Raven Rawne

@@Nightmare Season, A horn blowed b the gate and the ponies looked in that direction. Crystal seemed oblivious to what was happenning around her and just sat like she did. The sudden appearance of her husband, and with a pair of wings to boot, made no impression on her. "Oh, you're back." - she deadpanned. The stallion lowered his horn and touched hers, casting a spell. She blinked but didn't react in any other way. When he opened the locket, tendrils of cherry magic floated towards the crystal nightmare, and she observed them with apathy. They connected with her chest, pouring their energy into her heart. The mare inhaled sharply and her eyes started glowing slightly, growing in intensity as the magic poured in. When all was inside her, her eyess glowed like sea lanterns, her mouth was speaking wordlessly and her coat crystallised and went back to normal repeatedly. Her mane went ablaze and back to normal aswell. The light display lasted over a minute, and finally her eyes stopped glowing. Crystal Clear breathed out deeply and panted slightly, looking straight down like she ran to Equestria and back. Hearts-Dream pulled the wing hug a bit tighter and peered into her heart. She annouced that Nightmare succeded, and he took her into a rib crushing hug. The mare was confused and let out a weak "eeek!", then started reacting to her surroundings. She looked around: "I... I'm alive?" She hugged back her husband and whispered into his ear. "You're crushing me, love, let go a bit will ya?" - she crystallised too. He did so, reluctantly, glowing himself, but took her into a cuddle instead, nuzzling and kissing. She noticed his wings. "Um, mom... am I seeing thing or my husband is an alicorn now?" She looked into his heart and smiled, announcing with pride that he has vanquished the evil inside him. She said she was immensly proud of him. Crystal nodded under the barrage of intimacy, and returned love fire. "So the mist that killed me is gone? And you're whole good now? Guess it was worth to die for you after all! But how did you bring me back? And why you act like you haven't seen me for a lifetime?" Both mares said that was the case, and she was confused. "Wait, what? Anypony explain what happenned?" Nightmare said that he will in due time, and she noticed he locket that basically hit her snout. "Ow! Wait... I... remember this thing... but how?!" Nightmare smiled, but she saw pain in his eyes. He let her go for just a moment to annouce from the balcony that his mission was a succes. Crystal was scratching her head in confusion when he took her in his magic and excused them both as he took her to their chambers. The mare shut up and just let him do what he had in mind. He took her to the bedroom, but rather than do the usual, he took her in a tight cuddle and slowly told her the story of him going back in time to save her. When he was finished, both were crying, but from joy - they were together again - the mare who died and the stallion who waited. "*sniff* That was... the most... *sniff* most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I... I... I'll never even get close to repaying what you've done for me! I love you so much Nightmare Season! I will live for you from now on, ask whatever you want of me, nothing I can do will ever beat what you did for me!" She cried into his chest, the tears of overwhelming joy filling the locket he didn't put off yet. She took some measure of control over herself and asked. "I remember... this... It belonged to a stallion, and I loved him, and we got married and... and I don't remember seeing him ever since..." With visible pain in his heart, he told her who Sapphire Sky was, and how he had to let her go on their wedding night. Crystal clutched into him even harder and said with conviction. "I would never love anypony but you, whoever you'd disguise yourself as." They remained in bed for the rest of the day, even ate cuddling to each other, like they were inseparable. They were.

Found her, thank goodness. She's pretty much the same as before, so no regress at least. Bas Line is still just a pretty doll she moves around though. Once I recover from an unexpected episode of depression I'll continue working with her, since she's barely audible. I know she's saying something, but only rarely I catch actual words. More often ideas and images whivh are harder to pin to her, or some unreadable static. In case you wondered - earlier when I wrote her lines, apparently I was unknowingly parrotting...

@, Crystal took a glance from over the sink when she heard him move to the gramophone. "Or something else. Sorry, I just had to. Basically you wind a coil spring with that little handle and said spring spins the table on which you put the record. Now I don't know the intimate details but there are grooves on them that the needle picks up and somewhow, sound goes out through the tube. I asked the clerk in the music store if I can replace the body with crystal, and she said it'll change the tone of the music played in a hard to tell way. So I kept the original look, reluctantly as it were..." She looks at her hoof. "I don't really like Equestrian stuff, and try to at least cover what I can't make myself with crystal. So I made a case for the gramophone but it was,'t a bare necessity, so I had to leave it home." She sighed. "You wouldn't believe what I did when I came back home from a ridiculously lucrative job I had in Manehattan..."

