Crystal fought the urge to lick her lips as a plate of steaming zucchini and pasta, lightly coated in alfredo sauce, was set in front of her. Instead, she politely thanked her mother for bringing the plate over and began to unwrap her napkin, which she rested over her lap, while she waited for both of her parents to be seated.
"Now, darling, are you still writing successfully?" Upper Crust asked, raising her wine glass with her magic wrapped around the stem to take a sip. "You aren't struggling to pay the bills, are you? You know that your father and I are still willing to send you money while you're in school."
"I—"
"She's an independent mare," Jet Set interrupted. "She doesn't need her parents' support anymore."
Upper Crust snorted lightly. "Need and want are different things."
Crystal's ears flattened and she glanced between them. "I'm fine," she said, her voice raising from the irritation already buzzing in her chest. "My writing is fine. My finances are fine. Velvet and I are fine. Pass the salt, please?"
The salt and pepper shakers floated over and she seasoned her meal while Upper Crust said, "Yes, that's right. Velvet just gained a brother, didn't she?" She clicked her tongue. "At her parents' age, I'm just glad the foal is all right."
"They're younger than you and Dad." Crystal had to focus to ensure she didn't slam the salt shaker on the table when her magic lowered it.
"And you don't see us with another foal so late in our lives, do you?" Upper Crust twirled some fettuccine around her fork.
Jet Set frowned at his daughter. "Now, dear, I don't mean to pry, but as your father I have to make certain... Have you talked to Velvet about what we talked about?"
"Yes, what did you two talk about on the balcony?" Upper Crust glanced between them.
"Not yet," Crystal admitted, blatantly ignoring her mother by looking directly at him. "She's been so busy with little Red that we haven't had much time to talk lately."
Jet Set balanced his silverware on the outer rim of his plate, steepled his hooves, and furrowed his brow. "It won't affect your friendship with her, will it? You have been friends for so long."
Upper Crust frowned at them, sighed loudly, and resigned herself to merely listening while she ate.
"Huh?" Crystal tilted her head, then shook it. "No, of course not. She'll understand."
Jet Set tapped his hooves a few times. "I see." A smile crossed his lips. "Ah, I don't understand you young ponies. So free-spirited these days. But, as long as you're happy, dear, then your mother and I are."
"Don't speak for me," Upper Crust chided. "I don't know what you two are discussing without me, so how can I be happy about it?"
Jet Set glanced between the two mares, then looked to Crystal, gesturing for her to speak.
"Oh." Crystal bit her lower lip before she straightened up. "The friend in the hospital is a stallion that I... like." The word was difficult to say, not because it wasn't true, but because—
"Like?!" Upper Crust squawked. Her magic flickered out and her fork clattered to the plate. "As in, like? Crystal, you—" She sputtered. "I didn't—" She jerked her head toward Jet Set, and Crystal watched the two engage in an unspoken conversation using a language she was pretty sure was reserved for married couples.
Finally, after a few gapes, brow raises, and shrugs, they looked back at her, Upper Crust staring wide-eyed and Jet Set keeping a calm expression.
Crystal rolled her eyes. "I know, okay? Velvet and Horsey have been on my case about it for years. Honestly, I'm surprised you weren't, Mom. But it might not matter anyway because I was talking to Dad about how I don't know if he's the one for me."
Upper Crust took a hurried sip of her wine before she said with careful precision, "Darling, could you tell me more about this stallion?"
"Why?" she muttered. "What's the point?"
"Why? Is it wrong for a mother to want to know her daughter's interests so that she could keep an eye out for a partner that might suit her?"
Crystal glared at her. "I don't need you playing matchmaker, Mom."
Jet Set cleared his throat and shifted his attention to Upper Crust. "He's a royal guard, dear."
"Dad!"
He shrugged almost helplessly. "She would interrogate me later, and I don't keep secrets from my wife. I think it makes more sense for you to be here to answer her questions."
Crystal sunk down in her seat, crossing her forelegs over her chest, scowling at the table. This conversation wasn't going anywhere near the direction she liked, but when did they when her mother was involved? "Fine."
Upper Crust started intently at her. "A royal guard? Is he one of those unicorns that just stand around all day at the palace?" Her nose scrunched up briefly. "Well, I suppose that's a step up."
"Not all royal guards just 'stand around all day,' Mom," Crystal said, clenching her jaw. "And he's not a unicorn, he's a pegasus. A lot of royal guards are actually earth ponies, you know."
Upper Crust hummed as she mulled the information over, then nodded. "You could do better, darling."
Crystal blinked a few times. Her gaze darted about as her mind kicked into gear before she jolted upright, chair sliding back and napkin falling to the floor. "Step up? Better? Oh my Celestia, Mom, is that what this is about?!" Her voice rose as the anger boiled in her. "It's because Velvet's an earth pony, isn't it? That's why you're always judging her?"
