It took a bit longer than Twilight had thought for everypony to be deemed well enough to go back to Ponyville. All the fliers except for Thorax and Discord still had injured/extremely strained wings. All those who Flurry had used as ragdolls in her little outburst also found it painful to move or walk as well. Even after the week was out, the doctors said it would take almost another week for everypony to be fully healed.

Celestia and Luna decided to drop by the Crystal Empire to see how they were. Luna told Echo that Silent Sound had nearly panicked when Hemlock disappeared, and the proof was in the filly's worst-case-scenario nightmares. She, the Apples, Rarity and Sweetie's parents, Rainbow's parents, and even Fluttershy's animals were terrified for everypony. (And the princesses were pretty sure the Changelings were also worried about Thorax and Pharynx.)

Thankfully, everypony who was worried about the visitors in the Crystal Empire was assured they were safe. Flurry didn't cause any trouble with the magic-infused metal coating her horn, and was only powerful enough to levitate her stuffed toys and maybe drag Shining Armor over to her by the tail. Sadly, there was still something that had Echo concerned.

"What? You've been having nightmares all week?" Luna asked the Bat princess in shock one night.

Echo nodded slowly, light purple eyes gleaming in the moon from the window of her room. "I suppose hearing about what had happened to Pharynx brought up the time when I had to... kill Velvet Tear and Crimson Ice. They may have hurt me and the other orphans as long as I can remember, but I always keep having nightmares of being on the other end of the fatal beam."

Luna wrapped a wing around the fellow nocturnal princess. "You needn't worry. Though your nightmares certainly sound chilling, it only proves that you aren't willing to kill anypony unless absolutely necessary. You saved many young orphaned ponies. I will keep a close eye on your dreams until this apparent trigger has passed."

Echo smiled in gratitude. "Thanks, Luna. I'm glad to always have a friend and fellow night princess like you."

Luna returned the smile, nodding in agreement. "And I wish you pleasant dreams as always."

Echo went strolling through the more forest-like areas of the kingdom. She had been cooped up inside sleeping through the night all too often. The fresh air was a welcome change to the Bat Princess. While she was still a little sore in the wing, she was glad the aftermath of the minor head injury was gone. Now I can actually be nocturnal again, she grinned to herself, humming her song happily.

Her ear twitched in the direction before she stopped humming and moving. She turned around and glared at a certain crystal spire. "Alright, that kind of noise level makes me think you're not even trying to be stealthy."

The spire lit up in green flames before a fawn-in-the-spotlight scared Pharynx appeared in place of the spire. At this point, the cracks of his broken wing-case and wing had disappeared completely, the joints almost fully healed. "I... just wanted to listen to you sing... and noticed you're really good at it... and pretty, heh..."

Echo stifled a laugh at the flustered teal Changeling. "You don't need to be so nervous. Walk with me."

Pharynx's ears pricked as a raspberry-colored flush covered his muzzle. When Echo looked looked at him with a wry smile, he cleared his throat and cantered up to her, walking alongside her.

"So, uh... I noticed that you and Princess Luna are awfully close," he attempted to start a conversation.

Echo giggled. "Well, she was technically the first alicorn I met after we escaped the orphanage. It was even before I found out about the spell hiding my Bat nature." She noticed the moon suddenly shift its position, as if it were becoming a spotlight for the dark-colored pair. "Speaking of Luna, it appears that she's up to something."

"I'd usually go for a moonlit flight back at the Hive," Pharynx mused, flaring out his wings. "Well, more like a training session, but still moonlit."

Echo nodded in agreement. She caught herself almost staring at how the light refracted off his shiny armor and horns, glassy wings, and accented the jewels on his throat. The moon also lit up the pale webbing of her wings, catching on her jewelery and catching Pharynx's eyes. "Maybe we'd be able to go on a moonlit flight when we next see each other."

Pharynx blushed at the thought before something else found his sense of smell. "What's that smell?" he asked. "Smells like some sort of fruit."

Echo sniffed the air. "You're right. I think it's coming from the other side of that thicket." She trotted over to the cluster of bushes when she noticed the purple clusters within the tropical green foliage. "Or should I say, it's coming from the thicket itself."

Pharynx eyed the clusters with keen interest, sniffing them before hesitantly picking one off and eating it. "Hey, not bad," he grinned. "These must be the famous crystal berries only found here."

Echo plucked a cluster of berries with her magic and popped one in her mouth. "Yeah, these are pretty tasty. No wonder the Crystal ponies make so many kinds of sweets with these berries. I hear AJ's going to bring some of these to Ponyville when we're able to head home."

"Maybe Thorax and I can bring some to the Hive," Pharynx mused, munching on more berries. "And you can bring some to your kingdom. We'd be able to grow these berries."

Echo hummed thoughtfully as she polished off her cluster. "That might work, if the berries are able to grow outside the Crystal Empire. Maybe we can give it a try." She plucked off two small clusters and gave one to Pharynx. "I hear it takes two moons to grow, so we'll take that time when we're able to go home. If they grow in either of our kingdoms, we can tell one another about it. Deal?" She held out a hoof to shake.

Pharynx grinned and shook hooves with her. "Deal."