@, The mare looked back at him over the shoulder with a serious expression - "Just because you had worse, doesn't mean it's okay. I should have expressed myself in more... calm way. And that's why I'm sorry." She got back to her work, since she was basically finishing with the salad. Crystal scooped up the plate and took it to the table. "Next best thing to love, eh? Now I know why ponies in Equestria eat so much." She glanced at the dirty dishes and tisked. Another boring chore. The mare walked towards her bed, or more specifically, the gramophone near it. She stopped and browsed her records in concentration, sitting on the floor and tapping a free hoof at her chin. "Hmmm... too fast... too cheerful... that makes me cry... maybe that one?" - She took out a record and head the title out loud. "Royal Canterlot Philharmony: Collected Cello Suites. I guess I have another famous pony to your list... It says "With Octavia Melody as Lead Cello." I actually like the songs she's involved in." Crystal Clear set the record in the device, cranked the lever to power up the spring and lowered the needle. The cabin was filled with classical sounds and she had an almost dream-like expression. "Ah, that's more like it... Give me a holler if it's not your style though, I don't wanna torture you with my music." She went to take care of the dishes.

@@Nightmare Season, Crystal Clear looked blankly as Hearts-Dream gave her a wing hug She didn't get anything that was happenning, and had no capacity to be bothered by it. She just... were. Like an empty jar. She looked as the events played out and Nightmare Season disappeared. She just asked Hearts-Dreams - "Will he come back?" --------------------- It was a clear day in the Crystal Empire. Ponies were all busy with their happy lives and the Heart kept them safe. This was the pinnacle of pony civilisation. In one house, a new citizen came to the world, and her cry was announced through the open window. Passerby could hear as the family who owned a shop downstairs were busy with delivery of their firstborn. Laurel Wreath yelled at Fire Ruby who frantically tried to comply with her demands, with help of aunts and a midwife. Crystal Clear had a very well heard, clean tone to her cry. Another day, another birth. Crystal is just nearly two years old, having a happy foalhood with little to no worries. Her life is about to change with the newcomer. Her parents now have a son, Snowflake. Their first encounter will be the laughing stock for years - when Fire Ruby brought his long awaited son to his firstborn baby daughter, she smacked the newborn with a hoof and went her way. Th next few years were happy ones - foals gew up in peace and security, being loved equally. Though Crystal was envious of her brother for getting away with stuff by the virtue of him being younger. She went to school and met new ponies. Made some friends, lost some too. She started showing her sharp wit and got into trouble for that. Foals called her "Crystal Cuts", as if her tongue was actually sharp and cut whoever she spoke to. She learned that speaking her mind is not always the best when she messed up with her best friend. Finally came the day when she got her Cutie Mark. She was nearly six. Some foals already got theirs and teased the balnk flanks. She was too nasty to be teased, but also lonely because of her bad rep. It was weekend, and parents took their kids on a Crystal Fair. Fire Ruby encouraged er to try everything, but she was reluctant. What if she is bad at everything? He managed to make her join a casual contest for crystal mending. The filly worked under supervision of an experienced Master of Crystal, a stallion called Obsidian Knife. He had jet black mane and was very supportive. She made a stand for her lucky Cube - the first of the pyrite cubes she later so lovingly collected. Crystal didn't win, even remotely so, and was about to go home, sad at her defeat. Obsidian wanted to give her the stand she made as a souvenir, but she got angry and told hims she doesn't want it. With some extra convincing, she told him why - it was not perfect. not because she didn't win, it was inferior work, and she was ashamed of it. The Master must've had a hunch since he talked with her some more, let her explain what was wrong with it. He let her fix the issues she had with it. Only then did she accept it. And got her Cutie Mark - her special talent means that, she may not be the best there is, but her attiture makes her persist until the job is done exactly the way she wants it. She never settles for less in her job. She became his apprentice in the workshop. Years went by, Crystal Clear continued going to school and after it, dropped by in her Master's shop to help and learn. They became friends and she learned that it's not bad to speak one's mind, but her form was unacceptable. Upon graduation from school, she was a better young mare with a trade in hoof. She was thirteen and started working full time in the workshop to larn the trade to it's fullest. She kept contact with just a few ponies from school, and even those lines slowly withered as she devoted her time to work and learn. One day, just after her fifteen birthday, a customer came to the workshop when she was alone - her old best friend, Evening Song. They had a nasty fall out back in school and avoided each other ever since. The mare was about to leave when she saw Crystal, but she pleaded her to stay and say her order. It was a present for the ivory mare's mother on her birthday. Crystal asked Obsidian to make it herself, and he reluctantly agreed. The young mare barely left the shop, working all day long to make it perfect. She was so anxious she could feint when her former friend came to collect it. She liked it. A lot. Even invited Crystal to hang out with some other youngsters on the weekend. Obsibian Knife allowed her to have small projects on her own. Crystal And Evening Song became friends again. The mare was her lifeline out of the workshop-home-repeat routine and took her out places. Crystal was glad to have a best friend and did her best not to buck it up. Snowflake showed his first signs of being a spoiled brat when he sold his parents vase to get bits for some ide he had. He would cause her grief in upcoming years. News circulated aroundthe kingdom that a charming, but strange unicorn stallion was courting the Crystal Princess. The cherry mare was sixteen then and was about to pass her Journeypony exam. She would leave her Master's shop and hire herself all around town in different shops to see different styles of working crystal. She was so stressed the nearly panicked when she was about to make a bouquet of crystal roses in the Guild Hall for her exam. She took longer than expected, but her quality earned her a high mark. She stood for a long time right before the Heart afterwards. Something she would continue to do in important moments of her life. Saying goodbye to her Master was really hard, but he gave her a letter with excellent recommendations. She found a job in no time, and switched shops after around half a year when the Master she worked under was satisfied with her work. Crystal was now eighteen. Only two more shops to go until she could apply for being a Master of Crystal. Her parents were proud of her and her work, she