She kicked the chair out of her way, dropped down onto all fours, and stormed out of the room, ignoring her parents' pleas for her to calm down. "I don't care if she's a donkey! And for that matter, I wouldn't care if Silent Knight was a donkey. I still love him!"
The front door slammed behind her to punctuate her sentence, though it likely startled her more than her parents. A hoof flew to cover her mouth, but the words had already escaped. Her ears folded back and the anger deflated into trembling uncertainty as tears rushed to her eyes.
I still love him.
---
Crystal sighed, sprawled on the floor in the back room of Sunridge Sweets while Velvet and Sunbeam rushed about with a large order. She tried to find some kind of joy or disgust in the way Red gurgled happily while chewing on her braid, but instead she just sighed again.
"Keep it up, Crystal, and I'm going to put you in time out," Velvet scolded, pulling a batch of cupcakes out of the oven. "You're going to teach Red that it's okay to mope around all day."
Red giggled and turned his bobbing, wobbling head toward Velvet at the sound of his name. Velvet made a silly face at him as she hurried past to put the cupcakes onto a cooling rack and he squealed in delight, then returned to chewing on the braid.
"How are you not upset?" Crystal rolled her head to peer up at the mare. "My mother is acting like a barbaric pre-Equestrian!"
"Oh, sugar, it's not her fault," Sunbeam coaxed from the decorating table. "From my experience, that sort of attitude is common in Canterlot, even if nopony says it outright." She giggled and added, "My, my! It looks like the students are besting the master in Canterlot culture!"
"Indubitably!" Velvet cheered.
Crystal scrunched up her nose. "I mean, I knew some ponies were like that, but... my own mother?"
Velvet turned toward her after rescuing all the cupcakes from overcooking in their hot tin cells. "Are you really surprised, or are you just upset for me?" Crystal grunted, and Velvet smiled. "Aww, that's sweet! But I don't care what your mom thinks of me. I've got way bigger problems than her."
Crystal rolled onto her stomach and straightened up. "Like what?"
Velvet tapped one hoof against the other as she listed off, "Well, there's my mopey friend and her mopey love, there's the ever-annoying Perennial, and this little guy!" She bent down and scooped Red into her forelegs. "Who's a little drool monster? Huh? Yeah! My little drool monster!"
Sunbeam giggled and stacked the last cupcake onto the tray. "Now, now, I'm not so tired of him yet that I'm ready to give him away! He still has that new foal smell."
"Aww..." Velvet bounced him up and down. "You're so greedy, Mom! You got to have me and now you get to have him?"
"Well, I did go through the whole labor ordeal." Sunbeam playfully stuck her nose in the air. "I think that entitles me to some amount of greediness."
Velvet sat down beside Crystal, setting Red in her lap and playing with his hooves. "Uh-huh, yeah, whatever. I could do it. Maybe." She turned her head to look at her friend. Her voice fell to a serious level when she asked, "So, how are you doing?"
Crystal didn't meet her gaze. "I don't know. I thought I knew what I was signing up for, but..."
"But you rushed in headfirst and tripped over your hooves?" Velvet smiled halfheartedly. "Can you get somepony to cover your shift? Maybe you shouldn't be there six hours a day every day."
"I could ask Runic... Maybe I'll offer to work the shop so he doesn't go out of business?" Crystal sighed. "Iridescence was right, though I'm loath to admit it."
"Oh yeah?" Velvet tilted her head.
Crystal nodded and dropped her head down to rest on her forelegs, closing her eyes halfway. "She said normal ponies aren't prepared for situations like this."
"That's true," Sunbeam interjected, "but you're not a normal pony, sweetiecakes."
Crystal's head lifted to look up at the mare, brow furrowed. "Aren't I?"
Sunbeam shook her head. "Certainly not! You're my precious little daughter from another mother!" A chime of laughter escaped her. "You got Pepper and me this wonderful bakery when you were just a filly. Surely that counts for something?"
Crystal smiled, but the downtrodden look didn't leave her eyes. "That's a little different from getting involved with a stallion who puts his life in danger as part of his job."
Sunbeam hummed in thought while she stirred a bowl of frosting. "Is that really true, though?"
"Huh?" Crystal blinked a few times. "Of course it is. He's in the hospital, isn't he?"
"You've known him for about a year, right?"
Crystal pursed her lips. "Give or take."
"And how many times has he been in the hospital?"
"Only this once," she admitted in a quiet voice. "But—"
Sunbeam giggled. "No buts, muffinlump! Until it happens a second time, you can't know if it's going to happen again. Pepper Ridge forgot our anniversary once." Her expression darkened. "And only once." The smile returned. "He learned his lesson, so I forgave him!"
Crystal laughed, albeit somewhat nervously, and looked at Velvet. "Remind me to never forget your mom's birthday."
Velvet gave a stern nod of her head. "Never forget Mom's birthday."
