harmony stared at the tasty treats and wondered. It would be worth risking his anger, she decided
“Dear father, thank you ever so kindly for this wonderful meal. I had my fill, but I thought, maybe I could take a few things with me to my room? I might be hungry again later.”
She held her breath and waited. The stallion didn’t react at first, then looked away from his tome with some annoyance
“What? You’re still here? Take it, take it all for magic’s sake. I don’t wish to be interrupted in my studies tonight.”

Harmony bowed her head and snatched as much as she could carry. Muffins, the leftover cupcakes, two fresh loaves of bread and a whole bushel of apples, and some more.
She carefully balanced her loot up the stairs and to her room. The streets outside where empty and dark, but she could see a flicker of a candle in the house next to her own still. That meant Rose Quartz was still up.

She leaned out of the window and called as loud as she dared
“Pinky!”
She grinned as she used her sister’s new nickname and was called back by her own in return
“Crystal Note?”
She waved towards the opening window, just a few metres away from her and called out
“Incoming!”

She waited for two minutes for her sister to get ready, then she tossed one of the loaves of bread. She had practiced this a lot, so she easily made the throw into the nearby window. Rose Quartz had one of the bedsheets spread out like a trampoline to catch everything. Since Harmony and her father always had food and Rose Quartz and her family never had enough, the fillies thought of this way to share the blessings. By now, they were both really good at transporting food like that.

Harmony, no, Crystal Note she corrected herself, smiled and carefully lopped some apples next. She giggled when she heard Rose Quartz squeal in delight at she got the next delivery. Crystal Note made sure almost all the food made its way to her neighbours. In the end, she only kept two apples and one of the cupcakes for herself. She had eaten plenty earlier, but it was her cutie mark after all, so she deserved a little treat she decided.
When she was finished, she leaned out of the window and waved. Her smile grew wider when not only Rose Quartz, but also her mommy and daddy waved back at her. She hopped on the bed and threw a last glance at her brand new cutie mark. It was so pretty, but not as much as the smiles she had seen from her family. This really was the best day ever. Curling up on her bed, Crystal Note fell asleep with a happy sigh.

-*-

Crystal Note snapped out of her memories when the Crusaders laughed around her. She smiled and they returned it happily, until Scootaloo rubbed her tummy and groaned
“I’m hungry, guys. Let’s go get a snack at Sugarcube Corner or something.”
“But it’ll be dinnertime soon. Applejack always says no snacks before dinner.”
“Didn’t she say no desserts before dinner?”
“Sugarcube Corner only sells desserts.”
“They sell cupcakes.”
“That’s dessert.”
“Snack.”
“Dessert!”
“Snack!”
“GIRLS!”
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo stopped glaring at each other and stared at Sweetie Belle
“Doesn’t matter if cupcakes are desserts or snacks, so stop arguing!”

They two fillies glared at each other, then suddenly started to giggle. Sweetie Belle smiled and happily joined in, along with Crystal Note who had watched the little exchange silently. The crystal mare got on her hooves and made the short distance to the nearest trees. While she stared up at the higher branches, the three Crusaders watched both curious and confused.

Crystal Note smiled and her horn glowed softly. At the top branches, four wonderful ripe apples were picked up in her turquoise magic.
She returned to the fillies and each one accepted the red apple that floated towards them
“Apples are healthy and they count as a snack. And you’ll never hear Applejack say no to an apple, no matter how close to dinner.”
She winked at the fillies as they giggled.

With a bright smile, Crystal Note took a big bite out of her apple, savouring the sweet and juicy taste. Scootaloo snorted in laughter and Sweetie Belle beamed
“Oh! You do like apples, do you Crystal Note?”
The crystal unicorn tilted her head and Apple Bloom just pointed at her hoof. She glanced down and saw the happy sparkles that danced over her coat
“I really do.”
They shared another round of happy laughter, and Apple Bloom tilted her head curiously

“Say, sis. When’s the first time you ever had an apple in the Crystal Empire?”
Crystal Note just laughed her melodious chime and winked
“I think that’s a story for another time, lil sis.”

Dear Applebloom

Author's Note

Takes place after the events from Ponyville Music Ensemble (not finished yet).

Dear Applebloom

Dear Apple Bloom,

many warm greetings to you and the whole family from Aaaaaaaappleloosa! (I learned from your cousin that if it doesn't take a least seven seconds to say the name, I'm doing it wrong, so I hope this works in a letter as well!)

It's my third morning in town now and I still didn't get used to how hot it is here. I always feel like I'm boiling up inside when I just walk along the streets. I don't know how the others can work so hard in the orchards despite the heat. When I help, I usually start panting after a couple of minutes and need a break in the shade after an hour or so.

I guess I am made more for the frozen north than the desert in that regard.

Even though I am not much of a help, everypony is very nice and friendly to me. Outside of the town and the orchards, there's only sand and rocks, I think the ponies here are extra happy so they can make up for that.

It reminds me of the Crystal Empire in that regard, the crystal ponies live surrounded by snow and ice, but in the city, they're as close as can be.

Last night, we had visitors from the buffalo tribes nearby. I was outside with the others, we were singing and I played my guitar when they joined us. I asked if I could visit them sometime, and they agreed to take me to their camp later today. I am very excited to learn more about them, maybe I'll even learn some new songs from them.

I promise I will tell you all about it in my next letter!

Oh, before I forget: Little Strongheart wants me to send best wishes to Applejack and her friends (apparently they've met when they first visited Appleloosa, I hope I'll hear the full story later).

Please send all my best wishes to Applejack, Bic Mac and the others!

With love

Crystal Note