did her best to help them every time she could. Her brother took up an idea that he'll have a business of his own, rather than work for somepony. With no bits and no skills, he failed once and again. The Unicorn that dated the Crystal Princess became Prince Sombra, and there was a grand royal wedding. Crystal Clear started dreaming of a wedding of her own, but colts didn't want to court her. said she was too independent, lise she needed nopony. So she took the initiative and tried to court a colt she liked - she met him through Evening Song and he seemed so nice. His mane wa Sapphire Sky. Things went bad when he tried to take advantage of her one evening, and she had to beat him in self defence. Thus ended her interest in dating. She was nineteen when the Empire was stricken with grief after the death of the Crystal Princess. The Palace announced she died in her sleep. The crystal Prince Sombra didn't look too bothered at the funeral, but the youngsters - Crystal and Evie's bunch of friends were. The cherry mare brought a crate of booze from er parent's shop to soothe their grief. "Sweet Dreams" Crystal Berry Brandy. She never tasted it, but it looked good for getting hammerred for the first time. That night she took a taste inthe stuff... and her best friend. They somehow ended together in bed and became lovers. A glimmer of hope arose from the tragedy that fell upon the empire. The Princ decided to cal himself the King later thay year. He started making oppressive decrees when the cherry mare was due for her exam to become the Master of Crystal. Evie was there with her, cheering her up to ease the hoof shaking stress. She had to make a dollhouse - a very delicate and hard work, if you only have your hooves. Like earlier, she took linger but won with quality and well thought over design. With a certificate of officially becoming the newest Master of Crystal, she hopped the steps and went straight to the Heart for her communion. It was nothing strange, ponies came to it all the time with their joys and sorrows. Her parents and first Master were overjoyed, although they lacked funds to help her set up a shop. She was accepted by Obsidian Knife as a business partner and slowly saved bits. Although it was rather hard with a marefriend like Evie and a secret taste for brandy. It was three days to her twenty first birthday. The King announced that every citizen was to come to the Plaza at noon. Ponies had a bad feeling about it, he was becoming erratic and needlessly oppressive over years. Nopony suspected they will found themselves surrounded by crystal guards and unicorn courtlers - severly thinned out by his many cleanses. When things seemed really bad, strange ponies marched into the city - Umbrums, like the King. Families were separated, sick and too old to work were killed. Thus Crystal Clear became a slave, working day and night in a workshop, bound to her station. Those were the darkest years of her life - beating, abuse, lack of sleep and food. She was twenty five when the Equestrian Princesses attacked the Empire. She didn't see a thing, just heard battle and her enforcers came rushing to help the defence. After a whole day of mind numbing fright, curled under the table as far as her chain allowed, somethng happenned. She felt herself engulfed in a wave of magical energy. dark energy. Her next memory was in her parent;s house - although she didn't remember anything and couldn't tell who's house it was or who she was. She walked aimlessly on the streets and saw six strange, non-crystal ponies wandering around. They organised the Crystal Fair and she started recalling her past life, when she felt happy. She hid indoors when the King came back and didn't see what happenned at the Plaza. Crystal Came out frim her hiding only once the whole city was roaring with cheers as the Crystal Heart was restored and the ponies crystallised. Thus begun her new life. Adjusting to the news that the world moved a thousand years forward was hard to bear. She tried to cope and learn, but began to drink more. Evie was nowhere to be found - she was alone in this. Well, there were parents and Snowflake, but she needed somepony else. Somepony special. She started despising everything that was not native to the Empire, especially the nosey visitors who thought it's a theme park for their enjoyment. The Guild was restored and she took solace in it's cameraderie. With help form th restored Court, the guild had funds to lend a hoof to the young master to set out on her own. She bought a small house at the city outskirts and moved in, a big loan looming above her head. She took her lucky cube and the stand she made for it - her most important posessions to the new home. This was the start of the Mother of Pyrite and it's elaborate pedestal. No wonder she wanted to keep it. On her twenty sixth birthday, her family was in her house. It looked exactly like when Nightmare Season saw it first time. They had good time telling storiesand spending time together. When evening came and she was alone however, the mare took out her hissed bottle and drowned her sorrow over her missing marefriend. The Equestrian Games were a blast. Literally. She wasn't much into sports but it lined her pockets with jobs from the Palace, and ponies from all over Equestria wanted crystal items. One day a unicorn stallion came into her shop.He was clearly from Equestra down South, and he offered her a job to redecorate a bank in Manehattan with crystal. The payment was huge if she agreed. Knowing full well that she neede bits to pa her loan, she came down South. Crystal Clear was out of her element outside the Empire. Ske didn't know how things worked, the ponies were acting strange and she was being given unwanted attention for her being a crystal pony. She started hating that. But the job had to be completed. She didnt like Manehattan one bit and haven't wandered far from her hotel. One day she heard music coming from a store. A good sounding music, not the modern trash everypony liked. She went in. expecting a live performance, but found herself in a music shop. She spent hours with ha very helphul clerk who showed her all kinds of classic music, and taught her how to operate a gramophone. She bought half of the Classic Section and a sturdy looking gramophone. That's how she fell in love with music. The cherry mare went back home with a big bag of bits securely hidden in her tool chest. She closed herself in the house for three days to detox by the music and brandy, and went out once the latter ran out. Her parnets caught wind of her, hungover, walking to the market. She got an earful for acting like that and she snapped back at how she didn't like it back there and was so homesick she just had to get hammered. That's how she started to be watched by the parental inquisition and had to come up with ha cache for her brandy. Thankfully the money was good enough to pay half of the loan. At the early days of her twenty seventh year, Crystal Clear took a habit of wandering in caves. SHe heard a rumor that somepony found a way in to the mines where ponies were made to dig out something - joping Evie was there, she took more and more risks on her adventures. Of course, she also collected crytals to cut costs of her work. That's how she met Nightmare Season.