"That's my girls!" Sunbeam winked and turned back to her decorating work.
---
It had been several days, and though Runic had been happy to take on some of Crystal's hours, she still had three hours to spend with Silent Knight and they never got easier. She sat in the usual chair beside him, looking at him, the clock and machines filling the silence.
"Did I tell you about Baltimare?" she said rather suddenly. "I don't remember what I've already told you, so just let me know if you've already heard this, all right?" She groaned a laugh. "Right..." There was a pause as she took a slow breath in. "They talk so strangely there. I didn't explore too much because everywhere I went, I was so confused that I ended up hiding in my hotel room. I did get a crabapple pie, though. It was worth the time it took trying to figure out how many bits the vendor wanted."
She licked her lips. They were dry. "The ocean was beautiful, too. I watched the moon rise over the sea. I wonder if you were watching that moon, too? It would have been rising over the gryphon kingdom, wouldn't it?" Her ears fell to the sides and she looked down at her lap, adding in a tentative whisper, "I thought about you the whole time you were gone. Did you think of me?"
A knock from the door startled her and she raised her gaze to see it open, revealing the instantly recognizable figure of the Captain of the Canterlot Guard, Shining Armor.
"Hello?" he asked, his voice firm but gentle. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude. I'll come back later."
"Oh, no, no!" Crystal nearly stumbled trying to stand. "It's perfectly fine, sir."
Shining Armor inclined his head to look at her with a smile. "You don't have to call me sir. I'm off duty."
Crystal felt the blood rush to her face. Though he was somewhat imposing, given his position and well-built figure, his smile was casual enough that it stirred butterflies in her stomach. Few ponies made her feel starstruck, but he was one of them. "O-Okay. Anyway, I'll wait outside, so don't mind me."
"Thank you." He paused, then asked, "You're Crystal Wishes, aren't you?"
Her knees threatened to buckle. "How did you know?"
Shining grinned. "You're on Princess Luna's access list. I'd not be doing my job very well if I didn't know who you were."
"Oh. That makes sense." She smiled lopsidedly. "I'm leaving... Actually, this time." She stepped toward the door. "Bye."
A sigh escaped her as she walked out into the hall. One of the most notable things about Shining Armor that got her all twitterpated was that he was married to—"Lady Cadence!"
The regal mare sat on one of the benches with all the poise befitting somepony of her bloodline. "Yes?" She tilted her head. "I'm sorry, who are you?"
Crystal lost all sense of self. Lady Cadence was regarded as the Lady of Love and Crystal would be lying if she said she wasn't infatuated with the idea of her. She squeaked, "S-Sorry, I'm nopony. Nopony at all." She tried to back away down the hall. "Don't mind me."
Cadence smiled, though her brow knitted curiously. "If you were in Sergeant Knight's room, then I highly doubt that." She patted the empty space on the bench beside her. "Why don't you wait here while my Shining visits him?"
Crystal obeyed with her head held submissively low and sat down. She crossed her legs and twiddled her forehooves.
"How do you know Sergeant Knight?" Cadence asked. Her voice was light and airy and wonderful.
"Oh, I, well." She glanced up at her. "My name is Crystal Wishes. We're... friends."
Cadence looked at her in a strangely familiar way—not in the sense of being friendly, but as if she had been looked at by somepony else in the same manner. It was a briefly intense stare, not quite focused on her face, instead somewhere lower. Cadence's gaze then wandered away and a smile illuminated her face. "That's not quite true, now, is it?"
Crystal's ears folded back and she leaned away from her, then looked down at the floor. "I-It is, Lady Cadence. We're just friends."
"Hmm..." Cadence tapped a hoof to her chin. "Well, if you want to be in denial, I suppose I can't help you with that!"
They sat in silence for a moment while Crystal's mind rapidly worked over the encounter until she sighed. "How do you cope with it?"
"Cope with what?" Cadence blinked. "You being in denial?"
"No, I mean"—she raised her hooves to gesture at the door—"this. You're married to a soldier. How do you cope with knowing he might end up in a hospital, too, someday... or worse?"
Cadence's expression grew serious. She didn't respond at first, instead just staring intently at Crystal before she said, "I don't cope with it. I accept it." The smile returned, softer than before. "It's who Shining Armor is. He cares so much about the safety of everypony, which is why he takes his job seriously and it's my job to accept that about him."
"But—"
"Why do you think I married him?" Cadence interrupted.
Crystal hesitated, then replied, "Because... you love him?"
Cadence nodded. "And that means I love all of him, for better and for worse. This may not be what you want to hear right now, but it's the truth and I think you need to hear it."
"Okay," Crystal said tentatively, her ears pinned back against her mane. "I'm listening."
Cadence wrapped her hooves around one of Crystal's. "You don't just get to pick and choose what you love. You're either in, or you're not. You can't change a pony, and you can't change your heart." She smiled and squeezed the hoof she held. "The heart wants what the heart wants, Crystal."