@@Nightmare Season Crystal woke up. She felt hooves around her, a warm embrace. She also felt like she was glowing in her crystallised form. Strange. The mare opened her eyes and quickly regretted that - something was shining very bright. She grunted and looked away. Crystal saw the familiar black coat, but it was... glowing? "What the..." - She heard her husband talking. He sounded... normal. Not evil. Seems her gambit worked. He lifted her up and showed the now remade Crystal Heart. She could now look at it without being blinded and noticed their cutie marks in its center. He let her back on the ground and the mare stood on shaky legs. She approached the Heart and raised a good to it. It felt the same as the one up North. The familiar warmth emanating to those bonded with it. The steady glow of peaceful energy. She felt it slowly mend her spirit after being so wrecked by the nightmare. Breathing was less of a chore now. Crystal Clear slowly looked around at her Kingdom. It looked... She couldn't tell really. Like she had no opinion on it. The mare faced her husband and felt... nothing. She should be concerned, scared even but... she wasn't. "Something's wrong Nightmare. I don't... feel. Like I forgot how to do that." She was still very weak so she took a seat and ran a hoof over her belly. She didn't feel love for her unborn foals. "I think I'm broken." - she said matter of fact, without a hint of emotion. The mare shakily got up and tried to come down, but felt too weak after just a few steps and had to turn back. She stared at the Heart and felt it's restoring magic. "I think I can't go too far from it, or my soul falls apart. Strange... Can you set me up a tent here? And bring some food? I'm starving. Both normally and for dream energy." Her calm and collected exterior was probably the most frightening. The emotional mare became cold as stone.

@ She glanced at her dish and nodded. "I've got a lot of it in here, so no problem." She continued her meal a but faster, while breathing a bit heavier. Seems like she needed to cool down. Once the fork hit the bottom if her plate, the mate got up and took her dishes to the sink, and proceeded to make the second bowl for Aquarius. "You like music?" - Crystal Clear asked out if the blue while prepping the salad. "It can get awfully quiet in here, so I brought a gramophone. One of the "wonders of modern Equestrian technology"... I admit, I use it a lot since I bought it back on that awful Manehattan. I've got some records with what they call classical music. Couldn't stand the modern rhythmic noise they call music these days..." She scrunched her nose and sighed. "Sorry for... you know. Snapping at you. I have a short temper, you see."