Crystal opened her mouth to say something, but Cadence raised a hoof to close it.
"You're both still young. There's plenty of time to figure things out." She smiled and patted Crystal on the head.
"Are you patronizing her, Cady?" Shining Armor teased as he walked out into the hallway.
"What?" Cadence gasped in mock offense. "No!"
"You look like you're patronizing her."
Cadence giggled and slid off the bench to walk over to him. She nuzzled her head under his, then turned to look at Crystal. "I was giving her love advice. Isn't that right?" She winked.
Crystal flushed when Shining Armor looked at her with his brow raised, waiting for an answer. All she could do was gulp and nod.
"Well, that's good." He placed a kiss on Cadence's temple. "It was nice to formally meet you, Crystal Wishes. I just wish it could have been under better circumstances. Keep an eye on my sergeant, will you?"
"Oh, I'm sure she will." Cadence giggled again. "Go on ahead, Shining, I'll catch up with you." After he nodded and started away, she approached Crystal and lowered her voice. "Sergeant Knight will pull through. I like to believe only good things happen to good ponies, and from what Shining tells me, Sergeant Knight is one of the best." She put a hoof on the other's shoulder. "Try to smile, okay? It makes things a little easier when you add a little sugar to a tough situation."
Crystal nodded slowly. "I... think I understand, Lady Cadence."
Cadence winked before she turned to walk away. "He'll have a lot to apologize for, though, making a pretty mare cry. Remember to smile!" Her voice raised to address her husband. "Oh, Shining, dear, wait up!"
Crystal waved her off as she struggled against the redness heating her face. "Try to smile?" she mumbled under her breath, forcing the corners of her lips upward. Once they were out of sight, she turned her head to look at the door. As usual, two of Princess Luna's House Guards stood on both sides, not because they had to but because they wanted to. Today, Miley Hooves and Harvest Moon were standing at attention. Though their armor alone stood out against the overly white surroundings, with how still they remained at all times, it was easy to forget they were even there.
She offered them a small smile as she walked past. Miley broke form to smile back and Harvest Moon cleared his throat to pull Miley's focus back to the task at hoof. At the castle or at the hospital, if they were on duty, they were expected to act accordingly.
Inside, Silent Knight was, unsurprisingly, right where she had left him. "I'm back," she said with feigned cheer in her voice. "Did you have a nice talk with the captain?" She tugged the chair into place and sat down. "I got to talk to his wife, the Lady Cadence. She's wonderful." Her brow furrowed. "She reminds me of somepony, but I can't put my hoof on it."
She sighed and leaned forward to take one of Silent's hooves into her own. "Nonetheless, I think she more than anypony else can understand how I feel. I'm scared, Silent Knight. I thought this would be fine, that I'd just sit here and talk to—talk at you, and that it'd be a little bit fun to tell you all sorts of secrets." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Like how last week, I told my parents that I love you. I didn't mean to, it just... it just happened..."
As always, there was no response. His hoof remained limp in her grasp and, slowly, she set it back down. She simply sat there for a while, just breathing, though somewhat raggedly as emotions rumbled around like billiard balls after being struck by their lone white counterpart.
"I need you to wake up," she pleaded. "Not just for me. For everypony. Do you know how many visitors you receive? I mean..." She gestured around the room. There were several vases filled with bright, hopeful blooms strewn about. It had been a bit of a creative struggle to arrange them on the limited furniture available. "Do you really appreciate how many ponies care about you?"
A knock came from the door and it creaked open. Miley's little head poked in, her helmet off to let her long black mane cascade down her shoulders. "Hi! Is it okay if I come in?"
Crystal smiled and leaned back into her seat. She wiped her eyes to ensure they were dry before she said, "Of course, Miley."
Miley trotted over to the bed. "I just finished my shift, but before I left, I wanted to talk to you."
"Okay?" Crystal tilted her head, brow furrowed.
Miley turned her attention on Silent Knight. "Sorry, boss, but I hope you'll forgive me for saying what I'm going to say." She looked back at Crystal. "And I hope you'll forgive me, but I couldn't help overhearing your conversation with Lady Cadence."
Crystal's gaze fell to the sheets. "Yes?"
Miley took a deep breath, then said all at once, "I know that you're worried about Sergeant Knight getting hurt again but you shouldn't be because he made the decision he did to save the rest of us and it was really brave of him, not reckless or anything like that, and he made that decision at the last possible"—she gasped desperately for air—"moment because if he didn't we'd all probably be dead."
Crystal stared at Miley while the little mare panted. Sweat was visible on her dark brown coat, beading around her forehead and dripping down her temple. Finally, Crystal smiled. "I think I understand what you're trying to say. It's just a hard pill to swallow."
Miley stuck her chin in the air to assert her mini-dominance. "It's not easy for us, either, Miss Crystal. But we have to do what we have to do because if we don't, then something will happen to the ponies we care about. That's why we put ourselves out in harm's way. We don't want to get hurt, but if that meant keeping my friends and family safe, then I'd have done the same as Sergeant Knight."
Miley cleared her throat and her smile returned. "Anyway, I've got to go get ready for my date with Runic. We're actually going out tonight." The smile faded once more, a distant look in her eyes. "Out on the town, in open spaces. Actually, we haven't gone out of the shop for a date since I got back..." She shook her head quickly. "Anyway, have a good night, Miss Crystal. Try to think about what I said, okay?"
"I will. Thank you, Miley." She smiled. "Have fun on your date!"
"I hope so!" Miley chirped before she left the room.
The door clicked shut. She was alone again with Silent Knight, though she didn't look at him for a while.
"Everypony seems to agree, Silent." She stared at the wall. "I shouldn't give up on you. I should forgive you. I should accept who you are. I should understand your motivations. That all sounds so easy, but..." Finally, she turned her head and sighed at him. "Oh, who am I kidding? If I could give up on you, I would have already."
Crystal breathed in, then back out slowly. "You're strong, Silent Knight. I hope you can be patient, too, because I don't know how long it will take, but I'll learn to accept this." She placed her hoof on his and smiled. "I'll learn to accept you, for better and for worse."
Awwwwww....
I want moar.
Sooooooooo much moar.
For some reason, these sort of romance stories are my favourite on this site. Crystal and Silent are so adorable together!
Nooo, the dinner with her parents was starting well. unicorn master race
It's good to see Miley and Cadance talking. You probably made Miley says more words that in the whole Memoire/Secret story :)
Cadance is certainly in a good position to offer Crystal the specific advice she needed... and it was awfully convenient that they decided to visit right at that moment, while Crystal was present.
Every time I think Upper Crust is about to have a breakthrough and put aside her own beliefs for her daughter, she continues to disappoint. I'm not even sure how much of it was Crystal overreacting, either. That's the scary thing!
Now all that's left is for Crystal to be strong enough to tell Silent Knight when he wakes up. Because he will wake up. That's non-questionable.
I got such a kick out of the misunderstanding going around at that dinner table xD Man oh man, I can't wait to see all the reactions when they finally get that misconception out in the open!! Crystal, you're so clueless
D'awwww... Cadence is the Love Doctor.
I have to say, I have a vague idea of what Crystal was going through when talking to her parents. I haven't been there myself, but I try to understand how some people must feel despite whether I've experienced it or not. Let's hope for SK's speedy recovery.
Waiting for crystal to sucker punch her mother
Waiting for crystal to sucker punch her mother
It seems to me that "Doubt" and "Acceptance" are chapters that came from your soul. Oceans of feeling, islands of lighthearted moments, chained passions, and straining relationships. This is the heart of this story.
I don't know if you are like me at all, but I get story ideas like short Youtube clips. Scenes that make me want to tell the whole story of the characters involved. If so, I would guess that this is your scene. This is what you saw that made you want to share this story. I don't know if that made writing this more fluid, or more difficult, but the sense that your passions were involved was present in every word.
I often found myself laughing at your well-timed comic relief moments, and for that, you must be applauded. You are genuinely funny!
I think all of us can relate to some degree to the dinner with Crystal's parents. Don't we all just crave a home-cooked meal served with love, judgement, and guilt?
And how about those doubting second thoughts about things we were so certain of a week ago? hate them!
There is so much growth happening here. This chapter was a four course meal of the best kind!
Crystal needs to watch this.
There are benefits too, to loving a soldier.
Poor Upper Crust. She tried so hard... then blew it again. -facehoof- I dread what she is planning on doing now that she knows Crystals feelings for him. She did just say she loved him to her without consciously meaning too. Then again maybe, just maybe, slim chance maybe she will get her head out of her ass and try to look past the social standards she holds.
And in that moment I have gained a new respect and fear of Sunbeam.
Cadence was a nice surprise and I'm happy at the advice she gave Crystal, And this was a good chapter all around. I hope he wakes up soon.
I about lost it at "muffinlump". Dammit, Sunbeam, stop being so perfect!
I loved the visit from Shining Armor and Cadance (that's right. With an "A"! I defy you!!!), especially the insight into how Cadance doesn't deal with the stress of being a soldier's wife, she accepts that it's part of her husband, something she loves and respects about him. Seems the two of us share that view of how they work ^^
You know, I didn't realize until this chapter just how much Crystal's mother actually cares about her.
I didn't expect Cadence to appear at all and now I don't know why, because it makes prefect sense what with being married to Shining(and we know that he had visited SK, so why wouldn't he come with his wife) and a "Lady of Love". Well, it was very interesting to hear what she had to say. In fact, their conversation was most important scene in this chapter. By the way, only now have I realised what you do with chapter titles in this arc.