@, Crystal gave him an unamused look. "Have you spant too much time out there and your brain froze? I told you - I'm a pony who came back to this world after a thousand years who keeps mostly to herself. I've no bucking idea of like, eighty percent of the modern world and you keep asking me about famous ponies? Come on! I've been much more interested in how things work and adjusting to modern social standards than stuffing my head with names that matter nothing to me, okay?" She got a bit angry at all that questioning, and took a bite of her salad, munching it while giving him a cold stare. "Once I'm finished I'll make you something to eat. Any preferences from the short list I have here?"

@@Nightmare Season, The crystal nightmare nodded frantically at her mother in-law's proposition. She'd never let her husband become evil for some shiny artifact! She continued letting out the pressure through her eyes when the strange mare gave a look over to Nightmare Season, and said something went wrong. "W-what? Did I do s-something? Wake him up, now!" Hearts-Dream brought even worse news as she looked into his heart. Not Crystal was very frightened. "M-mother... could you... go there? Fix my husband?" They both looked at the tall mare. She didn't have good news to share. Hearts-Dream asked her to finish the job and Crystal nodded frantically through her tears. "Whatever it takes to save him! B-but I can't just take it out, he'll become evil, mother! Like the King!" She gave the curious look at the sight of the golden root. ""Am I supposed to... eat it again?" The tall mare explained her what to do and she took the root. She was still crying, but concentrated all her willpower on the root, thinking of all the good Nightmare Season had in him, why she loved him. It started glowing, and then changed into a crystal looking like their clan banner - the mariage of their cutie marks. The crystal faded away as soon as it formed and the expecting mother panicked, looking where it went. "Nononononononono!! Where did it go, did I do something wrong?!" The mare dispelled her fears and told her to hurry. Crystal Clear quickly lied down like the previous time ad touched horns with him. It took a bit to fall asleep again, but she managed. The feeling of being pulled out of her body was just as unpleasant as before, but the landscape she found herself in changed. The green patches were scorched and dried, and the whole place was starting to be filled with dark fog. She was again a crystal pony, but held a cecklace with the crystal she made. It shone and dispelled the mist around her. The mare ran as fast as she could to where she found the shard the first time. When she got there, the mist was much, much larger than previously. The shard was glowing faintly and it's safety bubble was much smaller. The mare walked towards it and spat a venomous welcome. "I'm here for the shard, husband..." The mist seemed to like what it heard, but took notice of her new accessory. Crystal was just like, ten steps from the edge of the shard's safe zone. Her own crystal kept the mist at bay, but it was furious at the transparency of her plan. "Yell all you want, I won't let you become the terror of the night. This crystal will take the shard's place, and will bind you to the light of good just as effectively. You know you can't fight the light!" She walked with her head high and was now wothin hoof reach of the shard. Crystal took off her crystal, and it shone so bright it was impossible to look at it. The mist was enraged and promised her all kinds of horrifying fates. The mare smirked and quickly switched places between the crystals on the small pedestal there was. Her crystal formed a large safe bubble imediately, and the mist was pushed back. A powerful wind came out of it in all directions, dispelling the fog and slowly recultivating the green patches. The crystal shard was onit's last legs and she kept it close to her heart. However, it dissipated and left this place. Crystal Clear hoped it showed up between them in the bed. It was time to get back. She saw the mist cirsling the safe zone like a wolf, but felt confident. She walked out of the zone... ...and that's what the mist waited for. It engulfed her from all sides. With no protection against it, she was defenceless. The mist cackled as it explained to her what will come to pass - it will corrupt her heart and make her shatter the crystal she just brought, and they will be together forever, as the most terryfying force ever to set a hoof in the waking world. She struggled against it. "No. You. W-aaaaghh!" It hurt, more like anything in her whole life. The mare screamed in pain as the mist seemingly dissolved the good inside her like acid. She couldn't focus to wake up, or escape. All there was, was pain and the evil voice. She felt like she was changing - the mane and tail were becoming fire and reverting back to the normal hair. Patches of her coat were becoming black. The mist laughed at it's final victory, which seemed so close. Crystal Clear could barel see through tearful eyes, but she knew the safe zone is hust a step away. She couldn't fight it, she was too weak for that. She decided to reinforce the crystal with the last bits of good inside her. The crystal started shining brighter, and the safe zone expanded, slowly. The mist was too busy tormenting her to notice. When Crystal Cear was nearly completely a nightmare, she managed to get a hooftip inside the bubble. The mist was thrown away from her and she crawled back in to the safe zone, wheezing and barely breathing from the after shocks of te agonizing pain. The light burned, the safe zone wanted to washe her away, but she held her ground by the virtue of stubborness alone. The mist changed her, she felt it. The light wouldn't burn if it wasn't true. She saw a tiny tatch of her black fur revert back to cherry. This gave her an idea. The - now nightmare through and through - crawled towards the crystal, and it burned her even more. But for all the pain she endured, it was... working. The light burned out the evil inside of her. The mist was furious and warned her that, without it's evil, here will be too little of her to survive. The nightmare didn't care. She styed until all the darkness was stamped out and she didn't feel burning. When the pain stopped, she was back a crystal pony. But she was... somewhat transparent? And very weak too. Unable to stand up, she just concentrated on going back. She woke up. Opening her eyes was a mighty feat. Crystal saw with unfocused eyes as the tall mare and Hearts-Dream look at her - she couldn't tell their expresions, everything was so fuzzy. "Did I?" - they said something but she couldn't understand. Crystal lost conciousness.

@, Crystal looked up from her plate with a raised eyebrow. "I thought you said changelings eat just for show?" Shethought for a moment as she munhed her salad. "Well... stuff that can survive the trip in freezing temperatures of course. Oats, salads, hay fries... I've got flour too but haven't bothered with doing anything with it aside from making a crisp maybe. Like I said, hardly a five star quisin but, it's edible alright." The mare continued her meal, visibly thinking about something. She spoke after chewing down a bite. "It's kinda hard to answer your question really. Equestria is big, and I bet many ponies have rose to some level of fame. When I was in Manehattan I saw posters with ponies all over the place.Mostly artists but I can't recall the names. Modern art is just so not my taste..." She rests her chin on a hiif. "Or I'm just a boring shut-in. Hard to decide really. Back on topic, it seems the Rich family owns like, half of the country by the look of it. I made a entrance to their bank in Manehattan, that's why I came here in the first place. And I don't miss that place for a second - too big and too noisy for me. And all those "are you a crystal pony? How cool! Do this, and that! I thought I'll go insane, or start dresingin some full coverage... whatever. Just to have some peace." She paused and grinned sheepishly. "What was the question again?"

@@Nightmare Season, The tall mare told the gathered nighmares and alicorn of what she knew and what must be done to restore the Heart. Crystal added bits from herself, like the ponynap. Nightmare was gifted with one missing shard. The royal couple asked for a moment of privacy and went to another room. They had a talk about the risks involved. the Queen was afraid of losing the husband she knew and loved, but he also knew she wanted to restore the Heart. Finally it was he who decided to do it. They came back and annouced the decision. The mare presented them potions and told what to do. The couple went to their bedroom and did as were told. Crysatl Clear felt the most bizzare sensation yet - of being pulled out from her own body. When she came around, she was... a crystal pony. And not pregnant. Once the initial shock dissipated, she looked around - the landscape was far from inviting, to be honest. Thugh there were green patches here and there. She decided to start there. It was anypony's guess how long she walked up and down the alien landscape, but it felt like ages. At some point she saw a feint glow in the distance - the Crystal Heart, and an evil looking mist trying to do damage to it. She went to investigate. The mist adressed her and she stopped dead on her tracks. The sudden realisation struck her like lightning. She stammered "Y-you... it's..." She fell silent under the soft glow of the shard and the burning eyes of the nightmare. An impossible decision. The mist circled around her, trying to convince her to take what she came for. Promised terrible things. She couldn't take it any more and snapped. "Shut up! You are not the pony I love! You... You... If that's what it takes to keep you on the path of good, then I can happily let the broken heart rot in the dusty chamber I found it forever, you hear me?! I won't let you become the terror you so want to be! Setting you loose will outweight anything I can possibly achieve with the Heart, and I will not let our foals live under an evil father!" She breathed rapidly, tears forming in her eyes. The mist was confused and circled aroud her, unsure how to convince her. Something told her that she wouldn't be harmed - she was the best chance of the nightmare to get rid of the shard. The mare started crying - why she had to face such things again and again? She ran away and wished to wake up, like she did in the dreams. Tears marking her route. She woke up with a start. Quickly patting herself to make sure she was back - she was in her body, unchanged. Nightmare was stil asleep. Crystal sat up and ran a hoof over her adomen. Hearts-Dream and the tall mare were both present as they watched over the sleepig nightmares. crystal started crying again and sobbed to them. "I-I couldn't... I-it makes him... him! I'm sorry, but I can't set loose the evil inside him, not even the Heart will stop him then! Why him!" She couldn't stop crying and Hearts-Dream took pity on her daughter in-law, taking her in a wing hug and trying to comfort. The tall mare frowned but remained silent.