New vocabulary added: indubitably, downtrodden
And there's no typos whohooo
/edit
Actually, no. There is one, but I didn't catch it the first time, so I'll let it slide.
Keep faith, Crystal Wishes, and never, ever forget the words of wisdom from a princess:
Lead with your left, and keep hammering him until he kisses you.
Yay another one.
6055422 I'm making sure any potential mate for me never gets dating advice from you!!!
Sounds like "Love Lines with Floyd Mayweather"...Or maybe, dating advice from Ronda Rousey. "Find the one you want and put them in a submission hold until they agree to a date"???
Forget 'speed dating', you are going to make it a cage match!
6056174
I'll have you know that "can take a punch like a champ" is important dating criteria!
I mean, I can't think, off the top of my head, of a situation where it might apply, but the point is that if for some reason national security hinged upon you and/or your date taking a punch, and you couldn't, then wouldn't you feel like a jerk for letting your country down?
Don't you love your country? Don't you want it to be safe? Then build up that chin and show your patriotism!
Your nation is counting on you!
Velvet said "indubitably," one of my all time favorite words. This chapter = perfect.
Ah- another good chapter.
At least she's come to terms with it.
6054975 It's never enough for you people! Tut, tut, I work so hard and I get no reprieve of demands...
6054991 Methinks you and Upper Crust might get along well, ideals-wise... It was fun to give Miley a little love in this chapter!
6055036 Was it convenient... or too convenient?! Perhaps Cadence sensed a... love line in danger, and told Shining that she needed to go to the hospital and he decided to come with to check in on Silent Knight, and it turned out Crystal was the love line all along!? ... Or maybe it was just a lazy plot convenience... I will never tell!!
6055072 The dinner conversation was a lot of fun to write, I won't lie!
6055107 She would also make a very sexy Love Nurse. Even though I never quite understood that sexual fantasy, I still think she could pull off the outfit!
6055165 Yeah, dinner with the parents can be awkward depending on your relationship with them. Especially if you're single and that's all they talk about. Look, Mom, I just want to enjoy the turkey and gravy, not feel like a social outcast, okay?
6055166 Oh, my! That would be one way to burn a bridge, so to speak!
6055204 Thanks so much, I really appreciate all your kind words! The past few chapters have been an emotional struggle, in the sense of trying to get feelings rumbling in my chest into words to be understood on the other side of the screen. We all feel pain differently. How do I explain how she feels pain? How do I show doubt, inner turmoil, uncertainty, all these darker feelings that some people may be lucky enough to never experience in this way, and make it a relatable, understandable feeling? So... With all of that I've got going on in my head, it's really nice to hear that it gets across, at least to some folks.
I'm cutting this response round-up short and will pick back up in the morning. I have read each and every comment, I am just exhausted after a long day and don't want to give lame replies just because I'm tired! Forgive me!
6057584 x3 The things I could say to that... are not suited for comments. lol
I wonder if Silent Knight knew Shining Armor when he was the captain of the royal guard. It would have been nice if that was expanded on so the prince's visit would have more impact.
6057584
I'll agree with you on not really understanding the fantasy of the nurse, but I'll go for it just because the outfit is sexy as hell.
As for the chapter itself, I have... mixed feelings. On one hand, I really like the interactions between Crystal and Silent's comatose body. That internal struggle of hers is fantastic, and the input from the ponies around her is just as awesome. Watching her try to reconcile her conflicted feelings, everyone around her trying to help her sort through them but never quite able to allay her fears and concerns, that's slice of life gold right there.
Which is particularly impressive since, at least in my opinion, slice of life is probably the most difficult genre to write well. The more subtle nature of the conflict requires a much greater character depth to give it impact, which is something that more adventurous titles can get away without, sadly.
But on the other hand, once again earth ponies get the short end of the stick. It's bad enough that they got shortchanged by the Equestrian genetic lottery without rich unicorns lording their magic over them. I really want to like Upper Crust, despite her flaws, but then she goes and says something like that... I'm going to hope that her comment at dinner was directed at Velvet and Silents' social status rather than their tribe and Crystal just misunderstood it.
6058213
The interactions between Silent and Shining are covered more in depth in Memoirs. Since this story is told from Crystal's perspective, he won't show up often. I can only think of maybe one more future scene where she'll be in the same room as Shining.
In this case, Cadance was the more important of the two, since she's the one who really talked with Crystal. Since he didn't really have any advice for her in dealing with the situation she's in, and she won't ever really have any reason to interact with him, Cadance will be the one that she's likely to run into again at some point and have a more deep connection to.
Hmmm... I could swear there were more dislikes before now...
Okay, it's morning! We're slightly refreshed! Refreshed enough for replies!
6055245 Two steps forward, one step back. Upper Crust is, like Wallflower, a character whose likability is not intended to be straightforward! Sunbeam, however, is totally supposed to be lovable. And respected.
6055266 I love the idea of Shining Armor and Cadence's relationship (rarr! camp E for the win!), especially the way you and I seem to see it. I don't think it's without its own troubles, but they have a deep, mutual love and understanding that pulls them through the hurdles that come their way. We should all hope and be so lucky as to find that kind of partner! (IMHO, the key is communication. Too many couples I know lack open communication with one another.)
6055289 I'm curious, if you don't mind indulging me! Anything in particular swing your opinion in that regard?
6055329 Yes, it was definitely the one pony who understood Crystal's situation better than anyone else! I was a little worried that her sweet disposition might come off as uncaring or not taking Silent's hospital stay seriously; I was going for a bit of a "spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down" mentality. She seems to have been well-received so I'm glad for that!
6055422 Or just get him in the bag!
6055577
6056312 We are definitely on the upswing, so don't worry! We'll get to the happy times soon!
6056820 It was the fanciest word Velvet knew in that moment. I like to think that there was a pause of Oh crabapples, what's a fancy Canterlot word? Fancy... fancy... "Indubitably!"
6057160 And acceptance is the first big, positive step toward... the next phase! (I'm not necessarily following the stages of grief to the letter, but more just Crystal's own winding path that generally follows the same course. Guidelines, not checkboxes, and all that!)
6058287 On this story? We've been at 9 for a while, unless one appeared overnight and swung away!
6058552 take your heathen "E" and get outta here!
Also, yeah, I would add that they still might have a bit of that young couple teasing (since they're presumably foalhood friends), still just having fun and trying to enjoy one another's company.
6058232 Giving you your own comment because I feel like this might be a lengthy reply and the last few times I included lengthy replies in the round-ups, it looked funny. We'll see if this works better!
First of all, thank you oodles and kaboodles. I worry with every chapter that what I've written will be boring to y'all. "Oh, great, it's Crystal talking to the comatose Silent again." etc. etc. This one in particular I thought might be boring because it doesn't necessarily advance plot in the sense of "moving forward" with the major points of her life—she's still single and she hasn't made writing progress—but there was the... "emotional plot" that had to be advanced, and I still don't have the confidence that emotional plots are interesting enough to keep a reader hooked. But, well, that's I guess the double-edged sword of slice of life.
I really enjoyed writing the different "advice" perspectives. Jet Set, Sunbeam, Miley, and Cadence all had valuable things to say that as a whole make sense, but individually there are still doubts and uncertainties. I don't think any single person can tell us exactly what we need to hear or know exactly what to say, and that was definitely what I was going for in this chapter (and, well, the ending of the previous).
I knew you wouldn't like the whole Upper Crust thing. Sorry, buddy. I'm in the same boat as you in my love for earth ponies and my sadness for their plight. She could absolutely be talking about social status over tribe (ooh I like that so much better than race...) and I'll leave it up to you. Either way, (tribe/status)ism is an ugly thing, and not something Crusty's going to talk about outright, so it's unlikely we'll get a straight answer from her. "Well, you know how it is, darling... And how it is is the way it is."
They seem to be the humans of DnD world, always pushed aside for elves and dragonborn and whatnot. But earth ponies are just so much fun because they gotta earn it! Sunbeam works those hooves every day placing sprinkles and piping icing in the perfect array, and she earns it. Of course, that's not much compared to magic and flight, but it makes me respect 'em.
Also, you're spot-on for the Shining Armor and Cadence stuff. Silent Knight is a royal guard at Canterlot Castle, Shining Armor is Captain of the Canterlot Royal Guard... Cadence specifically said that Shining said he believed Silent was one of the best of the best... I didn't think too much explanation was necessary! Plus, Lady Cadence is the real star of the scene, anyway.
6058570 Shove your "A" up your... um... A!
That certainly helps, too! I think they're just adorable and oh-so-sweet.
6058588 so violent lol
As I've had Cady say, she expects "all of the mushy things" from Shiny
6058552 Really, I think what it came down too was the "You could do better" comment. The way that was interpreted for me was that Upper Crust just wants what is best for Crystal, in fact, the entire story is full of examples of Upper Crust trying to do what she thinks would be best for Crystal. Upper Crust is still a bitch about it, but I think that is more of a failure to communicate more than anything else, Upper Crust and Jet Set have been tried to be there for Crystal every time she has needed help, but Crystal hasn't always been receptive to their offers nor has she ever given them much information to help them try to figure out what she needs.
TL,DR: Upper Crust is a good mother, but her inability to communicate properly leads to conflict with Crystal.
6058842 Thanks for indulging me! It's really fun to see how my intentions get across, and it looks like they landed safely on the other side of the screen!
6058552
No, no, that's only if you need him to take you to the Spearmints of Crockery.
And in a bit of a surprise upset considering last chapter, Silent comes out ahead in the "least terrible mother" competition. Wooden and reserved is a significant improvement over actually being kind of racist.