@@Nightmare Season, The crystal nightmare was relieved to hear that. At least these strange ponies had simillar goals with hers. She watched another vision. "So that's why the shards glow when he touches them..." Crystal had a lot to think about, and simply followed the mare outside and towards the village outskirts. The idea of taking the shard from her husband was just... "Are you crazy?! If you expect me to butcher my own husband, father of my foals, for a crysatl shard, then you spent too much time in that hut. Not gonna happen!" The answer confused her, and Queen Nightmare cocked her head slightly. "Say what? Now you tell me I need to take a part of his personality? Still don't get it..." Somehow she was afraid that this whole business wil change Nightmare Season, and not for the better. Still, she hopped on the strange portable throne that was presented to her - better that than walking - and let herself be escorted back home. Crystal Clear was awfully quiet on the road back. She tried to make sense of all she had learned. And really, really hoped her husband won't become evil once the shard is out. The strange mare was also content with silence as they marched. The crystal nightmare dozed off on her throne, feeling dream hungry and rhytmically rocked on the throne. She woke up with a start at the sound of the horn. Looking around, she noticed it was evening already. They were approaching the gate that led to the farm, and the sentries noticedthem. If only they were so keen when a bunch of huge, strange ponies were ponynapping her. The guards wil have an earful. The strange group waited for the gate to open. Crystal felt better now that she was home again. The heavy, studded wooden doors slowly swung open and she saw her husband impatiently waiting inside. She was let back on her hooves and basically ran towards him. They hugged tightly andshe tried to say everything at once. "I'm so happy to see you again! I found the missing shards and these strange ponies are going to help! They kinda ponynallped me first but it's all okay now and..." He shushed her, since it all didn't make sense. Said Hearts-Dream came back. Crystal nodded. "Heart knows we'll need her, and soon. Come on, take me back home. And our... guetsts too. They don't speak equestrian, only that mare does." She motioned the strange ponies to follow them to the palace. "She'll explain everything to us, and Mother, when we're inside, okay?" Nightmare sent a pony to find the alicorn and they met in the large day room, furnished with tables and cushions. Te strange ponies barely fit under the low ceilings.

@ The mare nodded as she carefully made room on the table to put down her plates. She rolled the map but didn't touch the crystals. Once sure she won't accidentally spill her tea on his stuff, Crystal Clear took a seat and began eating. Only now she realised just how hungry she was...

@, The mare was surprised by a suden hug, but decided to go with it - he needed some comforting. She patted his back as he spoke. he let go of her and she pouted slightly. "Sounds more like he was about to make ponies bark their supposed insults under the table rather than ease the relations, but I didn't know him so... maybe he just talked like that." The kettle started whistling and she quickly scooped it to make tea. "Once you get to the Empire, tell the Crystal Princess of your suspicions about your mother. There's like, no way they let you talk to the Princess of the Night without some serious recommendations. Or so I think at least. Could you take your cup? My hooves are kinda full." Crystal Clear brought her dinner and tea cup tothe table in a few turns.

@@Nightmare Season, The crystal mare watched with some measure of curiosity as the strange mare prepare the vision, and then watch it with visible fright. "That... That's the King! He took over my home city too! Seems we were more fortunate though, MUCH more fortunate..." She frowned deeply at her newfound knowlendge. Seems restoring the Heart will be impossible after all. Not until Hearts-Dream is alive at least. A burp inside cauldron broke her out of the dep thoughts back to reality. Crystal looked at the strange mare and said: "I'd like to return home. Since my husband is the rightful ruler of the City, would you assist us in restoring it? Or at least, not hinder our efforts? There's also the matter of the shard, but, since we lack the other one, obviously, I guess there's no point in wrestling it from you, right? Unless you'd like to give it freely?" She smiled pleasantly to increase her chances.

@, Crystal was walking back from the stove when he said that. She approached him and put a hoof on his shoulder, for reassurance. She lookd concerned nd rathersupportive. "I'm sorry to hear that. It's easy to take what you have for granted, I suppose. I never really paused and thought how good it is to have my folks around... I hope you'll find them." She was about to trn around when she recalled something. "The younger of the Royal Sisters in Canterlot is a Princess of the Night. She has a starry mane and crescent moon cutie mark. It's a long shot but, maybe?"

@@Nightmare Season, The silence was killing her. Finally the strange mare said something in her language and she was taken inside the tree house. They laid her again, and the crystal nightmare looked around, scared. Even more so after mentioning they will kill her if they don't believe her. She covered her abdomen instinctively - the mother's last attempt to protect her young. Her eyes went wide at th sight of the crystal shard. "T-that's the missing piece of the Heart! One of the two!" The mare called her athief again. she shook her head frantically. "No! I'm trying to put it back together! Restore the city and-" She was cut off and curled even more. The long necked mare picked a bottle with some liquid and, using the shard, changed it's color. She forced the crystal nightmare to drink it and she fought back, but eventually had to gibve up. The taste was... it couldn't even be described how awful it was. She retched and spit from the liquid as a dream root was pressed to her forehead and she watched in horror as her own memories play out in the fog above the pot. What did she do to her? She still rememebered those things, so maybe it wasn't anything bad... She had a knife. And was alking toards her. Crystal tried to squirm away from her but to no avail. The strange mare cut her bindings ratherthan her throat. She breathed out heavily and went limp from all the horor and stress. The expecting mother was helped to get back on her shaky hooves. "I see..." She looked at the other strange ponies, trying to tell whether they were friendly now. "I uhh... have a lot of questions, like I said Mother didn't join us and dodn't say a thing aboutthe city, only foretold that I will find a good place for camp. She made a fortune telling before we set out. Can you... take me back home? Maybe visit to see how we're doing? Like I said am trying to bring the city back, but there's so much we don't know. And there's the Crystal Heart too..." Crystal glanced again at the other strange ponies. "I come from a city that has a Crystal Heart too. Thought it's the only one there is. But ours is okay and the city prospers. This city doesn't - so what happenned?"

@, Crystal Clear looked with some concern at the changeling. "That's sad to hear. Is your dad alive still? Or gave you any clues on who your mom is? I guess it must've been hard not knowing her." She finally finished making herself a meal and decided to set the pot for tea. Truth be told, she would gladly have some too.

@, The mare was busy with fighting her archenemy - cooking, as he came up. "I'll set a teapot as soon as I'm done here then." She frowhed slightly as her salad tried to escape the bowl and looked at Aquarius who just asked about her parents. "They're okay. Mom's a tricky one but dad is an eternal optimist. They have a general goods store back in the Empire. I sometmes help around or bring them something nice for sale. We're in good relations and I'm sure glad for it. One could say they're my lifeline when I get too deep into my work and hole up in the workshop." Recalling her family improved her mood some.

@@Nightmare Season, Nightmare led the expedition into the quarry and Crystal stayed behind. She was still sad from the encounter with the widow. On the next day she saw smoke rising from the direstion of the quarry - seems Nightmare wasn't taking chances there. Somewhat worried about his safely, she spent the rest of the day until it was time to sleep. The bowl of fruits was unexpected, but maybe Sparks was trying to cheer her up. The crystal nightmare sat on the bed for a snack. As she ate half of the first one, something was wrong. She felt... odd. Lightheaded and... "Oh buck, anypony heel..." - She lost conciousnes. The crystal nightmare shook awake and felt binds on her legs. She struggled against them as she regained conciousness. She was ponynapped, and by some very strange ponies too. "Hey, why you took me? What did I do to you? Answer me!" She got angry, but more so, scared. These strange ponies talked in a different language. What would they do to her? Or her foals? She fell silent as fear won against anger. They carried her for hours, but seemed rather gentle about it. Maybe because she was visibly pregnant. They took her to a hidden village around a massive dream tree. Eve larger than the one back North. The stretchers were laid on the ground before the door to a home inside it. Crystal curled up, not sure what to expect. The door opened and a female strange pony came out. A leader? Healer? Both? Thankfully she spoke Equestrian. Crystal's eyes darted all around, but having found no reassurance she looked at the one who asked questions. She took a deep breath and tried to sound caml. Tried. "I come from the other side of the Forest. My husband said there are ponies across the forest too, and we tried to reach them. For trade. We followed the river and found the city. Accidentally, really. A-as it turns out, my husband is the son of the last ruler of that city. We figured out from the reliefs, she haven't joined us on the journey. Hearts-Dream? You know that name?"

@, Crystal turned back to him and shook her head regretfully. "Afraid not... It would get spoiled on the road, with the freezing temperatures and all. Just water and tea in here, not much of a choice really... Sorry. Maybe you'd settle for tea then? The stove makes the air dry, so drinking a lot is rather important, at least for ponies." Another rumble made her get back to prepping a meal.