Wait, never mind, Velvet wins by a landslide.
It's wierd, I find it so hard to picture Cadance as a unicorn. Regardless, I loved her conversation with Crystal, it and what Miley said was just what the poor girl needed.
6059207 Sunbeam for Least Terrible Mom '15! *waves banners*
It's hard for me to picture her as an alicorn now after Anzel and I working with her as a unicorn! I tried to teeter around that topic, if only because I'm not interested in the swathes of comments Anzel gets, all along the lines of "Wait, Cadence is an alicorn, you made a mistake!" ... That, and I haven't added the AU tag, mostly because that's pretty much the only thing that intersects with the alternate universe stuff. I worry about that being a turn-off and somewhat confusing given that everything else pretty much fits nicely into canon in this story. Ah, well!
6059391 Honestly, I kind of wish you guys had defined her as a pegacorn or something different like that. Horn and wings but no extra long life or powers on the level of managing the sun and moon. It would let her show appearance match up with your stories, but would still allow Celestia and Luna to be alicorns of a different and special kind as built up in the backstory for them. That's what I tend to see more often in stories that include her but need to differentiate her from the others.
But, ehh, it's not a big deal.
6058586
I love humans in D&D. Nine times out of ten, that extra feat and skill point are worth more than all the minor stat boosts in the world, especially since a lot of the other races have negatives that don't quite balance out the positives.
Personally, I think earth ponies (at least in this universe) have it even worse than humans in D&D. Humans might not stand out in any particular field by nature, but they have the ability to be good at anything given time and practice. Earth ponies don't get that benefit. They can be a fighter or a rogue, and that's about it. If their dream is to be a wizard or something they're just SOL.
And Upper Crust...just... I can't hate her, but she just makes me dislike her so much sometimes. I want Crystal to see things from the outside, just for a moment, to realise the truth of her mother's attitude, but at the same time, I know it'll never happen as long as she keeps making comments like that.
And i still choose to believe that her comment was based on their social status rather than tribe. We know for a fact that social status is something she strives for, works hard for, and something that she sees as quite possibly the highest goal a pony can work for. We know she wants what's best for her daughter, even if she doesn't always know how to show it, so her focus on Silent and Velvets' statuses makes perfect sense. But on the flip side, we've never seen anything even resembling racism from her, overt or otherwise, so I choose to believe that that wasn't the purpose of her comment.
At least, I'll believe that until Upper Crust inevitably makes another mistake...
6059593 Regarding your belief of Upper Crust, I won't confirm or deny it until Crusty does herself, but I will say our perspective is somewhat skewed by Crystal.
We will eventually find out the truth. It'll just take a little while!
6059826
Crusty... What an unfortunate nickname...
We shall see about the truth of her actions... We shall see. So far, all evidence points to her comment being about social status, even what Crystal knows of her mother's history with her father. But she has changed since she was younger, so who knows. Maybe she really has picked up some of the less savory opinions of the Canterlot elite.
6058586 Quick question, when you plan your story, what format do you plan it in? I've been working out the details of the story I sent you and my planning format is pretty eh
6060780 I... kind of wing it, mostly, with getting a general idea ("Okay, Crystal gets some advice from Cadence and Miley that helps her get a grasp on the situation with Silent.") and then expand that with a really loose outline kind of like this:
That is more or less how the most recent chapter was laid out before I started writing. The Sunridge Sweets scene came out of left field...
I don't know if that's helpful at all, though, haha
6060987 Do you have the story's end mapped out already? Like either a definite or relative ending
6061055 I have the general, major plot points planned out (courtesy of Anzel and I collaborating and him being far ahead, so I get to plan the future while I work on its past), so I know how the story will generally meander, but the bumps along the path are sort of made up as the characters develop and unexpectedly wander off on their own to pick flowers and whatnot.
6061112 Alright, thank you!
And now I'mcaught up!... Dammit! Now I need to wait for chapters!
6073524 Welcome to the end of the world as we know it! ... I mean the current end of published content! I usually update Tuesdays and Thursdays, though today will be a late update because of an extremely busy weekend. At worst, I'll publish tomorrow!
Awww. Cute chapter. Love it.
Velvet didn't. Not exactly. She suggested Crystal keep her hoof in the door (as a way out).
This is really more pertinent to the previous chapter, and I've said it a long time ago, but it bears repeating -
there is something very skeptical hidden in Velvet's bubbly, proactive, upbeat and forward thinking demeanour. It's a trait that has a funny little way of showing up here and there. I watch out for it, and it leaves me to wonder.
I really liked Cadence's appearance. She conveys coyness and kindnes alongside regality and wisdom. I expect that moment of nagging preconscious recollection was about Lovey Dovey and the love lines, which would also make a fantastic band name.
Sunbeam is actually the best.
Meanwhile, in Silent's mind:
"When I wake up, I'm giving you such a kiss..."